Headhunters (2011)

Roger is a successful headhunter working in the recruitment industry who moonlights as an art thief. He has a supermodel wife who he views as just another one of his costly art pieces- a trophy wife to make a statement about his masculinity. He's fearful of losing her, always keeping an eye when she is talking to men much taller than him. He makes himself feel better by screwing around with a woman who is in his league. In this drive of his to keep her content with material possessions, he goes a little too far.  

It is tightly written and should hold up well even on second viewing, though it doesn't require one. The problem with Headhunters, which is not even a problem to begin with, is that it wraps up so neatly. I have been spoilt by many recent thrillers where drawing our own interpretation is a necessity. Suddenly, the good time the film offers is not enough and I feel a tad underwhelmed when there's nothing to rack my brains with after it's over. 

Granted that Roger goes through a very bad time, but the end is almost too cheery and upbeat. It may work for people who were, like, totally rooting for him but I didn't even like the guy. Short guy with a huge complex.. heck, he should have been my champion of sorts. But there's something so repulsive about him that I didn't really what became of him. I even did a celebratory fist pump when Jaime Lannister fucked his wife. You keep going, bro!    

The film has that European feel to it. What is it that lends these films such an atmosphere that American films lack? I guess it's how there's equal amount of city and nature, whereas the typical American thriller plays out in a concrete jungle. There's nothing inwards to ponder over. It's all those twists and turns that keep it going. You can also tell that the film has been adapted from a book. There's a lot of dark humor with many twisted characters... the guy working for the domestic security company, the two identical fat cops, the dog which simply wouldn't stop coming back. Some of them must have had a much bigger role in the book. Nonetheless, it is a very well made film- fun and fast paced. 

Detachment (2012)

I have always strongly felt teachers must abstain from physically punishing students and find other ways to get there. So when I see how disrespectful kids in America are, I was in two minds. This may be a big stereotype but I am sure there's no exaggeration in those images. Teaching is probably the most thankless profession in existence. Most kids go through this rebellious phase and teachers unfortunately find themselves on the receiving end. One can blame it all on bad parenting but the truth is there may not be a way to completely quell this teenage angst. Also, this may never go away. Our problems may change in form and magnitude but shall always remain. We tell our kids to be more understanding and then go out and commit the same mistakes they did. The chain continues.. only the setting changes.

The job is so relentlessly demanding that teachers are popping pills to hold on to their sanity. Shaking the kids out of their apathy and inching closer to them is the hardest thing a teacher has to do in order to make some progress. But they are spit on, threatened, verbally abused making them wishing it would end when the school-bell rings. Is this relevant only in this particular school, which has been on a steep academic descent? Does the film paint an unfair picture of the state of  high-school education in America?

Henry's belief about the vanity of everything that surrounds us is absolutely true. We are overwhelmed with so much junk that consuming it every time we breathe has become the natural state of order. This makes it necessary to read more and developing our own vibrant imagination. The environment of school can be both restricting and fulfilling. It can make or break a kid and the responsibility falls in the hands of the teacher. For example, the young girl with a talent who is unappreciated at home and made fun of at school. I assume Henry took an interest in Literature with a little help from his grandfather- an old man filled with regret over a mistake he knowingly committed a long time ago. Henry knows that it stole him of a proper childhood, but is still very forgiving.

I saw shades of Taxi Driver and Half Nelson for the obvious reasons. I am assuming the film is set in New York but the place has little significance. Watching Henry help a seemingly hopeless Erica, played by a girl who looked like a young Mena Suvari with an Emma Watson hairdo, filled me with so much hope and optimism. It must be hard having nobody around to care for you. I couldn't of course relate to these kids out of my own life experiences, but I felt for them nonetheless. Unlike Half Nelson, where Gosling's character's habit had serious repercussions, Henry is trying to do good while fighting his demons which are, shall we say, too personal to have any impact on the life of people around him. At the end, Henry comes out untainted, as a hero of sorts, but in a losing cause. I say that because the film ultimately offers no solution at the end of its haunting, emotionally affecting journey.  I must confess I didn't get the bleak last shot showing Henry teaching to an empty, dilapidated classroom. But everything he does comes across as a selfless, good-hearted gesture. Henry, the substitute teacher, is like a miracle worker going from school to school setting things right.

