DesiBaba Reviews

Dunki (2023)

Steady and consistent decline of RJF continues...

[4/10 · 1 March 2024]

I loved the overall message of this movie, but very disappointed with how the movie was made. Poorly made for RJF standards. This movie demotes RJF out of the top-tier directors. Even with best stars and unlimited budget, RJF watsted a golden opportunity to deliver a strong and impactful movie.

This movie cannot decide what it wants to be. The pacing is the weakest part, very poor editing. A lot of unnecessary side stories that add no value to the core story and message.

This movie would have been very good if 45 mins had been cut and the story had been more streamlined. A lot of unnecessary melodrama.

I think for the next RJF movie, I will no longer go to cinema and wait for streaming. He's not kept up with the time and still stuck in 90s film-making mode.

Jailer (I) (2023)

Mass entertainer with awesome BGM and one of the best climax scene.

[8/10 · 25 February 2024]

It's a mass entertainer, so don't expect Oscar level anything. BGM is on point and Rajni is at his stylish best with his unique swagger. Good to have Mohanlal and Jakiedada pitch in, they added gravitas to supporting cast. But the best part of the movie for me was the climax scene with the father and son having their final conversation and expressing divergence in their moral values.

The movie was a bit longer than needed. I felt like the whole Tammanah/Blast Mohan roles could have been eliminated, they did not add any value for me. It was mostly cringe stuff.

I'll be looking for more Tamil cinema on Prime in the future and definitely more of Nelson/Rajni combo.

Nefarious (2023)

Uneven and preachy.

[6/10 · 12 May 2023]

It starts out well, and does a pretty good job of maintaining intensity and anticipation through 1/2 of the way. Horror is not really the right genre for this, may be a drama/thriller. The acting was good, lead was difficult to understand due to the way he spoke in multiple personalities. So even if we believe that Brady was a daemonic entity (given the supernatural powers he showed), the arguments he made did not make any sense. In no objective measure is the world more evil today than in the centuries past. Humans are far more evolved in their thinking and far less barbaric. To label people with differing life perspective as doing evil master's work is utterly false characterization, and I think carpenter would be first person to point this out.

Sisu (2022)

Make a prequel!

[8/10 · 3 May 2023]

This was a intense and thrilling action movie. I like this type of movies better than John Wick, which is sensory overkill for me. This was right amount of action. The lead does good job of conveying the emotions without any dialogue. Not too much time is wasted in unnecessary back stories or flashbacks. It was easy to like and identify with the lead living of the land like a hermit, and then the Nazi scum arrives and want cheap thrills by raping and pillaging innocent citizens in their way. They get what's coming their way in the best possible way. They set the immortal man up nicely for a prequel. I want to see him butcher 300+ Russians invaders, that might be timely given the current circumstances.

Beau Is Afraid (2023)

A meta take on fragility and resilience of human psyche.

[9/10 · 22 April 2023]

This movie was like Mother! Meets The Game. If you found the bizarre nightmare sequence in Mother! Overwhelming, the one in this movie is 5X that. Like his previous movies, this is not movie for the faint-hearted. I'll have to watch it a few more times once it streams to fully connect all the dots. But from the first theater viewing it seems like a narrative for how the controlling people in our lives, often with those with maternal instincts (but not always), force us to questions our reality and instill guilt if we swerve from their expectation of us. Gaslighting at its best. Phoenix was masterful as a vulnerable Beau who stood no chance against the apparent craziness in his life, you root for him while fully questioning his reality. I'll be shocked if he does not win a few awards for this performance. I don't think I've seen him do any better than this (a lot better than Her/Joker...).

Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator (2019)

Balanced take on Bikram.

