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AstroJo
Reviews
Blink (2024)
Dark?????!!!!
I don't think many people here have the German series Dark. The film Blink borrows liberally from the German series that was both about time travel and travel between universes.
Anyway, about Blink. A decent effort no doubt, but the back ground score!! My God, too loud and jarring. Indian films are slowly learning the value of silence. Obviously, not this one. Literally jumping in my seat with the unexpectedly loud score. Also I didn't feel the interspersing of songs were necessary in a film of this nature. Took away from the tautness of the narrative.
Acting was good and dialogues were passable.
Some continuity issues, could have been addressed with tighter editing.
Hope the team, now a movie old, will do a better job of it during the making of their next.
3 Body Problem (2024)
Not riveting enough
I haven't read the book (translated version), but I'm sure scientists the world over are mature people who have reached the pinnacle of profession after years of struggle and hard work. The scientists in this series are young 20 somethings? Wow! Are they all child prodigies? Or did Benioff and Weiss make this series only for young target audience? Anyway, the acting sucks. Benedict Wong looks amused all the time. Maybe he was wondering "what am I doing here"?
And there is no need to need to kill characters off a la Game of Thrones! Do these guys know how to write anything apart from popcorn chaos thrillers?
Had more expectations. Ah well! Better luck next season guys.
Merry Christmas (2024)
A gem yet again from Sriram Raghavan
A Sriram Raghavan film is always an unexpected treat. Unexpected because it shows people with very subtle and often obscure motives. Merry Christmas continues the pattern. A great watch that just insidiously builds up to a stunning climax. The use of music is beautiful and very very effective. In fact the soundtrack is as much a character as the actual actors. Vijay Sethupathi is a superstar in Tamil cinema and is very soon going to create a sizeable fan base in Mumbai too. His unassuming charm and dialogue delivery make him truly special. Looking forward to more quality work from him. Katrina Kaif- now here's a lady who saw a good role and grabbed it! And how! She's truly a revelation. I must confess, I'm watching her for the first time.
Vinay Pathak us as bankable as ever. Radhika Apte obviously did this 5 minute role for Sriram Raghavan...she makes her presence felt even in this tiny bit role.
Overall, a stunningly shot film(I absolutely loved the very long single take of the main characters dancing) brilliant!
Waiting for more and more from Mr. Sriram Raghavan. You are a bright beacon in an otherwise mediocre commercial cinema universe..indeed!
Rubaru Roshni (2019)
Need more stories like this
We are living in a divided society in this world today. Sadly, what makes us human is also making us unfeeling, discompassionate and above all, unloving. Stories like Rubaru Roshni gives us some hope that all is not lost. We still have, among us, people who have risen above their humanness and found a higher plane. I have nothing but utmost respect for such people. But surely, there are more than three? I want to see more and more......! It is incredibly moving to watch this documentary and I was left in tears after it ended. This should be serialized and shown free to every one. A great idea executed with deep empathy and love. What a story...salute to the entire team of Aamir Khan Productions.
Khakee: The Bihar Chapter (2022)
What is it with the very filmi drama?
Well, this show promised a lot with its synopsis. Gritty political police drama. But it definitely belongs to Bollywood style singham type of movie! What is it with the loud hero-entry music? I'm sure the makers wanted it to look gritty. But to me it was highly pretentious and silly. The main actor protagonist could have been chosen better. He looks too chocolate boy if you ask me. Avinash Tiwary looks and acts as competently as ever. Ashutosh Rana is good. The guy playing the main person is the weakest link of the series. I couldn't go beyond the first episode. Just found the music too intrusive and silly. Guys, how about a little more subtlety in filmmaking?
Qala (2022)
What a sad sad sad film!
First of, great to see such stories being made and presented to a country that has been fed on a steady diet of hoccus pocus pseudo patriotic, nationalistic and plain cringeworthy masalaa films from across the board....region notwithstanding. A film based on music, and that too music of yore is so so so refreshing. The songs are Olde world and don't pander to a generation that has been deprived of good music pretty intentionally I feel, in the past couple of decades.
I used to sing. I have now lost my voice. I die a little inside every single day. Watching Jagan losing his voice, his very will to live was painful to say the least. For someone who entertained suicidal thoughts for some time, it was like watching myself.
Tripti Dimri. I've seen this girl in Bulbbul and Qala and she has what it takes to become the next Tabu.
Swastika Mukherjee is brilliant as a cold mother, showering her love on a son she couldn't have.
Yes, the resemblance to Black Swan were there, mostly in the abstract lighting and sets. But the resemblance does not extend to the larger story line and for that Anvita Dutt should get all the credit.
