Gangs of Wasseypur II (2012)

While watching Wasseypur, I often found myself trying to fit its characters into the world of Godfather. Puzo and Coppola's work is so rich and perfect that every mafia family movie taking even the slightest inspiration immediately gets compared to the classic. Most movies have succumbed to this and a few have managed to survive. Nayakan, Devar Magan, Raajneeti and Sarkar come to mind. Raajneeti was unabashedly Godfather-esque, drew inspiration from Mahabharat and Indian political history, but with loads of masala. All these movies have only increased my admiration for my favorite movie of all time. The issue is characters keep switching roles, which may be a good thing. Sardar's death is reminiscent of Sonny's, but then Dhanish shows his shades. At one point of time Sardar appeared like Michael, but then Faizal turned into one. Ageing Ramadhir curiously resembled Vito before finally taking his place as Don Cicci.. the list goes on. Wassepur's success lies in the fact that it offers a sprawling epic that still manages to appear honest, original and realistic. 

Cinema forms this story's backbone. Ramadhir, while telling Shamshad how he managed to survive so long as all his foes kept dying, says everyone in India is caught in an illusion with movies. Jab tak Hindustan mein cinema rahega, tab tak log chutiya bante rahenge. The truth in that line resonates loudly as Kashyap mocks himself. The Indian masses are extremely impressionable and I personally blame cinema for increase in rape in India. Faizal thinks of himself as Amitabh Bachchan of the family but later realizes he's actually a Shashi kapoor. His younger brother Perpendicular is obsessed with Sanjay Dutt and his half-brother Definite is a Salman Khan knock off with a Tere Naam haircut. Like in Part I, the passage of time is signified using movie posters, with ringtones adding to it. 

Many people criticized the lack of urgency in part I which had Sardar savoring his moments troubling Ramadhir. After his passing, his sons have picked up the baton; the Pandavs fighting Ramadhir's metaphorical Kauravas. Luckily for Sardar, the apples didn't fall far from the tree. Each son seemed to have a penchant for the old ultraviolence. New characters came and went altering the course of the story but the goal remained the same: Ramadhir ki keh ke lena. In spite of everything, Wasseypur has always been a threesome, also involving the Qureshi family. Like part I, this one too felt like it was all over the place giving no clear idea of where things were heading. We always knew what was ultimately going to happen. Kashyap could have ended it anywhere he wished to. He only had to tie the loose ends. But he kept going on and on introducing new characters till the very end. My absurdly full bladder is partially to blame, but I kept hoping it would end soon. 

We are told that Faizal is the reluctant son who got dragged into this feud, but I never got that impression from him. When he breaks down to his wife, I didn't understand his regret. Perpendicular and Definite's bet seems so pointless. On the other hand, Definite's first failed attempt to kill Shamshad, another one involving Sultan and bananas, the continuation of the opening scene, the final shoot-down were amazing scenes. It's these flashes of genius that manage to pull your attention back after all the meanderings. Like Hithesh said, Kashyap is so deeply in love with his baby that he kept going on and on. Did it really need to be so long? The 5 hour version may show a different picture but I don't think I have it in me to sit through this saga again.  

The Dictator (2012)

My favorite moment in 'The Great Dictator' comes towards the very end, when Chaplin delivers a very moving speech. The movie is hilarious right from the start but it was that one particular scene which established its greatness. The Dictator's finest moment also comes at a similar juncture.

I am a huge fan of Borat and it remains my favorite Cohen character. It was insane and I had not seen anything like that before. His journey through US and A hoping to make Pamela Anderson his wife was shown using seemingly unrelated episodes where his ideologies clashed with American culture. Owing to their outrageous traits, his central characters are seldom intelligent. Borat's naivety was almost endearing and the 'Midnight Cowboy' reference pretty much nailed it. Next came Bruno, the fashionista who aspired to be the most famous gay Austrian since Arnold Schwarzenegger. It turned out to be 'pick-up-your-jaw-from-the-floor' level shocking. It was structured on the same mockumentary template used by Borat before that. But I think he took it a little too far. It soon stopped being funny and I saw most of it through webbed fingers.

