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138 Responses to “Movie and Series recommendations 2021”
Frederick Forsyth’s novel , The day of the Jackal was absolute favorite when I read in college; I have seen Bruce Willis acted The Jackal (1997) in India and couple of times on TV. It was loosely based on the book.
Saw the 1973 movie which was true to the book. In spite of old technology this was lively and more grittier…Though I didn’t mind new one as well.
Was watching a John Statham acted Chaos…It was Wesley Snipes and Ryan Phillipe..In the middle I realized I have seen it 🙂
It is good one time watch if you like pop corm thrillers.
revisisted Batman Begins..And stopped halfway in The Dark Knight.. Batman Begins has much more story to tell.
Peaky Blinders S1
Watched S1. Really good show. The similarities to Godfather are stark IMO. Different timelines but here goes
Aunt Polly is Vito Corleone
Thomas Shelby is Michael
Arthur is Sonny (both crazy)
John is Freddo (both dimwitted to some extent)
Connie is Ada (both daughters who are black sheeps in the family)
Freddie is like Carlo – the enemy partner of daughter
Grace is like Kay – Michael’s love interest
The whole gang warfare plays out like Godfather IMO. But everyone’s role is slightest different and different in timeline vs Godfather.
Eg. The scene at the pub involving shooting seems similar to Godfather except someone else pulled the trigger here.
Excellent show, production values are superb. Can’t wait to watch rest to see how it unfolds.
Saw The Taskent Files; It is relatively well made movie. It has at times documentary feel as it shows footage from past or grainy looking reel. I think towards the end it did overdramatize the lead monologue at commissions hearing and it was not related to the movie! Another quibble is showing up in Uzbekistan and Pathak’s character. It could have been better.
Having said that, it could be like any thriller movie you have seen from West. Mithun was good as charming Politicians; I liked some of the interaction in commission hearing. The movie was mostly neutral except when it talks about terrorism of different kinds.
ps – Shweta Prasad looked good and has expressive face.
Maara on Prime is simply magical with stunning visuals, many stories, many memorable characters. For Madhavan’s fans, this film is a great treat. An immersive experience.
@Sanjana thanks for the recco. When you say many stories, are you saying it is an anthology like KATHA SANGAMA or BOMBAY TALKIES? I am getting tired of anthologies now hence want to avoid if it is an anthology.
Not exactly like Kathasangama. All related to one person, Madhavan. He is the central character. This film is a celebration of art, nature, human kindness. A very positive film.
Second half is much more interesting which unravels the puzzles in a clever manner.
Malayalam film Charlie is its inspiration. I am planning to watch it now which is on MX Player.
It’s called parfum is think, which is perfume in english. Yes very wierd and twisted. Saw it last year.
Took me some to finally decide i can continue. Overall decent 3/5 types with several disturbing scenes.
Finished 5 seasons of Peaky Blinders. This is masala show after a while. S1 to S4 are really good. S5 was weakest overall. Still very good overall. Thomas Shelby is such a fantastic web series character. There is so much unnecessary sex in the show. Some excellent hot vixens throughout. Liked it a lot…
S1 has cues from Godfather but after that it settles down in its own universe. I’d love to know if this show is purely fictional or not if anyone knows.
Naveen – I think you will like this if not already watched.
One thing especially good is the theme song. The backdrop and sets are also good. It’s not set in London but northern England in Birmingham so canals are used a lot.
It’s a mafia drama 100%. You could in theory juxtapose Godfather characters onto the show in S1 easily. After that it settles. There are unconfirmed rumours that Rowan Atkinson aka Mr Bean will play Hitler in S6.
Churchill is a presence in the show hence why I’m intrigued whether this is pure fiction or not.
Just watched Keira Knightly’s Official Secrets based on the leak by Katherine Gun on legality of Iraq War. Excellent movie. Really interesting political/legal thriller, I must have been head deep in university studies to have skipped this part of Iraq War!
I have also seen this..You may want to check Fair Game which are similarly themed…I think in such movies the screenplay adds some incidences which look incongruent to character.
I seemed to have skipped this part of history. Quite shocked how the heck that War even took place! I didn’t feel Keira fit this role too well. The Martin Bright character played by Matt Smith – he’s a really good British actor. He plays a young Duke of Edinburgh in The Crown S1/S2.
Finished S1 of Mcmafia. British attempt at mafia show. The show has some good moments later in the season, the first couple of episodes were quite slow though. Once Semiyon Kleiman is introduced the show picks up. Of course the prototype Nawazuddin is a decent cameo. A decent filler show.
Finished Lupin. I thought it was breezy watch but not outstanding. My wife was annoyed with ending as it means she has to wait! French show with English dubbing, best comparison is probably Money Heist type genre but this shows lead is like Idris Elba – uber cool and seems to always be a step ahead.
I watched Normal People, a show based in Ireland on BBC.
This is a superb intimate relationship based show, quite remarkable. Paul Mescal as Connell is a show stealer. The number of sex scenes is usually a turn off for me especially in shows like Power and Peaky Blinders but here it is kind of essential in the track. Totally absorbing drama that I smashed through in 3 evenings.
It’s storyline is based on 2 people of different class meeting in college and their heartbreaking relationship through college and university.
Watched The White Tiger and Tribhanga.
As expected Tribhanga was so Bhartiya, celebrating culture , critiquing the negatives in a gentle manner.
The White Tiger – in you face showcasing with pomp and show of Poverty in India ( unnecessary and mandatory shots of stary animals, kachra, crowd etc.) , and glorifying murder and theft.
The contrast between Kajol and Priyanka was never more clear.
This is everything I wanted to say about this movie-
The White Tiger Netflix Movie Review In Hindi by The Sham Sharma Show. This well-shot, well-acted movie, unfortunately, falls prey to the worst Hollywood stereotypes about India.
The White Tiger Movie on Netflix Featuring Priyanka Chopra, Rajkummar Rao, Adarsh Gourav is full of the worst negative stereotypes about India that seems to exist in most movies set in India but made by Hollywood studios.
Hollywood Doesn’t want to see a changing India, it wants to continue seeing the India of the past.
Saw 2 seasons of “Deep State” – I am not sure why it is not rated high. Very good drama, faster than “The Bureau”..makes it thriller-drama. Good production values…very good acting..My only quibble is that finales (both season 1 and season 2) were rushed and somewhat convenient. I prefer it over the The Bureau (which is also very good). First season is based in Iran, Syria, France, USK and US…Second in Mali and USA ..There are small portions in UK.
Saw Dark Waters (2019) – Based on a true story of lawyer pestering Dupont for contaminating water and causing carcinogenic symptoms in its factory workers. It is somewhat long. I think it could have been trimmed. Since movie heart is at right place you tend to ignore some of the issues in the film.
Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) – A fun movie..chemistry between John Cusack and Minnie Driver was infectious
Also Saw “The Quick and The Dead”..Have seen in Kanpur in 90s.. when it released with little understanding of these gun battles…Have seen it couple of more times….Based on reviews and rating, I think it is underrated.
ps – Apparently it was Russell Crowe’s Hollywood debut. Leonardo was very young.
Saw “21 Bridges” starring Chadwick Boseman..This another version of corrupt cops dealing with Narcotic..It is a decent watch if you have nothing to watch..
The Current War – The fight between AC and DC adoption by different US cities . The fight between Edison and Westinghouse/Tesla.I think screenplay was somewhat not producing enough tension.
Forsaken (2015) – Western drama….relation between Father and son and their confrontation with local power man. Acting is decent..Demi Moore looks old.
Disobedience – Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams..Drama…It is highly rated..It has good acting but I found it somewhat disengaging.
Photo I took tonight over the volcanic eruption at Reykjanes Iceland. We are monitoring the situation closely and as of now it is not considered a threat to surrounding towns. 🌋🇮🇸 #Icelandpic.twitter.com/6lTOG4xwjt
— Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir (@aslaugarna) March 20, 2021
Watched Ford and Ferrari and Richard Jewel.
Ford and Ferrari is excellent with top notch acting and keeps you engaged.
Richard Jewel, although an important story ( It really has psyched me out as to how the Govt Agencies can frame you, and yesss even here in the USA !!!!! ) was a bit slow and gave me documentary like feeling. The acting of the guy who played the part of Richard jewel, the mom and of the attorney was really effective. Too slow for my taste overall.
