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Lucky Baskhar Review: Luck Favors Baskhar

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Lucky Baskhar Review: Luck Favors Baskhar

BOTTOM LINE
Luck Favors Baskhar

RATING
2.75/5

CENSOR
U/A, 2h 30m


dulquer-salmaan-lucky-bhaskar-telugu-movie-reviewWhat Is the Film About?

Baskhar (Dulquar Salman) is an ordinary guy with a near-poor life. He works as a cashier at Maghada Bank in Bombay. The financial circumstances around him eventually force him to take the wrong path. The movie’s basic story is what happens when Bashkar takes the wrong route and how it impacts him and his family.

Performances

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Dulquar Salman perfectly fits Baskhar’s role. The film offers him dual shades primarily and other small variations making it a well-rounded affair for him.

It also helps that Dulquar Salman’s is the only character in the movie with a proper character arc. From a simple guy to a greedy ultra-rich person, the transition is neatly and naturally conveyed without any exaggerated emotions. He sails through the proceedings with his natural charm and style and with subtle emotions. Be it anger, frustration or extreme happiness, there is always an economy in emotion and it’s well captured.

Meenakshi Choudhary gets a decent role. She looks good and has a couple of moments to show her dramatic skills. They are simple and do the trick for her.


director_venkyatluriAnalysis

Venky Atluri of Tholi Prema and Sir fame directs Lucky Baskhar. It is a rags-to-riches narrative which also includes the side effects of becoming greedy. Basically, it is a tale of greed and the retribution of a common man.

Lucky Baskhar takes time to establish the world the story is set in. It has two distinctive tracks within it, one is the family and the other is related to the banking sector. These two form the core plot elements the movie handles, they are family emotions and financial crimes.

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The family emotions aspect of the movie is routine. We have seen it many times before. However, the good thing is the director swiftly moves through this predictability without too much lag. The birthday sequence where the wife gets hurt, the tearing up of the pocket, for example, conveys it clearly.

The criminal aspect offers freshness to the routine setup. The first half deals with smuggling via importing stuff. These parts offer newness as a background, but narrative speaking they happen very conveniently for the hero. He faces no challenge at all and is prepared well in advance.

What that does is, despite the fresh backdrop and something new on offer, the depth is missing and therefore the expected high is not reached. A flat sense prevails. Again, like the emotional track, there is hardly any lag. Things move swiftly with a smooth screenplay which keeps the curiosity alive. The pre-interval and interval segments help in maintaining the same.

Post-interval is where things get exciting as the stakes become higher. The financial crime aspect adds to the novelty. The business jargon is used just enough to make things look a little authentic and not overdone to make things confusing. A balance is achieved which helps navigate the proceedings without taxing the brain much.

Things go on a predictable path, but some of the payoff related to the ‘monetary’ aspect that’s established previously helps the flow. The spending of 69 lakhs in a single day is such a sequence.

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The real deal with the movie arrives via the character arc of Baskhar during the second half. The change in personality due to greed, the realisation and the eventual transformation to normal are neatly done. The scene with the father during this portion is the clincher as far as Lucky Baskhar’s fate with the audience goes. What happens later is just icing on the cake tying all the threads. The stretch towards the climax is a little lengthy but satisfying.

Overall, Lucky Baskhar has a straightforward story that is easy to predict. There’s no real challenge for the hero, but the engaging screenplay and interesting narrative make up for it by keeping us involved in how the events unfold. Watch it if you like crime narratives with routine drama embedded in them.


meenakshi-chaudhary-lucky-bhaskar-telugu-movie-reviewPerformances by Others Actors

Lucky Bashkar is filled with artists. You have many people filling up different worlds. But, none among them have well-defined parts. They are bits and pieces roles and chip in as per the requirement and then disappear, to then appear much later reminding us of their presence.

Among the many, Tinu Anand, Rajkumaar, AVPL Tatha etc manage to register. They all have minor parts but play a key role in taking things forward.


music-director-gv-prakashMusic and Other Departments?

