spjek

Just came out from the First show of War 2 in the US and was overall entertained. It is a good action packed movie but does go a bit over the top for me. The highlights of the movie are its very well executed action set pieces with good stunt work and VFX. The story arcs for the characters of Colonel Luthra, Kabir and Vikram are well written. NTR Jr's role has some pretty interesting twists and turns while Kiara not only looks stunning but also packs a real punch. The couple of new characters introduced into the Spy Universe are also pretty Jhakaas and Alpha.

The main attraction of the movie is of course Hrithik. He looks gritty, real (his age) and absolutely fantastic which is probably the reason my wife loved the movie. His high octane entry scene, his thrilling action sequences, his stylish dance moves, his trademark trembling face of anger and his teary eyed monologue are all present in the movie. Hrithik carries the movie but NTR Jr's fans will not be disappointed when he makes his entry, delivers some chill action sequences, shakes a fancy leg, reveals an interesting origin story and has an over the top but cool finale.

The movie is long but is pretty quick moving from one action packed set piece to another. However in order to enjoy the movie, one has to be fine with Kabir's Alpha wolf dominates a real fierce wolf just with his sheer presence and looks, takes on an army of Katana wielding Ninjas, drives a car in the most unexpected places, performs some mind boggling stunts on boats, planes and trains, dodges and even survives some really lethal bullets. The songs are good but not at the same level as the original war. The mid-credit scene introducing the next chapter of the Spy Universe is pretty nice, especially the unexpected cameo. The mention of Pathaan and Tiger is cool but underwhelming because of their complete absence from the movie.

On the YRF Spy Universe scale War 2 lands somewhere between War and Pathaan. It doesn't rise up to the level of Ek Tha Tiger and Tiger Zinda Hai but also doesn't take a dive to the Tiger 3 level. Its a fun entertaining watch for the action sequences, Hrithik and Spy Universe fans but dont expect a lot of heart and goosebumps. 7.5/10.

There has been a steady rise in action military thrillers set in Kashmir in the last few years and at first glance Ground Zero appears to be just another run of the mill entry in the sub-genre. However Ground Zero which is based on the real life operation Ghazi Baba is a pretty gripping thriller closer in style and quality to the real life based political thriller Article 370 than a stylish and over the top big budget action flick like Fighter.

The story is solid, the screenplay is crisp and the acting is pretty good especially Eemran Hashmi who is not a well chiseled indestructible superhero who is dancing and romancing in his free time but a realistic, flawed and hard working BSF commandant focused on hunting down Ghazi Baba, the mastermind of the Indian Parliament Attack. The movie stays focused on the hunt with no distractions....no unnecessary songs and item numbers or side stories or romantic angles etc.

The final sequence has some shades of Zero Dark Thirty which is actually pretty well executed but right at the end, the action goes a bit over the top when Eemran's character finally faces off with Ghazi. Overall it was a pretty good watch and a well deserving tribute to the BSF soldiers who sacrificed themselves for the country. I liked it a lot. 7.5/10.

Sorry, Baby is one of the most nuanced, simple yet complex telling of the effects and aftermath of a traumatic event in the life of a bright, energetic and youthful woman. Beautifully written, directed and brought to screen with a very balanced, sensitive and realistic performance by debutant Eva Victor. The movie is truly deserving of its premiere and writing award at Sundance and being the closing movie of the director's fortnight at Cannes.

Eva Victor tells her story in a non chronological manner by moving forward and backward in time through five specific chapters representing five very different years of her life. This non linear approach highlights her emotional journey and augments the story telling significantly. The story is simple and the pace of the movie is slow but it is this slow pace and focus on the lead characters subdued emotions when alone mixed with phases of elation when in the company of her best friend that makes the movie so effective.

Eva does a brilliant job channeling the emotions of disappointment, disillusionment, isolation, grief, anxiety and anger mixed with those of hope, resilience and healing. At no point it appears that she is acting and that is what makes her performance and the movie special. Don't expect any cinematic fireworks as Eva makes the audience truly experience the lead character's emotional journey through trauma. Delicate, authentic and realistic. 8/10.