gamanam movie review rating

Gamanam movie review: Heartwarming take on everyday life

Gamanam,  directed by debutante Sujana Rao, is an anthology of three distinct  stories set in different parts of Hyderabad. The film addresses themes  of urban poverty, gender, economic inequality, and innocence of children.

Kamala (Shriya Saran) is a hearing-impaired tailor, who  lives with her baby girl and is hoping for her husband to return from  Dubai. Ali (Shiva Kandukuri) plays an aspiring cricketer, who lives with  his grandparents (Charu Hasan & Indu Anand) and falls in love with  Zara (Priyanka Jawalkar), from his neighbourhood. Two orphaned rag  pickers (Manu and Bhanu), comb a scrapyard to  collect things that help them celebrate their birthday.

Sujana  tells an uplifting story that deals with a deluge in Hyderabad. She  manages to draw our attention to the themes handled in the film and the  story has a major sense of deja vu.

The film feels overlong with  many of the characters (like Nithya Menen, Kancharapalem Raju) coming off underdeveloped. The realistic element doesn’t blend seamlessly  enough to give us a soul-stirring journey, and the film lacks a strong  emotional connect. 

For example, the story of Kamala could have been more engaging, but the director fails to effectively portray her  struggle. Also, the conflict between Zara’s father (Sanjay Swaroop) and  Ali’s grandfather could have been handled much better. Even the story of  the kids wasn’t explored to its fullest potential. Yet, it is the  heartwarming bond between the kids, the relationship between Ali and his  grandparents, and a struggling tailor trying to overcome all odds that  stay with you. 

Take, for instance, the beautifully crafted  scene, where the kids relentlessly try to sell a clay idol of Ganesha  and the rain washes away the clay and their dreams. Also, the scene  where Charu Hasan cooks mutton for his grandson and asks his wife to  clear off the kitchen, and the episode where Kamala shares an anecdote  with her daughter will keep you invested in the tale. I must say these kids are the heart of this story, and Sujana Rao has roped in talented actors, who steal the show. 

Shriya  Saran has a natural ease in front of the camera, and she pulls off some  of the pivotal scenes without a sign of self-consciousness. It holds  the same with Charu Hasan, who effortlessly conveys a warm but somewhat  impervious expression through his eyes. Shiva Kandukuri and Priyanka  Jawalkar are aptly cast in their respective roles and both delivered  earnest performances. Unfortunately, Suhaas was wasted in an  insignificant role.

Ilaiyaraaja’s background score and music are a  major asset to the film and Gnana Sekhar VS’s cinematography gives us  some greatly lit frames. Gamanam is a simple story that has its  heart in the right place. It is in many ways a sincere and poignant   tale of redemption. Sujana Rao beautifully captures the innocence of the  kids and gives us some genuinely touching monents. Despite all its  familiarity, to be honest, the film does hit a few right notes.

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Gamanam Movie Review: A heartwarming take on the everyday life

Rating: ( 3 / 5).

Gamanam , directed by debutante Sujana Rao, is an anthology of three distinct stories set in different parts of Hyderabad. The film addresses themes of urban poverty, gender, economic inequality, and innocence of children.

Cast: Shriya Saran, Charu Hasan, Priyanka Jawalkar, Shiva Kandukuri

Director: Sujana Rao

Kamala (Shriya Saran) is a hearing-impaired tailor, who lives with her baby girl and is hoping for her husband to return from Dubai. Ali (Shiva Kandukuri) plays an aspiring cricketer, who lives with his grandparents (Charu Hasan & Indu Anand) and falls in love with Zara (Priyanka Jawalkar), from his neighbourhood. Two orphaned rag pickers (Manu and Bhanu), comb a scrapyard to collect things that help them celebrate their birthday. 

Sujana tells an uplifting story that deals with a deluge in Hyderabad. She manages to draw our attention to the themes handled in the film and the story has a major sense of deja vu.

ALSO READ | Lakshya Movie Review: The archer hits the mark, but the film fails to

The film feels overlong with many of the characters (like Nithya Menen, Kancharapalem Raju) coming off underdeveloped. The realistic element doesn't blend seamlessly enough to give us a soul-stirring journey, and the film lacks a strong emotional connect. For example, the story of Kamala could have been more engaging, but the director fails to effectively portray her struggle. Also, the conflict between Zara’s father (Sanjay Swaroop) and Ali’s grandfather could have been handled much better. Even the story of the kids wasn’t explored to its fullest potential. Yet, it is the heartwarming bond between the kids, the relationship between Ali and his grandparents, and a struggling tailor trying to overcome all odds that stay with you. 

Take, for instance, the beautifully crafted scene, where the kids relentlessly try to sell a clay idol of Ganesha and the rain washes away the clay and their dreams. Also, the scene where Charu Hasan cooks mutton for his grandson and asks his wife to clear off the kitchen, and the episode where Kamala shares an anecdote with her daughter will keep you invested in the tale. 

ALSO READ | Murungaikkai Chips Movie Review: A complete misfire

I must say these kids are the heart of this story, and Sujana Rao has roped in talented actors, who steal the show. Shriya Saran has a natural ease in front of the camera, and she pulls off some of the pivotal scenes without a sign of self-consciousness. It holds the same with Charu Hasan, who effortlessly conveys a warm but somewhat impervious expression through his eyes. Shiva Kandukuri and Priyanka Jawalkar are aptly cast in their respective roles and both delivered earnest performances. Unfortunately, Suhaas was wasted in an insignificant role.

