Lootera (2013)

Image courtesy of IMDB

A Hindi-language film inspired by O. Henry’s short story The Last Leaf, Lootera is a masterpiece that has been overlooked for far too long. It stars Bollywood stars Sonakshi Sinha and Ranbir Singh and was critically acclaimed on release.

Lootera follows Pakhi (Sonakshi Sinha), the daughter of an important landlord in the small town of Manikpur in the 1950s. Ranbir Singh enters as Varun, an archaeologist who seeks permission to dig up and study the land around a historical temple on the family’s land. They have a decidedly unromantic initial meeting – a car accident where Pakhi loses control of her car (that she wasn’t supposed to be driving) and runs Varun and his motorbike off the road. When Varun later arrives at her doorstep to meet with her father, they both are cautious, Pakhi especially, so as she doesn’t want her father to know the truth of the accident.

However, we see how Pakhi is nonetheless drawn to Varun, and vice versa. We see them peeking glances at each other, doing anything they can to spend a few moments together. Varun also wins over her father and soon, the landlord offers Varun lodgings in their mansion. What follows is a beautiful portrayal of the two falling in love. It’s pure, and fulfilling. Alas, Varun holds a secret and it may just threaten their future together.

I think we can agree, that plot and character are both equally vital for a story to work well. Lootera excels at both. It takes the emotional heart of The Last Leaf and makes it so much more complex and enriching. I was rooting for both Pakhi and Varun, even when their motives were against each other. Somehow, calling this a romantic drama doesn’t do it justice. Yes, the centre of this film is the love between the characters, but there’s so much heart around it, there’s so much more depth to it. I’m going to remember this film, the characters, the scenery for a long time.

In a film so high in quality, there’s so much to talk about. However, if there was something I have to talk about – it’s that of the cinematography. It’s one of the most striking things about this film, that it is so visually beautiful. The locations are each in stunning regions in India, at first showing the summer heat before putting the wintery of Northern India on display. The directing style complements both the location itself and the story incredibily well, with long moody shots that speak for themselves. Director Vikramaditya Motwane has worked on several other notable films – Sacred Games, Queen, Devdas(!) – but this truly is the peak of his work. As cinema changes and evolves, I am fully convinved that this shows the very best of modern Bollywood.

MY THOUGHTS

Reasons to go watch this now:

• Adaptations often adapt the same source material over and over again. The Last Leaf has not been adapted countless times before, rarely in English-language media. (Interestingly enough, it has been adapted or inspired media more in Asia.)
• Beautiful, beautiful movie to watch. International viewers may be surprised by the different climates in India.
• Potentially perfect film to watch in the cold winter months. Great to put on, especially on those days where it’s gloomy and rainy.
• Criminally underrated – if you’re in any way interested in film, it’s a must-watch.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Image courtesy of IMDB

A classic in every conceivable way, 10 Things I Hate About You has remained a mainstay of teen movies. It is based on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, and features, for the first time in lead roles, Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles.

In the off-chance that there is anybody that hasn’t seen this movie, let me summarise it. Cameron (a baby-faced Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a new student at Padua High. He meets Bianca (Larisa Oleynik) and wants to date, her but her father won’t allow her to go on a date unless her older sister Kat (Julia Stiles) also has a date. So after some shenanigans, Patrick (Heath Ledger) is hired (yes, paid OFF!) to date Kat without Kat knowing any of this. Kat also happens to be a very independent, and cautious with her heart when it comes to men.

Obviously, as Billy Shakespeare himself wrote the source play, it’s easy to expect a good movie. But this really does a good job of updating it for modern audiences. For instance, like I mentioned, Kat is an out-and-proud feminist, and she stays outspoken about her views even when Patrick, who is basically your stereotypically cool guy, doesn’t seem to appreciate it. I really liked Kat. I also really liked Patrick.