GV Prakash provides the music and background score for the movie. The musician doesn’t deliver on the songs front, but makes up for it a little bit via the BGM. It is loud and blaring, but serves the purpose.

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Technically the movie is slick with neat cuts, frames and art work. The cinematography is consistently good and adds to the vintage feel. The editing is neat. The predictable moments, especially in drama, don’t overstay to cause irritation. The writing is adequate. Nothing stands out, but there isn’t much to complain about as well. The production values are good. The movie bears a visually striking look.


Highlights?

Dulquar Salman

Backdrop

Second Half

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Pre Climax

Drawbacks?

Predictable Narrative

Parts Of First Half

No Real Threat For Hero

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sai-kumar-lucky-bhaskar-telugu-movie-reviewDid I Enjoy It?

Yes

Will You Recommend It?

Yes

Final Report:

Lucky Bhaskar is a decently engaging watch set against the backdrop of financial crimes. Dulquer, the performer makes a straightforward story interesting enough with his acting. The writing and presentation are decent but convenient for the most part. The film certainly makes for a one-time watch in theaters.

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First Half Report:

Bhaskar’s hurdles may be complex, but the solutions seem very convenient. The good part is that the interest is alive and keeps the story moving forward. Dulquer is driving it single-handedly. The interval stop point is interesting. Overall, it’s a decent first half so far.

Lucky Baskhar opens with Bhaskar’s family facing financial difficulties. Stay tuned for the report.

Stay tuned for Lucky Baskhar Review, USA Premiere report.

Lucky Bhaskar, directed by Venky Atluri, caught attention with a good trailer, and Dulquer Salmaan, despite being a Malayalam hero, has strong acceptance in Telugu, which turned out to be a plus. Let’s find out if the movie lives up to the hype.

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Cast: Dulquer Salmaan, Meenakshi Chaudhary

Writer & Director: Venky Atluri

Music: GV Prakash Kumar
Cinematography: Nimish Ravi
Editor: Navin Nooli
Art Director – Banglan

Producer: Naga Vamsi S – Sai Soujanya
Presenter – Srikara Studios
Banners – Sithara Entertainments & Fortune Four Cinemas

USA Distributor: Shloka Entertainments

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Lucky Baskhar Movie Review by M9

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Movie Reviews

Brandon Rhiness’s ‘GROTESQUE 2’ (2024) – Movie Review – PopHorror

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Brandon Rhiness’s ‘GROTESQUE 2’ (2024) – Movie Review – PopHorror

Recently I reviewed my new indie horror obsession Grotesque, which features slasher icon in the making Mildred Moyer. Director/writer Brandon Rhiness was kind enough to let me check out Grotesque 2 for review.

How does it hold up to the original? Read on for my thoughts.

Synopsis

Mildred Moyer is at it again, unleashing her unique brand of vengeance on a corrupt religious organization that took advantage of her and others.

Grotesque 2 was written and directed by Brandon Rhiness (Grotesque) from a story by Rhiness and Julie Whelan. The film stars Elizabeth Chamberlain returning as Mildred Moyer, Jaime Hill (Grotesque), Nick Gauthier (Hot Box), Julie Whelan (Grotesque), Natasha Hurlburt, Laura Fuentes (I’m Haunted 2), Jarvis Greiner (Grotesque), Chris Schuler (Grotesque), and Alice Wordsworth.

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I really enjoyed getting to see Mildred Moyer return in Grotesque 2, though it kind of shattered the sense of happiness she found in the original. I liked that the story took its time to develop and spent time establishing the villains of the story and how truly awful they are. The villains are a corrupt religious organization who steals from those in need of prayer, and drugs their congregation into compliance. The fact that they were so awful made their deaths all the more satisfying.

Speaking of deaths, we get a ton of them here, one of my favorites being a woman who gets cut in half. The deaths lean heavily into comedy and Mildred Moyer’s trademark one liners are back. Some of them are pretty cringe but the film leans into it by having Mildred poke fun at just how bad some of them are.

