Baby Driver (2017)

Director: Edgar Wright

Story: Edgar Wright

Cast: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James

Music: Steven Price

Time: 113 minutes

Bottom-line: Extremely loud and incredibly overrated

With a storyline that goes something like “when TheTown meets The Transporter”, Edgar Wright’s action film Baby Driver seems to be the most overrated film of the year. The film stars The Fault in our Stars heartthrob Ansel Elgort and Kevin Spacey in the lead roles, with Lily James, Jamie Foxx and John Hamm in the supporting roles.

Atlanta, Georgia: Baby (Elgort) is a young getaway driver, suffering from tinnitus since a childhood accident. He constantly listens to music to kill this effect. He also records everyday conversations to make mix tapes out of them. He once robbed a kingpin, Doc (Spacey), and now works for him to settle the debt. Baby has to help Doc in one more getaway and his payment is done. Meanwhile, Baby also falls in love with a waitress, Deborah (James). However, things in his last job get awry, and despite the deal with Doc, Baby is threatened to work for him or else Deborah would be in danger. Will the next job be successful? When will Baby become free of his burden?

 

Elgort as Baby

Depending on your taste, the movie can be a non-stop adrenaline rush, or a non-stop jarring noise in your ears, and for me, it was the latter. The highlight of the film is the catchy soundtrack, from rap to mix tapes to Queen, and for some reason, always played in full volume. The cinematography had its notable moments, with my favourites being the single long take opening sequence, the aerial shots, and of course, the car chases. However, I was and never am a fan of extended – and exaggerated – car chases, no matter how action-packed the sequence may be. I was hoping the film wouldn’t fall for stereotypes, and yet, I found nothing in these action sequences that 007 or Ethan Hunt hasn’t shown us already.

Lily James as Deborah

As for the acting, Wright certainly chose the crowd-pullers: young and charming Ansel Elgort plays the stylish, hyperactive and cheeky driver, while on the other hand, veteran actor Spacey plays the calm and dangerous criminal mastermind, whom I wish had more screen time. Jamie Foxx does well in a supporting role, playing a robber similar to Tommy DeVito in GoodFellas: very short-tempered and talking only with his gun. I liked the bits of humour that Wright wrote into the screenplay, revolving mainly Baby’s name, love for music and his cheekiness – like his first encounter with Bats (Foxx).

 

Spacey as Doc

The way Wright and Price find a corresponding song/track for each scenario in the film is an interesting aspect of the film. However, other than this and a few bright moments with Spacey’s acting and the cinematography, the rest of the film wasn’t going anywhere. This is one of those “pure fun” films, but, well, not my type of fun. This is a film for all those car action lovers, but if you expect anything out of the ordinary – like I said – then the film is best left unwatched.

My Rating: 2/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 94%

Dunkirk (2017)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Story: Christopher Nolan

Cast: Fionn Whitehead, Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Cillian Murphy

Music: Hans Zimmer

Time: 106 minutes

Bottom-line: A gruelling war-documentary; another great Nolan experience

One of the most anticipated films of 2017, Christopher Nolan’s WWII war film is based on the true incidents of the Dunkirk evacuation. The film features an ensemble cast consisting of Fionn Whitehead, Harry Styles (yes, from One Direction), Mark Rylance, Cillian Murphy, Kenneth Branagh and Tom Hardy. Nolan uses a hyperlink narrative structure to construct the story from three viewpoints: the land, the sea and the air.

 

Styles (left), and Fionn (rightmost)

“All we did was survive.”

“That’s enough.”

 The Mole: Tommy (Whitehead), a young British soldier, escapes German gunfire to make his way to the Dunkirk beach, where 4,00,000 other soldiers await their fate. There is a huge shortage of ships and ration, and the British perimeter is reducing by the minute. The audience get to know that the Prime Minister has requested smaller civilian boats to bring back soldiers from Dunkirk, by sailing directly up to the beach.

The Sea: Mr. Dawson (Rylance) and his son, Peter (Tom-Glynn Carney) along with George (Barry Keoghan), sail towards Dunkirk in their private sailing boat, hoping to rescue as many soldiers as they can. On the way, they meet a shell-shocked soldier (Murphy), whom they haul aboard. When he realises they are going to Dunkirk, where he has just come from, he panics.

