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Chup: Revenge Of The Artist Movie Review : ‘Chup’ cannot silence its critics

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RAHUL HAZRA 181 days ago

This is the best of best film I have ever seen in my whole life. Mujhe lagta hai sabhi filmo ko uski ratings audiance ko Deni chahiye chahe wo 1 star ho ya phir 5 star. Kiu ki audiance ke liye hi to film bante hai, agar hum audiance us film ko Bina dekhe hi sirf aur sirf ratings per based karke na dekhe to kya fayda. Humhe us film ko dekhna chahiye, dekhne ke baad hum use ratings denge. Wo vi honest review. Hume pata hai ki Jo ratings dete hai unhe to film ke producers, actors koyi bhi Paisa khila sakta hai, magar hum audiance ko kabhi nhi... Chahe wo koyi bhi bada actor ho hum audiance ke Bina uska koyi namo nishan Tak nhi hai. Hum hi unke plus point hai aur minus point bhi. Mind it <br/>And I have this movie 5 out of 5 stars ❤️

Srj Hg 279 days ago

Mohammadyeasin 399 days ago, user mohanty 442 days ago.

The script of the movie and the title is so justified but few loopholes were there in the execution. The split personality of the actress in the first half completely vanished in the second half. And then how the killer got the victims at those murder sites was not clear. Except these all the actors were so accurate in their roles specially Salman and sreya . I completely loved the love story how it goes slowly and then got intensified . The dialogues were good , the plot and the cast were at the point . And yes I am ignoring the well predictable story line and all of know who was the killer from the first but the movie really wanted the audience to know that fact ... Over all the movie was worth watching. The ending could have had a twisted story like the protagonist killed the actress then got caught but I was really asking for a happy ending so yes it is a good movie to watch...enjoy ��

Suban 473 days ago

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Chup Movie Review: Film critics, beware. You're about to lose your organs

Chup, starring sunny deol and dulquer salmaan, is a riveting thriller that makes an impact without trying too hard. it also features romance and a strong message..

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• Chup will be released in theatres on September 23.
• The film is directed by R Balki.
• Chup features Sunny Deol and Dulquer Salmaan in the lead.

Cast & Crew

Dulquer Salmaan Actor

Release Date: 23 Sep, 2022

R Balki's latest movie, Chup, starring Dulquer Salmaan and Sunny Deol, is an intense and thought-provoking thriller that tries to examine the true purpose of film criticism. The flick luckily does so without being preachy or overly dramatic. Chup revolves around a serial killer who brutally murders critics for insulting artistes with their ruthless remarks. The authorities soon rope in the bold cop Arvind Mathur (Sunny) to investigate the case. He finds a few striking similarities between the killings, which sets the stage for a cat-and-mouse game.

Broadly speaking, a thriller can work only if it packs a punch without trying too hard to do so. Take Drishyam, for instance. The Mohanlal-led movie, which was remade in Hindi under the same title with Ajay Devgn in the lead, attained cult status as everything about it felt as organic as possible. This is exactly where Chup succeeds. The film moves at its own pace initially as director R Balki carefully constructs its world. Given the genre, violence is an integral part of the narrative. None of the scenes try to shock the audience. The focus instead is on using these scenes to explore the serial killer's psyche.

The same applies to the big twists as well. The work, despite being obvious mainly as the staging, is as good as it gets.

The writing, however, peaks in the romantic scenes. Dulquer Salmaan's exchanges with Shreya Dhanwanthary cater to those fond of breezy yet realistic love stories. There is absolutely nothing filmi or pretentious about these sequences.

The film features several short yet watchable scenes that examine the complex relationship between art and its critics. The second half feels a bit slow in the portions but does a fair job of setting the stage for the thrilling finale. The closing sequences of Chup touch upon a sensitive topic while celebrating the magic of cinema.

Chup's true beauty lies in the fact that it manages to deal with three distinct aspects or subplots rather competently. None of these tracks feel undercooked.

Coming to the performances, Dulquer does justice to a complex character. His chemistry with Shreya may initially remind one of his breezy rapport with Nithya Menen in OK Kanmani.

The way he deals with the scenes depicting his character's trauma, however, is quite different from the approach adopted by Fahadh Faasil in films such as Joji and Maheshinte Pratikaaram. FaFa used his eyes to internalise his characters. DQ, on the other hand, uses his body language to bring out the complexities of his character.

Shreya, who plays a young journalist, channels her character's innocence .

It is, however, Sunny Doel who proves to be the scene stealer here. The veteran actor delivers a beautifully restrained performance. He packs a punch without even flexing his muscles. The natural intensity that he brings to the table in Chup may remind one of his work in the underrated Ghayal 2.

Saranya and Pooja Bhatt are a bit underutilised. The former, however, makes her presence felt despite the limited screen time.

The dialogues have situational appeal, and lines such as 'Scorcese nahi Shetty' and 'Galti Se Tax' stand out. The editing is good as Chup doesn't drag. The romantic song featured in the film, however, could have been catchier. The other technical aspects are up to the mark.

To sum up, Chup is a highly watchable and layered thriller that may 'silence' its critics, courtesy of its refreshing concept.

We're going with 3.5 stars out of 5. Published By: Roktim Rajpal Published On: Sep 22, 2022 --- ENDS --- ALSO READ | Amitabh Bachchan shares Chup Revenge Of The Artist teaser. Sunny Deol, Dulquer Salmaan's film is an ode to Guru Dutt

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‘Chup: Revenge Of The Artist’ Review: A Darkly Comedic Critique Of Those Who Misunderstand Cinema

The strained relationship between artists and critics is as old as cinema itself. Artists argue that they create. Hence, they are superior to critics, who are usually negative about everything they consume. And since critics only consume instead of creating something substantial, their opinions are invalid. Critics argue that art cannot thrive if they don’t talk about it, and the medium cannot evolve if the only thing that an artist receives is praise. And since critics are the ones who often champion indie darlings and passion projects that the audience will usually pass by because it hasn’t been marketed properly, their opinion is important. But both agree on one thing: that it’s the audience who makes or breaks a film. They can tank a well-made, well-reviewed film, and they can turn a poorly crafted, horribly reviewed dumpster fire into a raging success. “Chup: Revenge of the Artist” tries to wrestle with every aspect of this very relationship.

Directed and co-written by R. Balki, along with co-writers Raja Sen (who is a professional film critic, BTW) and Rishi Virmani, “Chup: Revenge of the Artist” opens with the murder of a film critic in Mumbai. Head of the Crime Branch, Arvind Mathur (Sunny Deol), and his partner Srini Shetty (Rajeev Ravindranathan) are brought in to investigate the case. In parallel to this, we see a man apparently named Danny (Dulquer Salmaan) going about his day as a florist, having “bhurji pau” and talking to himself. The character that connects these two plots is entertainment reporter Nila Menon (Shreya Dhanwanthary). Due to the nature of her job, she inhabits the same circles as the critics who are being murdered by a serial killer. Due to her mother’s (Saranya Ponvannan) love for tulips, she becomes a frequent customer at Danny’s shop. And while the number of murders increases, Nila and Danny’s bond grows stronger, with neither of them being aware that eventually, they’ll find themselves on opposite ends of the spectrum of humanity.

When the trailers for “Chup: Revenge of the Artist” or just “Chup” were released, the general consensus was that it was going to be a hit job against critics. Artists love to hate them for the aforementioned reasons. Audiences love to hate them because when critics don’t praise their favorite movies or love their favorite stars as much as they do, they don’t get the validation they need. And, if I can be honest, a massive chunk of film critics writing for independent websites (such as the one you are on right now) love to hate critics working for multi-million-dollar corporations and getting paid for writing absolute trash. The surprising element of this R. Balki film is that it is not actually a hate letter to critics (which is more surprising than the reveal of the killer and his motivations). In fact, it’s a hate letter to everyone from jilted artists to abusive fans and those who don’t have a fundamental understanding of the world of cinema for intentionally or inadvertently ruining the artform.

Balki, Sen, and Virmani understand that we have a bad habit of generalizing people in every profession and thereby creating a false image of them in our minds. Filmmakers make movies that reach hundreds of thousands of people and influence them in various ways. But does that make them impervious to political, societal, or studio pressure? No. Despite being backed by millions, they stoop to various lows. Critics critique movies and their articles are read by almost everyone who has watched the film they are writing about. But are they powerful enough to make or break cinema? No. Because if that’s the case, every critical darling must be a hit, and every badly reviewed film must be a flop. “Chup,” says that we need to understand the reality of this dynamic. We need to have a discussion based on the material of the film and the points raised by those who are reviewing it. If you are resorting to the deification of artists (and critics) or abuse of critics (and artists), then you are the one hurting cinema.

This nuanced commentary is both elevated by the dark comedy and messed up by the romantic subplot, all the handholding, and the rushed handling of the topic of psychopathy. “Chup” is absolutely hilarious when it focuses on its slasher aspect. The murders are incredibly creative. Balki uses the freedom that comes with the A-rating to its fullest. Hence, mutilated bodies are on full display. The blood and guts are almost spilling out of the frame. The special effects and visual effects are immaculate as you can feel the griminess and smelliness of each of the crime scenes. And the laughs come from the notion that someone has gone to town on people who review films. The absurdity of this concept is furthered by the urgency with which various levels of security are assigned to the critics who are in danger. Because that’s when you realize that Balki is aware that there’s nothing realistic about this plot. He knows something like this will likely never happen, and he’s showing how dumb it’s going to look if someone gets violent about cinema.

Vishal Sinha’s cinematography is competent, and so is the overall production design of “Chup.” Nayan H. K. Bhadra’s editing has high highs and low lows. There is a cut from the serial killer enjoying the crime scene he has created at night to Arvind Mathur examining the same during the day. And it’s perfect. But then Bhadra’s editing becomes unnecessarily frenetic during the investigation scenes as well as the conversation scenes. The score by Aman Pant and the songs by Amit Trivedi and Sneha Khanwalkar are overwhelming and forgettable, respectively. Only S. D. Burman’s tunes seem fitting. The performances from the entire cast are excellent. Dulquer Salmaan gets the most meaty character. However, he doesn’t treat it frivolously. He puts so much life into it and thus lights up the screen every time he is on it. Shreya Dhanwanthary is efficient and effortless. She portrays love, passion, and panic with so much ease that it’s mind-blowing. Sunny Deol hits it out of the park as a grizzled, all brawn but not too much brain, cop. I think the movie needed more of him!

That brings us to the problems of “Chup.” As good as Dulquer and Shreya are, their romance has zero chemistry. It brings the pacing of the film to a halt. And since what’s going to happen between them is so predictable, the whole effort seems pointless. Maybe a better alternative would’ve been to develop their characters separately and then go about the conclusion? Because their romance doesn’t really impact the killer’s plan. Even if it does, we don’t spend enough time in that moment of dilemma. As for the killer’s motivations, and as much as I like what Balki, Sen, and Virmani are (probably) trying to say, the movie spends more time on the killer’s misplaced emotions and less time on why the killer is wrong. For a brief moment, we see the killer being asked to rethink the reasoning behind his murder, which in a way, asks artists to critique the product they’ve made instead of getting angry at those who are critiquing it. But it’s so fleeting that the killer’s bad-faith opinion about film criticism ends up getting more screen time.

The reason why this happens is that “Chup” spends too much time explaining the killer’s backstory and going over why he is doing what he is doing through copious amounts of exposition instead of dissecting why his whole mission is so wrong. We know he’s a “psychopath” who laughs after knowing a critic died of COVID-19. We don’t need the cliche story about an abusive childhood because it adds nothing to the story. Why do I know that? Because Zenobia (Pooja Bhatt) essentially says that his abusive childhood didn’t make him a killer, the criticism of Guru Dutt’s “Kaagaz Ke Phool” did. You can say that she’s talking about how he misattributed the reason behind Dutt’s death to the poor criticism of “Kaagaz Ke Phool” and echoed it when his own film (also named “Chup”) got panned. But that’s not very clear. What’s also not clear is if the killer’s film was actually good and wrongly reviewed or if he took the criticisms too personally because the film was about his life. FYI, it’s not necessary for a film to be good just because it’s close to the makers’ hearts. Those feelings need to be conveyed cinematically, or else what’s the point?

