Lovebirds (2020)

As a somewhat standard romcom  film involving a bizarre murder, Lovebirds (2020) sure carries some of its own beat and authenticity. A lot of the film's spirit comes from the film's two stars: Issa Rae (playing Leilani) and Kumail Nanjiani (as Jibran) playing a couple on the brink of break up. 

The film had a lot of potential, but overall as some of the other reviews I've read said: the movie doesn't quite add up to the sum of its parts.  

It starts out extremely realistic with the couple having fun and starting what seems to be a perfect relationship, only for it to turn into a spiral of arguments 4 years later. The arguing moves from trivial things (like scheduling "freaky sex") to more serious things like questioning each others' character.

Right when they've come to the breaking point of their relationship, they hit a bicyclist who looks like he's being chased down. There's a "cop" that soon requests to take over their car to follow the bicyclist, with both of them in the passenger's seat. Soon the couple find themselves witness to a murder and have to spontaneously think of how to extricate themselves from it. Especially since they've been suspected by a couple of bystanders. 

"The woman happens to be african american and the man happens to be a person of color too. But I'm not racist, they actually did perform the murder", the bystander says. 

With a couple of minority main characters, the film does touch upon the effect of race in relation to the police. Neither Leilani nor Jibran think their chances are high of convincing the police that they're not involved in the crime because of the color of their skin, which prompts them to try to figure out the mystery of the murder on their own. 

What comes after that seems to be a movie that is trying too hard. 

The events that spiral afterwards are a bit random, and I feel like there were parts of the film that didn't quite reach the height of comedy like they could have. The couple was really likable but I wish that the film paid them more justice. Some of it felt extremely contrived to just turn the movie into a slapstick comedy, and we only see the couple have moments with each other in between heists; and the moments seem like an afterthought. There are definitely more pensive moments needed; and clever ones with the storyline to tie it all together, because from what I saw, the story seemed like a hodgepodge of complete randomness.

Overall though, I'd recommend the film for a few laughs. And I'm happy at how diverse we're becoming!

Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020)

Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo embraces everything Tollywood to the max: ostentatious fighting scenes (the hero is a one man army), glamorous female characters for show, weeping family drama sequences and a violent villain. However, the beating charm of this film comes from the ridiculousness of it all and somewhat unanticipated charm of Allu Arjun in the role.  If you want a few laughs, this movie is the right one for you, although in the beginning it certainly doesn't seem like it. It also delivers a core truth with light heartedness: that fate can neither replace human will to succeed, nor values. That being said, there are some god-like qualities the hero (Bantu) has, that I notice are prevalent in a lot of these Tollywood heroes: ability to ONLY speak the truth, always protect women and family through extreme macho violence, extreme intelligence and impeccable sense of humor, which is DEFINITELY unrealistic (how can anyone be that perfect?). At the end of the film, you feel like you've really seen a movie with a star. It's pure entertainment... 

That being said, there are some things I liked about the movie, and some things that made me roll my eyes (and even walk out). 

Here is a quick synopsis of the film: Bantu (Allu Arjun) learns at age 25 that he had been switched at birth with someone else (Raj) at a hospital, and that he's actually the son of a millionaire (Ramachandra). The person who orchestrates the switch is Valmiki, a bitter worker in Ramachandra's business who wants to see his biological son (Raj) succeed and bring down Ramachandra's real son (Bantu himself). 

What I liked: 

The storyline of Valmiki trying to switch his child with another child in the hospital, hoping that fate is written by what house you grow up in, how much money you have and how lucky you are is definitely an interesting (although not novel) concept. It's consistent throughout the film, as Valmiki tells Bantu, "your fate is bad, very bad. You'll never rise". I liked how the movie stays consistent with that theme and how Bantu rises from it (to Valmiki's chagrin) and proves otherwise. If you have the fixed mindset of Valmiki, alas, that's all your going to get. But if you have a growth, can-do attitude, you can become like Bantu (although this being the Tollywood movie that it is, Bantu seems to be born perfect).

