Cinematic Thrills

  DON'T LOOK UP (2021) It is not a simple moment for satire. Throughout Trump's presidency, politics in real life got so crazy that to mock them just seemed unnecessary. And yet, some clever creatives started thinking that satire had to educate folks on morals. But that isn't what satire is actually all about. Fine satire is that which amplifies and mocks stupidity—it doesn't attempt to fix or provide answers. Strictly speaking, that makes Adam McKay's Netflix movie Don't Look Up an instance of satire, but in many ways, unfortunately, not very effective at all. It resembles a social media meme rather than cutting wit.  The movie itself is quite milky and even somewhat arrogant. Not because it doesn't take a clear political stance—satire doesn't need to—but because it's too long, too heavy-handed, and too confident that some "good people" might save the world if only we would listen to them. It invents a absurd world populated by silly chara...

Fury (2014)  It's April 1945. World War II is almost over, and the Allies are advancing deep into Germany. Don "Wardaddy" Collier (played by Brad Pitt) commands a tank crew in a machine they call "Fury." These soldiers have been fighting together since the North African Campaign two years ago. They're like brothers, willing to fight until the very end. Then there's Private Norman (Logan Lerman), a young and inexperienced new recruit who has never seen combat. Dumped directly into the war, Norman soon discovers he's not cut out for this. But all bets are off. Outgunned and outnumbered, the men have to fight to stay alive—it's kill or be killed. Fury, directed by David Ayer, is a gritty and realistic portrayal of World War II. It's not heroes on a rescue mission. It's what war does to the men who survive it. We know this won't be a feel-good war movie from the first scene. The movie starts with a man riding by horse, going past heaps of...

Forgotten lives : Exploring Momento and Bourne Identity  Suppose you lose your memory and cannot recall your past. Everyone is a stranger… What will you do? Will you recreate yourself or attempt to rediscover your identity? Loss of memory is a major characteristic of Memento and The Bourne Identity. I'm researching both the films in this one article. Memento (2000) The film Memento starts off with Leonard (played by Guy Pearce) clinging to a photo of a corpse. But far from proceeding further, the sequence is reversed. The picture vanishes in front of us again and disappears back into the camera. And we see the killer taking the shot at the murder scene. Instantly, our minds are racked with questions—what's the identity of this man and how was he murdered? The movie continues alternating black-and-white with color scenes. The protagonist Leonard has a syndrome where he's unable to form new memories. Every 15 minutes or so, he repeats forgetting everything anew. It feels like...

  The Art of Deception: A Dive into Gone Girl David Fincher’s Gone Girl (2014) is more than just a thriller—it’s a masterclass in deception, manipulation, and the dark complexities of human relationships. Adapted from Gillian Flynn’s bestselling novel, this psychological thriller weaves a story of love, lies, and betrayal that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. With standout performances, razor-sharp direction, and a plot that refuses to let go, Gone Girl remains a landmark in modern cinema. Plot Overview On their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) discovers his wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), is missing. The case quickly gains national media attention, but as secrets unravel, Nick becomes the prime suspect. What begins as a mystery about a missing wife spirals into a dark exploration of marriage, identity, and the masks people wear. Suspense and Pacing Fincher masterfully builds tension, blending a slow-burn narrative with shocking twists. The non-linear stor...