BADLAPUR: How a good movie missed out on being India's First Slow Burn Classic

BADLAPUR did well at the boxoffice. BUT what do I have to say about the movie?
Get into a critical analysis of this gritty revenge drama blow by blow and know why it gets rated 8/10 instead of the actual 7/10 that the movie was initially rated.

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Watch the review and Analysis:



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- Pushkaraj S Shirke

The Grand Budapest Hotel: A Crashcourse in the Fine Art of FilmCraft

monkeyrating: 8/10

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama

waddabout: The adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous hotel from the fictional Republic of Zubrowka between the first and second World Wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend.

isay: its a wonderful wonderful wonderful movie! amazing art, costumes, makeup, storytelling style and editing. In true essence of FILMCRAFT, this movie is an epitome of the skill in every measure. Infact, i was in such a loss of words of praise for this movie that shows in my stumbling-fumbling video review of it:

Its grand lineup of well deserved nominatiosn include:

Best Motion Picture of the Year Wes Anderson Scott Rudin Steven M. Rales Jeremy Dawson

Best Achievement in Directing Wes Anderson

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Wes Anderson Hugo Guinness

Best Achievement in Cinematography Robert D. Yeoman

Best Achievement in Editing Barney Pilling

Best Achievement in Production Design Adam Stockhausen Anna Pinnock

Best Achievement in Costume Design Milena Canonero

Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling Frances Hannon Mark Coulier

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score Alexandre Desplat

I'm predicting an oscar sweep by this movie for production design, costume design and maybe MAKEUP too. 
do read this: http://qz.com/348179/the-graphic-designer-behind-wes-andersons-the-grand-budapest-hotel/

- Pushkaraj S Shirke

Baby

monkeyrating: 9/10
genre: action, crime drama
kudos to the director NEERAJ PANDEY and action director - my fav action director of all time CYRIL RAFELLI for making this brilliant movie!
One of the best action movies to ever come out of Bollywood!



 - Pushkaraj S Shirke

NH10 and BADLAPUR: Trailer first look reactions and review

Watch the trailer reaction and review of BADLAPUR and NH10. and why we are excited about it.

And unlike what most people are saying, NH10 is NOTHING like KILL BILL. its like a different bunch of films all together - see the review or read on to know more.

The NH10 trailer is brilliant - very gory realism. cinema in the lines of 'the last house on the left' and 'i spit on your grave'. 

Looks like bollywood finally has better days on the horizon.
he film looks like a gritty and gripping victim revenge drama. It has a vibe of recent korean revenge / slasher dramas. And I'm loving it. this is MY genre of amazeballs cinema.

NH 10: TRAILER: 

For those of you who have not seen the classics of this genre and their remakes, do watch them. The address the latent animal in every victim. and they are beautiful in the way the do it. Though they are not for the meek hearted.

LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT: FULL MOVIE:


I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE: TRAILER


BADLAPUR: The film looks like its gonna be sriram raghavan's comeback after the epic slip off on AGENT VINOD. its good to see him back in his gritty, indie like element which showed great promise in johnny gaddar. Kudos to Varun Dhawan for stepping out of the chocolate boy image and embracing some real grit. (though his looks seems inspired by my caveman bodybuilding look ;) :P )

check out the trailer:


PS: the song 'jee karda from Badlapur is already playing on loop in my head and is freakking awesome :) 

- Pushkaraj S Shirke

WHIPLASH

monkeyrating: 9/10

genre: drama, music

amazing acting. amazing direction. brilliant chemistry between the leads. a three actor movie thats better than a multimillion dollar starcast! 
i haven't loved a movie so much in a long long time! i watched the ending thrice and the movie thrice in a  week! this movie is the 12 angry men equivalent of this era. go watch it.



a brilliant analysis of the opening scene with the director:


- Pushkaraj S Shirke

The Gunman

My favourite actor - Sean Penn and one of my favourite action movie directors - Pierre Moel (director of the First TAKEN and of Transporter 2), have gotten together and i'm mind blown!!!! I cant wait for this movie to release!
Also, the soundtrack sounds amazing and the story seems cliche and yet gripping!
So i have my fingers crossed for this one. This movie might just reclaim the magic that TAKEN 3 couldn't create in the genre.

what do you think?




- Pushkaraj S Shirke

American Sniper

Monkeyrating: 8/10
although i rate this movie 8/10 based on film-making, on moral grounds i rate it a 4/10.
See the video review for more details about why.

