Netflix Friday - Volume 64

Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.
 

Action: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
The dwarves, along with Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and Gandalf the Frey (Ian McKellen), continue their quest to reclaim Erebor, their homeland, from Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch). Bilbo is in possession of a mysterious and magical ring.
 

Drama: In the Heart of the Sea (2015)
A recounting of a New England whaling ship’s sinking by a giant whale in 1820, an experience that later experiences the great novel Moby Dick.
 

Comedy: Ingrid Goes West (2017)
An unhinged social media stalker (Aubrey Plaza) moves to L.A. and ingratiates herself into the life od an Instagram star (Elisabeth Olsen)
 

Animation: Masters of the Univers: Revelation (2021)
The was for Eternia begins again in what may be the final battle between He-Man (Chris Wood) and Skeletor (Mark Hamill).
 

Romance: Rumor Has It (2015)
Sarah Huttinger (Jennifer Aniston) is a woman who learns that her family was the inspiration for the book and film “The Graduate”, and that she might e the offspring of the well-documented event.
 

Horror: Dr. Sleep (2019)
Years following the evens of “The Shining”, a now adult Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) must protect a young girl with similar powers from a cult known as The True Knot, who prey on children with powers to remain immortal.
 

Science Fiction: Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020)
Once told they’d save the universe during a time-traveling adventure, 2 would-be rockers (Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter) from San Dimas , California find themselves as middle-aged dads still trying to crank out a hit song and fulfill their destiny.
 

Crime: The White Tiger (2021)
An ambitious Indian driver (Adarsh Gourav) uses his wit and cunning to escape from poverty and rise to the top.
 

Thriller: Official Secrets (2019)
British whistleblower Katherine Gunn (Keira Knightley) leaks information to the press about an illegal NSA spy operation designed to push the UN Security Council into sanctioning the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
 

Documentary: The Speed Cubers (2020)
Discover the special bond and uncommon competitive spirit shared by the world’s Rubik’s Cube-solving record breakers.
 

Family: Pan (2015)
Twelce-year-old orphan Peter is spirited away to the magical world of Neverland, where he finds both fun and danger, and ultimately discovers his destiny. To become the hero who will be forever known as Peter Pan.

Movie Review - The White Tiger

Director: Ramin Bahrani
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 125 minutes
Year: 2021
Starring: Adarsh Gourav, Rajkummar Rao, Priyank Chopra Jonas

Description: An ambitious Indian driver (Adarsh Gourav) uses his wit and cunning to escape from poverty and rise to the top. An epic journey based on the New York Times bestseller.  

Review: Balram has one goal in mind: to become an entrepreneur and shake off the Indian caste system. When he starts working for a wealthy family, he seizes his chances.
Netflix is eager to show that it plays along in the world of the big movie studios. Not in terms of output, which is of course enormous. Quality and diversity: that is what the streaming service is aiming for more and more. “The White Tiger” is a good movie. This is by no means the first Netflix film to come from India. The list of series and films intended for Indian audiences grows and grows.
We see beautiful shots of 21^st century India and many contrasts between rich and poor. The film simply explains how the caste system divides the Indian population into groups and how difficult it is to escape from the situation you are in.
This is where Balram wants to change things. He is full of ambition and does not want to end up like his father: poor and sickly. Adarsh Gourav, who plays Balram, is fantastic as the boy who wants to escape at all costs. As a kind of anti-hero, he is very good at playing on your moral principles: do you understand his far-reaching actions because he wants to get out of his situation? Balram steals the show without much effort. You sympathize with him tremendously and at the same time doubt his choices.
Immediately, the story is reminiscent of Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire”, in which a young Indian man escapes his poverty by entering a game show. But “The White Tiger” is more than this. How director Ramin Bahrani balnces the story between rich and poor, right and wrong is very well done. Halfway through, the film takes a dark turn that is hard to see coming.
It's not a light film or an easy watch. It’s also not a film you will rewatch often. It’s too good for that. “The White Tiger” is much more than a counterpart to “Slumdog Millionaire”.

Rating: 4 / 5