JankiSharma Reviews

Challengers (2024)

simplicity versus deviousness

[8/10 · 7 May 2024]

Luca Guadagnino is now one of my favorite Directors ... Call me by your name, Bones and all and now the movie Challengers . Excellent Direction . The movie is 131 minutes long. Zendaya plays role of Tashi , a very competitive and excellent tennis player. Mike Faist ( from the West side story) is Art and his best friend from age 12 on Patrick ( Josh O'Connor ) are very good tennis players and both are in awe of Tashi. Because of knee injury, Tashi is forced to give up the only thing she can do and ends up as a coach. Tashi's obsession with winning has not ended and she plays games with Art and Patrick in her own conniving , devious ways. The movie is very interesting and the scenes between Patrick and Art are directed extremely well. Zendaya known for her role in Dune and Spider man movies was alright in this movie. Tashi's intense desire for winning is well displayed in the scene when Tashi sits on the bed with Art and Patrick and has gleam in her look when she encourages Art and Patrick to make out with each other. Among the three main characters, Mike Faist was convincing as Art who bottled up his emotions well for Tashi and continues to act undisturbed by Patrick's relationship with Tashi. Good movie. Good plot. Average acting. Good music in some scenes. Needed editing.

American Fiction (2023)

View from within

[10/10 · 28 January 2024]

The movie American Fiction directed by Cord Jefferson is about African Americans who are far from stereotypicals in the news on NY1 channel. The movie is focused on a family of 2 brothers and a sister. 1 brother is Cliff, a Plastic surgeon in AZ (excellent acting by Sterling Brown from NBC This is US), sister Lisa who is a practicing ObGyn in MA and then quiet, writer brother Thelonius (actor Jeffrey Wright) from CA. All 3 siblings are busy with their work and Lisa has additional responsibility of taking care of their mother who is beginning to show signs of dementia. Thelonius also called Monk flies from CA to MA to meet Lisa and discuss mom's health. Conversations between siblings is free flowing and extremely pleasant. Due to turn of events, Monk is now in MA trying to sort out matters and also trying hard to publish his book which is repeatedly rejected by well known publishers. John Ortiz as Arthur who is the only one in publishing world on Monk's side encourages monk to write under a pseudonym. The movie has hilarious moments laced with thought provoking insights associated with the preconceived notions about African American race . Jeffrey Wright is excellent as Monk . I enjoyed script a lot and conversations between siblings is great. Some unnecessary scenes made the movie seem longer than1 hr 57 min. Oscar worthy acting.

Wonka (2023)

Delicious chocolate and yummy noodles

[10/10 · 2 January 2024]

Movie Wonka directed by Paul King is about Willy Wonka a chocolatier and a chocolate connoisseur , a role played by Timothee Chalamet. Willy has a glint in his eyes and a very pleasing smile when he describes a chocolate in spoken words and a singing voice filled with charm. Calah Lane (from NBC This is US) as Noodle who enjoys reading and works without whining for Mrs Scrubitt( talented Olivia Colman)is perfect. Noodle , never eaten a chocolate before, is drawn into the world of chocolate, fearless imagination and magical powers of Wonka and says " life is not bad at all" with utmost sincerity. Confidence of orange man , a figment of " wonka's imagination" is wonderfully pleasing in Hugh Grant's voice and catchy words oompa loompa keep ringing in the head now and then just like the lion king Hakuna matata.

Importance of reading so as not to mistake door labeled Tiger to be the enclosure for friendly giraffe, importance of not overeating and gaining weight even if chocolate is delicious and enjoying a bit of delicious chocolate after sharing chocolate with people who matter most in life is shown in a very kind manner. The movie is so full of fun that i agreed to see the movie a second time with my 9 yr old nephew who said" man, i would never complain if I was drowning in chocolate" and that is from my favorite chocolate lover... Wonka is a lot of fun . Thanks to superb acting by extremely talented Timothee Chalamet and talented Calah Lane. A world of Our own filled with chocolate and deliciousness. Superb 1 hr 56min of joy and sweetness , sharing without gaining pounds.