The Air: Three Spitfire pilots are on their way to provide air support the to the troops at Dunkirk. As the story progresses, their leader is shot down, one of them is badly hit, and the last one (Hardy) is extremely low on fuel.

Rylance as Mr. Dawson

Just like the way I consider Gravity to be a space documentary rather than a feature film, Dunkirk is also more along the lines of a documentary. It is like Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker, or Alistair Maclean’s HMS Ulysses: having just the outline of a story, but filmed with an eye for detail. The experience of watching it in the theatre enhances it so much more: the sound of each bullet echoes in your ear, the close-ups and PoV shots make you feel part of the action… in fact, Nolan went the extra mile (or several miles, rather) to make everything seem more real, with his use of practical special effects.

Almost entirely avoiding CGI, Nolan employed thousands of extras to play the soldiers at the beach, he used actual models of ships and planes and even shot at the actual locations of the evacuation. This precision, combined with van Hoytema’s spectacular cinematography and Zimmer’s masterful background score, gives us a gut-wrenching look at the war. The hyperlink narrative is so that we can keep track of the parallel events of collaboration between land, sea and air, and the huge contrast between the calm sea around Dawson’s boat, and the utter chaos in the torpedoed ship certainly send chills down one’s back.

 

Hardy as Farrier, a fighter-pilot

Fionn Whitehead and Mark Rylance excel in acting: the former playing a young soldier looking for a quick way out of a mess, and the latter, experienced and dedicated, deliberately going towards the danger zone. Tom Hardy’s role is similar to how he played Bane: his face fully covered almost throughout the film, and seated inside his cockpit from start to finish. It was surprising not to see Michael Caine in a Nolan film, but he does have a voice role as a radio communicator to the RAF. 

Dunkirk is certainly worth the three-year wait (Nolan’s last film was in 2014), and this war film promises to entertain without any bloodshed or shootout sequence. With immaculate technical detail, minimal dialogues and backstory, good acting and Nolan’s directorial touch, a theatre experience of this film is highly recommended!

My Rating: 4/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93%

Donnie Darko (2001)

Director: Richard Kelly

Story: Richard Kelly

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone

Music: Michael Andrews

Time: 128 minutes

Bottom-line: Intriguing premise, but doesn’t get something right in the execution

Richard Kelly’s debut feature is one of those films that ended up a box office bomb, but received strong critical acclaim. The cast consists of Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, Katharine Ross, Beth Grant and a lot of others in supporting roles. The film seems to come onto the viewer quite strongly, but somehow never gets there; something holds it back.

 

Gyllenhaal as Donnie, and Malone as Gretchen

Every living creature on this Earth dies alone.

October 2, 1988; Middlesex, Virginia: Donnie Darko (J. Gyllenhaal) is a troubled teenager. That night, he is lured outside his house by a six-foot-tall, horribly-disguised, bunny rabbit named Frank, who tells him that the world will end in exactly 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 28 seconds. At dawn, Donnie returns home and sees that a jet engine has crashed into his room. His family: father, mother and two sisters, have no idea about it. Donnie tells his therapist, Doctor Thurman (Ross) about Frank. He also dating a girl called Gretchen (Malone). Another mysterious character Donnie bumps into (often!) is “Grandma Death” (Patience Cleveland), an old lady in the neighbourhood. Later, Frank makes Donnie turn violent, damage the school and insulting others. As Doomsday closes in, Donnie finds himself in a mess involving time-travel, hallucinations, and fantasies.

 

Frank: the six-foot-tall bunny rabbit

I don’t remember ever being so uncomfortable sitting through a two-hour film, and certainly not when it’s a science fiction film. Yet, Donnie Darko was one such experience. There was hardly any suspense felt, even though the story demands it: there’s a countdown to the end of the world, a number of weird characters and hallucinations, Donnie’s actions getting more intimidating by the day… and yet, I never felt a chill, or intrigue, but certainly did feel boredom. The ending certainly calls for a second watching, but I think I’m going to pass, for now.

 

Donnie, with Grandma Death (Cleveland)

The science fiction part of the film may or may not (the latter, in my case) be an area of interest to you. The story puts together various religious references, sci-fi concepts, horror elements and high school drama. There are subtle hints – pay attention to the pages of the book that show up in the background – to hint what would happen (or rather, what has happened so far) when the deadline is reached. I admit, despite the scientific inaccuracies that crop up in these films, the story seemed quite clean. The narration could have greatly improved.

