chand-suhas Reviews

Atlas (2024)

Peace to the fallen and a lollipop.

[3/10 · 26 May 2024]

Atlas Shepherd is a goddamn analyst and not a soldier. She distrusts AI when they are human's ally as well as main enemy. Atlas wants Harlan, an AI turned terrorist dead because of the mayhem he had caused. After capturing and interrogating agent Casca, she learns about Harlan's current location which is an another planet and when the mission to capture Harlan goes south with the bunch of rangers killed and their ship captured. It is upto Atlas to overcome her distrust and sync with her AI partner Smith to figure out how to stop Harlan on time.

For this feeble done to death story about AI trying to take over earth with a sinister plan of wiping out half the population in order to save humanity, there isn't much to expect out of the script. Then problem is how dull the screenplay is and mainly how it is devoid of any sort of entertainment. The banter between Atlas and Smith should've somewhat saved the film but except for the lollipop line, nothing else works. The vfx is sub par and the poor dialogues doesn't help JLo and rest of the actors much. With a 2hr runtime, the story drags on with the predictable twists and the unimaginative action blocks.

Ordinary Angels (2024)

The ordinary angels around us.

[6/10 · 26 May 2024]

Sharon Stevens is a co-owner of a salon and has a turbulent relationship with her disapproving son which is one of the reason she uses for her alcohol addiction. When she comes across a newspaper article about 5 year old Michelle Schmidt in need of a liver transplant and has just lost her mother, she decides to help out the family. She independently raises fund at her salon in a day but soon realizes that isn't enough. Ed the father has a larger debt due to the hospital bills and his income isn't enough to cut it. How she helps out the family in order to save the girl's life and even help herself with repairing the relationship with her son, forms rest of the story.

Based on the true events that occurred in 1994, Ordinary Angels is a straight forward tale of the triumph of humanity when people come together to help each other out. With Hilary Swank and Alan Ritchson leading from the front, ably supported by the rest of the cast including a cute Emily Mitchell as Michelle, Ordinary Angels succeeds in narrating a near 2hr story of one family facing the crisis with a committed Sharon being their angel. The old school narrative here works largely and it is much easier to connect with the family's situation. I always look forward to some of the real life footages during the end credits and that made this extra special.

Ordinary People (1980)

A Masterpiece!

[9/10 · 26 May 2024]

Calvin Jarrett is trying his best to understand his son Conrad as well as his wife Beth. Ever since they lost their elder son Buck at a tragic sailing accident, the negative impact of it pushed Conrad to take an extreme step. As Conrad and Beth grow distant in handling their grief, it is Calvin who tries to hold it together. Conrad tries to get help from a psychiatrist Dr. Berger as he is failing to have a social life and let anyone into his life. How this family copes up with the aftermath of a tragedy that struck them and how Conrad finds the help he desperately needs, forms rest of the story.

Robert Redford's direction, Alvin Sargent's screenplay based on a novel and ofcourse the strong performances by the four main characters, justify why this film won the Oscar so deservingly. It's a character study and how! Hats off to Judd Hirsch for playing Dr. Berger so exceptionally well. Those therapy sessions with Conrad were simply terrific and leave a lasting impact. Then there is Calvin and Beth where I was surprised that how these characters were dealt with. There were no good and bad people here, the way Beth behaves post the loss of Buck is also presented in such a mature manner. Individuals deal with their grief differently and it is never meant to be easy or even fair, which the film supremely establishes. I would definitely recommend this as one of the most important films on mental health and it shouldn't be missed.

Broker (2022)

An overmelodramatic tale of an unlikely family!

[6/10 · 26 May 2024]

Broker is about Ha Sang-hyeon and Dong-soo, one owns a laundry shop yet works with the other in stealing the babies left at the church and sell them illegally for wannabe parents. Moon So-young gives up her baby at the church but chooses to join the duo in finding his baby the right parents. Meanwhile, two detectives are on the case to nab Sang-hyeon and Dong-soo. As one more kid Hae-jin joins to make them all one unlikely family, it is revealed nothing is what it seems to be.