Poor Things (2023)

Love is not ownership

[9/10 · 23 December 2023]

The movie Poor Things directed by Yorgos Lanthimos ( who also directed The Favourite) is about man and a woman relationship and expectancy of purity and oneness of a lover or would be spouse . Emma Stone plays the role of Bella Baxter , a young ,soft and beautiful female with brain damage and post surgery now with brain of a baby . Bella is now product of work done by a very intelligent and innovative surgeon Dr Godwin Baxter ( William Dafoe great in The Florida Project, At Eternity's Gate). Bella is learning social mannerisms along with being independent under the guidance of Dr Baxter and his male student Max (actor Ramy Youssef) . Dr Baxter encourages Max to marry Bella and legal papers are drawn with help of Duncan Wedderburn ( Mark Ruffalo in another great role). Duncan finds it fascinating in making a legal document for someone and his curiosity is tied up with fascination when he sees pretty Bella who is now experimenting with self love for her own body and enjoys Duncan's touches. Duncan and Bella leave together to explore the world and Bella convinces Dr Baxter and her would be husband Max that she has to explore the world and relationship with Duncan before becoming Max's wife. Bella enters the world of sex and longing of Duncan and wonders why people don't have sex all the time when sex gives so much pleasure. Duncan enjoys Bella's company and realizes he loves Bella. The scene when Duncan sees marks on inner thighs of Bella is priceless. Bella is free spirited and an explorer. Mark Ruffalo did a great job at acting as nonchalant male interested in having Bella as a sexual partner and then moving to emotional attachment and wanting to be sole sexual partner of Bella. Emma Stone is truly a gifted actress and has great facial expressions even with remarks like " don't think that is going to happen now" after she tells Duncan she wants to have sex after he finds out she had sex with some other person. Innocence, sense of accomplishment , relief, pure joy, childishness , tantrums all very well exhibited by Emma Stone and shows mastering of range of emotional display with ease. 2hrs 21 minutes could be edited. Oscar worthy acting by Emma Stone. Mark Ruffalo did a great job. Good Direction.

Fallen Leaves (2023)

Need for togetherness

[9/10 · 17 December 2023]

The movie Fallen Leaves (Finnish )directed by Aki Kaurismaki is a simple story about people who are alone. Being alone is very different from being lonesome and Holappa ( actor Jussi Vatanen) did an excellent job potraying himself as a lonesome human who depends on alcohol to get rid of depression that is intertwined with his lonesome life. Ansa , on the other hand, a girl who lives alone manages her life quite well by keeping herself busy with work, radio and going out with her friend. Holappa and Ansa meet and have nothing to talk about . It is very pleasant to watch Ansa understand Holappa just from observation of his behavior. The ending of the movie is extremely nice and shows one has to make an effort to bring in a positive change. In one of the scenes Holappa tells his friend he is a strong guy. Ansa showed her strength in the scene when she puts plate and cutlery in the trash bin and not dishwasher. Two humans , both alone , and both with different kind of inner strength, make a decision which made me very happy. Oscar worthy Direction. 1hr21 minutes of simple pleasant lives.

The Holdovers (2023)

simple desire for love and togetherness

[9/10 · 27 November 2023]

Movie The Holdovers directed by Alexander Payne ( also directed 2 of my favorite movies Sideways and The Descendants) is focused on teenagers in a boarding school in a beautiful location in MA during Christmas break in 1970. All the " rich brats" get to go home except 4 students who are left behind due to different reasons. History teacher Paul Hunham, disliked for his grumpy unpleasant personality ( actor Paul Giamatti known for many interesting roles)is forced to stay back to monitor students.. After a few days, only student Angus Tully ( newcomer Dominic Sessa), Teacher Paul and cook Mary lamb ( actress Joy Randolph) are left on huge school campus /grounds. Angus, a teenager, longs for simple white Christmas holiday with his mom who changes plans in the last minute. Angus's desire to go to Boston, skate, have a real Christmas is expressed very well. The interaction between Angus and his dad is extremely sensitive and depicts longing for normalcy in a child , longing for love , parental affection and desire to have a normal happy healthy relationship with mom and dad. The similarity between Paul and Angus way of dealing with life behind fabrications with given circumstances is very well depicted. Occasional glances from Mary Lamb who understands 2 humans who are so different and still so alike is Oscar worthy. Alexander Payne depicts relationships very well. Dominic Sessa as Angus is excellent and very impressive in his first role as an actor . His childish tantrums and then his responses to extreme emotional display of Mary Lamb during a party are noteworthy .Paul Giamatti is impressive as angry, bitter, lonesome alcoholic who has made peace with his own lifestyle. I just cannot shake off the innocence and childishness of Angus and his happiness displayed during Christmas break when his simple desires were being met by rude and kind teacher Paul. Oscar worthy acting. Oscar worthy Direction. 2hr13min long ..needed some editing.

