Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness (2020) I started watching this after coming across a few memes online on how people got hooked on the show after being quarantined. It has 7 episodes each running for 50 minutes. It captures interesting incidents that took place during the crazy war between private zoo owners and animal rescuers in Oklahoma. The main guy is Joe Exotic who is now in jail convicted on 17 federal charges. Every single episode is insane due to its unpredictability. In the overall series, 60% of the footage is real as Joe Exotic had a habit of capturing everything on his camera. Don't miss this mad ride! இந்த ஆவணப்படத்தை நான் பார்க்க ஆரம்பித்தது கீழே உள்ள மீமை பார்த்த பிறகு தான். இது போல பல மீம்கள் ட்விட்டர் மற்றும் முகநூலில் தென்பட்டன. நியூ யார்க் டைம்சில் இந்த படத்தை பற்றி ஒருவர் விமர்சனம் எழுதியிருந்தார் - "பிளே பட்டனை அமுக்கியது மட்டும்தான் தெரியும் , 7 மணிநேரம் எப்படி சென்றது சென்றே தெரியவில்லை" என்று தலைப்பிட்டு. அமெரிக்காவில் இருக்கும் தனி...

Loving Vincent (2017) Directors:    Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman Starring:  Douglas Booth,  Saoirse Ronan, Eleanor Tomlinson,  Chris O'Dowd,  Robert Gulaczyk Artists, Art lovers and enthusiasts will get goosebumps at the end of this movie. I literally felt the chills. The frames of the scenes are animated versions of paintings done by a team of artists. The movie paints a beautiful picture of the story behind Van Gogh's suicide and the events that followed his death. Van Gogh had a habit of writing a lot of letters to his beloved brother all his life, who happened to be the only one who supported his work. It talks about the emotional struggles this genius artist went through during his life, his struggles to fit into society and his desire to stay remembered. The screenplay and picturization transports you to a world created through his painting style. A must-watch masterpiece. வின்சென்ட் வான் கோ என்றாலே நமக்கு அவரின் புகழ்பெற...

Dangerous Minds (1995) Director:  John N. Smith Starring:  Michelle Pfeiffer,  Wade Domingue,  Renoly Santiago A discharged US Marine takes up the role of a High School teacher to teach poetry. The class is filled with students coming in from diverse backgrounds. As most of them are  underprivileged and have gone through the worst in their lives, their focus on their studies is very little. They rebel against the system and rely on drugs. In this circumstance, the protagonist Louanne joins their class and takes up this challenging assignment to get them graduated. Michelle Pfeiffer delivers a brilliant performance in the film. The famous song "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio is one of the soundtracks for this movie The Hindi movie "Hichki" very much resembles this one.  படிப்பில் நாட்டம் இல்லாமல் சுற்றித்திரியும் ஒரு மாணவர் கூட்டத்திற்கு , கல்வியின் முக்கியத்துவத்தை உணர்த்த படாதபாடுபடு...

Radio Silence (2019) Director: Philippe Gagnon Starring: Stars: Georgina Haig, John Ralston, Carrie-Lynn Neales Dr Jill is a relationship therapist who runs a show on a local radio channel in Minneapolis. She speaks to her callers listening to their relationship issues and gives advice accordingly. However, her show has been successful and different because of the tone she uses while talking to her callers. Though Jill sympathizes with them, she gives brutal feedback with no filters whatsoever. Some callers do take it lightly and have made positive changes in their lives whereas others found it hurtful and rude. One night, when Jill gives such a suggestion to one of her callers named Alexis, she unknowingly drives Alexis to commit suicide. Alexis pulls the trigger while on call ending her life. Jill is shocked to the core. As the radio station discontinued the broadcast abruptly and due to the delay in transmission, the sound of the gunshot did not come out. Jill, thus es...