Ford v Ferrari is, to me at least, one of the greatest movies. It is a kinetic movie and the way the movie is shot and paced, it mirrors the road-blocks and pace with which GM worked! One of the greatest scenes for me remains the one where Matt Damon keeps watching files being recirculated from A to Z secretaries for one bloody signature and his subsequent talk with Tracy Letts’ Henry Ford II. It’s a superb scene where Matt talks of process inefficiencies and says, ‘You’re welcome’ to Ford’s doubting and arrogant attitude. And the scene where the guys fight it out and Bale’s wife just brings the chair onto the yard and starts reading the newspaper. That was one hoot of a scene. Bale is such a fine performer, whether it is THE MACHINIST or this movie, his going lean and mean or skinny completely welds with his act.
The guy from RICHARD JEWELL is Paul Walter Hausser. He is fantastic in the movie. He also stars in movies like BLACK KLANNSMAN. I liked the movie a lot.
Re.- yeah, that was great scene . I thought Bale’s relationship with his son was depicted very nicely .
Aside: Preparing for GMAT, Lee Iacocca’s autobiography was a mandatory read for all of us back then. It was kind of a showoff piece of property at the campus. Seeing his character to be just a miniscule part in the grand scheme of things in the movie was kind of interesting .
**Spoileres**
Saw Thappad today and found it frustrating..It has some really high points; slap incident was really executed well in context of the movie (though it seems ridiculous to have 40 office folks at home for something which you haven’t got and CEO acting like that ) or Amrita explaining to mother in law her issue during Puja or feeling of lost respect by Amrita….. But rest of the movie it seems was more of convenience.. With some propaganda in between… (going green, young love )..In end, trying to justify and close all threads in one scoop..I am not sure why do we have to show a brother like that who know more about world..(Gunjan Saxena was also afflicted with that and a caring father)…
Dia Mirza track was redundant..Lawyers don’t talk like that nor they take advice from a client..Husband character was one track but in end tried showing something good in him as well..I understand sometimes it is difficult for a male ego to say sorry but if you care about someone there are other ways to show it…and ending with tears in Amrita eyes while driving after finalization of divorce..I am not sure what was that..
Acting was good overall..and music I don’t care but was working okay in background…
Started to watch Roohi and the fake, over the top , non funny act by both Raj Kumar and Varun Sharma made us switch it off. Raj Kumar Rao should realize his limitations- he CAN neither play a villager/ Road side Romeo, nor a NRI big shot convincingly .
Then we switched to Madam Chief Minister. It looked very promising in the beginning , in the middle it just tanked, however the last 30 minutes were full of surprises. Overall B +. I believe they had so much material , they could have made a really good movie here.
Aside- Saurabh Shukla is so good here , he was really bad in The Big Bull. Shows what a good director can do.
Saw Saina , did not mind it but it is NOT a theatre watch at all.
Saw a Star is Born, good time pass movie. Ashiqi -2 holds very well against it. It was not a bad copy.
Revisited – A Time to Kill. I simply love these kind of courtroom drama movies. What an amazing star cast this movie has .
P.S.- Ram Prasad Ki Tehrvi is now streaming on Netflix, have not watched it yet.
Watched mainly BR Chopra movies like Gumrah, Humraaz, Kanoon, Ekhi rasta. Well written stories and good music. Kanoon stands out without usual songs.
Watched Do raaste. From Balraj sahni to Rajesh Khanna, from Mumtaz to Bindu. Good songs and good dances.
Ramprasad ki tehrvi. Much more natural and grounded. There are many similarities between this film and Pagglait. My vote goes to Seema Pahwa’s Ramprasad ki tehrvi.
I liked Paglait better tha RPKT , may be because it had the advantage of being the first to release.
I found they showed literally all the characters as flawed , and also the ending kind of left me underwhelmed . However the language used was much more authentic in RPKT.
Saw a spaghetti western named Sabata, couple of days back…First day I was not paying attention…next day restarted…really liked it…Then I like spaghetti Westerns..The back ground music is ace and quite underrated …Starting laugh is something similar to Gabbar..
Malayalam movie One is a sort of political thriller. Though too idealistic, it is watchable due to the sheer star power of Mammootty. It is on Netflix.
Out of Love on hotstar second season. Only on weekend.
I had to watch season 1 last episode again to refresh my memory. Rasika dugal’s acting is simply outstanding. She is just living that part of Dr. Meera. A BBC presentation based on Dr. Foster.
Line of Duty S6. 7 episodes. First 6 are on a par with everything before. The season incorporates previous seasons so you do need to connect characters, names who return to S1 all through to S5. It’s done well IMO.
I won’t talk much about finale Episode 7. I have drawn my conclusions like others that it was a little bit weaker ending but I think mainly it’s about the actor in question.
Definitely a thrilling season and whoever has watched it till now will enjoy it. The door is open for more episodes.
It’s worth watching. Certain aspects of show are same as before but definitely they’ve added a tiny bit of glamour moments. A little bit of masala here or there.
Also saw “Capitani” sometime back…A Luxembourgish crime drama…ending was more surprising..
Hart’s war – Bruce Willis, Collin Farrell World war 2 drama in Nazi camp. It was okay.
True Crime – I thought I have seen most of Client Eastwood directed movie; this was not…Time pass. Good to see older Bay Area..
Varavelpu, a malayalam drama is a typical melodrama but immensely redeemed by Mohanlal’s acting. And the politics of trade unions destroying entrepreurship in Kerala. A family and political drama ending with some hope for the protagonist along with bitter lessons learnt about his home and state. On prime.
It is somewhat opposite of Swades.
Saw James Ivory’s Heat and Dust (1983), I was about to give up because of languid pacing..persisted…Its screenplay is like Rang de Basanti…past and present intertwined…
Also revisited JFK, It is long 3 hours movie dealing with Kennedy’s assassination and conspiracy theories..Good watch..
Beyond Evil – Procedural police Kdrama…Good and addictive watch…It is almost there in terms of acting, plotting to Signal/Stranger1. The lead has very expressive face..and his smile/laugh takes different forms…Other lead has expressionless face…he improves in later half.
Saw Polish drama, THE MIRE: ’97, This is the second season of original “The Mire”. First season was average except the setting was very real….Second season, is pretty good..and has somewhat dark ending..Like first one the setting is very real..it looks like 1997. But the drama and thrill are better this time. You possibly can watch second season without watching first season.
Watched BBC psychological crime drama Baptiste – 2 seasons.
Definitely worth a watch. Baptiste is a retired police officer who helps find lost people.
First season is set in various European locations and centres around child sex trafficking by Romanian gangs in Amsterdam.
2nd season is set in Hungary with the backdrop of immigration and politics.
Really enjoyed the acting. Both seasons are exciting in their own way.
Yes I have seen some episodes. It is good but slow; however, it is commensurate with the age of the detective. He is mentally alert but not physically agile. It’s a good watch.
Watched Patakha and Amrapali.
Patakha is fun film and the two girls gave everything to portray two eternally quarelling sisters. On Prime.
Amrapali is magnificent though historically inaccurate in many instances. I dont think that anyone can look as sexy, as beautiful with traditional and classical looks, as good at dancing and as good at seductive acting without overdoing it. She is simply special in this film just like Amrapali. Bhanu Athaiya was the costume designer and her costumes had the origins from Ajanta caves. On netflix. https://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-the-journey-of-the-amrapali-outfit-2145758
I remember reading this review and commenting also. I was waiting for its OTT appearance.
Your review is making me to view it again.
This film is such a no holds barred type. They get so much pleasure fighting! Even a cultured sasural cant change their ways.
Even chudails and female dogs will have objections to their names being dragged by them to address each other!
Such a delightfully wicked film!
Some old movies which obviously were remade from telugu originals. Wholesome family entertainers with a positive bias towards the poor and the heartlessness of some entitled ones.
The producers took bollywood stars like Rajendra Kumar, Sunil Dutt, Mehmood who was no less than a star and got atleast 2 songs, while they introduced southern stars like B.Saroja Devi and Jamuna.
Beti Bete has a story about 3 unfortunate children who get separated but not during mela. A very soulful song by Lata Mangeshkar picturised on the little girl singing for her baby brother, aaj kal mein dhal gaya din which also has Rafi version.
Sasural is also a typical drama enlivened by songs like Ek sawal mein karoo and chashme baddoor. Those songs made me forget the horrible dress sense by the heroes of those days. Elephant pants and tucked in shirts.
