Recently Seen Movies - 12 - Page 110

Tanaji over rated 6/10

Shiddat under rated perhaps 8/10 

The woman in the house across the street from the girl in the window (Netflix) 

Yeah that's an actual title. I mean the ridiculous title should've been enough to know that this was a parody series of crime and mystery sub genre. Or maybe the fact that Kristen Wiig was the leading lady. Or that Will Farrell is one of the execs of this show. But I'm ashamed to admit that it took me the end of episode two to actually realize that this was a parody. 

The thing is it isn't ridiculous enough to actually pinpoint and say this is strange. The humour is subtle but when you start noticing, it becomes a riot. It's pretty funny how this flew over peoples' heads. I saw reviewers dissing this show and saying it is a badly made crime thriller. Duh doy! 

Binge it if you have nothing else going on. 

3.5/5

Plan A Plan B on Netflix …it’s a light hearted rom com and a good watch both Tammana and Ritesh were decent.

The stranger - british crime thriller is ok one time watch. It becomes too complicated in the middle.  But overall ok. 

Get Back is not really a movie but more of a documentary.

I was not much of a Beatles fan but randomly decided it to watch it.

 It is long and I have watched it twice now and gone down the Beatles rabbit hole, reading books on them and watching and listening to more of their stuff.

It is fascinating to watch the creative process as these talented musicians conjure songs out of thin air - songs that have stood the test of time.

It is also fascinating to see these musical superstars as a group of men who had been very close friends who are sometimes acrimonious and sometimes just having fun as their band slowly unravels.

Maja Ma

I am not going to bother with hiding spoilers because the rumor mills had given up the plot months ago. 

Anyway, Bollywood's attempts at queer cinema are getting a bit exhausting. How long can good intentions and brave attempts cover up half-baked plots? The saddest part is that the plot had so much potential. 

There are tons of queer folks in India who settled into heteronormative relationships to fit into society. They're not necessarily unhappy or loveless marriages. But they are not satisfying or fulfilling either. What are the implications when they are outed? What does it mean for the family? How do you move on from this? The possibilities for a compelling movie were endless. But all that gets lost in shoddy writing. 

The whole American in-law plot was so contrived and painful. I know Indians have a less-than-stellar perception of NRIs. But this was the amalgamation of every cringe NRI stereotype ever. And man, if you did want to create a Bobby Jindal type - couldn't you keep it a little bit realistic? Put them in East Texas, Lousiana or Alabama. Houston is a blue city and has had a lesbian mayor - a Bollywood redneck has no fighting chance. 

Not only does it waste talented actors like Sheeba Chadda and Rajit Kapur, but it also misses an opportunity to create a story rooted in an Indian small town. The same outing and conflicts could have been handled in a small-town context. The stakes could have been made so much higher when you're trying to win back your neighbors, your community, you have loved your whole life. 

Srishti Shrivastava is also wasted on a stereotypical social justice warrior type. She is in your face with her LGBTQ activism. But the worst part is she's a cishet woman who has taken it upon herself to speak on behalf of actual LGBTQ folks. She is so out of touch that she consistently takes away actual queer folks ownership of their own voices and stories. Anyway, queer folks who believe the only reason she is an activist is that she is a Gender and Sexuality scholar - not because she or her husband could be bisexual, trans, non-binary, or questioning (another missed mark in character development). It just infuriated me that she treats her own mother as her social justice project instead of being there as a daughter is just there to support her mother in whatever way she needs. Idk who's worse the ingrate son who tries to fix his mother to solve his problems or the daughter who denies her mother her narrative. 

The saving grace is Madhuri Dixit who makes the most of her character. She shows immense poise in the face of adversity. She is simultaneously vulnerable and resilient. And manages to say a lot with her expressions. I've probably surreptitiously fantasized about a queer Madhuri Dixit ever since I was a kid obsessed with Ek Do Teen. Never imagined the packaging would be so shoddy. 

Gajraj Rao as the husband does show immense growth - but the whole Viagra plot was unnecessary and felt a bit lifted from the Adam Groff incident in Sex Education. 

Oh, and thank heavens for Simone Singh who has the best lines. I hated the show Heena, but now I would happily simp for her. She makes the cl|toris as glorious as it should be. 

PS: WTF IF the cl|t isn't abusive? Are you confusing it with cvnt? 

return to hades!! come here you big scary mean person and give me a hug

Look Both Ways

Do Revenge 

Both on Netflix.

Great movies to kill time, didn't have to skip anything so it's decent enough.

Bollywood - Bramhastra

I don't think I need to put a review for this one, a lot has been said already. One time watch for me, that's it.

Black-ish (all 8 seasons)

I enjoyed Black-ish a lot. What I appreciated is its lighthearted approach to being black in America. Anthony Anderson's Andre Johnson gets preachy and in-your-face with comedic effect, but the show itself never comes off as excessively preachy. 

Creator Kenya Barris based it on his own experiences as a successful wealthy black man married to a successful wealthy black doctor. So there is some reflection in reality. The show is also self-aware of the privileges of being wealthy and counterbalances it with the pitfalls of being black. 

The star of the show for me is Marsai Martin's precocious and sassy Diane Johnson. Followed by Tracee Ellis Ross and Jennfier Lewis whose characters are at perpetual odds with each other. 

Unfortunately, the later seasons get messy. The show seems to not know the direction it is headed with COVID and the politics in America. These episodes tend to lose the narrative structure and feel haphazard. The final season winds down pretty abruptly. I felt that Andre Jr, Ruby, and Pops got a good arc - but the journey of the two main leads Andre and Rainbow seemed half-baked. 

Happiest Season (2020) 

It was weird watching Kristen Stewart in a bright Christmas movie. I've come to associate her with gloomy, edgy or indie cinema more. But she shines here. Seeing Dan and Aubrey Plaza was surprising. There was also Alison Bre and she was good. I did not like the actress who played Harper. She was contrived and just didn't fit the role and the chemistry was lacking. Wish they had cast someone else. 

2/5