An Inspector Calls (2015) UK

A chain of events involving a family.

Genre:

Drama, Mystery, Thriller, TV Movie.

Length:

Approximately 6-minute read.


Review:
     Just a month ago I saw 'Maigret Sets a Trap', and this is another terrific BBC film. Based on the JB Priestley's play of the same name made for television. I never saw other versions nor I knew the story, so that's the reason I loved it. I don't know the difference, the changes between this and the original material, but I think a screenplay like this should have been a big screen product. Surely one of the best films of the year with a great suspense and twists.

     I expected a crime solving drama, like a detective use his brainpower to nab a suspect in a style, but this was complete an unexpected narration with various angles of briefing involving a family and their individual link to a woman. This is a story about the chain of events that could happen for us in real life. But what this film's specialty is that makes realise for its characters that how their part influenced a woman's life.

     It's the year 1912, during a wealthy Birling family celebrating their daughter's engagement, a mysterious inspector interrupts them to question on a woman who committed suicide on that evening. In the hours long interview, some unexpected truth comes out and corners the family from their celebration. With the outcome of a surprise encounter with the inspector, how the family outcome from it is what the rest of the film was focused on.

 We don't live alone upon this earth. We are responsible for each other. 

     I don't know the most of the actors, but their performances were simply outstanding. Not just leaned on one or two, but everyone had their turn fairly equal. The character played by David Thewlis as Goole was effortless, but very important among others in the film, so it is impossible moving away without praising his contribution. Among all, the young woman role as well very impressive. Alongside JB Priestley, this screenwriter, as well as the director must be appreciated for their incredible job.

     The film was a one night based narration, but due to the quick flashbacks, the layers formed, hence creates a lot of curiosity for the viewers. Being a detective film, it had those special moments, but with its own style. It reminds me a couple of films, but I can't name them, because of the spoiler alert. Even though this is a very unique from its similar films.

     Obviously it leaves many questions regarding the last 10-15 minutes of the film. But the reasons are very clear, and you might get it in the second viewing, or maybe from the discussion boards on the online platforms. I strongly suggest that you to learn more about it on its hidden stuffs rather simply finished watching it and forgetting it forever. Like always, the BBC did not disappoint me or maybe I always chose the better ones. Either way I benefited and I recommend this for those who are interested in murder mysteries, though it is not a homicide theme. I hope you will love it as I did.



Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent


Similar movies:
And Then There Were None, Maigret Sets a Trap, 12 Angry Men, Rashomon.


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Belgica (2016) Belgium

To start a business and carried away by its success.

Genre:

Drama.

Length:

Approximately 5-minute read.


Review:
     From the director of the Oscar nominated film 'The Broken Circle Breakdown', about two brothers who joins hand to start a new business and what follows is how they carried out by its success. This is not an enjoyable film, but still worth a watch. Because the film theme was the highlight, that focused how people can change when their efforts on something makes to reach its target. This is not for everyone, but youngsters in their 20s, 30s should check it out. It is an inspiring story to start a business of their own, but also warns strongly about the consequences of the outcome.

     There is no major story in it to keep expanding every now and then, just evolves around two brothers and other characters surrounding them. From their plan for a new business to its preparation to making it real and then finally triumph. Besides this, their friends and families are covered to reveal how it affects them all once the money starts to flow in. How the drugs, sex and wild party, all the unexpected bad habits bring bad reputation within their circle is the point of the film. Till one of the brothers realise it and take an appropriate step to curb it, but that does really happen is what the film's climax discloses.

 All people are born innocent but most don't stay that way. 

     It did not look like a film with twist and turns. Especially no villains or the terrible things like that related to the crime world to change the course of the story after reaching a certain point. The first thing we think hearing a film about the bar is the gangster theme. But this is different, the nicer side of what had seen so far on that theme. No guns, no gang fights, but the rest of the things had its share like in a real world. When those things come into effect, that's where this story takes a twist.

     Just within its limit, it covered some important events like the advantage and disadvantages for being the night club owners. For example, such club needs internal security and trusted employees. That's how this film filled the void to drag for as long as 2 hours. That was my concern. It was too long to watch a film that does not have any entertaining elements. So remember that it's not a comedy, romance, crime or a thriller, just a drama and for some people it might be too boring drama.

     This film is a good lesson to learn without experiencing our own when one knowingly or without knowingly diverts himself to a wrong path. The film had some great performances too, but it is not for having a good time. It is hard to say who's the audience for it, because it is a simple story, but complicated theme with one end loud music, drugs and all, and the other side family, friends et cetera. Overall, not a bad film to view once.



Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent


Similar movies:
The Wolf of Wall Street, Sunshine Cleaning, Chef, Joy, Soul Kitchen, Two Day One Night.


External link(s):
      

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Metro (2016) India

Desperate men seek desperate paths.

Genre:

Action, Crime, Thriller.

Length:

Approximately 6-minute read.


Review:
     Put aside the mainstream Indian films, even I don't watch them. The parallel films, especially in the recent years, it is taking a big leap towards the Internation stage. It is not all about melodrama and typical romance with sexually teasing songs that trademarks Indian films, that's commonly known as masala films. The young filmmakers exploring the new path that earlier Indian films never dared to enter. This is a Kollywood film, about a south Indian metro city, Chennai, that unfolds the dark secrets of the chain snatching network.

