rrgupta

[rrgupta]

The Tinder Swindler ...

Meets

INVENTING ANNA... A ten part docu series on Netflix

Simon Leviev is the son of a Israeli billionaire diamond trader. While drinking right on his Tinder account he meets Cecilia and Pernilla , two Scandinavian women, whom he sweeps of their feet with his charm, his wealth and generosity . Private Jets across Europe, gifts etc make them part of his entourage along with his bodyguard , Peter. Peter has to protect his boss from various enemies . One day these enemies attack Simon and Peter and the world changes forever. He now needs help, financial , as well as moral support from his friends , and they help to an extent. Loaning him thousands of dollars and even briefly thinking of mortgaging her house, Cecelia proves to be a nice girl friend. And Pernilla chips in and helps Cecilia in paying for her flights to travel with Simon.

But then Anna Delvey aka Anna Sorokin ( Julia garner) comes into the picture . She takes over the story , by trying to woo Simon.

Anna is a biz women , who is about to take over the New York social scene by creating the new Soho House, thru her Anna Delvey foundation. She lives in the best Hotels of New York and of course , they don't expect cash down payment from her. She wires them the money and we all know that money takes forever to reach New York, from Europe.

Simon and Anna soon get married and they have a kid called Vladimir. He buys Ukraine for his mother's country and ...

Oooooops... I'm sorry , i got my wires crossed....

Anyways , pl do see both Tinder Swindler ( a documentary on Netflix) and Inventing Anna (a nine part mini series, also on Netflix) ...

They both rate 4.2 /5 from me...

Rajesh Gupta

@RReviews_etc

#conwoman #bizwoman #Diamondsareforever #Newyorksocialscene

[rrgupta]

Death on the Nile...

This is a two hour movie based on the Agatha Christie novel. It's the second time for Kenneth Brannagh to become the moustachioed Hercule Poirot.

Typical of Agatha Christie's books, the story is about a wealthy heiress , linette ..( gal Gadot) , on her honeymoon , with a bunch of her friends. Of course many of them don't like her... More than than, of course I can't reveal... But yes, it's a murder mystery, with lots of suspects, lots of possible murder victims and lots of fun

The suspect list has very good actors like Annette Bening, Tom Bateman and our Desi Ali Fazal

This is the third version of the book. One might wonder ... Seen one murder mystery, seen them all. But no... The Egyptian pyramids and the scenery itself is a good reason to watch the movie. But also, i loved the very different presentation of the book. Whilst keeping the original feel, Brannagh, who's also the director, gives a very modern feel to cater to today's tastes.

There are 66 novels of Agatha Christie, and this movie is not a perfect fit, but an adaptation. Some characters have changed . The movie starts with an explanation for the world's second most famous moustache... ( No, the most famous is not mine!) This backstory is not from Agatha Christie at all, but I guess you have to improvise with times.

Must see , if you are a fan of stylish period movies , or of murder mysteries.

4/5 for me...

Rajesh Gupta

@RReviews_etc

#egypt #scars #redpaint #ouch

[rrgupta]

Gehrayiaan...

This is a much talked about movie, on Amazon Prime. Alisha( Deepika Padukone) and Tia (ananya Sharma) are cousins, so are meeting after a long time with their respective partners Karan and Zain ( Siddharth Chaturvedi). Zain falls heavily for Alisha and there are obvious complications. These are further complicated by the complications between Al and Tia's family. Zain's business complications add another level of complication to the movie. As you have guessed i found the movie very complicated. And loooonnnngggggg! Why do Indian producers think that length of the movie gets the movie better

Or maybe the director gets paid by the minute... Anyways, 150 minutes afterwards I realise that the movie , though complicated and long , is nice. Because of the superb acting by Deepika Padukone, and her sexy scenes with her partners, the movie is nice. Nice and complicated and long... Can't say more in case I leak singer of the nice complications!

That's my take on gehrayiaan...

3.7 /5

Rajesh Gupta

@RReviews_etc

#anikanani #porkbao

[rrgupta]

The Sopranos ....