Coming from three dead-awful movies, I appreciated all the little things. I found the interactions which take place inside the classroom very interesting. It has a stellar star cast, but most of them felt under-used.  At the end of the month, the young Black kid's change of heart felt a little too sudden. Brody is even better than he was in The Pianist. 

Paagan (2012)

I have a special liking for films which find an innovative way to tell its story. There's a fine line to walk here, where the audience has to be convinced the narrative technique used is indeed a novel artistic choice. Paagan tries to set itself apart by using a bicycle as the film's narrator, but this only comes across as a gimmick.

Subramani (Srikanth) is a money-minded youth living in Pollachi with his family. He shares a deep history with his bicycle, which his father received as dowry when he married his mother (Kovai Sarala). Since the story is narrated by the cycle, we are told just how very much it is fond of him and vice-versa. With the sole motive of making easy money, he borrows from just about everyone around him and invests in various 'projects', ultimately resulting in loss. Then he comes up with a 'bright' idea of marrying into a rich family to make his quick buck. He finds a girl named Mahalakshi (Janani Iyer) but things don't quite go according to plan for him. What follows is an atrociously boring, predictable realisation about the importance of hard-work in life and blah, blah, blah.

It's funny how everyone in Tamil films think it is always the girl's fault every time a relationship breaks down, no matter how big a jerk the guy was to her. His motives appeared alright when the film's tone was light-hearted. He may not have known she had a thing for him right from the age of ten, but there's no disputing the fact that it was his fault alone. So when Subramani's friends berated Mahalakshmi for not understanding his feelings, it drove me crazy. Another thing that got to me was how easily people fall in 'love' and jump to spend the rest of their life with a person they barely know.

One more recurring aspect in Indian films which I detest is how the lead characters are the center of attention in their respective friend circle. The characters act as if they know that they are playing the lead role in some movie. They are too self conscious about their importance in the scheme of things. Mahalakshmi treats her friends like pieces of dog-shit and they still keep buzzing around her. She slaps a girl for no reason whatsoever and, shockingly, that idiot classmate doesn't seem to mind it one bit. You get what I mean? The director may find it trivial but he is unknowingly shaping the character of his female lead as a belligerent asshole.  

Close to the end, there's this scene where all the characters keep running into each other. It is filled with so many coincidences that I threw up a bit in my mouth. Subramani's rise to success is unrealistic to say the least. In what appears to be no more than a year's time, he goes from being a roadside shopkeeper to owning a swanky bungalow and a Mercedes Benz. With all due respect, for a person who confesses to have failed his 10th grade examinations studying in a village school, he sure speaks some fluent English. He went to VETA, maybe?

There are more than a few loose ends left at the end of the film. As the story is recounted by the cycle, we see silhouette of a person attaching a bomb to it. Is it not important for us to know the identity of the person planning to kill Subramani? Can we at least know why this mysterious person is attempting to kill him? Among other things, this particular plot line made absolutely no sense. Also, the father, who once had his men chase Subramani around the town just for being in his daughter's life, was surprisingly okay when they finally got together. I mean, what the hell changed? The director is so confused at times, not fully realizing  plot points which initially must have been a part of the script. That's not how you chop down a lengthy movie! You start with the songs, like Mysskin did with his Mugamoodi. Most Tamil films suffer from a lengthy second half and the filmmakers simply won't learn from the mistakes committed by so many others before them.  

It was Janani Iyer who held my attention for much of the runtime. Those eyes! Srikanth was decent as well but I didn't once feel compelled to root for him while he struggled. Kovai Sarala is loud as ever. There are a few lines which may make you smile. The narration by the bicycle adds little to an otherwise banal story. The film would have been just as boring with or without this element. Kindly avoid.

