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South Indian cinema just amazes me. Right when I feel I’ve watched everything on offer, it brings out a new gem to add to my list of favorites. And the variety, from action stars punching the souls out of villains to anti-heroes desperately victimized by the system, there is so much to watch, enjoy and even relate to.

In the past few years of watching both industrialized as well as independent films in Tamil, Telugu, Malayali and Kannada languages, I can without a second’s thought say that films from South India have more originality, authenticity and variety than the offerings of Bollywood.

Released over a week ago on Netflix, the Tamil-language film “Aelay”, a comedy-drama centered on love-hate relationship between a father and a son, is another addition to the south’s diversity. Originally produced for theaters, the film had to bear the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic that pushed back its post-production, forcing it into a TV premiere in February 2021 before its release on Netflix.

A young Parthi (Manikandan) returns to his rural village from the city on hearing the news of his father’s demise. The popularity of his deceased father Muthukkutty (Samuthirakani)—an iced0popsicles vendor in the village—waxes and wanes because of his erratic habits. Muthukkuty is not only the village’s popsicles vendor, but also a mischievous conman who has villagers wary of his antics. Again, people love him for his simplicity and helpfulness in times of need.

We also learn within the first few scenes that the motherless Parthi does not have normal relationship with his father who raised him as a single parent. Parthi blames his father for his neglected childhood and doesn’t seem much disturbed at his demise. Instead, he seems more troubled with the marriage of his distraught lover Nachiya (Madhumathi) happening in the village at the same time as his father’s funeral.

Aelay, told between the present and the past, starts like a regular funeral film where the living celebrates the life of the deceased with a lot of flashbacks. But by half time, there is a major twist that changes the whole story and leaves the audience bewildered. Writer and director Halitha Shameem has ensured the film doesn’t get too dark while maintaining a high humor quotient.

Based on a story that starts simple and then complicates as things progress, the screenplay of Aelay consistently reminds the audience that the film will not let them settle comfortably. It uses the whole village to create characters that contribute to the story. Yes, the film centers on Muthykutty-Parthi father-son relationship, but it also branches out to show relationships between friends, extended families and neighbors.

While the rest of the cast contributes its fair share to the film, it’s definitely the lead actors’ performances that help a non-glamourous, lifelike story shine on the screen. Both Samuthikarani and Manikandan fit the film’s script. I haven’t personally followed Manikandan much but Samuthikarani has been impressive in almost all his movies I have watched so far. The actor is a prime example of the versatility of South Indian cinema and with Aelay, he just adds another feather in his cap. 

The only pinching let-down is the film length. For a story based entirely in a small village with a small number of characters and no over-dramatization, Aelay’s length of 2hrs 33mins feels rather stretched, especially in the second half. If a film feels long on an OTT where the option of fast-forwarding is right there, one can only imagine how it would be in a theater.

Who should watch it?

The length is not bothersome at all for Aelay’s story, screenplay and acting. This is a feel-good comedy that a lot of Nepali audiences can enjoy and given the similarities in our social constructs, and also relate to.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Genre: Comedy, drama

Actors: Manikandan, Samuthirakani

Director: Halitha Shameem

Run time: 2hrs 33mins 

Right since it started playing in the Thamel pub circuit back in 2008/2009, “Pariwartan” has been a busy band. Busy to the point that it was playing six nights a week, in and outside Thamel. In the pre-covid era, the band was one of the most sought-after set of musicians for live performances, traveling across Nepal to play at different venues. Pariwartan performs cover songs, in English and Nepali, ranging from modern pop to classic rock.

“The initial plan was not only to play covers but also to create our own music,” says Deepak Gurung, bass player and the only remaining founding member of the band that has in time gone through multiple line-up changes. After a string of trials and errors with different band members, the 37-year-old Gurung has finally found the perfect bandmates in singer/guitarist Gopi Shrestha, drummer Yugal Shahi and guitarist Pravesh Thapa Magar, all of whom are in their mid-20s. Joining the band between 2018 and 2019, the three reciprocate Gurung’s trust as they look to collectively forge a new identity.

