Monos

Monos

On a faraway mountaintop, eight teenaged guerillas with guns watch over a hostage and a conscripted milk cow. Playing games and initiating cult-like rituals, the children run amok in the jungle and disaster strikes when the hostage tries to escape.

Monos by Alejandro Landes is a war drama that is both visually and psychologically disturbing.Set in an unspecified location, it establishes a barely organised group of teenage guerrilla fighters with combat nicknames known collectively as the “Monos”, and it doesn’t take long for the guns and hormones to impel things into dangerous and destructive territories.

The bare, almost feral mystery of being thrown into their savage world without any kind of guidance creates an immediate you-are-there ferocity. Faint echos of a larger Civil War loom on the periphery, but our attention is catapulted towards the microcosmic hell of the hidden countryside. This is fringe-world, immersive cinema that ascends as high as the foggy mountain tops, and descends as low as the untamed jungle. It's about the gradual decay of power structures, of governmental systems, and the absurdity of children mimicking the horrific actions of adults in distant spheres.Composer Mica Levi delivers  jittery, soul-crushing, hypnotic score.  Just an overall well-crafted, unnerving experience that does more with little by demanding viewers to thoughtfully fill in the chaotic dots and dashes.

Sudani from Nigeria

Sudani from Nigeria

Majeed, a football manager, recruits three Nigerian footballers for his team. When Samuel, one of the players, is injured, Majeed lets him stay at his house and over time, they develop a close bond.

This sports Drama movie is the directorial debut of Zakariya Muhammed. It is an endearing film with heart warming characters and commendable actors. It is a simple story of a Mallapuram Family and with great portrayal of the passion and love for football in the state.

Sudani from Nigeria is a kind of film that very successfully subverts all identities that one attribute for a film that in first look is a generic comedy sports movie, the kind that we have watched a countless times. And once you watch it, the film is nothing but a simple and grounded depiction of the Malabarian culture

They say guests are treated as Gods when they visit homes in India. This adage perfectly suits this refreshing gem with the some of the most richly drawn characters I have seen in quite some time. The final shot is my favourite in the film.

A movie which portrays the definition of Humanity and everyone should watch it. The climax will touch the hearts of every football fan out there.

Kumbalangi Nights

Kumbalangi Nights

Saji, Bonny, Bobby and Franky are siblings who mostly do not get along. However, a series of events forces them to keep their animosity aside and support each other.

Kumbalangi Nights is a masterpiece "Malayalam cinema is poetic." After Charlie, I enjoyed this movie a lot. Incredible visuals, lighting and locations. This is a feel good family drama, moves very beautifully. The family is flawed but they unite for each other. A well written poetry about humanity. Actors are so good and looks so realistic in their roles. The story touches viewers, the feelings they have for their family, specially Saji . So pure and realistic. Amazing.

Favourite so far.pits four loser brothers against the "perfect man" & superbly gear-shifts genres from a quirky family drama to a hyper creepy take on patriarchy & toxic masculinity as the perfect man with the perfect smile harbours another sinister primitive persona. The visual imagery coupled with stunning background score speaks so much in the film that at times you don’t need dialogues to take forward the story & that makes entire experience so magical.

One of the finest to come out of Malayali Cinema. Definitly worth watching.

Thunder Road

Thunder Road

Jim Cummings stars as a police officer from Texas who deals with the death of his mother while giving a heartfelt eulogy at her funeral. Inspired by the music of singer-songwriter, Bruce Springsteen.

Thunder Road by Jim Cummings is a delight to watch.The short Film which was released led to making of this movie.The acting by Jim was incredible the portrayal of raw Human Emotions was something which completely blew me off.

The character was something which we haven't seen a lot in movies and its filled with anger,love and respect.His take on such a tragic subject was very well and there is always a little bit of humor in any tragedy which was written very well.We can feel his pain and experience the transformation of his character.It's a film about how we deal with grief but whatever the grief is the film never depresses us and has Humor to balance it out.
There were few shots which i thought were unnecessarily lengthy but that could be because of watching the short film first and then the movie.

