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I stumbled upon this by chance and saw that it had been banned on release. I took a chance on the DVD, which if you get it is of pristine picture and audio quality; and what a revelation the film turned out to be. I agree with some of the other reviewers, this must have been where Kusturica got his inspiration for 'Underground.' The acting is superb across the board and as the mayhem escalates, so does the cleverness and general franticness of the cinematography - the whole thing is so tight and nothing, incredibly, seems forced. Another reviewer has remarked on the low technical elements of the film, I must admit, I didn't notice them. It's clearly a product of its time but holds up very well (I watched it in the tail end of 2020.) Lucian Pintilie is one of the giants of Romanian cinema and from the ones I've seen, this is probably his masterpiece. Seek it out, you're in for a special treat.

Thanks to a mix of Game of Thrones and ISIS in equal measure, excessive gratuitous violence and gore, bordering on torture porn, seem to substitute for narrative and character development. The script is passable but will be forgotten 6 months down the line. And does Mark Gatiss, as undoubtedly talented as he is, need to be in every single programme these days? This feels like it's chasing global Netflix-era ratings than any sort of critical credibility. Not sure I will or even want to make it to Episode 2...

What starts off like it's going to head into Guy Ritchie mk1 territory, this veers sharply into the often difficult waters of black comedy. But oh it's damn good. Emma Thompson steals the show; having seen her in no less that 20 films over the years, there is no doubt that she is in her element here as a the protagonist's part mum/part xxxxxx. Both Carlyle and the ever angry 'ard Winstone also deliver powerful and hilarious performances. I have a sneaking suspicion that in a few years' time, this film will be regarded as a British cult classic. Why? With a storyline like this, there are usually dozens of cringe worthy lines that a whole host of actors fail to deliver with conviction; not here-- the tightness of the script reminds me of films like The Business, Withnail & I, Trainspotting and even Extras; the comparison with the latter two being (intentional?) inevitable. The casting of Ashley Jenson playing decidedly off character is another masterstroke. With the exception of Birdman, there hasn't been a film I want to almost immediately re-watch on DVD so soon after seeing it in the theatres because I am sure there are buried gems I've probably missed. I've seen a number of mixed reviews of this in the press but I hope it will rise above it because it's definitely one of the best British efforts of the last year.

I'm surprised by the many average reviews this film is getting, in part because: 1. although not strictly a comedy, it's funnier than many other Bollywood films this year 2. has at least three killer music tracks 3. all four leads more than deliver in their respective roles 4. it features the return of Govinda (and it's a great part) 5. Ali Zafar has finally proved (as he did in Tere Bin Laden before being typecast) that there's more to him that formulaic rom-coms 6. it doesn't rely on endless and pointless stunts to form the narrative as many recent blockbusters have

Sure it's not perfect, the story has a familiarity to it (but what film doesn't these days?) and there are a couple of cringe-worthy moments; but I'd rather watch Kill Dil over again than many of the other half-baked 'blockbuster' efforts clocking up the rupee signs over the last 12 months.

Do yourself a favour, ignore the reviews and go check it out for yourself- you might be pleasantly surprised.

I'd waited well over a year to see this much hyped film and Mostofa Sarwar Farooki yet again doesn't disappoint; in my opinion this is probably his best work and a much more polished effort than 'Third Person Singular Number'. The fact the narrative is set in a village in Bangladesh is irrelevant because the story of its people is a universal one and the message transcends cultures. This is the story of how close mindedness and the winds of change clash in a rapidly changing world. Bangladesh's official submission to 2014's Oscars, in what was a very strong 12 months for world cinema, didn't make the final list of nominees but it doesn't really matter because this is an accomplished film that has been praised both in its home country and at the select film festivals its played at. With the exception of 'Monpura', this is the best piece of cinema to come out of Dhaka's growing film industry in the last 10 years. If I could bet on one filmmaker from Bangladesh really cracking the international film festival circuit in a big way in the future, my money's definitely on Farooki. A recommended film.

