Film Review: American Fiction (2023)

STORY

After feeling immensely annoyed with the majority of book readers showing more fondness towards literary stereotypes from the Black writers, a highly intelligent Black author Monk chooses to stain his writing craft by writing a satirical novel from a different name, so he can indirectly drop his anger towards the authors and publishers. After submitting the book, the agent breaks the news to Monk that the book shockingly received strong praise from the publishers.

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REVIEW

Now this is some story that grabs my undivided attention. Because ‘American Fiction‘ is funny, emotional, thought-provoking as well as a commercial satire. The film is adapted from Percival Everett’s novel ‘Erasure’.

What impresses me the most is in the times when the Black voice in America is listened by the highest number of listeners in 405 years, there is this Black upper-class author who prefers to write outstanding novels with fully developed characters and rich language over gang war, police brutality, mistreatment and injustice filled with profane language.

No I am not denying the Black injustice. I just wrote 405 years above, not 248. During the course of bringing the Black revolution, if anyone notices about Black entertainment and literature, almost every plot or context has similar elements and narrative. If you are watching a Black sitcom, film, or a documentary, you have already predicted what the story will offer you. Monk is one of us, who wants to initiate or innovate a new Black idea to be remembered for. Monk is like us, sick of repeated content and willing to offer something new, something fresh.

But the colossal hammering in the reading culture of the new age is that your choices and judgement have gone political. The Black person is predicted and assumed to be following the same footsteps and you have a weird interest for reading or listening to the same Black story again and again.

Think from Monk’s perspective, it is okay if you are the reader but chooses not to read any of Monk’s books but someone else. But if you are Monk, and publishing your own novels is your bread and butter as well as your legacy, what will you do if no one is willing to buy your book despite being brilliant and being million times better than those soulless books.

So what amused me in the Oscar-winning screenplay of this film is that Monk’s irritation grew very well. Monk wanted to pull the nerves of the publishers by writing and mocking a stereotypical literature but on the contrary, they loved the book. Offered a kind of money he never earned. He got a film to adapt that book. If that wasn’t enough, the book was nominated for the best-seller. People like Monk either try to fit the bill or somehow distinguish their own identity while existing amongst the stereotypes.

But being different and changing the era is not for everyone. Monk comes from a dysfunctional family. His old woman has Alzheimer’s and his sister Lisa was taking care of her until she passed away. Their estranged brother Cliff is divorced and is interested in men. The emotional relation of the household is complex and tries to move on from the tragedy. So Monk’s shoulders are suddenly burdened as well as rusted with the shocking progress of the book.

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DIRECTION

Not only the screenplay and the dialogues are rich, the direction equally serves the purpose without exaggerating the social mockery. And thanks to Jeffrey Wright for understanding the brain behind Monk’s character and adopting it like fashion. When Monk is advised by his agent to adopt a persona of a convict to sell his fiction, you will observe Jeffrey not giving in too much of a convict while walking inside the restaurant meeting the film producer. Naturally, no serious person can go 360 and behave completely opposite in the first go as many films dramatize the character in a situational comedy. You can observe how Monk is so much done playing a double.

I absolutely liked that dialogue, “The Dumber I Behave, The Richer I Get”. No offense, isn’t that one of the ugliest and the harshest truths in many cases.

This is my first experience with Cord Jefferson as a director. He is basically a writer and my only experience about his writing before was Watchmen. So watching American Fiction was a must. And I like the directors being sincere with their art. Monk meeting his sister and spending minutes about their sibling-hood had a purpose. Cord wanted the audience to go through the process about how losing someone in the family feels like. After spending two minutes of their conversation at the beach, she suddenly suffers the heart attack and passes away.

Talk about the rise of broken language that people now find it more poetic and compelling. Jeffrey was so good in translating shock and disappointment on his face when he listens to fan-favorite author Sintara Golden reading an excerpt of her new release. This is followed by a standing ovation and Monk is frozen with the reception. Yes I understand that this language is common amongst the Black American middle and lower class communities but the point is that Monk wanted the Black literature inform the world that Black people are more than this.