     After debuting with an average film, the director came strongly to highlight the theft menace in the city of 8 million population. Snatch theft is so common and easily committable crime in the third world, but chain snatching is specially tagged to Indian subcontinent. The Indians love gold, because they culturally very attached it. It is a worrisome thing in all over India today, but the director was successful to disclose how this thing works, probably the first time in Tamil cinema that entirely centralised on it alone.

     The film opened by unleashing some mysterious event where an abductee was tortured to death. But very soon the flashback commences to reveal the reason behind such act. So all the focus shifts to a small happy family of two brothers and their parents. When the younger brother seeks a motorcycle to impress his girlfriend, his family denies to fulfill his desire. As he's desperate not to lose his girlfriends, decides to take a wrong path not knowing one day it directly affects his own family. The remaining part of the film covers the crucial turning point of the tale before concluding emotionally.

 This world is slave to the man with money. 

     I think most of the actors, especially main cast was new and/or second string actors, but they all well done in their respective parts. The storytelling was very good, so once again the credit must go to the screenwriter who is the director himself. Like I mentioned earlier, it is a very important film for the Indians and outsiders to learn about the Indian crime. Besides chain snatching, it also goes length to cover what happens to those goods and how it was forwarded to the next stage of the crime world. So the story was largely concentrated on the thieves to let us know how it all works.

     I'm truly impressed with how Kollywood is focusing to transform the industry by trailing the Korean film style cop, thief kind of dark tone themes. One such example was the breathtaking recent crime-thriller 'Interrogation'. Great characters and stories, but still connects strongly with the local culture when presented them on the screen.

     This story was developed with lots of inputs like how the middle class family suffers and managing a girlfriend in todays hi-fi world. In a couple of scenes, the father-son's talk was very moving. In other side, the thieves ideology of their work totally disgusts. But it's good to know a few of their strategy. We learn most of the things like this by watching films.

     Probably no one heard of it, I mean not a large population, including me. But when I heard some people praising it on the social network, I quickly on to it. Glad that I watched it, and I'm surprised for its production quality. For the Indian standards, it is surely a gem and for the Internation audience, it might be an unexpected, especially the story wise. If you are not an Indian films follower, it's time to change your stance. As the Indian economy booming, their films as well transforming. There are many awesome flicks released lately and this is one of those. You must check it out if you are interested, but surely worth a watch.



Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent


Similar movies:
Metro Manila, The Lookout, Dog Day Afternoon, The Selfish Giant, Catch Me If You Can, Focus.


External link(s):
  

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We Monsters (2015) Germany

Separated, but joined hands for their child.

Original title:

Wir Monster (German)

Genre:

Crime, Drama, Thriller.

Length:

Approximately 6-minute read.


Review:
     My latest German film about a family with the dark secret. A film that's not so popular, looks like not even in the Germany. But I chose it for the title alone. Followed by reading its synopsis I couldn't just turn away. It is definitely the German version of the Japanese flick 'Suspect X'. That does not mean it is a remake, but based on the similar theme that revolves on an entirely different platform. If you like that film, you should check this out, but it is simple and very interesting tale, not as intelligent as that one and never tried to be one.

     The film was about a divorced couple with one teen daughter shared custody. It might be a separation by a mutual understanding, but for their daughter, Sarah, it is a pain to watch them apart. One day during a camping she accidentally commits a crime. When her parents learn about it, they join hands and decide to hide it, thinking it might spoil her future. But Sarah uses this opportunity to bring them back together. On the other side, one lie to another and many more, how long they can carry on is revealed in the remaining film.

     There's no surprise for parents trying to save their child from the legal battle. Anybody would do the same thing in most of the circumstance after examining what actually went wrong. It reminded me 'Papanasam', a similar kind of film, but this narration targets only on the one side. The pursue from the other side was less than ten per cent. So it creates a mystery atmosphere about everything you saw might have another angle to give a different opinion on the situation of the film characters. That's how the focus remained on the family with their every move making them hard to stay strong and face the future troubles.

 What if everybody knows about it? School, facebook, family, friends, everyone. 

     The suspense remains among the characters, but most of the viewers would know exactly what's going on. The writers did not try to hide anything to save a twist for the end part, they wanted to tell a simple crime-drama involving a family as much possible decently and they did it. People might think they are clever for figuring it out everything earlier or the writing was so weak, but that's a mere diversion for what happens in the final quarter. I think the film ended strongly than its earlier part. While watching it you might think it is an okay film, but once you watched it, it could change your overall impression.

     In the old days people hiding crime to escape the punishment, and of course for what family, friends, neighbours think about them. But now the latest addition is the facebook. Going viral on the social media has much impact for ones future than the law punishing them. This where our future is heading. Tracking a criminal through the internet is easier than the outside world. Anyway, this film did not go for those materials, but used it as one of the reasons for making a crucial decision.

     Overall, it is almost a good film, an above average. But in the end, what and how much we expect from it is directly involved with for the final result. So I'm saying if you go for it with an open mind, you could enjoy it better. This story is not something you see regularly, at a time not the best film of the year, yet worth a try. I would have said it should have been better in a few parts, but that changes nothing because of the theme and I totally appreciate the filmmakers for making a decent film than anything worse. So I think you understood me that I'm indirectly recommending it.



Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent


Similar movies:
Suspect X, Papanasam, Serial Mom, Home Sweet Hell, Let's Kill Ward's Wife.


External link(s):
    

WCA geolocation:
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