Admiral Aladeen is someone who sleeps with Oprah Winfrey, Megan Fox, Katy Perry and even Ellen DeGeneres. He executes people at the drop of a hat, makes nukes, has female virgin bodyguards-- a little of every known dictator. He has been in power since such a young age that he hardly had a childhood. I would have been offended by how visually inoffensive the movie was had it not made up for it by Aladeen's political incorrectness, which knew no bounds. He is an anti-semite misogynist with racistic tendencies. In a particularly wacky scene, which won't come as a surprise to us Indians who have seen '3 Idiots', he helps a woman deliver her baby. After successfully doing that, he holds the baby up and says, "I am sorry, it's a girl. Where is the trash can?" There are some funny moments but many attempts at humor fall flat.

This is Cohen's most conventional film to date. The central character does travel to USA from his native country but there's a proper story this time. It couldn't have released at a better time, with dictatorships falling all around. It hits the zeitgeist and takes digs at Kim Jong-il, Ahmedinejad, Gaddafi, Hussain, Saudi kings, and even Dick Cheney. With all of his friends faltering, he becomes the symbol of hope for people who prefer dictatorship (his words, those). Comparing it to Chaplin's classic, the dictator's lookalike does not have a prominent part to play in spite of the fact that the switch-over happens fairly early. But the monologue he delivered at the end highlighting the ways of dictatorship was brilliant, nailing America as the biggest culprit of them all.

The Art of Getting By (2011)

Why do all ostensibly good-at-nothing characters turn out to be really good at something? I'm going through this phase of my own and I relish watching films about slackers and social misfits, seeking life lessons while I'm at it. But I have almost always been left disappointed. Disappointed that they somehow succeeded while I'm still clueless? Maybe. I thought Wake Up Sid was ridiculous for this very reason. 500 Days of Summer was similar with Tom's architecture thing, but, for once, I rooted for him to achieve success. happythankyoumoreplease came closest to what I had in mind- characters coming to terms with the idea that maybe they were never going to make it big, and that this was it. I'm not talking about destiny and stuff; just a realization that not everyone is a success. The movie turned out to be extremely dull in the end. Need all 'fighting against all odds' stories end with change in fortunes?

George, played by the kid from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, August Rush and Finding Neverland, looks like someone who grew inches over the summer. It is not often we see a lanky lead with boyish features but this never came across as a pretentious attempt to be different. A fat, four-eyed boy with curly hair would be it. Some of us like to think of ourselves as very mature and capable of solving crunch life situations better than others. George is one such person. Is it his apathy towards academics that has driven him down? If yes, then what was the reason behind the apathy? I don't recall being so shy as a kid myself, but over the years, I have slowly turned into an introvert. It is not possible to pinpoint something particular as the cause since many little things play a part. In George's case, it could be the time he spent alone with his Japanese nanny in a Tokyo hotel room, his parent's divorce, or some other incident we weren't told about. Feeling nostalgia for the past is good but what is the point when the present is slipping through.

We all have had one such girl in our life where you tell yourself she'll talk to you the next day if you finish that pending essay. No? Okay, just me then. Sally becomes George's muse. She's the only girl on earth who talks to him and she's pretty.. what can go wrong. It's when he falls for her, for reasons too obvious, things get weird. Soon it becomes a love triangle with everyone being guilty to an extent. We have an Idris Elba lookalike Principal who plays the quintessential cool teacher of high school movies. The film antagonizes the step-father as it attempts to bring George closer to his Mom and it felt very fake and unconvincing. By the end, it even incorporates an airport sequence  to the climax, which has been done to death already.

