Ventilator [2016] (Marathi) - Comic as well as touching, pure family entertainment

A prominent director is about to host a screening for the famous celebrity Priyanka Chopra when the bad news comes in. His favourite Gajya Kaka (uncle) suffered a sudden brain hemorrhage and has been put on Ventilator. He hastes to the hospital. Turns out he is not the only family member to do so... The hospital waiting area soon fills up with near and distant relative. Some who care. Some who have their own ulterior agendas. News travels to the native village and a retinue of relatives leave from there posthaste. Some are concerned about the Ganapati festival that's right round the corner. Some are concerned about property disputes that would erupt post Gaju Kaka's death... Hardly anyone gives a thought as to why Gaju Kala was put on the ventilator in the first place. Its been a long time since our famous and busy protagonist has been amidst all these relatives together. Meeting all these quirky characters is a bit overwhelming. Gaju Kaka's son is too busy frying fish for his own career in politics. The fact that all wasn't well between him and Gaju kaka doesn't help. And there is the friction with his own father that the protagonist has to contend with... Will Gaju kaka ever get well?

The first half of the movie is a nonstop ride of fun and frolic as we are treated to a host of weirdest and zaniest characters from Gaju Kaka's nearest to the most distant relatives. A collection of quirky characters that make up almost every big family in the world... Exasperating, endearing individuals who are difficult to live with and maybe even more difficult to live without... The movie captures their quirks and presents them to us in a refreshingly comic fashion, without overdoing it... The underlying satire of people being their usual selves even in the backdrop of a grave emergency in the family makes it both funny as well as a social commentary about us humans. It portrays all these characters in a perfect mix of love, care and greed - the three emotions that define us all most...

In the second half the movie takes a serious turn. While they wait for the neuro-surgeon, observing and interacting with all the near and distant relatives and friends is an eye-opening and humbling experience for our protagonist. The ties that bind a father and a son are not always straight and simple. They are sometimes full of kinks and knots. While he watches these kinks straighten and knots unravel between Gaju kaka and his son, the protagonist slowly begins to understand and appreciate the fragility of the ties under all those knots... And this helps him reconcile his differences with his own father...

This movie is a pure tear-jerker - i.e. It will make you cry with laughter. And at the same time it will also make you shed a tear or two as you begin to empathize and relate with the characters therein.

Most of the actors have acted quite well. Which was to be expected when the movie boasts of a mammoth ensemble of some of the best Marathi actors - including stalwarts like Viju Khote, Usha Nadkarni, Sukanya Kulkarni-Mone, Shashank Shende, etc. The lead protagonist - through whose eyes we see the saga unfold - is played by Ashutosh Gowarikar. And while I will maintain that Ashutosh is a much better director than he is an actor (which he himself agreed in an interview), I would also state that - to be fair, returning to acting after such a huge gap, he has performed quite well. Jitendra Joshi, who plays the role of Gaju Kaka's son has also performed quite well.

Special appearances by Priyanka Chopra and Boman Irani adds some bollywood zing to the movie - not necessary, but good to have...

Marathi contemporary cinema is known to shy away from the usual bullshit that we come across nowadays in bollywood movies. The same can be said about this one. While some of the comic scenes appear farfetched, they are still much better than the lame comedy that bollywood comes up with nowadays. The story touches the heart, mainly because one can relate to it. Its realistic and does not venture into the usual over-dramatic bollywood masala crap. There is not a single dull moment, and the story never ever once loses its momentum. Its a fun and heart-touching ride all the way.

Certainly worth watching at least once, this is a pure family entertainer that can be enjoyed by everyone in the family - from grandchildren to grandparents.

My Rating:3

Phobia [2016] (Hindi) - An extremely well-executed psychological thriller

A woman suffering from a severe case of agoraphobia - fear of the outside world, suspects that a killer is stalking her. She is scared to get out of her house. And, stuck in her lonely flat that has become both her sanctuary and her prison, she is afraid the killer may strike her any time. Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place...

