Anbe Sivam (2003)

English translation: God is love

Director: Sundar C

Story: Kamal Haasan, Madhan

Cast: Kamal Haasan, R Madhavan, Nassar

Music: Vidyasagar

Time: 153 minutes

Bottom-line: Superb acting adds to an engaging storyline

The story of the transformation of two men, Anbe Sivam is one of the lesser known films of Kamal Haasan, featuring one of the best performances of Madhavan. The comedy-drama also stars Nassar, Kiran Rathod, and Uma Riyaz Khan.

Bhubaneshwar airport: An advertisement film maker, Anbarasu (Madhavan) – who prefers to be called A. Aras – engages in conversation with a scarred, convivial man, Nallasivam (Haasan). Aras is going to get married in Chennai, and Sivam is also headed there to deliver a cheque worth 32 lakh rupees, earned after winning a court case for union workers. When the flights are cancelled due to floods, both men end up sharing a room in a hotel. Aras is annoyed by Sivam’s sarcasm, humour and light-heartedness, and repeatedly tries to get rid of him, but never succeeds. By the time Aras does reach Chennai, Sivam has transformed him altogether, but not before we get to know the change Sivam himself has undergone.

 

Kamal as Sivam (left), and Madhavan as Aras

From the start of the film, the aspect that is highlighted most is the contrasting characteristics of Aras and Sivam. The former is well-off, and expects anything to be obtainable using enough money. He is reluctant to stay in a 2-star hotel, in a situation where so many people have their houses washed away; he always grumbles about the backwardness of India (a land where you don’t get service even if you have money, he says), and he even shortens his name from Anbarasu to Aras, saying “Enaku anbu pudikaadhu” (I don’t like ‘love”). Sivam is a witty, sociable man, adjusting to everything and everyone. He has his own philosophies, often contradicting the ideologies of Aras. His character’s background also remains an enigma till he narrates his story.

Till that point, Anbe Sivam is entirely a comedy – again, mainly thanks to the polar opposite natures of the lead characters. In Sivam’s flashback we see a tale involving love, altruism, religion and twists of fate, all of which have changed Sivam from the talented, innovative artist with a regular life, into the scarred “wiser and older man” we first see at the airport. These themes are explored till the end, with a recurring theme being “Who is God?” Is He the person who forgives all your sins when you make donations worth thousands? Is He the person who can empathise with a complete stranger?

Madhavan’s acting is a class apart here. He portrays through his character all the traits we associate with any well-off white collar Indian worker (till Sivam bitingly points out that a person like him is nothing but a “selfish coolie”!). The chemistry between the two is really good (unlike their collaboration much later in Manmadan Ambu), whether it is in the comic scenes in the hotel room, or on the way to Chennai, or whether it is during the more serious exchanges. Kamal Haasan’s acting is also wonderful. He puts in a lot of effort to maintain the appearance of a cripple, but still can control his expressions and voice to have that sense of humour. His skills are even more evident when we see his past life, so very different from the present one. Nassar plays a scheming villain: ultra-devotional on the outside, but corrupt on the inside. The scene that brings this out best would be the one in the hospital where he gives the “last message” to Sivam.

A must-watch for all Kamal and Madhavan fans, Anbe Sivam impresses with its amazing performances and unconventional themes, and a solid screenplay.

My Rating: 4/5

Udta Punjab (2016)

English translation: Rise, Punjab!

Director: Abhishek Chaubey

Story: Sudip Sharma, Abhishek Chaubey

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Diljit Dosanjh

Music: Amit Trivedi, Benedict Taylor, Naren Chandavarkar

Time: 148 minutes

Bottom-line: Realistic, dramatic and powerful

The Indian version of Trainspotting deals with the lives of four people in the state of Punjab, a place infamous for its drug trafficking (and pretty much anything and everything you can do with drugs!). The film has an ensemble cast featuring Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Diljit Dosanjh (in his debut appearance).