[8/10 · 29 March 2023]

I found the guy to be disgusting as a human being, but also talented. He played the system- and what a crass and pathetic man. I would never sell my soul to get certified to be an esteemed yoga trainer. Accountability needs to be both ways. A lot of these women did not have the right morals and values, and he sensed and exploited that. We don't hear from the strong women whom he may have tried to prey on, but they left or gave strong no signals. Nothing is worth being exploited to get it. If you're willing to sell your soul to be a good yoga teacher, you don't understand yoga to being with, at least not yoga in its holistic sense. If you are willing to be alone in his bedroom and massage his inner thigh, you need some self-reflection on what role you might have played in this story.

Pathaan (2023)

Sensory overload.

[6/10 · 14 February 2023]

This movie is like MI on steroids, kinda like how the leads are. But still. Kudos for pulling out the looks, even with roids, it takes a lot of work and self-discipline to get that look in the 50s. So respect for SRK for that. I feel like the cast did their best given the material, which was very weak, and predictable. I don't mind mindless action if there is a strong backstory (like RRR, for instance). But here it just felt like action sequence for the sake of it. I wasn't really vested in any of the character. The only scene that had any real gravitas was the lab scene. Otherwise pretty ordinary all around.

Mili (2022)

Good concept but poor execution.

[4/10 · 6 January 2023]

This might be Jhanvi's worst performance so far. The movie drags on and on and creates all kinds of unnecessary drama to keep things going to meet the 2.5 hour mark. It would have been a good thriller if it had been 1 hour or had better execution. All the police drama and motorcycle accident towards the end all seem artificial and diverts attention from the main plot. I'm not going to go into how realistic the scenario is, this is a movie so they can take some liberties with reality. Acting was okay overall, not the best, not the worst. Direction is pretty weak, fails to grab your attention. 10 mins into the freezer incident you want it to end, but it drags on and on...

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

Squandered opportunities.

[3/10 · 18 June 2022]

First of all, this movie is way over-rated at 8.x. No way, not in this verse. It is an interesting concept, but the execution is totally botched. The plot lacks any semblance of nuance or insights, instead it relies on cheap gimmicks with nonsensical kung-fu sequences and silly conversations between two rocks. The acting talent was largely wasted due to poor, amateurish script and dialogues.

Radhe Shyam (2022)

Irredeemably intolerable.

[1/10 · 16 June 2022]

The producers of this movie were fleeced for creating a total and utter garbage of a big budget movie. This is by far the worst movie I have seen in a very long time! Prabhas should learn to speak Hindi first before doing more Bollywood movies. I simply cannot believe that someone fronted money to make THIS.

Chhichhore (2019)

Good cast but movie full of same old repeated clichés.

[5/10 · 29 May 2022]

Was looking forward to seeing this movie with the hyped up ratings. It was a total disappointment, not worth watching. Cast was good and so was some of the music. Movie itself felt like I've seen it before. It took the engineering school experience from 3 idiots, all the university competition drama from Van Wilder 2, and other mishmash from other movies. Ratings here have become totally useless, probably lot of bot ratings.

Indian Matchmaking (2020– )

Arranged introductions.

[6/10 · 23 April 2022]

It is an interesting idea/tradition, one that seems to work for billions of people with varying degree of success, probably at par or better than success rate here in US. Entire family has to sign off on a potential match, it is more of a union of two extended families, not just to individuals. I guess there are pros-cons to that concept. There are many characters and situations in the show that made me cringe. For those who want a real insight into Indian culture, look elsewhere. For the most part, the clientele represented top 1% of the socio-economic strata in India. It was a good perspective on various blind spots people have about their self-perception.

Haseen Dillruba (2021)

Engaging, relatable, and intense.

[8/10 · 10 April 2022]

Enjoyed watching this movie. All the characters were regular and relatable, especially the parents, the mom was a really cute character. Hottie looking for an exciting partner and an alpha ends up with a simpleton. Nice guys need to choose wisely, power games and all kinds of nonsense ensue. Builds up nicely and crescendos into an intense and satisfying end. Good acting, writing, and direction.

Jalsa (2022)

Perils of moral hypocrisy.

