“I just wanted to be an ordinary girl”

The rather successful debut of Taiwanese musician Jay Chou in 2007, “Secret”, sent ripples to the film industry of the whole of Asia, with a Korean remake coming up in 2021, and this year, a Japanese one titled “Secret: A Hidden Score”. This review will deal with the latter. 

Minato was studying music in the US, but he came back to Japan after experiencing trauma and is currently studying piano at a prestigious music academy. One day, he hears a beautiful song played on the piano and becomes fascinated by the music. The song leads him to meet Yukino, who is the source of the music. Minato falls head over hills for the beautiful, cheerful, intriguing but also secretive and mysterious girl, and the two soon start hanging out as much as they can. Or better, as much as Yukino will allow, to the disgruntlement of another girl, Hikari, who also has feelings for Minato. Yukino helps Minato regain his will to be a musician, but one day, she suddenly disappears. 

There is a pattern to the Japanese films we usually catch in European/Western film festivals, which makes “Secret: A Hidden Score” a kind of a novelty, since this is the type of film that is quite popular in Japan, but does not get out of the borders so frequently. Whether this is a good thing, however, is a whole other topic. 

Hayato Kawai comes up with a very sensitive film about life in college, romance, and the concept of trauma and how people can heal. What is the most intriguing aspect of the whole narrative, however, is the relationship in the center of the movie, and particularly its imbalance. Minato falls for Yukino immediately, and while she also obviously likes him, she is holding back due to her secrets, in an aspect that makes the relationship, and subsequently, the whole film quite intriguing. 

At the same time, this aspect, and again the whole movie, benefits the most by the charisma, the performance and the chemistry of the two main actors. Kotone Furukawa as Yukino in particular is a joy to watch throughout the movie, with the way her teasing and secretive nature eventually changes to a more open up one, and the way her whole story leads to drama being probably the best aspect of the whole film. Taiga Kyomoto as the nerdy, traumatized, hopelessly in love Minato is also quite good, with the interactions of the two being quite pleasant to watch. Gorgeous Mayuu Yokota as Hikari cements the prowess in the acting, while Ryota Miura and Ryotaro Sakaguchi as Minato and Hikari’s friends provide a very appealing humoristic element to the movie, even if they are too loud on occasion. 

Furthermore, the twist is also good, even if not that surprising, with the last part that explains more about what happened being particularly well directed. That it explains more of the character’s actions and demeanor while creating additional empathy for them works quite well for the movie too. In that regard, the placement of the flashbacks, the revelations and the aftermath are well embedded in the story, in a trait that should also be attributed to the editing, which is definitely on a high level here. 

At the same time, a number of issues all Japanese films seem to face nowadays are found in “Secret: A Hidden Score” also. The intense lagging, particularly in the last part of the movie, the scenes that seem almost unnecessary and an effort at forced sentimentalism are all here in abundance, bringing the quality of the whole thing several levels down. The extensive use of music is also an issue, although this is justified due to the nature of the story. Lastly, the story, and particularly the twist have not aged well since the original, with the whole thing appearing preterit on occasion. 

In the end, “Secret: A Hidden Score” is a mixed bag of a film that draws the viewer in with the charisma and beauty of its protagonists and a story that seems intriguing in the beginning, only to disappoint in the end. Probably fans of romantic TV dramas will be the ones that will enjoy the film.

Rajkummar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor starrer Mr. & Mrs. Mahi finally released in theaters this Friday. Check out our review to find out more about the movie.

Story:

Mahendra Agarwal (Rajkummar Rao) dreams of joining the Indian cricket team but fails. His father pushes him to run the family business instead. Later, his parents arrange his marriage to Mahima (Janhvi Kapoor), a doctor. Mahendra is surprised to learn that Mahima loves cricket too. He hopes to achieve his dream with her support. Will Mahima support his wish and leave her job? How will their parents react? What will ultimately happen? Find it out in the movie.

Plus Points:

Rajkummar Rao once again proves why he is one of the finest actors around. His portrayal of a character experiencing hope, distress, failure, and ambition is truly remarkable.

Janhvi Kapoor looks decent on screen, and her dedication to learning cricket is evident in her performance.

Other actors, such as Kumud Mishra, who plays Mahendra’s father, and Rajesh Sharma as the coach, deliver commendable performances in their roles.