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Love and trust distinctly separate

[10/10 · 23 October 2023]

Martin Scorcese 3hr26minute movie Killers of the Flower Moon based on the book written by David Grann is about Osage county and Indian tribe in 1920s. The depiction of lack of trust and suspiciousness and not wanting white people amongst them is excellent. Robert De Niro , a well respected white man William Hale because of his caring nature and kindness towards osage people , is terrific as always. Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest Burkhart is awesome. Ernest, back from the war where he worked as a cook for soldiers is a simple man who is not well read and just likes to spend his time with any kind of women red, white or... and drink alcohol. Ernest gives rides to locals and consistently gives rides to Mollie, one of Osage women. Lily Gladstone as Mollie is excellent. William Hale addressed as "king" by Ernest plants idea in Ernest about relationship with Mollie. Simple Ernest takes a liking to Mollie and their relationship based on love leads to marriage. Evil has many expressions and Ernest is all caught up with his respect for King and his ignorance of all that can happen and made to happen for greed. The scenes where William is getting to know Ernest and educating Ernest about red people , the scenes when Ernest tries to convince Osage girl Mollie why Insulin is better than all Indian medicine are directed extremely well. Mollie is great in each and every scene and her question to Ernest" what did you give me" in a soft voice , full of love and accusation , is Oscar worthy. Great movie. Excellent Direction. Excellent acting by Leonardo Di Caprio as a loving husband ignorant of the results of his actions and blind respect for the educated , sophisticated and wealthy William Hale. Lily Gladstone is a terrific actress with great emotional display at the loss of her sisters and mom , very girlish when in love and when with Ernest, calm and composed when speaking to authority. Oscar worthy movie. Editing is excellent. Direction is great. ( 3hrs 26 min ...did not look at my watch...)

Strange Way of Life (2023)

different expression of love

[10/10 · 9 October 2023]

A very different approach by Director Pedro Almodovar ( my favorite movies The skin I live in Tie me up! Tie me down! Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown what Have I done to Deserve This....) in making 30 minute short film Strange way of Life and shown before another great short film 30 min long Human Voice. And after two short films a complete interview with Pedro Almodovar explaining his though process in the making of 2 short films with more focus on film Strange Way of Life which is about 2 men Ethan Hawke as Jake and Pedro Pascal as Silva who met in Mexico 25 yrs ago and had a passionate affair for 60 days. Now Silva comes to Jake's town and passion is reignited for Jake who is now a married man and also trying to get justice for killing of his dead brother's wife. Silva has come to see Jake with ulterior motives and Jake being a smart Sheriff sees through reason for Silva's visit. Silva's expression of love for Jake is all about caring and living on a ranch together.

Short film is fantastic and i adore Ethan Hawke in all his movies (Maudie, Boyhood...). Pedro Almodavar's interview at the end of 2 short films is interesting.

Excellent Direction.

The Human Voice (2020)

very authetic

[10/10 · 9 October 2023]

A very different approach by Director Pedro Almodovar ( my favorite movies The skin I live in Tie me up! Tie me down! Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown what Have I done to Deserve This....) in making 30 minute short film The Human Voice and shown after another short film 30 min long Strange Way of Life. Tilda Swinton (greta acting in movie We need to talk about Kevin) as a woman who is abandoned by her lover/boyfriend/husband and on the phone for 30 minutes (in a monologue )dissecting her relationship and fear of being left behind by a man she trusted and had faith to be eternal partners in journey of life is awesome. Tilda Swinton pacing up and down the room , describing their dog's reactions to not having Master of the house at home and she herself feeling abandoned is authentic. Facial expressions and her tone and language indicate misery, loneliness, fear of the unknown life ahead of her. Pedro Almodovar has mastered the difficult art of understanding a woman and has done great work even in the past. This short film was great every moment and script is awesome. All that movie needed was a great Director , great acting and excellent script. All 3 major ingredients of the short film made it awesome 30 min for me.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

