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Film Reviews

TV Review: Monarch – Legacy of Monsters

MONSTERS OF JAPAN

Two Japanese half-siblings Cate and Kentaro search for their missing father Hiroshi who was working for Monarch. Monarch is a covert organization that was built in the 1940s to monitor and study Kaijus called ‘Titans’. Kaiju is a Japanese word for a giant monster. It was Monarch who discovered Gojira, the original name of the globally popular monster, Godzilla.

The reason for highlighting the Japanese references is to acknowledge the Japanese legacy, that was built by the entertainment company Toho, for their science fiction films that introduced several kaijus that later established a universal fanbase. Toho’s Kaiju films are mostly centered around their Big Five who are Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah, and Mechagodzilla.

THE HUMAN ARCS

In all honesty, the human arcs have been dragged in the four Monsterverse films so far. A lot of screen-time were spent to value the human assistance in relation to these monsters. In the films based on creatures, the human connection looks bizarre because eventually, the humans with all the given science do not stand any chance to survive the wrath of these monsters. So what’s the point of shooting their scenes and introducing so many humans?

The reason for stating all this to the readers is to explain why this Ápple TV+ series is so important for those who are fond of watching these monsters. Because ‘Monarch’ is the only acceptable human angle in the world of Monsterverse.

This show completes the Monsterverse. A continuity of this cinematic universe that was questionable at some point between the four films will be cleared by watching this 10-episode series. The discoveries and developments that resulted in bombing Godzilla in Bikini Atoll are all in this show.

Monarch is run in two different timelines. The old age reflects on the trinity of scientists, Keiko and Bill, and an army officer Lee representing Monarch making groundbreaking efforts in their research. Whereas the half-siblings and a hacking friend May in the new age tries to uncover the mysteries of the secret organization.

CONTINUITY FATIGUE

 

In the middle of the series, I was irritated at the screenplay losing its direction and the show’s core purpose. In both timelines, the writers began to emphasize on their love angles. The old age trinity became a love triangle and much time was spent on Keiko’s relation with Bill and Lee. On the other hand, Kentaro and May were in relation whereas Cate turned out to be a lesbian who cheated on her girlfriend.

I understand that growing and developing the character in a television series is a must. But all this character work had zero value because their love stories contribute nothing to the main plot. So for quite some time, Monarch became some teenage crybaby drama and their romantic arcs ruined the show. During all this, Monarch missed the chance for not offering much action sequences between the monsters.

THE RUSSELLS

One factor that I really liked about the series was Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell playing the old and young versions of officer Lee Shaw. For dramatizing in different timelines, the involvement of the real father and son serves the purpose. I have no knowledge if Monarch has won the audience and the critics but if this series has survived, that is because of them. Their lively presence particularly Kurt’s is the reason why the continuity in the new age become very interesting.

Surely everyone were confused like me over Kurt’s character being a 90-year-old because obviously he looks too young for a nonagenarian. At first, I thought the makers compromised and ignored the personification of a man in an advanced age for the sake of hyping the involvement of the Russells but it was a relief that it was part of the story. I am impressed with Wyatt’s execution of the character. I feel sorry for him for all the backlash he had for being Captain America. If you observe, he is a fine actor.

CLOSING REMARKS

Easily, the season finale was my favorite and the saviour of the show’s efficacy. All the reunions were well-performed. Monarch is an important development between all the four films and cannot be ignored.

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TV Reviews

TV Review: Kaala Paani

STORY

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is threatened by the horror of the pandemic when the territory is infected by a mysterious disease. When hell descends and starts to take the lives of the affected, people from all walks of life struggle to survive. Solidarity embarks, families and friends get disjointed by the unwanted incidents. The medical experts and the decision-makers are muddled with such a complicated situation.

Kaala Paani, in these seven episodes, folds the viewers in the mighty scare of the widespread and makes us watch the toughest times of getting stuck in a situation where there is no escape.

REVIEW

This Netflix series brings back the COVID vibes. The entire setting of the screenplay that painfully welcomes disease precisely reminds us of the world we began to experience in 2020. Staring at people coughing in the public place, distancing from the affected ones, spraying on the doors and locks, wearing masks; it is a victory for the show that they settled the viewers with discomfort.

Kaala Paani’s writing grows in the nerves because the show runs several stories, dig in the lives of the main characters, and give us a deeper look in the complexity of human relations, their getting distanced, expressing their fear of losing someone or themselves.

The emotion code will break the viewers when they watch Kaddu struck with epilepsy, when Chiru is in state of shock receiving his mother’s ashes, when Dr. Ritu’s father is slapped in front of her, when Santosh listens to his wife’s hiccup and starts crying.

In fact, Santosh is the most heartbreaking character of the show. A husband who lost his wife, a father who lost his son, traveled with pain in quest of his daughter. Vikas Kumar has boiled his Santosh character with severe desperation. His slipping in to the hole settled our mind that he will have to overcome fear and somehow escape. And boy! what a physical performance that was. All his crying scenes were jaw-droppers.

Besides, the other standout performer was Sukant Goel as Chiru. Watch him when he offers himself to Dr. Shashi for the test and when he reacts over his mother’s demise.