 

Donnie's family

The film introduces too many characters, especially amongst the members of the school; most of them have small, yet catalytic, roles to play. Jake Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of the teenager is brilliant; though it is not his most mature performance, this is highly commendable. The only other highlight from the cast is Beth Grant, playing the strict, rule-adhering gym teacher of Donnie’s school. The visual effects and editing are quite good. I still can’t believe they made a bunny rabbit into such a horrifying figure!

The last few minutes of the film have a story of their own; how much you can make out of those scenes is an indicator of how much of the film you have understood. Reading a couple of explanations of the plot helped me get a grip (had to, to avoid a second watch!), and will make you watch the film again to spot the clues. That reason apart, I wouldn’t recommend this film as one to revisit from time to time.  

My Rating: 3/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 86%

Fargo (1996)

Director: Joel Coen
Story: Joel and Ethan Coen 
Cast: Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi 
Music: Carter Burwell
Time: 98 minutes
Bottom-line: Dark and thought-provoking

Small town. Big crime. Dead cold.
Regarded as one of the Coen brothers’ greatest films, the dark crime thriller Fargo stars Frances McDormand, William H. Macy and Steve Buscemi in the lead roles with Peter Stormare and Harve Presnell in the supporting roles. Fargo was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning two.

Frances McDormand as Marge

THIS IS A TRUE STORY.
The events depicted in this film
Took place in Minnesota in 1987.

Car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (Macy) is desperate for money as he is due to repay a large GMAC loan that he illegally collateralised. Jerry meets up with criminals Carl Showalter (Buscemi) and Gaear Grimsrud (Stormare), and hires them to kidnap his wife and demand an $80,000 ransom from his father-in-law, Wade (Presnell). The two of them manage to kidnap her but they are caught by a state trooper. Gaear murders the trooper and later also kills two people who happen to witness the murder. The next morning, seven-month-pregnant Brainerd police Chief Marge Gunderson (McDromand) starts to investigate this triple homicide. As the story continues we see how the tales of Jerry, the criminals and the investigator all intertwine...

William H. Macy as Jerry

Similar to the theme of No Country for Old Men, Fargo also is a tale of how fate or karma can intervene in your life and spoil all perfectly laid plans. On one hand we have a fraudulent car salesman whose last hope to save himself is the successful kidnap of his wife. Then there is his father-in-law who attempts to use Jerry’s real estate deal to keep most of the money and leaving only a finder’s fee for Jerry. Then there are the two criminals whose plans are spoilt by the unexpected murders of three innocent victims. But as the saying goes “What goes around, comes around”... and that is exactly what happens here too. The storyline has its fair share of drama, gore, violence and justice, but still I feel things moved too soon and there could have been a little more build up. The climax, although satisfying, seems rushed and unexpected.

Buscemi as Carl (right) and Stormare as Gaear 

Frances McDormand went on to win the Oscar for Best Actress which is bit of a shock considering the small screen time she has. But she is the only female character in the movie (excluding the kidnapped wife) and her portrayal of heroism is worth praising. All she does is use her speaking and vocal skills to get all the information she wants. I really liked Buscemi’s acting. This is one of his better films, and it was a delight to see him portray the money-thirsty Carl: cunning, violent and yet nervous, unlike his grim and callous partner Gaear. William H. Macy plays the role of the greedy husband, and the way he portrays desperation and fear is simply superb!

Fargo is a really good example to show how a simple story can be made so effective. A homespun murder story as some call it, the film combines splendid acting, scenic albeit desolate landscapes and a tight story to give us a solid thriller.

My Rating: 3.5/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 94%

Mulholland Drive (2001)

Director: David Lynch

Story: David Lynch

Cast: Naomi Watts, Laura Elena Harring, Justin Theroux

Music: Angelo Badalamenti

Time: 146 minutes

Bottom-line: Can be considered anything from trash to masterpiece

David Lynch’s neo-noir thriller, Mulholland Drive, is one of the most mind-boggling films you’ll ever come across - mostly because the more you try to make sense of it, the lesser you come closer to doing so. Interlinking several storylines and objects of interest and unusual people, the film can be regarded as anything from “fabulous” to “utter nonsense” based on how one interprets the story and climax. The cast consists of Naomi Watts, Laura Elena Harring, Justin Theroux, Ann Miller and Robert Forster.

