parnildh Reviews

The Wonder (I) (2022)

Fresh story; engaging; slow burn;

[9/10 · 6 November 2023]

The story is fresh and engaging.

Keeps you hooked. Not even one low point.

Beautiful cinematography. Every frame looked spectacular.

Good production design- actually looks like the 19th century. Apt costumes and make-up.

Good and convincing performances by all.

The characters have depth, and are well-written.

The film doesn't tell you what or who is right. Leaves it to the audiences to decide for themselves. When exactly does our faith become blind?

I feel that blind faith and patriarchy have always been a dangerous mix. The film portrays that very well.

A must watch for all cinephiles.

20th Century Girl (2022)

Heartwarming story. Innocent romance. Heartwarming characters.

[9/10 · 26 October 2022]

Omgg...Absolutely adored the film! A remarkable coming of age film... This story is so heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same times❤😭.... Didn't see the end coming at all. Hats off to the writer! The screenplay is brilliant as well.... The romance between the two main leads is so pure and heartfelt. Very good performances by all actors. A shoutout to the actors who played Bo-ra and Woon-ho..... You'll like it if you like sweet heartwarming romance.........I wish people were so innocent in real life too.

Also, Woon-ho💔😭 What a character! You fall in love with him. Such a well-written character.

A Little Thing Called First Love (2019)

Breath of fresh air; Funny; Engaging; Younian is unrealistic

[8/10 · 14 September 2022]

My 1st Chinese series. I can't gush more about how much I liked this series😭 Such a well-written show with such fleshed out characters (except for Younian who is unrealistically perfect). If you see the story looks cliche' on the face of it (I mean, a geeky girl falling for a popular guy and then becomes beautiful), BUT the story's been told in such a fresh manner with subtle nuances that you fall in love with the characters. Thank God, no overnight fashion makeovers! The transformation happens at a slower pace, much like real life (I didn't like the equivalence of beauty with fair complexion though. Colourism is unacceptable) Personally, I found the student life more relatable than what is shown in the Western teen shows.

My Love Mix-Up! (2021)

Cute romance; Funny at times; Background score; Cinematography

[8/10 · 27 August 2022]

Such a cute and simple love story! Aww...Fairytale romance about little things and gestures but with real settings and situations. Not like larger than life disney stuff.

Aoki and Ida are so cute! Great chemistry! The little things like holding hands between Aoki and Ida are so adorable!

Hashimoto is adorable too. I didn't like Aida (the character, not the actor) though. He was so full of himself.

Cinematography is brilliant. Background score is so melodious.

I can't gush more about it... watch if you're looking for escapism from this desolate world. This show makes life look so beautiful and makes you believe in love and empathy.

Achcham Madam Naanam Payirppu (2022)

Simple story, grounded, realistic characters

[7/10 · 26 March 2022]

A coming of age story of a teen girl raised in a very conservative and authoritative household. There are no sudden gusts of wind making the hair of the heroine sway. Or any slipping incidents that make the heroin fall into the arms of the hero. The hero is not an ultra-powerful hulk who saves the heroine from the bad guys.

The romance, sex and everything else is very realistic. This film is real life. Loved it for its realism. Though the story could have been better. Akshara Hassan tries to act, her acting is not without ease, not effortless. But her character is endearing and relatable. So are the characters of her friends and the boyfriend.

Jalsa (2022)

Good performances but Unsatisfying plot release

[5/10 · 20 March 2022]

Not that good. Disappointed. The characters were written. The performances by all are good including of the specially abled child. But the plot release is very unsatisfying. I was not sure what to take from the film. Watch it only if you are really, really free...

Gehraiyaan (2022)

Good cinematography; great acting; climax doesn't do justice to the depth of the characters

[6/10 · 4 March 2022]

Deepika and Siddhant are the stars of this film. What brilliant acting, man! Nailed it. Deepika acted so well. Her depiction of anxiety attacks is on point. Cinematography is breathtaking.

Kudos to the make-up artist, everyone looked so apt as per the situation.

The problem is the storyline. The director perhaps wanted to tell an indie story of realism but also wanted a plot for commercial success: so boom!! Couldn't achieve fully either.

Climax couldn't do justice to the depth of the character.

The House (III) (2022)

Animation is top-notch;the problem is the story

[6/10 · 17 January 2022]

Animation is superlative. The problem is with the scripts. The first story was good but had an abrupt ending. The rest two were pretty bad except for one or two funny dialogues.

Bombay Rose (2019)

Visual masterpiece

[8/10 · 16 January 2022]

3.5 A visual treat. The animation is gorgeous and seamless. Each frame is a painted canvas. Very original. Can't rave more about it!

