 Ho Ho Ho Ho Ho Ho Ho LJP is good for me Ho Ho Ho Ho I watched a film called Churu Lee Ho Ho Ho It made me think I was not me Ho Ho Ho Behold, review shall come to thee And that's just on a loop Hey, welcome back to our stupid direction, it's of course, I'm Rick You can follow us on Instagram, Twitter, for our GC content Thanks to Patreon, follow us on Instagram Hey, Patreon It's actually a fitting opening for this film review No spoilers right now But yeah, today we're doing a movie of you little, little, little shits I'm surprised it took us this long to get to this actually I know, we should have gotten to it right when it came out Exactly, very very sorry Actually the reason I think, one, it didn't come here So that was the main thing Exactly And then it was on Sony, which until recently I didn't have access to Because I have to get, Sony is not available here Unless you do it like through the sling app So it's like, there's two subscriptions you have to get And so that's, that's, that's boring But that's why, that's why Anyways, but obviously our Dosti or however you say Dost in What is the word in Malayalam? In Malayalam, I think they've told us for But I've forgotten, I apologize Our Dosti, Dosti, Dost, LJP His most recent film before his more upcoming one Right, the one we've seen trailers and teasers to And it's also, I think, did he write it? No, he produced it Yeah Written by, yeah, written by Horesh S and Vinoy Thomas And composed by Sir Sviraj Saji I'm sorry Yeah And then starring Well primarily, Vinay Fort as Sajivan And then his partner, Chambion Vinod And there's some other cameos But I don't know if that's spoilers So I'm not gonna say it Yeah, we don't want to let you There are some cameos This will be a spoiler review But I just don't want to say it yet Yeah So But then what, I'll just go and say it There's 100 in spoiler review Since it came out almost a year ago now So if you haven't watched it, it's on Sony You can go watch it there It's only, I think, 154 minutes It's actually quite short for an Indian It's actually funny, they on Twitter Ant-Man, there's a report that Ant-Man The next one's going to be like 2 hours 45 Right And I was like, that was the time When I used to think that was a long film Yeah You got schmutz on your mustache When your mom was open Right under your nose Is that what that is? Yeah Leftover remnant of mom It's a great song Leftover remnant of mom Anyway, so yeah If you haven't watched it, it's going to be a spoiler review And this is one that you kind of have to talk about Spoilers is a lot I don't know how you can talk about this film Without the spoilers There's a lot going on in this film It's a sci-fi fantasy film So I'll just keep that in mind But Rick, your initial thoughts, please Ben Owouse once I wrote a paragraph Oh nice But Oh, that's it? Yep But I had a lot of notes So leading up to the paragraph And this is one of those films where I could very much I'm 99% certain I got what he was saying So we'll see Because, well, let me just say before the paragraph There isn't anybody in cinema globally More intelligent Than this man And what he can do What he can say without saying What he can say without saying His cinematic IQ Is something that the world needs to be made aware of Because he is one of the great filmmakers of our time He's proven it now To me with all of those films Just what he's done thus far So I wrote things down like the obvious of the These symbolisms of searching for joy Being stamped to death by an elephant Digging pits as they're constantly searching for the joy A portal into the machinations of time The church also being a toddy shop So what ultimately all of my notes led to at the very, very end Which I loved was this paragraph We've been conditioned to believe that the journey to finding joy Can only be found on the isolated trails of pursuing our temporal purposes Obediently observing our religious dogmas and laws Or relishing in selfish fleshly indulgences But the journey to finding true joy comes when we cross the bridge away from those things And into the liberating freedom beyond the machinized limits of space and time Carnality and individualism Into the miracle of life we get to share together In the limitless expanse of God's creative genius That to me is the film encapsulated So you didn't like it Freaking How do you not How do you not If you love film Yeah I don't know how you know Well, the love This is my favorite lgp film I agree with you And Jolly Taku probably visually is definitely But they're very similar Yeah Very similar Issues with Jolly Taku and it was on purpose It was that you couldn't connect with anybody, right? Cause that's not that wasn't the point of that film Not at all There was a completely different point of that film Correct Um and visually that one was even though this one was stunning as well That one is even more stunning That one was just Agreed That one has something Crème de la crème in terms of visuals Agreed But in terms of just overall I think everything all put together This is my favorite But I can see why somebody who they Cause this is film that you kind of have to pick apart Cause he does not give you the answers No, no, no And I don't think he might not even have all the answers for you actually No, in a weird way though this is It has nothing to do with each other with storyline or aesthetic Nothing But in the same way that somebody could walk away from the