Many teen movies combine romance with other teen struggles (which can be nice) but this stays pretty faithfully to the romance genre, in my opinion. I can’t say enough how much I appreciate that. The love that blooms between Kat and Patrick is realistic, and funny. They both are sarcastic and witty, and I love their banter. The chemistry between them is off the charts! Their particular brand of snarky fondness is offset by the cute puppy love between Bianca and Cameron. There’s a great balance. It’s heart-warming and, just a really feel-good movie.

I’ve watched this countless times over my lifetime, and I’m sure I’ll continue to watch it many more times. It’s a good family watch as well, and I’ve noticed that I’ve accidentally been sucked into watching it many, many times when I’ve randomly caught it on TV. Highly recommend, great movie all-around.

MY THOUGHTS

Why you should watch this asap:

• Awesome cast!! Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles have great chemistry.
• The “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” scene. If you’re not going to watch the movie, just go watch this scene. Please. Do it for yourself.
• It’ll remind you of your own high school days, in a good way. It’s got that nostalgic factor.
• The “10 Things I Hate About You” poem scene. So much angst!! This is the blueprint for Wattpad stories.
• Many newer teen movies seem very derivative, it’s better to just go back to the originals, or at least ones that have a new take on it (like this one).

EXPERIENCE

The Rooftop Film Club is hosting a little film season at Alexandra Palace! Not only is this a beautiful location, but this is especially fun because it’s a drive in cinema (!!). You can stay socially distanced, and even get food delivered to your car by ordering through an app. Perfect for this in-between May weather. The season is ongoing at Alexandra Palace currently until 31st of May, so go make sure to book your tickets quickly. It will also feature a 90’s weekend (which is when you can catch 10 Things I Hate About You) during 28th-31th May. The Rooftop Film Club also has other locations which you can find here.

INFO

Read more about the movie here.

Book your tickets for the drive-in cinema here.

Palm Springs (2021)

Image courtesy of IMDB

One of the latest films to be released in a post-pandemic world, Palm Springs is a delight. The film takes places in Palm Springs, where Sarah (Cristin Miloti) is attending her sister’s wedding. An incident with a rogue guest, Nyles (Andy Samberg) leads to a time loop. While this will not be a new concept to audiences, the movie does a great job at blending late night humour with enough heart warming moments to set itself apart.

The quirkyness (is that word still allowed?) of the main heroine Sarah combined with the cheekiness of Andy Samberg’s Nyles create one of the most addictive lead couples I’ve seen in a while. Cristin Miloti shines, she is captivating in every scene, completely winning me over. This is a bit of a departure for her, audiences will most likely recognise her as How I Met Your Mother‘s Tracy (the mother!) and most of her roles since have been of the same sort of adorkable, girl next door, nice. As is evident very soon into the movie, Sarah is not that nice – or (dare I say?) bland. She’s the black sheep of the family, and has self-destructive and selfish streaks. She’s complex and so interesting.

Nyles is the perfect foil to bring out the multitudes in Sarah’s personality. He’s loud, and whatever the opposite of self-conscious is. While audiences will most likely remember Andy Samberg as Brooklyn Nine Nine‘s Jake Peralta, Palm Springs‘ allows Samberg to play a role less PG, and more reminiscent of his SNL or Lonely Island characters.

While the concept of a time loop is not new, what Palm Springs has done really well is what happens during it. Sure, there’s lots of regular stuff – the confusion, the attempts to get out – but the film isn’t really about that. (They also don’t answer all the questions about the science of the time loop, so this is not the place to be looking for a realistic offering.) The fun of this film lies in the journey they go through as partners. I wouldn’t even call it a love story, or even romantic in any sense. This is just a fun movie with ongoing shenanigans. The more heartfelt parts also pair perfectly, it doesn’t feel out of place. I had fun with Sarah and Nyles in their journey, going through the same day over and over.

