Lost and Found

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In recent years, movies and shows about time travel such as The Paper Girls and even the grossly-underrated JL50 have challenged the possibilities that the genre has to offer. From allowing one to envision an opportunity to alter the past to accepting a future which seems too convoluted, perplexing and beyond one’s imagination. There’s never been a better time to go down the sci-fi rabbit hole. But there are films that have also explored the genre through the lens of a crime thriller, rendering a gripping watch like none other. Oriol Paulo’s sci-fi thriller Mirage is a great example and it’s our Lost and Found for today.

The Spanish film, dubbed in English, follows a medical professional who chances upon a vintage TV set which acts as a portal to communicate with a young child based a couple of decades in the past. When she learns that this preteen was killed in an accident, she makes it her life’s mission to save his life. But altering the past inadvertently triggers a chain of events that actually impacts her own present, spiralling her into a world where she can barely recognise or accept her own identity. 

 

Directed by Oriol Paulo, best known for films such as The Body and The Invisible Guest which was remade in Hindi as the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Badla, this one packs the filmmaker’s signature style of keeping the audiences consistently nervous about the events to follow. Paulo’s narrative style allows one to slip into the story with such immersion that one can actually experience what the characters on the screen must be going through. But despite your best attempts, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to stitch it all together and figure out the big reveal that this film’s climax packs. Let’s just say, we didn’t see it coming and if you’re up for a film with multiple twists and shocking revelations, add Mirage to your watchlist right away.
It's Streaming on Netflix

Well, that's the OTTplay Lost and Found for today, until the next time it's your host Nkhil signing out.

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Written by Kunal Guha

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There are few films that have managed to capture the desperation and dread that some folks in the world of entertainment go through in their quest for ultimate glory. The exhausting journey of trying to nab that one big break has been detailed to some degree in many films and shows. But the extreme lengths that one can go to in an attempt to achieve one’s showbiz dreams, has been most accurately portrayed in Martin Scorcese’s 1982 film, The King of Comedy. And it’s our Lost and Found for today.

The film follows Rupert Pupkin, a struggling standup comedian played by Robert Deniro who hopes to get a spot in the Tonight’s Show. When a chance encounter with the show’s aging legendary host Jerry Langford (played by the inimitable Jerry Lewis and modeled on Johnny Carson) offers a glimmer of hope, Pupkin dives right in. But as it turns out, what seemed like an accidental big break was just a ruse to politely turn the struggling comedian away. But Pupkin is determined, desperate and willing to resort to extreme measures such as kidnapping the show’s host to get his big break. How this one folds up is anyone’s guess but the asphyxiating feeling of sitting through the turbulent events that follow actually makes it a taut thriller worth watching.

Deniro is in prime form here and had just won the Best Actor Oscar for Raging Bull prior to this film. He completely immerses himself into the unassuming and relentless sociopath who struggles to accept his mediocrity. In some ways, Pupkin resembles Deniro’s iconic Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver but is surely less belligerent, even if the character may be equally off-kilter and damaged.    

If you’re in the mood for an unsettling watch that could leave you singularly disturbed, add The King of Comedy to your watchlist now.

Well that's the OTTplay Lost and Found for today, until the next time it's your host Nikhil signing out.

Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho

Written by Kunal Guha

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Lost & Found- Bridge of Spies - episode 77

Steven Spielberg is possibly one of the most popular filmmakers in the world. He has helmed critically acclaimed films across genres and formats for more than 60 years. However, there are few films that have slipped through the cracks in terms of mainstream popularity, and one such film is the 2015 Cold War drama film,  Bridge of Spies. 

This carefully crafted film tells the story of a Soviet spy standing trial in the US in 1960 during the Cold War. Revered English actor and playwright Mark Rylance essays the role of the stoic and unassuming KGB spy, Rudolf Abel. Rylance’s character is a far cry from the swashbuckling and flamboyant fictional spies such as James Bond, Jack Reacher, Jason Bourne, or Ethan Hunt. In fact, Rudolf Abel could be mistaken for a polite middle-aged man leading a private life in the US. 

However, when his cover is blown, he stands trial at the US Supreme Court for espionage. A lawyer named James Donovan, essayed by Hollywood legend Tom Hanks, is tasked with the responsibility of negotiating a deal with the Soviets to exchange Abel for an American pilot, whose plane was shot down inside the Soviet Union. 