When the pandemic shut down venues across the country and forced musicians to hibernate, the band took the time to finally create and record its own music. Pariwartan released its debut single “Ma Chu” in July 2020 and has since been writing more music in preparation for its debut album. “We have eight songs ready for the full-length album that we plan to release this June or July,” Gurung says.

With a background of playing cover music of artists of all genres, what genre does Pariwartan identify with? “We don’t know that yet,” says the singer Shrestha. “Our songs have turned out to be of multiple genres, so we can’t exactly tell people what genre we belong to.” Shrestha, with the help of guitarist Magar, writes the initial frame for Pariwartan’s music while other band members chip in with ideas to complete the songs. Sometimes, new material is made spontaneously in the band’s rehearsal space.

For a band that has made an image for itself doing covers, breaking out with originals is difficult. The audiences are so used to hearing regular covers that they don’t accept anything new from the band, especially its original music. This has been true of many past bands that were successful as cover artists but failed to win audiences with their originals. For Pariwartan, this has not been the case, its members say. “Surprisingly, our audiences request us to play originals at our shows,” Magar says. “Some even ask us to play all our originals.” Gurung says this is something his band is proud of.

After its debut album, Pariwartan might change its playlist to only originals. That, at least, is the plan. They want to be recognized for creating their own music. “The plan was always there,” Shrestha says. “We just found the right time to do so.”

The band has been keeping aside its earnings from shows to finance its music. Studio time, audio post production, music video production and promotion all require significant resources. With all of them (besides Gurung) dependent on music for their livelihood, the band has had to be astute with their funds.

As for now, the band is back to doing shows and preparing for the album. It recently released the official video for its single “Timi Ra Ma” and has a couple more music videos in the pipeline before the album release. Band manager Bijay Khadka then plans to organize a nationwide tour for Pariwartan to the album.

“I remember we were opening for the mighty Albatross at the end of 2018, when our guitarist Pravesh came to me and told me we would never reach their level if we stuck to playing covers,” Gurung ends with a recollection. “It was a big realization and we finally got into making our own music. Hope we succeed.”

When I first read about the Indians planning to make a movie adaptation of Paula Hawkins’ 2015 bestselling novel “The Girl on the Train” a couple of years ago, I was pretty excited. Then when I read Pareeniti Chopra would be starring, the excitement waned a little. I’m not sure but maybe that’s what happened to most of the audience as the film opened on Netflix on February 26 without the slightest buzz, before or after.

Ribhu Dasgupta directs and writes the Hindi-language adaptation of the British whodunit produced under the banner of Reliance Entertainment. With a huge banner backing up the production and a tested story set in London, the film could have been molded into an unsettling thriller for the international audience. Instead, the makers chose to take a narrow path and tried to Bollywoodify the movie, making a harrowing caricature of a mystery film, one of those that are quickly forgotten by the audience.

Mira Kapoor (Parineeti Chopra), a London-based criminal lawyer has an accident that causes a miscarriage and changes her life forever. Because of the trauma, the otherwise strongheaded Mira gets diagnosed with anterograde amnesia—a condition where the patient cannot convert a short-term memory into long-term memory. The condition worsens as Mira takes to alcohol to deal with the stress and hence her relationship with her husband Dr. Shekhar Kapoor (Avinash Tiwary) comes to an end.

A distraught Mira then spends her time traveling around in the local train every day, watching the world outside from the window. On her multiple journeys through London, Mira one day spots Nusrat John (Aditi Rao Hydari), at her home in Greenwich. In Nusrat, Mira sees her past. She sees Nusrat as a woman living a perfect life. Given her condition, Mira attaches herself to Nusrat’s life and when she senses that Nusrat’s perfect life might have an anomaly after all, she decides to take matters in her own hands. That’s when she gets involved in a murder she has no memory of, and is pursued relentlessly by Inspector Dalbir Kaur Bagga (Kirti Kulhari).

This will probably sound strange but The Girl on the Train, a film made by Indians in England, lacks diversity. In Bollywood’s England, everyone is Indian. Or at least everyone understands Hindi perfectly, be it brown, black or white folks. The makers of this film seem to come from the same schooling. And this is not the only creative blunder that the filmmakers partake in.

