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%

Zootopia (2016)

Director: Byron Howard, Rich Moore

Story: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jennifer Lee, Jared Bush, Josie Trinidad, Phil Johnston, Jim Reardon

Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate

Music: Michael Giacchino

Time: 108 minutes

Bottom-line: Scintillating and wonderfully made!

In terms of creativity, Zootopia is one of the best films I have come across. Set in a world populated by anthropomorphic animals, Zootopia, this is a story that tries to inspire the viewers to try everything and become what they choose to be. The cast includes Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Nate Torrence, J.K Simmons and Shakira.

Judy Hopps (Goodwin), a bunny from the rural town, Bunnyburrow, travels to Zootopia, hoping to become the first bunny police officer. She becomes the valedictorian of the police academy, but she is assigned to parking duty on her first day. She encounters a fox, Nick Wilde (Bateman), who turns out to be a con artist, illegally selling popsicles. Judy requests the Chief to assign her the duty of a “real cop”, but her zeal is not appreciated at all. Her chance arrives when an otter raises a complaint regarding her missing husband, and Judy makes a deal with the Chief that she’ll solve the case in 48 hours, else resign. Judy links the disappearance to the fox, and forces him to assist her on the case. What she learns along the way is that the “missing animal” case proves to be a scandal far larger and scarier than her expectations…

 

Judy, Nick, along with Lionheart, Chief Bogo, Officer Clawhauser,
and Yax

The highlight of the film is that portrayal of animals. All of them are shown to behave and act like humans, but more importantly, they also live up to the stereotypes we associate with those animals. The bunny is agile and active, but considered by everyone else as too weak to become a cop; the fox is sly and cunning; the sheep is being taken advantage of by everyone; the lion is the ruler of the city; the sloths are ultra-slow in everything they do… and the best part is that all these fit in beautifully with the story. These add to the humour, with loads of contributions from the smartly written dialogues.

My favourite scene from the film

There are also references to The Godfather and even to other Disney films along the way. The scene where Judy and Nick meet the sloth is the best part of Zootopia, and their encounter with Mr. Big, the Arctic shrew, is a close second best, as well as the investigation they conduct at the yoga class! The message, as I said, is summarised by Shakira’s song Try Everything – no one can tell you what to become or do; it is all about what we put our hearts and minds to.

The animation is also superb. The characters are adorable, and the expressions – and the way the stereotypes are portrayed – vocal work are near-perfect. There is no way you cannot love the film; it has everything to entertain people of all ages, and it’s visually dazzling. This is certainly one of the best (if not the best) pictures of 2016.

My rating: 5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 98%   

Steve Jobs (2015)

Director: Danny Boyle

Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin (based on the book by Walter Isaacson)

Cast: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Jeff Daniels, Seth Rogen

Music: Daniel Pemberton

Time: 122 minutes

Bottom-line: The best screenplay you could possibly have, and the best acting

The two most significant events of the 20th century: the Allies win the war, and this (Jobs introduces the Mac).

The moment I knew Aaron Sorkin wrote the screenplay, I made up my mind to watch this film. Danny Boyle’s biopic stars Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet (each receiving an Oscar nomination) in the lead roles, with Jeff Daniels, Seth Rogen and Katherine Waterson in the supporting roles.

 

Fassbednder as Jobs

You play the instrument. I play the orchestra.

1984: Apple Macintosh 128K’s voice demo fails at the last minute, and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs (Fassbender) demands it to be fixed, and in the end the crew ends up faking the demo. Jobs complains to his managing executive Joanna Hoffman (Winslet) about Time magazine exposing his family issues. He denies being the father of his daughter, Lisa, and this strained relationship persists throughout the movie.

Rogen as Wozniak

1988: Jobs is fired from Apple, and he starts his own company, NeXT. The remainder of the film covers incidents till 1998 – touching on Jobs’ friendship and relationship with Steve Wozniak and John Sculley – where Apple renames Jobs as its CEO, who launches the iMac.

You had three weeks to fix it. The universe was created in a third of that time.

