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Nahid (2015)
Yet another brilliant film from Iran
Watched this film yesterday that won Un Certain Regard (Avenir Prize) at Cannes Film Fest. 2015 (tied with Indian entry 'Masaan').
Among the family dysfunctional Iranian films, two films ... Asghar Farhadi's Oscar-winning 'A Separation' (2011) and Shlomi Elkabetz's Golden Globe winner 'Gett: The Trial Of Viviane Amsalem' (2014) .... had taken the film world by storm for their in-depth portrayal of conservative and highly patriarchal Iranian society.
Following closely on the heels comes yet another Iranian film that can truly compete with these two preceding films in terms of the script and the presentation ... and that film is 'NAHID' directed by Ida Panahandeh.
The film makes a poignant commentary on Iran's ancient but still-on-the-books laws regarding Iranian marriages. In case of divorce, the law gives the child's custody exclusively to the father unless he agrees otherwise. In the instant case, the husband agrees to let his divorced wife have custody of their son so long as she doesn't remarry.
Another ancient law comes into play, involving a Sharia law particular to Iran. It allows for a religiously sanctioned temporary marriage, a dispensation that can cover anything from a long-term affair to polygamy to one-month temporary marriage without changing one's official marital status.
Against this backdrop and in a conservative and highly patriarchal society, the film tells a very complicated story of a debt-ridden single divorced mother engaged in the seemingly impossible task of trying to hold onto the custody of her only son while contemplating remarrying her newly found love at the same time.
The highlights of the film are superb directorial debut by Ida Panahandeh and amazing acting by Sareh Bayat in the lead role of 'Nahid'.
Ida Panahandeh has handled this complicated story with great finesse and richly deserves the award as the best debutante director. And the less said the better about the acting potential of Sareh Bayat. Many might have seen her as the pregnant maidservant in Asghar Farhadi's 'A Separation' around whom the film revolves. In this film, she has come up with yet another brilliant performance carrying the entire film on her shoulders. She has tremendous acting potential which certainly needs to be explored.
The other leading actors Pejman Bazeghi, Navid Mohammadzadeh and Milad HosseinPour (in the kid's role) too have done justice to their respective roles.
Another worth mentioning aspect of the film is its brilliant cinematography by Morteza Gheidi. He does a fantastic job of capturing the moods in the bleak wintry backwater, glittering lights reflected in the river water, bustling markets and musty cafes.
Overall, it's a brilliant film which must be watched.
My rating: 8 out of 10.
Invitation (2020)
An aesthetic exception
I had to watch this movie for one more time to make sense of the fragmented events that unfolded on the screen traversing past and future.
The story is about two brothers and charming women whom they both love passionately. Although supposed to marry the elder brother, she disappears with the younger brother after an eventful night leaving no clue behind. As the senior leads a solitary life of sorrow and betrayal for 17 years, he gets a call from the lost woman. At long last, he gets an opportunity to know the unknown.
The capstone of the movie is its narration! It builds-up back and forth in time retaining the sense of disorientation and doubt. This poses more questions than answers. Also, the elements of ambiguity and the mystery to the narrative keep the emotional agony lasting from beginning to the end.
This concept of time gives an altogether different dimension to the movie. Shows how moments and actions at a point can change people's destiny. It not only adds to the depth but also keeps curiosity alive throughout the film.
Aesthetically, the film is outstanding. The cinematography is mind-blowing. The set design, the property, the editing and background score is stunning inducing sensuality, mystery and perplexity. Acting by lead actors is subdued and dignified ... befitting to the theme.
And kudos to the director, Kim In Sik for presenting this concoction of
disorientation, mystery and sensuality in a mesmerizing way!
The film is bound to remain in the mind of the discerning viewer for its impact and artistry for a long long time. May pl. watch its trailer here ...
My rating 9 out of 10
Ram Tayade (Deshmukh)
Kaul (2016)
Kaul - a mysterious call from unknown
First, it reminded me of Mani Kaul's films which had an influence of films of Robert Bresson and the impact of German poet and playwright Bertolt Brecht and his 'theory of alienation' from the 'epic theatre' movement - the concept where the actors distance themselves from the character in an inert way, encouraging the audience to think about the larger narrative rather than identify with the emotions of the characters. Mani Kaul's films ushered in an altogether new era in film-making back in the 1970s.
