We recommend: The best new movies and TV series
The Holdovers: This film is finally arriving in theatres in India. Set in the 1970s, this comedy-drama movie follows Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), an unpopular teacher at an all-boys boarding school. During the holiday break, some of the students who can’t go back home are forced to spend their break with the irritable Paul and the school’s head cook Mary. What follows is a wonderful dynamic between a group of rowdy students and the adults in charge.
This movie has received rave reviews. The Guardian calls it a “masterclass in melancholy” and The New York Times says that it is a “crackling movie” and there’s a “sharpness to the comedy” that elevates the film. Our take: We are huge fans of Paul Giamatti’s work, and are excited to watch this film that promises to be hilarious and emotionally resonant. The movie is out in theatres.
Madame Web: This latest Spiderman Marvel movie follows Cassandra Webb—played by Dakota Johnson—who is a paramedic who begins to show signs of clairvoyance after a near-death event. Her life seems to be connected in mysterious ways to three young women whose lives are in danger.
The reviews are quite meh. Variety describes Johnson’s character as “fringe with ill-defined powers and nothing especially interesting to do” while the Guardian calls it a “junky tangled mess.” Our take: The only thing we want to see on screen is more than one Spiderman, and this movie gives us just that. The movie was out in theatres yesterday.
Bob Marley One Love: This is a biopic of one of the most enigmatic musicians of the world—Bob Marley. The movie goes through Bob’s life, and his sensational career and examines his young legacy.
The critics don’t seem to like this movie much. Vulture says that this isn’t the Bob Marley movie people deserve, it is “a hollow biopic”. For The New York Times, there is a “problem in the script” and the film doesn’t look at any grappling questions of Bob’s life at all, making it a missed opportunity for a good biopic. Our take: We will be watching this only because we quite like Bob Marley and are curious to see how his life is depicted on film. You can watch the movie in theatres.
Land of Bad: Starring the hunks of Hollywood—the OG ‘Gladiator’ star Russel Crowe and two (less popular) Hemsworth brothers—Luke and Liam Hemsworth, ‘Land of Bad’ is an American military action-thriller directed by William Eubank. The film takes place in the jungles of the Philippines where the US Army Delta Force team is sent to extract a CIA asset who's been captured by terrorists. The mission goes side-ways as Kinney (Liam Hemsworth) splits from the team but drone operator Reaper (Russel Crowe) helps him through the 48-hour trek back to home base.
The reviews are decent. Hollywood Reporter calls Russel Crowe the MVP of the movie. New York Times is of the view that the film “is commendable in the abstract for depicting the realities of 21st-century warfare both narratively and thematically.” Our take: War strategy movies are always some of the most entertaining ones so we will put this one on our list. The movie is showing in theatres now.
Players: If you’re looking for a breezy rom-com, this might be something you’d like. In this, sports reporter Mack and her friends routinely set schemes to set up dates for each other. They tend to avoid serious relationships. Until Mack comes across a war correspondent Nick who she falls hard for. The movie follows the different schemes that Mack and her friends set up to get together with Nick.
The reviews are mixed and have very little praise. The Guardian says that this film is an “improvement on streaming romcom fare”. The Variety didn’t like it much and writes this is a “clumsy Valentine’s Day offering”. Our take: This looks like something light and fun to watch on a hectic day. The film is streaming on Netflix.
Love Storiyaan: This anthology features six love stories—based on real-life romances and is produced by Karan Johar. It was inspired by India Love Project, a social media initiative by journalists that celebrates love outside the shackles of religion, caste, ethnicity and gender. The six directors all share something in common with the real-life protagonists.
Reviews are mostly good. Film Companion says all stories feature a “candidness of human connection.” According to the Wire, despite the series not being particularly “seamless”, the stories are “wholesome and cathartic.” Our take: We swoon for true love, and hence we will definitely give this show a shot. The series dropped on Valentine’s Day on Amazon Prime Video.
The Heartbreak Agency: This German romantic-comedy follows a sceptical journalist who reluctantly participates in heartbreak therapy for an article—but ends up falling for his charming therapist. The protagonist—Karl—is severely unlikeable in the beginning and eventually changes for the better. FYI: It also breaks away from convention and sheds light on issues like emotional intelligence and self-expression.
Reviews are not out yet for this movie. Our take: We love a good haters-to-lovers trope in our rom-coms. This movie is available on Netflix.
The New Look: Did you know in the 1940s Paris—in the backdrop of the Second World War—one of the biggest names in luxury fashion Christian Dior was just coming up and competing with his contemporaries Coco Chanel to Pierre Balmain and Cristóbal Balenciaga define Parisian couture as we know today. This sleek-looking 10-episode drama chronicles just that. It is created by Todd A Kessler and led by an incredible ensemble cast consisting of Emmy Award winner Ben Mendelsohn as Christian Dior, Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche as Coco Chanel, and the ‘Game of Thrones’ star Maisie Williams as Catherine Dior.
Reviews are not that great. Hollywood Reporter acknowledges that the show is “handsomely produced” but “we’re left with the sense that this is history worth knowing.” The Guardian is far less kind in saying: “Simplistic, grandiose and absurd to the point of insult.” Our take: We think this might be for hardcore fashion enthusiasts but it sure is a fascinating history. The first episode dropped on Apple TV.
This Is Me… Now: A Love Story: JLo is back! Nearly a decade has passed since her last music album and so much has happened in her personal life—like the resurrection of Bennifer! This 65-minute feature film is a visual album featuring all her latest songs and shows her artistry with a slice of her love story with Ben Affleck through a very personal lens, albeit in a fantastical narrative. Yup, Ben Affleck has a cameo. FYI: This concept isn’t new. Beyoncé released a groundbreaking visual album for her album ‘Lemonade’ in 2016 which received a lot of mainstream interest.
Reviews are mixed but overall on the good side. Entertainment Weekly writes: “A curious blend of Hallmark movie, music video, and self-help seminar, Love Story is enjoyably bizarre and will serve as a fun fling for die-hard Lopez fans.” OTOH Collider concludes that “the film as a whole is not as organic as the music and visuals are.” Our take: We are quite intrigued by the cinematic universe and will definitely give it a try. The film was released on Amazon Prime yesterday.
Fresh off the big screen…
Dunki: A sweet Valentine’s Day surprise for SRK fans! Raju Hirani’s hit film ‘Dunki’ is now available to watch at home. The movie is premised on the donkey route from India to the UK—taken by illegal migrants when they have no other choice. But at the heart of it, the film is an SRK romance starring the lovely Tapsee Pannu, Vikram Kochhar, Anil Grover and Boman Irani with a cameo by Vicky Kaushal. You can catch it on Netflix.
