Predestination (2013)

Director: Michael and Peter Spierig

Screenplay: Michael and Peter Spierig (based on the book by Robert A. Heinlein)

Cast: Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, Noah Taylor

Music: Peter Spierig

Time: 97 minutes

Bottom-line: Tries to do way too much and ends up failing

This was a film that my friends were badgering me to watch for a long time, and now that I have seen it, I have no idea why they all went gaga over it. The Australian science-fiction film stars Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook and Noah Taylor in the lead roles, and employs the concept of time travel, in particular, the predestination paradox.

"... the snake that eats its own tail, forever and ever..."
At an unknown point in time, a time-travelling agent tries to disarm a bomb that explodes and burns his face. As he recovers, we get to know that he had attempted to prevent the attack of the “Fizzle Bomber” on New York in 1975. After he heals, the agent (Hawke) moves to 1970, New York, where he works as a bartender. He meets a customer, John (Snook), who narrates his tale to the bartender. We see that he was born a female, Jane (also Snook), and she gets a chance to go to space, but is later disqualified because of a medical condition that is never revealed to her. Jane later falls in love with a man, gets pregnant, and then the man leaves her. Following some medical complications, a surgery forces Jane to live as a man. The agent offers to take John back in time to find out who left Jane, but as they soon discover, time travel has been irreparably tampered with, leading to severe repercussions.

 

Hawke as the Agent

I am reminded of the movie Incendies by Denis Villeneuve, where the twist ending awed many, but made me cringe. The same goes for Predestination. Up to a point, I felt that the concept of time travel has been used well, exploiting its loopholes and paradoxes. After a while, it is too convoluted a plot to follow. It is as though the intention of the film is just to explore an extreme case of the predestination paradox; every incident is scripted that way, and there the film loses its grip on the viewer.

 

Snook as Jane

This film launched the career of Sarah Snook, who plays both Jane and John. With sufficient help from the make-up crew and voice artists, her acting is sublime as both the characters: the sensitive, nerdy Jane, and the depressed, vengeful John. Ethan Hawke has that air of charm around him just because he is Ethan Hawke (after all, he starred in the “Before” trilogy didn’t he?) but he doesn’t have that demanding a role in this film. The other main character in the film is Robertson, played by Noah Taylor; what his true job is and how it messes with everyone’s lives will be revealed when you watch the film.

 

Snook as John

Predestination definitely requires a couple of viewings, and you might want to read several “plot explained” articles to truly understand what’s going on and place all the events in a sequential order. Once you do that, you can either go “wow!”, or in my case, wonder why the hell any of those even happened.

My Rating: 2.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 83%  

99 (2009)

Director: Raj and DK

Story: Raj and DK and Sita Menon

Cast: Kunal Khemu, Cyrus Broacha, Boman Irani, Soha Ali Khan

Music: Shamir Tandon, Ashutosh Pathak

Time: 133 minutes

Bottom-line: A smart mix of reality and fiction; 100% entertainment

Inspired by the India-South Africa cricket betting scandal of 1999-2000, 99 is a comedy-drama that uses that very scam as a backdrop for a tale of mix-ups, goons, theft and importantly, (lots of) money. The film features an ensemble cast including Kunal Khemu, Soha Ali Khan, “The Week That Wasn’t” Cyrus Broacha, Boman Irani, Mahesh Manjrekar and Vinod Khanna.

 

Cyrus as Zaramud (left) and Kunal as Sachin

It’s only after that one run to reach a century that you get a standing ovation; if not, no one remembers the 99 runs you scored.

Mumbai: Sachin (Khemu) and Zaramud (Broacha) run an illegal business where they clone SIM cards of mobiles. In an attempt to escape from the cops, they steal a Mercedes belonging to a gangster, AGM (Manjrekar), and damage it beyond repair. AGM catches them and uses them as hitmen to get back his loans from his other borrowers in Delhi. Meanwhile, Rahul (Irani) is a gambler, betting money on everything from poker to cricket matches. He has also borrowed money from a lot of loan sharks, including AGM. His competitor in betting is JC (Khanna) – based on the real-life bookie. When the bag of money – that Sachin and Zaramud take from Rahul to AGM – gets stolen, the only chance the three of them have to get back the money is by betting on the tie-breaker ODI match. Do they “hit a century”? Or do they “get out at 99”?

