Subscribe:
RSS feed
FC @ Cannes 2019 – Almodóvar’s exquisite ‘Pain and Glory’, plus ‘Little Joe’
Read the full article on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/almodovar-pain-and-glory-little-joe-movie-reviews-cannes-film-festival-2019-baradwaj-rangan/ The first half plants the seeds that bloom beautifully in the second, which contains one astonishing scene after another. An early scene in Pedro Almodóvar’s exquisite Pain and Glory shows a gay filmmaker named Salvador (Antonio Banderas) reminiscing about his childhood. His mother (Penélope Cruz) and […]
FC @ Cannes 2019 – The ho-hum ‘Rocketman’, plus Mati Diop’s haunting ‘Atlantique’
May 18, 2019
Read the full article on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/cannes-film-festival-2019-rocketman-movie-review-mati-diop-haunting-atlantique/ Instead of focusing on one track, this biopic wants it all. The man is blotted out by all the bling. I was a bit bummed when I found myself in a nosebleed seat for Dexter Fletcher’s Elton John biopic, Rocketman — Piano Man would have been […]
FC @ Cannes 2019 – A Parisian incarnation of Pa. Ranjith, plus ‘A Brother’s Love’
May 17, 2019
Read the full article on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/cannes-film-festival-2019-pa-ranjith-les-miserables-movie-review-baradwaj-rangan/ Clashes between police and public aren’t new, but like in Pa. Ranjith’s films, the divide is also that of class and what passes for a caste hierarchy. Before talking about Ladj Ly’s Les Misérables, it may be necessary to talk about Ladj Ly himself. I hadn’t […]
Remembering a classic film with Alain Delon, recipient of the honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes 2019
May 16, 2019
Read the full article on Firstpost, here: https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/cannes-2019-remembering-a-classic-film-with-alain-delon-recipient-of-the-honorary-palme-dor-6643761.html/ For a brief while, it appeared that Alain Delon might not receive the honorary Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Melissa Silverstein, the founder of the American organisation Women and Hollywood, tweeted that Delon “has publicly admitted to slapping women. He has aligned himself with […]
FC @ Cannes 2019 – Jim Jarmusch makes a zombie movie, plus fighting words from the jury president
May 16, 2019
Read the full article on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/cannes-film-festival-2019-jim-jarmusch-the-dead-dont-die-movie-review-baradwaj-rangan/ Despite the George Romero name-drop and the genre trappings, this is not exactly a genre film. It’s more a wry meditation on death. With every movie, even in a Marvel movie, Tilda Swinton keeps making you think: “This is the most quintessentially Tilda Swinton role.” With […]
FC @ Cannes 2019 – A piquant problem of plenty
May 15, 2019
Read the full article on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/cannes-film-festival-2019-what-to-watch-baradwaj-rangan/ In which I try to explain what it’s like to pick odd little films from emails and the festival brochure. I’ve landed in Cannes at an odd time, the end of Day 1. So I’ve missed the opening film, Jim Jarmusch’s The Dead Don’t Die. I’ll […]
Readers Write In #75: Uyare soars high on its performances despite its predictability
May 15, 2019
We have had dozens of movies that showcase a love affair gone wrong from the view point of the male protagonist, some of them even blaming or insulting the girl for having changed her mind about a boyfriend (what come to mind immediately are the ‘Why this kolaveri’ song and the more tongue in cheek […]
Posted in: Cinema: Malayalam, Readers Write In
FC @ Cannes 2019: A few of my favourite things
May 14, 2019
Read the full article on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/cannes-film-festival-2019-sylvester-stallone-rambo-5-baradwaj-rangan In between screenings at the world’s biggest film festival, here’s a bunch of things I look forward to. So what, apart from the movies, am I looking forward to at Cannes? Maybe a Sylvester Stallone sighting, while he’s promoting Rambo V – Last Blood. You kids […]
FC @ Cannes 2019 – Ten films by not-so-famous filmmakers
May 13, 2019
Read the full article on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/cannes-film-festival-2019-10-films-by-not-so-famous-filmmakers Cinephiles will recognise these names, but these filmmakers deserve to be known in the circles beyond. Here’s my list of hotly anticipated less-than-mega films. See Keep the Lights On and Love is Strange and especially Little Men, and you’ll see the exquisite, low-key textures Ira Sachs […]
Interview Selvaraghavan (NGK, etc.)
May 11, 2019
For more, subscribe to FILM COMPANION SOUTH: http://bit.ly/2xoNult Copyright ©2019 Film Companion.