Music is very good. The characters are from real life and each has a backstory. Bombay (now Mumbai) is also a character in itself with its sea, its sub-cultures and its festival celebrations. The stories are not of the city's residents, but have been told from the perspective of the migrants who come to the city in search of work.

The ending is not good though, almost caricature-like and abrupt.

The relationship between the main leads Salim and Kamala remained unexpolred and seems more like infatuation at times.

I wanted to see more of the little girl's and that mute child's friendship . It was more adorable than the other stories.

The Lost Daughter (2021)

Top-notch cinematography and performances. Complex characters. Realistic

[9/10 · 4 January 2022]

Cinematography is top-notch. I can't rave more about the beautiful shots. The performances are so convincing and real that I felt like I was watching real life.

Such a unique story about motherhood: mothers have not been bracketed as "good" or " bad". Mothers have, for a change, not been idealised.

Also, the film clearly makes a point about how mothers feel so guilty, keep judging themselves by the standard of the "ideal mother" that the society wants of them, when fathers (like Nina's husband, or the old man that hits on Old Leda) go out for work, can see their kids after days and be okay about it. No guilt.

The characters are complex. The ending is open: some questions remain answered, or, in other words, open to interpretation.

The Most Hated Woman in America (2017)

Underrated; Convincing;Good screenplay

[8/10 · 30 December 2021]

I liked the film. Very convincing. Nothing over the top. Sticks to the script. Good screenplay. The story of this woman was a rollercoaster ride. I liked that she was a flawed character. Yes, the school prayer ban was right because you can't force all kids to say a (Christian) prayer. She did fight for freedom of religion and freedom of speech. She was an atheist, but she harmed no one. What was done to her family was so heartbreaking and devastating.

Don't Look Up (2021)

Satire; Good message; Must watch

[8/10 · 25 December 2021]

A satire on how people can be brainwashed by the ruling class into believing that even a catastrophe is good for them because "it will give them jobs". The truth-speakers are denounced as "communists" or " deranged". The lives of zillions is insignificant against the profit of the few, esp the few who fund the election campaigns of the powerful politicians.

A satire on how self-absorbed we all have become that we don't care about the things that actually matter to us as mankind.

A satire on how we think we know everything and we don't even want to listen to people who have expertise in a field.

A satire on how we are so casually treating the urgency of climate change, despite so much scientifc data that comes out every year. Climate change will anhilate mankind, but don't care. We let politcians, their capitalist cronies do stuff that cause serious damage to the environment coz, well, it is going to give us "jobs" or "developmet". Instead of questioning an oppressive, unequal system we make diatribes against the activists and intellectuals on social media for being"anti-develooment", anti-national", "marxists" when they are actually fighting for us, for our good.

Moxie (I) (2021)

Fresh;Grounded; Inspiring

[7/10 · 23 December 2021]

It's a fresh story about a young feminist who starts a magazine called Moxie calling out sexism and gender discrimination at school. The magazine inspires girls to form a feminist club called Moxie. Grounded and realistic. Every teen girl needs to watch this.

The Best of Enemies (2019)

An Incredible story of victory of humanity!

[9/10 · 22 December 2021]

Well-developed characters: A black activist and a Klan president. A beautiful tale that reposes your faith in humanity!

I cried watching this amazing story. And I am Asian, and have never even been to America. Can't believe it couldn't do well at the box office. This film should be watched all over the world. What an incredible story of the victory of humanity!

Also, splendid cinematography and impeccable performances esp by the leads.

House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths (2021)

Well-researched. Horrifying. Haven't seen anything like this before.

[10/10 · 12 October 2021]

The docuseries is well researched and executed.

BUT No fiction horror can even be close to this. The evidnece are chilling. The narration from the diaries is frightening.

This case and consequently the series is extremely disturbing. It definitely raises a lot of issues though about mental health, patriarchy, superstition and cultural values.. But weak hearted should not watch. I thought I would be able to handle, but I cannot go anywhere or sleep without the light on. I can't get the faces of the dead, especially the patriarch Lalit from my head.

Mimi (I) (2021)

Heartwarming, funny, Good message

[8/10 · 9 October 2021]

It has all the ingredients of a entertaining film. The good message is like the cherry on the top.

AlRawabi School for Girls (2021–2024)

Thrilling. Nice Cinematography. Believable characters. Good acting.

[8/10 · 28 September 2021]

Binge watched. Thrilling series. Good cinematography. Lovely performances by the leading cast Mariam, Noaf, Dina, Rania, Rakka, and Liyan.

I, as an Asian, could relate to these characters more than I do to the western ones. Our culture is also pretty patriarchal. I also went to a girls' school. I was also bullied. I love the way Mariam brings down the bullies;at least on screen a victim could get back at the bullies.

