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'Sara'S' review: Anchored by a powerful script, this simple film breaks the conventions of the feel-good template

Jude Anthany Joseph's third feature, after Ohm Shanti Oshana and Oru Muthassi Gadha, released on Prime Video at midnight today. This seemingly feel-good film, also seemingly made in limited spaces and with a shoestring budget, tackles a concept and issue never tested before in Malayalam cinema  circles. In Sara'S, we follow the life of Sara Vincent (Anna Ben), a young, bubbly, yet unapologetic filmmaker who struggles to make it big in the industry. She continuously assists male directors and is in the scripting works of her dream film. Sara has decided, from her school days, that she would not bear any kids. This is when she meets Jeevan (Sunny Wayne); her relationship with him subsequently brings her ideology and decision into a confrontation with the established norms of society, family and child-rearing.  Anna Ben in Sara'S The best aspect in which Sara'S has excelled, without doubt, is its hard-hitting taut script. Debutant Akshay Hareesh deserves praise for managin

Spider-Man: Far From Home- setting up the MCU after Endgame

After the epic showdown in the blockbuster Avengers: Endgame (read full review here), MCU-philes were eagerly waiting for the next installment in the ever-expanding universe- Spider-Man: Far From Home. With Kevin Feige, the brain behind Marvel Studios and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, announcing that FFH would be the final film in the Phase Three of the MCU, the hype surrounding the film was only upped to witness what it would do in setting up the next series of events and films in the MCU. The Reviewer reviews how the second installment in the second rebooting of the franchise about the web-slinging friendly neighborhood Spider-Man intends to treat the exploits of the superhero.



In the new world order after the Blip (as the Decimation and the reversal are named in the MCU), Peter Parker is still reeling from the loss of his mentor-cum-father figure Tony Stark, who sacrificed his life saving the universe in the events of Endgame. All he now wants is to make some progress in his personal life- he wants to spend quality time with his classmates, along with whom he embarks on a school trip across Europe, he wants to convey his feelings to the girl he crushes on- MJ (Zendaya), and he desperately wants to take some time off his superhero life. But all plans crash land when Nick Fury tasks Peter with the job of tackling the threat of extra-dimensional creatures called the Elementals, despite Peter's clamor to relieve him off his superhero job for at least once. He hesitantly joins hands with Quentin Beck aka Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), a superhero from another dimension, in a mission also to prove that he is worthy of the Avenger title that Tony bestowed on him.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Holland in Spider-Man: Far From Home

The MCU has become very distinct as a franchise in the sense that the films' genres are often redefined beyond the usual superhero realm. Ant-Man and Avengers: Endgame work brilliantly as heist thrillers, while Captain America: The Winter Soldier is one hell of a political espionage movie.

Jon Watts tries to weave a very sweet yet typical high school romance in this superhero adventure. He succeeds in doing so; every time we see Peter glance at MJ in that trademark coy manner, we are reminded of the high school love stories that we have seen in movies growing up, and at times, have seen blossoming in our very own classrooms and schools.

Maybe this is one of the reasons why Far From Home is such an enjoyable and watchable movie. We are not just treated to the usual firefight and brawl between the hero and the villain, we get the opportunity to dig deeper into the inner travails of Peter's private life- his relationship with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), his fear that Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) and his aunt are in an affair, his hopes of a new romance with MJ, his recuperation from the loss of his father figure, his reservation that he is not the hero that Tony wanted him to be, especially due to the fact that he keeps making mistakes and putting everyone in harm's way. Spider-Man is one of those superheroes in the small precinct of costumed alter egos who have such complex personal lives and back stories. The last film that shined in dealing with this unique nature of the Spider-Man canon was Spider-Man 2 (2004).

Another reason for Far From Home's remarkable achievement as a film is the way in which Spider-Man's stakes have been risen to an even challenging extent. He has to solely tackle the imminence of the Elementals, which visibly appears to the viewers as an Avengers-level threat. In the mean time, he has to prove whether he will be able to fill the shoes of Iron Man, left void after Endgame.

Tom Holland is wonderful as the teenager Peter Parker. He portrays the character in its' true essence- he is coy when talking with MJ, he brilliantly exposes the vulnerable side of Peter Parker and is determinant in the third act of the film. Holland proves that he has a prospective future in the MCU as it expands further into new realms. Zendaya and Jacob Batalon also shine as MJ and Ned respectively. One can be glad that Jake Gyllenhaal isn't cast in an underwritten role in FFH as Mysterio. The makers have tried to make full potential of the talented actor and has given him a laudable introduction into the MCU.


The CGI make for a visual spectacle in the film, especially in the final 20 minutes of the film.
Spider-Man: Far From Home is a worthy cinematic addition to the canon of the superhero, that is still dear to the comic book lovers. The movie successfully juggles the exploits of the web-slinger and the travails of his private life, powered by notable performances by the young Tom Holland and the experienced Jake Gyllenhaal. Far From Home succeeds in providing extravaganza, especially in the action set pieces and sets the stage for the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 
And please stay for the end credits. Don't miss it out.

Reviewer© rating: 4.5 stars

MPAA rating: PG-13 (for sci-fi action violence, some language and brief suggestive comments)


Runtime: 130 minutes


Reviewer-The Blog©

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