A bevy of glamorous models are bumped off one by one in in a diamond smuggling operation masterminded by the dastardly (but amusingly and probably ironically named) Oberoi. Part suspense crime thriller, part madcap action vehicle for Kamal Haasan as professional photographer Dilip who has been framed for the murder of the girls and is a fugitive on the run out to prove his innocence. With Oberoi played like a reserved yet partially demented Dr. Evil (from the Austin Powers franchise- years before the Austin Powers films were even conceived) coupled with almost schizophrenic scene changes, Tik! Tik! Tik! is probably as much fun today as the year it was released. The star of the show is undoubtedly Haasan who is completely in his element in this kind of film. Apparently ahead of its time plot-wise back in 1981, I managed to see a high quality Malaysian DVD pressing with English subtitles and perfectly mixed audio which brought out both the (then) clever 'ticking' sound effects interspersed throughout the film and also Ilaiyaraaja's excellent songs-- Poo Malarinthida's note perfect mix of classical and modern pop elements show why he was and probably still is miles ahead of any other music director. Tik! Tik! Tik! is a perfect reminder of a time when big starers didn't need to rely on endless fight scenes, pointless special effects and soul-less choreographed item numbers. A clever plot yet the overall simplicity of this film is what makes it.

Similar in vein to films such as Snatch, Hustle and Life of Crime; this Emraan Hashmi starer will probably rank as one of his best films and is a welcome uplift after the mediocre Ek Thi Daayan. Hashmi should be applauded for taking risks with films that other much bigger names in Bollywood don't. He may not have the star power of the Khans but, with the exception of maybe Amir Khan, he has recently been willing to experiment with roles a lot more. Here he's paired with Humaima Malick in her first Indian film and she does a decent job as the girlfriend in tow; whatever India's verdict on her debut, she will still have her outstanding lead role in Shoaib Mansoor's "Bol" under her belt. Kay Kay Menon flips form psychotic to ice cool villain at the flick of the switch but, as always, he never fails to deliver and is believable as the rich and corrupt antagonist. The assassin who is hired to kill Raja (whoever the actor is) is excellent despite minimal dialogue and limited screen time. One of South cinema's biggest music directors, Yuvan Shankar Raja, turns in some modern numbers that just may linger; either way, thankfully these items numbers don't detract from the narrative too much. Just suspend disbelief because of course a lot of the twists in the plot are totally implausible but we need to remember, this is fiction with the sole purpose of entertaining the masses. Not an imperfect film but miles better than most releases Bollywood has had to offer in this genre this year.

Before even seeing this, the pressure was already one; submitted as Pakistan's entry for the Oscars (although it's not really the genre of film that wins that category), a star appearance from Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah and a hit soundtrack from Sahir Ali Bagga to boot- my expectations were very high. Fifteen minutes through the film I was reassured; the script is well written, making you empathise with the characters almost instantly and the narrative is perfectly timed. In my opinion this is much more relevant Pakistani film than say "Waar", because it's about people rather than stunts and action. Three star turns come from Khurram Pataras who is perfectly cast as Khaldi, supported by the equally excellent Zohaib Ashgar, whose character's insecurities and naivety make him immediately likable. The third friend is played by Salman Ahmed Khan and although less developed a character than the other two, it's another engaging performance. Both Naseeruddin Shah and Amna Ilyas of course turn in excellent performances, but for me it's the three friends who make the film what it is. This is exactly the kind of production Pakistan needs to be making; a serious topic light-heartedly portrayed with touches of ironic and black humour. In the much-touted "resurgence of..." tag that every new Pakistani film of the last 3-4 years seems to be labelled with, this one is wholly deserving of that accolade for simply trying and succeeding at doing something different. If you haven't seen this yet, you're missing out on one of the exciting slices of south Asian cinema released in the last year.