It's a slow paced melodramatic dramedy about child traffickers. Each of these characters get a back story, enough to justify their current predicament and also establish that these characters, despite the circumstances they chose to be part of, are just good souls in the end. The intention was right but the execution went a bit overboard with the emotional scenes including the scene with Sang-hyeon and his daughter. It did end in a predictable mellow manner and though it is still a decent film.

Perfect Days (2023)

Next time is next time. Now is now.

[8/10 · 25 May 2024]

Hirayama has stuck to his daily routine and works as a toilet cleaner. His daily routine includes his passion for the plants and photography along with his collection of audio cassettes, ending the day at the diner. He has an associate Takashi is the opposite of him, trying to impress a girl. Hirayama is happy with his solitude and the limited set of people in his life along with a stranger, he plays tic tac toe. Hirayama's niece shows up one day unannounced and it is these each set of events that gets added to Hirayama's already structured life, is what makes it his perfect days.

Koji Yakusho's portrayal of Hirayama is the true highlight of this film and that final shot of him listening "feeling good" song while emoting various emotions alone commands for a re-watch. As much as I kept liking this film, those last 15mins took it to another level and I couldn't stop myself from loving this film. It's the moments Hirayama finds happiness in and has no complaints about his life. Even the reveal about his equation with his own family, doesn't deviate for a subplot on his past. Those were the perfect days he was living - happy, sad or dull, I could connect with Hirayama instantly. Then that final act involving the casual talk that doesn't get dramatized instead turns into a shadow tag game followed by the terrific climatic shot, it wa just perfect. I strongly recommend this gem to everyone.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

She is that thing.

[7/10 · 23 May 2024]

The origin story of Imperator Furiosa where she is snatched away from her home by biker raiders and her mother chases after them to get her back as well as to ensure that biker raiders don't reveal about their place of abundance to others. Furiosa is taken to Dementus who wants to take over her home. On their way, Dementus eyes for the Citadel and years pass by with Furiosa growing up, prepping for her freedom as well as her revenge. How does she exact her revenge, forms rest of the story.

Narrated in chapters, visually the film is top notch despite minor CGI glitches. The narrative is captivating and the violence delicious in particular. The linear story telling helps here and Furiosa is a character the viewers are already invested in, thanks to the fabulous Fury Road. The film does get slow paced during chapter 4 and 5 but it is made up for by the stupendous Chris Hemsworth towards the end, with his quirky dialogues. The action scenes were definitely more enjoyable on the IMAX screen and George Miller excels again with his direction, needless to say, nobody else can do justice to the world he has created in this franchise.

Monster (2023)

Who's the monster?

[8/10 · 23 May 2024]

Minato is behaving weirdly which worries her mother. She begins to suspect her son being ill-treated at school by his teacher Mr. Hori. She escalates it to the school management and eventually confronts Mr. Hori who informs that her son is a bully, tormenting Yori. But Yori is fond of Minato. With Mr. Hori losing his job, Minato falling down the stairs, things escalate, leading to exposing several misunderstandings the adults had over the kids and the truth behind Minato's strange behavior. Who's the monster here is what rest of the film sheds light on.

The biggest plus is the perspective based narrative the director adopts. The proceedings are explained from three angles - one that of Saori, Mr. Hori and Minato. With the same events being given a fresh perspective, the truth behind the individual's actual predicament and inner struggle, reveal how wrong both the adults were about the kids. From the emotional aspect, the film is strong and these scenes are executed well. The performances too, especially the two kids stand out. Despite the subject, the innocence of the kids is not lost throughout and kudos to the director for pulling it off. Monster indeed is a must watch.

Triad (2012)

Misguided young blood.

