Latest news with #Mama
Pink Villa
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Chhaava director Laxman Utekar SLAMS Anurag Kashyap's 'cinema is dying' remark with stirring reality check: ‘Unki sensibility…'
Famous filmmaker and actor Anurag Kashyap has given several good films to the industry. He was recently in the news for his remark on the industry. He told The Hindu that he has left Mumbai and he wants to stay away from the 'toxic' film industry. He also added that the cinema now is dying. Now, Chhaava director Laxman Utekar hit back at his remarks and claimed that he doesn't have the sensibility to accept audiences' tastes. In an interview with Mama's Couch, Laxman Utekar criticized Anurag Kashyap and shared that he is wrong in saying that audiences don't have the sensibility to accept his film. He further added, 'Balki unki sensibility nahi hai audience ka taste accept karne ki.' The Chhaava director further gave examples of films's record breaking collections of 700-800 crore that doesn't signify cinema is dying. He asked Anurag to take a look at the box office collection of Bahubali, RRR, Pushpa and even his film Chhaava, starring Vicky Kaushal in the lead role. Laxman said the filmmaker should change his sensibility as he is stuck in the same place. He also talked about it in detail and admitted that in today's time audiences have more knowledge about films and are more updated as they have cinema in their phones. He further revealed that every three years cinema changes and now as filmmakers they have to update themselves as well. They cannot be stuck in the past blaming the audiences for not having sensibility. Earlier, in a conversation with The Hindu, Anurag Kashyap opened up on moving away from Mumbai to distance himself from the industry. He called it 'toxic' and cited the loss of creativity and rising pressure from unrealistic expectations. Now, in the same interview, Laxman Utekar opened up about it and asked Anurag to leave if he wants to as nobody is forcing him to stay. He added that one can make films if they are creatively happy, and cannot put their heart in it if being forced.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Girl on Edge' Review: A Mother and Daughter Hit Thin Ice in Zhou Jinghao's Alluring but Unsatisfactory Skating Drama
Zhou Jinghao's 'Girl on Edge' starts strong. A young woman is shown skating in a dimly lit ring, finishing her routine and stopping right in front of the camera. Her face is revealed, full of blood red bruises. This is the first of many indelible images that fill this psychological drama reminiscent of 'Black Swan'. Like that thriller, 'Girl on Edge' is about a competitive athlete trying to be the best and dealing with her inner demons. The film promises a tantalizing time but ultimately fails to deliver, as nothing that comes after that opening is as clean or cutthroat. The titular girl is Jiang Ning (Zhang Zifeng) a fiercely competitive skater who's been going through a demoralizing period in her training. She can't seem to get it right, never managing to finish a routine without falling. Her tough coach, her mother Wang Shuang (Ma Yili) can't hide her disappointment. She constantly berates her about her failures. The mother blames the daughter for her own short skating career; she had to give it up when she became pregnant. This fraught situation becomes even more tense when Wang takes on another trainee, Zhong Lind (Ding Xiangyua). Zhong, who's a worker at the ring and not a professional skater, has talent to spare. Suddenly Jiang has both a friend and a rival. More from Variety 'Mama' Review: A Housemaid Abroad Gets an Unpleasant Homecoming in an Intriguing Character Study That Veers Into Melodrama Chris Evans Skipped His Movie's Cannes Premiere Because It Was His Mom's 70th Birthday and 'Some Things You Just Can't Miss' Bi Gan's Cannes Winner 'Resurrection' Nabbed by Janus Films for North America (EXCLUSIVE) 'Girl on Edge' takes a while to get to the meat of its story: the relationship between the two younger women. The film asks many intriguing questions along the way. Is Zhong out to destroy Jiang or will Jiang self-implode from the pressure to succeed? As the two skaters get to train and play together, they seem to bring out the best in each other. Could the mother/coach have planted Zhong in order to give her daughter a reason to be better? Though the film doesn't provide a satisfactory resolution to these threads, the time the audience spends contemplating them is mostly enjoyable. But Zhou's feature loses its narrative edge in a series of jumbled twists. It seems to be reaching for both a profound, meaningful ending and a 'gotcha' subversion to bolster its thriller aspirations. Still 'Girl on Edge' delivers in visuals what it lacks in coherent narrative. The visual storytelling sticks in the memory: full of gorgeous images with metaphorical meaning. Jiang trains in a cast-like apparatus, as if she's in a cage, or appearing like a marionette doll manipulated by a bigger entity. The blue hued skating rinks and dance clubs Jiang and Zhang inhabit look beguilingly sinister, serving as both dreamscape and nightmarish reality. The skating scenes are full of tension, with every fall and swerve dramatically rendered in fast cut closeups on faces and skates. Cinematographer Yu Jing-pin creates an alluring visual atmosphere for these characters to play in. Additionally all three lead actors are masters of the close up. They can hold a frame well and convey much without saying anything. 