Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

I have been meaning to write about this movie for over a year, and am finally getting down to it. I love the collaborations between Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio and ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ was the best opportunity of them all – Martin Scorsese collaborating with both in the same project.

The movie is based on a book, and focuses on a series of murders of the Osage tribe members in the 1920s. The Osage Nation was transformed post the discovery of oil, and attracted the attention of a corrupt political boss.

DiCaprio’s character is a World War 1 veteran who comes back to stay with his uncle, the corrupt political boss, played by De Niro. Aided by the brainwashing of his uncle, he then gets romantically involved with Lily Gladstone’s character (a refreshing performance and casting), gets married and then has children with her.

Gladstone’s character belongs to the Osage tribe, and one by one, members of her family are found mysteriously dead. Thelma Schoonmaker’s movie editing kept me on the edge, waiting to see what happens next. Watch the movie to see how the story unfolds, the role that Brendan Fraser plays as De Niro’s lawyer (I loved this casting too) and the references to J. Edgar Hoover’s role. As an aside, I was reminded of DiCaprio’s portrayal of J. Edgar Hoover in Clint Eastwood’s ‘J. Edgar’.

Via ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’, I got to know about some Native American customs. I also got to know about the impact and occurrence of diabetes among Native Americans. It was moving to see Gladstone’s character suffer because of the illness and her criminal husband, and heartening to see the quick recovery she makes when agents of the Bureau of Investigation help her.

I had noticed DiCaprio’s stained teeth in the movie, and recollect reading a review mentioning the same point. His handsome face acquired a different character because of this. The scene where he gets paddled is menacing, and yet again I marvelled at how Scorsese depicts violence. I also noticed Gladstone’s beautiful smile and expression in one scene (when she is driven in a motorcar), and later read that it was a spontaneous and unplanned reaction that was retained in the final cut.

I highly recommend watching this movie. The IMDB rating is now 7.6.

Beautiful Boy (2018)

When I logged into Prime after long, I came across ‘Beautiful Boy’ starring Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet. I like both performers, and started watching the movie without knowing anything about it. The pace of the movie startled me, and I then looked it up – the movie is based on books written by David and Nic Sheff, and portrays the impact of drug addiction on addicts and their families.

When I started undergoing treatment for mental health issues, I was angry that substance abuse is also considered a mental health disorder. My mind kept saying, “They have control over the intake, unlike my issues”. Now, I know better. Many addicts have other mental health issues as well, and it is saddening to think of what they go through.

I can’t say I can relate to substance abuse, but given my struggles with excessive sugar intake for the past 5 years, I understand substance abuse a bit more. It takes courage to admit to the issue, take steps to overcome the addiction, and stay clean for long periods. Family support can make a difference, as can psychological counselling.

Coming back to the movie, I loved the portrayal of the relationship of Timothy’ character with his stepmom and step-siblings, the difficult bond between the father and the son (the father desperately wants to help, but is unable to), the impact of drugs on academics and work. Timothy is already lean and he lost weight further for his role as the drug addict. This is the scary part for me always – when actors take their roles seriously and look the part.

The movie reminded me of ‘Requiem for a dream’ and Jared Leto’s heroin addicted character, and I know Jared is far more impactful. ‘Beautiful Boy’ is more for the parents who struggle with their children becoming addicts, who need to accept the low recovery rates, and who end up questioning their upbringing style.

As per John Hopkins, a nationally representative survey of more than 2,300 Americans, fielded in spring 2023, suggests that 32 percent of the U.S. adult population, or an estimated 82.7 million individuals, has lost someone they know to a fatal drug overdose. It makes me want to look up for India data, and I will do so sometime. This is not a holiday-season movie, but worth a watch.

Angry Young Men (2024)

On one of the WhatsApp groups I am a part of, there are regular discussions on OTT watches. Since I am not a regular consumer of OTT content, I don't engage. However, every once in a while, a recommendation catches my eye and I plan to watch.

"Angry Young Men' was one such recommendation.

I am not sure why this docu-series will have multiple seasons. The three episodes of Season 1 explore different aspects of the legendary partnership between Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, and how they jointly delivered 20 hit movies. They made film writing a cool profession (and lucrative atleast for them), and the lines they have written continue to resonate after decades.