lighthouse and not get it Mmm There's a lot of folks who could see this and not get it And part of that is because it's just When it comes to the what we love in film And the higher level expression of the art form for us Doesn't get any better than this movie It's talking You don't even have to worry about like the baseline Grade school level I would say Please don't give me exposition in your dialogue You know what I mean No, you definitely don't do that You don't ever have to go there because he's doctoral level cinematic comprehension Yeah And does things with his visuals Does things make sure that even though he didn't write the script This script is unbelievable Yeah, and there's a there's a lot to dig into in terms of the the sci-fi of it What like the whole thing in terms of like The loop of like what and like I said I think the people that don't don't want to continue like this is a film that you could think on for Weeks honestly probably and talk about yeah, because what what's your theory? What's your theory on on what the whole thing because there's a lot in this like I said I don't even know if lgp knows all the answers and he's not going to tell you If he does know all the answers right he's gonna be like, what do you think has gonna let it go Right and I love films that literally this is a quintessential film of What do you think happened? He's like the film's not going to tell you what happened right? Oh, it does obviously, but it's not going to blatantly tell you it's like at the end Nothing gets wrapped up in a boat actually probably leaves certain people with more questions It does especially with the the grease moment there at the end Yeah, it's grease meets et And I freaking loved it. Oh, yeah, I love the I love the end there But yeah, let's uh before we get into all of our theories and everything Let's just talk about all the technical stuff And stuff like that and I thought all the acting was obviously just it's a modeling film So I've just grown accustomed to being like yeah, everybody's gonna be everyone's gonna be great And there was certain ones against spoilers certain cameos that Showed up that I just either forgot or just did not know and I was so happy when it happened And I can recognize them on this especially subin man. Yeah, that that one for me was like hey Hey All right. He's weird. Yeah, sweet Oh, yeah, so you kind of have to figure all that but yeah, every all the acting was um Uh top notch as I would expect nothing like it would actually be more momentous if there was some bad acting Yeah, I think with the lgp and in Malayalam cinema. Yeah as a whole agreed Um, I thought the visuals were really really good a second to jolly taco They are they lend themselves that way by intention. It's designed. This doesn't have The scope of visual Stuff just inherent in the story. Mm-hmm, but the visuals are still great. I mean, they're still really really good Um, especially some of the warped moments. Those were really good. Um And as was just again I don't know how much of the night lighting was serendipitously Just made that way. Yeah, well with the fireflies and then obviously the lights and the fog and the moonlight Um, I'm really good at filming at night really really good at filming at night and filming in in jungle spaces Yeah, really good at that. Uh, his cinematographer in this one was um Say this madu, uh, we've when we know that name Madu need talk and then forgive me if I've mispronounced your name. Um, but so yeah, I thought all the cinematography was absolutely Really really good. Um, I especially loved when he was getting the massage Yeah, that whole sequence the whole vibe that what the the production team built the um the the sequence that the cinematographer and lgp put together in terms of in that actress was fantastic and It's like that whole in terms of visually that that part was the most stunning for me in the film I think yeah, and it was both weird and sexy at the same time, right? Yeah, it was like Well, it's cuz well, I'm not gonna Yeah, there's it will get into all the the the juicy stuff that you actually that I feel like films like this sci-fi films and This might be the best sci-fi film we've seen from india because we haven't seen a lot. It is That's one of the best sci-fi films I've ever seen. Yeah, well, it's it's very quintessential. Well, it's very quintessential Indian It's very Indian very but sure. I'm sure there's a few things we missed. Oh, completely um, but it's also very old school sci-fi in terms of It's all about the story. It's it's all very strange. It's not like star wars No, it's a lot of people think like sci-fi is star wars and star wars is sci-fi, but it's more sci-fi fantasy Right big budget sci-fi But that's not really what sci-fi is sci-fi is old school like soylent green Yep, like there's something happening and there's not these big Battle scenes or ray bradbury short stories if you ever read any ray bradbury short stories or similar invasion of body Yeah, invasion of the body centers is a good example just and and even Uh, this isn't there, but it's very much the same Usage of sci-fi And stuff that's changing reality. There's obviously what rod sterling liked to do with twilight zone episodes Yeah, very twilight very twilight zone. This could have been a twilight zone episode honestly and it If you haven't seen twilight zone the the the originals Yeah, the original rod sterling series and I don't