Genre: action, pseudo-biography, drama. and PATRIOTISM PORNOGRAPHY.

American Sniper's brilliance as a film is only overshadowed by its failure at being honest. 
What makes a good film a bad project? What is the line between a Patriotic Movie and a psedo-patriotic piece of Propaganda? Can a well made movie be called a 'good' movie even if it distorts the truth so far that good and evil itself cross definitions? 

A Film Pickle review by Pushkaraj S Shirke. (twitter: @credosian)



Just for detailed info on facts about Kris Kyle, read this - an excerpt from an article not written by me:

Here are seven lies about Chris Kyle and the story that director Clint Eastwood is telling:

1. The Film Suggests the Iraq War Was In Response To 9/11: One way to get audiences to unambiguously support Kyle’s actions in the film is to believe he’s there to avenge the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The movie cuts from Kyle watching footage of the attacks to him serving in Iraq, implying there is some link between the two.

2. The Film Invents a Terrorist Sniper Who Works For Multiple Opposing Factions: Kyle’s primary antagonist in the film is a sniper named Mustafa. Mustafa is mentioned in a single paragraph in Kyle’s book, but the movie blows him up into an ever-present figure and Syrian Olympic medal winner who fights for both Sunni insurgents in Fallujah and the Shia Madhi army.

3. The Film Portrays Chris Kyle as Tormented By His Actions: Multiple scenes in the movie portray Kyle as haunted by his service. One of the film’s earliest reviews praised it for showing the “emotional torment of so many military men and women.” But that torment is completely absent from the book the film is based on. In the book, Kyle refers to everyone he fought as “savage, despicable” evil. He writes, “I only wish I had killed more.” He also writes, “I loved what I did. I still do. If circumstances were different – if my family didn’t need me – I’d be back in a heartbeat. I’m not lying or exaggerating to say it was fun. I had the time of my life being a SEAL.” On an appearance on Conan O’Brien’s show he laughs about accidentally shooting an Iraqi insurgent. He once told a military investigator that he doesn’t “shoot people with Korans. I’d like to, but I don’t.”

4. The Real Chris Kyle Made Up A Story About Killing Dozens of People In Post-Katrina New Orleans: Kyle claimed that he killed 30 people in the chaos of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, a story Louisiana writer Jarvis DeBerry calls “preposterous.”  It shows the sort of mentality post-war Kyle had, but the claim doesn’t appear in the film.

5. The Real Chris Kyle Fabricated A Story About Killing Two Men Who Tried To Carjack Him In Texas: Kyle told numerous people a story about killing two alleged carjackers in Texas. Reporters tried repeatedly to verify this claim, but no evidence of it exists.

6. Chris Kyle Was Successfully Sued For Lying About the Former Governor of Minnesota: Kyle alleged that former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura defamed Navy SEALs and got into a fight with him at a local bar. Ventura successfully sued Kyle for the passage in his book, and a jury awarded him $1.845 million.

7. Chris Kyle’s Family Claimed He Donated His Book Proceeds To Veterans’ Charity, But He Kept Most Of The Profits: The National Review debunks the claim that all proceeds of his book went to veterans’ charities. Around 2 percent – $52,000 – went to the charities while the Kyles pocketed $3 million.

-ZAID JILANI, ALTERNET

below:
a powerful confession by US soldier Mike Prysner on his experience fighting in Iraq. "Our real enemies are not those living in a distant land whose names or policies we don’t understand; The real enemy is a system that wages war when it’s profitable, the CEOs who lay us off our jobs when it’s profitable, the Insurance Companies who deny us Health care when it’s profitable, the Banks who take away our homes when it’s profitable. Our enemies are not several hundred thousands away. They are right here in front of us." - Mike Prysner

- Pushkaraj S Shirke

UGLY

A 'Critically Acclaimed' Movie gets an honest review.
Ugly as honesty can be, the review is clear and unbiased, listing out the pros and cons of the movie without giving out any spoilers.
Though his review of the movie is not a pretty one, I do suggest that you watch this movie in theatres to encourage cinema that doesn't revolve around love stories, in Bollywood.

Rating: 2/5 
maybe an emotionally 3/5 just for not being a romantic crap bollywood movie.
Pros: Casting, Dialogues, Concept, Direction, Acting.
Cons: Scriptwriting - specifically towards the second half, all music besides the title track, loopholes in the story and an overall miss at completing a story and tying the end together.

