Aparita Bhandari

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The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
For 60 reviews, this critic has graded:
  • 60% higher than the average critic
  • 10% same as the average critic
  • 30% lower than the average critic
On average, this critic grades 3.7 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)

Aparita Bhandari's Scores

  • Movies
  • TV
Average review score: 69
Highest review score: 90 Writing with Fire
Lowest review score: 38 Easter Sunday
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 60
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 60
  3. Negative: 1 out of 60
60 movie reviews
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    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Aparita Bhandari
    I Swear
    It’s not entirely fair to call I Swear a PSA for inclusion. Above all, it is the story of a man who overcame an extraordinary set of odds to build a simple but meaningful life for himself and foster understanding in others. Yet, you cannot help but hope that the film – and the events surrounding it – inspires us all to think about the messiness of life. And how making space for everyone might involve a degree of discomfort for us all. But we can all, ultimately, live with it.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 88 Aparita Bhandari
    Kokuho
    The pace moves from the hustle-bustle of daily business carried out over five decades to moments of stillness from the artform – the flick of a fan and a hand moving in gentle waves, for example. The actors bring the drama to life, without being overly dramatic.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 88 Aparita Bhandari
    Hoppers
    Like many of its Pixar predecessors, Hoppers manages to thread the needle between a charming story for a young audience and a considered take on the climate crisis that will also resonate for their adult caregivers.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 63 Aparita Bhandari
    Midwinter Break
    Fortunately, Midwinter Break stars two seasoned actors who are not even close to the winter of their careers. Both bring grace and gravitas to their characters, conveying their personal crises with humanity.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 60 Aparita Bhandari
    Elio
    Disney and Pixar’s latest outing delivers on some frontiers, but puzzles on others.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 70 Aparita Bhandari
    How to Train Your Dragon
    The dragons are fine by today’s CGI standards. Toothless glistens, thankfully. Young audiences will be delighted.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 70 Aparita Bhandari
    Lilo & Stitch
    The reboot is sure to delight the young ones in your care, especially over the summer. As for the older ones? There are enough throwbacks to reminisce – and then revisit the offbeat classic.
    • 91 Metascore
    • 88 Aparita Bhandari
    Nickel Boys
    It’s hard to describe Nickel Boys. It seems like an injustice to call it, simply, a film. It’s a remarkable piece of art, even more impressive when you consider that it’s photographer and filmmaker RaMell Ross’s debut feature film – in fiction.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 50 Aparita Bhandari
    Maria
    By focusing his lens on the personality of the diva, as opposed to her artistry, Larrain doesn’t truly give us insight into what made Maria into “La Callas.” We get glimpses of the tragedies and scandals in her life that inspired and informed her powerful – and often divisive – vocals. But we don’t understand the artistry behind the voice.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 70 Aparita Bhandari
    Black Box Diaries
    For anyone wondering why women don’t come forward to report sexual assault, Black Box Diaries offers a glimpse into the many indignities women can face when reporting the crime, and the amount of personal resolve needed to follow through.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 60 Aparita Bhandari
    Wicked
    Oddly enough, the movie is both sumptuous and somewhat soulless.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Aparita Bhandari
    Blitz
    While it may depict events of the past, its relevance to the present couldn’t be more striking.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Aparita Bhandari
    Woman of the Hour
    [Kendrick] delivers a taut thriller that’s also a sharp critique of the casual misogyny women face.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 80 Aparita Bhandari
    Piece By Piece
    It’s perfect popcorn fare: the story of a creative genius against the playfulness of a Lego landscape mixed with a boppy tune.
    • 46 Metascore
    • 50 Aparita Bhandari
    Joker: Folie à Deux
    Why so serious, Phillips seems to be saying, in this follow-up. Relax, it’s all entertainment. The challenge, however, is that Joker: Folie à Deux is more ponderous rather than acting as a riposte. It has its moments of movie magic, but they largely get overshadowed by the weight of this redemption endeavour.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Aparita Bhandari
    Girls State
    Girls State is a powerful documentary that showcases just how invested and determined young women are in their desire to run for the highest office – despite the challenges they face.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 75 Aparita Bhandari
    The Beautiful Game
    The Beautiful Game shines because of Nighy.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 50 Aparita Bhandari
    The Queen of My Dreams
    While The Queen of My Dreams works in some places, it’s too disjointed a narrative to truly immerse the viewer into the technicolor universe.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Aparita Bhandari
    Hey, Viktor!