I enjoyed how people kept telling Mildred that she looks like infamous serial killer Mildred Moyer and how she thought on her feet and hilariously figured out ways past it, like, “I have glasses and she didn’t.” I loved Mildred’s look in Grotesque 2 and how it was an inverse of her look in the first film. I thought it was cool that so many actors from the original returned as different characters. I loved how the story came full circle and tied everything back to the original and wrapped up some loose ends.

The one thing I didn’t really care for was the ending, which left me feeling pretty upset as it seems to mark a definitive ending to the series. Besides that one complaint I really enjoyed the hell out of Grotesque 2.

Final Thoughts 

Grotesque 2 is a fun slasher sequel that leans into the comedy present in the original and brings the story full circle. Highly recommend.

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Movie Reviews

Anora | Reelviews Movie Reviews

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Anora | Reelviews Movie Reviews

Going into Anora, I wasn’t sure what to expect but it
certainly wasn’t a screwball comedy. Yet, following an explosively erotic, wild
twist on the Pretty Woman cliché, writer/director Sean Baker guides his
movie into an extended period of warped comedy. By the third act, he returns to
a drama-based foundation, focusing on concluding with a modicum of closure but Anora
stands out as an airy experience full of surprises (big and small), all
anchored by Mikey Madison’s tremendous performance.

Madison is a revelation as the title character, stripper
Anora “Ani” Mikheeva, who lives in Brooklyn and works in an upscale club in Manhattan.
Madison has mastered the accent and attitude of someone eking out an existence
in Ani’s circumstances. The character is bold and brassy, taking shit from no
one (including her fellow dancers) and seizing any opportunity that comes her
way. Madison is fearless, seemingly comfortable with the nudity required for (numerous)
scenes in the film’s first 45 minutes (she reportedly felt so at ease with
Baker and her co-star, Mark Eydelshteyn, that she turned down the offer of an
intimacy coordinator) and showing an admirable capacity for physical comedy
during the film’s midsection. But her most remarkable moment comes during the
final scene.

Early in Anora, Baker, who has a gift for a you-are-there
filmmaking, takes the viewer behind-the-scenes at the strip club where Anora
works, providing glimpses of how the dancers view their work. The conversations
aren’t fundamentally different from what one might hear from servers in
restaurants or performers in a stage show. This is a job. They know how to do
it and how to skirt the rules to get the best tips. Anora is willing to do a
little extra on the side (off club grounds) to make some additional cash but
she’s not cheap and doesn’t perceive herself as a prostitute. In fact, she
bristles at being called a “whore” or “hooker,” evidence to the contrary.

Her fortunes, which are illustrated briefly with a shot of
her flat, take a turn for the better when the club owner introduces her to
Vanya (Eydelshteyn), the spoiled scion of a Russian oligarch who’s looking for
a good time with a woman who can speak Russian (one of Anora’s talents). Smitten
and unsatisfied with what she offers in a VIP room, Vanya asks for a meeting at
his mansion and the two are soon negotiating a deal where she will be his
exclusive, live-in “girlfriend” for a week (she gets $15K for the job). While
on a trip to Vegas, Vanya impulsively proposes and the two return to New York
as a wedded couple. This news alarms Vanya’s Armenian handler, Toros (Karren
Karagulian), who is ordered by Vanya’s irate parents to “take care of” the
situation. When his bumbling henchmen, Garnick (Vache Tovmasyan) and Igor (Yura
Borisov), arrive at the mansion, Vanya is initially stubborn and belligerent but
then runs away, leaving Anora to deal with the Three Stooges.

Vanya’s flight signals a shift in tone from the playful
romantic interaction between the newlywed couple to the comedic interactions
between Anora and her three captors. It’s a twist on O. Henry’s “Ransom of Red
Chief,” where the victim is more than the kidnappers can handle. Although this
segment probably goes on a little too long (the movie as a whole feels like it
could benefit from some trimming, mostly during the third act), it vacillates
between darkly amusing and laugh-out-loud funny. The thugs aren’t particularly menacing
and Anora never seems to be in danger. By the time Anora reaches its
final 40 minutes, the Baker shifts into a more grounded exploration of the emotional
toll of the experience on Ani.