Jason Reitman's "Live Read"

Jason Reitman has been hosting a series of screenplay reading sessions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He casts popular actors of his choice in this "live read" and most of the acting is performed impromptu. The casting details are usually kept under wraps until a few hours before the show. I have been very fascinated by this new form of art and have followed it with interest. The series has been very successful and Reitman intends to cover more cities. Since I couldn't find a page with proper listing of all the shows and its cast, I decided to make one as I clearly have too much time on my hand.

BOOGIE NIGHTS (Toronto, September 6, 2013)


(Cast to be announced)













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BREAKING BAD (July 23, 2013)


Chi McBride in the role of Hank (Dean Norris)
Ellie Kemper in the role of Marie (Betsy Brandt)
Annie Mumolo in the role of Skyler (Anna Gunn)
Mae Whitman in the role of Jesse (Aaron Paul)
Rainn Wilson in the role of Walter (Bryan Cranston)











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THE USUAL SUSPECTS (March 21, 2013)

Chi McBride in the role of Kujan (Chazz Palminteri)
Mark Duplass in the role of Hockney (Kevin Pollack)
Nick Kroll in the role of Fenster (Benicio Del Toro)
Adam Brody in the role of McManus (Stephen Baldwin)
Jason Mantzoukas in the role of Baer (Giancarlo Esposito)
Mae Whitman in the role of Kobayashi (Pete Postlethwaite)













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GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS (February 21, 2013)

Robin Wright in the role of Ricky Roma (Al Pacino)
Mae Whitman in the role of John Williamson (Kevin Spacey)
Melanie Lynskey in the role of Aaronow (Alan Arkin)
Catherine O'Hara in the role of Shelley Levene (Jack Lemmon)
Maria Bello in the role of Dave Moss (Ed Harris)
Carla Gugino in the role of Blake (Alec Baldwin)













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HIS GIRL FRIDAY (January 17, 2013)

Anne Hathaway in the role of Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell)
Jason Bateman in the role of Walter Burns (Cary Grant)
Adam Scott in the role of Bruce Baldwin (Ralph Bellamy)
Mae Whitman in the role of Mollie Malloy (Helen Mack)
Nick Kroll in the role of The Mayor (Clarence Kolb)
Fred Willard in the role of Earl Williams (John Qualen)
Fred Savage as the Narrator (Special Guest Director)














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GHOSTBUSTERS (December 13, 2012)

Seth Rogen in the role of Peter Venkman (Bill Murray)
Rainn Wilson in the role of Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis)

Jack Black in the role of Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd)
Phil LaMarr in the role of Winston Zeddmore (Ernie Hudson)
Kristen Bell in the role of Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver)
Kevin Pollak in the role of Mayor of NYC (Larry King)
Kevin Pollak in the role of Walter Peck (Casey Kasem)
Mae Whitman in the role of receptionist Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts)
Paul Rust in the role of The Keymaster (Rick Moranis)
Paul Scheer takes care of the other speaking roles.








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MANHATTAN (November 15, 2012)

Stephen Merchant in the role of Issac (Woody Allen)
Olivia Munn in the role of Mary (Diane Keaton)
Shailene Woodley in the role of Tracy (Mariel Hemingway)
Fred Savage in the role of Yale (Michael Murphy)
Erika Christensen in the role of Jill (Meryl Streep)
Mae Whitman in the role of Emily (Anne Byrne)
Jason Mantzoukas in the role of Dennis (Michael O’Donoghue)













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BULL DURHAM (October 25, 2012)

David Koechner in the role of Larry (Robert Wuhl)
JK Simmons in the role of Skip (Trey Wilson)
Mae Whitman in the role of Millie (Jenny Robertson)
Jason Mantzoukas as Bobby (David Neidorf)
Johnny Simmons as Jimmy (William O'Leary)
Andy Samberg as Nuke (Tim Robbins)
Matthew Modine as Crash (Kevin Costner)