It's a beautifully shot film and there were times where I simply had to pause and take screen-shots. The interesting indie soundtrack did help. There was also something about one of the film's posters that was very Exit Through the Gift Shop-y and I was under the impression that this was a documentary till the opening scene. Emma Roberts and Freddie Highmore were decent. It had its moments but it treaded known waters way too often.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

Sometimes, the best part of a movie comes after it finishes- when we are told that it is based on a true story. A simple set of intertitles elevate the film and give its characters a sense of realism which it may not have managed to achieve within its run-time.

I am sure it must have been fairly easy for others to tell that Motorcycle Diaries was based on the life of Che Guevara, but I didn't realize it until the end. Everything fell in its place and character motivations suddenly made a lot more sense. What they went on to achieve in their later life often highlighted many attributes of their past which we witnessed. I got really bored the first time I saw American Graffiti and was even waiting for it to get over. But when it did, I was very moved just by learning the fact that those people actually existed. Does this happen to everyone? Do film-makers benefit from making a movie on real-life characters? Remember Fargo? 

If I find a lot of memorable characters, I usually consider the movie worth revisiting. Ridgemont High had them in abundance but they all meant very little to me until I came to know they were for real. Now that I do know, the movie appears a tad more interesting and worthy of a second viewing. We see a year in the life of a few people who go to the same school and work in the same mall. They are simply living and not necessarily doing things of great importance. The situations they find themselves in are not novel by any stretch. But the film thrives on the idiosyncrasies of its quirky characters. 

This is probably the first time I have seen Sean Penn being less of a morose motherfucker and having some serious fun. His stoned surfer character is my favorite in the film. The American History teacher Mr. Hand, the creepy Biology teacher, the "little prick" guy who trades tickets to concerts, the shy usher, the hot girl who prefers dating older men, the self-conscious girl, her nice-guy brother, the football jock played by Forest Whitaker.. they're all unforgettable. Would it have been any better had Cameron Crowe directed it himself? Maybe. It does not hold a candle to the generation-defining holy trinity of "end of high school" movies- American Graffiti, Dazed & Confused and Superbad. It is okay.  

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

I spent the last three days in conflict. Not quite satisfied with what I saw and also unable to convincingly point out things which made me feel that way. I had to rewatch Rises because I owed that much to myself. This series means a lot me. The previous entry released at a time when I was beginning to watch movies with more interest that most people usually do. So after waiting for years and then being left dissatisfied, I had no option but to watch it again.

After being shy of public light for 8 years, Bruce Wayne, the playboy billionaire, has himself become a stuff of legend. People share stories about how his face is completely scarred and what not. As he dances with Selina at a charity ball, I could not help but think of Beauty and the Beast; especially when a person comments,"You scared her away." as she leaves the room. Like Bruce, the years have done the same to Batman. Even though he took a fall for someone else's wrongs, people are still amazed by his heroics. The cops have always been on the sidelines, throughout his time as Batman. On his return, a cop tells his much younger deputy,"Oh boy, you are in for a show tonight son!" This is the new Gotham- free of organized crime and living in peace, thanks to the Dent act. But Bruce has become a self-destructive monster, blaming himself for Rachel's death and waiting for things to go bad. Alfred fears for Bruce and does what he could to save him.

The years haven't been good to Gordon either. Unable to forgive himself for being in on a lie, he lives alone after his wife leaves him. After an incident puts him out of action, Foley, played by Matthew Modine, takes charge. He is the typical, every-day GPD cop filled with apathy, eyeing only Gordon's job. John Blake is too good to be a cop. Bound by the shackles of structure, there is only as much he can do. There's bureaucracy and corruption all around him. It takes one to put on a mask to protect his loved ones. It takes one to become a symbol to hope to be truly incorruptible. Blake's story arc was very interesting to watch on the second viewing and I felt his was the most well written character in this film. This film is his Batman Begins and Gordon-Levitt, who plays him with utmost sincerity, gets a lot to chew on.

