Author: cinemadilemma

Oddity

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https://talesfromthepaulside.com/

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Starring:  Gwilym Lee, Carolyn Bracken, Tadhg Murphy, Caroline Menton
Where to watch: Prime Video
To watch or not to watch: Absolute must watch for lovers of supernatural horror movies. A simple movie with limited spread of the story which keeps the viewer bound

Dani (Carolyn Bracken) is married to psychiatrist Ted (Gwilym Lee) and they have recently moved to the countryside where she is renovating their home. Ted runs the local mental asylum and works at night. While Dani is alone at home, a patient of Dr Ted comes to warn her of a man who is trying to hurt her. Not entirely disbelieving the clearly disturbed man (with a glass eye) she goes inside and locks the door. Cut to a year later, Dani was brutally murdered that night, Ted has moved on and is now in a new relationship with Yana (Caroline Menton), Ted visits Dani’s blind identical twin sister Darcy in her antique store, to (not) invite her to his house (same as the one he bought with Dani) on the anniversary of his wife’s death. Darcy believes there to be more to the murder of her sister than the police have concluded and goes over to Ted’s house to stay for the night to find out more. To help her with this, she has also brought a wooden gollum, which was passed onto her by her mother.

This movie is goodddd… There are a many things which work in its favour and a few which don’t.
This movie excels in the feels, the creeps, the chills. The gollum placed at the head of the dining table, overlooking the entire living room, is one of those side eye pieces, which let us know there is something weird at all times. There are also some jump scares, which can be termed a cheap ploy, but somehow they work in this movie. There is an expectation of something about to happen, but when that thing happens, it is worth the slow build. And this movie is a slow build overall. There are some long scenes filled with conversations and timed pauses, and they slowly build the premise brick by brick. There are also some conversations which give clues to the whole story, thus conversations become vital.
At the same time, there are some plot holes, which are very small, but they are there. The whole movie is engrossing and a person probably will not notice the holes during the runtime, but they might nag later, after mulling over the movie. Thus this movie is a very good first watch, and delivers on expectations from a horror movie, but might not be worth a second watch.

The atmosphere of the movie is contributed largely by Carolyn Bracken as Darcy. The colourless portrayal of the character is so in contrast to the surrounding that it becomes a subconscious plot point. We know she has a quiet strength, which could have been explored further and could have added to the daunting nature of the supernatural. Gwilym Lee has the same acting skills as the wooden gollum, and the gollum had more screen time than Lee, which is fitting. All in all, a very good watch for all horror movie lovers.

Dept Q

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https://www.imdb.com/

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Starring: Matthew Goode, Chloe Pirrie, Jamie Sives, Alexej Manvelov, Leah Byrne, Kelly Macdonald, Kate Dickie, Patrick Kennedy, Mark Bonnar
Where to watch: Netflix (9 episodes, about 1 hour each)
To watch or not to watch: It is an intense and fast paced thriller which keeps the viewer hooked throughout the runtime. But in true Netflix fashion, it has a ton of plotholes.

Carl Morck (Matthew Goode) is a police officer who is returning to work after being involved in a shooting where his partner and best friend was hit in the spine. Morck is understandably disturbed by that experience, so even though he has a good reputation, the powers that be are reluctant to put him on the front line. So, the solution to this is to put him in charge of cold cases in the basement bathroom of the building (to be fair, the bathroom is HUGEEEE). The first case given to him is the disappearance of an ambitious lawyer Merritt Linguard (Chloe Pirrie) who was last seen on a ferry with her specially abled brother 4 years ago. The department christened Dept Q has only one member in Morck, until he is joined by a rag-tag team made of Rose (Leah Bryne) who is a police constable desk-bound after a traumatic experience, Akram Salim (Alexej Manvelov) who was a police office from Syria and is essentially a civilian now and Morck’s bed-bound partner DI James Hardy (Jamie Sives). Not all of them are department-sanctioned, so maybe they are not even being paid??? This point is unclear. Anyway, in the parallel the other detectives are investigating the shooting which put Morck and Hardy out of commission.