[4/10 · 22 May 2024]

William's mother is saved by brother Patrick, member of a triad and despite being a graduate, William prefers to be on Patrick's side, picking the life with triad. William's friends Derek and Edward also join the gang. Raising up the ranks, William and co start enjoying the life of crime as it gives them with money and fame but makes it clear who has the power. William continues to make money for the triad and soon is after that very power. Will he be allowed to raise that above in the ranks as both the sides shedding lot of blood, forms rest of the story.

12 years later, the film does feel extra dated due to it's story. I would've still called the film dated 12 years ago as well, that is solely because these gangster films have the same narrative and there isn't anything new to offer. It's about the a guy, growing up in ranks and eventually dreaming to earn the highest of the position to run the entire thing. The people he loses, new friends he gains and the enemies that he make for himself, the narrative pattern remains the same with the genre norms. The love story asusual is half baked.

The Boy and the Heron (2023)

All gray herons are liars yet their lies are true!

[6/10 · 21 May 2024]

Mahito has lost his mother Hisako in a fire accident at the hospital she worked and he is unable to overcome this loss. His father re-marries and his new stepmother Natsuko, is also the sister of his mother. Mahito with his father moves to Tokyo to live with his stepmother and she is pregnant. Mahito is cordial yet distant with her. As he arrives, he is greeted by a Heron and soon he is told by the Heron that his mother is alive. With the voices which only he can hear, he eventually embarks on a journey into the mystical world that reveals a lot about his bloodline and the life as he knows it.

To be honest, this is not the kind of film I would be willing to rewatch anytime soon. The songs weren't that catchy and the narrative is slow, especially in the first act. The director does provide the explanations to the proceedings yet it takes time to properly follow the story. Once the story moves into the mystical world down below, the story starts to make sense until the many worlds theory is inserted. Anyways, the animation definitely stood out and it elevated several scenes in the second act. The whole parakeet angle didn't work for me entirely. I wish there was a bit more on the warawara and the pelicans.

Playing with Fire (I) (2019)

An unfunny film starring the funniest actors.

[3/10 · 21 May 2024]

A group of smoke jumpers, led by Jake Carson save people on time but they don't get to enjoy the fame same as the firefighters who hog all the limelight. Jake is trying to live upto his father's legacy and is a strict superintendent and hoping to land his dreamjob in the division. One such rescue mission, he comes across 3 children living at a cabin which caught fire. Saving them results in them staying overnight at their workplace citing the safe haven law. As they wait for the parents to turn up, how does the unwilling bunch of smoke jumpers form a bond with the naughty trio, forms rest of the story.

It's pretty much a painful film to watch when the genre clearly says comedy and it has not just John Cena but Keegan-Michael Key and John Leguizamo as supporting cast. How weak the writing must be to give them so many back to back unfunny scenes? The story fails instantly and the narrative is not engaging at all even for Nickelodeon standards. Keegan does get an entire scene to work where he is triggerd by the girl's sarcasm but that's about it. Whatever jokes that remotely seems funny, it is entirely the actor's conviction to make them work. The reveal about the children and their parents came out as bland and the film ends the same way.

Acid (2023)

Hopeless and depressingly bad!

[2/10 · 20 May 2024]

France is hit by acid rain and a divorced couple with their teenage daughter, try to survive like the rest. The cause of the acid rain is not the main focus, the survival isn't either for the teen girl. As the couple try to overcome their differences and work towards their common goal of saving their daughter, what circumstances they go through as the acid rain worsens, forms rest of the story.

The moment you let a horse die, it was clear the characters were unsympathetic and totally lacked any sort of survival skills but to keep running. As much as the father and mother wanted to save their daughter, their character arc of miserable ex-couple, really kills any sort of hope. Then, there is the annoying daughter whose only job is to cry throughout and I simply didn't care for her survival instantly.

Sadly, acid rain scenes aren't the main focus either to showcase the destruction, largely due to budget restrictions but the writing is enormously hopeless giving no reason to root for any character. The mother-son duo in the third act are straight up depressing. Just the bunch of characters who have totally given up and yet weaving a survival story around them, made no sense. The film dragged on for it's entire runtime and it was totally not worth sitting through it or even claim that I survived it.