With all that said, do you know what the most problematic element in “Chup: Revenge of the Artist” is? It’s not gratuitous violence. It’s not the convoluted message about cinema, artists, critics, and the general audience. It’s the poster in Nila’s house that reads, “Woody Allen is innocent.” Yes, Woody Allen, the director who was accused by his adoptive daughter, Dylan Farrow, of molesting her when she was seven. Woody Allen was accused of having an intimate relationship with another one of Mia Farrow’s adoptive daughters, Soon-Yi Previn, someone who he went on to marry. That Woody Allen. Now, I am not sure if this is a statement from R. Balki or one of his writers. Or if this is a way of showing that film critics have a tendency to champion abusers just because they like their work, thereby ruining the sanctity of cinema. I am hoping it’s the latter because if it’s the former, “Chup” deserves zero stars.

Until we get a clarification on that poster, though, I’ll say that “Chup” is definitely worth a watch. Is it totally original? I don’t think so. Edgar Wright made “Hot Fuzz” back in 2007, where the Neighborhood Watch Alliance of the small town of Sandford went around killing reporters who told the truth about the town while making spelling mistakes in their articles, police officers who critiqued the town’s murderous tendencies, or kids who did graffiti. That way, they upheld the rustic aesthetic of the town and kept winning the “Village of the Year” award without realizing how fascist they were being about something that should be so simple. Still, R. Balki’s spin on it with a fascist “savior” of cinema at its center is interesting, to say the least. When it works, it will make you laugh. When it doesn’t, it will have you blankly staring at the screen. The acting is fantastic, with Dulquer Salmaan clearly taking the cake. And, in the weirdest way possible, the film is a reminder of the greatness of Guru Dutt. So, once you are done watching “Chup,” maybe go watch his films, starting with “Kaagaz Ke Phool.”

“Chup: Revenge of the Artist” is a 2022 Drama Thriller film directed by R. Balki.

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Chup Reviews

Chup is absolutely hilarious when it focuses on its slasher aspect. The murders are incredibly creative. Balki uses the freedom that comes with the A-rating to its fullest.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 20, 2023

For this critic Chup remains an interesting, intriguing idea that couldn’t quite execute what it ambitiously set out to achieve .

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jan 2, 2023

Director R Balki's Chup: Revenge of the Artist isn't a slasher horror or a serial killer thriller; it's actually a parody of those genres, with lots to say about the state of films and film criticism.

Full Review | Dec 2, 2022

It surely left me asking for more...

Full Review | Oct 17, 2022

The smug reply isn’t actually aimed at him. No such movie exists, a character declares. (It does: it’s called Chup...)

Full Review | Oct 1, 2022

Chup: Revenge of the Artist can only be described as an experiment. Watch the film for the fine performances by the entire ensemble cast and for its homage to Guru Dutt and his brand of cinema.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 26, 2022

That it ventures into uncharted territory is undeniably commendable. But it needed something more to elevate itself above a mere idiosyncratic concept.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Sep 26, 2022

Dulquer Salmaan is better than the Hindi films he's choosing.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Sep 26, 2022

Dulquer Salmaan gives in his best to play a loner and a lover. One can see the actor’s struggle in juggling his complex character and he does a satisfactory job of it.

R Balki's film mixes a serial killer thriller with a take on film critics but fails to effectively tackle both.

Full Review | Sep 26, 2022

This Dulquer Salmaan film, about dream-makers and those who destroy those dreams, is less satisfactory than it should have been.

Sunny Deol and Dulquer Salmaan try to salvage this film, but it’s an uphill task.

Attributing violent vendetta to psychological imbalance is an easy crutch to fall on when makers are reluctant to debate righteous anger over difference of opinion.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 25, 2022

It's hard to not be excited, amused, or even invested in any of these premises. Except, it's easy to forget one crucial thing -- what might prevent these one-line plots from ending up as a gimmick is intelligent filmmaking. There is no shortcut to that.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Sep 23, 2022

Not only is this premise a droll kick up the arse for the Scream-style meta-slasher, it has to be the first film in which someone says “I need a critic” in the same imperative tone usually reserved for a Swat team or an elite hitman.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 22, 2022

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A lonesome florist with a new-found love interest and a psychopath killer who targets film critics in Mumbai. Are the two related? Inspector Arvind Mathur and Dr. Zenobia are about to find o... Read all A lonesome florist with a new-found love interest and a psychopath killer who targets film critics in Mumbai. Are the two related? Inspector Arvind Mathur and Dr. Zenobia are about to find out. A lonesome florist with a new-found love interest and a psychopath killer who targets film critics in Mumbai. Are the two related? Inspector Arvind Mathur and Dr. Zenobia are about to find out.

• Rishi Virmani
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• 251 User reviews
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• Trivia Film pays grand tribute to legend Guru Dutt and his masterpiece Kaagaz Ke Phool 1959 which was slammed by critics as flop.But in coming years it gained a cult status.
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User reviews 251

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• Sep 24, 2022
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• September 23, 2022 (India)
• Chup - The Revenge of an Artist
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Chup REVIEW: R Balki silences critics with a riveting story backed by powerful performances from Sunny Deol, Dulquer Salmaan

Saheli Maity

• September 22, 2022
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Sunny Deol and Dulquer Salmaan starrer Chup REVIEW

• Bubble Reviews
• Chup REVIEW: R Balki silences ...

Film : Chup: Revenge of the Artist

Director : R Balki

Star cast : Sunny Deol, Dulquer Salmaan, Shreya Dhanwanthary and Pooja Bhatt

Bollywood Bubble ratings: 3.5 stars

Chup Movie Review:

I watched a movie called Chup about a psychopath who kills film critics when they give inappropriate stars to the movie and not based on their merit. Well, since I am also going to write the review, I wasn’t scared some killer will come and slash my throat but it is the thought behind the movie that made me think otherwise. I started questioning myself if the reviewers are always this harsh or if the reviewers are the killers who kill a fan’s morale to even watch the film, to kill a director’s passion for the movie. Yes, our job is actually to critique the cinema which the makers put their heart and soul into it and we sometimes strip them entirely with our writing.

There are some reviewers who don’t think twice to mince the movie with their harsh words and then comes the Chup movie that tries to convey that the cinema is art but if someone is critiquing it, it has to be constructive criticism and not just bash them wryly. Nevertheless, talking about Chup in this review, R Balki has narrated his love for cinema that he wrapped with suspense and thriller. After a while, I enjoyed a thriller drama that kept me at the edge of my seat. There was a constant feeling of what will happen next and how will the cops unveil the killer.

Chup is the story of a psychopath killer who is targeting film critics. A series of bizarre and disturbing murders rock the city of Mumbai. Film critics are being killed week after week with the release of every new film. Arvind Mathur, Head of Crime Branch Mumbai, is tasked with solving the case. With the help of Zenobia, a criminal psychologist, he tries to understand the mind of the killer to trap him.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Dulquer Salmaan (@dqsalmaan)

Star Performance:

Sunny Deol plays the role of inspector Arvind Mathur, Head of Crime Branch Mumbai who sets on a mission to seize the psychopath killer on loose. He plays his part perfectly well with utmost intensity and zest. It is so good to see Sunny is a profound role after a very long time. He adds gravitas to his character that doesn’t leave you disappointed.

Dulquer Salmaan plays the role of a florist named Danny and oh man, he is a treat to watch. To be honest, I have seen very few films of him and now I regret that why didn’t watch his movies before. He is a terrific actor and his performance is par excellence in this movie. After seeing him in Sita Ramam, I can’t imagine Dulquer playing this complex character. His character has two sides and his transformation in the movie is impressive AF! Now, I can’t imagine any other actor playing this role because he justified it with great finesse. Dulquer definitely steals the show with his powerful performance and I have become his fan now.

Shreya Dhanwanthary essays the role of an entertainment journalist and Danny’s love interest. She does a commendable job in the movie. She tries to prove that she has a lot of capabilities as an actor and that is impressive.

Pooja Bhatt plays the role of Zenobia, a criminal psychologist who loves films and helps the police to understand the criminal. She is seen in an extended cameo and adds more depth and freshness to the script.

Direction/ Screenplay:

With a filmography of Cheeni Kum, Shamitabh, Ki & Ka, Pad Man, R Balki comes up with a thriller drama Chup that makes me speechless, to be precise. He is often seen telling light-hearted stories with a lot of meaning; however, he outdoes himself this time as he narrates a nail-biting story to the audience. Considering that it is a thriller drama, R Balki keeps the intensity intact while showcasing his love for the cinema.

But the best part that left me in awe was keeping the essence of the classic cinema, the Guru Dutt era. He used the songs of Dutt right from Jaane Kya Main Suni to Waqt Ne Kiya Kya which only added a lot of weight to the movie. It will make you forget about the murder thriller but will drift your mind to an era of pure blissful cinema. Balki really does a fantastic job with her direction.

There was never a moment where I felt he is losing his grip apart from the climax scene. Balki patiently and artistically unfolds the aspect of a killer and his chronicle; however, the climax seems like he was in a hurry. Keeping the vigour of the story in mind, I like the fact that he completely ditched the unnecessary drama but it seems like the climax was rushing.

Conclusion:

In totality, Chup: Revenge of the Artist is an out-of-the-box concept that will surely keep you hooked till the end. Chup is an interesting watch and if you are reading the review then I would highly recommend watching it. R Balki has delivered his finest work that is backed by powerful performances from Sunny Deol and Dulquer Salmaan. A story that has never been seen before and that makes it special and interesting. After a long time, I’m seeing a different thriller drama that really hit me hard not just as a critic but as a viewer as well. I’m going with 3.5 stars for R Balki’s narration and of course, Salmaan’s performance who is the heart and the soul of the film.

Watch the Chup trailer after reading the review:

Also read: Dhokha review: R Madhavan and Khushali Kumar deliver a strong performance in a loose thriller drama

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Home » Review » Chup review: Dulquer Salmaan gets a perfect score for bringing his A-game in R Balki's gory thriller »

Chup review: Dulquer Salmaan gets a perfect score for bringing his A-game in R Balki's gory thriller

One cannot deny the fact that Chup: Revenge of the Artist is flawed, but R. Balki's charm with his work is undeniable and crisp.

• Aishwarya Vasudevan

Last Updated: 02.22 PM, Sep 22, 2022

The story of Chup is about a psychopath killer who preys on movie critics. Mumbai is being rocked by a string of strange and disturbing murders. Every new film's release results in the weekly murder of cinema critics. In charge of the Mumbai Crime Branch, Arvind Mathur (Sunny Deol) has a case to solve. He tries to grasp the killer's thoughts in order to catch him with the aid of Zenobia (Pooja Bhatt), a criminal psychologist.

" Jane Kya Tune Kahi " is a romantic song from Pyaasa (1957) that is constantly played in Chup: Revenge of the Artist . The track shows an aloof Guru Dutt looking at a joyous Waheeda Rehman (sung by Geeta Dutt) while she sings her heart out. However, in the film, the song, even though it comes during a romantic sequence, is also an indication to the masses about how a filmmaker speaks about a film and how the audience/critics take it.

Chup starts off in the most thrilling way, and we just have to be prepared to see how one can be murdered in the goriest way. The first killing shows that the film is going to leave you on the edge of your seat, and there's no way you can turn around now.

R. Balki, the filmmaker, is known to bring twisted plots that are true to nature and execute them in the most entertaining way. We have seen him do that with Cheeni Kum, Paa, Ki & Ka , and more. Here, in Chup , he attempts something heinous that we have not seen before: a serial killer who is slashing film critics and marking their foreheads with stars.

Also Read: Dulquer Salmaan, Sunny Deol’s film set for grand opening with positive buzz, Rs 75 tickets  

The assignment is understood and the execution takes the plunge in the right way. We've become accustomed to the gruesome visuals that cinema has reserved in every way thanks to the era of OTT, with less regulation. But with Chup , we just can't deal with it right then and there while preparing how the next murder will be performed.

The psychopath's nature is shown through patterns, such as taking a paragraph out of a review and performing the murder in exactly the same way. "Bang on with that execution!"

I, still being an amateur critic, was dreading how to perceive this film, with fear or just as another piece of art and a filmmaker's labour of love.

Chup is a film that pays homage to cinephiles who live, breathe, and sleep cinema. Their lives revolve around giving references to movies every now and then, watching movies, and even getting their hearts broken when movies fail to impress. The film shows all kinds of critics, from the world of print to videos; some are genuine, while others are paid. So how does the killer decide on his next target? He is such a film buff that he has not only seen Indian films but has also been exposed to global culture.

The psyche of the serial killer is kind of convenient, but hey, mental illness cannot be put into a box and the motive cannot be always justified. A movie lover can take cues from any of the films he has watched over the years or cook up a mission that looks like a perfect script to be made into a movie or a series in the future.

Also Read: Chup 'free screening': Tickets for Sunny Deol, Dulquer Salmaan starrer sold within 10 minutes!   