In the first storyline, we see a dark-haired woman (Harring) barely escape her own murder; she however loses her memory in the accident and wanders into an empty house. Meanwhile, as aspiring young actress Betty Elms (Watts) arrives at the same house. She finds the other woman, who names herself Rita. As Betty attempts to look through her purse hoping to find an identity, she finds fifty grand in cash, and a weird blue key. In another track, director Adam Kesher (Theroux) is being blackmailed by mobsters to cast an actress called Camilla Rhodes in the lead… a role that Betty is also trying for. As the story goes we see how both these tracks merge, along with other seemingly trivial scenes and incidents.

 

Watts as Betty (left) and Harring as Rita

If, after watching the film, you have no idea what the hell you just saw… welcome to the club! The first two hours are cryptic as such – bringing in a lot of characters, each with their own story – and other objects like the black book, the blue key, the blue box, and the fifty thousand dollars. The last half hour connects all these elements…the only problem being that the link seems to be an entire story altogether! Mulholland Drive explores what is real, and what is not.

  As a Hollywood actress, Betty seems to have everything going her way; a mansion to stay in, her romantic relationship being the way she wants it to be, and her acting skills winning the admiration of many. Then there is the amnesiac woman, having her own set of weird traits: a large sum of money she has no idea about, a mysterious blue key, and the name of “Diane Selwyn” playing a role too. There are other smaller roles like Betty’s aunt, Camilla Rhodes, and a hitman. The last half hour makes sense to some extent, but then it is up to you if you want to believe what Lynch is trying to say. In fact, one analyst commented that the act of Rita trying to find her own identity is analogous to the viewers making sense of the film!

Theraux as Ada

Irrespective of the twisted plot, the acting is pretty amazing, and definitely needs appreciation whether you liked the story or not! Naomi Watts plays such a versatile role in the film, and why it is so complex and elegant is revealed in the end. Harring seems to be play the role of a femme fatale… everything about her leads to trouble. Who is she anyway?? Both the actresses have excelled in their performances: they can be charming, seductive, and the polar opposite too!

The blue key, blue box and
the lamp... few objects to look out for

Mulholland Drive needs two or three watches to get the plot, but even then you realise it is final how you as a viewer interpret it. A poorly made film with too much drama? Or an ingenious, crafty neo-noir? You get to decide. But this is one film you can keep debating about on and on, and in fact, several critics have stated "It's best not to overanalyse the film"! A simple explanation can be given, or a detailed one (based on how many metaphors and symbols one can interpret), but one thing for sure - you are not going to understand the film at all. 

My Rating: 3/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 82%

Nayakan (1987)

English translation: Hero

Director: Mani Ratnam

Story: Mani Ratnam

Cast: Kamal Haasan, Karthika, Janagaraj

Music: Ilayaraaja

Time: 148 minutes

Bottom-line: The Godfather, made for Indian audiences; a classic

“Neenga nallavara? Kettavara?”

“Theriliye paa.”

Who would have thought the above two lines would echo throughout Tamil cinema for years to come! Probably India’s first major film revolving around a morally ambiguous character, Mani Ratnam’s Nayakan made him world famous, apart from giving him a thunderous entry into Kollywood.

Tamil Nadu: An anti-government official is killed by the police in front of his only son, Sakthivel. Seeking revenge, the boy stabs the police officer, and escapes to Bombay, where he is raised in the Dharavi slums by a kind smuggler, Hussain. Years later, Sakthivel (Haasan) carries out his father’s duty. When he demands extra commission, the enraged smugglers murder Hussain. Sakthivel, in turn, brutally murders Inspector Kelkar, the man responsible for Hussain’s death. When the police question the villagers, none of them are willing to give up Sakthivel, for they are proud that they have a “hero” amongst them. From then on, Sakthivel takes on the name Velu Naicker, and essentially becomes a “Godfather”. From protecting people around him, to killing other gangsters, Velu’s journey of a people’s leader, and his relationship with his daughter, is what the film is about. 