With Selina Kyle, Nolan has given us an exceptionally gifted thief with, of course, no superpowers. She is clumsy and gives the impression she often deals with people she cannot always outrun. Selina is, in a way, like young Bruce, only without the right motivation. But while Bruce left his billionaire roots to seek a path, she chose one to feed herself. And, boy, is she trigger-happy. It has taken me a long time to convince myself  the 'clean slate' thing isn't really a far-fetched stimulus for Selina. I mean, she is certainly good, but not good enough to outrun the law forever.

I was puzzled by Bane's motivations. We are told he gets excommunicated from the League of Shadows by Ra's al Ghul himself. Then what is it that is driving him with such ferocity and rage to realize his one time master's wishes? Bane tells Batman that he IS the league of shadows. He adopted the path offered to him by Ra's and stuck to it even after being let go. He is someone who has suffered a lot. His past is, literally, filled with so much darkness that he sees the inequality in the world in a different light.

The scale has to be commended. For the first time ever in a superhero movie, an entire city has come under siege and you feel everything come to a standstill. Hardly anyone other than the Arkham inmates witnessed Ra's actions in Begins. In TDK, everybody panicked but only the thousand odd people on the ferry were under some kind of a direct threat. Even recently, in Marvel's Avengers, the action was concentrated to a particular area after the people were evacuated and the boundary cordoned off. Why? Because not everyone can create a picture that takes up the entire canvas. Here, the stakes are very high with momentous consequences. Many people, myself included, expressed disappointment at the use of a 'time bomb' to heighten the tension. But as Bruce says,"One man's tool is another man's weapon." What started off as a clean energy nuclear fusion project turned into an atom bomb in the wrong hands. A lot like the Tesseract, I know. Even without it, plots like entire police force getting stuck underground work incredibly.

Bruce, Bane learns, does not fear death and feels his punishment must be severe. He makes Bruce watch him slowly destroy his city on a television after putting him in a pit where he spent most of his life, looking up at the light with hope, only worsening his despair. He does the same to Gotham by announcing the detonator to the ticking bomb is in the hands of an unsung citizen. He gives them a false sense of hope, while knowing all the while that it ends when Gotham is ashes.

The movie's Occupy Wall Street sentiments didn't appear quite subtle on second viewing. Bane is sickened by people with resources trying to have an upper hand, buying their way out of troubles. When a broker at the stock-exchange tells him there's no money in here, he asks then why they are here. When Daggett tells Bane he paid him a small fortune, he asks "Does that give you power over me?" Even Selina says, "Don't condescend me, Mr.Wayne", when he questions her about her ways. After bringing down the system to its knees, he asks the people to live as they please and take what they feel is theirs. We see people with mink coats get dragged to streets and thrown out of their own houses. All this chaos underlines the anger of people who felt they were oppressed. But these notions don't get glorified as we witness the horrific consequence which change the minds of people who were initially supporting it.

There are a couple plot-holes and moments where you have to suspend your disbelief. This is mostly due to unnecessary announcement of the time left before the bomb went off. One may wonder how batman arrives at the right place at the right time. The scale is too large with a lot happening in different places. If Nolan had managed the passage of time properly, this film would have been much better.

I was really taken by Souradeep's comment on Krishna's post. He said this film did what many TV shows try to do with their finale- offer a sense of closure. And TDKR manages to do just that. After all, we have known Bruce for a long time now and we want good things to happen to him, because he deserves it. Why so many elements of the movie did not work for me on the first viewing, I may never be able to tell. The final scene which cuts between Blake and Alfred in Florence is so perfect. It would have been awesome had Nolan, like Pramodh suggested, cut to black after showing Alfred with a smile on his face, but this version works great.