Some parts of writing are very interesting. The panic in the festival was intense, so was the car almost crashing Kaddu. When water became a concern, notice the governor dropping only few drops of water on his toothpaste.

The show must be praised for its technical productions. If the series is based and shot in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, surely the camera work is one of the preferred focus. And we happen to watch some amazing shots throughout the show by Ewan Mulligan & co. Rachita Arora‘s background score, Dev Rao Jadhav‘s editing, and Biswapati Sarkar‘s writing are a few names to mention that they are responsible in the making of an excellent series.

And an Indian film or a TV show meeting a technical finishing with excellence rarely happens. But now I get to know that the show is renewed for the second season. And I cannot stop myself from admitting that I am a little impatient about the show’s return.

CLOSING REMARKS

Kaala Paani has a deeper message about the human evolution and survival. The entire defense of the governor on his action against the Oraka tribe is thought-provoking. Something inside us tell you that the failure in survival has put halt to many races and civilizations. To shape the world in the better direction or for a sustainable future, the old world has to collapse and disappear. Whether the wind of fortune takes them away or the poison of ego and hatred writes off their history. Only the strongest survives by defeating and killing the weaker. Kaala Paani just showed us the picture we do not want to see at all.

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Film Reviews

TV Review: All the Light We Cannot See (2023)

STORY

During the final phase of the great war, when the French wait for the American troops to defeat the Nazis, a blind French girl waits for her father to return from his mission.

INTRODUCTION

‘All The Light We Cannot See‘ is a Netflix limited series consisting of four episodes. The series is based on Anthony Doerr‘s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. The story is set in a time when the Nazis invaded France and the only optimism that was left against those evils were the French resistance.

The show is centered around two teenagers. One is this blind French girl Marie-Laure LeBlanc who along with her father Daniel and her great-uncle Etienne are part of that resistance.

The other teenager is a German boy Werner Pfennig. An orphan who has an exceptional skill for repairing radios and helps him admit in a military school that turns him into a Nazi soldier.

IMPRESSIONS

The reason for watching this show are many. One reason is that this teleplay is developed by Steven Knight, the creator of Peaky Blinders. The whole series is directed by Shawn Levy, one of the makers of ‘Stranger Things‘. And personally the world war themed projects have been very compelling for my consideration. Plus Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie are in the supporting roles, and they are very choosy in their careers.

THE NEWCOMER

And then this beautiful girl who plays the blind French girl was the light of the show that we all can see. The bts about this actress Aria Mia Loberti is that she was one of the thousands who had auditioned for this role and she was selected in the first try. The most interesting point about Aria playing a blind French girl is that she in real life has a rare genetic condition called ‘Achromatopsia‘ that makes her legally blind.

Although the performance of a blind by a blind can be a piece of cake but that is certainly not the case. If acting was so simple and easy, would have never been considered to be taught or act as a profession. Not only did she fit in the character but the sentimental and psychological aspects in the anatomy of the character were sublime. Aria is an extraordinary addition in this line of work and I would like to see her acting in future projects if there are.

Those of you who are Bollywood buff like me, can you agree with me that Aria Mia Loberti has an uncanny resemblance with actress Mithila Palkar?

THE HARDEST REMINDER

‘All The Light We Cannot See’ is a fictional tale of relations that are tested with time fighting against the injustice and struggling to create a society of resistance that stands for their land against the invaders. That reminds me of something very similar to what is exactly happening in Gaza. I am not dragging the matter but this show has been released at the most perfect time to make all the Netflixters assume how and why the resistance becomes necessary.

When you are stripped of every known human right and are targeted to be beaten, bombed, and killed for demanding what is your’s, a series like ‘All The Light We Cannot See’ helps you to realize and come out of denial. So this series, with all its loyalty with the book’s plot line, is a blessing to correct your observation about a situation.

RELATIONSHIP DETAILING

I liked the detailing of Marie’s relation with her father and then great-uncle that presses on the finity of the time that is passing without alarming them when their world is going to be collapsed. It is very natural depiction about how Marie and Etienne find common grounds, and Etienne’s insecurity melts by her encouragement. It was so touching when father Daniel tells the Nazi that his daughter’s blindness is not a misfortune but a blessing.

Another reason why I rate Marie’s character highly is because of the character detailing about her intelligence that naturally comes from blindness. Her reading the book, sense of touching, and listening the objects were well covered.

The sibling-hood of Werner and his sister were also carefully written with so much emotions involved. It was so touching when she listens to her brother on the radio.

MINUSES

Without a doubt, the series is impressive overall. But I have some issues to address about the show that I didn’t find it right at all.

The one is that I sense that four episodes were not enough to wrap up the story. Only the readers of that novel can better judge my opinion. I haven’t read the novel but I found out that the novel has over 500 pages. So I reckon four episodes certainly are ignoring a lot of details from the book. And it looks very clear when you are in the middle of the third episode until the end of the show. The development in the continuity looks dragged. Steven Knight must have offered at least 6 episodes if not 8.

The other issue is the most annoying one. The entertainment industry has become a global village more than ever. With so much diversity and cultural exchange involved, it is time to embrace that the character of a particular nationality should speak their language to maintain commonsense and realism. Because it was bizarre to see all the non-American/non-British characters were speaking English. Marie, Daniel, and Etienne are a French family and to my utter shock, they neither sound French nor they pronounce the English vocabulary in French. It is completely okay if a non-French plays a French, this is where the performance is tested. But why are you not acting in French?