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SCENES

Without a doubt, the best scene of the film was Monk writing that book and its characters acting on his lines in the same room. Assumed to be a serious scene, what follows is the exaggeration of slang dialogues pressing the exact objection Monk use to make. I have no knowledge if the author writing the book and the story itself were shot in the same frame in any film or a TV show before but I found this very creative.

Another thoughtful scene was Monk discovering that Sintara, about whom he opined to have similar traits of other Black writers writing literary stereotypes, shared his literary views. While they argue on the table, Sintara and Monk brings the best out of the conflict of interests and we the audience view their perspective in a different dimension. And guess what, both are right in their argument.

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CLOSING REMARKS

F_03320_R
Erika Alexander stars as Coraline and Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison
in writer/director Cord Jefferson’s
AMERICAN FICTION
An Orion Pictures Release
Photo credit: Claire Folger
© 2023 Orion Releasing LLC. All Rights Reserved.

I think it is unjust to compete ‘American Fiction’ with other magnificent films of 2023. In fact, ‘American Fiction’ and ‘The Holdovers‘ have neither competition nor comparison. Until now, I sense these are the best films with a genuine drama produced with the finest quality of art.

American Fiction make me walk through a pensive mood where opinions are mustard, anger is silent, sincerity is ravaged, and books are colored. Bibliophiles and those who love watching a quality dramedy must consider watching American Fiction.

RATING 8.7/10

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Film Review: The Holdovers (2023)

STORY

In 1970, Professor Paul Hunham of the New England boarding school, Barton Academy, is tasked to babysit five students during the Christmas break. Four of them luckily leave on a ski trip when they get permission from their parents but Angus Tully can’t get it. So he is bound to stay under Hunham’s supervision. In the coming days, Hunham and Tully form an unlikely bond and develop an understanding.

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REVIEW

Alexander Payne returns to the director chair to give us a dramatic sketch of a bizarre situation that revolves around three characters. Mary Lamb (played by Da’Vine Joy Randolph) supervises the cafeteria of the school and has recently lost her son in the Vietnam War. The melancholy is fresh and is unable to move on. Angus Tully (played by debutant Dominic Sessa) is a bad news and jeopardizes his school life. The emotional tragedy is that he was in delusion to travel to Saint Kitts with his family but his mother left him to go honeymoon with her new husband.

And a very sorry figure of Professor Hunham (played by Paul Giamatti) has lived most of his life in this boarding school. The current headmaster was Hunham’s former student so the professional longevity reminds us of Mr. Chips. He is alone, socially awkward, hesitates to connect the world outside the school. He is a grumpy professor who sticks with old-school traditionalism of teaching.

What the director wants us to watch and observe is a beautiful element of emotion that is hidden between the two rocks of Gibraltar. Hunham and Tully are unhappy being together and why not? After all, the Christmas break is here and they are stuck with each other instead of enjoying their holidays with their loved ones. But Hunham is a lonely fellow. Watching Tully enjoying his skating makes him smile. And in that smile, you observe his thoughtful face with lazy eye talking to his life.

And speaking of lazy eye, Paul Giamatti admitted in an interview to Howard Stern that he had to wear a big soft contact lens and was difficult to perform with that.

And it is never comfortable to perform with lens for lazy eye. The concentration becomes very challenging. He was outstanding throughout the film. I do not have much knowledge about Giamatti’s career but this maybe the highlight of his career since John Adams.

There were a few points that distracted my attention while observing. I am confused about a fact that a boarding school that usually maintains discipline, why most of the boys were sporting long hair. I have no knowledge but was sporting long hair in boarding school an acceptable fashion? How come Angus recovered after dislocated shoulder so quickly? It takes around 12 to 16 weeks in full recovery.

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WHAT DID I MISS?

