Oscars 2021 nominated animation shorts: A chronicle of enslavement and rebellion stands out in this eclectic collection
From Opera to Yes People, here are reviews of all the nominees in the Best Short Film - Animation category at Oscars 2021.
The Big Bull movie review: A 'Harshad Mehta' biopic that ties itself in knots to seem balanced
The Big Bull's questionable production values – including glaring use of CGI – stare off the screen from pretty early in the narrative.
Pagglait movie review: A clear-eyed view of funeral politics and an unsparing gaze on the living
Pagglait is not without hitches, but it is all heart with substance to match.
Varthamanam movie review: Parvathy’s sweetness and a gutsy anti-fascist stand are let down by awkward execution
Varthamanam is pulled down by awkward writing, uneven casting, disjointed editing and half-hearted direction
Musical Chair movie review: Unexpectedly amusing yet thoughtful tale of a man who fears death
Musical Chair is a philosophical yet unpretentious film that has a sense of humour but does not poke fun at its petrified hero.
Vasanthi movie review: When the writing of the woman is the weak spot in a ‘woman-centric’ film
Vasanthi, which won the Best Film trophy at the last Kerala State Film Awards, is an experimental venture about the men who pass through the eponymous heroine’s life.
Vaanku movie review: Under-par filmmaking undermines a special story of a young woman who wants to recite the azaan
The over-arching issue with Vaanku is the shallow characterisation of the female lead.
The Girl on the Train movie review: Parineeti Chopra’s sincere performance is derailed by lacklustre storytelling
In the midst of lack of originality and spark, Parineeti Chopra somehow manages to shine as the troubled heroine of The Girl on the Train.
Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam movie review: Deliciously cheeky yet debatable take-down of the romanticisation of parenthood
While the characterisation of the woman is troubling, I love the ways in which the script snubs its nose at the conventional social romanticisation of parenthood.
Drishyam 2 movie review: Mohanlal is back in a surprisingly satisfying sequel to a spectacular first film
Mohanlal and Jeethu Joseph are back together and theydunnit again in Drishyam 2: The Resumption
Biriyaani movie review: Kani Kusruti’s eyes are giant pools of desolation in a portrait of a woman under siege
Kani Kusruti’s performance in Biriyaani is as potent as the story Sajin Baabu tells
Hasyam movie review: Jayaraj captures the banality of callousness through a tragi-comic tale of a cadaver agent
Although Hasyam sets out to invoke hasya rasa, it elicits a range of moods including, in my case, bewilderment at my lack of revulsion towards the oddballs in this story.
Lahore Confidential movie review: A ham-handed spy flick from the man who once gave us Fanaa
Lahore Confidential is an espionage thriller starring Richa Chadha and Arunoday Singh that is too tepid to even be infuriating.
Kilometers and Kilometers movie review: Tovino Thomas’ darlingness shields The Great Indian Kitchen’s director on a half-day
Not every film can be as cerebral as Jeo Baby’s most celebrated work, but Kilometers and Kilometers does not even try much.
The Power movie review: Vidyut Jammwal and Shruti Haasan are powerless in the face of a generic, dated script
The Power is engaging to begin with, but as it rolls along it becomes clear that it falls in the ‘if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen ’em all’ category of underworld dramas. At two-and-a-half hours, it is also too long.
Nail Polish movie review: Manav Kaul screams subtlety in a restrained and engaging psychological thriller
Nail Polish touches upon aspects of sexual violence rarely discussed in Hindi cinema or in Indian society at large.
Best Bollywood Films 2020: Monkey chasers, a woman in the sky and a wife for whom one slap was one too many
Here are my picks of the best among the Hindi releases of 2020, from Thappad to Gunjan Saxena, Eeb Allay Ooo! and Raat Akeli Hai.
Coolie No. 1 movie review: Varun and Sara, here’s a question after I watched the film – why?
In Coolie No. ItShouldNeverHaveBeenDone, the pace lags, the worn-out formulae are a bore, Dhawan Junior is off colour, Sara Ali Khan is a mere glamorous prop looking bizarre in the kind of outfits that looked awful when Karisma Kapoor wore them in the 1990s and are just as horrendous in 2020.
Indian films that sparked the critic in me: Raj Kapoor’s Awara swings between feminism and romanticising intimate-partner violence
When you love a film, it is tempting to gloss over its failings. When you love an artist, it is tempting to pretend that they are perfect. To do so is dangerous and untruthful though. Raj Kapoor and Awara were wonderful, but they were also not.
Laxmii movie review: Akshay Kumar’s torturous acting and loud storytelling drown out every good intention in the script
Laxmii’s shrillness overshadows its purported goal of representing trans persons on screen and ends up further otherising this ostracised community.