Saswat Pati

A&E 3/29/22 11:03pm

‘The Lost City’: A Crowd-Pleasing Comedic Hit

By Saswat Pati

“The Lost City” is a well-crafted adventure-comedy perfect for casual viewing. Though by no means transcendent, “The Lost City” lives on the excellent timing of its jokes while giving surprisingly insightful commentary on the adventure genre. Though not a full parody, the film’s self-awareness allows for moments of true hilarity while leaving room for heartfelt scenes. Throughout the film, there were genuine moments of laughter from the audience in the theater. I believe this movie is one of the best comedies of the year so far and one that I would highly recommend. 

A&E 3/8/22 11:13pm

'The Batman': A Masterpiece of Superhero Storytelling

By Saswat Pati

Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” succeeds in all aspects from direction, story and acting, and it provides a strong foundation for a new DC comics continuity. The film is the best film of the year thus far as well as one of the greatest comic book films ever made.

A&E 2/15/22 11:49pm

Review: ‘Death on the Nile’ is a murder-mystery without substance

By Saswat Pati

Going into “Death on the Nile,” I had extremely high hopes for this murder-mystery film based on the 1937 Agatha Christie novel of the same name. Its predecessor, “Murder on the Orient Express,” was a fantastic film filled with twists and turns and a genuinely surprising but well-earned final reveal. However, “Death on the Nile” is a massive disappointment, failing at all levels of production.

A&E 12/13/21 3:09pm

Review: ‘House of Gucci’ presents excellent character work amidst a poorly executed story

By Saswat Pati

“House of Gucci” chronicles the decline of the Gucci company in the late 70s, exploring the family conflict that led to the company’s misfortune. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film is a beautiful yet poorly structured work which dazzles in its character work and acting but disappoints in the execution of its story.

A&E 10/26/21 11:09pm

Review: ‘Dune’ sets up a promising franchise but feels empty

By Saswat Pati

On paper, “Dune” should be one of the best films of the year. It features an all-star cast, has a critically acclaimed director behind the camera and features some of the best visuals I have ever seen in a film. However, it struggles to create a fulfilling story because of its focus on building the film’s world — and it is a huge world — that will be explored in subsequent films. Because of this, “Dune” lacks the three act crescendo to climax structure that is so critical to conflict storytelling, and the movie at times feels like endless rising action.

A&E 10/13/21 1:13am

Review: ‘No Time to Die’ thrills audience with James Bond’s latest adventure

By Saswat Pati

When “No Time to Die” first was delayed due to COVID-19 in April 2020, many felt that this film was doomed. With great controversy surrounding the script, casting and even Daniel Craig himself stating that would only play Bond for the money, the consensus was that Craig’s final outing as 007 would be mediocre at best and disastrous at worst. Now releasing nearly 18 months after its anticipated release date, I can safely say that “No Time to Die” is one of the best films of the franchise.

A&E 10/5/21 10:32pm

Review: ‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’ rushes and dissatisfies fans

By Saswat Pati

When “Venom” was first released in Oct. 2018, the idea of Spider-Man’s greatest villain — previously seen in “Spiderman 3” — leading his own movie created much skepticism for critics and fans alike. However the film itself exceeded all expectations. The story of investigative journalist Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and the parasitic symbiote Venom teaming up to save the world was a hit, and the film grossed $856 million globally. While not an outright critical success — the film holds a 30 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes — the original “Venom” was a crowd pleaser and, in my opinion, a solid popcorn flick.