Superboys of Malegaon (12A)
Directed by Reema Kagti
★★★★

 
BASED on the real-life story of Indian amateur film-maker Nasir Shaikh, this is a terribly moving yet uplifting celebration of friendship and cinema. 

It follows Nasir, played with great charm and charisma by Adarsh Gourav, who lives and breathes film, and his motley crew of friends as they make spoof versions of famous movies, such as Sholay, the Hindi-language action-adventure film, and set them in their hometown of Malegaon.  

They become great commercial hits as they attempt to bring Bollywood to their local community. As they become ever more successful, tensions and jealousies arise among the friends and they start falling out with each other, particularly Nasir and his screenwriter Farogh (Vineet Kumar Singh). 

Years later they all agree to reunite when Nasir decides to make his Indian version of Superman in honour of his best friend Shafique (Shashank Arora) who he casts as the superhero.  

It is interesting how women play no part other than to be married off. Yet it is Nasir’s wife who gives him the 30,000 she earned as a lawyer to finance his film in exchange for a producer credit. He is able to succeed thanks to her even though she knows she isn’t the love of his life. 

Co-written and directed by Reema Kagti, this is delightful and funny yet heart-breaking; you cannot help but fall in love with these characters, and with Nasir whose passion for cinema and film-making is infectious.  

This is a must see. 

In cinemas February 28.

Food For Thought (U)
Directed by Giles Alderson and Dan Richardson
★★★

 
ACTORS turned documentary film-makers Giles Alderson and Dan Richardson embark on fact-finding mission to explore the recent global rise in veganism but with a fun and cinematic twist. 

The pair travel from Britain to Croatia to South Africa to California, speaking to numerous experts including animal rights activists, philanthropists, athletes and plant-based food developers on the topic.

At the heart of the film is a special experiment involving an eclectic group of volunteers, staunch meat-eaters plus a vegetarian former cop, who spend 30 days on a plant-based diet documenting their journey via video diaries. The results are quite eye-opening. 

It also does not contain any scaremongering graphic content — instead it highlights the positive effects of a vegan lifestyle such as the health benefits. Two former cancer patients claim they survived cancer after turning to a plant-based diet. If true that would be food for thought.

While it isn’t groundbreaking, it does provide a compelling argument to go vegan or at least to consider it. 

Available for free on YouTube from February 28. 

The Summer With Carmen (18)
Directed by Zacharias Mavroeidis
★★★

THIS is a surreal sexy queer romp set in sun-drenched Greece which celebrates platonic gay friendship and first-time film-making. It also features an adorable dog called Carmen. 

It is an ambitious and exquisitely shot directorial debut feature by Zacharias Mavroeidis, who also co-wrote it. It is a film within a film which becomes confusing when the barriers between the two start to blur. 

It follows best friends Demos (Yorgos Tsiantoulas) and Nikitas (Andreas Labropoulos) who are on an Athens gay beach discussing making their first film together. It is based on the summer in which Demos broke up with his ex Panos (Nikolaos Mihas) and ended up with Carmen the pooch. 

Containing lots of full-frontal male nudity, which makes a refreshing change, it is an intriguing film which examines masculinity, sexuality and the insecurities in pursuing a romantic relationship. 

It is driven home by cracking performances from Tsiantoulas and Labropoulos and their sublime on-screen chemistry. But it considers itself cleverer than it actually is.  

In cinemas February 28. 

Fight or Flight (18)
Directed by James Madigan 
★★★

A BLEACH blonde haired Josh Hartnett wielding a chainsaw like a man possessed (think Elon Musk) on a plane full of assassins trying to kill him is a sight to behold in James Madigan’s wonderfully entertaining directorial debut action thriller.  

Hartnett plays a mercenary who is enlisted to track down a whip-smart high-value target on board an aircraft and eliminate them. The plot thickens when a bounty is put on his head and every killer and his dog wants to murder him. It is John Wick meets Die Hard on a plane with a taste of Bullet Train thrown in. 

This is a high-octane non-stop wild ride with elaborate and gory fight scenes in a very confined and claustrophobic space. Hartnett is clearly having a blast alongside his eclectic supporting cast which includes Charithra Chandran (Bridgerton).
 
It is ridiculous but surprisingly great fun. 

Available on Now TV on February 28.