The basic way these detective shows work is by making the main guy and his nature the main plot of series, and this show is no exception. These guys are majorly romanticised versions of flawed, where an incident has deeply and adversely affected their psyche (the said incident is usually caused because of their own actions and stubbornness), but they are tough and therapy is for suckers and it is more manly (they are all men) to just make everyone around them (and their significant others) suffer for their pig-headedness. They are somehow revered too?!
Apparently Morck is the only police officer worth his salt in the department who sees clues to the crime against him and his partner, as he drops in on the detectives on his case and pours out his wisdom and helps solves the case better and quicker, because why not. There are multiple facets to the Merritt Linguard case. There is a lot this series tries to tackle, and coupled with a slow pace, it is not able to do justice to any. The pace is also modulated – as soon as the viewer starts feeling tired and bored, it springs a new piece of evidence/suspect to keep the hook in. On an initial watch, anyone would be totally mesmerised by the series and no shade on anyone. It is very atmospheric and there is a lot going on with the characters (less with the case) which appeals to the human nature of curiosity to know how much other people are messed up, that all 9 episodes don’t seem too daunting for a binge watch. But wait a bit after watching it, and you realise that if you remove Morck’s scepticism, there is little left as to substance.

Overall, as a viewer this is a time for introspection where you need to decide if you want to watch a show for an immediate thrill where you need to carve out almost 9 hours of your time, or you want to watch something which requires thinking and leaves you with feels after some time has passed. If it is the former, then this show is the perfect option for you. It is an adrenaline rush and you just need to let it play out with little or no weight on psyche, but if you apply yourself even a little bit, you might not like it as much. And we need all kinds of shows, to be honest, but it is the frequency of these kinds which is borderline alarming, specially coming from the house of Netflix. Quantity is inversely proportional to quantity, too many shows, and most of them not good. That’s the only complaint. Enjoy (or not)!

Elsbeth

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https://screenrant.com/

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Starring: Carrie Preston, Carra Patterson, Wendell Pierce
Where to watch: JioHotstar (2 seasons, 30 episodes, 45-odd minutes each)
To watch or not to watch: It is a simple series, with not complicated episodes, but Elsbeth is so much fun!!! And so uplifting!!!

Elsbeth is a spin-off from the famous (and, actually very good) series, The Good Wife, and the term spin-off is used in the losest sense. The only similarity between the two series is the character of Elsbeth (Carrie Preston) and her mannerisms. Her character is spun (pun intended) into a pseudo-detective who solves crimes. Ok, let’s backtrack a bit. Elsbeth is a how-catch-em and case-of-the-week format of the police procedural series which is not unlike Columbo, the only difference being that she is a lawyer from Chicago, sent to Major Crimes of NYPD to over-see the police work (as she calls herself, the police police). There she faces backlash for her role (because why wouldn’t she), she makes a few friends, namely Kaya Blanke (Carra Patterson), and she eventually wins over others because of her winsome ways and sunny disposition. All along, she carries at least 3 tote bags, wears bright, loud coloured clothes and solves high-profile crimes.

The general consensus on this series is largely divided – some like it and enjoy it, and some absolutely abhor it. And both parties have very valid points – the cases have little to no depth or complexity, the police detectives are shown to be dumb and incompetent and it is only Elsbeth who can save the day. Oh! What were they even doing without her!? But then, the series doesn’t take itself seriously either. It doesn’t pretend to be humanity’s last hope. It is a fun watch, with some good celebrity cameos, light-hearted and heart-warming relationships. The series has also evolved from season 1 to season 2 – while in season 1, Elsbeth would instinctively know the identity of the perpetrator, in season 2, she actually works through the clues to get to the final solution. Some of the cameos are truly fun to watch, some episodes are better than the others, but overall it delivers.
There is not much to say about the series, it is a simple affair and gives the right feels. The entire show is carried by Carrie Preston and she delivers. According to Rian Johnson, people like crime solving content as it appeals to their sense of justice, and this show delivers justice by the truck load. In addition to that, Carrie Preston is a delight to watch on a day when things do not go your way, and you need some hope, light and positivity in your life to keep going. It delivers the feels. A definite watch for a little pick-me-up.