I liked that the heroine's true skin tone was honored and that nowadays the industry is more accepting of darker skin in general. 

I liked that they didn't make Valmiki's real son Raj (living as Ramachandra's son for 25 years) a jerk, and just a regular person. Ramachandra's family is portrayed as a normal household with problems. 

I liked some of the ridiculousness, surprisingly. There's one scene that's pure fun when Bantu arrives to negotiate with the villain's son in a bright red suit, and starts dancing like crazy to youtube songs and jesting. It's just funny. In general the movie is light hearted and comedic, and that almost forgives the unrealistic nature of it all. I laughed out loud quite a few times. 

What I didn't like: 

I didn't really appreciate how women in these films are always super sidelined. Or any character other than the hero for that matter. For example, Raj wasn't given the chance to say no to the villain since Bantu had already fought with everyone on his behalf, and Bantu had to first put up a tough macho man demeanor before his female boss could feel confident to say no. There was a slight reprieve with Tabu's character as a woman who confronts her husband about his infidelity, and I wish to have seen more of that strength from the other female characters. I wish that women could breathe a little bit more outside of the Tollywood constraints that chain them.

Overall, I'd recommend the movie for its good fun. It's light hearted and carries some laughs. The songs and dancing are great (Allu Arjun dances really well). The message is good, but at the end of the day I wouldn't call it a great movie. In my view, hero perfectionism can carry some entertainment, but it's not enough to make a movie legendary: multi dimensional characters are. 

Into the Woods (2014)

 I had been anticipating watching this Disney movie for a while. Having seen previews of this play in high school, I was eager to finally unravel what it's about and what's so great about it. 

After having sat through the film, I must say... it could've been better. 

The songs are phenomenal and the acting and scenery are great, but the story finds itself in twists and turns, not reaching a clear destination as the characters get lost in the woods...

The movie intersects 4 popular storylines: Cinderella's yearning to go to the royal ball, Jack and his mother yearning for more riches and milk from their cow, Repunzel locked away in her tower yearning for adventure and Little Red Riding Hood yearning to see her grandmother. All four of these characters wish for something, and the movie intersects their journeys into the woods. 

Plus there is a plot twist that ties all these characters together: a childless baker and his wife yearning for a child. A witch (portrayed brilliantly by Meryl Streep) has the power to reverse the curse and give them a child: but only if they give her 4 things to make a potion that would make her beautiful again; each item belonging to each of the aforementioned characters: a golden slipper, a cow as white as milk, hair as yellow as corn, and a cape as red as blood. 

Hence the baker and his wife head onto the woods and find themselves embarking on an adventure unlike they've ever encountered before, running into these characters and trying to find ways to grab these items from them. 

The movie has some wry laughs along the way, and it is relatively entertaining for the first hour or so, but towards the last 40 minutes, it turns its course into a confusing, dark alley that leaves us with nothing clear to hold on to. 

An example of this dark turn is the witch's character development. In the beginning, it seems as though she's greedy and just wants her beauty back at all costs; having the same type of yearning that the other human characters have. Then towards the end, we realize she's lost trust of the world and is trying to make a point about how everything and everyone will fall to its doom at midnight, eventually getting herself turned into a swamp of sticky goo; pretty dramatic. Her demise is well acted, but still at the end, I'm not sure if she's sincere or greedy. The movie could have focused more on why she is so overprotective of Repunzel and why she views the world as such. TLDR: I didn't find her demise touching.

Yet, there is one reprising moment in the film: when Cinderella is running away from the prince. Time freezes and we get a window into her thought process. We realize she's indecisive and is about to make the first major decision of her life: should she be with the prince or not? I thought the song, the mental dialogue, the fact that she would rather not make the decision and leave it to the prince was quite brilliant, and I enjoyed having Cinderella leaving the golden slipper as intentional versus accidental. 