even know how if that even is still on with jordan I don't know but the the originals if you haven't seen those go check those out. Those are some of the best Things ever to come out on television Um, and then oh another thing I want to talk about before we get into everything else is the score was oh so complimentary Yeah, and it was it was very sci-fi He said a lot, but Creepy yet simple, but it got the message across and that one Yes, where it's like You know its score But is it Is it a sound effect? Is that really like We're getting some composition to make us feel a certain way Or is that coming from a UFO? What is that that it was an it's an other worldly sound and it worked Perfect. Yeah, I love in the the compote. We already said his name at the beginning, but he did a really really good job Um and as was sound design and creating the ambiance Yes that you needed to especially as it went on and got a little weirder and a little weirder and a little weirder Um, it really helped you get into it. Um, uh this film I felt it was really balanced too. I never felt like it got off the rails No, Adam and it could have easily this thing could have been like you could have been sitting back going What the heck and I think a lot of people did because I saw when it first came out I saw people praising it, but I also saw people like What? So it just one it depends on how much you'd like to think about films if this is your style of film Yeah, like if you're a cinephile, especially I've noticed in indian cinema Like a lot of people love being spoon fed Love being spoon fed This is the opposite of a spoon fed film. You're gonna this literally lgp is like you're gonna think here And and you're gonna tell me what you think. I'm not going to tell you what you think Yeah, so look like we talk about films that we would love the general populace in america to see so that they Break the stereotype in their mind about indian cinema And we go to the films that are the more commercially accessible for them that they would really enjoy In the list we've gone down that list before This is a film that may now be at the top of my list But all of his films are this way and there's a few others that are this way Like the one we saw I always forget that it's the farmer one. That's in the conversation. Yeah. Yeah, so If they're like As I was watching this I thought this is an inside thing. I'll explain I thought Valerie would love this movie. Oh, yeah, she definitely would and the reason valerie would is because valerie has an extraordinarily high IQ Both cinematically and just intelligently and she's a filmmaker This is the kind of film that if I was talking to people she directed my header episode my header Yes, and stuff some stuff on my reel valerie directed and she played hamlet in the hamlet I directed back when we were all at harvest did but this is the film that if I'm on set and I'm talking to people that are there And we're we're talking about movies that we love that would be like the lighthouse and The shape of water things of that nature And I and when we talked about it and I'd say there's there's a filmmaker you need to see Like if you like if you like Alejandro in your itu Like take in your itu and Nolan and put them together and then add something you've never seen before That's what you're gonna get with the issues. I think some people would run into is one obviously they need to be into this kind of film right but Just I even found it with when I showed my friends kumbalanji nights Stuff that it's not Foreign to me anymore was right foreign to them and how right how indians tell stories right right? It was like they're like it's such a different way. I'm like Oh, yeah, I guess it used to be that. Yeah, that's right. That's why after we saw law I said to indrani. I said I'd really like to know what an american who doesn't love amir khan And doesn't know what so many things are an indian culture now that we do Because I take that for granted. I still can I probably will always consider myself Just out of the respect of it as like I'll never know enough about india. No, you know what I mean But we know way more than the average bear here I'd say we know we probably them to the primary experts in terms of you just talking about white americans Yeah, on indian cinema right but in comparison to like indians who grew up with obviously we know nothing, right? Yeah, um, but yeah, so it's all it's all perspective. So that's what I think sometimes people would run into the with this like what? And then obviously there's other stuff that they're confused at cultural things. They're confused at obviously just film in general So that's what I would be hesitant to but I do agree. I think there's certain people that would just absolutely Adore this from I just hope that cult some of the cultural stuff wouldn't but anyways, let's just get into the nitty-gritty here What do you think just what's your overall theory about what what the entire thing is? I think the whole your messaging is yeah, I'm talking about messaging and the whole thing. I really do think This is just allegorical metaphorical symbolism Leaving you with a message. I don't think that this has in the same way Um, I'm trying to think of an example Um, I the only examples I can go to would be some of the the poetics That came out of the greek Theater and even some of the roman theater that were the tales of the gods kinds of things where what