Winslet as Joanna

Lines like these, and exchanges: each one more biting than the other, is what made me love Sorkin’s screenplay in this film, as well as his previous success, The Social Network. The dialogues are humorous, catchy and often quite intense: for example, the talk between Jobs and Sculley before and after Jobs is fired (shown in non-linear fashion with quick cuts between the two timelines), the exchange between Jobs and Steve Wozniak before the launch of the NeXT computer are engaging on a whole new level.

Daniels as Sculley

This was quite different from the other five Danny Boyle films I have seen, in terms of cinematography and themes. The story was a bit different: I was expecting more of the pre-Apple struggle to be shown, which people would not know about, but instead Steve Jobs emphasises more on the financial and commercial successes and personal failures. The relation with his daughter and wife (Waterson) is a recurring theme. So it’s not really an informative insight into the life of Jobs, if you’re looking for the development and growth of Apple; most of that are shown as news clippings.

Fassbender is outstanding in the film. He doesn’t quite have the physical resemblance, but I liked the way he was able to portray the business-like, egotistic, yet pioneering, character of Jobs. Kate Winslet – whenever she’s not calling after Jobs reminding him it’s time to go up on stage – has few notable instances on screen, the best one being the scene where she convinces Jobs to patch things up with Lisa. Seth Rogen and Jeff Daniels have also done remarkably well; again, even if the appearance doesn’t quite match, the execution was perfect.

 

Wozniak (left) and Jobs, in real life

So, how much you like the film boils down to what you expect from it. Don’t go looking for a great story, although the script is probably the best you can write for the biopic, and the wonderful acting makes it all the more entertaining.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 86%  

Lion (2016)

Director: Garth Davis

Screenplay: Luke Davies (based on the book by Saroo Brierley)

Cast: Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman, Roone Mara, David Wenham

Music: Hauschka, Dustin O’ Halloran

Time: 118 minutes

Bottom-line: Brilliantly made! The climax will melt your heart

Nominated for six Oscars at the 89^th Academy Awards, Garth Davis’ debut feature film could be the most heart-warming one of 2016. The film is based on Saroo Brierley’s non-fiction book A Long Way Home, where he narrates his adventure of being “lost” from home for over 25 years.

 

Patel as the adult Saroo

Based on a true story.

Khandwa, India, 1986: Saroo (Sunny Pawar), his brother, Guddu (Abhishek Barathe), and mother (Priyanka Bose) work as labourers. One night, Saroo follows his brother to a train station, where he waits while his brother looks for employment. In search of Guddu, Saroo boards an empty train – and dozes off – which takes him to Calcutta, 1600 kilometres away. Without knowing a word of Bengali, a panic-stricken Saroo eventually finds himself in an orphanage. Months later, an Australian couple in Tasmania: John (Wenham) and Sue (Kidman) Brierley adopt Saroo. Twenty years, Saroo (Patel) returns to Melbourne to study hotel management. He starts a relationship with Lucy (Mara). When talking to other Indians, Saroo suddenly realises he is not from Calcutta, and decides to start a search for his true home. The rest of the film is how he uses Google Earth to help him with his search, and how that affects his life in Australia.

 

Pawar as the young Saroo

There is not a single dull moment in the film. The first one hour deals with Saroo’s life in India; till then it is pretty much like a Bollywood film in every aspect. The second half deals with his life with his new parents, his girlfriend, and his search for home. This is not the first film that has been made about someone searching for his home and family, but Davis’ film stands out because of its faithfulness to the true story – no unnecessary exaggerations and melodrama – and the way it portrays themes like a mother-son bond, and the love between brothers. The scenes from Saroo’s childhood keep flashing by on the screen, often comparing his actions in Australia to those of his childhood, emphasising on the nostalgia.

 

Kidman as Sue Brierley 

Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman are both nominated in the Supporting Actor/Actress categories. The former puts on an Australian accent, but his Indian appearance makes him perfect for the role. The way he is able to show his feelings of missing home and family is superb, and towards the end it gets even better; if the climax of Lion isn’t the most heart-warming scene of all the films in 2016 then I don’t know what is! Nicole Kidman has excelled in her role as the “mother” of Saroo. Her happiness on seeing the little boy she’s going to adopt, her sadness on seeing him distinguish between his adopted and biological brothers, and her support for his search will pull some strings in your heart as well. Priyanka Bose and the debutant, Sunny Pawar, have performed wonderfully too.