I sat two rows away from the screen because I didn't want anyone else on my row. My neck hurts like fuck but it was worth it. The reason why it did not work well the first time may have been because I was carrying too much baggage from the first two films and was not having an open mind to accept a different kind of a Nolan movie. Watch it again for the nuances, watch it again for the bigger picture. Watch it because you want all your questions answered. You may still have a few problems, I do too, but you must watch it if you too felt disappointed after the first time.


*Spoilers*

I still did not get moved by the relationship between Talia and Bane. He is her saviour, who ultimately fell in love with her. But she calls him a friend. I noticed tears in his eyes as she bid him farewell. And it was then I started wondering if this had always been a suicide mission.

If you look back at the conversations Blake has with Bruce, it emphasizes how the movie always saw him as a torchbearer who would continue the good work done by Batman. Orphan, hot-headed, looking to set things right- his life has no shortage for gloom. I was initially disappointed in Nolan and felt Nolan succumbed to the studio's arm-twisting. I thought about it some more and realized it was actually the right thing to do, as Bruce appears to have gone on a well-deserved permanent vacation, leaving the safety of his beloved Gotham in the capable hands of  'Robin'. And what is he but just another cop without the toys, which Wayne writes to his name in his will, at his disposal.

After being taken off support, the reactor core would remain stable for 5 months. I wondered what went on in Gotham during that period. Crane's court sentencing should have wiped off most of the rich and powerful.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012) - Ramblings after first viewing.

Note: This isn't a review. I just wanted to record my thoughts before I watched the film again.

In the week leading up to the release of the most awaited sequel of the year, I caught up with the first two entries in the trilogy, like thousands of others. I wish I could have back the sensation I felt waiting for the movie again.

The scale has to be commended. For the first time ever in a superhero movie, an entire city has come under siege and you feel everything come to a standstill. Hardly anyone other than the Arkham inmates witnessed Ra's actions in Begins. In TDK, everybody panicked but only the thousand odd people on the ferry were under some kind of a direct threat. Even recently, in Marvel's Avengers, the action was concentrated to a particular area after the people were evacuated and the boundary cordoned off. Why? Because not everyone can create a picture that takes up the entire canvas. Here, the stakes are very high with momentous consequences. Time bomb or not, the immensity of the situation is incredible. 

I can pick two scenes which were so good I lost my head- one where Batman returns to the streets of Gotham for the first time after his self-imposed 8 year long exile and the other involving Bruce and the pit. On the contrary, some scenes had so much emotional weight, I am surprised by how cold I felt. Alfred breaking down before Bruce, asking him not to put his life in danger, was one such moment where I caught myself trying to be moved, but to no avail.


Batman made the ultimate sacrifice- falling in the eyes of people he set out to protect. It was not just the people of Gotham who lived a lie for 8 years, Bruce did too. To see him turn into a reclusive hermit thinking Rachel wanted them to be together saddened me a lot. We haven't seen Bruce argue with Alfred since when he returned home from Princeton to attend the hearing. When Alfred finally breaks the truth to him, I was filled with dread. 

You must have seen this poster on Facebook which got shared a lot- about how money is the greatest superpower of them all. With Selina Kyle, Nolan has given us an exceptionally gifted thief with, of course, no superpowers. She is clumsy and gives the impression she often deals with people she cannot always outrun. Selina is, in a way, like young Bruce, only without the right motivation. But while Bruce left his billionaire roots to seek a path, she chose one to feed herself. And, boy, is she trigger-happy. It has taken me a long time to convince myself  the 'clean slate' thing isn't really a far-fetched stimulus for Selina. I mean, she is certainly good, but not good enough to outrun the law forever. (Batman said such a thing indeed exists and a powerful friend of his, if I recall correctly, is working to obtain it. I missed this part; do they reveal who this person is?) Also, do they ever refer to Selina as Catwoman? I don't think anyone did. Speaking of which, does Bruce wake up in the middle of night and wonder how stupid the name batman sounds?  

