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SAMTHEBESTEST
Not interested to become a Critic, just want to become a Smart Viewer.
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7 Men from Now (1956)
A true men and women's western!
Seven Men from Now (1956) :
Brief Review -
A true men and women's western! What is a true men and women's western? A film where true moral values of manly and womanly quality are explored, love is more about dignity than a physical attraction, revenge is about punishment than rage, and word is bigger than money. Seven Men from Now has them all. A retired sheriff, Ben, is looking for 7 men who killed his wife during a robbery. He blames himself for that because his wife was on a job that day since he was not able to get a job to run the house. This guilt is what makes him go against a solid gang, and he does it. After killing two of them during a rainstorm, the next day he helps a couple trying to get their wagon out of mud. They company each other to Flora Vista. Annie grows close to him and even tries to kiss him once, but Ben knows the line and doesn't fall for her since she is married (one of my top favorite scenes in the film). Bill Masters' character plays a common link between the hero and the villain, and then he is up against the hero at the end. The couple whom Ben is accompanying is carrying the same stuff he is looking for. Some writing that was! All this in about 75 minutes; you must be crazy! Budd Boetticher was that crazy fella who made it happen and gave a thoroughly enjoyable western with no apologetic gestures or themes. From rage to machoism to even the morale of both genders, it's all there and plenty enough. The love story between Ben and Annie didn't seem very plausible in the beginning, but the writer planned a fine climax for them. No hugs, no kisses, just small talks lasting for one or two sentences and yet so romantic. The magic of romance in western genres is much better and more mature than the romance genre itself. Randolph Scott and Lee Marvin both shine, while Gail Russell was typical but beautiful. Budd Boetticher and Burt Kennedy cooked a superb Western.
RATING - 7.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Lola Montès (1955)
The real "woman of affairs" who actually formed a cult portion of Bavarian history.
Lola Montès (1955) :
Brief Review -
The real "woman of affairs" who actually formed a cult portion of Bavarian history. Some of you might know Greta Garbo's "A Woman of Affairs" (1928), in which a woman has only one loyal and is still called a woman of affairs. In Lola Montès, you will see a real woman of affairs who had countless affairs in many countries. She is reduced to work in a circus, and the ringmaster has put her affairs on display. That's something! Now she begins to remember her affairs. Not all are shown in detail, but only a few and most important ones. The rest are either narrated or picturized for a half or a minute in a circus act. The affair with Franz Liszt starts and ends, and we don't even know what happened. But you get the idea of what kind of woman Lola is. The film then goes back to her childhood and youth and her first marriage, which she had to break due to her cheating and violent husband. Then she becomes a dancer and has an affair with an orchestra master who hid his marriage to her. She then has a few more affairs, and we head to the most important one, the one with Ludwig I of Bavaria. She becomes the mistress of the king, who happens to tell his age is 61 years old in his last scene, and I was in for a shock. Even that affair is broken, and so is she, finally. There is no love left in her. That's what the film shows, but in real life, she had more affairs after this, which couldn't be part of this nearly 2-hour film. Though there was a big scope, Martine Carol's performance wasn't really that good. Peter Ustinov is a quick-done-gone case, as you miss out on many punches owing to their pace. Anton Walbrook as King was one fine performer. Max Ophüls's last film may focus on a cult chapter from Bavaria's history, but the generous gesture and purity are missing by miles. In simple words, I ask, why would one care to see such a woman's life and that too in a movie? No wonder it was a huge flop.
RATING - 5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
La notte (1961)
Michelangelo Antonioni's intuitive take on troubled marriage and isolation
La Notte / The Night (1960) :
Brief Review -
Michelangelo Antonioni's intuitive take on troubled marriage and isolation. La Notte is a story about one night of a couple who aren't really enjoying each other's company after many years of marriage, but the isolation and repulsive facts are subtly explored through silent motion. In 122 minutes, almost 60 minutes are silent, so you can use the fast forward button open to finish it sooner than 2 hours, and it hardly matters because the film is all about those small conversations rather than those long cuts proving nothing else but the despair of the lady's character. You see Lidia wandering alone and enjoying a couple of useless things-that's just to tell how boring her life or married life is. She could have submitted to other men's advances but controls herself, proving that loyal sense of women that hardly any Italian film of the time cared about. On the other hand, her husband kisses two different ladies in the first meeting, which shows that it was him who was at fault, not the woman. In the end, he is the one who has to confess and take a new start, providing a good meaning to the whole story. Some silent moments in the dark have a subtle message but don't really provide enough context that was needed for a full-fledged exploration of the character. Thankfully, Lidia's character keeps a thing or two secret only to reveal them in the ending, but that doesn't happen with Giovanni, who is so-called intellectual in the film. He doesn't feel guilty at all. Valentina is that alluring beauty that was needed here to bring Giovanni's ego and self-respect down since he was taking the wife for granted. Valentina openly kisses him, but she is sensible enough to tell him that she doesn't break marriages. All the actors have done well, but Jeanne Moreau has just outclassed everyone. Antonioni's masterful direction is noticeable, but I think the screenplay and the climax could have been better.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Rocco e i suoi fratelli (1960)
The boldest and darkest family drama ever?