CLOSING REMARKS

Besides, the technical aspects are likeable. I must praise such compelling production design that made us love this place called Saint-Malo. Editing the screenplay becomes more challenging when the project is presented in a nonlinear narrative. And with countless reminders of the past blended with the present, I say it was superb effort in editing. The ending part was pretty predictable and quite typical.

‘All The Light We Cannot See’ is a massive win for Aria Mia Loberti and an unintentional political message that holds distinction. The show looks visually attractive that covers the unwanted mediocrity. With stereotypical portrayal of Nazis and not much favor done by the writing, I feel the show, despite being in the faithful hands, could have been executed much better.

RATING 6/10

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Film Reviews

TV Review: The Railway Men (2023)

STORY

Four people from different walks of life are tested by time to protect countless lives from a deadly gas that is leaked from an old factory in Bhopal. The consequences are unforgettable, historically black, and immensely poisonous.

INTRODUCTION

The Railway Men is a tale of extraordinary heroism in the line of saving as many people as possible in what is considered to be the worst nightmare and the biggest industrial disaster ever. In December 1984, a chemical accident occurred in an old factory of Union Carbide when a highly toxic gas called ‘Methyl isocyanate‘ leaked and exposed to more than 500,000 people and took lives of more than 15000.

The Railway Men is a 4-episode limited series by Netflix starring Kay Kay Menon, R. Madhavan, Divyenndu, and Babil Khan in the lead.

REVIEW

The dark aesthetics of the series is built around the citywide havoc that was unbearable enough to make me feel if my lungs were compromised. A marvelous direction of a haunting sketch of people getting killed by the smell of gas in their coughs and vomits. The application of realism was so accurate that even I on my bed began to cough. Later I realized that I was coughing because of this extremely bad situation of smog in Lahore.

The seriousness of execution lies in the director handling the shots where the realism of the performances generally matters. You must dive in the wave of the story proceeding to sense the chill of something unwelcoming in the air. The show’s intensity starts haunting the moment the gas leaks. Observe when the characters after the gas leak feel discomfort in communicating and make minor rounds of cough. Or when the animals began to cry particularly when Mushtaq Khan‘s character goes for a wee. The horse running away from the wedding and a couple of bullocks driving their cart. In a single waiting room of the railway station of dozens of passengers, every extra was acting his own sense of panic that visibly set a natural tone of responding to the devastation.

And then the smallest of detailing that essentially matters in such historical dramas to give a more drastic look at the magnitude of tragedy. A desperate mother of a bride, young cobbling brothers, a team of swimming girls. How heartbreaking it was to watch at a newly born sucking the breast of a dead mother. And then the young boy had to leave his dead brother behind. You get a taste of all stories of common people about to get affected by the stench.

There were some eye-catching scenes of heroism like the scared swimmer mustering up her courage to run towards the train but stopping at another cry from the back. And then the gunshot of a race in the back making her run. It was so well shot. And Imad switching the rail track, Jagmohan taking quick pictures in the hospital, Kamruddin getting a hold on the gas leak that takes his life. These scenes collectively represent some extraordinary heroics of that tragic night that came out of mutual respect and solidarity in the wake of the hour.

PERFORMANCES

Madhavan and Divyenndu did their part fair as they have been experienced by the viewers but the two whose acting separates the train boxes of all performances are Kay Kay Menon and Babil Khan. Known for his method acting, Kay Kay hardly disappoints but this was a thorough mental and physical effort tested in the heaviest of all primes. I hope his lungs are not affected after this performance as he is the one who coughed more than anyone. And it is not comfortable exhausting your respiratory system in God knows how many takes each and every shot. It is very interesting that Kay Kay has now worked in two films based on Bhopal Disaster. The other was 1999 film ‘Bhopal Express‘.

I wasn’t impressed with Babil in Qala as there was not much he gave in the character. But here, this boy has really learnt the application of body language. The sentimental collapse and the lump in his throat that repeatedly was breaking over disaster after disaster was fabulous. This star kid is up to something big if he choose his projects that wisely in the future but surely most of us can see some glimpse of his father’s acting in him.

HISTORICAL ACCURACY

A very important contribution of the investigative journalist cannot be ignored. Sunny Hinduja’s character is actually based on Rajkumar Keswani who was raising the health safety concern about that plant for two years and warned of something terrible might occur.

One of the stories that ran parallel throughout the series was of a Sikh mother and son tries to escape from the fanatics by moving into a train. Although, the anti-Sikh riots occurred before the Bhopal disaster and maybe there is inaccuracy in order to fold the Sikh chapter into this. But I have no knowledge if the Sikhs faced cruelty nearly two months after the riots.

The character of Express Dacoit is truly fictional and perhaps created for the general audience to be more attentive of fan-favorite Divyenndu seen in a change-of-heart savior figure. One of the few minuses of the series is how did the dacoit refilled such an enormous amount of money back in the vault?

Kay Kay Menon’s character of the stationmaster who saved many lives that night is based on the actual event where a stationmaster Ghulam Dastagir immediately alerted nearby stations and asked to suspend railway traffic to Bhopal. I am not sure if all these railway junction scenes are accurate but with the heroism of Ghulam Dastagir, there is a certainty that some of those scenes may actually have happened.