In short, great characters were created around a brilliant concept, but eventually, to no avail.

watch the video review for details:


- Pushkaraj S Shirke

Dracula Untold

monkeyrating: 7/10

genre: action, drama, fantasy

waddabout: Vlad, a young prince with a murderous past is forced to wager his soul for a power that could save his family and his kingdom from the ruthless Turks.

i say: amazing story! this was the retelling that i always hoped the Dracula legend would get, and i was not dissapointed. BUT the film does carry the pros and cons that come from being directed by an ADVERTISING FILM DIRECTOR:

1. The action and cinematography is splendid. It has the advertising finesse, the wow factor and the attention to detail in post production and vfx.

2. it LACKS the emotional depth necessary in key transition moments that are compelling and actually carry the soul of the movie/story. Having rushed through key moments in which the protagonist makes key decisions takes away from the emotional intensity of the film and rushes it into an action flick.

3. the music and costumes and production design itself is all brilliant and surreally beautiful.

4. the character names and certain segments of the film have been worded very immaturely and without conviction - for eg: the name LORD IMPALER. Yes, its very graphic in thought, but it does not really fit into the story or time and language of the film. yes, people in the time were named for their deeds, but the names were gruesome sounding and had a great reverb to them that translates beyond language: for eg: Ashoka the great was known as CHAND ASHOK translation to ruthless ashoka during his massacring days.

5. the end has a typical screenwriting flaw, but most ad film directors that turn to feature film tend to make it. so i'll forgive that one here. and also not disclose it as a spoiler for those who havent seen the movie yet.

but all these things taken into consideration, the film is still genius and i expect amazing stuff for Gary Shore in the future. This movie is just the beginning for this amazing director and its awesome lead actor.

i say go watch it. 


- Pushkaraj S Shirke

HAIDER: A Perfect Indian Adaptation of Hamlet

 

Monkey Rating: 8/10

1 point cut for pace, which could have been a bit choppier. Though the stretched pace is very 'hamletesque' in fact. As an adaptation, that's one thing that could have been let go of.

1 point cut for cinematography and dialogues - which i felt were good, but could have been much better and definitive.

genre: drama

waddabout: A flawless adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet.

i say: Hamlet is one of shakespeare's most performed plays till date and is the second most 'remade into film' story. BUT still, Vishal Bharadwaj's rendition is worth a watch and is an absolute treat as a movie. Haider, as an adaptation is not just a retelling, but is a true 'adaptation' - keeping the soul of hamlet's conflict alive and placing it in a modern day situation and kindling it with prevalent conflicts and issues. This, is what a great adaptationist does. And Vishal has a mastery over this by now - Haider being his third adaptation of a shakespearean classic and by far his best. 

The music is amazing - very modern day and gripping and very well placed - mixing languages and genres within it while maintain the Shakespearean balladesque touch at the end with the three grave diggers. 

The cinematography is good and scenic and gives no room for complains BUT it could have been much better. There are points in the film where the camera is just moving and not adding anything to the scene. I understand that its shot to give it the au-naturel look, but what i expect out of great cinematorgraphy is layering and storytelling with the scenes, which in this case, was missing. 

AND YES - HAIDER is better than the Hollywoodian HAMLET by Kenneth Branagh. So finally, Vishal has outdone hollywood in a way. 

The performances are phenomenal - Shahid could do better though. He has evolved a lot as an actor, but still has a long way to go. Tabu and Kay Kay Menon are the performers to look out for. FABULOUS PERFORMANCES by them both. 

The dialogues are linear and at times forced to show the kashmiri manner of speech, but ofcourse, it is bound to fall short when you directly compare it to shakespearean dialogues. But there should have been an attempt to keep up with that level. which i guess is missing. 

Vishal Bhardwaj was brave to touch a topic and issue that not most people are comfortable touching - yes, the kashmir issue. But he handles it well and honestly, without polarising and taking sides, he shows the common man's pains in the conflict-torn region and does it efficiently. 

All in all, HAIDER is a phenoimenal movie and one of the best to come out of bollywood in a long long time. And Vishal Bhardwaj definitely deserves a standing ovation for this one. 

If i meet Vishal, i'm definitely asking him for a signed DVD of this movie. Definietly a collectors item.

- Pushkaraj S Shirke

I Saw the Devil (ruined by bollywood as EK VILLIAN)

Monkey Rating: 8/10
personally, subjectively, i would rate this movie a 9/10

genre: crime, drama, thriller, gore, slasher

waddabout: When his pregnant fiancee becomes the latest victim of a serial killer, a secret agent blurs the line between good and evil in his pursuit of revenge.

i say: this is one of my favourite films. it has been ruined in india by a substandard remake by the name of 'ek villian'. i saw the devil is gritty, emotional, realistically and artistically gore filled and psychologically precise. it does not waste any time on unwanted scenes, establishes everything at an apt and rapid pace and tells its story in a nerve wrecking manner that is commendable.

