Guild Reviews
Abbot Elementary S04
Comedy (English)
In this workplace comedy, a group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal — are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do — even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.
Cast:
Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti
Quinta Brunson's School Comedy Is Still Endearingly Awkward And Funny As Ever
Fri, October 11 2024
After a shortened season earlier this year due to the Hollywood strikes, Abbott Elementary is back on schedule with a full season. This time, the teachers’ gang at the Philadelphia school convene for a new school year with plenty of hijinks. The biggest change this season is that the perennial will-they, won’t-they couple Janine (Quinta Brunson) and Gregory (Tyler James Williams) have made it official. But what does this mean for the rest of the season? Let’s find out!
Disclaimer
Drama, Mystery (English)
When an intriguing novel appears at the bedside of a journalist whose career has been built on revealing transgressions, she is horrified to realize she's a key character in a long-buried story—one that exposes her darkest secret.
Cast:
Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Sacha Baron Cohen, Lesley Manville, Louis Partridge
Alfonso Cuaron's Devastating Thriller Series Looks At Truth And Memory From All Angles
Fri, October 11 2024
Gravity and Roma director Alfonso Cuarón’s latest project, Disclaimer, is a fascinating and at times uncomfortable drama about a woman accused of being heartless in her past. Oscar winning actress Cate Blanchett steps up to play the aloof Catherine Ravenscroft who finds her perfect life falling apart with the publication of a book. Kevin Kline plays a former teacher who relishes the chance to teach her a lesson. The Apple TV+ series is a riveting story that unfolds chapter by chapter, like a novel.
CTRL
Thriller, Drama (Hindi)
Nella and Joe are the perfect influencer couple. But when he cheats on her, she turns to an AI app to erase him from her life — until it takes control.
Cast:
Ananya Panday, Vihaan Samat, Devika Vatsa, Kamakshi Bhat, Suchita Trivedi
Director:
Vikramaditya Motwane
Ananya Panday plays the world’s most clueless social media influencer in Vikramaditya Motwane’s wildly uneven Netflix movie
Fri, October 11 2024
Normally, one of the most frustrating things that a movie can do is to abandon its characters and become too consumed by the plot. Our mainstream cinema has always struggled with this, and things have only become worse in the streaming era. It is said that show runners, in particular, can get away with anything on digital platforms as long as there is a murder in the first episode. Well, someone most certainly dies at the end of the first act in CTRL, the new film from Vikramaditya Motwane — his first feature since AK vs AK in 2020.
Masterful Thriller
Sat, October 5 2024
Unsettling, isn’t it? Our most reliable source of information and communication can be programmed to keep tabs on our mind and movement across the multiple devices that have become indispensable crutches of modern living. But then the Internet has always been a seductive, if not secure, space where all its gifts come with its share of dangers.
A Digital Screen Thriller Is A Tepid Look at the Evils of Big Tech
Sat, October 5 2024
There’s one significant challenge to making ‘screen-life films’ (films that unfold almost entirely on digital screens). Once you commit to its visual grammar, you’re tied to them till there’s a good reason to break out of it. No matter what, all your exposition needs to happen on the small screen, key plot points need to be hashed out during video calls, and the filmmakers need to keep imagining newer screens – ranging from iPad, mobile phones, CCTVs, GoPros, webcams, paparazzi lenses, TV screens etc.
Joker
Crime, Thriller, Drama (English)
During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure.
Cast:
Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen
Director:
Todd Phillips
Writer:
Scott Silver
Todd Phillips would rather set fire to his own franchise than let the wrong people take inspiration from it; is Vanga watching?
Fri, October 11 2024
You’d think that the world was a less paranoid place five years ago, when the collective trauma of the pandemic hadn’t clobbered us on the head with a comically large mallet. But remember when governments were put on high alert before the release of a comic book movie about a murderous clown? Prepared for the riots that the supposedly incendiary film might incite, teams of police were stationed outside certain screenings of Todd Phillips’ Joker — a movie that was viewed by alarmists as a sort of dog whistle for basement-dwelling incels.
Is Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga's Film a Worthy Sequel?
Fri, October 11 2024
Lady Gaga is underutilised in a boring, uninspiring sequel
Fri, October 11 2024
There is a moment early in Todd Philips’ latest film Joker: Folie à Deux featuring the leads Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga that summarises the film well. It is the first courtroom scene in the film and Phoenix’s Joker is desperately looking at the door waiting for Lee or Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga) to walk into the court. Joker or Arthur Flec is on trial for killing six people including a popular chat show host live on television. While the tension in the room is palpable, Arthur keeps looking at the door. Lee enters and the two lovers exchange a smile. As Lee settles in, Arthur looks at her and pretends to stifle a yawn- referring to how boring the legal proceedings and the room is. The moment accurately captures the mood of the film.
Manvat Murders
Crime, Drama (Marathi)
Seven murders; Unsolved for over one & half year. Will the ace cop from Mumbai, Ramakant Kulkarni be able to bring Justice?