Juror #2

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https://www.primevideo.com/

Rating: 2 stars out of 5
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J. K. Simmons, Kiefer Sutherland
Where to watch: Prime Video
To watch or not to watch: This is movie is like a motley teenager who thinks they are the President of the United States. The result is the same. The fact that it is directed by the acclaimed Clint Eastwood can be easily ignored.

In a small town in Georgia USA, a murder trial is going on to determine whether James Michael Sythe, abusive boyfriend of the victim Kendall Cater is the perpetrator or not. On the jury are people from different walks of life, with different life priorities, including Juror #2, Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult), whose wife is in a high-risk pregnancy, and he would like nothing better to be excused so he can spend time with her. But as luck would have it, he is a part of the jury nonetheless, and he is a sticky situation, because it turns out he is real perpetrator of the crime, but the police stuck to the theory of the abusive boyfriend being the perp. A fellow juror Harold (JK Simmons) has doubts about the police investigation and he mistakes Justin’s discomfort with the case as doubt into the conviction. The public prosecutor Faith Killebrew (Toni Collette) is standing for elections and is determined to convict Sythe to win the votes basis the fight against domestic violence. The defence attorney Eric Resnick (Chris Messina) is helpless because even though he is convinced of his client’s innocence, there is no way to prove it. It is upto to Justin to sway his fellow jurors away from a guilty verdict all the while walking the tightrope of not implicating himself.

This movie is thankfully not the swan song of the brilliant Clint Eastwood, it would have been a tragedy otherwise. This is a not a good movie. There is no other way to put this.
It might be a spiritual remake of 12 Angry Men, and it does turn into that movie during jury deliberations, it is trying too hard. On the one hand, the importance is on the fact of the situation of Justin Kemp, of course, who could have thought a juror is the very criminal in the case!? Brilliant premise, but somehow the reveal of the fact in the beginning (so early that it is also in the trailors) takes way from the fact. Now Justin is not a slick human like Danny Ocean that he can get away from the scrapes he gets into. He is a recovering alcoholic and a doting husband. And that is another problem – while the fact he is real perp is bang in the beginning, his recovering alcoholism is like a big secret that is hinted at for a long time till it is told (“in case you didn’t get the hints, here is what we were trying to tell you all along”). Weird, confusing, unnecessary and totally unproductive.

A movie with the promises of Eastwood, Collette, Hoult, being disappointing makes one feel hopeless for other releases which are much low on the star power. To be fair, it wasn’t the star power which was a let down, it was the writing. Or rather the confused vision on what the movie wanted to be. Lack of clarity of thought has brought down nations, and this is just a movie. And acting is not a cure, contrary to the movie makers’ belief. They are a tool to bring the vision to life, a face to the written word. There are many instances where a now popular character was earlier planned for a big star, but was given to someone less known and now we cannot imagine that character being played by anyone else. Because actors in a movie can be replaced, thanks to make-up, direction and writing. But there is no cure to bad writing. If anything, a good actor will make bad writing stand out in stark relief.
Not a good movie. Watch 12 Angry Men instead.

Wicked Little Letters

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https://www.primevideo.com/

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Starring: Jesse Buckley, Olivia Colman, Timothy Spall, Anjana Vasan
Where to watch: Prime Video
To watch or not to watch: It is a funny movie starring some of the best actors telling a story on a deep subject. Why not to watch!

The movie is based in 1920 England, where a lonely, devout spinster Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) lives with her overbearing father and gentle mother, next door to a single, Irish immigrant mother Rose Gooding (Jesse Buckley). Not only is Rose a single mother, but she is also living in sin with her partner Bill, swears like a sailor, and has a jolly good time at the pub with the other patrons, all actions not approved by the tight laced Edith. But Edith has another problem, she has been receiving poison pen letter, filled with profanity, which disturb her parents to no end, that too 19 in total! And not just Edith, the who’s-who of the village have had something vile said about them! The nerve! Who could have done such an evil trick, and who has such a potty-mouth? Why, Rose of course, with her new age ideas and little regard to propriety, she is the right suspect for this deed which has troubled the good Christians no end. Rose is thus arrested and having no money for bail, has to spend time in jail, more now that Edith’s poor mother died of a heart attack upon reading one such letter. There is also Gladys (Anjana Vasan) who is assigned this case, pays little attention to this claiming there is more serious crime to be investigated – and rightly so, she is very good at her job, but her misogynistic boss doesn’t recognise her talent. That is, until she decides to give this quickly spiralling case her full attention.