Asha Jaoar Majhe (2014) Directed by Aditya Vikram Sengupta Starring: Ritwick Chakraborty, Basabdatta Chatterjee I have never been a fan of movies with no dialogue. I have seen people liking them for artistic reasons but mostly I feel impatient to sit through movies with no conversations. However, this movie changed it all for me. This is an award-winning masterpiece with 2 main characters playing husband and wife having no interaction with each other. The movie's story is set in the backdrop of Bengal where the economic downfall is being witnessed and an imminent revolution is on its way. This middle-class couple are in a position to work day and night to make ends meet. It shows how a beautiful screenplay and cinematography and tell a story so clearly even in the absence of dialogue. The film did face criticisms for having plagiarism relating it to an Iranian short film but surely a must-watch film. பெரும்பாலும் நான் உரையாடல் இல்லாத திரைப்படங்களை விருப்பப்பட்டு பார்ப்ப...

The Earthquake Bird (2019) Director: Wash Westmoreland Starring: Alicia Vikander, Riley Keough, Naoki Kobayashi This is one of those movies that'll make you think a bit and then gain clarity on the climax. The movie is based on a best-selling debut novel by Susanna Jones by the same. The story revolves around 2 characters. Lucy is an expat who lives in Japan working as a translator. Lucy is very fluent in Japanese and knows the place and people well. She falls for a young photographer Teiji who has a habit of constantly clicking pictures of everything around him. Lily is a new resident who depends on Lucy to understand the place and culture as she is getting settled slowly into the place. Lucy also had a traumatic childhood where she was harassed by her brothers and the men around her. She also has a weird belief of being the centre of negative energy that brings death to the people around her. In this situation, a love triangle starts developing among the three and Lucy b...

A Time to Kill Director: Joel Schumacher Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey. John Grisham is a wonderful writer. Those who have read "A Painted House" would tell. This movie is the adaptation of his novel of the same name. A gripping tale filled with intense courtroom drama. This would remind you of the classic "To Kill a Mockingbird". A young coloured girl gets brutally raped by 2 white heartless supremacists. Losing trust in the law, the father of the poor girl kills therapists. He now approaches a friendly white lawyer to help him get out of the case so that he can be reunited with his family and lead a peaceful life. The movie has an extraordinary climax that'll tell you the rest of the story. "The Painted House" நாவல் படித்தவர்களுக்கு தெரிந்திருக்க வாய்ப்புண்டு ஜான் கிரிஷாம் எவ்வளவு அருமையான எழுத்தாளர் என்று. "Time to Kill" என்ற அவருடைய மற்றோரு புத்தகத்தை சார்ந்து எடுக்கப்பட்ட படம் தான் இது. ச...

AWAKE(2007) Director: Joby Harold Starring: Jessica Alba, Hayden Christensen. This is an American conspiracy thriller movie with an interesting plot. A young billionaire born with a heart disorder requires an immediate heart transplant to survive. Meanwhile, he falls in love with a beautiful girl who is also his mother's secretary. Knowing well that his mother wouldn't approve of their union, he elopes with her and weds her with the support of his close friend who will be soon performing surgery on him for the heart transplant. What happens in the surgery room will take you for a ride. Once the anaesthesia hits the young man, he goes into a state of clairvoyance where he is able to sense everything that happens to him very clearly despite being immobile. This makes him discover bitter truths and shocking facts about his life and about the people around him. The movie alarmingly takes you towards a climax where you'll find answers to all your questions. பெரும் வசதி ப...

Guava Island (2019) Director: Hiro Murai Starring: Donald Glover, Rihanna, Letitia Wright, Nonso Anozie The movie's first few scenes are animated. A beautiful story about "Guava Island" unfolds in front of the audience, narrated by singer Rihanna who also plays a lead role in this movie. Guava Island is a beautiful place filled with rich resources, flora and fauna. Despite the beauty and love that surround the people, they still crave one thing they never had in many years- Freedom. The Island is controlled by an evil business tycoon called "Red Cargo". He ensures that all the people on the Island report to him and work in his companies to earn their bread. Expression in any form of art is prohibited unless it sings praises to Red. Even the local radio should play songs that glorified Red and his deeds. In such a mess, lives a free-spirited musician and singer called Deni. He lives peacefully with his girlfriend Kofi. The growing captivity and lack of f...