The film is based on true events and was praised for its authentic depiction of the nuances surrounding foreign diplomacy, geopolitics, and espionage. The film’s sublime editing and engrossing screenplay aided by the brilliance of Mark Rylance and Tom Hanks make it a compelling watch. 

You can watch this film on Sony Liv, or you could also subscribe to OTTplay Premium to get Sony Liv along with other regional and international OTT platforms for the price  of one. 

Well that's the OTTplay Lost and Found for today , until the next episode it's your host Nikhil signing out.

Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho

• Written by Ryan Gomez

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Lost and Found  - Good Girls (Netflix) - Episode 76

Shows where those who keep to the straight and narrow decide to (cough) break bad, have forever clicked on streaming platforms. Well, there’s just something deliciously dangerous about dropping regular folks into extraordinary situations where they must strive to survive, and the payoff just makes it worth the ride.

Today’s Lost and Found, the Netflix series Good Girls is just what you ordered. The show revolves around Beth, Ruby, and Annie, moms, and besties who’re each grappling with a certain financial crisis. Desperate and down on luck, the trio plot to rob a grocery store in a last-ditch effort to rise from their crippling situation. But while they manage to pull it off, they also inadvertently find themselves being sucked into the world of crime. Crossing a mafioso evidently leads to much friction as our mommy robbers are then blackmailed into committing various other crimes, which drives them to a point of no return. 

Christina Hendricks as the charming Beth Boland is surely the star of this show. But she’s ably supported by her onscreen besties played by Mae Whitman and Retta. Manny Montana who plays the abominable crime lord Rio also manages his part effectively. It’s notable that his character often manages to channel intimidation through his body language alone.  

Cheating husbands, money laundering schemes, and even a counterfeit currency operation are just some of the many themes that this show dabbles in. But this bittersweet dramedy thriller that's pulled through four seasons actually works for its unique premise – getting those trained in diaper duty and kitchen hacks to attempt serious heists. Their singular skill sets and approach may differ from hard-boiled criminals but their conviction to pull off the inconceivable makes this one worth a watch.

The series Good Girls is streaming on Netflix.

Well, that's the OTTplay Lost and Found for today, until the next time it's your host Nikhil signing out.

Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho

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Lost and Found - Community - series (Netflix) -  Episode 75

Before Dan Harmon attained cult status for creating the black comedy satire animated series, Rick and Morty, he was known for a relatively lesser-known comedy television series called Community. That's the Lost and Found for today's episode, I'm your host Nikhil

Set in Colorado in the fictional city of Greedale, a disbarred lawyer named Jeff Winger joins a  local community college after his firm finds out that he did not have a legitimate bachelor’s degree. Jeff, played by Joel McHale, decides to make the most of his time at the community college and brings everything in his repertoire to convince his classmate, Britta Perry, from his Spanish class to go out on a date. So he creates a pretend study group just for the two of them, only to discover that Britta invited another classmate, Abed Nadir, a slightly eccentric movie buff, who invited a host of others as well. 

The Spanish study group soon becomes a very tight-knit club as the series chronicles their misadventures. Dan Harmon has left an indelible mark on the series with his signature humour, satire, social commentary, and surreal set-pieces. The narrative at times requires a suspension of disbelief, but the over-the-top elements are deliberate additions carefully crafted to parody tropes from popular films and TV shows. 

Allison Brie essays the role of Annie Eddison, a bright young student who has a history of a public mental breakdown in high school, Donald Glover plays Troy Barnes a former NFL hopeful whose career prospects were dashed by a serious knee injury, Yvette Nicole Brown as Shirley Bennett, a very religious mother of two who dreams of expanding her horizons, whereas Chevy Chase essays a wealthy elderly man who has a penchant for being politically ‘incorrect’, and Danny Pudi plays the heart and soul of the story, Abed Nadir, an eccentric movie buff who often struggles to communicate well with others. Ken Jeong, Jim Rash, and John Oliver play other important characters in this criminally underrated TV series. 

If you haven't watched Community yet, it's streaming on Netflix.

Well that's the OTTplay Lost and Found for today's episode , until the next time it's your host Nikhil signing out.

Aaj  kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho

• Written By Ryan Gomez 

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Stories about Artificial Intelligence becoming self-aware have always been a matter of great interest ever since Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 was sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor in James Cameron’s Terminator in 1984, just a couple of years after Rutger Hauer’s Ray Batty delivered the iconic ‘Tears in the rain’ monologue in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. 