you're seeing is representative It's not literal I I don't think this is a grounded earthly story about two guys as undercover cops in a village I don't think it was ever intended to be that and I think that's one of the mistakes You can have if you come away from it is thinking that this is supposed to be a film that's rooted and grounded in reality where I think that it is Like like jolly kattu. It is primary more than jolly kattu because jolly kattu has some groundedness. I think this is just a film that is all symbology all metaphor all Messaging so I I immediately very early on Recognized the symbolism and thought This this this has nothing to do with literal people Well, I disagree. Okay. Yeah, I disagree. I think it although I think the messaging is a thousand percent there I think there's also the actual reality that he was trying to create which does have to do with aliens, which is fun Um, but this whole thing is is obviously a loop, right? Right the their world right now And I'm not saying this is he's trying to say this is the world we are in right now This is a world that he created um, that kind of looks like ours, but This whole thing is is a loop which was obviously evident which which I think that actually means loop the the title Oh, truly. Yeah, I think it actually does mean loop But I think it's like almost a portal. So yeah portal is definitely part of so when they when they cross the bridge The yes, that's obviously when they step into the the portal the realm wherever they're going, right? Uh, I also saw some theories that because I looked up a bunch of different theories Um, but some people also thought that there was a a reference for social media Actually, like they stepped over and however every immediately everybody started being just the worst possible versions of themselves I could see that. Yeah, so I I like that. Uh, low. How do you feel when you leave it? Yeah, right? Yeah But the the whole loop of it is this is just something that can is going to go on and has been going on The entire time. So yes, the best way somebody explained it was If there was a prequel. Mm-hmm. It would have been subin and Not the bigger guy The main cop the head cop. No, not the head cop. Oh The other guy's name. Oh, sorry. I'm sure I have it right here at the very end that leads them to him No, not joju Them vj fort sorry him So the the what they way explained it is obviously this is a loop that has just been happening and happening and happening It's going to keep happening again. Right. And so they say if there was a prequel film it would have been him and uh Subin in his role And then that's why at the end you see them in the car flip And subin came to the front and so in that let's say there's a next film Um, it'll be a new cop and he will be will be his role and and then uh He will be joy right and so And that's why like when the massage lady She thought she knew him right because she had seen him before and she said he touched a kid and right and he did He did touch. He did touch the kid And so this is just one big loop that keeps happening over and over and over again because of these aliens I do believe these I don't know And that's one of the things that I like is that he didn't explain why but obviously there's aliens, right? Yeah, they they made that evident They made a comment at the beginning about americans being abducted and they were just laughing at it Right, who knows why they were laughing at it, but they were laughing at it Um, but I think at night when they walk around I think that maybe there's true selves Maybe is there they're walking around and they're actual aliens because they keep they reference that a lot Yeah a lot walking around at night and stuff like that. Um And I think there's certain people that help This character whoever that character is at the time become joy like the lady that just Runs at him with an axe. Yes I love that slaps him in his face uh And all this other stuff and so like the it's this whole simulation and Just for him to keep becoming joy that character Um each time the loop starts and so it's each time a cop comes And but after what I we don't know and it's not explained what happens to joy the suban's character Now right when the loop starts again. Does he become just a member of the village? Does I think because it's a it's a loop and it's a cycle I think those who stay in the loop and stay in the cycle They never fully realize joy and joy is paralyzed in their existence And they don't experience joy in the fullest of its extent Oh, no, I only you only fully realize joy until you break out of the cycle So do you think once the loop starts again joy gets out of the cycle? I think joy is always there Well, I know but eat they keep becoming he like he'll become joy next right Um, but so what happens to suban's character now though? Because he's no longer joy if if this if it has restarted and he is joy Right. So what happens to suban's character? Where does he go? Right? I don't know I have no clue it and this is one of those movies that I like that though I do too and this is one of those movies that You could have so many different theories. Yeah, there's a ton of theories again Every theory has a plausibility to it that makes you go. Wow. That may be why they did that And then I love that if somebody didn't get the film or doesn't like the film This isn't one of those films like the year that you and I were arguing over