V. Jeevan Maniam

Can't really say a walk down memory lane, but definitely relatable and resonated with me in many ways. Darbuka Siva has delivered a simple yet beautiful story that's much needed with an ample of great values in it. Every decision taken, every incident happened may result in an unknown number of possibilities. Which is exactly why it is imperative to pause and take a moment before letting anything happen, or to never regret anything of the past because whatever that has happened, has happened to enlighten us with a greater wisdom in time ahead. Loved the performances, music, and the minimalist aesthetic approach. A good watch!

You cannot capture a man's entire life in two hours. All you can hope is to leave the impression of one -Herman J. Mankiewicz- And yet he did it! I first decided to watch this movie to better understand Mank, by David Fincher(I'm a big fan of him, and even a bigger one after watching Mank) Until then, I wasn't into classics, or at least before 70s classics. I always thought those films are too old and of course many inspirations would have been made so why bother watching 40s or 50s films because, what's there for me to takeaway right? I was an utter moron to think that way. I only watched Citizen Kane before watching Mank so that I can understand what they're trying to say in the film. But right after watching Citizen Kane, I fell in love with classics. I was totally wrong. How someone, 70 years ago, could make something so fresh, and no one in the following years could make something like that. I was stunned. And I slept on Mank for a while, falling in love with 40s films. That's when I watched It's a Wonderful Life, Grapes of Wrath, Miracle on 34th Street, and many other great classics.

Whenever I decide to watch a movie adaptation of a novel, after reading it, it'll normally turn out to be a wrong decision, but not this one. As opposed to general reviews, I found this film very lovely in a deeply morose manner. But of course, this film-I believe-is for the ones who have read the book due to the many gaps in the screenplay and those who have read the novel, would easily fill in the gaps.

I made a mistake of reading 1984 first, to better understand the science behind converting a novel into film language, and I must say that I watched a better film in my head while I was reading George Orwell's extraordinarily visionary work. He just wrote it perfectly too well, that I'm now unable to perceive it in any other medium. 1984(film) was nothing close to what I've read, but there goes the saying "𝘈 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬s" Michael Radford has perceived and delivered it in his own slow-paced, haunting method.

I wonder what did the writers in the 40s had that contemporary writers lack. That's what runs in my mind every time I watch a classic. I'm not criticizing current writers (well who the hell am I to criticize anyone, anyway). It's just that notion you get when you watch something mind-blowing. How could something of more than 70 years old stay evergreen and amazing? As for Billy Wilder's works, I first watched Witness for Prosecution and had the same astonishing elation witnessing the brilliance of its time. I thought that's the case with any film that has been adapted from novel, but make one wrong move while converting a novel to film language, and you could infect the essence of the story. And, Billy Wilder was one of the many masters of the craft in his time. Opening a movie by revealing what is it about and make the viewers think what more could I expect now that I know the act, and disappointing them for being a smartass is one of the many character traits of masters, in my opinion. That's the way I felt with Kurosawa's High and Low as well. Films like these are just making me fall in love more and more with classics.

This felt like Tarantino on tranquilizer. So calm and poised yet so quirky, funny, and raw. Comprised of an ensemble cast, no one was underplayed. Set in 1950's, this movie portrays the fraudulence and manipulation in automotive industry, but mainly revolving around its drama. Though underplaying the core of this film which I felt, should be more elaborated, No Sudden Move wins as a decent crime drama.