Reviews – Page 6 – This is a blog. I write it.

Zindagi Gulzar Hai – TV Series (2012) #SherylPuthur

May 30, 2015June 16, 2020 Sheryl PuthurLeave a comment

Zindagi-Gulzar-Hai-COVER-PIC

Directed By: Sultana Siddiqui

Written By: Umera Ahmed

Cast:

Sanam Saeed – Kashaf Murtaza

Fawad Afzal Khan – Zaroon Junaid

Samina Peerzada – Rafia Murtaza

Waseem Abbas – Mohammad Murtaza

Ayesha Omer – Sara Junaid

Mehreen Raheel – Asmara Baseer

Mansha Pasha – Sidra Murtaza

Sheheryar Munawar Siddiqui – Osama Hassan

Hina Khwaja Bayat – Gazala Junaid

Shazia Afghan – Nighar

Behroze Sabzwari – Abrar Siddiqui “Sir Abrar”

Javed Shaikh – Junaid

Sana Sarfaraz – Shehnila Murtaza

Muhammad Asad – Hammad Murtaza

Language: Urdu Genre: Romance; Social Drama

Number of Episodes: 26 Run Time: 40 – 45 minutes

After being bombarded with the assertions of various people that this TV series was incredible (the fact that the recommendations came from unexpected quarters was more incredible). I thought I’ll watch an episode till I realised days had passed and I was rabidly watching them in an urge to finish the series. The series really won my heart and for so many reasons.

The skeletal framework of Zindagi Gulzar Hai can be compared to Jane Austen’s famous novel Pride and Prejudice. But it is a story set in Pakistan. So while Mr. Bennet has to manfully swallow the idea of Mr. Collins becoming the owner of Longbourn manor, Mr. Murtaza (Waseem Abbas) can marry again and get a son from his second wife Nighar (Shazia Afghan). Interestingly, having multiple wives is looked down upon in Pakistani society.

Kashaf (Sanam Saeed) and Zaroon (Fawad Afzal Khan) are both very proud and driven individuals also rather prejudiced against each other, largely due to class differences. Kashaf is extraordinarily pessimistic, and questions Allah at every available opportunity; it gets tedious. Her second sister Sidra (Mansha Pasha) on the other hand, much like her mother Rafia (Samina Peerzada), is mature and hopeful and encourages Kashaf to have more faith.

Zaroon unlike Kashaf, believes zindagi gulzar hai (life is a rose garden). After all, as Kashaf puts it, he has been given unstintingly by God. Yet she cannot see his troubles. He feels his masculinity is threatened by the excessive independence and almost aggressive feminism of the women of his society including his own mother Gazala (Hina Khwaja Bayat), his sister Sara (Ayesha Omer) and friend Asmara (Mehreen Raheel).

In a patriarchal and conservative society, where women have either fought for their rights or been reluctantly given them because that is the expected global norm, tend to be aggressive about their freedom. This in turn makes the men more defensive and chauvinistic. But a woman who practises the fine art of compromise in a male dominated world might actually get her way more successfully.

Kashaf’s version of feminism was really an interesting viewpoint because she is a strong woman who knows her mind and is very driven. She also comprehends that the world is loaded in favour of men and believes that one shouldn’t oppose one’s husband in public but neither should the husband callously ignore the wife’s opinion. Also she states that any kind of disagreement is better expressed privately. She is no doormat.

Many characters could fit into the Austen mould but with some difference. Asmara is like Caroline Bingley but isn’t one-dimensional. For that matter none of the secondary characters can entirely be called one-dimensional. Some are stereotypical like the ‘scheming second wife’ Nighar (Shazia Afghan) but again the character is not reduced to a caricature the way they are in Indian soap operas. In fact, each sub-plot has an interesting story arc of its own, that melds beautifully into the larger framework and yet stands out as a strong narrative. As for Kashaf, she is an Elizabeth Bennet with Darcy’s taciturnity and Zaroon is a Darcy with Elizabeth’s vivacity and charm.

In comparison to an Indian soap, it ends with a definite conclusion in 26 episodes and it has no unnecessary melodramatic pauses or the infamous ‘flicking of the head’. Also it is a bit of an eye-opener into Pakistani society. True, India is a little more open-minded but some ideas seemed rather familiar.

