THE INSULT (aka L'INSULTE) (ARABIC/FRENCH) (2017)

The wounds of fire may heal and might even disappear with time; But, the burns caused by vicious words would never heal !!

This is the wisdom shared to the world by the ancient Tamil poet sage Thiruvalluvar in one of his 1330 Kurals (couplets) which is part of Thirukkural, an ancient classic Tamil text which is a monumental work on ethics and morality.

In The Insult, which is set in modern Beirut, Lebanese director Ziad Doueiri explores this very tenet through the events involving two principal characters - Toni Hanna (Adel Karam), a Lebanese Christian and Yasser, a Palestinian refugee. Toni is an automobile mechanic and Yasser Salameh (Kamel El Basha), is a foreman of a construction crew working in Toni's neighbourhood. Toni is also an ardent supporter of the Christian party and is hot-headed.  Yasser, on the other hand is reticent, and being a refugee, has an indeterminate legal status despite having lived in Beirut for several years. A faulty drain pipe overhanging from Toni's balcony triggers the initial confrontation and an exchange of insults. This is followed by vehement demands for apology from the other side and soon escalates to a forceful punch to the gut and ultimately, lands the duo in two courtroom battles. The movie captures the unfolding courtroom battles between the two individuals over this minor tussle as it steadily escalates and threatens to engulf the entire nation in turmoil.

From the initial seemingly trivial squabble to the courtroom combats, the movie takes the viewers on a roller coaster ride which includes resurfacing of latent wounds which never heal, traumatic revelations on the realities which were otherwise suppressed, a civil war which despite being over long ago seems to have transcended from the physical realm to the mind space of the population where it is still actively fought on a daily basis, the media melee surrounding the case which brings a fragile peace to the brink; and the effect of these unintended escalations on Toni and Yasser as they contemplate their lives, their painful past and prejudices that are deeply embedded therein which define their grim present as well as their possible next steps. Could there be a sense of hope or the long and deep shadows from their past are set to snuff out all light from their present as well as future ? Seen from another perspective, is this just a case of a personal conflict exploding to ensnare an entire nation or is it a chronic national/regional conflict which has percolated down to infect the everyday affairs of these persons ?

Home to one of the earliest human civilisations, Lebanon, is a small state in the Middle East which is nestled between Mediterranean sea to its west and Syria and Israel on the other directions. Lebanon, which had remained largely peaceful, prosperous and progressive, is unique in the largely Arab neighbourhood by virtue of its demographics consisting of almost equal number of Christian and Muslim citizens. The vexed political situation of the larger region, that has fanned the flames of hatred over the decades, has resulted in deep fissures along ethnic as well as religious lines. Over time, these have evolved in deep seated insecurities, mutual sense of victimhood and anger among all communities. When such groups are almost equally strong, as in the case of Lebanon, this creates a scenario of perfect storm. Not surprisingly, this has resulted in a bloody civil war which spanned from 1975-1990 and consumed scores of its citizenry. Despite the end of the civil war, tensions remain and erupts in the form of ugly violence from time to time as disparate political groups seek to gain mileage by adding fuel to the deceptive, yet highly inflammable embers. The influx of refugees from neighbours in turmoil has provided further feedstock to this cauldron.

Despite being set in Lebanon with protagonists from particular communities, the film has a universal appeal as it explores multiple elements like the politics of opportunism which feed on prejudice & hatred, jingoistic appeals, deep-seated resentments, macho masculine pride as well as media madness which are seeking to alter the essence of human condition in these turbid times. The film is also an exploration on the how common sense could become a casualty when vexed vanities of exaggerated male egos glued to long-held grudges take the center stage. It also depicts the difficulties in de-escalation once the tinderbox is set alight as even seemingly simple conflicts could quickly spiral out of control with no solutions in sight.

Director Ziad Doueiri deserves credit for fashioning an engaging and powerful narrative which does not take sides and keeps the viewer engrossed in the proceedings till the very end. Special praise is due for the way he stages the courtroom battles where the protagonists as well as their attorneys land punches and counter-punches. While he may not be subtle and is also guilty of succumbing to cliches, his narrative is nevertheless energetic and aided by the excellent performances from entire cast which makes even the age old cliches work. With this fabulous feature, he acquits himself as a director to watch out in the future. 

