Eighth Grade is a film written and directed by Bo Burnham. This film came in to my notice while I was browsing the internet for some good movies of the year. The plotline of the film as well as the acclaim received for the film compelled me to watch it. And after watching it, I can say that this film portrayed youngsters in the most accurate way possible.

Plot: Follows Kayla Day, in her last week of middle school before graduating to high school.

Story and direction: For a first-time filmmaker, Bo Burnham has done an outstanding job. He has very nicely and aptly depicted what adolescents go through while entering the new phase of their lives. The story doesn’t have anything new to it but the way Burnham and his team have approached it is very commendable. I could very easily relate to the struggles Kayla was going through. I also liked the way social media was depicted in the film. We saw one portion of the depiction in this year’s sci-fi READY PLAYER ONE. But this film had a much more grounded and realistic approach to the theme. Also, so wonderfully portrayed is the relation between Kayla and her dad with him being supportive of her every time. Even we also do see Kayla have ha graph at the film, with her being someone different in the initial minutes of the film to being someone else in the final minutes. The way Kayla’s videos were shot was also impressive. The cinematography was awesome and special mention goes to the background score. I mean I was impressed at the kind of music that was used to depict certain scenes especially the one in which Kayla looks at Adrien. Many people were quite concerned of its rating being R. But for me that was the most correct step. At the stage in which Kayla is in the movie, everybody tends to try new things and I commend Bo Burnham to show such things on a national platform.

Performances: Elsie Fisher was definitely the star of the show. Being 15 years old, what she did was impressive and showed that talent can just come from anywhere. Josh Hamilton was good as Mark. Catheine Oliviere was excellent as the bitchy Kennedy. Emily Robinsion too gave a decent performance. Also impressive were Luke Prael, Daniel Zolghadri and Jake Ryan.

Favorite Scene: It would be the once where Kayla confronts her Dad while she is visiting her friends because Mark spies on her. Why this scene impressed me is because I was in a conflict as to whose side I take since both were correct in their justification.

Verdict: EIGHTH GRADE for me was a film that I could very well relate to as it very well depicts the mindset of adolescents like Kayla who show themselves differently but are a very different person all-together. Even if I wanted to fault the film, I couldn’t.

I am going with a 10.

Tumbbad is a film co-written and directed by Rahi Anil Barve and Adesh Prasad. I was impressed with the trailer for the film and reading the difficulties the film went through in the making compelled me to watch the film. Finally watching in last night, I was satisfied and happy.

Plot: Follows Vinayak Rao, who goes to the village of Tumbbad to retrieve gold coins from the womb of Hastar’s mother.

Plot: For the first few minutes, I was kind of figuring it is to what is happening in the film. But when I started to get a hang of it, I was just shocked (in a very good way). The story spans a time of 30+ years and the makers have gone lengths to show that authenticity. The set design is dull and dark and sets the mood for the film. I liked the way the makers used natural lighting for the scenes. Given the budget of the move, the production design, VFX and creature design were on par with any Hollywood film. But in addition to these technical aspects, it’s the story that was the victor. The main theme of the story is about greed and at what lengths a man can go, to satisfy his greed. He gets several warnings and messages from his near and dear ones, but he doesn’t pay heed to them. The mixing of a very common theme along with fantasy/horror is what caught my attention. Never does any scene feel forced. Also, the horror was just awesome. I couldn’t find any kind of jump scares which have become a tradition in any horror film. The makers just present the scene to you so you can feel scared. In addition to all these facts, the cinematography was just awesome and you are directly transported 80 years back.

Performances: The casting is just impeccable and everyone justifies their role. Sohum Shah is the star of the film. From when he enters to scene till his last scene, he was just splendid. You can see that the actor has a range of emotions and he displays them to perfection. Another mention is Jyoti Malshe, who played the role of Vinayak’s mother perfectly. Mohammad Samad as Pandurang played his role with utmost sincerity. Deepak Damle who plays Raghav deserves a special mention.