 

Boman Irani as Rahul

99’s success relies on Kunal Khemu’s charisma and Cyrus Broacha’s comic timing. The Laurel-Hardy type combination really works wonders, and the chemistry between them is brilliant. Outrageously dumb and cunningly smart at the same time, these two carry a lot of energy, which is balanced by the far saner character of their hotel manager and Sachin’s love interest, Pooja (Soha). Boman Irani’s character is the most interesting of the lot – a gambler with a list of “theories” and “signs” that lead him to his money, the way he juggles to pay off his loans to all the different people, while pacifying his wife at the same time, is truly hilarious.

 

Soha as Pooja

The hyperlink narrative – joining tales involving small-time crooks stealing briefcases to millionaires throwing fortunes on a match – and the backdrop of cricket all add to the fun. One aspect where the film differs from reality is that the actual 4^th ODI is shown as the tie-breaker match in the story, as a plot device. A lot of subtle humour comes from the Indian stereotypes, from the way people treat cricket as a religion, how every girl in Delhi is either named only Pooja or Neha, and the newspaper headlines you see just before the closing credits. The plot twists are unexpected, and the story is filled with so many quotable punchlines and jokes.

One of the cleanest comedy films in the past decade, 99 is surprisingly (and sadly) underrated. With a fast-paced narrative, well-crafted plot twists, and, as the tagline says: part fact, part fiction, pure fun, this is a film you must watch, cricket-lover or not!

My Rating: 4/5

Searching (2018)

Director: Aneesh Chaganty

Story: Aneesh Chaganty and Sev Ohanian

Cast: John Cho, Debra Messing, Michelle La

Music: Torin Borrowdale 

Time: 102 minutes

Bottom-line: An intense, edge-of-the-seat thriller; scarily realistic.

In a time when we are dominated by data, social media and the internet, the looming question has become, “How much data is out there? How can it be used? And will it be used for doing good?” Searching is a thriller film that gives us a glimpse of the power of social media and the internet in the context of a girl who goes missing. The film stars John Cho and Debra Messing in the lead roles, with Michelle La supporting them.

 

Cho as David

San Jose: David Kim (Cho) and his daughter, Margot (Michelle) have a strained relationship ever since the death of his wife, two years ago. One night, Margot goes to her friend’s house to study, and calls David three times, but he ignores the calls in his sleep. David is unable to reach Margot the next morning, but starts to panic only when he calls her piano teacher and finds out that Margot had cancelled classes 6 months ago, but was still taking money from David. David decides to file a “missing person” case. Using her laptop and logging into her social media accounts, David realises that Margot was up to something far more sinister than it appeared. Detective Vick (Messing) confirms the last known location of Margot as just outside the city, suggesting that she may have run away. Who are Margot’s true friends? Who are the faceless people she has been talking to over the internet? And what more can David find out about his daughter from her data?

 

Michelle La as Margot

The highlight of the film is, undoubtedly, the visual style. Every scene in the film is shown in a screen, and through the viewpoint of a camera – a webcam, or a CCTV camera, or a video camera etc. (exactly like the episode Connection Lost of Modern Family – S6: E16). From googling to chatting, from untyped messages to trending tweets, the camera follows all of David’s activities on various screens and devices. The dialogues and audio track also fit in perfectly, to match the screen activity or the situation (the sudden crescendo accompanying every plot twist is pretty eerie).  

 

Messing as Detective Vick

The other reason why Searching is powerful is because it is so real. The story deals with stuff you and I use every day: Facebook, email, and various other forms of communication. It is so easy to get fooled by a faceless person on the other side of the screen, and we don’t realise how harmful our data is unless someone uses it against us. There’s also the concept of how heartless people can be when you don’t face them in person but rather just their electronic personality on screen, as shown in the film. The film once again shows how social media can work for you or against you – the moment David attacks a “potential kidnapper”, the news is all over the internet, humiliating and disparaging him for his actions, without any mention of the full story.

The storyline is solid – within 102 minutes, we are shown enough backstory about the characters, every step in the search process, and the subtle hints which could lead us to the “solution” as to what actually happened. The plot twists pop up at regular intervals, each one more powerful than the last. John Cho wins our hearts as the pitiable father of the missing girl – traumatised by his wife’s death and troubled by his relationship with his daughter and brother. Debra Messing’s role is also commendable.

Searching could be a wake-up call for many of us who are unaware of the potential/existing dangers of the internet and social media, but it is surely a thorough entertainer for all. Full of suspense and heart-racing moments, this modern-day thriller is one you should not miss.