There's no intended cat-and-mouse chase between Sunny Deol's character as investigating officer Arvind Mathur and the serial killer. But as the story unfolds, the pattern looks very interesting, so to speak.

On one hand, Deol's character is solving this man, who is making the world of movies a slaughterhouse with the killings of film critics. On the other hand, there's a love story brewing between Danny (Dulquer Salmaan), the owner of a flower shop, and an entertainment reporter, Nila Menon (Shreya Dhanwanthary).

Their love story in the first half gives another mysterious angle on how it's related to the serial killer. The first half thus runs parallelly well and leaves you intrigued. However, in the second half, the romantic angle doesn't help much with the story and makes you impatient to know about the hunt for the serial killer.

As mentioned earlier, Jane Kya Tune Kahi 's context in this film. Another beautiful song, Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam from Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), is also a kind of metaphor for Chup . We saw Guru Dutt never direct a film after Kaagaz Ke Phool , knowing how the film was heavily criticised for its content. He died just a few years after the release of the film. But now, times have changed, and the criticism has become harsher with the rise of social media too.

These metaphors work beautifully with Chup , as Guru Dutt is remembered with utmost respect and regret that he didn't get his due for his contribution to Indian cinema when he was alive.

However, a little criticism of Chup would indeed be a matter of convenience. The film slightly loses logic and seems fictitious in terms of giving the benefit of the doubt to the plot. It thickens once Zenobia (Pooja Bhatt), a criminal psychologist, comes into the picture. Her way of showing the "pattern" of the serial killer is kind of a known fact but is shown as a shocking twist in the film.

When it comes to performances, Chup is an out-and-out Dulquer Salmaan show. The actor is terrific in every scene, and you can't take your eyes off him. Knowing his body of work in the past decade, the actor has shown every shade in the films he has starred in, irrespective of the language. But the way Balki oozes out the more hidden talent he has is incredible to watch.

Sunny Deol as a cop is brilliant and brings back the charm he had with his performances in Damini, Ghayal, Ghatak and more. The one scene where he jumps off from the top floor and limps while he walks shows that he has aged but will never be less than the action hero he has been.

Pooja Bhatt's presence in the second half is just fabulous and proves how she has always been a talented actor. She deserves to be on screen more often.

Shreya Dhanwanthary looks promising with the way her character starts. But it just doesn't gel well as the film shapes up. The actor feels like a love interest who does have a role to play in the climax, but it is less impactful.

Saranya Ponvannan as the visually impaired mother of Shreya's character is just picture-perfect. She is the kind of millennial mother one would root for and want in their lives.

The music, which is a blend of the old-world charm of tracks from Guru Dutt movies composed by SD Burman and a modern twist by Amit Trivedi and Sneha Khanwalkar, sets Chup apart from the rest of the serial killer movies. Even the background score by Aman Pant is top-notch, which sets the thrilling pace just right. Even the constant sounds of crickets fit in perfectly between the songs.

Chup is a brave attempt by Balki in every sense, which he penned with former critic Raja Sen and Rishi Virmani. Brave for taking on a subject that no one had considered, braver for carrying it out by demonstrating how a film can be gory and uncomfortable to watch, and bravest for pulling off such a casting coup that will be remembered for a long time.

Chup: Revenge of the Artist has one scene which shows a poster saying "Woody Allen is innocent," which is equally disturbing to be present at a woman's house. That's another metaphor for how the film is designed to be. Moreover, Dulquer Salmaan takes the cake that Balki bakes and decorates it with a sharp icing.

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'Chup' review: An unconvincing serial killer thriller

Film comes across as an exercise by Bollywood to show critics their place

Barely a few days before the release of his film, Chup: Revenge of the Artist , director R. Balki said in an interview to THE WEEK that way back in early 2000, a film critic wrote such a stinging review of his first film Cheeni Kum , that he stopped reading film reviews after that. He revealed that he was "so affected" that he "wanted to get back at the writer in any way possible." During the promotions of Chup , Pooja Bhatt , who essays the role of a criminal psychologist in this crime thriller, referred to film critics as "killers" and "criminals who lack sensitivity and at times, are ignorant and revengeful."

After all these remarks, Chup , which a failed-film-director-turned-serial killer goes on a murder spree maiming film critics seems incredulous, revengeful, and vain. "If the audience wants to be fooled, if they like to be fooled, who are you to come in between," asks a self-proclaimed vigilante of Hindi cinema, Danny (Dulquer Salmaan) before gruesomely killing a critic who accords a one star rating to a particular film.

A mild-mannered and reticent florist from Mumbai's Christian neighbourhood of Bandra, Danny reads every single film review, gives it his own evaluation and imposes his taste on those who he targets. "Just one star? Why? Can't you see anything of merit in this?," "Oh! four stars, why? This is simply fake praise!" and so goes the killer, executing his prey in a dramatic and bone-chilling manner.

In comes a hardened police investigator Arvind Mathur (Sunny Deol) who must crack the 'star' case to save the stars on his own shoulders. He ends up taking the help of Danny's girlfriend Nila Menon (Shreya Dhanwantary), an entertainment journalist and aspiring film critic.

Written by Balki with film reviewer Raja Sen and Rishi Virmani, Chup does an excellent job of holding the viewer's attention throughout without once digressing from the plot. It isn't languorous, stretchy or overly dramatic. The background scores are soothing, contemplative, and the production design is perfectly orchestrated to create a lilting feel. However, the storyline fails to move the viewer. It is just as if there's only gore and mayhem everywhere caused by a deranged man and a cat-and-mouse game that is going nowhere.

The audience gets to indulge in Dulquer Salmaan's psychopathic Danny in the 135-minute Chup film duration. The actor is believable as the serial killer, but there is hardly any mystery as we are given enough clues to figure out who the murderer is. If that was the intention of the makers, they did succeed. However, neither the crime thriller aspect nor the romance between the lead couple (a lonesome flower seller and a young journalist) actually take roots. Both sub-plots juts keep dillydallying throughout the film, in parts even as the script fails to impress. The dialogues are impressive, humourous, and catchy but the there are too many silent frames. The folkloric visual compositions and timeless songs from Gurudutt's Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool are enchanting; some murders are staged with the haunting S.D. Burman-composed numbers playing on the background.

No justification is offered for the why and the how of the killer's actions. His laborious past and the long-term impact it has had on him seem too unconvincing. In a way, Chup is a film which seems like an cinematic exercise undertaken by Bollywood which is intent on showing film critics their place. Shreya Dhanwanthary is as real as it gets. In the character of a film-loving journo who dares to put her life on the line to achieve her goal she is every bit likeable and nuanced. Dulquer Salmaan gives out an easy-going charm, but somehow fails to frighten us as a murderer, even as he carries the film on his shoulders.

Movie: Chup: Revenge of the Artist

Directed by: R. Balki

Starring: Dulquer Salmaan, Shreya Dhanwantary, Pooja Bhatt, Sunny Deol

Rating: 2/5

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Review: 'chup' has an interesting premise, but leaves us wanting for more, chup is directed by r balki & stars sunny deol, dulquer salmaan among others..

It’s a trippy, wild premise. A new kind of serial killer is in town who, as we are told, “ star dene waalon ko star de raha hai" . A puzzled investigating officer asks, “ Ek film critic ko kaun maarega  yaar ”. In R Balki’s latest movie Chup, his love for cinema, Amitabh Bachchan , Guru Dutt and film criticism come together as a crime thriller where critics are being critiqued.

You know how there are films you watch and know exactly what you feel about them. This isn’t one of those. Feelings are being felt, things are still being processed because it is for the first time yours truly has seen so many film critics together on screen. 

Critics are the focus, and so it makes perfect sense to have former film critic Raja Sen as one of the writers along with Balki and Rishi Virmani. 

I was amused to see two characters discuss press show timings during a funeral. That’s new. Or witness the madness of filing reviews and giving stars. What’s not new though is people being upset about it. The protagonist Danny ( Dulquer Salmaan ) vehemently believes that it is the critics who crushed Guru Dutt’s spirit after they judged Kaagaz Ke Phool harshly. So he sets out to right the wrongs and take revenge.

Everything Everywhere All At Once Review: Michelle Yeoh Film is Delightful Chaos

But is there a “right” way to feel about a film or any work of art? And who decides that? Also, do critics really have so much power to determine the destiny of an artist or their masterpiece? If that's the case, then what explains the box office success of films that are collectively panned by reviewers? Or the gems that go unnoticed even after they earn rave reviews.

Sunny Deol in a still from R Balki's 'Chup'

(Photo Courtesy: YouTube) 

Chup is mostly quiet on the art and process of film criticism. There is, of course, Amitabh Bachchan explaining how “cinema needs unbiased voices to flourish”. Sounds even better in Hindi when he says “ Aalochak ki avashyakta hai ”. Chup speaks through its beautiful frames. Vishal Sinha’s camera glides as the colour palette and lighting drench the screen in the lilting poetic pathos and loneliness of Guru Dutt’s world. The sound design, with that signature click from 'Jane Kya Tune Kahi' ( Pyaasa ) composed by SD Burman or the songs from Kaagaz Ke Phool form an enigmatic tapestry as we try and understand the inner workings of the killer's twisted mind.

The murder scenes are graphic and tough to watch. But it's even more difficult to hear Pooja Bhatt tell us why she thought the killer would be a man, and simultaneously body-shame our perfectly innocent victim.

Dulquer and Shreya Dhanwanthary share such effortless chemistry that it’s easy to fully surrender to their fuzzy, filmy romance. Dulquer has a dark and sinister side too, which he showcases with aplomb. Shreya is authentic and radiant, and even when the plot contrivances become too much to handle the camera is on her and things seem in control. However, there are many other characters Chup focuses on and the proceedings become wobbly. One is never quite sure of the tone the film is trying to adopt. Is it a satire or a dark comedy critiquing a world that can't take criticism? Or is it serious about sermonizing to critics about how to do their job?

Not to be missed is Sunny Deol as the investigating officer who, fed up of his own restrained performance, screams “BASTARD” and takes a giant leap of faith metaphorically and literally to catch the killer. For this critic Chup remains an interesting, intriguing idea that couldn’t quite execute what it ambitiously set out to achieve .

Our rating: 2.5 Quints out of 5

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Topics:    dulquer salmaan      sunny deol      r balki  .

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Chup: Revenge Of The Artist Movie Review: Dulquer Salmaan Makes This Paper Flower Bloom With His Five-Star Act

Somewhere in the middle of R Balki's Chup: Revenge Of The Artist, Zenobia (Pooja Bhatt), a criminal psychologist tells the cop, "I am a Bollywood buff. We have a psycho in Bollywood. Isn't that quite tempting?" Well, we definitely agree with her words.

At a time when critiquing everything under the sun is in vogue, a premise revolving around a psychopath who hunts down film critics for their dishonesty while reviewing films, sounds quite thrilling on paper. But does this 'killer' of an idea translate into an engrossing piece of work on screen?

What's Yay: Dulquer Salmaan, Concept

What's Nay: Some technical slipups, Screenplay loses its sheen in a few places.

When a famous film critic is discovered dead in the loo of his house by his wife, little does the investigating officer Arvind Mathur (Sunny Deol) know that this is just the beginning of a nightmare for film reviewers across the city.

The second victim is 'brought on track' in a gruesome way while the third one is hacked to death in an 'artistic way'. Another reviewer has his body parts flung in different areas of a cricket ground. Soon, a series of clues lead Arvind to a conclusion that the serial killer on the loose is a 'critics ka critic'.

In short, he hunts down film critics and slices them open for their dishonest reviews. The killer leaves behind his signature in the form of star ratings on the victim's forehead.

On the other hand, there's a parallel track featuring a recluse florist Danny (Dulquer Salmaan). When not storing tulips in the fridge, he is busy enjoying his two glasses of tea and 'anda burji' at a modest restaurant.

Amid the sea of daisies, tulips and other flora in his shop, when Danny's eyes fall on an entertainment journalist Nila (Shreya Dhanwanthary), it's love at first sight for him. To the tunes of Pyaasa 's 'Jaane Kya Tune Kahi', the two hearts soon find solace in each other while the serial killer unleashes mayhem with his twisted mind.

There's a scene in Chup: Revenge Of The Artist where Pooja Bhatt's character Zenobia exclaims, "You critics are killers." At a time when it's often argued whether film reviews affect the box office collections, director-writer R Balki emphasises on the importance of sensitivity in expressing one's thoughts and opinions while judging somebody's piece of work. And what better than paying a ode to legendary filmmaker Guru Dutt whose last directorial was Kaagaz Ke Phool , a misunderstood classic which eventually earned a cult status!