Music: Well this is one department where I did have a small issue. The background score was great and added so much to the horror as well as the story. An applause to Jesper Kyd for the BGM. The only song in the film that was there was not necessarily needed. The duo Ajay-Atul have given some great music in the past. It felt as if this was more of a marketing gimmick and they were forced to compose a song for the movie.

Favorite Scene: One scene that really caught my attention was where Vinayak and his mother decide to leave Tumbbad once and for all and Vinayak on the other hand decides to torture the grandmother to reveal the location of the gold. That scene shows us the germ of greed has already been planted inside Vinayak’s head.

Verdict: Tumbbad is an answer to all those people out there who think adding songs and intimate scenes to films make them great. Absolutely, not. If your story has a wonderful theme and striking visuals you are in for a treat. And Tumbbad surely is. It is one of those films that you will love or hate. I would mark myself on the former category of people. Definitely a must for horror film lovers.

I am going with a 9/10.

2.0 is a film co-written and directed by Shankar. The teaser for the film didn’t get me excited but the trailer actually got my hope back up. Also, being a Shankar fan, I wanted to see this film. Finally, last night I did watch the film in 3D and the movie fan in me was happy after leaving the cinema.

Plot: Dr Vassegaran reassembles Chitti when a person punishing everyone who uses cellphones arrives in town.

Story and direction: I actually saw the film in Hindi since I don’t know Tamil. The underlying message of the film was very apt of we as human beings so invested in our technology that we don’t even realise as to what harm we are doing to other species. Also, another great thing of the film is the visual effects. Yes, at two or three places is felt a bit fake but for the most part I had goosebumps at the attempt made by Shankar and his VFX team. The starting credits and the logo of ‘SUPER STAR RAJNI’ were visually appealing. The cinematography was just awesome. Also, the action scenes and choreography were great. The main problem where the film faltered was the story itself. I get it that Shankar wanted to put across a particular message and you can actually sympathize as to why the villain is doing those things. But the way the screenplay is structured limits the villain and shows the hero more. Also, the romantic track felt forced and more like a marketing gimmick. The sub-plot involving Bohra’s son felt unnecessary and didn’t add anything to the film. The story does throw logic out of the windows at times.

Performances: Rajinikath is just awesome. From Dr. Vassegaran to Chitti and another character (which I don’t want to spoil), he is just fabulous and lights the screens on fire. Akshay Kumar was equally great and sometimes gave competition to Rajni is some scenes. Amy Jackson was decent. Adil Hussain and Sudhanshu Pandey were OK and didn’t contribut much to the film. I wish they could have retained the voice of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the scenes involving Sana.

Music: This time A R Rahman decided to go on a more background score rout than the song route, which I appreciate a lot. While the background music was engaging and made the film more engrossing, the sons (which were only 3 in number) were just about OK. There was no X factor about those songs which is normally expected out of any film that involves the scoring by A. R. Rahman.

Favorite Scene: Not to spoil anything, but it was a scene involving Vaseegaran, Pakshirajan and Chitti. That scene involved a lot of conflict and dilemma faced by Chitti which I loved a lot.

Verdict: This film may not be great at its story, but on a VFX level it will go doen as one that many people will look up to. This film does show that even we Indians can give a CGI fest and give tough competition to Hollywood.

I am going with a 7.5/10.

Ready Player One is a film directed by Steven Speilberg. I had this film on my watchlist since the film was announced as the plot-line of the film intrigued me. Also, the trailers of the film looked quite promising which increased my anticipation for this film more. After having watched the film last night, I can say that I was satisfied.

Plot: Follows Wade and his group of friends, who have to retrieve an Easter Egg in the Virtual Reality world of the OASIS before Nolan Sorrento from IOI does.