The music in the movie holds the entire film together - storytelling in the absence of dialogues. The cinematography is sharp and gritty, left raw on purpose at times to showcase the animalistic rage filled moments : for eg in the scene where the villian shoots the hero with a shot gun (see trailer). The performances by both the leads are PERFECT. The use of art and props as subtext in the film are brilliant - the fishing rod as a weapon to show catch and release, the angel wings in the car to contrast the devil within, the minimalism in the lead characters house to establish loneliness and so on.

i personally cant get enough of this movie. i ahve watched it 3 times in one week. but i suggest kids and people who cant handle blood and gore do not watch this film. AND PLEASE DO NOT WATCH THE BOLLYWOOD REMAKE OF THIS INCREDIBLE FILM.



cheers!
Pushkaraj S Shirke

PS: for more reviews and recommendations: www.youtube.com/filmpickle

Dawn Of The Planet of The Apes

MonkeyRating: 10/10
actually a 9/10, but the cinematic brilliance of this movie in a time that lacks cinematic awesomeness prompted me to give it a 10. 

Waddabout: In a post apocalyptic world destroyed by the simian flu, a society of humans clash paths with a society of genetically mutated intelligent apes over a hydel power dam that could restore much needed power to the human society. The battle that ensues will trigger a war that will determine which will be the dominant species of the planet. 

What to watch out for: Amazing story line where no character is without raison-d-etre, good, bad, misled or sheer evil.
Mind blowingly spectacular CG that is impossible to tell is computer generated.
Andy Serkis in a performance that is DESERVING of an OSCAR.
And a slow burning cinematic experience that leaves you moved, entertained and looking forward for the finale in this trilogy. 

What sucks: NOTHING. Only that few whiners will complain that a few parts are too slow. screw them whiners.

BTW: Matt Reeves, the director of DOTPOTA is the same guy who made the other film that blew me away in recent times - one that i judged as a cinematic masterpiece in recent times - LET ME IN. 

Watch the video review on FILM PICKLE:

- Pushkaraj S Shirke

Legacy: what will you leave behind?

 
Written and Directed by
Pushkaraj S Shirke
DOP: Haruhico Nishioca
DA: Emir Kahn Bautista
Editor: Rohon Nag
Starring: Ray Martell Moore & John Marcus




Based on a True Incident, this film tells the story of a young, african american boy unwillingly forced into crime by circumstances and his chance encounter with a stranger that will change his life forever.
The film explores the conflict between circumstances and choices as catalyzed by one act of a stranger.

Filmed as a Student Project for New york Film Academy
This has not been made for any commercial purposes.
The film was shot within 2 hours, edited in a day and the music used is stock music. And the shitty sound is owing to a restaurant owner who didn't allow us to switch off the TV for 5 mins. The story, is intact nonetheless.

Special thanks to Tassos Rigopoulos and Piero Basso Aic for their valuable lessons and time.

- Pushkaraj S Shirke

The Amazing Spiderman 2

Monkey Rating: 8/10

About: the sequel to the amazing spiderman takes us deeper into the fight between oscorp and spiderman and into the secrets of spiderman's existence.





Whats worth watching: action sequences, originality to the comics, 3 great villans, amazing chemistry, decent acting. its a complete packaging basically.

follow my review youtube channel FILM PICKLE on: http://www.youtube.com/user/FilmPickle

film trailer:


- Pushkaraj S Shirke

V for Vendetta

V for Vendetta' the graphic novel is a piece of literature that goes way beyond its medium and into the very fabric of human life. Which is why no matter what country or time you are in, it will speak volumes of sense to you. Based in dictatorial France, the story is about a revolutionary who single handedly takes on the government whilst inspiring the people to stand up against the injustice. 

The movie was a masterpiece and truly complimented the graphic novel. The direction, performances and music really touched the essence of the story. Even the cinematic techniques used very well echoed the time and location of the story without making it subject only to that era. It's a movie everyone must watch. 

Some, may not like it immediately. But trust me, give it time, and it will grow onto you. 

Monkeyrating: 8/10 

My fav dialogue:

 "ideas are bulletproof" 

Breaking Bad: Review and Tribute

Rating: 9/10
The only point deducted is for stretching it a bit far and taking too large a break between the final season segment 1 and 2.