Excellent ensemble

[10/10 · 24 July 2023]

Movie Oppenheimer by Director Christopher Nolan is excellent. The screenplay, acting, Direction has rekindled interest in Physics and thought process of making of atomic bomb in 1940s. Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer and Robert Downey Jr as Lewis Strauss did a great job. Matt Damon as Leslie Groves ,an engineer from MIT who went to West Point and as Lieutenant General who oversaw Manhattan project , is excellent. Emily Blunt as bored homemaker and mother of 2 kids is perfect as Oppenheimer's wife. Florence Pugh as Oppenheimer's physical weakness is good. The movie is 3 hr long and could be edited without losing content and high quality of ensemble and Direction.

My favorite movie of Christopher Nolan is/was Dunkirk and now Oppenheimer ... great movie.

Barbie (I) (2023)

weakness to strength

[10/10 · 24 July 2023]

Greta Gerwig Director of Little women and Lady bird did a great job directing movie Barbie. I did not own or play with barbie dolls. Made the whole concept of Barbie very enjoyable and motivational for women in general .Margot Robbie is perfect as Barbie, beautiful in appearance, perky by nature. After stepping into reality , Barbie meets strong women ..different Barbie.. There is a Barbie with different labels... women in all fields. Conventional ordinary Barbie is not ordinary anymore. The movie is 1hr 54 minutes. In the beginning it is all about beautiful Barbie and then a beautiful twist to the story with planet earth having Barbie in all aspects and professions of life. I thoroughly enjoyed Ken ( excellent lovable Ryan Gosling) wanting Barbie and seeking for conventional Barbie in now matured Barbie Margot Robbie. Fun, great movie with lots of lessons for empowering women and teaching little girls to step out of beautiful fake kitchens and playhouses and feeding dolls. New dimension to womanhood is beautifully embedded in impressionable brains of little girls and teenagers rushing in pink clothes to feel like Barbie. Great job , Greta Gerwig. Adorable perfect Margot Robbie as Barbie who steps out of conventional type cast beauty. Excellent ensemble.

Guy Ritchie's the Covenant (I) (2023)

The Covenant with viewers

[10/10 · 24 April 2023]

The Movie The Covenant Directed by Guy Ritchie has great acting, editing, screenplay and Direction. The movie centers around American Sergeant John Kinley (adorable blue eyed jake Gyllenhall from too many great movies incl Brokeback mountain, Prisoners)and his troop in Afghanistan who now have a new interpreter Ahmed (actor Dar Salim from The Game of Thrones). Initially skeptical of Ahmed's purpose in his team, John Kinley watches Ahmed closely and Ahmed earns John's trust in first half of movie. The second half of movie is focused on Ahmed's part in keeping John kinley safe and is great. There are moments whn scenes bring tears to eyes . Ahmed's stoic nature and John's helplessness are extremely well directed. Great movie with a totally great ending. Guy Ritchie (one of my favorite directors for movies wrath of man ,Snatch, Lock,stock and Two smoking Barrels) kept his end of covenant and actors Jake Gyllenhall, Dar Salim and entire cast kept theirs) 163 minutes of awesome display of emotions, screenplay , editing, cinematography and story.

Babylon (I) (2022)

Hollywood magical sets and stars

[10/10 · 30 December 2022]

Movie Babylon is Directed and written by Damien Chazelle (LaLa Land and Whiplash ). The movie is about Hollywood in 1920s/1930s. Nellie LaRoy (talented Margot Robbie) steps into Hollywood "a star", confident, loud, brash, wild, able to shed true tears at "action". Diego Calva as Manny Torres from Mexico comes to Hollywood starstruck, timid, no specific talents and is awestruck with exuberant Nellie and does not take long to fall in love with wild Nellie. Nellie LaRoy is focused on making it big in Hollywood and has courage to leave no stone unturned to get what she wants. Jack Conrad, aging but extremely successful actor ( perfectly cast Brad Pitt) notices nice and timid Manny.