Many of you will not like it but I just don’t get it why Da’Vine Joy Randolph is receiving so much critical acclaim and winning several awards. Yes, she was very good but not at all phenomenal. On the contrary, I believe she missed the mark of being wow. I wanted her character to be more broken and shattered. After listening to the music at the party, she is shown crying in the kitchen. I wanted this moment to entwine her resistance and breaking point.

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A PROMISING NEWCOMER

Dominic Sessa is the one that impressed me the most. His mannerism and physical performance were splendid. Notice when he dislocates his shoulder and the treatment in the hospital immensely hurts him. That act of suffering was well executed. You may also notice him when he humiliates Teddy. Dominic needs strong backing because we are looking at a promising newcomer.

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CINEMATOGRAPHY

HOLDOVERS_FP_00406_R
Dominic Sessa stars as Angus Tully and Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunham in director Alexander Payne’s THE HOLDOVERS, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Courtesy of FOCUS FEATURES / © 2023 FOCUS FEATURES LLC

‘The Holdovers’ is one of the most excellent examples of a well-crafted film-making that is set in the 1970s. I would like to particularly praise the cinematographer Eigil Bryld for making the 1970sh tone of the film so meaningful. The major accomplishment of this film is that it just doesn’t look like if the film was based in that era. ‘The Holdovers’ looks like a lost record of the film history library discovered and released. That’s because Bryld shot the film digitally using an ARRI Alexa camera.

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CLOSING REMARKS

The humor was exceptional. I thoroughly enjoyed Tully’s troubles and Hunham’s irritation. I was deeply disconnected in the selection of soundtracks that mostly were folk rocks. The plot-line doesn’t allow to stretch due to a restricted growth in the screenplay. This is why I felt that the second half was quite slow. 133 minutes of the screen-time is too lengthy for such a film.

But overall, I think ‘The Holdovers’ has successfully build the reputation in our emotions. There is a special corner for such a film that tries to bring smile after plenty of disappointments in life.

What the audience of the film needs to observe is three unlikely companions of a particular situation sticking around in line of duty, command, and nature whose lives are melancholic.

‘The Holdovers’ is like a nomad with a caravan and a dog seeking happiness.

RATING 8.4/10

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Film Review: Friday Night Plan (2023)

REVIEW

‘Friday Night Plan‘ is a Netflix coming-of-age comedy-drama about two brothers Sid and Adi who get a chance to drive their mother’s car and attend a party at Nat’s with whom Sid has a crush. The film stars Babil Khan, Amrith Jayan, Aadhya Anand, Medha Rana, Ninad Kamat, and Juhi Chawla.

This film gives an insight about an introvert Sid who has been a pupil in the same school for eight years but has not gained any recognition and reputation like others. He has a crush on the girl but doesn’t know how to interact and impress. But then suddenly, he is the talk of the school and has built a status because he won a football tournament for his school. And now he is more uncomfortable.

There is always a need of the background story for the main character in the coming-of-age genre. This film grew Sid by talking about his past in the later phase of the film that developed more reasons behind his being extra silent and careful. His younger brother Adi is the best detailing for a younger brother as he was fast, smart, chill, irresponsible as well as a troublemaker. The last two traits are obviously not the best qualities in the person but in a character because the smart Adi just couldn’t realize why losing a car to the police was a big problem. Instead, he suggests that the mother will take care of it as he does not want to give up the party at all.

The heated argument between the two was interesting because they opened up their lives to each other. What Adi brings to the story is trouble as well as relief for Sid. He is his hype-man and really wants his brother to calm his solemnity and open up to the world. It is so well shot without exaggerating when Adi starts praising his brother when Nat enters the room.

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CLOSING REMARKS

‘Friday Night Plan’ has a very simple and straight route for the continuity of the story. There are no interesting filming techniques to bring an excellent crafting from a coming-of-age. Also, for such a simple story based on one day, this film is too lengthy and slow for having a screen time of almost two hours. The dialogues were easy-going and realistic.