MY THOUGHTS

Why I would recommend watching this film:

• The main characters are fascinating, and get you to root for them.
• Andy Samberg, and Cristin Miloti – who doesn’t love them?!
• It’s available now to watch on Amazon Prime, which means you can watch it from the comfort of your living room… or your kitchen … or your bed.

INFO

Read more about it on IMDB here.

Watch on Amazon Prime here.

The King’s Speech (2010)

Image courtesy of IMDB

The King’s Speech won four Oscars and five BAFTAs, which probably tells you everything you need to know about it. It has a brilliant cast, and is impeccably made in every way, but especially in regards to the soundtrack, cinematography, and of course, its acting.

The film starts off at Wembley Stadium where Prince Albert (Colin Firth) gives a faltering speech. His speech impediment – a stutter – doesn’t allow him to speak confidently and it becomes clear soon that this will impact him in the future once his father, and the current king, King George V (Michael Gambon), passes away. The heir, and future king, Prince Edward (Guy Pearce) is a source of instability within the royal family. He’s known for consorting with unsuitable options to be future queen, and shirking his responsibilities. It’s because of this, that Albert is told he will have to take on further duties.

To combat his biggest obstacle, Prince Albert’s wife Elizabeth, Duchess of York (Helena Bonham Carter) finds him a speech therapist (Lionel Logue, played by Geoffrey Rush) who deals in unorthodox methods. The King’s Speech tells the real life story of the friendship between the two, and how Prince Albert (or “Bertie” as Lionel calls him) combats his stutter.

The acting is – and this is me understating it – is excellent. Every single person shines but my particular favourites were Colin Firth, who showed such depth and balance. Geoffrey Rush, who as Lionel Logue, was constantly confident, and excellent, and so funny with his pithy little remarks. And lastly, Helena Bonham Carter, who portrayed the Queen Mother beautifully as kind, caring, and always positive.

The film itself played so well at maintaining the tone of the film, and kept its regality even in the more ridiculous moments. The scene with Prince Albert swearing “Fuck, fuck, fuck, buggedy fuck,” is so light, and it doesn’t feel ridiculous, nor is the audience laughing at Prince Albert at any point. The film is obviously quite tense, and serious, but at every turn there’s a little line that makes you smile.

The King’s Speech definitely earned all of those awards. It’s so captivating, for the entire family, and holds up to repeat viewings. It is essentially a perfect film.

niki d · Prince Albert – Fun Facts!

MY THOUGHTS

Why you should watch this film:

• The acting is phenomonal.
• It manages to toe the line between heart-wrenching, and funny really well. It’s really delicate.
• The aforementioned scene where Colin Firth is swearing. It’s worth watching the film, just for this scene.
• If you go to watch it at Kew Gardens, you’ll be surrounded by one of the most beautiful locations in London.
• It ends on the most satisfying note and you’ll be glad you watched it.

EXPERIENCE

Kew Gardens are hosting a series of films from 7th to the 11th of July, including The King’s Speech. They’ll be showing an impressive range of films, from cult classics to new releases, it’s a great way to experience films that you’ve possibly seen before. The food looks great – including nachos, ice cream, and of course, popcorn. The event will be socially distanced so you can have fun while staying safe.

I love Kew Gardens, it’s beautiful and peaceful, and perfect for a date night or to visit with your friends. Personally, I am going to go see Dirty Dancing (an excellent date night movie!) and In the Heights (which I have been waiting over a year for). I would definitely recommend it.

INFO

Read more about it here.

Buy tickets and see what other films are on at Kew Gardens here.

Judas and The Black Messiah (2021)

Image courtesy of IMDB

Based on the true story of Fred Hampton, Judas and The Black Messiah stars Daniel Kaluuya as Hampton, and LaKeith Stanfield as William “Bill” O’Neal, a double agent working for the FBI. I watched this film by chance, but I’m glad I did – I think it could already easily be one of the best films of the year.