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AMERICAN BEAUTY (Toronto, September 6, 2012)

Adam Driver in the role of Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley)
Sarah Gadon in the role of Angela (Mena Suvari)
Nick Kroll in the role of Buddy (Peter Gallagher)
Mae Whitman in the role of Jane (Thora Birch)
George Stroumboulopoulos in the role of Jim (Scott Bakula)
Paul Scheer in the role of Col Frank Fitts (Chris Cooper)













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The season one ended with the special New York edition of The Apartment. Reitman had been busy filming Labor Day with Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, Tobey Maguire and Clark Gregg. The series is expected to continue next month. Last night, he announced on twitter about a special one-off American Beauty "Live Read" session at the Toronto International Film Festival. The cast is yet to be announced.

THE APARTMENT (New York, April 27, 2012)

Paul Rudd in the role of C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon)
Emma Stone in the role of Miss Kubelik (Shirley Temple)
James Woods in the role of Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray)
Cara Buono in the role of Secretary Miss Olsen (Edie Adams)
Tom Cavanagh in the role of Senior  Exec. Dobisch (Ray Walston)
Greta Gerwig in the role of Phone operator Sylvia (Joan Shawlee)
Jason Sudeikis in the role of Senior Exec. Kirkeby (David Lewis)
David Wain in the role of Dr. Dreyfuss (Jack Kruschen)










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THE BIG LEBOWSKI (March 29, 2012)

Seth Rogen in the role of  The Dude (Jeff Bridges)
Jason Alexander in the role of Mr. Lebowski (David Huddleston)
Fred Savage in the role of Brandt (Phillip Seymour Hoffman)
Nick Kroll in the role of Jesus Quintana (John Turturro)
Nick Kroll in the role of Jackie Treehorn (Ben Gazzara)
Catherine (Reitman's sister) in the role of Bunny Lebowski (Tara Reid)
Hank Azaria in the role of Donny (Steve Buscemi)
Christina Hendricks  in the role of  Maude Lebowski (Julianne Moore)
Rainn Wilson in the role of Walter Sobchak (John Goodman)
Sam Elliott in the role of The Stranger (Sam Elliott)









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RESERVOIR DOGS (February 16, 2012)

Cuba Gooding, Jr in the role of Mr. Orange (Tim Roth)
Anthony Mackie in the role of Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi)
Terrence Howard in the role of Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen)
Anthony Anderson in the role of Nice Guy Eddie (Chris Penn)
Chi McBride in the role of Joe (Laurence Tierney)
Common in the role of Mr. Brown (Quentin Tarantino)
Laurence Fishburne in the role of Mr. White (Harvey Keitel)

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SHAMPOO (January 19, 2012)

JK Simmons in the role of Lester (Jack Warden)
Diane Lane in the role of Felicia (Lee Grant)
Kate Hudson in the role of Jill (Goldie Hawn)
Lena Dunham in the role of Lorna (Carrie Fisher)
Nick Kroll in the role of Johnny Pope (Tony Bill)
Olivia Wilde in the role of Jackie (Julie Christie)













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THE PRINCESS BRIDE (December 15, 2011)

Patton Oswalt  in the role of  Vizzini (Wallace Shawn)
Nick Kroll  in the role of Count Rugen (Christopher Guest)
Kevin Pollak in the role of Miracle Max (Billy Crystal)
Mindy Kaling in the role of Buttercup (Robin Wright)
Bill Fagerbaake in the role of Fezzik (Andre the Giant)
Goran Visnjic in the role of Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin)

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THE APARTMENT (November 17, 2011)

Steve Carell  in the role of  C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon)

Natalie Portman  in the role of  Miss Kubelik (Shirley Temple)

Pierce Brosnan  in the role of  Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray)

Mindy Kaling  in the role of  Secretary Miss Olsen (Edie Adams)

