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

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Story: Christopher McQuarrie

Cast: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris

Music: Lorne Balfe

Time: 147 minutes

Bottom-line: Blockbuster of the year!

The moment you see a franchise release any more than 3 movies, a voice in your head usually goes, “Oh, God! Is this not over yet?!” But with its sixth instalment, the Mission: Impossible franchise continues to remain the outlier, with each film better than the previous ones. Living up to that standard, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, is, hands down, the best of the series so far. Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Alec Baldwin and Sean Harris reprise their roles from Rogue Nation, while Henry Cavill joins the cast.

Cruise as Hunt

"There cannot be peace without first, a great suffering. The greater the suffering, the greater the peace. The end you've always feared is coming, and the blood will be on your hands." 

Ethan Hunt (Cruise) receives details of a mission regarding three plutonium cores which have been stolen by a terrorist group called The Apostles, related to The Syndicate, led by an unknown man, John Lark. After obtaining the cores in Berlin with the help of Benji (Pegg) and Luther (Rhames), Ethan loses the cores when he makes a choice to save Luther’s life. Hunt decides to rendezvous an arms dealer in Paris to get the cores again, but the CIA also sends a man to accompany him: August Walker (Cavill). At Paris, Hunt encounters Ilsa Faust (Ferguson), who does not reveal her mission or who sent her. Hunt learns that in order to get the cores, he has to trade Solomon Lane (Harris), alive. Several chases and character transformations later, Hunt loses Lane, who, along with Lark, now has the cores. Two nuclear bombs are about to go off, and Ethan Hunt and the IMF face a race against time.

(From left) Pegg as Benji, Ferguson as Ilsa,
Cruise and Rhames as Luther

The number of plot twists in the film is just unbelievable. Just when you see another road chase repeated for the nth time, there’s a new surprise; just when you think you understand a character, a shock comes out of the blue. Tom Cruise risks his life and limbs again with a whole new array of stunts, from performing a High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) jump in a vertical wind-tunnel with Cavill, to taking flying lessons to fly a helicopter. Unlike other movies, however, he does not have a grand entry (although Ferguson does!). With fistfights, shootouts, car chases, and scenes involving climbing vertical cliffs and hanging off a chopper, the stunts continue to amaze and make one’s jaw drop. The cinematography is a major highlight of the film. every action sequence, every stunt is captured in a crystal clear way (especially the helicopter scenes against the backdrop of the picturesque scenery!).

Harris as Lane

This film brings together the entire lead cast of Rogue Nation but for Jeremy Renner (whom you will find in Infinity War), and a couple of actors form the past MI films as well. Cruise impresses us with his exploits and action, Simon Pegg continues to provide the dry humour in the tensest of situations, Ving Rhames gets unusually emotional in the film and Rebecca Ferguson’s performance is superb. The IMF secretary Hunley (Baldwin) mentions how Hunt values one life the same way he values millions, and that is the plot catalyst for the film, which packs in more emotional content than any of the five previous instalments.

Cavill as Walker

With some “stale” action sequences revamped with new twists, and with a repertoire of incredible new stunts, with exotic set pieces and insane live-action sequences, Mission: Impossible – Fallout makes the most of the extreme limits of technology, of physics, and of human strength, to give two-and-a-half hours of non-stop adrenaline rush. If you liked the other films but still think you are “bored” of the stuff you have seen, you would be stunned at what Cruise and McQuarrie have to offer.

My Rating: 4.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 98%

The Shape of Water (2017)

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Story: Guillermo del Toro

Cast: Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon

Music: Alexandre Desplat

Time: 123 minutes

Bottom-line: Nothing more than del Toro’s version of E.T (but we all like E. T, don't we?)

The winner of three Oscars out of twelve nominations, including Best Director and Best Picture, The Shape of Water, in my opinion, is a tad overrated. Starring Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer and Michael Shannon in the lead roles, with Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Jenkins and Doug Jones in the supporting roles, the film is pretty much exactly E.T., with del Toro’s touches.

Giles: It's not even human!
Elisa: If we do nothing, neither are we. 
Elisa Esposito (Hawkins) is a mute girl, who lives alone in an apartment above a cinema. She works in a secret government lab in Baltimore, during the Cold War. Her closest friends are an African-American co-worker, Zelda (Spencer), and her neighbour, Giles (Jenkins). The lab receives a humanoid amphibian creature (Jones), and Colonel Richard Strickland (Shannon) is in charge of the project to study the creature. One scientist in the project, Robert Hoffstetler (Stuhlbarg), is actually a Soviet spy. Meanwhile, Elisa and the creature form a close bond, and she visits and feeds it in secret. Knowing that the Americans want to kill the creature, Elisa convinces Giles and Hoffstetler to rescue the creature from the lab. Are they successful, or do the Americans (and Soviets) hunt them down?    