The premise of the movie is hilarious and the execution even more so. Anything which has either Colman or Buckley is a treat in itself and this one has them both. Add to this mix Vasan (of We Are Ladyparts fame) and you get a cherry on your cake you did not know you needed. This movie has some fantastic dialogue writing and a bit of on-time slapstick comedy which makes it an ideal viewing pleasure. The movie touches on a topic, or rather, a side to human nature we all know and talk about but has never given the center stage or a de-facto position it deserves. And that is the real feat of this movie. Anyone who has ever had someone out to get them should come back to this movie and understand the underlying reason for such malice. It might help to understand the other person and maybe lessen their burdens a bit.
On the other side, the story and performance can only do so much. They are not the salve for the wounds caused by sloppy screenplay. Things suddenly take a turn and it is revealed who has been actually writing the letters, and while it deserves a slow camera pan-up to the face of the criminal, and its own crescendo in the background, it gets none of that, but rather a reveal which is more matter-of-fact. That take away from the almost 50% of the runtime build-up we have been viewing and waiting for. And the climax, while totally funny (ngl) is make out to be this big curtain drawing moment, which we saw coming a mile away.

It is confounding to realise why people can be so bitter about themselves and their lives that they have to take it out on others who have absolute zero contribution in their misery. Their only sin is that they have something the bitter person covets. And don’t all humans covet something they see others enjoying? So when does this scarcity give rise to such acid in their nature? Is there a trigger or is this something that builds up slowly, was always there and was only looking for an opening to rear its ugly head? On the flip side, what is stopping anyone from changing their lives, little bit at a time, because afterall it is the little things that matter, that one can control? Or is the effort in making that change so daunting, so scary, and turning into a harmful part of humanity so easy and satisfying, that it becomes the immediate choice? Is it a choice? Maybe it is. Comment if you have any answers to these questions?
This movie is a light-hearted, but deep movie which comes rarely on the screen, and has all but one pillar working for it. It can be a family movie too, if the family has members above the minimum age of voting, or driving, at the more adult’s discretion. The dialogues and the letters are so ridiculously out-there, they are laugh-out-loud. Jesse Buckley’s character’s free way of life is so inviting, all of us would want to be there with her, but we would need to build our characters strong enough. It is uplifting. Watch it!

No Gain, No Love

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https://www.imdb.com/

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Starring: Shin Min-a, Kim Young-dae, Lee Sang-yi, Han Ji-Hyun, Lee You-Jin
Where to watch: Prime Video (12 episodes, 60-odd minutes each)
To watch or not to watch: An example of progressive Korean drama which maintains the light-hearted tone throughout

Son Hae-yeong (Shin Min-a) has always shared her mother’s love with her various foster siblings, which has made her evaluate everything in her life in terms of give and take. In a separate development, her workplace is hosting an idea competition with very lucrative benefits and a position that reports directly to CEO Bok Gyoo-hyeon (Lee Sang-yi) at the end of it. But due to the bias against females in the workplace, which doesn’t take the fact that they might bear children and have monthly periods, positively, she knows she won’t be evaluated fairly for the position. To circumvent this issue, she decides to rope in Kim Ji-wook (Kim Young-dae) to be her fake husband, complete with a sham wedding and all. In the parallel, we have Nam Ja-yeon (Han Ji-hyun) who lives with Hae-young, is her foster sister and works as an adult web-series writer, and is very popular. Bok Gyu writes malicious comments on the series, Ja-yeon plans to sue him, and they have their meet-cute. Hae-young’s ex-boyfriend is in the same company and is totally jealous of her husband who has also joined the company and is reporting to Hae-young. The CEO’s secretary turns out to be Nam Ja-yeon’s school friend, who doesn’t know about her adult literature writing career, nor of her run-in with the CEO, and he is looking to transfer departments. All in all, there are much entangled connections sprinkled with hilarity and a bit of conflict regarding Ji-wook’s past and present which might disrupt his tender relationship with Hae-yeong.

