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Bandiraa
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Ladies Special (1993)
Another gem from 'Master' Jandhyaala
Yet another profound 'Telugu' feministic film by a male director. This isn't sarcasm, more like a self burn ( Check the title card in the film).
The film revolves around four lower middle class working ladies who are the bread winners of the family. Each one of them have different relationship with male partners and Sri. Jandhyaala have aced in exploring the patronizing patriarchy in the society.
Needless to say, a great watch!
Aadavallu Meeku Joharulu (1981)
Gut wrenching, provoking as every KB Sir's film
I've seen very few films of K. Balachander sir, that too on my television in my childhood. But the scenes & impact are very much intact with my memory to date.
One of my colleagues heaps praise on this film when a new feature film releases under the same title. I went on to check it and it just blew my mind.
The plot deals with the social activist P. Rani arriving at a village on her work and coming across a brute Narasimha, who is feared by the whole village for his rogue & brutal nature. She fixates on a mission to reform him, thereby inspiring the villagers to come out of their predicament.
I really want to speak about Ganesh Patro first. Dialogues were so short & crisp. They were so thought-provoking and I became a fan of him. So does KB sir's direction & shot composition. Special mention to 'Acharya' Athreya sir's lyrics. It's a shame that this film is not being spoken about. So progressive & feministic after decades too.
Is It Too Much to Ask? (2017)
Subtle yet crude!
This docu follows two transgender women, Glady & Smile, who are in the ordeal of finding a house by , which is a luborious & stressful for a normal - ordinary - monthly waged citizen. It showcase the society's infliction & inhibition of trans, caste & diet.
Voces inocentes (2004)
One of the best out there!
I'm still very much unsettled & tears still flowing down my face. One the most enticing & emotional experience I've had in my cinema experience.
Just marvellous!
Mid90s (2018)
A Homie Memoir
As Stevie, an 11-year-old kid, finds his way into a group of teenaged skaters, they hang out at their space and they have a discussion about whether black people get sunburn? Do they need suntan lotions? As everyone pops their question about the coloured ones, they ask Stevie "Sunburn" does he have any. He just says "What's black people?"
'Mid90s' is a beautiful coming-of-age film, which tells the story of a kid called Stevie, discovers and makes a family out of house i.e friends. His discovery of hood, his friendship, his romantic encounter, a hood fight, confrontation of abuse, well, you can say a whole lot of initial years of Stevie. It's gonna be a helluva "manhood" ride!
After 'Boyhood' from the master Richard Linklater, coming-of-Age films have become and difficult to succeed at the same time as the film was wholesome and relatable to a whole country. 'Mid90s' is nothing short of this too. Although the film deals with the formative years of Stevie, it shows all kinds of encounter a boy could get exposed to during his own formative years, especially for millennials. You can spot neatly arranged audio disks, video games, brawls with a sibling, stealing money from parents wallet. All credit to the writer and filmmaker Jonah Hill, a famous actor, comedian of Hollywood. He made sure every aspect of the film remains authentic and must be appreciated for casting non-actors, who've given an outstanding performance. Especially the lead, Sunny Suljic. Boy, he's gonna shine! The production design was extraordinary. Although the film was in real locations of Los Angeles, the retro look was all over the screen. A special shoutout to cinematographer Chris Blauvelt, who shot the film in 4:3 over a super 16.
During its premiere at TIFF, lead Sunny Suljic was watching the film seated beside the director Jonah Hill. As the film was ending, he was holding the pants of Jonah and tightening his grip. By the end of it, he shouted "This is the best film I've seen in my life" to which Jonah shouted, "Thank You". Even I wouldn't say anything different about the film, currently streaming on Netflix.
Daybreakers (2009)
You'll appreciate the watch!
Taking place in a dystopian world of Vampires, where the scavenging & hunting humans have been an entitlement to the military while the humans & their blood are being stored & corporated, Lead vampire haematologist Edward Dalton will come across a human bandwagon lead by a vampire turned human, which until then was believed impossible, collaborates & starts experimenting on himself to find & spread the 'Cure'.
I'm neither a fan of vampires nor The Spierig Brothers, especially after 'Jigsaw', never saw 'Predestination' though! I remember the film when it was the topic of discussion at 'Cult Film' groups and somehow I stumbled upon this flick today. Now, I didn't even know what I'm about to watch, but with 'Jigsaw' in mind, I never expected anything better or good. But, to my surprise, this film is actually thrilling and even exciting at times.
Although the pace and screenplay fall down at times, it's the gritty cinematography by Ben Nott, that keeps you stuck to the screen. On the flip side, crisp editing would've helped the film. Along with the performances of Ethan Hawke & Willem Dafoe, background score also did the magic, but in the end, you'll just walk away appreciating the watch rather than the effort.