Shongram was a film I was really looking forward to seeing. Billed as a British-made Bengali film about the 1971 Bangladesh independence war and featuring an international cast including highly respected Indian actor Anupam Kher in a lead role. The script is fairly decent but could have benefited from tighter edits in a couple of scenes, particularly the final newspaper office and parting scenes in India. The standout performances come from an excellent Amaan Reza as (young) freedom fighter Karim and Shubrodho who turns in a powerful performance as his Hindu friend. Dilruba Yasmeen Ruhee as his love interest is good but at times is too heavily made up-- did young girls really walk around villages in full fashion make-up in 1971? A minor point but very noticeable in a number of scenes. But this is the first of a number of quibbles I have with this film that really detract from the core narrative. The Pakistani army General Iftikhar is played like a caricature and this ruins the scenes he is in; his cruelty at times comes across as comic and even Gabbar Singh-like and which is not at all suited to this kind of film. Whether that was intentional or not is unclear but it doesn't work. I've seen a number of Bangladeshi films on 1971, including Shyamol Chhaya and Guerilla; both of which did a much better job of depicting the harshness of the struggle freedom fighters went through in my opinion. There are other minor irritations: the car with the fleeing villagers that is at least one decade too new a model to have been around at the time and the cigar-smoking editor in London; where smoking in the workplace is illegal. The casting of Asia Argento is also odd; she is supposed to be an English journalist (if you read the promotional material associated with the film) yet doesn't sound English or even British whatsoever. Again another minor criticism but one of many anomalies in this film. Anupam Kher, as (older) Karim, is as always very good but it makes you wonder how a young nicely tanned young man grew up into such a light-skinned older one? Something you just wouldn't see in a Western film; the attraction of having a star actor in the role obviously far outweighed this technicality.

Nevertheless, the film tells an important story through the central character; most of the actors play their parts with emotion and conviction but the various quibbles above make this a lesser film than it should have been. Judging on this finished product, director and writer Mansur Ali shows real promise for the future, where no doubt such kinks will be ironed out over time with bigger budgets and more experience.

On paper, Kanyaka Talkies looks really good. An old single screen cinema in a remote and poor part of Kerala gets converted to a church. The impact the old 'talkies' theatre and the new church have on the lives of the main characters is the premise of the film. The characters are haphazardly developed and some of the scenes are very drawn out and could have benefited from tighter writing and/or editing. The elements of desire, lust, guilt and escapism all play their part but none are really explored properly leaving the viewer wanting. The light-hearted comic touches, e.g. the priest's scenes with the psychiatrist, are few and far between and seem at odds with the rest of the film. The last few scenes veer off into art-house territory, particularly the closing beach scene leaving you unfulfilled and guessing- that may have been intentional but it doesn't really work. Most of the actors are capable but suffer in what is a confused and clunky film.

I went to watch this film with no preconceptions; I'd read the synopsis and have an interest in independent Pakistani cinema- the trickle there is of it anyway. The film is a lament (for want of a better word) to Pakistan's descent into social chaos and bereft morality. The film is littered with metaphors and subtle nuances but I suspect some will only become apparent after repeated viewing. But that in itself is a compliment to the film, I want to see Anima State again because I enjoyed the way the messages were conveyed, the tongue-in-cheek retro incidental music (surely some of that score music must be ironic), the momentary hallucinogenic interludes (thankfully not too many) and the clips from Lollywood's yesteryear (including everyone's favourite feudalfest Maula Jatt). There were elements that were Lynchian, perhaps a bit cruder but so what, this was made on a shoestring and no-one is expecting a Mulholland Drive set in Islamabad. The protagonist cum antagonist (which is it? Who can know?) reminded me of Karloff's monster (circa the early James Whale films) and even David Bowie as the displaced alien in the Man Who Fell To Earth in its early scenes. The cinema hall screening room scene had shades of the radio station in Vanishing Point- alongside the narrator/radio voice-over inter-cut in various other parts of the film. The 'masturbation to cricket match re-runs' is original and clearly anarchic to a sub-continent that reveres the game. Islamabad's hippest coffee bar/restaurant, the Hot Spot, even makes a cameo (I should have known it would). There are enough topical references to drown in: corruption, religious extremism, confused stereotypes of women in Pakistan, India as the big bad neighbour, TV cable channels chasing ratings... the list goes on and on. The message though is never lost: something has gone horribly wrong with this society, but without it ever being preachy or disattached. If you can look beyond the obviously lower budget, then this is a great slice of so-called subversive guerrilla film making-- an outdated phrase but perfectly suited to Hammad Khan's style. It won't appeal to everyone but it will surely find its niche, if somewhat smaller, audience. As with many of these films, it may ultimately sink without trace or over time build up a grass roots following en route to it, just maybe, becoming a bit of a minor cult classic.