Some things that Rafia mentions are according to me, very sagacious and insightful. It may seem like submissive behaviour but if you look closely you will see the spine made of steel and the eyes of resolve in the women.

So it’s a great tribute to women who rise despite constraints and an insight into men, who may seem chauvinistic but are actually just being defensive and may make good husbands if given some faith.

Beginners (2010) #SherylPuthur

May 25, 2015June 16, 2020 Sheryl PuthurLeave a comment

Beginners

Directed By: Mike Mills

Written By: Mike Mills

Cast:

Ewan McGregor – Oliver Fields

Christopher Plummer – Hal Fields

Melanie Laurent – Anna Wallace

Goran Visnjic – Andy

Mary Page Keller – Georgia Fields

Kai Lennox – Eliot

China Shavers – Shauna

Cosmo – Arthur

Language: English Genre: Romance; Slice of life; Comedy

Oliver Fields (Ewan McGregor) plays it safe as far as relationships go because he felt his parents’ marriage was dead (just like how his mother used to make him play dead as realistically as possible). But after becoming a widower, when his father Hal (Christopher Plummer) reveals that he is gay; things change. Hal is terminally ill, but gets himself a boyfriend Andy (Goran Visnjic) by advertising and joins various associations/ groups including a gay pride group.

The film goes back and forth in time and constantly compares life in the 1950s with the 2000s. Sort of like if life was a little strict then, people still tried because there were gay prides marches even then. However, now people have the freedom to love and yet they seem to be using this luxury to express a “sadness that our parents didn’t have time for”.

It explores the relationship between Oliver and Hal – who get closer with the honesty that characterises their new relationship; Hal and Andy – Andy who prefers older men after his father rejected him for being gay. Oliver and Anna (Melanie Laurent), a French actress he meets in a party and falls in love with. They realise they are similar in many ways including their fear of commitment.

It also explores the relationship that Oliver shares with Arthur (Cosmos), his Jack Russell – with whom he actually communicates. And how everyone, including Arthur, wants stability and commitment because Arthur keeps checking the status of Oliver’s relationship with Anna – ‘are we married yet?’

Even Oliver’s relationship with his mother Georgia (Mary Page Keller) is insightful. One can understand Oliver better because you realise both parents have had a hand in making him the person he is. They are both artistically inclined so he is a graphic artist. Oliver seems shy and introverted but he has a dramatic side to him that comes from his mother. Interestingly, both parents show this need to ‘come out’ and be honest. If Hal felt he had to be more than theoretically gay, Georgia felt she needed to be part of a grand narrative. Yet they are stifled by societal demands. Like Georgia who gets politely asked to leave the museum because of her socially unacceptable dramatic behaviour.

Hal tries to live as much as possible and tries to keep learning. Whereas Oliver tries to live vicariously by watching other lives or by trying to be part of something bigger, by writing graffiti that proclaim historical consciousness. So Oliver wants a grand story but settles for subversive ways of expressing it. It is probably about how he tries to bridge the gap between his realism and his desires – creating a meeting point between his parents’ personal ideologies.

The title is interesting because we are all beginners in love and we come armed with preconceived notions that do not necessarily turn out to be true. Also, we never see the title of the movie till the end of the film.

Highlights of the film for me, Christopher Plummer – there isn’t any self-consciousness or a half-joking approach in his portrayal of Hal Fields. He went on to receive the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for this role. The relationship between Oliver and Arthur is also truly adorable because Oliver treats him as a thinking entity.

The film is based on the true story of director Mike Mills’ father who came out of the closet after the death of his wife. It is a sensitively handled story of something that is deeply personal. A special mention, the cinematography – it has a staccato quality that does not jar and melds so beautifully with the narrative.

The Girl Next Door (2004) #SherylPuthur

May 22, 2015June 16, 2020 Sheryl PuthurLeave a comment

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Directed By: Luke Greenfield

Written By: Stuart Blumberg; David T. Wagner; Brent Goldberg

Cast:

Emile Hirsch – Matthew Kidman

Elisha Cuthbert – Danielle

Timothy Olyphant – Kelly

James Remar – Hugo Posh

Chris Marquette – Eli

Paul Dano – Klitz

Language: English Genre: Teen comedy; coming of age

The Girl Next Door is sort of a coming-of-age story of a high school senior Matthew (Emile Hirsch) who is a top student and seemingly has his life sorted but feels that he has made no impact or that it is actually very drab. That is until a beautiful girl Danielle (Elisha Cuthbert) moves next door and she changes things for him. He has to question his hypocrisies and the stereotypes he holds about the world around him because the girl next door is an ex- porn star.