Is she imagining things? Is her agoraphobic mind playing tricks with her? Or is there someone watching her? Entering her fortress when she is asleep? Is her neighbour a psychotic killer? Or is she just being paranoid? Is there some supernatural presence lurking in her lonely abode - that makes things go bump in the night, or even in broad daylight, for that matter? Or is she going stark raving mad?

This is an intricately crafted, multi-layered mystery that explores exactly what its name suggests - phobia, extreme fear... The story is tightly woven and well-crafted. Supported by extremely good acting and perfect direction, this is one of the best movies to appear in this as-yet-unexplored genre in Hindi films.

Both, the script and the editing, ensures that there is not a boring moment in the whole movie. Augmented with well-sketched and sometimes quirky characters, almost every moment in the movie offers some form of entertainment. Some quirky characters like Vikki, a teenage neighbour, that lighten the otherwise dark and tense atmosphere. They add funny moments in the movie, which makes one laugh and relieves the builtup tension. But thankfully these moments are not overdone - which would have ruined the movie.

The character of the main protagonist has been very successfully enacted by Radhika Apte, an extremely good actress. Aided by a strong script, she successfully makes us empathize with the character of Mehek, depicting her fragile psychological condition, her fears, her struggle to understand whether what's happening to her is real or just her mind playing games, and her formidable spirit and will in trying to over come these psychological barriers.

It is a difficult task to include supernatural elements into the plot and then manage to tie everything up without landing up with illogical and unbelievable nonsense. The writer has made a great effort to achieve this feat. And the director has depicted it well enough for the common layman to understand the reasoning behind the story. Everything ties up well in the end and appears to make perfect sense. I did not stumble upon any loose ends -which are common in these type of movies.

The film depicts the struggle of people suffering from Agoraphobia like none other has in the history of Hindi films. Though it manages to just scrape the tip of the Agoraphobia iceberg, it does manage to give us a glimpse into a psychological disorder that most people don't even know exists.

There is a 2013 English movie with the same name, and pretty similar plot. Which makes one suspect whether the plot for this movie was maybe copied from or inspired by this one. I have not seen the 2013 English movie (IMDB link). But I have a hunch that even if this was inspired by that movie, it is still a better executed artwork.

For the longest time, Hindi films have managed to churn up utter tripe that gets sold solely by the power of the Superstars and Kids, Inc (read, the Khans, the Kapoors, the Kumars and the rest of the stardom gang). Forget about poor acting, amateurish direction or physics-defying action, even the script and the story are shallow and childish. It is only recently that they have started exploring new ideas, with good actors, writers and directors breaking new ground. Psychological thrillers in Hindi films have mostly been mundane and same-old-stuff. But in the past few years movies like Karthik Calling Karthik are expanding the horizons of this oft misrepresented genre. And Phobia takes it to a whole new level with its brilliant script, extraordinary actors and superb direction.

This movie is certainly not for everyone. While it makes for a good scary / suspense movie, one cannot approach it for simple mindless entertainment. There is possibly a mild dose of the supernatural involve. And the final resolution, while unique and unexpected, may not be digestable to a few. But if you like movies with supernatural overtones, that make sense even as they make you hold on to your seat and avoid crying out loud, then you will certainly enjoy it as much as I did.

My Rating: 4

Before I Wake [2016] (English) - A great idea, poorly executed

A couple, Jessie and Mark Hobson trying to cope with the death of their infant son, adopt a child - a little boy named Cody. The kid is a bit reserved at first. But they try their best to make him as comfortable and welcome as possible. And slowly but surely the kid starts to open up. All is going well... But not quite...

Why is the kid trying his best to stay awake at night, alone in his room? And on nights, when he does fall asleep, strange things start happening. Does the boy possess a supernatural gift? And, they discover that this gift turns into a horrific nightmare...

At the beginning, the movie subtly but successfully depicts the pain that parents can go through, when they lose a child. The father is trying to cope by immersing himself in the daily chores that need to be done. The heartbroken mother is still to come to grips with the loss of her child. Attending alcoholics-anonymous-like meetings with other parents who have lost their kids; battling insomnia; unable to forget the memory of their lost child. What appears to most critics as no chemistry between the couple, is actually the two trying to cope with the tragedy in their own different Martian and Venusian ways, trying hard to not let it rip their marriage apart.

The kid with a beautiful but eventually nightmarish supernatural gift is also portrayed pretty nicely. Jacob Tremblay has acted the part pretty nicely, depicting a kid with a weight on his shoulders - who knows his gift can cause harm and tries so hard to control it.

The movie explores the theme of loss of a loved one. The anguish and the inability to cope with it has been depicted nicely. The movie could have delved deeper into it, but that would have made it lose its momentum.

There are a few loose ends in the story though. And a few scenes are left to ones own interpretations. Some parts of the movie are amateurish and some are just plain ridiculous. For instance, when Jessie loses her husband, she displays no emotion whatsoever. Its like he was never a relevant part of her life. The climax appears rushed and strangely devoid of juice, after a good buildup. Yet, the final revelation and wrap up, though hasty and apparently half baked, left me with a warm glow the same way Green Mile, another unusual movie that has a supernatural gift as its core idea, did (though, no comparison should be made between the two, because Green Mile is a much better movie)

This movie is based on an interesting premise. And the makers could have made it into a much better movie, had they explored the idea even deeper. But instead, they tried to make it into a commercial supernatural thriller. And that's where the movie lets us down. Which is unexpected from writer/director Mike Flanagan who gave us such superb psychological / supernatural thriller like Oculus. Though, the final revelation and wrap-up is complex, unexpected and totally worthy of appreciation.

If you are looking for a horror / supernatural thriller movie, then this isn't it. Like the audience in the theater where I was watching this movie, you will be sadly disappointed. Instead, if you like some new ideas that drive the movie, with a healthy dose of the supernatural, then you will certainly like this movie, the way I did.

This is not an easy movie to watch. Not your regular keep-your-brains-aside kind of entertainment. But for the connoisseur of the unusual and the different, this is an interesting watch. Unfortunately the commercial thriller angle adopted by the makers of the movie will grate on your senses...

Yet, for someone who likes movies with interesting and unusual concepts, this is certainly worth watching once.

My Ratings:2.5

Killa (the fort) [2015] (Marathi) - a beautifully shot coming of age movie

There are events that change us. For better or for worse. Force us to grow up, whether we like it or not. Growing up can be painful, but who has escaped this necessary transition in life? This is a story about growing up.

Chinmay, a 11 year old boy, arrives with his mother to a picturesque town in Konkan. His mother, a widow, and a government servant, recently got transferred from Pune. Such a transition can be very difficult for a kid. Especially someone who has lost his father recently. What such a kid needs at such times are friends. Chinmay manages to make friends with a few kids in his new school. One day they visit a nearby sea-fort. And something happens there that will eventually push Chinmay to grow up.

This is a very simple but touching coming-of-age story which succeeds to entertain in more than one ways.

The movie tenderly and beautifully captures the life of a kid, in school and outside it. (I was reminded of "Stanley ka Dabba", another movie that captured and portrayed the life of kids so beautifully). Chinmay and his new friends in school are so charming, it forms a major part of the entertainment value of the movie. It reminded me of my childhood days.

But let that not deceive you. This is no simple tale about kids in school. Its a beautifully crafted art-piece that portrays the beauty of Konkan like no other movie I have seen before. Kudos to Director and Cinematographer Avinash Arun for making magic with the camera and capturing the essence of the greenery and the coastal beauty of Konkan region. The scenes at the beach, on the boat, and at the fort are absolute eye candy.

The script is so simple and yet so effectively conveys the emotions of all the charaters. Especially the strained yet tender relationship between Chinmay and his mother. The story throws at us some very memorable characters. Bandya (Chinmay's friend), and the fisherman are the ones I liked most. The script does not flinch to depict kids swearing really nasty swearwords. Most movies depict kids as sweet and innocent. Not so with this one. And that makes the story even more realistic.

The pace of the movie can be a bit slow, especially after the interval, when things start going wrong. The Killa - which means a Fort, on which the movie title is based, does not feature in the movie until the interval. And though the events at the fort play a pivotal role in the movie, the fort itself features in the movie only for a few minutes.

The performances of most of the actors was extremely good. I especially liked the roles of Parth Bhalerao who plays Bandya, Amruta Subhash, who plays Chinmay's mother and Archit Deodhar who plays Chinmay.

This was one really good movie experience for me...

My Ratings: 4

Is Anybody There? [2008] (English) - a bitter-sweet tale of an old man and a boy

"Is anybody there?" Sounds like an innocent question, doesn't it? A little boy - hardly more than 10 years old - is obsessed with it. What happens after death? Do we turn into ghosts? Is there life after death? Do we just switch off after death or do we linger behind? Is it just emptiness we leave behind? Or is there anybody there? A truly morbid topic for so little a boy to be obsessed with. While the movie does not really delve too deeply into the roots of the kid's obsession for life after death, it does spin a pretty entertaining yarn about life before death...

The boy in question is Edward, the only son of a couple who run an old people's home. A caring and dedicated mother who is too busy caring for the old and making ends meet, a jobless father caught in a desperate middle-age crisis, and a home full of old grumpy people. Not the best of the environments for a young fellow to spend his growing years in. And obviously Edwards resents the fact. The only consolation is that he has a house full of ideal subjects for his experimentation. All he has to do is wait for one of the oldies to drop dead... With a home that's not a normal home for a 10-year old, and a hobby that's not a normal hobby for that age, Edward hardly has many friends... With resentment growing as fast as his obsession, he is usually quite grumpy and full of mischief...

Then one day the old age home has a new recruit. An old fellow who is as grumpy, if not more, as Edward. His name's Clarence. A fellow with a bitter past and a dreary future... A self-respecting guy who resents his having to rely on anyone else. At first the grumpy, reclusive Clarence fascinates Edward. No wonder. In his heyday, Clarence used to be a magician. But no more. Now he is just an old man, with a past full of bad choices and a future that's destined to go straight downhill...

An uneasy bond starts forming between the afterlife-obsessed Edward and the resentful bitter magician Clarence... Old-age despair and resentment collide with the hope of youth, giving birth to an unlikely friendship... A friendship that transcends age and generation barrier... A friendship that would change both their lives...

The movie captures some of the most basic and raw human emotions so effortlessly with such tenderness and empathy that one is left marveling at the skilled direction, the perfect script and such superb acting by everyone involved. But it hardly gives one an opportunity to mull on such nitty-gritties... The story sweeps up the viewers and plunges them into the lives of Edward, Clarence, Edward's parents and the quirky denizens of their little old-age home...

For a story that tackles really serious human emotions like despair, bitterness and fear of death, it manages to entertain pretty effectively. Its full of humorous and tender moments. Edward's innocent antics are captured so effectively. It also unflinchingly depicts the helplessness that old age thrusts upon a self-respecting and self-reliant person... And the bitterness of our past choices that haunt us as we grow older - the ghosts of our past following us like an ever-present shadow... It shows us the trials and tribulations of growing old with empathy and understanding. And it paints so well the downward spiral that a marriage can take when not everything is working out fine and either of the partners realize that they have crossed their prime years and have nothing to look forward to but old age and despair that they already see around them everyday.

Not many movies manage to entertain while tackling serious human emotions. But this gem of a movie succeeds in doing this with flying colours. It will make you laugh. It will make you cry. It gets a bit serious near the two-third mark, but never once loses its pace. It manages to keep it all realistic and finally it wraps up the climax with a happy ending, leaving the viewer with a nice feel-good glow as the end credits roll out.