The American CEO of the Union Carbide mentions C. S. Tyson report and gets angry. What was that report? Two years before the disaster, C. S. Tyson a Union Carbide inspector forwarded his disapproval about the safety issues of the plant.

CLOSING REMARKS

The Railway Men, due to similar plotline, gives me genuine Chernobyl vibes. Also, the series reminds me of ‘The Burning Train’. The show has done a fabulous job in direction, cinematography, editing, production design, and collective effort of performances. A special praise for such detailed and thoughtful cinematography. That scene of final rites of Muslims and Hindus was such a terrific shot. The series was slipping in the second half by the slightest of margin when the ending phase began to look predictable.

The Railway Men successfully showed the environmental and social impact of the disaster. The storyline is supported by real footage and pictures. With most of the ticks on the report of excellence, I am convinced The Railway Men is one of the best Indian limited series ever produced.

RATING 8.8/10

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TV Reviews

TV Review: Welcome to Wrexham

STORY

Two American celebrities grab an opportunity to invest and become the owners of a Welsh football club, Wrexham A.F.C. The journey from takeover until the conclusion of the first season under their ownership is documented in ”Welcome to Wrexham”.

INTRODUCTION

”Welcome to Wrexham” is a sports documented series by FX that covers all the important events that have occurred with time since Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds bought the club. Wrexham A.F.C. Why Wrexham? Why this club has blown the trumpets all over the world among the football loyalists? There are two major reasons that reflect highly on Wrexham’s significance.

One is history. Wrexham A.F.C. is the oldest football club of Wales and the third-oldest professional football club in the world. The club was formed in 1864 and since then, the Racecourse Stadium has been the club’s home. Therefore, this is the world’s oldest international football stadium that itself was established back in 1807.

There was a time when the club used to be Wales’ best club. In the late 1970s, Wrexham actually reached to the second division. But in the eighties, the city become economically challenged with increasing unemployment. With that followed a sore collapse in the club’s performance and got repeatedly relegated. Since 2008, the club has been playing in the National League which is the lowest division in the English Football Pyramid.

The second compelling significance is the people of Wrexham. Their staunch enthusiasm and passion for football has kept the spirit of the club alive for 150 years. The one remarkable proof of their dedication is the existence of the club’s official public house, The Turf. This tavern was built back in the 1840s and since the inception of the club, this place has lit up to gather the locals and support the club at any cost. In the past, it was the only pub to be built inside the ground of a football club. Today, this is the oldest pub in the United Kingdom for any sports.

Observing what Wrexham stands for in the British football, the coverage of their remarkable tale of football attracts the global football audience to be sticking around towards their progress.

REVIEW

WELCOME TO WREXHAM- Pictured: (l-r) Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney. CR: Patrick McElhenney/FX.

”Welcome to Wrexham” has many incredible aspects for a sports docu-series. The show serves its purpose not only in reminding us football fans why Wrexham story should be narrated louder and deserves revival but also showing us what it takes to the owners and the locals to raise optimism to see them achieve success.

Yes, Rob and Ryan like a few American owners of football clubs have no knowledge of ‘soccer’ as we can watch in the episodes that they try to understand how this game and the whole football system in the United Kingdom works. But the point that I loved about them is that they found a purpose to buy the club. Considering to document the whole new-era club-story has to be the wisest decision. Not only recording the whole progress brought awareness in the global football audience but also helped in generating the revenue that contributed to the seasonal budget.

By this way, Rob and Ryan with or without intentions also demonstrated to the world how the business decisions and strategies can help fetch the positive results in a venture where you have your heart but the knowledge is minimal. More than that, Rob and Ryan set an example by getting accustomed and understand the system, the society, and the legacy of the local club. Visiting ”The Turf”, meeting hardcore club supporters, asking their opinions and taking suggestions. Things like these wins the locals and builds the trust. Despite all the investments and further heartbreaks, they trusted in the manager, the staff, and the squad.

The presentation and editing of the series makes the case to develop interest towards such an incredible underdog story. Wrexham story under Rob and Ryan is something the writer and director seeks to script down and intensify the proceedings. Wrexham’s last season needed no spice to add up. The earlier episodes stretched to their failures and changed the tone with their winning ways. It looked like some Bollywood larger-than-life unthinkable tale. So, I particularly liked how the show maintained the tone while depicting their ups and downs.

Another point of admiration is that the makers of the show reflected most of the sentimental setup around the Wrexham society that correlates with the club. The show took care of covering the club’s die-hard supporters and volunteers. Broadly covered the personal lives of a few of them. Even after losing the last league game, no fan left and cheered for the team. Recording such scenes grows the following of the show.

CLOSING REMARKS

Impressive leadership skills, never-say-die spirit of Wrexham fans, and superb presentation of the whole Rob-Ryan football journey has won the hearts of millions of fans. Like many, I whole-heartedly wish Wrexham football club all the success. If you are passionate to listen and watch a football story, Wrexham should not be avoided at all.

I wonder what if Wrexham gets promotion and with time, progress to reach Premier League one day? It is a tough call. English football is mad and unpredictable. But if Wrexham reaches to the highest football rank with all these years-long recording, ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ will be the greatest club football story ever told.