The film’s characters are so banally written that almost everyone seems like they’re acting in a spoof. Take Kulhari’s Inspector Bagga for example. Inspector Bagga is a London cop who functions like she’s in Mumbai or Delhi. She starts interrogating suspects whenever she pleases and even slaps them at will. And in a crime mystery with multiple suspects, there’s not a single mention of a lawyer. The filmmakers seem to forget that OTT audiences have access to international cinema and these yesteryear Bollywood theatrics will not go down well with them.

Maybe bad writing is the reason behind the otherwise talented Kulhari’s lackluster performance. Kulhari tries too hard to become a strict London cop. So hard that her struggle is both visible and painful to watch.

Talk about struggling, one can definitely sense the struggle in Chopra’s efforts too. The Girl on the Train is Chopra’s most prominent role thus far in her career and gives her plenty of screen time. But as the 2h long film progresses, we realize she cannot make the best of what’s given to her. I personally would blame the lazy writing more than Chopra, but still, after years spent in Bollywood, the audience definitely expects better performance from her.

Who should watch it?

I fear I might have been a little too critical of the movie, specially coming to it straight from the Luxembourgish thriller “Capitani.” So I think, The Girl on the Train with all its Bollywoodish devices could be a decent watch for audience who enjoy ‘soft core’ thrillers. But for the more serious audience for whom all aspects need to make sense in a movie, you better stay at the platform itself.

Nepal, then the only Hindu kingdom in the world, was declared a secular state under the new constitution. The decision came at a time Madhesh was unconvinced of the constitution’s inclusiveness and thus a violent struggle ensued, resulting in India imposing a months-long embargo. 

Amid the chaos, the dissenting voices of pro-Hindu state leaders, particularly those from the pro-monarchy Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), were drowned. 

In the following years, Hindu nationalist parties and organizations have more forcefully opposed Nepal’s status as a secular state, arguing Nepal has been a Hindu nation for centuries and Hinduism is not just a religion but a way of life. 

The pro-Hindu fringe also wants the monarchy restored.

In January, the Far-West Province saw a massive rally for Hindu state. In the days that followed, there were similar protests in other parts of the country, again with significant public participation. All these protests suggest the forces backing the pro-Hindu agenda have grown in strength. 

According to the National Population and Housing Census 2011 (National Report), 81.3 percent of Nepal’s population are Hindus. The Hindus also consist of a huge number of ‘upper-caste’ people with the monetary, social and political strength to influence voters and decision-makers. 

Over to Oli

When Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli visited the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu in January, he became the first incumbent communist PM to do so. The prime minister also declared that the government would donate to the temple 101 kg of gold. The gold-plating on the roof and jalhari would be a break in tradition, Oli told the media. In the following weeks, Oli also announced that he would be building a Ram Janaki temple at Ram’s alleged new birthplace in Thori, Chitwan, with his personal resources. 

Sociologist and educator Neeti Aryal Khanal says she has been observing the strange mix of communism and religion with some curiosity. In her opinion, NCP leader and PM Oli is trying to use religious sentiments to secure his vote-bank.

“This is not something new,” Khanal says. “Globally, religion has played an important role in politics. Politicians have understood how to use religious sentiments as political weapons to mass mobilize, influence vote banks and drive their agendas.”

In Nepal’s context though, there is a contradiction between what the communist politicians practice and the ideals they supposedly believe in. “In Marxist theory, religion is compared to opium,” Aryal explains. “Marx’s followers question religion and religious authority. Here, we see the opposite.”

Aryal sees another extremism brewing in Nepal. PM Oli is using Pashupatinath and the controversy surrounding Ram’s birthplace to cement his political hold. Just like his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, who used the Hindutwa card to come to power, she adds, Oli is banking on Hindus to re-elect him.

“In the long term, this will fuel religious fundamentalism and extremism,” Aryal says. “As it is, the threat of the use of violence for religious purpose has grown in Nepal.” Aryal gives the recent example of a women’s march where poet Sapana Sanjeevani had recited poems against religious patriarchy. “In return, she got rape and death threats from religious fanatics,” Aryal informs. “If these people feel they will be politically protected, the situation could get worse.”