In his debut film the director, Aadish Keluskar, an alumna of FFTI, has gone a step ahead of his predecessors and made even these actors somewhat redundant as if casting them only for the sake of their identity. Almost half the movie has shots that mostly comprise of the surrounding scenario while actors provide dialogues in the background to carry the story forward... and what a stunning these visuals are!
The film opens with the quote by Nietzsche;
"Those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music"
And so goes on the story of the movie quite resonating the quote in a literal and metaphorical sense ultimately leaving it to the audience to decipher its meaning for themselves.
The lead actor, a school teacher witnesses a supernatural event and seeks an answer to it from an old man who is the only witness to the event. The old man asks the protagonist to unlearn everything known to him about Gods and humans to enlighten himself about 'Neti-Neti' (literally translates to "Not this, Not this" in Sanskrit) ideology. The old man has a bell that might echo reversal of primordial sound of every creation 'OM' and if rang would destroy every creation in the universe. And then there are supernatural phenomenons and murders too. It's an aggressive divergent thinking film that has nihilism & existentialism at its core which also poses questions about our age-old concept of moral beliefs and education.
Presented in a highly unconventional manner, it's a movie about losing sanity or attaining 'Moksha' - a situation that's haunting and horrific in equal measure leaving you in a spiritual ambiguity. May sound bizarre, but Keluskar knew what he was doing and presented it with an astonishing nonlinear audio-visual medium so rare in Indian Cinema. After all, it's a film about a seemingly mad person who hears different music.
And cinematography of Amey Chavan - mostly dark with thin patches of bright light - and the sound design of Piyush Shah with sounds of rain and chirping birds are highlights of the movie that effectively create the mysticism and eerie effect needed for the theme. Two main actors Rohit Kokate (teacher) and Deepak Parab (old man) are dependable.
Certainly not a film for an average film-goer but a thinker and connoisseur of Cinema is bound to remain glued to his seat till the very end and might even want to watch it many times more after it's over.
I wonder how come this highly experimental and path-breaking movie from 2016 has only one win to its credit so far and wasn't even a nominated as India's entry for Academy Awards.
C U Soon (2020)
A routine thriller done differently
'C U Soon' (2020) - A routine thriller done differently
Watched this much talked about Malyalam film directed Mahesh Narayan yesterday.
There is nothing new and the film treads the routine path of an average thrillers that are abundantly available on OTT platforms these days but, at the same time, scores very high in terms of digital technological innovation .
The film, however, suffers due to its weak script. The very first shot begins with a chat on an online wedding web-site and smart viewer can well anticipate the events that would unfold later. And once the secrete is out in the open there is little scope for any character development due to steady deployment of computer screen shots all through the film. Needs to be appreciated, however, that there are no logical inconsistencies in the presentation.
The innovative film-making format is laudable. Music too is appropriate. Direction ... mostly editing ... is fine. As for acting, Anu (Darshana Rajendran) does all the heavy lifting. Jimmy (Roshan Mathew) in the lead role is okay while Kevin (Fahadh Faasil) keeps the hype going.
Incidentally, the film reminds me of Gustav Möller 2018 Danish film 'Guilty' which portrays the plight of a police officer's race against time when he receives a distress call from a kidnapped woman.
This film can well be compared with 'C U Soon' since it's also a thriller and, though shot in a conventional manner with a single character siting in police control room, viewers are left to imagine events happening elsewhere virtually. The character of visible police officer and other non-visible characters & events are brilliantly developed through creative script and dialogues. The suspense, thrills, twists and turns keep viewers glued to their seat stupefied and the moral dilemma in the end makes them ponder over the happenings for a long time after the film is over.
C U Soon lacks such depth of content due to average script and limitation of the chosen medium. The movie appears shallow in that respect. Besides, with its small plot-line, the director seems to be trying to fill the time to make it past one and half hour mark. Also those not accustomed to fiddling with the computer and the digital gadgets may find it quite difficult to follow.
My rating...
For tech-savvy viewers with penchant for thrillers: 8 out 10
For art-house movie viewers: 5 out of 10
Rest: 3 out of 10
Ram Tayade (Deshmukh)
4-9-2020
His Father's Voice (2019)
Dance your way through
Attended the 'Pune Premier' of 'His Father's Voice' last Sunday at National Film Archives after it's exhibition in Hollywood.