In the majority of K-dramas, the story takes an angular turn at the middle point. While the first half is easy-going, funny, with the story about how the main actors fall in love with each other, the second half focuses on the lead actors’ relationship, tone is serious, the main conflict becomes the story. Not in this one! Well, not totally.
The series focuses on Son Hae-yeong primarily, followed by Nam Ja-yeon and then the third foster sister (who is mostly an after-thought). Compared to other K-dramas, the FL doesn’t suffer from main-character-syndrome (too much), and there is an explanation for the times she takes priority in the supporting casts’ lives. She is as caring for the people around her as they are for her. There is some really good humor in the enemies-to-lovers sequence between ML and FL. And the fact that they don’t demonise the non-virginal FL. There is some real progress in the series.
There are some things which might leave the viewer unsatisfied too – like the fact that her calculation only set the sequence of events in motion but did not feature in the story anymore. The story of the third sibling had weight to it – her becoming pregnant out of wedlock, with a cheating boyfriend. (Spoiler alert – she decides to live her life with him despite him being a cheat. Which is Ewww!) Her story would come on in the middle of another scene without any foreshadow and made it very jarring. Almost as if we are forced to remember she exists, which is unfair to the actor who is actually good at her job. Then there is this arc of Hae-yeong’s mother who is suffering from dementia, which is a secret, but not really?! This is one of the reasons the ending left the viewer unfulfilled and without proper closure.

There are many things this series does well and only a few it doesn’t. It is a real step forward towards progress in the field of women’s rights and feminism. The lead is a strong woman who takes unconventional steps to grow in her career. Her career is important to her and she is good at her job. She doesn’t take that for granted. She worked towards what she has received, and not because a chaebol took interest in her. In fact, she helped her ex-boyfriend and current husband in their careers, in small ways. She is undaunted in the face of adversity and retains good humour. What a character!
This series is different in the right way from other K-dramas and just for that reason it merits a watch. The fact that it has only 12 episodes is a bonus!

Ela Veezha Poonchira

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https://www.cinemaexpress.com/

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Starring: Soubin Shahir, Sudhi Koppa, Jude Anthany Joseph
Where to watch: Prime Video
To watch or not to watch: A must watch for your Friday night intense watch! Fresh and brilliant!

Madhu (Soubin Shahir) is a police constable posted at a hilltop to maintain the lines for wireless signals and keep people away from the area as it is frequently struck by lightning. He is accompanied by another younger constable Sudhi (Sudhi Koppa) who has a rather cavalier attitude to Madhu’s more serious, withdrawn, quiet persona. Madhu cooks chicken curry for Sudhi, cleans up after him, tells him off from watching a couple having a private time among the bushes on the hill, all in all, a fair balance. In the opening scene we learn that there are dismembered body parts found all around the hill, and leads to an investigation that the two constables can follow through the wireless. But along with this, there is a simmering tension under the surface of Madhu’s quiet exterior visible through his furrowed brows, pinched mouth and staring eyes. With that is the mounting tension of the murder investigation, which then reveals itself to be the one missing puzzle piece which makes sense of the seemingly simple narrative.

This movie is largely a two-parter with very few supporting cast members, in fact, it won’t be wrong to say that Soubin Shahir is the Atlas who carries with him the weight of the narration. It is such an easy, simple narration, driven by dialogues, daily life events and, as mentioned before, a simmering tension. People complain about unfaithful wives, upset stomachs, normal police functions, etc. with nothing indicating the weight of the world waiting for the viewers at the end of the movie. But there are breadcrumbs spread all across the movie – from the opening scene, to a seemingly innocuous pregnant woman, a man masturbating, and so on. And when it all comes together, it is such a revelation to see the entire picture come to light. Very satisfactory.