Ilaiyaraaja’s background score and music are a major asset to the film and Gnana Sekhar VS’s cinematography gives us some greatly lit frames.

ALSO READ | Anti Indian Movie Review: A scathing satire that doesn’t take sides

Gamanam is a simple story that has its heart in the right place. It is in many ways a sincere and poignant tale of redemption. Sujana Rao beautifully captures the innocence of the kids and gives us some genuinely touching monents. Despite all its familiarity, to be honest, the film does hit a few right notes. 

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Gamanam Telugu movie review

Film: Gamanam Cast: Shriya Saran, Shiva Kandukuri and Priyanka Jawalkar Director: Sujana Rao

Story: Based on the world of socially backward people, Gamanam is set against the backdrop of the Hyderabad deluge. It is an anthology that explores the life of Kamala (Shriya Saran) a hearing-impaired woman in a slum who is the mother of an infant, trying to make ends meet while waiting for her husband to return from Dubai. The other story is about Ali’s (Shiva Kandukuri) love track with Zara (Priyanka Jawalkar) and the third narrative is about two underprivileged and homeless kids who crave a cake so as to celebrate their unknown birthday. The struggles these characters go through have been portrayed by showing how everyday lives are easily disrupted by floods.

Review : Director Sujana Rao makes her directorial debut with Gamanam, and it is an impressive one. Although flooding might be the ‘conflict point’ of the story, the way these characters are developed makes for a good watch. She not only justifies these characters but also gives them some emotional spin.

The director presents stories that cut across different age groups and social strata in Hyderabad and portrays what a deluge can mean to different people.

In the Ali and Zara story, Ali trains hard in cricket to make it to Team India, but his grandfather (Charu Haasan) wants him to be a medico like his late father. Zara lives in a strict household but she constantly harbours dreams of a fairy-tale life with Ali.

The effective portrayal of the kids (rag pickers) in the third story is narrated with warmth. And we can easily say that the film’s casting worked to its advantage.

Although the central plot of the film revolves around hope common to all the characters, perhaps connecting them is too far-fetched!

Sujana was apparently inspired to make the film after witnessing the devastation caused by the Hyderabad floods. Though certain scenes, especially in the second half, lack emotional discipline, the director has managed to tell the stories with conviction and honesty.

Performance-wise, Shriya Saran breathes life into her character. She has certainly given her best and her acting chops in the pre-climax and climax portions add depth to the film.

Young actor Shiva Kandukuri also comes up with a good performance as an aspiring cricketer, which is sure to catch audience attention. Priyanka Jawalkar was adequate, and her chemistry with Shiva was appealing.

One of the biggest assets is the cinematography by Gnana Sekhar VS. He brought in a realistic flavour through his lens. His photography is very sharp and he does a fanatic job of transporting the audience into the world of these characters.

Breaking away from all the routine and mundane commercial masala clutter, the director comes up with a niche story. On the whole, the three-segment anthology Gamanam is an intriguing social drama that sees fine performances by the artistes.

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Agastya Palak Aggarwal Alakananda Charu Haasan Hemaani Vasu Inturi Priyanka Jawalkar (Zara) Shiva Kandukuri (Ali) Meka Rama Krishna Kakinada Laxmi

The lives of six individuals across the city change just as the city is reeling under floods. Will they all make it safely to the other side?

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Release Date : December 10,2021

123telugu.com Rating : 2.5/5

Starring: Shriya Saran, Nitya Menen, Shiva Kandukuri, Priyanka Jawalkar, Suhas, Charu Haasan, Priya, Indu Anand, Sanjay Swaroop, Bithiri Sathi, Nehant, Ravi Prakash, Raju and others.

Director: Sujana Rao

Producers: Ramesh Karutoori, Venki Pushadapu and Gnana Shekar V.S

Music Director: ‘Maestro’ Ilaiyaraaja

Cinematography : Gnana Shekar V. S

Editor: Ramakrishna Arram

Gamanam is a film that has been promoted a lot in the last few days. The film directed by Sujana Rao has been released today. Lets’s see how it is.

The film is based on three different stories. The first story has Shriya Saran playing a deaf mom who is waiting for her husband to come back from Dubai. In the second story, Ali played by Shiva Kandukuri dreams of making it big in the cricketing field. The last story features two homeless kids whose aim is to buy a cake and celebrate their birthdays. This is also the time when heavy floods create havoc in Hyderabad. How all these different stories face this deadly situation and what happens to them is the basic story of Gamanam.

Plus Points:

Gamanam is Shriya’s comeback project and she is exceptional in the film. She as a deaf and helpless mom does quite well in her role. The inner turmoil that Shriya’s character faces is showcased well by the star heroine. Priyanka Jawalkar is good as Zara but gets a limited screen presence.

Young actor, Shiva Kandukuri plays an aspiring cricketer quite well. Shiva gets ample scope to emote and he is good in all the emotional scenes. Senior actor Charu Haasan is neat in his emotional character. The young actors who played homeless kids were very good.

The second half is filled with scenes related to floods and the emotions that each of the characters goes through during this time have been showcased on a decent note. The production design and the way Shriya’s episode of getting stuck in the floods has been designed well.

Minus Points:

By looking at the promos, one would assume that the director will somehow connect the three stories. But that does not happen. The first half is dull and the drama showcased lacks sheen.

