Sushmay Saha

It is true that if you have nothing worthwhile to do , and if you have a unflinching desire to invite a splitting headache, you should definitely watch this film. I mistakenly committed my two hours of acreen rime to this atrocity because I am a big fan of Manoj Bajpai and sometimes I let my curiosity get the better of my judgement, opting to watch films with this fine actor in the lead. But , its the second time ( The first was killer soup- another MB starrer ) I have stepped on the proverbial tail of the rabid dog only to find myself bitten in crazed frenzy.. Well there's nothing much to say about this film other than the fact that it is two hours and something of pure monstrosity . The plot is completely juvenile and confused , vascillating between mindless action scenes and forceful inserts of emotional melodrama ; and due to this quizzical nature of its story , it loses the basic theme. This film rubs on the same ghissa pitaa and weather beaten premises of One Dabang Bahuballi outdoing the other. I dont know how many such Bihar/ UP styled Dabang Bahuballi tales are there in store for the audience to suffer. The Hi- Octane Gunslinging , Dust blowing , Smoke jumping, blood letting gets on your nerves and it will put any American wild- western classic to shame . Manoj Bajpai hopelessly carries the entire payload on his shoulders all through the film just so that it stays relevant; all the other actors are of little or no consequence..The chief heroine ( manoj's love interest) played by one Zoya Hussain is a bit of a mystery role which unveils after 2/3rds of your patience is exhausted and Bajpai shares an equally transfixed and confused screen presence with her. To add to Manoj's menacing bhayanak angry avatar, the director has equipped him with a Garden Shovel, to which he does complete justice- bludgeoning bad guys with fine dexterity - not of a gardener - but of a texas chain saw styled maniac on the loose. The action scenes are hysterical and are a leaf taken out of a box office grossing tollywood action commercial. Even the bad guys look like imports from south indies .. This is a completely forgettable experience of movie entertainment for me. In fact it was quiet the opposite.. Totally avoidable, deserves a 1.5 rating but I will be generous in giving it a 2.0

At first glance, this movie seemed like something of a wholesome entertainment . I am a big fan of Del toro and I belong to the generation which saw Alicia Silverstone in those Aerosmith videos of the 90s; so having these two actors , in the lead definitely had me invested. However, this movie lagged the depth, one expects from a high stakes murder plot . There are many loose ends in this story, and it is left kinda half baked, in the end. The viewer has to make his/her assumption about who may have killed Summer Elswick- Will Grady's girlfriend. There are many hypotheses, this plot will lead you on to- enough planted evidence, and oddly incoherent characters but none really lead to the Un-earthing of the mystery, logically speaking!! I mean, come to think of it, why would someone hack a rich realtor's girlfriend; in so much a grotesque killing, when it could have been done by a simple gunshot. This thing starts with a Dr. Jekyll styled gruesome murder ( the context ) but ends in a Martin Scorsese style cop killing cop carnage . But this movie is a sincere effort on the part of its cast. Del Toro is intense and his Chemistry with Alicia Silverstone looks very real and lifelike. Micheal Pitt , is true to his form in his character of Eli Phillips, he reminds you of himself- of his role as the knicker bocker clad dandy ; one half of the suave killing duo from Funny Games (2007). But, Justin Timberlake looks sullen all through and his actings fails to really excite you about anything. What I like most, though, about this is the soundtrack.You have everything from America to Bread playing in the background and it makes you wanna sing along. Other than that the music score is quite cleverly intermixed; haunted, distant and intense. The cinematography quite wonderfully brings to life the essence of a small town community, and the idea of a sinister cartel developing between cops, drug runners, and realtors is almost believable, but the execution doesn't pack a punch. All told, the run-time of 2.5 hours looks too elongated especially when the plot moves along so painstakingly. Watch this movie, if you want to see of your favourite actors on screen once more . See it for the music, but if you are looking for some more, you might be disappointed- my thoughts though!!

Luckily, This one does not appear to be too literal and it does not compel you to make comparison between itself and the other myriad dooms day action films and Zombie Dramas that you may have seen or read in the past ; mainly, because it stands out, on its own ground . The Context , the Characters and the Screen Play are individualistic, and though the narrative, restricts itself to a limited Geography; it still offers viewers a bunch of emotions, an eclectic cast, and an evocative cinematic experience. This plot is a hyperlink- narrative made of Compelling Characters, Historical Themes , Sub-Plots, a Race against Time drama for a fight for survival ( Even , Darwin's theory of the Survival of the Fittest finds ample resonance here) . The story is set against the idyllic background of The Andaman & Nicobar Islands , and amidst the backdrop, of abundance of nature , azure seas , blue skies, and Indigenous tribes; Kaala Pani emerges out as a portentous tale of plague and epidemic ,driving people to desperation , engulfing and destroying everything: Lives, Lively hood & Nature, in its wake. A Special Note dedicated to the cast was in the offing , which to my mind , is one of the biggest factors, which propels the story ahead with gusto. There are No Lead or Supporting Actors ; every one, whether He/ She is the hero/ leader of his own narrative and every character played here has depth and carries the burden of his/her own past . To Me, Besides Mona Singh , Ashutosh Gowariker, and Chinmay Mandlekar , all the others are relatively new faces , but everyone , has played his/ her part, with so much heart and sincerity, that they fail to disappoint . Amey Wagh , whom I had seen earlier seen in Marathi films ( like Faster Fene) , has surprised me, a great deal, with his versatility. His role in Kaala Pani is like the Sprinkling of essense , on the story, whenever it has gotten too Esoteric. His Character keeps the story grounded whenever hints on surrealism. The musical score is good, it blends in with the crucial scene build up and used with equal effect to heighten the intensity and tensions of the characters . This web-series may be divided in two seasons ( because I do not see it stretching any further) and the first season has ended, quite on a quizzical note, leaving lots to be desired, from the one to follow. I ended up watching Kalaa Pani in three sittings and I guess a fair rating for the first season would be a 4 stars, all things considered. The Second season, if it is anywhere as good as its first instalment, should be an interesting watch.