If you look back at the conversations John Blake had with Bruce, it emphasizes how the movie always saw him as a torchbearer who would continue the good work done by Batman. Orphan, hot-headed, looking to set things right- his life has no shortage for gloom. When Batman told him to put on a mask to protect his loved ones, I questioningly said the word Robin out loud. And my fears came true. I was really disappointed in Nolan and felt he succumbed to the studio's arm-twisting. I thought about it some more and realized it was actually the right thing to do, as Bruce appears to have gone on a well-deserved permanent vacation, leaving the safety of his beloved Gotham in the capable hands of people like Blake. And what is he but just another cop without Wayne's toys at his disposal.


The less I knew about Bane, the more terrifying he appeared. I had come to expect a brutishly menacing villain from the promo stills, and I think we got just that. But once you get used to him, he's not that scary at all. Actually, the lad can even make the likes of Cotillard swoon. He talks a lot for a person with a gated mouth. Was that why he started looking tame with time? Man, I loved his accent and I still think he is really cool. He got kicked out of League of Shadows for his aggressive ways. Why should he bother himself with seeing Ra's Al Ghul's plans come to fruition? Unless he is doing it for someone else, for his love; and that suddenly takes away his gravitas. He becomes a mere tool in a bigger plan.

Few more problems: The Dark Knight appears to have taken place over a span of  a few weeks at most. But Rises, counting only the part beginning with Bane's first public appearance crosses a good 6 months at least. Which brings me to my question, what was happening in Gotham when Bruce was recuperating in his pit?  How does he reach Gotham when the island city has been cut-off completely? Did he really have so much time on his hand to make a fancy Bat-Signal? I understand he is letting people know about his arrival and trying to light a ray of hope, but his shenanigans led him to a crazy time-crunch later in the movie. When he can find Selina, why can't he find Lucius and Miranda? I am just rambling now.   

Almost Famous (2000) [Bootleg Cut]

An homage to the glorious era of rock n roll, this film appears like an out and out autobiographical. Even if they claim only the character Penny Lane is loosely based on a real person, I can tell William Miller is none other than Cameron Crowe himself. 

Still Water, a small town Detroit band with just one hit to their name, are the new guys on the scene, who need every bit of attention and publicity coming their way. William Miller, a 15 year old newbie music critic who grew up on his sister's record collection, gets the opportunity to write a story about the band for Rolling Stone magazine. And the one and only Penny Lane, a band-aide who can turn a hotel room into home with her presence. Together they embark on the Almost Famous tour, which will turn out to be the most memorable time of their lives. The movie is filled with moments which make the greatest of our memories; the situations that make you go "I was there when that happened", "I saw Russell's hand get electrocuted", "I was at the party when he proclaimed he is a golden god."

The dynamics between the members of the band is fun to watch as William interviews them. We have the lead singer Jeff Bebe, trying to assert his position as the front-man; then there is the guitarist Russell, the effortless charmer. Jeff openly shares his views about his love for music, consciously trying to create an image for himself. He tries to portray the band in such a light that it appears above the hackneyed issues that usually plague them- like sex, drugs and in-fighting. Where on one side you have a bassist who couldn't put two words together to explain what he brings to the band, the drummer, on the other, is as good as mute. 

But the important question is this: do you like a band more if you know their every dirty secret or when they are filled with mystique?

It made me so sad to see Penny, the band's single greatest fan, get used by them and thrown away. With William loving Penny and Penny loving Russel and Russel not knowing what he really wants, hearts get broken on all sides. Away from all the madness, William's worried but trusting mother Elaine, played by the lovely Frances McDormand, hopes her son's innocence remains intact. Elaine is easily one of the greatest movie moms of all time. My 160 minute long version is completely filled with wonderful moments; cutting a 2 hour theatrical cut and leaving out 40 minutes of scenes would be plain absurd. But they did and it has won a writing Oscar, so yeah. Can I use adorable to describe Crudup's character? Well, he is, in spite of everything. Hudson, Fugit, Jason Lee.. they're all wonderful. I was smiling ear to ear, completely in awe of this seemingly alien world which, after all, is more of the same. It made me immensely happy. So much so that I filled my phone with classic rock, which I had been neglecting of late. 