Also, one of the biggest drawbacks of the film is the slow pace. The film takes forever to enter into the main conflict point. Also, the emotions showcased between the key characters are not established properly in the first half.

The film’s narration is jaded as the climax is filled with unnecessary thrills. Also, it is hard to understand why such a noted actress like Nithya Menen was there in the film. The film does not move you emotionally even though the plot had good scope for it.

Technical Aspects:

The production values of the film are pretty good and showcase the three different stories in a wonderful manner. The camerawork by Gnana Shekar needs a special mention as the old city visuals are impressive. Dialogues are good and so were the music and BGM by legendary Ilaiyaraaja. However, editing could have been better.

Coming to the director Sujana Rao, her story idea, backdrop, and characterizations are good but her narration was very dull. The required conflict is also not established well. The problems showcased do not create much impact on the audience and the slow pace also plays a spoilsport.

On the whole, Gamanam has a good backdrop but is marred by dull narration and slow pace. Shriya Saran is the pick of the star cast and does her role on an impressive note. Apart from that, there is nothing much the film showcases and ends as a below-par and dull watch this weekend.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.5/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click Here For Telugu Review

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Gamanam Reviews

No All Critics reviews for Gamanam.

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Gamanam Review

What's Behind

Shriya Sharan's Gamanam directed by Sujana Rao generated immense interest among movie lovers. The film hit the screens today on December 10. Let us find out what Gamanam offered to movie lovers.

Story Review

Kamala (Shriya Sharan), a deaf woman and a mother of a baby waits expectantly for her husband working in Dubai as a taxi driver. She makes a living by working as a tailor and resides in a single room in a slum. Ali (Siva Kandukuri) is a MBBS student but aspires to become a cricketer and represent India. He loves a well-to-do girl Zara (Priyanka Jawalkar). All of them get a shock in their lives and to the top of it, they get stuckup in torrential rain in Hyderabad. Where this leads to and how Ali's grandfather (Charu Haasan), his friend Abdullah (Suhas), singer Shailaputri Devi (Nitya Menon), cricket coaches (Ravi Prakash, kancherapalam Raju), Zara's father (Sanjay Swarup) and two slum kids are connected should be found on the screen.

Artists, Technicians Review

Sujana Rao tried to attract viewers by drawing inspiration from the Hyderabad floods and highlighting the sufferings of the poor and the affected lot. She came with a realistic story but it lacked an emotional connection. Though she tried to do something new coming with an anthology, she failed to connect chords with the viewers and ended up testing the patience of the viewers.

Right from the start till the finish, the film ended up in a lethargic manner offering no real twists and turns. Every one passed through the motions as the characters are not written strongly. Sujana Rao's story got nothing much to offer and the screenplay and direction turned out to be mediocre.

Shriya Sharan performed well as a deaf woman and a mother of a baby who gets a shock in her life. She showed good expressions and emotions and carried her role quite well. Shiva Kandukuri performed well in the role of an aspiring and honest cricketer. Priyanka Jawalkar did well in her role as a caring lover.

Suhas is fine as Abdullah while Sanjay Swarup, Charu Haasan, Ravi Prakash, and Kancherapalem Raju performed accordingly. Nitya Menon appeared as a singer in a cameo. For all the performances, none of them got scope to showcase their acting talent.

Many expected magic from Isaignani Ilayaraja. However, he just did an okayish job. His situational song is ok and the background score is in sync with the story. There is nothing much to rave about any of them. The cinematography of Gnanasekhar is realistic and captured the floods in a good manner. Editing could have been far better as there are many drags in the film. Production values are ok.

Shriya Sharan to some extent

Disadvantages

Story, Screenplay, Direction

Rating Analysis

Sujana Rao tried to take viewers into the ordeal of the Hyderabad floods with Gamanam. Though her idea looked good and interesting, she failed to execute in a proper manner on-screen with perfection. She failed in her attempt to get the optimum out of all and the anthology did not appeal to viewers. Lack of coherent screenplay and direction undid her efforts. Considering all these aspects, CJ goes with a 1.0 rating for Gamanam.

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Gamanam Movie Review

Movie Review:  Gamanam Director:  Sujana Rao Producers:  Ramesh Karutoori, Venki Pushadapu and Gnana Shekar V.S Music Director:   Ilaiyaraaja Starring:  Shriya Saran, Nithya Menen, Shiva Kandukuri, Priyanka Jawalkar, Suhas Release Date:  10th December 2021 Rating: 2 /5

Gamanam movie Review :  Shriya Saran, Nithya Menen , Shiva Kandukuri  and Suhas starrer Gamanam has arrived at the theaters today. Let’s see the story of Gamanam.

Story:  Gamanam has three different stories. The first story is about a deaf mother Kamala (Shriya Sharan), who is waiting for her husband to come back from Dubai. Second story is about  Ali (Siva Kandukuri) dreams  to become a cricketer and represent India.  And the last story is about two  homeless kids whose aim to celebrate their birthday by cake cutting. How all these different stories face this deadly situation, form rest of  the story.

 Plus Points:

• Performance
• Cinematography

Minus Points:

Performance:  Shriya Sharan in the role of a deaf woman and a mother of a baby who gets a shock in her life, delivers her best. She looks good in emotional scenes. Shiva Kandukuri in the role of an aspiring and honest cricketer gives fantastic perfromnace. Priyanka Jawalkar is fine in her role as a caring lover but she gets limited screen presence. Charu Haasan is ok  in his emotional character. The young actors who played homeless kids are also very good. Sanjay Swarup Ravi Prakash, Kancherapalem Raju and others perform accordingly.