 

Mara as Lucy

The film closes by saying that over 18000 children disappear in India every year, and that the film crew have setup an option for donation towards this purpose, in the film’s official website. The best part of Lion is that it is a film catering to the taste of Indian audience, but without the clichés or drama of a usual Bollywood film. Emotionally powerful and visually uplifting, this film is one to cherish.

My Rating: 4/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 86%

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

Director: Kenneth Lonergan

Story: Kenneth Lonergan

Cast: Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges

Music: Lesley Barber

Time: 136 minutes

Bottom-line: An emotional ride, with Affleck and Hedges at their best

Earning six Academy Award nominations this year, Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester by the Sea brings out one of the best performances of both its lead actors: Casey Affleck and Lucas Hedges (each receiving an Oscar nomination). The story revolves around Lee Chandler (Affleck), a quiet, introverted janitor in Quincy. Despite his reliability, he is often rude to his customers, leading to tension between him and his boss. Lee receives news that his brother, Joe (Kyle Chandler), has died of a heart attack. When Lee reaches his hometown, Manchester-by-the-Sea, to break the news to Joe’s son, Patrick (Hedges), he comes to know that Joe has named Lee as Patrick’s guardian. Lee is shocked, for this would require him to shift to his hometown: the place where his past haunts him. The relationship between Lee and Patrick – before and after Joe’s death – is what the film is about.

 

Affleck as Lee (left) and Hedges as Patrick

One thing about Casey Affleck’s acting: he can never express emotions. However, when the role doesn’t require one to do so, this guy is one of the best-suited people. Lee’s character is a reserved one: taciturn, minding his own business. He has a traumatic past: memories of his accident causing the death of his kids, his divorce (Michelle Williams plays his ex-wife, Randi) all come flooding back when he arrives at his hometown. The other mentally disturbed character is Patrick: a boy with a deceased father, an alcoholic mother, two girlfriends and an uncle whose cooperation he never seems to get. The film emphasises on the mental tension that exists between these two characters. Both of them suffer in different ways, each with his own problems, but they try to find solace in each other.

Affleck, with Williams as Randi 

That is what brings out the best in acting from Affleck and Hedges. The former’s authoritative attitude, his angry outbursts, and the latter’s myriad of emotions – as a teenager would normally have – are so naturally delivered. Michelle Williams has barely 10 minutes of screen time, with one heartfelt conversation with Lee, but giving her an Oscar nod seems a bit exaggerated! I also felt there were a lot “awkward silences” throughout the film; scenes where the camera would be at a fixed location, and the characters performing mute actions, probably intended for the viewers to reflect on what’s going on.

The story has several flashes to the past, as Lee scans through his memories of Manchester by the Sea; the relationship between Patrick and himself gradually turns from two people forcibly made to stay in each other’s company, to people who accept each other with all their flaws. The ending seems apt, leaving you with a touch of happiness after almost two hours of melancholic content.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 96%

Arrival (2016)

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Screenplay: Eric Heisserer (based on the book by Ted Chiang)

Cast: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker

Music: Jóhann Jóhannsson

Time: 116 minutes

Bottom-line: Interesting concept, and well executed! 

Why are they here?

Denis Villeneuve’s version of Michael Crichton’s science fiction novel (and one of my all-time favourites) Sphere, is Arrival. This science fiction drama stays far away from all the clichés we usually associate with alien invasions, and in fact, turns out to be quite thought-provoking. Amy Adams plays the lead, supported by Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker.

There are days that define your story beyond your life… like the day they arrived.