Story and direction: I have been a fan of Spielberg films and it was good to have him back in the zone he is best known for: adventure filled films. This film is a joyride. From the story to the visuals, everything is breathtakingly gorgeous. From the first visual, you can see the meticulous detail Speilberg and his team have gone through to portray the digital and real worlds. I was just in awe. But that’s not only it. The story has a message underneath this sparkling and dazzling adventure. Its shown that how people engross themselves in technology so much that they forget to differentiate between what is real and what is virtual. Also shown nicely is the way how people disguise themselves in the virtual world. Some of the pop culture references are just spot on. I can imagine the hard work that must have been endured to ensure this. The make-up work is so good that I believed that the actors were really that age they are portraying on the screen. Janusz Kaminski as the cinematographer is just awesome in his camera work. Michael Kahn and Sarah Broshar have done some great editing. Although I do miss John Williams’ score, but that doesn’t go to say that Alan Silvestri has done a fantastic job (including bringing back his famous Back to the Future theme). Some places that needed improvement was surely the finale which felt stretched. Due to which I think the length of the film could have been shorter. Also, the villains needed a lot of worked. They were cliched and did not have any specific motive other than just wanting the Easter Egg.

Performances: Tye Sheridan just knocked it out of the park. Same can be said for Olivia Cooke. It was good to see Lena Waithe in mainstream cinema and hope to see her in some other ventures. Philip Zhao and Win Morisaki gave decent performances. It is always a delight to see Simon Pegg. Mark Rylance lived the role he was offered. T J Miller has provided some awesome voice-work in the film. Ben Mendelsohn and Hannah John-Kamen were good but the characterization for their characters was not there, which made them look dull and boring.

Favorite Scene: It would be the scene where Wade and Samantha meet for the first time in the real world. The scene was so beautiful that it is quite difficult to express that in words.

Verdict: READY PLAYER ONE for me is a visual treat and I enjoyed my time watching the film. If big action scenes along with a CGI fest, is your cup of tea, you are in for a feast. Otherwise, I don’t recommend the film.

I am going with an 8/10.

Satyameva Jayate is a film written and directed by Mila Milan Zaveri. The trailer didn’t have me excited for the film. But I still watched it anyway, as I wanted to see something more commercial. And that is what exactly this film was for me.

Plot: DCP Shivansh Rathod is tasked to catch a serial killer who kills corrupt police officers.

Story and direction: Honestly saying, I am a hard-core action film lover. Even though I do love watching mind bending films, action films are my first love (obviously films that are done well). But the recent string of action films has disappointed the action lover in me (barring a few). This film would come in the former category. The film had a lot going on for itself. But the makers decided to go the most cliched route over. Each and every scene was so predictable that I could guess what will happen half an hour later in the film. Also, logic is thrown out in the window in almost every scene. The action scenes are also done to death. How many times we will see a man just punching another person and the person being punched is either being somersaulted with or is flying in the air. I mean, come on. When you have an action star, there is better things that can be done. Even the marketing of the film revealed a lot about the film. I was quite shocked when the trailer itself revealed a very specific plot point of the movie. There are scenes with so much unnecessary drama. Also one another thing that bit me was the rating. The film is rated ‘A’ (for mature audiences). I mean, really. Yes, I get it there were some scenes with blood but that was not so much of some of the ‘A’ rated films I know of. Even there are some VFX shots in the film that look fake from the get go.

Performances: John Abraham is the star of the film. When he punches, he punches hard and is believable in those scenes. But in the acting department, I still would say that there is room for improvement. It is always a treat to see Manoj Bajpayee in whatever role he plays. You can see the conviction he has for the role in his eyes. If I meet the makers I would like to ask them the reason of launching Aisha Sharma. I wanted to skip the scenes involving her. Amruta Khanvilkar did provide some good support. And so, did Chetan Pandit and Manish Chaudhary.

Music: This film has a total of 4 songs and none of them create an impact that it was wanting to create. When will T Series stop remaking tracks just to market the film!!!! ‘Paniyon Sa’ has another bad track from Atif Aslam (although nothing can still beat ‘Selfish’ from RACE 3). The other 2 songs were just there.

Favorite Scene: Yes, this film also does have a good scene. It would be the flashback moment in the film. The scene was filled with emotion and strung a chord in my heart.

Worst Scene: It would be the introduction of Shikha. You can see that no one is serious in that scene. I was literally laughing as to what the writer was thinking while writing that scene.