    Hey, Viktor!, a raucous mockumentary, is a mixed bag, veering wildly from self-deprecating humour and a downright cringefest to moments of heartfelt candour.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 70 Aparita Bhandari
    Black Ice
    In order to move forward, it’s imperative we look at the past. Black Ice is a worthwhile ice-breaker to that end.
    • 47 Metascore
    • 80 Aparita Bhandari
    Pathaan
    Pathaan is by no means flawless. It tries to marry a Hollywood-style action film with Bollywood camp. Sometimes it delivers, and sometimes the script is just too banal. It could also be edited more judiciously. But the film entertains and leaves you grooving to an infectious tune at the end.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 75 Aparita Bhandari
    Rosaline
    Rosaline ultimately sparkles in this cheeky telling of the greatest love story never told.
    • 41 Metascore
    • 38 Aparita Bhandari
    Easter Sunday
    It’s disappointing that the film takes that well-worn trope of a big family get-together and just lazily adds a Filipino layer to it.
    • 42 Metascore
    • 63 Aparita Bhandari
    Persuasion
    If I may persuade you, however: Watch the film for whimsy. Read the book for passion.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 63 Aparita Bhandari
    RRR
    Visually exhilarating as it may be, it’s worthwhile to remember that RRR is inspired by true events. It’s a work of historical fiction that’s just as inventive as its thrilling special effects.
    • 47 Metascore
    • 50 Aparita Bhandari
    Sonic the Hedgehog 2
    Unlike the first movie, where aspects of the video game were more seamlessly integrated into the plot, Sonic 2 relies more on generic themes such as friendship and loyalty, as well as what makes a hero.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 60 Aparita Bhandari
    Donkeyhead
    If Darshi had truly embraced Mona’s messiness, it might have made for a more meaningful, even if tentative, conclusion.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Aparita Bhandari
    Definition Please
    There is much to appreciate about Definition, Please, including its indie aesthetic. It’s a welcome addition in redefining the diasporic experience.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 90 Aparita Bhandari
    Writing with Fire
    I’m fascinated by these women who cover dangerous ground – treading centuries of patriarchy and caste prejudice with measure and grace.
    • 49 Metascore
    • 75 Aparita Bhandari
    Sing 2
    Given the number of songs worked into the script, there’s a music video quality to the film. If you’re looking for some lighthearted distraction from the worries of the world right now, however, give Sing 2 a shot.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 50 Aparita Bhandari
    Encanto
    Encanto ends up being overwrought rather than enchanting.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 75 Aparita Bhandari
    Ron's Gone Wrong
    The bond between Barney and Ron is clearly the reason this movie works.
    • 37 Metascore
    • 50 Aparita Bhandari
    The Addams Family 2
    The Addams Family 2 allowed me a couple of nostalgic chuckles, while the kids were entertained by the antics. It wasn’t entirely a snooze, but I can’t say it was particularly memorable for either of us.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 63 Aparita Bhandari
    Cry Macho
    On the one hand, you gotta give it to the man. He’s got grit. But surely, there are other cowboys whose stories are just as worth telling.
    • 91 Metascore
    • 88 Aparita Bhandari
    Drive My Car
    Drive My Car is a beautiful and mellow ride, although you’ll need to stretch your legs after it ends.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 50 Aparita Bhandari
    Huda's Salon
    Although the film doesn’t fully deliver on the political-thriller element, it asks some powerful questions: How does violence become intimate, blurring the line of morals and ethics?