Cast:
Ashutosh Gowariker, Sonali Kulkarni, Makarand Anaspure, Sai Tamhankar, Mayur Khandge
Director:
Ashish Avinash Bende
Writer:
Girish Joshi
Promises a lot, delivers less
Fri, October 11 2024
In the early 1970s, a series of murders left the residents of Manvat terrorized, and people of Maharashtra in shock. A small town in Parbhani district, Manvat saw people, mostly women, being killed over a span of about two years with a black magic ritualistic motive, as the cops would later find out. Ashish Bende’s series attempts to take a deep dive into the case through the eyes of late cop Ramakant Kulkarni’s lens. Manvat Murders is based on Kulkarni’s book Footprints on the Sand of Time, which documented his high-profile cases, including the Manvat case which he was assigned.
A Bland Retelling of a Brutal True-crime Chapter
Fri, October 4 2024
Being a true-crime drama in the Indian streaming landscape is like being an aspiring batsman in India’s cramped bylanes and crowded fields. Everybody is one — and everybody is advised to be one. Consequently, it’s harder to stand out. The default level has to be high: an engrossing story, a solid cast, a sense of place and time, technical competence. Most shows opt for an atmospheric setting to conceal a convoluted plot; the logic is that a visually striking tone will compensate for pacing and structural issues. In other words, the style can distract from a lack of substance. But Manvat Murders, helmed by Aatmapamphlet (2023) director Ashish Avinash Bende, is a Marathi-language series that does the reverse.
Women & Crime — Raw, Real & Ruthless
Fri, October 4 2024
The ritualistic Manwat Murders which brutally claimed the lives of innocent children and women and shook Maharashtra in the 70s, does it again. Amol Palekar had already put it effectively on screen in Akriet (1981).
Yek Number
Drama (Marathi)
A flamboyant village boy Pratap, an aspiring politician who's struggling to prove his love to his childhood sweetheart Pinky, picks up an unrealistic challenge to win her over. But on his way to prove himself unknowingly he gets thrown into an internationally induced assassination plan of a fiery political leader. Left with no choice but to prove his innocence he chooses the wrong yet the right path, to succeed or fail.
Cast:
Dhairya Gholap, Sayli Patil
Director:
Rajesh Mapuskar
Writer:
Arvind Jagtap
Ambitious propaganda that turns unintentionally hilarious
Thu, October 10 2024
A couple of weeks ago, we saw the release of Dharmaveer 2, in which a deceased political hero, Anand Dighe, was used to glorify and popularize Maharashtra’s current Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Now, the same kind of propaganda has become the core of another Marathi movie. Titled Yek Number, the film aims to glorify Raj Thackeray, the chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
Bohurupi
Action, Drama (Bengali)
A mysterious dacoit is on the run. A supercop gets involved with him in a cat and mouse chase.
Cast:
Shiboprosad Mukherjee, Abir Chatterjee, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Koushani Mukherjee, Pradeep Bhattacharya
Director:
Shiboprosad Mukherjee
Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Abir Chatterjee gift us a wholesome entertainer
Thu, October 10 2024
Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy’s Bohurupi delivers what it promises: unadulterated entertainment. It is fun watching this mad cat-and-mouse game. The film is lavishly shot, and most importantly, made with care. It excels in almost every department with Shiboprosad’s skillful acting hogging the lion’s share of the limelight.
Shahkot
Drama (Punjabi)
Iqbal Singh, a determined Punjabi youth who decides to pursue his passion of venturing abroad, only for his life to take an unexpected turn.
Cast:
Isha Talwar, Guru Randhawa, Gurshabad Singh, Hardip Gill, Raj Babbar
Director:
Rajiv Dhingra
Writer:
Rajiv Dhingra
A Cross-border Story With a Heartening Message on Love
Tue, October 8 2024
Beyond religious divides, cross-border love is not new to Hindi or Punjabi cinema. Back in 1999, the National Award-winning Shaheed-e-Mohabbat Boota Singh was set in the backdrop of the Partition. So, can the controversy of Shahkot being pro-Pakistan — which also follows a theme similar to Shaheed-e-Mohabbat Boota Singh — be put to rest? However, haters will be haters, and the detractors who whipped up a storm before Shahkot’s release might continue to spew venom. Only as popular singer Guru Randhawa makes his acting debut in Pollywood, his launch vehicle steadfastly refrains from hatemongering or demonising Pakistan and Pakistanis. The period the film refers to is uncertain — mobile phones are not yet in vogue, and the relationship between India and Pakistan is not hunky-dory. But, for this detail, the timeline does seem contemporary, yet quite in sync with the milieu of Pakistan it cares to depict. Director of Photography Vineet Malhotra, rises to the occasion and captures the time aesthetically.
Colourrs of Love
Romance, Drama (Hindi)
Avee, a young doctor, finds himself in a state of depression after his break-up. To help him, his mother calls in her friend, Rajat, a psychologist. Can Rajat bring a change in Avee's life?