Rocco e i suoi fratelli / Rocco And His Brothers (1960) :
Brief Review -
The boldest and darkest family drama ever? Luchino Visconti brings neorealism into the family drama genre and changes many things forever with this one. You might have hardly seen any family drama with a raape scene-an elder brother sexually assaulting his younger brother's girlfriend and even killing her, right? Well, you got it here. So I say, it's not about who makes sense or how much sense the characters are the film makes, but got to experience the neorealism, which is at its peak! The film is about a Southern Italian family traveling to the North. Rocco, his mother, and his three brothers come to North and meet the elders brother, Vincenzo, who is about to get married. Because of the family, the marriage gets broken, and they start a new life from zero. Simone is the strongest, but he becomes rotten after meeting a prostitute, Nadia. Nadia leaves him, and he becomes totally distressed. His distress escalates to a further level when he learns that Rocco and Nadia are in love. He raapes her in front of Rocco to teach him a lesson. That scene is brutal but highly insensible. Rocco could have beaten his brother, but he doesn't. Rocco's friends are shameless when it comes to planning and acting in it, but then suddenly feel guilty and ashamed as Nadia is leaving from there. Why didn't they feel any guilt when all this was happening? The mother hardly behaves like a mother. Simone can do anything, but nobody will do anything to him. That's so stupid. You could have ended the film at halfway if any of the family members would have shown some sense and guts to throw Simone out or into custody. The identical cliches bring it down and make it a very silly affair. However, some terrific performances and brutal neorealism by Luchino Visconti make it a worthy one-time watch.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Orfeu Negro (1959)
The Greek legend romantic tragedy of Orpheus & Eurydice in Rio de Janeiro flavor.
Black Orpheus (1959) :
Brief Review -
The Greek legend romantic tragedy of Orpheus & Eurydice in Rio de Janeiro flavor. You might know the Greek legend of Orpheus & Eurydice, so you just have to imagine it with lots of colors and a carnival with black people. In case you don't know, this is your chance to know that story in a colorful way, even though there is not much context to the deeper essence. Orpheus & Eurydice's romantic tragedy doesn't have to be universal because it has a lot to do with mythologic references and that fictional underworld. We have a soon-to-be married Orfeu in Rio de Janeiro who meets Eurydice, and in the next meeting they are in love. Some past-life phenomenon is used here; not explored, though, but sounds decent to pass the scene. Eurydice is chased by a guy wearing a skeleton costume (reference to the underworld messenger) and finally gets her. Heartbroken, Orfeu wanders to find her until he becomes a part of the tragedy. Like mentioned above, it's a very colorful film; you have to believe me there. Since it's a carnival, you know what I am talking about, and there is a lot of music and dance. The side roles also get involved in this story, which adds some fun elements, and anyway, it's a very entertaining and fun movie until we get to the tragic finale. However, a few things could have been better. For instance, the romantic relationship of Orfeu and Eurydice starts all of a sudden as they remember the ancient Greek legend. A moment ago, he was supposed to marry another girl, and there is no guilt, no regret, or any such mess of emotions on his face. It should have been there. Erydice too gets along without any hesitation, and we see no conflicts in them getting together. I wish the screenplay had explained these scenes in detail. Rest assured, it's a good watch with some fine performances and nice direction by Marcel Camus. And the most important thing is that it doesn't limit itself to one community.
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Hiroshima mon amour (1959)
This "Brief Encounter" between a married Paris woman and a married Japanese man is more about personal turmoil than Hiroshima.
Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) :
Brief Review -
This "Brief Encounter" between a married Paris woman and a married Japanese man is more about personal turmoil than Hiroshima. The Hiroshima and how the atomic bomb affected the people's lives. That 10-15 minute portion was very good, and then cut to a naked man and woman embracing each other on a bed, and we enter a conversational love story. A married woman from Paris has an affair with a married Japanese man, who also participated in the war. As we go ahead, we realize that this film is more about that woman's personal turmoil than Hiroshima, Nerver, and the Japanese people suffering from war effects. She has a past. She had an affair with the German soldier, despite being married, and he was killed. She couldn't get over that trauma, and she's still suffering from the same issue. Therefore, she asks this Japanese man to stay away from her, whom she was having a sexual relationship with and a very close bond with just a few minutes ago. The film loses sparks when this loging between these two starts taking over the narrative, and we are left with nothing to pass the screentime except to wait until she leaves the country. The Japanese man keeps following her everywhere, and I was like, Why? You have a wife coming back in a few days, right? Then why? "The whole thing is ridiculous," says the woman in one of their earlier scenes, and I fully agree. "I am the man who stays happy with wife," he says, and she replies in the same way, "I am the woman who lives happily with husband." Now you see why it's so ridiculous. Not every film can become a classic like David Lean's "Brief Encounter" (1945). This was still a very intense and intriguing watch due to serious thematic references and dark storytelling, but the whole thing unfortunately ends on an underwhelming note. Still, watchable for that so-called "French new wave" pattern.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Vettaiyan (2024)
Some sense, some nonsense social cop drama by TJ Gananvel
Vettaiyan (2024) :
Brief Review -
Some sense, some nonsense social cop drama by TJ Gananvel. Vettaiyan is a mix of too many things and hence doesn't end up being honest to any of its context. We have these courtroom dramas made back in the 60s where the judge would end up sentencing the innocent one and then look for atony. Here, we have superstar Rajinikanth playing a dashing cop, a merciless killer, and an encounter specialist who encounters an innocent man in a hurry. Amitabh Bachchan plays the lawman from the human rights wing who believes that justice delayed is better than hasty injustice. IPS Athiyan's redemption can hardly be justified here since the writing didn't really spread its wings. Finding the real culprit and a public apology can't be enough for anyone's life, I guess, but moreover, it's about his own guilt, and the writing fails to explore that most important chapter in the film. At the intermission point, you know that the film is not over and there is someone else behind this murder of the teacher, so we can say that Vettaiyan is a predictable film with no thrills. The face-off between Rajinikanth and Amitabh is also left incomplete. Not a signal scene between these arguing with each other. No heated argument, how? That should have been the major USP of the film, but we barely have two simple conversations between these two. The action scenes lack finesse, and the screenplay drags in the second half. I don't understand why every Rajnikanth film has to be 160 minutes long when things can be wrapped within 120-140 minutes. Fahadh Faasil's character doesn't do justice to his talent, but he was fun. The death scene was damn boring and predictable, though. The supporting cast does well, and the technical aspects are decent. Gnanavel could have made it a powerful social film like Jai Bhim, but he was too busy making a mediocre commercial affair. Too many cooks spoil the dish, they say; it's true in this case.