The other reviews have said almost everything that needs to be said about this film. Before seeing this I'd heard comparisons to Pulp Fiction, Agneepath and half a dozen other films but in reality, those comparisons are not really necessary because Ulidavaru Kandante is clearly it's own film. Portmanteau films have been gaining ground in Indian cinema over the last few years but it's still a fairly new format in the Kannada industry. These kind of films are difficult to execute and can easily go wrong which makes this achievement all the more impressive given it's Rakshit Shetty's directorial debut. I found the first 30 minutes patchy but the film recovers quickly and dramatically improves after that. The last 45 minutes really make the film and some of the surreal visual scenes may over time become iconic in Kannada or even independent Indian cinema. Now I've seen it in the cinema, I'm looking forward to re-watching it on DVD and taking in the different vignettes all over again. I'll end by saying that Rakshit Shetty's tiger dance is hands down the coolest scene I've seen in any film from any country in the last few years.

Qissa is a visually stunning film with multiple concurrent themes running through it, ranging from patriarchy, partition, parochialism and even briefly same sex relationships. Partition was vividly depicted in a more sensitive way than I've seen before on screen. The film turns out fine performances from an array of actresses including Tisca Chopra and Tillotama Shome. It's also probably no coincidence that Irrfan Khan, a Muslim, was cast in a Sikh role; something that adds an unspoken gravitas to the part of Umber Singh given the historical context. The multiple scenes shot around wells will resonate with any person whose family was scarred by the partition of the Punjab; from either side.

The presence of German funding is evident (although India's NFDC are part-funders); this is an independent non-commercial drama with a visible budget behind it. This lends an almost epic feel to some of the earlier scenes that would have been surely lacking without the European financial input. The score, by a French composer I believe, is excellent and an integral part of the film; although heavy on Indian motifs, it sounds decidedly un-Indian in structure. That's not a criticism, rather a refreshing bonus for the film that benefits from its soundscape. The music is also suggestive and never overpowering. The two vocal tracks are from the outstanding Nooran Sisters, Punjabis themselves, with thankfully no mainstream Bollywood singers in sight.

As always Khan delivers an impeccable performance although the character does come across as one-dimensional at times; probably more to do with the script that his actual performance. The stand-out performances come from Shome as the 'son' Kanwar, and Raskia Dugal as his gypsy wife, Neeli. The chemistry, friction, pain and ultimately tenderness between these two is the highlight of the film. I would argue that Raskia Dugal almost upstages the other leads with her brilliant performance, particularly in the later scenes where the couple have fled their home. Kanwar's confusion also comes across as genuine, a credit to Shome's portrayal in a difficult role, while the nude scene, a critical part of the plot- is sensitively handled.

My criticism of the film comes with the 'ghost' scenes; had the English title of the film not had "The Tale of a Lonely Ghost" appended to it (an unnecessary expanded titling, in my opinion); the initial scenes where Khan returns are momentarily confusing. It's not clear if he is a ghost or not, although that ambiguity may be intentional- or possibly I was a bit slow to pick up on it despite seeing his apparent demise earlier. Although parts of the film come across as dream-like, these initial ghost scenes don't and for that reason it's unclear if Kanwar is imagining Khan's appearance or not. These are minor points in an otherwise good film though, but the film still throws open many questions such as who and why where others complicit in the deceit, and why did the mother not put up resistance to the charade, amongst others.

This is the kind of film that will do very well at film festivals, and deservedly so, but is probably too complex and intelligent for wider mainstream appeal-- in say a way some more accessible Deepa Mehta films would. It will be interesting to see what reception the film receives when it is ultimately released in India.

Director Anup Singh has done a good job of bringing to life an intricate story that is unlike any other recent Indian film out there. Recommended.

