The Seventh Continent [1989]: A Critique on the Emptiness of a Quotidian Existence
Austrian film-maker Michael Haneke is arguably one of cinema’s greatest interpreters of modern life’s isolation and alienation. The people in…
The Blackout [1997]: The cost of fantasy revealed in this ‘90s masterpiece
The ending of The 400 Blows shows Antoine facing the utter hopelessness of his upcoming situation, represented by the vast unattainable terrains of the ocean, followed by a zoom-in on Antoine‘s face as he looks into the camera and freeze frame (presumably right before he shrugs). The Blackout takes this premise further – our main man Matty starts off in the film standing before the ocean like Antoine, but this time at night and this…
Phobia (2016) Movie Review: Fear of the Future (And the Past)
Pavan Kirpalani’s Phobia is the kind of movie, by the end of which you just stare at the screen for a while, then if you are a generally exuberant person when it comes to showing your emotional side, you start to clap at what you have just witnessed; or if you are a guy like me who prefers to keep things inside, you start having an imaginary conversation with yourself about the intelligence of…
Tim Burton: The Dark Puppeteer
Tim Burton was born on August 25, 1958. As a kid growing up in Burbank, California, Burton never seemed to fit in anywhere. He was shy and introverted and making friends never came easy to him so instead of spending his time socializing with kids his own age Burton focused most of his attention on the things that interested him the most like monster movies and animation which would go on to serve as major…
Cinemawala [2016] : A heartbreaking ode to the single screen theaters!
Cinemawala is a well intentioned film that works on multiple grounds. The performances are all great. The relationship between the master and the servant, that doesn’t necessarily prove to the most important aspect of the film is in fact, the strongest. The film could have worked greatly if Ganguly envisioned it a little better. What we are left with is a family drama that wishes to make a bold statement over the condition of…
United 93 [2006]: “Real World Situation !”
United 93 1
Every time I watch a 9/11 movie, the first thing I do is dig about the film’s authenticity. How much of it was true to the original happenings and how much of it was fictionalised to create drama and if I am comfortable with the added drama. The thing with 9/11 is that it leaves a lot of room for dramatisation and unnecessary heroism and when handled by a not so mature filmmaker,…
Absentia (2011) : Indie Horror Gem
An under-rated indie horror gem that falls somewhere between art and commercial mainstream, Absentia is a rare effective horror film…
Imperium [2016] – An Effective Thriller about the Multifaceted Extremism
Daniel Rasgussis’ directorial debut “Imperium” is not just a pulpy thriller about American neo-Nazi organizations. Yes, the plot’s inherent pulpiness…