MAMI 2015: Day 1

Here it is again! My favourite week of the year. Mumbai Film Festival time. I did not blog about the films I saw last year and I felt I was missing out on an integral aspect of watching an orgy of films in a given week of the year. The years before that, I meticulously recorded my thoughts about the films I saw and it was therapeutic. So let's give it a shot this year as well shall we?

Taxi

Two years ago at this very festival Jafar Panahi's 'Closed Curtains' impressed me immensely and introduced me to his quintessential technique of blurring the real with the fictional. Just like that movie Jafar Panahi is a character in this film as well. I can almost classify this film as "super-meta" but really it is much more than that. It's an ode to cinema and cinema lovers. One particular character steals the show when she (deliberately?) breaks the fourth wall and addresses the film goer him/herself. Yet this moment does not seem out of place but seems to effortlessly belong in the film. We're seeing events unfold from the point of view of a dashboard camera recording a day in the life of Panahi, who is play acting as a cab driver. It's also a rebellious film. On the one hand we're seeing the fabulous streets and infrastructure of Tehran while on the other hand through the conversations we learn the struggles and constraints of Irani society and especially the hassles faced by artists. Then there's that bit about Panahi's niece shooting a short film within the film. Like I said, super-meta. There's never a dull moment in Taxi. A ride well worth taking. This one exceeded my expectations.


He Named Me Malala

I went in expecting this to be your average TV documentary fare. To its credit this film is far superior than that. It is aesthetically shot with extremely well done animated sequences recounting Malala and her father's days in Swat Valley while he was establishing a school. Then there are some intimate family sequences of Malala with her brothers which serve well as comic relief and have an air of warmth and togetherness to them. Despite this a sense of repetitiveness seeps in after a while. For me the most interesting bits were the ones that told us about Malala and her father's efforts to spread awareness and education and challenging the Taliban before Malala was shot. But since all of that happened before the world's attention turned to Malala there's very limited footage of it and only a brief section of the movie deals with it. Nevertheless the true revelation of this documentary is how the filmmaker exposes Malala's father's role in her life. He truly comes across as the fearless hero responsible for the global success that Malala has turned out to be. At times there's also a self-congratulatory tone but the makers do a good job of not over doing it. It's a very well made film and I'd recommend it. Since Malala's still a teenager, if she continues on the trail of relief work and spreading education that she's on then we might see a more comprehensive documentary in say the next decade or so. 

Kothanodi

I can't give definitive thoughts about this film because I walked in 20 minutes late and left about 10 minutes before it ended. It'd be incorrect to classify this film as "horror" though. It's more in the supernatural space revolving around black magic and superstitious beliefs. The defining factor of this film according to me was the background score and sound design. It's an odd comparison given this is an Assamese film but watching these stories unfold made me feel very much like reading one of Blaft's Tamil Pulp Fiction anthologies, Despite the obnoxious premises, at no point does the film seem stupid or to be biting off more than it can chew and that is to its credit.

Aligarh

Aligarh has its moments, and a very earnest performance by Manoj Bajpai. Despite this I found it to be terribly average. It tries to be a lot of things and ends up being neither one. It takes too long to take off. Scenes between Bajpai and Rajkumar Rao have some spark but they're few and far in between. Especially the middle section dealing with court proceedings buries the story down among all that legalese. At one point it seems the film is going to be about politicization of the AU but even that idea is abandoned. Then at times the film seems to be pursuing the pathway of a procedural, but even there no clear picture comes out, The topic of the film is essential no doubt and it's a story that needs to be told but I only wish it was done with better characterization, vigour and vibrant story telling techniques.

MAMI 2013: Day 1

It's Mumbai Film Festival time again & as I did the last time I attended I intend to blog about the films I see everyday to keep a neat document of my cinematic memories. Now since I run around all day to catch screenings & come home late it doesn't leave me much time to write an in depth frame-by-frame detailed post about the films. Hence these are just my basic thoughts about what I felt about these movies.

