Avengers : Endgame [2019]

Language - English
Director - Anthony and Joe Russo
Run Time - 3 hours, 1 minute
Genre - Superhero/Action
Starring - Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Paul Rudd, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Mark Ruffalo, Brie Larson, Bradley Cooper and Josh Brolin

WARNING - SPOILERS INCLUDED

End of an era. It's been 11 years since the MCU started with Iron Man, but it seems like a lifetime ago. 22 movies all leading up to this grand finale, and what a way to end it. I really don't know how Marvel can top this, especially with the trinity of Captain America, Iron Man and Thor leaving the franchise and  Black Widow dead (although she will soon have her own TV show on the up and coming Disney streaming service)

Although Infinity War was a battle-spectacle, I feel Endgame trumps that, only because of the end number of 'feels'. I've always loved Anthony and Joe Russo ever since Captain America: Winter Soldier came out - amongst my top 5 MCU movies forsure, and they've only grown from there with Civil War, Infinity War and Endgame now. It's quite uncanny how Marvel manages to pick up and trust unknown directors, and they've more or less managed to deliver quite exceedingly.

Endgame picks up right back from Infinity War where Captain Marvel rescues Iron Man and Nebula from deep-space. The remaining Avengers form a revenge squad to go seek Thanos and decapitate him. (wait, what?) It does seem very anti-climatic, but after that is when the real movie starts i.e. 5 years after the events of Infinity War, with the Avengers and the world itself still struggling to cope up with the loss of half the population. Enter Ant-Man with no idea of what the fuck just happened, and then through some good old brainstorming, our heroes figure out a way to maybe reverse the 'snap'.

Every character gets a good 15-20 minutes arc to themselves, and thus, we get a satisfying closure.
More than the action which defined Infinity War, this movie had gut-wrenching drama, and our heroes were shown more vulnerable than ever. All actors have proven themselves time and again, and herein too they show their ability to have a hold on the audience for 3 hours. Alan Silvestri, who scored the soundtrack is a proven genius with soundtracks for Back to the Future, Forrest Gump and the earlier Avengers movies, and he displays his acumen here again. Many people do not realize this, but the soundtrack builds up many key scenes and keeps you engrossed in the movie. Also, the CGI and action sequences were on-point, of which we had no doubt. The movie was a cinematography jackpot.

Don't be sad that it's over. Rejoice in the fact that you were there to witness this 'Infinity Saga'

It's no doubt that this movie is and will smash most records in the cinema world. Go watch it asap. Even if you're not a fan of the genre.

My Rating - 9.1/10

Badla [2019]

Language - Hindi
Director - Sujoy Ghosh
Run Time - 2 hours, 10 minutes
Genre - Thriller/Drama
Starring - Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu and Amrita Singh

Badla is maze which confuses you and the plot keeps twisting and turning right until the end of the movie. Sujoy Ghosh, who had made an incredible movie like 'Kahaani', hits the right spots, but only barely. Even though he attempts to change the narrative again and again, the plot becomes quite mundane and predictable after a while. It is the performances of our two protagonists, the great Amitabh Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu, who manage to keep us enthralled. Amrita Singh also portrays her character with utter conviction.

In this movie, we have a not-so-simple whodunit, where Taapsee plays Naina Sethi, up and coming businesswoman who has been charged with murder, and Amitabh is her lawyer who is trying to figure out a defence for her client. The movie follows Amitabh trying to understand the circumstances that led to the crime. Does he get more than he bargained for?

Not a must watch for sure, but not a bad watch completely too. Could be a one-time watch, just to erase the suspense. A movie which could have been made much better in my opinion.

My Rating - 6.9/10

Gully Boy [2019]

 

Language - Hindi
Director - Zoya Akhtar
Run Time - 2 hours, 33 minutes
Genre - Drama/Music
Starring - Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Vijay Raaz and Siddhant Chaturvedi

It seems that everytime that Karan Johar asked every guest on his show to choose between Ranveer and Ranbir, Ranveer has thunderously responded echoing 'Apna Time Aagaya'

Gully Boy, loosely based on the lives of Mumbai rappers 'Divine' and 'Naezy', is a whirlwind of fresh air and continues Zoya Akhtar's golden run. With Gully Boy, she takes us right to the underground music movement in the streets of Dharavi - India's biggest slum and realistically captures the struggles of its residents.