The transition from silent movies to value of sound in movies is shown very well.

Jack Conrad's true love for Hollywood and magical sets cannot be matched with talkies going into sound mode of movies. Nellie a star can handle any and all changes. Timid Manny settles with a quiet family life with a wife and child. The loss of love and true passion for Hollywood is expressed very well by Diego Calvo.

I am glad i finally mustered up courage to see the 3hr10min long movie.. superb Direction/writing, excellent editing and extremely talented star Margot Robbie, pleasant Diego Calvo and aging nicely Brad Pitt who can bring magic to the sets made time spent in front of the big screen worthwhile. Oscar worthy.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

live one life to the fullest

[10/10 · 28 December 2022]

Directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado made an extremely pleasant movie Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots missing the point of having this life and miserable because he exhausted all his other 8 lives is forced to spend time with Kitty Softpaws ( really enjoyed Salma Hayek's voice) and happy to have friends and be called anything Perro (Harvey Guillen's voice). Puss in Boots used to be the Favorite Fearless Hero and has to go through life's journey learning the realities of life. Perro is a dog " without a name" whose happiness in having friends and affection are contagious and it takes a while for Kitty Softpaws and Puss in Boots to realize that Perro is very likeable.

Florence Pugh's voice as angry, loud, selfish Goldilocks is perfect. Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear are adorable and try hard to put Goldilocks in her place.

Script is excellent. 1hr40min of fun . Don't ask for more. Excellent editing.

Spoiler Alert (II) (2022)

Love is unconditional

[9/10 · 13 December 2022]

The movie Spoiler Alert Directed by Michael Showalter( also directed among others movies The Eyes of Tammy Faye & The Big Sick) has once again chosen a nice story . Simple and likeable gay Michael Ausiello(Jim Parsons from TBBT) likes to be on his own after work and socializes very little. Michael takes a liking to Kit Cowan( Ben Aldridge) who is dancing in a gay bar with his female friend who likes to hang out with cute gay friends. Screenplay is simple and natural. The conversations and awkwardness of Michael, Kit and Kit's roommate Kirby when the relationship between Michael and Kit is questioned by Kit's mom Marilyn (adorable Sally Field) and dad Bob( Bill Irwin) is one of my favorite parts of the movie. The scenes in the restaurant when Michael sits across from Kit with both knowing the near future are exceptional. Sleeping under the Christmas tree with hopeful wishes is beautifully done. Sally Field as the mother who is extremely hurt and vocal because her son did not expect her to understand his sexual orientation and her maternal love for her child are depicted very well. Jim Parsons , Ben Aldridge , Sally Field along with a good screenplay and excellent Direction have made 1hr52 min movie very likeable.

The Fabelmans (2022)

The Fabelmans Artists versus Scientists

[10/10 · 5 December 2022]

Directed by well-known Steven Spielberg the movie focuses on The Fabelmans family headed by dad Burt (Paul Deno excellent in movies Prisoners , There will be blood) mom Mitzi(Michelle Williams too many great movies including Manchester by the Sea, Brokeback Mountain)son Sammy ((Gabriel LaBelle ),daughters Natalie, Reggie and Lisa and uncle Bennie Loewy(Seth Rogen from The Guilt trip ) not really related to The Fablemans but a dear friend of Burt. Happy family of six plus one spend lot of time together and enjoy camping. Picnics, dinners. Mitzi a pianist entertains family. Both Burt and Mitzi instill love for the movies in young reluctant Sammy. Sammy gets interested in camera and photography and takes lots of pictures of family in different settings. Children have a very healthy relationship with their mom, dad and uncle Bennie. The scene when overzealous Mitzi drives Sammy and two young daughters to watch tornado with Burt standing on the porch holding baby girl is beautiful. When the family moves to Arizona and Mitzi makes sure her husband gets Bennie a job so he could stay with the family and not be left behind shows true separation anxiety. The scenes when Mitzi's long, well manicured nails are targeted by both Burt and Bennie show lot of involved caring for each other. The movie shows true love and caring of a devoted mother for her children and beautiful bonding between son and mom who have artistic talents whereas the dad is very involved in science and technology. Michelle Williams is excellent as Mitzi who is extremely happy to love and be with all who love her is again Oscar worthy. Good to see subdued and toned down Seth Rogen as Bennie. Paul Dano as Burt did very well. Gabriel LaBelle as Sammy is definitely talented and well suited for the role of a son who loves his trustworthy dad and non-judgemental of a talented mom full of love and happiness with 2 men in her life. 2hrs31min long could be edited. Oscar worthy acting. Oscar worthy Direction.