Verdict: Had the film not kept the over the top approach and worked on the duel between Shivansh and Veer, I my score would have been higher. But alas, this is the film that we got. It was a one-time watch for me.

I am going with a 5.5/10.

Game Night is a film directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Frances Daley. When I heard about this film, I was really not very excited although some of my friends had a look at the trailer for this one and said it will be a fun movie. The film released and had got much appreciation. So I finally decide to watch the film and I would have to say that my friends were right.

Plot: Follows a group of friends whose game night turns into a real-life mystery after one of them is kidnapped by apparent burglars.

Story and direction: I really had no expectations before when I decided to see it. But really, the concept of the film is so great that I didn’t realise when those 100 minutes got over. And also, the direction is top notch. Each second in the film is full of surprises. I was just shocked that a film meant for just entertainment had just so many wow moments. Each and every joke is laughable at. Also, the subplots introduced in the film don’t deter the pace, infact it adds to the characters storylines which made me know them so much better. There is one pop culture reference in the film where I was going like “Oh man, they are directly coping the scene”. And they happen to address that too. I mean the film is so self-aware. If I really had to nit-pick the film, it would be the fact that the film sometimes becomes too convenient and you do feel that how is that possible. I mean there are a lot of coincidences which is impossible in real life.

Performances: Jason Bateman was the captain of this ship. His comic timing is superb. He was a natural. Rachel McAdams also does justice to her role. Although in one or two scenes I did feel that the performance was forced rather than natural. Billy Magnussen and Sharon Horgan also were pleasing to watch. Lamorne Morris and Kylie Bunbury were impossible to ignore. It’s always a treat to watch Chelsea Peretti and and Michael C. Hall. I didn’t expect Kyle Chandler to have a taste for comedy. Jesse Plemons impressed too.

Favorite Scene: It would be the scene where the gang go to rob an egg from some gangster. In addition to the scene being funny, I loved the way it was shot. I may be wrong, but I do feel that scene was shot in one take which highly impressed me considering the film was just meant to be an entertainer.

Verdict: For those who want to relax and enjoy a movie, I highly suggest this and surely you will not be disappointed. For those who are more serious cinema driven, I would suggest you stay away from this. I belong to the former category so I did enjoy the film and it was a fun ride for me. The film left room open for a sequel and I will be waiting for it. The makers should really brainstorm for the sequel otherwise it will be a mess and some films have been a witness to this mess.

For Now, I am going with an 8/10.

First Man is a film directed by Damien Chazelle. I remember this film being announced 2 years ago and I have waited a long time for this. SO naturally this film was one of the most anticipated of this year’s. In addition to that I wanted to see what the combo of Damien and Ryan had for me. After the film ended, the film lover in me was over-joyed.

Plot: Follows Neil Armstrong and the years leading up to the Apollo 11 mission to the moon in 1969.

Story and direction: The main hero of the film is the script by Josh Singer and director Damien Chazelle. Singer who has some great films to his credit (SPOTLIGHT, THE POST) has written an emotional and thrilling story. This went on to show that how well the director understood what the writer wanted to say on the screen. The film has its moments of thrill and emotions. And never for a single moment those went overboard, there was a balance between the two. Also, I did love the way Damien has used practical effects instead of VFX (an age where VFX is used in almost 90% films). I remember in every scene involving spacecrafts I was terrified for the safety of those in it (although I still knew the results in some scenes). The emotions depicted are so apt and correct that I could very well connect to the pain these characters are experiencing. The score by Justin Hurwitz is another plus point. I especially liked the track titled ‘The Landing’ (Yes, I did look up the name after watching the movie). I did like the way hand-held cameras were used to film the scenes. But on the other hand, I hated the way there were too many close-up shots instead of wide angle (barring the spacecraft scenes).

Acting: There are two people that stood out for me: Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy. Ryan Gosling has come a far way and has shown he can do variety of roles. As Neil Armstrong, he nailed it. It’s for the first time I am seeing Claire Foy in something and I was gobsmacked. Be it emotional or happiness, she just plays the role with ease. Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler and Corey Stroll provide good support.