Shehnai. Rajshree is so attractive and dances so well. And quite a good actress. Shantaram’s and Jayashree’s daughter. And Biswajeet as an airforce pilot who chose airforce career over love and did not regret it. Nirupa roy as the committed mother did justice. Leela chitnis as grandmother was the typical grandma. Wondered why the grownup grandson never reminisced about her instead of singing so many songs! Too much makeup made faces abnormally rosy, rosier than the white person.
Watched Sofia Coppola’s THE BLING RING a few days back. It is a hilarious film but a true story! It is ludicrously true!
It’s a take on the infamous burglaries celebrities were subjected to in LA, especially brainless farts but privileged beauties like Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, Lindsay Lohan, etc. etc., and the vulgarity of wealth on display. Teenagers are obsessed with celebrity possessions and rob them and sell them just to get high and screw up. What is amazingly shot in the movie is the brazenness of these ‘operations’ and how casually the culprits take their life.
Watched a few movies recently that I hadn’t seen
1) Shutter Island – this was really good. Liked the ending.
2) Blood Diamond – awesome. Leo is just an awesome actor.
3) The Jackal – not as good as I had hoped. Richard Gere’s role was a misfit imo.
4) 21 Bridges – decent, average timepass movie
5) Man on Fire – love a Denzel Washington movie.
6) Dream Girl – very flat. Maybe because I watched it at home. Nothing worked for me.
I have seen 1,2,3,4,5..Pretty much agree with comments. #3 – I probably like it more but saw the old one based on the book and it was much better…. 21 Bridges is not bad but you feel like seen too many such movies…Revisited Blood Diamond and Man on Fire recently.
Saw “The Mauritanian”, story about a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay after 9/11..Somewhat long..The lead looked more American than some one from Africa..one time watch just for the story.
Also saw “Crisis” about opioid issue plaguing US. There are three threads in movie..It could have been better in terms of screen play. Nonetheless very relevant movie and this position about the Pharma companies.
Currently watching Downton Abbey. Period drama set from 1912 onwards in Yorkshire depicting Aristocratic life in a British setting.
Into S3 out of S6…if you watched The Crown I am sure you will enjoy this. It’s an old show from 2010. One of the big successful British shows.
Hard to describe. The language is very efficient, quirky characters and interesting plot against backdrop of external events like Titanic, WW1, Spanish flu.
The kind of shows that symbolize Indian television’s degradation from the golden days of the 80s and 90s to the disasters of the 00s and 10s. Among the multiple gems like Byomkesh Bakshi, Zabaan Sambhalke, Srimaan Srimati, Karamchand and Dekh Bhai Dekh, FLOP SHOW stands out for its dark satirical humor that’s brilliantly written and director by the late Jaspal Bhatti. All episodes on DDs official Youtube channel now.
Yup this was amazing as well even though it didn’t have a FLOP SHOW like hippy indipop theme song which in my opinion is one of the best intro theme songs in Indian television history.
Saw Tom Hanks’s “News of the World”.. somewhat like Bajrangi Bhaijaan.. Young kid acted brilliantly.. Tom Hanks accent was not Southern..but you rarely care for this stuff in his movies..A feel good movie..
Everyone I watched with, 4 others really liked it. I’m not sure this is close to Craig’s last 2 films at all as a film overall. Box office is different matter as I’m certain it will do well.
I’m annoyed with Cineworld as a franchise, going to dump them for Vue.
With all these reviews I’m finally interested to watch the latest Bond movie but I have never been as bored as I was in Spectre. It was very disappointing experience for me. Now, need to figure out when and how to watch during pandemic!
I am not a fan of Bond genre movies. I prefer Jason Bourne/Die Hard which are more gritty and raw. They have tried making Bond (with Craig) like that..But I still think there is a gap and gimmicky.
ps – I have seem most of them and probably am going to watch this one as well.
Yes Bourne is a much better franchise. Die Hard 1-4 is good.
3 >=1 > 2 > 4. 5 was rubbish.
Bond is mostly formulaic. You know the lines you will get, there will be eye candy, a few decent action sequences, typically a wafer thin plot, new gadgets, cheesy lines and sometimes a great soundtrack.
Gone in 60 seconds (1974) – Much before Rohit Shetty..so many cars have been destroyed in this movie…climax is an epic chase…it looks like B grade movie but car chases just make it exhilrating… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gone_in_60_Seconds_(1974_film)
ps – I have seen Nicholas Cage’d version of remake and which is very good time pass but I think this much raw and in many senses better.
Roy (2015) – A misunderstood movie…I saw it when it released. I liked the concept (I thought the concept was lifted from somewhere else but haven’t found a source till date) and was somewhat disappointed when I saw more opprobrium….Last week, I saw it again in two sittings on TV, I found the movie still very interesting, very stylishly shot(cinematography is topnotch)…Only thing I could do is there are some dull sequences which could be chopped…I think Arjun Ramphal did a better job than Ranbir.. Overall it is a director’s movie.And I understand it could be very confusing to some because it mixes real and imaginary parts in story..But it I different..
Saw Squid Game. I didn’t think too much of the show in the first few episodes. After about the 4th game it gathers momentum to the penultimate episode. The finale is a bit of drag.
It’s worth a watch – not sure the hype is warranted though.
Finished Downton Abbey.
Comparisons to The Crown are easily made. Though Downton is purely fictional with some real life events included. Initial seasons are superb. Eventually the show reaches a happy conclusion.
I can understand why. The film is shot in multiple timeliness and the most satisfying part of the film for me at least was the last 30mins. Everything is a build up to that.
Finished watching it. Sircar, is, ‘Sarkaar.’ He made a fool of me. A stunning movie; although I won’t forgive him for the tricks he played on the audience for the first 70 minutes. The last 1 hour pulls you up by your collars and questions the hell out of you…
I am unable to write something now…too absorbed in this film…if time allows, will write…
I really liked the first half. It was intriguing build up. The timeliness could have been muddled a bit to keep some of the second half in first half.
But maybe it was done right. My wife actually fell asleep on Thursday night but she was tired rather than disinterested. But once those graphic sequences hit the screen she was deeply involved and moved.
How this is not going as India’s official Oscar entry is anyone’s guess. Maybe there are better options. But stacking this movie up against other Bollywood movies in general I would say I haven’t seen anything better for years.
Ps. Vicky Kaushal was superbly cast here and put in one helluva performance.
I read the wiki page on Udham Singh yesterday and read the transcript of what was said in court. Tbh I’m surprised they shortchanged the audience. Some deep stuff there they didn’t include.
All these Netflix shows like The Crown, Downton Abbey are really cool set in this timeline. India could easily come with some fascinating stuff from these periods.
Sardar Udham singh. I have never watched something like this before. Most stunning movie! It deserves an Oscar for the best film, best actor, best direction, best writing, best cinematograpy and other awards. Vicky Kaushal became Udham Singh. It is very moving, a tear jerker, a thoughtproking and emotionally draining film.
And certain scenes are too much to bear. I cant say more now as others must also watch and experience this emotional drama.
Agree completely.
I have no quibbles except possibly the post massacre portions were too long.
Z will love this movie once you get past the background setting.
There is a lot of material considering the attempt to cover 20+ years. Also all the random bits infused wrt to WW2, Hitler, mussolini, Russia etc make this such a well rounded, well thought out experience.
It carries from where it left the last season. With some good acting, unpredictability and edge of the seat thriller, it provides good entertainment.
This is turning out to be next Dexter kind of series.
Its about a stalker…an intelligent one. A planner. Who can plan a perfect murder. Serial killer kind of. But suave. Delves into the psychology of stalkers. Must and an intelligent watch.
Watched the Body where rishi rocks as only he can!
Watched Zoya on hotstar which is an adaptation of Lamb to the slaugher by Roald Dahl. The protagonist Khushbu Kamal is pretty with big eyes and a melancholy demeanour. The short film caught the essence of the story but the story by Dahl is much more gripping.
Remember Raj Kaushal? Akkad Bakkad Rafu Chakkar on Prime was directed by him and Mandira Bedi, his wife.
It reminded me of Money heist. I felt the story has a weak foundation.
Want to watch Jai Bhim on Prime which is appreciated by many.
Watched Saaz. A half hearted attempt due to fear of lawsuits maybe.
A film about two sisters who are singers and whose father was a great singer. Raghuvir Yadav as the father was impressive.