 

Hawkins as Elisa, and the humanoid amphibian

As a film by itself, The Shape of Water is a warm and emotional drama revolving about an unlikely friendship (and even more) between a human and a creature. There is a lot of drama, action, romance and suspense. But del Toro is one guy who is known for his imagination, and that is probably why I’m slightly disappointed that the storyline resembles Spielberg’s 1982 film in every way. Like I said, there are a lot of “del Toro effects” like the dark atmosphere, the elements of violence and the blend of reality and fantasy.

 

Spencer as Zelda

The entire cast has done an outstanding job in acting. Hawkins’ expressions of love, anger and desperation are perfect. Spencer shows how versatile and experienced an actress she is through her flawless performance. Shannon has done exceptionally well, and you know that because you, as a viewer, will most definitely despise his character as the movie progresses. Stuhlbarg’s character is one you feel a lot of admiration for; he risks his life with the Americans and the Soviets to help a group of two people save a creature!

 

Stuhlbarg as Hoffstetler (right), and Shannon as Strickland

The visuals are dazzling: everything from the appearance of the creature, to the scene where the bathroom is flooded with water. The story also focuses on the transition between Elisa and the creature as mere friends to the point where she has sex with it (yeah that’s where it’s different from E.T!). The climax is also very moving, and del Toro uses his creative license to end it on a positive note. While it lacks the imagination I thought it would have, and overrated as it may be, The Shape of Water is a nice drama film boosted by the performances of Hawkins and Spencer, and the visual effects.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 92%  

Talaash (2012)

English translation: Search

Director: Reema Kagti

Story: Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar

Cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukerji

Music:  Ram Sampath

Time: 139 minutes

Bottom-line: An engrossing neo-noir with brilliant acting

Reema Kagti’s neo-noir drama stars Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukerji in the lead roles. Along with Yavarum Nalam, Talaash also makes it to my list of “smart” supernatural films. The film was critically and commercially successful, and is easily one of Aamir’s most challenging roles.

 

Aamir as Surjan

Mumbai: On a deserted road late at night, actor Armaan Kapoor swerves his car and crashes into the sea for no apparent reason, leading to his death. Senior police inspector Surjan Shekhawat (Aamir) and his assistant, Devrath (Rajkummar Rao) take charge of the case. Surjan comes to know that Armaan had been travelling with 2 million rupees in cash that he owed to a pimp, Shashi. When Shashi’s friend, Tehmur (Nawasuddin Siddiqui) informs him about Armaan’s death, Shashi takes off with the money. As Surjan continues to investigate, a prostitute, Rosie (Kareena) offers to help him. When Shashi is murdered, Tehmur uses the chance to blackmail Armaan’s friend, Sanjay, pinning the murder on him. What’s the real story behind Armaan’s “accident”? What’s with the seemingly unrelated track of Surjan’s trauma?

 

Kareena as Rosie

With 139 minutes of screen time, Talaash keeps the masala to a minimum. With the opening song taking you right into the underbelly of Mumbai – with thugs, brothels and crime – the story unfurls at a fast pace right from the start. Every scene plays a role by taking us closer to getting the mystery solved. While the story involving Surjan’s wife (Mukerji) and the medium neighbour might seem irrelevant, it will all make sense towards the climax. The twist ending will hit you with a bang – be prepared for it! The best part is when you (and Surjan) realise all the subtle clues that were dropped along the way that you failed to connect (or if you did, well done!).

 

Mukerji as Roshni, Surjan's wife

Aamir’s moustache gives him a much more menacing look, I think, and that suits him perfectly well for this role. Tough, smart and also delusional and depressed at the same time, his complex character is portrayed superbly. Nawasuddin Siddiqui plays the catalytic character – the manipulating crook, Tehmur – and as always, delivers another sublime performance. The real highlight is Kareena, who will definitely mesmerise you with that smile and get you ogling. Rani Mukerji has a smaller role, but the scene where she lashes out at Surjan for distancing himself from her is Mukerji’s high point in the film.

