Chotushkone
Reviews
Reviewpuram Akilan
I don’t think if this can be called a meta-movie. It is something different. And special. This is not your usual “anthology”. This is a story of 4 directors, setting out to 4 short films revolving around the theme “death”, given to them by the mysterious producer. If you find this baseline to be interesting, wait till you watch the film. It is an enthralling experience from start to finish. Srijit Mukherjee, for my eyes, is a master story-teller. He weaves magic in the form entertaining stories. The film touches multiple genres, with a brilliant narrative structure. The narration is easily the best among Indian films in the past year. The skips, the cuts, time lapses, the transitions between real and reel are a pure treat to watch. For example, there is a scene where a director is narrating his story, and we are cut to a frame where the lead character is featured in the middle of a room. The director is seen to be placing articles in the room, apparently being in the process of production design or “art direction”. He is then interrupted by another director who is listening to the story, and the visual of the director inside his “character’s” room stops what he’s doing, turns around and answers the question. Well, that just took the candidness of the film to another level! There are many more unconventional moments such as this which are bound to make you fall in love with Srijit the audacious story-teller . There is this funeral post-climax, and I honestly feel it was one brilliant piece in this big jigsaw puzzle. There is no “rain” at the funeral and no “dark” color-grading. Just simple and straight-forward stuff, no cliches. And it also evokes few laughs, you’ll know when you watch it. Things aren’t complicated, neither are they superficial. There are many underlying themes like retribution and death, which are put forth in the most inventive ways possible. And then there’s the social commentary as well. I leave it to you to figure out where it is placed. You’ll be amazed when you realise the placement. The songs are beautiful, with the female version “Basanto Eshe Geche” standing out tall. The background score is adequate, and the overall production value, slick. I felt there were few unwanted characters and few minutes of screentime wasted on them. Maybe they simply can’t be replaced, but could have been done away with completely. They don’t add anything to the story in terms of progression. Parambrata Chaterjee is a revelation, be it his body language or dialogue delivery. The dialogue where he references Clint Eastwood is a scene where he reaches another level of eccentricity! He is one actor who could, in the near future, be the face of indie flicks in our part of the world… Already among the best Indian films of 2014, Chotushkone is a ride one must not miss. Though not visually arresting, the screen will have your attention, thanks to the actors and situations they go through. And there are the unexpected twists thrown at us, which will leave you watching in glee. With all the detailing and commentary on contemporary cinema, this is one film every cinephile should watch once in his life.
Movie Recommendation
Blindspotting2018-07-20Collin must make it through his final three days of probation for a chance at a new beginning. He and his troublemaking childhood best friend, Miles, work as movers, and when Collin witnesses a police shooting, the two men’s friendship is tested as they grapple with identity and their changed realities in the rapidly-gentrifying neighborhood they grew up in.More...
The Re-Incarnate2014-02-28Rohit, a Gujarati, studies the life of Anthony Firengee, and in the process meets with a mysterious man Kushawl Hajra.More...
Iyobinte Pusthakam2014-11-07Set in the backdrop of the picturesque Munnar, it tells the story of Iyob, a slave-turned-master.More...
Baishe Srabon2011-09-28A serial killer terrorises the city of Kolkata and leaves behind verses of Bengali poetry. The police seek the help of a retired officer to unravel the case and find the perpetrator.More...
Shadows of Time2005-11-06Ravi and Masha are just children when they were sold into labour by their parents. When they meet, friendship blossoms between them but when the factory manager threatens to sell Masha, possibly into sex slavery, Ravi gives up his hard earned savings to buy her freedom. They agree on a way to find each other once Ravi has earned enough money to buy his freedom but a series of misunderstandings and fear tear them apart. Though they now have their freedom in life, they have to find their way in love.More...
La La Land2016-12-01Mia, an aspiring actress, serves lattes to movie stars in between auditions and Sebastian, a jazz musician, scrapes by playing cocktail party gigs in dingy bars, but as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.More...
Joker2019-10-01During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure.More...
Parasite2019-05-30All unemployed, Ki-taek's family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.More...
Oppenheimer2023-07-19The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer's role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II.More...
Captain Marvel2019-03-06The story follows Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.More...
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery2022-11-23World-famous detective Benoit Blanc heads to Greece to peel back the layers of a mystery surrounding a tech billionaire and his eclectic crew of friends.More...
Prey2022-08-02When danger threatens her camp, the fierce and highly skilled Comanche warrior Naru sets out to protect her people. But the prey she stalks turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal.More...
Barbie2023-07-19Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.More...
Green Book2018-11-16Tony Lip, a bouncer in 1962, is hired to drive pianist Don Shirley on a tour through the Deep South in the days when African Americans, forced to find alternate accommodations and services due to segregation laws below the Mason-Dixon Line, relied on a guide called The Negro Motorist Green Book.More...
Knives Out2019-11-27When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan's dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan's untimely death.More...
Hot Fuzz2007-02-14Former London constable Nicholas Angel finds it difficult to adapt to his new assignment in the sleepy British village of Sandford. Not only does he miss the excitement of the big city, but he also has a well-meaning oaf for a partner. However, when a series of grisly accidents rocks Sandford, Angel smells something rotten in the idyllic village.More...
Soul2020-12-25Joe Gardner is a middle school teacher with a love for jazz music. After a successful audition at the Half Note Club, he suddenly gets into an accident that separates his soul from his body and is transported to the You Seminar, a center in which souls develop and gain passions before being transported to a newborn child. Joe must enlist help from the other souls-in-training, like 22, a soul who has spent eons in the You Seminar, in order to get back to Earth.More...
Avatar: The Way of Water2022-12-14Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, learn the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.More...
Us2019-03-14Husband and wife Gabe and Adelaide Wilson take their kids to their beach house expecting to unplug and unwind with friends. But as night descends, their serenity turns to tension and chaos when some shocking visitors arrive uninvited.More...
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse2023-05-31After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters the Spider Society, a team of Spider-People charged with protecting the Multiverse’s very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must set out on his own to save those he loves most.More...