Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Story: Christopher McQuarrie

Cast: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris

Music: Lorne Balfe

Time: 147 minutes

Bottom-line: Blockbuster of the year!

The moment you see a franchise release any more than 3 movies, a voice in your head usually goes, “Oh, God! Is this not over yet?!” But with its sixth instalment, the Mission: Impossible franchise continues to remain the outlier, with each film better than the previous ones. Living up to that standard, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, is, hands down, the best of the series so far. Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Alec Baldwin and Sean Harris reprise their roles from Rogue Nation, while Henry Cavill joins the cast.

Cruise as Hunt

"There cannot be peace without first, a great suffering. The greater the suffering, the greater the peace. The end you've always feared is coming, and the blood will be on your hands." 

Ethan Hunt (Cruise) receives details of a mission regarding three plutonium cores which have been stolen by a terrorist group called The Apostles, related to The Syndicate, led by an unknown man, John Lark. After obtaining the cores in Berlin with the help of Benji (Pegg) and Luther (Rhames), Ethan loses the cores when he makes a choice to save Luther’s life. Hunt decides to rendezvous an arms dealer in Paris to get the cores again, but the CIA also sends a man to accompany him: August Walker (Cavill). At Paris, Hunt encounters Ilsa Faust (Ferguson), who does not reveal her mission or who sent her. Hunt learns that in order to get the cores, he has to trade Solomon Lane (Harris), alive. Several chases and character transformations later, Hunt loses Lane, who, along with Lark, now has the cores. Two nuclear bombs are about to go off, and Ethan Hunt and the IMF face a race against time.

(From left) Pegg as Benji, Ferguson as Ilsa,
Cruise and Rhames as Luther

The number of plot twists in the film is just unbelievable. Just when you see another road chase repeated for the nth time, there’s a new surprise; just when you think you understand a character, a shock comes out of the blue. Tom Cruise risks his life and limbs again with a whole new array of stunts, from performing a High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) jump in a vertical wind-tunnel with Cavill, to taking flying lessons to fly a helicopter. Unlike other movies, however, he does not have a grand entry (although Ferguson does!). With fistfights, shootouts, car chases, and scenes involving climbing vertical cliffs and hanging off a chopper, the stunts continue to amaze and make one’s jaw drop. The cinematography is a major highlight of the film. every action sequence, every stunt is captured in a crystal clear way (especially the helicopter scenes against the backdrop of the picturesque scenery!).

Harris as Lane

This film brings together the entire lead cast of Rogue Nation but for Jeremy Renner (whom you will find in Infinity War), and a couple of actors form the past MI films as well. Cruise impresses us with his exploits and action, Simon Pegg continues to provide the dry humour in the tensest of situations, Ving Rhames gets unusually emotional in the film and Rebecca Ferguson’s performance is superb. The IMF secretary Hunley (Baldwin) mentions how Hunt values one life the same way he values millions, and that is the plot catalyst for the film, which packs in more emotional content than any of the five previous instalments.

Cavill as Walker

With some “stale” action sequences revamped with new twists, and with a repertoire of incredible new stunts, with exotic set pieces and insane live-action sequences, Mission: Impossible – Fallout makes the most of the extreme limits of technology, of physics, and of human strength, to give two-and-a-half hours of non-stop adrenaline rush. If you liked the other films but still think you are “bored” of the stuff you have seen, you would be stunned at what Cruise and McQuarrie have to offer.

My Rating: 4.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 98%

The Shape of Water (2017)

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Story: Guillermo del Toro

Cast: Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon

Music: Alexandre Desplat

Time: 123 minutes

Bottom-line: Nothing more than del Toro’s version of E.T (but we all like E. T, don't we?)

The winner of three Oscars out of twelve nominations, including Best Director and Best Picture, The Shape of Water, in my opinion, is a tad overrated. Starring Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer and Michael Shannon in the lead roles, with Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Jenkins and Doug Jones in the supporting roles, the film is pretty much exactly E.T., with del Toro’s touches.