Posted in: Cinema: Tamil, Interview
“Student of the Year 2.”… A bummer of a sequel where the women fare marginally better than the men
May 11, 2019
Spoilers ahead… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/student-of-the-year-2-movie-review-tiger-shroff-baradwaj-rangan WWhatever you say about Student of the Year 2, you’ll have to admit it possesses a sense of irony. Here’s a sequel without a shred of dignity, but revolving around a sporting trophy called… Dignity Cup. Though, on second thought, maybe that’s really about […]
Posted in: Cinema: Hindi
FC @ Cannes 2019 – Ten films by famous filmmakers
May 11, 2019
Read the full article on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/cannes-film-festival-2019-10-films-by-famous-filmmakers When I say ‘famous’, I mean people like the Dardenne brothers, who are the equivalents of a Spielberg at Cannes. Here’s my personal list of hotly anticipated biggies. I’ll begin with Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne. They have won the Palme d’Or twice (for Rosetta and […]
FC Recco – Ondu Motteya Kathe
May 9, 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
The Cannes classics line-up includes a tribute to Lina Wertmüller’s Oscar-nominated ‘Seven Beauties’
May 9, 2019
Read the full article on Firstpost, here: https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/cannes-film-festival-classics-line-up-includes-a-tribute-to-lina-wertmullers-oscar-nominated-seven-beauties-6598261.html/ The biggest ticket at Cannes Classics 2019 is undoubtedly the midnight screening of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, remastered in 4K and presented by Alfonso Cuarón. It’s the film you want to brag about, with a tweet like “Braved the mad rush and got a seat for The […]
India at Cannes 2019: Only fashion, no films
May 7, 2019
Read the full article on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/india-at-cannes-film-festival-2019-only-fashion-no-films-baradwaj-rangan It’s great to see Indian fashionistas flaunt their stuff at the world’s biggest film festival. It would have been greater to see a few Indian films, too. There’s a video out there titled “Deepika Padukone prepares for Cannes Film Festival 2019 red carpet”. There’s another one: […]
Posted in: Film Festivals
Off the Topic: Enigma
May 6, 2019
Spoilers… The following post is not about movies. So, I have not been able to frequently comment here as I used to earlier. I wouldn’t comment on films earlier (and now) because I don’t frequent to theaters as much, so I would have nothing to comment on, and the enlightening discussions which I used to […]
Posted in: Off The Topic, Personal
“K-13.”… Arulnithi’s thriller has a solid premise but stays at an arm’s length
May 3, 2019
Spoilers ahead… Read the full review on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/k-13-movie-review-arulnithis-thriller-has-a-solid-premise-but-stays-at-an-arms-length-shraddha-srinath/ What if you find yourself tied to a chair with packaging tape, in a house you barely recognise? That’s the plight that befalls Mathi (Arulnithi) at the beginning of K-13, written and directed by first-timer Barath Neelakantan. Flashback a bit, and we learn that […]
Posted in: Cinema: Tamil
A stand on stars
May 3, 2019
Read the full article on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/why-film-companion-will-not-have-stars-ratings-in-movie-reviews-baradwaj-rangan/ We think it’s time we stopped trying to reduce our thoughts on films (i.e. our reviews) to a bunch of stars. It took a star to take out the stars. The former is Shah Rukh Khan, who gently railed against the latter, today’s near-ubiquitous system […]
Readers Write In #74: Thoughts on the Nani-Shraddha Srinath starrer, JERSEY
May 2, 2019
Spoilers ahead How often do you want to write about a movie that’s moved you? For someone who is in the verge of making his own film, being so moved by a film is a rarity. I went to watch Jersey expecting a decent movie with a few good moments. I came out in tears […]
Posted in: Cinema: Telugu, Readers Write In
Notes on cinematography and the ‘Amélie ’ cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, who will be honoured at Cannes
May 2, 2019
Read the full article on Firstpost, here: https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/notes-on-cinematography-and-the-amelie-cinematographer-bruno-delbonnel-who-will-be-honoured-at-cannes-6555231.html/ The focus at film festivals is typically so director- and actor-centric that technicians almost become an afterthought. That’s why it’s important to highlight the Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography honour at the Cannes Film Festival, named after the French engineer and innovator. (Today’s zoom lenses use the […]
Recent Comments
 | chronophlogiston on FC @ Cannes 2019 – The h… |
 | Paras on “Pataakha”…… |
 | naveendreamer on Readers Write In #75: Uyare so… |
 | Anu Warrier on FC @ Cannes 2019 – The h… |
 | MANK on Remembering a classic film wit… |
 | Srimugunthan Rishith… on “Super Deluxe”… |
 | Enigma on FC @ Cannes 2019 – A Par… |
 | Ravi K on FC @ Cannes 2019 – A Par… |
 | Ramit on Remembering a classic film wit… |
 | chandrasekhar on Bullet-point Report: “Zi… |
| Ramit on FC Recco – Ondu Motteya… |
 | tonks on Readers Write In #75: Uyare so… |
| Ramit on Readers Write In #75: Uyare so… |
 | Rohit Sathish Nair on FC @ Cannes 2019 – Jim J… |
 | bart on FC @ Cannes 2019 – Jim J… |
May 19, 2019
0