I say: MUST WATCH.

Story: The story is on the canvas of the life of an over qualified yet simple high school chemistry teacher who is forced by circumstances to explore meth drug manufacturing and dealing. BUT it is actually an intense psychologically profound drama of human life, power, desire, greed, eventuality and fate. It follows two men of dire circumstances and how they ride their way through them with its ups and downs - complete with little joys and heart wrenching betrayals, love and murder, charity and greed and the complete unpredictabilty of life against the power of human will.

Characters: The characters are dickens like - very stark and intense. Good is good and bad is bad, yet with a human side. The casting is mind blowingly perfcet. Infact it is so good that not once does any character not convince you. Its like watching a real documentary of real lives. It is no wonder that one of the characters has already been picked for a spin off - 'better call saul'.

Cinematography: The scenes in the movie are a case study in macro and timelapse photography. This is one series that does justice to the fact that good cinematographers work on TV too - and not just for film. Every frame tells a story, every scene is a setting. you could literally freeze frame any scene and make a poster out of it.

Music: Even when the well written dialogues are missing, the sound is never lacking in storytelling or emotional grabbing. This soundtrack is worth a download and definitely ideal to be set as a writers mood music setting. Its intense, emotional and perfectly picked.

You know something in popular culture has had a far reachin effect when it inspires artists to work for it for free.
Just check out the number of posters and fan arts created for the series, and you'll know what im talking about.

No more words needed. my second favourite tv series of all time has been done justice in this tribute:


- Pushkaraj S Shirke

QUEEN: The Pushkaraj S Shirke Review

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Queen: The Pushkaraj S Shirke Review My loathing for all things bollywood is pretty well known. So when I praise a movie that comes from the garbagepile of cinema that we call Bollywood, it's truly remarkable. One such movie in a Long long time, is QUEEN. 

 Genuinely simple and Hilarious, woman centric, realistic with subtle flights of fantasy and far far away from the stereotypical romantic crap tht infests Bollywood. This movie has it all. I've always adored kangana for being a very sweet person an considered her an actress with genuine potential - and this movie just proved that to everyone who's watched it. The direction and cinematography carry the candid and piece of life feel of the story throughout. Not at one moment do you feel that you are watching a movie. And that's true genius. 

The costume and art are as true to character and location as can be throughout the film - and even In the end, where out if my cynical nature, I was expecting It to go out d character and overboard, it did not. And tht just made it perfect. Unlike a typical Bollywood movie where character transformations are always cocoon to splendid Amazonian butterfly, Queen managed to keep it real. 

Its a movie you really take home with you even long after you have left the cinema hall. And that's how you know you have witnessed real cinema. 

 My rating: 9/10
 Must watch. Must own on DVD. Must show your daughter.

 #film #review #movie #bollywood #queen

Need For Speed

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Monkeyrating: 8/10 

Turned out way more amazon than I had expected. The trailers looked cliche, but the movie rocked some balls! Amazing storyline. Keeps you gripped throughout. Music is good. Cars are great. And performances are brilliant. 

 I might go as far as saying tht this is the best car movie ever. #movie 

#review #nfs #cars #film #hollywood "

300: Rise of an Empire

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300: Rise of an Empire 

Monkeyrating: 6/10 

I would have given it a 7 if it had a story and was atleast a bit historically accurate/weapons accurate.

what about: the movie is an add on to 300. this story runs parallel to the 300 - it covers, before, during and after that time. Its the story of themistokles, a greek general who is leading the battle against the mortal turned god - xerxes and his sister and brutal commander - Artemisia.

What to watch out for: Eva Green's sheer sexiness and evil. Amazing fight choreography and slow motion violence poetry. The character design Is still very 'frank miller'esque and that's awesome.

Defects: the lack of Zack Snyder is pretty evident. As mentioned before, the historical and weapon technique authenticity sucks. And the lack of a gripping story is smeared with over abuse of blood and gore special effects. Worth a watch none the less.

MAN OF STEEL

monkey rating: 8/10

waddabout: A Superman Reboot

isay: brilliantly rebooted. Absolutely recrafted the whole Superman epic to modern day times. visually stunning and quite logically grounded, it makes fact and fiction merge into one glorious epic of spectacular, grandiose explosions.

monkeyrespect to: ZACK SNYDER! the man, the director. without him, this reboot would have been just another superman returns. watch the featurette and you'll know exactly why:


watch the trailer: