Note: Originally written in April 2016
At some level, this movie feels like it has two souls battling for predominance. Yet, in a quaint way, you'd want both souls to co-exist. Only, a more experienced editor or director would have excelled at the flourishes that enable the two souls to be cohesive. 'Sulemani Keeda' juggles its screentime - on one hand, its a bromantic trippy adventure with groovy cuts, a witty soundtrack and a pulpy take on how aspiring writers lose to the system. On another hand, its a gorgeous and hazy coming of age story of a guy who reconnects with his true passion by way of a girl who he thinks he's falling unconditionally for. Though the bridging of these two is done a bit flimsily, each is shot and narrated with wit, gusto and a charming endearment. The characters are either acerbic caricatures or recognizable people, but always well defined, grounded and layered. And it feels very nice to spend time with them and listen to their conversations and that is indeed rare in today's Hindi Cinema. Amit Masurker has an enjoyable narrative style and Surjodeep Ghosh's camera work is gorgeous. Naveen Kasturia, Mayank Tewari and Aditi Vasudev are perfectly cast. Other than the few and far apart moments where Sulemani Keeda is undecided about its tone, it is a pleasure to watch this film. Streaming on Netflix now.... Check out more on the film at IMDB and Letterboxd.
0 Comments
Zesty Infatuations
Note: Originally written in January 2016 To get the 'not-so-good' out of the way, firstly, the heroines in the film, solve little more than the purpose of being plot pushers and dare I say it, even eye-candy to an extent. Though the performances by Madonna Sebastien, Sai Pallavi and Anupama Parameshwaran are ample, they fail to evoke a quality in their characters that feels grounded in reality. But I do see promise with each of these actors as they make denser movies with more character to bite. I say that because, the movie itself, secondly for my 'not-so-good' things, doesn't chew a lot in terms of depth in emotion or character development. Premam majorly seems content with one objective. To explore, and celebrate the probably superficial yet definitely jubilant tryst of a guy falling head over heels for girls, at several stages of his formative life. If you've been through these phases in life, you'd surely recognize the exuberant joy, the fantastic enthusiasm, the adrenaline rush, and the pulsating pain involved. Premam is a suave, stylistic and thorough ode to this zesty infatuation a guy has for a girl. Writer-Director Alphonse Putharen, also in a Tarantino-esque cameo, employs himself thoroughly to this ode. I invoke Tarantino because, in terms of stylization and attention to environmental detail, if a young Tarantino had actually made a rom-com, this is how it would look. This tale of fervors is insanely littered with little details, quirks and subtextual humor. For instance, the cafe that the lead runs towards the end of the film is called 'Agape', which is Greek for love, according to iMDB. Anand C. Chandran's camera quietly follows the charming narrative Alphonse takes us through. Rajesh Murugesan's rustic soundtrack comes with tremendous gusto and is given its worthy due. In recent times, I've seldom seen lip-sync songs done and blended into the overall narrative with so much appreciation for that art. Much can be said about the flick, but I have to doff my hat to Nivin Pauly's finely layered acting. He's grown so much as an actor who can anchor an entire film around him and he makes this pleasure ride all the more enjoyable. As a teenager, trying to woo my first love (whom, I'm thankfully with, in Life), I had a great infatuation for this lady, writing her love notes, singing her songs, and putting out my most gentlemanly-flirtatious self, with the minuscule hope of winning her heart. Premam made me sit back and cherish all that naive unadulterated fun. Read more on the film at IMDB and Letterboxd. Note: Originally written in November 2015
At the risk of sounding like an analogy-cliche artist, I have to admit that there's a great analogy to the way this movie has been made with the people it portrays. Diligence. As shown by the Spotlight team from the Boston Globe in uncovering a pedophilia scandal involving the Catholic Church in the early noughties. The same singular diligence can be seen and felt in the way several elements come together in making this movie. The writing doesn't just satisfy itself with telling the story but goes one level deeper in telling us how the people in the story exactly prevailed. The direction ensures this poignantly by not just handling the plot but the minute antics of these people. Like how a reporter would slide across the room in hurry to answer the telephone. Such are the benefits of a movie written and directed by the same person, in this case, Thomas McCarthy. The cinematography is focused while Howard Shore's original score is equal parts soothing and haunting. But what's more sublime about this film is the acting, delivered with much aplomb by almost every cast member. So much so that taking specific names would be being unjust to the others. "Spotlight" is the rare gem of this year's movie lineup. Read more on the film at IMDB and Letterboxd. |
Read MoreAtlantic CityAtlantic City says so much about two people in a relationship, without saying too much.
BooksmartA comedy that is fun, while being just good cinema in the first place.
Categories
All
|