Guild Reviews
Tabaah
Drama (Punjabi)
A man seeks solace from developments in his romantic life, turning to alcohol for comfort.
Cast:
Wamiqa Gabbi, Parmish Verma, Dheeraj Kumar, Kanwaljit Singh, Kavi Singh
Director:
Parmish Verma
Writer:
Gurjind Maan
A Poignant Love Story Sans Crutches of Melodrama
Mon, October 21 2024
Unrequited love in the Devdas mould is often the go-to subject of Indian cinema, and now it seems in Punjabi movies too. When singer-actor Parmish Verma picks up the directorial baton and wears the producer’s hat as well for his latest film, Tabaah, you know what to expect. The title of the film literally translates to devastation, ruin or destruction, and the opening scenes establish our hero, Verma himself, in self-destruct mode. Like good-old Devdas, pining for his beloved, he is drinking himself to death. At the very start of the film, the poetic lines by novelist Kristin Hannah establish the tragic mood of the film. Taken from her novel The Nightingale (2015), it goes: “Some stories don’t have happy endings. Even love stories. Maybe especially love stories.” Clearly, it’s a love story gone sour. Why? Here, the writer, Gurjind Maan, deserves credit. He has not created any archetype villain in this love story. No family rivalry, no class divide and no parental interference either. Amber’s father (Kanwaljit Singh) is as supportive and caring as fathers are meant to be. So, why has it not ended happily ever after for our hero, Amber, and heroine, Raavi, played by the lovely Wamiqa Gabbi?
Lost in the Twilight Zone with Amitabh Bachchan
Sun, October 20 2024
Aman in red suede pants and jacket walks down a deserted road at night. Another man in a sky blue jacket over a black shirt races across a bridge as gunfire explodes around him. Yet another, in a deep blue shirt knotted at the waist, staggers out of a warehouse and is immediately carried off by a delirious crowd chanting his name.
The Wild Robot
Animation, Science Fiction, Family (English)
After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive the harsh environment, Roz bonds with the island's animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose.
Cast:
Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu
Director:
Chris Sanders
A Heartfelt ‘Factory Reset’ Of Storytelling
Sun, October 20 2024
THE WILD ROBOT is about an all-purpose robot that turns sentient in the wilderness. After washing up on a forest island, Rozzum “Rozz” 7134 learns to feel and discern once it mothers an orphaned goose and befriends a red fox. I’d say it becomes human, but in the context of where we are today, “it grows a heart” is more accurate.
Kya <em>bot</em> hain!
Sat, October 19 2024
The Wild Robot, inspired by Peter Brown’s 2016 novel of the same name, is a film that skillfully balances its emotional elements, resulting in a gratifying experience for both children and adults. While the notion of a robot experiencing emotions is not entirely original, it is the narrative and its execution that truly set this film apart. Achieving the right emotional resonance, whether from a human or a robot, is crucial, and Chris Sanders has struck gold with this film.
Astoundingly Beautiful Animated Story Of Love, Friendship And Empathy
Wed, October 16 2024
DreamWorks Animation turns 30 this year, and its latest presentation, The Wild Robot, is a great example of what the studio gets right. Adapted and directed by Chris Sanders, the animated feature follows the adventures of Rozzum 7134 (voice of Lupita Nyong’o), who discovers a whole new side to herself after she reluctantly adopts a gosling. The family film is filled with humour and meaning, and it teaches you what it means to be kind and love another in need.
Bougainvillea
Mystery, Thriller (Malayalam)
A family entangled in a police investigation surrounding the mysterious disappearance of tourists in Kerala.
Cast:
Jyothirmayi, Kunchacko Boban, Fahadh Faasil, Srindaa, Sharafudheen
Director:
Amal Neerad
Writer:
Amal Neerad
The memory remains
Sat, October 19 2024
Amal Neerad’s Bougainvillea features an impressive cast, including Kunchacko Boban, Jyothirmay, and Fahadh Faasil; however, the film ultimately flatters to deceive. Faasil is relegated to a tertiary role, likely either to help out his friends or for a fat paycheck – probably the former. Pitched as a psychological thriller, the film becomes exasperating due to its screenplay and overall execution.
A Gripping Mind Game With Stellar Acts
Fri, October 18 2024
Amal Neerad and his co-writer Lajo Jose (whose story this film is based on) know how far to push the unreliable narrator trope. Not only is their protagonist Reethu (Jyothirmayi in her return) suffering from both retrograde and anterograde amnesia, but we’re seeing the film through her perspective for the most part. What makes this film even more complex is how quickly we get the feeling that we cannot rely on the people Reethu relies on to make sense of her chilling universe.