 

Siddiqui as Tehmur

With plot twists around every corner, Talaash masterfully blends drama, mystery and supernatural elements, all against the backdrop of Mumbai’s underbelly. As the lines of the opening song go: Muskaanein Jhooti Hai, Pehchanein Jhooti Hai (the smiles are fake, the identities are fake), Surjan must wade his way through falsities and lies to find his way to the truth, while also confronting his personal trauma. A neo-noir with a considerable amount of emotional content, Talaash is a sure-shot entertainer.

My Rating: 4/5

Isle of Dogs (2018)

Director: Wes Anderson

Story: Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola Jason Schwartzman, Kunichi Nomura

Cast: Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Greta Gerwig

Music: Alexandre Desplat

Time: 101 minutes

Bottom-line: Typical Wes Anderson; an absolute delight!

Wes Anderson’s much-awaited stop-motion animation film is here, and it is one hell of a ride. To those of you who are used to his idiosyncrasies and style, this will be a delight, and to the others, this is as good a film as any to get you acquainted with the mastery of Anderson. This is his second stop-motion animation film after The Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Japan: In a dystopian futuristic setting, an influenza virus spreads throughout the canine population. The new mayor of Megasaki City, Kobayashi, signs a decree banishing all dogs to Trash Island, despite one scientist waging a lone battle to find a cure. One such dog is Spots (Liev Schreiber) – that of the Mayor’s orphaned ward, Atari, who goes in search of it. Atari crashes on the island, and is rescued by a pack of four dogs (Norton, Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Bob Balaban), led by Chief (Cranston). The four dogs are ready to help Atari, but Chief, being a stray, has a dislike towards all humans. After persuasion from a female, Nutmeg (Scarlett Johansson), Chief also agrees to help. Meanwhile, the scientist does find a cure, but Kobayashi poisons him. An American exchange student, Tracy (Gerwig) starts to fish out the story, having a hunch that the entire scheme of banishing dogs is part of a conspiracy. What’s the real story?

 

The five dogs and Atari; leftmost is Chief 

Wes Anderson has a knack for beautifully bringing together a huge ensemble cast, and still making every role unique. No one is overshadowed by another, and everyone has their moments. Bryan Cranston voices the rebellious Chief (I was hoping for some subtle Breaking Bad reference but didn’t get any) and Norton voices Rex, whose repetitive “Let’s take a vote!” is always timed perfectly to give the effect of humour; they were the highlights. Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and Ken Watanabe also have cameo roles.

 

Mayor Kobayashi

The best part of the film – apart from the marvellous animation work – is the deadpan humour: from the subtle visual jokes to the cleverly timed lines and body language, Isle of Dogs is full of it. The other Anderson characteristic – the dazzling use of colour – is also prevalent. Alexander Desplat’s eccentric music suits the film and the atmosphere perfectly too. One issue that people protested against was that it was too racist with regard to the Japanese, but if that’s not an issue for you, this is a non-stop joyride. I liked the way Anderson translates the characters’ Japanese using interpreters or text instead of a running subtitle – a new type of quirk this time (so if you feel you don't follow what the characters are saying, it is intended to be that way)! The way fights are shown – with the white cloud of smoke – is nicely done too!

 

Tracy 

Unlike most of his films, Isle of Dogs has more emotional content – the bond between Atari and Chief (and Spots) and that between Chief and Nutmeg, for example. The character of Tracy Walker is well-developed – an unusual hero indeed! With excellently written humour, a superb voice cast, and skilful animation, this film is a must-watch!

My Rating: 4/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 89%

Anjathe (2008)

English translation: Do not fear

Director: Mysskin

Story: Mysskin

Cast: Narain, Ajmal, Prasanna, Vijaylakshmi

Music: Sundar C Babu

Time: 192 minutes

Bottom-line: A superbly acted cop drama

Mysskin’s second directorial feature, Anjathe, is a cop drama film starring Narain, Vijaylakshmi, Prasanna and Ajmal (in his debut film). The film would set the standards for several of Mysskin’s trademark techniques, and was highly praised for its technical expertise at the time of release.

Sathyavan (Narain) and Kiruba (Ajmal) are neighbours in the police quarters. The former is a rogue, involving in fights and spending time at the bar while the latter puts heart and soul into preparing for the IAS exam to become a police officer himself. Just before the exam, Sathyavan decides to show up as well; he uses malpractice to get selected, but Kiruba doesn’t get through. This has a drastic effect on their friendship. Months later, Sathyavan has matured into a sincere officer, while Kiruba has become an unemployed drunkard. In a parallel track, Deena (Prasanna) and Logu (Pandiarajan) extort money from businessmen by kidnapping and raping their daughters. When Deena realises Kiruba is vulnerable, he takes Kiruba under his wing, even though, unbeknownst to Kiruba, Deena had earlier attempted to molest Kiruba’s sister (Vijaylakshmi). While Kiruba is caught between guilt and desperation for money, Sathyavan has to choose between friendship and justice.

