Latha's Movie Companion
The magical world of the movies interpreted in my way. Its a simple expression of ‘How I feel about the Film’ and ‘Why I feel that way’.
As Adoor Gopalakrishnan says, Work of art will feel differently to different people depending on their outlook of life‘, I am humbled in sharing my feelings about the film and attempt to express the reasons behind it as honestly as possible. My interpretation is ‘time bound’ and is limited to my life’s experiences. As I grow and my horizon’s expand, my view my stand different.
But I am happy to create this ‘time capsule’, to record how I feel right NOW, to interestingly to go back and compare it later.
Glad you are part of this journey.
Happy watching.
2021, Tamil, Amazon Prime, 9.1/10, Directed by Pa. Ranjith A sport film that does complete justice to the Boxing sport it features and sweeps the audiences with its authentic representation of the intriguing ‘Boxing Clans’ that existed in north madras in the 70’s. A talented ensemble that lets you sample the lives of people of … Read moreSarpatta Parambarai
2021, Amazon Prime, 8.8/10 IMDB, Directed by Mahesh Narayanan Malayalam industry’s pragmatic representation of ‘The Godfather’ premise, that attempts to breath life in to the classic template, with its very own coastal politics backdrop, touching upon Manirathnam’s Nayagan. The film’s soul remains truly loyal to the God’s own country’s peculiar notion of realism and might … Read moreMalik
2015, French, Netflix, 7.2/10 IMDB, Jacques Audiard A honest hard-hitting story on political asylum seekers, that leaves you dumbstruck with its authentic representation of the predicaments of the unfortunates, whose pain we pretended to be ‘aware of’ all these days. The winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2015 Cannes, showcases incredible talents on screen … Read moreDheepan
2021, Malayalam, Amazon Prime, 6.9/10 IMDB, Directed by Rohith V. S A brutal version of a simple tale, that urges you to avert the screen quite often, but the proficiency in making, glues you right back, as it is riveting to see ‘nature’ being a silent onlooker to the consequences of the genetically hard-wired human … Read moreKala
English, Documentary, Netflix, 8.1/10 IMBD, Directed by Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed An intriguing log book, that turns a memoir, when God’s creativity flabbergasts the viewers with the similarities of the intelligent invertebrates to the humans. Life never ceases to teach you- not only the fittest survive but also the smartest. It does seem an extension … Read moreMy Octopus Teacher
2021, Malayalam, Netflix, 8.2 IMDB, Directed by Martin Prakkat An atypical backlash that interestingly represents the faceless bureaucrats, who are customarily tainted, both in films and the real lives. A genuine attempt to unveil the truth ‘on the other side of the story’ that, forever remains gray - a horrifying paradox of the impotent ‘protectors’ … Read moreNayattu
2020, Marathi, Netflix, 7.2/10 IMDB, Directed by Chaitanya Tamhane A compendium of a young boy’s misplaced tenacity, who is ‘lost’ in the process of mastering an art form, as he finds himself trapped in a vicious routine of attempting to become the best. A hard hitting crux, a universal prototype of the ‘lacklustre-beings’ who are … Read moreThe Disciple
2020, English, Disney Hotstar, 7.5/10 IMDB, Directed by ChloĂ© Zhao While the pandemic ridden world around you speak, what a fine work of art this Oscar winning film ‘Nomadland’ is, the film is deeply disturbing as it communicates volumes of personalized emotions. The film calmly challenges the very basic driving force of millions across the … Read moreNomadland
2021, Tamil, Netflix, 8.5IMDB, Directed by Madonne Ashwin A satire that doesn’t just stop at mocking the infamous tryst of cash-for-votes in the state, but also comes a full circle in chalking out a plan to outsmart the politicians, thwacking some sensitive issues on the go, from rural toilets to caste discrimination. The debut director … Read moreMandela
