DesertTalkies Film Reviews!

  Cruella [2021] Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Mark Strong Direction by Craig Gillespie Language: English I love myself a nice little villain origin story. I'm a fanatic for any sort of revenge being seen in a film. Right from the get go, I knew that I was going to enjoy it. Everybody familiar with Disney movies will have heard of the infamous Cruella De Vil. In the 101 Dalmatians movies, Cruella is seen as an evil, slightly deranged character: an old woman hell-bent on committing crimes. However, when I found out that an origin story was released, I knew that I had to watch it. After seeing Maleficent and loving it, I had a feeling that I would come to really enjoy this movie. And I wasn't wrong.  The opulence of the 1970s in London: the understated elegance and glamour contrasted with the punk of a new revolution in fashion really shone in this movie. It was through the costume and makeup design that this movie excelled - it kind of had to, it was a fashion based movi...

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai [1998] Starring: Kajol, Shahrukh Khan, Rani Mukerji Direction by Karan Johar Language: Hindi This, after Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,  may be the most popular Bollywood film by a long shot. I have watched it several times, and with each additional viewing, my positive opinion of the movie just grows. With all the buzz from their previous blockbuster, Shahrukh Khan and Kajol were able to propel this movie into legendary status, and for good reason! This movie was great.  This movie was very typical in terms of storyline, so there's not much to talk about there. The first half is a typical love story: a friendship between a boy and a girl breaks down after one reveals feelings for the other. It's a tried and true classic. Sometimes you need a simplistic plot (which was true at least in the first part of this movie) to make the piece of work really good. However, the best thing about Hindi-language films, in my opinion, ìs the fact that an entire movie is essen...

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham [2001] Starring: Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan, Amitabh & Jaya Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor Direction by Karan Johar Language: Hindi Welcome to the third installment of the series! When I think of melodramatic Hindi-language movies, this one is the first that comes to mind. With its star studded cast, it is almost impossible for a regular viewer of Bollywood to be unfamiliar with the movie.  Everything is a grand show, everything is overly emotional, and everything is so exaggerated to the point where the movie feels more fictious than realistic. In spite of this, however, I find myself coming back to this movie repeatedly.  I'm a lover of all things drama, and so this grand spectacle of a movie, despite its shortcomings, is something that I really I really respond to. What I'm trying to get at, essentially, is that the aesthetic appeal of this movie far surpasses those of the other movies in this series. Right from one of the first scenes, the ...

Turning Red [2022] Starring (the voices of): Sandra Oh, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Rosalie Chiang Direction by Domee Shi Language: English I think that everyone gets to an age where they think they're 'too old' to see animated movies, and whilst I like to think of myself as a very esteemed film critic, animated movies definitely have their charm: why else would it be the most streamed movie in 2022? Dragged to see the movie in the cinema with a younger sibling, I didn't expect to enjoy the movie so much! It is especially heartwarming when you see representation of a culture similar to yours in a children's movie: cultural differences aren't highly politicised or subject to harmful stereotypes like they are in live-action, more mature films.  Let's talk about the messages of the movie: I feel as if this movie found a way to disprove a stereotype associated with Asian parenting: in Western popular culture, parents of an East Asian descent are subject to the stereo...

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara [2011] Starring: Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaid Direction by Zoya Akhtar, Screenplay by Zoha & Farhan Akhtar Language: Hindi I don’t recall watching this movie for the first time, but what I do remember is that I have grown up watching this around family and friends, and it is a classic that we keep coming back to. In an industry so dominated by sappy romance stories, this was a welcome breath of fresh air. And whilst all Bollywood movies incorporate some sort of romance, this was luckily a case in which romance was not the main focus. The chemistry between the main characters was great, and that added a freshness to the movie: Bollywood often pairs the same groups of people together to the point where you’re sick of seeing them at the same time.  Additionally, the vibrance of southern Spain: its rolling vistas and breathtaking mountains mirrors the casual, relaxed nature of the movie. And whilst other Bollywood films set movies...

  Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani [2014] Starring: Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Kalki Koechlin, Aditya Roy Kapur Direction by Ayan Mukerji Language: Hindi Re kabira, maan ja; Re fakira yun naa ja; Aaja, tujhko pukhare teri parchaiyaan. O Kabira, believe me; O saint do not leave like this; Come back, your shadows are calling you back. Teri liye hi toh signal todh tadh ke, aaya dilliwali girlfriend chor char ke! For you I broke the signals, and have come leaving behind my girlfriend from Delhi. These songs may be a far cry from the poetic lyricism of the latter half of the 1900s, when you listen to them, you will be hooked.  It's tough to think that Ayan Mukerji was once capable of directing movies that people actually enjoy. I first watched this movie a few months after it came out: I watched it at the tender age of 8, and even back then I was captivated by the music and the story. It's one of those movies that I've always remembered, and the movie's recent release on Netfli...

