One film, a wide array of characters and endless possibilities. To conceptualize a franchise finale like Avengers: Endgame might easily be the most gargantuan challenge for commercial filmmakers. Because my favourite characters might not be the same for the person next to me in the cinema. While I might be […]
Read Time : 8 Minutes
‘Athiran’ review – a chilling mystery thriller that scores high on atmosphere
There are films that sell themselves on their mood. Among veterans, I have observed the quality in films by Yasujiro Ozu, Federico Fellini and even Stanley Kubrick (thinking only of 2001: A Space Odyssey at this moment). Of late, Gasper Noe, Darren Aronofsky and Alfonso Cuaron have successfully nurtured this […]
Read Time : 11 Minutes
“Kalank”… A forgettable period saga which is two decades too late!
Remember the times when trains in Hindi cinema ran in slow motion? The times when characters spoke only in slogans or quotable quotes. The era where grandeur existed only to showcase the producers’ bank balance. Think of heavy artifice and a filmmaking approach that Sanjay Leela Bhansali would have pursued […]
Read Time : 4 Minutes
‘Fighting With My Family’ review – a pleasant wrestling biopic with a first-rate central act
Coming-of-age films are always about finding an equilibrium. There will be clichés galore that ‘might be’ unavoidable to project the bumps and troughs but it is in a screenwriter’s ability to find a balance between each conflict and each resolution that such premises take solid shape. One that belongs to […]
Read Time : 5 Minutes
‘Shazam!’ review – a goofy comedy that’s also a sweet family story
The latest film to come out of DCEU, Shazam! kicks off on a puzzling note. A child who is bullied by his family for not ‘manning up’ enough witnesses a horrid incident in a mysterious dreamland followed by an actual accident. Now, here’s a young boy who is every bit […]