A linguist, Louise Banks (Adams), is lecturing at a university one day, when twelve enormous space-crafts land across the planet. U.S Army Colonel Weber (Whitaker) asks her to join physicist Ian Donnelly (Renner), to decipher the alien language and find out their purpose. Banks and Donnelly make several trips to meet the seven-limbed alien species, and slowly get a grip on their language: not words, but just circular patterns. Banks also has several – at times disturbing – flashbacks of her daughter, who dies at an early age. As she becomes more fluent in the language, she realises the symbols are not just vocabulary, but something far more complex and mind-boggling…

 

Renner as Ian, and Adams as Louise 

I liked the idea of a psychological thriller using the concept of an alien invasion, rather than just an all-out assault film. There also innumerable similarities with the Crichton novel: the concept of a new language, circular symbols and vivid dreams. Like other Villeneuve films, there is a lot of screen time given for setting up the plot, so while the pace is a bit slow, the story is quite intriguing. One thing I still haven’t been able to figure out is the truth behind Louise’s dreams; the rest of the science in the film works out well, and in fact, gives us a lot to think about – like the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis and the causal loop.

In all the three collaborations between Villeneuve and Jóhannsson, the score has always been chilling and suspenseful; Arrival is certainly his best among the three. The visual effects were brilliant too. I was reminded a little bit of Jaws, where for most of the movie the presence of the beast was felt, even without actually seeing it; the same technique is employed here, with the heptapod aliens – most of the time they are behind a translucent barrier, but the way their presence is indicated keeps you riveted. Amy Adams’ delivers one of her best performances here. Playing the role of a grieving mother, and a linguist convincing others to listen to her theories, and ultimately being the hero of the day, she carries the role with great responsibility.

One such pattern the aliens use 

The best aspect of Arrival is that it actually focuses on science; just on the surface level, but that’s good enough. There is lot of attention given to detail, and that makes it all the more engrossing.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 94%

La La Land (2016)

Director: Damien Chazelle

Story: Damien Chazelle

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone

Music: Justin Hurwitz

Time: 127 minutes

Bottom-line: Colourful and emotional; a feel-good movie

Winner of seven Golden Globes this year, including Best Picture, Director, Actor and Actress, Damien Chazelle’s La La Land is certainly going all in this award season. This rom-com drama starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone leaves you (as an reviewer said) “with a tear in your eye and a song in your heart”.

A barista/aspiring actress, Mia (Stone) and a jazz pianist, Sebastian (Gosling) cross paths in an LA highway. Mia is rejected in every audition she goes to, and Sebastian is fired for playing jazz when his boss explicitly told him not to. Both of them, despite initial hostility towards the other, slowly start to become close, with Sebastian taking Mia to jazz clubs and cultivating an interest in her. Mia wants to become a full time professional, while Sebastian tells her his desire to start his own jazz club, in a time when jazz is dying. In a land of dreams, will the two of them realise theirs?

Finally, someone had the idea to make a musical! In an era where action and thrillers seem to be the most sought after, Chazelle’s La La Land is a refreshing break. From the opening song, “Another Day in the Sun”, every scene is filled with dazzling visuals, foot-tapping songs, stylish dance moves, and of course, wonderful acting. The title refers to the “land of dreams”, and the story focusses on how Mia and Sebastian encourage each other to follow their own. They fail, they fight, they get hurt, and the script is so well-written that the viewers vicariously feel everything all the way. The last scene of the film reminds me a bit of City Lights: man and woman sharing one last smile, leaving everyone watching it, in tears.

Gosling as Sebastian, and Stone as Mia

I like the visual effects and the cinematography, especially during the song sequences “Planetarium”, “A Lovely Night” and “Epilogue” (that beautifully captures a “what could have been” story). The chemistry between the two lead actors is what makes the magic work. Ryan Gosling – playing the suave, chivalrous and talented jazz pianist – and Emma Stone – playing the funny, emotional and equally talented actress – each of them give it their all and really make the film spring to life with their committed performances.

In a tale of romance, sacrifice, music, dance and of course, dreams, the best part turns out to be the simple story made so entertaining because it is a musical. I would have preferred a better ending, but, then again, this is a reminder that not all our dreams might come true.

My Rating: 4/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93%

Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru (2016)

English translation: Sixteen extremes

Director: Karthick Naren

Story: Karthick Naren

Cast: Rahman, Prakash Raghavan

Music: Jakes Bejoy

Time: 105 minutes

Bottom-line: Superb work for a debut, but far from flawless

In recent years, most of the debut films made by new directors have all amazed me: Thegidi, Soodhu Kavvum, Jigarthanda and Neram to name a few. Having heard the latest such debut film, Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru (or D16) is quite good, I had to see it. While the immediate reactions of the audience would have been gasps of surprise and shocks at the plot twists, a little mental rewind revealed to me, several plot holes and loose ends.

