 The only sign language I know is I thought the only sign language you know is this. That's true Hey, welcome back to our stupid or accept go. I'm corporate. You can falsely Instagram Twitter for GC content Thank you to everybody sports on patreon follow us on our official Twitter account subscribe and hit the like button and if you were following us on Instagram and Twitter You'd know that we have been going to the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles indeed And this is one of the films that premiered Its world premiere Was at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles the 2023 film Berlin and It's directed by a tool Yeah, the pronunciation I'm going to guess along with you properly is is a tool Suburban who is also the writer of it, right? And it was it's also starring Rahul Bose Ishwak, Ishwak, right? Yeah, it's watching. Yeah, it's watching That's a shock. That's a difficult one for me. Yeah a Ushman's brother And and so it's a It's described on I to be as a thriller It's a very independent I don't even know if it's indie because like I don't know what these films are considered You know when they go to film festivals if if they didn't have It's it says Z, but I don't know if that was just they bought the rights to it or if it was a Z production, you know, right, right? Do you I don't know okay, but anyways, we we saw this because of I if la I think it's what it's called Yeah, and so we are reviewing it right now. We don't know when it comes out Like when it's actual theatrical release will be so this is gonna be right now a hundred percent Non-spoiler review there will be no spoilers section at least currently because we don't want this to come out right now and then It comes out in February and people have just seen the spoiler review and seen the spoils of the film Way before its release. I don't want that to happen And so this is gonna be a hundred percent non-spoiler review So sorry if it when it comes out you're wanting spoilers Currently, maybe we'll do it. You can let us know if you want that then There's plenty of other people that review movies and put spoilers in the reviews free to go fine if that's what floats your boat But anyway, so we'll just get into this Rick What are your non-spoiler thoughts of Berlin? Well, since this qualifies as a review and I've yet to do it That's true. Sorry. Yeah, I'm very interested to see what you think because as far as I'm concerned I could have written a paragraph about this and for those of you've been around a while You know what that means if I have a paragraph to write it to have a lot of nothing but good to say I found this film to be superlative in every facet of filming I found this to be the embodiment of what it means for a thriller to be taught TAUH the TAUGHT. I found the performances to be Utterly exemplary at every turn the casting is impeccable every frame of film Compliments every page of script dialogue in ways that do not speak down to the audience but assume we have high intelligence I couldn't be happier with this movie and I highly recommend it. It's one of my favorite films I've seen in a really long time. I I Also really really enjoyed that. I thought this was a super interesting film because Being a thriller you'd think you know high stakes like adrenaline. It's not that type of thriller So don't go in expecting that it is I it is thrilling Is a thrilling film but not in the action thriller style more of The the storyline is thrilling, but it's performance driven Is it was what I would just as a good thriller should be if you've seen if you've seen any of Hitchcock's thrillers if you've seen any of Humphrey Bogart's thrillers This is in the same vein. Yes And I thought there was a lot of really interesting choices my in this one in particular That I don't know if it's a spoiler, but I'll just ask you if you think it is the sound I Think we should just say this Because that was a two interesting choice two things about the sound design I Number one sound is as important a Character in the storytelling as any element of the storytelling and I found the entire sound design To have been so good that if this were a film released here, I would have been jumping up and down saying nominate this thing for sound design Editing and mixing the whole nine yards because it's everything. That's best about sound design when you talk about Not complexity like the big Say the Marvel or the Star Wars films This is this is minutia that is Inseparable from the storytelling and it's it's not a spoiler because I believe the there's a teaser on On YouTube that was I think put out by if la for this film And so our our our main star here I don't know if you call a main star, but eight one of the stars Upper Shakti. Yeah is a sign language expert And that is in the teaser. So it's not it's not a spoiler, right? And I'm pretty sure I'm pretty sure it's ISL not ASL It's Indian sign language. Okay. Yeah, because it did we have figured it cover I think when black came out we that with Ashley Yeah, I think we figured out that the actual sound because I in my dumb head thought sign language is a universal thing I thought that makes sense in my head that it would be this universal angle, but it's not Everybody has their own country to country dialect and also like difference in in how they do it And it was because I think we figured that out in black She said there are some similarities, but it's also very different in others But so this has a ton to do with the sign language with that. Yes without giving anything else away And I would love to talk obviously