Point Break (2015) & The Shallows (2016)

Old Karamakate: To become warriors, the cohiuanos must abandon all and go alone to the jungle, guided only by their dreams. In this journey, he has to find out, in solitude and silence, who he really is. He must become a wanderer dream. Many are lost, and some never return. But those who return they are ready to face what is to come.

Top: Theodor Koch-Grünberg, surrounded by Amazonia tribesmen, circa 1903. Bottom: Embrace of the Serpent character Theo (Jan Bijvoet), surrounded by Amazonia tribesmen

"In this moment, it is not possible for me to know, dear reader, if the infinite jungle has started on me the process that has taken many others that have ventured into these lands, to complete and irremediable insanity.
    If this is the case, I can only apologize and ask for your understanding, for the display I witnessed in those enchanted hours was such, that I find it impossible to describe in a language that allows others to understand its beauty and splendor; all I know is that, like all those who have shed the thick veil that blinded them, when I came back to my senses, I had become another man.” — Theodor Koch-Grünberg,1907  

Theodor Koch-Grünberg

Richard Evans Schultes

Richard Evans Schultes

About this film:-
 
At once blistering and poetic, the ravages of colonialism cast a dark shadow over the South American landscape in EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT, the third feature by Ciro Guerra. Filmed in stunning black-and-white, SERPENT centers on Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman and the last survivor of his people, and the two scientists who, over the course of 40 years, build a friendship with him. The film was inspired by the real-life journals of two explorers (Theodor Koch-Grünberg and Richard Evans Schultes) who traveled through the Colombian Amazon during the last century in search of the sacred and difficult-to-find psychedelic Yakruna plant. ( Credit : http://aftercredits.com/2016/02/embrace-of-the-serpent-2015/ )

The Mermaid (2016) Chinese

One of brilliant Fantasy & Romantic Feel good film coming from a famous director Stephen Chow well known for movies like Kung Fu Hustle , Shaolin Soccer, CJ7 etc..As movie name suggests, its about mermaids and how one rich tycoon tries to save them when their existence are threatened with his own company implementing new Sonar technology without his knowledge in process killing many aquatic animals including mermaids. Meanwhile word goes out about existence of mermaids resulting in scientists deploying deadly force to capture these creatures.But besides that this movie also covers romance portion as well when he goes great length risking his life to save his loved one who also happen to be a mermaid. Did he suceed in stopping humans attacking them and did he save to safe all of them forms rest of the story. Whats most capturing in this film is the way it was made and the presentation is surely top notch as if listening to a bedtime story telling. Along with that those comedy tracks here and there provides much needed fun factor from this movie keeping us engaged till the end .Overall a pleasant film definitely not to be missed.

The Phone (2015) Korean

A superb scifi fantasy thriller where a Solor flair phenomenon causing interference with cellphone signals creates a vortex between two timelines allowing a man to receive phone call from past, that is none other then his wife who got murdered a year back. Realizing these strange occurrences and using to his advantage, how this man sets out to help his wife to save herself from the killer by guiding her through the phone calls while also attempting to capture this killer was nicely presented here.Any changes to the past results in a drastic changes to the future was brilliantly portrayed and was definitely engaging till the end. A movie with unique and gripping story-line not to be missed.

Anarchy Parlor  ( 2015 )

One of Bizzare film ..... A tattoo parlor of different kind with people having their own legacy followed for centuries...its just at times innocents become victims and fell prey for such sadists. Story could have been little more engaging just like Hostel film irrespective of being it gore at parts. Not for light hearted.

