“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” — Mark Twain. And typically, it’s the day you get up and realise your purpose is to save lots of your cash… and keep away from that subsequent unhealthy film. The picks for this week are all about purpose, change, and transformation.
‘Retro’: Masala, which means, and mayhem collide
“The journey of a hero is always a search for purpose,” stated Joseph Campbell in The Hero With A Thousand Faces. Karthik Subbaraj’s ode to the flicks of yore, Retro, starring Suriya in a posh function, is a deal with for cinephiles — however… and this however is in all caps! So, BUT— is the deal with actually satisfying? That’s debatable.
Retro, with its tagline ‘Love, Laughter, War,’ began with a bang on the field workplace, however collections dipped after combined evaluations. It has nonetheless hit ₹100 crore, however let’s depart enterprise apart. The movie begins with a climax of kinds — a gangster bids farewell to the thug life to get married. Cue a 15-minute oner with track, dance, motion, emotion, masala… the much-talked-about ‘Kanimaa’ sequence is one of the best a part of the movie. If it have been a mini film, it’d get 5 stars.
But expectations soar so excessive, it’s inconceivable for the movie to reside as much as that promise. It slowly spirals into a multitude, particularly within the second chapter, ‘Laughter.’ The thought of a violent gangster utilizing laughter remedy to win again his love is enjoyable on paper. But invoking Chaplin’s title isn’t sufficient. This portion doesn’t pack laughs — regardless of Jayaram’s presence — as a result of the joke writing doesn’t exist. Characters inform jokes, however we by no means hear a punchline. With assist from a comedy author, this may’ve labored. Here, the laughs come solely from situational gags.
With this gap within the narrative, the movie dives into War. But since Suriya is a preventing machine all through, it’s simply conflict, conflict, and extra conflict. 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 consuming is nice — as a result of hey, it kills abdomen germs. The downside with glorifying a name to arms is that whereas it might be nice satire, Retro performs it straight, justifying violence with purpose.
Poster of ‘Retro’
The lady who hates violence is informed, “He’s not Buddha, he’s Krishna.” That’s the one reasoning the movie provides. What if conflict is important— the one means out? In the movie, it’s. But in the true world, particularly within the wake of actual wars, we all know higher. Violence is cyclical. War ends with our bodies on either side. There may be chest-thumping within the fog of conflict, however there are no blissful endings.
To his credit score, this problematic messaging continues to be wrapped in poetic justice. Every scene comprises extra cinema per body than most movies on the market. So go simple on this deal with. Keep your expectations fundamental. A bunch of drunk followers dancing to Kanimaa throughout their repeat viewing merely left on the interval. They’d had their fill. Perhaps a extra sincere 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 film The Four Seasons explores how decades-old relationships change in a single day. This sharp, well-observed comedy may’ve simply turned darkish. But in Tina Fey and Steve Carell’s arms, the strongest drugs comes from surprising laughs. It’s a present that breaks your coronary heart — however in a means that looks like a superb cleanse. Like crying throughout a rom-com, besides you don’t get a cheerful ending — only a strong “Well, that was real.” Even when it will get devastating, you by no means cease smiling. A triumph of comedy writing. A must-watch together with your family members — as a result of nothing says ‘I love you’ like silently judging one another’s emotional baggage for 4 hours straight.
A nonetheless from ‘The Four Seasons’
‘Thunderbolts*’ / ‘New Avengers’: Marvel’s final chuckle?
Marvel modified Thunderboltsto The New Avengers a day after launch. Most of us have Marvel fatigue. Ever since The Boys, Marvel has been flailing. With Thunderbolts, they borrow from DC — a crew of misfits and anti-heroes. Julia Louis-Dreyfus performs Valentina, making an attempt to kill them off. They gained’t die. So they crew up. It’s all very meta. Not tremendous — simply rejects with points. Watchable. Not value IMAX 3D. But excellent for OTT. Two hilarious end-credit scenes roast Marvel’s desperation. So meta, I virtually missed Deadpool.
A nonetheless from ‘Thunderbolts*’
Quick reccos
Muthayya, directed by Bhaskhar Maurya, tells of a 70-year-old chasing a dream to be on the large display. A minimalist Telugu indie with coronary heart, now on ETV Win. That SS Rajamouli launched its trailer is virtually an Oscar.
Also, Nathan Fielder’s The Rehearsal Season 2 on JioStar continues to unsettle. Episode 3 goes too far — in one of the best ways. You could by no means unsee Nathan in a diaper.
Catch the total video of this FOMO Fix column on YouTube
From the most popular reveals to hidden gems, neglected classics to responsible pleasures, FOMO Fix is a fortnightly compass by means of the chaos of content material. Expect well timed suggestions, spoiler-free insights, and an sincere heads-up on what to not miss.
Published – May 09, 2025 04:55 pm IST