This is a older criminal serial, currently on Disney Hotstar... 6 seasons , around 75 episodes. I recently started it, and couldn't stop , so start a only if you can commit to it! It's a bit dated , with the first episode airing in the last century 1999 and the Last one aired in 2007

Anythony "Tony" Soprano , played by James Gandolfini, is the Mafia head of New Jersey. The life and crimes of a new York crime head , relatively modern, are well depicted. What's i particularly enjoyed was his interactions with his psychiatrist, Jennifer Melfi, and how he unloads all his emotional crap on her... Of course , this crap is not your every day stuff, but he basically confesses to her about his murders , including of his closest friends, his many affairs, his interactions with the government. Many times you sympathise with this family man ( father of two Meadow and AJ, good husband of Carmella) who's also a murderer, an extortionist and a psychopath!

The gang members are straight out of Godfather and there are many references to those movies. His henchmen.. Chris, sil , Paulie) seem like blundering folks, but are equally ruthless. Killing people is a part of their life , and they only feel guilty when they off those closest to them! The nuts and bolts of the gangster business ( conducted mostly in the backroom of a Topless bar!)is well juxtaposed with the Italian family system.

Very long, can get boring in many episodes, but the storyline is " Godfather meets family man meets Crime101 Meets " ... And that's what's interesting... You don't know what the next episode is going to be about!

3.5/5 for me

RAJESH GUPTA

@RReviews_etc

#Godfather #Classic #TooLong #psychopath #

[rrgupta]

PS

I'm writing a review after a long hiatus. Why...? Frankly, i don't know! Writer's block? Lazy? Too busy? A mix of all? None of the above? I don't know... But it's a great feeling too write Again!

[rrgupta]

[rrgupta]

17,496 ...

That's not a random computer generated number... My mathematics says it's

4+5+3+2+2+2=17495

Four generations of Gupta's

2 flats

5 weddings

3 kids born

2 dogs

2 deaths

47 years , 10 months, 25 days

I moved into Laxmi Vilas on 6th Oct, 1973, Dussehra, into flat 72. In 77 we moved into flat 81. This building has created for a lifetime of happiness, friends, family. I grew up as a kid, with the bestest friends , with whom I'm still in touch, and more! My sister got married, in the building garden , itself. My brother got married and left after his first kid. My parents shifted soon after that.

I, like a Sunil gavaskar, remained on the crease of Laxmi Vilas. I graduated from here, got married here to Renu . My two kids, Priyanka and Madhur, were born here , graduated from here, and got married here!

My first pet , Theo, was the darling of the building kids, and the second , Zoobie is even more affectionate!

I did some good in the society, some not so good, and hope that people will accept that whatever I did was in the interest of the society only .

All the residents here have always been like family, and will remain friends for ever!

Thanks for such a great lifetime of memories, Laxmi Vilas and all our friends here!

Rajesh Gupta

[rrgupta]

Mare of Easttown...

Not a typo, there... It's Not about a Mayor, and neither the 7 part mini serial (on Disney Hotstar) is about a female horse.

Mare, aka Marie Ann Sheehan, is a police detective in a small town in rural Pennsylvania. Played just superbly by Kate Winslet, this serial is a family/ small town drama.... Wait, no! It's a murder mystery! But is it? It could be a tragedy? Actually it's two genres rolled into one show. Parts of it remind me of Alfred Hitchcock, and parts of it remind me of Guru Dutt , and some parts about Hrishikesh Mukherjee!

Easttown is a typical blue collar town where everyone knows everyone, and Mare knows everything about everyone as well. From being called on a Old lady fear of being peeked at, to solving a year old missing person mystery, Mare seems to be everywhere. Her own family consists of her mother, her daughter and her grand child... And a hovering ex husband.. and a cousin portray.. and their cousins .. and... You get the picture.. everyone knows everyone.

Each character is introduced beautifully in the first 2 episodes, and the show seems to be " OK" . Soon, the mystery starts unfolding, the characters start getting fleshier. All I can say, without a spoiler, is that watch out for every character!

Kate Winslet shows us what a good actor can be, on the small screen. The show revolves around her, but she makes each character into a star!

MUST WATCH! 4.5 /5 for me ... But the last three episodes rate 5/5 from me!

Rajesh Gupta

@rreveiws_etc

#easttown #Catholic #oldfashionedmurdermystery

[rrgupta]

Downton abbey.. the movie...