Badal Ghummad Badd Aaye by Suresh Wadkar is a lovely song.
The film was good with good performances and a soulful story.
Finished watching House of Secrets. How can they say that they were not murders when there was gradual instigation by one leading to the incident? It is like abetment if not forced suicides through intimidation, mind control and other psychological weapons.
It is a documentary which raised many questions and some answers.
This year Udham Singh, Jai Bheem and this documentary raised the bar.
Watched one kannada movie Padmavyuha on prime starring Diganaga Suryavanshi who used to act in hindi tv serials.
This film is a thriller with lots of unexpected twists and turns.
One rare film where police are shown good hearted and duty conscious. The actor who played the investigating officer was really good. Good timepass film about a missing wife and the search by her loving husband.
Just now watched Dhamaka on netflix. Racy but not very convincing as we have seen real blasts in mumbai. Karthik aryan is good as the anchor. One time watch.
Finished Better Call Saul.
Objectively BCS is better, subjectively BrBa has a more exciting story and pace to it so is very engaging. BCS is a slower burn but very smart. All performances are excellent. Bob Odenkirk – role of a lifetime. Entire repertoire on show.
What I found disengaging and it happened in most episodes is scenes like watching a coffee being made or oranges being squashed etc…just unnecessary scenes that extend run time.
Definitely worth watching though my wife slept through many episodes because of pace!
Few things watched
Money Heist – thank god it’s over 🙏 unnecessary torture in S5.
The Unforgivable – Netflix movie starring Sandra Bullock. I liked it. Nice story about a big sister coming out of jail after 20 years and resetting her life – including finding her little sister.
The Blind Side – I’d never seen it. Really likeable sports movie, Sandra Bullock again – she’s really good here. And considerably hot.
I liked Unforgivable too. (Jayshah..i think you meant this movie)
The way society can be unforgiving had me on hook. The climax became a thriller of sort. What i liked was the way story was shown from both sides of the coin. The emotions of cop’s kids were so genuine that it made me think how often does society in general tries to empathise?
Sorry yes I have corrected.
The ending has a nice twist. Yes agree it’s shown from both sides and the ending gives it a weird conclusion. Even the ending, I felt still a crime was committed but it leaves you in limbo and sympathetic towards every key character.
The Crown Season 5 – it is mostly a huge drama through Season 5 with Charles & Diana’s marriage taking centre stage. Extremely watchable but the show is much more tabloid storyline focused and shifting from history to recent events is much more soap opera drama than historical drama.
The first couple of episodes are slow and ponderous but episode 3 introduces the Al Fayed family and this episode is easily the best in the season if not the best episode across all 5 seasons. The middle block of episodes are fiery, cringy and just like the soap drama that was the 90s royal family.
Season is definitely worth a watch but is much more filled with melodrama, breakups and revenge. John Major’s character sticks out well. The first character in The Crown that doesn’t display any negative shades. Everyone else is shown with flaw but you are left feeling both sorry and frustrated with them.
Lot of factual events displayed but with less poise and substance.
SATYAMSHOT 
December 31, 2020 at 7:54 AM
Frederick Forsyth’s novel , The day of the Jackal was absolute favorite when I read in college; I have seen Bruce Willis acted The Jackal (1997) in India and couple of times on TV. It was loosely based on the book.
Saw the 1973 movie which was true to the book. In spite of old technology this was lively and more grittier…Though I didn’t mind new one as well.
LikeLiked by 2 people
January 1, 2021 at 5:41 PM
Checked that 1973 one was well nominated…
Was watching a John Statham acted Chaos…It was Wesley Snipes and Ryan Phillipe..In the middle I realized I have seen it 🙂
It is good one time watch if you like pop corm thrillers.
revisisted Batman Begins..And stopped halfway in The Dark Knight.. Batman Begins has much more story to tell.
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January 4, 2021 at 8:17 AM
Peaky Blinders S1
Watched S1. Really good show. The similarities to Godfather are stark IMO. Different timelines but here goes
Aunt Polly is Vito Corleone
Thomas Shelby is Michael
Arthur is Sonny (both crazy)
John is Freddo (both dimwitted to some extent)
Connie is Ada (both daughters who are black sheeps in the family)
Freddie is like Carlo – the enemy partner of daughter
Grace is like Kay – Michael’s love interest
The whole gang warfare plays out like Godfather IMO. But everyone’s role is slightest different and different in timeline vs Godfather.
Eg. The scene at the pub involving shooting seems similar to Godfather except someone else pulled the trigger here.
Excellent show, production values are superb. Can’t wait to watch rest to see how it unfolds.
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January 4, 2021 at 1:42 PM
Saw The Taskent Files; It is relatively well made movie. It has at times documentary feel as it shows footage from past or grainy looking reel. I think towards the end it did overdramatize the lead monologue at commissions hearing and it was not related to the movie! Another quibble is showing up in Uzbekistan and Pathak’s character. It could have been better.
Having said that, it could be like any thriller movie you have seen from West. Mithun was good as charming Politicians; I liked some of the interaction in commission hearing. The movie was mostly neutral except when it talks about terrorism of different kinds.
ps – Shweta Prasad looked good and has expressive face.
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February 2, 2021 at 4:44 PM
She is Hottt !!
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January 11, 2021 at 12:31 PM
Maara on Prime is simply magical with stunning visuals, many stories, many memorable characters. For Madhavan’s fans, this film is a great treat. An immersive experience.
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January 11, 2021 at 5:32 PM
@Sanjana thanks for the recco. When you say many stories, are you saying it is an anthology like KATHA SANGAMA or BOMBAY TALKIES? I am getting tired of anthologies now hence want to avoid if it is an anthology.
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January 11, 2021 at 9:22 PM
Not exactly like Kathasangama. All related to one person, Madhavan. He is the central character. This film is a celebration of art, nature, human kindness. A very positive film.
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January 11, 2021 at 9:25 PM
Second half is much more interesting which unravels the puzzles in a clever manner.
Malayalam film Charlie is its inspiration. I am planning to watch it now which is on MX Player.
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January 11, 2021 at 3:32 PM
Saw German Series Perfume; It is weird and gross at times but still engrossing.
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January 23, 2021 at 3:33 AM
It’s called parfum is think, which is perfume in english. Yes very wierd and twisted. Saw it last year.
Took me some to finally decide i can continue. Overall decent 3/5 types with several disturbing scenes.
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January 19, 2021 at 11:14 AM
Finished 5 seasons of Peaky Blinders. This is masala show after a while. S1 to S4 are really good. S5 was weakest overall. Still very good overall. Thomas Shelby is such a fantastic web series character. There is so much unnecessary sex in the show. Some excellent hot vixens throughout. Liked it a lot…
S1 has cues from Godfather but after that it settles down in its own universe. I’d love to know if this show is purely fictional or not if anyone knows.
Naveen – I think you will like this if not already watched.
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January 23, 2021 at 3:34 AM
Thanks for your recco. Will surely watch now.🤝👍
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January 23, 2021 at 4:35 AM
One thing especially good is the theme song. The backdrop and sets are also good. It’s not set in London but northern England in Birmingham so canals are used a lot.
It’s a mafia drama 100%. You could in theory juxtapose Godfather characters onto the show in S1 easily. After that it settles. There are unconfirmed rumours that Rowan Atkinson aka Mr Bean will play Hitler in S6.
Churchill is a presence in the show hence why I’m intrigued whether this is pure fiction or not.
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January 22, 2021 at 4:28 PM
Just watched Keira Knightly’s Official Secrets based on the leak by Katherine Gun on legality of Iraq War. Excellent movie. Really interesting political/legal thriller, I must have been head deep in university studies to have skipped this part of Iraq War!
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January 22, 2021 at 4:40 PM
I have also seen this..You may want to check Fair Game which are similarly themed…I think in such movies the screenplay adds some incidences which look incongruent to character.
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January 22, 2021 at 4:50 PM
I seemed to have skipped this part of history. Quite shocked how the heck that War even took place! I didn’t feel Keira fit this role too well. The Martin Bright character played by Matt Smith – he’s a really good British actor. He plays a young Duke of Edinburgh in The Crown S1/S2.
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January 22, 2021 at 5:16 PM
I guess you don’t delve into politics. I was aware of the incidence.
Actually I was mentioning this movie.. nothing but The truth..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nothing_but_the_Truth_(2008_American_film)
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January 22, 2021 at 7:33 PM
The White Tiger: Bahrani managed to make this rather riveting. The actors, especially Adarsh Gourav, are brilliant.