The direction is superb. So is the cinematography. All actors have played their parts very well. Michael Caine of course plays the part of the Magnificent Clarence to perfection. I also liked the acting of Bill Milner who played the part of Edward and Anne-Marie Duff who played the part of his mother, very much...

Its one of those few rare movies that one can watch again and again without getting bored by it. I enjoyed it a lot. And hope you do too...

My Rating: 3.5

The Intouchables [2011] (French): A Friendship can define your life

The movie begins with a black guy is driving a car. Besides him sits a white guy. As they wait at a traffic signal, the Black guy suddenly breaks the lane and speeds off almost breaking the signal. The powerful engines whine as the car - a cool Maserati - picks up speed. The two men look at each other and smile. The car veers this way and that dodging other cars at breakneck speed as it hurtles away through the night on the streets of Paris. Of course, they are soon being chased by the traffic police. The black driver challenges the white guy that he can loose the police in no time. He almost makes it. But then the police finally cut him off. They make him come out of the car, but before they can apprehend him, he claims that the reason for him to drive so fast was because he was taking the white guy to Hospital. He is a quadriplegic and is having a stroke. The white guy for his part pretends that he is spasming... The police quickly release him and escort them to the Hospital, as the two friends share a hearty laugh at their expense.

Flash back to an interview. Candidates are sitting in a line. All immaculately dressed in formals. All except one. A black guy dressed in jeans, T-Shirt, jacket and sports shoes. He is Driss, the driver mentioned above - a poor unemployed young fellow. The interview is being conducted for hiring a caretaker for Philippe (the white guy in the above mentioned scene) - a rich white quadriplegic widower. Driss is not looking for employment. He is just looking for a signature claiming that he tried for a job but failed, thus making him eligible for government benefit. And he makes no effort to hide the fact. To his surprise and chagrin, Driss is offered the job... He has no choice but to accept. For he has been recently asked to leave home by his angry mother. 

How did Driss survive the job taking care of the often moody Philippe? How did Philippe put up with this cocky unorthodox fellow who had no reservations to speaking out his mind? How did these two men from such diverse background become friends?

This is the story of Intouchables, a movie that became the second biggest box office hit in France. Its a comedy-drama based on a true story. A story of a rich quadriplegic who learns to hope, to enjoy to live life from his cocky, unorthodox, but full-of-life caretaker. And above all, gains a life long friend who will change his life forever.

The story is well-edited. The movie never looses pace. The script is well-crafted. The dialogue flows smoothly, never appearing awkward or contrived (at least the English subtitles didn't). The visuals as well as the dialogue manage to convey the story gracefully. The witty sparring between Philippe and Driss adds the spice to it all.

The best part of the movie is the acting. Both the lead actors - François Cluzet playing Philippe and Omar Sy portraying Driss, have acted extremely well. Especially François Cluzet - for it is no easy task to act as a quadriplegic. His acting skills are evident in his ability to convey emotions with his face alone - especially his eyes. The other actors have acted well too.

Some critics (excepts the french of course) were not very impressed by this movie, questioning what the fuss was all about? In a way I agree with them. For though it is based on a true story, some parts of it do feel contrived, which may be a let down for some who might expect more realism from it. And yet, therein lies its charm. It entertains with its lighthearted comedy. The quips that often flow between Philippe and Driss makes one laugh out loud. (This one reminds me of a similar movie "The Bucket List" - another favourite of mine). We are allowed a peek into the lives, the pains, the happy and sad memories of these two men from vastly different backgrounds. Its a feel good movie that manages to spread a happy glow as you watch and cheer the victory of life over disability and hope over despair. But above all it celebrates Friendship - a friendship that knows no bounds, that transcends beyond the boundaries of race, class or physical disability...

Mostly funny, but at times tender and serious, its a good movie that I am sure to watch and enjoy many more times.