Moonrise Kingdom (2012) Director: Wes Anderson Starring: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Bob Balaban If the first frame of this movie reminds you of The Grand Budapest Hotel, then you guessed it right! This is another masterpiece of director Wes Anderson. Vibrant colours, Exciting symphonies,tableau-like screenplay and a funny narration are all signature style elements in his movies. This movie has a simple plot. In an imaginary country represented by an imaginary map in the movie from time to time to trace the routes, a young boy from a scout summer camp falls in love with a young girl. They both have one thing in common. The people around them including their parents and guardians think that they are trouble-makers, anti-social and abnormal. Depressed by this situation, they immediately connect with each other and elope. Once the news spreads everybody else in the movie including the Scoutmaster, a policeman, fellow...

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019) Director: Chiwetel Ejiofor Starring: Maxwell Simba, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lily Banda ஆப்பிரிக்காவில் உள்ள மலாவி என்னும் ஒரு சிறிய நாட்டில் பிறந்து , உலகமே வியக்கும் வண்ணம் ஒரு சாதனையை நிகழ்த்திக்காட்டிய வில்லியம் என்ற இளைஞனின் உண்மைக் கதை. 2000ஆம் ஆண்டு கடும் வறட்சிக்கு உள்ளானது மலாவி. இதனால் உண்ண உணவின்றி , குடிக்க நீரின்றி மக்கள் தவித்தனர். விவசாயமும் கடும் பாதிப்புக்கு உள்ளானது. அரசாங்கமும் மக்களை கைவிட்டது. வறுமையின் கோர பிடியில் சிக்கியது வில்லியமின் குடும்பம்.இதனால் வில்லியம் தான் மிகவும் விரும்பிய பள்ளி படிப்பை பாதியில் விட்டுவிட்டு தந்தையுடன் வயலில் இறங்கி வேலை செய்யும் சூழல் உருவாகிறது. பள்ளியில் பயிலும்போதே அறிவியல் மற்றும் தொழிற்நுட்பத்தில் அதிக ஈடுபாடு கொண்டிருந்த வில்லியம்ஸ் , அங்கிருந்த நூலகத்தில் உள்ள அறிவியல் புத்தகங்களையும், தேவை இல்லை என தூக்கி எறியப்பட்ட மின்னணு உருப்படிகளையும் ஆராய்ச்சி செய்வதை வழக்கமாக கொண்டிருந்தான். இந்நிலையில் ஒரு நாள் காற்றாலை மூலம் தண்ணீர் இறைக்கும் இயந்திரத்தை உருவாக்கும் யோசனை வில்லியம்ஸுக்கு வரவே , தனக்கு...

J.Edgar (2011) Director: Clint Eastwood Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Judi Dench Edgar Hoover, the first director of the FBI was a relentless, ruthless and powerful man who has made tremendous achievements in building the FBI as one of the best crime-fighting agencies in the world. He was the mastermind behind the introduction of centralizing fingerprints into a database and advanced forensic analysis. The film doesn't stop there. It uncovers the secrets and facts of his life that remained in the dark for so long. His hypocrisy, sexual orientation, and control over the 8 US presidents by getting his hands on all sensitive and confidential data also kept him in power for more than 40 years as the head of the FBI. Amazing portrayal of Edgar by Leo. எட்கர் ஹூவர் , அமெரிக்க உளவுத்துறை நிறுவனத்தின் முதல் இயக்குனர் ஆவார் . இந்த துறையில் இளம் வயதிலிருந்தே பணியாற்றி பல முன்னோடி திட்டங்களை செயற்பாட்டிற்கு கொண்டு வந்தார். கைரேகை பரிசோதனைக்கு எதுவாக ஒரு தரவுத...