In this era, when everyone blames huge productions like MCU for the high budget and claim the difficulty in products, we have a simple, poignant and deep movie like Ela Veezha Poonchira. The screenplay and cinematography are so tight and well executed, it is a masterclass in filmmaking. It is one of the best directorial debut movies and one of the reasons it feels so authentic is Shahi Kabir, the director, has been a police officer himself. Add to that the acting by Soubin Shahir – man! He conveyed so much by just subtle expressions – expressions of a man trying to hide his emotions in a setting where emotions have little place. This movie is a study in humanity and yes, filmmaking. Film makers, take note. Film viewers, don’t miss this one.

The Residence

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https://www.theguardian.com/

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Starring: Uzo Aduba, Giancarlo Esposito, Molly Griggs, Ken Marino, Randall Park, Susan Kelechi Watson, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Edwina Findley
Where to watch: Netflix (8 episodes, 50-odd minutes each)
To watch or not to watch: A closed mansion mystery with multiple suspects and Rian Johnson style storytelling. It is highly recommended for fans of typical whodunnit.

It is the night of Australian state dinner at The White House, rather THE WHITE HOUSE, where Hugh Jackman and Kylie Minogue are also present. In the middle of this, they find the chief usher AB Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito) dead on the third floor. The chiefs of all the major intelligence/security/investigation agencies are at the scene and are quick to call the death a suicide, except Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba), the greatest detective in the world (not unlike Poirot, only she is female and has less differentiated mannerisms) is called upon. She declares the death a murder and presents compelling evidence or lack thereof to boost her statement. What follows is a non-linear sequence of statements, evidence, lies, corroboration, congressional committee, exposure of personal lives and bird-watching to arrive at the truth. Oh! And Kylie Minogue performs. She is chiefly assisted by Susan Kelechi Watson (Jasmine Haney) who was Assistant Usher until Wynter’s death, and Edwin Park (Randall Park), an FBI special agent. Did Jasmine murder Wynter to quicken her promotion, or was it Harry Hollinger (Ken Marino) who was suspected of having a fight with the victim sometime before the “incident”, or was it the drunk butler Sheila (Edwina Findley), or even the pastry chef?

The brilliance of the series lies in the manner of storytelling ie, the pacing. It is quite like Knives Out, with the opening scene being the discovery of the body, fun quick cuts to scenes which lead to non-linearity and dizziness in the viewer, also making the viewer’s attempt to solve the crime difficult. Cordelia follows clues, which are lost on everyone, gets people to talk by not asking questions, push people into the corner by questioning everything, all in all, the fast-paced movement of scenes and dialogues and characters themselves, make for a really fun viewing. There are multiple characters and storylines, complicated by lies and small incidents deemed insignificant but turn out to be the real crux of the matter, Cordelia’s shifting focus to bird-watching, ensuring the viewer is kept on their toes. The show doesn’t take itself seriously and is self-aware enough to acknowledge the heavy borrowing from Christie and Johnson and what-not, it is funny despite the fact it is based in The White House, not because of it.

This show is a brilliant first watch, testing the viewer’s willpower to not binge it in one sitting, but only the first time. After that, the plot holes, the ridiculousness of the setting and extravagant mannerisms are easy to see through as distraction tactics. Aduba is good at her job and has an engaging screen presence, but someone alluding to her ability to solve unsolvable cases is not entirely believable, we are expected to just accept it. Then there is a whole origin story in the middle of the series, which was only a filler to make it last 8 episodes. The uncovered truth about the murder and the murderer is underwhelming so adjust the expectations accordingly. This is also the point where the series loses a score in the rating. There is so much underhanded display of female empowerment, that it is tiring. If you want real female empowerment in cinema, start paying equal wages, but putting men down only reverses the problem. Sigh!
Shonda Rhimes has made women-centric content in the past, while they were highly superficial, this is much, much better than the convenient, self-congratulatory plotlines of series like Scandal. It is flawed, but there is progress. And it is a good watch for all the mystery-starved people out there.