Zara Hatke Zara Bachke (2023)

The film's title says it all!

[3/10 · 19 May 2024]

Somya is married to Kapil and dreams of having her house. She is not happy living with the joint family due to lack of privacy and Kapil's aunt meddling with their life. The inter-caste marriage already has it's challenges which the loving couple have overcome but the dream to have their own house is shattered after the one they chose is proven to be very expensive. The couple hears about the government scheme i.e. Awas yojana and plans to cheat in order to get a house allotted. As they take the extreme step to divorce each other, hiding the real reason from everybody, what situations they get themselves into forms rest of the story.

For an year, I got carried away with the hype around this film and probably had a different expectations from it. Sadly, the weak writing pulls the film down in such a way, it simply provides no chance for the lead actors to save it. The proceedings is simply devoid of any fun. The songs however I couldn't enjoy in the film thanks to all the insta reels as they felt over exposed. The writing is predictable from the word go and overacting in the courtroom is something I don't find funny at any circumstances. Sara Ali Khan and Vicky Kaushal were good and has a good supporting cast yet the emotions remain superficial throughout for the actors to make it work.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)

The Five Man Army!

[5/10 · 17 May 2024]

Prime Minister Winston Churchill prepares for Operation Postmaster, in order to destroy the Italian supply ship Duchessa d'Aosta. For this unauthorized mission, they pick the five man army led by Gus March-Phillips. To aid them, agents Marjorie Stewart and Richard Heron, lay out the ground work. However, the five man army need to be make a slight detour on their way to rescue Geoffrey Apple yard, the one with the masterplan. How does this bunch, become a nightmare to the Nazis and execute their plan, forms rest of the story.

The five man army or even the magnificent seven, could be used to describe them. However, for a fictional take on Operation Postmaster, Guy Ritchie delivers on the opening act and has a solid starcast as well. Once the Nazi army gets to be just target practice to our lead, the proceedings start getting repetitive and there isn't any real tense moments as they simply have no match. The quirks and the handsome man can only do so much. The action is fun and the humor works at times. The third act is still decent enough and that is why I am going with a lenient rating.

Peter Rabbit (2018)

Peter vs Thomas!

[5/10 · 16 May 2024]

Peter the rabbit has become the prodigal son when he turns Mr. Mcgregor's house into a party hub for all the animals, post his demise. The animals did fear the old McGregor but their happiness is cut short when the property is inherited by Thomas, the great-nephew. The war ensues between Peter and co. Vs Thomas, where he gets outwitted by them. Meanwhile, Bea who is like a motherly figure to all the rabbits, falls for Thomas and this further enrages Peter. What mayhem does this jealousy lead to and how does Peter makes up for it, forms rest of the story.

I had watched the sequel without watching this and finally, I made time to cross this one off the list. It's a proper film for the kids and not that it doesn't have much for the rest of the age group. The rabbits are indeed rather cute and Margot Robbie's narration is indeed fun. Writing wise it needed bit more to instantly connect with Peter rabbit but it is made up for with the fun scenes and the focus shifting to Peter vs Thomas. The love story is anyways half baked and the predictable screenplay still makes up for an okay watch.

Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020)

A song to save the reality!

[4/10 · 15 May 2024]

Bill and Ted have not yet come up with the song to save the world and it's 2020. Meanwhile, their marriages are on shaky ground with their princess wives having doubts. Rufus's daughter Kelly travels back in time to remind them of the impending danger. Her mother, The Great Leader informs them that the reality they know is about to end and they have time till 7:17pm to come up with the song to save the reality. Bill and Ted start travelling to their future to get the said song only for their surprise to know they haven't created it. How do they save everyone and their respective marriage with the aid of Kid Cudi forms rest of the story.