Online hatred

A Facebook group called Isaaikaran Biruddha Janachetana (‘Awareness against Christianity’)—which self-translates as ‘People awareness against converted jhola’—has been spreading hatred against Christians in the name of raising awareness for Hinduism. The group consisting mostly of youths was public on Facebook and had a following of over 100,000 people before it went private recently—and it still has over 38,000 members. (This scribe was blocked from the group for trying to contact some admins and moderators.)

Some of the writings in the page are coarse, derogatory and filled with toxicity. The group members, which strangely also include young Christians, exchange verbal spats on a daily basis, sometimes even culminating in physical threats. The language used is so strong that we would not want to translate it for our readers.

An example of the group’s content is its admin Durgesh Ghale’s garbled post. “Teaching Jesus’ Nepali sheep is the responsibility of today’s informed youth. Jesus is a bastard child whose father is not known,” Ghale writes.

Out of the dozen or so group admins, we managed to get a reply from one Tej Prasad Adhikari from Butwal, who is currently working abroad. In a conversation over Facebook Messenger, Adhikari asserts the group’s importance in raising awareness against rampant religious conversions.

“Religion and culture are the identity of any country. Attacking that is a crime. Without our culture and religion, we will lose our existence,” writes Adhikari, as he accuses Christian missionaries of making religion a business and converting gullible Nepalis. The group, which has been active for five years, has members from all walks of life, from students to aspiring politicians.

Asked about the consequences of online rifts and if they could lead to a religious conflict, Adhikari acknowledges the possibility but again blames Christianity followers who, he speculates, could lead physical attacks against Hindus when their reasoning fails. “We don’t need weapons to fight this war,” Adhikari says. “If we make all Nepalis aware and expose these head-counting missionaries, we will win.”

Social media, especially Facebook, has turned into a battleground between Nepali youths of different religions. A quick Facebook search will take readers to dozens of these groups, moderated by young users, who use the safety of anonymity and distance to spew hatred and incite violence.

Dangerous tunes

Ram Krishna Upadhyaya, president of Hindu Jagaran Nepal, says Nepal is inherently a Hindu country and the only country in the world that deserves the title. The government has to listen to the majority if it wants to maintain peace and harmony. If Nepal becomes a Hindu state, it would be a matter of pride not only for Nepali Hindus but also for Hindus around the world. The youth of Nepal, Upadhyaya adds, are ready to struggle for it.

Upadhyaya goes on to say that if the ‘forced’ conversion of Hindus goes unchecked, Hindu groups might have to take matters into their own hands to protect the ancient religion. “We see lots of new converts influenced by money from external forces who are trying to discredit our religion. If this continues, there might be a war,” Upadhyaya warns, adding that there have been some physical retribution against other religions in parts of the country. “This is an international tactic, including by the US, to create a war zone in the country to serve their purposes. We don’t need other religions here.”

Singer turned politician Sanjaya Shrestha has an even more radical line. “The Christians here are supported by dollars,” Shrestha claims. “A lot of money was spent by external forces to undo the Hindu kingdom.” A local level candidate for the RPP in 2013, Shrestha, still considered a youth leader, is most critical of the communist government, especially the Maoists.

Shrestha still writes ‘Hindu kingdom’ in all his social media posts and believes that a paper signed by ‘601 corrupt politicians’ cannot change the country’s Hindu status. Christian churches, which he compares to public toilets, can be removed any time as Nepal is and will always be a Hindu country. “These one-roomed, public toilet-like churches may fool gullible people or coerce some to convert. But we can all change this overnight if we want,” Shrestha says. “These money-minded Christians seem to want war in our country. But with our majority, it won’t even be a war.”

Tolerant too

“I am a devout Hindu and being true to my faith, I am tolerant of all other religions as well,” says Pandit Prajwal Luitel. The 30-year-old is a Hindu priest by profession and graduate of Nepal Sanskrit University, hence the title. Luitel, a popular member of the famous Men’s Room Reloaded (MRR) group on Facebook, began studying to become a pandit from the school level itself.

“Our generation does not have many Sanskrit scholars. It’s probably because during the insurgency the Maoists prohibited most schools from teaching Sanskrit,” Luitel says. Studying Sanskrit and practicing Hindu rites is Luitel’s way of protecting the religion and preserving its traditions. A Hindu needs a priest from the time of birth till after death. And as the young generation was not much into it, Luitel decided to take the task upon himself.