My Rating: 4.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93%

Chekka Chivantha Vaanam (2018)

English translation: Crimson Red Sky

Director: Mani Ratnam

Story: Mani Ratnam, Siva Ananth

Cast: Arvind Swami, Arun Vijay, Silambarasan, Jyothika

Music: A. R. Rahman, Qutub-E-Kripa

Time: 143 minutes

Bottom-line: Poor writing and bad acting compensated by a surprise climax

Mani Ratnam is back in action with this multi-starrer drama. The film features an ensemble cast featuring Arvind Swami, Silambarasan (aka STR), Arun Vijay, Jyothika and Vijay Sethupathi in the lead roles, with Prakash Raj, Thiagarajan, Jayasudha and several others in the supporting cast. Despite the overwhelming hype preceding this film, I wasn’t so “awestruck” as others claimed to be. I still believe that the last film of Ratnam that I enjoyed was Guru, way back in 2006.

 

Arvind Swami as Varadan and Jyothika as Chitra

“Do you have any old friends? Don’t trust them.”

Among the most feared gangsters of Chennai is Senapati (Prakash Raj), who has built an empire for himself. He has three sons: Varadan (Swami), Ethi (STR) and Thiyagu (Vijay) and one daughter. One day, Senapathi and his wife are attacked by thugs disguised as cops, but they escape alive, sustaining injuries. Following this, the entire family comes together. Varadan calls his friend in the police department – the recently suspended Rasool (Sethupathi) – to get some intel on the attack. While the main suspect is Senapati’s rival gangster, Chinappadasan (Thiagarajan), Senapati reveals to his wife (and the viewers) that he knows one of his sons was actually responsible. Senapati dies soon after. Each son becomes greedy to take Senapati’s place, and this results in a bloody and messy war that rips the family apart. Who actually attacked Senapati? Who wins the empire?

 

STR as Ethi

I think this is one story that Mani Ratnam started out saying, “I want a dozen major characters and big stars in the film (for whatever reason)”, and halfway through, he changed his mind to, “Oops, too many people. Let me start killing them.” Beyond a point every scene is just about ‘who dies next?’ – sort of like a Tarantino film where people are eliminated like swatting out flies. And I don’t see why Tarantino does this either. The story gets derailed several times just to introduce characters (or kill them, of course). I am happy we were at least spared of cheesy romantic songs. Of course, the songs that were played in the background are often drowned by a clamorous shootout, so I don’t see the point of having them.

 

Vijay as Thiyagu

The best parts of the film? One, Jyothika’s acting. Highly under-used for her talent, her character of Varadan’s wife seems to be the only sane person in the story. The performances of Prakash Raj and, to some extent, Arvind Swami – though I still feel he does a far better job playing a romantic, like he did in Roja, or a cool, stylish villain (Thani Oruvan) rather than the crass, loud and violent character of Varadan – were good too. STR and Arun Vijay have numerous instances of overacting, while Vijay Sethupathi provides the balance with a constant deadpan expression. All three of them have a number of failed attempts at humour (if that was the intention). 

 

Sethupathi as Rasool

The other highlight of the film – and the only reason why the 143 minutes were worth something – is the climax. The twist is certainly unexpected, even though there wasn’t really any clue leading towards the conclusion. On the other hand, the ending could make you question the film even more (why go through all this drama for this?!) I don’t think any other Mani Ratnam film has a plot twist at the end, and certainly, no film is known for it; looks like this is a first, but it may be for the better or worse.

Long film short, Chekka Chivantha Vaanam is Mani Ratnam’s way of saying, “If you are a man (or woman) in power, please follow the one-child policy.” Some good performances and the climax are the only things worth watching, in an otherwise overhyped film.

My Rating: 2.5/5

(500) Days of Summer (2009)

Director: Marc Webb
Story: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber
Cast: Joseph-Gordon Levitt, Zooey Deschanel,
Music: Mychael Danna, Rob Simonsen 
Time: 95 minutes
Bottom-line: Realistic, funny and charming 

This is not a love story. It is a story about love.
That one line is the foundation upon which the film is built, and it is also the main reason why I liked the film – the way it distinguishes between the two terms. The voiceover makes it clear from the beginning that this film is not going to be like any other romance film, and the director and crew stick to it. (500) Days of Summer is a refreshingly new look at rom-coms, boosted by stellar performances by Joseph-Gordon Levitt and Zooey Deschanel.