The docu-series has been produced by their children - Salman Khan, Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar. Their children got a headstart that they didn't enjoy, and it is fascinating to see how powerful families in Bollywood behave.

I used to be a huge fan of Amitabh Bachchan, until I read film gossip that he has treated women badly. His name surfaced during the #MeToo allegations too. Salim - Javed scripted movies played a big role in him becoming Big B. He makes an appearance in the docu-series, along with his wife and children.

Both Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar have been married twice, with Javed Akhtar taking a divorce. I wish Salma Khan too had been interviewed, the way Helen, Honey Irani and Shabana Azmi have. Outwardly, the wives have peaceful coexistence. Javed is an atheist, so it isn't due to influence of the religion he was born into. I found it interesting that Salim initially refused to be a witness in Javed's wedding as he was superstitious - marriages didn't last when he was a witness.

Both writers were considered overconfident and arrogant, and Javed makes a reference- "We underestimated the impact of goodwill"

"Mere paas Ma Hai" - this line covers so much about their relationship with their mothers. In so many of their movies, the mother figure has a central role in the stories.

Javed mentions- "Anyone who has experienced extreme deprivation of food and sleep is not the same again". He tears up as he talks about how he feels he doesn't deserve 5-star treatment.

I liked the analysis on the women characters in their movies. I also liked that Hema Malini's Basanti was an inspiration to Kareena Kapoor's Geet. No wonder I liked both characters :)

Their stories have provided livelihood to many, and inspiration too. May we continue to see writers and stories flourish.

Hindi movie fans, do watch.

Challengers (2024)

Earlier this year, when I saw pictures of Zendaya at the Monte-Carlo Open, I wasn't sure why there was as much focus. Later, I got to know about 'Challengers', the tennis-based movie in which she stars. I then saw that On Running, owned by Roger Federer, has a brand partnership with Zendaya. That was enough to get me interested in watching the movie.

For a change, I could recognise the brand placements in the movie. Nike, Adidas, Uniqlo, Head, Wilson, Babolat, On Running - all were familiar. Also familiar was the US Open background, with JPMorgan featuring prominently.

I loved the script - all three main characters are fleshed out well - and I loved most of the tennis sequences. Brad Gilbert has played a part in making the tennis look authentic, and code violations are introduced well. It was interesting to see that the female lead is the most tennis obsessed of the three. Perhaps the most talented too, with her career cut short by injury. I also liked that she is a Black woman.

The movie explores love triangles, male jealousy, sexual tension, financial stability cleverly, and shows how fights before crucial matches can have career-threatening impact. One wrong move, one serious injury and suddenly life changes dramatically.

I liked how the man-child authentically responds to him being called one. "I have played with a ball and racquet all my life". Perhaps he didn't charm only the characters in the movie :)

I am expecting the movie to get an Oscar nod for the script. Let's go!

Fighter (2024)

Thanks to my following Hrithik Roshan on Instagram, I heard and watched 'Sher Khul Gaye' in December 2023. The song is catchy, though I wondered how it would fit into the 'Fighter' story that seemed to have a link to the Indian Air Force, and was going to be released close to Jan 26, 2024. Soon, I started getting recommendations of multiple videos where people were dancing to the hook step. There is even a video featuring Tiger Shroff.

I watched practically every recommended video. However, I didn't watch the movie in the theatre - a combination of busy weekends and ill health prevented me from doing so. I waited for the OTT release and watched it within a day.

To my utter surprise, I found the movie's pace and storyline gripping - it is a well-written movie and looked authentic for the most part. I got to know later that Indian Air Force cadets were part of the movie. 'Top Gun' style, Hrithik Roshan "Patty" is the Maverick of the team who expectedly carries grief and is romantically unavailable. Right from the start, Deepika Padukone "Mini" pursues him, he admits he likes her and acknowledges her sarcasm and wit, and yet the relationship doesn't get a name or move ahead for the most part. I wouldn't say their chemistry is the best I have seen, but they are united in grief and I liked how they shed tears at different junctures. Both have lovely, expressive eyes.