Ranveer Singh plays Murad, based on Naezy, who lives in an overcrowded chawl in Mumbai, with an extended family ofcourse. He is a big fan of A$ap Rocky and the likes who he considers as legitimate rappers unlike the Indian mainstream scene which he reflects in one of the earlier scenes of the movie where he talks about them derogatorily and points out that all they have to say is "Ye dekh meri gaadi, mere joote, ye dekh daaru, chokri"

He meets MC Sher, based on Divine and is inspired by him to become a rapper himself and fulfil his passion and destiny and not be left on the world to decide his fate. The film follows his ups and down on his journey.

Alia Bhatt is my favourite actress in Bollywood currently, and how effortlessly she executes every role is amazing. Here she plays Safeena, Murad's firebrand girlfriend who's antics bring some much-needed humour to the otherwise serious drama. Vijay Raaz and Kalki play out their small roles with conviction too. Newcomer Siddhanth Chaturvedi as 'MC Sher' is also quite convincing.

Two things I loved from the movie were

1. The realism that Zoya Akhtar has displayed in the movie. Small instances like Murad's employer talking to his daughter for post-graduation pointing out that even Murad is going to be a graduate but how does it matter.
2. The fact that Ranveer sang all his songs for the movie. That shows how much he can adapt himself to do justice to a role.

The entire soundtrack was amazing with a bevvy of musicians forming it from Divine and Naezy and a special song by american rapper 'Nas' in the credits to Ankur Tewari and Raghu Dixit, etc. Certain lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar were also beautiful.

Although Zoya Akhtar has taken some influences from 2002's Eminem film - 8 Mile, she has managed to make it fresh and original. I've been listening to Divine and the likes for 2-3 years now, I hope the hip-hop scene finally flourishes in India.

A highly entertaining film, with superb performances, a movie you should not miss out on.

My Rating - 8.4/10

10 Comedies on Netflix that you might not have seen before, but you should.

This is a list according to me, of some of the best comedy movies on Netflix, that are not so popular, and not many of you'll would have watched them. But each of these is hilarious, and more than that, they are way wacky in terms of their storyline. So, netflix and laugh, and do give me some feedback later. Giving a brief outline of the movies below

Scott Pilgrim vs The World - Michael Cera is Scott Pilgrim, who falls in love with Ramona, but the twist is, he has to fight all of her exes to get to her? One of my all-time favourite comedies 

War Dogs - Jonah Hill and Miles Teller are two twenty-somethings who want to sell military equipment to the US Army. Has various turns and twists, and a Bradley Cooper cameo. Based on a real-life story too folks.

Warm Bodies - Teresa Palmer and Nicholas Hoult (Beast in new X-men series) star in this rom-com where he is a ZOMBIE

The Invention of Lying - Ricky Gervais as Mark Bellison is the first liar in the world.

Dope - Three nerds are invited to an underground party by chance, and their life spirals on from there.

Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! - Another real life story of con-man Devinder Singh aka superchor. Paresh Rawal stars with three different roles.

Easy A - Emma Stone exhibits how rumours can be beneficial as well as harmful.

Megamind - This hilarious animated movie is about a super-villain who his purpose in life and wants to be good.

Superbad - Jonah Hill and Michael Cera want to buy alcohol for a party, but the night just keeps getting weird, insane and epic.

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective - Jim Carrey is an animal detective is tasked with finding the Mascot of Miami Dolphins, a dolphin. Carrey pulls off another brilliant character with utter ease. And if you've not had enough of him, the sequel is on Netflix too!

Aquaman [2018]

Language - English
Director - James Wan
Run Time - 2 hours, 24 minutes
Genre - Superhero/Action
Starring - Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Patrick Wilson and Willem Dafoe

Aquaman is a highly entertaining movie. It's not at the level of most MCU films or Nolan trilogy, but it is somewhere in the middle, and is definitely much better than Zack Snyder's earlier films such as Man of Steel, Batman vs Superman and Justice League.

Though the movie is a tad bit predictable and follows a cliched storyline, its stunning visuals and Lord of the Rings proportionate battle scenes make it a highly enjoyable film.

This movie comes in after the events of Justice League, so the world and Atlantis already know of Aquaman and hence; the entire origin story is portrayed via flashbacks. One thing I wanted to comment on was that the CGI-editing of characters to de-age them for the flashback was quite lousy and could have been done better.

The plot of the film goes as following - Arthur Curry's half-brother Orm is tired of hiding 'Atlantis' from the world and wants to attack the surface before they get a chance to attack Atlantis. Arthur and Mera, go on an epic adventure to find a weapon that can stop Orm.