After finishing Downton Abbey ( Prime Amazon, 6 seasons.. nearly 60 hours) I had a feeling of meeting a new family. The characters were so relatable, even though they were as apart geographically (UK v India), socially (British aristocracy v Indian biz man) and time era (1920's v 2020's)as possible! I wondered why and I realised that the mix of the " downstairs" and"upstairs" ensured that every viewer is raptured for every episode.

Then I heard about Downton Abbey, the movie. But couldn't find out online. My so called tech savvy failed totally. Finally my kids mentioned You tube.. and there I was, watching one of my favourite set of characters in a condensed way!

The storyline is basically the same -Lord Grantham, and his family (upstairs) rule over Downton Abbey, and their "servants" (downstairs) are involved totally in running the show. Lady Mary is now running the Earldom and is about to throw the towel in , considering the expenses are too high. But King George and his Queen decide to spend a night at the Mansion , and...

We see the pomp and splendour of the Serial .. but we also see that this is made to look like a poor relative show, compared to the King's retinue! There is mystery, there is romance and there is drama!

Loads of fun, and must watch for the fans of the show!

3.8/5 for me

Rajesh Gupta

@RReviews_etc

#aristocracy #kinggeorge #parade #yorkshire

[rrgupta]

The Serpent...

Aka Hotchand Bhawnani Gurumukh Charles Sobhraj, aka Charles Sobhraj, aka Alain Gautier, aka The Bikini Killer ...

This is a biopic of one of the most notorious criminals in the world, an eight episode mini serial on Netflix.

The serial meanders thru the life of Charles, a Half Indian, half Vietnamese guy, played by Tahar Rahim. Mostly Shuttling between the years 1975 and 76 , when he was in Bangkok , robbing Young hippies , after poisoning then. His girlfriend , Monique , also his accomplice is sometimes innocent, sometimes guilty, sometimes a saint and mostly a devil... Well played by Jenna Coleman. He's caught by a you

A young Dutch diplomat, Herman Knippenburg , is the protagonist who decides to go after these two villains. Stumbling on the murders of two Dutchmen , he tries to convince the authorities incl Thai police, his ambassador and others, but when no one wants to touch the unknown, launches his own investigation

The Serpent tries to explain the reasons behind Charles criminal bent of mind but doesn't succeed much. His mind is too bent, one might say. It's a great show to watch , particularly since India plays an important part in the story. The man's escape from Tihar jail is legendary! The 1970's visuals are very realistic , and one always wonders how they were shot! Sometimes a bit slow , but definitely a binge-worthy serial,..

3.8 /5 for me...

@rreviews_etc

Rajesh Gupta

[rrgupta]

[rrgupta]

One year...

Well, one year, and one week, to be precise... That's the period, a year ago, we went into lockdown, in India.

It started slow... 50% attendance in office, more fear of the unknown, lots of stories of China, And some of Hong Kong.. where my daughter stays...

Then on 19th march, Narendra Modi, announced a day long Janata Curfew... Phewww ... Only 19 hours , we thought... Of course, we can do it!

Then 19 hours became 21 days... We started waiting for the PM's television "shows", as we got used to bingeing Netflix serials! The clapping shows and candle in the windows are things future generations will laugh about, I'm sure!

We also got used to Dalgona coffee, Banana bread and carrot cake, buying groceries along with the whole building. We also bought 30 kgs of camphor for our building , to ward off Dengue! People sending sunset views and chatting on the terrace... Never thought of this in Mumbai!

Before trying out zoom calls , and Ludo we tried many other new apps like Houseparty , and pokerrr... With the triple rrr. My daughter gifted me masterclass and my daughter-in-law and son were playing poker and I was making them win!

I was writing daily rreviews , which I believe people actually read... "This too shall pass" is what was quoted back to me.

My tweet on making railway wagons into quarantine or hospital rooms went viral , when Amitabh Bachchan retweeted it... My 2 moments of fame!

Immigrants travelled upto 1200 Kms , by cycle or walking , in fear and in desperation. Reverse immigration damaged the psyche of people, I felt, more than anything. Factories and construction sites were deserted.The oil pricing went down to negative dollars per barrel. I think that was a true awakening to the economists!

