Gisteller

Hereditary (2018) Rating   - 5/5 Cast : Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro Directed by Ali Aster Review by Zulfiqar Horror is a genre, which I have always ventured a little tentatively. Whole throughout my life, I have seen just a handful of them. And to be fair, I have squint-saw them in their supposedly juicy but fearful bits. But the satisfaction of finding art in this heckle-raising genre for me personally has been a futile experience. I find it not an art but as an exploitation. But then, as I mentioned my view is anemic as I haven’t seen many of them. My opinion however changed when I watched ‘Conjuring’. It gave me a notion that even horror has an artistic facet to it. But, ‘hereditary’ confirmed for me that this genre is a great branch of craftsmanship in genius hands. Ali Aster absolutely overpowers the audience with chills as much as with his wonderful writing this epic horror movie. The horror element he provides on th...

Thithi (2015) – movie review Rating – 5/5 Cast : Channegowda, Thammegowda Directed by Raam Reddy Review by Zulfiqar             In a time when Indian cinema is suffused with commercial pot-boilers in every regional language, with very thinly scattered (almost reduced to miniscule) number of serious films, which drive sense into the audience mind and strike the chord of plausibility, comes ‘Thithi’, a beautifully crafted kannada film, which resonates the vibes of Satyajit Ray’s Appu trilogy. Like the master filmmaker’s movie, ‘Thithi’ has a keen eye for reality and the nature of rural life, an almost forgotten chapter in Indian cinema. Even if rural movies are made, they are redundant with meaningless humor, which completely masks the real trials and tribulations, which the country populace faces and lives with.             Raam Reddy, a new director...

Fargo (season 3)        - review rating (4/5) Cast : Ewan McGregor, Carrie Coon, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, David Thewlis Written by Noah Crawley and others Review by Zulfiqar             The basic template of Fargo has been set since the first season. It’s simple. And so, utterly complex to plot. It has two storylines or preferably three. These lines coincide by accidents, while an innocent cop goes about the case like a voyage in the dark. The thing which is most predictable about the plot is its unpredictability, as it surely coming.             But the main thing which gels the whole scenario is the quaint atmosphere of the ice smothered localities of Minnesota. Along with the scenic geographical aspect, the series has a background of simple citizenry of Northern parts of the country, which is untouched by the guile of...

War Machine – rating (2.5/5) Cast : Brad Pitt, Daniel Betts, Ben Kingsley, Anthony Michael Hall, Topher Grace, Tilda Swinton Directed by David Michod Review by Zulfiqar             The only problem with war Machine is that it doesn’t give a proper ending. It however rightfully elaborates the problem of America’s war in Afghanistan. The newly appointed US army unit head in the above mentioned country, General Glen McMahon, is at confusion of solving the problem of insurgency. He wants to turn a new leaf, but at the same time is faced with the biggest dilemma of US army’s presence in the war-strife nation.             His internal thought is rightly voiced in the form of a young sergeant, who questions him rebelliously as to what exactly their unit’s position was. The young fellow is confused when he is decreed by his superiors that they will be rewarded...

3 : 10 to Yuma – rating (4/5) Cast : Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Ben Foster, Logan Lerman, Peter Fonda, Gretchen Mol Directed by James Mangold Based on a short story by Elmore Leonard Review by Zulfiqar             Ben Wade is a famed outlaw, who masterminds looting carriages with bank money and doing stick-ups. He is a great shot. He has a posse with a dangerous and faithful right-hand man, Charlie. To Charlie, his word is law and he would go any extent to fight for his boss. Ben doesn’t give hoot even after he is captured because either Charlie will see him out or his notoriety itself will find a way. Ben kills with no mercy and has no fear. But, he is an artist. And there lies his redemption.             3 : 10 to Yuma is a classic western, because it has that righteous hero and dangerous adversary. But it is a great modern western, because the...

Closer (2004) – rating (4.5/5) Cast:     Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Clive Owen, Julia Roberts Direction : Mike Nichols Writer : Patrick Marber Review by Zulfiqar While watching the movie, Closer (2004), you could understand why romance is much more complicated than rocket science. At least, in rocket science, your failed launches have a compensation of repeated trials.           Based on the play by Patrick Marber, ‘Closer’ boldly and shamelessly make us see inside the turmoil of love and passion and the way it leaves destruction in its wake. It starts with a man falling for a woman. He is a obituary columnist. She is a waitress (if you don’t count her earlier career of stripping). He moves in with her, but after some duration, he falls for anther woman, a photographer – especially for book-covers. Didn’t know that such career existed, nor did I know an obituary columnist. With his momentary pra...

Rangasthalam (2018) –     rating (4/5) Cast : Ram Charan Tej, Jagapathy Babu, Aadhi Pinisetty, Prakash Raj, Samantha Director : Sukumar Review by Zulfiqar             Revolution is a never ending relish-of-a-concept in movies. But with Telugu movie industry having got inclined to answer to the whims of commercial box office returns with formulaic, mindless romances, the real stories and concepts have been pushed to the background. There are only a few scattered telugu movies in the last 10 years, which would define the advances made in the industry. A political drama like ‘prasthanam’, fantastical tale with technical flamboyance as in ‘bahubali’, dejected lover’s daring reasoning of his feelings in ‘Arjun Reddy’, recent psychological thriller ‘awe’ and a few more probably.             Sukumar’s Rangasthalam belongs to this meager cluster o...