Office (2015) Korean
 
Overburdened with the work in office followed by his termination, unable to sustain the stress and depression a well Mannered employee Kim Byeong turns into a psychopathic killer murdering his entire family for no reason and it doesn't stop there. While the cops are out for hunt and investigation is still in progress, people who work in same office get brutally murdered one after the other. The only strange behavior detectives notice is with a intern who recently joined there as she was said to be close with the suspect Kim Byeong. As movie progress further, more darker secrets arise and with a mildly predictable twist towards the end..movie brings a shocking closure to this Slasher cum thriller film. Movie is gripping and also brings many facts on life of a normal office goer and the kind of stress they are induced to. It also politely highlights the importance of work life balance and how much that is necessary for a good healthy working environment. Not the best of its kind, but a movie worth watching once.

High-Rise (2015)

A life in High Rise building were the occupants in each floor are from different classes with varied Life style and how tensions between members in each floor raise which later leads to violence and anarchy is what this film is about. But the making of this film is Sick, at times disgusting and completely bizzard which requires a different thought process to understand it or even more to enjoy it. This film would definitely not serve all but for only selective few and will easily be lost in time.

Love 911 (2012) Korean

Love Story between a Grieving husband & fire Fighter who lost his wife recently and about a beautiful young girl with a severe medical condition falling in love with the same widower. She gets her medical license temporarily suspected for providing improper treatment to a patient in critical condition while he also struggling with guilt totally dejected for not able to save his wife ,takes dangerous rescue operations during firefights or emergency situation without any care for his life. How their path cross each other and how they both get attracted falls rest part of story which was beautifully captured in this film. Part emotional and most romantic , this is definitely a feel good movie that can be enjoyed well. Happy endings are hard to come by in Korean flicks and this movie falls in that category, don't miss it.

Kabali ( 2016 ) - Well this is my detailed view and this is just my opinion only on how i felt while watching it and i do understand that these views may vary from person to person. So i am not here to change your opinion nor expect someone to tell me my opinion was wrong.

I too came from a generation when people were crazy about a man who revolutionized fan base entirely with one magic mantra called " Rajini" and there were days i skipped my school & college to get just one glimpse of our Superstar on first day of his movie release. Does this sound like a fan , well no....because i love many other actors too along with rajini though he always been one step higher then any. So obviously its very natural for any person to go to the show with lot of expectation and if someone says that i should have went in without any , it just cheating oneself and doesn't make any sense. Lets place genre of the movie aside for a while horror thriller comedy gangster whatever it be...the first thing that comes to our mind is Superstar and then follows the rest. Its reliving a nostalgic feeling of our school or college days and only few actors can deliver that. Agreed ? ( If not am sorry )

I tried my best to get FDFS for kabali but in vain still i was happy to watch night show on first day convincing myself on the loss of missing to be part of fdfs. I spent some thousands for just one show which i dont want to go in detail but yet end of day its all about watching this film that's all. Well i have done the same for all other star actors too so dont judge me again here just listening to all above. I love to experience these moments and thats one main reason i go extra mile to live through it. Well i have seen every interview of ranjith before kabali release and irrespective of trailer which created huge expectation on this film, i still know that this movie will have a different treatment from hands of a young director who created one of my all time favorite movie " Madras". Though i know its going to be a gangster flick yet i was sure that its not going to be like Baasha but rather a emotional and a slow paced gangster flick with a different touch to it. Why i say this is I hear few telling that the negative reviews is because audience are going in with great expectation after seeing the trailer and they couldnt accept a different kind of Rajini film. Well here i might accept partially but who am i to talk about all other audience except the fact that i know the kind of film i am going to watch even before i stepped into the theater , its Palazzo Chennai - just saying..because there might be few questioning me that i might have seen in a worst theater and that might have spoiled movie experience :p

