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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...

De Niro, Pacino and Pesci - all assemble in the new poster for 'The Irishman'

Undoubtedly, Scorsese's next, The Irishman, is the most anticipated film of the year. It is indeed exciting that cinephiles can once again enjoy the craftsmanship of the genius that created cinematic wonders like Goodfellas, The Departed and Casino. The Irishman also falls under the genre synonymous with the director- gangster crime. On Monday, Netflix, The Irishman's official distributor, released the poster of the film, which unites the likes of Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci.


The Irishman is based on the memoir by Charles Brandt, I Heard You Paint Houses, which chronicles the life of mob hitman Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran, who served for the Bufalino crime family. Robert De Niro will star as the eponymous criminal, while Joe Pesci, who returns from his retirement, portrays Russel Bufalino, the head of the crime family. Al Pacino will play Jimmy Hoffa, the trade union leader who mysteriously went missing and was later declared "legally dead". The Irishman will depict the events leading up to the infamous incident, and the other exploits of Frank Sheeran.

The official synopsis of the film reads-

"Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci star in Martin Scorsese’s THE IRISHMAN, an epic saga of organized crime in post-war America told through the eyes of World War II veteran Frank Sheeran, a hustler and hitman who worked alongside some of the most notorious figures of the 20th century. Spanning decades, the film chronicles one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history, the disappearance of legendary union boss Jimmy Hoffa, and offers a monumental journey through the hidden corridors of organized crime: its inner workings, rivalries and connections to mainstream politics."

The Irishman is Scorsese's ninth collaboration with the legend Robert De Niro, after masterpieces like Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and Raging Bull. This is also the fifth collaboration between Al Pacino and De Niro, while, interestingly, it is the first time Pacino plays a role in a Scorsese film. 

All the three lead characters are being depicted at various junctures in their eventful life, calling for a portrayal of the younger self of the characters. The faces of the trio are being digitally de-aged in order to maintain the continuity, and has called for some ground-breaking visual effects treatment from the side of the makers. 

As the most anticipated movie of the year, The Irishman, as a gangster epic, is already being touted as a major contender for the Academy Awards. A three hour Scorsese watch is something the fans of the medium will relish after a long hiatus.

The Irishman will premiere at the 57th New York Film Festival on 27th September 2019. The film will have a limited theatrical release on 1st of November. Netflix will stream the movie on their digital streaming platform by November 27.

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Reviewer-The Blog©

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