A Quiet Place (2018) – 3.5/5 Cast : John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe Direction : John Krasinski Review by Zulfiqar             In this highly advanced technical cinemeatic world and, shuffling and ever-evolving screenplay times, it is quite imperative that we deserve a good monster-alien flick. I couldn’t recall anything better in that genre after Signs. ‘A quiet Place’ strongly comes close to that mark in the first half to slide away in the second. Nevertheless, it has many intensely suspenseful moments, the likes of which I have felt in a theatre recently while watching ‘Don’t Breathe’.             Krasinski, who acted and directed this Shyamalanesque movie with its own world of apocalypse, builds up the tone till the midway. ‘A Quiet Place’ begins with a prologue of an apocalyptic world where a blind alien beast, with its h...

Tomb Raider (2018) – rating (3.5/5)  Cast : Alicia Wikander, Dominic West, Walton Goggins, Daniel Wu Directed by Roar Uthaug Story by Geneva Robert-Dworet, Evan Daughterty Review by Zulfiqar             The legend goes Himiko, the ancient queen of Japan, was a witch who ruled her empire using dark arts. She was buried alive in a tomb, which is guarded using heavy reinforcements of tricks and magic, for it is considered once her soul gets out, there is no cure for the scourge on the whole humanity. For eons, the tomb is a secret buried on one of the mysterious islands of Japan, until Mr Richard Croft, a rich millionaire and an explorer by avocation, ferrets out the particular island amond and the secrets of the tomb’s architecture. His main intention is to protect the crypt and its secrets.             Before we venture out about his daughter, Lara, w...

Black Panther (2018) – rating (3.5/5) Cast : Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong’O, Danai Gurira Direction by Ryan Coogler Review by Zulfiqar             ‘Black Panther’ is long awaited tribute for Africa, which has given much to the world in terms of its resources and natural beauty. Marvel studios with the pertaining theme of inclusivity gives its due to the black community by this superhero comic adapted novel and it is given in the richest way possible.             Ryan Coogler, who has given the boxing epic, ‘Creed’ and critically acclaimed ‘Fruitvale station’, is the man at the helm and you couldn’t expect anybody better. Chadwick Boseman reprises his role of T’Challa from ‘Captain America : Civil War’ and he is that ardent do-gooder in the skin of the righteous superhero, Black Panther. He is to be crowned as the new king of Waka...

Notting Hill (1999) – rating (4/5) Cast : Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Rhys Ifans, Hugh Bonneville Directed by Roger Michell Written by Richard Curtis Review by Zulfiqar             Notting Hill is an ultimate romantic fantasy epitomized. What could be more unbelievable and more jubilant than a famous showbiz icon, whom you have a severe crush on, falling in love with you? We never are explained how much William Thacker (Hugh Grant), a small travel bookshop owner, idolizes Anna Scott (Julia Roberts), the famous movie actress around the globe. But we know in the way William behaves around her that he indeed is crazy about her.             But director Roger Michell spices things up by explaining the two characters in the lines we couldn’t comprehend. William isn’t that idiotic fan who cries or jumps around seeing the actress and telling her, he is her ult...

Love Actually (2003) –   rating (4/5) Cast : Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Keira Knighley, Bill Nighy Written and Directed by Richard Curtis Review by Zulfiqar             Love comes in all forms. Love between parent and kids : between office colleagues : between persons of different cadres at a workspace : between agents and artistes : between spouses, who have lived a long time and had their romance numbed, only to be reignited by a May-September affair of a partner : between committed and non-committed : between people from rebound romances : between kids : bereavement passion. These are some of the things, ‘Love Actually’ covers in its 134 minutes of runtime.             Though it doesn’t aspire to glorify a single love story, the notion that love is formless and could come in any shape is what the movie d...

Coco (2017) Rating – 5/5 Starring : Gael Garcia Bernal, Anthony Gonzalez, Benjamin Bratt, Renee Victor, Ana Ofelia Murguia Directed by Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina Story by Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina, Matthew Aldrich, Jason Katz Music by Michael Giacchino Review by Zulfiqar There is dearth of superlatives while explaining a film like ‘Coco’. Just take out the checkbox for essentials which makes it a great movie (not just great animation) and it ticks every square. It a measure of the finest animation work happening in Hollywood and undoubtedly Pixar soars highest among its rivals. A tidbit about the film, I have stumbled upon recently, and it left me astonished as to the excellence of achievements in the accuracy of the details. The strums which are played on the guitar in a song by a character match the specific notes, of that particular tone. It could have been ignored in the flurry of sketches, but Pixar doesn’t take the easy path. Its hues are taken from th...