Fri, October 18 2024
Sir
(Tamil)
The people of Mangollai village like Colochi Saami and Saamikannu opposed education for the poor while people like Annadurai and Sivangaanam fought against oppression.
Cast:
Vimal, Saravanan
Director:
Bose Venkat
Writer:
Bose Venkat
Vemal’s Period Movie Belongs To The Era It Is Set In
Sat, October 19 2024
Sir is one of those formulaic Tamil movies with a strong cause or message it wants to put across and doesn’t mind doing so at the cost of being a didactic and dated. The style, writing, brevity, and everything that makes up for a superior form take a backseat in Sir as Bose Venkat prefers coming across as an activist to a fine filmmaker. While Sir has a noble cause at its core, the execution makes it a yarnfest, and instead of getting the catharsis such social commentary aims to provide, the film invokes a sense of guilt for feeling so.
The Apprentice
History, Drama (English)
A young Donald Trump, eager to make his name as a hungry scion of a wealthy family in 1970s New York, comes under the spell of Roy Cohn, the cutthroat attorney who would help create the Donald Trump we know today. Cohn sees in Trump the perfect protégé—someone with raw ambition, a hunger for success, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to win.
Cast:
Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, Maria Bakalova, Martin Donovan, Catherine McNally
Director:
Ali Abbasi
Jeremy Strong delivers stand out performance in Abbasi's film on Donald Trump
Sat, October 19 2024
Former United States president and presidential candidate Donald Trump went on a rant recently on filmmaker Ali Abbasi’s latest film The Apprentice, which narrates the Republican’s initial years as a real estate giant in New York and his relationship with attorney Roy Cohn. Perhaps, Trump’s reaction stems from information that is fed to him because had he watched the film, he may have only objected to certain aspects of Abbasi’s provocative film and not ranted about it in its entirety.
Sebastian Stan As Donald Trump Is Just The Tip Of The Iceberg
Thu, October 17 2024
The Apprentice is one of the film that no one asked for but now that its here you can’t look away from it. The direction, cinematography, lighting, sets and most of all the performances all are worth praising but the film majorly avoids taking sides. For first half it makes you like Trump and for the other the pre-existing hate returns, so it doesn’t really add to his public narrative, the reason for its existence left questioning. But the film is worth the watch for its art.
Paris Has Fallen
Action & Adventure, War & Politics (French)
A protection officer and an MI6 operative team up after a terrorist attack. They suspect a mole as they race to thwart a larger conspiracy threatening Paris.
Cast:
Tewfik Jallab, Ritu Arya, Emmanuelle Bercot, Ana Ularu, Nathan Willcocks
Spinoff Series Of Absorbing Action Film Franchise Has Formidable Antagonist
Fri, October 18 2024
Paris Has Fallen is the first in the franchise that won’t feature Gerard Butler’s Secret Service agent Mike Banning. The actor will continue on with the character in the films; however, this spinoff series forges its own identity with new protagonists and a deadly plot in this European adventure. With only the first two episodes premiering so far, Paris Has Fallen has set up an interesting scenario in which the villain has had the upper hand; it remains to be seen how and when the ‘fall’ will come.
Shrinking S02
Comedy (English)
Jimmy is struggling to grieve the loss of his wife while being a dad, friend, and therapist. He decides to try a new approach with everyone in his path: unfiltered, brutal honesty.
Cast:
Harrison Ford, Jason Segel, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie
Jason Segel, Harrison Ford's Optimistic Comedy About Flawed Therapists Charms Again
Fri, October 18 2024
Created by Bill Lawrence, star Jason Segel and Brett Goldstein, Shrinking focuses on a grieving therapist who decides to change his approach with his patients. Becoming more proactive, he becomes more involved in the lives of those around, both to his detriment and betterment. The second season of Shrinking charms with its loveable, goofball characters and some unexpected new faces.
Jigra
Crime, Drama, Thriller (Hindi)
When Ankur is wrongfully imprisoned and sentenced to death in a foreign country, his steely sister Satya is driven by a lethal resolve to break him free.
Cast:
Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Vivek Gomber, Akashdeep Sabir
Director:
Vasan Bala
Writer:
Debashish Irengbam
Vasan Bala weaponises Alia Bhatt in one of the best Hindi films of the year; Karan Johar better have his back
Wed, October 16 2024
Getting an audience to detest a movie villain isn’t difficult. People are cynical; all they want is someone to project their frustrations on. But getting the same viewers to genuinely empathise with the protagonist of your film isn’t as easy as it might seem. It requires them to lower their guards and shed their egos; to allow moments of vulnerability in the presence of absolute strangers. Most of all, it requires them to ignore the objectively lunatic act of developing a connection with a made-up person, as if they are real. But Vasan Bala has cracked the code in Jigra — a film that pulls off this almost impossibly difficult feat by getting you, the viewer, to participate in the grandest act of collective empathy crafted on a Bollywood screen this year.
