Mumbai film fest: Day 4

On day 4, I was only able to squeeze in time for 1 film. But that 1 film was an experience I shall not forget for a very, very long time.


The Artist

Language: Silent film with English intertitles
Year: 2011
Director: Michael Hazanavicius


'The Artist' was the first time that I watched a silent film in a movie theater. It was an experience to behold. It made me feel like I had traveled back in time to the golden silent-era of Hollywood.


The film depicts a time period from 1927 to 1931 & is shot in pristine black & white. In these times of high definition colours, microscopic clarity & surround sound there is something trustworthy about a black & white silent film that makes us instantly connect with it. Every frame is so lovingly decorated that you just can't stop your heart from fluttering with joy. Even the screen aspect ratio is the classic 1:1:33 format. 

The story is that of a dashing & rather arrogant superstar George Valentin (played by Jean Dujardin) of the pre-talkie era who is caught off guard by the arrival of sound in films. He dismisses it in the early stages ("If that's the future, then you can have it" is his snobbish reply to the producer). Obviously, he is proven wrong. Over the next few years, his roles dry up, he goes broke, ventures into directing but fails miserably, his wife leaves him & so do his palatial comforts.


Around the same time there's another star on the rise, the lovingly named Peppy Miller (Berinice Bolo) who was spotted by George & whom he had fallen in love with before her career went into an overdrive. She's known for a little beauty mark that Valentin penciled with love & care. 


So while Valentin goes down in the dumps & Peppy soars to the sky, would she remain loyal?


I guess you know the answer. Yes, it is the grand retelling of the quintessential 'fall of the artist' story, but the manner in which it is told makes all the difference in the world. One can see all the fondness & affection that Haznavicius has for the silent era burst out in tenderness & glory here.


Of course the acting is unparalleled. There are certain mannerisms which were so prominent in the actors of the silent era that are on full display here & leave you in magnificent awe. No wonder Dujardin won the best actor award at Cannes earlier this year (Not to mention even the adorable Jack Russell terrier in the film won the Palm dog award!)


In a silent film, the music are the words & Ludovic Bource does a terrific job of eliciting the desired emotions out of us.


'The Artist' is a film that is in a league of it's own. It's unfair to try & compare it with any other film that I've seen in the festival. It made me fall into a certain state of enchantment & reverie that no other film did. 


Somewhere along the way as technology advanced, the movies lost their soul. 'The Artist' resurrects that soul.

Mumbai film fest: Day 3

On day 3 I witnessed 3 drastically different films. A dystopian, ominous turkish flick, a visually soothing Russian film & a razor sharp political thriller directed by George Clooney.

Le Diner Les Monstres/ The Monsters' Dinner

Language: English (Turkish actors)

Year: 2011

Director: Ramin Matin

The monsters' dinner is as dark, ominous & psychologically challenging a film as they come. In fact I would even slot it under 'horror' in my book even though there are no ghosts present. Well at least not the "physical" kind. Psychologically though, there are monsters galore.

It's hard to say whether you "like" or "dislike" a film like this. Because the only intent here is to make a profound impact on your mind. And it does that quite convincingly.

The film is set in a dystopian universe, a satiric reflection of our contemporary global society manifested in the near future, in which two seemingly ordinary couples sit down for a dinner party. The film cruelly and comically shows how our contemporary culture might transform into a world of extreme hedonism, violence and desensitization.

It's a world where evidently "normal' things that liberate us for example, painting, reading fiction, smoking or even tasting the sweetness of sugar are illegal, but ostensibly preposterous things like infidelity & "buying" children are the order of the day.

The entire film has just 4 characters, is shot entirely in 1 house, takes place more or less in real time & has lots & lots & lots of dialogue, as that's the only tool through which we derive the time, & environment the film is set in.

The film relies very heavily on creating the dark, mysterious feel, by generating a plush yet cryptic ambience. A special mention to the sound designer Oguz Kaynak, as the background "score" (I wonder if you can call it that because it sounds more a melange of sound effects & jarring music) had me very intrigued. The photography too is top notch. If you want to see how many different ways a character can be captured within limited confines of space watch this.

This film reminded me of Kubrick's 'A clockwork orange' which is set in a similar dystopian universe. There's a sequence in the film where the characters while having normal chit chatter are also slapping a small child with ferocious intensity just for fun. It makes you cringe in your seat.

All I can say is if any formal dinner you attend starts resembling the dinner in this film, run like hell & don't look back.

First time for everything

Language: Russian

Year: 2011

Director: Leonid Fomin

It's thanks to film festivals like MFF that I get to see a small Russian independent film like 'First time for everything'. It might never make it big in the commercial arena, might not even make enough waves to get a cult following, & might be very difficult to even dig out on the internet (WHAT?!).