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2022)

True sharing , affection,love and happiness give courage

[10/10 · 9 October 2022]

Josh Gordon directed a pleasant movie Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile set in NYC. The movie is based on book series by Bernard Waber. Lyle a crocodile (voiced by Shawn Mendes) is the main character. Lyle has emotions and responds very well to affection, selflessness, acts of kindness, love filled words and music. Hector Valenti (talented Javier Bardem from Vicki Christina Barcelona and No country for old men) is kind and loves Lyle but also has selfish motive of making a lot of money with his own magician abilities and singing Lyle. But Lyle sees through Hector's selfishness and freezes in front of audience. Then comes the Primm family. Mrs Primm (Constance Wu from Crazy Rich Asians and Hustlers) author of cookbooks, her husband (Scoot McNairy from Luckiest girl in the world, Argo) with a new teaching job in NYC school and their son Josh (Winslow Fegley) move into Hector's townhouse without realizing Hector left Lyle in the attic with a note. The friendship between Lyle and Josh, only child and lonely boy, is full of niceness, true affection and fun enjoyable pastimes. Mrs Primm warms up to Lyle and has fun happy days filled with songs and happiness. Lyle eventually makes friends with Mr Primm and wins him over. Primm family and Lyle become inseparables. Hector learns his lesson just from watching Primms . True love just needs true understanding. Shawn Mendes voice is a huge plus point for the movie.

Saw some great horror movies in 2022 :Smile, X, Pearl ... And now a very different movie.... Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile ...very pleasant 106 minutes. Very enjoyable.

Smile (V) (2022)

Contagious and ominous smile

[8/10 · 8 October 2022]

Parker Finn directed movie Smile starring talented Sosie Bacon as Dr Rose Cotter, Psychologist who is good at her job of taking care of mentally disturbed patients. When she sees a graduate student as emergency patient who ends up slicing her own neck while smiling in front of her, Dr Cotter is shaken up. And then on, tends to be obsessed with morbid thoughts. Being mentally strong, Dr Cotter continues to investigate the cause of suicide and how certain patients committed suicide after witnessing someone die in front of them in 4 days. Kal Penn( was great in movie Namesake) as Dr Morgan Desai was good as Dr Cotter's Chief . The movie has a twist to the story line. Editing is good. Sosie Bacon (daughter of Kevin bacon and Kyra Sedgwick) as Dr Cotter is very convincing as a mentally stable Psychologist who proves that even a tough mind has its own limits.

Excellent Direction.

Pearl (2022)

childhood leads to adulthood

[10/10 · 4 October 2022]

Ti West , Director of movie X, directed movie Pearl. The movie Pearl is excellent and explains the upbringing and mindset of Pearl, a girl , who grows up on the farm with a strict mom and a dad who is wheelchair bound and needs to be looked after 24/7. Pearl, a young teenager, in 1918 has a lot of household chores and has to help mom. But Pearl has her own ambitions and wants to dance and become famous. The scenes where Pearl dances in the barn in front of animals is directed very well and show Pearl like any ordinary happy teenager. The scenes when Pearl kills bird and takes it to water and feeds her alligator friend in swamp are gruesome. Pearl has many desires of fame and sexual tendencies which have to be sacrificed because of mom and dad and husband Howard being away fighting the war. Mia Goth as Pearl is excellent and evokes dislike in viewer for her character. Because the movies are related , rented and saw the movie X on Amazon Prime which gave me better understanding of dialog " girls are never nice".