The message for me is, girls should spend their energy in fighting patriarchy, which is the biggest enemy and not bullying other girls.

Also, loved to see the Jordanian landscape, what a beautiful place!

Churails (2020– )

Unpredictable. Dark. Gut-wrenching. Fresh script.

[9/10 · 22 August 2021]

Dark humour. Unpredictable. Gut-wrenching & scary at times. Fresh, enthralling script. Incredible storytelling. Well-shot.

Complex, realistic, well-fleshed out characters. Brilliant acting by all.

Hats off to Asim Abbasi

BEWARE: Gets darker, intense & scarier by each episode. Not for the weak hearted.

P. S. Loved the fact that they have included the inter-sex community, trans-women and homosexuals too.

Sherni (2021)

Slow-burn. Fresh script. Food for thought. Must watch.

[8/10 · 17 July 2021]

Great cinematography. Realistic setting and characters. Food for thought. Little slow-paced, but makes you care for the main character.

Great acting by all, Brijendra Kala's Mr. Bansal stood out for me.

Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar (2021)

Engaging. Intriguing plot. Enjoyable

[7/10 · 8 July 2021]

Keeps you hooked. Suspense. Entertaining. Fresh script. Intriguing plot. You won't get up until you've watched the end. Dibakar Banerjee's direction is good as usual. Performances are fine. The cinematography is spectacular.

Never Have I Ever (2020–2023)

Starts well; Disappoints; Bad acting by supporting cast; superficial

[2/10 · 13 June 2021]

Bad acting by the supporting cast except for Devi's mother and the therapist. Superficial backstories of Devi's friends compliments their bad acting. Devi's character has an arc, which is good, but her mother's character doesn't. The crappy medieval ideas, like their bigotry against Muslims, of the entire Hindu diaspora are never questioned.

Never Have I Ever tells you to conform to the bigotry against Muslims in the Hindu diaspora instead of questioning it (Remember, the scene where Aarti Mann tells Devi's cousin that she regrets marrying a muslim).

Secondly, the medieval ideas of Devi's mom are not questioned; Devi's mom doesn't have an arc; her ideas don't change.

Thirdly, Devi's cousin dumps her boyfriend because the stranger who comes for arrange marriage to her place is goodlooking looking, what???

Don't get me wrong, but the show starts really well. However, by the 4th or 5th episode becomes predictable and superficial. Performances also turn over- the- top. Loses its charm gradually. Devi's friends do a lot of bad acting esp. Eleanor. I couldn't feel anything. The other supporting cast isn't good either except the mom and the therapist. The only relationship that touches you is between Devi and her Dad. Otherwise, all emotional scenes fall flat.

LSD: Love, Sex Aur Dhokha (2010)

Unique film; Exposes hypocrisy of the society; A must watch

[9/10 · 1 June 2021]

Brilliant script. Avantgarde idea of perspective and storytelling. Underrated. Good messages. Exposes hypocrisy of the society. A must watch. Hats off to Dibakar Banerjee and the producer who showed faith in such a unique film.

Yeh Un Dinon Ki Baat Hai (2017–2019)

Good storytelling; Good dialogues; lovely characters

[7/10 · 18 May 2021]

I don't watch hindi tv serials on air these days. BUT this was an exception.

Good storytelling & dialogues. A liitle slow paced. Mostly realistic, barring some unrealistic sequences. Lovely characters. Enjoyable.

Sometimes background score gets on your nerve.

Biriyaani (2019)

Graphic; Chilling story; Must watch

[10/10 · 4 May 2021]

I'm speechless. This film is something else. I have not seen anything like this before esp the climax. The climax is chilling!!!

The cinematography is par excellence. The script is fresh. All performances are spectacular. I am still in shock!

(Some scenes like those of a male child circumsicion are graphic, BUT it was important to show those scenes to convey the message.)

MY TAKE: The film is very direct, and doesn't shy away from calling spade a spade. Some scenes are graphic, but it was necessary to convey the message like the brutality of the custom of male circumcision. Another example is that there is stigma around female masturbation; however, even the muezzin(holy man) masturbates (he had to be shown doing that), but no stigma or religious guilt around that.

The Climax is chilling. I think the main character was a bit of loopy ( maybe due to her circumstances). Her reactions to situations begin to turn odd as the film progresses, but you can't blame her. I think she did what she did because those people were already cannibals; she just gave them what they were already metaphorically eating.

Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002)

Poignant tale; Good acting;Must watch

[10/10 · 2 May 2021]

What a poignant story! Hats off to the writer! Beautiful told too by the director...And of course, all actors were good including Rahul Bose Konkana Sen who were just brilliant.

But my favourite actor was santhanam, the little show stealer.

The background score by Zakir Hussain is very melodious.