Giles: It's not even human!
Elisa: If we do nothing, neither are we. 
Elisa Esposito (Hawkins) is a mute girl, who lives alone in an apartment above a cinema. She works in a secret government lab in Baltimore, during the Cold War. Her closest friends are an African-American co-worker, Zelda (Spencer), and her neighbour, Giles (Jenkins). The lab receives a humanoid amphibian creature (Jones), and Colonel Richard Strickland (Shannon) is in charge of the project to study the creature. One scientist in the project, Robert Hoffstetler (Stuhlbarg), is actually a Soviet spy. Meanwhile, Elisa and the creature form a close bond, and she visits and feeds it in secret. Knowing that the Americans want to kill the creature, Elisa convinces Giles and Hoffstetler to rescue the creature from the lab. Are they successful, or do the Americans (and Soviets) hunt them down?    

 

Hawkins as Elisa, and the humanoid amphibian

As a film by itself, The Shape of Water is a warm and emotional drama revolving about an unlikely friendship (and even more) between a human and a creature. There is a lot of drama, action, romance and suspense. But del Toro is one guy who is known for his imagination, and that is probably why I’m slightly disappointed that the storyline resembles Spielberg’s 1982 film in every way. Like I said, there are a lot of “del Toro effects” like the dark atmosphere, the elements of violence and the blend of reality and fantasy.

 

Spencer as Zelda

The entire cast has done an outstanding job in acting. Hawkins’ expressions of love, anger and desperation are perfect. Spencer shows how versatile and experienced an actress she is through her flawless performance. Shannon has done exceptionally well, and you know that because you, as a viewer, will most definitely despise his character as the movie progresses. Stuhlbarg’s character is one you feel a lot of admiration for; he risks his life with the Americans and the Soviets to help a group of two people save a creature!

 

Stuhlbarg as Hoffstetler (right), and Shannon as Strickland

The visuals are dazzling: everything from the appearance of the creature, to the scene where the bathroom is flooded with water. The story also focuses on the transition between Elisa and the creature as mere friends to the point where she has sex with it (yeah that’s where it’s different from E.T!). The climax is also very moving, and del Toro uses his creative license to end it on a positive note. While it lacks the imagination I thought it would have, and overrated as it may be, The Shape of Water is a nice drama film boosted by the performances of Hawkins and Spencer, and the visual effects.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 92%  

Talaash (2012)

English translation: Search

Director: Reema Kagti

Story: Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar

Cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukerji

Music:  Ram Sampath

Time: 139 minutes

Bottom-line: An engrossing neo-noir with brilliant acting

Reema Kagti’s neo-noir drama stars Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukerji in the lead roles. Along with Yavarum Nalam, Talaash also makes it to my list of “smart” supernatural films. The film was critically and commercially successful, and is easily one of Aamir’s most challenging roles.

 

Aamir as Surjan

Mumbai: On a deserted road late at night, actor Armaan Kapoor swerves his car and crashes into the sea for no apparent reason, leading to his death. Senior police inspector Surjan Shekhawat (Aamir) and his assistant, Devrath (Rajkummar Rao) take charge of the case. Surjan comes to know that Armaan had been travelling with 2 million rupees in cash that he owed to a pimp, Shashi. When Shashi’s friend, Tehmur (Nawasuddin Siddiqui) informs him about Armaan’s death, Shashi takes off with the money. As Surjan continues to investigate, a prostitute, Rosie (Kareena) offers to help him. When Shashi is murdered, Tehmur uses the chance to blackmail Armaan’s friend, Sanjay, pinning the murder on him. What’s the real story behind Armaan’s “accident”? What’s with the seemingly unrelated track of Surjan’s trauma?