Pearl sitting at the dinner table with her mom and dad and rotting pig (a gift) covered with maggots on the table makes me wonder about wasted gifts in life.

Excellent Direction. Excellent Editing. 1 hr43min. Tandi Wright as the mom , a disciplinarian, did a great job. Mia Goth acting is great. Excellent facial expressions. So many kinds of smiles ranging from niceness to creepiness. Oscar worthy.

X (II) (2022)

Horrors of old age

[9/10 · 4 October 2022]

Ti West directed movie X is very scary and thought provoking.

The story is set in a remote part of Texas where a group of three young couples want to make a good sex movie in a house rented by old couple.

Martin Hendersen ( well know from Grey's Anatomy and Virgin river)is very likeable as aggressive producer of movie . Wayne and ambitious girlfriend Maxine(Mia Goth) make a nice pair .Brittany Snow (from Pitch Perfect) as Bobby-lynne , a blonde , bold star and her "sometimes" boyfriend Jackson (Kid Cudi from Don't look up) are very convincing as two independent adults. Jenna Ortega as Lorraine starts off as helper for cameraman RJ (played by Own Campbell) and is really fascinated by sex scenes and now wants to join acting crew in the movie.

The whole premise of the movie is very interesting. Elderly couple Howard ( exellent Stephen Ure from LOTR) and his wife Pearl (Mia Goth makeup is great) are very scary and their presence is creepy.

Makes old age , already filled with beauty and health related problems now to be viewed as sexless and frustration packed years of life.

Excellent Direction by Ti West.

1hr45m. Excellent edition.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Top notch Maverick

[10/10 · 9 June 2022]

Movie Top Gun: Maverick directed by Joseph Kosinski is exceptionally great from start to finish. This movie has to be seen on the big screen to enjoy great cinematography. Tom Cruise appears at the start of movie thanking audience for coming to theater to see the movie.

Tom Cruise as Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is perfect in the role of a teacher with vast experience and an excellent motivator . Maverick teaches the way he flies and is a great pilot. Miles Teller as Lt Bradley initially with anger towards Maverick because of the loss of his own father which then turns to respect because of Maverick's approach to flying and his passion for perfection. It was good to see Jennifer Connelly as Penny Benjamin. Maverick's love interest. Penny understands and recognizes that Maverick is great at what he does and encourages him with her trust in his talent. Great movie. Excellent cinematography. It is truly awesome to see Tom Cruise great as always. Really worth 130 minutes spent in front of a big screen . Awesome.

Burning Questions: 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' Cast Answer Burning Questions (2022) Season 2, Episode 18

Face fears by using strengths

[9/10 · 16 May 2022]

The movie Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness directed by Sam Raimi is about Neurosurgeon Dr Stephen Strange( extremely talented Benedict Cumberbatch) in a very different universe from his own but coming face to face with "another him". The concept of movie is great. Living in a universe filled with humans, each human different from other human and then parallel different universes where there are many " you" each one familiar with you and tackling issues differently is fascinating. Good to see Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff with evil words and actions but with selfish love for 2 boys who are not her sons . Rachel McAdams as Dr Christine Palmer who plays the role of Dr Strange's first love. Dr Strange is terrific as a human who can do a lot of good but unable to sustain loving relationship because of his own life experiences. Being a physician myself, can relate to Dr Strange and fear of different forms of death , emotional death ( very well depicted in the movie We don't live here anymore with Naomi Watts and Mark Ruffalo) death due to aging process ( The Savages ( Philip-seymour and laura Linney) death due to suicide (The skeleton twins Bill Hader & Kristen Wiig).... Dr Strange cannot get over his sister's death and is extremely competent in keeping others far from harm. Dr Strange faces his fears by using his expertise and strengths. Love the movie and the concept. The ending with Dr Strange and Charlize Theron calling out to Dr Strange keeps up hope of next adventure with Dr Sr Strange. 2 hrs 6min of multiverse of madness ..enjoyable.