'Girl on Edge' promises a psychological drama about mothers and in trying to reveal the inner turmoil of its characters, it loses its way. Instead of staying with the characters, it devolves into a jumbled mess of flashbacks, explanations and unsatisfactory resolutions. Zhou's images remain stronl; if only the script could keep up. Best of Variety The Best Albums of the Decade
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Mama' Review: A Housemaid Abroad Gets an Unpleasant Homecoming in an Intriguing Character Study That Veers Into Melodrama
'Mama,' director Or Sinai's first narrative feature, proves the filmmaker as a keen character observer. Inspired by stories she heard from migrant Eastern European women working in Israel, the film follows Mila (Evgenia Dodina), a housekeeper for a rich family providing for those she left back in Poland. When an unexpected accident forces her home, she discovers that her family doesn't need her as much as she thought they did. But while 'Mama' is a revelatory character study of a fascinating woman, it resorts a few too many times to melodramatic flourishes that undercut where its power lies. Above all, Sinai's film is a social drama, concerned with its characters' economic plight and attuned to what rights are denied to them. Mila is first shown in the big, lavish house owned by the family she serves. Her position there becomes apparent to the audience by the dismissive, though often laced with kindness, way that her employers treat her. They might claim she's kin, but she's obviously a servant. She takes solace in a tender affair she has with another domestic, the gardener (Martin Ogbu). These opening scenes effectively portray Mila's state of mind and show her vulnerabilities. More from Variety Chris Evans Skipped His Movie's Cannes Premiere Because It Was His Mom's 70th Birthday and 'Some Things You Just Can't Miss' Bi Gan's Cannes Winner 'Resurrection' Nabbed by Janus Films for North America (EXCLUSIVE) Jafar Panahi Returns to Cheers in Tehran as Palme d'Or Victory Prompts Diplomatic Spat Between France and Iran The tables are turned once the action moves to the small Polish village where she came from. There, Mila is the dominating alpha over her husband (Arkadiusz Jakubik) and daughter (Katarzyna Łubik). Her money is what keeps all three afloat, paying for the daughter's education and the building of a new house they plan to move into. Having spent years away wearing herself out so that the can afford a decent living, Mila reveals herself as a tyrant who always thinks she knows best. When she discovers that another woman (Dominika Bednarczyk) has replaced her as lover to her husband and surrogate mother to her daughter, she desperately tries to salvage her position at the top of the family Unfortunately the film presents Mila's plight in a series of melodramatic situations, incongruent with the well-observed character study that 'Mama' has been thus far. Melodrama can serve as a way to heighten a story, but only when done right. Instead of deepening Mila's character or showing consequences for her actions, these plot swerves manifest as a series of inexplicable decisions made by the protagonist. Prior to that, there was a heartfelt and confrontational drama happening between her and the other three characters she has to deal with in Poland. There might have been a better way to foreground the conflicts brewing between them than forcing such convoluted circumstances. This change is especially detrimental to the daughter's character, forcing Łubik to spend most of her performance hysterically responding to her mother's actions. The screenplay also underserves Bednarczyk, who gives an almost silent performance yet manages to render her character fully human. As 'Mama' becomes more of a mother-daughter showdown, that character disappears. Ogbu is a calming and loving presence as 'the lover' (the actual character name in the press notes, showing how much the filmmakers care about this figure) but 'Mama' wastes the chance to portray its only Black character as fully dimensional. He's only there to serve the lead character, adding carnality and color blindness to her attributes. At the center of the film lies Dodina's commanding performance. With a fierce gaze that ruptures the screen and looks straight through those watching, she's soulful, dynamic and powerful. Mila is complicated and headstrong, sometimes even bitter, and Dodina does not try to soften her at all. Instead she presents her in full, warts and all. Dodina never seeks the audience's sympathy yet manages to command utmost compassion. Matan Radin's crisp, unfussy cinematography captures