Drawing parallel to Ramyana's mythological epic and the character of Ram, Sita and Lav, the film paints similar situation of separation in contemporary India. Enthralled by Indian classical music John, a foreign national, settles alonwith his wife and son, Kris in a 'Gurukul' in Tamil Nadu. Kris, now 12 yr. old, gets obsessed with 'Bharatnatyam' under the guidance of, his Guru, Parvathi and in the company of her daughter, Valli, of his age. Later, getting suspicious about the relations between her husband and Parvati, the wife leaves for foreign country taking Kris along with her. Nostalgia of the old days at 'Gurukul' and his yearning for 'Bharatnatyam' compels Kris, now a handsome young man, to returns after twelve years only to find that his father isn't there. The film portrays the story of his meeting with Valli, Parvati, his distress over the absence of father and the climax when he finally happens to meet him.
More than the script, acting and character development, I was greatly impressed by the melodious music, songs, lyrics, cinematography and Hindu traditions and culture depicted in the movie. And number of Bharatnatyam dances indeed were an icing on the cake ...absolutely mesmerizing!
Importantly, Ashwini Pratap Pawar, a painter & Bharatnatyam dancer originally from Pune, had brilliantly played the role of Parvti in the movie. Maybe because of that a 'Marathi Song' finds place in otherwise English movie. Besides, her paintings form an integral part of the movie and attract attention time and again.
To sum up, it's an entertaing and eye pleasing movie that needs to be watched.
My rating: 7 out of 10
Ram Tayade (Deshmukh)
Nooreh (2018)
Delicasy in distress
Ashish Pande does it again and makes us, Nagpurins feel proud. After winning 'Best Short' at 'Busan Film Festival' South Korea in 2018, his film 'Nooreh' has recently won the 'German Star of India' award for 'Best Short' at Stuttgart (Indian Film) Festival Germany.
The film takes a dig at volatile situation in Kashmir in a very delicate manner and portrays harsh realities through its innovative script and minimal & simplistic dialogues ... like when a resident says, "Goliyon Ke Nishan Barabar Gino, Varna Mastarji Gussa Karenge..." or when Noor says, "Woh, Muchhawale Fauji Uncle Kahan Gaye?". Besides, the film has a surprising twist at the end which is so essential for a quality short film.
Most importantly, film runs at a leisurely pace, leaving enough space for soaking in the mood of the soul-stirring shots. This is rarely seen in most of today's fast moving films with innumerable cuts. We used to see such spaces in films of old masters like Ingmar Bergman, Anderj Wajda or our own Satyajit Rai, Adoor Gopalkrishnan, G. Aravindan or Mani Kaul. So, in a way, this film tries to go back to the roots and rediscover the treasure of the 'Old Masters'.
Cinematography is absolutely brilliant. Shots of meandering roads and the children going to and returning from the school are simply brilliant. Reminds me of Abbas Kiarostami's films like, 'Where is my friend's home', 'Roads', 'The Winds Will Carry Us' or 'Chorus', Majid Majdi's film 'Color of paradise' and Jafar Panahi's films as well.
The direction is brilliant. Editing maintains smooth flow till the very end while the background score & sound designing is remarkable and superbly adds to the sombre but playful mood of the film.
In short, the film richly deserves its 2 wins and 5 nominations at various International Film Festivals.
My rating: 9 out of 10
Ram Tayade (Deshmukh)
Mustafa Z (2017)
Innovative theme
Watched this movie at Tunisian Film Festival jointly organized by Aashay Film Club, NFAI & FFSI at National Film Archives auditorium Pune.
Apart from crisp editing and spick-and-span dialogues, the true brilliance of this movie lies in its innovative theme. The film portrays twenty four hours in the life of an ordinary citizen, Mustfa, who is run down by the continuing dysfunctional family life, indifferent social attitude, flaws in the governing system and apathy of the Govt. In a moment of an awareness, his pent up frustration finally erupts and he revolts against family, society and the system since Tunisian citizen, who dreamed of a better life as a result of the revolution, are is still facing a system where the application of the law is always wrong and arbitrary.
On this day, when his marriage is on the rocks, one of his teeth falls out whilst getting ready in the bathroom. Then on his drive to the school, his teenage son insults him with scathing remarks. Next his work-day begins with his instant dismissal : he will never again present the news on the radio. He seeks calm by shutting himself at home where he falls asleep. On waking he notes to his dismay that he is urinating blood. No time to angst, however, as he must rush to pick up his son after school. On way, he suddenly runs out of fuel and has to abandon his car and leave in search of gasoline. On return, he discovers that his car is about to be impounded. He tries in vain to bribe municipal officials. Exasperated, he attempts one last gesture of rebellion and locks himself in the car that's being towed away. He refuses to come out for whole night. Being a media man, he broadcasts his plight on a social media via internet which instantly catches media attention resulting in a visit of his wife, son and even Minister of the state.
