‘Morjim’: Faizan Kareem’s ambitious, fun-filled heist thriller set in Goa
By Murtaza Ali Khan
Morjim may not be a perfect film but it is certainly a delicious one. Among other things, it has a McGuffin that even Hitchcock would have been proud of.
‘Joker’ Review: The Rise of Joker
By Murtaza Ali Khan
It’s a pure masterstroke to cast De Niro in the role of a talk show host in the film. And despite the short screen time, De Niro’s influence can be felt all over the movie. If he doesn’t get an Oscar nomination for The Irishman then there is a great possibility that he may get it for Joker in the supporting category (of course, he can get nominated for both and that would really be something).
‘Phantom Thread’ (2017): A delectable work of immense pain and beauty
By Murtaza Ali Khan
Phantom Thread is a delectable work of immense pain and beauty that must be watched by anyone who likes to take his/her cinema just as seriously as a fussy Englishman takes his breakfast or a peremptory dressmaker his measurements.
Review: Netflix Series ‘Leila’
By Murtaza Ali Khan
There is a whole world of dystopian literature available for study but perhaps Deepa Mehta didn’t want to go beyond the idea of a squalid underbelly that has been best captured by films like Salaam Bombay and Slumdog Millionaire.
The struggle of an entrepreneur in Dinesh S Yadav’s film, ‘Waah Zindagi’
By Murtaza Ali Khan
Yadav, who was enrolled in the editing course at FTII, believes that the intensive training he received at the film institute prepared him well for a challenging project like Waah Zindagi. Interestingly, a phone call was all that it took Yadav to convince Sanjay Mishra to do the part of the protagonist’s grandfather.
A conversation with actor, Rakesh Chaturvedi
By Murtaza Ali Khan
In this interview, Rakesh Chaturvedi talks about his character in Anurag Singh’s Kesari and how he prepared for it, his experience of working with Akshay Kumar, and his upcoming projects.
A conversation with screenwriter, Mayank Tewari
By Murtaza Ali Khan
The Accidental Prime Minister has pushed the envelope greatly and I think now a lot of people will seek out material like this and try and adapt it into a film or a TV series.
Pierre Gill: The Canadian Cinematographer
By Murtaza Ali Khan
At the 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), the most informative and comprehensive masterclass was delivered by noted Canadian cinematographer Pierre Gill who is known for his work on films like Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, Polytechnique, Outlander, and Casanova. The masterclass was aptly titled “Poetry in Motion”. Pierre Gill, who has twice won the prestigious American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Award, is equally active in film as well as television.
A conversation with the Hungarian film scholar, Györgyi Vajdovich
By Murtaza Ali Khan
Vajdovich talks to Café Dissensus Films Editor, Murtaza Ali Khan, about the latest trends in Hungarian cinema, subsidies extended to Indian films shot in Hungary, and the growing popularity of Indian cinema in Hungary.
‘The Yakuza’: A terribly underrated Sydney Pollack classic starring Robert Mitchum
By Murtaza Ali Khan
The Yakuza is a magnificent work of cinematic art that certainly deserves more attention than what it has received over the last four decades or so. The movie features one of Mitchum’s all-time great performances. It’s also one of the best films directed by the legendary Sydney Pollack.
‘Victor’s History’: A reminder that rewriting history has never been as easy as it has become today
By Murtaza Ali Khan
Directed by a French-American filmmaker, named Nicolas Chevaillier, Victor’s History revolves around a proud son, Victor, who hires an African-Vietnamese investigative journalist, Dorian and an Indian documentary filmmaker, Zuhair in a bid to try and immortalize his late father by making a film about his great achievements. He firmly believes that his father deserves a permanent place in the annals of history.
Film Review: Salvatore Allocca’s ‘Taranta on the Road’
By Murtaza Ali Khan
Italian filmmaker Salvatore Allocca’s award-winning comedy film Taranta on the Road tells the story of a Tunisian man and a woman, Tarek and Amira, who have illegally come to Italy with the hope of a better future, after having closely witnessed the revolution in Tunisia.
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