Through his latest outing, R Balki throws light on how wrong criticism can really hurt people badly. With his co-writers Raja Sen and Rishi Virmani, the filmmaker depicts the critique culture which sometimes outweighs the love for good cinema. Some of the witty dialogues land bang on. Sample this- "India mein Scorsese nahin, Shetty chalta hain."

Speaking about the misses, the writing drags a bit and gets verbose at places post interval. Also, the backstory of the wrongdoer barely gives you enough time to connect with his pain, angst and heartbreak. Though Balki compensates that with effective visuals, a little more space for that portion in the narrative would have created a greater impact.

Performances

If Dulquer Salmaan's charming Lieutenant Ram swept you off your feet in this year's earlier release Sita Ramam , brace yourself because there's a shocker coming your way but hey, it's a good one! With his tousled hair, enigmatic eyes and 'ah that smile', the actor aces the required 'vibe' to deliver one of his most nuanced performances in recent times. Now, here's a big 'chup' from Dulquer to those who believe that he's only a rom-com guy!

Shreya Dhanwanthary enters the frame like a breeze and lightens up things to bring a smile to your face. If Dulquer's Danny is a nervous bundle of energy, Shreya's Nila is the calm to his storm. Sunny Deol returns back to the marquee with a banger and he's still got that swag! The actor sails smoothly past the film until Balki throws in a melodramatic short outburst which is followed by a poorly-executed action sequence.

Pooja Bhatt sinks her teeth deep into whatever is offered to her and manages to catch your eye in those moments. Saranya Ponvannan makes an impressive Bollywood debut as Nila's mother. The amount of flamboyance and cuteness that she squeezes into every frame is simply winsome.

Balki's favourite, megastar Amitabh Bachchan also steps in for an itsy-bitsy, relevant cameo.

Technical Aspects

Vishal Sinha lends ample of support to R Balki with his visuals to build the tense tone of the film; be it the cloudy skies, the murky weather, the cool rains or the bright red flow of blood from the killings. Since the film is a love letter to Guru Dutt, Sinha also uses a lot of close-up shots, lighting and metaphors of melancholia.

There are a few stray moments in the first half where the scene transitions are a bit abrupt. Nayan HK Bhadra's editing could have been a little tauter.

Rupali Moghe's mellifluous voice coupled with Shashwant Singh's strong vocals make 'Gaya Gaya' a soothing listen for the ears. Further, the way R Balki weaves in some of Guru Dutt's classic songs like 'Yeh Duniya Agar', 'Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam' and 'Jaane Kya Tune Kahi' in his narrative to give it a different context is simply outstanding.

"Yeh log thoda ratings de dete toh kya jaata. Aasman mein taare thodi kam ho jaate," a cop complains to his colleague when they are stationed under the building of the serial killer's potential target. Fortunately, R Balki's latest film earns enough stars on its own merit.

We give 3.5 stars out of 5 to Dulquer Salmaan-Sunny Deol's Chup: Revenge Of The Artist.

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Chup: Revenge of the Artist is a psychological crime thriller film starring Sunny Deol as Crime Branch Mumbai Head Arvind Mathur, Dulquer Salmaan as a florist Danny, Shreya Dhanwanthary as Nila Menon, an entertainment reporter, Saranya Ponvanna as Nila’s mother and Pooja Bhatt as Zenobia, a criminal psychologist. The film was written and directed by R Balki. The director penned the screenplay with Raja Sen and Rishi Virmani.

The cinematography is by Vishal Sinha and the editing is done by Nayan H K Bhadra. Aman Panth has composed the background score, and the songs are composed by Amit Trivedi, Sneha Khanwalker and SD Burman. The movie is produced by Hope Production and distributed by Pen Marudhar Cine Entertainment. The runtime of Chup is 135 minutes approx.

Chup Movie Review Contains No Spoilers

Chup: revenge of the artist review: plot, discussion.

In Chup: Revenge of the Artist movie, a serial killer murders film critics for their reviews. He carves the number of stars they give in their reviews on their forehead. It’s one of a kind case for the Mumbai Police, who have no idea where to start and who to suspect. What is the reason for the madness and the hate for film critics? Is film criticism good or bad? R Balki answers a lot of questions in his style.

Movie making is a personal experience, and so is watching the same. When a director makes a movie, he shares his vision, ideas and perspective with the world. As a viewer, you either submerge in the story entirely or connect with the parts of it. However, as a critic, your job is to judge how much of the emotions, portrayals, and ideas make sense or how they could’ve been better.

Criticism can make and break someone’s spirit. In Chup , Balki constantly reminds us of how the critics trashed Guru Dutt’s Kaagaz Ke Phool , which was very personal to Dutt. The excessive negative criticism affected Guru sir so much that he stopped making movies and suffered mentally. Now, we meet a man who wants to seek revenge for the artist he loves the most.

Also Read: Hush Hush Review: Juhi Chawla, Soha Ali Khan, and Others Keep You Guessing in the Mystery Thriller

By keeping murders of film critics as the base premise, R Balki has struck a balance of good and bad sides of criticism. He smartly indicates that not every review is authentic. But he tells how necessary it is, not only for the public but for filmmakers. The director has put forward these points very well with a surprise cameo.

The story feels like you are watching a movie in a movie with tension in the air. There are flowers, romance, rain, music and good-looking characters. There are conversations about how movies make life better and how reality is quite sad. You’ll be delighted to see several movie references, classic songs, and easter eggs.

Chup Review: Performances

Dulquer Salmaan is charming and terrifying as Danny in the Chup movie. It’s his third Hindi movie, and he has again delivered a knockout performance. His madness, sweetness and maniac side will keep you engrossed. Balki penned a complex character like Danny with great attention and you are invested in his actions and life.

Sunny Deol brings a tremendous impact and intensity with his character Arvind Mathur. His search for the serial killer is quite frustrating, and one can sense that through the screen. However, I wish there were more scenes between the cop and the culprit. Shreya Dhanwanthary represents many of us – movie lovers who want to fall in love in a filmy style. The actor has done a good job as Nila.

Also Read: Koffee With Karan Season 7 Episode 12 Recap: Gauri Khan on the Tough Times Shah Rukh Khan and her Family Faced

Actor Saranya Ponvannan plays Nila’s mother, a woman who is blind but lives a colourful life. She’s full of energy and very cool. Pooja Bhatt has done a good job as Zenobia. I want to see her solve more such serial killer cases with Sunny Deol as a cop.

Chup Review: Final Thoughts

Overall, the makers have taken a great risk by telling the tale of Guru Dutt’s cinema and its impact on a person in today’s time. But the movie is a winner, thanks to the compelling narrative, top-notch performance and good music with great insight on filmmaking and film criticising.

It’s a must-watch for the love of cinema, for the adoration for good performances and amazing stories.

The movie releases in theatres on September 23. Book your tickets here .

Also Read: Andor (Ep 1-3) Recap and Review: Diego Luna Series Is More Noir Than Sci-Fi

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Chup Review: Being a Critic and Dating are Fraught with Danger in R. Balki’s Thriller

Director: R. Balki

Writer: R. Balki, Raja Sen, Rishi Virmani

Cast: Sunny Deol, Dulquer Salmaan, Shreya Dhanwanthary

Fifteen minutes before the first show of Chup: The Revenge of the Artist was due to start, the theatre in a multiplex in suburban Mumbai looked desolate. There were barely six people scattered across the hall, which seemed odd for a film that had seen record advance bookings . However, by the time the film began, practically every seat was filled. There was a hum of expectation in the air. “The ticket’s for Rs. 75 and the movie has Sunny Deol. Banta hai, boss,” said one audience member before unleashing enthusiastic catcalls for Hrithik Roshan, who appeared on screen in the Vikram Vedha trailer.

Sunny Deol is definitely one of the better features of Chup, a mystery set in Mumbai, featuring a serial killer who is targeting film critics. Deol plays Arvind, a taciturn cop who is heading the investigation. The first murder leaves a tubby film critic sitting on the toilet, naked. His dead body has been slashed multiple times and his modesty is protected by a roll of toilet paper. This is just the beginning. Two more spectacularly gory murders follow, with stars carved on the critics’ heads to mimic the star rating system of reviews. (We’d just like to state for the record that Film Companion stopped doing star ratings years ago, possibly before Chup was a twinkle in director R. Balki’s eye.)

As the bodies of film critics start piling up, Arvind tries to figure out who is behind these elaborately staged crimes. Meanwhile a young entertainment reporter named Nila (Shreya Dhanwanthary) is introduced to the story with the sole purpose of being bait for the serial killer. Before she can fulfil this function, she provides some distraction from the murders when she walks into a quaint little flower shop and finds herself faced with tulips and Dulquer Salmaan. Salmaan plays a florist who seems to live a dream life — he has a bungalow in Bandra and no boss breathing down his neck while he potters around the nursery in his home. However, as any one with a dating life will tell you, when a single man seems too good to be true, chances are you’re going to regret having dated him. Or as one young man in the audience put it during intermission, “See, you go for a guy who looks like Dulquer, this is what happens. This is why aam janta like us are better. What you see is what you get.”

There’s a lot to be said for watching movies in a packed theatre. The crowd for Chup was mostly college-going young adults who were far more irreverent and outspoken than reviewers tend to be. For instance, they shushed and “chup”-ed each other loudly when they were bored. The audience didn’t hesitate to burst out in laughter when a dead body appeared, hanging on a wall like a painting. The scene is intended to be shocking, but it gave the crowd giggles. So they giggled. When Nila meets the florist for the first time and walks off without paying for the flowers he’s given her, someone said, “Don’t worry. She’ll come back. Palat has to happen.” “Haan but without dialogue, because it’s Chup ,” said someone else.

The film flitters between murder mystery, romance and slasher horror, as though hoping shifting genres will confuse the audience enough to make us lose sight of how obvious the identity of the serial killer is right from the beginning. However, a good mystery can be about the whys rather than a whodunit. In its first half, the film does set up some intriguing questions about the way the murders are carried out and the motivation of the serial killer, but the answers are mostly disappointing and unconvincing.

Chup is entertaining enough so long as you don’t start thinking about logic and plot. Once you do, it teeters between absurd and silly. The killer is clearly disturbed and delusional, but why have they started killing now? What’s flipped the switch to murder in their head? How did the killer find the alone time needed to carry out elaborately grisly affairs like dissecting a body on a cricket pitch and scattering organs all over the field? What made the killer pick these particular critics? Chup answers only one of these questions. Arvind brings on psychologist Zenobia Shroff (Pooja Bhatt) to help him find the killer and she arrives at the conclusion that the critics who made the cut (pun intended) are the ones whose writing provided “a script” to the serial killer. Yet the final reveal suggests the killer was more than capable of scripting their own story.

Not only does Chup steadily lose the plot after intermission, the film is also awkwardly structured. There’s a whole film within the film that arrives like an add-on featurette. It’s supposed to be an autobiographical work of unrecognised genius — like Guru Dutt’s Kaagaz ke Phool (1959) — but it doesn’t seem particularly well-made and the parallel feels forced. Balki is lucky to have two actors who are charismatic enough to make the audience look past the hapless writing. Whenever Deol and Salmaan are not on screen, Chup sags and the holes in the plot become woefully obvious. Deol has some good scenes, including some moments of droll comedy, and we fervently hope that he will be cast in more films that require him to holler “Baaaaastard!” Salmaan provides all the eye candy you could ask for and manages to deliver an acting performance that is the right balance of chilling and charming. There are parts of Chup that are rich with menace and tension, but these are too few for a film that is supposed to be a thriller. By the time we reach the climax, it seems as though the film’s writing team had had enough — so much so that they chuck logic out of the window (somewhat literally).

At the end of Chup , while leaving the theatre, one young woman said to her friend, “It’s good timepass but if I’ve learnt something from this film, it’s ki online dating hi best hai.” The audience had spoken.

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Chup Movie Review: CHUP is a unique tale which boasts of some fine performances.

Chup is a unique tale of a serial killer that boasts of some fine performances., chup review {3.0/5} & review rating.