Technical:  Ilaiyaraaja’ music is good, background score turned out to be average. The cinematography by Gnana Sheakr needs a special mention as he captures the floods in a good manner. Coming on the work of the director Sujana Rao, he should have work on the story and the script of Gamanam  before proceeding ahead with the project. Production values are ok.  Editing could have been crispy. The screenplay and dialogues lack interest.  The first half is dull and the climax is filled with unnecessary thrill.

Analysis: Overall Gamanam is a poorly executed movie.

Rating: 2 /5

• Gamanam  review rating
• Gamanam movie review
• Nithya Menen
• Shiva Kandukuri
• Shriya Saran

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• Shiva Kandukuri (Hero)
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“Gamanam” (transl. Voyage) is an Indian Telugu-language anthology film released in 2021. It marks the directorial debut of Sujana Rao and is produced by Ramesh Karutoori, Venki Pushadapu, and Gnana Shekar V.S under the banners of Kria Film Corp and Kali Productions.

The film boasts a talented ensemble cast including Shriya Saran, Siva Kandukuri, Priyanka Jawalkar, Suhas, Nithya Menen, Charuhasan, Bithiri Sathi, and Ravi Prakash.

With dialogues penned by Sai Madhav Burra, “Gamanam” explores various narratives intertwined around the theme of journey. Released on December 10, 2021, the film offers a poignant and thought-provoking cinematic experience.

Through its anthology format, “Gamanam” presents a tapestry of interconnected stories, each offering a unique perspective on life’s journey.

With themes ranging from love and loss to hope and redemption, the film resonates with audiences on a profound level. Sujana Rao’s directorial debut is marked by its depth and emotional resonance, while the stellar performances from the cast further elevate the storytelling.

“Gamanam” stands as a testament to the power of cinema to illuminate the human experience and touch hearts across generations.

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• What is the release date of 'Gamanam'? Release date of Shriya Saran and Nithya Menen starrer 'Gamanam' is 2021-12-10.
• Who are the actors in 'Gamanam'? 'Gamanam' star cast includes Shriya Saran, Nithya Menen, Shiva Kandukuri and Priyanka Jawalkar.
• Who is the director of 'Gamanam'? 'Gamanam' is directed by Sujana Rao.
• What is Genre of 'Gamanam'? 'Gamanam' belongs to 'Drama' genre.
• In Which Languages is 'Gamanam' releasing? 'Gamanam' is releasing in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam,Telugu and Hindi.

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Gamanam Review – Honest But Uninspiring

Honest But Uninspiring

OUR RATING 2/5

CENSOR ‘U’ Certified, 1h 54m.

What Is the Film About?

Gamanam is an anthology series comprising of three different worlds in Hyderabad. The common factor is the struggle they have to go through to achieve their dreams. Kamala (Shriya) dreams of a happy family and life. Ali (Shiva Kandukuri) wants to be a cricketer. Finally, the street kid wishes to celebrate his birthday by cutting a cake. Gamanam tracks their journey over a rainy day in Hyderabad.

Performances

Shriya is superb as Kamala. It is a performance-oriented role, and she delivers. Her reactions when she can hear for the first time or the breakdown or losing hope in the face of adversity are excellent. There is a bit of over melodrama, but it goes well with the overall impact the director was trying to create.

Sujana Rao makes her directorial debut with Gamanam . It is a simple yet challenging subject to execute. There are three different predictable stories, and she has to make a compelling narrative out of it, making her task cut out.

The movie’s first half takes time for establishing the world of the different characters. It is slowly but neatly done. However, barring the street kids, other shorts involving Kamala and Alia are very predictable.

Right from the start, the track of the street kids provides a compelling narrative. It is followed by Kamala’s mainly due to the presence and performance of Shriya. Shiva Kandukuri’s is the most routine one of the three.

The interval mark leaves everyone in a hopeless situation after establishing the world. It feels a little too soon to come. But then again, post-intermission, we are straight away into an extended climax.

Yes, the entire second half feels like an extended climax. The three principal characters are experiencing different adversaries, and it all happens in the backdrop of torrential rainfall – the kind that cripples the city by engulfing certain parts.

Kamala is struck in a small house that is getting inundated with rain. She can’t move out, and there is a baby to deal with. The street kids have to sell clay Ganesh idols in the rain to get the money they want. A dejected Ali is roaming on streets in the rains.

The obstacles appear very cinematic when it comes to Kamala and Ali. Also, the way the narrative is rushed to the final act without a proper second one doesn’t give it enough depth. One is barely connected to the characters, and they are put in extraordinary circumstances.

The rain effect and it (rain) being used as part (almost like a character) of the narrative is neatly done in the second half. However, the whole thing is stretched for a long time. Some parts test the patience, but the editing makes it look decent overall. The ending also feels only partly satisfying. This uninspiring and lack of uplifting quality, in the end, is eventually the movie’s biggest pitfall.

Overall, Gamanam is a sincere attempt, but it is a difficult watch theatrically, not because of its content, though. If you like to see something different from routine, give Gamanam a try, but remember it isn’t a commercial fare.

