MovieMashup

Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu is a 2022 Tamil language film written by B. Jeyamohan and directed by Gautam Vasudev Menon. A.R. Rehman composes the song, while STR performs the lead character.

It is more of a character study. The plot centres around Muthu’s ascent from a hamlet to a mob lord in Mumbai. The film is handled quite differently from other gangster movies. The approach of Gautam Vasudev Menon is really raw and humanist. This allows the movie to breathe more freely. The character and his motivation are introduced gradually in the movie. As a result, patience is needed. This unhurried approach is rather unusual in an era of quick filmmaking.

A R Rehman delivers one of his best albums in a long time. The journey song Marakuma Nenjam represents the film’s spirit. The Mallipo song adds another aspect to the lives of gangsters, making them more human. GVM beautifully and sparingly edited the tracks. Before the intermission, there are some insane fighting sequences. That single shot action scene is incredibly well done, and it helps the movie stay real and authentic rather than stylised or heroic.

The film’s love story premise falls flat; it’s odd to say this about a GVM film, but the love story is the weakest element of the whole thing. Marakuma Nenjam song occasionally comes across as being overused in the movie. The music occasionally begins abruptly and feels a little strange. The time shift in the climax to establish the second half is out of place and ruins the first part’s well-thought-out climax.

As Muthu, STR is incredibly convincing. His nonverbal cues contribute to the film’s eerie worldbuilding. He perfectly captures the unease. His metamorphosis and inspiration are not particularly heroic, which benefits the movie. There is a spiritual undercurrent to the movie. The story of how a gun may turn a man evil is told in Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu. When Muthu first used a gun to kill a man, that scene was the movie’s high point.

Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu is a good effort all around. Even if not everything goes as planned, you will get invested in Muthu’s life. GVM deserves praise for not taking the easiest path.

Broker is a Korean language film written and directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda staring Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-won, Bae Doona, Lee Ji-eun and Lee Joo-young. Song Kang-ho won the Best Actor Award at Cannes for his work in Broker.

Thematically, Broker is quite similar to some of Kore-eda‘s earlier works, like Shoplifters and Like Father, Like Son. It calls into question the concept of family in our conservative society. The story begins with a mother abandoning her baby on the doorstep of a church that offers a Babybox service. Individuals can use this service to covertly abandon their infants inside the Babybox. In South Korea as well as other nations across the world, this Babybox idea is quite debatable in terms of both law and ethics. In the film, the mother does not place the infant inside the Babybox, but rather leaves the baby on the floor, but why? Kore-eda never answers the question. It gave the audience room to reflect. Is it possible to become a mother just through childbirth? Can a woman naturally grow her maternal instinct if she has a child? Is the Babybox to blame for the rise in irresponsible mothers? What about the father? Is it entirely the mother’s fault? Why not abort if you’re unable to accept responsibility? In the first five minutes of the movie, a lot of questions are raised. Such bravery on the part of Kore-eda to pose these queries to a judgmental society.

Two investigators are pursuing a child trafficking ring that two members of the church are running. These detectives stand in for you, the audience. Song Kang-ho and a friend abducted the baby from the Babybox and destroyed all CCTV footage. Let me start by saying that this is not a crime thriller. It has a stronger human flavour. Eventually the mother and these two kidnappers team up together and go on a road trip to sell the baby to a worthy couple, while the two detectives also follow them to the end.

This is a story about some misfits/outcasts who get together and form a familial bond. People are normally born into a family, but in this story, our protagonists tries to form a family. It could be unusual, yet it seems extremely natural. Somehow, the time they spend together has an impact on their thinking. They are at odds with themselves but still being kind to each other. They enjoy some good times together. The film’s attempt is to highlight the contrasting character of humans and their relationships. Even the traditional family structure in our society is called into question.