Ken Jeong  in the role of  Senior  Exec. Dobisch (Ray Walston)

Collette Wolfe  in the role of  Phone operator Sylvia (Joan Shawlee)

Nick Kroll in the role of Senior Exec. Kirkeby (David Lewis)

Jake Johnson  in the role of  Dr. Dreyfuss (Jack Kruschen)

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THE BREAKFAST CLUB (October 20, 2011)

Jennifer Garner in the role of Claire (Molly Ringwald)
James Van Der Beek in the role of Andy (Emilio Estevez)
Mindy Kaling in the role of Allison (Ally Sheedy)
Patton Oswalt in the role of Brian (Anthony Michael Hall)
Aaron Paul in the role of Bender (Judd Nelson)
J.K. Simmons in the role of Carl the janitor (John Kapelos)
Michael Chiklis in the role of Mr. Vernon (Paul Gleason)

Breaking Bad: greatest television show on air?

Jumping straight to the point: is Breaking Bad the greatest television show on air right now? An emphatic yes. I just saw the one of the finest episodes in the show's history. Had an episode of this quality been part of any other show, it would have been their best ever. But this show, especially the first part of the final season, has been so consistently epic that it hurts. There is only one word to describe how I felt during the last 50 minutes: fear. Fear of the obvious, fear of the unexpected. For a show which spread a year in the life of its characters across 5 seasons, it took the biggest time jump in this episode using a terrific montage. It's like those Rajnikanth songs where he becomes a zillionaire before the song ends. I always get a kick out of those. I sat with a knot in my chest, constantly dreading what was coming. This doesn't happen as often with any other show. 

 

Let's compare it with Mad Men - its most formidable competition. It's a classic apples and oranges scenario but I will collate them on the basis of what they mean to me. Both the shows air on AMC, and started six months apart with Mad Men being first. We have absolutely no idea which direction Mad Men would take. It has the liberty to choose and work around any major event or product of the 60s. We know for certain it will be on for at least two more seasons. Breaking Bad has always been heading towards one singular conclusion right from the moment Walt and Jesse cooked their first batch of Blue Meth. You look at the way things have turned out in the first 8 episodes of this season, you can tell they are trying to tie up all the loose ends. But it has enough methylamine in its tank to keep cooking many more batches. The same can be said for Dexter, a show I loathe right now, as getting caught in the end is imminent. I didn't bother to watch the recent most season but ranking the rest in terms of quality: 4>1>2>3>5. Breaking Bad's trajectory has been spectacular, getting better with each passing season. Mad Men has been great too and I cannot hold this against it. I cannot complain about its linearity as Draper's past has quite often come back to bite him. But here, the shit has hit the ceiling already; we are now walking through an uncharted territory. 

Splitting the final installment into two has become the new fad in Hollywood, where movies like Harry Potter have made twice the money by doing this. It's not the same with Breaking Bad. I could not have taken anymore of it in such quick succession. I have been overwhelmed episode after another, hitting every single elements of my emotional periodic table. Too much of a good thing only leads to OD. I look at how Walter has changed over the last few months and want him to get what's coming to him. Yet in the final minutes of the last episode, the promise of his new life made me want to overlook his actions. I was willing to forgive him for everything. After all, we have spent such a long time with him and once rooted for this underdog. If that's the kind of closure you yearn for, I recommend you turn off the video a minute before the end. Which is exactly why the split is truly a work of genius. There's so much to love here. I cannot wait for the ninth episode. 

Mugamoodi (2012)

I have always been apprehensive of Indian films with science fiction or superhero elements. We are not a country with a pop-culture history populated with comic book characters. Sure, we have Shaktimaan, the only superhero I would like to acknowledge, but its mythology drew heavy inspiration for many of its crucial elements from Superman. Our cities are not cluttered with skyscrapers, our roads don't look good on camera, and we cannot afford to spend on CGI because we need a lot of money to film those coordinated musical numbers on the hills of Machu Picchu. So when I say I was skeptical walking in to the theater, I hope you understand my reasons. Mysskin's Mugamoodi looked anything but appealing from whatever little I saw of it in promos. Though he has been an inconsistent filmmaker, I still trusted him to have a vision unique enough to make us overlook the shortcomings. 