Minus Points:

While effective promotion is crucial for films like this, the trailer inadvertently revealed too much, robbing the big screen experience of its surprise factor. It’s like opening a gift only to find out you already know what’s inside.

The plot suffers from predictability, crying out for unexpected twists and turns to inject vitality into the storyline. Without these surprises, the viewing experience feels more like enduring a slow-paced match on a rainy day, testing the patience of even the most fervent cricket fans. Instead of delivering the adrenaline rush of a T20 match, the film unfolds at the leisurely pace of a test match, stretching the audience’s endurance to its limits.

The practice scenes and matches fail to ignite genuine excitement, blurring the lines between a cricket match and a family drama. This confusion persists throughout the unnecessarily protracted runtime, transforming the experience into a marathon rather than a sprint.

While the songs offer a brief reprieve, the lackluster background score fails to amplify the film’s emotional beats. Furthermore, the presence of numerous errors throughout the production only adds to the list of shortcomings.

Technical Aspects:

While the concept holds promise, its execution falls short. A tighter screenplay by Sharan Sharma could have redeemed the film, but missed opportunities abound.

John Stewart Eduri’s score misses the mark in elevating key moments, while Anay Goswamy’s cinematography fails to capture the dynamism required for a sports drama.

Nitin Baid’s editing feels sluggish, further hindering the film’s momentum. Nonetheless, the production values manage to scrape by with a passing grade.

Verdict:

On the whole, Mr. & Mrs. Mahi falls flat, neither delivering the excitement of a sports drama nor the warmth of a family tale. Instead, it stretches like an overlong short film, testing the patience of viewers. While Rajkummar Rao shines, the rest of the film feels like a tedious endurance test. Skip it and catch the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 for real excitement.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.25/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

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Rathna is introduced to the viewer just as he is making huge leaps in the world of crime and power. Here, Chaitanya builds Rathna as a man with a clean slate who is writing his destiny. However, the sudden revelation of a backstory brought up in the second half feels disingenuous. That one brief sequence, providing context for Rathna’s childhood, belies everything we have learned about Rathna until then. Gangs of Godavari has many such over-reaching strides that derail the film. Usually, such films are saved by a strong central performance. However, Vishwak Sen, playing Lankala Rathna, never attempts to scratch beyond the surface. He excels in conventionally heroic moments but is far too content with merely providing a swaggy outline to Rathna. If there’s anything more existential about Rathna, we never get to know.

Such a hasty attempt to tell a big-scale story also leads to multiple missteps in the film’s tonality. The character of Doraswami (an impressive Goparaju Ramana) dwindles between appearing like a strong adversary and a comically dim-witted rival. Mala’s character, after a colourful intro, moves in and out of the narrative at the makers’ convenience, being called in to play whenever Rathna needs a helping hand. (Anjali, despite her sincere performance, is wasted in this miniscule role.)

In one of the more interesting stretches of the film, Rathna uses his cunning and shrewd thinking to outwit his adversaries. Considering the introduction sequence where Rathna is showcased as a macho, physically menacing man, these moments work in a pleasantly subversive manner, as Rathna revels in his own lack of moral compass. However, we soon return to the familiar visuals of a daredevil hero figure cutting limbs and slitting throats to protect his family. There are also a few stylistic touches sprinkled around to keep things interesting, like the visuals suddenly turning black-and-white when Rathna explains the workings of Doraswami to his subordinate.

Krishna Chaitanya does succeed partially in building the multiple action set pieces, lending them some adrenaline. Yet, there is little originality at play here, and the excessive slo-mo shots and deafening music do little to convince us otherwise. Even the dramatic scenes are bombarded with a heavy background score, often overpowering the events on screen. At one point in the second half, as Rathna waits at a hospital for a beloved to regain senses, a small board in the background reads, ‘Noise Annoys.’ I couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony, while wishing that director Krishna Chaitanya also pondered that scenario as long as I did. Maybe then he would have realised the irony of it, and Gangs of Godavari would at least have been a slightly quieter film.

Film: Gangs of Godavari

Cast: Vishwak Sen, Neha Sshetty, Anjali, Nasser, Goparaju Ramana

Director: Krishna Chaitanya

Rating: 2/5 stars