The film has a lot of conflict. Be it internal (moralistic society-influenced opinions vs. ‘what the heart wants/believes’) or external (the director Kelly (Timothy Olyphant) who refuses to let Danielle quit because she is good and popular). Matthew’s two friends Eli (Chris Marquette) and Klitz (Paul Dano) also haven’t experienced anything of life except for what they have read or watched (porn videos). So when three so-called geeks get involved in the world of adult cinema and theft – it leads to hilarious results.

The film explores the idea of moral judgement. Maybe as humans we are far too quick to judge and label people especially because of sexuality. And just because someone acts holier than thou or is an ‘upstanding’ member of society does not mean in the recesses of their heart they do not contradict what they ostensibly seen to stand for.

It is refreshing to see a film that portrays porn stars as people especially when social media has been unable to comprehend Sunny Leone as any other woman but as a porn star and so the comments range from moralistic tut-tutting to aww come on baby. Of course, the film is not entirely without judgement because – Danielle deserves ‘better’ but then chalk it up to the fact that she does want to study and not do this all her life.

The Girl Next Door is not your average American teen movie. It’s quirky, mad and slightly explicit and it is definitely not about the ‘geek’ getting into the cool clique. So watch it for its different take on teens and porn stars. How maybe porn can be something more?

O Kadhal Kanmani (2015) #SherylPuthur

April 28, 2015June 16, 2020 Sheryl PuthurLeave a comment

Directed By: Mani Ratnam

Written By: Mani Ratnam

Cast:

Dulquer Salmaan – Aditya Varadarajan

Nithya Menen – Tara

Prakash Raj – Ganapathy

Leela Samson –Bhavani

Language: Tamil Genre: Romance; Drama

Mani Ratnam’s recent release O Kadhal Kanmani was slated to release on anniversary of his cult hit Alaipayuthey and uses that film as the framework for O K Kanmani. However, unlike Alaipayuthey, this film has a very simplistic storyline with no damaging twists and not much melodrama, making it a light-hearted and pleasant watch.

Aditya (Dulquer Salmaan) is a computer game developer and Tara (Nithya Menen), an architect. They meet at the train station (like Alaipayuthey) and through a series of meetings; they find a deep attraction for each other. They decide to live in together because their career ambitions will take them to the US and Paris respectively so why not spend the little time they have together?

Their relationship is paralleled with that of Ganapathy (Prakash Raj) and his wife Bhavani (Leela Samson), a carnatic singer. Ganapathy is Aditya’s brother’s ex-colleague at whose place he is staying as a paying guest. Bhavani is an Alzheimer’s patient and this becomes the focus of certain crisis situations. The relationship between Ganapathy and Bhavani is beautifully portrayed.

What you realise is that Mani Ratnam is trying to contrast new age relationships with that of an old fashioned romance, yet he is being neither didactic nor critical. It is a very accepting viewpoint that exposes the pitfalls of something like that in a traditional community.

The sound and visual track of the opening and ending credits are a part of the narrative of the film and give us an insight into the fast-paced and highly simulated & stimulated lives the current generation leads. They only want the thrill, especially the thrill of the chase. Once the prize is in the hand, they’ve lost interest – just like a game. In fact, the game seems to parallel Aditya’s life and his desires. And Tara is a then a character in his game – the prize.

It is also clear in that it explains that if the current generation is like this, no small part has been played in how the previous generation has been such as Tara’s parents who are divorced – her father an idealistic man who nevertheless was unable to take a stand for his daughter, and her mother who tries to make up by building an empire for her daughter, only in the process failing to have a relationship with her.

However, it does beg the question, is the major crisis of the present generation – commitment?

Watch the film for the splendid performances and the warm chemistry between the principal actors; the cinematography and obviously A.R. Rahman’s music. Also a special mention for the animation in the film, it is really quite interesting.