la la land and moonlight And like which is the better film. Yeah, we both really believed How could you be so dumb as to not see that this is the superior film? Yeah I I would have no problem. I would be kind of sad, but if somebody saw this and said I don't like it I don't get it. I think it's too high level. I think it's trying to be bigger than it really is I'd be like I disagree with you, but I can't I can't deny that your your point right there is actually you have validity to it. I can't argue with that Yeah, sure. Yeah, there's nothing wrong with it. Nothing wrong with that. I just get this film I love films like this that that you could talk about for hours of just What do you what do you think happened? Why do you think he said this? Why do you think he's the they did this blah blah blah blah What are like, what are the people with the lights on their head? Why were they flying at the end like what What are all these different things? Why didn't he flinch when he shot the gun at him because he's an alien That's why and and are they Are they really aliens? Are they Interdimensional beings not just extraterrestrials. No, and it's absolute I mean, I think the portal is one of the most obvious things Oh, yeah, because when he looks through it, you see the machinations of time and so everything's transcending space in time And definitely things changed. I really love Someone pointed out I'm really loving the the idea that oh you want to know what this is about. This is about social media I That in of itself you could watch this and just think about that's the other thing. Take 10 theories Watch the film 10 times and you'll have 10 different ways to enjoy this movie. Oh, yeah A thousand percent and that's that's one of the things that's so brilliant about it And I I feel like films Jordan Peele does it Obviously Nolan does it Nolan does it a lot Um and sometimes obviously like it some people love tenet rick did not like tenet at all Uh, I think it's I haven't seen it yet. So obviously I can't comment on it But nope rick didn't like nope. I have a bunch of friends who loved and nope as well Yeah, um, so I'm not saying they're similar in that way because obviously I haven't seen it. Um, but He's one of the other directors that does stuff like that that was like I'm gonna tell a story. It might be weird to you. Exactly. I don't understand it Yeah, but this is the story that we're telling here Darren Aronofsky does that too with his films. Yeah, he does Um, and if you don't know Darren Aronofsky stuff He's that kind of director is like I have a story I want to tell and I'm gonna tell it And if you get it great if you don't it doesn't matter I'm not thinking about an audience at all. I'm just telling a story Which is so fitting for lgp in in being in Mali Alam cinema and yeah, and Like it fits him so well. Mali does and I just There are some great filmmakers on the global stage not that the global stage in and of itself gives you the higher level Sense of achievement. That's not what I'm talking about. The reason I want him on a global stage Is because then more people experience it And I want everybody to experience elevative artistry because it it it is transforming It makes you ponder the universal truths and makes you appreciate the miracle of life and it's just Why wouldn't you want everybody in the world to be exposed to this level of intelligence and in movie making? Oh and also I At the beginning obviously when that story was being told about the the monk with great animation Oh, yeah, I love that animation. Uh, it was very similar like when harry potter told the the story exactly Reminded me of the deathly hollow But that almost obviously became true where Yes, obviously the the main cop in this became the monk Yep as they're walking around and then somebody said his partner became the basket that he was in and then Subin was obviously the the armadillo. Was it an armadillo? Yeah, and then um, they switch Yeah, uh, and he keeps obviously that came very evident there at the end of the film Yeah, until they did their grease moment, but I really I really love the one through line for me that was both Profoundly veiled and Stupidly obvious. Mm-hmm, which was this incessant search for joy. Yeah Sometimes the most uh, poignant ones are the most obvious ones that exactly if you're looking for deeper stuff You might miss it, but that's really hard to do. It's really hard to make something overtly obvious And still keep it cloaked. Yeah at the same time And it's a testament to writing directing the writing of this thing And translating this I would have loved to have known it's probably much better in molly ellum, too Oh the conversations that they had and translating this from the page On to the screen like I remember being at a q&a for the shape of water and it's such a weird film because it's Guillermo and I remember one of the questions asked I was going to ask it But somebody else did and asked because the whole cast was there Guillermo was not there I got a chance to talk to I forgot her name who plays the main actress in it afterwards And she said she would tell Guillermo this comment I had because she loved the comment because I loved the film so much but somebody said Did this when you saw the final project on screen done? How closely did it replicate what you envisioned in the script? Because it's such a weird movie. Yeah, and they all said You might be surprised to know