Cast:
Smaran Sahu, Deepika Amin, Pawan Chopra, Bhakti Kubavat
Director:
Divyesh Limbani
Writer:
Divyesh Limbani
This Breezy Urban Romance Works In Parts
Sat, October 5 2024
Avee Sharma, a sexologist, is traumatised after breaking up with Shruti at the cusp of marriage. While he gradually comes to terms with it, he indulges in a no-strings-attached relationship with a patient – a married woman Rekha. Later, he falls for a neighbour Nikita. However, she hides a secret from her life that could derail their equation. Meanwhile, Rajat, a psychologist, opens him to a new perspective towards love.
Amar Prem Ki Prem Kahani
Romance, Comedy, Drama (Hindi)
Follows a freshly-engaged Amar who goes on a trip to London and falls heads-over-heels with Prem, a handsome man whose charm threatens to put Amar's marriage in danger.
Cast:
Sunny Singh, Aditya Seal, Pranutan Bahl, Diksha J. Singh, Chetan Mohture
Director:
Hardik Gajjar
Writer:
Rupinder Inderjit
Queer Romance Gets Slapstick Treatment
Sat, October 5 2024
Amar, who’s yet to come out as gay to his family, is off to London to meet his uncle. Over a flight, he falls in love with a flamboyant Prem. Despite initial friction, the two are inseparable and hit it off as a couple. As Amar returns to India, his conservative family is desperate to get him married. Prem decides to surprise him at the event and when they make their relationship official, all hell breaks loose.
Devara Part 1
Action, Drama (Telugu)
Devara, a fearless man from a coastal region, embarks on a perilous journey into the treacherous world of the sea to safeguard the lives of his people. Unbeknownst to him, his brother Bhaira is plotting a conspiracy against him. As events unfold, Devara passes on his legacy to his mild-mannered and timid son, Varada.
Cast:
N.T. Rama Rao Jr., Saif Ali Khan, Prakash Raj, Srikanth, Kalaiyarasan
Director:
Koratala Siva
Writer:
Koratala Siva
NTR and Anirudh amp up the intensity in an overstretched action drama
Sat, October 5 2024
Nine years after SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali – The Beginning left viewers curious about why Kattappa killed Baahubali, a spate of films have been mounted ambitiously, with scope for sequels. This has turned out to be a double-edged sword. While filmmakers get the scope to present in-depth character delineations and build the world in which the story unfolds, there has also been a tendency to overstretch the narrative. A few questions are left unanswered, with the hope that the audience will wait in anticipation of a sequel.
Sat, October 5 2024
Sat, October 5 2024
The Signature
Family, Drama (Hindi)
Arvind’s life comes crashing down when his wife Madhu falls into a coma and is put on life support. Will situations hold him back, or will he be able to save his wife with the hope of a life together?
Cast:
Anupam Kher, Nina Kulkarni, Annu Kapoor, Mahima Chaudhry, Manoj Joshi
Director:
Gajendra Ahire
Writer:
Gajendra Ahire
संदेश और उपदेश ‘द सिग्नेचर’ में
Sat, October 5 2024
अरविंद और मधु अपनी शादी की 35वीं सालगिरह मनाने विदेश जा रहे हैं। अचानक मधु बीमार होकर वेंटिलेटर पर पहुंच जाती है। अरविंद जैसे-तैसे कर के अस्पताल के लाखों रुपए का बिल भर रहा है। लेकिन मधु के बचने की अब किसी को उम्मीद नहीं है, खुद इनके बेटे को भी नहीं। हर कोई चाहता है कि अरविंद उस फॉर्म पर सिग्नेचर कर दे जिसके बाद मधु का वेंटिलेटर हटा दिया जाएगा। लेकिन अरविंद का सवाल है कि मधु के मरने-न मरने का फैसला मैं क्यों लूं? कुछ अलग-सी कहानी है ‘द सिग्नेचर’ (The Signature) की, संजीदा किस्म की। इस कहानी को लेखक गजेंद्र अहीरे ने फैलाया भी बहुत संजीदगी के साथ है। गजेंद्र के निर्देशन में भी उतनी ही संजीदगी दिखाई देती है। दरअसल यह 2013 में आई गजेंद्र की ही मराठी फिल्म ‘अनुमति’ का हिन्दी रीमेक है जिसमें विक्रम गोखले ने मुख्य भूमिका निभा कर सर्वश्रेष्ठ अभिनेता का राष्ट्रीय पुरस्कार पाया था। अब इस हिन्दी फिल्म में उसी भूमिका को अनुपम खेर ने निभाया है।
To Pull the Plug Or Not
Fri, October 4 2024
It is a poignant dilemma familiar to most families. When a loved one is on life support, and prolonging it is unaffordable, can you bring yourself to sign the Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) form? For retired librarian Arvind Pathak (Anupam Kher), it is unthinkable. It’s easier for his pragmatic son (Kevin Gandhi) and daughter (Sangeeta Jain) who have their own lives to lead.