Shiva Kandukuri looks the part and puts in a sincere act. It is literally the case with every other actor who is part of the film. It is the best thing about Gamanam. Priyanka Jawalkar is okay. She does put in the effort to act and cries a lot. Charu Hasan is a natural even at this age and is fine. Vasu Inturi is wasted, and so is Sanjay Swaroop. The two kids are excellent. They provide the movie’s most engaging sequences.

Music and Other Departments?

The background score by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja is terrific. It brings much-needed intensity to the narrative and enhances the emotional appeal throughout. The cinematography by Gnanasekhar VS is raw and gritty. A few sequences stand out visually within the attempted space. The rain sequences are fantastically showcased. The editing is neat, especially during the second hour. The writing could have been better. Few lines are spoken, but efforts are made to incorporate dialogues with meaning and depth—only some workouts.

Highlights?

Street Kids Track

Short Length

Lacks Depth

Feels Rushed In Parts

Predictable Stories

Alternative Take

Adding a bit more meat to the characters and their worlds and reducing the length of the extended climax would have helped create a more compelling drama.

Did I Enjoy It?

Yes, In Parts

Will You Recommend It?

Yes, But With Huge Reservations

Gamanam Movie Review by Siddartha Toleti

• Entertainment
• New Hindi Movies

Gamanam: Release Date, Trailer, Songs, Cast

• Release Date 10 December 2021
• Language Telugu
• Dubbed In Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada
• Genre Drama
• Duration 1h 53min
• Cast Shriya Saran, Siva Kandukuri, Priyanka Jawalkar, Suhas, Nithya Menen, Charuhasan, Chevella Ravi, Bithiri Sathi, Ravi Prakash, Priya, Indu Anand, Nehanth, Sanjay Swaroop, Kancharapalem Raju
• Director Sujana Rao
• Writer Sujana Rao
• Cinematography Gnana Shekar V. S.
• Music Ilaiyaraaja
• Producer Ramesh Karutoori, Venki Pushadapu, Gnana Shekar V.S
• Production Kria Film Corp, Kali Productions
• Certificate U

About Gamanam Movie (2021)

An anthology of stories and struggles of six individuals from different walks of life, as they try to make the best of their city life. This is a collection of tales of struggle, ambition, hope, desire, and despair, and how despite all of it, life moves on.

Gamanam Movie Cast, Release Date, Trailer, Songs and Ratings

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Ruben östlund teases ‘the entertainment system is down’ with kirsten dunst & daniel brühl at cannes presser: “it’s f–ing hard to make a good airplane movie” , breaking news.

‘Megalopolis’: What The Critics Are Saying

By Andreas Wiseman

Andreas Wiseman

Executive Editor, International & Strategy

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After months of speculation, the critical book has finally been opened on Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis . The early word? Predominantly positive, with some very high highs and inevitably a few low lows.

Below, we run through some of the first reactions.

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He continued: “Halfway through, there’s a  very  audacious gimmick that tears down the fourth wall in ways younger filmmakers can only dream of. Coppola breaks many of the cardinal rules of filmmaking in the film’s 138 minutes but it upholds the most important one: it is never, ever boring, and it will inspire just as many artists as the audiences it will alienate.”

RELATED: ‘Megalopolis’ Debuts At Cannes With 7-Minute Standing Ovation

In a positive notice, Vulture’s Bilge Ebiri dissected the film’s “absolute madness” and called it the “craziest movie I have ever seen”: “There is nothing in  Megalopolis  that feels like something out of a “normal” movie. It has its own logic and cadence and vernacular. The characters speak in archaic phrases and words, mixing shards of Shakespeare, Ovid, and at one point straight-up Latin. Some characters speak in rhyme, others just in high-minded prose that feels like maybe it should be in verse.”

Indiewire’s David Ehrlich said on X: “The silliness is a feature, not a bug! a garish, epic, & utterly singular $120 million self-portrait that’s also a fable about the fall of ancient Rome & a plea to save our civilization (and its cinema) from itself. big fan.”

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Rolling Stone ‘s David Fear called the film “truly epic”: “So long as there are people who love movies that are actually about things, and think about the past 6,000 years of human civilization, there is an audience for this.”

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David Jenkins of Little White Lies was also in the pro camp, posting to X: “Desole haters… Megalopolis rules.”

The UK’s Daily Telegraph gave the movie four stars, saying, “Coppola’s latest is like Succession crossed with Batman Forever and a lava lamp…Aubrey Plaza is fantastic in this full-body sensory bath movie which follows a struggle for power among the elites of New Rome.”

Not everyone was as glowing. The Guardian gave the film only two stars, saying: “Coppola’s passion project is megabloated and megaboring.”

RELATED: Aubrey Plaza Says Francis Coppola “Doesn’t Need My Defense”, Reveals The “Collaboration And Experimentation” Of ‘Megalopolis’

Vanity Fair ‘s Richard Lawson echoed that theme, with the brand noting in its headline: “Francis Ford Coppola’s  Megalopolis  Is a Passion Project Gone Horribly Wrong”, before continuing, “Maybe some cinephiles will see value in the  Godfather  director’s long-gestating epic. Many more, though, will be left scratching their heads.”

Tim Grierson of Screen Daily went further, saying on X: “It pains me to say that Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis is a disaster.”