This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know upfront, this is not a love story.
The boy: Tom Hansen (JGL) is a trained architect, but works at a greeting card company in LA. The girl: Summer Finn (Deschanel), the new assistant to Tom’s boss. She immediately catches the attention of everyone at the office, and one night, in a drunken state, Tom’s friend reveals to her that Tom is attracted to her. Over the next few months, they grow closer to each other, but Summer insists that she does not want a boyfriend. The film explores the relationship over the course of 500 days, which are narrated to us in a non-linear fashion.

JGL as Tom (left) and
Deschanel as Summer. This is
the scene where they first meet

The 500 day period covers all the ups and downs of the relationship between Tom and Summer. They first talk in the elevator, then become friends, then get really close, eventually get into a fight, break up, and move on, with a slight twist at the end (which reminds me of John Keats’ Ode: To Autumn!). The turning point of their relation is day #290, when they break up. So the non-linear narration shows us incidents before and after that day, to bring out the contrast in Tom’s feelings – for example, first we see how he describes different aspects of Summer, giving a reason for liking each one, and later we see him describing the same aspects, but giving a reason to hate the very same aspects! The story felt realistic, and all emotions were exactly as one would expect in real life – it’s not an ideal relationship, and all the problems one gets in a “love at first sight” relation are explored here.

(500) Days of Summer is the film that almost single-handedly revived Gordon-Levitt’s acting career in style. After a hiatus from acting to pursue education, JGL returned to Hollywood with this film being his first major performance post his break. He seems to be the perfect actor for playing “the boy” in rom-coms – he has the sensitivity, charm and humour required for it. The scene where he breaks down in front of his co-workers is one to look out for. Zooey Deschanel plays “the girl”, and her character is tricky to understand – to see her get so intimate with Tom and then break up with him may make you hate her, even more so when she ends up marrying someone else, but when she says “One day I woke up and I was sure of something I was never sure of with you,” it shows that your partner need not respond to a relation the same way you do. All relationships are chosen by fate, and sometimes it may turn out that in your life, love is just a fantasy. Sometimes it takes 500 days to realise it, but if you are lucky, day #500 with one person can give way to a day #1 with another...

So, being replete with humour and charm, (500) Days of Summer is a rom-com that you should not miss. It does not have big stars, or a classic storyline, but it sure is realistic, and unforgettable!

My Rating: 4/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 86%  

When Harry Met Sally... (1989)

Director: Rob Reiner

Story: Nora Ephron

Cast: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan

Music: Marc Shaiman, Harry Connick Jr.

Time: 96 minutes

Bottom-line: A new, interesting approach to rom-coms

One of the classics of the rom-com genre, When Harry Met Sally… is based on the question “Can a man and a woman ever be just friends?” Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan star in the lead roles, with Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby in the supporting cast.

Can two friends sleep together and still love each other in the morning?

1977, University of Chicago: Graduates Harry Burns (Crystal) and Sally Albright (Ryan) share a drive to New York, where Harry wants to start a career and Sally wants to pursue journalism. As they drive, Harry puts forth a theory that men and women can never be “just friends” because “the sex part gets in the way”, which Sally strongly disagrees to. They part at New York on unfriendly terms. However, 5 years later, they happen to be on the same flight. Each of them has a new partner now. Harry suggests that they be “friends”, contradicting his earlier theory, and they part again, agreeing that they will never be friends. 5 years further down the road, they meet each other at a bookstore, both of them now single again. They decide to be “friends”, and hang out regularly. Does this relationship ever go to “the next level”?

 

Ryan as Sally, and Crystal as Harry (the iconic scene)

The characters Harry and Sally were based on Crystal and Ephron, respectively. Ephron created the structure of the film with a lot of the dialogue based on the real-life friendship between Reiner and Crystal. The numerous bits of dry humour are well-written, and the comic timing is perfect. Ephron went on to win the BAFTA Award and receive an Oscar nomination for Original Screenplay. The film also features in the top 25 positions of the best romances and comedies of the 20^th century, in the lists made by the AFI. The dinner table scene (which Meg Ryan willingly repeated over and over when shooting, just to entertain!), and the customer’s line “I’ll have what she’s having”, have become famous too.