The film starts as Bill O’Neal gets caught impersonating a FBI agent, and is persuaded into becoming a double agent inside the Black Panthers to avoid jail time. The Illinois chapter of the Blank Panthers is led by Fred Hampton. Hampton is passionate, and charismatic, and is unfortunately already drawing attention from the FBI. He has big plans, and under his leadership the Blank Panthers grow in number and power. Soon, O’Neal rises through the ranks to become the head of security.

While the film is about Fred Hampton, 70% of it takes place about through Bill O’Neal’s perspective. Shaka King, the director, has said that the film is more about Hampton’s ideas than his life story, and the best way to highlight his ideology was to contrast it with O’Neal’s. It’s really interesting to see how their lives were intertwined, and perhaps this was the best way to show Hampton – to show him through one of his comrade’s eyes.

Daniel Kaluuya was so captivating. The scenes of him leading the Black Panther meetings were my favourite. They were so exhilarating. Kaluuya’s ability to lead that, to project the same air of being inviting and approachable while being so strong, that the real Hampton reportedly did, is special – his Oscar was well-deserved. LaKeith Stanfield was also fantastic, he gave a really complex performance. Perhaps one of the reasons Judas and the Black Messiah felt so real (even accounting for being based on true events), was that several key figures had a hand in the making of it.

Made 50 years after the events, Akua Njeri (Fred Hampton’s fiancé, formerly known as Deborah Johnson) and Fred Hampton Jr. consulted in making this movie. While some facts have been changed, understandably, this may be one of the most accurate depictions of the time. It depicts a sympathetic picture of the Black Panthers but it feels honest. Judas and the Black Messiah deftly combined a “movie treatment” and actual first hand accounts, and the outcome is well worth it.

MY THOUGHTS

I was well aware that many movies centred around Black people glamorize certain traumatic experiences. This movie doesn’t glamorize the events, in my opinion. It seems to be more of a way of preserving Fred Hampton’s legacy, and will undoubtedly introduce him to many who didn’t know his story, and to that of the Black Panthers. This is an impeccable movie through and through, and I’m glad that this particular group of people came together to make it.

Why you should watch it:

• Great casting, Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield give shining performances.
• The lighting is really well-done throughout the movie (I don’t know why I noticed this, but props to whomever was in charge of that.)
• Fred Hampton’s legacy, an invaluable key figure in Black History.
• You’ll be glad you watched it.

THE EXPERIENCE

I went to watch this at Vue (yes! in person!). I bought my tickets from the kiosk at the cinema, but you can also book them online which will also be slightly cheaper. There are social distancing measures so after each group, there’s two seats on either side that will automatically become unavailable. It also means limited numbers will be allowed in which means booking in advance is probably a good idea. I felt quite safe.

Of the cinema itself, I have the very strong opinion that Vue has the best nacho cheese. Great, great nachos in general. They also serve hot dogs, popcorn and lots of other crisps and snacks. At the location I went to (Westfield Shepherd’s Bush, inside the shopping centre), they also had a Ben and Jerry’s kiosk.

I would definitely recommend going to Vue, but also to cinemas in general. The theatres were being cleaned regularly and I felt safe. Everything was so clean.

INFO

Get more information about the movie here.

Find showtimes in your local Vue here.

Joy (2015)

2.5 stars

Drama

I’m not sure if you remember this movie. It came out during Christmas season and it had that lovely shot of Jennifer Lawrence walking through the snow with her short hair and dark sunglasses all over the adverts and posters. That was my first impression of Joy.

Joy is about Joy – a fictional Joy inspired by the real-life Joy that invented the Miracle Mop. She is living in a dysfunctional family home with her two kids. Her mum lives in one room and watches tv all day while her ex-husband is still living in the basement. Then her dad arrives, his girlfriend had gotten tired of him and so he too moves into the basement. He then gets another girlfriend, Trudy, who ends up being the main investor for Joy’s brand new idea – a mop. Joy goes through ups and downs with her business but she emerges a stronger woman after it.