the openness of the rich family's house in Israel with yellowish desert hues. In contrast, the smaller, cramped apartments that the characters inhabit in Poland are rendered with grayish, claustrophobic lighting. Sinai's framing of Dodina becomes more restrictive as Mila signals her dissatisfaction, showing how the world is closing in on her and forcing her to make irrational decisions. In these instances, the strong filmmaking trumps the script's inconsistencies. With 'Mama' many would understand why Sinai, a first time feature filmmaker, was given a berth a Cannes: this is a competent and intriguing debut. What it lacks in script sophistication, Sinai more than makes up for with her assured filmmaking and successful guidance of her lead performance. Best of Variety The Best Albums of the Decade
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘I Only Rest in the Storm' Review: A Sprawling Narrative That Demands Patience and Attention
Nearly two hours into an ambitious critique of colonialism that runs almost twice as long, a pivotal scene brings 'I Only Rest in the Storm' into sharp focus. The protagonist, a Portuguese engineer on assignment in Guinea Bissau, encounters a sex worker. He fails to get excited and in an attempt to smooth things over tries to initiate conversation with her about her life. She's rightfully indignant as he's wasting her time and tells him that what disgusts her most are good men, those who act as if they care when in fact they just want to feel good about themselves. This scene encapsulates many of the topics on the mind of Portuguese director Pedro Pinho — namely, the effects of colonization on contemporary Africa and how attempts at modernization might be a hindrance rather than a way forward. The film follows Sergio (Sérgio Coragem), who's sent to Guinea Bissau in West Africa to investigate whether a road project between the desert and the forest is viable. There he meets many different people, both for and against the project. Some see it as a way to modernize and generate jobs in this developing country, while others see it as an end to their way of life as an agrarian economy. More from Variety 'Girl on Edge' Review: A Mother and Daughter Hit Thin Ice in Zhou Jinghao's Alluring but Unsatisfactory Skating Drama 'Mama' Review: A Housemaid Abroad Gets an Unpleasant Homecoming in an Intriguing Character Study That Veers Into Melodrama Chris Evans Skipped His Movie's Cannes Premiere Because It Was His Mom's 70th Birthday and 'Some Things You Just Can't Miss' Segio tries to make connections with the locals he meets. However, most are suspicious of him and his motives. There are those who consider him as a nuisance to be rid of and others who see him as an attractive shiny object to try and influence. Perhaps they can profit from him or further their own goals. In fact, the aforementioned sex worker was probably most accurate: However noble his intentions, Sergio seems passive and does not know where his priorities should be — a stand-in for the incompetent do-gooders from former colonizing nations who run NGOs trying to better lives in nations they don't understand. There are several stories in 'I Only Rest in the Storm,' ranging from funny to overly dramatic, straightforward to full of metaphors, as the film follows Sergio through Guinea Bissau. Each of them plays like a standalone vignette that could make a short film, and as with a short film program made up of multiple stories, some are stronger than others. Though the feature's demanding length manages to show how colonization kept evolving throughout history, it also tests the audience's patience. At times, Pinho includes dry scenes where tangential characters address the camera with historical facts. To his credit, the director never comes up with easy answers, but rather makes the audience confront their prejudices. 'I Only Rest in the Storm' has vast ambitions but sometimes gets overwhelmed by all the thematic topics it wants to cover. Apart from Sergio, only two other characters recur throughout, both of whom hold a romantic interest for him. The audience is first introduced to Diara, a charismatic bar owner (played by Cleo Diára, who won an acting award for her performance at Cannes). In a long scene that could be taken from a 1970s thriller, Sergio meets Diara as she's trying to escape a man following her through a busy market. She uses Sergio as a decoy, and he's immediately smitten with this stranger in the blond wig. The other character is Guilherme, or Gui (Jonathan Guilherme), a femme nonbinary Brazilian expat who traveled to Africa to develop a deeper connection with their ancestry. They become the person who challenges Sergio's motives in coming to Guinea Bissau as a European from a former colonizing country. Coragem has a pleasant screen presence, yet the character is consistently the least interesting person in whatever situation he's put in. Intentionally, he serves as the audience surrogate, but he is so passive that questions arise about why we should care about his plight at all. No wonder Diára and Guilherme fare better, as their characters are more engaging. They take action, repeatedly confronting Sergio. Even though he seems enamored with both of them, he takes no action to further a relationship with either, waiting for them to take the initiative. Segio's ineptitude stands in for all do-gooders who never take a firm stand and would rather talk than make change — a tough assignment for the actor, but one which fits in thematically with the rest of the film. 