The chemistry between Crystal and Ryan is undeniably powerful. You just know that they are meant to be with each other but the storyline so tantalisingly says otherwise. Billy Crystal plays the calmer (almost emotionless) of the two, with a constant deadpan expression, while Ryan packs in a lot of emotion and energy into her role (again, look out for the dinner scene!). The story is interspersed with shots of various couples (unrelated to the story) narrating the tales of how they met before marriage, which sort of makes the main track stand out in contrast.

Another film that seems to be based on similar lines is 500 Days of Summer, which came in 2009; of course, that storyline is quite different, but the premise is the same. Whether or not you agree with Harry’s principles, and whether or not you think the ending is too tame (you might end up saying, “Of course this had to happen, what’s the big deal?”), the ride you go on is entertaining and funny all the way. Watch the film for the amazing performances by Crystal and Ryan, and Ephron’s script. 

My Rating: 3.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 90%

Hindi Medium (2017)

Director: Saket Chaudhary

Story: Zeenat Lakhani and Saket Chaudhary

Cast: Irrfan Khan, Saba Qamar, Deepak Dobriyal

Music: Sachin-Jigar

Time: 132 minutes

Bottom-line: A family comedy with a powerful message; one of the best of 2017!

The 2017 comedy-drama film by Saket Chaudhary gives a much-needed wake-up call to all the parents in India who dream of a good schooling for their children. The film stars Irrfan Khan and Saba Qamar in the lead roles, with Deepak Dobriyal, Swati Das and Deshita Sehgal in the supporting roles. Hindi Medium is one of the highest grossing Indian films till date.

Raj Batra (Khan) is an opulent businessman with his own boutique at Chandni Chowk, Delhi. He lives with his wife, Mita (Qamar), and his daughter, Pia (Sehgal). Raj is simple, unaware of the ways of the rich, while Mita is far more sophisticated. Both of them want their daughter to study in a top English-medium school in Delhi. Their primary target is Delhi Grammar School, which grants admission only to people within a 3-kilometre radius, so the family shifts to a new house. When they find out that parents are also interviewed for the admission, they take up “coaching”, but it fails to work. Raj tries to illegally get admission through the RTE Act, meant for the families with low earnings. When the school starts to catch parents who involve in this illegal activity, Raj and Mita have no choice but to pose as a poverty-stricken family. Does it work? Or are they exposed?

 

Irrfan as Raj (left), Sehgal as Pia, and Qamar as Mita

To be honest, education in India is slowly becoming a nightmare, and Hindi Medium gives an insight into the convoluted process of getting a kindergarten admission! Stories of parents waiting in long queues throughout the day, stories of parents taking counselling etc., while possibly slightly exaggerated in the film, are not far from reality. As the consultant says, “Parents approach me when the mother is pregnant!”, this could soon be the case in India. Various social issues are also addressed in the film. In such a posh society where the Batras live, children are judged by their parents’ behaviour, and parents are judged by the wealth they possess. Raj has to curb his enthusiasm and rustic instincts just to appear urbane in front of other parents so that it does not reflect badly on Pia.

 

Irrfan as Raj and Deepak as Shyam

Raj and Mita fall prey to the fact that they have to live up to their social status, even if means lying day in and day out. Living with the poor when actually rich, and pretending to have gone on a French holiday to impress the rich neighbours is indeed a crooked way to go about life. This is in stark contrast with the honest and down-to-earth life of Shyam Prakash (Deepak) and family, their neighbours in the slum. He offers them water when no one else does, and even gets himself injured to pay for Pia’s education. The bittersweet smile you see on his face when he is happy that Pia got admission but his own son didn’t, and the guilty smile on Raj and Mita’s faces will certainly make you feel uncomfortable in your seats. At a time when everyone considers their own selfish interests first, can someone truly be as unselfish and friendly as Shyam?

Hindi Medium also showcases one of the best performances of Irrfan Khan, Saba Qamar and Deepak Dobriyal. There are numerous scenes to look out for, from those involving the sarcastic humour that I like Irrfan Khan for, to his heart-warming speech in the climax. A tale that highlights what makes one truly human – the sacrifices, the emotions, the love – against the backdrop of Indian education and class hierarchy, Hindi Medium is one of the most enlightening films of recent times.

My Rating: 4.5/5

Out of Sight (1998)

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Screenplay: Scott Frank (based on the book by Elmore Leonard)

Cast: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames

Music: David Holmes

Time: 123 minutes

Bottom-line: Hilarious and action-packed, with Clooney stealing the show

The film that made Clooney the star he is today, Soderbergh’s Out of Sight is a comedy-heist film, co-starring Jennifer Lopez and Ving Rhames in the lead roles, with Don Cheadle, Steve Zahn and Albert Brooks in the supporting roles. Packed with humour and action, the film is – as the Rotten Tomatoes consensus reads – “witty, sexy and surprisingly entertaining.”