The idea of self-aware robots have since evolved into sentient intelligences capable of monitoring and manipulating every aspect of human life. In fact, these debates have become part of contemporary real world moral and ethical dilemmas, after having been explored in films such as AI: Artificial Intelligence and Ex-Machina, and Jonathan Nolan’s HBO TV series Westworld. 

For today’s Lost and Found podcast, we take a look at another Jonathan Nolan series, Person of Interest. The story follows a recluse billionaire tech genius, played by Michael Emerson, who recruits an ex-CIA operative, essayed by Jim Caviezel, to be a vigilante and save common citizens of New York from imminent danger. Emerson’s character Harold Finch receives intel from an AI he had secretly created for the government to detect any premeditated acts of crime. But since the government only has resources to act upon threats against national security such as terrorism, all other crimes are categorised as irrelevant. So, Finch takes it upon himself, with the help of his new recruit John Reese,  to save potential victims on the irrelevant list created by the machine. 

The show’s well-written characters, engrossing storyline, and thought-provoking themes, which delves into controversial topics such state surveillance and privacy, makes it one of the most underrated TV shows of the last decade. As the series progresses, themes relating to the ethical conundrums of how human beings must adapt and reassess how to deal in the event an AI becomes self-aware are also explored.

This binge-worthy series also features an excellent ensemble of supporting characters played by Kevin Chapman, Amy Acker, Taraji P. Henson, and Sarah Shahi. 

Well that's the OTTplay Lost and Found for today, until the next time it's your host Nikhil signing out.

Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho

• Written By Ryan Gomez

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The Malayalam film industry’s poster boy for its new wave of cinema is undoubtedly Fahadh Faasil. The acclaimed actor has amassed a cult following in Kerala, and across India, for riveting performances in recent films such as Kumbalangi Nights, Trance, Joji, and Malik. The 2016 film Maheshinte Prathikaaram is a relatively lesser-known classic and features one of the most well-written protagonists in Indian cinema.

Faasil slips into his role with ease and is aided by an engrossing screenplay by Kumbalangi Nights writer Syam Pushkaran. Faasil essays the role of Mahesh, a photographer from a small town in Idukki Kerala, who is forced to reassess his worldview after a series of life-changing incidents. The soft-spoken Mahesh soon ends up in a path of vengeance as retaliation for being humiliated in the town centre by a man named Jimson. The narrative has placed the town itself as a pivotal character in the overarching story, and the actions of each character have a ripple effect on the entire town, setting off a chain of events that culminates with Mahesh defiantly proclaiming that he would never wear footwear again until he beats Jimson in a brawl. 

Directed by Dileesh Pothan, the film is a satire on society and established social conventions. It uses humour to convey its subtext and critiques the various aspects of societal norms that shackle individuals from a journey of self-discovery. The film’s cinematography and sound design have added an extra layer of nuance and quality. 

Aparna Balamurali, Soubin Shahir, Alencier Ley Lopez, and Anusree, essay important supporting characters. 

Catch this flick streaming on Amazon Prime Video 

Well, that's the OTTplay Lost and Found for today, until the next episode it's your host Nikhil out of here.

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• Written by Ryan Gomez

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The Malayalam film industry has produced some iconic films based on the state’s complex political structure. Political satire such as Sandesam remains one of the best Malayalam films ever created for its use of humour to tell a compelling tale of family, society, and politics. However, the more serious political films have often been tainted by over-the-top dialogues and larger-than-life characters. 

The 2013 film, Left Right Left, is a grounded take on Kerala’s political landscape, focusing on the communist party. The film courted controversy when it was released in 2013 as many believed that the story is loosely based on the current Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan. Directed by Arun, the film stars Murali Gopi as Roy Joseph, Indrajith Sukumaran as P K Jayan, and Hareesh Peradi as Kaitheri Sahadevan. It also features a vast ensemble of supporting actors such as Remya Nambeshan, Anusree, Lena, Baiju, Jagadish, Mammukoya, and Saiju Kurup. 

The riveting story features the rise of political leaders and how ambition often creates moral and ethical dilemmas. Set across three time periods starting from the 60s, the plot revolves around the lives of a corrupt policeman, a former revolutionary, and a powerful politician with a questionable past. 

The film was praised for its balanced portrayal of its complex characters and the excellent performances by the cast. Even though it failed to find commercial success during its theatrical run, it has since attained cult status on online streaming services. 

Catch  it streaming on Sun NXT.

Well that's the Lost and found for today, until the next time it's your host Nikhil out of here. 

Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho

• Written by Ryan Gomez

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