Simar Madra

Observations and Reflections

Archives (page 2 of 3)

Swinging Animation to new heights: Across the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is one of the few movies that started the trend of Metamodernism in cinema. Vox even made a video talking about how the movie forced animation to evolve beyond mere hyperrealism – by using animation to create what the camera cannot capture, instead of simply replicating a lens’ vision. Yet even a recent rewatch of that genre-defining film could not prepare me for the sheer audacity of its sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

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Exploring the horrors that still plague indian society: Dahaad

Following the success of Amazon Prime Video’s recent OTT releases, Dahaad is an inspiring story that doesn’t shy away from pointing out the flaws in our societal and governing structures. Show creators Reema Katgi and Zoya Akhtar explore difficult issues, such as caste prejudice, misogyny, and Islamophobia that still continue to thrive in our democratic and secular nation, even though most of the show’s intended audience would rather pretend that they no longer exist.

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An Imploration to Celebrate Life: Suzume

Much like most of the director Makoto Shinkai’s work, Suzume’s emotional core sucker punches you as you follow a tale of far-fetched supernatural occurrences. Bringing back themes of time, remembrance, and the butterfly-effect from his previous films, Shinkai weaves a narrative that emphasizes the importance of learning to live with our traumas, rather than suppressing them.

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A Rather Boring met gala

At this year’s MET Gala, most celebrities found it relatively easy to stick to the theme, owing to its simplicity and directness, Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty. But the result was extremely boring, drawing a response of apathy from its audience.

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The Pitfalls of Power: Tar

Lydia Tar is a narcissist. This is evident right from the first scene of the film – where Tar discusses her views of music and herself with a journalist. She is a terrible person, but still a complex one. This is where the greatness of Tar lies.

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Film Review – The Handmaiden

The words that first come to mind when thinking about Park Chan-Wook’s 2016 erotic-thriller, The Handmaiden, are sumptuously delectable. Hidden among the layers of beautifully meticulous costuming matched by equally detailed set design, is a sharply-crafted tale of finding freedom and love in an oppressive and patriarchal environment.

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Film Review – The Triangle of Sadness

The Triangle of Sadness’s opening credits show male models wearing speedos covered in the star-spangled banner as they get doused in paint in a way that is reminiscent of Jackson Pollock’s art. For a while after the credits ended and the movie trudged along, I wondered what it meant. Was it a metaphor for something I missed? No. It’s Ruben Östlund’s way of introducing you to a film that is entirely void of nuance, elevating satire on class and power structures to a whole new level of ridiculousness. There is no metaphor; this is all rich people nonsense.

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