Jack Foley (Clooney) is a career bank robber, who is now serving in Florida prison after a foiled robbery. His friend, Buddy Bragg (Rhames) waits outside the prison in a getaway car, but the plan is interrupted by US Marshal Karen Sisco (Lopez). After a brief tiff, Bragg crams Foley and Sisco in the boot of the car and drives away. Despite the initial hostility, both Foley and Sisco develop a romantic interest for the other. Foley, Bragg and Glenn plan to rob a businessman, Ripley (Brooks), who had gloated to them earlier in prison about having diamonds in his house. Meanwhile, another inmate, Maurice (Cheadle), and his associates, also plan to rob Ripley. As Foley plans to stay ahead of Maurice, he also realises that Sisco is on his tail. But is it to arrest him, or because she loves him?

 

Clooney as Foley

In many ways, it looks like Out of Sight was Soderbergh’s trial run to decide whether or not to go ahead with Ocean’s Eleven. But, after Clooney’s impeccable charm and charisma gave him his much-needed break in his career, Soderbergh had no qualms. From the opening bank robbery scene, Clooney’s acting is brilliant – whether he is having an intimate conversation with Sisco or engaging in a fight. While Lopez’s sexiness is what is most obvious about her character, you have to praise her acting as well. The way she plays both good cop and bad cop with Foley intensifies the chemistry between so much. This film is one of the best examples of the phrase “opposites attract”.

 

Lopez as Sisco

The story rides a lot on the acting to have the effect it does. The blend of action and comedy is really good, and the dialogues are sharp and clever. I like the exchanges between Sisco and Foley throughout the film – from the one the boot of the car to the showdown – playing mind games and trying to prove their wit. The ending is one where Sisco has to choose between career and love, and what she does may not be what you would expect, but I felt it was a clean climax. The bank robbery scene at the beginning of the film and the time Foley and Sisco meet in the bar are my favourite moments in the film.

 

Rhames as Bragg

Action, slapstick humour, biting dialogues and splendid performances, Out of Sight has it all. If that’s not good enough to motivate you to watch it already, then perhaps you should watch it just to see what kicked off Clooney’s career (and to be frank, that’s why I saw the film in the first place!).

My Rating: 3.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93% 

The Limey (1999)

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Story: Dem Lobbs

Cast: Terrance Stamp, Luiz Guzman, Lesley Ann Warren, Peter Fonda

Music: Cliff Martinez

Time: 86 minutes

Bottom-line: Has little else apart from Stamp’s performance

1998-2001 were the peak years of Soderbergh’s career, with several hit films back-to-back: Out of Sight, Traffic, Erin Brockovich and Ocean’s Eleven. This 1999 film in between ruins the streak. Starring two actors famous from the 60s: Terrance Stamp and Peter Fonda, this is a film that starts out well, but fails to hit the right notes.

 

Stamp as Wilson

“Tell him I’m coming!”

An Englishman, Wilson (Stamp) travels to LA to investigate the "accident" of his daughter, Jenny, which he believes to be murder. After serving nine years in a British prison, he is a hardened man ready to use a gun and violence if the need arises. He tracks down two of her friends: Eduardo (Guzman) and Elaine (Warren) to find out what they know. On enquiring, his suspicion falls on Jenny’s boyfriend, a wealthy record producer named Terry Valentine (Fonda). Valentine is also involved in drug trafficking; his right-hand man, and manager of the drug business, is Avery (Barry Newman). When Wilson kills one of Valentine’s bodyguards, Avery hires a hitman to kill Wilson. Whether Valentine was actually responsible for Jenny’s death and whether Wilson gets his revenge is what the rest of the film is about.

 

Fonda as Valentine 

The title refers to a slang used by Americans to refer to a British person. Throughout the film, there are several references to Wilson’s English accent and past. The editing technique used here is new: one dialogue extends into several scenes; a line from the present is juxtaposed with a scene from the past/future, and the narrative structure is also non-linear. There are sudden flashes of past and future events. Soderbergh uses a hazy look to show the flashbacks of Jenny and Wilson. Now, why this weird editing? Is it to symbolically say something? Either way, I consider it an experiment gone wrong; it didn’t give a good effect at all. One scene I liked is the one where Wilson kills Valentine’s men in the warehouse; one long take shows Wilson being thrown out on the street, getting up, taking a hidden gun, going back in, killing the men and coming out with a splatter of blood on his face. Another interesting scene is where he kills the bodyguard: the camera focuses on Valentine having a good time, whereas in the background, you can see Wilson’s doing, highlighting the “safety” that Valentine thinks he is enjoying.  