 

Shahid Kapoor as Tommy

Tejinder “Tommy” Singh (Shahid) is a Punjabi musician, who is known for singing adrenaline-pumping songs written under the influence of – and about – drugs. He has affected the lives of many youngsters who have taken to drug consumption, but he couldn’t care less about them. This practise eventually lands him in jail, where he decides to reform, after seeing the plight of his followers. An unnamed Bihari farmworker (Alia) finds a packet containing three kilos of heroin, which she decides to sell for a fortune. The packet only fetches her trouble, as she is used as a prostitute by a drug mafia who capture her. Sartaj Singh (Diljit) is a policeman who also allows illegal drug trade, and turns a deaf ear to his duties as a cop…until his own brother becomes a victim of drug addiction. He joins forces with Preet Sahni (Kareena), the doctor who treats his brother, to bring down the cartel. The various tales intertwine in one story of violence, love, crime and revenge.

 

Alia Bhatt as the unnamed worker

One thing that gave Udta Punjab a lot of publicity is the involvement of the censor board; thanks to the film’s lewd content and language and portrayal of drug abuse, the film had over 80 cuts initially. However, all of that content just added to the drama; it made people aware of the extremities one could go to under the influence of drugs. I like the way the film cleverly portrays the state of all classes of people: a rich, spoilt star, a poor worker, a middle-class doctor, and a cop – all their lives woven into one story.

 

Kareena Kapoor as Dr. Preet Sahni

The pace is good, with rarely a boring moment. The ending is a bit abrupt, but when you realise the journey each character has taken to get there, it makes you think how much they have changed (the expression of Diljit as the screen cuts to black will be haunting you for a while). Udta Punjab will also be noted for what I consider the best performance till date, of Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. The romantic hero now plays the cocaine-addicted, expletive-spewing musician, and the heartthrob you saw in 2 States plays the innocent captive of the drug mafia (with instances of violence that will jolt you properly!). Look out for the scene where she meets Tommy for the first time, and pours out all her feelings; such emotion and body language was amazing. Diljit Dosanjh should have a good career ahead of him now, with this debut performance being surprisingly well-composed and executed.  

 

Diljit Dosanjh as Sartaj

Udta Punjab is not for those looking for a light-hearted film; the grave issue that’s ruining Punjab right now is picturised quite convincingly, in terms of story and more importantly, the acting. All four lead actors are superb, and that itself should be a reason to watch the film.

My Rating: 3.5/5

28 Days Later (2002)

Director: Danny Boyle

Story: Alex Garland

Cast: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Megan Burns

Music: John Murphy

Time: 113 minutes

Bottom-line: Scary for sure; but that’s pretty much all there is to it

Danny Boyle’s post-apocalyptic horror film gives a new avatar to the vampire genre. Starring Cillian Murphy and Naomi Harris in the lead roles, the film yet again proves Boyle’s ability to make good low-budget films. The supporting cast includes Noah Huntley and Brendan Gleeson.

Cambridge: Three animal activists break into a research laboratory and plan to release the captive chimpanzees. The doctor informs them that the animals are infected with a rage-inducing virus, but they ignore his pleas. One chimp infects an activist, who then infects everyone else in the lab. 28 days later, Jim (Murphy) regains consciousness in a hospital, and finds it deserted. As he roams about the streets, he attracts the attention of some infected people, but is saved by Mark (Huntley) and Selena (Harris). Jim learns that almost the entire population of London has been infected. Selena and Jim meet a father-daughter couple who are also uninfected: Frank (Gleeson) and Hannah (Burns). One day, they receive news over the radio that “the cure has arrived”. Calculating their odds of survival, they decide to follow the message. Is it a trap? Or does the cure really exist?

 

Murphy as Jim

Once again, a Danny Boyle film is about survival (along with Trainspotting, which dealt with survival against drug addiction, and his later film, 127 Hours). The cinematography, graphic violence and gore are all the usual Boyle trademarks. While the story is scary – both visually, and in concept – I felt there could have been a little more depth: some suspense or science fiction and not just gore. The last half hour or so seems hurried, but the ending was neat. There are other alternate versions of the climax, but the one that was actually used seems to be the best.