The whole sub-plot of inspector being furious over being egged was a bit time wasting and unnecessary stretch. Another reason why I say that the film was too simple is because Juhi Chawla’s role of the mother of two kids didn’t get to test. She came nowhere close to her car getting towed. If I was the writer, I would have her character do the talking with her sons and conclude the film on a better note.

I am getting fond of Babil’s acting since watching him recently in The Railway Men as I watched that first. His character execution, voice, and behavioral attitude is a gift from his deceased legendary father and anyone can observe that.

I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Friday Night Plan’ but for me, it was at least 30 minutes long and deserved a better conclusion to all dramas that occurred in one night.

RATING 6.5/10

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Film Review: The Fabelmans (2022)

STORY

The Fabelmans are a Jewish family that lives in New Jersey. One night, Mitzi and Burt take their son Sammy to a cinema to watch ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’. Sammy takes a special interest in the action sequences and gets overwhelmed by watching a train crashing scene. This moment of his life begins to shape his fondness for filmmaking but the domestic troubles of the dysfunctional family frequently interrupt his purpose in life.

With time, he understands by working with the cameras that shooting films from different angles gives more exposure and can fetch heavy consequences.

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INTRODUCTION

Sometimes, you are so successful that it becomes important to let people know that reaching this grand stage and receiving a standing ovation comes with a price. Passion for something drives you to difficult paths. There are more chances of dislikes and refusals than acceptance especially if you are white in the United States of America but not Christian.

Shaming over faith, face and name was the norm after the Great War because many European immigrants moved to America. I am not talking about the Black history here, that is a separate chapter that highlights the extreme racism and cruelty over more than 300 years. Here, I am talking about the Jewish immigrants who suffered tough times but later on, progressed.

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REVIEW

The Fabelmans is the latest play from the never-aging artistry of the illustrious career of Steven Spielberg. It is his most personal film to date because Sammy Fabelman is him.

The Fabelmans is based on the Spielbergs where the legendary director opens up in all honesty about his first crush on filmmaking, the parental bridge that collapsed, the choice his parents asked him to make other than filming, the fire that ignited by distrust, and much more.

The Fabelmans are every household that relates their troubles with them. It is a drama that points out that the relationship of humans with mistakes is infinite to waste precious time in regretting something that has passed. It will hurt you all your life but the passion for something will drive you through it.

Because, it is a hybrid of psychology and philosophy that when you love something that begins to construct your life on that, the herbs of agitation and pains of the troubling past connect with it. And I observed this theory of mine perfectly dramatized in ‘The Fabelmans’. As much as Sammy Fabelman grew on his passion, the subjectivity of life’s precious discomforts become more visible in his work.

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TURNING POINT

Can you observe what was the turning point in the film? Where did Sammy find chutzpah? If we simplify the plot, the family blessed and broke him as the story continued to age. But where was the moment he came to the senses that propelled him to follow his heart like never before? It was when Uncle Boris gave him a life lesson.

That was a significant moment in Sammy’s life. The words that fall from Uncle Boris’ mouth were that of Merlin. Whatever he uttered became true in the remainder of the film.

“Art will give you crowns and laurels on earth. But, it will tear your heart out and leave you lonely. You’ll be a shanda for your loved ones.”

A kind of life lesson only an old-timer can utter. Judd Hirsch has given a performance of a lifetime. Imagine the weight of a performance that gets an actor nominated for an Oscar who appeared in the film for ONLY NINE MINUTES. That body language and mental strength at the age of 87 are so hard to observe nowadays.

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METICULOUS DRAMATIC SCREENPLAY

The biggest plus of the film being so emotionally deep to the director is that the film doesn’t struggle to settle for emotions. In a space of 150 minutes, the story of Fabelmans grows with a meticulous screenplay. The first dinner talk, the siblings’ experimental plays, and the tornado scene that develops Mitzi’s mental showdown that had created doubts for the audience before.