2021, Tamil, 9/10 IMDB, Directed by Mari Selvaraj A rumination of the forgotten people’s war of a 90’s village, captured artistically, turning the table for the oppressed. Albeit the disclaimer trying to cover up the anxiety of seeking justification and safely calls their work a fictional one, the makers succeed in reiterating and voicing out … Read moreKarnan
2021,Malayalam, Netflix, 7/10 IMBD, Directed by Naseef Yusuf Izuddin Besides the concoction of semiotic denotations and connotations, and a deal of intertwining indexes and symbols- there seems a sincere attempt to denaturalize the myth of conveying terror ideologies, through a refreshing brew of innovative templates. The film opens, sans any boring prologue, with Alex’s (Soubin … Read moreIrul
2019, Hindi, Netflix, 7.4/10 IMDB, Directed by Prateek Vats A prying gaze in to the devolution of humans, aping the apes, for a living, in the name of ‘Monkey-Repelling’ jobs in the capital city. The film blurs the already thin divide that exists between the lives of the downtrodden and that of the animals on … Read moreEeb Allay Ooo
2021, Malayalam, Amazon Prime, 8.8/10 IMDB, Directed by Jeethu Joseph The resumption sequel is nearly at par with the nine year old flick that caused a stir in the pan Indian film industry, except for the wearisome sequences that lay hold of nearly one-third of the film. The aesthetics, the characters, the house, the tea … Read moreDrishyam 2
2021, Tamil, 7.7/10 IMDB, Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj A mafia story of juvenile delinquency, starts as a copy of the film ‘Petta’. Travels in an untrodden terrain for its lead actor and even manages to gain mileage with the overpowering antagonist. Sadly, the epilogue succumbs to wordplay rather than remaining truthful to resolving the crux … Read moreMaster
2021, Malayalam, Neestream, 8.4/10 IMDB, Directed by Joe Baby Moral authorities of patriarchy, de-skinned without much melodrama, through the perspective of a young woman of the 3rd millennium. The 2020 film ‘Thappad’ focused on patriarchy that was instilled in the system of young girls, since their childhood. Whereas, the maker of ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’ … Read moreThe Great Indian Kitchen
2020, Hindi, Netflix, 7.3/10 IMBD, Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane A Cinema VĂ©ritĂ© kind realistic film without much embellishments, disappoints when it yields to the template of ‘The Hero’s Journey’. Yogita Bihani with her camera, shadowing the director 24X7, feels more like a virtual extension of the Netflix’s ‘Creative Indian’ series, that featured Anurag Kashyap in … Read moreAK Vs AK
2020, Tamil, Anthology, Netflix, 8.3/10 IMBD Directed by Sudha Konkara, Vignesh Sivan, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Vetrrimaran An Anthology on ‘honor killing’, that houses extreme emotions ranging from humor (yes) to sending some chills down the spine. A northern girl in her 20s, asked me, “How can honor killing happen in the south with such high … Read morePaava Kadhaigal
2020, Tamil, Netflix, 7.9/10 IMDB, Directed by V. Vignarajam A technically mesmerizing suspense thriller that masters parallel editing and extends a surreal experience, that overrides the mundane supernatural phenomena, through its convincing ‘willful suspension of disbelief’. The supernatural phenomena of the dead communicating through an interesting medium is the theme. The audience are sucked in … Read moreAndhaghaaram
2019, Marathi, 5.1/10 IMDB, Netflix, Directed by Aruna Raje A beautifully choregraphed film, that claims love and sex are two different things by adorning feminism and redefining chauvinism while at it. A seemingly simple story of a feminist lawyer, Sunandha played by Usha Jadhav, has many layers to it. She is a dalit rape victim … Read moreFirebrand
2020, Tamil, Disney Hotstar, 8.1/10 IMDB, Directed by RJ Balaji, N.J . Saravanan A ‘cautiously’ made satire film, that ends up a tad preachy and not as fun as the director’s previous outing in spite of ‘Goddess’ Nayantara. The much hyped trailer, dulls the first half hour of the film. As expectation had soared high … Read moreMookuthi Amman