to the to the cast here because one Did they know this before like is that one of the reasons they were intrigued because of that element of it? And if not how long to take them because if I was doing this role as I believe you would I would Literally sit down for at minimum months. Yeah, that's that's the question I would have for them would be Immersive yeah, how immersive was it for them in order for them to reach a place of comfortability and believability with these characters because Because the believability factor in this is flawless frame-to-frame. Yeah with everybody and we'll get into the performances in just a second But just right off the bat This is I Mean you've got to be so proud at the finished product if if you're the one who wrote directed this I just I told you and and to be a part of this thing. I just I found everything about this to be Just it was a constant non-stop Appreciation for me. I can't tell you how many times I said, oh beautiful. Oh brilliant. Oh That was so good and then things that would be things it's the kind of movie where you've got to pay attention You don't want to take your eyes off the screen There's a lot of times when I'm watching the film There's kind of a lag or there's a moment where I put a quick note on my phone or speak a note in my phone So I don't forget something this was one of those films where I didn't want to there's so much is going on and So many little things are being said and little things are being shown that I never wanted to take my eyes off Yeah, absolutely a tool did a a very good job and His like I said his choices in this were super interesting Like the sound in particular I would love to know I Can't give me I can't say anything because it would I think it would Give away an element But I thought he did a really good job the performances. I we've seen and let's talk about upper Shakti, right upper Shakti Sure. Sure. Yeah, I Am gonna it's a difficult name Okay, is it a okay, yeah, I wouldn't surprise me if he goes by We've seen him a few times obviously most recently. I mean just this year we saw him in Jubilee Brilliant performance in Jubilee That wonderful act that character arc in Jubilee was it was crazy and also so different from this and also Stree and The other one that's in the same universe that we saw him at the end of it Um He's very versatile actor And his performance in this was another really interesting arc In this film as well that I didn't know where they were gonna go with it And I was like I is is something else going on here And I thought he he did a I believed every second he was on screen And I loved every second that he has his great screen presence held his own with Rahul Bose and and Ishwak I Loved his performance. I did too. I It's a test what I'm about to say as a testament and literally a Bravo standing ovation ovation to both the writing directing and the performances of the actors in that They were able to make me empathize with everyone While I simultaneously Distrusted everyone That's extraordinarily difficult to do. Yeah, and I'm talking you you feel that way for pretty much the totality of the film and and there are some moments that are as good of One-on-one talking with actors and listening that are so riveting so believable The use or not use of score. Yeah I it is and I thought over and over again how maybe you could somehow Shrink this to a small setting and turn this into a play because it is so theatrical so Thespianatic and I just I wanted a big big shout out I wrote down the name of the CD the casting director is is My and kbawa who was a casting associate on a lot of really big projects and good projects like with a plin job at some others My a kbawa and the entire team You know, I don't know how many people in the cast were auditioned versus were pitched It doesn't matter because I felt like everyone large and small was uniformly I would nominate him for a SAG award for ensemble because I thought the whole cast was just fantastic absolutely and the I thought as a Actor there'd be a lot of easy things. I mean, I'm sure like obviously they probably didn't get paid very much for this You know, it's a probably a very small budget, right? And so as an actor It was just like I want to be in this because of the once this is gonna be all about me and my other actors here And I like there's just like intimate scenes with just you and the other actor where you just get to To be together and perform and react with each other It's a it's an actor's dream this is a style of film Because it's all it's all on you know, so it could fail miserably if you're if you don't have good actors there as well with it it Absolutely would be a horrific nightmare without the caliber of actors that are in this cast Yeah, because like it it's reliant. I mean, obviously the director has to do his job, but it's reliant on these performances And and for you to believe them And I thought he did a very upper Shakti. I believe is once again Yeah, I'm never gonna be confident in saying that but also his co-actor ish walk Who we've seen in Recently rocket boys and what was the what was he it was another series, right? We saw a man, right? He's been in a couple series. We've put a lot Yeah, yeah And there's another one he was in that we saw in a series. Yeah. Oh made in heaven. Yeah, maybe Made in heaven rocket boys and put all luck. We've seen him done a lot of OTT a lot of his work He was in Tamasha and I'll I'll gear up, but I think he was much more smaller roles in those And so I think he's really coming into his own as an actor But he's also like just in