Pizza (2012) #SherylPuthur

April 14, 2015June 16, 2020 Sheryl PuthurLeave a comment

Pizza-Movie

Directed By: Karthik Subbaraj

Written By: Karthik Subbaraj

Cast:

Vijay Sethupathi– Michael Karthikeyan

Remya Nambeesan – Anu Michael

Aadukalam Naren – Sanmugam

Karunakaran –Raghavan

Jayakumar – Srinath

Bobby Simha – Bobby

Pooja Ramachandran – Smitha

Language: Tamil Genre: Suspense; Supernatural-Thriller

The film opens with the story of a group of ghostbusters who go into a haunted house to investigate the claims made by the locals. That sets the stage for the film because the ‘haunted house’ becomes the central motif of the film. This ghostbusters experience is actually a television programme being watched by a nervy pizza delivery guy Michael (Vijay Sethupathi) and his parapsychologist-in-the-making girlfriend Anu (Remya Nambeesan).

His life seems almost yawningly normal till he goes to deliver pizza to a house – and everything goes awry.

Dead bodies that appear and disappear, phone calls that register on a mobile phone but are answered on the landline and the pizza seems steadily eaten. The entire film takes a nightmarish turn when least expected.

The story has a claustrophobic quality that really trips a viewer but just when you have taken certain aspects of the narrative as definite, suddenly the very narrative is questionable. Does Michael really have a girlfriend? Are there parallels between what happens in the house and to his life? Is his boss Sanmugam (Aadukalam Naren)’s daughter being haunted by the child ghost from that house? Or is Michael schizophrenic?

The concept of an ordinary drama becoming a claustrophobic horror story – psychological narrative – leading up to an anti-climatic conclusion is well thought out. It is an interesting study on how fear influences and can be used to manipulate people.

It does not have the usual trappings of an Indian film, there are no dance sequences that take away from the main narrative except for the occasional song that plays in the background or takes the story forward.

However, in certain places the sequences were needlessly drawn out, especially in the house and that begins to labour the point.

The ordinariness of the setting is really interesting and it reiterates the point made in the 1993 Malayalam cult film Manichitrathazhu (which was set in an old palace but was simplistic otherwise) that elaborate sets and over the top special effects are not required to give that jolt to viewers.

Mumbai Police (2013) #SherylPuthur

March 9, 2015June 16, 2020 Sheryl PuthurLeave a comment

Mumbai-Police-Malayalam-Movie-Poster-10

Directed By: Rosshan Andrrews

Written By: Bobby-Sanjay

Cast:

Prithviraj Sukumaran– ACP Antony Moses

Jayasurya – ACP Aaryan Jacob

Rahman – CP Farhan Ashraf

Hima Davis –Rebecca

Aparna Nair – Rakhee Menon

Deepa Rahul Ishwar – Annie Farhan

Nihal Pillai – Pilot

Language: Malayalam Genre: Crime-Thriller

Rosshan Andrrews’ 2013 crime-thriller Mumbai Police is a psychological study into the drives and motivations of a person. It is about the various masks we wear; how we project ourselves and how guilt and regret when entwined can bring out traumatic responses.

The story revolves around ACP Antony Moses aka Rascal Moses (Prithviraj) a rather aggressive police officer who is known for his ruthless methodology and ability to get work done, the means no bar.

He is investigating the murder of his friend and colleague ACP Aaryan Jacob (Jayasurya) and finds a vital clue to the identity of the murderer and in fact actually knows who killed him but before he can confide everything to his senior officer CP Farhan Ashraf (Rahman) – he is involved in an almost fatal accident. He survives it physically but his memory doesn’t.

Now an amnesiac Antony Moses has to solve this high profile case and figure out who the killer is before time runs out. It becomes a cat and mouse game but what is unclear is who the cat is and who is the mouse.

Antony Moses B, the amnesiac, needs to find out what Antony Moses A knew and bring it to light. Yet he cannot recognise friend or foe and Antony Moses A had a lot of foes. He is randomly attacked by people, yet his kinaesthetic memory of fighting saves him. It also becomes clear that Antony Moses A was trying to protect someone, because the entire investigation is full of subterfuge. So suddenly, everyone is suspicious.

