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“Kennedy Club”… Bharathiraja and M Sasikumar feature in a dull sports drama from Suseenthiran
Every aspect of the film is weighted down with indifference. The writing can barely bring itself to imbue shades into the characters. Spoilers ahead… You can read the full review on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/kennedy-club-suseenthiran-sasikumar-movie-review-baradwaj-rangan/ Kennedy Club, which is about an underdog team of female kabaddi players, is yet another disappointment from Suseenthiran. (The title […]
Posted in: Cinema: Tamil
The 50th anniversary of Z, by Costa-Gavras, who receives the Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker award at Venice
August 22, 2019
Read the full article on Firstpost, here: https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/50th-anniversary-of-z-by-costa-gavras-who-receives-the-jaeger-lecoultre-glory-to-the-filmmaker-award-at-venice-7204751.html Z, directed by Costa-Gavras, is a French procedural-thriller based on Greek events – but let’s first look at the American connection. When the film was released in 1969, President Nixon’s resignation was still a few years away – but what Federal Times Editor Jill Aitoro wrote, after […]
“Munirathna Kurukshetra”… Darshan and Arjun star in a thoroughly mediocre take on the epic
August 21, 2019
There’s not one actorly or directorly moment — there’s not one human moment. There is, however, plenty of unintentional comedy. Spoilers ahead… You can read the full review on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/kurukshetra-movie-review-darshan-naganna-3d/ Whatever the other achievements of Munirathna Kurukshetra, directed by Naganna, it’s probably the world’s first film to have its producer’s name in […]
Posted in: Cinema: Kannada, Cinema: Tamil
With ‘Kalki’ and ‘Thanneer Mathan Dinangal’, formula returns to Malayalam cinema
August 20, 2019
Read the full article on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/with-kalki-and-thanneer-mathan-dinangal-formula-returns-to-malayalam-cinema-tovino-thomas/ Tovino Thomas doesn’t get a romantic interest. But then, his real love seems to be the approximately four thousand cigarettes he consumes through the course of the movie. How do you describe a ‘mass’ movie? Let me present this scene from Kalki, directed by Praveen Prabharam. […]
Posted in: Cinema: Malayalam
The reverse chronology in Gaspar Noé’s ‘Irreversible’, which gets an Out of Competition screening at Venice 2019
August 16, 2019
Read the full article on Firstpost, here: https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/venice-film-festival-2019-the-reverse-chronology-in-gaspar-noes-irreversible-which-gets-an-out-of-competition-screening-7172071.html Talking about Memento (2000) in a Creative Screenwriting interview, Christopher Nolan said that he and his brother Jonathan (who came up with the story) felt that the most interesting approach was to tell the story from the first person point of view, putting the audience right in […]
“Comali”… Jayam Ravi stars in a badly written comedy… or drama… or heist thriller… or something
August 15, 2019
It’s hard to classify this severely underwhelming film because the director himself isn’t sure what he’s making. Spoilers ahead… You can read the full review on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/comali-movie-review-jayam-ravi-kajal-aggarwal-baradwaj-rangan/ Dhanush is an actor who can carry off a very young look. He can convince us he’s a college student, maybe even a schoolboy. Jayam […]
Posted in: Cinema: Tamil
FC Recco: ‘Harivu’
August 14, 2019
A weekly series where I recommend a film-based book, a foreign film or an Indian movie. For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult Copyright ©2019 Film Companion.
Posted in: Cinema: Kannada, FC Recco
Interview: Sudheer Varma
August 12, 2019
For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult Copyright ©2019 Film Companion.
