Netflix

The Haunting Of Bly Manor: A Ghost, correction, love story with intercepting memories

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The Haunting of Bly Manor Netflix shares poster for Hill House follow up

This sequel to Netflix Original Series – The Haunting Of Hill House – which is loosely based on Henry James’s 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw caught my eyes right from its trailer and I was eagerly waiting to get spooked. But when I watched it, it turns out that it’s more than a regular ghost story.

What are ghosts anyway but the residues of the past, the bygone souls. And what does the past hold but memories. The Haunting Of Bly Manor represents these memories of the dead that haunt them.

There has been a notable criticism about the series for not being spooky enough. But well, I happened to love it. This series is for those who have loved truly and deeply and have the tendency to revisit their time with their loved ones. There are scenes that will jolt you a bit but then you won’t be actually scared of the dead.

We see a lot of interesting characters in the series and I feel that each one of them has been like Flora Wingrave (Amelia Bea Smith) says ‘perfectly splendid’. Starting with the narrator, Carla Gugino who plays the old Jamie (gardener of Bly Manor), her voice will totally mesmerize you. I felt like sitting in the same room and listening to the story just because of her tonality. And oh! She is gorgeous. I liked her clothes too!

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Next, we meet the Au Pair played by Victoria Pedretti who serves as a governess to the orphaned kids at the manor. Victoria carries herself so beautifully in the character that you really feel for her. You feel her horror, her pain, her loss, her love, her sacrifice, everything. She lingers inside your mind like a memory that you root for. And again, she is another pretty lady. Her beautiful transition in finding her true orientation is worth praising.

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The Au Pair is appointed by Uncle Henry played by Henry Thomas who goes by the same name in reality. Henry has done his part right and spooked me greatly with his alter ego. Don’t we have all have a hidden monster within us?

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Next in line comes Owen Sharma played by Rahul Kohli. This very character is truly the one that is beautifully crafted and played. Owen is the representation of a caring, understanding, emotional man in the kitchen. #equality alert. You cannot help but fall in love with him.

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Then we meet Mrs.Gross played by T-Nia Miller who takes care of the manor. One can hardly guess that she plays a ghost until the final episodes. She was very warm and great as Gross though I was jealous for Owen loved her.

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Now we are going to talk about the most ‘perfectly splendid’ character – Flora played by Amelie Bea Smith. The 9-year-old carries the load of all the ghosts and their stories so bravely. Whoever watches this series is going to take home the phrase – perfectly splendid – all thanks to her. She plays such a beautiful and understanding little girl that your heart will surely melt.

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Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Miles irritates you just as his role was written. His weird actions will make you think that he has some mental problems. You need to be patient until you watch till the end to make your judgment.

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Here comes the most exciting and outgoing character – young Jamie played by Amelia Eve. Amelia is the embodiment of strength in heart and character. She is a great friend, a fierce lover and you feel her. She gets to your bones literally as she doesn’t just nurture plants but souls.

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Tahirah Sharif as Miss Jessel makes you doubt that she is the cause behind all the haunting. She is so convincing as the terror in the beginning. Nah…I won’t reveal the plot.

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The other important character is Viola played by Kate Siegel. I first thought it was Angelina Jolie. You can find the resemblance for sure. She is who the whole manor revolves around.

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Rest Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Peter makes me want to beat him. He is so convincingly selfish.

All other characters that I have missed have been so, so good.

Though you might lose a bit of patience while watching the intercepting memories, if you keep your head straight you will actually get it all. It’s a wonderful addition to the Halloween season – 4 stars out of 5, from my side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tykS7QfTWMQ

 

 

 

Serious Men: A captivating satire on caste and class that will make you smirk

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serious men

One can never miss a single film or series by Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Of them, Netflix Original Film – Serious Men directed by Sudhir Mishra is one. The actor is once again playing a sly underdog who will keep you glued to your screens till the end. He has his way around bringing a stroke of wonder to the ordinary.

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Based on the book by Manu Joseph with the same title, the film is likely to invoke lingering thoughts in one’s mind. With his years-long expertise, Director Sudhir Mishra vividly portrays the socio-political issues of Indian society in the film. He delves into several arenas and showcases a wide range of characters whose lives are interlinked. But what has been talked of the most that it’s a satire on caste and class.

From its title, one can make out that the film is about ‘serious men’. But how do you define a man being serious? Though Nawazuddin and his son played by Aakshath Das are the protagonists, the storyline equally focuses on the serious men played by Nassar who enacts as Dr.Arvind Acharya and his entire scientific team and colleagues at the National Institute of Fundamental Research. Ayyan Mani (Nawaz) is a personal assistant of Dr.Acharya (Nassar) who is treated like slime every single day. This very treatment in which Mani is undermined makes him think of the title serious men. Okay, that was a spoiler. But I am sure you would still watch the film.

The film sketches the yearning of a Dalit employee who struggles to meet his ends. It is his struggle that makes him dream to make his son a serious man. For the same, he adopts every single method that he had grasped from his observation of the serious men.

Aakshath Das has surely made his impression as a child artist with his first film. He convinces you that he is a genius in the beginning and also shows you his regular side as the film advances.

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There is an avid mockery of the rash attitude of the serious men (the ones who are intelligent and powerful) in the film. One can always mimic a serious man but can they be one by doing so? You need to watch the film to find out.