There are no words to describe how bad this film is. I didn't believe the reviews and I didn't take people's advice not to watch it; I wish I had. In the first hour, the film barely elicited one chuckle-- the jokes are lame, some- directed at South Indians, gays, mentally disturbed people- are downright offensive and because the delivery is so bad, they almost can't be taken in jest. Jokes about the Holocaust may go un-noticed in India but are beyond the pale in most Western countries and someone of Saif Ali Khan's cultured background should have known better. The "let's shoot item numbers around famous London monuments" grates after a while and some of the choreography seems to be handled by a 7 year old. How this film even got made is a mystery given Saif Ali Khan has been responsible for some decent fare in the past. A terrible film and surely a career low for all involved.

Billed as Pakistan's first 'film noir' (although I believe it is a UK/Pakistani co-production), this release definitely doesn't fit the mould of recent films from there and it's good to see production companies willing to take a risk with this kind of venture. Based on a well-known Anthony Shaffer play and therefore comparisons with the three previous films are inevitable; the two Michael Caine starring ones and the made-for-TV West Bengali adaptation. All three had their moments, as does this version and it's interesting that this is the second from the sub-continent albeit obviously aimed at a much wider audience than a TV movie. The fact it is set in Pakistan seems to be incidental as there are hardly any cultural references (or at least any I could pick up); it comes across, possibly intentionally, as a "stateless" suspense drama. This is no bad thing and may actually support its penetration into international film festivals that may have shied away from selecting an Urdu release, given their patchy quality in recent years. The film is not without its flaws; I found some of the pop/rock music numbers, though good, slightly distracting to the narrative in places but appreciate that these are almost obligatory and a necessary evil for the promotion of the film in some territories. Thankfully we're spared big glossy item numbers– something that detracted in another Pakistani film, Bol. The two leads, Salman Shahid as the older character and Omair Rana as the younger, bounce well of each other although some of the dialogue— in particular where they discuss the possibility of Rana's character being caught— seems contrived; more so than in the older adaptations. Shahid's first wife's character was also intriguing and a pleasant expansion from the original story. If you have an interest in south Asian cinema, this, although not perfect, is a good 'variation of' to sample.

Having premiered last year at the London Indian Film Festival, this film surprisingly got a full national release in multiplexes. I say surprising because a. it's low budget and b. the film doesn't seem to know what it is and its pre-release marketing to the media has been fairly confused. Billed as a 'British Asian' flick; apart from the fact that the director and one of the two principal leads are British Indian, there's nothing to suggest it belongs to that loose genre. I think herein lies part of the problem; Cineworld, where I saw this, had this tagged as a Bollywood release, possibly and probably confusing cinema goers-- which may explain the exceptionally poor first review here on IMDb. It would have been better to aim it at a wider general audience. The film itself is a thriller (of sorts) on a very topical subject with two main characters- Alison, overly-acted in my opinion, and the muddled Arjun, an Indian overseas student (strangely with a British accent) played fairly well by Shiv Jhala. Enter side characters in the form of racist English Society leader and a spurned Scots boyfriend and you have the film's four living characters; the fifth having been stabbed in the first 10 minutes or so. Haphazardly building up to its climax, the ending was still predictable; nevertheless, production values aside, it's a decent early career effort from director Sidharth Sharma and shows possible promise of things to come.

So every other reviewer is raving about this film... maybe I'm too critical or maybe I missed the point. Who knows? I struggled through this film wondering if it was supposed to be a 'comedy', 'romance' or 'kids movie' or even all of the above. The concept is interesting; a town where no-one can be speak (for reasons I won't go into - watch the film if you want to know why) and a second act (i.e. post interval) that is taking its queue from silent films and/or The Artist. It's novel, decently executed but grates after a while; I almost wanted someone to speak and relieve us from all the hand gestures. Now I'm a fan of Dulquer Salmaan and despite his pin up looks, he is a good actor and believable in almost every role I've seen him in and the same goes here. Despite this, it's not enough to rescue the film from being nothing more than a "good attempt" at something different. The newsreader (Balaji Mohan, who I believe is also the writer and director of the film) is fairly entertaining as the obligatory South Indian comedy element to the film. If this had been a DVD, I would've switched it off 30 minutes in; but as I watched it in a cinema, I sat through the whole thing. It was pleasant but that's about it.