Bright Star (2011) Director: Jane Campion Starring: Ben Whishaw, Abbie Cornish. This movie is a biopic of John Keats, the world-famous poet who gave us the most wonderful lines, "The thing of beauty is a joy forever". Keats did have an easy life. He struggled to make both ends meet. Poems, for him apart from an art of expression, were also tools to earn his bread. He wrote the most beautiful poems which were appreciated as well as criticised during his time. Keats fell in love with a woman called Fanny Browne, a French woman who in turn loved the poet and his poems deeply. Keats wanted to provide her with a good life and hence focused on earning more and finding new opportunities. Unfortunately, he did not last long but his poems did. Keats died at a very young age in Rome miles away from the woman he loved, leaving her devastated, with just his poems, sonnets and words to comfort her. A beautiful poetic movie. உலகின் புகழபெற்ற கவிஞர்களுள் ஒருவரான ஜான் கீட்ஸ் அவர்களின...

Maudie (2016) Director: Aisling Walsh Starring: Sally Hawkins, Ethan Hawke This movie is based on the lives of two elderly couples Maudie and Everett who lived in Canada in the 1930s. Maudie was an arthritic woman who faced suffering and loss at a very young age. She could not live a peaceful life with her caretakers, her brother and her aunt. Hence one day, she decides to leave for good and create a normal life for herself. That's when she meets Everette, a fish peddler and takes care of his household chores for decent pay. However, things keep taking turn for worse and better when Maudie and Everette start living together. The movie shows how such an ordinary woman came out to reveal her extraordinary hidden artistic talent to the world and how her artworks were celebrated by the people in and around her community. Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke have given their best performances in this movie. கனடாவில் 1930களில் வாழ்ந்த தம்பதியினரின் வாழ்க்கையை மய்யமாக கொண்ட திரைப்படம். M...

Yatra (2019) Starring: Mamooty, Jagapathy Babu  Director: Mahi V. Raghav Yatra is the biopic of one of the most renowned politicians from Andhra Pradesh, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. The movie mainly covers the incidents and events that happened before, during and after his popular "Padayatra" which made him a trustworthy figure of hope among the people of Andhra. YSR believed that the only way to win the election and the trust of people was by meeting them listening to their problems and by taking part in their sufferings. With a strong ruling government such as TDP, YSR's biggest and only strategy to beat them or to give them a tough battle was the 900-mile walking tour. The movie also shows how YSR was a strong-willed politician and never gave in to the pressures from the High Command. Mamooty has done an impeccable job as YSR and this is his 4th Telugu movie. The film ends with emotional footage showing the fatal helicopter crash that killed YSR and 4 men who accompa...

Tully (2018) Director: Jason Reitman Starring: Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Mark Duplass, Ron Livingston Tully is a realistic depiction of parenthood. It's the emotional roller-coaster ride a woman named Marlo is going through, after her 3rd child. She is very badly in need of a break, liberation, and support. Her loving husband's focus shifts to jobs, money and video games and she feels alone and lets out. That's when a babysitter called Tully enters into her life. The babysitter is a perky young woman whose visits are at night. Thanks to the new babysitter, Marlo can now sleep well, rest well and relax. Marlo becomes very cheerful and affectionate again. She bonds with Tully quickly and they become good friends. One fine day Tully tells her that she will be quitting the job soon as she needs to move on with her life. Marlo could not take this lightly as she needs Tully in her life at least for a few more days. What happens after that is a shocking and surprisin...

Cujo (1993) Director: Lewis Teague Starring: Dee Wallace, Daniel Hugh-Kelly, Danny Pintauro This movie is based on one of the many critically acclaimed Stephen King novels by the same name. Cujo is a horror show where you find a friendly St Bernard who gets infected by the Rabies Virus and starts exhibiting aggression and restlessness. The abnormal behaviour worsens as the virus infection intensifies and Cujo becomes a threat to people around. When it comes to Survival movies Stephen King truly knows the knack for creating them with the blend of mystery, horror, and unpredictability. ஸ்டிபென் கிங் நாவலை தழுவி எடுக்கப்பட்ட திரைப்படம். அன்போடு பழகி வந்த ஒரு செல்ல பிராணிக்கு வெறிநாய்க்கடி நோய் (ரேபிஸ்) என்று சொல்லப்படக்கூடிய நோய்க்கிருமி தொற்றிக்கொள்கிறது. நோயின் வீரியம் அதிகரிக்க, கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமாக அந்த பிராணியின் செயல்பாடுகளின் மாற்றங்களையும் , அதனால் அதனை சுற்றி உள்ளவர்களுக்கு ஏற்படும் ஆபத்தையும் திகில் கலந்த கதைக்களத்தில் பிரதிபலிக்கிறது இந்த திரைப்படம் . உயிர் பிழைக்க போராடும் கதாபாத்...