CHUP is the story of a serial killer. Danny ( Dulquer Salmaan ) is a florist in Bandra, Mumbai. A young journalist Nila ( Shreya Dhanwanthary ), who has recently shifted to Mumbai, discovers his shop and is impressed that he sells tulips, his mother's favourite. Both get attracted to each other. Meanwhile, a prominent movie critic, Nitin Srivastav, is killed ruthlessly at his residence. Inspector Arvind Mathur ( Sunny Deol ) is given charge of the case. A few days later, another critic named Irshad Ali is murdered, by pushing him under a local train. The next week, another critic gets killed. Arvind discovers that the killer of all the critics is the same and also discovers his unique pattern. The killer kills as per the criticism written by the critic. As he tries to find out who the killer is, the critics in the city get scared. Arvind Mathur advises them to play safe and give a positive review to films, for their own safety. For the upcoming release, all critics shower praises on the film, whether or not they have liked it. However, Kartik, who works for Nila's publication, refuses to bow down. He slams the film heavily. Arvind immediately rushes to his place along with a huge police force, as he could be the killer's next target. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

R Balki's story is unique. There have been many films on serial killers on the loose. But there has been no film about a serial killer killing film critics. This gives a nice touch to the overall plot. R Balki, Raja Sen and Rishi Virmani's screenplay is effective and creative. The way the two tracks run parallel makes for a fine watch. Also, the manner in which Guru Dutt, flowers and murder all come together is seamless. However, the investigation angle could have been more convincing. R Balki, Raja Sen and Rishi Virmani's dialogues are sharp and witty.

R Balki's direction is praiseworthy. He is known for feel-good films and this is the first time he enters this zone. But he excels in several places. Interestingly, one can predict who is the killer at the very beginning. Yet, the revelation of the murderer comes across as a jolt to the viewers. Secondly, he has executed the film in a creative fashion and that keeps the interest going throughout its running time. Thirdly, the film has enough funny and thrilling scenes to keep the interest going. He also deserves kudos as he doesn’t outright bash film critics on the whole. He takes a balanced approach and also makes it clear that film criticism is important in society.

On the flipside, the pacing of the film is slow. Despite the interesting narrative, it is still a niche film. On top of that, it’s violent, which further restricts its appeal. Moreover, a few investigation scenes seem superficial and theatrical, and not too real. This is especially in the scenes of Pooja Bhatt .

CHUP starts on a thrilling note, with the murder of Nitin Srivastav. The way it’s executed, one can’t anticipate if it’s Nitin or his wife who’ll be killed. Danny and Nila’s entry scenes and the way they bump into each other are cute. The sequence where Arvind addresses the critics and industry members and the madness that ensues is hilarious. However, what takes the cake in the first half is when the lone critic bashes the film and the cops descend on his residence in full force. The intermission point is rocking. Post-interval, the film gets slow but a few scenes of Danny stand out. The finale is chilling.

Chup | Official Trailer | Sunny Deol, Dulquer Salmaan, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Pooja Bhatt

Sunny Deol has a supporting part but suits the role to the T. He underplays it well and in one scene, he gets into the massy zone, which will be greeted with claps and whistles. The dashing Dulquer Salmaan rocks the show. He plays a difficult part with ease and proves yet again that he’s one of the best actors around. Shreya Dhanwanthary looks lovely and performance-wise, she’s first rate. She slips into the character effortlessly. Pooja Bhatt (Dr Zenobia Shroff) is okay and her dialogue delivery seemed too rehearsed. Saranya Ponvannan (Nila’s mother) is adorable. Rajeev Ravindranathan (Inspector Shetty) is a bit over the top. The actors playing Kartik, Nitin Srivastav, Govind Pandey and Arvind’s senior Yashwant Singh are fine. Adhyayan Suman (Purab Kapoor) is fair in a cameo. Amitabh Bachchan’s special appearance is memorable.

There’s only one song in the narrative,  'Gaya Gaya Gaya' , and though its tune is forgettable, it's well shot. The background score is the USP of the film. The instrumental tune of the song  ‘Jaane Kya Tune Kahi’  is haunting and will linger in one’s mind long after the film is over.

Vishal Sinha's cinematography is neat. Sandeep Sharad Ravade's production design is real and urbane. Aesha Merchant's costumes are realistic yet appealing. Gagan Oberoi's costumes for Sunny Deol are apt. Vikram Dahiya's action is gory. Nayan HK Bhadra's editing could have been sharper.

On the whole, CHUP is a unique tale of a serial killer on the loose and boasts of some fine performances. At the box office, it’ll take a healthy start due to the reduced ticket prices on Day 1. From Day 2 onwards, word of mouth will play an important part in pulling audiences to cinemas, especially in urban centres.

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R Balki believes Chup is an attempt to spark a conversation around the audience vs critics' debate

EXCLUSIVE: Chup star Shreya Dhanwanthary talks about how she was going to do the Engineering-MBA-Ivy league way before acting: “People had different dreams for me"

EXCLUSIVE: Chup star Shreya Dhanwanthary reveals her father thinks "my IQ is getting wasted in films"

EXCLUSIVE: Chup star Shreya Dhanwanthary talks about whether she would ever change her personality on social media

EXCLUSIVE: Shreya Dhanwanthary reveals who in her family reviews her films very honestly and "tells it as it is"

EXCLUSIVE: Shreya Dhanwanthary on working in Chup; "Everything that will happen to me now will be because of R Balki"

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Chup Revenge of the Artist review: Flounders as both a serial killer thriller and a discussion about film critics

Chup revenge of the artist review: r balki's film mixes a serial killer thriller with a take on film critics but fails to effectively tackle both..

R Balki’s Chup opens with a familiar disclaimer: “No animals were harmed during the making of this film”. As soon as the words flashed on screen, my brain instinctively went “can you say the same about critics?” For context, Chup: Revenge Of An Artist follows a serial killer who goes around exclusively murdering film critics. It’s one hell of an intriguing one-liner. Using a serial killer thriller template, Balki and his co-writers Raja Sen and Rishi Vermani attempt to mount an ode to the movies, explore the turbulent relationship between filmmakers and critics and the sensitivity of artists and the importance of responsible criticism (I think?). Also read: Chup trailer: Sunny Deol tries to find murderer who kills film critics. Watch

We first mean Danny (a sincere yet stilted Dulquer Salmaan ) - a Bandra-based florist who talks to himself (a misguided attempt to depict a fractured mind, the sole purpose of which seems to be to spew exposition at us). Danny is, of course, a lover of the movies and a devotee of the ultimate tortured artist - Guru Dutt (easily the film’s most delightful idea). Danny meets up-and-coming entertainment journalist and aspiring film critic Nila (a spunky Shreya Dhanwanthary, forever cursed to play a journalist apparently). Alongside their blossoming romance, elsewhere we see the gruesome murders of critics pile up (one of the film’s very few promising elements is its use of violence and the gory imagination with which the murders take place). Aside from his choice of victim, the killer also leaves his calling card - carving star ratings on his victims’ foreheads (of course the first murder victim closely resembles a popular Bollywood critic). Enter Inspector Arvind Mathur (a well-cast Sunny Deol ), a self-serious investigator here to take down the killer before it’s too late.

As with most R Balki films, Chup offers a great premise and plays with fascinating elements. But once again his edgy ideas are fleshed out into a poor narrative (Ki And Ka, Shamitabh). The problem with Chup isn’t its violent takedown of critics, its odd messaging or that its understanding of film criticism is juvenile and reductive. The issue is that it’s a plain terrible movie. (Yes I know ha-ha, very funny - a negative review of a movie about negative reviews). Chup is a well-intentioned film born out of a love of the movie, but it’s almost impossible to appreciate and engage with its intent and heart because of how diluted, shallow, unsubtle and frequently hilarious-for all-the-wrong-reasons it is.

For one, the impressively watered down dialogue makes Brahmastra’s feel like pure poetry in comparison. The police forcefit words like “critic” and “five stars” and “review” into every conceivable conversation. At one point someone in this movie says “what time does Nature's Basket close?” I can't quite explain why, but I couldn’t stop laughing. Chup also attempts to take a balanced view on critics and is oddly all the worse for it. Instead of owning and leaning into its killer-on-a-violent-rampage-against-critics idea, the film keeps dialling it back to lecture us about credibility and how not all critics are bad. The result is strange, uneven messaging that can only be described as “critics are bad but not all critics but some are but they dont deserve to die but they should be more careful but they should be honest but some are honest”. Or something.

On the love story front, until the shaky plot kicks in, Shreya and Dulquer have a gentle, pleasant chemistry. (It’s also the first movie I’ve watched which is mostly shot in and around Bandra which adds its own charm). There are few actors as endearing and likeable as Dulquer Salmaan but earnestness and casting against type alone, can only take you so far. Between the surface level writing and Dulquer’s unconvincing unhinged-ness, Danny fails to live up to the bare basics of what a serial killer should be - just plain creepy. There’s a scene that closes the first half which sees him kill one of his victims by slashing a specific artistic design into their body. In how it’s shot and performed, it’s a rare shining moment of gloriously unsettling violence in an otherwise benign serial killer flick.

As Nila, Shreya Dhanwanthary has an inherent charm and naturalness, but that doesn’t help considering she’s playing an impressively annoying character. There’s a painfully screechy scene in the second half where she becomes instantly hysterical and scared (because the plot needs her to be). The entire sequence serves as pure unintentional comedy and I truly felt bad for her. Instead, it’s Sunny Deol as Inspector Arvind Mathur who emerges relatively unscathed. Aside from the palpable presence he brings to a calculating cop character, his permanently perplexed look feels oddly self aware. As if he knows how baffling the movie he’s inhabiting really is.

Did I mention the convoluted way in which Danny chooses his victims? He doesn’t just go for the critics whos reviews he disagrees with, he intentionally aims for those that use the most murder-friendly metaphors. (I'm serious). So, if a reviewer says a film gave them a “head splitting headache” it's a perfect opportunity for Danny to ..split their heads open. It also speaks volumes that all of Danny’s victims are men. There’s barely a female critic in sight. It’s the movie’s way of refusing to commit to its own ideas. As if showing a woman being horrifically murdered would be too real.

Thankfully Chup kept me laughing, so I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it. Perhaps the best moment (and one of the funniest sequences of any movie this year) is to see Danny throw one of his victims from one building to another like a blow up doll. Or maybe it was when the police try to write a fake review to lay a trap for Danny. Did they discuss and pitch different murder-y metaphors? I imagined a junior police constable excitedly shouting “what if we said: leave your brains at home!”

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Chup: Revenge of the Artist Ending Explained: Who is Danny and how is he connected to Sebastian Gomes?

Chup Plot Synopsis

The 2022 psychological thriller Chup follows the story of a psychopath who is hell-bent on murdering critics that give movies unfavourable reviews without investing enough time to understand the motive of the filmmaker.

Inspector Mathur finds the bodies of popular critics with a star rating on their respective foreheads. After learning that these critics were killed and rated as per their last review of movies, he asks the Critics’ Association to stop reviewing movies negatively for a while. Now as a new movie is released, he asks the critics to write only positive reviews for the release.

How does Inspector Mathur find the motive behind the murders?

Despite Inspector Arvind Mathur’s insistence, Kartik, a film critic, chooses to write an honest review giving the movie a 1.5-star rating. The cops are sure that the psychopath will attack Kartik so Arvind and his team gather together to give him special protection waiting for the killer to arrive.

After waiting for a long time, Arvind gets a call from his subordinate informing him that another critic had been murdered and in Kartik’s stead.

Arvind wonders why the k m,iller chose to steer away from his regular modus operandi of killing reviewers who trash movies. The cops figure out that the psychopath only kills critics that give negative reviews to films without proper research. In this case, the killer attacked a critic that gave unnecessarily good reviews to a movie that was particularly bad.

Mathur also discovers that the psychopath kills these critics based on the plot of their reviews. If the critic gives the killer a good murder storyline, the psychopath chooses to murder that critic and in turn spares other critics that give equally critical reviews.

Who is Dr Zenobia? How does she help Inspector Mathur?

Together with the help of a renowned psychologist, Dr Zenobia, Arvind Mathur decodes that the psychopath is a troubled artist who dislikes the way in which movies are trashed by critics. She explains that the killer is extremely depressed and a way to channel his pain is by causing pain to others.

Dr Zenobia and Arvind together ask Kartik to help by making a list of all the filmmakers of recent times whose last movies received extremely poor reviews. Their aim is to find filmmakers who stopped making movies due to the negative reviews their films got over recent years.

How is Nila linked to the case?

Kartik asks Nila, an aspiring critic, to work on the article with him and the two are able to make a list of filmmakers whose last work was met with negative reviews. Meanwhile, Nila and Danny have gotten closer and she is suspicious that Danny is the killer who is murdering critics, left and right.

Nila starts doubting Danny when she spots film roll boxes in his house but he diffuses the situation by claiming that they were intended as a surprise for her. The two plan on meeting for a date that Thursday. Meanwhile, since Arvind wants to track the killer down, he urges some critics to purposely write incorrect reviews about a film that is to be released that week.