He is transformed overnight from an ordinary gullible citizen to a hero who dares to say no and asserts his right to individual freedom ...all this happening at an appropriate juncture... on the eve of first ever free election in Tunisia after revolution.
Superbly supported by a strong performance from the lead actor, Abdelmonem Chouayet, the director, Nidhal Chatta, brilliantly portrays number of contemporary evils of Tunisian society in this satirical tragic-comedy.
A must watch movie.
My rating: 9 out of 10
Ram Tayade (Deshmukh)
29-06-2019
Masaan (2015)
Depth of hope and despair
'Masaan' - depth of despair and hope (Note: The review may contain spoilers)
'Masaan', literally meaning crematorium, is an excellent movie dealing with India's tethering issues like caste system, religious beliefs, corruption and clash between traditional and modern generation grown on internet & smart phones. Many mainstream - and not so mainstream - films have touched upon these issues before but not as tenderly, but powerfully at the same time, as this one.
On the backdrop of vibrant visuals of holy city of Varanasi, the film deals with the love & loss of it, exploitation, crumbling moral values, pathetic life of 'Doms' of Kashi's 'Ghats' and depicts the plight of modern youth in handling these issues and moving forward. In the end the film turns out to be both - a tragic melodrama as well as pleasing modern day youthful romance. It's somewhat like old black & white classics, but presented in modern, artistic and extremely realistic manner - and its director Neeraj Ghaywan succeeds in convincing the audience to take home whatever they like.
Two - or more precisely two and half stories - run parallel to each other in the film. It starts off with the story of Devi (Richa Chadda) and her erotic sexual adventure that veers into a case of abatement for a suicide & sex scandal and goes on to show how she and her father, Vidyadhar Pathak (Sanjay Mishra) cope with the corrupt cops, social stigma and their own shattered life. The second one is a tender story of low caste college student, Deepak's (Vicky Kaushal) whose surreal romance with Shalu (Sweta Tiwari) takes off with a pleasant & typical small-town boy-meets-girl way but later wavers into a tragic episode. Then the third is a small time story is of teen-aged orphan boy, Jhonta (Nikhil Sahni). Vidyadhar Pathak engages him in a dangerous betting game of diving in holy Ganga and fetching coins to boost his own income compromising with his moral background.
Shades of communal and social tension afloat, these three stories together squeeze out the emotions and pathos that completely draw you in and the feel of joy, sorrow and suffering of each character turns it into an unique movie experience.
The film is very strong in practically all the departments. It's tight and poignant script by Varun Grovar, excellently supported by editor Nitin Baid, uniquely balances the situations of pleasure and pain throughout and keeps you glued to your seat till the very end. All the actors - most of them new comers, except experienced, Sanjay Mishra and to some extent Richa Chadda - have done a fantastic job. While Richa Chadda well balances her role, Vicky Kaushal agonizes you when he bursts into heart-breaking cry on the river bank. Sanjay Mishra, of course, is a very talented actor who, unfortunately, had been playing second-in-line roles in most of his films till now. Giving due respect, this film awards him almost a lead role and an opportunity displays his true mastery over the craft. Besides, all others in the cast, including the young boy, Nikhil Sahni and Sweta Tripathi, seem to be living their roles to the core. The casting director certainly deserves a special mention here. What should I say about Avinash Arun Dhaware's cinematography? It's simply fabulous! Capture of some of the scenes like raw beauty and intrinsic culture of Ghats of Kashi, sparks and burning flames of the funeral pyres, birds formations in the sky; blinking lights of two trains crossing on the bridge in the darkness of night and many other scenes are simply fantastic. And then, the films songs 'Tu Kisi Rail Si Guzarti Hai, Main Kisi Pull Sa Thartharata Hoon' as well as 'Mann Kasturi Re' sung by Swanand Kirkire will haunt you for months together. He, along with the poet, Dushyant Kumar & lyric writer, Varun Grover, and music composers, Bruno Caulias & Indian Ocean, deserve all the kudos.
Only thing that bothered me was that lot of coincidences were fused in the last few minutes to tie up the loose ends and quickly wrap-up the movie. The film also reminded me of Nagesh Kuknoor's films '3 Diwarein' and 'Dor'. However, with the strong and poignant portrayal of the protagonist Devi, as a strong and uncompromising educated woman of modern India, this film should certainly find its place as one of the great woman oriented Indian movies of all times.