Three Epochal events define the year 1984 in India: The Bhopal Gas Tragedy, the assassination of one of India's most iconic prime ministers- Mrs Indira Gandhi, and the pogrom against a particular community which ensued later-on. This series is set against the backdrop of all these three events. It does not dwell too much on the cause, but very efficiently weaves a succinct and compelling narrative about the effect- about how simple men and women perform extraordinarily heroic tasks in the face of monumental adversities. The title is obviously suggestive to whom this story is primarily dedicated to- The Railway Men. The casting of the characters are impeccable, and I would go ahead to adding that the Divyendu Sharma's role play adds a further element of Witt and Audacity. His dialogue delivery has become something of a legend now. Ofcourse, this is a period drama, and every aspect of the cinematography captures the essence of those times quite flawlessly- the director has even cared to source some of those medieval lambretta scooters and those crank type telephone mechanisms used in the previous millenium, to portray authenticity. I would like to believe that what I have written here is not a review but a sincere appreciation of a job well done. Yes, this series is actually a culmination of a sincere effort, made by its actors and makers. I would also not rate it, with terms like "one time watch" or "binge worthy". I would only attribute one word to it, "Excellent". 👍

As someone who has seen a few and then some, of this genre - movies about Hitmen and cold blooded assassins, and I thought this movie would rank a 7 or an 8, if the best 10 movies of this lot are put together. Individually, I would rate this film a 3, that too because, of what it has been able to salvage, for the cinematography, the musical score (mostly, tunes from the British punk rockers- The Smiths); and due to some select action scenes. Micheal Fassbender is a good actor, but his role here requires him to be impassive, plain faced and monotonous, so how does one rate him for acting?. I have known this guy play much better characters , as in the cameo ( of Lt. Archie Hicox) , in 'Inglourious Basterds'; which was evocative and remembered even to this day. The other role of some consequence, is the one played by Tilda Swinton, and I got the feeling that her pithy and stuttering discourse formed the only vocal anecdote, thorough out this rather grim monologue story, which races along gnashing ( like a Pitbull) across cities and continents leaving trails of blood and gore behind. This movie depends heavily on the plot ; ironically, it is the that which lets it down most. Somewhere as you reach the middle, you get the feeling that the plot is losing its context . The protagonist, a consummate cold blooded assassin, has a few Grund Norms of engagement, for going about his killing business, and he reiterates thus to himself( in his mind ofcourse), before pressing the trigger every single time. There is one great Jason Bourne like hand to hand combat scene, which sort of breaks pattern from those utterly monotonous silencer packed muzzle firearms styled killings.. Overall a good way to pass time, if you are intent on a saturday night binge. but that's about it!!

The only misgivings I have about this movie is, Why is it named Jaane Jaan? because, Love, for all, but remains, thy will be done in the end.. If you are wondering whether the good guy lives happily ever after with his lady love, then it's not the case here.But, the makers of this movie have definitely pulled all the stops to make this movie engrossing, and indulging till the end. I have read that this movie is an adaptation of a Japanese book, but, though the premise is taken from elsewhere, adapting it for screen is a sublime skill; quite ostensibly at display out here..One can easily say, that this movie completes the triad or the trilogy of the greatest of all Sujoy Ghosh's mystery movies ( not that other's are any lesser). I have always felt that this director, selects his locales to be supplementary to the movie's frontal aspect the plot , and hence even in this movie the backdrop of Darjeeling- Kalimpong does not bear too heavy on the plot . The cinematography is perfect, as it has really concentrated on unfolding of this story within the confines of these often dreamy maze of lanes and bylanes of this exotic hill place.. I have found all the three lead actors of this movie to be equal protagonist., each complementing the other. Kareena Kapoor's demeanor and her acting prowess has matured with age, without having even taken an ounce from her grace and beauty. Jaideep Ahlawat is great actor and his intensity in the role of the Teacher , is near exemplary. I am quiet certain that this movie deserves a 4 star rating.. and though its been almost 2 months( me having seen it once) since this movie's release , I am not deterred from watching it once again..

This movie left me asking myself , Damn!!, Whodunnit & What for?? The Plot just doesn't hold tight till the end. The characters appear confused and it is ludicrous how the story sort of crumbles in your face in its supposed climax. But all is not gloom and doom out here. Wamiqa Gabbi ( had never heard of her before- thought she was an Isreali actor or something when I read her name in the cast) is a real find. Her Woozy, Dopamine Induced Dance Jig in the only Oomph here. Ali Fazzal( whom I had seen in another Hollywood Spy- Saga, Kandahar, earlier this year, appeared listless here) as in there. Tabu somehow excels in this Intrepid Cop Avatar, and her role though succinct, strong and assertive, still feels like an extension of the part she played in Drishyam. But she is a superlative actor who keeps getting better with age. The other supporting characters do well but its the imbecile plot ( keep saying it) though which is the real let down. I thought the first half was nice and to some extent entertaining too, but I was yawning in the second half, frankly. I would feel rating this film a 2.5 would be generous; but then, it is what it is; a one time watch..