Now for the ending: it doesn't quite do justice to the story. There is a hard question that Little Red Riding Hood asks **SPOILER AHEAD, SKIP PARAGRAPH IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW**: why should they kill the big lady giant and was that the right thing to do? I mean, Jack had after all lead to her husband's demise after stealing the harp. I felt that a BETTER ending to the movie would've ironically been to make terms with the lady giant and come to a CLEAR moral of the story: It's okay to trust the world sometimes and believe in the goodness of human nature.

If I were to give one more positive prop to the film, it would be to the Baker's wife played by Emily Blunt. I enjoyed how she looses herself in the woods in the last 40 minutes to a certain degree, and then comes back to realize that what she has is more valuable than what she desires. However, the movie had so many angles, so many twists, so much going on, that I feel we didn't get to really delve into the theme of that. 

IN CONCLUSION, the film is NOT a must-see and I do NOT highly recommend it. I would choose another Disney film that brings more clarity to its audience: whether it provides a moral, or simply pure fun. HOWEVER, if you want to see a musical that's well acted and are just looking for a way to kill time on a Saturday night with some Disney characters, Into the Woods might satisfy your palate. 

Minari (2020)

 

Minari is unlike any movie I've ever seen. It's filmed in a dreamy mood, and watching each frame feels like I'm turning another page of a story book. The shots are beautifully taken; it takes place in the outskirts of Arkansas in the 80s (judging by the fact that Reagan was president at the time). 

Jacob (Steven Yuen) thinks big about starting his own farm to grow Korean vegetables in Arkansas.  There's a lot of land over there that's more affordable (unlike in California - funny how it's relevant even now) and as he explains to his daughter: 30,000 Koreans immigrate to America every year,  so growing crops for them to buy in Korean markets would be a game changer. On the other hand, he's hauled his family all the way from the lives they were used to in California (which was stable even if it was boring). His wife Monica (Yeri Han), is weary of the instability in this decision and sees it as a threat to their family and their son's heart condition. This farm is an isolated land, away from easy access to markets and the church. Jacob is steadfast in his goal; from his perspective he's investing in the future, but at the same time, he doesn't realize Monica's perspective in feeling responsible for the family and their stability. Their young son David (Alan S Kim) has a fragile heart condition causing one of his family member's to scold him whenever he runs, and their daughter Anne (Noel Cho), usually takes on the responsibility of looking after her younger brother and other operations. 

To add some support to the situation, Monica and Jacob call Monica's mom to come and help out.  Monica's mom (Mrs. Oh), initially enters as a supporting character. We see Monica light up when she sees her mom coming, and as someone growing up in SouthEast Asia; any elder 's presence in my life has made me feel a sense of relief, like I was getting emotional support right away. Mrs. Oh serves the same function to her daughter, and brings korean chilli and delicious veggies! Mrs. Oh is not well received by her grandson David: she talks about a bunch of korean things and "smells like korea" as David complains. She swears, cracks silly jokes and can sometimes say things out of social context. She snores, she plays cards and "isn't a real grandma". 

I thought that the movie would be setting up Mrs. Oh as an instrument to promote the "feel goodness" of the movie, but thankfully I was wrong. 

By being herself, showing true care for her grandson, and growing minari in a dense creek, Mrs Oh lies at the true heart of the movie. And also David, who through receiving and experiencing his grandma, heals, literally. 

SPOILERS AHEAD

Before Mrs. Oh walks in, the family lives in separate plains from each other. Jacob is chasing after the American dream, believing that hard work would pay off and that thinking big is what he needs to do to make his kids proud of him. Monica thinks that Jacob cares more about his ambitions than his family and feels that this decision would break them apart and that she isn't doing enough to help, and David is struggling with his heart condition and the possibility that he might die.

Then walks in Mrs. Oh. 

And although she is interpreted as strange or wonky by her grandkids, she adds tremendous value: 

1/ she tells David that he's strong and suggests that he tries to run unlike what his parents tell him, and at the end he runs. 

