Movie Review

 Sharavathi Sangathya

The movie was an experience of a lot of emotions, ranging from curiosity, confusion, and fascination. The movie depicts the ongoing problems related to the river Sharavathi uniquely and subtly. The movie sheds light on the sand mafia, turning the cross of the river and the decline in Karnataka's folklore. These aspects made me curious and aware of the ongoing problem and how the director has reflected in the screen through the relationship between Mother and a Son. The poems in Kannada awoke a strange feeling of familiarity and a sense of loneliness, making me also question how we treat our parents. The words spoken by the director gave a deeper meaning and sense to the movie-making process. The movie made me question what happens to a place when we forcefully change the course of a river, and the effect it has on the habitats and people dependent on them. These questions only rose because of the awareness the movie gave, and it captured the confusion and struggle of the people in the particular region. Making me question myself on whether I am learning the right things, am I aware of what happens around me, am I looking at the right place and heading towards the right direction. The movie's theme revolves around the ongoing problem in the Sharavathi region regarding changing the course of the river to Bengaluru.

Salt 

I was so satisfied with this movie because it gave me a feeling of a good rom-com, you know what is going to happen, but you wait for how the events take place. The depiction of the male ego, the knowledge of what influence you have on a child and ultimately how the world treats a stay-at-home mom, also shows how upbringing affects how you treat the opposite gender. The clear depiction of gender roles on how dependent we raise male children while teaching female children chores, how to adjust, and accepting their lives. I was also angry at the male protagonist, his words about what worries you have when you are at home cooking. This shows how little they know about managing a house and even less about the mental and physical toll it takes on a person. While the female protagonist managed everything from the coffee he drinks to the clothes he wears, she even picks up his dishes from the place he eats. He is a fully dependent person who can't survive without his wife. The only reason he even wanted to send his son to school that morning was that it was a matter of pride and ego for him not to help his wife, which is his duty, and not help. He couldn't do one thing right; he could not get his son to bathe or prepare breakfast, he could not multitask, had no patience and the sense that he is an adult, not a toddler. All these show how normal it is for a man not to know anything about basic life skills and how the world considers violence to be okay. The movie's theme revolves around the subtle patriarchy, misogyny, and status of women, alongside telling that living like that is wrong, and household chores are hard work, heavy physical and mental pressure and a load. Being respectful is important, regardless of what is given or happening around you.

Kattam 

This was a sweet and wholesome movie that said no occupation is higher or lower than another, at the same time urging us to achieve and run towards our dreams and goals without giving up. The mentions of life struggles and how female actors are supposed to be okay with all the negative and vulgar attention from the public, also that,  don't believe everything anyone says, yes, there might be a positive outcome, but not every time. At the same time dont't look only at the bad in people, be optimistic in life. The sentence that everything happens for a reason is so evident in this movie. I felt that the saree showcases accepting the blessings in life and not cribbing about what you don't have or could not do. Her requesting him to send word if there is any opportunity tells that she is ready to be brave and move forward despite the results. The movie teaches us to move forward despite life events and achieve our goals, and also to accept life as it comes. It is important to respect every occupation. There is no high or low, good or bad when it comes to work. Accepting this will give you a more peaceful and happy life; even if life is hard, you will find happiness within you without relying on external situations.

A lien

The movie explores the concept of how ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the United States of America, carries out arrests, detentions, and deportations. Over the years, ICE has been criticised for arresting undocumented immigrants during what are supposed to be routine, non-threatening interactions with the government, including check-ins, court dates, and, in some cases, green card or asylum interviews. In this case, it is a green card interview for a man who is married to an American citizen, and ICE takes him away without warning. They intend to do the same to his daughter, but after seeing her passport stating she is an American citizen, she is let go and returned to her mother. There is no room for discussion or negotiation; there is no room to understand what is happening until it has already happened. No one provides any information on why it is happening, where these people are taken, or what will happen to them next. Families are left in uncertainty, with no knowledge of detention conditions, prison capacity, or how long people will be held. The film highlights how this lack of information becomes a form of control, leaving families powerless and afraid. What should be a legal process becomes an act of sudden punishment, carried out without explanation. The emotional weight of the scene reflects the experiences of many families who are separated in similar ways, often without warning or preparation. The movie’s title, A lien, symbolises how immigrants are treated as outsiders in a country considered the “Land of the Free,” bringing awareness to a reality that continues to happen regularly and often without public attention.