It's a simple story of a little boy, Kolya, who accidently meets his father for the first time in his life. Father and son rediscover each other, overcoming inner misunderstandings as well as numerous obstacles in their life path.

The film is visual poetry. In complete contrast with 'A monsters' dinner', this film has very minimal dialogue. It's all about images & visuals & expressions & body language & things that are left unsaid.

The cinematography by DOP Alexey Korovin is breathtaking despite it being quite apparent that the film was made on a tight budget. Whether it's a forest, a lake, the warm & cozy interiors of a wooden house, the cold rain, the glowing sunlight, or even the plush confines of a flat, everything is picturised beautifully. The charming music by Andrey Zubetc adds effortlessly to the milieu.

It's a film that creates a halo around you & expects you to be "in the zone" to enjoy it thoroughly. I surely did.

The Ides of March

Language: English

Year: 2011

Director: George Clooney

The George Clooney directed 'The Ides of March' had the longest que. For an 8:15 p.m show people had started lining up outside the auditorium since 6 p.m, so I was doubtful whether I'll be able to get in, but luckily I did. And I'm glad that I did for 'The Ides of March' is one of the best films I've seen this year.

George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Geoffery Wright.

Whoa!

Nothing. Just wanted to get the load of that exceptional star cast off my chest. With that amount of talent involved, a film can either soar to the skies or crush under the pressure of its excellence. Thankfully in this case, it's the former.

Now, politics is dirty. You know that & I know that. There's a whole lot of shady work done by political parties behind the scenes at the time of elections to make us, the general public, believe that their candidate is squeaky clean. But of course they're not. So the premise of Clooney's film & the revelations it makes might not be anything brand new, yet Clooney makes his points within the guise of a pulse-racing thriller. And what a move it is.

The central character is Stephen Myers (Ryan Gosling), who as a press secretary is required to more or less lie for a living. he works for Pennsylvania Gov. Mike Morris (Clooney) an idealistic liberal. Paul Zara (Hoffman) is his seasoned campaign manager. Also on Moriss' campaign is a young intern Molly (Wood) who Stephen gets cozy with. Sen. Pullman (Michael Mantell) is Morris' opponent & Paul Giamatti is Tom Duffy, Pullman's campaign manager. Marisa Tomei plays the inquisitive New York Times reporter Ida Horowicz.

Both Moriss & Pullman are in the race for President & the state of Ohio will decide the game.

Taking this premise Clooney who's aided on the screenplay by Grant Heslov & Beau Willimon sets up a tale of sex, deceit & doublecrossing.

To give away anything more would be a shame. All I can say is that the film throws twists & turns galore that are a treat to watch unfold.

I never realized when the 100 odd minutes raced away while watching the film & when that happens you can be rest assured the film has struck a chord. It's sure to get a wide release in India soon & when it does I recommend you go & watch it.

Mumbai film fest: Day 2

So on day 2 of MFF I saw a sweet-as-a-candy romantic drama, a marathi satirical dramedy & an insipid German film.

Restless

Language: English

Year: 2011

Director: Gus Van Sant

I was drawn to Gus Van Sant's Restless like a nail to a magnet.

16 year old Enoch (Henry Hopper) is a funeral crasher. Needless to say this implies that he is in some weird manner obsessed with the idea of death. At one such funeral he bumps into Annabelle (Mia Wasikowska). Sparks fly & the two of them get acquainted & crash some funerals together until Enoch comes to know that Annabelle herself is a cancer patient & has just 3 more months to live

The subject sounds grim & morose no doubt but it is handled with a deft hand by the director. At no point is Annabelle's condition used to extract sympathy out of you. Because death is so near her, Annabelle simply decides to ignore it & wants to live out & experience as much life & romance as she can in the time remaining. Instead of gloom what we get is efflorescence. Wasikowska is splendid as the Manic pixie dream girl Annabelle (This is her 2nd bright performance of the year after Cary Joji Fukunaga's British adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's 'Jane Eyre'). The cinematography by Harris Savides is noteworthy as it paints an ideal canvas of beauty & pain.

On the downside though the pace of the movie is pretty slow & can give a turtle a run for its money in the 2nd half. The role of Hiroshi, Enoch's english speaking Japanese ghost buddy who serves as his sub-conscious & voice of reason is never really convincing & one wonders if it was required at all.

Yet all of that aside I completely loved losing myself in this beautiful world of 'Restless'. It gave me a feeling akin to listening to a Pink Floyd album, or meeting an old friend, or a late evening by the sea. It made me realize why I fell in love with the movies in the first place.