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TV Reviews

TV Review: Gullak

INTRODUCTION

My fellow brownies! There were days in our lives when we children along with our parents used to sit together to watch a family drama with rich elements of humor and episodic stories so relatable.

Neither the parents were reluctant nor the children embarrassed that the show would ever startle a cringe tone with a subject to insecure or discomfort its loyal household viewers at any moment.

But now, the quality of humor has drastically changed. Alas! those golden moments of our lives are missing. Great writers and storytellers have disappeared. And the contents of romance and sex, and the importance of woke, political correctness, and LGBTQ+ make more rounds. And in all this process, the evening get-together of a family for a show to watch on the television has lost the spark.

But I have a piece of good news for you. An Indian family drama by The Viral Fever (TVF) circulated on my radar and after years or maybe a couple of decades, I finally found a family drama that is technically a masterpiece in performance, screenplay, writing, and direction. And more than that, a show that wittingly addresses a social satire and domesticity in the most convenient manner – Gullak.

STORY and WRITING

Gullak is a Hindi word that means a saving jar. In other words, it is also called a piggy bank. Displayed on different furniture with time, Gullak narrates the everyday incidents that occur in the house of the Mishras.

A family consisting of the parents (Papa Santosh and Mummy Shanti) and their two sons (Annu the eldest and Aman) struggles to survive the unwanted challenges that drag them to plenty of obstacles.

The Mishras represent millions and millions of middle-class houses and their average life spent on blaming, forgetting, mistaking, and taunting. Winning minor battles of arguments over each other, tolerating bad habits, lying to survive one day without wife or mother scolding. The writers of the show presented an authentic look at the domestic incidents between the four walls and the ceiling.

The most convincing element of the writing of Gullak is that the snippets of the incidents and dialogues in all the episodes are extremely relatable. The global audience especially the South Asian audience will feel it and remember their time. And when you watch the episodes of Gullak and naturally relate the moments to yours, that is the success point of the show’s presentation.

Gullak also guarantees the story growing in the audience due to the fact that because of incredibly rich aesthetics, the art of storytelling sketches unfiltered emotions. The dramatization doesn’t look artificial at all. The parents fight about the relatives, the youngest family member Aman spending more time in the toilet, the mother taking tension about the eldest son Annu being late reaching home, father and sons in agreement on the matriarch preparing the usual food they hate to eat, written phone numbers inside the bedsheet, Aman asking mom to visit the hospital because it smells good, and so many incidents.

The dialogues matter more when the characters in the limited storyline have to develop and Gullak exceeded that expectation too. Santosh hitting the nerve on his wife Shanti while arguing about tying the knot was superbly dramatized. Especially when Santosh crossed the limit by insulting her that her marriage proposal before him was not accepted due to head lice.

AAPKO NAHIN PATA?

If I am not wrong, every episode had a “Don’t You Know?” sketch. The question of the episode emphasizes a social satire of keeping the incidental records of the neighbors and this trend made some really impressive rounds. Another point that cannot be missed to point out is the assistance of the talkative neighbor, Bittu’s mummy. Her spicy presence made the atmosphere more exciting.

OBJECTIONS

I hold only two objections to this show. One is needless music score which has been a cultural norm in presenting a film in India. That could have easily been controlled instead of being a distraction on countless shots.

The other objection which I believe is a massive miss from the content of Gullak is not adding a family member in the Mishras – a daughter. Where the writing of the Mishras nearly perfected their character strength, the absence of a daughter in the house was terribly missed. The story arc of a daughter would have thoroughly completed the Mishras and Gullak.

BEST PERFORMANCE

It is hard to point out one actor who surpassed other actors in performance. Jameel Khan as Santosh gives you the same vibes as his iconic Asghar from Gangs of Wasseypur. Vaibhav Raj Gupta and Harsh Mayar were impressive. Especially Vaibhav’s aggression in the character was natural. But I think Gitanjali Kulkarni as Shanti Mishra has to be singled out for giving so much strength to the character and raising the bar for an onscreen mother.

BEST SCENE

There were topics in Gullak that brought a lot of attention and were important to address. The hard-hitting point was when Santosh is hospitalized. It was a remarkable piece of detailing, and so emotional and so well performed.

If you notice, Annu rushes to the hospital bare feet and Aman remembers to collect his father’s slippers. While Annu runs to buy medicines, Aman drops his father’s slippers on his feet. Despite being shorter in size, he wears and leaves.

It was a commanding message. The role of a father was shifting to his eldest son through those pair of slippers. And this is what I am talking about. Gullak is a show about incidents and this show has addressed, portrayed, and dramatized to zeal.

CLOSING REMARKS

Gullak Season 3

Gullak is the reminder of good-old Indian and Pakistani family dramas of the 1980s that had a stupendous blend of writing, direction, and performances with exuberant comedy.

Three seasons have been aired and I sincerely hope that Gullak continues writing about the Mishras because there is a lot to happen in this family. By ‘a lot to happen’, I mean to say as Gullak continuously emphasizes incidents, but not stories.