Blade Runner (1982)

The first time I watched this movie, nothing went right. I slept halfway through, had to rewind, dozed off again and took 3 hours to complete it. This then joined the growing list of movies I had no opinion on. I completely lost interest in it until recently, when Varghese insisted I watch it again. I looked at all available versions and chose the Final Cut.

Set in future Los Angeles, a Rick Deckard is brought back from retirement for "one last job". He is a blade runner whose job is to "retire" rogue androids, called Replicants. The Replicants have such a short life and they spend most of it in slaving at hazardous offshore colonies. Unfortunately they end up developing a personality. Seeking answers to their questions, they return to Earth; and it is upto Deckard to catch them.

We all love movies where the antagonists have solid reasons for their actions. Roy Batty, the replicant leader, has only few more weeks to live and desperately looks for a solution that will help him live longer. His search leads him to his creator.The topic of longevity was recently raised in Prometheus, where Peter Weyland, played by Pearce, goes to his creator asking for immortality/few more years. Had this film been told from the Roy's point of view, it would have been a damn good tragedy. Is it too much to ask for a longer life? Even as he is talks about the things he witnessed in his short life, I felt no sympathy for his kind. Blade Runner had the potential of eliciting the same magnitude of emotional response as Never Let Me Go, but didn't nearly manage that.

"Too bad she won't live. But then again, who does?"

Roy never had the intention of killing Deckard. He avenges the death of his two lady friends by breaking his two fingers but that's about it. Roy even saves him. When the China-man tells Roy he created his eyes, Roy tells him "I wish you could see what I see with your eyes." Maybe the Replicants see through human bullshit. Maybe they are a greater species. 

I cannot begin to imagine the immense shock a person would suffer when they learn that their entire life was a lie. The only emotional moment in the movie is when I began to root for Deckard and wondered if he will be able live with Rachael. The future is so bleak and wet, I cannot see what kind of life Deckard would lead without her.

One thing I am still confused about is how the cop makes a paper unicorn, which Deckard dreamt about. Does this mean Deckard's a replicant? But that cannot be. I was also puzzled by the hordes of Asians in the future LA. I assume there's still some sort of a fair governance prevailing in this quasi-dystopian future, but it is so dark, you yearn for some sunshine.

God Bless America (2011)

Frank is a war-veteran, divorced and in his early 50s. His pre-teen daughter wouldn't talk to him, his ex-wife is getting remarried. Thanks to his loud neighbors, he is spending sleepless nights and fantasizes about blowing the head off each of them including their couple months old baby. He switches on the TV and is overwhelmed with tripe reality shows where participants get ridiculed by the judges, filthy rich 16 year old girls when their parents buy them a Porsche instead of a Cadillac, Tea Party members hurting Alzheimer patients, red-necks attacking Jews etc. He goes to work and everyone's discussing the kid from the talent show. He has had enough. He cannot take it anymore. Then he gets fired and learns he has a tumor in his brain. From suicidal rage, he goes into the "If-I-am-going-down-I-am-taking-you-fuckers-with-me" mode. Very soon, Frank gets an unlikely partner in 16 year old Roxy, and together they become a killing machine taking down the bad guys.

GOD BLESS AMERICA is a fairy tale offering respite from the other things that are wrong with the world. Whatever happened to the good old days. When did things in America go from bad to total shit-storm? The film is devilishly fun as the duo goes all Bonnie & Clyde on the town. You must bear in mind they are not taking down murderers and rapists; their target constitutes the anti-social elements of society we have gotten used to. From people who pick on the weaker ones to jerks who cannot park their cars properly, these don't ever even get rapped across their knuckles. America's problem is that it has become accustomed to mediocrity. These are what folks on twitter would call the #FirstWorldProblems.

