Chris_Casey Reviews

Sonchiriya (2019)

SONCHIRIYA is a Masterpiece of Pure Cinema!

[10/10 · 9 March 2019]

I traveled a total of 368 miles to see Abhishek Chaubey's revisionist "Daku" (bandit) movie and it was worth every inch of that journey. My only disappointment surrounding my SONCHIRIYA experience was that the screening I attended was a one-off affair. If there had been subsequent showings, I would have made that long trip to see it another 5 or 6 times, without a doubt. Yes, it is that good. Many have invoked the names of Sam Peckinpah and Sergio Leone when discussing this film. To me those are mighty big names to throw around. But, in the case of SONCHIRIYA the throwing of those names is wholly appropriate. I can't truly think of another film, Western or otherwise, that compares so favorably to the works of those two masters of cinema. The movie is an all-out, rip-roaring action movie that happens to also be a brutal, biting social critique of the concepts of caste, patriarchy, masculinity, and feminism. It is, as the director himself has stated, a film about Dakus with existentialist issues. SONCHIRIYA is pure cinema at its best. Enthralling! Engrossing! Enigmatic! In my opinion, it is an absolute must-see.

Trouble Is My Business (2018)

Nice Idea. Really BAD film.

[1/10 · 12 April 2018]

I'm all for supporting struggling independent film companies, directors, actors, and the like. I salute those folks that are out there fighting the good fight. But, sometimes when you fight, you lose. And this is definitely a lost fight. The film's premise is good. But, that's about it. The film starts off a little bad and proceeds to become excruciatingly lousy. I'm not trying to be hateful or disrespectful towards the filmmakers. They probably put their hearts and souls into this project and I really do salute their efforts. However, in my opinion, nothing really works in this film (except for a few well-lit shots). Nice idea. Failure of a film.

Johnny Yuma (1966)

An underrated masterpiece from the glory days of the Spaghetti Western!

[10/10 · 11 November 2004]

This wonderful little film has all of the elements that made the Spaghetti Western so exciting and fun: GREAT music (by one of the few..if not the only..female composer to work in the genre, Nora Orlandi), EXCITING action sequences (and very vicious ones for the day!), and BEAUTIFUL scenery and sets (all in Almeria, Spain, of course). It also has a very good story with a nice tragic romance edge to it. The actors do marvelous jobs--with truly standout performances from Lawrence Dobkin and Rosalba Neri (in the most vital role for a female in a Spaghetti Western..outside of Cardinale in Leone's "Once Upon a Time in the West"). Without posting any spoilers, let me just say that this movie contains one of the best endings of any film I have EVER seen!