Sumeet Kaur
Deccan Chronicle
Most Divergent Takes
- Underworld: Blood Wars (2016)2.0 vs TRM 4.7-2.7
- La La Land (2016)10.0 vs TRM 7.5+2.5
- Beauty and the Beast (2017)5.0 vs TRM 6.5-1.5
- Collateral Beauty (2016)3.0 vs TRM 4.4-1.4
- Logan (2017)6.0 vs TRM 7.3-1.3
Despicable Me 3
2017 · Deccan Chronicle · Jun 2017
The film is enjoyable, but forgettable; amusing, but not profound. In a scene where Gru and Dru arrive outside Bratt's island tower, Gru takes charge while ordering Dru to sit and wait for him. The latter objects to being a silent spectator to all the fun and defies his brother's orders. But this is exactly what is expected of the audience – sit through the film and enjoy the madness of these cartoons.
Ghost in the Shell
2017 · Deccan Chronicle · Apr 2017
For all the visual gleam and action and blinding city lights that are on offer, stripped of Japanese identity, Jamie Moss and Ehren Kruger's screenplay could very well have been set in New York City or Moscow, and it would not have made any difference to the final product.
Life
2017 · Deccan Chronicle · Mar 2017
The twist, when it comes, does not do much to alleviate the film. When nearly one hundred minutes of the film are spent on old wine in a new, CGI bottle, this last minute shocker ends up underlining the sluggish and stale nature of the plot, which is more assembled than inspired.
Beauty and the Beast
2017 · Deccan Chronicle · Mar 2017
A remake that's not a happily ever after...
Logan
2017 · Deccan Chronicle · Mar 2017
There are a few digressions in the film that, though dispensable, seem to exist to dwell on the quasi-familial setup.
The Great Wall
2017 · Deccan Chronicle · Feb 2017
The Great Wall is unable to offer a coherent system within which the monsters should exist.
A Monster Calls
2017 · Deccan Chronicle · Jan 2017
Despite its best efforts at raising questions about the nature of grief and absolute good and evil, this coming-of-age gothic fantasy suffers from a debilitating inertia that renders it pallid, the stunning visuals notwithstanding.
La La Land
2016 · Deccan Chronicle · Dec 2016
Stone's and Gosling's dancing is endearingly imperfect, their singing haunting and melancholic, and their chemistry, palpable.
Collateral Beauty
2016 · Deccan Chronicle · Dec 2016
The absurd, logic-defying, and frankly unnecessary plot-twist cracks the thin ice this film was already treading on. Watching this film is akin to hearing the sound of nails on a chalkboard. One can only wish for it to stop.
Arrival
2016 · Deccan Chronicle · Dec 2016
Amy Adams delivers a stellar performance with unspeakable grace and gravitas. This is a science fiction film that goes beyond extra-terrestrial conquests. It remains grounded on Earth and asks questions not only about humanity's relation with itself, but also about humanity's relation with the universe.
Rogue One
2016 · Deccan Chronicle · Dec 2016
Rogue One serves as a political allegory and is significant in our contemporary times. The world is polarised between left and right-thinking factions — not merely the powers that be, but the ordinary public refuses, or at least finds it difficult to traverse a middle path as well. Social media is flooded with opinions on every issue, and an apolitical approach is anathema.
Office Christmas Party
2016 · Deccan Chronicle · Dec 2016
Unlike most Christmas-themed films which are meant for family viewing, Will Speck and Josh Gordon's Office Christmas Party tries very hard to aim at adult audiences. They have succeeded in getting an "A" certificate, but the content remains as immature and inane as one can imagine, wherein vulgarity becomes a substitute for wit.
Underworld: Blood Wars
2016 · Deccan Chronicle · Dec 2016
Underworld: Blood Wars is a headache-inducing experience which can, at best, yield bad puns about it being a bloody ordeal.
Nerve
2016 · Deccan Chronicle · Dec 2016
The performances in the film are energetic, and the characters are likeable, if at times, ridiculously unbelievable.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
2016 · Deccan Chronicle · Nov 2016
Most of the film is overwhelmed by extensive use of CGI, the plot of this caper seems a bit trite at times, but considering this is one-fifth of a new franchise, one hopes that better adventures will follow, with a profound insight into the Dumbledore-Grindelwald relationship.
Trolls
2016 · Deccan Chronicle · Nov 2016
Trolls, the latest venture from DreamWorks Animation studios, is a light-hearted, sunshine-happy musical about single-mindedly sunshine-happy Trolls. The heart of the film is premised on the question, "What is happiness?" — the answer to which is as elusive as the question is profound.
Train to Busan
2016 · Deccan Chronicle · Oct 2016
Train to Busan is a fulfilling film because it smoothly blends entertainment and social critique without being didactic; the class struggle between the characters remains subtle yet profound, and the genre of the zombie apocalypse horror film is not compromised. It has plenty to offer both casual and serious cinema-goers.
The Magnificent Seven
2016 · Deccan Chronicle · Sep 2016
Overall, the film is an earnest but tepid entry in the genre of the Western...