Duel (1971)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Story: Richard Matheson (originally a TV film)

Cast: Dennis Weaver

Music: Billy Goldenberg

Time: 89 minutes

Bottom-line: Redefines road-rage  

Steven Spielberg’s first film can be best described by his later film: Duel is “Jaws on wheels”. Originally made as a television film, Duel is entirely one long car chase on a highway. Dennis Weaver stars as an unnamed car driver (so I will refer to his character as Weaver), driving a red Plymouth Valiant, on a deserted highway. We learn that he is on his way to meet his boss. En route, he encounters a rusty Peterbilt 281 tanker truck, that slows him down. When the truck driver signals him to overtake, Weaver is nearly hit by an approaching car. When he does get ahead of the truck, the truck driver chases the car at high speeds, eventually forcing Weaver to crash into a fence. Weaver never gets a chance to see driver’s face – and neither do the viewers – but truck is always onto him. Every means of escape is fruitless, as Weaver finds him the victim of a psychotic murderous truck. How does he escape?

 

Weaver as the unnamed car driver

As Spielberg put it, since the truck driver remains faceless, it is the truck itself that is the villain. Usually I hate car chase sequences in films; they’re always exaggerated and God knows how people keep quiet about all that damage! Yet, when one makes a film entirely about a car chase – another example would be Mad Max: Fury Road – then that is a different story. Here, the story is a near real-time experience, that makes it so much more exhilarating. The fact that it is a one man show – an unnamed, ordinary everyman – trying all the logical options (that any of us would have done in his place) makes it realistic.

 

The truck 

The camerawork – close-ups of the monstrous truck, the size of its body, the focus on Weaver’s expressions – and the suspenseful score add to the thrill. The tension is captured beautifully too: Weaver and the truck are both stationary on the road, each waiting for the other to make his move, each with his own game-plan… and it is a new tactic every time. Sooner or later you will find yourself at the edge of your seat; the experience is such that you put yourself in Weaver’s place.

The strength lies entirely in the storytelling structure; the camera, sound and Weaver’s acting do all the work. All the dialogues are more or less irrelevant, and the other lines are just Weaver thinking out loud; Duel could have well been a silent film. Weaver does brilliantly as the terrified car driver. He pretty much has to act scared throughout the film, but those subtle expressions he shows of revenge and forming a subterfuge to get the better of the driver – and his reaction in the climax – are to be noted.

So, what can you do with just a car and a rusty old truck? Hand them over to the right people, and you can make wonders. In this case, Spielberg and crew have given us a high-octane thriller, which I for one, never had hopes in… and I couldn’t be more wrong.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 87%

Sathuranga Vettai (2014)

English translation: The Gambit Hunt

Director: H. Vinoth

Story: H. Vinoth

Cast: Natraj, Ishaara Nair

Music: Sean Roldan

Time: 149 minutes

Bottom-line: A racy script, with plot twists all over the place

Praised as an Indianised con movie, H. Vinoth’s crime drama, Sathuranga Vettai adds to the list of unconventional Tamil films that released in the 2013-14 period, along with Neram, Soodhu Kavvum etc. The standard of acting in these films is a not perfect, mostly due to the use of an entirely new cast, and the same goes with this film too. However, given this script – with the plot and dialogues – the acting takes the back seat. By the time Gandhi Babu has finished conning you, it will be one hell of an experience.

Gandhi Babu (Natraj) has been a conman all his life. Realising that money is the ultimate thing in the world, he has devoted his life to trickery, heists and scams. He fools a landowner by selling him an ordinary snake, claiming it to be worth crores; he starts a marketing firm promising huge returns, but runs away with the invested money. In the process, he meets Banu (Nair), an innocent village girl looking for a job. Despite knowing Babu has conned everyone, she seems to understand his point of view. Soon, Babu’s victims track him down and beat him up, demanding their money be returned. Babu seems to give in, but he has other tricks up his sleeve.

 

Natraj as Babu (centre) with two of his partners 

Films about con artists have always intrigued me; the ingenuity of the scams they pull off is just too good. Here too, the way Babu’s mind works makes you sit and think how someone could be so clever. At the same time, sometimes you wonder if people can actually be that dumb. Yet, Babu does pull off a lot of surprises: the disguises, plans and the execution. The part I found a bit odd is how his partners let him off twice after he cheats them; knowing what Babu is capable of, why do they still trust him?

 

Nair as Banu

The best part of Babu are his principles: every lie needs some truth to go along with it; only then no can detect that it is a lie. Another aspect that makes Sathuranga Vettai different from Hollywood heist films, say, is that here, the people are being conned; is it not about a gang robbing a rich enemy, or planning an elaborate theft of an artefact. As Babu says, if the people are ignorant to be conned, then it is their fault. Natraj’s acting is superb; not much of emotional content, and half the time he talks like he is reading off a book, but his cunning is what is impressive.