The movie is such a treat for the eyes, all kudos to James Wan and his team for giving us such a spectacle, especially the trench scene which gave me literal chills. The fight scenes are huge and well shot too. There's hardly a dull moment. Also, the chemistry between Momoa and Heard is crazy, and Momoa's great comedic timing which brings a lighter side to the movies, unlike the earlier DC Films.

I did not love the movie, nor did I dislike it.

But a must watch for those seeking epic battles, and amazing action and colours.

My Rating - 7.8/10

Bohemian Rhapsody [2018]

Language - English
Director - Bryan Singer
Run Time - 2 hours, 14 minutes
Genre - Biopic/Music
Starring - Rami Malek

Bohemian Rhapsody is loud, gritty, crazy and it keeps the audience involved, just like 'Queen' did. This is the story of Farrokh Bulsara a.k.a. Freddie Mercury, the avant-grande frontman of 'Queen', which is one of the all-time greatest rock bands right up there with Pink Floyd, Led Zep and The Beatles.

Bryan Singer has made crime mysteries like The Usual Suspects and created the X-Men franchise for Sony but had never made a biopic up until now. Historical accuracies notwithstanding, he has done a wonderful job here and has managed to captivate the audience for the better part of 2 hours.

Bohemian Rhapsody follows the career of Freddie Mercury, from when he was a baggage handler to performing one of the greatest concerts of all time showcasing all of his exemplary talents, radical dressing options and wacky antics. I have to say, since I know a lot about Queen and rock music as a whole, there are many many inconsistencies with what actually happened and what was actually portrayed on-screen, such as Queen never broke up, Freddie contracted AIDS much after Live-Aid concert and the likes; but I have to accept the filmmaker needed a certain drama to emotionally connect with the audience and thus, the film works.

Rami Malek is a beast of an actor. He's amongst my favourite actors on TV in lieu of his performances on 'Mr. Robot (if you haven't seen, please start watching) and his portrayal of Freddie is so spot-on, be it the looks or the persona as a whole. The rest of the cast is also pretty talented but sidelined to the background, so not much thought goes to them.

An amazing homage to the queen of rock and roll, though I believe the film rushed through many aspects of his life. His sexuality, his loneliness was skipped over and merited much more than shown. But, Rami Malek takes us away from all of that and gives us the Freddie we deserve.

I'd watch it again, just for the acting.

My Rating - 8.5/10

Badhaai Ho [2018]

Language - Hindi
Director -  Amit Ravindernath Sharma
Run Time - 2 hours, 3 minutes
Genre - Drama/Comedy
Starring - Ayushmann Khurrana, Sanya Malhotra, Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao

It seems like Ayushmann is on roll and nothing can hold him back. He has been delivering splendid performances and collecting box-office moolah to augment to that.

In Badhaai Ho, Ayushmann plays a Nakul, a cliched middle-class chap, who lives with his parents, works a 9-5 job, and has a steady girl on the side (Sanya Malhotra). Everything seems to be going hunky-dory in his life, until one day he gets the biggest shock of his life. Turns out his parents have an active sexual life, and his mother is pregnant again at the age of 50. This sends the house into a tailspin, and soon everyone in the community gets to know as well, causing an embarrassment to Nakul and his younger brother Gullar.

This family drama keeps you pretty engrossed in the first half, as there is a good mix of comedy and drama, but it becomes pretty drama-heavy in the second half and it all feels a bit too jaded. Some moments are hilarious, and some, downright tear-jerking.

Though the star of the movie is Ayushman, I have to give applause to the performances of Neena Gupta and Gajraj Rao as Priyamvada and Jitendra Kaushik, the doting couple. Both give strong performances with Neena Gupta giving a touch heavy emotional act, whereas Garjaj Rao makes us laugh with his nervy moments. Surekha Sikri as the dadi also plays her part aptly and Sanya Malhotra charms everyone with her bubbly persona.

I did not love the movie, neither did I hate the movie. It was a fun, decent, one-time watch which people can enjoy with their families.

My Rating - 7/10

Andhadhun [2018]

Language - Hindi
Director - Sriram Raghavan
Run Time -2 hours, 18 minutes
Genre - Comedy, Thriller
Starring - Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte

Watching Andhadhun is like taking in breathe of fresh air. Hilarious, and enthralling at the same time, this movie has to be one of my favourite hindi movies of the year. With an exciting plot filled with some highly astonishing twists and turns, and well-written motley crew of characters, Sriram Raghavan has churned out a highly entertaining film.