RATING - 5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
I tre volti della paura (1963)
A cult formation of horror anthology by Italian master Mario Bava.
Black Sabbath (1963) :
Brief Review -
A cult formation of horror anthology by Italian master Mario Bava. It has to be said again and again that Mario Bava was the legend of low-budget horror films, and there can never be another one like him. In Bollywood, Ramsay Bros. Did the same, but I'd say they were like his pupils, not masters. Bow down to the original master, the great Bava! Black Sunday (1960) has to be one of my favorite horror flicks of all time, and speaking of low-budget films, it will be on top. The legendary films like Nosferatu (1922), Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), Vampyr (1932), The Wolf Man (1941), and other great films from the 50s will always be memorable, but they all were backed by studios and had some known names. Bava's horror flicks came with a low budget from a less popular industry, and you can notice that from the production design and the properties. Despite no lavishness, he made these films look so grand and so fascinating. It's really unbelievable. The use of sound design, the camera work, the intensity, the background score, slow motion pans, and more-he did it better than many experts. But how is it possible practically? It's possible because there are some people that are born with talent, and they don't really need money or other advanced things to use their talent. Mario Bava did exactly that with this film. There are different stories, and all end with a negative ending. How many horror films actually dare to be so dark? In almost every popular horror film, we have good triumphing over evil, but not here. The evil wins here. That's why it is different. The Ring, the Telephone, and Vampires-all three stories have the uniqueness of the 60s and have been influential to many great films made after that. Bava's direction is what makes them super special, as every tale looks so real and horrifying. After all, horror movies are all about scary moments and nerv-stopping scenes, and here you have them coming one after another for 90 minutes. Can you really not believe it when Boris Karloff is telling you?
RATING - 7.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
El ángel exterminador (1962)
A Mexican surrealism that's difficult to understand but indeed a unique experience.
El Ángel Exterminador / The Exterminating Angel (1958) :
Brief Review -
A Mexican surrealism that's difficult to understand but indeed a unique experience. Okay, so this film is very simple yet difficult to understand. The story is basically about a group of aristocrats and glamorous women who attend a dinner and then get trapped at the house. They are unable to leave the house and spend many days together fighting with each other. During this period, they all forget sophisticated manners, dignity, and courteousness as they are about to die or are looking to die in the future with no hope of getting out. There is nothing more to the basic storyline, but then you see the same story from the different angle that rich people only show their true colors and manners in the most difficult situations. Using sheep as a metaphor to God was a good idea, but I wonder why they didn't provide any concrete reason for all that happened. I mean, how can those people get trapped suddenly? Was it pure fiction, or was it planned? It feels like fiction because there is no mention of any such supernatural power, but you see many supernatural things happening there. Talking about the other side, you see all the staff getting out of the house as if they knew what was going to happen. So, was it planned by someone? This incompleteness makes the film look a bit scattered and unreliable. In the climax, we see another unusual thing happening as they all get out so easily, but a metaphorical ending at the church adds some artistic blow. It's not sharply allegorical, but as they say, it definitely depicts aristocracy with the reference to "harbor savage instincts and unspeakable secrets." That's too much for normal, working-class audiences, hence limiting the reach and appeal of the film. Overall, a complicated affair but worth watching!
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Popiól i diament (1958)
Overload of anti-communist propaganda in post-war Poland.
Popiól i diament / Ashes and Diamonds (1958) :
Brief Review -
Overload of anti-communist propaganda in post-war Poland. Many great film makers have often called this film a masterpiece and one of their favorite movies of all time. As a movie buff, whenever we hear something like this, we get excited and start expecting something extraordinary, even though we have seen almost every possible extraordinary thing in world cinema. That's exactly what has happened to me now. Firstly, it's a damn intense affair for the local Polish people and is concerned about their history. We can feel the vibration in the air after the war, and that tension is very similar to any country. But this film specifically talks about that newly emerging anti-communism in post-war Poland. We don't really see any specific reasons why these people have joined the underground gang of anti-communists, so it's a little difficult film to understand. The local people, of course, will know better. I, sitting here in India, cannot tell anything more than what I can find on Wikipedia. Hence, I couldn't connect this film on that level, as many great people have described it. But it was fairly good. Ashes and Diamonds has a good pace and back-to-back events lined up in a perfect order. The flirting scenes, one of the agents going drunk, the change of heart and mind, and then sudden tragedy that ends up extreme agony. There is so much to experience and so much to explore from the difficult times the nation faced in 1945. The position of Poland has got a lot to do with the gravity of all those events and also the mindset of the people who were just coming out of a horrible war period. We have some solid performances and gripping screenplay to keep you hooked, and Andrzej Wajda's unique touch makes it a very fine post-war drama for sub-genre lovers.