But more than a murder, it is about identity. It is about machismo in all male organisations and what defines masculinity. How aggression can be used as a mask. Also when certain aspects of identity are hidden to us because of a loss of memory then certain behaviour patterns are lost. There are also many references to the duties of a police officer, the oath they take – how everything is a rigidly defined system that has everything clearly stated as rules. And deviations are not allowed.

A telling scene in the film, when Antony Moses B is contemplating who he is and has only questions but no answers. He realises he will understand better only if he dons the uniform. So the shot has Antony Moses looking at his wardrobe and then turning towards his uniform that is propped on a hanger. He walks towards it and his shadow looms over it to form a shadowy head above the collar. Almost like, he is in the dark about the identity of this person and what lies behind the uniform.

What stands out is the very moving portrayal by Prithviraj as ACP Antony Moses; especially when certain damaging revelations are made. Certain sequences seem rather stereotypical but that might have to do with a limited understanding of certain behaviour patterns. Nevertheless, it is a film that gives a rather realistic portrayal of things that are generally left unspoken.

Galileo – TV Series (2007) #SherylPuthur

March 1, 2015June 16, 2020 Sheryl Puthur4 Comments

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Directed By: Hiroshi Nishitani

Written By: Keigo Higashino; Yasushi Fukuda; Osho Furuya; Otaro Matsumoto

Cast:

Masaharu Fukuyama – Manabu Yukawa

Kou Shibasaki – Kaoru Utsumi

Kazuki Kitamura – Shunpei Kusanagi

Hiroshi Shinagawa –Shiro Yuge

Ikkei Watanabe – Hiromi Kuribayashi

Miki Maya – Sakurako Jonouchi

Language: Japanese Genre: Mystery-Thriller

Number of Episodes: 10 Run Time: 58 minutes

After reading up on Suspect X, I found that it was actually a movie spin-off of a crime thriller TV series – Galileo. Suddenly, it came as a realisation that the characters I saw take centre stage later, were actually the most important.

So the story revolves around Utusmi (Kou Shibasaki), a rookie cop who is trying to carve a space for herself in a rather patriarchal and chauvinistic police force. She wants to emulate her senior Kusanagi (Kazuki Kitamura), who had created a name for himself by solving tough cases and was now promoted to a higher branch.

The pilot episode is about how Utsumi and her partner Yuge (Hiroshi Shinagawa) are assigned a ‘supernatural’ case – a young man’s head suddenly catches fire. She turns to Kusanagi for help, only to be told that he solved his cases with help from his college friend, a genius physicist from Teito University – Manabu Yukawa (Masaharu Fukuyama).

Enter Yukawa sensei also known as Galileo sensei – who does not believe that there is anything like supernatural and there is and can only be a scientific explanation for everything.

So all the cases start off seeming rather supernatural like a child levitating or a poltergeist rattling houses and so on. Sometimes it is quite obvious who might be the perpetrator but it’s not the suspense so much as how Yukawa sensei scientifically explains it. It’s thus a very Sherlockian story – more about deduction and even Yukawa sensei seems a lot like Sherlock – not very social, highly intelligent and has the strangest skill set (squash, mountain climbing, sculpturing…). Also when he figures out something he randomly starts scribbling out equations with whatever he can find. Utsumi is like Watson – humane. She also believes in the ‘detective’s intuition’ which Yukawa sensei rejects as not very scientific but it does come as very useful. There is however an underlying plotline that seems to talk of the possibility of attraction between them. If the ending song is a narrative then this chemistry is more vocalised then. Interestingly, it is sung by Kou Shibasaki and the music has been composed by Masaharu Fukuyama.

Each episode deals with some interesting supernatural phenomenon which is given a scientific twist – healthy girl dies suddenly – a man murdered in a locked room – a reader of crystal balls called by his soul-mate only to be shot as a stalker – a woman who dies twice – a murdered woman astral projects herself to her sister who is a few kilometres away. The last two episodes are connected and are a brilliant end to an intelligent series. Also I must mention that the episode of the poltergeist is an especial favourite because it is about a house that rattles at night due to an ‘unhappy ghost’.

So just like Yukawa sensei says ‘jitsu ni omoshiroi’ (really interesting) when he is intrigued by something and wants to figure it out. This series is definitely Omoshiroi!