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TV Reviews

TV Review: Farzi

STORY

Sunny is an artist and Firoz, is a printer. Both of them work in a printing press that is run by Sunny’s grandfather. When the printing business hit a crisis and runs out of solutions, Sunny decides to generate money by making counterfeit money.

INTRODUCTION

Released on Amazon Prime Video, Farzi is an Indian black-comedy action series starring Shahid Kapoor. During its eight-episode run, we come to know that the show is set in the same universe as Manoj Bajpayee-starrer ‘The Family Man‘. Directed by the filmmaking duo Raj & DK, Farzi was first planned to be a film years ago but then they decided to make a series.

REVIEW

Looking at its story and the continuity, Farzi is a kind of project that is flexible to be shaped into a film as well as a tv series. The plus point for deciding to stretch Farzi is that the audience got the whole exposure of printing currency and running a business out of it. Officer Michael’s life was focused as well as Megha’s.

But when you stretch the details, the screenplay of the tv series notions development in the central story. I feel this is the area where Farzi is weak because Farzi easily could have been a four-episode show. The writing’s commitment to action and comedy drops the quality in the second half of the season.

I like the plot, it is fresh for the audience with a Narcos-tic narration by Shahid Kapoor. Some minor points raised were sharp like the minister and other attendees not listening to the presentation, Megha and her mother’s typical calls, Michael speaking with his wife and family in Tamil and English, etc. I wanted Michael’s scenes with his family completely without Hindi but it is okay.

Presenting the show in a non-linear way was also a good idea. The dialogues were natural but on several counts, I felt the dialogues went cheesy.

Farzi has plenty of errors in writing. Officer Michael’s disrespectful conduct in conversation with the minister was quite surprising. Just because you have his private pictures, doesn’t mean that you can try to annoy a minister that often and he will tolerate that much.

I have never understood the Bollywood logic. Why the friend of the leading character is always silly and ultra-loyalist to him? Why cannot the directors level the personalities of two or more friends? When the press is demanded to open, uncle Yasir goes cold as the dead body. How come the police and Megha do not suspect Yasir of lying or hiding something from them?

The action sequence in the season finale was quite stretched and boring. The cops repeatedly running towards the front and back was so stupid.

The worst character of the show is Mansoor Dalal played by such a quality actor like Kay Kay Menon. A very stereotypical villain who thinks he is funny but merciless. There was no originality in his antagonism. It was like just another clone of a psycho pretending to be a psycho.

CLOSING REMARKS

What propels me to watch ‘Farzi’ is the continuity of the story that is set toward the next season and Shahid Kapoor’s performance. With age, his mental strength in acting has gone better, and improved his skill in depicting anger and frustration.

I am not sure if Vijay Sethupati has worked on a Hindi project before but it was absolute fun to listen to him uttering thick curse words in his Tamilian Hindi. I am happy to see Amol Palekar but it looks visible that his acting has faded. What took him so long to return to acting?

Those who are willing to try a black-comedy action series with an interesting plot can try this.

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TV Reviews

TV Review: That ’90s Show

STORY

16 years after the events that wrapped in ‘That ’70s Show‘, the house of the Formans in the fictional town of Point Place in Wisconsin becomes lively in the summer of 1995 when Leia Forman arrives to spend time with her grandparents and joins a group of teenagers.

REVIEW

“That ’90s Show” is a spin-off of “That ’70s Show” with Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp as the cantankerous Red and super-cheerful Kitty Forman returning as one of television history’s most beloved parents ever.

The aesthetics are the same and the fans of That ’70s Show will be excited to get into the skin of the spin-off so easily. The nostalgia is there and is still vibrant.

Red Forman has gone a little soft by some tiny little percent and is understood as the character goes older. If anyone notices, he begins to hold a stick in the second half of the season.

But Kitty hasn’t aged. Debra Jo Rupp has not aged at all. She is still someone where heart melts for the elders. The Formans are still a joy to watch. I wish Betty White would have returned as Kitty’s mother. She passed away a few months after the announcement of this show.

OLD BATCH

The old batch of young rebels that starred Topher Grace as Eric, Ashton Kutcher as Michael, Mila Kunis as Jackie, Laura Prepon as Donna, Danny Masterson as Steven, and Wilmer Valderamma as Fez, shows up as cameos which was quite understood as they do not have much favor to do in the script.

Maybe it is surprising that the reunion of the group didn’t happen. Perhaps, it is better to keep it for the future when the audience settles well into the second season of the show. Who knows? Maybe Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde makes a cameo in the future and we manage to see a complete reunion only if he gets cleared as Danny is hit with heavy sexual assault allegations that have finished his career to date.

But the rest of the old friends were fun to watch especially Eric Forman. The father-son chemistry just never fades at all.

NEW BATCH

Coming to the new batch of teenage friends. At first, I wasn’t confident about how far will they take the show to convince the audience in a new phase of fashion, music, and humor. Plus, the show is run by Netflix, which began to indicate whether the political messages will ruin the show.

See, the Netflix element is present and it is very obvious that the new batch will never be able to stand as the new favorites as those in the ’70s were. I felt that the makers remade the nostalgia in the new band. The theme, the personifications, and the references were all there. I am okay with it but settling for the new band to act the very way as the older ones lack originality.