The Worst Person in the World (2021)

Do what you desire

[9/10 · 25 March 2022]

The movie The Worst Person in the World is directed by Joachim Trier.(new to me) I saw the movie because I really like the title and movie is shot in Norway (one of my favorite locations for a movie especially after seeing movies Downsizing and No time to die). Renate Reinsve plays the role of Julie , a very pleasant girl, who enjoys life and people. Julie in her late 20s dates Aksel who is in his 40s (actor Anders Danielsen Lie). Aksel is focused on literature and the conversations between Julie and Aksel are very esoteric. Julie is attracted to Elvind (actor herbert Nordrum) who is good looking and works in a cafe. Movie is divided into chapters with titles. Chapter Cheating is very playful. And also chapter when Julie realizes her strong emotions towards Elvind are fun to watch because literally world stands still when heart is filled with strong emotion of love.

The conversations between Aksel and Julie in the car when Aksel expresses his only desire was to go on with his life in his flat are packed with emotions. Julie makes lot of decisions and when something beyond her control makes the decision in her life she realizes that others may have an opinion about her strengths but they may not be true in her case. And she was right in her choices.

The movie title is thought provoking.

Extremely pleasant acting. Worth watching Norwegian movie with English subtitles for 128 minutes.

Licorice Pizza (2021)

Mutual love, dependency and admiration

[10/10 · 11 December 2021]

Licorice Pizza directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (directed superb movie Phantom Thread) is about a smart, young , aggressive Alana ( talented Alana Haim) in her 20s and infatuation of 15 yr old Gary (Cooper Hoffman) for Alana. Alana and Gary's enthusiasm for success in life makes their lives intertwined in every separate venture. Gary looks out for Alana and when in a jam Alana knows who she could depend on. My favorite scenes in the movie are when Alana drives the truck with Gary sitting by her side and young siblings in the back. Alana shows her clear thinking under pressure and drives truck towards gas station down slopes of San Fernando valley . And after doing a tremendous job of driving everyone safe under pressure, sits on stairs in bewilderment, in sheer fear and disbelief of what she had done so well. Alana is very lovable and has a great family. Gary though young in years is extremely charming and extremely comfortable with the rich and successful people . Alana on the other hand hopes to join the successful and tries to hook up with rich successful men but finds herself in uncomfortable situations. Enjoyed the innocence of pure love and admiration and faith of Alana and Gary in each other. Excellent Direction. Alana Haim did Oscar worthy performance as Alana. Cooper Hoffman as innocent, smart , cool and composed typical 15 yr old is very pleasant. Very enjoyable movie.

C'mon C'mon (2021)

Go on and on with the flow

[10/10 · 2 December 2021]

The C'mon C'mon directed by Mike Mills (directed one of my favorite movies Beginners) is now one of my favorite Directors. C'mon C'mon story is very touching and focuses on strong relationship between a brother Johny ( Joaquin Phoenix known for too many movies including Joker, Her, Two Lovers) and sister Viv (Gaby Hoffman ). Viv's problems with her husband's illness leave 9 yr old son Jesse ( excellent acting by Woody Norman) in need of someone taking care of him. Viv requests her brother Johny to take care of Jesse and Johny obliges . Johny has no experience with kids and everything Jesse does is totally unbelievable and new for Johny. Viv and Johny talk to each other from different states all the time , more so in times of crisis. Viv and Johny work through different situations dealing with Jesse who is fondly called "the orphan" by his mother . The movie focuses on bonding and the dependency and purity of a relationship between uncle and nephew. A week of separation from mom turns into weeks of separation and scenes when Jesse gets into bed with Johny for comfort is very touching. Johny learns how to read bedtime stories the way his sister read for Jesse. The movie focuses on parenting and day to day moment to moment decision making skills of parents or adults taking care of children. Conversations are very pleasant. Johny and Viv talked all their lives and even argued over disagreements. Johny admires Jesse's emotional expressions and explains power of expressions of emotions to be mentally strong when Jesse has fears of becoming like his dad. Excellent Oscar worthy acting by Joaquin Phoenix ,, as a pleasant adult ready to learn even when exhausted by the unknown events. Woody Norman as Jesse is great. Looks like 2022 Oscars may have children nominees... movies Stillwater(lilou siauvaud), Belfast(Jude Hill), C'mon C'mon (Woody Norman)..all worthy of Oscars. Director and writer Mike Mills made a great Oscar worthy 1hr49min movie.