Billed as the first ever Bhojpuri sequel, this probably didn't even need to reference 2008's 'Pratigya' and could have been its standalone release; but the novelty of being a sequel no doubt added to the marketing hype. While the original was a drama with some action thrown in; this is instead an all-out action film with a smattering of drama woven in the early part of the film to set the scene. If you can stomach the gratuitous and shocking violence of the first 15 minutes, including the killing of children, torture and rape; with any of your sensibilities unoffended, then you've probably made it past the worst of it. Like most smaller regional cinema, the film needs to be judged on its merit and in the context of its own industry niche; clearly this is never going to win a Silver Lotus Award nor end up on critics' "year end" lists, but if you can look beyond that, based on the ingredients that make this type of film a success in places like Bihar and UP, it delivers in abundance. The main difference since the original came out is that Pawan Singh has now become one of the superstars of Bhojpuri cinema and he easily steals the show here. The producers made the right choice pairing two stars like Khesari Lal Yadav and Pawan with endless chases and fights, along with the obligatory bordering-on sleazy item numbers because "Pratigya 2" played to packed audiences on release. Being a fan of higher quality cinema, I shouldn't have liked this at all, but somehow I did. One of the better examples of its genre and entertaining in small doses.

I wish great little films like this got wider appreciation; in a Western context these kind of films would have a niche core audience that could provide ample financial returns for the backers. Marathi cinema suffers from a mix of very good films ('Natrang', 'Balgandharva' etc.) and unfortunately the extremely mediocre efforts; whether films like this ultimately prove financially viable is unclear - which probably explains why only a handful of them get made every year. While the story line and marketing machine of 'Narbachi Wadi' can't match the two films mentioned above, I would probably class this as the best Marathi release of last year. The plot is uncomplicated but it makes no difference because this is all about the people and situation. Don't expect twists and turns; this is a satirical light comedy that is very well acted and wholly satisfying to watch. It didn't and won't set the world on fire but it's an example of where a good script and strong performances can make a film. I won't repeat the plot of the story (that can be found on this page anyway), but I would recommend this film to anyone tired of all the glitzy, cheesy and/or violent dearth of releases coming out of Bollywood today.

After reading a number of positive reviews of this, plus it's dominance on top of the Chennai box office on release, I had high expectations of it; maybe too high. The first 30 minutes are both weak and unfunny but then the film thankfully improves. The best part of the film is actually its last 30 minutes when the story ups its ante. The middle bit you could really do without. Yes, the message embodied in the film is important and brave and yes Jeyam Ravi is a reliable star but that's not enough to make this even half the radical film some reviews are making it out to be. It's a typical action semi-thriller with a message, nothing more. The dual role in Tamil cinema is also becoming tiresome these days and strangely I preferred Jeyam as the alter-ego, Narasimha Reddy. Many people will enjoy this film and all the actors do a fairly decent job but there is, in my opinion, nothing beyond that. When Tamil cinema is starting to turn out really different scripts like 'Soodhu Kavvum', 'Moodar Koodam' and even 'Kumki', it makes outdated over-the-top commercial fare like this pale in comparison. The music is fairly forgettable too with the exception "Negizhiyinil" which has the potential to really blow up. I debated between giving this film a 6, because it was fairly entertaining in parts vs. giving it a 4 because it'll be old news by next month and probably long forgotten-- my score on the review tells you which one I opted for. The one saving grace is Amala Paul who turns out a strong performance; I predict bigger things for her over the coming years. Overall, a disappointing release.