I for one can't wait to watch it again & again.

Deool (The Temple)

Language: Marathi

Year; 2011

Director: Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni

Deool is 1 story finely divided into 3 acts. The first act will remind you of the stories of R.K.Narayan with its simple and unpretentious element of humour focused on ordinary villagers. The 2nd act sees the transformation of human psyche & behavior once wealth & social status are acquired & the 3rd is the introspective one which asks questions about the soul, religion & existence of God.

A farmer while searching for his cow finds her near a tree. Exhausted, he takes a nap under the tree & dreams of the 3 headed hindu lord datta. Unable to keep this to himself he tells the whole village. News spreads like wild fire & the tree site is considered holy.

This is the basic premise for the entire film. There's humour, politics, philosophy, & a mirror is held up against the hype & hooplah infested times that we live in today.

Just like 'Adieu Gary' which I blogged about yesterday even Deool beleives in creating a universe of characters unto itself. There are too many to name here but each makes a noteworthy contribution. But where Adieu Gary was small & intimate. Deool is grand & ambitious.

The acting is fantastic all around & why not, the cast boasts of the who's who of the Marathi film, television & stage industry, Nana Patekar, Dilip Prabhawallkar ( 'Gandhiji' from Lage Raho Munnbhai who seems to be in every Marathi film nowadays & also is ironically nicknamed "Anna" here!), Girish Kulkarni, Sonali Kulkarni, Kishor Kadam, Vaibhavi Deshpande just to name a few, and also a sprightly cameo by Naseeruddin Shah himself.

There aren't many faults to find here really. Everything from the script (Girish Kulkarni) to dialogue to background music to cinematography is splendid. Only aspect I didn't like was a glossy dance number which was completely out of place, & probably the length of the film could've been a bit shorter.

But these are just minute hindrances in what is a fabulous all round endeavor. It's an entertaining crowdpleaser that's also reflective & thoughtful. Leave the Ra-One's, Rascals & Bodyguards behind & watch this instead.

Uber uns das all (Above us only sky)

Language: German

Year: 2011

Director: Jan Schomburg

After watching 2 films that I was entirely engrossed in, I have to say Above us... turned out to be quite underwhelming.

Martha Sabel (Sandra Huller) is an English teacher who's in a happy relationship with Paul Sabel (Felix Knopp), a medical student. Paul gets a job in Marseille & they decide to move there. Paul leaves & Martha is supposed to join him a week later. But 2 days after his departure cops turn up at Martha's place to inform her that Paul has been found dead in his car. He committed suicide.

Sounds damn interesting doesn't it? Well, it's actually not.

Reading the synopsis above you would expect the film to follow a certain trajectory, which to be frank it does for most of the first half. But just as I was getting excited at the prospect of watching a neo-noir murder mystery the film takes a turn & sadly it's for the worse.

While probing Paul's mysterious death Martha comes across Alexander (Georg Friedrich) & falls for her as he reminds her of Paul. Hereonwards the movie focuses on whether Alexander will be able to take Paul's place in Martha's life or not.

The pace of the film is lethargic & the plot takes its own sweet (bitter?) time to unravel. Conflicts emerge & drop for no reason, & the story failed to keep me captivated. To give credit where it's due though Sandra Huller is fine as the troubled Martha. The subdued agitation & depression in her eyes is stark.

I'm not saying Above us... is a bad film, but I felt it could've been a better one. It ends up being a bore which is a pity. But then that's just my opinion.

Mumbai film fest: Day 1

The 13th edition of the week long Mumbai film festival (MFF) kicked off on 14th of october & like an obedient movie buff i was present to reap the benefits along with my fellow movie geeks. Each day I will try & post my views, opinions & thoughts about the films I see. So here are my musings of the 3 films I saw on day 1.

Adieu Gary (Goodbye Gary)

Language: French

Year: 2008

Director: Nassim Amouche

Adieu Gary is one of those films that creates its own little universe of characters & demands us to immerse ourselves in its amusing & dreamy world. The setting is an old forlorn garden city of France which used to have a factory which is now closed down. And yet some people decide to still linger around. We meet a 50-something widower Francis who has 2 sons Samir, who's returning after a stint in prison for selling weed & Icham who has a boring job but is learning Arabic to get a more 'happening' job in Morocco. Francis has an affair with his neighbour Maria who in turn has a dreamy, jobless teenage son who spends most of his day watching old American westerns. Oh & there's also the beautiful Nejma, a North American waitress that Samir falls in love with & the oleaginous Abdel who hangs around the street corners. Apart from these there are various other characters we are introduced to who mostly bask in the summer sun.