rocket boys with with Jim, right? God, this is such a different character Really is and his is like if I had to pick a role and Obviously, let's say age is is no factor here So I could obviously certain roles you would obviously be much better for at your current age And I would be in vice versa, but irrespective of that. I think his role is probably the one I Want to play the most Just because there's a it's It's a challenge his role It is a huge challenge. I mean I can't like and I Don't know what is the spoiler here or not, you know But he has to do things where you have to believe this is who this man is, right? And that's it could come off really bad and cliche and like you're just doing a Bad performance if you don't do your research if you don't actually believe it yourself and I Thought he did a great great job, and it was so different from everything else. We've seen of him It's it's my favorite thing. I've seen him do yeah, and and Every time we got back to a place no spoiler, but you come back to places consistently where The two leads in this ish walk in upper Shakti are interacting with one another Guys just put up your legs and grab the popcorn. Those are my favorite parts of the film The back and watch it's as good as anything you got to see Jody Foster and Sir Anthony Hopkins do in In The silence of the lab Riveted you're riveted to you're not just riveted to what they're saying you're riveted to every thought you're riveted to every facial movement You're riveted to anything their eyes are doing you're riveted. It's there's no other word for it It's their their work together and throughout is just Riveting it is and it was so fun to watch like I said like it as actors That's what you want. You want these lengthy meaty scenes with also just interesting characters interesting dynamics going on and also the ALS or ILS yeah, ILS Sorry, you said the inside language Element be at which you like there's no way they just didn't I feel like you can't even do months It has to be like a year of if you didn't already know it. Maybe they already have known it obviously. I don't know But if they didn't like me, I don't know it at all I would want it minimum a year of I want to be fluent. I'd want to be fluent Yeah, I don't want to just learn my lines. I because I would like I'd want to be able to Improv or like react in certain ways that a that a deaf person would as much as I possibly could I agree as much as I possibly Could I would also want to be I would want to spend time with the deaf community? Absolutely, and I'm sure they did Most good actors will do that that kind of prep work I'm hoping they had it because obviously like I said, I'm sure this was a small budget production And so I'm sure they didn't like have big studio funding to go do what they needed to do But I'm sure they did it regardless because boy I would love to know an actual deaf bird like that speaks Indian sign language Their opinion of their performance because obviously they're the ones that are gonna know much better than than us sure sure I just based off of my idiot looking it. I was a hundred percent convinced that I They were part of the community Never doubted it for a minute So the hats off to them Go on I was just gonna say I would like to because I know you were probably about to do this anyway Maybe the bulk of you watching know this about Raul Bose already but if Anyone ever wanted to see whether or not this man is a theater actor and is a cesspion of the highest order Watch this film. This is my favorite performance of his as well. I found him to Even sorry go on go on. No, no, no even what But like his like dual performance and booboo was wonderful. Yeah, cuz that's such a Interesting. Yeah, I agree. He had a lot of interesting, but I Just found Part of and this is what's so wonderful about working with other great actors part of the reason it's so good is because he's consistently being put opposite of and Separate from The two other actors we were just talking about who are as elevated as it elevated as it comes So when you have a third basically lead in the story as it were It would be really really easy for there to be a fall-off where you're watching this one actor And you're wishing you were watching the other act that happens many times in a film where there's one or two actors killing And you just want to get back to them Versus an entire ensemble being strong. So that that's why There wasn't a weak link. Everybody was at the top of their game. This is this is like For lack of a better analogy for me. This is like watching Indian Cricket Just Decimate and have one of those games were afterwards. They're talking about We were just feeling it or an NBA team where they're just hitting every bucket Michael Jordan hitting all the threes And he turns to the desk and goes Yeah, we're just we're in the zone He was in the zone and is that also because you could definitely see yourself in that role as well Yeah, that was that was a you roll if I've ever seen one. Yeah wise obviously it fits very well it's interesting because Many people have asked me that it's like what what kind of what role do you wish you had? Well, when I see someone doing it as good as I think it can be done. I don't want to be in that role I I would have liked to have had a part in this film and work with everybody Yeah, for sure another another part. I I don't want anyone else in these roles these roles were done Exactly how they should be done. No one else should have portrayed these characters. It's as good as they could have been done Yeah, Rahul Bose. I thought did