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Bab el hadid (1958)
An overhyped Egyptian crime drama made for obsessive male lovers
Cairo Station (1958) :
Brief Review -
An overhyped Egyptian crime drama made for obsessive male lovers. Over the years, this film has received a lot of positive reviews and is also hailed as a masterpiece by a few. I don't know how it is hailed, but for me it clearly failed to reach that point. What's this film all about? A lame man who becomes obsessive about a girl he fancies. That's all. Now tell me, what's so facinating or extraordinary about that? So let's see how it goes into a pattern. A lame man works at a newspaper seller at the railway station, and he becomes infatuated with a cold-drink vendor girl. I tell you, that girl they found looks damn sexy, and that's the director's way of making you feel that lust and physical attraction the man feels for her. Anyway, let's go ahead. So, he proposes to her and offers her a marriage and a house, but the girl rejects him, saying that he doesn't have a penny and only dreams big. She is engaged to someone else, a luggage porter. The man can't get over this rejection, and his love and obsession turn into madness. Now, he wants to kill her. He buys a knife and plans to lure her to a remote place. However, things go terribly wrong for him. What happens and how? I leave that to the film, skipping spoilers. There is nothing much in the climax except the expected morally and socially right climax and that guilty pleasure for a certain section of the audience. However, I must say that the neorealism is beautifully captured. The cinematography is nice, and the screenplay doesn't bore you because the film is hardly 80 minutes long. Hind Rostom looks seductive, Youssef Chahine has done well, and Farid Shawqi was a perfect fit for his character. Youssef Chahine has made a good film with the dark shades that were new to Egyptian cinema, but there is something missing as far as the impact is concerned on a global level. Overall, it's a good flick for obsessive lovers, but nothing great for others.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Letyat zhuravli (1957)
Mikhail Kalatozov's powerful and emotional romantic war saga about a lady's tragedy.
The Cranes Are Flying / Letyat zhuravli (1957) :
Brief Review -
Mikhail Kalatozov's powerful and emotional romantic war saga about a lady's tragedy. In the opening scene of the film, a boy shows her girlfriend that "Cranes Are Flying" over Russia-that's the reference to the conditions of the nation when there is no war. The next scene has the boy learning about his joining the army since Germany has invaded the nation. He can't tell this to his girlfriend because he doesn't want her to get hurt on her birthday. They part ways without meeting each other. While the boy is engaged on the battlefield, his girlfriend is waiting for his letter at home. She is then approached by another boy (her BF's cousin), the main villain of our story, and is eventually raped by him. Left with no other option, she marries this new boy, and the family blames the girl for "betraying" her BF. That's the first tragedy of her life. The second tragedy that happens to her is that her boyfriend is killed in war, and she has no trace of him to believe it. The third tragedy is her own life, when she decides to commit suicide. The fourth one is when she learns that the man who raped her had exempted himself from the army, and he also hid the letter given by her boyfriend. As expected, she leaves her despicable husband and is waiting for her boyfriend to return home safely. Will these false hopes keep her alive? In the ending scene, we see the cranes flying again, but this time the girl's life has completely changed. She brings flowers in hope of seeing her boyfriend at the railway station, but ends up giving them away to those who have found their loved ones back. That moment, I tell you, is heartbreaking. The camera work is superb, and the background score is fantastic. Mikhail Kalatozov's direction is also very good, but I just felt that this rape thing and Veronica's marriage could have been avoided to make the entire thing look more sentimental. Nonetheless, a powerful film.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Lahn mah (2024)
Emotional absorption of this Thai tale is super effective, if not the "plot."
Lahn Mah / How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (2024) :
Brief Review -
Emotional absorption of this Thai tale is super effective, if not the "plot." Lahn Mah is one of the most emotionally absorbing movies from the foreign cinema this year, and as humans, we all should have no problems connecting with it. However, the effective crafting of the "plot" (that's a double meaning word here) could have taken it much above what it has turned out to be, if done better. Also, it's a very slow film, so you might want to rethink about the repeat viewing. The film is about Mengju, an old woman suffering from stomach cancer. A college dropout, M, greedily volunteers to become Mengju's carer, hoping to inherit her estate. During this process, he grows close to her, and she also starts liking him. M wants to sell her house but doesn't succeed. One of Mengju's sons shows up to take care of her, but she denies and prefers to live with M. However, after a while, M is left disheartened when Mengju gives the deed of her house to Soei. After parting ways, M comes back home, and Mengju is taken to a nursing home. M meets and brings her to his house before she could take her last breath. What will M get after all? You'll get the answer in the climax, and you'll know why I used "plot" in the headline. It definitely leaves you emotional since we all have that bonding with our grandparents and vice versa. This relationship starts when we are kids and then are in their 40-50s; it ends when we are in our 30s and they are in the 80s. In our childhood, they take care of us, and in their last days, we have to take care of them. Simple emotions, simple equations, and simple words make it effective. The film lacks enough pacing, though, which bores you a little. Nonetheless, it's a good watch for young audiences as well as their parents and grandparents. But yes, it could have been better. Half a star extra for that "bond."