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January 27, 2021 at 3:09 AM
Finished S1 of Mcmafia. British attempt at mafia show. The show has some good moments later in the season, the first couple of episodes were quite slow though. Once Semiyon Kleiman is introduced the show picks up. Of course the prototype Nawazuddin is a decent cameo. A decent filler show.
Finished Lupin. I thought it was breezy watch but not outstanding. My wife was annoyed with ending as it means she has to wait! French show with English dubbing, best comparison is probably Money Heist type genre but this shows lead is like Idris Elba – uber cool and seems to always be a step ahead.
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February 1, 2021 at 3:16 AM
I watched Normal People, a show based in Ireland on BBC.
This is a superb intimate relationship based show, quite remarkable. Paul Mescal as Connell is a show stealer. The number of sex scenes is usually a turn off for me especially in shows like Power and Peaky Blinders but here it is kind of essential in the track. Totally absorbing drama that I smashed through in 3 evenings.
It’s storyline is based on 2 people of different class meeting in college and their heartbreaking relationship through college and university.
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February 2, 2021 at 4:49 PM
Watched The White Tiger and Tribhanga.
As expected Tribhanga was so Bhartiya, celebrating culture , critiquing the negatives in a gentle manner.
The White Tiger – in you face showcasing with pomp and show of Poverty in India ( unnecessary and mandatory shots of stary animals, kachra, crowd etc.) , and glorifying murder and theft.
The contrast between Kajol and Priyanka was never more clear.
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February 2, 2021 at 4:54 PM
It seems that Gaurav Adarsh played junior SRK in MNIK
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February 3, 2021 at 10:22 AM
This is everything I wanted to say about this movie-
The White Tiger Netflix Movie Review In Hindi by The Sham Sharma Show. This well-shot, well-acted movie, unfortunately, falls prey to the worst Hollywood stereotypes about India.
The White Tiger Movie on Netflix Featuring Priyanka Chopra, Rajkummar Rao, Adarsh Gourav is full of the worst negative stereotypes about India that seems to exist in most movies set in India but made by Hollywood studios.
Hollywood Doesn’t want to see a changing India, it wants to continue seeing the India of the past.
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February 7, 2021 at 9:08 PM
Saw 2 seasons of “Deep State” – I am not sure why it is not rated high. Very good drama, faster than “The Bureau”..makes it thriller-drama. Good production values…very good acting..My only quibble is that finales (both season 1 and season 2) were rushed and somewhat convenient. I prefer it over the The Bureau (which is also very good). First season is based in Iran, Syria, France, USK and US…Second in Mali and USA ..There are small portions in UK.
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February 12, 2021 at 2:20 PM
Saw Dark Waters (2019) – Based on a true story of lawyer pestering Dupont for contaminating water and causing carcinogenic symptoms in its factory workers. It is somewhat long. I think it could have been trimmed. Since movie heart is at right place you tend to ignore some of the issues in the film.
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February 12, 2021 at 2:21 PM
Also revisited LA Confidential…Good acting through out..
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February 15, 2021 at 8:39 PM
Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) – A fun movie..chemistry between John Cusack and Minnie Driver was infectious
Also Saw “The Quick and The Dead”..Have seen in Kanpur in 90s.. when it released with little understanding of these gun battles…Have seen it couple of more times….Based on reviews and rating, I think it is underrated.
ps – Apparently it was Russell Crowe’s Hollywood debut. Leonardo was very young.
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February 15, 2021 at 9:07 PM
Saw “21 Bridges” starring Chadwick Boseman..This another version of corrupt cops dealing with Narcotic..It is a decent watch if you have nothing to watch..
The Current War – The fight between AC and DC adoption by different US cities . The fight between Edison and Westinghouse/Tesla.I think screenplay was somewhat not producing enough tension.
Forsaken (2015) – Western drama….relation between Father and son and their confrontation with local power man. Acting is decent..Demi Moore looks old.
Disobedience – Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams..Drama…It is highly rated..It has good acting but I found it somewhat disengaging.
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March 19, 2021 at 1:39 PM
Have been watching: History channel’s How the earth was made..
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March 20, 2021 at 1:34 AM
Cannot be viewed in India
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March 20, 2021 at 2:43 AM
It is possible…
Try one individual instead of whole series..
or dailymotion
https://www.dailymotion.com/search/how%20the%20earth%20was%20made/videos
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March 20, 2021 at 1:42 PM
How Iceland body was formed..
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April 1, 2021 at 11:43 AM
Watched Ford and Ferrari and Richard Jewel.
Ford and Ferrari is excellent with top notch acting and keeps you engaged.
Richard Jewel, although an important story ( It really has psyched me out as to how the Govt Agencies can frame you, and yesss even here in the USA !!!!! ) was a bit slow and gave me documentary like feeling. The acting of the guy who played the part of Richard jewel, the mom and of the attorney was really effective. Too slow for my taste overall.
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April 1, 2021 at 1:11 PM
Ford vs Ferrari is a good masala treatment of real story. Not a dull moment in a long movie.
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April 1, 2021 at 2:05 PM
Ford v Ferrari is, to me at least, one of the greatest movies. It is a kinetic movie and the way the movie is shot and paced, it mirrors the road-blocks and pace with which GM worked! One of the greatest scenes for me remains the one where Matt Damon keeps watching files being recirculated from A to Z secretaries for one bloody signature and his subsequent talk with Tracy Letts’ Henry Ford II. It’s a superb scene where Matt talks of process inefficiencies and says, ‘You’re welcome’ to Ford’s doubting and arrogant attitude. And the scene where the guys fight it out and Bale’s wife just brings the chair onto the yard and starts reading the newspaper. That was one hoot of a scene. Bale is such a fine performer, whether it is THE MACHINIST or this movie, his going lean and mean or skinny completely welds with his act.
The guy from RICHARD JEWELL is Paul Walter Hausser. He is fantastic in the movie. He also stars in movies like BLACK KLANNSMAN. I liked the movie a lot.
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April 1, 2021 at 3:00 PM
Re.- yeah, that was great scene . I thought Bale’s relationship with his son was depicted very nicely .
Aside: Preparing for GMAT, Lee Iacocca’s autobiography was a mandatory read for all of us back then. It was kind of a showoff piece of property at the campus. Seeing his character to be just a miniscule part in the grand scheme of things in the movie was kind of interesting .
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April 5, 2021 at 2:26 PM
**Spoileres**
Saw Thappad today and found it frustrating..It has some really high points; slap incident was really executed well in context of the movie (though it seems ridiculous to have 40 office folks at home for something which you haven’t got and CEO acting like that ) or Amrita explaining to mother in law her issue during Puja or feeling of lost respect by Amrita….. But rest of the movie it seems was more of convenience.. With some propaganda in between… (going green, young love )..In end, trying to justify and close all threads in one scoop..I am not sure why do we have to show a brother like that who know more about world..(Gunjan Saxena was also afflicted with that and a caring father)…
Dia Mirza track was redundant..Lawyers don’t talk like that nor they take advice from a client..Husband character was one track but in end tried showing something good in him as well..I understand sometimes it is difficult for a male ego to say sorry but if you care about someone there are other ways to show it…and ending with tears in Amrita eyes while driving after finalization of divorce..I am not sure what was that..
Acting was good overall..and music I don’t care but was working okay in background…
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April 10, 2021 at 11:02 AM
Started to watch Roohi and the fake, over the top , non funny act by both Raj Kumar and Varun Sharma made us switch it off. Raj Kumar Rao should realize his limitations- he CAN neither play a villager/ Road side Romeo, nor a NRI big shot convincingly .
Then we switched to Madam Chief Minister. It looked very promising in the beginning , in the middle it just tanked, however the last 30 minutes were full of surprises. Overall B +. I believe they had so much material , they could have made a really good movie here.
Aside- Saurabh Shukla is so good here , he was really bad in The Big Bull. Shows what a good director can do.
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April 10, 2021 at 11:15 AM
*switch it off within 15 minutes ..
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April 12, 2021 at 10:48 AM
Oh man, the last line – If your movie is so woke, how come I am falling asleep. Maza aa gaya !!!
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April 26, 2021 at 12:03 PM
Saw Saina , did not mind it but it is NOT a theatre watch at all.
Saw a Star is Born, good time pass movie. Ashiqi -2 holds very well against it. It was not a bad copy.