    • 80 Metascore
    • 88 Aparita Bhandari
    Compartment No. 6
    Russia’s stark landscape makes for breathtaking and sometimes comical scenes. This is a trip well worth taking.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 63 Aparita Bhandari
    Dug Dug
    Dug Dug is cleverly crafted, with its sharp edits and evocative sound design lending some bite to the satire. When the truth is revealed at the end, it’s stranger than fiction.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 75 Aparita Bhandari
    Learn to Swim
    Just like a jazz tune, the film establishes an image, elaborates on it and brings it back to a more-or-less satisfying close.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 75 Aparita Bhandari
    Aloners
    Aloners manages to delicately infuse what otherwise seems like a slice-of-life drama with shots of mystery that keep us invested in Yu Jin’s otherwise humdrum life.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 75 Aparita Bhandari
    A Night of Knowing Nothing
    Right from its opening frame, there’s a lyrical, dreamlike quality to Payal Kapadia’s debut feature.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 63 Aparita Bhandari
    Paka (River of Blood)
    Within India’s multilingual cinematic universe, Malayalam cinema has long established its own narrative. Despite its occasional disjointedness, Nithin Lukose’s debut feature is a worthy addition to that tradition.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 75 Aparita Bhandari
    Ali & Ava
    A quiet study of its characters, Ali & Ava is a fresh take on otherwise well-worn rom-com narratives.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 63 Aparita Bhandari
    Scarborough
    The film manages to showcase Scarborough’s beauty, even when things look bleak.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 75 Aparita Bhandari
    Wildhood
    Filmed in Nova Scotia and featuring both English and Mi’kmaw, Wildhood beautifully captures the beauty of the landscape and its community as well as moments of humour, even as it treads some bleak spaces.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 63 Aparita Bhandari
    Quickening
    To use the parlance of young people these days, Quickening is a mood.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Aparita Bhandari
    Mogul Mowgli
    Using Toba Tek Singh as a recurring narrative device is sublime, for those who understand the reference and the burden it carries.
    • 41 Metascore
    • 75 Aparita Bhandari
    Cinderella
    The movie is basically a sumptuous almost two-hour long music video/musical. And as we wind down the summer – looking ahead to yet more uncertainty in the fall (Variants! Elections! Just Life In General!) – it’s delightful to indulge in a flight of fantasy.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 67 Aparita Bhandari
    Vivo
    It’s glorious in some parts, stretches out your willingness to suspend disbelief in others. Nevertheless, a movie that leaves you with a Missy Elliott style grrrl power anthem as an earworm is totally worth a lazy summer afternoon sprawled in front of your TV – as you make mental notes to sign up your kids for musical theatre classes the minute you’re allowed.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 50 Aparita Bhandari
    Fatherhood
    The challenge of watching Fatherhood is that it’s tough to make out what sort of a narrative it’s trying to tell.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Aparita Bhandari
    Luca
    As you get immersed in the story, you’re also entranced by a lovely escape to a nostalgic Italian summer that’s inspired by visits to real-life places and rendered in a style akin to that distinctive Miyazaki aesthetic. I also want to get my hands on the original score – the music soars gorgeously.
    • 49 Metascore
    • 50 Aparita Bhandari
    Spirit Untamed
    Despite the predictable plot, there are moments of genuine delight – and they all come from the fresh talent.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Aparita Bhandari
    Together Together
    As the central characters, Helms and Harrison play their parts with empathy.
    • 46 Metascore
    • 55 Aparita Bhandari
    Yes Day
    Ultimately, Yes Day doesn’t commit to either being a full-out family fun movie or a family drama.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 65 Aparita Bhandari
    Moxie
    It’s tricky to give such a layered glimpse of high school in a movie that keeps its pace at a decent click. And while Moxie is just a small snapshot of those weird and wonderful years, it gives viewers a decent lesson in how to be an ally, without being preachy about it.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 85 Aparita Bhandari
    Raya and the Last Dragon
    Any excuse to tune out the real world and escape into a fantasy land is welcome – especially through a film that’s about trust and the loving bond between family and friends, and also manages to deliver a couple of solid laughs in between.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 90 Aparita Bhandari
    Minari
    The film forms a kind of origin story, giving voice to the often silent experiences of a particular immigrant community in the 80s. Lachlan Milne’s cinematography veers from prosaic to evocative to breathtaking, depending on the scene.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 75 Aparita Bhandari
    Soul
    There is a mesmerizing quality to the movie.
    • 48 Metascore
    • 63 Aparita Bhandari
    The Call of the Wild
    If you’re after an action-packed adventure film set against turn-of-the-century Canadian wilderness, you’ll likely come away disappointed. If you’re looking for a good ol’ yarn – the kind where bad guys sneer, good guys sigh and a big dog rescues everyone and finds its true self in the process? Jackpot!
    • 47 Metascore
    • 63 Aparita Bhandari
    Sonic the Hedgehog
    The movie was partially shot in beautiful British Columbia. And Carrey brings a madcap mashup of his previous avatars to this turn as Dr. Robotnik.

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