Bruce Lee a.k.a Anand (Jiiva) is an unemployed youth, Kung Fu and alcohol being his prime interests. When he is not busy doing the either of the two, he spends his time with his grandfather. He abuses his skills indiscriminately beating people up. Naren, we learn, is another highly trained fighter who is part of a far more successful Kung Fu school. He moonlights as the leader of a sophisticated gang of robbers who use cool gadgets to steal from rich, unsuspecting old people. Gaurav, played by Nasser is the cop assigned to stop this string of robberies. Their paths cross and Lee gets falsely accused of a murder. The film takes its time to open but manages to provide a semi-convincing reason behind his motivations. 

I liked how there are no dead parents, radioactive spiders or power-giving aliens here. To clear his name, Lee finds himself in a position where he can only find refuge behind his mask. His grandfather (Girish Karnad) happens to be a scientist who builds fancy robots which seemingly do nothing more than those we find near Marina beach which predict one's future. His Grandpa's friend is a tailor who creates costumes and other props. How convenient! Together they stitch him up a suit complete with armour and Zebronics headphones broken into two, which never gets used. Oh and there's a cape too, don't ask why. The cheap looking props are least of the movie's worries. Things go more or less fine till the intermission. It's only when he gets into his suit that the problem starts.

The film uncontrollably slips into absurdity and becomes unintentionally hilarious, losing every last bit of seriousness. Almost every scene involving Lee's Kung Fu master will make you laugh out loud. There's a particular scene where he can be seen practicing with a wooden dummy which had the audience in splits for all the wrong reasons. I cannot recall the last time I laughed so hard watching a Tamil movie. At one point, he tells Lee that there is this one particular skill he hasn't taught him yet. Handily, Mugamoodi finds himself in need of exactly that during the final fight sequence. Naren's acting was gimmicky and comical to say the least. He wears a funny mask for some reasons but still keeps showing his face to people. As if that wasn't enough, there's an insane backstory about his past. With that, Mysskin hammered (pun unintended) the final nail in the coffin called Naren's acting career. It was more than I could take.

Much of the story takes place at night and those scenes were shot rather well. Thankfully, there were only two songs, which still managed to hinder the otherwise even pace. The Chennai cops are more inept than usual- a move, I suspect, to make the bad guys look better. There's a scene with Gaurav telling the Press that the Police force is not ashamed to accept they need a vigilante's help to catch a dozen criminals. Well, I think they should be ashamed. There is always at least one weird character in Mysskin's films and we have a hunchback here for no apparent reason. The fist-fights were choreographed rather well. 

Jiiva's likability helps salvage the film to an extent. At the end of first half, I admit I even wished for a sequel. But all the charm fizzled and it was all downhill post interval. Mysskin had to try harder than usual to make the film appear convincingly slick. I am not saying we need high-rises to make a superhero movie, but we do if our filmmakers are merely going to recreate the kind of superhero films we usually see in Hollywood. I will give it points for trying but none for failing at it. It had me convinced that making a superhero movie in the Indian milieu is impossible; but that's not true, is it? If redefining the genre to suit the Indian setting is too hard to accomplish, they can still rely on Kick-Ass like spoofs. When the villain in your superhero movie is motivated by gold bars, you know you are doing it wrong. Mugamoodi is not the superhero movie we deserve; but the question is: do we even need one?

