Artofthinking RahulB

Two lines become more likeable than ever as the movie progresses - “On a scale of 1-10, how did I perform on this task? and My name is Rozzum but you can call me Roz”. The story is set on an island where a marooned robot is tasked with transitioning into a loving mom to an orphaned gosling. She cooks, teaches, protects and nurtures the chick to eat, swim and fly for migration. Roz reminds me of the robots from Laputa - Castle in the sky. She does all this with reluctant help from a quick witted, funny, and lonely fox, who reminds me of that fox from Zootopia. Foxes have become my new favorite on-screen animal trailed by possums and raptors - who also play key roles in this movie. I loved the island setting and scenery throughout. Please be forewarned that the emotional bandwidth of this movie will make you cry, so bring a tissue.. or two. If only there was a mother robot like Roz for all street kids and orphans, the world could actually become a better place. That’s something I would endorse AI for. My favorite moment was listening to the fox tell a story to the gosling to lull it to sleep. All in all, this movie packs a powerful spectrum punch of emotions - simple but genuine - with loads of humor centered on animal behavior matched with an eager robot trying to learn them all, and an immensely engaging combo of artificial nature with nurture. A must watch for the entire family. I really liked Baymax from Big Hero 6 and now I love Roz from the Wild Robot. Go see this movie!!

This picture certainly speaks more than 100,000 words. It was enjoyable, family friendly, and nostalgic for the Indian independence era where the struggles of the nation directly translate to the struggle in football. This time was probably the most complex socio-economical frame in Indian history hence burden versus resilience determine all from Calcutta to Melbourne to Italy to Indonesia with one focus - Football. Three hours went by too soon and I did not take a bathroom break even during the songs because they were meaningful. Coach Mr. Rahim scouts many locales and colorful settings of India for team selection - players from slums, big cities, unknown football clubs who have all the talent but now need to become one winning football team. Struggles of India are well depicted and span caste, religion, bureaucracy, poverty, racism - yet all these strengthen this team. How? You gotta watch this movie. The games are choreographed and edited fantastically to bring action packed game sequences to life. Yes this is a big screen watch for all - from football lovers to the remotely (post-pandemic) athletic individual. You will exult, and this gets louder with every game. Makes you want to go back in time to the stadiums where these games were played. Indian football player D’souza was the first Asian to score a hatrick in the Olympic games - in a breathtaking match versus Australia. Why is this missing in Indian school book history?? The coach is not just a creative and dedicated coach on field but also a gifted orator when interviewed. My favorite line, ‘Are u sure u want a rematch Mr. Arthur?’ Sadly but truly, as is and always has been the case with a struggling nation where talent far outweighs opportunity, the Enemies are not so mighty on the field than they are back at home. Even in a democracy, bias and bribery can win. And they do. But not always. Newspapers and media keep playing and preying on cultural sentiment rather than boosting the tremendous talent and skill of this football team. Goes to show you that the team had to be champions in life first to get a chance to play football. It is easy to see why ‘against all odds’ rings more true than ‘any’ or ‘ever’ in a complex social system where India is at the top. Sad we never studied or heard about this while growing up. It would motivate so many youngsters and in all the right ways. A glimpse into the coach’s personal life shows a son eager for his father’s attention and a wife who packs a powerful role with her understanding and support. The real champions include the coach’s wife, Tapan Basu (former Indian football team coach) and his one well wisher on the Indian Football Association. I learnt that majority is sometimes defined by the one or two who care. My greatest movie moments: -‘Well played India’ chants at Rome olympics after playing against France. -Player’s emotions when they hear their coach has returned. -Ajay Devgn’s self control for not physically beating up the entire selection committee when he easily could ;) -Striker Chuni bends it like Beckham, maybe better :) -The line to Morarji Desai ‘Send football players instead of Indian politicians, dignitaries, diplomats at Asian games.’ -No pocket money, no medal expectations for the Indian football team. The tragic nature of stress still emerges victorious in coach Rahim. This coach (Ajay Devgn’s role) just outmatches my favorite Denzel Washington in similar inspiring roles as a coach/ mentor in my humble opinion. Of course, this is not about one actor but the one clinching moment that boosted a nation when it was needed most.

I’m not a regular movie reviewer but this one is great and worth watching for several reasons. It’s a rare theme in Indian cinema, is emotionally deep, explores the concept of love beyond the cliches, slapstick at times, socially realistic and gives the ‘trans’ gender perspective a whole lot of thought from several angles. These are the kind of movies that will usher in a new way of thinking because the traditional ways are sometimes thoughtless. My favorite part of the movie is how the hero does deep digging into a radical new concept he has no clue about, and how he adapts to it. Watch it, you’ll be entertained and feel good to note the gratifying progressive theme. Acting is spectacular and some of the sensitive dialogues are extremely well written. I did my best to review this without spoilers despite wanting to say so much more. My rating is 8.5/10. Am proud of Indian cinema.