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G20 review – Viola Davis plays president in so-so action thriller

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The Oscar winner plays a soldier turned world leader forced to fight back in Amazon’s simple, serviceable star vehicle Released just three months after the inauguration, geopolitical action thriller G20 was always going to have unavoidable resonance. While the shoot ended back in March last year, there must have been points during the post-production process when those involved wondered if their film – a rousing story of a Black female president taking charge – would coincide with a similar, albeit less schlocky, real world victory. But it wasn’t to be and instead the film has landed on Amazon at a far less inspiring time for America when a president has decided to destroy rather than save his country. Any links to be made from fiction to fact push Trump’s agenda closer to that of the bad guys, who aim to tank the global economy and stop a perceived US overspend of foreign aid. While there are moments that might unintentionally insist us to make the connection (lead villain expressin...
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Living Together review – how Austrians teach immigrants to find their place in society

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New arrivals sit in drab spaces and are learn how to fit in, in a film that quietly addresses the costs of integration to minority groups Thomas Fürhapter’s documentary sheds light on the challenges of adjusting to a new culture as it follows a series of “integration classes” offered to immigrants in Vienna. The film opens in the nondescript corridors of an administrative building, which lead into sun-filled but impersonal meeting rooms where these sessions take place. As the participants discuss their worries and uncertainties, these colourless spaces transform into sites of passion and community. Conducted in multiple languages, the seminars grapple with culturally specific issues faced by different minority groups. Topics of discussion range from Austrian ways of greeting, to more serious concerns such as racism and domestic abuse. In talking about the present and the future, people also reveal pieces of their past: some moved to Austria for love, others fled the horrors of war. D...
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BREAKING: Andaz Apna Apna to re-release in cinemas on April 25; to CLASH with Ground Zero

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The news of the re-release of Andaz Apna Apna (1994) led to a lot of excitement for the viewers. The film has an enviable fan following and moreover, the presence of superstars Salman Khan and Aamir Khan has added to the excitement of watching them again on the big screen, that too in comic roles. During the 30th anniversary of the film in November 2024, the family of the late producer Vinay Sinha announced the plan to re-release in the summer of 2025. And now, it has come to light that the film is all set to arrive on the big screen next month, that is, April 25. While talking to The Times of India, the children of Vinay Sinha, that is, Namrata, Priti Sinha and Amod Sinha, unveiled the release date. They also excitedly reacted to the recent statements of Salman Khan and Aamir Khan on Andaz Apna Apna sequel. They said, “Recently, Aamir bhai mentioned that Salman sir and he are keen on doing the Andaz Apna Apna sequel. We are thrilled that they both are excited and in light of this, we...
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‘Drawings do not lie’: film-maker Michel Hazanavicius on his animated feature about the Holocaust

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The Oscar‑winning director of The Artist spent five years creating The Most Precious of Cargoes. He talks about why he would never have made it as a live action movie When the acclaimed French film-maker Michel Hazanavicius was approached by his parents’ best friend, the author and playwright Jean-Claude Grumberg, to adapt his fairytale The Most Precious of Cargoes (2019) into an animated film, he hesitated. The short book is a fable about the Holocaust, and the extraordinary acts of kindness that people are capable of. Although moved by it, Hazanavicius was initially reluctant: he had never made an animated film, and he thought he would never make a film about the Holocaust. The grandson of eastern European immigrants who came to France from Lithuania and Poland in the 1920s, Hazanavicius, 58, had felt that the subject was not his to tell. “It was more my grandparents’ and my parents’ story, not mine,” he says, speaking from his home in the 10th arrondissement, Paris, the sunlight s...
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Amrita Arora Ladak testifies in 2012 hotel brawl case involving Saif Ali Khan

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Actress Amrita Arora Ladak recently testified as a witness in the ongoing case against actor Saif Ali Khan, her husband Shakeel Ladak, and their friend Bilal Amrohi. The case pertains to a 2012 altercation at a five-star hotel, where businessman Iqbal Sharma accused the trio of assaulting him and his brother-in-law, Raman Patel. Speaking to NDTV, Amrita detailed the events of that night, asserting that the incident began when an unknown individual aggressively confronted their group. “We saw someone barging into our enclosure and, in a very loud, aggressive voice, told us to shut up and keep quiet. We all got shocked at what was happening,” she stated. Amrita further claimed that Saif Ali Khan responded to the situation with an apology, standing up immediately to diffuse the tension. The altercation reportedly involved Sharma accusing Saif and his friends of behaving aggressively and abusing him. He further alleged that the actor punched him, breaking his nose, and also attacked his ...
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Visions of America: 25 films to help understand the US today