RELATED: ‘Megalopolis’ Imax Global Release Will Be Limited; Release Date Contingent On U.S. Distribution But Late September Eyed For IMAX In 20 US Cities; Coppola Live Event Planned – Cannes

The official logline for the film reads: “ Megalopolis  is a Roman Epic fable set in an imagined Modern America. The City of New Rome must change, causing conflict between Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare. Torn between them is socialite Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar has divided her loyalties, forcing her to discover what she truly believes humanity deserves.”

As we revealed earlier this week , the movie recently scored distribution deals in key European territories. Speculation is rife about what will happen to the film in the U.S. Interestingly, the international deals are for theatrical rights only and TV and VOD rights have been held back by Coppola’s team, potentially paving the way for a global streamer-type deal down the line. 

After tonight, what’s clear is the movie has a number of prominent critical supporters, perhaps more so than anticipated. Could Coppola make history by becoming the first director ever to win three Palme d’Ors? That doesn’t seem such a remote possibility right now.

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‘kinds of kindness’ review: emma stone and jesse plemons headline yorgos lanthimos’ insidious and intriguing studies in love and control.

Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley and Hong Chau also star in a return for the Greek director to the subversiveness and ambiguity of his early films.

By David Rooney

David Rooney

Chief Film Critic

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'everybody loves touda' review: a young mother chooses herself in nabil ayouch's absorbing drama, cannes: yorgos lanthimos-emma stone reunion 'kinds of kindness' premieres to 4-minute standing ovation, kinds of kindness.

Irrespective of the degree to which the three stories are interwoven, this is a work of audacious originality, vicious humor and balls to the wall strangeness, giving the impression there are few places the director won’t go. That includes places of darkness, perversity and mutilation not for the squeamish, but there’s a counterbalancing lightness to Kinds of Kindness that serves the material well.

The feature came together quickly while the Greek director was still in post on Poor Things . It allowed him to extend his collaboration with Emma Stone a third time, while also bringing back two of her castmates from their most recent film together, Willem Dafoe and Margaret Qualley . Watching those actors, plus new recruits including Jesse Plemons and Hong Chau , play different roles with different relationship dynamics in the three stories is a significant part of the pleasure. That aspect adds to the intriguing idea that Lanthimos could be assembling his own like-minded repertory company.

In The Death of R.M.F. , Plemons plays mild-mannered Robert, the husband of Chau’s Sarah. As part of an arcane pact with his wealthy boss Raymond (Dafoe) — who bankrolls the couple’s middle-class comfort and sends them lavish gifts of sports memorabilia like a mangled John McEnroe tennis racquet — Robert has basically surrendered all free will. He receives regular written outlines of each day’s events from Raymond, accounting for every last detail, such as what he wears, what drink he orders at a bar and even when he has sex with Sarah.

Lanthimos has the actors play all this as if it’s an entirely normal transaction, with Plemons projecting Robert’s eagerness to please while Dafoe conveys Raymond’s thinly veiled malevolence.

But the arrangement hits a snag when Robert follows instructions and rams a car with R.M.F. at the wheel but neither kills that other driver nor is hospitalized himself, as was outlined in the plan. Robert balks at Raymond’s order to repeat the crash at a higher speed, prompting his boss to cut him off with cold finality. But taking back control of his life proves challenging, especially once it’s revealed how many people, from Raymond’s wife Vivian (Qualley) to friendly optician Rita (Stone), are a part of the puppet master’s scenario.

Plemons, an actor with extraordinary range who’s the standout of a stellar ensemble, plays Robert’s escalating desperation with grim inevitability. But that’s nothing compared to the descent into sinister obsession of policeman Daniel, his character in the next story, R.D.F. Is Flying .

Daniel’s maritime biologist wife Liz (Stone) has gone missing on a research expedition, causing the cop to sink into depression. When his partner on the force, Neil (Mamoudou Athie), and his wife Martha (Qualley) try to offer emotional support over dinner, a distraught Robert begs them to watch a video of Liz with him. Their reluctance doesn’t come close to preparing you for what’s revealed in the home movie, a kinky source of comfort that’s perhaps Kinds of Kindness ’ most hilarious gag.

When a rescue helicopter finds Liz and a fellow researcher on a deserted island, her return home is tainted by Daniel’s growing certainty that the woman in his house is not his wife. Every little way in which she differs from his spouse heightens Daniel’s suspicious hostility. Liz relates a dream she had on the island, in which dogs were in charge, people were animals and animals were people. The savagery that emerges from Daniel’s paranoia — or justified certainty? — becomes decidedly inhuman, allowing Stone to take a macabre plunge into horror as Liz acquiesces to her husband’s insane need for appeasement.

She plays Emily, who has abandoned her husband Joseph (Joe Alwyn, returning to the Lanthimos fold after The Favourite ) and their daughter to pledge her devotion to a creepy sex cult led by Omi (Dafoe) and Aka (Chau).

Partnered with fellow acolyte Andrew (Plemons) and receiving assistance from a morgue attendant (Athie), Emily’s task is to find a potential spiritual leader with reanimation powers. She’s shunned from the sect once her purity is compromised by Joseph. But when a stranger (Qualley) comes forward insisting that her twin sister is the one Emily is seeking, she goes rogue in a bid to regain Omi and Aka’s favor.

This is a wacko package to be sure, and overlong at two-and-three-quarter hours, so mileage will vary even for devoted Lanthimos fans. But Kinds of Kindness compels as a deranged look at our need to be loved, even at the cost of submitting to someone else’s insidious control.