EDIT:
*contains spoilers*
The one aspect of this movie I quite liked was how the ending was not entirely predictable. I was certain Mugamoodi was ultimately going to make sure all the charges against Lee were dropped. Besides the death of his close friend, it was this selfish motive that came across as the main reason for him to fight this gang in the first place. So after Naren falls to his death, Mugamoodi surprisingly shows no sign of removing his mask. He refuses to kiss the girl he likes and runs away like Batman does at the end of The Dark Knight. I mean, the cops aren't even chasing him. Chennai Police is only too happy that someone is helping them out and have no intention to curb this vigilantism. Till this point, this guy has done nothing as a service to the public. He was only settling his personal scores. So I don't quite get why he continues being the நேசிக்கத்தக்க அக்கம்பக்கம் வீரன்-- the friendly neighborhood hero.

The Old Aunt from Pather Panchali

I was rummaging through my hard-disk today and played Pather Panchali. I kept watching and soon found my new favorite character in the film- the old Aunt, Indir Thakrun.  I have many grandmas and I notice a little of each one of them in her. When Durga gets caught taking fruits, the lady who owns the orchid tells another how kids that age do what they are taught pointing finger at the mother. But soon we learn how the Auntie has been influential on a highly impressionable Durga. She lights up when she finds a guava in her bowl of bananas. The old woman is child-like when she carefully nicks a couple of chilies from the kitchen. 

Old people constantly crave for attention and need to know everything that's happening in the household. It's funny how they react when they are not included in the conversation. When Durga is accused of stealing Nuni's beads, Auntie walks in unaware of the argument. She stands in the line of sight and keeps asking what the problem is, and nobody bothers to answer her. One moment she is watering a tiny plant showing kindness , the next she shocks me by carelessly dumping a bag of cloth on a kitten, and then chucking it away in her anger. It's these minor, brutally realistic observations that make this film so amazing.

Living in deeply impoverished conditions, she only owns a brass pot, a worn-out mattress, and a torn shawl to her name. I had one such grandma and she too kept changing her residence going from one relative to another. She sings old forgotten folk songs about her problems she faces even in the twilight days of her life. The first time she sings the song, I kept thinking how she was referring to her abject poverty and failed to pay much attention to what she was asking. 

"Those who came after have already gone

leaving me behind.. the poorest of beggars.

Not a cowrie to my name.

Night's mantle descends.

Row me across to the other side..

Oh, hurry, lord of the crossings."

"The day is done.. take me across.. a penniless beggar.

Day draws to its close.. Oh, hurry, Lord of the Crossing.

I call on you.. Oh, hurry, Lord of the Crossing.

The day is done.. take me across.

Those who have not a single cowrie

...you take them across, too.

I'm the poorest of beggars..

not a cowrie to my name."

I assumed she had always been childless. But she sings about people who came after, already gone, leaving her behind. When the song is played again, after her death, as she is being carried away, the words hit me hard.. how she yearns for all this to end. 

Chunibala Devi, who played the character, was brought out of retirement by Ray at the age of 80. She gives the best performance in the film. It saddens me she didn't live to see the film release. 

The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Ever noticed how the characters in horror movies never seem to escape the place of terror, be it a haunted house or an entire town? Don't you go mad when this one guy in the group suggests they split up? Don't you hate it when they enter a dark cellar? How there is always a secluded shack to the north of nowhere? Cabin in the Woods has all the answers. It single-handedly puts every single horror movie into context! It affirms its authority over them all. It is that kind of movie which makes you question everything you believed in. I will go ahead and say it positions itself just two notches below The Matrix and Inception in terms originality and brain-fucking. 

"If you hear a strange sound outside... have sex."

"If an old man warns you not to go there... make fun of him."

"Quaint abandoned property... sold."

"If something is chasing you... split up."

The movie keeps quashing all the genre cliches and even redeems most horror movies which came before it. Horror films have grown so textbook in the years. It is almost expected out of a slasher film to have certain types of characters to qualify into the genre. The most commonly seen types are these: the hot slutty dumb blonde, her beefcake boyfriend, a nerd, a stoner-head and the quintessential good girl. The intelligent part of Cabin is that its characters have more to them than these textbook traits. For example, the hot one is actually a brunette who colors her hair blonde for the trip and is a medical student, the gym-body boyfriend is a very brainy sociology major, and the athlete is surprisingly not a dick. Cabin offers all these cliches a new meaning; it was not for them to decide. 