Finally the much awaited movie started and yes as one would expect whistles and trumpets were blown.....Shouted till my throat went dry and that title card which says kabali..its like me traveling back in time watching Baasha FDFS ..a goosebumps moment for any film goer even before movie started. Movie opening was apt tailor made for a superstar which set the bar high.Superstar mannerism was top notch and his first encounter with his enemy on their own den was just out of the world experience which rarely very few films can deliver. Rajini style and body language was so perfect that it was the exact moment the director himself created huge hype in minds of the audience but definitely not the trailer alone. From there on , story moves as expected taking us through his past in bits and pieces until this free living foundation school came to picture. Agreed that this movie tries to convey a strong message but if that gets far stretched it results in creating a documentary feel to it. I am not sure if any would agree or not but Riythvika character or that tiger character was irritating to the core and at one point people in the theater started to shout every-time any one of these came on screen. It spoiled entire experience of people who just had a mind blowing first 15 minutes. Obviously flash back is something expected but i felt this to be a horrible flashback of all time. If you are forming a gang with tamil people then why exactly Tony lee was in picture at all. When i was just convincing myself that the movie will be back on track soon, then came that One to One interview with Kabali in same Free Living school creating uneasiness to already exhausted viewers.. Flashback was really not great for uprising of a gangster but with one convincing factor called Radhika Apte. Those short burts of scenes between Rajini and Radhiki was only soothing factor in this entire film and really loved the way it was presented instead of a fully blown flash back of their story alone. But apart from this First half at most was a complete torture i would say

Detailing of characters is very important for any film which helps audience to connect with it. But here unfortunately even when over acting Attakathi Dinesh gets killed it hardly creates any feelings and so goes John vijay & madras anbu too. There are many such characters who just vanished on movie run without creating any impact to the film or making us empathize with the character and were mostly underutilized . With introduction of Radhika and Dhansika, director seem to have stepped into a confusing state whether to gear up the story or to continue with emotional side of it. This created imbalance in flow of the movie affecting entire screenplay failing to justify either one. That family reunion scene was quiet good, very emotional and this was the only place were i felt any emotion at all in this entire film. I hardly remember any of such intense emotional scene when i stepped out of the theater post the show and thats makes me wonder if this movie can still be called a emotional roller coaster ride with just one remarkable scene in this entire movie. Even then just few minutes before this scene they make us take a ride to chennai then pondi were there was even a chance to travel to france, i felt half dozed already and even entire theater erupted at that moment. There are places were movie should have concentrated more and there were places were it should have been more crisp then dragging it unnecessarily. But i am sure if they traveled to france, then we might have even heard people calling this film a journey or travel movie , well thank god it didnt happen. Even movie finishing was not that good or convincing and it failed to create any impact to outcome of this film that too with a clue to possible sequel.. Really ? How come police decided to help kabali to get hold of others...was it part of edited scenes which gone missing or its again a expectation for audience to assume themselves every time when they presented loopholes or logic flaws to them. There are so many Why's then WoW's which shouldnt have been the case.

Making a gangster film is a art by itself and bringing a character to life is not that easy to make. But one thing to appreciate here is the director managed to extract performance from such a star perfectly and Superstar had made this more easy for him with his years of experience backing him up. Somehow Diretor Ranjith failed to recreate his magic which he did for his previous film and i feel this is one life time opportunity gone wrong. If we remove rajini factor from this movie , then the nutshell is just nothing.... but due to the star value this movie carries its very hard for anyone to see it separate. Only convincing factor in entire movie was seeing our super star in screen along with some good supporting role like Radhika Apte & few others but there is nothing more to take from it.Screenplay was a total let down and presentation was horrible..irrespective of fact its delivering some strong message. As long as story is gripping and screenplay is engaging..none would have had issues with it..doesn't really matter its a gangster flick or a romcom or a emotional ride so called...this movie failed to justify any one of it as if it was lost in translation. Well i must agree that the trailer did create a huge hype of being a pakka gangsta flick but end of day what really matters is the output irrespective of what genre it falls into and its ability to engage Audience till the end...Screenplay Execution, Presentation could have been much better which could have made this movie experience more entertaining. Its neither a rajini movie nor ranjith movie..a cocktail which totally gone wrong. Anyhow just for superstar alone i liked this film but o doubt if i can see it for second time. Definitely Maghizchi for watching thalaivar but can i say the same for movie? Well..........