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Sommarnattens leende (1955)
Ingmar Bergan's seductive and intellectual affair of flagitious love
Sommarnattens leende / Smiles Of A Summer Night (1955) :
Brief Review -
Ingmar Bergan's seductive and intellectual affair of flagitious love. Smiles Of A Summer Night may please Swedish master Bergman's fans, but I am not quite sure how others will take it. To put it in short, a stepmother elopes with her stepson. Now tell me, can you accept this? If yes, then watch it and enjoy. If not, then it's not really recommended. Bergman still makes it very intellectual with his conversions and practical theories that are too bold and dishonest considering the actual purity of love. A woman is with her husband on bed; they are kissing, and she asks if he will be jealous if she'd fancy his son. That's a big joke, if you ask me. Such disgraceful conversation continues throughout the film, but there is a funny layer to it. You are free to slam them; I won't say that you have to like them. Now, coming to the other part of genius Bergman's storytelling method, you see, there are a total of 4 women and 4 men in the beginning, and they all seem to have a romantic partner or crush. However, at the climax, you see all of them ending up with different partners, and yet the director attempts to glorify the entire thing. That's some creativity, but it's stupidity too. There's this actress, a beautiful and careless woman who can't be loyal to anybody, but she loves the lawyer. Charlotte is too fake and helpless-a disgrace to feminism, I guess. In one scene, she talks about herself as a "dog" to her man and is okay with him having affairs with other women. My blood was boiling at that moment. Anne is too little and too innocent to expect anything intelligent from her, and Fredrik was literally made a cuckold and still didn't utter a word. Bergman's love stories aren't about decency, but indecency. So it's okay if people with decency don't like it.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Lubber Pandhu (2024)
More cricketing thrills and drama than scripted IPL matches.
Lubber Pandhu (2024) :
Brief Review -
More cricketing thrills and drama than scripted IPL matches. Tamizharasan Pachamuthu has made a sensational debut with a highly unconventional sports drama, and I think this guy will go way ahead of his contemporaries. So, the idea of merging cricket with family drama, rivalry, ego battle, and romance is quite unique for Indian cinema. We have a sports epic like Lagaan, but that's a plain story driven by period drama. Lubber Pandhu starts off as a cricket rivalry between two local giants; one is a great batsman and the other is a great bowler, and then brings two love stories torn by this obsession with the sport. A small verbal fight between them takes things to a whole new level in the future, and there is that casteism issue too. I don't really think that casteism or honor ego was so effective for a local cricket tournament. But the way it explains the importance of talent is really something meaningful and socially encouraging. The film is lengthy and very predictable with all that romance, flirting, longing, parting, and reconciliation, which looks mediocre occasionally. Nonetheless, the dramatic crafting of this highly engaging storyline makes it a clear winner. That interval block, when Gethu is about to smash the winning trophy to show his frustration after getting out of the field, sees a side view of his close aide getting smashed by the opponent and line down on the floor. The cinematographer and director deserve one big award doll just for that one scene. Talking of flaws, the comedy falls flat and the romance is too cheesy. I tell you, I have seen the same visuals in almost every romantic song here and there. The climax plays a small but impactful twist on a sensitive topic like "equality" for talents in sports, and you find yourself cutely grinning with "the end." Well played, Pachamuthu.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Meiyazhagan (2024)
Maharaja and Meiyazhagan, Tamil cinema has two best films of the year in India; unlikely to be topped.
Meiyazhagan (2024) :
Brief Review -
Maharaja and Meiyazhagan, Tamil cinema has two best films of the year in India; unlikely to be topped. Usually, Malayalam cinema features at the top of the best films list yearly, but it seems that this year Tamil cinema is doing the job right. There is a word called "sentimental fool," and so there has to be an antonym, "sentimental genius." If you have a heart, you understand nostalgia, and if you are a sentimental genius, then keep a box of tissues ready before watching Meiyazhagan. What Malyalam masterpiece #Home (2021) did a couple of years to me, Meiyazhagan did the same this year. I have a few films that I'd like to recommend to my children when they grow up, just to make sure that they understand the nostalgia. Hollywood's "I Remember Mama (1948) is one such film, and the other one is the Italian classic "Cinema Paradiso" (1988) because I love "cinema." There is a Marathi flick "Pimpal" (2017). Similarly, Meiyazhagan is special because I love "nostalgia." It happens to many people that they have to leave their house because of property issues, and their life changes forever. Their dreams change; what's left are memories. But God is kind enough to make good people to be remembered by others. In this film, this Arul is that guy, and he is remembered by his younger cousins, uncle, and even the lady he was supposed to marry. That wedding gift scene will have everyone in tears, and so will the cycle scene. The BGM and song do the needful. It's also about how you assume the past memories while watching those scenes because the level of emotional attachment depends on it. Also, I believe that it was a very relatable subject. Who knows, it can happen to me tomorrow. That's life. A couple of flaws in the storytelling and writing don't make it anything less than a great flick; it's just that I wanted it to be even greater. Believe me, you'll do yourself a great favor by watching this soothing drama full of goodwill and human values.
RATING - 8/10*
By - #samthebestest.
The Big Sky (1952)
Learn the new methods of Western from none other than Howard Hawks.
The Big Sky (1952) :
Brief Review -
Learn the new methods of Western from none other than Howard Hawks. There is one dialogue at the end of the film that goes something like this: "Two men are friends, and the woman comes in and they are not friends anymore." Many people might think of something else while reading this, but the actual meaning of it is different in the film. There is this woman who has just gotten married and had her honeymoon night, but the next day her husband is leaving her for the group of men and money (that's all we can assume in that situation). The second man, who is his good friend, is unhappy because he thought he'd never leave that woman if she had married him. Do you see the metaphor that it's not that these two men are fighting with each other to win the woman, but they are distant because one makes a mistake and the other friend is worried about him but can't tell him that? Hawks played with a subtle message here, and it hasn't been a regular thing for Western genre flicks back then. I can remember many westerns where a man leaves a woman for dignity, or his friend leaves a girl, or sometimes it's the woman who has to leave her lover, but here, Hawks added that repulsive friendship angle with a different twist. The rest of the plot is quite similar to any adventure western flick of the time, but it's not that entertaining. It's dramatic and tad slow at times. I think watching "Red River" (1948) made me feel so because the expedition part seemed so familiar here. Kirk Douglas and Dewey Martin created a good friendship bond, and Elizabeth Threatt as a Blackfoot woman even in black and white format. She looked even more gorgeous when she returned to her tent and wore all that jewelry. Arthur Hunnicutt was top-notch as Zeb-by far the most knowledgeable and intellectual person in the entire film. Howard Hawks' flick slips at places but covers all those flippers in the last 10 minutes. Watch it to learn the new wave Western cinema of the time.