Favorite Scene: It would be the scene where Janet confronts Neil just before he is about to leave for Apollo 11. I would not like to spoil much but the scene was full of emotions and I was just fully into the scene. I literally had goosebumps watching the scene.

Verdict: It is quite sad that a beautiful film like this is not doing well in the box office for some very stupid reasons. I felt the film was great and left the cinema happy and satisfied. I look forward to see what Damien has more to offer us.

I am going with a 9/10.

Kaala is a film written and directed by Pa. Ranjith. I was quite reluctant to watch the film given the mixed word of mouth. But after seeing it last night, all my doubts were put to ease.

Plot: When Haridev Abhiyankar decides to seize the land of Dharavi from its residents, it’s Kaala who decides to stand up against him.

Story and direction: Being a die-hard fan of Rajinikanth I decided to give the film a shot. To be fair, I found the film quite decent. Let’s get on with the positives. The spirit of Dharavi is effectively captured. In each and every minute of the film I felt that I was living in the area and felt the pain and difficulties these people were facing. The cinematography by Murali is awesome. The characters were very interesting and I liked the way the hero and the villain are diametrically opposite to each other and have different ideologies of what their aim in life is. I felt that the second half was where the film actually got the grip and it started to get interesting. Now for the things I didn’t like so much. The first half of the film didn’t impress me that much especially the so-called romantic angle between Kaala and Zareena. That could have totally been avoided. Instead they could have focussed on developing characters like Inspector Patil or Charumathi. I don’t know what attraction the makers have to the rains. I know that it adds quite an effect to the scenery, but the first half has quite a lot of raining going on. Also, there were some scenes that felt were stepping outside the purview of reality (especially the action scenes and the climax).

Performances: Rajinikanth delivers a great performance. His character is a bit grounded than his previous ventures (although at times we see come fully in his SUPER STAR status). Nana Patekar was brilliant as the villain. He is not the typical villain. He is cold and calculative. Eswari rao was good as Kaala’s Wife. I liked the way Samuthirakani’s was more than just a comic relief. Huma Qureshi was OK. Dileepan and Manikandan were effective as Kaala’s sons. I did feel that more screen space for Anjali Patil and Pankaj Tripathi would have been beneficial to the film.

Music: The music of the film felt like the heavy baggage that one holds which just tires you after a time. None of the songs were good and it felt more like a marketing strategy. The BGM however was great and it got an adrenaline rush in me.

Favorite Scene: It would be the scene where Hari and Kaala meet at Hari’s home. Here they talk about their different ideologies and how opposite they are in their inner and outer appearances. And who wouldn’t love to see two iconic actors in one scene.

Verdict: With some slight tweaking and a reduced runtime, KAALA would have worked better. Anyway, the film for me was quite decent and satisfied the Rajini fan in me.
I am going with a 7.5/10.

Badhaai Ho is a film directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma. The trailers of the film had made me interested and I was looking forward for this venture. Finally, I can say the waiting of two weeks were successful.

Plot: Nakul and his family receive the shock of their lives when they find out that Nakul’s mother is pregnant.

Story and direction: From the concept itself I was looking forward to this film as it sounded very interesting and unique. The makers of this film could have gone many ways of showing this film. But I can say from seeing this film that the way they went was absolutely correct. Amit Sharma (who also directed the not so famous 2015 film TEVAR) has shown the film in the most correct way. Even while watching the film I was thinking the very same things that these characters were. The mindset of people regarding an issue like this is very apt and shown with utmost sincerity. The comedy and the drama are so well balanced in this film. In addition to Amit, I would like to thank the writing team (Akshat Ghildial and Shantanu Srivastava) for bringing such a wonderful script. Each and every scene and dialogue were just wonderful. The transition of Nakul’s character from rejecting his parents’ behaviour to finally coming terms to it and supporting them to the fullest has been beautifully shown. Also, shown very nicely is that family is the most important thing in anybody’s life. Also shown quite nicely is the family members standing against other people when taunts are being passed on their condition. Also, I quite loved the way the makers portrayed Delhi and Haryanvis. I really don’t know how to fault this film since I felt that the film was perfect in every way.