2/ she exposes David to Minari, a korean vegetable; which is almost analogous to his roots. David creates a song at the spur of the moment about it when they are together, She sings it to him before he sleeps, and the doctor suggests that his heart condition has healed. I saw the connection there. 

3/ She accidentally burns the vegetables, but in the process brings Monica and Jacob together again as they navigate the fire 

4/ She grows Minari, which is what the movie ends with as it thrives; the essence of korean herb.

Although initially uncomfortable and unanticipated, it's Mrs. Oh's presence, that makes the entire family stronger and yields those powerful connections; hinging them back to to their roots and back together

CONCLUSION (SPOILERS DONE) 

 There are other nuances in the film as well: like the micro-racism faced at the church for being asian in a predominantly white community, with Monica being overly fawned on as "cute", and a girl trying to imitate the korean language. What also was significant was how the family politely put up with it which certainly has relevance now with the "model minority" effect.

At its core Minari shows the true essence of culture, heritage and roots and how it can help us thrive even when we sometimes take it for granted, or feel ashamed of it. Just like how the grandma grew the minari in a hidden area by the river, we have these roots sometimes in a dormant area within ourselves, and nurturing it can heal us; just like how minari did. 

The cast excellently portrays the characters, and I would HIGHLY recommend this film. The only disclaimer I will say is that it can be slow at times; but if you are in the mood for a realistic film, I would choose this one without a blink of an eye. 

Kapoor & Sons (2016)

 Kapoor and Sons was a movie I fished out of netflix as being a rom-com and something that would lighten up the weekend. After watching the film, I would hardly characterize it as such. 

What the movie ended up being was a confusing hodgepodge of arguments and conclusions without really being a journey. There were a number of themes that the movie touched upon, but none of them really bore any consequence on character development: 

HEADS UP, SPOLIER ALERT NEXT 

1) Indian parents' expectations for their children and the fear of not living up to them 

2) Keeping sexual identity a secret from parents 

3) The value of a family in general and what it means to be in a family 

4) Trust and infidelity 

but although the film started exploring these themes, it never really dug into any of them or allowed its characters to fully evolve and develop as such. 

Towards the end, it just felt like a few misunderstandings were cleared and that's it. And true, although the mom Kapoor in the household eventually starts her own catering business and accepts her son's homosexuality, we don't really see the transition. It happened in barely 5 minutes covered by a few frames. 

The disappointingly least developed character in my opinion is the father Kapoor portrayed by Rajat Kapoor. His character was pretty much flat throughout. We find out near the end that he's been having an affair and we have no idea why. It felt like the affair was an instrument to increase the complexity of the movie, but really bore no consequence to understanding Kapoor as a person. When he dies in the movie, I am shedding 0 tears. 

The most endearing character in my opinion is the grandfather played by Rishi Kapoor. His character is fun loving, jovial and I was quite intrigued by learning more about him and LEANING into the life lessons that he might have to share. I felt the movie didn't capitalize on his character enough and he ended up turning into a version of Amitabh Bachchan from Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. I wish that the film brought more sentimentality from that character and his unique personality. 

There was something about the movie that made it seem like it tried TOO hard to be modern and "Western". The affair, the partying and constant cannabis intake, the estranged family relationships and it just felt like the movie was more show than genuine. 

There were a couple of wins: the theme of the cut out cardboard people, one dialogue is particularly good which is why people delve into stories: for their happy ending. 

Overall though: I was craving for something that spoke more to the themes that were introduced especially within an Indian cultural context. And... was hoping to shed at least a few tears. The ending did make me tear up a bit. 

All in all, okay use of 2 hours, but WOULDN'T recommend overall. 