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Fires Were Started (1943)
British cinema brings the hunting story of Firefighters with uttermost reality!
Fires Were Started (1943) :
Brief Review -
British cinema brings the hunting story of Firefighters with uttermost reality! I came to know about Humphrey Jennings' "Fires Were Started" from the 1001 Movies You Must Watch Before You Die list, a list that I don't really agree much with, and now I'm glad about it. A film with no big star or budget managed to do so well with the experimental product. We have all seen firefighters in our lives, but not the struggle and hard work they had to do. Luckily, we are living in normal times, so just imagine what their situations would have been during World War 2. This film shows you that. It not only shows, but also makes you feel the blitz, fire, heat, and pain. Set amidst WW II, Fires Were Started tells you the story of firefighters as they tackle The Blitz with all their strength. The women are also involved as telephone operators, but they weren't any less to the men. In one scene, the bomb is thrown at a woman while she is speaking on the phone, but still she doesn't reveal it to another soldier on the call. She takes a moment to get up and then talks on the phone as if nothing happened. True spirit redefined! The men are also full of courage, spirit, and patriotism. They sing, dance, drink, eat, and go on the field to do their duty without asking a single question. Rock-solid persona redefined. Humphrey Jennings played a smart trick by taking the real men for the job instead of trained artists. It would have been more dramatic with trained actors with retakes and all, but the realistic touch would not have been there. These real firefighters brought that here. The film is shot in a docudrama style, bringing more of that realistic feel. Jennings fell short on artistic aspects, though, and also the screenplay in the first 30 minutes. Rest; it's a jittering story that all should see at least once.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Mon oncle (1958)
Jacques Tati's pathbreaking mix of art cinema and futuristic comedy. Deserved every single pound of that Oscars doll!
Mon Oncle / My Uncle (1958) :
Brief Review -
Jacques Tati's pathbreaking mix of art cinema and futuristic comedy. Deserved every single pound of that Oscars doll! So I just can't understand how Tati managed to think out of the world in the comedy genre like this. I mean, this is crazy; this is stupendous; this is insanely creative. Comedy is often termed a timepass genre for something that's not very creative, but look at this film. I hardly can remember any comedy film being shaped as an art cinema piece, and here is that rare combo lying in front of my eyes. Many people compared Monsieur Hulot with Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, and some even called this character a great mix of those two comedy legends. Personally, I'd like to keep Hulot as an individual and its own character because, for me, Keaton and Chaplin are simply unmatchable and untouchable. Jacques Tati as Hulot is amazing; I agree, and I'd love to shout it loudly if you want, but you don't compare him with Keaton and Chaplin; no freaking way! More than an actor, it's Tati's direction that sets this film apart and much higher than contemporary comedies. I can name at least a dozen classic comedies from that period, but none was so creative, artistic, and futuristic like this. The way that home was designed, the use of sound, the technology, the silent moments, keeping dialogue low and literally inaudible at times, situational gags, and artistic and socialist touches to every single scene we see-that's too much to take from a 1958 film; I can't even imagine any film achieving so many features even today, in 2024. But yes, the film could have been 10-15 minutes shorter. If I ever had a hat like Monsieur Hulot, I would have taken it off in the honor of Tati. HATS OFF, MAN. Writing it in capital letters to let you know how strongly I believe in those two words. If you ever want to watch something out of the mainstream in the comedy genre, you cannot miss this one!
RATING - 7.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Viaggio in Italia (1954)
Roberto Rossellini's modernist take on a collapsing marriage is more about unbalanced conversations of couples.
Viaggio in Italia / Journey To Italy (1954) :
Brief Review -
Roberto Rossellini's modernist take on a collapsing marriage is more about unbalanced conversations of couples. Rossellini's Viaggio in Italia is a universally appealing story that almost every couple can relate to. Every couple goes through such a phase when their relationship seems to be collapsing and the conversations are not happening. This film is exactly about that, but the solid characteristics of the leading two characters make it a good watch, rather than the modernist take on Italian sculpture and literature. There is a rational husband and there is a sentimental but egoistic wife, and both are right with whatever stand they take, so I won't blame any one of them. The couple goes on a business trip to Italy and realizes that they are not together but very much alone. The husband tries to have a good time with other girls, making the wife jealous, and then the wife tries to divert her mind to literature and sculpture, which are too depressing. All she sees is skeletons, lava, nudism, and Roman kings who killed their family members. I don't see how that has any connection with the story of a husband and a wife. The rational husband is very brutal, mean, and straightforward about decisions, so he quickly decides about taking a divorce. The sentimental, but equally egoistic, wife tries to mend the situation. What's the use when it all had to end with "I despise you." The sudden reconciliation wasn't adoptive, but fine considering that it happens with many couples. They fight, and they are in love again-it's pretty natural. A good thing is that none of these two ever goes unfaithful. The husband had a chance that night, but he denied an open offer made by a beautiful, lonely, but depressed woman. As a whole, it's a fine film and more like a must-see for couples, but not a great one at all. Almost very good, though.
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Ossessione (1943)
An Italian adaptation of "The Postman Always Rings Twice," which too falls short of the classic "Double Indemnity" (1944).