Mitzi’s nightgown dance on the camping trip was so meaningful and highlighted the behavioral attitudes of different characters that actually grew throughout the film. Even before the daughter ran to her, we all felt awkward.

Sammy discovering the shocking moment in the reel was so hard-hitting. The fluctuation of the mother-son relation was well dramatized. Spielberg dramatized the sudden intensity so perfectly. The mother-son violence sequence was a jaw-dropper.

The anti-Semetic bullying scenes at the school were blood-boiling. How helpless a boy can be? I am surprised that no one took action for that.

And those Sam-Monica moments were every young spectator’s warm sentiments building the hormones and uncontrollable feelings. Richard Linklater! Was that you directing those Sam-Monica scenes? In fact, the entire high school dramatization was so Richard Linklater class!

And this is the beauty of Steven Spielberg’s direction. The continuity of his dramas perfectly grows on the audience. I want to especially praise the camera work of Janusz Kaminski who helped in emphasizing the detailing of some critical moments in the film. Like Sammy walking towards his room after his mother hits him. And the zoomed shots of Sammy’s face when his doubts skyrocket. And when Mitzi is exposed to Sam’s discovery in a one-shot assists the actress to display some incredible fall of emotions.

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PERFORMANCES

Speaking of actress, Michelle Williams has given a stunning performance that has everything an actress requires to exceed our expectations. And if I am not wrong, she has mostly been like that. Maybe this is not her best performance as she has done that quite often but I opine to believe that she is unlucky if she doesn’t win the Oscar once again.

And I must mention how brilliantly every actor performed. And when I say ‘every’, that includes the young siblings. Just watch both the sisters when the parents announce the bad news. Good to see Seth Rogen in quite a different setup. Gabrielle LaBelle is an exciting find and was a very impressive performance of Sam Fabelman. I am not forgetting Paul Dano at all but there wasn’t that much about his performance.

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CLOSING REMARKS

The Fabelmans is a reminder that successful people fail to leave melancholy behind. The film convinces us that struggle and fate are bound together. The wait is pretty long but if you stick with your passion, the opportunity eventually knocks on the door.

The film successfully proves that the parents do make mistakes and that too, critical mistakes. And children mentally suffer. You have to let things go instead of poisoning them for a lifetime.

‘The Fabelmans’ is an accomplishment in filmmaking. I’ll say that this is the best coming-of-age film since Boyhood.

RATING: 8.8/10

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TV Review: Malory Towers

Malory Towers is a children’s television show by CBBC and is set in the post-World War in Britain. The show is about Darrell Rivers who is sent to the all-girls boarding school, Malory Towers, where she befriends and struggles to learn life lessons with them. She gets into trouble and faces challenges in maintaining discipline but with a group of good company, she and her friends help out each other and grace their younghood.

As it is obvious by the title, Malory Towers is based on Enid Blyton‘s set of six novels with the same title. Each of the books is based on Darrel’s year of term she attended in the boarding school. Therefore, I assume that the first two seasons that are released are based on the first two books because each of the seasons is based on Darrel’s first and second terms. That also means that the show may progress to complete the remaining books in the next four seasons.

And the show has all the qualities to complete six seasons because of its details about the characters, lush camera work, and very thoughtful structure of episodes each focusing on something interesting about the life of the young girls in Malory Towers, the events that may have been traced from the books. The show is a feel-good coming-of-age light-heart period drama. The writing of the show convincingly depicts the problems the young girls face like anger issues, tolerance, manners, etc.

Programme Name: Malory Towers – TX: n/a – Episode: Malory Towers – ep 1 (No. 1) – Picture Shows: Darrell (ELLA BRIGHT), Sally (SIENNA ARIF-KNIGHTS), Gwen (DANYA GRIVER) – (C) WildBrain/Queen Bert Limited – Photographer: Steve Wilkie

The show covers a lot of thought that develops an interest in a coming-of-age children’s drama like the school’s financial crisis, the loyalty of veteran staff, girls being superstitious and getting afraid of scary expectations, silly pranks, care for the animals, girls trying to impress their parents and willing not to disappoint them at all, competing against other schools, bullying, entomophobia, reading private letters, and a few more. In short, the mood or the enthusiasm of the viewers will not get punctured.