  Bunty Aur Babli [2005] Starring: Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan Direction by Shaad Ali Language: Hindi After reviewing a few movies, I have realised that I only watch Bollywood movies if I have listened to the songs beforehand and have enjoyed them! In this case, members of my family have singing Kajra Re  since I was born! In other reviews, I have mentioned how I tend not to enjoy crime/action films. However, a crime film put together with some incredibly extravagant choreography, a budding romance and you've got me hooked. Finally, I have seen a movie that isn't just a soppy romance in its entirety! What is interesting about this movie is the shift in narrative: the writers of Bollywood films, to this day, have an obsession with the western world. You'll be hard pressed to find a movie that doesn't take you to the streets of New York or London for a dance number. Most movies often centre around the movement of NRIs (non resident Indians) to and fr...

  Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna [2006] Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, Preity Zinta, Abhishek Bachchan Directed by Karan Johar Language: Hindi  Joh hai ankahee, joh hai ansunee, voh baat kya hai bata. Mitwa! Kahe dharkane tujhse kya? Mitwa! Yeh khud se toh na tu chupa. A thing unsaid, a thing unheard, what is it? Beloved! What does your heartbeat tell you? Beloved! Don't hide it from yourself. Welcome to the second installment of the Holy Trinity series! This movie is definitely the most different to other Bollywood movies that have come before it. This was a movie that I had grown up hearing about, but had never watched until I was hit with a chronic wave of insomnia one night, where I decided to catch up on all the Bollywood watching that I had missed out on.  This movie was iconic in many ways, but it was downright depressing to watch. From the start to the finish, the plotline consisted of fights and strong undercurrents of tension, with very rare points were there w...

  Queen [2013] Starring: Kangana Ranaut, Lisa Haydon, Mish Boyko, Sabeeka Imam Direction by Vikas Bahl Language: Hindi Every person who has gone to any Indian person's household has probably heard of the song London Thumakada. And it was me hearing this song as I was growing up that incentivised me to watch this movie. This was the only hit song in the picture, and whoever composed it hit the nail right on the head: upbeat and danceable, the song reflected the mostly positive message the movie demonstrated.  Let me just set the record straight: I think that Kangana Ranaut as a person is quite an eccentric character: her political views are nothing short of insane. However, Queen was her magnum opus. When I say that she shone in this movie, I'm not kidding! From the celebration of the first scenes, to a sense of melancholia in the middle parts to a final empowerment in the final scenes, Kangana Ranaut shone!  This is probably the first authentically feminist Indian movie I...

  Kal Ho Naa Ho [2004] Starring: Preity Zinta, Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Jaya Bachchan Direction by Nikkhil Advani Language: Hindi  It is common knowledge that there is a holy trinity of early 2000s Bollywood romance films: and this is one of them. I watched this movie last year, and at the time I didn't really like it: when I finished the movie, I didn't know if I was judging my satisfaction based on the relief that I felt when the movie finished, or by the movie's actual merit. However, after recently rewatching this picture, I can safely say that my opinions have changed a fair bit.  If anything, this movie is one of empowerment and self-discovery. Naina, the main character, narrates her story as she progresses through the tumultuous time she and her family faces as a result of her father's untimely death. Naina, through the movie, learns how to grow and make sacrifices to reach logical conclusions. This is different to many other Hindi-language movies that have...

A combination of exams at school and fasting during the month of Ramadan has meant that I've fallen quite behind on my schedule of movies to watch and review. Therefore, I decided to go for something comfortable: something easy that would allow me to relax. And my comfort as far as films go is Bollywood. DOSTANA [2008] Starring: Abishek Bachchan, John Abraham, Priyanka Chopra, Kirron Kher  Directed by Tarun Mansukhani, Produced by Karan Johar  Language: Hindi Growing up, I was told that this movie was inappropriate, but I'll just blame that on my conservative parents. I watched it, and found exactly what I expected: a frothy, melodramatic love story that can be watched only once before you start banging your head against the wall. If anything, this movie is representative of Karan Johar's deterioration as a legitimate, serious film producer. From movies that are considered to be classic in the early 2000s: Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna  t...