Nate and Nikki are the new Michael and Jackie. Ozzie is the new Steven. Jay is the new Fez and I must praise the selection for Jay as Michael and Jackie’s son was so accurate. I thought if the actor is actually the son of Ashton and Mila. And this Kelso is smarter than his father.

And speaking of the Kelsos, Michael and Jackie are remarried. If I am not wrong, Jackie was with Fez in the series finale. I have forgotten if Jackie went back to Michael in the finale or what? Maybe we get to see Jackie and Fez in the future.

Ozzie represents the Queer community and is gay. And I think it was a good idea to address the complicated silence of that group of teenagers in the ’90s living in the US who were overthinking to coming out. And it was never easy for the kids to show their parents and friends who they were. It still is not easy for sure but Ozzie’s character went in the right direction.

Isn’t it that funny Eric and Donna named their daughter Leia? Knowing the fact that Eric is a lifetime lover of Star Wars, naming her Leia looked so naturally funny. They must have added a character of Leia’s brother and named him Luke. Leia is the new Eric, awkward and nerd.

CLOSING REMARKS

If the use of humor in this group looks to fall apart, remember this is a teenage comedy and we are older now. We certainly cannot expect them to build the same ambiance as the oldies did.

It is plain stupid if the audience compares it with the original. But one thing is for sure, in order to run the follow-up in the right direction, the show does not disappoint at all. It is not at all trash. Even if you do not like it, at least you will agree this is a lot better than the last season. “That ’90s Show” is funny and enjoyable and will make the audience wait for the second season.

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TV Reviews

TV Review: Wednesday

STORY

Wednesday Addams punishes the boys in the school who bullies her brother Pugsley Addams. As a consequence, she is expelled. The concerned parents admit her to the Nevermore Academy, a school for the monstrous outcasts where they studied but were accused of a crime scene. Incidentally, the event recirculates with Wednesday’s admission when a creature begins to take lives and she uses her psychic instincts to solve the mystery.

ORIGINS

The Addams Family was neither a novel nor did it start as an amination show but the gag cartoons that were published in The New Yorker from 1938 until the 1950s. All the characters were unnamed until the 1964 television show ‘The Addams Family‘.

PRODUCTION

Wednesday hampers a toolbox that was decorated for Tim Burton to utilize when his turn comes to work on the project. The Addams Family and Tim Burton crossed paths but never joined hands which was a sad chapter just like Leo Messi was not lifting the World Cup before it finally happened.

Back in 1991, when Tim Burton was focused on directing Batman Returns, he was approached to work on The Addams Family. He passed on the project due to scheduling conflicts and The Addams Family and its sequel were produced establishing cult status with the audience.

20 years later, Tim Burton was planning to write and direct The Addams Family film, perhaps a reboot, but got canceled due to creative differences with the producers. Then Miles Millar and Alfred Gough acquired the rights, wrote the pilot, and forwarded it to Burton. He became interested and joined them.

It took thirty years for Tim Burton to work and complete a project that looks to me to be the most fitting project he ever happened to work on before. It was a love story that was waiting for its romantic moment to bring the two together.

When the strings are pulled rightly, there is every chance of playing the right notes. Producers Miles Millar and Alfred Gough are well known for creating ‘Smallville‘. Tim Burton has the reputation for many excellent Gothic fantasies. And then his decades-old collaboration with the musician Danny Elfman, the musical notes that ideally fit in Tim Burton films.

CASTING

Wednesday. (L to R) Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Adams, Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams, Issac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams in Wednesday. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022

With Tim Burton on the director chair, I would have loved to see Morticia and Gomez Addams played by Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp. Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia and more particularly Luis Guzmán as Gomez were quite interesting choices. I felt that spark was missing between the two which was quite a thing between Raul Julia and Angelica Huston in those two films. But here, Catherine and Luis looked pretty odd together.

Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester was an imposing choice. Christopher Lloyd‘s Uncle Fester was character-driven and someone on whom the story was centered around. In a quite different setting, this Uncle Fester was more jolly and exciting. I want to see more appearances in the next season. It was a pleasure to watch Christina Ricci in the show who was Wednesday Addams in the films.

My kudos to whoever decided to give the titular role to Jenna Ortega. This has to be the best-ever casting of Wednesday Addams to date. Let me tell you how I think that Jenna did this role better than Christina.

Christina’s Wednesday lacked the body language of a melancholic personality that defines Wednesday. Plus, the writing of her character in the film didn’t guarantee any growth. Wednesday being the center stage of the plot and a tv series of eight episodes at stretch, Jenna had enough time to grow as Wednesday and answer all our questions that were related to her character that was visibly missing in the films.

WHY WEDNESDAY? WHY NOT ADDAMS FAMILY?

I will continue my point about Jenna’s Wednesday because this leads to a whole new level of storytelling. The films heavily focused on couples as well as Uncle Fester but not children. When my generation watched these films back in the 1990s, we had this feeling about the girl that her side of the story didn’t make rounds and that had a lot of potential to grow due to her sadistic personality. I felt the writers of the films missed the chance.

But this chance was smartly grabbed by Millar and Gough with the creme of the plot centralizing the hows and whys of Wednesday’s character. And this is why her parents were almost out of the frame.