 

Narain as Sathyavan, and
Vijaylakshmi as Kiruba's sister, Udhra

The film runs over 3 hours, but it puts a lot of emphasis on the initial friendship between Sathyavan and Kiruba, and its slow but eventual deterioration into enmity. I like the way Mysskin developed the story on the fact that a good guy becomes a criminal and a rowdy becomes a good cop. Throughout the film, we see how the friendship becomes toxic, and even affects both families. Deena also talks about people who start their lives determined to “make things right” eventually end up in corrupt practices because no one values morals anymore. The other themes explored in the film are honour, desperation and sacrifice.

Narain, after his successful debut in Mysskin’s Chithiram Pesudhadi, takes on a similar bad-guy-turned-good role, and delivers it with justice. From the drunk rogue to the saviour of many, his acting is of a high quality till the end. Ajmal’s debut performance is highly impressive, especially the way he portrays his mental conflicts. The best of the lot, is Prasanna, in one of his most iconic roles. The main antagonist, the way his character’s mind works is pretty disturbing (look out for the scene where he convinces Kiruba to turn to corrupt ways), but with minimal lines, and using body language, and with a sadistic mind-set, this is one type of villain you will wish never existed in reality.

Prasanna as Deena (left) and Ajmal as Kiruba (right)

The film has several “Mysskin touches”, like I said. The cinematography is one: a number of long takes and a lot of shots focussing only on the people’s legs/feet. The staccato background score is another trait. One scene I found interesting is when Deena’s watch stops working; throughout the film, Deena is often shown seeing the time on his watch, and this scene symbolically indicates that "his time is up". I fail to see how the songs in this film became so popular though; I, for one, hated them. I think Mysskin did a good thing by removing song sequences from his later films. Anjathe, however, has a lot of other plus points that should make it worth your time, even though 192 minutes is a tad too long.

My Rating: 3.5/5 

The Illusionist (2006)

Director: Neil Burger

Screenplay: Neil Burger (based on the short story by Steven Millhauser)

Cast: Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, Paul Giamatti, Rufus Sewell

Music: Philip Glass

Time: 110 minutes

Bottom-line: Giamatti’s performance stands out

The moment someone says “a film about a magician; came in 2006”, it is very likely that your mind redirects to Chris Nolan’s The Prestige. However, The Illusionist is also about magic, and it also came out in 2006, and sadly, that is probably why it is unrecognised. The film stars Edward Norton as the titular character, with Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell and Paul Giamatti in the supporting roles.

Norton as Eiseheim

1889, Vienna: Chief Inspector Uhl (Giamatti) announces the arrest of illusionist Eisenheim (Norton) for fraud and charlatanism. Uhl then narrates the incidents up to that point, to the Crown Prince, Leopold (Sewell). Eisenheim was childhood friends with Sophie, the Duchess von Teschen (Biel). Despite their love for each other, they were separated due to the difference in their social classes. Eisenheim went on to travel the world and become a magician, and, fifteen years later, came to Vienna to perform, where he met the Duchess again, now engaged to be married to Leopold. Knowing Leopold’s past incidents of brutality towards women, Eisenheim tried to win back Sophie, but was banished from performing in Vienna. Sophie also admitted to Leopold that she is in love with Eisenheim, and Leopold killed her. Does Eisenheim avenge her death? What events lead to his arrest?

Biel as Sophie

I, for one, have always been intrigued to find out how a magician performs his tricks, rather than enjoying the tricks themselves. That is one reason why The Illusionist didn’t impress me; till the end, the secret of how Eisenheim conjures up spirits (even if they are “illusions”) is never known, and I felt that second half of the plot was too muddled up. The story is nicely set up, with sufficient amount of romance and drama. The scene where Eisenheim publicly humiliates Leopold is the highlight. The plot twist in the end is clever, but there are hardly any hints given to guess it.