Ossessione / Obsession (1943) :
Brief Review -
An Italian adaptation of "The Postman Always Rings Twice," which too falls short of the classic "Double Indemnity" (1944). I have seen the English adaptation of The Postman Always Rings Twice and found it lower than Billy Wilder's classic noir "Double Indemnity." There was one more French adaptation that I haven't seen, and it doesn't make much difference since I found the script not that logical. Giovanna, a beautiful young girl, is married to an older and fat man, Giuseppe, who owns a hotel on the roadside. Gino, a wanderer and jobless fella, stops by and finds Gio attractive. Right after the first meeting, they have a sexual encounter and are now attached to each other. Gino wants Gio to run away with him, but she wants security-mostly by money. Gino leaves alone to wander as he always wanted to, and then they meet again. They conspire to murder him and make it look like an accident. After that, Gino has lost his conscience and is always sorrowful. He even begins an affair with another girl when Gio gets pregnant by his child. As the police are after them for murdering Giuseppe, they must find a way to get away from this haunting past. I didn't really like the idea of a man falling in love with a married woman and then getting obsessive about her. Unlike Double Indemnity, the screenplay is too slow here (same with the English adaptation because the story stretches things too long). Also, the moral values are found nowhere. That's where Wilder's classic races ahead by miles and years. Luchino Visconti's film somehow comes to an unapologetic ending, and that too I have seen in "A Place in the Sun" (1951). What was new for me? Nothing. What was interesting, I say. Nothing. Thanks to that morally depressive ending otherwise this was a mediocre affair of two lovers' mad and insensible obsession for each other.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
The Enforcer (1951)
A classic underworld catch-up saga based on one of the most infamous "Murder Inc." trials.
The Enforcer (1951) :
Brief Review -
A classic underworld catch-up saga based on one of the most infamous "Murder Inc." trials. Before watching this film, I didn't know anything about the Murder Inc. Trials. But right after watching the film, I went on to read a few pieces and learned how this group had taken Underworld's image to extremely fearsome levels. Whatever I witnessed in 85 minutes was simply flawless and phenomenal. I can't believe that this film has remained underrated for years. I'd recommend it to every cine lover, especially the ones who like crime mysteries, murder mysteries, and crime noirs. The film sees Humphrey Bogart in one of his best roles ever as District Attorney Martin Ferguson. Martin wants to put Mendoza, the leader of the Underworld gang hired for killing, on the chair but hasn't got a single piece of evidence against him. All his witnesses are either killed or aren't talking. Helpless, Martin still decides to go ahead with another try and gets deep into the case. He finally starts seeing a light of hope in this dark world of crime as we get immersed in an intriguing and thrilling world of crime. The screenplay is superbly written, which doesn't give you a moment to take your eyes off the screen. I don't remember any old Hollywood crime saga or murder mystery so smart with the gang, their codes, and the leader. First, you enjoy the thrills of the murderer not being caught, and when he is caught, you get even bigger shock knowing his theories about murders. "We got no motive," says he, and what an iron-coated line is that. It's so clever and poignant! Boggie's solid performance, pacy screenplay, and sassy, stylish dialogues keep you hooked for 80 minutes. Bretaigne Windust's direction skills take this film to the next level (a special mention to uncredited Raoul Walsh-one of the favorite directors from the B&W era), so please watch it. You can't afford to miss this one.
RATING - 8/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Beat the Devil (1953)
An underrated gem from the golden era! Didn't expect a 50s film to be such an exquisite crime-adventure-comedy.
Beat the Devil (1953) :
Brief Review -
An underrated gem from the golden era! Didn't expect a 50s film to be such an exquisite crime-adventure-comedy. This is a combination to be remembered. It's got some con too, along with crime, adventure, and comedy, and most importantly, it's highly sarcastic about every single conflict in the film. I usually hate watching extramarital affairs or wife swapping in a movie, calling it immoral, dishonest, and whatnot, but this is perhaps one of the rare occasions when I loved it. Billy is married to Maria, and Harry is married to Gwendolen. Soon after their first meeting, Gwendolen and Billy start flirting with each other, and there Maria and Harry find each other interesting. This wife swapping is not kept a secret but is rather spoken openly by them, which makes it comical. The one-liners are hilarious, subtle, and have double meaning too. All eccentric characters and their funnily peculiar behavior make this film extravagantly funny. You'll enjoy every scene, no matter how illogical it is, because you have a concrete theory behind it. Ahmed being lured by the name of Rita Hayward, Peterson's fake confessions, and the way his gang speaks with him and Harry's last sixer on the last ball-everything has a sarcasm, and it's extremely entertaining. The film ends with Billy saying, "This is the end," while his wife faints and Gwendolen is happy, who was in tears a moment ago. What a great shot that was to end it with a bleak spot. We don't really know which wife would go to Harry, and even if you assume that you know, you realize that you are back to the point where things started in their first meeting. That was a masterstroke. Some fantastic performances, top-notch dialogues, overwhelming fun, and John Huston's masterful direction make Beat the Devil an unbeatable gem! Please watch it and learn how it was done back in time.
RATING - 7.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Venom: The Last Dance (2024)
Pretty Ordinary But An Explosive Finale To The Venom Trilogy
Venom: The Last Dance (2024) :
Movie Review -
First of all, I wanna start with Venom 2's end credit scene. So, Venom sees Spider-Man on the TV and says, "This guy..." Black Out- making many of us believe that the next film will feature a face-off between venom and spidey. Where is that? I beg you makers, stop fooling people with end-credit scenes like this. It happens so many times with so many movies. Just stop it at once. Now coming back to Venom The Last Dance, the same Venom, same Eddie, same flat story, but yeah, there is a lot of action on much bigger scale this time. The last 30 minutes of the film take it much higher than expected, and there is some real "carnage," which was missing in Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021). By the way, can these two films swap the titles between each other? Some family swapping kind of thing?