 

Haasan as Velu, and Saranya Ponvannan (who plays his wife)

The character of Velu Naicker is based on the life of Bombay-based gangster Varadarajan Mudaliar. One fun fact is that this is Haasan’s first film as an adult, played without a moustache! He went on to win the National Award for Best Actor (his second, after Moondram Pirai), and if it weren’t for him, Nayakan wouldn’t be the same. From the loving husband, to the terrifying criminal lord, from delivering swift justice to watching fate take revenge on him, his transition from one stage to another is flawless. The scene where his daughter leaves him, their future meeting, and the scene before Velu’s trial are the best bits of Haasan’s acting.

Karthika, who plays Velu’s daughter, Charumati, and Janagaraj, who plays Velu’s right hand man, are also outstanding. The father-daughter bond is deeply dealt with throughout the film, with Charumati constantly questioning Velu’s actions, to which he merely replies, “I do what I feel is right”. I like the way Ratnam captures the entire life of Velu – childhood tragedies, marriage, and the gradual rise to the top, unlike Coppola’s The Godfather, which portrays Vito Corleone as an established don right from the start.

The other highlights of Nayakan are the dialogues and one-liners. From parodies to tributes, several lines from the film are still borrowed and used in movies today. The complex character of Velu Naicker – especially in a time where every movie had a designated hero and villain – that of an antihero, is essentially the reason Nayakan stands apart.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Roja (1992)

English translation: Rose

Director: Mani Ratnam

Story: Mani Ratnam

Cast: Arvind Swamy, Madhoo

Music: A.R. Rahman

Time: 140 minutes

Bottom-line: One of Ratnam’s best!

Arguably one of the most powerful love stories of all time, Mani Ratnam’s romantic thriller Roja stars Arvind Swamy and Madhoo in the lead roles. This film is also noted for being the debut of A.R. Rahman, who went on to win the National Award for his music direction. For its patriotic content, the film also won the National Award for Best Film on National Integration.

Kashmir: A terrorist chieftain, Wasim Khan, is captured by the Indian Army. In south India, an 18-year-old village girl, Roja (Madhoo) is preparing for her sister’s wedding. The groom is Rishi Kumar (Swamy), a cryptologist for the Indian Army. When the bride declines the offer, Rishi chooses to marry Roja instead. What starts out as a troubled marriage eventually becomes a joyous one. One week into their marriage, Rishi is sent to Kashmir for a two-day assignment, but before he can return, he is abducted by terrorists and is held hostage till the Government releases Wasim Khan. Roja’s tireless search for her husband, in an alien land, and Rishi’s life in captivity is what Roja is about. 

 

Madhoo as Roja, and Arvind Swamy as Rishi

The cinematography is really good; I like the use of continuous takes, as well as the picturization of the song sequences. The way we are shown the terrorists’ hideout, Wasim Khan’s capture, Rishi’s attempted escape (in long shots), as well as the scenic landscapes of Kashmir for the songs is wonderful to watch. The soundtrack has been cited by several recognised polls as one of the best of all time, in Indian cinema, and it certainly deserves to be right up there. The songs Chinna Chinna Aasai, Kadhal Rojave as well as Pudhu Vellai Mazhai are evergreen melodies, still remembered and sung till date. The background score perfectly matches the situations, be it the tense moments of Rishi’s captivity or the romantic moments Rishi and Roja share.

There is an elaborate build-up given before Rishi’s and Roja’s wedding, just to emphasise on how the strained relationship evolves into a powerful romance, and also to get us introduced to Roja’s innocent, simple mentality, which plays a major role in the film. Throughout her search for Rishi, Roja’s desperate pleas, her decisions, actions and emotions all reflect her innocence and love for her husband, around whom her whole world revolves. Another theme that Roja portrays is how Rishi tries to convince his captor to free himself from the evil that is terrorism. He constantly asks biting questions about conscience and faith, hoping to turn around the terrorist into a good man.

Arvind Swamy got his stardom immediately after this film. With his brilliant acting, as a patriot, a playful lover, and a devoted husband, he excels in every role. I like the way Ratnam has created his character: a hero who is able to prove that he is one, without any violence. Look out for the scene where he is ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of the Indian flag. Madhoo was a class apart. There is no way you cannot empathise with her in her actions: from convincing army to search for Rishi, from cajoling her astrologer friend to support her and what not, the way she shows determination and courage when pushed to the extremes, probably makes this her magnum opus. This 1992 classic has been, and will certainly be, a benchmark for romantic films in Indian cinema.

My Rating: 4/5