Sewell as Prince Leopold

Edward Norton’s acting isn’t that great. He didn’t come off as a showman, especially with his monotonous expression throughout the film (barring a couple of bouts of anger). Biel’s performance was equally dull. Sewell, on the other hand, does really well to play the obnoxious and evil Crown Prince; yes, you will definitely loathe his character! The best of the lot is Paul Giamatti. His character is caught between doing what is just and his personal desire to become Mayor by satisfying the Prince. In particular, I liked the last couple of minutes of his performance, when Eisenheim’s plan finally dawns upon him.

 

Giamatti as Inspector Uhl

The period settings, costumes and the background score make it a treat to watch. The story could have been better, with more emphasis on the magic tricks (though, I did like the bit where Eisenheim explains about how he guesses the correct hand), and I expected more from Norton. In short, if you want a movie about magic, watch The Prestige. If you are a fan of Giamatti, The Illusionist should be on your list.

My Rating: 2.5/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 74%

Nadigaiyar Thilagam (2018)

English translation: The Pride of Actresses

Director: Nag Ashwin

Story: Madhan Karky (Tamil version)

Cast: Keerthy Suresh, Dulquer Salmaan, Samantha Akkineni, Vijay Devarakonda

Music: Mickey J. Meyer

Time: 172 minutes

Bottom-line: Has its flaws, but a wonderful tribute to Savitri  

Nag Ashwin’s biopic covers the tale of one of the most popular actresses of the 50s and 60s in Tamil and Telugu cinema – Savitri. The film was simultaneously made in Tamil as Nadigaiyar Thilagam and in Telugu as Mahanati. Keerthy Suresh and Dulquer Salmaan play the lead roles, while Samantha, Vijay and Rajendra Prasad take on the supporting roles.

1981: The narrative follows a structure similar to that of Citizen Kane. Savitri (Keerthy) is taken to a hospital in Bangalore, and she enters a coma. Reporter Vani (Samantha) and photographer Vijay (Vijay) are asked to cover this incident. They learn that just a few days ago, Savitri had written a letter mentioning someone named “Shankar Ayya”. As they find out who this mystery man is, the rest of her story is also revealed. Savitri was raised by her paternal uncle, Chowdary (Prasad), who took her to the world of cinema. After several rejects, she eventually got her big break. She also became close with actor Gemini Ganesan (Dulquer), and, despite him being a family man, they fell in love with each other and secretly got married. As she rose in fame and her husband’s career started to decline, family troubles entered the picture. As people took advantage of her generosity, Savitri’s life slowly got affected by the failed relationship, loss of wealth and drinking addiction, all the way to her pathetic state as shown at the beginning of the film.

 

Dulquer as Gamini Ganesan, and Keerthy as Savitri

First up, you do not have to know anything about Savitri’s life before watching the film. Having an idea might help you relate better, but knowing too much might make you question how true the events shown are, especially the decline of her health and the failed relationship. The story covers all the important aspects of Savitri’s life within 3 hours of screen time: her childhood, rise to fame, her life with Gemini Ganesan, and her descent into poverty. The last half hour of the movie is quite sad, to see Savitri put on a brave smile even as she is being taken advantage of by everyone around her. The Vijay-Samantha romance was annoying; all it did was divert our attention from the main plot. The plot twist at the end, when it is revealed who Shankar Ayya really is, is surprising. The final scene – true or not – is a chilling finale.

 

Samantha as Vani, and Vijay as Vijay

Keerthy Suresh and Dulquer Salmaan steal the show. The former even dubbed for herself, this being her first Telugu movie (the irony being that in the film, Savitri struggles to speak Tamil, but is fluent in Telugu!). The directors back then spoke about how Savitri’s eyes and facial expressions speak volumes, and the same can be said about Keerthy too, whether she plays the successful actress or the alcoholic woman driven to poverty. Dulquer is known for his style, and that’s all he needed to portray the charming and manipulative character of Gemini Ganesan. While the romance in the story eventually fails, the chemistry between Keerthy and Dulquer is really good. Samantha’s acting was decent, but the character of Vijay could have been eliminated totally; the essence of the film would not have been lost. I also liked Rajendra Prasad's acting, especially the humour his character provides. 

The cinematography, make-up and period settings are amazing. The soundtrack is good, with the right amount of time given to dream songs and background songs. Some clips shown with the closing credits give a comparison between the real-life incidents and the ones recreated in the film. As long as you are not too sensitive to the “controversial” elements which show the actors in a bad light, Nadigayar Thilagam/Mahanati is a beautiful watch, and it will certainly make you appreciate the life of actress Savitri better.

My Rating: 3.5/5