Posted in: Cinema: Telugu, Interview
Readers Write In #92: ‘Dear Comrade’ gets right things that ‘Kaatru Veliyidai’ didn’t
August 11, 2019
(by N Madhusudhan) These are exciting times in Southern Cinema. Never before has the envelope been pushed so far in a mainstream romance as these two films have in recent times, to varying degrees of success. While these two films could not be more different from each other in style, there are some striking similarities […]
Readers Write In #91: Film critics vs public opinion
August 11, 2019
(by Rudra Dave) Apart from being extremely successful at the box office and being loved by the audience, can you guess one more common thing between films like “Kabir Singh”, “Judwaa 2”, “Simmba”, “Bodyguard”, “Luka Chuppi”, “Golmaal franchise”, “Housefull franchise” and “Dhamaal franchise”? They all had received negative reviews from the film critics. Now, most […]
#AskBR – Nerkonda Paarvai
August 10, 2019
In which I answer a few questions on an older film… or a new one… or talk about actors and directors… or take on a few YouTube comments… For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult Copyright ©2019 Film Companion.
Posted in: #AskBR, Cinema: Tamil
Bernardo Bertolucci’s ‘The Spider’s Stratagem’ will be screened as part of Venice Classics
August 8, 2019
Read the full article on Firstpost, here: https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/revisiting-bernardo-bertoluccis-the-spiders-stratagem-which-will-be-screened-as-part-of-venice-classics-7132711.html In 1944, the Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges published a short story titled Theme of the Traitor and the Hero (original Spanish title: Tema del traidor y del héroe). The protagonist, Ryan, sets out to write a biography about his great-grandfather, a nationalist hero who was killed […]
Interview: Boney Kapoor
August 7, 2019
For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult Copyright ©2019 Film Companion.
“Nerkonda Paarvai”… A subdued, dignified Ajith powers a solid “no means no” drama
August 6, 2019
H Vinoth’s biggest accomplishment is the air of restraint. He doesn’t amplify the volume and “mass”-ify Pink. He respects the source material. Spoilers ahead… You can read the full review on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/nerkonda-paarvai-movie-review-ajith-baradwaj-rangan-shradha-srinath/ Reviewing H Vinoth’s previous outing, Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru, I wrote: The thing to note about DSP Theeran (Karthi) is that […]
Posted in: Cinema: Tamil
Interview: Rahul Ravindran
August 5, 2019
For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult Copyright ©2019 Film Companion.
Posted in: Cinema: Telugu, Interview
“Jackpot”… Jyotika stars in a noisy action-comedy that fails on both counts
August 2, 2019
Vishal Chandrasekhar contributes an ear-splitting score. I think he may have been trying to save us from the lines. Spoilers ahead… You can read the full review on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/jackpot-movie-review-jyothika-revathy-kalyaan-yogi-babu/ Kalyaan’s Jackpot is one of those excruciating comedies which thinks “leave your brains at home while watching this movie” is the same as […]
Posted in: Cinema: Tamil
Readers Write In #90: Why Kangana’s spat with the media is just what the doctor ordered
August 1, 2019
(by PG Nair) Unless you have been living under a rock there is little chance that you have missed Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut’s confrontation with a media person Justin Rao during the promotions of her upcoming film ‘Judgemental Hai Kya’ and the subsequent ban of the artist by select sections of entertainment media. Kangana responded […]
Greater transparency in the process may help address the gender parity issue at Venice and other film festivals
August 1, 2019
Read the full article on Firstpost, here: https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/venice-2019-greater-transparency-in-selection-process-may-help-address-gender-parity-at-film-festivals-7095451.html The issue of gender parity has come up again after the Venice Film Festival announced its line-up, with only two Competition titles from women filmmakers: Haifaa Al-Mansour’s The Candidate and Shannon Murphy’s Babyteeth. (If you want to make a grim joke, you could say it’s a full […]
Interview: Nagarjuna – Part 2
July 31, 2019
For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult Copyright ©2019 Film Companion.
“Judgementall Hai Kya”… Kangana Ranaut pulls out all the stops in a nuttily entertaining psycho-thriller
July 30, 2019
The film is far more convincing as an art installation about a mental condition than as a whodunit, whydunit or did anyone indeed dunit in the first place! Spoilers ahead… The straight way to narrate the story of Judgementall Hai Kya is as follows: a young girl sees her mother as a victim of domestic […]
Posted in: Cinema: Hindi
August 22, 2019
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