The film is not plot heavy & has more to do with references & imagery. It brings forth the interesting fact that the lives of the unemployed are probably as routined as those of the employed. There are character back stories here that need figuring out on your own accord. The acting is mostly good all around but Jean Pierre Bacri stands out as the conscientious Francis. There's one party scene in particular that caught my fancy where Nejma starts to sing with a man playing an Oud & the camera pans a full 360 around the party before coming back & resting on Nejma & the instrumentalist again.

If you are ready to be patient & like to embroil yourself in the happenings on screen you will find Adieu Gary lingering in your mind long after the end credits roll.

Moneyball

Language: English

Year: 2011

Director: Bennet Miller

I was desperately looking forward to watching Moneyball at MFF for 2 reasons- 1. Aaron Sorkin & 2. Steven Zalliain. Yep, the 2 phenomenal screenwriters have collaborated on the script of this zany, intelligent, smart & moving biographical sports drama.

Brad Pitt plays Billy Beane, GM of the Oakland A's who are down in the dumps ("There are rich teams, there are poor teams then there's 50 feet of crap & then there's us") owing to a losing streak & the impending doom of losing 3 star players. Beane has got to build a team worthy of winning the championship & he's got zilch budget. Enter Peter Brand, played to potent perfection by Jonah Hill who finally gets to dig his teeth in a role of substance after playing the comedy whiz kid in innumerable teen comedies. Brand is a nerdy Yale graduate, a sabermetrics pioneer who crunches the numbers to arrive at a strict cost effective analysis of baseball players.

Pitt is simply superb as Billy Beane & immerses himself completely in the role. Our heart goes out for him right from the word go & the passion is right up front with each movement & each dialogue. This is undoubtedly one of Pitt's most memorable performances of his career.

Also present is Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman as team manager Art Howe, a thorn in the side of Bean's plans. Hoffman doesn't have much screen time yet leaves an indellible mark on the movie.

The witty dialogue & tight script is no surprise given the dynamic duo that worked on it & the cinematography by by Wally Pfister makes for an inviting atmosphere. Also notable is how cleverly real, authentic baseball footage is used within the movie.

Moneyball is a business movie that's disguised as a sports movie. It's that rare occasion when big budget Hollywood decides to serve up something inventive, sharp & wise, It's a sumptuous feast.

Armadillo

Language: Danish

Year: 2010

Director: Janus Metz

Armadillo is a hard hitting documentary that will make you thankful for the fact that you can sit in the comfortable confines of your home & walk around freely on the city streets because there are other parts of the world (not very far from ours) where war, destruction & death stare people right in the face no matter where they turn.

The film follows a group of Danish soldiers who are on their first mission in Afghanistan at a forward operating base named FOB Armadillo. We are witness to how their lives play out for the next 6 months. Needless to say its not very pretty.

Armadillo is raw & unhinged. It puts us, the audience out there in the battlefield. It goes out to prove that no matter how much planning & plotting goes around, war is sudden, aggressive, brutal, gut wrenching & devastating.

There's one edit near the mid-way point that is heart thumpingly visceral. The soldiers out of boredom are busy playing black ops on their Xbox when the camera zooms in & the image of a pixelated cartoon-y blast merges with the green flames of a night vision camera. Splendid!

And then there are the scenes where the soldiers go out to ask the villagers of how secure they feel. This is when you realize just how helpless the people of the region are. How overnight their entire livelihood, their houses, cattle, crops & women & children shall be lost. They are damned if they do , damned if they don't as one Afghan farmer puts it innocently "You don't die, the Taliban don't die...its just us who dies"

Though I did feel that at times the film sensationilized certain sequences, yet at the end of it whatever you think of the war or even of the men’s actions, it’s impossible not to care for them and the suffering Afghans equally. And to maintain that balance for a war film is quite an achievement

Silence

Forever takes an instant to end
And cacophony turns to silence in a snap.
Silence.
What am I to do with all this silence?
The memories hover
but the thoughts are silent.
The mouth speaks
but the tongue is silent.
Aggression boils
but anger is silent.
The clock ticks
but the time is silent.
The eyes see
but the vision is silent.
The images reflect
but the insight is silent.
The light resonates
but the sunshine is silent
The dreams ache
but the want  is silent.
My affection writhes in agony
but mockingly Love is  silent.
The waves crash
but the winds are silent.
The smiles are aplenty
but heartfelt laughter is silent
The night is a blitzkrieg
but the stars are silent
The companionship is merry
but trust is silent.
The heart's taking a victory leap
but the soul though, is tragically silent.
Silence.
What am I to do with all this silence?

-ABBAS