All the Money in the World (2017) Director: Ridley Scott  Starring: Charlie Plummer, Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer, Mark Wahlberg .  This movie is based on true incidents that took place in the 1970s. Famous British-American oil tycoon J.Paul Getty's Grandson John Paul Getty III was kidnapped during this time in Rome. Given the amount of money he made and the influence he had, the kidnappers wanted a large sum of money as a ransom. Paul, known for his frugality was not ready to lend any money for this rescue mission, though he cared for his Grandson. He approaches a former CIA operative Fletcher Chase to investigate the whereabouts of his Grandson. He also issued the following statement to Media which garnered controversy,  "I don't believe in paying kidnappers. I have 14 other grandchildren and if I pay one penny now, then I'll have 14 kidnapped grandchildren." Meanwhile, the Kidnappers feel that the whole situation has not been taken seriously b...

HUNGER (2008) Director: Steve McQueen  Starring: Michael Fassbender, Liam Cunningham  "Hunger" is based on a true incident. Irish Republic Volunteers were imprisoned by the British Government for staging various demonstrations in the 1980s and were utterly ill-treated by the prison guards. To oppose their cruelty Bobby Sands, a fellow revolutionist and a prisoner starts prison strikes like Blanket Protest and Dirty Protest. When the situation doesn't improve, Bobby declares a Hunger strike where prisoners go on days without any intake of food. This impacts the prison guards and Margret Thatcher's regime, yet the situation in the prison remains the same. The raw scenes in this movie would make one flinch looking at the way prisons functioned/are functioning and the deplorable ways the authorities deploy to keep these men under control. The movie unfolds a gripping climax that shows the aftermath and impact of the hunger strike and the prisoners. The movie has won...

The Fourth Kind (2009) Director: Olatunde Osunsanmi Starring: Milla Jovovich This is an interesting, strange science fiction horror film. It is based on the mysterious disappearances of many people in Alaska, the reason for which was believed to be alien abductions. In this movie, a young psychiatrist investigates her patients through hypnosis and gathers possible pieces of evidence that point towards the alien abduction theory. What's very scary about this film is that they show you videos that are shot in a documentary style where patients literally transform on the screen into another character. That did scare the hell out of many.

MODIGLIANI (2004) Director: Mick Davis  Starring : Andy García, Elsa Zylberstein, Omid Djalili Biopic of famous Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani. The movie is set in Paris in 1919 and takes you on an artistic journey showcasing the life and works of Modigliani. During that era, Modigliani's biggest rival was another world-famous artist, Pablo Picasso. Their competition, self-centric approach and ego project them as mighty contenders and arch-rivals in the field of art. This eventually leads them to face each other in a famous competition that the whole world was waiting for Modigliani Vs Picasso. The works of Modigliani stood the test of time and were celebrated because of the emotions they radiated. To this day, this is being examined. All of Modigliani's works were the manifestation of his own emotions and experiences. This movie beautifully captures the personal story of the artist and closes with a climax that will leave you feeling heavy. Andy Garcia amazingly impers...

Trumbo (2015)  Director: Jay Roach  Starring: Bryan Cranston, Helen Mirren, Diane Lane, John Goodman, Louis C.K. In the 1940s many famous screenwriters in Hollywood openly spoke and wrote in favour of Communism in America. This infuriated the general public and the government of the USA. These writers were labelled as traitors who were reportedly controlled by the Soviet Union. The Government launched a nationwide investigation to identify and blacklist such people. Dalton Trumbo, a renowned scriptwriter in Hollywood was one among them. He was imprisoned for 11 months and was banned from Hollywood which led to the termination of offers. Besides the legal battle with the Government, Dalton decided to find any opportunity possible to earn money and support his family. Hence, he started writing screenplays for little money and publishing them under someone else's name. This way, he wrote some successful screenplays for Roman Holiday, Spartacus, Exodus, The Brave One etc. Tr...