29 years later, the arrival of this film which is also titled Face the Music, makes sense in a way. Needless to say it is strictly for the fans, however it is simply not the same after all these years. The character traits had to get worn off and this acting like a swan song of sorts, help in sitting through this one. The humor does work due to nostalgia but the overall film work only in parts. I did laugh at Dennis jokes and ofcourse William Sandler as the Death. The first two films too haven't aged well but for that time, they were definitely entertaining. This one felt dated on arrival itself.

Escape Plan: The Extractors (2019)

What a mess!

[2/10 · 15 May 2024]

Daya Zhang is kidnapped by mercenaries along with her entourage and a ransom of $700million is demanded from her father. Her bodyguard Yung feels guilty of letting her to be taken and is surprised to see a pen drive in his pocket before he was knocked unconscious. The drive has a message to Ray Breslin, revealing who the perpetrator is. After realizing the personal vendetta, Breslin along with Shen Lo, Yung and Trent DeRosa, figure out the location where Daya is held up to be Devil's Station. Breslin's girlfriend Abigail also joins them. How do they save Daya Zhang from that prison, forms rest of the story.

As much as I enjoyed the first film, the next two films rightfully straight to dvd releases, just end up as bland follow ups with sub-par acting and mediocre writing. All the sequels had was an antagonist to justify the sequel whereas Stallone as Ray Breslin barely gets to do anything remotely closer to the first film. This sequel too is completely devoid of any thrills and even the action scenes don't stand out. They break in and out of the said prison so casually, it is hardly entertaining.

3 from Hell (2019)

Free the three!

[5/10 · 14 May 2024]

The trio are caught and are sentenced to life in prison. While Captain Spaulding is executed, the return of their half brother Foxy actually changes things for them. Otis escapes and reunites with Foxy, together they hatch a plan to breakout Baby. Meanwhile, Baby attempts to get parole citing her mental status but is denied. In prison, she continues to prove why she is the superstar of the show and once the brothers break her out, it's all mayhem in Rob Zombie style.

After stalling for years, finally I decided to complete watching this to complete the trilogy and though I am not much of a fan of this franchise, I am happy that Rob Zombie got to focus on the characters more here than the violence they resort to. Especially Sheri Moon Zombie excels as Baby again with Richard Drake chipping in as well. At times it did get repetitive but whenever Baby got to be the main focus, it simply delivered on the entertainment. The whole climax fight though could have been better but overall, it's a decent one time watch.

Joy Ride 3: Road Kill (2014 Video)

An awful joyless ride.

[1/10 · 13 May 2024]

Rusty Nail gets a bunch of people to kill the third time around. That's about it story wise. 6 friends out of which 2 being racers, take the Highway 17 after knowing it is unpatrolled. If taking the dreaded route isn't enough, they try to mess with Rusty out of all and he makes it his business to unleash his wrath of them. How many actually get to survive him forms rest of the story.

I hadn't watched the third film, obviously after the disappointing sequel and I happened to immensely enjoy the first film. This however is a painful watch with lazy acting and even worse screenplay. Literally devoid of any tense moments or even remotely imaginative kills, this is no cat and mouse chase to shell out any joyous moment. It is not even remotely closer in matching the second film which itself was tedious to sit through.

Kaagaz 2 (2024)

A fight for Right to Life.

[4/10 · 12 May 2024]

A spiritual sequel to Kaagaz, I got to know this to be a remake of an award winning Malayalam film from the same director. The story is about an honest lawyer Raj Narayan Singh who takes up the case of Sushil Rastogi whose daughter Aarya Rastogi passed away due to failing to reach the hospital on time. A political party's rally led to the traffic jam. Raj Singh's son Uday too hates him for being abandoned as child when his parents separated and he blames Raj for the same. Uday is an IMA Cadet who quits due to his temper. After knowing the condition of his father and his strong will to fight the case no matter what, eventually let's him to join the cause. How does they plead their case and fight for justice, forms rest of the story.