We are all sick of many different things and we all wish they'd simply go away. There are some we all would agree are toxic to society, like religious propagandists, cinema-hall talkers, and other universally-accepted assholes. I have had my own "IF-I-HAD-A-GUN" moments but I wouldn't kill them in reality. Frank and Roxy do and I seem to have a problem with that. Does that make me a hypocrite? The movie's inability to offer a clear distinction between people who deserve to die and rest leaves much to be desired. From a truck driver who passed an ignorant comment to a security guard who was simply doing his job, the main plot becomes blurred and people die for no reason at all.

I understand I must judge it on its face value by considering it a piece of fantasy. Some of the kills which I agree with may not be acceptable to others. If it comes down to one's opinions, I may have to cut the movie some slack. But its problems run deeper. We get the appearance that Frank is going over the edge and we expect the movie to condemn his actions later. Instead he is continued to be glorified even as innocent people keep getting killed.  By the end, it turns the 'hero' into just another psychopath with an automatic. There were some hilarious moments including one scene which I think must be played at every movie theater before every single show. I loved it a lot but after one point, I started having problems with its politics. I recommend it but prepare to be disappointed.

Shame (2011)

Shame is a tricky film which often had me going, "I see what you did there." 

Brendan is just another loner in New York. On the outside, his life appears to have everything one could ask for. Soon we learn his life is just as hollow as him. He has built an impenetrable wall around him. He has lost the ability and the will to make relationships. He has what it takes to bed any woman he wishes to. He can bloody make a woman wet just by lookin' at her. Yet, he is lonely and doesn't seem to mind that. He is not displeased with his life. Born and bred in Jersey, his new life in the city that never sleeps is highly unsettling. Also, he is a sex addict. I look at his studio apartment, suave dressing and cannot help but think of Patrick Bateman. I have not seen American Psycho, but the iconic character's escapades are well heard of. He's the opposite of Travis Bickle. His struggle isn't to be known; on the contrary, he does not want to be noticed at all. 

His sister, a musician, is the only family he is left with. She visits him unannounced and upsets his life which was running with clockwork precision. She has had a rough past, inflicting injuries upon herself. The interaction between the two will be termed, by some, as borderline incestuous, though he flinches every time she touches him. He doesn't take responsibility for her actions. After all, it was not him who birthed and brought her into this world. He doesn't let his guard down around her. Interestingly, he seems even more lonely when he is around people. She becomes involved with his boss. Would Brendan be right in judging he? She catches him masturbating and having access to internet sex. Can she judge him? He is smooth and doesn't approve of his boss' blandness when approaching women. The goofy boss is married and doesn't think twice before dropping his pants. Would Brendan be right in judging him? The boss learns Brendan's computer is full of nasty porn. Does the boss think he is in a position to judge Brendan? He goes out on a date with his colleague, who recently separated from a short marriage. Would Brendan be right in judging her? 

I said I found the movie to be very tricky; I'll tell you why. Brendan's actions would be frowned upon or even condemned by the standards of a society. But, as we all have heard about double standards, how one looks at his deeds becomes stranger. This guy is living someone's fantasy. It could be mine, it could be yours. As a viewer, am I rightful in assessing him at all, especially when I am not averse to his actions? Just when you think the surprise is dead and that he's got nothing on you, he proves you wrong.

McQueen is a masterclass storyteller who, with impressive subtlety, puts these thoughts in your head by showing long, raw, uncut images. (No, I am not talking about Fassbender's penis.) He titillates you with sex and later fills you with shame. By the end of it, he manages to show you your true self. I didn't put myself in Brendan's place but that is where I found myself by the end of it. The images are haunting and scary. On any other day, my optimism would take the better of me when it comes to taking a side for an ambiguous end. But today, I feel the future is bleak. I feel people will not come around. 

SHAME could not possibly have had a more apt title.