Revisited – A Time to Kill. I simply love these kind of courtroom drama movies. What an amazing star cast this movie has .
P.S.- Ram Prasad Ki Tehrvi is now streaming on Netflix, have not watched it yet.
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April 26, 2021 at 12:56 PM
Watched mainly BR Chopra movies like Gumrah, Humraaz, Kanoon, Ekhi rasta. Well written stories and good music. Kanoon stands out without usual songs.
Watched Do raaste. From Balraj sahni to Rajesh Khanna, from Mumtaz to Bindu. Good songs and good dances.
Ramprasad ki tehrvi. Much more natural and grounded. There are many similarities between this film and Pagglait. My vote goes to Seema Pahwa’s Ramprasad ki tehrvi.
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April 26, 2021 at 1:08 PM
The club cabaret dance in Do Raaste was terribly vulgar and not needed for such a simple story.
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April 26, 2021 at 1:22 PM
Mera Saaya is another good movie Sanjana
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April 26, 2021 at 1:22 PM
Thanks. I will watch it.
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May 3, 2021 at 5:25 PM
I liked Paglait better tha RPKT , may be because it had the advantage of being the first to release.
I found they showed literally all the characters as flawed , and also the ending kind of left me underwhelmed . However the language used was much more authentic in RPKT.
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April 28, 2021 at 5:34 PM
Saw a spaghetti western named Sabata, couple of days back…First day I was not paying attention…next day restarted…really liked it…Then I like spaghetti Westerns..The back ground music is ace and quite underrated …Starting laugh is something similar to Gabbar..
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April 28, 2021 at 5:35 PM
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May 7, 2021 at 6:12 PM
Excellent background music!!..Western themed movies BGM always stand-out
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April 29, 2021 at 4:01 PM
Kirayadar timepass movie. Watching Ek Baar Kaho.
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April 30, 2021 at 3:31 PM
Malayalam movie One is a sort of political thriller. Though too idealistic, it is watchable due to the sheer star power of Mammootty. It is on Netflix.
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May 2, 2021 at 9:22 AM
Sulthan is on hotstar from today. It is a new tamil film starring karthi. Not to be confused with sallu’s Sultan.
The disciple is too niche unlike Bandish Bandits and Shankarabharanam. One needs lots of patience and true love for classical music.
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May 3, 2021 at 4:21 PM
Out of Love on hotstar second season. Only on weekend.
I had to watch season 1 last episode again to refresh my memory. Rasika dugal’s acting is simply outstanding. She is just living that part of Dr. Meera. A BBC presentation based on Dr. Foster.
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May 4, 2021 at 11:50 AM
never watched a more boring, pointless , pretentious and stupid movie than Mumbai Saga in a long time !!
# Dimaag ka Dahee
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May 7, 2021 at 4:18 PM
Line of Duty S6. 7 episodes. First 6 are on a par with everything before. The season incorporates previous seasons so you do need to connect characters, names who return to S1 all through to S5. It’s done well IMO.
I won’t talk much about finale Episode 7. I have drawn my conclusions like others that it was a little bit weaker ending but I think mainly it’s about the actor in question.
Definitely a thrilling season and whoever has watched it till now will enjoy it. The door is open for more episodes.
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May 7, 2021 at 4:30 PM
Will wait for it to show up at my end. Finished season 4 and half of season 5 of “The Bureau”. Good stuff.
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May 7, 2021 at 4:35 PM
It’s worth watching. Certain aspects of show are same as before but definitely they’ve added a tiny bit of glamour moments. A little bit of masala here or there.
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May 7, 2021 at 4:38 PM
Also saw “Capitani” sometime back…A Luxembourgish crime drama…ending was more surprising..
Hart’s war – Bruce Willis, Collin Farrell World war 2 drama in Nazi camp. It was okay.
True Crime – I thought I have seen most of Client Eastwood directed movie; this was not…Time pass. Good to see older Bay Area..
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May 30, 2021 at 5:12 AM
Varavelpu, a malayalam drama is a typical melodrama but immensely redeemed by Mohanlal’s acting. And the politics of trade unions destroying entrepreurship in Kerala. A family and political drama ending with some hope for the protagonist along with bitter lessons learnt about his home and state. On prime.
It is somewhat opposite of Swades.
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June 16, 2021 at 5:45 AM
Saw James Ivory’s Heat and Dust (1983), I was about to give up because of languid pacing..persisted…Its screenplay is like Rang de Basanti…past and present intertwined…
Also revisited JFK, It is long 3 hours movie dealing with Kennedy’s assassination and conspiracy theories..Good watch..
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July 5, 2021 at 10:45 AM
Beyond Evil – Procedural police Kdrama…Good and addictive watch…It is almost there in terms of acting, plotting to Signal/Stranger1. The lead has very expressive face..and his smile/laugh takes different forms…Other lead has expressionless face…he improves in later half.
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July 12, 2021 at 1:49 PM
Saw Polish drama, THE MIRE: ’97, This is the second season of original “The Mire”. First season was average except the setting was very real….Second season, is pretty good..and has somewhat dark ending..Like first one the setting is very real..it looks like 1997. But the drama and thrill are better this time. You possibly can watch second season without watching first season.
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July 27, 2021 at 5:32 PM
Watched BBC psychological crime drama Baptiste – 2 seasons.
Definitely worth a watch. Baptiste is a retired police officer who helps find lost people.
First season is set in various European locations and centres around child sex trafficking by Romanian gangs in Amsterdam.
2nd season is set in Hungary with the backdrop of immigration and politics.
Really enjoyed the acting. Both seasons are exciting in their own way.
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July 27, 2021 at 9:59 PM
Yes I have seen some episodes. It is good but slow; however, it is commensurate with the age of the detective. He is mentally alert but not physically agile. It’s a good watch.
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July 28, 2021 at 4:21 AM
Fair point on detective. He gets more action in last episode.
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August 8, 2021 at 5:50 AM
Watched Patakha and Amrapali.
Patakha is fun film and the two girls gave everything to portray two eternally quarelling sisters. On Prime.
Amrapali is magnificent though historically inaccurate in many instances. I dont think that anyone can look as sexy, as beautiful with traditional and classical looks, as good at dancing and as good at seductive acting without overdoing it. She is simply special in this film just like Amrapali. Bhanu Athaiya was the costume designer and her costumes had the origins from Ajanta caves. On netflix.
https://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-the-journey-of-the-amrapali-outfit-2145758
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August 9, 2021 at 1:20 AM
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August 9, 2021 at 3:10 AM
I remember reading this review and commenting also. I was waiting for its OTT appearance.
Your review is making me to view it again.
This film is such a no holds barred type. They get so much pleasure fighting! Even a cultured sasural cant change their ways.
Even chudails and female dogs will have objections to their names being dragged by them to address each other!
Such a delightfully wicked film!
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August 9, 2021 at 3:47 AM
Pataakha is a lovely little film
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August 9, 2021 at 9:54 AM
Some old movies which obviously were remade from telugu originals. Wholesome family entertainers with a positive bias towards the poor and the heartlessness of some entitled ones.
The producers took bollywood stars like Rajendra Kumar, Sunil Dutt, Mehmood who was no less than a star and got atleast 2 songs, while they introduced southern stars like B.Saroja Devi and Jamuna.
Beti Bete has a story about 3 unfortunate children who get separated but not during mela. A very soulful song by Lata Mangeshkar picturised on the little girl singing for her baby brother, aaj kal mein dhal gaya din which also has Rafi version.
Sasural is also a typical drama enlivened by songs like Ek sawal mein karoo and chashme baddoor. Those songs made me forget the horrible dress sense by the heroes of those days. Elephant pants and tucked in shirts.
I watched both on Youtube.
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August 11, 2021 at 3:41 AM
Shehnai. Rajshree is so attractive and dances so well. And quite a good actress. Shantaram’s and Jayashree’s daughter. And Biswajeet as an airforce pilot who chose airforce career over love and did not regret it. Nirupa roy as the committed mother did justice. Leela chitnis as grandmother was the typical grandma. Wondered why the grownup grandson never reminisced about her instead of singing so many songs! Too much makeup made faces abnormally rosy, rosier than the white person.
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August 18, 2021 at 1:32 AM
Watched Sofia Coppola’s THE BLING RING a few days back. It is a hilarious film but a true story! It is ludicrously true!