In meantime, the death rate remained constant , the number of cases were low in India. The lockdown seemed to be working, and the government realised that the economy cannot be shutdown for ever.

After 60 days we started peeking out of our homes. I started with small drives , marveling at the empty road. Within 2 weeks , we got enough courage to visit FoodHall... Which scared the *** out of me! So many people!

Work soon started , again like a spring bird checking if winter was really over. In couple of weeks , work resumed with tremendous pressure of all nature! Of course the people were WFH , zoom meetings became the norm and loads of other issues. The PM's speech have way to the Finance minister policy statements, of 200,000,00,00,000 ! But , it still felt great to go to work every morning!

My mom passed away in August end , suffering from Covid19 and that for me was the biggest loss, of course.

Well, we are now one year and one week away! What's changed? Life is back to normal , but...

Second wave is starting and ... Will keep you posted, everybody! I'm sure, this too shall pass!

Rajesh Gupta

@rreviews_etc

[rrgupta]

Behind her Eyes....

This is a 6 part mini series, a psychological thriller, on Netflix. Louise, a single mother, has a flirtatious moment with David.

Like in many thrillers , coincidences abound. David is her soon to be Psychiatrist boss... He's married to Adele, unhappily... Of course , the flirting between Louise and David becomes an affair... And then the fun begins! Can't say much more without eating into the slow building suspense!

All the characters have acted superb. But the main hero is the story. Really, this series is difficult to review , without giving away the twisted revelations, in each episode. I'm not even going to try!

Must see for all lovers of good cinema... 4/5 for me

Let's put down this short review to my writers block, lol. For last 3,4 months I've been away from the reviews business, but promise to return again , for my 3 ½ fans!

Rajesh Gupta

@rreviews_etc

#unexpectedending #astral #nightterrors #writersblock

[rrgupta]

Tenet ....

FINALLY... A movie in the theatre ... The whole of 2020, the movie theatres didn't get my business , all the hard earned money was going to netflix , prime Amazon, Disney hotstar and other new age technologies. Pool.. e smell of pop corn, and waffle Ice cream was so nice, at Inox Atria. We had booked the entire auditorium (for a very very good deal, I must say!) , so the safety issue was not on the mind at all. And of course the icing on the cake was the company of my kids and wife! The theatre experience was 6/5

Coming to the movie "Tenet"... This was the first movie to be released in theatres, after the lockdown. The story line was too complicated for me to follow, after the first 45 minutes.. I just gave up and shamelessly enjoyed my little snooze on the couch! No fear of my snoring to be heard by the persons around me..lol

The special effects were simply out of the world! Can't describe it , without disclosing the story line, but really amazing what technology can do in terms of making entertainment different from whatever we have seen till now!

The surprise element was Dimple Kapadia in a totally insipid, forgettable role. Why would she do this, I wonder? The other actors and their roles were all so-so , since the main star, I felt, was the special effects. The story line was unbelievable and defied all logic, at least to me! Mumbai played a guest role also...

So , the movie gets a 3/5 for me, all the three points only because of the special effects!

@rreviews_etc

Rajesh Gupta

#christophernolan #timetravel #nuclearconfusion

[rrgupta]

Ludo ....

I'm writing a review after nearly 2 months... Doesn't mean I've not seen any TV during this time.. I've seen new series like A Suitable Boy... I've seen some oldies but classic , I've seen Mirzapur 2, I've seen ...

Then why didn't I write? Guess was too lazy ... Or was it a case of "writer's block" ... Or a feeling of " what's the use, who reads it, anyways" . But while writing this, I'm realising that I write for myself, and I think I did a blunder not doing so! Will definitely try to make up, so please WATCH OUT!

Coming to the made for streaming Movie .. Ludo ( on Netflix). This Anurag Basu movie has established actors like Abhishek Bachchan , Rajkumar Rao, Aditya Roy Kapoor and of course .. Pankaj Tripathi . They are well supported by new comers Sanya Malhotra , Fatima Shaikh .

the story is perfect for the lockdown, when many of us got addicted to Ludo. I was playing nearly every day , around April and may .. similarly , Anurag Basu himself is addicted and tells the madcap story of 4 sets of people in Ranchi ... Each of a different colour, all being controlled by one "dice" !