 

Kareena as Rosie

With 139 minutes of screen time, Talaash keeps the masala to a minimum. With the opening song taking you right into the underbelly of Mumbai – with thugs, brothels and crime – the story unfurls at a fast pace right from the start. Every scene plays a role by taking us closer to getting the mystery solved. While the story involving Surjan’s wife (Mukerji) and the medium neighbour might seem irrelevant, it will all make sense towards the climax. The twist ending will hit you with a bang – be prepared for it! The best part is when you (and Surjan) realise all the subtle clues that were dropped along the way that you failed to connect (or if you did, well done!).

 

Mukerji as Roshni, Surjan's wife

Aamir’s moustache gives him a much more menacing look, I think, and that suits him perfectly well for this role. Tough, smart and also delusional and depressed at the same time, his complex character is portrayed superbly. Nawasuddin Siddiqui plays the catalytic character – the manipulating crook, Tehmur – and as always, delivers another sublime performance. The real highlight is Kareena, who will definitely mesmerise you with that smile and get you ogling. Rani Mukerji has a smaller role, but the scene where she lashes out at Surjan for distancing himself from her is Mukerji’s high point in the film.

 

Siddiqui as Tehmur

With plot twists around every corner, Talaash masterfully blends drama, mystery and supernatural elements, all against the backdrop of Mumbai’s underbelly. As the lines of the opening song go: Muskaanein Jhooti Hai, Pehchanein Jhooti Hai (the smiles are fake, the identities are fake), Surjan must wade his way through falsities and lies to find his way to the truth, while also confronting his personal trauma. A neo-noir with a considerable amount of emotional content, Talaash is a sure-shot entertainer.

My Rating: 4/5

Isle of Dogs (2018)

Director: Wes Anderson

Story: Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola Jason Schwartzman, Kunichi Nomura

Cast: Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Greta Gerwig

Music: Alexandre Desplat

Time: 101 minutes

Bottom-line: Typical Wes Anderson; an absolute delight!

Wes Anderson’s much-awaited stop-motion animation film is here, and it is one hell of a ride. To those of you who are used to his idiosyncrasies and style, this will be a delight, and to the others, this is as good a film as any to get you acquainted with the mastery of Anderson. This is his second stop-motion animation film after The Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Japan: In a dystopian futuristic setting, an influenza virus spreads throughout the canine population. The new mayor of Megasaki City, Kobayashi, signs a decree banishing all dogs to Trash Island, despite one scientist waging a lone battle to find a cure. One such dog is Spots (Liev Schreiber) – that of the Mayor’s orphaned ward, Atari, who goes in search of it. Atari crashes on the island, and is rescued by a pack of four dogs (Norton, Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Bob Balaban), led by Chief (Cranston). The four dogs are ready to help Atari, but Chief, being a stray, has a dislike towards all humans. After persuasion from a female, Nutmeg (Scarlett Johansson), Chief also agrees to help. Meanwhile, the scientist does find a cure, but Kobayashi poisons him. An American exchange student, Tracy (Gerwig) starts to fish out the story, having a hunch that the entire scheme of banishing dogs is part of a conspiracy. What’s the real story?

 

The five dogs and Atari; leftmost is Chief 

Wes Anderson has a knack for beautifully bringing together a huge ensemble cast, and still making every role unique. No one is overshadowed by another, and everyone has their moments. Bryan Cranston voices the rebellious Chief (I was hoping for some subtle Breaking Bad reference but didn’t get any) and Norton voices Rex, whose repetitive “Let’s take a vote!” is always timed perfectly to give the effect of humour; they were the highlights. Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and Ken Watanabe also have cameo roles.

 

Mayor Kobayashi

The best part of the film – apart from the marvellous animation work – is the deadpan humour: from the subtle visual jokes to the cleverly timed lines and body language, Isle of Dogs is full of it. The other Anderson characteristic – the dazzling use of colour – is also prevalent. Alexander Desplat’s eccentric music suits the film and the atmosphere perfectly too. One issue that people protested against was that it was too racist with regard to the Japanese, but if that’s not an issue for you, this is a non-stop joyride. I liked the way Anderson translates the characters’ Japanese using interpreters or text instead of a running subtitle – a new type of quirk this time (so if you feel you don't follow what the characters are saying, it is intended to be that way)! The way fights are shown – with the white cloud of smoke – is nicely done too!