Every one of the actors — including Hunter Schafer in a small role in the final episode — fully connects with the director’s peculiar wavelength. They keep the film engrossing even when it’s most perplexing.

The other distinguishing factor is the use of music, starting with The Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” which opens the movie with a punchy jolt. As he did for Poor Things , English musician Jerskin Fendrix contributes an unconventional score that’s frequently abrasive, in keeping with the disquieting tone. It ranges from dissonant tinkling piano to crashing chords, passages by turns chiming and staccato, and choral pieces of feverish intensity.

Kinds of Kindness will likely be something of an acquired taste, but at the very least it’s a movie that keeps you wondering where it’s going next. A debt to Luis Buñuel notwithstanding, Lanthimos is his own breed of storyteller, and that alone makes his work something to be savored.

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‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’ Review: Crowded House

A reboot of the 2008 home invasion film “The Strangers” brings back masked assailants and brutal violence but leaves originality behind.

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By Erik Piepenburg

The key to a terrific scary home invasion horror movie is not just how domesticity gets breached but why. It’s great to have a determined aggressor, sympathetic victims and a brutal invasion that’s contained and sustained. But to what end?

Yet some of the best home invasion films — “Funny Games,” “Them” — don’t supply easy answers. “The Strangers,” Bryan Bertino’s terrifying 2008 thriller starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman as a couple under siege, didn’t either. It kept the invaders’ motives and their identities mysterious, amping up the devil-you-don’t-know terrors with a sense of randomness that was despairing. The premise and execution were simple. The payoff was a gut punch.

On its face, “The Strangers: Chapter 1,” the first of three new films in a “Strangers” reboot from the director Renny Harlin (“ A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master ”), checks all the same boxes. But the hapless script — written by Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland and based on the original — offers nothing fresh in a tiring 91 minutes, and nothing daring to justify a new “Strangers” film, let alone a new series, especially when Bertino’s formidable film is streaming on Max .

This new tale begins with Maya (Madelaine Petsch) and her boyfriend, Ryan (Froy Gutierrez), taking a fifth anniversary road trip through the Pacific Northwest. When their car breaks down in a rural Oregon town, they meet a seen-it-before who’s who of horror movie yokeldom: unsmiling boys, sweaty bumpkin mechanics, a diner waitress whose eyes scream “run, if you know what’s good.”

As Maya and Ryan wait for their car to be fixed, they decide to spend the night at a secluded rental cabin. Under darkness there’s a knock at the door and, true to the home invasion formula, our leading sweethearts get terrorized until dawn inside the cabin and through the woods by a trio of assailants with big weapons and indefinite end goals. They have face coverings too, making menace out of the same blank-faced creepiness the villains embodied in the original film and its 2018 sequel.

Harlin is known for action films, including “Die Hard 2,” and those chops come in handy here, especially when he’s left hanging by a sleepy middle section of frantic chases and failed attacks that feel like padding. Cat-and-mouse games can be compelling, but here , like a “Tom and Jerry” marathon, they get repetitive, dulling the impact of the violence. Petsch and Gutierrez have sufficient enough rapport, and border on sharing a couple’s chemistry as the final stretch comes to a too-predictable conclusion.

The film’s few thrilling moments have little to do with blood and guts and more with the juxtaposition of dread and song, as when Joanna Newsom’s lilting hymn “Sprout and the Bean” and Twisted Sister’s power anthem “We’re Not Gonna Take It” pop up unexpectedly to disorient the action. These and other oddball musical interludes provide too-fleeting hints of what might have been had this film sought a novel household takeover, not the same old.

The Strangers: Chapter 1 Rated R for heaps of ruthless violence and general despair. Running time: 1 hour 31 minutes. In theaters.

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Review: Proudly bizarre 'I Saw the TV Glow" will boggle your mind – and that's the point

The proudly bizarre horror movie “I Saw the TV Glow” will likely spark many a “What the heck did I just watch?” reaction – which in this case, is a good thing because there’s no right answer. 

A story of two lonely youngsters and their shared favorite TV show, transgender writer/director Jane Schoenbrun’s eerily immersive and discomforting dive into 1990s suburbia is a well-acted coming-of-age queer allegory and also an intriguing pop-culture deconstruction.

Like “Donnie Darko” or David Lynch’s entire oeuvre, “Glow” (★★★ out of four; rated R; in select theaters now, nationwide Friday) blends the real and the surreal in a neon-drenched nightmare that leaves a trail of thematic breadcrumbs for its audience. And sure, it could be way more straightforward and less artistically cryptic, but that commitment to entrancing weirdness is part of the movie's special sauce and pretty much Schoenbrun’s whole deal.

Their confident debut, the 2022 film festival find “ We’re All Going to the World’s Fair ,” was a hauntingly trippy, COVID-19-era cautionary tale centered on the virtual worlds where isolated kids wander. “I Saw the TV Glow” offers a larger, more challenging narrative with a throwback vibe.

Twelve-year-old Owen (Ian Foreman) comes along when his mom (Danielle Deadwyler) works an election night at school. In the empty cafeteria, he meets teenager Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine), who’s reading a book about the TV series “The Pink Opaque.” She asks him if he’s seen it; he hasn’t but is enamored of commercials for this show, about two girls with a psychic connection who take on weekly supernatural threats. (Think “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” or “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” back in the day.)