it's exactly what we saw On the page. So I'd love to know if that's what Yeah, the algae if he feels like what I read I was able to create and we got this and the writer It's like this is what I envisioned and we got him. I bet. Yeah, I bet so also There's just other random like like that guy that when he walks in everybody stays silent. I know didn't explain it Didn't explain There's multiple characters like that and I was like Are they in charge? Is that the head alien? What is going on? I also loved it when he got shot in the ear and this is laughing about it Like hey, you shot my ear that one that one. I'm almost positive because he's an alien Yeah, and then that's I think Or he's in such a trance. They can't feel pain. Maybe maybe that guy that came in that they all got quiet about Was an actual like Villager dude that lives in the jungle and when he's there they all have to be more human Maybe and so they're all like Or this is guys not one of us. Why did she chase him with an axe? But you could go to something he did in the previous Loop. Yeah, that's why she chased him because because she was angry at something He did and here's the question are our two protagonists Were they aliens the whole time or did they reach enlightenment and become aliens when they cross the bridge? No, uh, I think they were I think they were at one point real Um, and I think they became alien. I think I think they reached a level of literal enlightenment I think that's what's symbolic of the helmets and the lights on the head I think yeah, there's obviously that symbolism I think each time the loop starts is when but I think each time somebody a cop specifically enters He's a real cop And then he becomes either enlightened an alien whatever you want to call it Each loop until he gets more and more. Yeah, but see that's the thing where and I think then after that I think subin's I think he'll just become part of the village. Yeah and continue the loop that way Yeah, when obviously our second cop becomes joy on the next loop Yeah, and then the main cop becomes joy in the loop after that right and then because they're gonna keep having cops come because That's why the massage lady said she's like you're a cop because Anytime who the person's in this role. I know they're a cop right and she can also tell them What his future is going to be because she knows what's going to happen to him It also conveys To seemingly contradictory theological viewpoints as well and it conveys them both in a positive light So it conveys among other things This lifelong journey and if you look at the loop you can think about the reincarnation cycle, right? Yeah, but then the consistency with which they're using symbology and actually direct scriptures from the book of revelation That's christianity. He does that a lot lgp. He does that a lot. Yeah, and That both Can reach an end of enlightenment That even though they have completely polar opposite beliefs about existence because one belief system believes you can cycle That you can reincarnate and that you can have another cycle and that you're learning with each new cycle And hopefully you're becoming more enlightened with each new cycle Whereas christianity believes in one lifespan Ending in but they both result in a place of having Reached enlightenment if you keep going on the journey with intentionality. Yeah, and that's where so you said earlier so you think the story is is As weird as it gets it does have a rooted groundedness of these being Literal cops. Yes. I think they are simply symbolic. No, I think I think I think there is symbolism there for sure Yeah, for sure. But no, I think the world he built is a literal world. Okay. I don't yeah Well, you're an idiot so Let us know who you agree with and maybe you agree with rick. You're an idiot And especially How much I disliked the piano playing in this Was there piano playing? No, okay Let us know what you thought about the film. What should be the next Mali Adam and ljp Obviously, uh, we want to get to all of his stuff eventually. I think he did one. Uh, it was one of his early ones with fafa Um, I think was was it almond turn that on right now. Is that what it's called? Anyways, but I know when does his new one come out It should be soon right really soon because we've seen multiple teasers now. Why do I feel like it was september? Come on looking up here real quick and then we'll in this credits This one right mammootie because he's the door. No, wait, it's this one. No, it's that one Decem no it was updated from december of last year. Okay. Okay. Well, whatever and he wrote it directed it produced by mammootie Yeah, interesting. No, so anyway when it's uh coming out. No, he's in this one too No, he produced it. Yeah, I think yeah Um, but obviously let us know if you know when it's coming out Because I would love to catch one of his films in theaters, especially with how much he loves visuals I don't know if there's gonna be any one of the ones that Well, although the teaser was weird because it was like the half of the Yeah, half was red and half was uh, and he was just performing the scene, right? Yeah Yeah, I think it was he was lip-syncing a a famous old scene Yeah, I would love to see one and then the teaser was just people sleeping I would love to see one of his films in theaters. I think that would be a good experience Anyways, let us know what you thought about the film down below. Sorry for the long review