Coming to the film’s focus on caste, Ayyan Mani is a shudra who lost his mother for the same reason. On growing up he terrifies people by questioning their discrimination. He never loses his self-esteem to what he is. He is blunt and ferocious. He even turns down his conversion of faith for upliftment and talks freely about his wife who belongs to a caste of sex workers. This way the storyline brings the best spirit out of the downtrodden. The film comes at a time when the nation is hit hard by the Hathras case and so it’s striking the right chords with its timing.

Indira Tiwari in the role of a Dalit mother effortlessly transforms from a docile wife to a vociferous woman convincing her part rightly. Likewise, Shweta Basu Prasad as Anuj Dhavre speaks up for the women who are subject to domestic violence. She shows that class has nothing to do with one’s mindset.

I am sure you are going to enjoy watching the film. I found it entertaining, thought-provoking, and completely out of the box. Five out of five stars from my side.

 

Ratched Netflix: A Wretched Series That Fails To Strike Chords As A Prequel

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Ratched

Based on the character of a Nurse, Ratched Netflix, from the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey and from the Saat Zaentz Company motion picture of the same name, the Netflix web series has been hugely disappointing.

As pointed out by many, the protagonist doesn’t match the character it has been preaching to portray. Ratched is more like a B grade psychological thriller or horror film like American Horror Story though the latter could be rated far better.

Spanned over 8 episodes, Ratched is played by Sarah Paulson, an Emmy and Golden Globe awardee. Yet it is unclear if it was a fault on part of the director Ryan Murphy or Paulson herself that she failed to show the true motive as the lead. Even if you try hard, you will still miss on the plot as all you can see is psycho sex scenes and gory imagery all across the season. You don’t really know what’s going on in their heads. In a few scenes, Ratched sleeps with an assassin and recollects absurd things, which is way hard to comprehend even if it is evident that she is mentally unstable. Clearly it is hard to square this Mildred Ratched with the Nurse Ratched she’s supposedly the precursor to.

Moreover, the plot fails to do justice to the portrayal of psychopaths as well. Finn Wittrock who played Edmund Tolleson in the series appears unconvincing although it is visible that he has done his bit to appear as a serial killer.

The series failed because of these major characters yet all other characters acted very fine. Be it Judy Davis as Nurse Bucket, Cynthia Nixon as Briggs, Jon Jon Briones as Dr. Hanover, I found each doing a wonderful job. But perhaps their part was all in vain as the leads failed to drag the story.

Besides this, the portrayal of taboo over same-sex relationships deeming it as madness that needs to be treated prevalent in the 1940s is also strong and commendable imagery that has been shown in the series.

Another good thing apart from the supporting actors is the set of the series and also the costumes. One can only drool over the precision. But like they say – “All that glitters is not Gold.”

In my opinion, don’t waste your time watching it. I rate it 2 out of 5 stars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU9ZtlkSnnE

Enola Holmes: A Fresh Gust of Wind that Replaces Age-Old Male Detectives

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Enola Holmes

Enola Holmes, sister of Sherlock Holmes on the way to be a world-famous detective like her brother is all the film about. Yet there is more to the film than what meets the eyes.

The literary and cinematic trend of retelling stories from the perspective of a character other than the original protagonist of a bestseller has gained quite a popularity these days. The same has been followed in the very plot of the film. While detectives have been largely portrayed as men by authors, Nancy Springer, the original book series writer, decided to bring forth a female detective who could trick any man with her wits. And she chose Sherlock Holmes as the backdrop. Who on earth would have imagined that the famous fictional detective had such a happening family other than Springer who brought them to us.

Enola has humor, knowledge, intelligence, physical strength, and everything that a woman in the 19th century could only dream to have. She is a misfit amongst the ladies of her time embodying a glimpse of the female movement that started during the period in England. Thanks to her mother, Eudoria Holmes played by Bonham Carter, the matriarch (a single mother) of the Holmes family who trains her to emerge as a fierce feminist.

I was completely taken aback by Millie Bobby Brown as Enola. Playing the weird super-kid has perhaps become her favorite prototype since she stunned us earlier with a similar role in Stranger Things. What I found most entertaining and humorous in the film are the monologues by Millie aka Enola. I have a funny feeling that Millie is going to be the upcoming female superstar in Hollywood just the way Emma Watson did – from Hermoine to Belle. I want to watch more of Millie Bobby Brown in the coming days and I am sure even you will after you watch the film.

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Though Millie is the protagonist, all the female eyes have been caught by Sherlock Holmes played by Henry Cavill. This man is just too hot to handle and has played Sherlock so rightly. His chemistry as a brother to Millie is just amazing. There’s news that Henry is going to play James Bond in upcoming Netflix ventures. Fingers crossed.

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Coming to Bonham Carter, largely known for playing Lestrange in Harry Potter films, she has yet again chosen a script that matches the crazy lady prototype. Only this time, she is not exactly evil but whimsical to bring a revolution. The inclusion of characters like these is commendable as misfits badly need to find a fit amongst the stereotypes who otherwise judge the whole time.

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If you feel that I’m missing out the guy Enola fell for, chuck it. She deserves better and she knew it right from the beginning. I couldn’t find anything striking about his performance either.

I would rate the film 4.5/5 with a deduction of 0.5 for Sam Claflin as Mycroft Holmes, the eldest of the three children. I did not find Sam to be doing justice to his role. He could have been a bit more grave and strict to match the description of the character.

Director Harry Bradbeer recently mentioned that he made the film for little ‘fleabags’, referring to the award-winning series by the same name. He rightly said so as he connects wonderfully with women who are judged every day by the patriarchal world out there.

More sequels to this film, please!

 

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