Some episodes flourish well. I liked the episode ‘The Slap’ that was carefully written and very much thought was implied on both Gwendoline and Darrell. Darrell is the central character with temper issues, the reason she was dropped from the previous school. Gwen is the bad news, the troublemaker who is always on Darrell’s nerves. Darrell slaps Gwen and their chemistry gets intense. Gwendoline’s character has been well taken care of as compared to Darrel Rivers. As much as the viewer hates the character, her being jealous, rude, and playing politics makes more sense.

I liked how the girls are distinguished with their teenage traits, some are scared, some are superstitious, some are witty, clever, sweet and some are bad news. But being bad news also gives you a good insider about why such girls switched to this behavioral attitude. Where did this jealousy or hatred come from? The introduction of poor Ellen Wilson made a strong case where she was struggling to adjust with the other girls who belonged to financially better backgrounds. Even the girls had a difficult time understanding Ellen’s situation and were quite a scene when they gift Ellen some leftovers.

I must not forget to mention and praise such an impressive performance by Daniya Griver as Gwendoline Lacey. She convincingly made every single viewer hate the character and made us wish to see her expelled from the school once and for all. Her physical, mental, and emotional portrayal was an accurate definition of a jealous, selfish, and mean girl.

I haven’t read Malory Towers but I expect the show does justice to the original work. I binged the whole show in one go because the direction and the continuity were compelling. I felt that the show had the same vibes as the children’s shows like CBC‘s Anne With An E and I was right about it. Watching this show was a delightful experience and now I will wait for the next season.

For the audience that is willing to show their children a quality drama, I recommend them to show Malory Towers.

Film Review: Licorice Pizza (2021)

So I am writing about someone who himself is some institute of filmmaking, Paul Thomas Anderson. Looking at the plethora of critical acclaim his films earn every time his new work is presented, I waited this moment to watch his latest venture, Licorice Pizza. And I knew the spark is there, the spark is just there.

Two hours of beautiful feeling and those instincts of cold whispers amongst young bloods that brood or shroud the gospel of emotions from head to toe. A kind of blue-ish feeling when a young boy Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) and a girl Alana Kane (Alana Haim) meet each other first time and try to reason the birth of those unaccomplished meetings. We have watched trillions of times but there is a way to make young kids take their chances, accept or refuse, make a joke out of it, or make a point out of all seriousness. Paul made us feel that in some boozy vibrance. A magnitude of spectacle.

The warmth of the chemistry proceeds like the flourishing pinnacle. The relation leads to thick surprises and their excitement being together is the epitome of the symphony. Even when they are not together, impatience grows. I felt a lot, a bloody lot, when Gary and Alana phone each other and say nothing. The depth of the story surprises and gives its whataboutery of awkwardness. I embrace the entirety of the intense moment when the cops arrest Gary from nowhere; what a spectacular shot when Alana runs and tells him not to worry, and the handcuffed Gary stares at her like a d***head.

Licorice Pizza also tests the complicated relationship in some situational comic moments that also occurs out of nowhere because life is so uncertain. Alana grabs the opportunity to gather with big boys and make Gary feel. The whole change in shift to the restaurant and that silly stunt was necessary as the story assumed that humans, in all complications, can reach different places reasoning and finding their own identity until they slip and realize. A kind of this scene may have never appealed but Paul’s writing about the complicated relationship of two confused kids was berzerk.

How smartly the gas issue was raised?! The film portrays California of 1973 and OPEC‘s oil embargo also occurred the same year. Bradley Cooper as John Peters was so perfect! Very impressive soundtracks were played. The Mikado hotel reference also hints that Paul did this on purpose to show the early years of the first Japanese restaurant in San Fernando Valley that approves meticulous writing. And why not? After all, Paul’s film aesthetics are usually centered around San Fernando Valley.