2021, Ooty: Retired inspector Deepak (Rahman) is living a peaceful life in Ooty, when he gets a visitor aspiring to join the police force. They discuss Deepak’s last case, which cost him his leg: that of a psycho killer, back in 2016, Coimbatore. At around 2AM, a masked assailant commits a murder in an apartment complex. At the same time, three boys accidentally kill a stranger who jumps in front of their car. They hide the corpse in the car and plan to dispose it off in the morning. The next morning, a girl complains that her flatmate has gone missing, and it is the same house of the murder. In a situation full of coincidences and surprises, what really happened that night?

 

Rahman as Deepak (left), and his assistant Gautham (Prakash Raghavan)

The first half leaves us with too many unanswered questions, which would have been really good if only all of them were answered. Yes, it is impressive in terms of the suspense, atmosphere and the setup, and the fact that we get our dose of entertainment in a compact 105 minutes, not to forget the jolting plot twists… but while these are what you register in your mind immediately, a little pondering and revisiting of the events make you question the logic. A lot of “whys” crop up which you may satisfy with your imaginative answers (I doubt it), but the onscreen content is vague.

The cinematography is something I really liked, especially the way long shots and slow-motion have been employed here. The background score is chilling and sets up the atmosphere beautifully. There are no songs or unnecessary violence/cop-beating-up-10-guys-with-one-punch type nonsense, which is good! I also liked the fact that the acting crew was entirely new, except for Rahman. The acting was a bit monotonous, but I felt it matched the situation.

So, depending on how many loose ends you can let go unnoticed or solve with your own logic, you will find the film that much sensible. The visual presentation is excellent, and credit must be given for making an unconventional thriller film. However, if a good edge-of-the-seat-suspense detective thriller is what you expect, then Thegidi or even Yavarum Nalam is a far better alternative.

P.S: Don’t get confused by the YouTube trailer. It’s only job is to make you more interested in the film!

My Rating: 3/5

The Dirty Picture (2011)

Director: Milan Luthria

Story: Rajat Aroraa

Cast: Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah, Tusshar Kapoor, Emraan Hashmi

Music: Sandeep Shirodkar, Vishal Shekhar

Time: 144 minutes

Bottom-line: Vidya Balan’s magnum opus… a surprisingly clean film

“Dirty”, controversial, and highly talked-about (till date too), The Dirty Picture – irrespective of how the name sounds – is one of the most realistic, dramatic and powerful films made in India, this decade. The film stars Vidya Balan in the lead – who later won the National Award for Best Actress – who gives her best performance till date. Supporting her are Naseeruddin Shah, Tusshar Kapoor, Emraan Hashmi and Anju Mahendru.

 

Balan as Silk, with Kapoor as Ramakanth

In Chennai, one day before her marriage, Reshma (Balan) runs away from her house. Determined to become an actress, she approaches a casting director who insults her and sends her away. She gets an opportunity as a side dancer, but her erotic movements anger the director, Abraham (Hashmi), who erases the song sequence. The producer, Selva Ganesh, however, thinks it will make a fortune with the tickets and releases it in smaller towns. Ganesh offers Reshma a role in his upcoming film, and says that from then on she would be referred to as “Silk”. She has to dance with her childhood idol, Suryakanth (Shah), and soon she makes a lot of films with him, and starts to have a sexual relationship with him too. Despite his wealth and popularity, things go down the drain when a critic, Nayla (Mahendru) insults Silk in her reviews. Moreover she realises that people look at her as nothing more than a “dirty secret”. Her subsequent deterioration: professionally and personally, forms the rest of the film.