 

Guzman as Eduardo 

Terrance Stamp’s performance is the only highlight of the film. This badass hero, with chiselled expressions and cold blue eyes, will stop at nothing to avenge his daughter’s murder. The way he kills Valentine’s hitmen in the warehouse, and later hauls the bodyguard down to his death send chills down your spine. We can clearly see the effects of prison on him; while his reminiscences of Jenny are full of emotion, not a trace of it is visible on his face or voice. Fonda and Newman have also given good performances, with the former skilfully playing a charming romantic, stylish businessman as well as a killer.

 

Warren as Elaine 

With a running time of less than 90 minutes, I think the film leaves out a lot of detail. Giving minimal details about flashbacks is usually good, but here, I felt the build-up wasn’t sufficient. There was no plot twist, nor any “aha” moment, though I expected a lot of them from the plot synopsis. So, apart from the performances of Stamp and Fonda, the film doesn’t have anything to boast about.

My Rating: 2.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93%

Ek Hasina Thi (2004)

English Translation: There was a beautiful woman

Director: Sriram Raghavan

Story: Sriram Raghavan, Pooja Ladha Surti

Cast: Urmila Matdonkar, Saif Ali Khan

Music: Amar Mohile

Time: 137 minutes

Bottom-line: Unconventional for an Indian film, but a chilling revenge drama

Loosely based on (my favourite) Sidney Sheldon’s novel If Tomorrow Comes, Sriram Raghavan’s Ek Hasina Thi is a revenge drama that lies strongly on the performances of Urmila Matdonkar and Saif Ali Khan. I’m surprised this film did not receive the recognition it deserved; in fact, I got to know about this thanks to a “lesser-known Bollywood thrillers” compilation.

Sarika (Urmila) works at a travel agency, leading an uneventful life. One day, a rich, suave businessman, Karan Rathod (Saif) comes to her workplace, and soon starts following and stalking her. Soon, the relationship starts getting intimate, despite the initial hostility. Few days later, Karan informs Sarika that his friend would come to stay there for a few hours, and she agrees to play host. He leaves abruptly, keeping his suitcase in her custody. Moments after, the friend is revealed to be a gangster and is murdered. Sarika is arrested for his murder, as she had his suitcase; she’s later sentenced to seven years in jail. Sarika struggles in prison, hoping that Karan will rescue her. Meanwhile, we see that Karan is also part of the underworld, and he had set her up. As Sarika realises this, she decides it’s time for revenge.

 

Saif as Karan

With no songs, no happily-ever-after climax, and importantly, with a female hero, Ek Hasina Thi is one of the most unconventional Indian films you will ever see. The beginning is similar to Sigappu Rojakkal, the Tamil film starring Kamal Hassan and Sridevi, where a similar romance between a businessman and a salesgirl blooms into something far more sinister. There aren’t as many plot twists as the novel, but the ones in this film are pretty effective.   

 

Urmila as Sarika

Her role as Sarika is probably Urmila Matdonkar’s career-best performance (along with her role in Kaun). The transition her character undergoes from the innocent and naïve person to the fearless avenger is brilliantly portrayed – look out for the scene where Karan and her “lawyer” convince her to wait patiently, and she realises that Karan is manipulating her. The way Sarika acts, pretending to be innocent later, is also equally good. Saif Ali Khan’s smooth, manipulative character will make you burn in anger, which goes on to prove what a good job he has done. Of course, there are instances of overacting, especially with his put-on accent for English. The mind games they play with each other is the best part of the film, because one doesn’t know how much the other knows, but we, the audience, know everything that's happening. Just when you think Sarika is winning, Karan pulls a fast one. Another interesting part of the story is how slowly, gradually Karan wins over Sarika and tricks her into falling in love with him.

The climax of the film is fitting and just, even if it’s not ideal, with both characters getting what they deserve. With a fairly tight storyline, solid acting and an unorthodox climax, Ek Hasina Thi is a thriller you should not miss.   

My Rating: 4/5