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“Pink Opaque” comes on after Owen’s bedtime, so he sneaks out at night to watch it with Maddy. As years go by – with Justice Smith playing anxious, asthmatic Owen from 14 to adulthood – they form a close bond, using the show as a transfixing escape from their troubled households. One day Maddy disappears, leaving only her flaming TV behind, and "Pink Opaque" is abruptly canceled. Almost a decade later, Maddy shows back up as a clearly changed person, and her reappearance as well as Owen's continued obsession over this show take a toll on his mental well-being.

A nonbinary filmmaker, Schoenbrun infuses "Glow" with personal metaphor, aiming to capture the feelings of a trans person seeking and finding who they truly are: In one scene, Maddy asks Owen if he likes girls or boys and he responds, “I think I like TV shows.” At the same time, they successfully create a landscape relatable to anyone who’s felt like an outsider in their own skin or home. And it all will feel uncannily familiar for those who grew up in the film’s mid-1990s setting, from what’s on that glowing TV screen to Fruitopia drink machines in school.

There are many layers that build out the atmosphere. Schoenbrun intersperses scenes from “Pink Opaque” that feel like a fuzzy escape from the psychologically wrought main plot, with the walls weirdly breaking down between them. There are incidental musical moments – including a cameoing Phoebe Bridgers – straight out of the “Twin Peaks” Roadhouse, and inspired by the likes of "Buffy" and "The X-Files," Schoenbrun unleashes villainous creatures of the “monster of the week” TV variety, like big bad man-in-the-moon Mr. Melancholy, that toe the line between cheesy and freaky.

Alongside themes of sexuality, identity and human connection, the cultural aspect of “I Saw the TV Glow” will hit home, especially for modern audiences. Our collective fandom for TV shows and movies can bring us together but can corrupt as well when what we watch becomes our everything. The movie offers a strong take on the dangers of nostalgia, and what happens when it ventures from needed sanctuary to a repressive prison.

So you might have no idea what the heck you just watched, especially with the rather abrupt ending, but there’s plenty to chew on and think about afterward.

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J.K. Simmons knows how to do sociopath. There’s something so fascinating about a performer like Simmons who can pivot from a guy who looks like your average suburban neighbor to a total lunatic with a perfectly timed malevolent smile. He’s having a blast in most of “You Can’t Run Forever,” and the fact that it was co-written and directed by his wife of almost thirty years probably made this an even more memorable shoot. Sadly, he’s the only one having fun. You certainly won’t.

To be fair, “You Can’t Run Forever” does open with a memorable blast, but it’s a scene that’s indicative of the tonal problems that will follow. Simmons’ Wade pulls up to a gas station in the middle of nowhere just in time to see a fight between a couple sitting in chairs outside the convenience store and a dude yelling at his yappy dog. He marches up to the dog owner, solving the dilemma by shooting him and the couple before driving off over the horizon. He’s deranged. And not just your typical Movie Villain deranged. In one scene, he pleasures himself to a photo of the wife of the guy he’s just killed. There’s a version of “You Can’t Run Forever” that plays like “ High Tension ” or “ Martyrs ,” truly leaning into its ultra-violent view of the world.

The problem is that director Michelle Schumacher didn’t have the courage to make that movie. She’s constantly losing the tonal grip on this story, directing scenes with a flat lack of energy that leaves Simmons lost in a movie that has no idea what to do with him. The film really gets started when Wade encounters Eddie ( Allen Leech ) and his stepdaughter Miranda ( Isabelle Anaya ), killing the former and sending the young woman into the woods to survive. While Miranda’s very pregnant mother Jenny ( Fernanda Urrejola ) panics at home, and the inept local cops bumble their way through the investigation of what appear to be the first murders in their area—the best bit in the film involves an incompetent deputy reading a manual about how to handle a crime scene—Wade hunts Miranda through the woods. It’s another variation on “The Most Dangerous Game.”

And yet it’s not really. Schumacher and co-writer Carolyn Carpenter don’t really even trust their “predator vs. prey” concept, constantly bursting any rising tension by cutting back to a worried Jenny or the officers trying to figure out who is terrorizing their small town. And when flashbacks vaguely try to give Wade a loose motive for what he’s doing, the whole thing falls apart even further. This kind of movie only works with a ruthless, motiveless killer who pushes a victim into discovering their inner strength. But that kind of direct ‘one on one’ thriller requires trust in both performers and collaborators like editors and cinematographers who can make the setting into a threatening backdrop. There is absolutely zero tension in “You Can’t Run Forever.” It all feels like a lark, a project that would completely dissolve if not for the Oscar winner at its center.

About that Oscar winner—there is some perverted glee in watching a performer who is so far above everything else around him. The ruthlessness in his eyes, a twisted smile when he knows he’s in charge, a true sense of danger—that’s all there in Simmons’ choices. And yet none of his scene partners rise to meet what he’s trying to do, creating a weird professional/amateur dynamic that’s like watching mediocre athletes try to keep up with an all-star. Schumacher turns to cheap emotional tricks to try to amp up everything around her star, including using exploitative plot devices like suicide and the dangers of imminent childbirth, but none of it rises to Simmons’ level. He’s just running so fast that the film can’t keep up with him.

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

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You Can't Run Forever (2024)

102 minutes

J.K. Simmons as Wade

Fernanda Urrejola as Jenny

Allen Leech as Eddie

Isabelle Anaya as Miranda

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Graham Patrick Martin as Deputy Dwyer

• Michelle Schumacher
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