![]() In 2023, the trends from Legacy have been further cemented on Chapter III: Downfall the last vestiges of power metal are effectively gone, and a relatively lazy ‘well, they’re both metal and poppy’ comparison on my part to Amaranthe in my review of Legacy has been actualized by multiple songs here, especially the “Drop Dead Cynical”-esque “Upside Down”. By the time Chapter II: Legacy arrived in 2021, these elements had each diminished to a degree, with a more pop-oriented current running through several songs. The sound of Chapter I: Monarchy that I find so compelling is a symphonic metal approach with power metal leanings, along with a very particular regal grandeur that really elevated it over most of the symphonic metal scene. In preparation for this album’s release, I went back to review the band’s debut last month, and voiced the appreciation I’ve had for it since discovering it in 2020. ![]() However, even without any line-up shake-ups, Ad Infinitum have also changed in less superficial ways than these in the past 3 years. Despite the relatively short window of time between these albums, Ad Infinitum have changed the plaguebearer masks have been ditched by the instrumentalists in the band, who give off a more collaborative image in the new record’s artwork compared with the Bonny-centric cover of the debut, and the lyrical focus has shifted from the Renaissance era to Ancient Egypt. ![]() Swiss symph-metallers Ad Infinitum have been rather busy since founder Melissa Bonny successfully crowdfunded the recording of their debut album, Chapter I: Monarchy just over 18 months later, Chapter II: Legacy arrived, and there’s been a similar interval between that record’s release and that of the newest entry to their discography, Chapter III: Downfall. The Monarchy has fallen, but this album won’t be the Downfall of Ad Infinitum’s nascent Legacy. ![]() However, it can test your patience if thrillers are not your thing. The overlong film has got strong performances. It's a crime film and a semi-period drama, too. There is also a political movement involved. 'A (Ad Infinitum)' is a slow burn thriller where science is an important element. Binil Amakkadu's Sound Design could have been better. Vijay Kurakula's background score is compelling. Praveen K Bangari's cinematography is praiseworthy. Some moody thrillers perhaps invite the filmmaker to stretch the run-time organically. In this regard, it is important to mention recent experimental (and misunderstood in different ways) thrillers such as 'Manu' and the Netflix release 'Andhaghaaram', both of which ran up to 3 hours. At about 153 minutes, the film seems to go at the pace of a snail. The ideas of utilitarianism and the larger interest of humanity are mentioned.Īnd, when the suspense has to be revealed, the film becomes even more slow-burn than what it has already been. The male protagonist gets panic attacks, a top cop who is on the verge of retirement wants to solve the case of a series of child kidnappings, a wife is disillusioned with her husband, police egos kick in, and then there is a scientific experiment. The film deploys a number of disparate elements throughout its run-time. Preethi Asrani, who made a name for herself with 'Malli Raava', is surprisingly good in the role of an anguished wife. That says a lot about how the setup of 'A' is driven. In a way, the actor looks like a good-natured, distraught Malayalam movie lead. He is nuanced and is entirely endearing in whatever he does. Nithin Prasanna, who plays a challenging role, comes across as a seasoned performer with a solid grounding in stage performance. It enriches the saga although it doesn't have a direct bearing on what the film eventually seeks to narrate. And this backstory is not a mere red-herring. The film has a character who wants to topple the dictatorship of Mrs. What do the 1970s remind you of? Indira Gandhi. It revolves around a married guy who goes in search of knowing his past. The story of 'A' spans decades, moving to and fro from 1970s to 2019. What is Sanjeev's past? Can he reconcile it with the present? Who is the criminal and who is innocent? Answers to these questions are found in the second half. There comes a point when Sanjeev becomes a suspect in an important case investigated by Vishnu (Rangadham). With their little kid Amrutha (Baby Deevana), they lead a fairly normal life but for the fact that Sanjeev, a memory loss patient, is haunted by strange nightmares. His wife Pallavi (Preethi Asrani) is a nurse. Sanjeev (Nithin Prasanna) is introduced as a differently-abled private employee. 'A (Ad Infinitum)' is one of the several movies that has come out this week.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |