Film Indications
There's something about an Indian female protagonist that makes my heart flutter. This movie really checks off all my boxes from talking about real issues in India to portraying a woman who can and will mess you up if you mess with her first. Everything that Sridevi does is done with such excellency, and objects are planted in the scene so well— I can't even talk about the things I love about this movie without spoiling it! The casting choice was superb, and I literally live by everything that this movie is about. I highly recommend watching Mom if you want to step away from the stereotypical Indian film story arc and want to observe a part in Indian culture that is usually kept silent. Also, Sridevi. She's amazing. That's all.
Ludo is everything I aspire to create. The movie consists of four (more like five) different plot lines that all conspire together at some point in time, and it displays the dynamics of different kinds of relationships. I've always been a fan of Abhishek Bachchan, and I love the role he took on in this movie— his character in this film reminds me of a older version of his character in Yuva, a "follow up" I never knew I needed. The full circle in the film makes me all jittery— I love a good full circle. This film really got me through the second half of the pandemic, and I was worried that post production would have halted due to the pandemic, which makes me super grateful to the post production team for really making my pandemic life worthwhile.
Here's the thing with Ittefaq: it does not feel like a Bollywood movie. Yes, most of the movie is in Hindi, but, there are absolutely no musical numbers, it's not three hours long, and it only focuses on the mystery. There are barely any characters, it takes place over three days, and is super simple. I've never seen such a simple Bollywood movie, and I absolutely love it. I'm already a huge fan of murder mysteries (and Akshaye Khanna), and I'm so happy that this remake came out during my lifetime. I really can't say much more about this movie without accidentally spoiling it, but all I will say is that this movie should definitely not be your first Bollywood movie, however, you should definitely watch it for the story and for the cinematography.
Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo is everything I want out of a Telugu movie and more. It's my comfort movie, my I-don't-know-what-to-watch movie, a movie that I can enjoy with anyone in my family— my everything movie. Trivikram stories are always so scrumptious, and it's more scrumptious when he works with Allu Arjun (although I could be a tiny bit biased because Allu Arjun is my most favorite actor of all time). The themes of family, women in positions of power, and the dialogue? I could eat this movie and all of Trivikram's work for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Honestly, the whole franchise is so good, but the third film in the Rush Hour franchise has got to be my favorite. The concept for the whole franchise is so novel, and I really want to see more movies like this where the protagonists aren't white men trying to save the world. The writers did a really good job with the writing that it made me want to learn how to write more funny movies (a current work in progress... I'm not that funny).
I love Formula 1, but I just like watching cars go fast in general. Cars plus Matt Damon equals a movie I will most definitely like. Forget about like— I love this movie. Everything about it is so chef's kiss, but the best thing was the sound design. This movie was not meant to be watched at home. It needs to be watched in a theater with the sound completely surrounding you, making you feel like you're either in the car yourself or one of the onlookers. Ugh, so good.
Okay, I'll admit it, the movie isn't that great, but there are two things I love so damn much about this movie. One: I'm always a sucker for a good anti-hero, and one could argue that Deadpool would be better for that, but Venom reminds me of Ragnarok from Soul Eater, and I love that so much. Two: there's a scene in the movie where Tom Hardy fully sits in a lobster tank to cool down, and that wasn't scripted. He saw the tank on set and asked if he could improvise, and one of the greatest scenes in that movie was born because the director gave the actor that creative freedom. I love that so much. I love when directors trust their actors and when their actors have more than just acting to bring to the table.