It’s a take on the infamous burglaries celebrities were subjected to in LA, especially brainless farts but privileged beauties like Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, Lindsay Lohan, etc. etc., and the vulgarity of wealth on display. Teenagers are obsessed with celebrity possessions and rob them and sell them just to get high and screw up. What is amazingly shot in the movie is the brazenness of these ‘operations’ and how casually the culprits take their life.
https://www.vulture.com/2013/06/real-bling-ring-where-are-they-now.html
A must, must-watch – and Emma Watson as Nicki is OUTSTANDING…hell of a performance….
Sofia is a fantastic story-teller: LOST IN TRANSLATION with Murray is one of the marvels of post-2000 movies…
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August 24, 2021 at 5:35 PM
Watched a few movies recently that I hadn’t seen
1) Shutter Island – this was really good. Liked the ending.
2) Blood Diamond – awesome. Leo is just an awesome actor.
3) The Jackal – not as good as I had hoped. Richard Gere’s role was a misfit imo.
4) 21 Bridges – decent, average timepass movie
5) Man on Fire – love a Denzel Washington movie.
6) Dream Girl – very flat. Maybe because I watched it at home. Nothing worked for me.
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August 24, 2021 at 5:48 PM
I have seen 1,2,3,4,5..Pretty much agree with comments. #3 – I probably like it more but saw the old one based on the book and it was much better…. 21 Bridges is not bad but you feel like seen too many such movies…Revisited Blood Diamond and Man on Fire recently.
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September 5, 2021 at 5:33 PM
Rewatched Heat. How criminally underrated is this masterpiece.
Also rewatched The Departed. Another helluva movie.
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September 6, 2021 at 2:04 AM
Rewatched Interstellar. Masterpiece by Nolan. The End, what an ending. superb and awesome.
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September 6, 2021 at 5:58 PM
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-58470253
😢
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September 7, 2021 at 2:12 PM
Saw “The Mauritanian”, story about a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay after 9/11..Somewhat long..The lead looked more American than some one from Africa..one time watch just for the story.
Also saw “Crisis” about opioid issue plaguing US. There are three threads in movie..It could have been better in terms of screen play. Nonetheless very relevant movie and this position about the Pharma companies.
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September 9, 2021 at 5:07 PM
Money Heist S5 – utter waste of time. K3G with guns.
Vigil – up to episode 3, gripping.
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September 24, 2021 at 8:13 AM
That bad?
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September 24, 2021 at 3:46 PM
Not impressed at all
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September 24, 2021 at 6:29 AM
Currently watching Downton Abbey. Period drama set from 1912 onwards in Yorkshire depicting Aristocratic life in a British setting.
Into S3 out of S6…if you watched The Crown I am sure you will enjoy this. It’s an old show from 2010. One of the big successful British shows.
Hard to describe. The language is very efficient, quirky characters and interesting plot against backdrop of external events like Titanic, WW1, Spanish flu.
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September 24, 2021 at 9:55 AM
The kind of shows that symbolize Indian television’s degradation from the golden days of the 80s and 90s to the disasters of the 00s and 10s. Among the multiple gems like Byomkesh Bakshi, Zabaan Sambhalke, Srimaan Srimati, Karamchand and Dekh Bhai Dekh, FLOP SHOW stands out for its dark satirical humor that’s brilliantly written and director by the late Jaspal Bhatti. All episodes on DDs official Youtube channel now.
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September 24, 2021 at 3:04 PM
There use to be Ulta Pulta..
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September 24, 2021 at 6:26 PM
Yup this was amazing as well even though it didn’t have a FLOP SHOW like hippy indipop theme song which in my opinion is one of the best intro theme songs in Indian television history.
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September 24, 2021 at 3:00 PM
Saw Tom Hanks’s “News of the World”.. somewhat like Bajrangi Bhaijaan.. Young kid acted brilliantly.. Tom Hanks accent was not Southern..but you rarely care for this stuff in his movies..A feel good movie..
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October 3, 2021 at 6:34 PM
No Time To Die – a pretty decent Bond film overall. Fitting end to Craig’s rugged Bond. I found the pace patchy and a lot of story which was good.
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October 4, 2021 at 5:19 AM
Everyone I watched with, 4 others really liked it. I’m not sure this is close to Craig’s last 2 films at all as a film overall. Box office is different matter as I’m certain it will do well.
I’m annoyed with Cineworld as a franchise, going to dump them for Vue.
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October 4, 2021 at 12:42 PM
With all these reviews I’m finally interested to watch the latest Bond movie but I have never been as bored as I was in Spectre. It was very disappointing experience for me. Now, need to figure out when and how to watch during pandemic!
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October 4, 2021 at 1:02 PM
I am not a fan of Bond genre movies. I prefer Jason Bourne/Die Hard which are more gritty and raw. They have tried making Bond (with Craig) like that..But I still think there is a gap and gimmicky.
ps – I have seem most of them and probably am going to watch this one as well.
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October 4, 2021 at 1:45 PM
Yes Bourne is a much better franchise. Die Hard 1-4 is good.
3 >=1 > 2 > 4. 5 was rubbish.
Bond is mostly formulaic. You know the lines you will get, there will be eye candy, a few decent action sequences, typically a wafer thin plot, new gadgets, cheesy lines and sometimes a great soundtrack.
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October 4, 2021 at 2:08 PM
Revisted 1 and 3 this weekend and they are good.
You have to stop making sequels after sometime because there is nothing left in character.
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October 4, 2021 at 2:11 PM
Die Hard?
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October 4, 2021 at 2:47 PM
Yes! For some reason I didn’t remember part 3 (probably haven’t seen it).
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October 4, 2021 at 4:15 PM
3 is really good. Really liked Samuel L Jackson’s role.
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October 8, 2021 at 5:48 AM
Gone in 60 seconds (1974) – Much before Rohit Shetty..so many cars have been destroyed in this movie…climax is an epic chase…it looks like B grade movie but car chases just make it exhilrating…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gone_in_60_Seconds_(1974_film)
ps – I have seen Nicholas Cage’d version of remake and which is very good time pass but I think this much raw and in many senses better.
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October 12, 2021 at 2:19 PM
Saw “The Cutting Edge” (1992) – Romantic comedy; typical story but liked the girl and her Feistiness..Looked somewhat similar to young Madhuri Dixit..
Also revised Mercury Rising – Time pass action thriller..somewhat in lines of 1983 – war games.
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October 18, 2021 at 5:02 AM
Roy (2015) – A misunderstood movie…I saw it when it released. I liked the concept (I thought the concept was lifted from somewhere else but haven’t found a source till date) and was somewhat disappointed when I saw more opprobrium….Last week, I saw it again in two sittings on TV, I found the movie still very interesting, very stylishly shot(cinematography is topnotch)…Only thing I could do is there are some dull sequences which could be chopped…I think Arjun Ramphal did a better job than Ranbir.. Overall it is a director’s movie.And I understand it could be very confusing to some because it mixes real and imaginary parts in story..But it I different..
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October 19, 2021 at 5:03 AM
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20211015-the-100-greatest-tv-series-of-the-21st-century
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October 24, 2021 at 5:38 PM
Saw Squid Game. I didn’t think too much of the show in the first few episodes. After about the 4th game it gathers momentum to the penultimate episode. The finale is a bit of drag.
It’s worth a watch – not sure the hype is warranted though.
Finished Downton Abbey.
Comparisons to The Crown are easily made. Though Downton is purely fictional with some real life events included. Initial seasons are superb. Eventually the show reaches a happy conclusion.
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October 29, 2021 at 4:37 PM
Sardar Udham – what can one say? Spellbounding movie. Deeply moving. One of the best movies I’ve seen from India.
Quality production.
Only gripe would be length of post massacre portions.
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October 29, 2021 at 5:23 PM
LOL…ok so am in the minority here…have to watch the movie with an open brain and better eyes…I think i am completely missing the point
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October 29, 2021 at 5:34 PM
Tbh I do not have a clue on Indian history at all. So I see this as some new found knowledge. I really loved it.
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October 29, 2021 at 5:45 PM
Have you seen Gandhi?
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October 29, 2021 at 5:46 PM
No.
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October 29, 2021 at 6:03 PM
check it. very well made.
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October 29, 2021 at 5:37 PM
I watched 20 minutes and got bored.
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October 29, 2021 at 5:42 PM
I can understand why. The film is shot in multiple timeliness and the most satisfying part of the film for me at least was the last 30mins. Everything is a build up to that.