The plot was simple but quite captivating. It flowed beautifully. I thought Joy was, for the most part, an admirable character and I found her journey to becoming more independent to be convincing and a joy to watch. lol.

Overall, I liked the cast. I thought they were all really lovely to watch and so natural within their roles. It was a little strange to see Jennifer Lawrence as a mother of two but she does really well. Honourable mention to Bradley Cooper, who plays the guy in charge of a QVC channel – one of those channels where you call them up to buy things. I have seen these two actors act together before and I think the dynamic between them is always great. Second honourable mention to Dascha Polanco, who played Jackie, Joy’s right hand woman.

I did have a peculiar thought while watching this though, and that was that Joy feels like a specific kind of film. Like a made-for-tv low budget made by a small channel that you come across by accident. That’s not to say that it’s a bad film, because it’s not. It just feels like that kind of film. Maybe it’s the colour palette, or the costumes maybe.

In conclusion: I can see why this was released during Christmas, it’s a good film to watch as a family because of the simple plot. But would I watch this again? I doubt it.

Watch it: as a family, sunday evening?

 

The Truth About Jane (2000)

4.5 stars

Drama, Romance

The Truth About Jane is a movie I thought I had heard about but it was a made-for-tv movie and the imdb page shows only two connections, so i’m not sure if i’m making up memories. Regardless, I’m really glad I did watch it, it’s earnest and honest. It’s 2000’s version of Love, Simon.

The film starts with a a quick run-through of Jane’s (Ellen Muth) life, ages 0-16. We see how close her and her mother (Stockard Channing) are before landing on magical number 16 of her life when Taylor (Alicia Lagano) joins Jane’s class and she begins to grow more distant from her mother while coming to terms that she might be gay.

Her “struggle” with coming to terms with her sexuality is one of the reasons why I did enjoy this movie so much. It’s very clearly a struggle for Jane – she asks if kissing a girl makes her gay – but it’s accompanied by a voice over of Jane’s inner voice which is insightful and funny, and light in tone. It’s balanced. It also follows a cute love story between Jane and Taylor. It’s a novel thing to have such a thing so I enjoyed the representation of lesbians being innocent and really quite adorable.

One more reason why I liked this is the second half of the plot which is about Janice, Jane’s mother, struggling to come to terms with Jane’s sexuality. I don’t know how the general public viewed gay people back in 2000 but it was a lot more progressive than I had anticipated. While Janice does love her daughter (she says so quite a lot), there seems to be so many factors that makes her despair. She does cross that line from being a caring mother to homophobic parent quickly and then you see everybody around her trying to cope with that too. She’s a very complicated character.

It’s not what I expected, that is for sure. It’s perhaps a lot more representative of the reality of having homophobic parents than I have seen before. It was refreshing to see this in 2019, which is to say that this was not exaggerated or given a movie makeover like many movies and tv shows have a tendency to do when it comes to LGBT people and issues.

I wouldn’t watch this with anybody that has homophobic tendencies but it was eye-opening and I would say a part of LGBT film history.

Watch this: with the comfort of supportive friends.

Someone Great (2019)

4/5 stars

Comedy, Romance

The thing about Someone Great is that it is not the best movie ever, and it doesn’t try to be either. It’s a very solid film following a trio of best friends the day after Jenny (Gina Rodriguez) breaks up with her long term boyfriend Nate (LaKeith Stanfield). It’s almost like a romantic drama but with the three friends at the core instead.

There’s flashbacks throughout the movie showing the history between Jenny and Nate. At times, cute and warm, and at times, viscerally real. The scenes detailing the break down of their relationship is heartbreaking and honest. Did I root for them as a couple? No. But you feel something like nostalgia for them. There was a couple of scenes later on of them arguing where I couldn’t look away, so caught up in the horror of it. It’s so good.