Kore-eda attempts to artistically depict the contradictory human nature. The use of light and shadows during a conversation in a train journey to depict the contrasts within the individual is an amazing cinematic moment. There are times in the movie when you can’t understand the characters’ motivations since they don’t abide by social norms or even the imposed values of society. The acting in the movie is excellent. They provide credence to the movie’s realism. With all the mayhem around, it is the performances, particularly those of Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-won, and Lee Ji-eun, that add lightness to the film without sacrificing its profundity.

Broker is a well-made film that discusses the complexities of challenges encountered by outcasts, and attempts to uphold the human spirit in its purest form. One of finest film from the master filmmaker Kore-eda. The film never serves to the anticipation of the audience intentionally. As one of the detectives in the film stated, “WE are the real brokers.” Of course we are.

Thank you for being born.

Decision to Leave is a Korean romantic-mystery film co-written and directed by Park Chan-wook. Previously, he directed some excellent films, including The Handmaiden and Oldboy.

Confucius said, “The wise love the water, the benevolent the mountains.” These lines from Decision to Leave establish the film’s philosophy. The relationship between a widow, who is suspected for her husband’s killing, and a detective is at the core of the film’s plot. They have a really peculiar, enigmatic and yet extremely natural relationship. Nature defies all logic and is ungoverned. Nature only functions in harmony. So their relationship, like nature, defies logic, but there is a harmony about it. Rhythm is really crucial in the story, which is why Park Chan-wook communicates through several match cuts and transitions. Even the music and certain voice-overs are cleverly combined to match the film’s pulse.

As a mysterious woman with some strange motivations, Tang Wei as Seo-rae ( the widow) excels in her performance. Her role serves as the film’s catalyst. Park Hae-il does a great job portraying a detective who is obsessed with unsolved cases. When the two opposing egos clash, we experience calm and harmony rather than mayhem. Though there is some anticipation and tension to it. The melancholy finale will have a lasting impression on you. Mist is also another force of nature that is prominently featured in the film, along with mountains and seas.

“The moment you said you loved me, your love is over. The moment your love ends, my love begins.” You’ll somehow remember these lines and become perplexed. You’re looking for any explanation or justification for this peculiar love story. Your mind attempts to solve the puzzle but fails. However, Confucius said, “I seek not to know the answers,  but to understand questions” thus you are not needed to.

Decision to Leave has a lot of metaphors and is quite mysterious. A basic background of Chinese philosophy can help you understand the theme better. Nonetheless, the story of human relationships in it will undoubtedly resonate with you in a variety of ways. It is an artfully constructed film that uses metaphors of Chinese philosophy to illustrate human nature and its unpredictable character.

Vikrant Rona is a fantasy adventure film written and directed by Anup Bhandari. It is a Kannada-language film that has been dubbed into Hindi and other languages.

Recently, a lot of 3D movies have been released, however most of them don’t fully utilise the format. Since then the 3D format has only served to drive up ticket costs. Vikrant Rona, on the other hand, has been conceived taking the 3D format seriously. Each shot is planned keeping in mind the 3D effect, which gives the viewers an immersive movie watching experience. The combined effort of the art team, VFX team and DoP is evident in every frame. They succeeded in creating a universe that is mysterious. After KGF, the Kannada film industry is undeniably pursuing technological excellence in light of its modest budget.

While we acknowledge the technological achievement, we must admit that Vikarnt Rona falls short in terms of plot and character development.The film is full of gimmicks that hit you right in the face. For the sake of suspense, they simply end up writing a confusing screenplay in which each character frequently fails to convince the audience of their motivations and frequently alters it for the writer’s convenience. In retrospect, all of the subplots appear to have loose ends or to be unnecessary.

Even though his character journey is questionable, Kiccha Sudeep comes off as convincing. Other actors’ performances are inconsistent throughout the film. The movie offers itself a chance to redeem itself for it in the final fifteen minutes. perhaps not enough.

Overall, Vikrant Rona unapologetically cheats on you, yet nevertheless possesses some redeemable qualities. It tries to ride on your anticipation while challenging your intelligence.