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장화, 홍련 ( A Tale of Two Sisters ) : South Korean movie review

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This movie is based on a fourteenth-century Korean folktale. Apparently this folktale has been adapted into many movies over the course of time. This is a psychological thriller / horror movie. When writing about " The wailing ", I mentioned how I do not like horror movies. So why would I watch this one? Because I knew this would similarly change my perception of what this genre can be. And of course, because this is a South Korean movie. Master director Jee-woon Kim gives us another masterpiece. In this movie we see a young girl who is released after treatment in a mental health institution. She visits her family's home in the countryside with her younger sister and father. The young sisters have a forced and awkward reunion with their stepmother. What follows is what this movie takes us through.   Image courtesy IMDB Things start normally, and then as we progress we keep noticing eddies in the space - time continuum. The indifferent attitude, the overzealous talking, in...

ಕವಲುದಾರಿ (crossroads) Kannada movie review

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Kavaludaari is a investigation / crime thriller written and directed by Hemanth Rao  . Shyam ( Manish Rishi ) isn't content with his traffic police role and wants to move to investigation. His eagerness leads him to get involved and then obsessed with a 40 - year old case. As he digs through old case files, he begins to work with Kumar ( Achyuth Kumar  ) who owns an investigative newspaper and Muthanna (Industry legend  Anant Nag ) , a retired police officer who had investigated this case. This movie takes us through the investigation and the lives of those involved in it. I watched this movie as it was heavily recommended by wifey so top priority once again!  Image courtesy IMDB The introduction sequence where the characters names are shown is captivating, with it's innovative graphics. This is a visually - striking movie, and is superbly scored. Music ( Charan Raj ) was top - class, the highest quality, and contributes immensely to the feeling of the movie. Listen ...

Birbal: Kannada movie review

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Birbal, case No.1 ( written and directed by M G Srinivas ) : Finding Vajramuni is a legal thriller and the first part of the Birbal Trilogy. The second and third installments are yet to be released. I watched this movie as it was heavily recommended by wifey so naturally it became top priority in a very short time :P. We follow the investigation of an 8 - year old case which has been re-opened for some reason. The suspect has already spent 8 years in prison and is now out on parole. There is a lawyer and his 2 associates who begin to unravel the layers of this case. At each step they go down the rabbit hole and uncover bits of evidence and put together the pieces of the puzzle. Characters involved in the case are revealed, each bringing a new dimension, their motivations and sub plots.  image courtesy IMDB The topic here is framing of an innocent person which I think happens fairly often. There is a superb sequence in the movie when the suspect gets a call from an unknown...

악마를 보았다 (I saw the devil) : South Korean movie review

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What is revenge? What is the definition of revenge? What does it mean to avenge the cold - blooded murder of a loved one, a part of your life?  This movie answers all these questions and more. I watched this masterpiece for a second time as I had missed writing about it the first time. Well, I originally watched it in the Korean movie phase and I was too disturbed to write anything about the movie  after watching it. The movie is surely not for the faint - hearted.  The movie is seeped, infused, drenched and is dripping with one thing : REVENGE. It has cannibalism, the most violent gore , blood, a sleeper cell of some cult, slavery, serial killing and much more. It takes us to the world of the twisted underbelly, the scum of the earth. If you're new to the world of South Korean movies, then this one will be an overdose. I would recommend  graduating from other South Korean movies just to get used to the raw, primal feelings that these movies incite. Image co...

Dia: Kannada movie review

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Dia is a intense movie which revolves around the life of a girl called Dia ( Kushee Ravi ). She is an introvert, and is madly attracted to a guy from her college, Rohit ( Dheekshith  Shetty). The movie follows Dia's life from this point onward, and takes us through the ups and downs that she experiences. It is about love and heartache, about pinning your hopes on something to get shattered and bruised again and again. Letting yourself go is the right way to live.  Like life, this movie can be complicated. Life runs on hope, a wise man had told me once, and I remembered this during the movie. Image courtesy IMDB I loved the portrayal of the insecurities which play out in your head when you're madly in love. Each sentence is analysed a thousand times, and all the possibilities are studied to death. You live each moment in your head a thousand times before it happens or doesn't happen at all. The dream is your reality. It is natural, and our tendency to...

ಕೆಂಡಸಂಪಿಗೆ - Kendasampige (golden magnolia) : Kannada movie review

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Kendasampige is a movie about the devious circle of money, greed and corruption which threatens to engulf innocent lovers. The movie revolves around the lead pair(  Vikky Varun  as Ravi and  Manvita Kamath as Gowri) when they get framed in a crime involving drugs, the influential and the police.  Prakash Belavadi  acts as the menacing DCP Suryakanth and  Rajesh Nataranga as ACP Purandar. Throughout the movie, the lead pair is on the run, and the police are chasing them. Watch the trailer here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrIQUpTEUWA&t=7s Image courtesy imdb I think the movie reflects the depraved and money - minded society in an apt way. We live in a time where money is worshiped, and the influencers are treated like Gods. Think about it - each of us is ultimately hustling for money. Can you imagine a society without the concept of money? What would you do then, how would you spend your time? Back to reality, the difference between...

Love mocktail: Kannada movie review

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This is a heartwarming movie about love in different stages of a guy's life. The storyline follows the journey of the protagonist, Adi ( Krishna/ Sunil Kumar N ) to Udupi. On the way, he ends up rescuing Aditi (Rachana Inder) from a bad situation. The movie spans their conversation, with Adi narrating his stories from school, college and corporate life to her. Image courtesy imdb The portrayal of infatuation to love as Adi moves from being a young boy, to a teenager and onward as a young man has been shown in a funny, candid and realistic way. I'm sure the section of school days will bring a smile and nostalgic recollections of warm memories to a lot of people. WWE cards, the numerous crushes, fooling around with girls, tuition, silly fights and best friends! Then we move to college . Adi is in love with another girl, and he experiences the dizzy, euphoric highs, crushing voids and thousand cuts that it brings. Even though his friends advise him against it, Adi goes to ...