I loved the onscreen pairing of amateur actors, Cooper and Alana. Looking at their personalities and stature, they do not remind you of some ideal figures but the story of common people. Both made their debuts and how impressive were they. For Paul, this was a friendly project as Cooper is the son of late Philip Seymour Hoffman and Alana is an established music celebrity from the pop-rock band Haim for whom Paul has directed many music videos.

If the audience has ever loved Paul’s Boogie Nights, they will definitely love watching Licorice Pizza. Talk about a coming-of-age, raw buildup of young relations, desperate attempts of making money, and a few more, Licorice Pizza is an exceptional masterpiece.

Ratings: 8.8/10

Film Review: The Tender Bar (2021)

The Tender Bar is a kind of film that has thoughtful elements of good and bad choices, regrets and lucks, learning and yearning, and goes deep to understand why life always entreats you to move on. This film is a subtle approach for a coming-of-age film to fix the equation of a generational attitude towards learning. With a credible narration, remarkable scenes, powerful dialogues, and an astonishing screenplay by William Monahan, The Tender Bar beautifully reflects on our own life and somewhere do we see ourselves there and agreeing with most of the points most of the major characters speak.

The Tender Bar also reflects on a disturbing childhood and we all audience can relate to the incidents happening in the film. The detailing of this film is done with meticulous care, even the shorter portions have your memories boxed somewhere like the elders smoking or using curse words in front of a child, grandpa farting, parents threatening, mama persuading to join the ranks of a certain institution, a conversation with a fellow passenger on the train, etc.

The Tender Bar bites to harsh realities and also hints you to some people who will always be truly yours, your guide, a parental figure under whose guidance you learn a lot of deal. The film is about accomplishing your targets, fulfilling your dreams, falling in love for the first time. The film is about keeping your mom happy after what she has been through.

The technicalities of this film are just excellent. Brilliant direction by George Clooney and he must get the deserving nomination for the Best Director in the Oscar, really fitting soundtracks, and magnificent performances by Lily Rabe, Tye Sheridan, and Ben Affleck. The latter definitely deserves a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Good to see Ben Affleck back in shape.

The Tender Bar is based on Pulitzer Prize-winning writer J. R. Moehringer‘s memoir of the same name easily the best coming-of-age film I have watched since Call Me By Your Name.

Ratings: 8.7/10

Film Review: Les Quatre Cents Coups (1959)

Les Quatre Cents Coups (The 400 Blows) is a genuine storyteller. An apology never heard never accepted. A dark sickening life insisting to walk away from everything.

A young lad Antoine Doinel is a confused puppet in Paris of the 1950s. His parents argue and fight, his teacher punishes and complains. He studies but he cannot make his mind. One day he is so disturbed that he quit home and school, and begins stealing.

This 1959 French film is directed by François Truffaut. The best aspect of the film is the tendency, the aptness, the realism of human behavior. The portrayal of characters and their character descriptions are extremely rich and marvelous (especially Antoine’s parents).

This easily is one of the best writings in European cinema due to the fact that ‘The 400 Blows’ was one of the earliest films of the French New Wave uprising. Legendary filmmakers like Akira Kurosawa and Satyajit Ray have considered the film as one of their favorites.

Another legacy is that Truffaut took the character Antoine Daniel with the same boy (Jean-Pierre Léaud) and made four more films on the character’s first love affair (Antoine et Colette in 1962), then another love affair (Baisers volés in 1968), then marriage (Domicile conjugal in 1970), and then separation (L’amour en fuite in 1979).

Highly recommended to all film critics and sensible filmgoers.

