I finally found out how to spell “coup d’etat”! Thanks to a comment, because spellcheck and google certainly weren’t going to help me. As my German teacher used to tell me, French is a silly language where nothing is spelled the way it sounds. To the degree that I can’t even get close enough to google it.
My views took a sudden dive and I couldn’t figure out why. And then I got an alert from HotStar about an Indo-Pak cricket game, and I am thinking these things are probably related.
This is a request from Emily, but also a film it feels like I should write about. And it’s on Netflix now, so it’s easy to watch. If you want to join the discussion, next Friday 9/28 the movie will be Piku.
Happy Wednesday! Halfway through the week. It feels like a short one to me, but maybe that’s just me.
Procrastinatrix just mentioned a helpful post I wrote on this, and I looked and looked and I don’t think it was a post, I think it was actually in my book. So if I were mean, I would make this headline and then the post would just be “ha ha, buy my book!” But now I kind of want to write the post! And it will be better than the book (although you should still buy the book) because I can use video link examples.
Have I mentioned before how HORRIBLE the Indian press is? It’s HORRIBLE!!!!! And now I have to do an Priyanka story AGAIN just because I seem to be the only one doing the 10 seconds of research required to present it accurately. Why do you make me do this, Bollywoodhungama “reporters”??????? (and now you are thinking “why is Margaret complaining? it’s her own fault for reading BH.” And I know, you’re right.)
I saw Kabali! It was SO GOOD! Okay, the second half lost track of itself a little bit, and there were some character bits that could have been better, but overall it just had so much more depth and excitement and energy than the other movies I have seen lately!
Well, I’m having a rumpled start to the week! Karan sent out an embarrassingly sycophantic tweet this morning, there’s a final warm spell hitting Chicago which is making me not able to sleep, the elevator is broken (again) at work so I have to keep running up and down the really abnormally steep stairs, and my boss gave Dog Hazel some food she shouldn’t eat which wasn’t a big deal except that I had to tell my boss not to do that, which was an awkward upturning of our usual power structure (he’s in charge of me, but I’m in charge of Dog Hazel). Anyway, time for a soothing interesting post with a lot of great things to watch in it.
I already did my No Spoilers review, you can read that if you have any hope of seeing the movie in theaters. But if you are stuck waiting for streaming that may never come and want to learn more about it, you can read this one.
Happy Monday! I survived the weekend! It was very hot and I saw two movies and taught Sunday School and lead a meeting and met up with my parents and my uncle who was in town. And now I’m back at work and the week is all downhill from here.
A special treat! I saw a Malayalam film in theaters! So there will be two Malayalam reviews today, first this No Spoilers one, and then a SPOILERS one later. Fun fun!
Wednesday 3/18: Gupt (einthusan)
Thursday 3/19: Padayappa (einthusan)
Sunday 3/22: Chaalbaaz (1989) (einthusan)
Thursday 3/26: VIP 2 (Prime)
Sunday 3/29: Manoranjan (Netflix)
No big massive full summary coming for Befikre! Partly because Dear Zindagi exhausted me, partly because my sense is that my commentators aren’t as interested in a massive discussion of this movie, as they are of other movies. But mostly because I don’t think it is analyzable, to take it apart would be to destroy it.
Another Malayalam rerun next week! And another Pellisary film. Because he is very very good, and not enough people watch him, and his films are easily available.
I put up a nice rerun post with all kinds of stories you should actually care about, so now I am going to be indulgent and put up a quick post with only things I care about.
We were just talking about it and I’d love more discussion on my review. So, I’m reposting! In a week on 9/23. Which gives you all time to watch or rewatch the film and prepare for discussion.
(and also pay for movie tickets, gas, domain registration, etc. etc., boring stuff)
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Happy Saturday! Let’s talk about all the things that are too meaningless to be deserving of a real post!
Oh boy, spoilers time! For me at least, there is nothing more stressful than a love triangle. I am always worried that the wrong couple will end up together. If you want that stress removed, you can read this and know how it ends. But on the other hand, a lot of the entertainment of the film is not being sure how it will end and trying to guess. So if you want that entertainment, read the No Spoilers review instead.
I am so glad I saw this movie! It meant driving for over an hour there and back and spending hideous amounts of money on the tickets (I do not understand the release strategy at all. Why only one theater, and only the most expensive theater?), but it was exciting and different and most of all, just plain GOOD.
Last night Meenakshy and I got to talking in the comments over whether I should switch from Prabhas to Siddharth for my Telugu husband, which turned into a discussion of how I get to have a husband for every language, which reminded me of this post.
I first did this post over a year ago, but now I am updating it and putting it up again because the Kesari first look gives new meaning to the word “turban”.
I was thinking about it with Manmarziyaan and Abhishek, and with Raajneeti and The Godfather, plus it’s on Netflix, so why not? On Friday the 21st, this will be my Friday Classic. Watch in advance if you want to join the discussion. And also because it is a good movie.
Happy Friday! I thought of all these cool movies I wanted to review, and then I thought “No! I should save them for a Friday when I plan in advance so people can watch them!” So this Friday, instead, a very un-cool movie.
dontcallitbollywood 