The storyline of each is varied and in the first hour one is very confused about where it's all going. Shades of "houseful" madness , with grittiness typical of Basu! It's impossible to describe the stories , and I'm not going to try.

The acting is pretty good for most of the actors. Abhishek Bachchan, in his typical stoic behaviour reminds you of his role in Yuva. Aditya Roy Kapoor is quite funny as a ventriquolist . Pankaj Tripathi is now getting too stereotypical, and should increase the breadth of his roles beyond the Gangster he is always playing!

Difficult to describe the genre ... But I liked the movie, except the length of two and half hours. Why so long, Mr Basu?

Do see it, as a wrap up for the worst part of the lock down ! (Keep fingers crossed)

4.1/5 for me...

@rreviews_etc

#ranchi #madcap #speakingdummy #keralanurses #cutekidnapping #hopelessly_heads_over_heels #when_luck_suck_everyone _f**k

[rrgupta]

Downton Abbey... This is a 6 seasons show (totally 56 episodes) on Prime Amazon. So, a word of caution... Start Watching only if you can commit, otherwise you'll get withdrawal symptoms. That happened to my wife, Renu!

Starting in 1912, we are let into the life of an English Earl , Robert Crawley, Lord Grantham. The effects of the sinking of the Titanic on the Royal class of UK is the first scene of the show! The Lord (nicely underplayed by Hugh Bonneville) , her Ladyship Cora Crawley have just lost their male heir to the iceberg and the most effected is his eldest daughter , Mary.. who is engaged to this heir. Complications , you see, exist not only in soap operas , but in these families too!

Soon, we are introduced to the rest of the family, the two other sisters , the new heir , Matthew Crawley, his mother and most important... The lady Dowager Grantham , the Lord's mother. Like in an Indian family, she reigns supreme (or tries to)…

But the show has also the servants of Downton Abbey.. butler Carson , Valet Bates, Mrs Hughes and the rest. There's a clear heirarchy about this class... , which is very entertaining and interesting

Over the next 56 episodes we are treated to a right royal mix of British snobbery, politics and society of the 1920's, some real Royals, (as differed from nobility) . We are also introduced, through the " servants" to the life of the common man in Great Britain ,post the Victorian age. Their pains , their feelings and their lifestyle is as important part of the show as the lifestyle of his Lordship

Society is becoming modern, electricityncomes in by the second episode , cars become common by the 10th, telephones by the 16th and aeroplanes are dealt with by the 50th episode!

The show deals with history, drama, war , societal changes in a very entertaining way. The historical bits were , for me, very informative. The drama was enjoyed by Renu!

If you have the patience, and think you can enjoy a subtle version of "Kyunki Saas BHI Kabhi Bahu thi" in a historic , English setting... (And believe me.. I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much, when we started!) ... Then it's a must watch

4.1 / 5 for me

#england #royallife #subtlebritish #bitchysister #hiddenprejudices #crankygranny #butlervaletmaidhousekeeperpolitics #princedukeearlcount #WW1 #lordmarchionessdifference

[rrgupta]

Dirty John This is a 8 episode , true to life serial, on Netflix John Meehan (Eric Bana) and Debra Newell (Connie Britton) meet online. She's a 4 time divorcee, with 3 grown up kids, running her successful interior decoration business. He's a successful doctor, an anesthesiologist. Debra, eager for a relationship, she falls head over heels in love with John. This is against the advice of her kids Veronica , terra and Trey. They soon move in together, and .... Sshhhh no spoilers, remember! Suffice to say, I remembered all the names of the characters, in details, the serial is that gripping! The serial is a binge warning . Please do not start on a week night. We saw it till 4 am! True to life, a man's greed and duplicity, and how a woman's need for love make her gullible! The characters are all realistic, and a lot like many Americans I know. Well, hard to believe, but they ARE real characters. Superb acting , specially by the lead protoganists , Eric Bana and Connie Brittany Must must see for all potboiler lovers, phycological thriller, as well lovers of drama... 4.2/5 for me... Rajesh Gupta @rreviews_etc #california #greed #addiction #anesthiologists #gullible #phsyco (at Orange County, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CD9ZzjtJJ5Q/?igshid=w9jyygvm1qku