The climax gives us something to think about; it makes us realise what truly matters in life. It doesn’t go with the rest of the film, but it is an apt ending. Till that point, the roller coaster ride of heists, cons and treachery will keep you riveted to your seats. A sure entertainer, don’s miss it.

My Rating: 3.5/5

A Death in the Gunj (2017)

Director: Konkona Sen Sharma

Screenplay: Konkona Sen Sharma (based on a short story by Mukul Sharma)

Cast: Vikrant Massey, Ranvir Shorey, Kalki Koechlin

Music: Sagar Desai

Time: 104 minutes

Bottom-line: Targeted at a very limited section of the audience

Well, the main reason for watching this film was because it seemed to be better than anything else that is running in the theatre. The reviews were on the positive side for Konkona Sen Sharma’s debut film, so I thought it was worth a shot. Having watched it, I conclude that as is, this is a film meant for a very selective audience, and chances are that even those people will end up disappointed by the climax.

 

Massey as Shutu, and Koechlin as Mimi

Inspired by true events.

1979/80: The film starts with two men staring at a corpse in the boot of a car. The timeline shifts one week earlier, where the same car is shown, heading to a small town McCluskieganj, Bihar (now Jharkhand). A family, consisting of Nandan (Gulshan Devaiah), his wife, Bonnie (Tillotama Shome), their daughter, Tani (Arya Sharma), and his other relatives: Shylamlal “Shutu” Chatterjee (Massey) and Mimi (Koechlin). They are joined by friends Vikram (Shorey) and Brian (Jim Sarbh). All the events that take place over the next one week seem perfectly normal, but, bit by bit, they slowly break one person apart… until something irrevocable takes place.

It takes only a few to appreciate what the film has to offer. The atmosphere (and the location), character development and the gradual build-up of the story is you must look out for. This is one of those films where you keep watching without noticing the time fly by, and before you know it, the end credits start flowing. Only later you think back and things start to make sense. This film is the perfect example: all through the film you are waiting for the “build-up” to lead to something (the title says “death”, so when is it??) without realising that “building-up” is all that there is to it.

 

The opening scene of the film: the Tarantino shot, showing
Devaiah as Nandan (left) and Sarbh as Brian

Each day, normal events take place, with a little bit of drama: marital issues, pranks, an affair, a romantic relationship, a budding friendship all play a role till the end, where the consequence of all these incidents takes place. The way the characters are created and the way each “insignificant” incident has a significant consequence are the strengths of the film. All the actors have done well, especially Koechlin and Massey: the former always wanting more sexual satisfaction than she can get, and the latter playing the shy, sensitive man.

 

(From left) Mimi, Vikram, Bonnie, Tani, Nandan
and Brian

The language used is predominantly English, and there are also several other elements one usually doesn’t find in Indian films: the profanity, the sexual content, and the cinematography had a few unique, notable moments too. The main flaw here – that pretty much ruins the film – is, as I said, the climax. It is too abrupt, nonsensical, and probably to some extent, expected. It certainly made me go, “Why the hell would they do that?!” and before I could collect my thoughts, the credits came up. (Spoiler alert) The story is – in the subtlest way possible – a journey of depression going from one stage to a worse stage, but just like another Netflix series of recent times, this film also portrays suicide as a solution to all problems. At least the movie doesn’t make it look fancy.  

As another review aptly put it, “A Death in the Gunj will make your jaw drop in so many places, except when it actually should – the climax”. I would recommend a one-time watch, and DON’T drag along your family or friends for this; I repeat, this film is not meant to be liked by everyone.

My rating: 2/5

Ayutha Ezhuthu (2004)

English translation: A Tamil alphabet

Director: Mani Ratnam

Story: Mani Ratnam

Cast: R. Madhavan, Suriya, Siddharth

Music: A.R. Rahman

Time: 155 minutes

Bottom-line: Bit over-dramatic, but highly relevant to today’s situation

Somehow, Mani Ratnam was able to predict the political situation in Tamil Nadu, in 2017, 13 years earlier, in this 2004 political drama. Ayutha Ezhuthu features an ensemble cast, with R. Madhavan, Suriya, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, Trisha, Esha Deol and Bharathiraja.

 

Madhavan as Inba, and Meera Jasmine as Sashi

In the roads of Chennai, a ruffian, Inba Sekar (Madhavan) shoots another man, Michael Vasanth (Suriya), at point blank range. This is witnessed by Arjun (Siddharth). The story flashes back to the lives of each individual. Inba is a thug, who works for his brother, the main hitman of a corrupt politician, Selvanayagan (Bharathiraja). Selvanayagan’s main rival is an honest, “clean”, student leader, Michael, who even forgoes an opportunity to study in the US, to stand in the elections. This rivalry eventually leads to Inba shooting Michael (as seen in the start of the film). The witness, Arjun, is carefree and spoilt by riches. Despite being a man looking for quick success without working for it, he is inspired by Michael’s story and decides to support him, as they both team up and contest against Selvanayagan.

