‘Retro', ‘The Four Seasons' and ‘Thunderbolts*' are all about finding purpose and navigating change

The Hindu

09-05-2025

'The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.' — Mark Twain. And sometimes, it's the day you wake up and realise your purpose is to save your money… and avoid that next bad movie. The picks for this week are all about purpose, change, and transformation.
'Retro': Masala, meaning, and mayhem collide
'The journey of a hero is always a search for purpose,' said Joseph Campbell in The Hero With A Thousand Faces. Karthik Subbaraj's ode to the movies of yore, Retro, starring Suriya in a complex role, is a treat for cinephiles — but… and this but is in all caps! So, BUT— is the treat really satisfying? That's debatable.
Retro, with its tagline 'Love, Laughter, War,' started with a bang at the box office, but collections dipped after mixed reviews. It has still hit ₹100 crore, but let's leave business aside. The film begins with a climax of sorts — a gangster bids farewell to the thug life to get married. Cue a 15-minute oner with song, dance, action, emotion, masala… the much-talked-about 'Kanimaa' sequence is the best part of the film. If it were a mini movie, it'd get five stars.
But expectations soar so high, it's impossible for the film to live up to that promise. It slowly spirals into a mess, especially in the second chapter, 'Laughter.' The idea of a violent gangster using laughter therapy to win back his love is fun on paper. But invoking Chaplin's name isn't enough. This portion doesn't pack laughs — despite Jayaram's presence — because the joke writing doesn't exist. Characters tell jokes, but we never hear a punchline. With help from a comedy writer, this might've worked. Here, the laughs come only from situational gags.
With this hole in the narrative, the film dives into War. But since Suriya is a fighting machine throughout, it's just war, war, and more war. The polarising third act borrows the age-old 'chosen one' trope. After failing to shun violence, the hero embraces it as a purpose. It's like an alcoholic discovering drinking is good — because hey, it kills stomach germs. The problem with glorifying a call to arms is that while it could be great satire, Retro plays it straight, justifying violence with purpose.
The girl who hates violence is told, 'He's not Buddha, he's Krishna.' That's the only reasoning the film offers. What if war is necessary— the only way out? In the film, it is. But in the real world, especially in the wake of real wars, we know better. Violence is cyclical. War ends with bodies on both sides. There might be chest-thumping in the fog of war, but there are no happy endings.
To his credit, this problematic messaging is still wrapped in poetic justice. Every scene contains more cinema per frame than most films out there. So go easy on this treat. Keep your expectations basic. A bunch of drunk fans dancing to Kanimaa during their repeat viewing simply left at the interval. They'd had their fill. Perhaps a more honest title would've been: War, More War, and… Diminishing Returns.
'The Four Seasons': Comedy that breaks you
Tina Fey's adaptation of Alan Alda's 1981 movie The Four Seasons explores how decades-old relationships change overnight. This sharp, well-observed comedy could've easily turned dark. But in Tina Fey and Steve Carell's hands, the strongest medicine comes from unexpected laughs. It's a show that breaks your heart — but in a way that feels like a good cleanse. Like crying during a rom-com, except you don't get a happy ending — just a solid 'Well, that was real.' Even when it gets devastating, you never stop smiling. A triumph of comedy writing. A must-watch with your loved ones — because nothing says 'I love you' like silently judging each other's emotional baggage for four hours straight.
'Thunderbolts*' / 'New Avengers': Marvel's last laugh?
Marvel changed Thunderboltsto The New Avengers a day after release. Most of us have Marvel fatigue. Ever since The Boys, Marvel has been flailing. With Thunderbolts, they borrow from DC — a team of misfits and anti-heroes. Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Valentina, trying to kill them off. They won't die. So they team up. It's all very meta. Not super — just rejects with issues. Watchable. Not worth IMAX 3D. But perfect for OTT. Two hilarious end-credit scenes roast Marvel's desperation. So meta, I almost missed Deadpool.
Quick reccos
Muthayya, directed by Bhaskhar Maurya, tells of a 70-year-old chasing a dream to be on the big screen. A minimalist Telugu indie with heart, now on ETV Win. That SS Rajamouli launched its trailer is practically an Oscar.
Also, Nathan Fielder's The Rehearsal Season 2 on JioStar continues to unsettle. Episode 3 goes too far — in the best way. You may never unsee Nathan in a diaper.
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