The Insult was Lebanon's official submission in 90th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film and was part of the final shortlist. It has been widely praised across multiple film festivals where it has won many accolades including the Volpi Cup for Best Actor (Kamel El Basha) in the Venice International Film Festival. It was also the opening movie of the recently concluded IFFK-2017.

A RIVETING WATCH !!

RATING - 4/5

EYE IN THE SKY (ENGLISH) (2016)

War on terror is a unique species. It involves multiple state actors spanning different continents stacked against an asymmetric enemy who could inflict disproportionate damage despite operating with minimal resources. With the advent of drone based warfare, this war has transcended the borders of sovereign nations and is conducted from remote locations spread across continents using satellite communication and drones which can deliver lethal firepower at selected locations under surveillance to eliminate enemy threats. Noted South African director Gavin Hood (Tsotsi) explores this scenario in an exciting thriller involving a drone based missile strike against the leaders of a terror outfit as they meet to plan their next offensive.

The leaders of Al-Shabaab, a dreaded terror group are meeting in a safehouse in the suburbs of Nairobi to plan their next terrorist attack. The meeting includes two British nationals who were radicalised recently and are being actively pursued by the British intelligence. British military intelligence officer Colonel Katherine Powell (Dame Helen Mirren) is heading a remote team stationed in rural Sussex that is actively tracking the meeting to capture the militants. They are supported by ground forces of the Kenyan military intelligence in Nairobi as well as assistance from two teams of US military intelligence - one based out of Hawaii for remote facial recognition of human targets and another team in Nevada which is an air force base where pilots remotely operate drones to deliver missiles on targets across continents with precision. 


Meanwhile, a Cabinet Committee on Defence consisting of the Attorney General, two ministers from the Government and Lieutenant General Frank Benson (Alan Rickman) oversees the operation live from Whitehall. The Cabinet Committee is empowered to authorise the capture  of the militants after receiving a final confirmation of their identities. These multinational intelligence teams are using an unmanned aerial vehicle armed with missile and some miniaturised drones operated from close quarters for their surveillance of the militant safe-house. 

However, the preparation of two suicide bombers inside the safe-house for an imminent attack on some civilian targets escalates the immediacy and intensity of the mission and consequently, Katherine seeks to convert the mission objective from capturing the terrorists to terminating them. However, any missile strike would also involve collateral damage to lives and property in the area which happens to be a bustling suburb in a friendly country. What follows is an intense and nail-biting finale filled with frantic events and disparate discussions across these multiple teams involving intelligence agencies, defence forces as well as dilly-dallying political leadership which is keen on political expediency than protecting lives. 

The movie explores multiple contemporary themes through a taut narrative that keeps the viewer constantly at the edge of their seats. Besides being a tense thriller, the movie throws up multiple questions on the ideas including value of some lives over others, malleability of morality, acceptable levels of collateral damage, remote warfare which despite looking gamified could still present deep ethical dilemmas and political compulsions which could colour critical decisions of life & death. There are no easy answers to any of these questions and as a result, these questions would linger with the viewers to ponder long after they have watched the movie. 

The ensemble cast consisting of Dame Helen Mirren, late Alan Rickman, Aaron Paul and Barkhad Abdi provide excellent performances as the movie puts our moral compass on a see-saw ride. Despite being a war movie, this thriller is stands out as it abjures from the time tested tropes of the genre with most of the key players being far removed from ground zero and operating remotely through screens in conjunction to pull a virtual trigger. While this scenario means a war without its quintessential grime and blood, it still holds the potency of violence and emotional scarring. After (Tsotsi), this is easily the most accomplished offering from Gavin Hood, especially coming after misfires like X-Men Origins - Wolverine and Ender's Game.

A COMPELLING WATCH !!

RATING - 3.5/5

THE SHAPE OF WATER (ENGLISH) (2017)

Director Guillermo Del Toro is a magical creator who is capable of conjuring up unique, mystical and quite magnificent settings for his narratives and has set this story in Baltimore of early 1960s.

It is a tender and captivating romance between a mute janitor Elisa (Sally Hawkins) working in a top secret research facility and a creature captured from Amazon which is part fish and part human and is believed to be a river god by local populace. The government seeks to experiment on this mysterious creature for space research and sees it merely as an asset which is dispensable. But, the mute janitor sees it as more of a fellow being - a companion who is capable of communication as well as feelings of compassion, empathy and love.