 

Tracy 

Unlike most of his films, Isle of Dogs has more emotional content – the bond between Atari and Chief (and Spots) and that between Chief and Nutmeg, for example. The character of Tracy Walker is well-developed – an unusual hero indeed! With excellently written humour, a superb voice cast, and skilful animation, this film is a must-watch!

My Rating: 4/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 89%

Anjathe (2008)

English translation: Do not fear

Director: Mysskin

Story: Mysskin

Cast: Narain, Ajmal, Prasanna, Vijaylakshmi

Music: Sundar C Babu

Time: 192 minutes

Bottom-line: A superbly acted cop drama

Mysskin’s second directorial feature, Anjathe, is a cop drama film starring Narain, Vijaylakshmi, Prasanna and Ajmal (in his debut film). The film would set the standards for several of Mysskin’s trademark techniques, and was highly praised for its technical expertise at the time of release.

Sathyavan (Narain) and Kiruba (Ajmal) are neighbours in the police quarters. The former is a rogue, involving in fights and spending time at the bar while the latter puts heart and soul into preparing for the IAS exam to become a police officer himself. Just before the exam, Sathyavan decides to show up as well; he uses malpractice to get selected, but Kiruba doesn’t get through. This has a drastic effect on their friendship. Months later, Sathyavan has matured into a sincere officer, while Kiruba has become an unemployed drunkard. In a parallel track, Deena (Prasanna) and Logu (Pandiarajan) extort money from businessmen by kidnapping and raping their daughters. When Deena realises Kiruba is vulnerable, he takes Kiruba under his wing, even though, unbeknownst to Kiruba, Deena had earlier attempted to molest Kiruba’s sister (Vijaylakshmi). While Kiruba is caught between guilt and desperation for money, Sathyavan has to choose between friendship and justice.

 

Narain as Sathyavan, and
Vijaylakshmi as Kiruba's sister, Udhra

The film runs over 3 hours, but it puts a lot of emphasis on the initial friendship between Sathyavan and Kiruba, and its slow but eventual deterioration into enmity. I like the way Mysskin developed the story on the fact that a good guy becomes a criminal and a rowdy becomes a good cop. Throughout the film, we see how the friendship becomes toxic, and even affects both families. Deena also talks about people who start their lives determined to “make things right” eventually end up in corrupt practices because no one values morals anymore. The other themes explored in the film are honour, desperation and sacrifice.

Narain, after his successful debut in Mysskin’s Chithiram Pesudhadi, takes on a similar bad-guy-turned-good role, and delivers it with justice. From the drunk rogue to the saviour of many, his acting is of a high quality till the end. Ajmal’s debut performance is highly impressive, especially the way he portrays his mental conflicts. The best of the lot, is Prasanna, in one of his most iconic roles. The main antagonist, the way his character’s mind works is pretty disturbing (look out for the scene where he convinces Kiruba to turn to corrupt ways), but with minimal lines, and using body language, and with a sadistic mind-set, this is one type of villain you will wish never existed in reality.

Prasanna as Deena (left) and Ajmal as Kiruba (right)

The film has several “Mysskin touches”, like I said. The cinematography is one: a number of long takes and a lot of shots focussing only on the people’s legs/feet. The staccato background score is another trait. One scene I found interesting is when Deena’s watch stops working; throughout the film, Deena is often shown seeing the time on his watch, and this scene symbolically indicates that "his time is up". I fail to see how the songs in this film became so popular though; I, for one, hated them. I think Mysskin did a good thing by removing song sequences from his later films. Anjathe, however, has a lot of other plus points that should make it worth your time, even though 192 minutes is a tad too long.

My Rating: 3.5/5