Suspect X (2008) #SherylPuthur

February 1, 2015December 23, 2022 Sheryl Puthur3 Comments

Directed By: Hiroshi Nishitani

Written By: Keigo Higashino; Yasushi Fukuda

Cast:

Shinichi Tsutsumi – Tetsuya Ishigami

Masaharu Fukuyama – Manabu Yukawa

Kou Shibasaki – Kaoru Utsumi

Yasuko Matsuyuki – Yasuko Hanaoka

Miho Kanazawa – Misato Hanaoka

Kazuki Kitamura – Shunpei Kusanagi

Dankan – Kuniaki Kudo

Keishi Nagatsuka – Shinji Togashi

Language: Japanese Genre: Mystery-Thriller

After Drishyam released there were many reports of how the film was inspired by the Japanese film Suspect X. Naturally curious, I decided to watch it. There are conceptual similarities but while Drishyam is the story of a family, Suspect X is a love story.

Tetsuya Ishigami (Shinichi Tsutsumi) is a washed out, reclusive high school mathematics teacher who seems to be shuffling in and out of his house feeling like he has made no impression on the world. He seems to have a soft corner for his pretty next-door neighbour, the owner of a bento shop – Yasuko Hanaoka (Yasuko Matsuyuki), a single mother.

There seems to be limited interaction between them till he overhears a violent scuffle in her house after the arrival of her abusive ex-husband Shinji Togashi (Keishi Nagatsuka). He knocks to find a dead body and then starts the cover up.

The cops, Kusanagi (Kazuki Kitamura) and Utsumi (Kou Shibasaki) are stumped because they cannot break the alibis Hanaoka and Misato, her daughter (Miho Kanazawa) have created. So they turn to the genius physicist of Teito University, Yukawa sensei (Masaharu Fukuyama) for help. Yukawa sensei in the beginning of the film is shown solving a rather complex murder case which was masked as a high profile accident.

Yukawa and Ishigami, known as geniuses in their fields, are revealed to be friends from college. But now, they are on the opposite sides. What follows is a mind game between the two – almost eerily reminiscent of the mind games between Light and L in the manga/anime Death Note.

The whole story begins to take on the form of a power play. Suddenly, everything is suspicious. In every corner, something is lurking and the ever-present sense that something is not quite right – is cloying. Even the fact that Ishigami is helping Hanaoka and Misato – why?

The film throws light on the hidden lives that people live. How being non-expressive for cultural reasons does not imply that people do not feel. In the penultimate moment when Ishigami actually shows emotion, it is a gut-wrenching scene that leaves your senses shocked.

Even if you think, as you watch the film that you’ve solved it, the equation isn’t complete because the X factor is still an unknown quality.

PK (2014) #SherylPuthur

January 26, 2015June 16, 2020 Sheryl PuthurLeave a comment

Directed By: Rajkumar Hirani

Written By: Abhijat Joshi; Rajkumar Hirani

Cast:

Aamir Khan – PK

Anushka Sharma – Jagat “Jaggu” Janani Sahni

Sushant SinghRajput – Sarfaraz Yousuf

Boman Irani – Cherry Bajwa

Saurabh Shukla – Tapasvi Maharaj

Sanjay Dutt – Bhairon Singh

Parikshit Sahni – Jayprakash Sahni

Language: Hindi Genre: Satirical Comedy-Drama

Hirani’s PK has been in the news for being controversial for its take on religion but I think PK can be considered revolutionary for other portrayals.

The premise of PK revolves on the idea that PK (Aamir Khan) is an alien from another ‘gola’ who arrives naked except for a rather garish ‘locket’ that is actually his remote – a transmitter that connects him to his spaceship. In a predictable turn of events, a poor Indian, desperate to make a quick buck, flicks the green locket and makes a dash for it, leaving PK with no hope of return.

Thus begins his efforts to first understand the culture, the language and the norms of the people. The discourse on language and its nuances is quite interesting. Words can mean different things depending on it context which ties up with the fact that words make up only 7% of our communication. The rest is body language and intonation, which can also be cultural. Which means it can be easily misunderstood.

Now PK’s locket is transformed into a religious symbol by Tapasvi Maharaj (Saurabh Shukla), a guru who has been tainted by his power and does make rather bigoted statements. So PK teams up with Jaggu (Anushka Sharma) and Cherry (Boman Irani), to fight against the blind fundamentalism that dominates religion and mainly takes on Tapasvi Maharaj.