Del Toro weaves a fantastic tale around this romance in the cold war era which is largely made possible and believable by an Oscar worthy performance from an excellent Sally Hawkins who is ably supported by Octavia Spencer, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlberg as well as Michael Shannon. Great music by Alexandre Desplat and vivid visuals from Dan Laustsen add further allure to this moving fable.

That a story could be so simple, surreal, yet layered in so many subtle shades and suffused with such a gentle and generous spirit all through is an extraordinary achievement of this ace auteur for, in less trained hands, it could have so easily become a caricature or worse. 

A MUST WATCH !!

RATING - 4/5

COMING HOME (aka GUI LAI) (CHINESE) (2014)

What is a home ? Is it just four walls under a roof that provide shelter to a family ? Or.. Is it the sense of belonging that every member of a family holds toward each other and to the family as a whole ..? Indeed, it is the confluence of souls that find solace and succour in one another, especially when they wade through turbid tides of troubled times. Noted director Zhang Yimou's Coming Home explores this theme in a family drama set in the tumultuous era of Chinese cultural revolution (1966-76).

It recounts the story of a small Chinese family of Professor Lu Yanshi (Chen Daoming), his wife Feng Wan Yu (Gong Li) and their daughter - Dandan (Hang Huiwen). Early in the movie, at the height of cultural revolution, we find this  family is thrown into disarray when Professor Lu is forcibly separated from his wife and infant daughter on being accused of anti-national activities. He is one among the  millions who are incarcerated and relegated to a labour camp for a long sentence. Several years pass by as we see that, under the watchful glare of the state which is wary of Lu's status of an anti-national, Feng is struggling to make ends meet as a teacher even as Dandan, a student at the ballet academy, is struggling in her own way to land a part of lead in a prestigious stage show. When Lu makes a desperate attempt to flee his captors and reunite with his family, Feng is having a difficult dilemma between rejoicing his escape, being wary of Dandan who barely remembers him and sees him merely as the source of their miserable status and the state which puts them under a microscope to recapture him if he contacts them. Ultimately, when he does return home, he is quickly pounced upon by the state authorities who were tipped off by Dandan on the hope that such loyalty would help her secure that coveted part in the show. Fate plays a cruel trick as soon after the arrest, Dandan is spurned for that role as she is still seen as the daughter of an outlaw and her mother shuts her out for what she sees an unforgivable betrayal. Some years later, when Lu is released after the Cultural Revolution, he returns to find his family shattered as his wife is suffering from an amnesia and his daughter is forced to eke out a living as a textile worker. Feng is unable to recognise Lu as her husband and she continues to wait for him to return from incarceration. The rest of the movie narrates the attempts of Yu to rebuild his family and reconnect to his wife.

Yimou's narrative is subtle, yet profound in observations. It is indeed a travesty when you require an official letter to recognise somebody who is your own. And, at times, even that is not proof enough. Feng's loss of memory is perhaps, her pathetic, final attempt to shut out a State that seeks to seep down and intrude into every element of her existence to enforce a compliance to its prescribed code of conduct. 

Through the prism of this family, the director showcases how an authoritarian state can appropriate one's life so ruthlessly that the citizens remain helpless and mute spectator as their life and family get trampled over by the giant wheels of a State machinery which pulls its entire citizenry in a particular direction to a predetermined destination. The instruments of the state intrude into every sphere of their life to suffocate them off any meaningful independence in exercise of their choices and where the individuals and their every aspiration is subordinated to the professed Party line and jingoistic nationalism.

The movie is anchored by stellar performances from the three leads - a spellbinding Gong Li and equally spectacular performances by Chen & Zhang who portray the multiple nuances of their roles effectively. Yimou's movie is ultimately a tale of triumph of the human spirit and the endless love it is capable of as well as the phenomenal power of such love to emancipate, enliven, energize and create beauty from bleakest of circumstances. 

The poignant, multi-layered movie replete with metaphors which premiered in Cannes in 2014 has won several accolades at several film festivals across the world.

AN EXCELLENT WATCH !!