The makers installed the character of Enid Sinclair who struggles to befriend Wednesday and there develops a strange bond between a cheerful roommate and a morosely black soul. The makers also built a rigid mother-daughter relationship. The screenwriting of the show also restricted the fan-favorite Uncle Fester’s character to a very brief appearance. Convincing the audience to stick with Wednesday without Fester is a win.

DANCE

Of course, I have to mention that iconic dance in my assessment. A dance that was actually shot with Goo Goo Muck by the gothic rock legends ‘The Cramps‘ playing in the background but the TikTokers perfectly remixed the dance video with Lady Gaga‘s Bloody Mary and is now called a TikTok Remix of Wednesday Dance. Jenna choreographed the dance herself and the most astonishing fact about the dance is that the dance steps pulled the right strings of Wednesday Addam’s cold-blooded personality. The dance visibly reflected her oddness.

In one of her tweets, Jenna confirmed that gothic rock legends Siouxie Sioux and Lene Lovich, actor Denis Lavant, first Wednesday actress Lisa Loring, and the dance number from Sweet Charity called The Rich Man’s Frug by Bob Fosse were the inspirations behind this dance.

CLOSING REMARKS

I felt that the finale lost control of the pace and hurriedly strove to a conclusion. But in any case, there is a lot to happen in the future seasons. I really want to watch Grandmama and Cousin Itt.

I have read that Wednesday and Enid may develop a romance in the next season. This is totally out of a syllabus stunt. A girl like Wednesday who lacks emotions and has zero-match with the completely opposite Enid, goes 360 and they become lovers, is not so Wednesday we know of.

Whatever happened to something called friendship? Why cannot the writers try to bring both of them in a bond where they find common grounds to somehow live through. Befriending has been a struggle so far so better to focus on friendship.

Wednesday is highly recommended to the fans of Goth culture and The Addams Family. The films and this show cannot be compared at all. They have different vibes and aesthetics on which different stories have been presented to us.

Wednesday has a lot of adventures or misadventures to excite us. I hope to see a Stranger Things kind of excellent follow-up of the show.

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TV Reviews

TV Review: They Call Me Magic

Produced by Apple TV+, ‘They Call Me Magic‘ is a four-part documentary about one of basketball’s greatest legends, Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson. One of the most exciting stories on and off the basketball court, the show covers almost everything Magic stands for; his childhood, his family, and his relationships. The show also highlights a much-needed detailing about the making of his legacy in college basketball. This was very necessary due to his being arguably the greatest college basketball player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson.

The documentary features interviews of Magic, his wife, family, coaches, teammates, and his rivals. Speaking of rivals, I am glad Larry Bird was also part of this documentary and he had his own narrative about their rivalry and games. But Larry’s contribution to Magic’s documentary is an acknowledgment that one of the greatest sports rivalries that encompassed in the 1980s developed a respect for each other.

The icing on the cake is when the show also features Michael Jordan. You know it is a huge ask when the greatest basketball player of all time shows up in a documentary of another basketball legend. Although, there are other legends to talk about Magic like Jerry West and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but Michael is a different picture. And Michael Jordan already had a blast talking about his dynasty exactly two years ago. So this means a lot. And why not? Before the Bulls dynasty began, it was Magic’s Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s that dominated. This is like MJ passes the torch of the dynasty to MJ, especially in the 1991 NBA Finals.

Besides his basketball career, there is quite an insider about a complex love story of Magic and his wife Cookie. The story has been stretched to, I feel, more than the screen length could have demanded. I felt Magic’s post-basketball career deserved more minutes than the affair. There was really a tremendous contribution he made as an investor when he started an investment company, Magic Johnson Enterprises.

One thing I would like to address about this documentary to the readers and the audience is not to compare it with HBO‘s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty due to many reasons. One, ‘Winning Time’ is about the entire Lakers dynasty while ‘They Call Me Magic’ is only about Magic. Two, the former is a television drama that is inspired by Jeff Pearlman‘s book, ‘Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s‘ while the latter features the players giving their input through interviews. The former is scripted and fictionalized for a dramatic touch to attract the audience while the latter doesn’t compromise on authenticity as the real people show up describing their stories and incidents.

Nothing to take away from ‘Winning Time’, I loved that show as a drama that came into existence through any network that was based on basketball but the tone of entertaining the audience shall be limited to enjoying the Lakers’ glory rather than digging facts about its being real or fictional. I wished that ‘Winning Time’ would have been 100% accurate but it is okay because now we have another source on the television format, and that is ‘They Call Me Magic’.

In my opinion, the biggest plus of watching this documentary is not only to understand the ‘magic’ he spelled that started a dynasty but more than that, the show heavily convinces the audience that it was Magic Johnson who stepped NBA up financially. Before him, NBA’s fame and state were different from each other. The fame was there but the state was economically awful. The television ratings were declining, and the spectators were diminishing. The shocking fact about NBA before the 1980s is that the show was not popular enough to be on prime time. One of the major reasons was too much violence and the NBA was considered too black to be termed as drug-infested. The racial standards were poor. So Magic’s arrival changed the fate and face of the NBA who established himself as a superstar in college basketball. His popularity gradually increased and became the most talking point when his becoming a pro was on the cards.

Therefore, ‘They Call Me Magic’ is a celebration and an honest tribute to a wonderful career.

RATING: 7/10

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