One-line review: Entertainment (not CGI) fuels this smashing Malayalam superhero movie. Minnal Murali, Kerala’s first superhero movie, is a pan-Indian and global hit. Netflix almost over-promoted the film, but MM lives up to the hype. This is because, at its core, MM is a wholesome family entertainer that would have worked even without the superhero […]
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You, too, can learn to wield shame, the double-edged sword. Shame, that universal emotion, is a double-edged sword. Shame overlaps with the law to some extent. For example, being arrested is shameful. But human nature is too complex to be entirely governed by law, and shame is useful in keeping society humming along. The fear
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One-line review: An impressionist painting of love in the 70s. What is the stamp of a PTA movie? Most films of the small group of writer-directors are easily recognizable, like Woody Allen and Tarantino’s unmistakable dialogue, and in Allen’s case, the Woodyesque leading man. Others work in similar genres like Del Toro, Tim Burton, or
LICORICE PIZZA (2021) Read More »
Get yourself an Ivy League education about life. When asked about his film education, famous Malayalam Director Dileesh Pothan, whose films are exemplars of character studies, sheepishly admitted he doesn’t watch too many films. However, he quickly added that he spends hours talking to people from all walks of life, asking them about their life
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One-line review: A crackling comedy about Kerala’s rabid politics couched as a family drama. Sandhesham was a modest hit when released but has become one of Malayalam cinema’s foremost political satires over the years. Director Sathyan Anthikad remembers scriptwriter Sreenivasan telling him that although he was unsure if the film’s story would appeal to the
SANDESHAM (MALAYALAM) (1991) Read More »
One-line review: A transfixing tale of two trans women’s hustle. Tangerine will forever be known as the film shot on an iPhone, but no publicity is bad publicity if the hype leads to more people watching this gem of a film. Director Sean Baker often pairs rookie actors with seasoned actors, but the latter (like
Live performances are the best reality shows. Today we order entertainment like take-out. My Netflix and Prime accounts are a carnage of half-watched shows, most of them rejected because I am no longer in the mood. Entertainment is becoming a condiment for our meals, like hot sauce. Or a well-paired wine in the best-case scenario.
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Count to ten before you speak. The phrase blah-blah is now part of our everyday vocabulary after Greta Thunberg used it to admonish world leaders for talking about sustainability without doing anything. As an introvert who rarely speaks until spoken to, seeing the sheer volume of blah blah around reassures me that, it’s better to
Those with abundant water are the real one-percenters in an unequal world. An American comic recently told me he realized how good he had it in America when his Indian friend told him that in India, your shower ends when your bucket of water runs out and not when you turn off the faucet. It
One-line review: Bank robbers or Banks that rob their clients, who’re the real criminals? Scottish director David Mackenzie is the master of walking the tightrope between masculinity and sentimentality. His previous film, Starred Up, a brutal and moving prison drama, landed him the unlikely job of directing Hell or High Water. This film is firmly
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