James Berardinelli reviewed this film in 1993 (http://www.reelviews.net/movies/p/praying.html) and said "...there are occasional glimpses of promise which indicate that Shyamalan may have a future in film making."
And boy was he right! This film has hints of 'supernatural' or rather 'spiritual' elements to it but none of them as prominent as the ones he's known for. It has some gorgeous cinematography by Madhu Ambat (who would go on to win 3 National Film Awards in India in the years that followed). The editing is very text book film school-ish and moves the story forward without any fuss. The acting is more like a high school play though.
I found this film interesting for reasons Shyamalan couldn't have foreseen. It became a document of that place and time- Coastal South India in 1993. There are some shots in the film that invoke a real sense of nostalgia, especially if you're Indian and you grew up in the southern states.
Shyamalan's trademark hints of humour are also present here, especially with the joke involving Michael Jackson. There is also a subplot thrown in that addresses Hindu-Muslim tensions of the early 90s and I have a feeling this was what Shyamalan was probably embarrassed about later in his career. He builds the second half to an emotional crescendo and the ending is heartbreaking.
This is more of a collector's item for Shyamalan fans. If you got your hands on a copy (which will be mostly VHS) then don't let go of it. And what more, you might even enjoy watching it.
And boy was he right! This film has hints of 'supernatural' or rather 'spiritual' elements to it but none of them as prominent as the ones he's known for. It has some gorgeous cinematography by Madhu Ambat (who would go on to win 3 National Film Awards in India in the years that followed). The editing is very text book film school-ish and moves the story forward without any fuss. The acting is more like a high school play though.
I found this film interesting for reasons Shyamalan couldn't have foreseen. It became a document of that place and time- Coastal South India in 1993. There are some shots in the film that invoke a real sense of nostalgia, especially if you're Indian and you grew up in the southern states.
Shyamalan's trademark hints of humour are also present here, especially with the joke involving Michael Jackson. There is also a subplot thrown in that addresses Hindu-Muslim tensions of the early 90s and I have a feeling this was what Shyamalan was probably embarrassed about later in his career. He builds the second half to an emotional crescendo and the ending is heartbreaking.
This is more of a collector's item for Shyamalan fans. If you got your hands on a copy (which will be mostly VHS) then don't let go of it. And what more, you might even enjoy watching it.