a He he's such a good actor because we've seen a mini and I actually don't think from what I've heard We've actually seen his best performance. I'm outside of obviously this coming out Because there's films like the Japanese wife Mr. And Mrs. Iyer, those are some of the Performances that I know people often refer to him as his standout performance Even it's stuff we've seen of him. We've seen a bit, right? He's he's always so good And is he a theater actor? Did you look at it? Is he is? I looked at that's no That's no shot. What's it? What's intriguing to me is both he and Ishwak come from theater background and if I'm not mistaken Upper shock the at least wherever I looked online. He just went straight to set I I don't see any particular training or theater experience prior to actually working in film, which if that's an Asian's brother Okay, gotcha. Yeah, if that's the case And he I know I say these every single time but God and I maybe you guys weren't as familiar with this actor But like I grew up watching night's tale a ton one of my favorite movies ever like in terms of it's just a comfort movie There's an actor. He's in he's in a ton of films. You've seen a multiple of his film. His name is Rufus Well, I think it's yeah. Yeah Good Lord does Robo's look like the Indian version He does he does and you guys I can't get it out of my mind They need to play they need to play brothers I swear to you they need to play brothers because one it would be man They're both really really talented actors like road green Rufus well is a very very good actor He's always very good at usually supporting in in in Hollywood films and has for a long time and usually knocks it out of the park But every single time I see Rahul Bose. I can't see anything. Yeah other than If you want to see a good Rufus movie where he plays a supporting role do yourself a favor and watch the illusionist It's a really. Oh, yeah. Yeah, he does great. He does a great job in the illusionist Also didn't Rahul Bose look like he looked like he bulked up in this right like he looked like he did I don't know if it was for this role if he was doing a different role where he had to had to bulk up But he looked different than I than I'd seen him before he looked really like built in this. Yeah, he did he did He gave off this intimidation but also in certain scenes. He gave off also like Just I don't want to give anything away, but like yeah, yeah, yeah different vibes Uh, and I thought he did he's he's always great in in every role that we like the bull bull It's such a decent. He had the two the dual roles, especially the the brother that had a mental illness Uh Did such a good job in that one But yeah, every even the supporting cast in this were all really really good I was waiting for one bad apple and I they didn't come Like I was waiting for a white guy to show up Did you get scared it? This is not a this is not a spoiler, but I just want to say did you get scared in the art museum? Yes I was I was really scared they were gonna something was gonna happen. No, I get ptsd, man Yeah, but uh, I thought the uh, the pay it's it's just under two hours. I think just a few minutes under two hours Which is incredible And so like if like I said don't go in expecting action or anything like that because that's not the style of film This is a performance thriller um, so go in expecting that um And because if you're going if you go in expecting that you're gonna have a you're gonna enjoy yourself If you like watching actors do an amazing job It's a page turner. I think I I don't know how you couldn't sit down and watch this and feel like Each page is turning and the same feeling you get when you're reading a great book You don't want to stop. You just can't wait to get to the next page. And this is one that's also very um palatable for western Audiences like this would do well in a like like I said, I don't know when this is coming out I don't know if this was even beyond the radar for like oscars But in terms of like films that are high, elevated artistry and also palatable Uh for western audiences, this would be a good submission just in and of itself And there's also a really strong and important messaging that we can't share right here because to do so Gives away so much of the story but it it does have some very interesting questions and a couple of fingers to point at Things that fall in the realm of governments espionage Who's really your enemy? Exactly. It's it's very very intelligent and this is set in the um, I think the 80s, right? Is when it was no 93 93 1993 yep Uh, which speaking of that real shout out to the whole production design Because that could be easily missed that everything about this was flawless in terms of the the the setting of 1993 Costuming set design props and continuity did an amazing job. Yeah as well So hats off to a tool for for making a really good film That is it's not easy to keep people riveted For this long without Added elements of uh other things right? Uh, yeah, it's a really intelligent film It pulled it off really well. So whenever this does come out Uh, please go support it at your local theater or festival if it's coming anywhere Uh, I don't know what the the run of this we got to see it before everybody else Um, and so thank you to see it. Thank you to ifla, uh for for uh premiering this here Yes, uh, let us if you have seen it obviously after this review. Let us know what you thought about the film. Um, and uh What should be the next raw whole bows and all these other great actors that we need to watch Let us know the rector exactly down below