Performances: The film is filled with mind-blowing performances. Ayushmann Khurrana (fresh from his successful ANDHADHUN) once again delivers a great performance. He is seen in varying shades as an actor. Sanya Malhotra was also good considering what the writers had mapped her character as. Gajraj Rao and Neena Gupta were the most adorable parents anyone can ever have. Surekha Sikri is the grandmother that any kind of household has. And finally, Sheeba Chadha was great as Renee’s mother.

Music: With a film like this the music has to be spot on as the music has to be in sync with what the scene is trying to convey. There are only four songs and all of them are good. They gel in with the situation shown in the film. If I had to pick a favorite it would be the Ayushmann Khurrana crooned ‘Nain Na Jodeen’. The background music of the film is great and shows the director loves old music as we hear some old hits in the background.

Favorite Scene: With a film this good, it is kind of difficult to pick the best one. But the one I would pick is where Nakul decides to confront the students who hit his brother Gullar. I liked the way Nakul motivates his brother to teach those people a lesson. I really could connect with the scene as I felt the need of someone like Nakul in my school life.

Verdict: Packed with punchy dialogues, a great story, amazing performances and a beautiful message, Badhaai Ho is a complete entertainment package. Never for a moment I felt disinterested in a film. It is a film to watch with the entire family. I am sure you won’t be disappointed.

Going with a perfect 10.

Andhadhun is a film co-written and directed by Sriram Raghavan. Having watched the trailer, I was intrigues as the trailer didn’t offer much (which is basically what we want from any trailer). After having seeing the film today, I finally can say that this film will go down as one of the best thrillers Bollywood has to offer.

Plot: Life turns upside down for Akash, a blind pianist when he meets Simi Sinha, the wife of the 70’s superstar Pramod Sinha.

Story and direction: The film is inspired from a French short film. Having reading the plot of the short I can definitely say that this film is purely original and made to suit the Indian audiences. Sriram Raghavan and his team of writers have developed a very intriguing and funny plot enough to glue me to my seat. I was literally biting my nails in each minute as the film progressed as I could not guess what is about to happen in the coming minutes of the film. The characters are very well designed and are apt for the setting and the story. We have the two lead Akash and Simi who are polar opposites to each other in terms of characterization. Also, we have Pramod Sinha who was very well characterized as the self-obsessed superstar. Some of the supporting characters like Sophie, Swami, Maushi and Manohar were well justified. The cinematography and editing are top notch. Never for a moment the film went dull or rather I felt bored. The only little issue that I felt the film had was explanation. Some scenes were just left for the audience’s imagination. Sometimes I do like that. But when too many things are left unexplained, I feel sad.

Performances: This film is filled with praiseworthy performances. Ayushmann Khurrana was excellent and splendid. He performed excellently as the blind pianist. Tabu, on the other hand, was ferocious and selfish and was a match for Ayushmann’s character. Many people have complained of Radhika Apte not been given much screen time. I didn’t feel that and her performance was good. Manav Vij and Ashwini Kalsekar were great. Zakir Hussain and Chhaya Kadam were some of the other diamonds in this necklace. Finally, Anil Dhawan portrayed Pramod Sinha in the best way possible.

Music: Each track in the film was suited to the situation and was awesome. Amit Trivedi did it yet again. If I had to pick out one track, it would be ‘Woh Ladki’ sung by Arijit Singh (After all, who doesn’t like Arijit). Daniel B. George has done an excellent work in terms of the background score.

Favorite Scene: There were so many of them but if I had to pick one it would be the first meeting between Simi and Akash. I will not spoil anything, but the balance between the tension and laughter was very well balanced in that scene.

Verdict: Bollywood has given us many great films this year and Andhadhun is one of them. I felt like clapping my hands after the film finished. I was happy and satisfied after watching the film. Filled with great performances and an awesome story, I recommend this film to everyone who loves thriller. I am sure you won’t be disappointed.

I am going with a 9/10.