We checked out Tarot to see if it’s better than the trailers suggested, and surprisingly the answer is yes.

*warning: minor spoilers for Tarot

I need to start this review with total honesty: my expectations for Tarot going in were pretty low. In fact the only reason I went to see it is because tarot cards were heavily featured in the plot and I wanted to see what they were doing with it.

The plot follows a group of friends who decide to mess around with a mysterious deck of tarot cards after finding them at a house they’re renting for the weekend. It’s all fun and games until the predictions start coming true in the most gruesome way possible.

To my surprise, Tarot was actually fun to watch. To be fair, how the characters get into this mess is still predictably idiotic, but really a bit of stupidity from the characters is usually required for most horror films to work. Once the story is set in motion though, it plays very well. The writers put some thought into the “why” of how this story works and it shows in the final result. I’m sure real practitioners of tarot would roll their eyes at several aspects of this story, but I really think what the writers came up with worked for the sake of the overall story.

One thing Tarot does very well is with the jump scares, of which there are many. It becomes a bit predictable towards the end, but this doesn’t make them any less scary. The main enemy of this story, who will remain nameless for spoiler reasons, is very terrifying with how they’re presented. It would be interesting to see this character explored more deeply in another story. While the ending of the film seemed quite final, it wouldn’t be the first time a story has been reworked to let a monster reappear in another entry. I’m not sure if that will happen with Tarot, but I wouldn’t mind if it did.

Tarot also did a good job with its characters. A lot of times in films of this genre, most of the characters are barely fleshed out, with only the final girl and maybe the penultimate survivor getting the most development. That’s not the case here though. Enough time is spent with the characters before terrible things begin to happen that the audience develops a bond, albeit a slim one, with all of them. This makes their horrific fates all the harder to watch, especially toward the end of the film.

I will say that Tarot didn’t quite stick the landing. For a minor spoiler, there’s a last second twist that, while funny, also takes the audience right out of the dramatic moment that just finished. I commend the writers for sticking so closely to the story’s premise, but there was surely a better way to go about it.

All in all, while not the most original story, Tarot is good spooky fun. Check it out if you have a free afternoon, you might be surprised at how much you enjoy it.

Rudy Moreno, a popular comedian who was often referred to by fans and colleagues as “the Godfather of Latino comedy,” has died. He was 66.

Moreno died Friday at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena from complications due to a stroke and sepsis, his son Nathan said Sunday.

Born July 24, 1957, and raised in Lincoln Heights, Moreno was a frequent performer at the Ice House comedy club in Pasadena, and hosted shows titled “Rudy Moreno and Friends” that would feature other comics. He also worked at top comedy clubs around the country, and opened for Smokey Robinson, the Black Eyed Peas and other acts.

“My heart is truly broken,” actor-comedian Ken Jeong posted on X,” noting that Moreno was the first person to book him at the Ice House.

“In fact, the first time my wife ever saw me do standup was at the Ice House on Rudy’s show,” wrote Jeong. “All this ultimately led to me doing my Netflix special at the Ice House, thanks to Rudy Moreno constantly supporting me and letting me get stage time on all of his shows. There are countless comedians who owe their start to this man. And he was hilarious, the consummate comedian.”

A biography for the comedian said that he got his start in show business in 1991 when he was approached by Rudy Salas, the leader of the rock group Tierra, who asked him to open for the band.

“He said that I was so funny that I should be a comedian and if I wanted to, he would help me and let me open for the band,” said Moreno.

After seeing Moreno perform, television producer Jeff Valdez booked him for “Comedy Compadres,” which showcased Latino comics.

During his career, he appeared on numerous TV series, including “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “Criminal Minds” and “Arrested Development.” In 2022, he appeared in the Mark Wahlberg film “Father Stu.”

In addition to being an accomplished guitar player, Moreno and his family created Komics for Kids, an event designed to assist inner-city children.

Fahadh Faasil’s latest release, Aavesham, directed by Jithu Madhavan, is now streaming on Prime Video. Let’s see how the film is.

Story:

Bibi (Mithun Jai Shankar), Aju (Hipzster), and Shanthan (Roshan Shahnavaz) hailing from Kerala, join an engineering college in Bangalore. They get beaten up by their college seniors, and the trio decides to settle scores. Aju opines that having local support will help them take revenge against their seniors. Soon they befriend Ranga (Fahadh Faasil), a local gangster. How did the companionship with Ranga affect the lives of Bibi, Aju, and Shanthan is what the film is about.

Plus Points:

A few films heavily rely on the lead actor’s characterization, and Aavesham falls into this category. Director Jithu Madhavan has created one of the craziest characterizations in recent times without a shadow of a doubt, but the best part is that he chose Fahadh Faasil for it.

The Malayali actor has hit it out of the park with his unhinged performance. Whatever Fahadh does in the film is very amusing, and even his minute gestures will tickle the funny bones. Fahadh unleashes the beast in him and makes Aavesham an enjoyable flick. The actor’s performance is so good that it is difficult to imagine anyone else in the shoes of Ranga.

Mithun Jai Shankar, Hipzster, and Roshan Shahnavaz are solid in their respective roles. The trio doubts Fahadh Faasil’s capability and believes that the goons are bragging too much about him. These scenes will create doubt in our minds, making the proceedings interesting. In one way, the director created an element of suspense in this action comedy.

There are a good number of enjoyable moments in both halves, and the fun scenes work to a large extent. Sajin Gopu is fantastic as Fahadh’s side-kick. The emotional moments at the end are handled neatly without going overboard.

Minus Points:

As said earlier, the film is all about the protagonist’s characterization and has a wafer-thin plot. Those who expect solid content might get disappointed a bit. More time is taken for the world-building and establishment of characters.

The pacing is slow in certain sequences in the second half, and a few portions could have been edited out. Mansoor Ali Khan’s role needed more depth. Due to writing issues, the actor couldn’t make any impact.

Technical Aspects:

Sushin Shyam’s songs and background score are solid and in tune with the film’s theme. Sameer Thahir’s cinematography is brilliant, and the fight sequences are superbly captured. The production values are neat, but the editing could have been much better.

Though the plot is thin, Jithu Madhavan handled the film nicely by infusing entertaining moments at regular intervals. The battle is half won with the director choosing Fahadh Faasil for Ranga role, and the actor has taken the movie to a whole new level with his electrifying act.

Verdict:

On the whole, Aavesham offers a wild ride, and this action comedy majorly benefits from Fahadh Faasil’s high-spirited performance. The actor lights up the screens with his remarkable screen presence, and Ranga is one of the most unconventional roles to have come out recently. The movie has a wafer-thin plot, and the pacing gets slow in the second half. A few scenes could have been trimmed. The movie’s strength lies in its crazy moments, which outshine its flaws. Hence, Aavesham ends up being an enjoyable fare.

123telugu.com Rating: 3.25/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

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