State of Play (2009) Director: Kevin Macdonald Starring: Rachel McAdams, Russell Crowe, Helen Mirren, Ben Affleck, Robin Wright.  This was initially aired as a 6-part TV series in Britain and then was later made into a Movie. This movie is a political thriller with a story that takes place in Washington DC revolving around the life of a Congressman called Stephen. The movie begins with the death of Sonia Baker, a young researcher in the White House who was working under Stephen. Stephen who was already married was into an extra-marital affair with Sonika and she was pregnant with his child as well. The death of Sonia shatters Stephen. Though the media reported the incident as Suicide, Stephen believes that it was a murder. As Stephen was working against a dangerous corporate organization called Point Corp, he suspected their involvement in Sonia's death. Stephen approaches his long-time friend and a renowned Journalist, Cal from the Press and requests him to investigate the i...

East Side Sushi (2014) Director: Anthony Lucero Starring: Diana Elizabeth Torres, Yutaka Takeuchi This movie has a beautiful, dramatic plot that brings together the mouth-watering cuisines of Mexico and Japan. Juana (J, silent) is a single Mexican mother living with her elderly father and her young daughter managing her own little roadside fruit stall. Though it's a tasteless job with less income, she has no choice. One day, she gets mugged and assaulted by a few strangers and all the money she had saved so far by selling fruits is gone. Devastated, she starts looking for jobs. There is a job opening in a Japanese restaurant for a Maid who is expected to clean the utensils and maintain the pantry. Though being an amazing cook herself, Juana would have expected a better position, she takes up this job without complaining. During her tenure, she learned a lot about Japanese cuisine, thanks to her colleagues. Among other things, she is fascinated by Sushi. She understands that J...

A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT(2004) Director :Jean-Pierre Jeunet Starring: Audrey Tautou,Gaspard Ulliel, Marion Cotillard During World War I, many French soldiers lost their lives on the battlefield and many of the troops also planned to escape military service through self-mutilation. In the meantime, a young woman who is longing to see the face of her lover and wants to know his whereabouts starts a pursuit. She also hires a private investigator for support and gathers clues that will lead her towards finding out what happened to her beau. Despite the difficulties and hurdles she encounters during this quest, she never loses hope and faith. The movie with an aesthetically pleasing screenplay and cinematography unfolds the climax. It reminded me of "Amelie". ஒன்றாம் உலகப்போர் நடந்துகொண்டிருக்கும் நேரம் அது. தோட்டாக்களுக்கும், பயங்கர குண்டுகளுக்கும் பல பிரஞ்சு ராணுவப்படை வீரர்கள் இறையாகிக்கொண்டிருக்கிறார்கள். இந்நேரத்தில் பிழைப்பதற்கு வாய்ப்புகள் குறைவு என்பதை அறிந்தும் , தன...

Clara (2018) Director: Akash Sherman Starring: Patrick J. Adams, Troian Bellisario, Ennis Esmer, Kristen Hager, R. H. Thomson. After a long time, this is one Sci-Fi romance movie that I found to have had a novel approach to showcase. Let me jump right into the story. Issac is a researcher in Astrophysics who is on a quest to find exoplanets in the Universe where there is evidence for the existence of life beyond Earth. He teaches at the Ontario University. His tools are scientific datasets. He keeps mapping the datasets released by the TESS telescope to find out if there is any scientific result that can be obtained to prove the existence of exoplanets. His intense interest in figuring out things in the Universe also creates adverse effects on his personal life. He lives alone, separated from his wife, after losing their child during the labour. At this point, he is even pushed to use the University's resources unauthorised for his research. After this is known to his supervisors,...