Luitel does not support the politics behind declaring Nepal a secular state, but neither does he oppose it. As for reclaiming the country’s Hindu status, Luitel is least bothered as long as he is free to practice his religion. “I am a pandit who respects all religions equally,” Luitel says. “I’d never join protests asking for a Hindu nation. Everyone should be free to practice the religion of their choice.”

What’s on offer?

One thing Dev Kumar Sunuwar, a journalist and indigenous rights activist, has noticed is that religion can be an effective mobilization tool for the youths. Even those who were previously not bothered by politics or did not understand it are now animated by religious agendas.

Since PM Oli has recently been inviting speculations of Nepal moving towards a Hindu nation again, the idea has created a wave among the youth, Sunuwar believes. “I still don’t think there could be a mass movement for this,” Sunuwar says. “But there will always be one or the other group keeping this agenda alive for political purposes.”

As for the conversion of indigenous peoples into Christianity, Sunuwar says the numbers might be bigger than what has been reported in the media. Again, indigenous people of Nepal is not a homogenous group, so the conversion rates also depend on the caste system. “I know that in our Sunuwar community, almost 50 percent have converted to Christianity,” Sunuwar says. “The numbers are also huge among the Tamang community and Dalit groups.”

Sunuwar says Christian churches and organizations offer various packages to the newly converted. “The indigenous minorities were already discriminated and on the top of that, people started getting health insurance, scholarships, financial aid and other packages,” Sunuwar says. “Also, the government cut off many public holidays of the indigenous people and it also became clear to them that opting for Christianity would save them from observing expensive Hindu rituals.”

The problem with these conversions, Sunuwar fears, is that the indigenous people will lose their true identity. “Take our Sunuwar community. Our organization has declared that we are Kiratis. In the past, most of us used to be listed as Hindus,” Sunuwar explains. “Now that almost half of us are Christians, we have a hard time giving a single identity to the already small community of nature worshippers.”

Not on the cards

Political analyst Shyam Shrestha believes PM Oli started playing the religious card after all his other ploys failed. The Oli administration has failed to live up to its promises and when Oli dissolved the parliament and announced fresh elections, he used the religion card.

“But this is a risky bet,” says Shrestha, “We are not religious extremists, and this point was proven when the pro-Hindu RPP did not even get 1 percent of the total votes in the last elections.” Shrestha sees this as a desperate attempt by Oli, knowing that he might otherwise not return to power.

But what if Oli goes, as now seems likely? Shrestha is confident that none of his possible replacements as prime minister—Madhav Kumar Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal or Sher Bahadur Deuba—will play the religious card.

“Nepal and Dahal have always been supportive of a secular state. The Nepali Congress also supported it. So I don’t think any of these leaders will follow on Oli’s footsteps,” says Shrestha. He thus also rules out any prospect of a plebiscite on the issue.

One thing leads to another, they say. And this time, it happened to me over Netflix. After watching the mysterious mini-series “Behind Her Eyes” last week, I decided to rummage for more Netflix series. A quick search for what’s new on the OTT platform brought me to “Capitani”, a crime drama series from Luxembourg.

Yes, you read that right. Luxembourg! Released February 2021 on Netflix, “Capitani”— which originally premiered in Luxembourg’s national television in 2019—is apparently first Luxembourg’s first crime series as well as the country’s first Netflix series. Also, obviously, the first ever Luxembourgish movie or cinema for me, which, I am sure, will be the same for most of ApEx’s Nepali audiences.

Police inspector Luc Capitani (Luc Schiltz) is called in from the country’s south to investigate the possible murder of a 15-year-old Jenny Engel whose body is found in a forest near the northern village of Mënscht. The arrival of an unfamiliar inspector stirs things up in the close-knit village where everyone knows everyone. In the otherwise peaceful rural setting without a history of violent crimes, the only police force available for Capitani’s backup are two officers, one of whom is Elsa Ley (Sophie Mousel), and who plays a key role in supporting his investigation. 