The movie also spends sizeable time on Jenny’s friendship with Erin (DeWanda Wise) and Blair (Brittany Snow). Like the romantic side, this is real. They have quite crude conversations, they fight, they apologise. I really enjoyed their friendship and this was possibly the reason why there wasn’t a single boring scene in the movie. I can’t say enough good things about them.

All in all: I really enjoyed this movie. I think it’s got heart.

Watch it: girls night in.

 

Storks (2016)

Rating 5/5

Animation, Adventure, Comedy

The thing about Pixar films is that they always have a very simple plot line. Storks is about (you guessed it) storks and their “upgrade” into a retail company after a mishap with handling babies. This mishap ended in the breaking of the carrier, which has the address info, and the orphaning of the baby, Tulip (Katie Crown) who grows into a wannabe-stork.

So years later, Tulip has grown up and is getting into general mayhem as the only human on Stork Mountain. The other main character, Junior (Andy Samberg!!), is in line to be promoted to Boss of Stork Mountain and his first task – to fire the incompetent human. As I said, general mayhem, which results in a unauthorized child. Junior reasons that if they go and deliver the baby quickly, nobody will know and he will still get promoted.

The storytelling is cleeean. It’s really easy to get invested in the story, with the characters because you spend so much time with them. Tulip and Junior are essentially the stereotypical pairing in literally any, and every movie made. Tulip is upbeat, and optimistic. Junior is pragmatic and absolutely focused on getting that promotion. Their pairing is obviously great. And while there are some subplots, the film doesn’t spend too much time on them – and they join together beautifully.

Another thing I appreciated about this film is that it is so funny. I don’t watch this genre of film very often but I was genuinely laughing out loud throughout the film. It’s definitely child-appropriate as well, but it doesn’t feel childish. You could easily watch this with a child and enjoy yourself as much as them.

I really liked this film, and I think there’s enough going on that it will keep audiences entertained and surprised. It also doesn’t hurt that the animation is beautiful.

Watch it: this is a very peaceful film, watch it on Sundays.

Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)

If I was to describe the film in the most sparse way possible, it would in fact be “Four Weddings and a Funeral”. That’s one of the film’s best qualities, it’s direct and doesn’t have a single scene that I didn’t enjoy. I really, really enjoyed this. Romcoms from the 90s hit a different note, especially ones that feature Hugh Grant. So here’s a list of all the reasons I liked it.

• As mentioned before, it’s direct. It’s a romcom, and almost every scene serves that purpose. There are some subplots, but they don’t feel seperate from the love story. It’s more fleshing out the characters rather than having a storyline that is other. I can’t remember really any other romance that is so direct in its love story.
• Charles (Hugh Grant) is a brilliant main character. He’s a perpetually late, bumbling, yet clever hero. His first bit of dialogue is “Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!” and yet you’re rooting for him from the very beginning. I care about him.
• Charles’ friends are great. Well written and well acted. It’s a great supporting cast. I was going to list out my favourite characters but that is actually all of them.
• Surprise Rowan Atkinson.
• Sordid matters handled with classic English sophistication.
• One-liners at every corner. “I think I’d better be where other people are not.”
• Really, the whole script. It’s funny. “Everybody blames you too.”
• The more sombre moments are dealt with appropriately.
• Can see background character’s progression. Nice easter eggs.
• Has a disabled character – Charles’ brother David. I really, really liked how this was handled. They use sign language throughout the film, and they have a very realistic brotherly relationship.
• Apparently, the love interest Carrie (Andie McDowell) was once voted the most annoying character. I didn’t hate her but I didn’t care too much for her either. What I did appreciate is that she’s quick-witted and really quite formidable. She’s not a damsel in distress.
• and HUGH GRANT. Obviously. Here at his most floppy-haired.

I loved this. It’s the right balance of light and thunderbolts. It’s perfect for summer honestly.

Watch it: with friends on summer day before the Hulu (and Mindy Kaling!) produced version releases on 31st July in USA.