'I Only Rest in the Storm' is the kind of film that thrives in a rarefied cinematic environment like Cannes, offering so many talking points that audiences exit the film wanting to argue about it with each other. It provokes, entertains and annoys in equal measure and thus will inspire admirers and detractors alike. One hopes it travels beyond film festivals and into local cinemas around the world, especially in the Global South, where 'I Only Rest in the Storm' would most likely bring about the most passionate conversations, from people reminiscent of its characters. Best of Variety The Best Albums of the Decade
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Murdered 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor's last film to premiere at festival year after his death
One year after beloved "General Hospital" actor Johnny Wactor was murdered in downtown Los Angeles after a work shift, his final film is set to premiere at the upcoming 2025 Dances with Films Festival. Wactor, 37, was shot and killed on May 25, 2024, when police said he was "confronted by three individuals" who had his car "raised up with a floor jack and were in the process of stealing the catalytic converter." The actor's final work was filmed in 2022, according to FOX 11, but is now about to hit the big screen. Friends and family of Wactor confirmed to the outlet that the film, "Ciao, Mama," will premiere at L.A.'s Dances with Films Festival on June 24 at TCL Cinemas in Hollywood. 'General Hospital' Star Johnny Wactor's Funeral Held In South Carolina After His Fatal Shooting In Los Angeles "It's really important to me, and his family, that his legacy lives on for the incredible things he brought to the world," fellow actor and friend, Micah Joe Parker, told FOX 11. Read On The Fox News App Parker described the movie to the outlet, saying it was about family, friendship and love, something he believes is directly correlated with his late best friend's life. Wactor was working at Level 8, a rooftop bar, and was leaving work with his co-worker, Anita Joy, in the early hours of May 25 last year when the fatal altercation took place. In a previous interview with the Daily Mail, Joy said staff had been complaining for months over the lack of parking available to them but that their concerns were brushed off. 'General Hospital' Actor Johnny Wactor's Death Leaves Cast 'Sickened': 'He Was Truly One Of A Kind' According to Wactor's mother, Scarlett Wactor, her son had protected Joy in his final moments of life. "They were walking to their car, and when they get there, Johnny's car, which was parked in front of the co-worker's, looked like it was jacked to one side, and from what I understand, he said, 'Hey, man, you towing my car?'… And the person looked up and had a mask, and so then I guess he knew they weren't doing that, and so he stepped in front of the co-worker and then backed up and put his hands up or both, and the person shot him," Scarlett Wactor previously told Fox News Digital. "He had no problem stepping into the fray," Parker echoed. "It's how he went out from this world, stepping in front of his friend to take a bullet. [When that happened] I said, I'll take the swings and arrows for him now." Days following the murder, Joy shared harrowing details about the events that led to his death on her Instagram page. "I've needed to take some time to collect myself and my thoughts. I was with Johnny in his last moments, and I'm here to be his voice after such unimaginable events," she wrote. "He was killed senselessly by a coward who reacted without care of the gorgeous life he was taking," she wrote in her post. "I'm angry, I'm sad, and I'm all the feelings at once, but above all, I am here for Johnny's justice." Johnny Wactor's Mother Says Her Son's Death 'Doesn't Need To Be In Vain' Nearly three months after Wactor's murder, police arrested four suspected Florencia 13 gang members in connection with his slaying. "Johnny was a victim," said Parker. "He was a victim of this crime, but he lived his life as anything but a victim. He was a doer. He was a dreamer. So, that's where we're turning the page now." Wactor got his start on television in the series "Army Wives" before appearing in other shows like "Animal Kingdom," "Criminal Minds" and "Westworld." He was best known for his role as Brando Corbin in 164 episodes of "General Hospital" from 2020 to 2022. Fox News Digital's Mariah Haas and Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report. Original article source: Murdered 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor's last film to premiere at festival year after his death