Shah as Suryakanth

Rajat Aroraa’s script deals with themes like Silk’s early career, then her rise to fame and popularity, interspersed with her relationship with Suryakanth, and later his brother Ramakanth (Kapoor), to finally her fall. The Dirty Picture is a biopic of not only Silk Smitha (a South Indian actress known for her erotic roles), but also her other South Indian contemporaries, according to the filmmakers. There is a lot of erotic content on the screen, but that’s what makes the film realistic. In fact, Luthria had to convince Balan that what she was doing was not crude or cheap. Silk herself says so in the movie (to the audience and filmmakers): “You people make erotic films, even give awards to the stars, but are hesitant to acknowledge them.” This is the bitter truth: how directors and producers people like Silk to boost the sales but the criticism falls solely on the actors.

 

Hashmi as Abraham

The movie thrives on Vidya Balan, who is simply outstanding here; who would have thought she would have pulled off such a difficult role with such grace and class! Indeed, she might be playing a “sex symbol” but what commitment! The expressions, body language and her lines are a class apart. She brings a new level of heroism to the screen; how one woman faces so much criticism and personal heartbreaks and still fights on. Her transition from the simple South Indian girl to Silk is remarkable. Naseeruddin Shah, as always, delivers a good performance; his display of superiority, arrogance and infidelity could well induce a burning inside you as a viewer.

You can be assured The Dirty Picture is not a light-hearted movie; it is quite deep in terms of content. Despite whatever vicarious sensual experience you might get during the movie, once it is over you realise what a tragedy it is: how one’s talent is misused to such an extent that it ruins that person’s life. As Abraham’s character says, “What Silk did…is it right or wrong? I don’t know.” However, provided you can handle the content, this three-National-Award winner is a must watch!

My Rating: 3.5/5

Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no haka) (1988)

Director: Isao Takahata

Screenplay: Isao Takahata (based on the short story by Akiyuki Nosaka)

Cast: Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi

Music: Michio Mamiya

Time: 89 minutes

Bottom-line: Deeply moving. A masterpiece in animation

A World War II story from the Japanese point of view, Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies is one of the most moving and beautiful pictures made on this topic. There is no fancy 3D animation graphics, or grand visual effects, but with good old Japanese animation and a powerful portrayal of the tale of survival of a brother-sister couple, this film will be etched in your memory for a long time.

21 September 1945: The story begins in Sannomiya Railway station, where a boy, Seita (Tatsumi), is shown dying of starvation. After removing his body, a janitor finds a candy tin on him, which he throws away. From the tin, the spirit of Seita’s sister, Setsuko (Shiraishi), comes out, and is joined by the spirit of Seita, and the latter starts narrating the story, from 17 March, 1945. The two siblings hide in a shelter, hiding from an air raid. Their mother however, doesn’t survive. They take shelter under their distant aunt, to whom Seita sells off their mother’s kimonos to pay for food. As food becomes harder to come by, the siblings decide to live on their own. Slowly times get harder, and Seita is forced to steal to keep the two of them barely alive. How they endure the ordeal of the war is what the film is about.

 

Seita (left) and Setsuko

This is the first animated film I am seeing that doesn’t have a comedy track. From the start, there is an aura of depression. The story takes place in the last few months of the War, and we are not made aware of the suffering of the family before that period. The animation is quite vivid… the images of their mother’s burnt body causes your stomach to turn too. The expressions of the characters: the sadness, the subtle instances of happiness, the terror and fear are beautifully captured. The portrayal of the pitiable conditions and the effects of malnutrition are realistic enough to make you empathise with Seita and Setsuko. Given that depressing tone, all their little moments of joy seem to stand out… the elation when Setsuko releases the fireflies, when she eats the fruit drops, to name a few.

The fact that the film focusses on a short time period makes it possible to emphasise more on the gradual degradation of the couple’s health and mental strength. First they lose their mother, then their aunt chases them out, then Seita is forced to steal food, but finally they still fall prey to malnutrition. The last twenty minutes are the most emotional moments; we see Seita finally cook a proper healthy food with all of Setsuko’s favourite items, but the latter has already passed away… it is unbelievable how through the eyes of a brother and sister the devastating effects of war can be so accurately portrayed.

Grave of the Fireflies is quite grim in narration, and it is not exactly a children’s film. Some maturity is needed to fully appreciate it. However, if you are willing to take a look at the Japanese point of the War, then this is probably the best place to start. Wonderful visuals, solid storyline and some brilliant background music make this an animated masterpiece.

My Rating: 4.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 97%