Since most of the critics are worried about their lives, Arvind asks Nila to volunteer since she is an aspiring film critic who is always kept on the sidelines due to her lack of experience. Nila initially agrees to do so, thinking that she will be able to start her journey as a critic and watches the movie.

Nila loved the movie and wants to give it a four-star rating but Mathur and Zenobia ask her to write a negative review for the movie asking her to give it a dramatic storyline good enough to invite the killer to murder. On the other hand, Danny is waiting for Nila to show up considering it was the night of their date but they are not able to connect.

Nila was initially excited about writing the review but soon comes to her senses about what she is going to do. She gets worried but her mother tries to get her to be courageous and do the needful to find the killer on the loose.

What does Danny do to Nila?

Once she writes an incorrect review, Inspector Mathur and his police team gather at her house, anticipating the killer to attack any time the following day. Danny watches the movie and really enjoys it. He waits for Nila to call after she ghosted him on the night of their date.

When he is about to take a call from Nila, he gets notified about the movie reviews for the film he just watched. He puts Nila’s texts/calls on hold and reads the reviews. He eventually comes down to a bad review of the movie that had an amazing storyline for him to bring to life. Danny is shocked to see that it was Nila who wrote the review, claiming it was so bad it “split her brain into 1000 pieces”.

Ready to do just that, Danny sets off to see Nila and tries visiting her house. Once there, Nila suddenly gets overwhelmed and asks Arvind to let her meet her mother. When she learns that Danny was here to meet her, she forces the inspector to let her boyfriend stay.

After convincing Arvind, Danny tries to calm Nila down and takes her to the bedroom. Inside, behind closed doors, Danny suffocates Nila using his usual plastic wrap method and throws her out of the window without the cops noticing a thing.

He makes a makeshift Nila out of pillows and covers it with a blanket to make it seem as if she were sleeping. Danny talks to Arvind outside the room and frustrates the inspector into kicking him out of the house. After leaving, Danny walks to the neighbouring building to collect Nila’s body and takes her to a secluded location where he ties her to a chair.

Arvind notices something off with Nila and Danny’s interaction and his team alerts him by saying that Danny has left his bicycle behind. Arvind puts two and two together and notices that Nila is not in the room. He jumps out of the window too in order to gauge where Danny may have dropped her. Arvind gets his leg injured in the process and rushes to find Nila.

What is the story behind Danny’s revenge?

Once he has captured her, Danny discusses the movie review with Nila. She claims that she was forced to give it a bad review just because they were looking for the killer. Danny states that bashing a work of art just for the sake of it is an injustice to any artist and claims that her 1-star rating for the movie would have been valid had she researched the movie a little.

Danny claims that the movie was a splitting copy of another foreign film and it wasn’t a novel plot, meaning the artist had stolen someone’s work. While he is about to kill Nila as per his plan, Arvind finds the two in mid-conversation and somehow saves Nila while shooting Danny and injuring him.

After that, Nila is taken to the hospital and Danny into police custody where his house is searched for evidence to pin him to the crimes. The cops find Danny’s biographical movie that was trashed by critics and they watch it along with Nila who is recovering from her injuries.

Who is Sebastian Gomes?

The film narrates the story of a young boy who grows up in a violent home where his father beats up his mother. When the boy intervenes trying to save his mother, the father ties the boy up and throws him into the basement. Out of a small window in the basement, the boy watches the old films that their neighbour watches.

The boy falls in love with filmmaking and grows older to fall in love with films. He himself also becomes violent and is also able to control his father whenever he tries to assault his mother. One day, his father kills their dog named Danny. As the child grows older, he comes to hate his father and as soon as he died, the boy finally buries his dead dog from years ago.

The boy is an adult now and wants to be a filmmaker. He works on his autobiographical movie and releases it as Sebastian Gomes. However, the movie is trashed by critics and becomes a huge failure in an instant. Nila weeps after seeing the tragic story of Danny who is the failed filmmaker, Sebastian Gomes.

What happens to Danny at the end of Chup?

While it is not clear where Danny is at the end of the movie, it is shown that he is in solitary confinement in what looks like a prison. He still hears the voices in his head. Danny gets his meal for the day wrapped in newspaper. He reads the news headline that states a renowned film critic had passed away due to Covid.

Danny starts rejoicing before the other voice in his head asks him to stop and be considerate. The movie ends with Danny smiling to himself as one of Guru Dutt’s old songs plays in the background.  

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Chup: Revenge of the Artist movie review: Dulquer Salmaan is better than the Hindi films he’s choosing

Chup’s story of a serial killer who targets critics is spun into a tribute to Guru Dutt. The idea is interesting but the film fails to grasp the essence of the late legend’s magic.

Language: Hindi

A thriller on a serial killer who targets critics – I had a good laugh when I learnt of the theme of Chup: Revenge of the Artist since it sounded like certain filmmakers’ fantasy more than a concept for a film. It took me back to an interview in which director Rohit Shetty had told me he views critics as “frustrated people” and “vultures”, adding: “…a few of them are even scared to meet me because they know that the moment I meet them, I’m going to thrash them and go to jail for a day.” (Source: The Adventures of an Intrepid Film Critic )

So yeah, the theme is unwittingly funny although it is dead serious. For the record, Chup  is not directed by Rohit, but by R. Balki ( Shamitabh , Ki & Ka , Padman ) who has also written the story. The screenplay and dialogues are by Balki, Raja Sen and Rishi Virmani. And the mystery in the foreground is spun into a tribute to the film icon Guru Dutt whose Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) was famously trashed by critics and rejected by the audience, only to attain a cult status decades afterwards. He never officially directed a film again but is rumoured to have ghost directed the ones he produced in subsequent years, before dying tragically in 1964.

Guru Dutt’s biography is made-for-cinema material, but that is not what Chup  is. The story does, however, feature elements from the filmmaker’s life, it overtly references his oeuvre, and in its technique and narrative style takes inspiration from the late legend.

A senior Mumbai policeman ( Sunny Deol ) in Chup  is desperately trying to solve a series of gruesome murders of film critics. While he conducts his investigation, in the same city a young journalist called Nila ( Shreya Dhanwanthary ) dreams of becoming a critic. Nila meets a florist (Dulquer Salmaan), and they are immediately drawn to each other.

In the first half of Chup , Balki succeeds in creating an atmosphere of intrigue, with a blend of a deliberately languorous pace that is a curious contrast to the urgency of the police’s task, Vishal Sinha’s cinematography that is designed to hark back to the great V.K. Murthy’s play with light and shadow in Guru Dutt’s works, and memorable old Hindi film songs including Jaane kya tune kahi . The suspense lasts for a while after the murderer’s identity is revealed much earlier than you might expect, because the question of why and how next remain.

Despite this, the film’s grip loosens considerably as it rolls along, due to the weakness of the love saga at the centre of these proceedings. Chup  is not constructed as a how/whodunnit or a police procedural, and its impact is heavily dependent on the appeal of Nila’s gradually developing bond with her handsome boyfriend whose eccentricities are made known to the viewer early on but not to her. The scenes with them, however, seem more focused on looking and sounding like an old-world screen romance than feeling right. Shreya and Dulquer are both capable of fine acting, but any emotional resonance they might have achieved is overshadowed by the director’s preoccupation with ambience and appearance.

The starting point of their affair is off-putting. When she is still no more than his customer, he follows her home, and one day lands up at her house with a bouquet. Instead of getting creeped out and/or terrified by such stalking or at the very least, being wary of him as almost every woman I know would be, she invites him in.

Chup  gets other things right. Its critique of criticism is largely on point, taking on financially corrupt reviewers, those who act like astrologers predicting a film’s box-office fate, and those with insufficient knowledge of cinema, all this without coming across as a condescending lecture and without caricaturing individual critics or lampooning the job. Chup  is off the mark though in its portrayal of gender diversity in the profession, depicting the overwhelming majority of Mumbai/Hindi film critics as male, which is not the reality.

In an era when Christians have more or less disappeared from Hindi cinema, Chup  gives us a rare protagonist from this religious minority, that too a chap who is shorn of the cringe-worthy stereotypes of pre-1990s Hindi film Christians back when the community was a familiar presence in stories. The late arrival in Chup of a second significant Christian character who is an alcoholic gave me pause, since drunkenness was once part of the stereotype, but the normalised representation of the hero without his religious background being over-emphasised has the effect of turning the other man into just another person with a drinking problem rather than a fellow fitted into the long-prevalent template of Tony The Drunk with the open shirt and massive cross on his chest who would say “ hum God se bolta ” and “ hum pray karenga ”.

The leading lady is southern Indian and of mixed parentage, another primary player’s name suggests that she is Parsi, again both are written and acted sans stereotypes.

That said, Pooja Bhatt’s character has a terribly politically incorrect, fat-shaming explanation for how she arrives at the gender of the murderer, and while I don’t know if psychologists would agree with her analysis, the tacky manner in which she conveys the point had me sorely missing the intelligent dialogue writing of the American series Criminal Minds that is focused on serial killings. Pooja’s Zenobia, who specialises in the study of serial killers, gets some of the film’s most poorly written lines, and her acting makes them even more awkward.

Sunny Deol is unusually restrained in Chup  until a Gadar -esque moment that ruins everything for him and is strangely out of character for the policeman he plays, when he screams the word “bastard” into emptiness and leaps out of a building in anger.

Chup  never fully rises above being interesting in theory. At one point, Nila makes a crucial career decision that should, logically, have had a strong influence on the murderer’s plans, but surprisingly, despite a build-up, does not. And the revelation about this violent person’s motivations are clearly intended to be moving, but I found myself struggling to care.

Even Chup ’s prettiness wears thin early on. V.K. Murthy’s lighting and cinematography always served to enhance the mood of a film while lending an aura to its characters and luminescence to their faces. Chup  achieves the former in its pre-interval portion, but does not have the same visual outcome. And in the end, when Dulquer is called upon to replicate Guru Dutt’s body language and postures from well-remembered scenes, the effort is strained.

DQ, as the young superstar is known to fans, has made some excellent choices in Malayalam cinema during his decade-long career, with forays into Tamil and Telugu that have stood him in good stead. He is way better than any of the Hindi films he has done. Despite its positives, Chup ’s aspirations to grandeur make it far less engaging than its uncommon theme might suggest. Balki’s film fails to grasp the essence of Guru Dutt’s magic, which was rooted not merely in the beauty of visuals and music, but in the ability to use both to capture the pain, mischief, sense of humour, love and longing of his characters with empathy. In contrast, Chup  feels distant from its characters and uninvolved.

Rating: 2.5 (out of 5 stars)  

This review was first published when Chup! Revenge of the Artist was released in theatres in September 2022. The film is now streaming on Zee5.

Anna M.M. Vetticad is an award-winning journalist and author of The Adventures of an Intrepid Film Critic. She specialises in the intersection of cinema with feminist and other socio-political concerns. Twitter: @annavetticad, Instagram: @annammvetticad, Facebook: AnnaMMVetticadOfficial

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Chup: Revenge of the Artist Review

Critics of Hindi cinema are a disparate, colourful, bunch that evoke much derision and tut-tut among its own tribe, but Chup 's distant understanding of their influence and idiosyncrasies fails to give the loathing any real impact, notes Rediff.com Principal Movie Critic Sukanya Verma.

A film-maker's perspective of their work, understandably possessive and personal, and a critic's verdict, arising from individual experiences and response is seldom in sync.

Many labours of love have received a thumbs down from the critics.

Though when the latter enjoys a film, exuberant praise follows and the critic becomes an unlikely champion for a voice that needs to reach out to all and sundry.

But the war between creators, critics, credibility and cinephile egos goes deeper than that. This complicated relationship between defensive film-makers and defiant film critics finds a satirical vent in R Balki's Chup: Revenge of the Artist .

What if angry, wishful thinking and metaphoric violence within an unfavourably judged artist manifested into a serial killer premise?

Quite like the Vincent Price-led British black comedy, Theatre of Blood , where a bitter Shakespearean actor goes on a murderous spree after he is slammed by a bunch of uppity critics.

Balki's love for novel ideas -- the May-December romance in Cheeni Kum , old-looking kid of young-looking parents in Paa , failed actor lending voice to mute actor in Shamitabh , house husband and working wife equation in Ki & Ka -- is a brand he continues to build on with his latest.

There's an air of experiment to Chup , which does well in rustling nervous energy around the deaths of a largely unwelcome, peripheral community.