My Ratings: 3

The International [2009] (English): The difference between truth and fiction - fiction has to make sense

"This is the very essence of the banking industry... to make us all, whether we be nations or individuals... slaves to debt."

Words of wisdom. Uttered by a man in high places, a man who has inside knowledge of the machinations of big financial institutions... Soon after uttering these words, the man, an Italian presidential candidate dies. He is assassinated in broad daylight, in front of hundreds of people, while giving a speech.

He is not the first casualty in the movie The International. And he won't be the last...

The first casualty takes places five minutes into the movie - right in front of the eyes of the lead protagonist. And the movie never looses its grip from that point on...

The lead protagonist mentioned above is one Louis Salinger, an Interpol agent, who is assisting Eleanor Whitman, an Assistant District Attorney from Manhattan, in investigating money laundering and malpractice done by the International Bank of Business and Credit (IBBC). But they lose their lead witness, and the death toll rises, and soon they realize that they are up against a very formidable foe. A big international corporation with access to virtually unlimited funds wields power enough to twist any evidence, make witnesses disappear and "buy" friends at the highest places. As they try to uncover more and more evidence, their investigation keeps hitting inaccessible walls. Will they succeed in pinning down the corrupt bank and its unscrupulous officials?

The well-edited story moves at a break-neck pace. The action and the chase sequences are very well-executed. Kudos to the director and the photography crew for depicting some pretty cool action scenes. Instead of the shaky blurred camerawork used to depict intense action, they employ well placed cameras and aerial views to depict much of the actions scenes, making them look quite elegant. The shootout scene that takes place within the Guggenheim museum, (though preposterous) is especially breath-taking. (It is claimed that they built a life-size replica of the actual museum for this.) The film does not flinch from showing blood and violence wherever necessary. The story threatens to take a decidedly vigilante turn at the end, but fortunately wraps up well. The climax is unexpected but realistic, though its a bit of a letdown after the pretty impressive built-up of the entire story...

The basic premise of the story may sound a bit preposterous, but the related Wikipedia article claims that "the film draws on a number of macabre incidents from international banking". It successfully depicts the ugly underbelly of the big financial corporations and how they manipulate governments, facts and situations to suit their own needs.

Some of the dialogues are quite well-scripted. One of my most favourites is this one: "We cannot control the things Life does to us. They are done before you know it, and once they are done... they make you do other things... until at last, everything comes between you... and the man you wanted to be."

Clive Owen plays the disillusioned, disgruntled protagonist quite well - especially with his impassive face, vacant eyes and his almost perpetual part-confused, part-contemptuous expression (Though his acting is not really that good, such roles do suit him quite well I think). Others have acted okay too. Most of the characters a shallow and two-dimensional, but they suit the story well. Any attempt to sketch the characters further would have made this essentially action flick cumbersome and slow. But there is one character I found most interesting - that of an antagonist - a former stasi colonel named Wexler, who has been depicted pretty nicely, and well-performed by the German actor Armin Mueller-Stahl.

There are some negative reviews for this movie, some of which claim that it "is undone by its preposterous plot"... I find that statement preposterous. For the film's plot is certainly less preposterous than so many other commercial action movies out there that receive such great accolades from the reviewers... And I do agree, that to a certain extent, certain aspects of the plot are a bit preposterous. (For instance the sequence where Whitman slips Salinger out of police custody undetected is utterly naive) Yet, the real value of this movie lies in its attempt to convey the idea that it is not the politicians, the world leaders, the governments and armies that move the world. It is the big financial corporations, working silently at the backstage, that unscrupulously manipulate the world we live in - for their own benefit... This does sound a bit farfetched and paranoid. But then, it is after all merely a work of fiction, isn't it?...

There is one more dialogue in the movie which I liked a lot: "This is the difference between truth and fiction... Fiction has to make sense."... Hmm, I wonder...

My Ratings: 3