So without further ado let us begin.

Day 1

Closed Curtain (Pardé)

Language:- Persian

Director:- Jafar Panahi & Kambuzia Partovi

What starts out as a film seemingly about a man spending time alone at his beach house with his dog for peace of mind soon turns into a film about the invasion of privacy & the travails of living under exile with the arrival of new characters. And then mid-way through the film, director Jafar Panahi enters the movie as a character. He is playing himself. From this point on the difference between what's happening in 'reality' & what's occurring in the director's mind becomes paper thin. It fondles with this interesting idea of how a creation views it's creator. Though heavy with subtext & surrealism it is handled deftly. There are long stretches of scenes that required patience to watch especially as the film incorporates no music whatsoever. By the end the film leaves the audience to unravel the sequence of events that may or may not have taken place, the good thing though is each viewer may find his/her own conclusions.  

The Immigrant

Language: English 

Director: James Gray

Confession: I chose to watch 'The Immigrant' mainly because I have a big time crush on Marion Cotillard.

But with Joaquin Phoenix in the mix & a Palme d'Or nomination at Cannes I expected a first rate feature. Well, I was wrong.

'The Immigrant' is bland & boring. Apart from the splendid art deco & costumes which recreate the 1920's there's very little to keep you hooked here. Joaquin Phoenix overacts with aplomb as the oleaginous pimp, Marion Cotillard is not bad as the conflicted central character but her 'victim-of-circumstance' act borders on monotony. The only bright spot is Jeremy Renner who shines in his performance as a sprightly magician but unfortunately does not have enough screen time. Treatment wise there is a sense of lethargy all through. A plot like this sounds Oscar bait on paper but it just doesn't convert on screen.

Watch 'The Immigrant' when it's playing on TV someday on a lazy afternoon & you have nothing better to do. Actually don't, take an afternoon nap instead.

Fandry
Language: Marathi
Director: Nagraj Manjule

Fandry is an amazing movie. You know you've seen good cinema when you've been entertained yet educated, laughed yet felt a lump in the throat, sensed devastation yet felt a sliver of hope trickling through.

Social evils are alive & thriving in our country no matter how much we try & put a blanket over them, & to a greater extent in our villages where more than 70% of our population still lives. 'Fandry' is the story of an adolescent boy called 'Jabya' belonging to a lower caste in a Maharashtrian village. A story of his lofty aspirations as well his crushing reality.

There have been numerous films about the horrors of the caste system but none quite like this one. There's never a dull moment here, Through the story of the boy we are more or less coming face to face with our hypocrisy and ignorance. This does not mean that the film is deeply depressing. The subplots about Jabya trying to woo a classmate (belonging to a higher caste) with the help of his friend & having a boyish obsession with catching a black sparrow (which is his means of fanciful escapism) provide enough occasions for hearty laughter. Really though the film addresses the core issue without being preachy & to say that that is commendable is putting it mildly.

The acting all around is top notch & a special mention to the wonderful soundtrack by Aloknanda Das Gupta. I had the privilege to hear the director speak post the screening where he said it's a personal film for him as most of the things are based from his real life experiences and it shows.

Picasso's Gang (La Banda Picasso)
Language: French
Director: Fernando Colomo

The comedy genre is seriously underrepresented in film fests in my opinion, more often they're not considered 'on par' with gritty hard hitting cinema & hence I made it a point to watch this light hearted comic caper.

It is shot excellently with a brisk & bouncy screenplay & fantastic performances by all the actors. If you're an art & literature connoisseur of the early 1900's there's even more for you to love here as you might be able to spot the references & "in" jokes better. The 'gang' here refers to a group of artists which went on to revolutionize the world with their art but before that they were but youngsters trying to make ends meet, sometimes by not very healthy means and how they get embroiled in a theft at the Louvre museum.

A heavy handed topic like early 19th century art is lovingly repainted with a comical brush and it's much fun while it lasts. Time well spent.

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