Showing posts with label The Matrix Resurrections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Matrix Resurrections. Show all posts
(Crisp) Movie Review: THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS by FENIL SETA
4:40 PM
The Matrix Resurrections is a confusing and complicated film. Even those who’ll binge-watch all the earlier 3 parts would find the film bewildering. The film starts off well and the digs on their own selves and also Warner Bros is witty and keeps one interested. However, as the film progresses, it becomes more and more complex. A lot of difficult and technical jargon is thrown at the audiences and hence, they further lose interest. All the previous 3 parts of The Matrix were known for their mind-blowing action. The action in The Matrix Resurrections, however, is anything but fun and won’t take your breath away. Keanu Reeves is in his element and same goes for Carrie-Anne Moss. Their chemistry is thanda this time but it keeps the film bearable. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II doesn't suit the part of Morpheus. Jessica Henwick is excellent and her look is praisworthy. Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris and Jada Pinkett Smith are decent. Priyanka Chopra is wasted while Purab Kohli has a blink-and-miss appearance. All in all, The Matrix Resurrections is a needless sequel.
My rating - * ½ out of 5!
Every ’90s kid had a crush on Keanu Reeves! Come on. Speed, Matrix, the works-Priyanka Chopra
8:14 AM
Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; December 22, 2021)
Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ unwavering ambition to push boundaries outweighs her inner fears.PC will be seen in a significant role in the upcoming Matrix movie — The Matrix Resurrections, starring Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss, which hits the theatres this week. In a chat with us from the US, the actress speaks about her big Hollywood release, crushing on Keanu, lack of opportunities in Hollywood and why she decided to drop her surname on social media.
Your scenes in the film demand you to be calm while mouthing some jargon-heavy lines in front of Keanu Reeves. He’s one actor, who every ’90s kid had a crush on. Growing up, did you, too, feel the same? How did you navigate your way on set in the presence of an actor like him?
Every ’90s kid had a crush on Keanu Reeves! Come on. Speed, Matrix, the works. However, when I was playing the character that I do in the film, you didn’t think about those things. I was very intimidated just being there. I had all my scenes in one night. All those scenes have lots of words and I had to say them all in one night. I had 45 minutes to say them, so I was totally focussed on my job. I went in well-rehearsed, yet was very nervous to say all those words in front of the whole cast and Lana (director Lana Wachowski). I told myself, ‘I’ve done this for 21 years. I got this,’ and I did. When you are batting in the big league, you’ve got to pull your socks up. After we finished the movie and started promoting it, I allowed myself to get a little giddy! (smiles).
The internet is flooded with some beautiful anecdotes on how great a human Keanu is. Is he indeed the nicest guy in Hollywood?
Keanu is considerate, gentle and a kind person. He is socially aware and has the ability to read the room. That’s what makes him kind and compassionate. He is just very aware of everyone around him.
As an Indian actor in America, you’ve been vocal about the need for representation and inclusion in Hollywood and how society needs to become colour-blind if we aspire to be truly global. Have you seen a change since?
I don’t think that’s accurate. I feel people need to be conscientious about creating opportunities for people of colour. As South Asian actors, we definitely don’t have enough opportunities in Hollywood. We have to fight much harder to get lead parts or prominent roles in big commercial movies. It takes a lot of work. I have been working in Hollywood for almost 10 years, and just about now, I am finally doing the work that I was looking forward to. It takes a lot of work to educate the world about the talent and recognition that South Asian entertainers deserve. We are one-fifth of the world population, but you don’t see that represented in English language entertainment. I hope that I can shoulder the responsibility to get more opportunities. It took a lot of pounding the pavement to be able to even create that for myself.
Something as basic as dropping your surname ‘Jonas’ from your Instagram profile became a topic of scrutiny. It even sparked speculation about a rift in your marriage. Why did you drop the surname, and what did you think of the uproar that followed?
I don’t know! I wanted the username to match my Twitter, I guess. I just find it really amusing that everything becomes such a huge deal to people! It’s social media, guys. Just chill out!