For Capitani, what initially looks like an open-and-shut case turns out to be a labyrinth of interconnected mysteries that point at multiple directions. As unwelcome as he is made to feel by the villagers, his key witness—Jenny’s twin Tanya (Jil Devresse)—refuses to cooperate. Also, the twins’ mother, Nadine Kinsch (Claude de Demo), goes through another tragic bereavement while her estranged husband Mick Engel (Jules Werner) makes his way back into her life, and right in the middle of the investigation, further complicating things.

As if the complications were not enough for our sleuth Capitani, he meets Carla Pereira (Brigitte Urhausen)—an old lover and a drugs trafficker who he has had a mysterious past with—living in the village under the alias of Sofia Santos. He tries to solve the case despite all the hindrances while attempting to resolve his issues with Carla. Meanwhile, Capitani is himself being investigated by the Internal Affairs office for his possible involvement in the murder of a gangster 15 years ago.

When I use the phrase “labyrinth of mysteries” to describe what Capitani is going through in “Capitani”, I do not overstate. Right from the opening shot, the writers of the series— Thierry Faber, Eric Lamhène, Christophe Wagner (who is also the director)—weave an intricate web of suspense and secrets which unfolds till the very end. The unexpected climax also justifies the build-up and sets up the premise for season 2, while satisfyingly concluding the first season.

Consistency in the story, screenplay and direction are the keys to Capitani’s successful breakout into the global platform. The series has no indications of belonging to a relatively new film industry and there’s no sign of inexperience in the 12-episode series. The whole production works as a package to deliver an entertainer that could easily compete with some of the most popular new Netflix releases.

Who should watch it?

“Capitani” is not only an entertaining thriller but also an educational one as it provides a rare glimpse into the people and society of the exotic Luxembourg. For example, it took me the whole first episode to realize that the Luxembourgish language also has a major influence of German and French. (Maybe Belgian, too, but I wouldn’t recognize that.)

Also, watching this series you realize what living in a “full democracy” is like. The policing there seems to be entirely different from Nepal, India or even the US, which we are used to seeing on screen. The landlocked country 57 times smaller than ours has belted out one of the best international series of contemporary times and any movie/series fan will definitely enjoy “Capitani.”

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: Crime, thriller

Run time: 5hrs 30mins (approx.)

Actors: Luc Schiltz, Jil Devresse, Claude de Demo

Director: Christophe Wagner

For me this week has been full of regrets. First, I sold the currently circuit-breaking scrip in the share market for much less than what I could have gotten. Then I realized I had forgotten to the buy the subscription of Amazon Prime Video for the release of the highly anticipated “Drishyam 2: The Resumption”. By the time I got around the complicated hassle of subscribing, most of my social media mutuals had already posted rave reviews about the Malayalam-language thriller, and some inconsiderate ones had given out spoilers as well. Watching the movie won’t be the same now. With so many interesting releases lined up in the near future on Prime Video, I should probably switch between it and Netflix for my reviews too.

So, coming back to my week, in an almost distraught mood, I decided to invest my time on a recently released series on Netflix; mini-series to be fair and a thriller, so worth the risk. To my satisfaction, “Behind Her Eyes” turned out exactly what I’d expected it to be—a gripping suspense thriller that would keep me hooked throughout. The Erik Richter Strand-directed psychological thriller, which also has its fair share of the supernatural, is based on Sarah Pinborough’s 2017 novel of the same name.

Louise (Simona Brown), a single mother in London who works part time as a secretary at a psychiatric clinic, one night accidentally spills her drink on a man at a bar. That fateful encounter with David (Tom Bateman)—a psychiatrist who has just moved to London and is to become her boss at work—becomes a turning point in her otherwise normal life. Then she has another accidental encounter with David’s wife Adele (Eve Hewson) on the streets. They immediately hit it off as friends. The trio then gets entangled in a complicated relationship with each other. Louise starts an affair with David while she is also best friends with Adele. In all this, the dark sides of the mysterious couple start showing up and Louise is thrown into a storm of suspense, mystery and misery.

Each of the six episodes of Behind Her Eyes, ranging between 47-53 minutes, are so intriguingly suspenseful that the series-length seems inadequate. The filmmakers execute this British web series using single-camera setup and mostly indoor shooting. Not very fancy in terms of production, location and set-design, the film’s highlights are its story and the adapted screenplay, besides the acting of course. Packed in are so much drama, suspense and mind-boggling revelations, and without the need of theatrical antics and grandiosity. There’s some VFX, which is of course necessary for storytelling, and nothing more on the technological side. 