Overall Thunder Bird is worth watching.Also do watch the short film first and then watch the movie(Highly recommended)

Jojo Rabbit

Jojo Rabbit 

Jojo is a lonely German boy who discovers that his single mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. Aided only by his imaginary friend -- Adolf Hitler -- Jojo must confront his blind nationalism as World War II continues to rage on.

Taika Waititi's adaption of book Caging Skies - Jojo Rabbit is a Dark, Humorous and Heartwarming and Sad at some times.He did a great job in screenplay.An absurd amount of passion is put in a film that would otherwise be very hard to work.

The tone of the film goes from Happy, Laughs to sad very quickly this effect of generating laughs from viewers to making them sad at the next instant is cleverly portrayed in the screenplay of the film.Considering how Taika Waititi portrayed the war and its effect on young minds is great, Humorous and is refreshing after watching some intense war movies.

Waititi's Portrayal of Imaginary Hitler was something only he can pull off.The Tonal shifts were sharp and also did affect viewer's experience overall which is something you don't expect.It is a movie which shows overcoming of blind fanaticism and indoctrination showing that Monsters aren't born but they are created.The acting by Roman Griffin Davis is absolutely amazing his portrayal of a 10 year old boy so great was something you don't see easily.

Cinematography was good and was something i forgot to notice soon as the screenplay is that good. which is a good thing in terms of film making.
Overall Jojo Rabbit is a must watch film and is something which one would never forget easily.

Samsara

Samsara -

The quest of one man's struggle to find spiritual enlightenment by renouncing the world. And one woman's struggle to keep her enlightened love. But destiny has other plans for both of them.

The Film follows a young monk named Tashi who after spending Three Years meditating in a Himalayan cave decides to leave his monastery to pursue Human desires.The Theme of the movie as described by Tashi's Mentor is "IS IT BETTER TO SATISFY A THOUSAND DESIRES OR OVERCOME ONE".

This work by Pan Nalin an Independent film maker covers a lot of timeline in its screenplay and is full of Buddhist wisdom and conflicts with quiet introspection.Set in the backdrop of Ladakh there are stunning visuals and great editing is done even the smallest sound of rustle of wind is caught brilliantly.The films pace is a little slow and is Monotonous at time but it all adds to overall experience of the film.The cinematography is Good with a hauntingly beautiful Musical score.

The film has done well portraying a lot with very little with good Acting captivating Story Telling.The movie was released in 2001 so don't be confused with the Movie by same name but released in 2011.

The Director Pan Nalin's other works which are worth experiencing are - 
Faith Connections -  https://killmereviews.blogspot.com/2019/12/faith-connections.html 
Valley of Flowers 

Uncut Gems

Uncut Gems

A charismatic jeweler makes a high-stakes bet that could lead to the windfall of a lifetime. In a precarious high-wire act, he must balance business, family and adversaries on all sides in pursuit of the ultimate win.

Adam Sandler plays a phenomenal role of a Jewish New Yorker High end Jewelery dealer who has trouble with the money and gets into a lot of trouble.The Safdie Brothers follow up to their breakthrough movie Good Time ,Uncut Gems plays to the tune of an exasperated study in commodity, running around until it passes out on the concrete, its specificity in the early- 2010s giving way to a cosmic pain, a neon-glow of worthless lives and unending transactions. Yes, it's a very funny work, given substantial gravitas by Adam Sandler's god-tier performance, but only to heighten how sickly each frame and movement is.

The interior locations are often separated, buzzers and closed-circuit security and locked doors keeping characters whirling within the energy of their lives, in every direction, the camera barely keeping up. It's only when the film slows down, sometimes merely to catch a breath, that it's clear that our environment allows for no self-reflection or understanding of ourselves.
"All I am, is what I'm going after" and all that . The rest of the time, it's too busy to think of anything other than the flow of experience, big scores, the tension of language and deals. I don't think I've ever seen a film as well-paced and as strategic in its rhythms as this one.