Being part of The Matrix was something I had never imagined in my wildest dreams-Purab Kohli
8:53 AM
Having previously worked with director Lana Wachowski on Sense8, Purab Kohli ecstatic to earn a place in The Matrix Resurrections
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; December 21, 2021)
There are goals that you’re happy to tick off your bucket list. And then, there are those that never make it to your bucket list, for they seem so out of reach. For Purab Kohli, joining the cast of The Matrix Resurrections belongs to the latter category. “It has not sunk in yet,” says the actor. “When I watched The Matrix [1999] in theatres, I was like, ‘What was that film!’ I was just starting off as a TV actor then. So, being part [of the franchise] was something I had never imagined in my wildest dreams.”
In the latest instalment, Kohli plays Zen, an overzealous game developer who works with Thomas Anderson, portrayed by Keanu Reeves. The film marks his second collaboration with director Lana Wachowski after the sci-fi series, Sense8. “During the shoot [of Sense 8], there were many conversations about what could happen [in The Matrix universe]. The next thing I know she wants to place me somewhere in the franchise. I loved working with Lana.”
Priyanka Chopra Jonas also features in a prominent part in the film. Kohli, however, says the two didn’t meet on the set. “They shot with her in America; my shoot happened in Europe.”
I got a chance to go to the edge of the Ganges, and sit and see the wheel of life-Keanu Reeves
8:24 AM
Keanu Reeves talks about his love for India, and how the Matrix franchise is influenced by Indian philosophy
Sugandha Rawal (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 19, 2021)
From watching the rituals of death to experiencing the hustle bustle of life, Hollywood star Keanu Reeves lived through the circle of life at the banks of Ganges. And that’s something which continues to stay alive in his mind.
“During my first time in India, I remember just being on the streets and seeing the amazing life... I got a chance to go to the edge of the Ganges, and sit and see the wheel of life,” Reeves tells us over a video call from New York, USA.
Refraining from divulging specifics about his visit to the country, the actor continues, “[I saw] people mourning and the ritual of death. And at the same time, all the shamans, the families and the animal life, water, the trees, the air… The [whole] breath of life. I was grateful to sit there, be a part of it and have that experience.”
Reeves, 57, who will soon be back as Neo with The Matrix Resurrections, also reveals that he has been to Mumbai for “a little bit of time”. And it is not just Indian culture which has found a place in his heart. Bollywood has also impressed him, as he says, “I have seen a few films. But I wouldn’t know the titles of the projects.”
Opening up about his Indian connection, he points out how the concept of “being and not being, in permanence and resurrection” links Indian philosophy to the Matrix universe in some way.
The latest instalment of the film franchise also stars actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Reeves says, “Priyanka is fantastic. She is a lovely actress and a person. It was really great to work with her.”
As soon as I got a call from Lana Wachowski, I was on the next flight to San Francisco-Priyanka Chopra
8:07 AM
Priyanka, who was US-bound as soon as she got a call from The Matrix team, is honoured to be part of legacy
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; December 18, 2021)
“This is magic. How did they do this?” That was Priyanka Chopra’s first thought as she, a teenager then, watched The Matrix (1999) in a theatre with her friends. Over two decades later, she has the answer. The actor has joined the cast of The Matrix Resurrections, the fourth instalment in the successful franchise. “I was in India when I got a call that Lana [Wachowski, director] wanted to meet me. I was on the next flight to San Francisco. That’s how excited I was. To be a part of the legacy of The Matrix franchise is an honour,” says the actor, the excitement palpable in her voice.
The Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss starrer was shrouded in secrecy at the beginning. Was Chopra told at the first meeting that she was being considered for a role in the iconic sci-fi actioner? “Initially, it was called Project Ice Cream [its code name]. I was only told about my character. Eventually, Lana gave me the script after I met her. [We were] in her office and she was like, ‘Just grab the script’. It was fresh off the presses,” she laughs.
Chopra steps into the role of Sati, whom she describes as “a woman with a purpose”. “There’s something powerful about a woman who is intentional. She knew [all along] that she will cross paths with Neo [Reeves’ character].” The latest in the series is the first to be helmed solely by Lana without her co-director and sister Lilly. “She’s one of the few people in the world who knows what the Matrix is. So, it was important to follow her leadership.”
Shooting with Reeves, Jada Pinkett Smith, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jessica Henwick was a cherished experience for the actor, who gleefully says, “The first time I saw the entire cast standing together, I had a bit of a fangirl moment.”
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