 

Harris as Selena

Cillian Murphy playing the good guy was new to me, after having seen him portray the villain, Scarecrow, in Batman Begins, and a neutral character in Inception. He doesn’t have that look of a body-builder, even less so of a hero. I felt that same with Naomie Harris; something about the lead actors didn’t quite suit the characters they portrayed. Nevertheless, Harris portraying the powerful and determined heroine was exciting to watch, and earned her several “breakthrough performance” awards. Megan Burns as Hannah also did a terrific job.

 

Burns as Hannah

There’s not much science, but a lot of violence and blood, so it’s not a comfortable watch (then again, which Boyle film is?). The concept of an entire city being wiped out seems interesting, but leaves little scope for developing a story, but Garland’s story with Boyle’s direction, overall, have given us a decent film.

My Rating: 3/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 87%

The Town (2010)

Director: Ben Affleck

Screenplay: Ben Affleck, Peter Craig, Aaron Stockard (based on the book by Chuck Hogan)

Cast: Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall

Music: David Buckley, Harry Gregson-Williams

Time: 124 minutes

Bottom-line: Renner’s performance stands out, in an otherwise average crime film

Welcome to the bank robbery capital of America.

Ben Affleck’s second directorial debut makes one thing quite clear: he is far better behind the camera than in front of it! This action drama has an ensemble cast, starring Jeremy Renner and Rebecca Hall in the lead, with Jon Hamm, Titus Welliver and Pete Postlethwaite (in his second last screen appearance before his death) in the supporting roles.

But I know I’ll see you again…this side or the other.

Hall as Claire, and Affleck as Doug

Charlestown: Four friends, Doug MacRay (Affleck), Jem Coughlin (Renner), Albert MacGloan (Slaine) and Desmond Elden (Owen Burke) rob a bank, and take the manager, Claire Keesey (Hall) hostage, and release her unharmed. It comes to Doug’s notice that Claire also lives in the neighbourhood, so he starts to follow her to ensure she hasn’t told much to the authorities, and in the process, gets emotionally attached to her. This is spotted by Jem, who is enraged at their relationship. Doug plans to start a new life, but is pressurised by Jem and his boss, Fergie (Postlethwaite), to rob Fenway Park. With his relationship with Claire going awry, and with his own life in danger, only a successful heist can save Doug now.

 

Renner as Jem

One blue-collar Boston neighbourhood has produced more bank robbers and armoured car thieves than anywhere in the world.

Like his previous directorial film – Gone Baby Gone – Affleck again focuses on the lives of the working class (and the fact that a lot of robbers actually live in Charlestown makes it all the more authentic); their relationships, family, work, and most importantly, friendships. Jem’s friendship with Doug is enough for him to consider the latter a brother, and this is one underlying concept that throttles the plot. The relationship between Claire and Doug is what jeopardises the gang of four, when Doug seems to have made up his mind to start afresh. Other minor themes like Doug’s family history, his past with the FBI all contribute to the story, with is interspersed with car chases and gun violence regularly to add to the action.

Postlethwaite as Fergie

Bank robbery became like a trade in Charlestown, passed down from father to son.

I, for one, felt the chases and gun violence a bit boring, in the sense that there was nothing new to it. What makes The Town a good movie is the drama that comes into play because of the characters and the location. The encounters between Doug, Jem and Claire over lunch is chillingly suspenseful. The talk between the cop Dino (Welliver), FBI Agent Frawley (Hamm) and Doug, the exchange between Jem and Doug when the latter calls it quits, and the climax when Claire reads out Doug’s letter are few scenes to highlight.

Affleck’s acting is, to some extent, bad. His lines are interesting (and throughout the film, there are a lot of catchy quotes), but I felt someone else could have portrayed the lead character better. Rebecca Hall’s acting was average as well. The star of the film is Jeremy Renner – the violent, belligerent member of the gang, who has zero tolerance for treason or betrayal. His character spent nine years in prison for a murder he committed for Doug’s sake. Renner was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, but lost to Christian Bale in The Fighter. It is this acting that is the main reason I would recommend this film, unless of course, the regular dose of car chases and violence are what you are particularly looking for, in which case, The Town has loads of it.

My Rating: 3/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 94%