Sudhir Srinivasan

Logan: A gritty, deserved farewell to a beloved mutant

Sometimes, the greatest battles you have to fight are those that take place within you. Unlike many other superhero films, Logan gets this.

Lion: A sincere adaptation of an incredible true story

For almost the entirety of the first half, the film plays as a highly stylised regional film, with all the characters talking in Bengali and Hindi. There’s little of the unconvincing English-speaking employed in Slumdog Millionaire.

Night of the stars

Darkness in many of these films isn’t just of the day; it’s of character itself. The disloyalty of Troy in Fences. The bloodlust of Tanner Howard in Hell or High Water. The violence—inner and outer—of Lee Chandler in Manchester by the Sea. The treacherous conformism of Kevin in Moonlight.

Why do we love Baashha?

Remember that this was during a time when an onscreen rebuke addressed at Rajini’s character resulted in mobs thronging your house with vengeance in their hearts. Ask Vadivukkarasi about it.

Moonlight: A beautifully contemplative tale with subtle, powerful messages

I cannot think of another protagonist who has so little to say throughout a film. When he does talk though, his pain spills through lines so delicate that you want to wrap him up in a blanket and hide him somewhere, just so the world can’t hurt him any more.