On the acting front, the lead trio of Brown, Bateman and Houston complement each other as they share screen-time. The dynamics between their characters demand the actors emote love and passion, which all lead actors do perfectly. Even in parts where the negative sides of their characters need to be projected, the actors manage to have the audience empathizing with their situations. Hewson’s Adele is the most mysterious character in the series. As a traumatized former patient of a mental institution, the layers on Adele’s characters are abundant. Her mood flips every other scene and her eyes terrify their intended target. Hewson does an excellent job of portraying the various personalities of Adele in the film.

Who should watch it?

Behind Her Eyes is an excellent specimen of how a series can be short and be perfectly confined in a season. This series does not leave behind unclosed storylines, forcing the audience to bear with the suspense till the next season. It completes what it starts—unless somebody writes a spin off if it—and this is why Behind Her Eyes is recommended to all those who want to cross over to a series from cinema. Think of this as one lengthy film and you will definitely enjoy it.

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: Triller, drama, mystery

Actors: Tom Bateman, Eve Hewson, Simona Brown

Director: Erik Richter Strand

Run time: 4hrs 30mins (approx.)

I am a sucker for fantasy films. Especially the Chinese ones with characters gliding through the air using their kung fu skills. The periodic dramas set in ancient China are themed around kung fu, magic, wizards and demons—with more than a touch of the otherworldly. As someone who grew up watching Hindi-dubbed Chinese kung fu soap operas on Home TV, I’m sure anyone from my generation can relate to this. Chances are that any ardent movie lover will have at least one Chinese fantasy film in their list of favorites, even if it’s only “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” (2000).

Released on Netflix this February, “The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity” is styled in the classic Chinese fantasy film format where the protagonists battle sinister forces with magical abilities of their own. The film is based around the ancient Imperial City of China, in an unknown timeline centuries ago. Directed by Guo Jingming, The Ying-Yang Master is adapted from the novel series Onmyōji written by Baku Yumemakura.

Four demon-fighting master wizards—Hongruo (Jie Dang), Longye (Jessie Li), Bo Ya (Deng Lun), and Qing Ming (Mark Chao)—who come from different parts of the country gather in the Imperial City that houses a malevolent serpent demon. Their predecessors had captured the snake demon and confined it in the City, sealed within the body of a woman and protected by four stone guardians. Despite its confinement, the masters feel the threat of the evil serpent rising again and they want to awaken the four stone guardians to forever imprison the serpent demon within the City.

Staying at the Imperial Palace, the four masters encounter evil spirits as soon as they gather to make plans. At the Palace, the Empress, Princess Zhang Ping (Olivia Wang), and the palace priest, He Shouyue (Wang Duo), greet them with mixed feelings. As it is, there is a sort of rivalry between the masters that is fueled by a mysterious murder within the Palace, with everyone becoming suspects. As the strength of the snake demon and other smaller demons in the City increases, the state of mistrust between the masters themselves, and with the Palace, decreases their combined strength.

The story of The Ying-Yang Master comes with its fair share of twists and turns but from a broad lens, it feels kind of cliched. There are many predictable moments, lessening the story’s impact. But, honestly, who watches these fast-paced, visually delightful movies for their storylines?

In this day and age, watching a movie is not only about acting and directing skills. Visual effects and animation can play a huge part in shaping the audiences’ movie experience. The same is true of The Ying-Yang Master. Although there is no mention of it on its IMDB page, the film feels like it was shot for 3D screens. Right from the beginning sequence where a battle ensues between a demon and a Ying-Yang master, the audience is in for a visual treat.

In a film with as many mystical characters as real ones, fitting them into the same screen without the film looking like an animation is probably the biggest challenge for filmmakers of this genre. The Ying-Yang Master has managed to create a parallel universe of earthly beings fighting the supernatural in a background that is the replica of the real world. There are momentary lapses when the film feels like a video game sequence but, overall, the VFX, SFX and CGI in The Ying-Yang Master are in a class of their own.

Who should watch it?

