Greetings again from the darkness. These are the kind of movies that it’s a pleasure to champion. Writer-director Reema Kagti and co-writer Varun Grover have produced a feel-good underdog story based on what a few folks actually accomplished in Malegaon, a small, poverty-stricken town in India. This inspirational true story opens in 1997 and is told in the Hindi language with subtitles.
Adarsh Gourav (THE WHITE TIGER, 2021) stars as Nasir, a videographer and photographer who uses his love of cinema to show Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton movies in the backroom of his brother’s shop. The size of his audience jumps when Nasir figures out how to use iconic scenes of those classic for comedy mash-ups to get people really laughing and enjoying themselves. As you might guess, video pirating was as frowned upon in 1997 as it is now, so after being forcefully shut down, Nasir had the bright idea to create his own parodies using local talent (aka friends).
The locals have a grand time working together, and those early auditions are a hoot. Their first production is a big hit! During this time, we see Nasir as a focused, dedicated filmmaker who leans heavily on Farogh (Vineet Kumar Singh) and Shafique (Shashank Arora), as well as some other friends. Farogh envisions himself as a serious writer … “The writer is the boss!” … and doesn’t buy into these silly parodies. Shafique is Nasir’s best friend, and he quietly dreams of becoming an actor while carrying out all of the tasks to make Nasir’s job a bit easier. Shafique is later part of a tender love story with the group’s lead actress (Manjiri Pupula). It’s also during this time that Nasir loses his girlfriend to a marriage arranged by her parents.
The story skips ahead to 2004, finding a backlash against Nasir from his friends who feel taken advantage of. He also experiences his first flop and himself becomes part of an arranged marriage (bride played by Muskkaan Jaferi), although he still carries a torch for his first love. The backlash appears to have exposed Nasir’s selfishness and clueless focus on film rather than people. Interestingly, there is an underlying theme of originality – what is it, and is it important in movies or not? It’s a question the industry still struggles with today.
Jumping to 2010, Shafique’s situation is the driving force behind friends reuniting and the most creative and personal movie project yet for Nasir. Much of the story revolves around chasing one’s dreams, the importance of friendship, and the urge to create art, specifically movies that entertain. The inspirational final act reminds us that everyone deserves to be a star at least once, and the value of friendship is priceless. There is a 2008 documentary titled SUPERMEN OF MALEGAON that focuses on the early days of filmmaking for these underdogs, and would be a nice complement to this film from Reema Kagti, whose end credits recap the real people portrayed in the story.
Opening in select theaters on February 28, 2025
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. It’s 1944 in the mountainous northern Italy commune of Vermiglio. WWII has been raging for years, and even the families in this remote village have felt the effects. Writer-director Maura Delpero has delivered a beautiful and touching film that follows the four seasons. There is little wonder this was Italy’s Oscar submission for Best International Film. Although it missed on a nomination, it’s still one of the best films from 2024.
Greetings again from the darkness. Jackie Chan starring as … Jackie Chan! He’s an international action-comedy star appearing in this international action-comedy as himself. In fact, one of the running gags has various people questioning if it’s really “him” and whether or not he can actually fight like he does in his movies. The film is from writer-director Luan Zhang and co-writers Wei Xu and Meng Yida.
Greetings again from the darkness. Most every Valentine’s Day, we get at least one romantic-comedy designed for a sweet and harmless date night. Well, this one ain’t it. Instead, if you thrive on romance loaded with danger and action sequences and mysterious monsters and decades old experimental weapons … we have just the movie for you. Director Scott Derrickson (THE BLACK PHONE, 2021; THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE, 2005) and screenwriter Zach Dean (THE TOMORROW WAR, 2021) deliver the rare sci-fi/action/monster/romance thriller, and were wise enough to cast two charming, well-liked young actors for the leads.
Greetings again from the darkness. So, may we interest you in a Valentine’s Day movie about an abusive relationship doomed to failure? What if I told you that it’s meant to be funny, but it’s actually quite depressing and dark? Cazzie David (Larry David’s daughter) and Elisa Kalani are co-writers and co-directors on this film rumored to be ‘inspired’ by Ms. David’s relationship with a certain former SNL comedian (the one known for dating a steady stream of beautiful women).
Greetings again from the darkness. Empty nest syndrome has always fascinated me. As parents, we strive to build independence in our kids so that they can go out in the world and fend for themselves (better described as not moving back home or remaining on the family ‘payroll’). And then there are parents like Susan in this excellent and entertaining new film from co-writers and co-directors Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart (partners, spouses, and collaborators).
Greetings again from the darkness. Accusing someone, anyone, of something or anything, is as easy as speaking the words. The challenge of justice unfolds with the (often) difficulty in finding sufficient evidence for proof. Although all of this holds true for any age and most any infraction, when the scenario plays out with six-year-olds at school, the situation can prove nearly unbearable for the parents and faculty. This is the basis for the first feature film from writer-director Halfdan Ullman Tondel (grandson of Norwegian actress Liv Ullman and legendary Swedish director Ingmar Bergman).
Greetings again from the darkness. With so many MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE movies (another one coming this year) and others of its ilk, movies labeled as ‘thrillers’ or ‘spy thrillers’ seemed to have evolved into hyper-action events requiring the leads to display near-superhuman strength, speed, or smarts. It’s exactly because of this that I found a soft spot for the latest from writer-director Neil Burger (THE MARSH KING’S DAUGHTER, 2023; DIVERGENT, 2014; THE ILLUSIONIST, 2006; THE UPSIDE, 2017) and co-writer Olen Steinhauer.
Greetings again from the darkness. This was one of the films I watched in my end of year movie frenzy, and it immediately became one of my favorite foreign language films of the year (in a solid year for the category). Writer-director Ryusuke Hamaguchi is back after his excellent and Oscar nominated DRIVE MY CAR (2021). Sharing credit on the film’s concept is Eiko Ishibashi, a rare breed: a combination composer-story writer. I should probably clear this up immediately – despite the genre-sounding title, this is not a horror film. It falls quite comfortably into the “drama” category, and as previously stated, it’s a good one.
Here is the link to my TOP 10 (actually 11) movies of 2024. In keeping with tradition, you will also find a list of the “Next best”, as well as designated categories: Documentaries, World Cinema, Animation, and a few other special notes. I hope you enjoy!