This film left me with a very heavy, sad feeling of wasted lives and wasted chances. More power to filmmakers who are trying to do different things, not pandering to box office. Making films from the heart.
Typewriter (2019)
Why, why, why?
Why, Sujoy Ghosh, whyyyy? I expected good things from this series. Am so so disappointed. First of all, why just pluck some American type of story any plonk it on a strange Indian setting? The dialogues are amazingly cringeworthy. The husband-girlfriend lines especially. So cheesy! The actor playing Jenny is only halfway decent. And please don't get me started on the kids. Oh my gawd! That little girl is so irritating. I want to slap her ten ways. Hey indulgent police officer father is no better. The scares were better in the very first episode. After that it just deteriorates. Really expected better stuff from a director like Ghosh.
You want genuinely scary, funny kids stuff? Watch Makdee.
Un asunto privado (2022)
Great expectations but...
I found it very very difficult to sit through all the 8 episodes of this very badly made series. The time period is supposed to be the 40's but hardly seemed that. It could have been set in any time! The lady was excruciatingly irritating. I don't know if she's a good actor who has done better work, but this was terrible. Jean Reno is tiresome with his " I don't think I should do this ' act. The men all around came across as bumbling idiots who have no use for the brains god gave them. I had great expectations from reading the storyline but was sadly disappointed. Avoid this to save yourself some sanity.
83 (2021)
Not a fan of cricket, but....
What a great film! I absolutely loved the fact that it was cut and dried without the usual tear-jerking melodrama associated with Bollywood films. Great acting all around. The casting was bang-on for most parts. Good job!!!
Unpaused: Naya Safar (2022)
Worth a watch
Nagaraj Manjule! What acting. Without much in terms of dialouges, he conveys so much. Truly the hallmark of a great actor. Warroom was another touching story with excellent acting by Geetanjali Kulkarni. Other stories were ok too i guess. But for me, Vaikunth was the best.
Thalaivi (2021)
Cringe-watch!
Totally cringe-worthy is what this movie is. Why pick a north indian to play a south Indian? I never understand why production houses constantly miscast when it comes to biopics. Kangana Ranaut is a decent actor but totally out of her element here. It's a disaster from the word go. Please, please use the right actors for the right roles.
The Empire (2021)
Why the terrible reviews?
Well, let me begin by saying I started watching this series with zero expectations. Given the really low opinion everyone else here has, it was really a chance I took to start watching. And boy! Was I blown away! I have yet to see an indian series with such production values. The story is fictional of course. Based on Alex Rutherford's book by the sane name, this work of fiction is just that! It's great fun to watch. The charatcers are all well etched. I was pleasently surprised by Dino Morea's acting. Also worth mentioning is Drashti Dhami. She brings grace and beauty to her role.
I'm definitely going to be waiting for Season 2!
Sherni (2021)
Only 6.8??
If there was a film that deserved way more ratings than given, this would be it. A gem of a film and so very relevant to the times we live in. A must watch film for children in fact. At least they'll know what goes on in forests and the honest and back breaking work our forest department officials do. A pity that it was released on OTT. This film deserves the big screen of theatres. Well done Amit Masurkar! Look forward to your next.
Shanghai (2012)
Good political thriller
Shanghai makes a good case for book adaptations. Well thought out in the Indian context and well enacted.
The Handmaid's Tale (2017)
Please end the series already!
Why? Why do series based on books not stick to the storyline of the book? Why couldn't Handmaid's Tale not end after the first two seasons? Why does Elizabeth Moss keep staring expressionlessly into the camera? These are burning questions that need answers. And quickly! I'm so not interested in her life or whether she finds her child or not. Just end the series already! It's well past its sell-by date.
Laal Kaptaan (2019)
A Hidden Gem
Just stumbled upon this movie and watched with zero expectations and let me tell you.... Wow! What a movie! Brilliant acting by the most subtle of the khans...Saif Ali. A single strand story that just keeps getting tauter and tauter with each passing minute. A beautiful pace that never slackens or loosens is grip over the story. Ably supported by a great cast of actors, I can easily say this is Saif Ali Khan's best performance. A special mention needs to be made of the end credit song sung by the talented Samira Koppikar. Navdeep Singh is one director who never disappoints in his work. I only wish he would make more films!
Grahan (2021)
Ok ok
A strictly ok ok series. I am sure the book would have been better. Very disappointing to see such poor production work. The older generation is fine but Rishi's generation should have been equal in their age group in the present time line. Some look younger, some older. Also full songs in a series? Really? Half the time I felt I was watching a Bollywood melodrama. Definitely could have been cut by half the number of episodes.