[8/10 · 21 March 2022]

Maya is supposedly an elusive truth-telling journalist, until she runs into a dilemma where things are no longer black and white. Ultimately, she showed that under all that facade she was a hypocrite and a coward. She betrays someone who has been most loyal to her. Shefali Shah stole the show from Vidya, by a long shot. Vidya looks flat in comparison. No amount of wealth can buy true class or high moral ground. When everyone is only looking for their self interests -- the cops, jr journalist, driver, media outlet producer, politicians...truth stands no chance. All the ingredients for an eventual societal breakdown.

Chaman Bahaar (2020)

Don't normalize creepy.

[6/10 · 23 January 2022]

This movie kept showing up on my Netflix list, so eventually I watched. I like movies like this that show another side of India, the rural heart, with characters that are new and unique. However, this movie made me cringe as the characters were terribly cheap and creepy and lacking in basic morality. If the female were an independent woman in her late 20s, it might have been more palatable (e.g., she was sister of the officer who moved in, not his daughter). For these creepy "men" (really, they were just immature boys) to lust after a child (teenager who was still in school) was disgusting! All of them were psycho pedos- Billu, Anshu, Shila, school teacher guy...all of them. This movie seems to reinforce all the negative stereotypes associated with a rural man from that part of the country. Woman is not an object or a property. They had zero nobility in their conduct. I would have beat these goons the same way the police officer did. His actions, even though brutal and out of legal norms, were justified in this case before any harm could come to that child.

Darkest Hour (2017)

Rubbish propoganda.

[4/10 · 14 August 2021]

Direction, script, and acting were great. Gary Oldman is great as always. However, the characterization of the central character was embellished and did not present an unbiased view of the person Winston was. He was marginally better than the likes of Hitler and Stalin. Stop this non-sense hero-worship of wrong "leaders". Even other politicians of that era were shocked at his level of racism.

Om Shanti Om (2007)

A stroke of genius from Farah Khan.

[9/10 · 3 April 2021]

I've watched this movie about 7-8 times in the last 14 years. It still holds up as of 2021. I'm not a fan of Farah Khan comedies/spoofs in general or a fan of SRK. But it is only fair to give credit where it is due -- I have to admit, this movie just works! Music is awesome and casting is perfect. This is not for everyone, especially for those new to Bollywood. But if you get Bollywood, you will get this movie, and likely grow to love it. Perfect blend of everything that makes Bollywood works, unabashed entertainment.

Mardaani 2 (2019)

Better than avg bollyfare. Hatke. What a debut!

[9/10 · 13 December 2020]

Vishal hits it out of park with his big-screen debut as the deviant psycho sociopathic antagonist. This is what happens when a talented outsider is given a chance. Instead, we are stuck with fuddu khans and nepo-kapoors who can't act worth s*** after decades of experience. Aamir is an exception.

Hopefully this kid gets other movies and roles to showcase his range. Rani is excellent as always. Movie is quite good compared to most formulaic bollytrash.

Singham (2011)

Mass Entertainer.

[6/10 · 30 November 2020]

It is enjoyable as a mass entertainer with a little bit of everything and a populist, feel good message. Totally devoid of any reality, which is fine for a movie. Prakash Raj and Ashok Sharaf are two standout performances. Not bad for a time pass movie to watch in the background.

Vice News Tonight (2016–2023)

Excellent source of daily news stories from around the globe.

[8/10 · 4 July 2019]

I love everything Vice, I almost exclusively consume my TV news from this show. I augment that with headlines from online newspapers. I love the global stories and the unique perspective this show brings. It has a stellar cast of correspondents -- I particularly enjoy news stories from Arielle, Ben, Dexter, Elle, Evan, Gianna, Hind Isobel, Thomas, and Krishna. But most of all I like the no-nonsense interviews by Michael Moynihan, love how he does not pander no matter what. I hope he gets his own show down the line! The only thing I dislike are the segments about musicians talking about their songs/music...I cannot stand these, most annoying/narcissistic group of people (next to politicians) I've ever seen who just love to talk about themselves. I hope that segment is killed off over time, may be that can be part of another show? Thank you for keeping this series going HBO and keep up the excellent work team!