But Balki's random and lacklustre depiction of movie reviewers limits an ingenious gimmick to just that. Co-written by Rishi Virmani and film critic Raja Sen whose cruellest reviews are a distinction in itself, Chup would benefit more from the eloquence of Sen's sting than the indulgences of its writer-director.

There are things he gets right and there are things he doesn't.

While Mumbai's monsoon soaked imagery of Bandra's tucked away streets and quaint neighbourhoods, captured with a refreshing new eye in Vishal Sinha's camera, provides a sensual, secretive, low-lit backdrop, Chup piggybacks intensely on Guru Dutt's aura for its vibe and whimsy.

Even if one plays along the pretentious nature of its romantic moments sponging off his iconic melodies, it's rather reductive how the actor-film-maker's legacy is seen purely through the prism of failure and melancholy.

Alternating between a police procedural headed by a gruff cop (Sunny Deol) and impassioned psychologist (Pooja Bhatt) and a series of meet-cutes between a charismatic florist (Dulquer Salmaan) and earnest journalist (Shreya Dhanwanthary), Chup begins on a grisly note as critic after critic is slaughtered by a self-appointed vigilante of quality cinema.

Picking on the contempt in their reviews, the demented killer executes his prey verbatim and carves stars on their forehead as a wickedly ironical final word.

The identity of the murderer is quite obvious from the beginning.

What is surprising is Chup 's tame depiction of his hate targets in nondescript portrayals dominated by obese, middle-aged, men.

Critics of Hindi cinema are a disparate, colourful, bunch that evoke much derision and tut-tut among its own tribe, but Chup 's distant understanding of their influence and idiosyncrasies fails to give the loathing any real impact.

Like that terribly pedestrian scene where tempers flare up and producers and critics quarrel like disagreeing members of a cooperative housing society meeting.

Lopsided as it may be, Chup is fascinating even when it is frustrating.

It is admirably unflinching in laying all the blame on the prejudiced critic.

But when the opportunity to show the extent of its deadly darkness arrives, bringing Baazigar 's coldest moment to mind, Chup stops at teasing.

Who knows if deep down it too believes, ' yahan Scorsese nahi Shetty chalta hai ' as the climax advances into a far-fetched mess.

At this point, the until-now subdued Sunny Deol is back to his Ghayal -era growls and cussing.

Looking undeniably sharp in his salt and pepper, flat top haircut, Deol conducts the investigation in the manner of a surly, sleepy, lion.

Whatever scope for banter the entry of his Angrakshak co-star Pooja Bhatt offers is sadly never explored. Her innate intelligence is a natural fit for the part. Even though she's mostly spewing hokum, we buy every bit of it.

What's difficult to digest is Dulquer Salmaan and Shreya Dhanwanthary complaining about Mumbai's ' mehangai ' while shopping for haldi at an upscale gourmet store.

Their romance is flushed in fantasy, which is alright since both seem like lonely souls in search of love.

Whether Shreya's 'Woody Allen is Innocent' endorsement is more telling of her politics or poor judgement of character, it works completely in the context of her wide-eyed persona. Wish the high-spirited equation between her and her blind mum (a plucky Saranya Ponvannan) was better fleshed out.

Falling for the florist doesn't seem too unreasonable when the man selling exotic tulips for free is a suave Dulquer Salmaan.

Chup isn't swayed by his handsomeness alone.

The actor's talent flies high all through a complex journey, which stuns and silences over the course of unabashed symbolism and feverish impulses.

Chup 's bias is reserved for disgruntled creators at the receiving end of nasty appraisals of their efforts.

Though it ropes in Amitabh Bachchan (for a customary R Balki cameo) to assert criticism is the key to social progress, its sympathy for the artist, ultimately, absolves all mediocrity when the critic-hating protagonist schools his detractors on ethics of reviewing and virtues of Mongolian cinema.

Balki has the framework for a terrific argument if only it wasn't so oblivious to publications and their politics, controlling the narrative and a thriving star rating system -- one that the film industry equally enables across triumphant posters when the odds are in their favour.

Attributing violent vendetta to psychological imbalance is an easy crutch to fall on when makers are reluctant to debate righteous anger over difference of opinion.

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Chup Review: An Unconventional Take On Movie Critics, Childhood Trauma and More

The romance and the crime entwine in the second half, which hooks the audience, as to what next is going to happen. the climax force you to sympathise with the serial killer danny. it can make you all teary eyes when a movie directed by him is watched by nila and police staff..

Chup the film is as exciting as its name. R. Balakrishnan's directorial Chup: Revenge of the Artist starts with a solid message for critics to be sensitive about their writing. For them, it may be just another piece they wrote, but for a director, it is his life. 

The movie's plot revolves around the serial killer who directed a film. His film received heavy criticism, which Danny (Salman Dulquer) couldn't take. The critics threw him into the trap of depression and caused mental trauma. 

Spoiler Alert

R. Balakrishnan has tried to experiment with the crime-thriller. One cannot call it an absolute thriller because he uses a love story and social issues to connect the entire plot and deliver the thriller. Writers team Balakrishnan, Raja Sen, and Rishi Virmani put in a lot of effort to deliver a meaningful story. They used Guru Dutt's flop film Kaagaz Ke Phool as the film's backdrop. A teaser of Chup was also  unveiled on 9th July to mark Dutt's 97th birth anniversary, paying homage to the late director's film Kaagaz Ke Phool. 

The movie has a few unnecessary elements that seem forcibly inserted. For instance - the mother (Saranya Ponvannan) of the Nila Menon (Shreya Dhanwanthary) being blind and Amitabh Bachchan's monologue on how important critics are unnecessary. Other than that film has a good storyline. 

Chup-Revenge of the Artist Review

From star cast to dialogues to scene sequences had a freshness and were packed with creativity. The dialogues are hilarious, and Salman Dulquer and Sunny Deol shined in their roles. 

Romance does not eat the thriller aspect of the film. It is well-balanced. The dialogues are relatable, and the aesthetics of the romantic scene are blissful and give you awe amid the criminality vibes. Mumbai tour on cycle sets some romantic goals. Danny and Nila's onscreen chemistry with little bubbliness is top-notch. Nila is a young entertainment journalist, whereas Danny is charming. The two exchange smiles over bouquets of tulips, their easy chemistry giving  Chup  some of its best moments. Danny also has Norman Bates-styled conversations with himself, which is the first sign of him being a psychopath. Their romance flourishes as quickly as the body count of critics. 

The romance and the crime entwine in the second half, which hooks the audience as to what will happen next. The climax force you to sympathise with the killer. It can make you teary-eyed when Nila and the police staff watch a movie directed by him. The film tells you how childhood is important and what trauma can do to a person. If society makes fun of that trauma, it is more disheartening. Why the film title is C hup, one gets to know it in the film, so to know that film is a must watch. 

The views expressed are the author's own.

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Life of chuck first reviews: critics agree mike flanagan's stephen king movie is one of the best adaptations ever.

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Stephen King Shares Review For Mike Flanagan's Third King Adaptation Ahead Of Premiere: "Not What You'd Expect From Me"

Luke skywalker wasn't the only jedi working with the rebels in the original trilogy, jason statham's new action thriller adds female lead with peaky blinders star, stephen king shares review for mike flanagan's third king adaptation ahead of premiere: "not what you'd expect from me".

The first reviews of The Life of Chuck praise it as one of the best Stephen King adaptations of all time. The upcoming movie, which follows the life of unassuming accountant Chuck Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) amid a strange, potentially apocalyptic event, was written and directed by Gerald's Game and Doctor Sleep director Mike Flanagan, is adapted from the King novella originally published as part of the 2020 collection If It Bleeds . The upcoming The Life of Chuck also stars Jacob Tremblay, Mark Hamill, Mia Sara, Karen Gillan, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Matthew Lillard, Harvey Guillén, Kate Siegel, Rahul Kohli, and Heather Langenkamp.

Following the world premiere of The Life of Chuck at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, critics have shared early reviews of the movie . They have largely been glowing, including that of TheWrap 's Chase Hutchinson, who not only calls the movie " one of the best modern Stephen King adaptations one could hope for ," but Mike Flanagan's " best film yet " and " the work he’s been building up to over his entire career ." Collider 's Jason Gorber agrees with the former statement, saying that it " immediately contends for being crowned the best King-originated film ever made ."

The Life of Chuck has also drawn praise for being a major departure from the horror genre that is familiar to both Flanagan and King. While IndieWire 's Katie Rife warns that " cynics will likely find Flanagan’s latest far too saccharine ," the writer says the more uplifting drama is still in line with the filmmaker's typical approach of " raw, go-for-broke emotion ." Daily Beast 's Nick Schager underscores that point, writing that " understatement isn’t part of the writer/director’s modus operandi here, and that’s ultimately to the benefit of his film ."

What These Reviews Mean For The Life Of Chuck

The new stephen king adaptation is a critical hit.

While critics differ on whether the lighter tone of the movie worked for them, they ultimately agree that The Life of Chuck packs an emotional wallop and is a potent adaptation of the original novella. Additionally, even though it is a departure from the director’s previous King adaptations, it still puts him among the ranks of some of the author’s most renowned frequent directorial collaborators, a roster that also includes Frank Darabont and Rob Reiner. It is still unmistakably a Mike Flanagan movie as well.

Frank Darabont directed three King adaptations ( The Shawshank Redemption , The Green Mile , and The Mist ), while Rob Reiner helmed two ( Misery and Stand by Me ).

On top of the fact that the movie is a Stephen King adaptation and features his signature approach to its emotional core, one of the ways that Mike Flanagan maintains the signature feel of his horror projects is the Life of Chuck cast . The movie's robust ensemble features more than a dozen performers from previous Flanagan titles including The Haunting of Hill House , Midnight Mass , Hush , Oculus , and many more.

Our Take On The Life Of Chuck's Reviews

The mike flanagan movie still has a lot to prove.

While these early reviews for The Life of Chuck are promising, it remains to be seen how the movie is received by further critics and audiences during its official wide release once the glow of the world premiere has died down. There is a great deal of competition for the title of the best Stephen King movie , including 1980's The Shining , 1976's Carrie , Stand by Me , Misery , The Shawshank Redemption , and many more. The movie will need to stand the test of time somewhat longer in order to be considered a classic among that renowned pantheon.

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The Life of Chuck

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Based on the short story written by Stephen King, The Life of Chuck is a drama/supernatural film by writer-director Mike Flanagan. Tom Hiddleston stars as the titular Charles Krantz and traverses three phases of his life, including his time spent growing up in a haunted house.

The Life Of Chuck: Cast, Story & Everything We Know About The Stephen King Movie

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Critics rip kevin costner’s ‘horizon chapter 2’ in first reviews after venice debut.

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Kevin Costner in "Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2."

Early reviews of Kevin Costner’s Horizon: American Saga: Chapter 2 are out after its Venice Film Festival premiere on Saturday and critics remain unimpressed.

Horizon Chapter 2 of course, is the second of four planned chapters about the expansion of the American West, The saga is co-written, stars and directed by Costner.

Horizon Chapter 2 was pulled from its planned August 16 release date after Horizon Chapter 1 performed poorly after its debut in North American theaters on June 28, earning $11 million in its opening weekend. Adding insult to injury were several negative reviews of the film.

Horizon Chapter 1 officially ended its domestic theatrical run on August 8, earning, $29 million. Combined with $2.4 million in international ticket sales, the film had a worldwide box office tally of $31.5 million.

Leslie Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter was among the first critics to review Horizon Chapter 2 after its Venice premiere. And while Felperin said the second chapter is “more fun to watch” than Horizon Chapter 1 , the critic’s observations were not good.

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“This second three-hour tranche of Wild West-themed soap-operatic drama, premiering at Venice, has basically the same problems as its predecessor: too much setup and not enough payoff; jagged editing that only highlights the lack of harmony between its disparate narrative strands; and cliché-tinged production values that often make it feel corny and old-fashioned, and not in a good way,” Felperin writes.

VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 07: (L-R) Isabelle Fuhrman, Director Kevin Costner, Abbey Lee and Georgia ... [+] MacPhail attend the "Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2" red carpet during the 81st Venice International Film Festival at Sala Giardino on September 07, 2024 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage)

Other ‘Horizon 2’ Reviews Aren’t Much More Positive

Among the other critics from Hollywood’s major trade publications reviewing Horizon Chapter 2 was Jessica Kiang of Variety , who remained frustrated by Kevin Costner’s ambitious Western epic.

Summarizing Horizon Chapter 2 , Kiang, like THR found some positive things to say in her review, but ultimately panned the film.

“Despite often superb, old-school western technique, the second 3-hour-plus installment of Costner's passion project is just as unwieldy and bewilderingly scattershot as the first,” Kiang writes.

