All posts tagged: Earnest

Sorgavaasal movie review: RJ Balaji’s crime drama is earnest, but doesn’t hit the right notes

Sorgavaasal movie review: RJ Balaji’s crime drama is earnest, but doesn’t hit the right notes

Published by Parlour News

Sorgavaasal movie review: It was in November 1999 that hundreds of prisoners went on a rampage in the Chennai Central Prison, which caused the death of 10 people and 140 sustained injuries. The death of 37-year-old notorious gangster, ‘Boxer’ Vadivelu, caused inmates to riot as they believed the prison authorities had been responsible for his death. And Deputy Jailor S Jayakumar was killed gruesomely in this melee as he was ruthless with the inmates. Now, debutant director Sidharth Vishwanath has brought this story to the silver screen with his film Sorgavaasal (Heaven’s Gate). (Also Read – Amaran OTT release: Sivakarthikeyan, Sai Pallavi’s ₹320 crore hit will stream on OTT from this date) Sorgavaasal movie review: RJ Balaji’s prison drama is half-baked What’s the film about? This prison break film is centred around Parthipan or Parthi (RJ Balaji), who ekes out a living through his small roadside eatery in Chennai. Living at home with his mother who suffers from elephantiasis, Parthi’s dream is to own a hotel and marry Revathy (Saniya Ayappan), a flower seller. A …

Review: Though earnest and visually dazzling, ‘Moana 2’ is more dull than so shiny | Hollywood

Review: Though earnest and visually dazzling, ‘Moana 2’ is more dull than so shiny | Hollywood

Published by Parlour News

The warm Polynesian spirit and open-sea sense of adventure is back in “Moana 2,” but little of the original’s humor or catchy songs finds its way into this heartfelt but lackluster sequel set three years after the original. Review: Though earnest and visually dazzling, ‘Moana 2’ is more dull than so shiny “Moana 2,” which opens in theaters Wednesday, was originally put into development as a streaming series before it was rerouted the big screen. Curiously, though, it’s not scale or spectacle lacking here. Directors David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller have made an often dazzlingly animated film that is, visually, a step up from 2016’s “Moana.” But in a story that brings in a literal boatload of new characters, it’s hard to shake the feeling that “Moana 2” got caught in the crosswinds — too blown between shifting studio imperatives to really find its own way. That’s a shame because the original “Moana” is about the lightest, most joyful animated movie Disney has made in a decade – with the possible …

Zindaginama Review: An Earnest Take on Mental Health That Misses the Mark

Zindaginama Review: An Earnest Take on Mental Health That Misses the Mark

Published by Webster

Imagine watching a water bottle falling and your immediate thought is that your best friend would trip on it, hurt themselves or die in a freak incident. Or when your hands brush past someone you fancy, instead of feeling the thrill of attraction, you withdraw in horror — scared, panicked, teary-eyed. While these might not be the regular reactions of someone with a healthy brain, many amongst us, suffering from mental distress and anxiety battle this every day. This World Mental Health Day, Sony Liv has dropped a new anthology series with six standalone stories on various mental distresses such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more. What makes this show distinct from typical ones that touch upon real-life issues, is that it ditches cinematic dramatization and information overload for a realistic portrayal of how these issues affect the everyday lives of humans. The setup is relatable, and it feels that we’ve met these characters around us. In these six different stories about mental health, we see a corporate employee …

Nivin Pauly Shines With His Earnest Performance In A Film Which Feels A Bit Long To Be Impactful!

Published by Webster

Malayalee from India Movie Review Rating: Star Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anaswara Rajan, Dhyan Sreenivasan, Deepak Jethi Director: Dijo Jose Antony Malayalee from India Movie Review(Photo Credit –IMDb) What’s Good: Nivin Pauly’s performance injects energy and charm, especially in comedic moments alongside Dhyan’s Malghosh. Additionally, Deepak Jethi’s portrayal of a Pakistani figure brings moments of genuine emotion to the story. What’s Bad: The film’s disjointed script and overstretched duration dampen its impact and engagement. Loo Break: About half an hour into the film, during the song Krishna. Watch or Not?: If you enjoy Nivin Pauly’s performances and are okay with a somewhat disjointed storyline, it might be worth a watch for its sporadic feel-good moments and political commentary. However, you should pass on this if you prefer more cohesive narratives. Language: Malayalam Available On: Theatrical release Runtime: 2 Hour 40 Minutes User Rating: The story revolves around Gopi, portrayed by the charming Nivin Pauly, a carefree wanderer in a quaint Kerala village. His friend Malgosh, played by Dhyan Sreenivasan, shares similar beliefs and ideologies. A misunderstanding …

Varshangalkku Shesham Review: Vineeth Sreenivasan’s tale of friendship is earnest but melodramatic

Published by Parlour News

Varshangalkku Shesham review: A tale that revolves around friendship and cinema seems to be a match made in heaven, especially when it is written and directed by someone who grew up in the film industry and casts his friends as the actors. Actor, writer and director Vineeth Sreenivasan (actor-filmmaker Sreenivasan’s son) has chosen to cast his brother, Dhyan Sreenivasan as Venu and his friend, Pranav Mohanlal (Mohanlal’s son) as Murali, the two friends which Varshangalkku Shesham revolves around. (Also Read: Aavesham movie review: Fahadh Faasil makes this gangster comedy outstanding) Varshangalkku Shesham review: Dhyan Sreenivasan, Pranav Mohanlal star in a film that sees cameos by Nivin Pauly and Kalyani Priyadarshan. While this story explores two friends and their lives in the movie world between from the 1970s to several decades later, it is quite different from any of the previous films that have been released in recent times. Unlock exclusive access to the story of India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! The plot As a teenager in Kannur, Venu is an …