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October 29, 2021 at 9:30 PM
Finished watching it. Sircar, is, ‘Sarkaar.’ He made a fool of me. A stunning movie; although I won’t forgive him for the tricks he played on the audience for the first 70 minutes. The last 1 hour pulls you up by your collars and questions the hell out of you…
I am unable to write something now…too absorbed in this film…if time allows, will write…
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October 30, 2021 at 2:52 AM
Awaiting your review 100%.
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October 30, 2021 at 3:08 AM
I really liked the first half. It was intriguing build up. The timeliness could have been muddled a bit to keep some of the second half in first half.
But maybe it was done right. My wife actually fell asleep on Thursday night but she was tired rather than disinterested. But once those graphic sequences hit the screen she was deeply involved and moved.
How this is not going as India’s official Oscar entry is anyone’s guess. Maybe there are better options. But stacking this movie up against other Bollywood movies in general I would say I haven’t seen anything better for years.
Ps. Vicky Kaushal was superbly cast here and put in one helluva performance.
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October 30, 2021 at 3:16 AM
I read the wiki page on Udham Singh yesterday and read the transcript of what was said in court. Tbh I’m surprised they shortchanged the audience. Some deep stuff there they didn’t include.
All these Netflix shows like The Crown, Downton Abbey are really cool set in this timeline. India could easily come with some fascinating stuff from these periods.
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October 30, 2021 at 4:13 AM
My comment on rashmi racket thread about Udham
Sardar Udham singh. I have never watched something like this before. Most stunning movie! It deserves an Oscar for the best film, best actor, best direction, best writing, best cinematograpy and other awards. Vicky Kaushal became Udham Singh. It is very moving, a tear jerker, a thoughtproking and emotionally draining film.
And certain scenes are too much to bear. I cant say more now as others must also watch and experience this emotional drama.
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October 30, 2021 at 4:23 AM
Agree completely.
I have no quibbles except possibly the post massacre portions were too long.
Z will love this movie once you get past the background setting.
There is a lot of material considering the attempt to cover 20+ years. Also all the random bits infused wrt to WW2, Hitler, mussolini, Russia etc make this such a well rounded, well thought out experience.
This was international scale storytelling IMO.
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October 30, 2021 at 4:44 AM
https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/the-hate-dogged-our-oscar-entry-why-must-india-persist-in-sending-the-wrong-films-to-the-academy-awards-10090101.html
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October 30, 2021 at 4:51 AM
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/news/hindi/did-not-want-to-make-sardar-udham-a-revenge-story-shoojit-sircar/articleshow/87367398.cms
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October 29, 2021 at 5:03 PM
Finished YOU, Season 3
It carries from where it left the last season. With some good acting, unpredictability and edge of the seat thriller, it provides good entertainment.
This is turning out to be next Dexter kind of series.
Must watch.
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October 29, 2021 at 5:32 PM
My wife is watching this. I haven’t bothered. What’s the genre?
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October 29, 2021 at 10:49 PM
Their taste match..and hence adveersial.. you fight Naveen on blogs and wife at home 🙂
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November 4, 2021 at 8:23 AM
Its about a stalker…an intelligent one. A planner. Who can plan a perfect murder. Serial killer kind of. But suave. Delves into the psychology of stalkers. Must and an intelligent watch.
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October 31, 2021 at 1:03 PM
Watched Gurgaon. A dark film. Dealing with many issues.
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November 3, 2021 at 1:30 PM
Watched The Wedding Guest on netflix. A road and crime film.
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-wedding-guest-2019
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November 4, 2021 at 3:03 AM
Watched the Body where rishi rocks as only he can!
Watched Zoya on hotstar which is an adaptation of Lamb to the slaugher by Roald Dahl. The protagonist Khushbu Kamal is pretty with big eyes and a melancholy demeanour. The short film caught the essence of the story but the story by Dahl is much more gripping.
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November 5, 2021 at 3:21 PM
Remember Raj Kaushal? Akkad Bakkad Rafu Chakkar on Prime was directed by him and Mandira Bedi, his wife.
It reminded me of Money heist. I felt the story has a weak foundation.
Want to watch Jai Bhim on Prime which is appreciated by many.
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November 9, 2021 at 2:07 PM
Watched Saaz. A half hearted attempt due to fear of lawsuits maybe.
A film about two sisters who are singers and whose father was a great singer. Raghuvir Yadav as the father was impressive.
Badal Ghummad Badd Aaye by Suresh Wadkar is a lovely song.
The film was good with good performances and a soulful story.
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November 15, 2021 at 1:55 PM
Watching House of Secrets on netflix. Unsettling.
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November 15, 2021 at 3:28 PM
Wait till the end of 2nd and start of 3rd episodes, it gets very unsettling because of real videos.
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November 16, 2021 at 1:50 PM
Finished watching House of Secrets. How can they say that they were not murders when there was gradual instigation by one leading to the incident? It is like abetment if not forced suicides through intimidation, mind control and other psychological weapons.
It is a documentary which raised many questions and some answers.
This year Udham Singh, Jai Bheem and this documentary raised the bar.
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November 16, 2021 at 3:18 PM
My wife and I said same thing by the time 3rd episode started that this is a murder.
SPOILERS…
Yes, the last two (Lalit and his wife) are suicides but there’s no doubt that they killed the others.
But it’s amazing, here you have an educated family, not rich but they were well off. Young to old teen kids and this madness.
There were couple times where i had to turn it off, it is disturbing…
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November 17, 2021 at 11:09 PM
Watched one kannada movie Padmavyuha on prime starring Diganaga Suryavanshi who used to act in hindi tv serials.
This film is a thriller with lots of unexpected twists and turns.
One rare film where police are shown good hearted and duty conscious. The actor who played the investigating officer was really good. Good timepass film about a missing wife and the search by her loving husband.
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November 17, 2021 at 11:47 PM
Bajrangi Bhaijaan.
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November 20, 2021 at 9:31 AM
Just now watched Dhamaka on netflix. Racy but not very convincing as we have seen real blasts in mumbai. Karthik aryan is good as the anchor. One time watch.
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December 15, 2021 at 5:49 AM
Finished Better Call Saul.
Objectively BCS is better, subjectively BrBa has a more exciting story and pace to it so is very engaging. BCS is a slower burn but very smart. All performances are excellent. Bob Odenkirk – role of a lifetime. Entire repertoire on show.
What I found disengaging and it happened in most episodes is scenes like watching a coffee being made or oranges being squashed etc…just unnecessary scenes that extend run time.
Definitely worth watching though my wife slept through many episodes because of pace!
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December 24, 2021 at 6:09 PM
Few things watched
Money Heist – thank god it’s over 🙏 unnecessary torture in S5.
The Unforgivable – Netflix movie starring Sandra Bullock. I liked it. Nice story about a big sister coming out of jail after 20 years and resetting her life – including finding her little sister.
The Blind Side – I’d never seen it. Really likeable sports movie, Sandra Bullock again – she’s really good here. And considerably hot.
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December 24, 2021 at 6:24 PM
I liked Unforgivable too. (Jayshah..i think you meant this movie)
The way society can be unforgiving had me on hook. The climax became a thriller of sort. What i liked was the way story was shown from both sides of the coin. The emotions of cop’s kids were so genuine that it made me think how often does society in general tries to empathise?
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December 24, 2021 at 7:47 PM
Sorry yes I have corrected.
The ending has a nice twist. Yes agree it’s shown from both sides and the ending gives it a weird conclusion. Even the ending, I felt still a crime was committed but it leaves you in limbo and sympathetic towards every key character.
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November 23, 2022 at 4:54 PM
The Crown Season 5 – it is mostly a huge drama through Season 5 with Charles & Diana’s marriage taking centre stage. Extremely watchable but the show is much more tabloid storyline focused and shifting from history to recent events is much more soap opera drama than historical drama.
The first couple of episodes are slow and ponderous but episode 3 introduces the Al Fayed family and this episode is easily the best in the season if not the best episode across all 5 seasons. The middle block of episodes are fiery, cringy and just like the soap drama that was the 90s royal family.
Season is definitely worth a watch but is much more filled with melodrama, breakups and revenge. John Major’s character sticks out well. The first character in The Crown that doesn’t display any negative shades. Everyone else is shown with flaw but you are left feeling both sorry and frustrated with them.
Lot of factual events displayed but with less poise and substance.
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