Meanwhile, the headline of the review of the film by The Wrap’s Ben Croll reads in part, “Kevin Costner’s Slow and Flat Sequel Unlikely to Win New Fans.”

Croll also called Horizon Chapter 2 “more soap opera than spectacle.”

Horizon Chapter 2 —which screened out of competition—closed out the 81st edition of the Venice International Film Festival.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 is still awaiting a U.S. release date.

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Tiff 2024: read thr’s reviews of the movies screening at the toronto film festival (updating).

The Hollywood Reporter critics weigh in on this year’s crop of titles, from biopics to documentaries, sweeping epics to intimate character studies, tear-jerking dramas to laugh-out-loud comedies.

By David Rooney , Lovia Gyarkye , Daniel Fienberg , Angie Han , Jon Frosch , Leslie Felperin , Jordan Mintzer , Caryn James , Stephen Farber September 5, 2024 10:47am

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As the Toronto International Film Festival gets underway, The Hollywood Reporter’s critics weigh in on this year’s crop of titles, from biopics to documentaries, sweeping epics to intimate character studies, tear-jerking dramas to laugh-out-loud comedies.

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In addition, the lineup includes a number of highly anticipated world premieres — we’re curious about David Gordon Green’s Nutcracker , Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch and Angelina Jolie’s Without Blood , among many, many others. Plus, feature filmmaking debuts by the likes of TV director Andrew DeYoung ( Friendship ), commercials and music video director Fleur Fortuné ( The Assessment ) and actress Rebel Wilson ( The Deb ).

But perhaps most exciting, this year and ever year, is the unpredictable thrill of discovery: the possibility that any film we sit down for might become a lifelong favorite, might introduce us to a brand-new talent, might show us a way of looking at the world that we’ve never thought of before. We hope you’ll continue to join us as we explore this year’s TIFF titles — watch this space as we continue to update with new reviews posted throughout the festival.

All We Imagine as Light Sideshow/Janus; directed by Payal Kapadia; 110 minutes

And Their Children After Them Charades; directed by Ludovic Boukherma, Zoran Boukherma; 144 minutes

Anora Neon; directed by Sean Baker; 138 minutes

April Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Dea Kulumbegashvili; 134 minutes

Babygirl A24; directed by Halina Reijn; 114 minutes

Battleground Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Gianni Amelio; 103 minutes

Bird Mubi; directed by Andrea Arnold; 119 minutes

Bonjour Tristesse Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Durga Chew-Bose; 110 minutes

The Brutalist Focus; directed by Brady Corbet; 215 minutes

Caught by the Tides Sideshow/Janus; directed by Jia Zhang-Ke; 111 minutes

Cloud Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa; 124 minutes

Conclave Focus; directed by Edward Berger; 120 minutes

Dahomey Mubi; directed by Mati Diop; 68 minutes

The Damned Vertical Entertainment; directed by Roberto Minervini; 88 minutes

Diciannove Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Giovanni Tortorici; 109 minutes

Disclaimer Apple; directed by Alfonso Cuarón

Diva Futura Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Giulia Louise Steigerwalt; 129 minutes

Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Embeth Davidtz; 98 minutes

Emilia Pérez Netflix; directed by Jacques Audiard; 130 minutes

The End Neon; directed by Joshua Oppenheimer; 148 minutes

Ernest Cole: Lost and Found Magnolia; directed by Raoul Peck; 105 minutes

Flow Sideshow/Janus; directed by Gints Zilbalodis; 86 minutes

The Friend Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Scott McGehee, David Siegel; 120 minutes

The Girl With the Needle Mubi; directed by Magnus von Horn; 115 minutes

Happy Holidays Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Scandar Copti; 124 minutes

Happyend Metrograph; directed by Neo Sora; 113 minutes

Harvest Mubi; directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari; 133 minutes

I’m Still Here Sony Classics; directed by Walter Salles; 135 minutes

Julie Keeps Quiet Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Leonardo van Dijl; 103 minutes

Kill the Jockey Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Luis Ortega; 96 minutes

The Last Republican Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Steve Pink; 90 minutes

The Luckiest Man in America Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Samir Oliveros; 90 minutes

Megalopolis Lionsgate; directed by Francis Ford Coppola; 138 minutes

Memoir of a Snail IFC; directed by Adam Elliot; 94 minutes

Misericordia Janus; directed by Alain Guiraudie; 102 minutes

My Sunshine Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Hiroshi Okuyama; 90 minutes

No Other Land Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor; 96 minutes

Nutcrackers Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by David Gordon Green; 104 minutes

Oh, Canada Kino Lorber; directed by Paul Schrader; 91 minutes

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl A24; directed by Rungano Nyoni; 95 minutes

The Order Vertical Entertainment; directed by Justin Kurzel; 116 minutes

The Piano Lesson Netflix; directed by Malcolm Washington; 125 minutes

Piece by Piece Focus; directed by Morgan Neville; 93 minutes

Presence Neon; directed by Steven Soderbergh; 85 minutes

Queer A24; directed by Luca Guadagnino; 135 minutes

The Room Next Door Sony Classics; directed by Pedro Almodóvar; 107 minutes

Rumours Bleecker Street; directed by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson; 118 minutes

Santosh Metrograph; directed by Sandhya Suri; 120 minutes

Saturday Night Sony; directed by Jason Reitman; 103 minutes

The Seed of the Sacred Fig Neon; directed by Mohammad Rasoulof; 168 minutes

The Shrouds Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by David Cronenberg; 119 minutes

The Story of Souleymane Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Boris Lojkine; 102 minutes

The Substance Mubi; directed by Coralie Fargeat; 140 minutes

Three Friends Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Emmanuel Mouret; 117 minutes

To a Land Unknown Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Mahdi Fleifel; 105 minutes

Universal Language Oscilloscope; directed by Matthew Rankin; 89 minutes

Unstoppable Amazon/MGM; directed by William Goldenberg; 116 minutes

Vermiglio Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Maura Delpero; 116 minutes

Went Up the Hill Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Samuel Van Grinsven; 99 minutes

When The Light Breaks Still seeking U.S. distribution; directed by Runar Runarsson; 80 minutes

Will & Harper Netflix; directed by Josh Greenbaum; 114 minutes

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‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Review: Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga Star in a Cracked Jukebox Musical — but It Doesn’t Let Joker Be Joker Enough

The concept is audacious but the execution less so in a movie that takes a step back from the danger of "Joker."

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

Chief Film Critic

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Arthur’s trial is sure to be a media event. It’s set to be broadcast on live television, and Arthur, in preparation, submits to a jailhouse interview with Paddy Meyers (Steve Coogan), a tabloid-TV figure who baits and taunts him. Arthur responds by singing, in a dry cracked voice, “I’m wild again, beguiled again…,” launching into “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” from the 1940 musical “Pal Joey.” If you’re surprised to hear him reach into such an old-time song book, get used to it. A great many of the songs Arthur sings in “Folie à Deux” — “If My Friends Could See Me Now,” “That’s Entertainment!” — sound like they came out of your grandmother’s record collection.

This debate is the fulcrum of “Joker: Folie à Deux.” It’s even forecast by the film’s opening sequence: a mock ’40s Warner Bros. cartoon in which a backstage Broadway version of Arthur is literally taken over by his homicidal shadow (all set to the tune of “Me and My Shadow”). But the reason it’s odd, and rather unexciting, to hear the film chew over the split-personality question ad nauseam is that “Joker” already excavated it in a most spectacular way. The premise of the first movie, which treated Arthur as a scuzzy sociopath out of a Scorsese fever dream, is that unlike the dark-side characters in comic-book movies, Arthur really was just a disturbed individual. Even when he put on his smeary clown makeup and red suit, he wasn’t a larger-than-life villain. He was an ordinary loser pretending to be a larger-than-life villain.

And yet … such was the movie’s black magic that this DIY Joker felt so much power coursing through him that in a strange way he kind of did become Joker. Was he a split personality or just a solitary sick one? The delectable answer is that he was both.

And that’s what we’re hungry to see the continuation of in “Folie à Deux”: Arthur the ordinary maniac who somehow, by embracing his identity as Joker, transcends who he is. The letdown of the movie is how little it makes us feel that. There are plenty of scenes with Arthur dressed as Joker, defending himself in the courtroom, singing this or that chestnut, sometimes in fantasy numbers that might almost be taking place in his head. But there’s no longer any danger to his presence. He’s not trying to kill someone, and he’s not leading a revolution. He’s just singing and (on occasion) dancing his way into his Joker daydream.

In “Joker,” after Arthur shot those three men on the subway, he ducked into a grungy public bathroom and did that wacked tai chi dance, which expressed his newfound power. He felt serene, discharged, reborn in his violence. At that moment, he became Joker.

A musical number can accomplish something similar. It’s there to lift ordinary characters aloft — to put them (and us) in touch with the force of their secret selves. In contemporary screen musicals, what we want to see more than ever — what we want to feel — is the characters taking an emotion and soaring with it. We want to see them transformed. In our era, the movie that rewrote the rules of that experience was “Moulin Rouge!” The beauty, the insolence, the aesthetic collisions (the fact that fin de siècle Paris dancers and bohemians were singing “Lady Marmalade” and “Your Song”) were all part of the transcendence. One felt a taste of the same rush in Lars von Trier’s feminine-sacrifice-meets-Björk musical “Dancer in the Dark.”

Phillips, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Silver, should have chosen a wilder array of songs. And the song choice you’d think would have pointed to that is the supreme needle drop in “Joker”: that snippet of Gary Glitter’s “Rock and Roll Part 2” as Joker danced down the West 167th Street Step Stairs. That might have been the greatest moment in the movie. It was the defining one. When Phillips announced that “Joker 2” was going to be a musical, isn’t it beyond obvious that that’s the scene that should have been the sequel’s guiding spirit?  

There are a couple of sequences in “Folie à Deux” that hint at what the movie should have been: an edition of “The Joker and Harley Show” where the two, à la Sonny and Cher, sing the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody,” or the “Gonna Build a Mountain” gospel number, which Gaga sings the hell out of. For the most part, though, the songs in “Folie à Deux” don’t bust out and jolt us and make our eyes gleam. And they don’t make us swoon.

The casting of Lady Gaga certainly sounded promising, because she’s a great actor, and was put on earth (among other things) to make musicals. But Gaga, who has a lovely unforced presence in “Folie à Deux,” is drastically underused. Her Lee never quite takes wing. Gaga has a nice quiet moment singing “(They Long to Be) Close to You.” (Speaking of Burt Bacharach, why did Phillips waste one of his only choice musical selections, “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” on that opening cartoon?) But the number doesn’t build. Gaga never gets a chance to do what she did in “A Star Is Born”: seize the audience with her rapture.

I should mention that not enough happens in “Folie à Deux.” The movie is two hours and 18 minutes long, and here’s the entire plot:

Arthur is wasting away in Arkham State Hospital. He meets Lee, who devotes herself to him. He goes on trial, and the is-he-a-dual-personality-or-just-a-criminal debate unfolds. A verdict is reached. A fateful bomb explodes. The end.

As a critic, I’ve experienced my share of debates, but I have never understood the morally judgmental quality that hung over the criticisms of “Joker.” That the film invited us to have a deep identification with a twisted sociopath wasn’t, in my book, a weakness; it was a strength. (It’s for that same reason that I love “Bonnie and Clyde,” “Taxi Driver,” and “Natural Born Killers.”) The movie was, among other things, an allegory of the Trump era, but it’s almost as if the critics were saying, “We don’t like the movie because Arthur is a nasty incel who leads an uprising just like Trump!” To me, the criticisms of “Joker” were sort of comparable to a studio executive giving notes that basically said, “Jake LaMotta in ‘Raging Bull’ isn’t likable enough.”

Reviewed at Venice Film Festival (In competition), Sept. 4, 2024. MPA rating: R. Running time: 138 MIN.

• Production: A Warner Bros. Pictures release, in association of Domain Entertainment, of a Joint Effort production. Producers: Todd Phillips, Joseph Garner, Emma Tillinger Koskoff. Executive producers: Mark Friedberg, Georgia Kacandes, Jason Ruder, Scott Silver, Michael E. Uslan.
• Crew: Director: Todd Phillips. Screenplay: Scott Silver, Todd Phillips. Camera: Lawrence Sher. Editor: Jeff Groth. Music: Hildur Guõnadóttir.
• With: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Zazie Beetz, Harry Lawley, Steve Coogan, Leigh Gill, Sharon Washington, Jacob Lofland, Ken Leung, Bill Smitrovich.

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