Kishkindha Kaandam

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https://maktoobmedia.com/

Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Starring: Asif Ali, Vijayaraghavan, Aparna Balamurali, Jagadish, Ashokan
Where to watch: JioHotstar
To watch or not to watch: This movie is like an onion – it has layers and will make you cry

Ajayan (Asif Ali) is a forest office who lives close to a reserved forest with this second wife Aparna (Aparna Balamurali) and elderly, retired army officer father Appu Pillai (Vijayaraghavan). Ajayan’s first wife passed away a couple of years back from cancer and his son is missing. Ajayan travels far and wide across the country everytime he gets any news of his missing son. Recently his father, who used to be very alert and sharp, has shown tendencies to forget things, even his licensed revolver has gone missing and there is an investigation underway. Aparna has noticed Appu write things in notebooks and then burn them after a month or so. She discusses this bizarre behaviour with her husband but gets more questions than answers.

It is difficult to describe what happens in this movie, it is all a bit bizarre, until the last act when everything comes together quickly and quietly, like a puzzle piece and it all makes sense in an “Ahhaa” way. The three main characters are believable and understandable – the proud old man unwilling to bend to the effects of old age but unable to stop them, the concerned son with the weight of the world on his shoulders and his new wife who is trying to understand her new environment and adjust to it all like a true superhuman. Along with them are some friends of the family who together fit into the puzzle too.

There is a certain simplicity in good Malayalam cinema which lends a sense of reality to the movies. And this is specially true for Kishkindha Kaandam – the actors depict a very average socio-economic stature and lifestyle. Their characters have friends they have known all their lives and who know them in turn. Despite that there are undercurrents throughout the movie related to the characters differently. Goes to show the wide expanse of human relations and emotions. There are also some deep-rooted moral questions faced by the characters, which they cannot reveal to others because there is humanity, love and sense of protection. As much as the movie is about the thrill, it is more so about the humanity of it all. It will require patience as it is a slow burn, but the understated climax makes up for it.

Ludwig

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https://www.radiotimes.com/

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Starring: Dave Mitchell, Anna Maxwell Martin, Dipo Ola, Sophie Willan, Dorothy Atkinson, Ralph Ineson
Where to watch: BBC One
To watch or not to watch: Ooo… this is a fun watch. It is a comic-mystery and it is so much fun!!!

John Taylor (Dave Mitchell) is a master puzzle maker who lives in his childhood home, has a specific routine that needs to be followed (similar to Sheldon Cooper), has no close friends and has been estranged from his twin brother and his family for a few years now. His twin brother is named James Taylor, who is a successful DCI with Cambridge constabulary, is married to Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin) and has a teenage son. Lucy, John and James used to be friends since they were 5 years old, and it is hinted that John had a crush on Lucy. Anyway, background now complete, James has disappeared without a conspicuous trace, and Lucy enlists John’s help – in that she wants John to impersonate his brother at the constabulary and find out what happened to him. A highly reluctant John does as he is told (he is a stickler for rules) but soon finds out entwined in regular police work, aka a murder mystery, which he finds out to be quite similar to solving puzzles which he incidentally thoroughly enjoys. With this is the overarching mystery of disappearance of his brother.

It is difficult to choose from where to begin singing praises about this series. David Mitchell and this role is a match custom made in Olympus (if Gods were flawless entities). He brings the totally-social-inept-and-out-of-depth character to fore most adequately. That in addition to what the God gave him – a highly expressive face, a physique to complement this character and the over-all look, and this makes it one of the best actor-character matches. The writing is also top notch, the script used puzzle solving into play which is a newish twist to this genre. Anna Maxwell is good too, but somehow she fails to convey the worry of a wife with a missing husband. But her character Lucy is an inspiration – she is a force of nature who would do what is necessary to figure out the disappearance and not be a despondent figure looking for a knight. The British know how to write a strong female character right.

There are plenty of comic-mystery series out there. What sets Ludwig apart is the clever writing. The puzzle solving aspect of it brings out the sleuth in all of us. Comparing the tools of the trade – DMV or arrest records, which are not usually accessible to common public, versus a puzzle which are accessible to people (might also interest some of the people) and it is not geographically limiting. Makes the series interesting in the mystery and the solving modus operandi. Not to mention the comedy sprinkled through the series coming mostly from Mitchell’s character and his social ineptness. It is rarely done this accurately. All in all, a must watch and still holds for repeat viewing.