Good actors alone cannot carry a film with an half baked script and that is exactly what happens here. The look of the film may be low budget and not much to complain there but the writing and the treatment of the screenplay, somehow fails to leave the intended impact. The father - son angle is largely saved by Anupam Kher - Darshan Kumaar's performances, especially in the second half. The main story involving the court room drama is restricted to emotional monologues, which looks extremely dated. Then, there is the movement people undertake in the third act which happens randomly and wish the whole segment was powerfully depicted. Overall it's a missed opportunity but good to see Satish Kaushik's honest performance.

Patna Shukla (2024)

An old school melodramatic courtroom drama that partially delivers.

[5/10 · 12 May 2024]

Tanvi Shukla is a lawyer at the lower court and is leading a happy life with her husband and son. One day, Rinki Kumari approaches her to take up her case. Rinki is a 3rd year B. Sc student who believes she had done well yet was failed in the final exam. Tanvi uncovers the truth behind swapping of marks to undeserving candidates and poor underprivileged students being the easy target. Up against the rich and powerful, Tanvi fights for Rinki at the court. Will she be able to get her the justice she deserves and what other secrets get unraveled on the way, forms rest of the story.

The novel story resorts to a pedestrian screenplay filled with several melodramatic moments that make it look like an 90s film. The strength of the film apart from the story being novel is the performances and the actors definitely carry the film through. There is a reason why old school dramas have a way to be captivating even when the writing is deliberate and Patna Shuklla is another example of it. The tactics used by the opponent lawyer and the culprits are as predictable as the leading lady finding a way to continue her fight, yet the court scenes or even the moments her husband supporting her, leave their mark. Overall, Patna Shuklla makes up for a harmless watch, it is old school yet it almost delivers.

All India Rank (2023)

Hence proved.

[5/10 · 12 May 2024]

Vivek Singh is admitted to an IIT coaching center. It is his father's ambition to see him score an IIT seat and has been sacrificing a lot to ensure Vivek gets all the aid he needs to pass the IIT entrance exam. Vivek's mother has cholesterol due to her love for sweets but more than that, she is a loving mother who cares for both her husband and son. The film depicts Vivek's homesickness and his cluelessness about what he wants in life actually. He gets to be friends with Sarika who is a topper herself, Chandan who pretends to not care about IIT and the gullible Rinku. How does the experiences Vivek gets being with his friends and his realization of his parents' sacrifices, prepare him for life ahead, forms rest of the story.

I have to admit there has been an overdose of this sort of stories and Varun Grover in his directorial debut tries to be his earnest best in narrating this tale. Setting the story in 1997, the 90s nostalgia is tapped into while keeping Vivek's innocence intact. Parallelly his parents story is narrated where the authoritarian father makes all the decision yet the relationship between father-mother is beautifully depicted with the inclusion of crisis, be it financial one or a creepy stalker's harassment. Circling it all back to the Euler's identity equation is commendable. It is still an earnest attempt and the actors too have given their best. I could've enjoyed it better if it had come few years earlier or even right after the TVF series.

Shaitaan (2024)

Do not take Laddoo from a stranger as well.

[4/10 · 12 May 2024]

A scene to scene remake of Vash with minute changes here and there, until the altered climax because Hindi remake seeks happy ending. Kabir is living with wife Jyoti and his two children, Jhanvi and Dhruv. Their's is a happy family and they are off to a family vacation at their farmhouse. They stop to eat and a strange man named Vanraj greets them, offering a laddoo to Jhanvi which casts a spell on her. Vanraj shows up at their farmhouse and thus the mayhem begin. Vanraj has a far bigger plan and will Kabir be able to stop Vanraj on time as well as save his kid, forms rest of the story.

Watching Shaitaan right after Vash, simply did not help the cause. It just made this scene to scene remake that much less interesting and the remake definitely is less interesting. Relying mainly on Madhavan and Janki's performances, with Devgn and Jyothika underplaying their characters, the novelty factor goes for a toss early on. Maddy too is good when he is controlling the girl but goes into over dramatic mode when claiming himself to be the devil.