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From The Apprentice to 13th, our critic selects titles that shed light on the US under Trump. Alex Gibney, whose new documentary examines how ‘dark money’ became part of the American system, introduces the list This is a dire moment in the US. It’s a moment where there’s an opportunity for people with a lot of money to rip apart all of the guidelines enacted by the Roosevelt administration, way back in the day, to guard against the brutality of unfettered capitalism. Capitalists like to have all the power that they want, whenever they want it. They’re not much interested in democracy either, it turns out. Nor, apparently, the rule of law. The government is not the solution – it’s the problem. And now a vengeful president who just wanted a get-out-of-jail-free card is going to punish his enemies and show us all how to destroy the American administrative state by using the big stick of Elon Musk’s chequebook. It reminds me of that moment in Once Upon a Time in the West , when Henry Fo...
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Salman Khan’s Sikandar leaked online hours before release, fans disappointed

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With anticipation running high for Salman Khan’s Sikandar, the film’s online leak has disappointed many. Just hours before its release, the AR Murugadoss-directed action thriller surfaced on piracy sites. Infamous platforms like Tamilrockers, Movierulz, Filmyzilla, and various Telegram groups have made the full movie available for illegal download and streaming. Despite strict anti-piracy laws and ongoing crackdowns, piracy remains a major concern for Bollywood. In Sikandar's case, the leak likely stemmed from camcorder recordings in theatres, which were quickly enhanced to HD quality and uploaded within hours. Meanwhile, celebrations are in full swing for Salman Khan’s Eid release, with fans lining up in large numbers outside theatres to experience the film on the big screen. Videos from around the world captured fans celebrating Sikandar's release—dancing inside theatres, cutting cakes, and cheering for ‘Bhaijaan’ Salman Khan – are doing the rounds. Directed by A.R. Muruga...
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The Bhootnii Trailer is here! Sanjay Dutt, Mouni Roy and Sunny Singh take you on the wildest ride of spooks, swag, and side-splitting comedy

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The much-anticipated trailer of The Bhootnii, starring Sanjay Dutt, Mouni Roy, Sunny Singh, Palak Tiwari, Aasif Khan, and Beyounick, is finally out! Blending horror, action, and comedy the film promises to take you a never-seen-before style rollercoaster of jump scares, hilarious punchlines, and high-octane drama as the makers unveiled the trailer on March 29. Directed by Sidhaant Sachdev, The Bhootnii is set to transport audiences into a spooky yet entertaining world, packed with Sanjay Dutt’s signature swag and a stellar ensemble cast. A Star-Studded Trailer Launch in Mumbai The trailer was unveiled digitally on Saturday which showcased a glimpse of the characters essayed by the leads including a glimpse of Sanjay Dutt as the ghosthunter and Mouni Roy as ‘the Bhootni’. The electrifying launch, which was held in Mumbai along with the star cast, was aimed at giving fans a glimpse of what to expect. And going by the trailer, the film is expected to feature a gripping storyline infused...
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No Other Land co-director condemns Academy’s letter to members after Hamdan Ballal attack

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Yuval Abraham criticised the Academy’s statement defending its silence after Israeli settlers attacked his co-director Hamdan Ballal The Israeli director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land has condemned the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for its response to a violent attack on his Palestinian co-director Hamdan Ballal, who was beaten by Israeli settlers and detained by Israeli forces in the West Bank on Monday. Earlier this week, Israeli journalist and filmmaker Yuval Abraham criticised the Academy for failing to publicly speak out in support of Ballal. Now he has criticised a statement issued by the Academy to its members on Wednesday, in which it appeared to defend its silence. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/0ywHrnp via IFTTT
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Gérard Depardieu trial finally gives France its #MeToo moment

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Actor’s week in court seen as turning point as French film industry has been slow to take abuse claims seriously When the actor Gérard Depardieu took the stand at his sexual assault trial in Paris this week, it was seen as a turning point for the #MeToo movement in France . As a parliamentary commission examines why the French film industry has been slow – even resistant – to take women’s claims of abuse seriously, Depardieu, the nation’s biggest film star, faced accusations that he trapped a set decorator between his legs and sexually assaulted her while shooting the film Les Volets verts (The Green Shutters) in 2021. He is also accused of touching the breasts and buttocks of an assistant director on the same film on three separate occasions. Depardieu, 76, has denied all the charges, telling the court he had been “dragged through the mud by calumny and lies”. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/CSHs4c0 via IFTTT
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Shreyas Talpade accused in Rs 100 crore ponzi scam in Uttar Pradesh, FIR filed

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Shreyas Talpade, along with 14 others, has been implicated in a major fraud case in Uttar Pradesh's Mahoba district. The allegations involve duping villagers out of crores of rupees through a deceptive chit fund scheme. The accused were allegedly associated with 'The Loni Urban Multistate Credit and Thrift Cooperative Society Limited,' a company that targeted rural investors with promises of high returns. Agents of the company reportedly assured villagers that their investments would double in a short period, leading hundreds to invest substantial amounts. However, after collecting crores from unsuspecting villagers, the company abruptly ceased operations and its representatives disappeared. The fraudulent activities had been ongoing in Mahoba for nearly a decade before coming under legal scrutiny. Authorities have registered a case at the Srinagar police station, initiating an investigation to uncover the full extent of the scam. Further actions will be determined based ...
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