Billions (2016–2023)

Wow, so overrated!

[3/10 · 1 June 2019]

The writing is really poor, it's all flash and no substance. None of the leads have any depth or character to make me feel invested in them or root for them. Money and power clearly cannot by class, on either side. They are the most stereotyped cliched version of what I'd imagine these people to be like, especially the two main characters (Chuck and Axe). I am up to middle of season 2 now, they have introduced two off-beat characters in the mix to keep things interesting -- a nerdy guy investigating Chuck and an alien looking savant on Axe's team....the outcome of the charity poker tourney was so easy to predict, it was boring. I'll give it a few more episodes to see if it gets any better, as it is, I've demoted it to a show to watch in background. It does not deserve (or need) my full attention.

I loved Dexter and even Homeland on Showtime, this show feels like pure drivel in comparison. Disappointing use of an otherwise stellar cast.

Saturday Night Live: Awkwafina/Travis Scott (2018) Season 44, Episode 2

SNL on major decline.

[4/10 · 7 October 2018]

This season is super lame so far except for the opening with Matt Damon. I have no idea who the host was for the show, never saw her anywhere before and she didn't impress at all. I like diversity, but can we please get some talented artists? There's plenty of comedians from very diverse background. This show also needs new writers. I am a liberal and I'm tired of so many politics driven skits, they were funny shortly after Nov 16, but there has been too much repetition over time that now it's just boring. I hope other networks needs to swoop in and grab this opportunity and start competing shows. This is a new low.

Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran (2018)

Important story poorly told.

[3/10 · 30 July 2018]

Wow, I need to get my eyes checked, I cannot spot a satellite even on the most clearest of nights! Of course this is an important story to tell, unfortunately, this director has totally butchered it. Why was the whole family angle needed? Too much drama early on that is totally irrelevant to the core of this movie, it should have never made it to the final cut. Manoj Bajpai would have been great lead for this type of role, JA is better for action movies, this kind of roles are not his forte. Rest of the cast was okay. This would have been amazing with a more talented and experienced team.

Sanju (2018)

Mostly entertaining but not truly engaging or thought provoking.

[6/10 · 3 July 2018]

The movie was entertaining for the most part, it did become very formulaic towards the end. I do not see this in the same league as PK or 3 Idiots. I've been a fan of SD since back in the day -- Rocky, Naam, Sadak, Saajan...was not a huge fan of the Munnabhai series, but it was okay. I personally don't care about the accuracy of his autobiography or whether he's a terrorist or not. I think whatever role he might have had was out of recklessness than any malicious intent. He's clearly made questionable choices over the years and one finally caught up with him; you win some and you lose some. He could just as easily have ODd back in 80s but he got lucky to have found a great support system and was eventually able to make a comeback. Anyways, I did not find anything particularly thoughtful or engaging about the movie. Yes, media runs on TRP everywhere, so nothing new there. Despite media's 24/7 news cycle, most people are smart enough to discern between fact and fiction. Those who are ignorant, well, why do you care about their opinion anyways? There was a lot of unnecessary melodrama to compensate for lack of substantive narrative. I also felt like it was a very biased portrayal, why make things so black and white, let people make up their own minds. Way over-rated at 9.

Tag (I) (2018)

Pretty entertaining

[7/10 · 30 June 2018]

Really is more of a 5 or 6 out of 10. I give it 7 because of excellent cameo by Thomas Middleditch (Richard from Silicon Valley). Movie offers nothing new really and not going to win any awards, but it is fast paced and entertaining with a cast that works well together (except for Lou and Kevin's characters were, they were not funny at all and should have been cut out).