Even with a run-time of 2hr 12mins, The Ying-Yang Master feels short with so many things happening simultaneously on screen. Meaning, this is a movie that will entertain most audiences. So unless you are only into serious movies with realistic storylines, The Ying-Yang Master is an out-and-out entertainer.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Genre: Fantasy, adventure, action

Cast: Mark Chao, Deng Lun, Wang Ziwen

I know. Last week I had told our readers that I would most probably be watching and reviewing romantic movies for the Valentine’s month. But two things got in the way—Netflix didn’t release as many choices of the genre I’d expected this week, and a friend whom I completely trust on movie selection recommended “The Dig”.

The Dig is a 2021 British drama that unfolds in Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, England, in 1939, just around the beginning of the World War II. Directed by Simon Stone, the film is an adaptation of John Preston’s 2007 novel of the same name based on true events of the 1939 excavation of Sutton Hoo.

Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan), a landowner in rural Suffolk who also has a keen interest in archeology, hires a local excavator, Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes), to dig the burial mounds in her estate. Attracted by a better pay than his previous employer and the prospects of discovering the antiquities hidden beneath the mounds, Brown takes the job and starts what he does best—digging. In the process, he makes some discoveries that lead him to believe that the mounds could date back to the Dark Ages—the Anglo-Saxon era (410-1066).

The local Ipswich museum, as well as a prominent archaeologist, James Reid Moir (Paul Ready), at first dismisses the idea of Brown—a self-taught archaeologist/excavator who has not even completed middle school. But as Brown’s digging unearths some prominent artifacts that back his claim, the site attracts attention of Cambridge archaeologist Charles Phillips (Ken Stott) who declares it of national import and takes over the dig “by order of the Office of Works.”

While the 1hr 52mins long movie is based almost entirely on the digging up of the mound at Sutton Hoo and is also filmed mostly at and around the site, there is much more happening among the film’s characters, which is also dug up as the film progresses. Pretty, a widow with a young son, Robert, has a sad past and a bleak future with a life-threatening ailment that she hides from everyone. Brown, a skilled workman who is completely dedicated to his work, is ignoring his wife, hinting at estrangement in their relation. There is also a side story of the complicated relationship between the archaeologist couple Peggy and Stuart Piggott (Lily James and Ben Chaplin); and Peggy’s romantic involvement with Rory Lomax (Johnny Flynn), Pretty’s cousin who she has hired as a helping hand and a photographer.

Set in the backdrop of pre-WWII England, The Dig is a film that not only depicts the story of an exquisite find, but also takes us into the lives of its characters as each is trying to unearth something on their own. Whether it is the realization of her impending death for Pretty or Peggy’s dilemma in choosing between her husband and another man who loves her back, the film is laden with heavy retrospection into people’s lives and relationships.

Directed by Simon Stone, the entire cast emulates the gravity required by the script. The actors in the period drama help recreate the time in England when an impending world war has kept the people agile, agitated and on their toes. A sense of urgency can be felt throughout, even though the screenplay itself is a touch slow.

The urgency in the characters is supported by the cinematography, which will probably go on to win awards. It is 1939 in a sparsely populated Sutton Hoo. There’s not much going on besides the threat of a war, and the gloomy English weather is at its worst with rain and overcast skies. The characters are all somber and dressed in dull colors. In short, there is nothing visually appealing. But cinematographer Mike Eley’s camerawork is so brilliant that the film is an unexpected visual delight.

Despite the mundane film setting, Eley’s cameras follow the characters in a way so as to make the audience feel like they are actually real-life witnesses to the proceedings. There are multiple long shots to show the vast, un-vegetated murkiness of the English county and the actors are followed with handheld shots, the audience feeling themselves keenly following the characters they are so vested in.

Who should watch it?

Despite it being a complete package of good story, acting and filmmaking, we think “The Dig” is not a movie everyone would equally enjoy. It’s PG-13 rated, alright; but the movie’s weightage could also be lost on those only interested in face-paced thrillers. The Dig is a slow, steady film that will impress audiences who are into historical dramas. Even for a general movie fan, the film has enough material to entertain you throughout—if you can keep up with the slow-ish pace.  

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: History, drama

Director: Simon Stone

Actors: Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes, Lily James, Johnny Flynn

Run time: 1hr 52mins