Every now and then a lower budget film comes along with a relatively unknown actor and somehow turns out to be a massive hit. Enter 'Deadly Soma', a well written Kannada film based on the real life of one of Bangalore's most notorious underworld personalities, Don Somashekhara aka 'Soma'. What this film lacks in production quality, it makes up for in sheer bravado. Heavily criticised on its release for being too violent, the film turned out to be the surprise hit that year, thanks mostly to a strong performance from Aditya. Indeed Aditya, who plays the role of Soma, makes the film and considering he was a newcomer (with only one other film under his belt at the time), he does an extremely competent job. Many of the item numbers and dance routines are forgettable but the darker more atmospheric tracks (like "O Kshatriya") are much better and complement the darker mood of the narrative very well. The plot races along at a fast pace for most of the film, culminating in its now well-known climax. By the time the higher budget "Deadly-2" sequel was made (again starring Aditya with Suhasini roped in as his mother), Deadly Soma had gone on to become no less than a cult film in Karnataka. The follow-up lacks the raw unpolished element which makes this film so much fun. If you can look beyond the lower production values, this is one of the best underworld films to come out of the South in the 00s.

In what is clearly a continued launch vehicle from the Eskay banner for Ankush Hazra (taking on the role originally played by Jeeva in the Tamil original), 'Kanamachi' does a fairly decent job of transporting the story and its characters to Kolkata. Ankush is believable as Abir, the photo-journalist caught in a very messy political entanglement, with good support from both the female leads. One of contemporary Bengali cinema's most versatile actors, Abir Chatterjee, takes on his first negative role and succeeds brilliantly re-affirming his status as one of the most interesting actors around in that industry. As with most commercial releases from West Bengal, the film is on the long side and could've done with a tighter edit (a common criticism of mine with Bengali "big banner" releases). The original is still stronger but I was expecting a much lesser film in this remake and was pleasantly surprised. This is in part due to Raj Chakraborty taking the director's seat; he has a proved track record (with or without big named stars to back him up in the past) and this film is no exception. With the right nurturing, Ankush Hazra may even start to eat into Dev and Jeet's pie one day soon. Definitely worth a look in if you missed it.

No review could ever do this incredible film full justice. This is not Satyajit Ray's most famous work but it's probably his most satisfying. The cinematography, shadow & light play alongside the film's music combine to perfectly highlight the moments of elation and ultimate downfall of its lead character. Chhabi Biswas is perfectly cast as the ageing zamindar oblivious to his world crumbling down around him. Reportedly panned by some critics on its release in India, the film went on to find success in Western Europe. Now after years of having to contend with grainy transfers on DVD, New York's Criterion Collection have released a pristine remastered edition that highlights every single beautifully shot frame. The cleaned up audio does wonders for the incredible music & classical dance scenes, which feature a guest appearance from Ustad Waheed Khan. If you have any interest in real cinema and even if you're not a Ray fan, this is one of the greatest examples of what a totally flawless film looks like.

A well written and perfectly acted release with a properly constructed narrative about the crime underworld that doesn't just rely on guns, blood and a high dead body count. 'Edegarike' has a gripping semi-linear narrative with an interesting and believable plot and thankfully no cheesy item numbers to break the suspense. Aditya has eclipsed and even bettered his epic 'Deadly Soma' role as the similarly named contract killer "Sona". Atul Kulkarni is completely believable as a hit-man with a conscience, in a part that is a million miles away from his now legendary performance in the Marathi blockbuster 'Natarang'. Adapted from a book by Agni Shridhar and apparently based on his own real life experience, this film easily trumps many Hindi releases in this genre. If you're a fan of quality crime films, this is one for you. Highly recommended.

I never thought I'd end up reviewing an overtly commercial film like this but being Yash Raj Films' debut South venture and having surprisingly enjoyed the film, I'm compelled to do just that. Although positioned as a Tamil release, this film definitely feels more Bollywood than it should. Every shot, colour and sound is perfectly staged- almost too perfectly for a Kollywood production. Having not seen "Band Baaja Baaraat" probably helped as I've been able to skip the inevitable comparisons and, as a result, haven't found much to fault in the film. A couple of the scenes in the second half are long-winded and could have done with an edit. The real success of the release is of course its lead actor, Telugu star Nani. I can't think of one film starring Nani where he didn't totally own the scenes he was in. This is his 2nd Tamil film (after 2011's "Veppam") and a much higher profile vehicle for him as an actor. Vaani Kapoor does a decent job but was a strange choice for a South launch film; either way their on-screen chemistry is believable (most of the time) and their rapport seems to work. A decent effort.