Ratings: 9.1/10

Movie Review: Boyhood (2014)

Breathing of childhood, softening of adulthood… Attempt of torture, remedy of nurture… Breaking of bond, Road to abscond…

A haunting image of child which theoretically distracts your wonders of grippiness and merriness. As the time goes by, the pursuit of happiness goes astray. You grow up with melancholy with alcohol supposedly a perfect substitute of water which may quench your soulless thirst. Dramatic and pragmatic!!

Boyhood is an absolute drama with 12 years of shooting on merely a $4 million budget!! By production, it is one of the longest movie ever shot by during of time. Most probably the holder of this unique movie-making record is by Jim Jarmusch whose ‘Coffee and Cigarettes‘ was shot in 20 years.

Coming of age, inking of page!! Lavishly simple study of a boy’s 11-year life. Beyond your expectations and approximations. The movie covers almost every major aspect connected or indirectly connected with life e.g., religion, music, camping, parenting, domestic abuse, teenage sex, breakups, cycling, use of telephone to cellphones or Apple computer to laptops, job complications, preaching, sports, or alcohol etc.

 

Boyhood is like a diary of an innocent child or a ladder not built on basis of success but upon hope and expectations. Those tiny ears which desires to avoid shouting of parents, those eyes which all his 11 years anxiously wait for one eventual hurrah… Boyhood is a journey of a brother and a sister and their sibling-hood, who take emotional steps in coming years. It is an original screenplay to an utmost height that the tiny lil brother and sister actually grows up with the pace of movie from boyhood to adulthood.

The only surprising minus of the whole movie is is truly is ————— the PLOT. I am sorry to disappoint you but yes, the only thing which do not impress me is the story itself. There is nothing fresh in the story. It is daily life experience of almost everyone, some of the stories tragically reach to the lowest point but story has nothing new to tell. The plot sums up to ‘I Know Right’.

So with such an ordinary story, what is so special about the movie to invest your 165 precious minutes of life on it? Is the actual growing of kids in the movie the biggest ‘vow’ factor? Is the movie overrated with the nature of its now being the highest rated movie in metacritic with most no. of critic (49)? Why has Boyhood won 110 awards worldwide so far??

I asked myself such critical questions and without being Newton, I realize that it is all about magnificent balance of technicality of 11-year movie-making and wonderful depiction of natural human life and behavior. The director Richard Linklater is like a philosopher and psychologist equally altogether because with every inch of grown-up scene, he defines the age of character in naturally creative and acceptable way. The mother of siblings gains and loses weight by time, even with time her breasts are augmented *oh my eyes*. Make-up, hair-styling and selection of dresses are fantastic. Dialogues have no limits, the lines vary with the situation and sounds the fittest on character of every age. Those scenes explains you life where drunk father-in-law emotionally tortures, where real father has embarrassing sex-talks with growing daughter in front of her brother, where mother breaks in tears and admitting to her son that her life was a failure, and many many more.

By cast, Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette put a heavy-muscle of acting under their belt to beautify the characters and help the movie look more palpable. Growing up kids Ellar and director’s daughter Lorelei are the soul of movie with enough credit to their acceptance of change and growth of mentality over their roles. Judging their acting skills will be naive but plotting their lifetime one-role work towards heavy pull for any nominations will equally be wrong. Background score and selection of soundtracks and their filming is journey like a walk with a whistle.

As far as direction is concerned, I guess every award function should ignore recalling the nominations for ‘Best Director’ and blindly call Linklater’s name to the stage. To me this easily is one of director’s finest work ever. You hardly will see an inch of difference in 12-year direction as the movie was shot with an incomplete plot. The script was written every year and inspired from life experiences of participating major actors. Ethan Hawke’s character was based on his real-life father and Patricia’s role was inspired from her real-life mother. 

Boyhood reaches to viewers of all ages and is unanimously acceptable to almost every viewer. Like I said above, the movie is a study of boy’s 11-year life. It is a must-watch and coming of all ages a generation-periodic movie. The movie is a wake-up call for parents and awareness-alert for the growing and grown-up kids.

Ratings: 9.3/10

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