Ayushmann Khurrana plays the role of Akash, an aspiring piano player who has a huge secret. He pretends to be blind whilst he isn't and takes full advantage of having a disability. He witnesses a crime, and we have a comedy of errors thereafter with multiple characters involved, each having their own ambitions and motives. I don't want to write too much as there is a surprise waiting at the end of every scene.

Ayushmann has a knack of portraying oddball characters and he is impeccable in his portrayal of a pretentiously blind piano player here. His comedy timing is superb as well as his chemistry, albeit for a short while with Radhika Apte. I feel her character could have been given a little more depth though. Tabu, with a wide spectrum of emotions though, is the ideal antagonist and her performance was highly enjoyable. The rest of the ensemble cast carry out their roles in sync too.

At first, I thought the first scene of the movie was just to play a comparison of a blind rabbit and a blind man, but it was wonderful how it all came back to the start. Also, the movie ends on a cliffhanger, which I really love as the filmmaker opens his story to further interpretation.

Laughs galore, don't miss this gem of a black comedy.

My Rating - 8.6/10

Stree [2018]

Language - Hindi
Director - Amar Kaushik
Run Time - 2 hours, 8 minutes
Genre - Comedy/Horror
Starring - Rajkumar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi

Have you ever heard of horror-comedy before? Apart from the 'Scary Movie' series I don't think I've come across this genre before (though Wikipedia page of the genre lists 100s of movies). From debutant director Amar Kaushik, Stree is a breath of fresh air which keeps you entertained and captivated for a good 2 hours.

The basic premise of the movie is that in this small town of Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh, every year during the festivities, there comes a ghost by the name of 'Stree' who kidnaps members of the male tribe, albeit without their clothes. How many men will she take away this season?

Rajkumar Rao is as always, brilliant and it is a fact that he can pull off any role, whatever the character, and he does so with ease. Shraddha Kapoor's performance was a bit on the average side, but Aparshakti Khurrana as Bittu and Pankaj Tripathi as Rudra provide adequate support and deliver to us roars of laughter. Vijay Raaz in his cameo does what he does best.

Not too many 'hair-raising' moments in the movie, as was expected since this is a different kind of horror movie, but the sound effects and choreography do manage to chill your spine at times. Anyways, the comedy aspect of the movie is more than enough to enjoy it.

Although the movie is a bit predictable, it can't be helped as the plotline is weak. Go for the performances though.

Don't miss this unique movie.

My Rating - 7.8/10

Sanju [2017]

Language - Hindi
Director - Rajkumar Hirani
Run Time -
Genre - Drama/Biography
Starring - Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor and Manisha Koirala

After watching Sanju, I had some conflicting opinions. Although I really enjoyed Ranbir Kapoor and Paresh Rawal's performance, I felt that the movie gave us a very one-dimensional view of Sanjay Dutt. The movie concentrates too much on drugs for the first half, and then too much on terrorism for the second half. Moreover so, it seemed like a white-wash attempt by Raju Hirani to show his dear friend Sanjay Dutt in a bright light and blame the media for all that our 'Sanju' baba has suffered.

Also, I feel his life must have been much more than the drugs and terrorism charges, and maybe the other facets of his life would have shown a much complete picture? Like the movie completely discounts Sanjay Dutt's first two wives and also his daughter. Also, based on what I've read, Sonam Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal's roles both are amalgamations of various characters in his life and not at all original characters. The songs made zero sense and could have been left out, but then again, this is Bollywood.

I really like Vicky Kaushal, and adore him as an actor, but I felt he had such a stupid character to play. The entire premise where he realizes he never saw the question mark in the article is so over-the-top dramatic and does not make sense at all. Also, the jokes due to his accent in the movie seemed so crude.

But apart from the grievances, the ensemble cast is almost utter perfect. Each and every actor does complete justice to their role, from Jim Sarbh as 'God' the drugdealer, to Sonam Kapoor as Ruby and also Dia Mirza and Monisha Koirala as Manyata Dutt and Nargis respectively. Paresh Rawal is outstanding as always, playing the ever-loving father, Sunil Dutt. Saving the best for the last, no praise is enough for Ranbir Kapoor, who portrays Sanjay Dutt, and all his facets, effortlessly. Honestly, I wouldn't have enjoyed the film, as much as I did, if there was somebody else playing our titular character. Kudos to Ranbir Kapoor, I'm sure he is winning all acting awards next year.

An entertaining and dramatic flick, watch it for Ranbir and Paresh.

My Rating - 7.4/10