Okay, now how do I write more without spoiling essential plot points? I haven't seen the trailer and I don't know how much of it is already out there. I will discuss developments which happen fairly early and speak nothing about the mind-blowing last 30 minutes. I was hooked trying to figure out what was happening so I would rather you stop reading now to keep the fun intact.

The world of Cabin is like the house of Big Boss; only the players don't know they are being watched. It's their own little Truman show. It reminded me of The Hunger Games as the people who control this setting rig the system just to an extent enough to get things going and then sit back and let shit happen. The controllers have the responsibility to constantly make this cat and mouse game more interesting. They must also make sure things go according to plan amid the chaos. They run the nightmare machine which bottles everything you have ever feared and lets them loose on you. Yes, even clowns. It doesn't mock the horror film template, but pays an homage to it. 

I am not a big horror fan and I have seen very little. But I know this genre has become stagnant with each new release. Cabin goes all out meta and offers a fantastic story which keeps you guessing. It's funny, it's scary, it is totally awesome. Also, smoke weed; it just might save your life.

Fireworks Wednesday (2006)

Just like most people in the west incorrectly consider Slumdog Millionaire to be the de-facto portrayal of present day India, I had my own image of Iran in my head- filled with goats and desert. A Separation was a real eye-opener showing a well-educated, middle class family living in Tehran. Fireworks Wednesday, which released 6 years ago, appears to have been cut from the same cloth as A Separation. 

I think everyone will agree that it worked just fine as a thriller. After establishing the primary conflict in the opening scene, it quickly moved on, peeling off its layers with no intention of offering you a moment to breathe. Even the ending offered no respite. It had me deep in thought for days. Fireworks Wednesday progresses similarly, but unlike the former, it reaches its pinnacle fairly early. I wouldn't say it's all downhill from there, but the tension surely eases.

Our eyes and ears in this world is a young maid named Rouhi, who is soon to get married to a person who is madly in love with her. She inadvertently gets embroiled in a conflict happening on the most critical day of another couple's married life. As the clutter in their house gets cleared, the problems in their marriage keep worsening. It just occurred to me Rouhi's chador was the source of much of her troubles on the day.

During its course, the movie often suggestively points its finger at various characters, blaming them for the situation. As I was in the process of convincing myself of that and beginning to believe it, my suspicions were allayed making me look foolish for jumping to conclusion. This happened with A Separation as well, when I looked down at the maid's husband just because he wasn't educated.

Farhadi's fascination with maids is another thing. My Mom often says this: if you want to let people in your neighborhood know something, talk about it when your maid is around. I am sure he agrees as it can be seen from his films. Or maybe women working as maids is another essential component in Iranian milieu.

Infidelity has existed and shall always do, irrespective of the place, and no amount of religious curtains can hide it. Handling such an issue, especially in a volatile, charged society must be a real challenge. The topic of religion is inseparably wound with Iran. The women fear going out without donning their chador, strangers wish each other with a salaam - these elements and mannerisms which may appear normal to native Iranian eyes stand out for someone like me.

The promise of marriage shines bright for everyone but the love soon fades away. Making relationships work in our modern day society is incredibly hard and most of them end in divorce, and the ones who stick together are only compromising. I hope this cynicism-laden reading of the film's message is not true, but I fear it may be correct. Ultimately, your faith gets partially restored when Rouhi's fiancee comments how she looks even more beautiful after threading her eyebrows, when you fear he might flip out.

I have yet to see About Elly but I suspect Farhadi has made a trilogy of sorts with his last three films, primarily dealing with truth as his subject. This one too is open ended but not very unsettling. It is very good film but doesn't match up to its successor's magic. 

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.