Alia Bhatt is the real 'jigra' of Vasan Bala's film
Tue, October 15 2024
Will the real ‘Jigra’ please stand up? In Vasant Bala’s film, Vedang Raina might be portraying the titular character, but it’s Alia Bhatt, who is the heart and soul of the film. Turns out she is a shield not just for her brother, but also for the movie, even as the revenge thriller rests too heavily on Bhatt.
Jigra is a rich cinematic experience powered by Alia Bhatt
Tue, October 15 2024
Agneepath plays on the aircraft entertainment system, that telling scene of a young Vijay Dinanath Chauhan burning down a petrol pump being a visual allegory of a similar incident perpetrated by the protagonist in Jigra a few moments ago. This is just one instance. Throughout the runtime of Jigra, Amitabh Bachchan pops up as idea and inspiration, set-up and syntax. When Satya (Alia Bhatt), caught in a situation which may end in violence, is gently warned: “Abhi Bachchan nahin bann na hain… sirf bachke nikalna hain”, she rolls up her sleeves and says matter-of-factly: “Ab toh Bachchan hi bann na hain”.
Tekka
Drama, Thriller (Bengali)
Tekka is the story of Iqlakh, a janitor who has lost his job and is out to get it back by holding a schoolgirl hostage in a building. ACP Maya comes in, a woman who is trying to conceive. Add to the mix a young journalist pair, Brishti and Tintin, and we have a sentimental thriller in an office building spanning 48 hours, full of melodrama.
Cast:
Dev, Swastika Mukherjee, Rukmini Maitra, Aameya Bose, Tota Roy Chowdhury
Director:
Srijit Mukherji
Rukmini Maitra and Dev shine in this hostage drama
Wed, October 16 2024
The film’s story is pretty much what you have seen in the trailer. For those who are uninitiated, here is the plot in brief. Iqlakh (Dev) loses his job, randomly kidnaps a young girl Avantika (Aameya) from her school, and takes her hostage. He demands to get his job back. Maya (Rukmini Maitra) from Kolkata Police comes to negotiate. Even after his company’s maintenance manager (Anirban Bhattacharya) verbally promises to give his job back to him, he demands the owner of the firm Anubrata Adhikari (Paran Bandyopadhyay) to come personally. Meanwhile, in a turn of events, little Aratrika’s mother Ira (Swastika Mukherjee) hunts down Iqlakh’s house and takes hostage of his little boy.
Viswam
Action, Comedy (Telugu)
When terrorists target a young girl who witnessed an assassination, a heroic taxi driver comes to the rescue.
Cast:
Gopichand, Kavya Thapar, Baby Iyal, Jisshu Sengupta, Sunil Varma
Director:
Sreenu Vaitla
Writer:
Bhanu Bogavarapu
Sreenu Vaitla and Gopichand’s film is marred by an outdated, meandering narrative
Tue, October 15 2024
Viswam, directed by Sreenu Vaitla, is a reminder that not everything has changed for the better with mainstream Telugu cinema. In terms of narrative style, character arcs and the plot itself, this Gopichand and Kavya Thapar starrer feels redundant. The film teems with dozen of characters and a handful of sub plots — in the name of offering wholesome entertainment — with action episodes, romance, emotional drama and mindless comedy; it can get tiresome to sit through 155 minutes of an incoherence narrative, even if one does not look for logical reasoning.
Maa Nanna Superhero
Drama (Telugu)
Johnny, a car mechanic, who grew up thinking of his adopted father Srinivas as a superhero, prepared to go to any length to save his father, unknowingly embarks on a journey with his biological father.
Cast:
Sudheer Babu, Sai Chand, Sayaji Shinde, Annie, Aarna Vohra
Director:
Abhilash Kankara
Writer:
Shravan Madala
Sudheer Babu shoulders a patchy relationship drama
Tue, October 15 2024
A scene in director Abhilash Reddy Kankara’s Telugu film Maa Nanna Superhero (my dad is a superhero) shows the protagonist Johnny (Sudheer Babu) taking his house owner to task and abruptly pausing when the latter’s daughter comes into the picture. He does not want to make the man seem a lesser mortal to his child. The narrative attempts to ride on the universal emotion of children seeing their father as a superhero. Abhilash wonders how far a son would go to save his father, with whom he shares a tumultuous relationship. The plot becomes more complex as it involves a father Srinivas (Sayaji Shinde) and his adopted son Johnny, and later, the biological father also returns. This idea might seem intriguing at the script level, but the film seems uneven and is held together by a few endearing moments.