RATING - 4/5

ARUVI (aka WATERFALL) (TAMIL) (2017)

 What do you call a series of events that reflect childlike mirth, youthful abandon, comedy, drama, suspense thriller, loss, tragedy, love, terror, a dash of reality tv, a commentary on contemporary society, politics, purpose of life and death..? Sounds too close to real life.. does it ?Aruvi is a genre grinder which mixes all this and more into a narrative that is engaging and enthralling in equal measure.

Debutante Aditi Balan, who plays the titular protagonist, is a natural and shines bright in a layered role. Her superlative performance which sees her shouldering the entire movie and make it stick together is among the best this year and is sure to bring her many laurels.

Director Arun Prabhu Purushothaman has announced himself as a helmer to look forward to with this audacious debut feature. He brilliantly strings together diverse strands of his storyline to concoct a captivating symphony like a seasoned maestro. Check out the initial sequences of measured vignettes from Aruvi's unfolding childhood which subtly state a lot and surreptitiously smuggle us into the storyline and create an instant connect with her and make us care for her. Or the way, he can transition from a tense situation of a terror response into a playful mood of truth or dare that takes us on a roller coaster ride of emotions. Arun Prabhu Purushothaman is a welcome addition to the league of promising debutantes directors in Tamil cinema this year which included Sri Ganesh (8 Thottaakkal), Karthick Naren (Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru), Lokesh Kanagaraj (Maanagaram), Nithilan Swaminathan (Kurangu Bommai) and Gopi Nayinar (Aramm).

An eclectic experience ! A MUST WATCH !!

RATING - 4/5

VELAIKAARAN (TAMIL) (2017)

If Thani Oruvan saw director Mohan "Remake" Raja reinvent himself as a fine director of a remake-worthy original feature, his sophomore attempt in this quest cements the credentials he had earned with his previous venture.

Make no mistake. Despite getting packaged as an entertainer, Velaikaaran is a message movie that tends to get preachy. Yet, if it works for the most part, it is because of some smart writing and directing that sincerely attempts to raise the bar for the mundane masala flicks that are dumped on us on a weekly basis. 

Sivakarthikeyan fits the role like a glove with a convincing performance (perhaps, his best work yet) and this film should see him hit a new high in his rapidly soaring career graph. Rest of the ensemble cast including the excellent Fahad Fazil making his debut in Tamil (excellent diction), Nayantara, Sneha, Prakash Raj, Rohini, Charlie, RJ Balaji and others acquit themselves competently in their cameos. 

While it has its share of flaws including certain formulaic cliches, lectures and some flab in running time, the movie has its heart in the right place and tells a story with sincerity that strikes a chord with the viewers without succumbing to too many compromises or cheap thrills.

WORTH A WATCH !!

RATING - 3.5/5

THONDIMUTHALUM DRIKSAKSHIYUM (aka THE EXHIBIT & THE EYEWITNESS) (MALAYALAM) (2017)

Director Dileesh Pothan who made an impressive debut with Maheshinte Prathikaram has returned with another charming slice-of-life drama. When newly-wed couple Sreeja (Nimisha Sajayan) & Prasad (Suraj Venjaramoodu) are travelling by bus, a thief (Fahaad Faasil) steals Sreeja's gold chain. However, Sreeja catches him swallowing the gold chain and hands him over to the nearest police station with the help of co-passengers. The rest of the movie narrates what happens thereafter.

Nimisha Sajayan as the housewife who is distraught and angry at her loss along with Suraj Venjaramoodu as the husband driven to his wits, Alencier Ley Lopez as the ASI Chandran on the brink of retirement bring an effortless authenticity to their roles while Fahaad Faasil nails his part as  he transforms into a slippery smalltime thief shrouded in mystery. 

There is an inherent  beauty to the narrative which flows like a gentle stream with minimal gush, yet capable of captivating the viewer with its steady flow. It draws us in very early and makes us totally invested in the story which keeps us wondering what next. The fact that Dileesh is able to bring out the beauty in the banal routines, seamlessly weave in multiple strands which add texture to even minor characters or happenings without disturbing the flow of the main narrative stand testimony to this helmer's confidence and control. He is emerging as a director with a distinct signature style and somebody to look forward to in the future.

Kudos to the director who has marshalled an excellent cast and a brilliant technical team including ace cinematographer Rajeev Ravi, music director Bijibal and others in presenting a simple, subtle, yet absorbing story with a good dose of humour and garnished with just the apt level of thrill and suspense. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!

RATING - 4/5