Mahadev: Indian Serial (2011-2014)

 

In India, there have historically been films about Hindu mythology released that are based from the puranas; ancient Indian scriptures that talk about a variety of topics, including those concerning the Hindu Gods. I've watched many of these films from childhood: Maya Bazaar (1957), Sita Kalyanam (1976) and Bhookailas (1958) to name a few. There's something that brings me back to them: the way they portray the characters, surface Hindu values and the omniscience of the Gods. They remind me of what I've learned and experienced from going to Hindu school on Sundays. I've always seen these films as first and foremost a way to bring back memories of those days. 

When I first watched Mahadev, which is based on a Shiva purana, I must say, I was amused. Instead of it being a mythological movie like I'm used to seeing, Mahadev is... taken as a Hindi serial. It has all the bells and whistles: the closeups of at least 10 dramatic expressions when something as little as a dialogue has been spoken, the echoing sound effect whenever someone says something of consequence, and the dragged out storyline which could be told in about one-third the time. 

Yet despite ALL that... It has its charm and its wins. The symbolism behind the story of the puranas can still very much be discussed through the storyline, and thankfully the serial sticks to the original story. Sure, the CGI very much looks like CGI, and the portrayal of Nandi (Shiva's devotee) can be exhausting since his number one response to everything is crying, but the show still does a good job of gripping the audience with a charming cast and a pretty good set. Even if everything does look over the top, I mean, the original settings described in the puranas are...

The biggest win of the show in my opinion is the portrayal of the holy trinity: Vishnu, Bramha, and the one and only Mahadev (Shiva). All three of the actors are well suited for their roles. Shiva's personality is portrayed in a very convincing, earnest way. I particularly enjoyed the dancing sequences of Shiva and I'm glad the show didn't over-dramatize his personality. 

Sati who is Shiva's main love interest in season 1 and 2, is flat for a while, but we see her character come more to life as she starts learning more about herself and her destiny. 

That being said, I'm excited for season 3. I'd highly recommend this show as a way to reconnect to this story and discuss the symbolism behind it. The battle between arrogance, dharma (duty), and destiny that happens in all our minds. The story is just a metaphor for it. 

Spiderman: Far From Home

 It's been a while since I've indulged in a marvel movie...

That being said, I thought Spiderman: Far From Home is unlike any marvel movie I've seen before. It's very whimsical and funny. It's the type of movie that gives you a feeling of ease; like you know it's going to end well and there'll be laughs along the way. It doesn't take itself too seriously, but still offers a good peak into what the main character, Peter Parker, is going through. 

As a high school student, Peter Parker just wants a normal summer. He's supposed to go on a trip to Europe with his classmates and teachers. For him, this is also a prime opportunity to tell the girl he likes (MJ) how he feels. Nick Fury, one of the Avengers in charge of damage control, however, thinks differently. He calls on Peter to embark on a mission with the Avengers as Spiderman, and provides a legacy piece that IronMan had left behind for him. I loved the realism that the movie brought to the idea of being an Avenger; the fact that it's a job, and when you're on call, you're on call, even when you don't really want to be. Peter, being the normal teenager he is, isn't super excited about embarking on this adventure and growing up so quickly. He wants to have fun and have a normal summer. 

The movie explores how Peter grapples with his growing responsibility as an Avenger member, alongside with the main plot of the movie which involves stopping the villain. In the process, we learn a little bit about the classmates in Peter's life: his endearing friend, his crush MJ and his other classmates that have quirks of their own. 

I don't want to give any spoilers away, but I will say that the movie not only engaged me from an action superhero angle, but also from the angle of getting to know and love the characters, and I really appreciated it. 

I also loved the diversity in the film. Of course, Peter Parker himself is caucasian, but his classmates ranged from african american to asian to Indian. It really made me connect to the film more to see people of color (me being Indian myself). 

I would overall, highly recommend this movie. It's not super dramatic, and isn't too crazy about "spiderman" as a superhero either. It really brings to light the heart of the character, as someone who really is shaped by the support system he has and who is willing to grow to meet the needs of the situation. At the end of the day, Peter Parker is a growing human being just like the rest of us.