What actually didn't work for me was the altered climax. Even if I stop myself from revealing much, the criticism is towards not keeping the story straight and simple. Instead of having a smooth flow of things, the attempt of presenting certain tricks up Kabir's sleeves, it just came out looking as them trying too hard to look cool, even with the phone tracking. Since I wasn't too fond of Vash, cannot say Shaitaan was ruined by it's hype. Somehow, Shaitaan remained dull despite an excited Madhavan and the mellow Devgn couldn't make it work like he did so well in Drishyam films.

Vash (I) (2023)

That is why one shouldn't accept candy from a stranger.

[6/10 · 12 May 2024]

Atharva is a pilot and has an happy family consisting of his wife Beena and his two children, Aarya and Ansh. On the way to their regular vacation at the farmhouse, they stopby at a dhaba to have food. Aarya is too conscious of her diet and doesn't want to eat there. A random stranger Pratap helps out Atharva by sharing his token for a beverage and soon joins the family at the table. He offers Aarya a candy and unknown to the family, Pratap has cast a spell on Aarya, completely controlling her. What happens when Pratap follows them to their farmhouse and causes mayhem overnight, forms rest of the story.

This was a pretty much straight forward horror story that is driven by the performances. Pratap who calls himself a devil, is menacing through his calm demeanour. Aarya as his puppet gets to do all the heavy scenes while the parents remain helpless throughout. Krishnadev Yagnik has succeeded in getting the tone right, from the beginning itself. As one scene builds onto another, the transition is indeed smooth. I couldn't sympathise with the annoying little brother though. It was the final act where things become a bit too convenient as the father tracks Pratap to his den, other than that, the terror filled night alone succeeded in delivering an entertaining film.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)

Never trust a duplicitous human!

[6/10 · 10 May 2024]

Caesar was the first elder. Many generations later, Apes are the dominant species whereas most of the humans have been rendered mute and living like scavengers. Our hero Noa belongs to the Eagle clan, where they raise eagles. They are unaware of Caesar and his accomplishments or his teachings. Then there is a rogue clan led by Proximus Caesar, who is after a human. Chasing her leads them to the Eagle clan and they destroy the village and take the residents hostage. With his home destroyed, Noa seeks revenge against the rogue clan and get back his family safely. In his journey, he learns about the real Caesar and his teachings, also comes across the human lady whom he protects. Will he be able to save his clan and is the human trustworthy, forms rest of the story.

Once again, minus the Caesar, we get yet another strong ape character to root for in the form of Noa and his bonding with the friends as well as his family, leaves a stronger impact. The humans are called as echo by this particular clan and they are completely unaware of what actually happened in the past. The elders wanted to protect them from the truth and this is actually executed well. The film does have a strong first act whereas it does drag a bit towards the end of the second act, which is largely saved by Raka. I wished for the third act to have been approached differently as the liberties taken here, dampen the impact. I did find this to be a commendable watch despite it's blemishes and I will look forward to the next sequel.

Jalsaghar (1958)

To all of my noble ancestors!

[8/10 · 10 May 2024]

The final days of the zamindar, who is just too stubborn to adapt to the changing times. It's all about his pride where he doesn't want to lose to new money. He loves Music and wants to arrange musical events at his mansion as a means to show off as well. Despite his wife's objection, he doesn't heed instead he just wants to prove himself to be superior. Rather than working towards earning his respect back, he resorts to please his ego, in an empty manner, finding solace in competing against others by spoiling his own wealth. This film captures his final days.

Once again Satyajit Ray mesmerizes with his fine blend of classic Music with a straight forward story filled with complex emotions of a stubborn man, who has lost everything and yet holds onto the thing which he doesn't realize, was among the first he lost out on. Much of the film takes place in the mansion where multiple musical performances happen. Barring the ones attending the said event, the film rather has very limited character and rightfully so focuses entirely on the zamindar. Chhabi Biswas contributes tremendously, portraying his sense of loss and his desperation to seek happiness in satisfying his ego. It is the climax shot with the candles burning out, where his excellent performances carries the film a notch higher. I would definitely recommend this for a watch.