Written by Tom Hardy and Kelly Marcel, Venom The Last Dance begins with Eddie and Venom entering a new timeline. There is this multiverse thing again-needless to say that it's unnecessary. Venom, and by default, Eddie (Tom Hardy), is hunted by the "eternity," named Knull, a thing that made him because he had once saved Eddie by breaking the rules. The codex is at the center as Dr. Payne (Juno Temple) is collecting different kinds of symbiotes in her lab and Soldier Rex (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is searching for Eddie in this dimension. The Eternity is looking for the Codex to bring all symbiotes back to their own world and is too powerful to defeat. There is a twist to this hunt. The hunter cannot trace the symbiote until it is in its full form, and Eddie's human body makes it untraceable. Venom and Eddie are now being chased by the giant creature sent by Knull, a special task force of Rex, and their own local police (from Part 2). How will they escape this three-way cobweb?
To be honest and brutal at the same time, Venom 3 bores you in the first hour with dead humor and flat screenplay. Things just go on and on for no reason, be it the traveling companions to Las Vegas or Mrs. Chen's sudden appearance. The moment Venom dances with Chen, despite knowing that he will be caught by the monster, the film sees a complete shift in the narrative. There is a big gang up in the climax, and we have the grand finale to bid goodbye to this Venom trilogy. Easily, this is the most explosive Venom film in this trilogy, or technically speaking, the most explosive Venom film ever! The basic script can still be overlooked because it hardly matters when it comes to superhero/villain comic book adaptations, but Venom 3 definitely suffers from a poor screenplay. The first half, or to be precise, the first hour (out of 110 minutes of it's runtime) is damn slow and interesting. You can have your nap there, get out and wash your face, and come back and enjoy a whole bucket of popcorn for the next 30 minutes.
Tom Hardy's appearance looked a bit fat and rotten in the beginning considering the superpowers he holds, but soon after the airplane scene, you get used to it until he gets a new, handsome look in Las Vegas. His dialogue delivery looked fine compared to the previous film, but the engaging conversations with Venom were missing and not that funny. Chiwetel Ejiofor was good, Juno Temple was impressive (watch out for the twist in the end), and Rhys Ifans came as quite a surprise. Stephen Graham's character wasn't justified well enough, while Peggy Lu hardly appears for 4-5 minutes but looks "hot" in a red dress. Alanna Ubach and Cristo Fernández were decent, and Andy Serkis is Knull, the Eternity, but do we get to see his face?
The major highlight of the film is the visual extravaganza in the last half an hour. It's a nice pleasure as a movie buff to see multiple venoms fighting multiple creatures that are indestructible. Having them colored differently as per their characteristics was one more unique thing to see. We have a power-packed finale, but for what? Does that really make it look great? You watch it and decide for yourself, but my answer is, "It's strictly okay. Better call it ordinary." The cinematography and sound effects were looking good, while the 3D effects aren't up to the mark. You know how annoying it is to see a film in IMAX 3D when the screen ratio is not fully covered and adjusted as per the IMAX screen size. For dialogues, I'd say, "Cut that shiit out, man. You could have done much better." I mean, I hardly had 3 laughs in the entire film. Kelly Marcel debuts as a director with Venom: The Last Dance, so I am not really shocked why it felt underwhelming even after providing such a grand finale. The immaturity and incompleteness in her direction are visible out there on the screen. You can feel that there is something missing, and I say it's the director's touch that we are missing. Despite the bad start, Kelly covered a few things with fantastic action sequences, so let's give her for that. Rest, it's an ordinary flick with some explosive fireworks in the last quarter.
RATING - 5/10*
The Ladies Man (1961)
The king of comedy Jerry Lewis saves a girlie comedy despite being a man
The Ladies Man (1961) :
Brief Review -
The king of comedy Jerry Lewis saves a girlie comedy despite being a man. This idea of a man surrounded by a lot of girls and still not being interested in girls is really something. It gets you going on with things, no matter how childish or chic it looks. Jerry Lewis plays a man ditched/cheated (still not sure) by his girl, "Faith," who gets heartbroken on his graduation day. The next moment we see Jerry in a woman's getup and things going astray. However, the next buildup is interesting. He is searching for a job, and every job he goes after has a girl hugging and kissing him-the very thing he doesn't want at this moment. He reads a board saying, "A young bachelor wanted," and sees an old lady, calling it "I'm safe." My LOL moment. In the same scene, he is asked to show references, and he reads something that he only wrote and even goes on to tell it to the lady. The lady starts crying after listening to his breakup story, and I was laughing. She hires him without telling him the job. The next day, he wakes up with all the girls in the hostel. He becomes an errand boy; they all pretend to need him so that he can stay there on the job. That's all we have as far as the script part goes, while the screenplay brings some funny scenes set in the same scenario. George Raft, the TV show, and The Date are three big funny scenes, and they are genuinely good, if not hilarious. But besides that, the film is full of mediocrity. Jerry Lewis comes to save the day. It's barely 95 minutes, and thank God, it's not long. It might have been worse then. All the girls look lovely and bring some delightful visuals. But the comedy portion isn't really delightful. I wish the writer would have given them some funny scenes rather than making them overact in the "girls will be girls" pattern. Lewis saves it as an actor, but not as a director. The direction is full of flaws, and you can't overlook them. Yet, it's a decent flick, thanks to Lewis only.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.