As a debut, the film is truly a giant leap for director, Neeraj Ghaywan, who had till now been assisting renowned film director, Anurag Kashyap, in films like 'Gangs of Wassyepur' etc. The film-buffs can certainly expect many great films from him in the days to come. Also film certainly deserves the 'Un Certain Regard' award it had won at Cannes Film Fest. 2015 in France.
Baraka (1992)
A glimpse of a divine
I first saw this Ron Fricke's documentary way back in 2006 on TV. it did make a great impression about being something mysterious but I couldn't pay serious attention to it owing to other preoccupations. The film, however, had always remained at the back of mind. So when I saw it for second time recently – this time on a large screen - I was awestruck by the sheer magnitude of the film that made me restless till I wrote down that rewarding viewing experience.
When searched on the Internet, one gathers that the word 'Baraka' is a Sufi word - meaning blessing of God in the form of spiritual wisdom or the divine presence. And how truly and spell-bindingly this film brings out that essence even though not a single word is spoken throughout its entire length of 96 minutes!
Directed by cinematographer himself, the film was shot in 6 continents covering 24 countries including my own and neighboring Nepal. Baraka showcases unforgettable snapshots and moving images that transport us to glory & vastness of nature, natural wonders, serenity, spirituality, sacred sites, rituals, prayers, tribal life, city life, industrial sites and also the man-made disasters that threaten the mankind as well as earth's other creatures. These powerful images establish the links between humanity and nature
how our own life style reflects on the natural rhythm of the planet. As the film progresses, these images begin to creep onto our consciousness, rule our feelings and finally evoke compassion.
By dispensing with dialog or any visual text, this film gives altogether different dimension to documentary film making that defies the hitherto tradition.
Music composer, Michael Stearns's hypnotic and soul-stirring music is the real icing on the cake. It combines visuals with musical artistry...a magical blend of ancient
folk
traditional
global to modern music. His music definitely deserves large chunk of success this film has earned.
Not only the images are mesmerizing and a great visual feast for eyes but also the film is equally soul stirring experience that connoisseurs & film buffs can't afford to miss. Surely deserves 8 out of 10
Jogwa (2009)
Lacks finesse
'Jogwa' literarily means alms – begging in the name Goddess Yellama. The film attempts to explore the wretched inhuman practices of the Goddess Yellama cult that were prevalent since long in southern Maharashtra and northern Karnataka & Andhra Pradesh. The children with an incomprehensible disease or deformities were sacrificed supposedly to serve Goddess Yellama but were sexually exploited by the villagers in reality. The film succeeds in exploring this heinous practice to some extent but does so too loudly lacking the finesse of an earlier film 'Giddh' (1984) that told the story on the same subject with stark realism without pulling any punches.
Young girl Sulie (Mukta Barve)finds having a knot (Jat) in her hair while another young man, Tayappa(Upendra Limaye), passes traces of blood in his urine. The only remedy available, according to the prevailing traditions, was to sacrifice them in the service of Goddess Yalamma. They must bow down to tradition, much against their wish, and live on begging for food. They must not get married and the boy must live like a girl draping a sari for the rest of his life. They are invited to perform cult's devotional songs and dance in praise of the Goddess on auspicious occasions but,at the same time, they must allow their bodies for sexual gratifications of the villagers as sex slaves. The film goes on to show their love for each other and scuffle against this deplorable tradition.
I think despite its strong theme, the narrative losses its grip on several occasions because of excessive melodramatic situations and loud presentation. The music is extremely melodious and aptly deserves the National Award but it's not at all befitting to the basic theme and darker mood of the film. The same is true of the cinematography. The gimmicks of threading in "Roja' like song and takes at breathtaking locations may be eye pleasing and entertaining but they don't go in tune with the basic theme and, at times, paralyses audience's involvement. It's somewhat like hanging a chandler in the middle of a slum. Incidentally, that reminds me of the funny tricks I.S.Johar used to play in his old films like 'Bewkoof' wherein action clips from Hollywood movies were roped in his movies just to boost the poor production. Realistically, the dark theme of "Jogwa', needed a different pace & underlying music that was more culturally oriented. But these lapses must be excused if one wants viewers to come to theatre and watch the movie.
So, to sum up, the bold theme, top notch performance by all the actors (with Upendra Limaye excelling and richly deserving the National Award) and melodious musical score by Ajay-Atul (though somewhat incongruous to the basic theme) are the only saving grace for this film.
I give it 5 out of 10.