In 2017, when Baker had his international breakthrough with The Florida Project, I remember being surprised at how engaging such a small, seemingly
simple production could be. I wrote the following: “The Florida Project feels genuine from start to finish and Baker
doesn’t wander onto a Hollywood-inspired detour despite many opportunities.” Some
of those same qualities are evident in Anora. By using handheld cameras
(but not in a way that threaten to bring on nausea) and favoring longer takes,
Baker opts for a gritty, intimate perspective to present a narrative that could
best be described as a twisted fairy tale. He navigates tonal switches and
story beats that could doom another production but which end up elevating this
one.

Anora has proven to be liked by both critics and
everyday movie-goers, at least those that give it a chance. (I saw it on its
local opening night and there were only a dozen attendees.) After winning the
Golden Palm at Cannes, it went on to capture the Audience Award at Toronto and
currently holds a 91 rating (Universal Acclaim) at Metacritic. But marketing
the film has proven tricky for distributor NEON. The movie’s essential
qualities don’t translate well to a two-minute trailer and the confusing platform
release strategy has left some viewers uncertain when it might open at a
theater near them. Here’s hoping the movie finds its audience because it’s one
of the freshest and most audacious films available in this year’s sparse
cinematic landscape.

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Anora (United States, 2024)





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Movie Reviews

Janaka Aithe Ganaka Movie Review (Aha)

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Janaka Aithe Ganaka Movie Review (Aha)

Overview:
“Janaka Aithe Ganaka” is a comedy-drama starring Suhas, crafted with a mix of humor and emotions. Directed by Sandeep Reddi Bandla and produced under Dil Raju Productions, the film was released in theaters on October 12 and is now streaming on Aha.

Plot Summary:
The story follows Prasad (Suhas), a middle-class man from a modest family, which includes his wife (Sangerthana), parents, and grandmother. Prasad’s life is marked by financial struggles, making him firmly believe that one should only have children if they can provide a comfortable life. This perspective intensifies when he sees his friend Kishore (played by Vennela Kishore), a struggling lawyer, grappling with raising his kids due to financial constraints.

When Prasad learns his wife is unexpectedly pregnant, he is startled, questioning how this could happen despite his strict family planning. Discovering a possible failure of the contraceptive he used, he decides to sue the company for compensation. The case takes them to court, where Prasad’s decision brings a series of challenges, ultimately leading him to a realization about family and responsibility.

Analysis:
The title, “Janaka Aithe Ganaka,” carries an embedded humor, suggesting the burdens of fatherhood. The movie starts by exploring the dynamics of a middle-class family and then transitions to a court drama with Rajendra Prasad as the judge and Murali Sharma as a prominent lawyer. The courtroom scenes blend humor with societal issues, particularly the challenges middle-class families face and the impact of these on parental emotions.

The film centers on the concept of family planning, which becomes both its strength and limitation. While individual viewers might find the storyline amusing, watching the film with family could be somewhat uncomfortable due to the focus on contraception. Nevertheless, the humor, especially from Vennela Kishore and the scenes with Prasad’s grandmother, adds a lively element.

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The film’s twist ending, leaving audiences laughing even after the credits roll, is a high point, enhancing the overall narrative with an unexpected and comedic punch.

Performance:
Suhas delivers a natural performance that resonates with his character’s struggles. Debutant Sangerthana as his wife fits well in her role. Vennela Kishore, portraying a frustrated father, brings humor, while seasoned actors Rajendra Prasad and Murali Sharma add depth and authenticity to the court scenes.

Technical Aspects:
Director Sandeep Reddi’s narrative approach and character development are commendable, weaving humor and social commentary seamlessly. Vijay Bulganin’s music, Sai Sriram’s cinematography, and Kodati Pavan Kalyan’s editing contribute to a polished, engaging presentation.

Verdict:
Janaka Aithe Ganaka” is a light-hearted comedy that addresses middle-class concerns with a humorous touch. While it may not resonate with everyone, it’s a decent watch for those looking for a blend of humor and relatable issues.

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