National Startup Day: CoinDCX Chief Posts Earnest Appeal to India’s Govt, Web3 Community

Published by Webster

The startup ecosystem of India, emerged as the third largest in the world, with over 99,000 recognised firms and 108 unicorns. In regard to the Web3 ecosystem, industry players have identified setbacks, that is slowing down the overall growth of the sector. As India observes the National Startup Day on Tuesday, January 16 – CoinDCX’s Sumit Gupta has detailed a glaring issue that, according to him, is crippling the growth of the crypto sector in India. In a sharp attack, Gupta has blamed India’s one percent TDS reduction law on each crypto transaction, as a big reason that’s slowing down the growth of the Web3 ecosystem. “Despite our remarkable progress, with over 112,718 DPIIT-recognized startups and a staggering $42 billion (roughly Rs. 3,48,555 crore) in funding in 2022, why does the Web3 sector face such daunting challenges due to the current TDS regime,” the founder and CEO of CoinDCX posted on X. In 2022, when India was levying taxes over crypto incomes and transactions, the Finance Ministry said it was aiming to keep track of …

Satirical Yet Earnest Comedy On The Nature Of Race & Publishing

Published by Webster

American Fiction Movie Review Rating: Star Cast: Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown Director: Cord Jefferson American Fiction Movie Review Out ( Photo Credit – IMDb ) What’s Good: The premise of a black writer pretending to be a “blacker” author is knowingly amusing for societal satire. Jeffrey Wright is also a lot of fun to watch in a film where he’s as amusing for his stuffy nature of writing as he is for his more sincere moments of charm with family and friends. The dialogue is also wickedly smart and packs in some great laughs for the absurdity of the scenario. What’s Bad: The film settles too easily on trying to find a resolution for the premise, turning the concept around on the audience with a meta-resolution of ambiguity. The white liberal characters who consume Monk’s satirical writings are also portrayed in a manner more cartoonish than they create a different tone compared to the more genuine heart of Monk’s personal life. …

Pradhan movie review: Dev shines in Avijit Sen’s earnest and sincere cop drama

Published by Webster

The journey of finding the actor in the image that Dev has created over the years as a superstar in Bengali cinema has been promising to witness. The actor, who is also a TMC MP, has been making careful choices, when it comes to his films over the past few years, even if the results have been a bit shaky at the outset. His latest release, Pradhan, however, impresses the most. Dev shines as Deepak Pradhan, an honest cop, who is transferred to a fictional village of Dharmapur, where he strikes up a chord with the locals. (Also read: Bigg Boss 17: Ankita Lokhande looks shocked as Vicky Jain tries to slap her on national TV during argument. Watch) Dev in a still from Pradhan. From what could have been a typical mainstream cop-drama with loud background music and louder fight sequences (the Singham references are not good), Pradhan rescues itself with an honest and sincere effort, keenly taking on the ground realities of political administration and voting policies. Dev, who also co-produced the film …

Zeenat Aman Has “Earnest Gratitude” For Dev Anand Whom She “Loved And Admired Platonically”

Published by Webster

Zeenat Aman shared this image. (courtesy: thezeenataman) New Delhi: Veteran actress Zeenat Aman has kept her word and is back with the third and final instalment of her much-awaited posts featuring Dev Anand. In another beautifully written note, the veteran actor bared her soul to the world and talked about the tumultuous relationship she shared with actor and “Starmaker” Dev Anand. She began the post by referring to the “golden trio” of Dev saab, Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor, who she said were the brains behind shaping Hindi cinema. “When I embarked on my cinematic career, It was the age of the Golden Trio. The genius of Dev saab, Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor was widely acknowledged, and any actor worth their salt recognized that these three giants had shaped and were shaping Hindi cinema. Dev saab had already launched my career, and I was now keen to broaden my portfolio. Over the next few years, I starred in a string of movies, both with and without him,” the 71-year-old actor noted. Expressing her wish …

Gaslight Review: Sara Ali Khan’s Earnest Performance Is Uneven – Like The Film

Published by Webster

Sara Ali Khan in Gaslight. (courtesy: saraalikhan95) Cast: Sara Ali Khan, Vikrant Massey and Chitrangda Singh Director: Pavan Kirpalani Rating: Two stars (out of 5) A boatman, a river and a lifeless body underwater – these are the images that Gaslight opens with. Enough to pique one’s curiosity? Not at all. At best, these provide a foretaste of a psychological thriller that seeks to blur the line between the frightening and the intriguing, the baffling and the palpable. The result is a confused concoction. No matter what else Gaslight, directed by Pavan Kirpalani and streaming on Disney+Hotstar, comes up with in the next 100 minutes or so, the film is unable to shake off a desultory and pallid coating that clings to it all the way through. What Gaslight, which Kirpalani has co-written with Neha Veena Sharma, gets right – these do not add up to much anyway – is unable to offset what it messes up. It has a small cast of actors saddled with undemanding, limited-bandwidth roles, a half-decent screenplay, and striking atmospherics. …