Dev Anand K

Visually stunning, story wise it plays things fairly safe.

A crowd film in the best sense of the term.

Technically gorgeous, a little hollow underneath.

Good performances but the story felt stretched by the end — could've been 20 minutes shorter.

The lead performance is doing an enormous amount of work here.

Ambitious swing that doesn't fully land but is fascinating to watch attempt what it attempts. Non-linear structure works for the first two segments before becoming genuinely confusing in the third. Performances are uniformly strong, particularly in the quieter dialogue-heavy scenes. Some of the visual choices feel borrowed from other filmmakers without adding anything new to them. The ending recontextualizes earlier scenes in a way that's clever on paper but muddled in execution. Worth watching for the craft on display even where the story itself stumbles. Curious to see what this director attempts next with a tighter script.

A quiet, understated film that trusts its audience more than most recent releases have. No dramatic score cues telling you how to feel — the performances do that work instead. Some viewers will find the deliberate pace frustrating, and that's a fair criticism. The final act payoff justifies the patience it demands from you earlier on. Cinematography is restrained in the best way, letting scenes breathe without over-directing them. This won't be for everyone, but for the right audience it'll stick with you long after the credits.

The second half is where this really finds its feet.

Held up much better than I expected on a rewatch.

The lead performance is doing an enormous amount of work here.