Through this entire section, there is much on fundamentalism, blind aping of rituals, the biases within us about ‘others’ as well as the extreme emotional attitude that accompanies religion. One thing I did take back is the thought that we see God as the Supreme Being who created us, yet we fight to defend Him. The irony.

But while it is a refreshing new perspective (after all, it is a humanoid alien giving us insight into our internal madness) – it is didactic.

The film seems instructive like a street play – bringing awareness and dispelling ignorance. And that can get a little tedious especially when it is already an ongoing debate that people are aware of. But yes, there are sections of our population that are ignorant. The humour of the film was innovative – ‘dancing cars’, the various mishaps but an overplayed joke ceases to be funny. You can laugh the first few times but at the fifteenth time, it is all you can do to stretch your lips into a ghost of a smile. Even the song sequences – they are like advertisement breaks in the narrative, disrupting the flow of the film.

However, the penultimate scene is the one I consider utterly beautiful and revolutionary. It is what I have dubbed ‘The Phone Call’ which is an apolitical dialogue between India and Pakistan. It is almost like the didactic discourse of the entire film is to deliver this knockout blow. It is of course, Indian cinema at its most surreal, imaginative and dramatic best. And I feel if you step into the theatre to watch PK, this scene makes it worth it.

The Secret in Their Eyes (2009) #SherylPuthur

January 24, 2015June 16, 2020 Sheryl PuthurLeave a comment

Directed By: Juan Jose Campanella

Written By: Eduardo Sacheri; Juan Jose Campanella

Cast:

Ricardo Darin – Benjamin Esposito

Soledad Villamil – Irene Hastings

Pablo Rago – Ricardo Morales

Javier Godino – Isidoro Gomez

Guillermo Francella – Pablo Sandoval

Mariano Argento – Romano

Carla Quevedo – Liliana Coloto

Language: Spanish Genre: Crime Thriller

To see The Secret in Their Eyes as only a crime thriller would be limiting and hence it would be hard to justify the Oscar for Best Foreign Film. To say it was about loss, regret, guilt and most definitely love would come closer to the truth.

The film starts off with a man writing out a story. He is visualising his scene with painstaking detail. It is an ordinary breakfast vividly described because it is the last breakfast Ricardo Morales (Pablo Rago) and Liliana Coloto (Carla Quevedo) shared before she was found raped and murdered. And he is unable to write it.

We then realise, the writer is Benjamin Esposito (Ricardo Darin), a retired investigator and that this was a cold case that stayed with him at the end of his career. The irony is, he is trying to play the omniscient narrator of events that he is not entirely sure how they unfolded. Plus, it is a series of events in which he played a decisive role, so there is no objectivity despite the distance in time.

He approaches the judge who worked on the case with him, Irene Hastings (Soledad Villamil) to discuss his doubts, the subtle melancholia (writers are very lonely people) and his troubles writing. She advises him to start either with the memory he recalls most vividly, since this was 20 years ago or to start at the very beginning.

Largely, the film comes to us in flashbacks and there is a hint of something more than a brutal homicide that drew Esposito to write about that case, especially when we see that the ‘vivid memory’ for him was not Lilana Coloto’s brutalised body but meeting Irene Hastings for the first time. So the film does talk about how memories are much more vivid because we recall minute details as compared to the present, that seems rather plain. The colour palette of sequences in the past are brighter, pointing to the vividness of the memory.

The beauty of the film is that it does not let you dwell on those moments of shock, despair, revulsion because life is made of varied moments so that you could be having a terribly boring day and then walk into a disturbing homicide. And just when it seems that your whole day is marred by that moment, you meet that person you have a soft corner for and everything darker gets blunted.

The film is not a whodunit. Esposito, Sandoval and Hastings know the murderer and have the confession. It is a question of justice being meted out. It is about regret because Esposito revisits this ‘event’ in his life because he knows what Morales did to keep his wife’s memory alive and to see she received justice. But he, on the other hand gave up on the woman he loved, too easily.

And if the film is about the unpredictability of life, then the penultimate moment of the film will throw you off because of what it reveals about the human psyche.