review Archives - Parag Sankhe

Dec 16, 2017Dec 16, 2017Blog, Film

Netflix’s Bright 2017

Will Smith’s ‘Bright’ had its European premiere on Friday 15th December 2017 at BFI Southbank, London.

It is Netflix’s highest profile movie release in 2017 starring Will Smith, Joel Edgerton and Noomi Rapace.

Last year it was the Netflix’s controversial Okja which premiered at Cannes.

‘Bright’ is quite an essential movie for Netflix, as they are hoping it will help them attract more A-list talent to their film division.

The movie has some great action sequences, the overall acting was on point, but for me, Joel Edgerton who plays the Orc partner human cop (Will Smith) stood out to me. It was truly a fantastic performance.

The world they have created, where you see humans, orcs, elf’s and other magic folks leaving side by side is very much believable.

The movie also explores the cruel world of racial and social inequality, but I am not sure if it was executed properly.
Joel Edgerton’s character Orc cop is always racially oppressed by almost everyone in the film, but he absolutely has no voice.

The film will hit Netflix on December 22.

Jun 7, 2016Nov 24, 2018Blog, Film

Schindler’s List: A significant and captivating film that everyone needs to experience.

This was my 3rd attempt of watching the Schindler’s List. In past I had walked out of this film, as it was really hard for me to sit through it.

The Holocaust is undoubtedly one of the most significant and horrifying events of the twentieth century. From 1938 to 1945, approximately six million Jews were slaughtered, but one man ‘Oskar Schindler’ (played by Liam Neeson) decided to make a difference, by saving the lives of more than 1100 men, women and children.

Schindler’s List is captivating because the story it tells, the characters it portrays and the way it was shot feels very real to the audience. The black-and-white cinematography in here is magnificent. It helped to capture the ‘bleakness’ of the Holocaust, and also helped in getting a feel for the era.

I have always been a fan of Steven Spielberg. Call me shallow, but Jurassic Park is one of my favorite films. It offered me everything from a piece of cinema I want. But Schindler’s List is by far his biggest accomplishment.
I personally think he didn’t make this film as an epic film. It feels like this movie has a very personal meaning to him.

I never understood how the human race could get so low.
What’s really tragic about all this is how we are not able to learn from our past, from Nazi Germany to ISIS little has changed.

May 20, 2014May 20, 2014Blog

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet

The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet is a story of a 10-year-old cartographer who secretly leaves his family’s ranch in Montana where he lives with his cowboy father and scientist mother and travels across the country on board a freight train to receive an award at the Smithsonian Institute.
This adaptation of the acclaimed Reif Larsen novel ‘The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet’ is directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s(Amelie) and the movie stars Helena Bonham Carter, Robert Maillet, Callum Keith Rennie and Kyle Catlett.

I had the opportunity to watch 3D Preview screening of ‘The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet’ at Cine Lumiere, London and it was followed by a Q&A with Helena Bonham-Carter and director Jean-Pierre Jeunet.
It’s easy to fall in love with this humble and emotionally touching tale of the ingenious, slightly magical story of Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet.
The little boy’s character is something possibly believable real genius. THE YOUNG AND PRODIGIOUS T.S. SPIVET Poster
The story is tender but avoids melodrama. It simply is an uplifting, inspiring, entertaining film. The film may at first seem a bit slow paced, but plot keeps moving and you really will become involved all the way throughout the movie. The story is told, mainly, through the eyes of 10-year-old cartographer T.S. Spivet. We are given tremendous insight into how T.S. Spivet sees and relates to the world around him.
The cinematography is brilliant, as you would expect from Jean Pierre Jeunet(Amelie). American landscape was mostly shot in French-speaking Quebec and Alberta, Canada which offers hyper real greener landscapes and blue skies with beautiful details.
The casting is outstanding. From the young child genius subtly powerful performance by Kyle Catlett to a distracted entomologist mom played by Dr. Clair (Helena Bonham Carter), every character feels essential to the story. Some of the characters seem a bit of caricature, especially the stereotypical police officer.
What I liked the most that if the film had slightly magical tone to the story and there was use of animated sequences in TS Spivet, it would give further depth to the 3D, and TS Spivet’s thoughts.
Its a sweet, heart-warming story, which takes you away from the fast and hectic daily life into a almost 1 hr 45 min hour-story, which is nothing but good and charming.
The movie will release around mid June in the UK and it will also have an IMAX release.