Even if it is pleasurable as ever to watch Hrithik dance, almost all the songs could have been done away with as they didn't move the story ahead one bit. Hrithik turned 50 this year, so hearing him being referred to as 'Young Man!' is a bit jarring. I still can't prevent myself from keeping track of his age, and it is scary to think 'Kaho Naa.. Pyaar Hai' was released 24 years ago.

I liked that one chopper pilot is female who fights with her family to pursue her ambition. I liked how the 'Goose' storyline has a happy ending. I liked the casting of all parents in the movie - each one of them looked authentic. I was thankful they didn't show torture scenes in explicit detail.

'Fighter' is going to be a series, and since Deepika is expecting a baby later this year, I wonder if she will feature in the remainder of the series. It will be a nice touch to show her on maternity leave.

I hope to watch the next one in the series in the theatre. Only if it stars Hrithik Roshan. Maybe they will get him to age, like the original Maverick.

Federer: Twelve Final Days (2024)

When I got to know that there is a documentary being filmed on Roger Federer, I was excited. It was going to be released on 20th June 2024 to the public, and I wanted to watch it on the same day, particularly as I was anticipating the day to be tough for other reasons.

As things turned out, the day wasn’t tough and I postponed the decision to watch the documentary. I thought I’d be able to do so before Wimbledon 2024, and started watching. Then the tournament began, I was hoping that #8 remained as the record, and I focused on watching Alcaraz live.

Finally, I completed watching the documentary today.

I was thrilled to see that it is an Asif-Kapadia directed documentary – I loved ‘Senna’ and expected excellence here too. I knew Rafael Nadal would be shown in good light, but didn’t expect the portrayal of Novak Djokovic to be as good. It was a nice touch.

“I am glad to be retiring before all of them”

“I spent time without them on the tour. It is their turn now”

What surprised me is the f-bombs thrown by Federer, and yes Nadal J

IMDB currently rates it at 7.3. I am curious to know what is the reaction of a non-tennis fan to this documentary. There is a bit of history in it, with the Laver era and Borg era getting limelight. 

Federer fans, surely watch it.

Dunki (2023)

Despite being a SRK fan, when ‘Dunki’ was released in theatres in December 2023, I decided to wait for the OTT release. The sibling watched the movie and enjoyed it a lot. As for me, the story is different.

I watched the movie on my 9-year old laptop with my mother and maternal grandmother for company. My laptop needs replacement, and I am almost stubbornly wanting it to last 1 more year before I do so. The result is that it keeps getting updated – I dutifully pay the MS license fee - but has a mind of its own.

Let me not get side-tracked with its story.

‘Dunki’ has a great premise – it intends telling the story of poor, illegal immigrants who make use of the ‘donkey flight’ technique to move out of India. While there are moments of disbelief regarding the change of clothes that the characters repeatedly obtain, there is a scene in the container with human faeces getting spilled. That was the moment I started paying more attention.

It was moving to see all the characters learn English to obtain student visas, most of them get rejected because what they learn isn’t enough, and then opt for the donkey flight as it seems the only way out. Once they reach their intended destination, more struggles await them. One of them works as a living statue (he is the only one who gets the visa), another is advised to do a sham marriage with a drug addict. As for the third, he can’t bear to see his mother wear pants and work in a factory in Laltu, and the way he expresses his anguish is sad.

Post the rejection of his visa, there is one character who dies by suicide - he doesn’t reach on time to save his ex-girlfriend who is a victim of domestic violence. This storyline moved me the most.

Then, of course, there is SRK. A former Indian soldier, he is patriotic to the core and wouldn’t lie about how his country treats him. He stays unmarried as his lover decides that moving out of India is the best course of action for her, and both lie to each other about being married to other people. Finally, they are briefly united in India before she dies of a brain tumour.

It is SRK’s character graph that left me truly disappointed. Sparkling wit is mostly missing, the love story doesn’t inspire – even if he prevents his lover from being raped, and the dramatic end to his lover is unnecessary. I couldn’t help think if he had been given a special appearance role as the IELTS teacher, it would have been more impactful.

If the movie worked for you, drop me a line, will you?