Change Your Image
subhacom
Reviews
Dwando (2009)
A pretentious imitation
The movie tries to show the present day urban bengali life and its social and moral complexes (which have always been there, naturally). It ended up as a mediocre movie. It does feed a niche of the audience, particularly those who do not have access to world movie, but want some thought provoking stuff.
But to anybody who has seen Kieslowski's Dekalog II, whose plot it uses in a modern Bengali setting, this movie not even worthy of pity. The dialogues are pretentious and the charm of the silences in Dekalog II is washed away in a typical Bengali verbal diarrhea. And do not expect the gloomy beauty of the colors and settings of Kieslowski. The cinematography is very mediocre.
Kalpurush (2005)
Sad repetitions from a famous director
When I watched Buddhadeb's Uttara, I was very impressed. Almost eight years later I saw 'Kaalpurush' and I felt sad about him.
Yes, Buddhadeb Dashgupta is apparently one of the best directors from Bengal in recent times who makes 'art films'. Unfortunately, just like 'oscar-baiters' from Hollywood, if one sees enough, these 'art-film'-s also fall in one formula or another. They have repetitive 'abstract' stuff (is that called symbolism or something?) that somehow appeal to the 'intellectuals' ('in' pronounced as in French). I first tasted this in the 'procession of dwarfs' in Uttara. At least they had some cool dialogues in that movie. But a procession of 'Jatra' actors - where everybody is acting there part even when going from one place to another. The Hanuman standing on a bullock-cart and waving his 'gadaa' was the most ridiculous thing I could expect from such a celebrated director.
The actors did a good job, but the lack of funds and the director being highly abstracted away from reality was obvious throughout the movie. The story is not bad (though somewhat cliché if you have some idea of intellectual novels in Bengali - while these stories of complicated relationships may seem impressive to an outsider, the plots are always like this: a relationship that did not result in marriage, the man and the woman meet many years later, at least one of them married; then there is some misunderstanding between the married couple - you may involve the kid for more complications; there may be additional extra-marital affairs and everybody is kind of unhappy and depressed - yet going on with their daily life and fake relationships). A cliché story can be made into a good movie, but this one failed to do that miserably. It turns out to be like 'cottage industry and handicraft' these days - badly done, too many rough edges but passes just for being non-commercial and highly rated by the elite.
If only Buddhadeb had ventured to escape himself while making the movie and had paid some attention to details and polishing, it could have been a good movie! So 6 out of 10 - penalty for high profile garbage!!
Schatten der Zeit (2004)
A relief from the stereotype
Technically nine out of ten may not be justified in comparison to all the world movies, but with respect to current Indian cinema, it deserved that.
The camera-work is beautiful, and everybody acted superbly, especially the children - which reminds one of Satyajit Ray's expertise in extracting the best performance from kids. Soumitra Chattopadhyay and Irfan Khan were brilliant as usual. And I was delighted to see somebody caring to maintain the accents. Irfan Khan, Prashant Narayanan spoke Bengali with a non-bengali accent, which perfectly fitted the characters. This kind of subtle detail is murdered in most movies these days.
There were a few minor anachronisms, like red-and yellow minibuses (which were introduced to calcutta much later than the time of the story), it would have been better if they could arrange some double-deckers.
The story was really good, a great relief from the Hollywood/Bollywood formula movies, where there must be a 'happily ever after' ending.
Yet it was the story that was the weakest part of this movie. While the start in jutemill child-labourer's camp was unusual, it soon turned out to be a childhood love story. From Ravi buying freedom for Masha till his arriving at the temple was all formula stuff and I was scared that this movie will be another disappointment. But the plot returned from the edge of the cliff as Masha ran away from Ravi due to a misunderstanding. Rest of it reminds of Sharatchandra and O Henry (yes, I cannot consider this as original in any way, only bits and pieces from here and there cemented with good imagination). Another point where I was a little worried was when Ravi meets Masha and their grand daughter at the factory. Why should somebody start talking of her 'long story' to another person right after introduction! I was ready to give her the license of senility, but as it turned out it was justified by the beautiful finishing touch.
Babel (2006)
A bewildering picture of the human condition
This is a story that reminds one of Sartre's style of parallel story lines. The events take place in three regions over the globe. The characters and events are connected by thin threads which are created by most strange twists of chance.
The name of the movie is a connotation of the story of the Tower of Babel:
"...Therefore is the name of it called Babel (confusion); because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth..."
- Genesis 11:9
The movie shows the first world and the third world close together, the pains and the hardships of both. And at the same time it involves two generations. The thread of events fires up from a child's misdeed and goes on with well-intentded actions that lead to disaster and suffering. And the root of all these lies in the failure of people to understand each other. The communication gap is sometimes due to a difference in language, sometimes because of a difference in culture, sometimes due to difference in economic condition and sometimes because of difference in age and at times because of sheer selfishness.
Though finally the confusions are settled, one cannot help noting that the movie ends with a note of hope and reunion for the first world while the poor people have to just accept their loss!!
The switching between the parallel worlds is well timed and full of significance. And the way the audience is made to share the world of a deaf and mute Japanese girl is very clever. All in all, this is one of those movies that make one think, and leaves a lasing impression!!