Siddharth as Arjun, and Trisha as his love interest,
Meera

The title refers to an alphabet which is written as three dots, each symbolising one of the lead characters. The narrative is somewhat like a hyperlink structure, but not all the way; it is more of an anthology film, with the shooting of Michael being the connection point of all three tales. The realism and relevance of the story to the current scenario is uncanny; the way Ratnam has portrayed the muscle power of the corrupt, the unison of students for a better cause, and the change of heart of the youth to serve the country rather than himself, is excellent. Of course, the drama with the romance, and the fistfights (and of course, the songs; not a good soundtrack at all), could have been removed to reduce a good 30 minutes of screen time; but if the message did get through, then that is a job well done.

 

Suriya as Michael, and Esha Deol as Geetha

This is probably the only film where Madhavan has played a villainous role; in every other film, he is as clean a hero as can get. With his haircut and body language, the look of a goon matches perfectly. The way he executes his role is amazing: the violence, the anger and the whole lot. Suriya, for once, plays a hero without the glamour. He doesn’t have the look of a student – even lesser so of a studious geek or a captivating leader – but apart from that, his acting was good. The encounter between Inba and Michael when the former tries to bribe the latter is one of the best moments of the film. Siddharth has done superbly; be it his flirtation, his carefree attitude, or his sincerity, he adjusts himself to the situation well.

 

Bharathiraja as Selvanayagan

Among the female leads, only Meera Jasmine had a chance to showcase her acting skill; the other two are nothing more than romantic interests. Bharathiraja plays the cunning, diabolical villain, and the way he portrays the corrupt leader is also accurate. Ayutha Ezhuthu should be watched for the message it is trying to get through: that the youngsters of today will be the leaders of tomorrow. This is made foggy by the other elements, but the film does have its strengths… and the acting, is a big plus.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Anjali (1990)

Director: Mani Ratnam

Story: Mani Ratnam

Cast: Raghuvaran, Revathy, Shamili, Prabhu

Music: Ilayaraaja

Time: 150 minutes

Bottom-line: A magical movie, that plays with your heart

Often considered Mani Ratnam’s best, this 1990 drama was also India’s official entry for the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Film (but never got nominated by the committee). The three-National-Award-winning film stars Raghuvaran, Revathy and Shamili in the lead roles, with Prabhu, Master Tarun and Shruthi Vijaykumar in the supporting roles.

A civil engineer Shekar (Raghuvaran), his wife Chitra (Revathy) and his two children: Arjun (Tarun) and Anu (Shruthi) move into a new apartment complex, after Chitra’s third child dies at childbirth. The apartment has people of all sorts, from a mentally retarded ex-watchman to an ex-convict (Prabhu). One day, Chitra and the kids decide to surprise Shekar at work, but he is missing. He comes home claiming to be at work all day. Later, Arjun also spots his father talking an unknown woman late in the night. All these activities make Chitra pack her bags and leave Shekar, who eventually comes clean: the third child, Anjali (Shamili) is alive, but is mentally retarded, and is kept at a nursing centre. Chitra decides to bring Anjali home. How Anjali bonds with her siblings, and the other kids in the neighbourhood form the rest of the film.

Raghuvaran as Shekar

Much like Ratnam’s later film Kannathil Muthamittal, here too the prime focus is on family. First, we are shown a happy family, which slowly starts to break apart when Chitra suspects her husband of infidelity, and then that issue is mended. Then again, there is friction when Anjali enters her new home: she remains aloof from her mother despite all of Chitra’s efforts, and while she tries to bond with her siblings, they are desperate to get rid of her (even praying to God that she dies!). When that gets resolved, the other children refuse to accept her… the entire movie is about how children and adults bond with one unique child. The fact that it deals with an otherwise normal community makes it relatable to most viewers.

Revathy as Chitra

The pace might be a bit slow, since a lot of time is given to character development, and for the children’s activities: their pranks, songs, what not. The essence of the story, still sends out a powerful message. The gradual transition of the society slowly becoming “mature” enough to realise that Anjali is no different is beautifully shown. The side tracks are distracting, but they add to the humour and fun of the film. The innocence of Anjali, and her charm, make the climax all the more emotional.

Raghuvaran, being an actor known for his villainous roles, has done an excellent job to play the hero here. Sacrificing everything for the sake of his daughter, and despite the way the society looks down on his daughter, the way he stands up for his family is inspirational. Revathy and Shamili put in their best efforts to lift the film to a great height: the former plays a disturbed mother, first troubled by her husband’s shady activities, and later by the fact that her children don’t get along well, but more importantly because her daughter is not accepting her as the mother. Shamili, who plays Anjali, won the National Award for Best Child Artist, and it is, hands down, one of the best child performances of all time in Tamil cinema.

 

The children: (from left) Anu, Anjali and Arjun

Mani Ratnam shows his versatility in direction by making such a heartfelt family film, following his gangster film Nayakan and romance Mouna Raagam. The story, acting, visuals and the genuine emotions that the film fills you with make this a classic.

My Rating: 4/5