Production Details:
Production
(France-Canada) A Gaumont (in France)/Weinstein Co. (in U.S.) release of an Epithete Films, Tapioca Films, Filmarto, Gaumont, France 2 Cinema, Cross Creek production, with the participation of OCS, France Televisions. (International sales: Gaumont International, Paris.) Produced by Frederic Brillion, Gilles Legrand, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Suzanne Girard. Executive producers, Francis Boespflug, Tyler Thompson.
Crew
Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Screenplay, Jeunet, Guillaume Laurant, based on the novel “The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet” by Reif Larsen; dialogues, Laurant. Camera (color, widescreen, 3D), Thomas Hardmeier; editor, Herve Schneid; music, Denis Sanacore; production designer, Aline Bonetto; costume designer, Madeline Fontaine; sound (Dolby Digital), Jean Umansky; sound design, Selim Azzazi; supervising sound editor, Gerard Hardy; 3D stereographer, Demetri Portelli; visual effects supervisor, Alain Carsoux; 3D engineer, Ben Gervais; assistant director, Christophe Vassort; casting, Lucie Robitaille.
With
Helena Bonham Carter, Judy Davis, Callum Keith Rennie, Kyle Catlett, Niamh Wilson, Jakob Davies, Rick Mercer, Dominique Pinon, Julian Richings, Richard Jutras, Mairtin O’Carrigan, Michel Perron, Dawn Ford, Harry Standjofski, Susan Glover, James Bradford. (English dialogue.)

Helena Bonham-Carter and director Jean-Pierre Jeunet at the 3D Preview screening at Cine Lumiere, London.

Mar 17, 2007Nov 24, 2018Blog, Film

“300” movie review

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“300”

I had seen the trailer for this movie some time ago, and it was clear to me that it was one movie that I would stand in line to see! I was anticipating ‘opening day” for a long, long time!
And did this movie live to my high expectations???…………….
‘300’ was even better than my high expectations.
The Spartan fought as a unit just like in team sport. Each Spartan has its own position during battles, and the technicality of doing defence using shields and attacking using their spears was perfectly executed. Such choreography was stunning like watching a beautiful ballet dance.
Most of the movie was created virtually, but it’s not anywhere near the virtually soulless filth that was ‘Attack of the Clones’ (THANKFULLY!). This movie got its heart and the story is pretty good.
Some are People confused with their Greek history, this movie has never claimed to be historically correct as many have and will argue. 300 is loosely based upon the actual war between Persians and Greeks. But, seeing it has been adapted from a comic book by Frank Miller, what can we possibly expect?
If you see the movie then I am sure u will agree with me, Every single guy in the movie has a SIX-PACK with no hair on the chest I am sure not really all men looked like that in reality but movie drew them this way to look “heroic.” This is heroic nudity and is commonly used in Hollywood cinemas. Anyway, I am hitting the gym again from tomorrow.
WARNING: there are many disturbing battle scenes and a couple of short scenes with nudity(very well done)
Spend the money and the time! You won’t be sorry!

Aug 8, 2006May 22, 2021Blog, Film, Uncategorized

Born Into Brothels: Calcutta’s Red Light Kids

Born Into Brothels: Calcutta’s Red Light Kids (2004)

Born into Brothels represents the best and the worst in humanity. A woman tries to save children born to prostitutes in the Red Light District in Calcutta, India by teaching them the power of photography, when no one else cared.
Although sad due to the nature of the content, it is an uplifting story that inspires you to look wider than your own life to see how each one of us can have a profound impact on the lives of others.
This is one of the finest non-fiction films I have seen.
What was troubling to me was that never to see these troubled children again.
I didn’t want it to end so soon because I wanted to spend some more time with the children….
And wanted to see all of them out of this Brothel
I often disagree with the academy award nominations. Born Into Brothels is an exception, it was nominated and won!
India has a serious problem with sex trafficking and despite what anyone else might say, it’s being run by Asians. Unless there is a semblance of accountability in the public sector, nothing will be done. Everyone throws their hands up and says ‘Oh I’m not corrupt, but everyone else is, so what can I do?”
This film should be seen by everyone who has any sense of what the world is and can be if we give our attention and empathy to make it a better place
for me, the creators of this Documentary are the true hero.