POKLOSIE (aka AFTERMATH) (POLISH) (2012)

The physical ravages of wars are massive and require long and arduous efforts and resources for reconstruction. However, wars have a far deeper dehumanising effect on the psyche of the perpetrators as well as their victims as they unleash and actively stoke the predatory animal instincts which were hitherto hidden under the cloak of culture and civilization, thereby pushing them to doing what they would otherwise consider as reprehensible. These shameful acts leave behind profound festering wounds which are hard to heal and scars that are often, indelible as in the case of guilt. Guilt has its seeds in shameful acts of the past and remains latent under an armour of unbridled aggression which masks it in a false sense of righteousness and justice. This movie chronicles the efforts of a duo whose activities threaten to uncover a long buried secret of a remote Polish community and the desperate attempts by that community to safeguard those secrets which were spawn off their collective guilt.

After about twenty years of living in the United States, Franciszek visits his brother Jozef, a farmer in a small Polish village. While Franciszek feels cold vibes from his brother who is sullen with him for deserting him and his widowed mother when they wanted him the most, he also senses a simmering antipathy in the village against Jozef who is treated as a social outcast. He discovers the reason behind the villagers' anger is that Jozef has been unearthing - digging out / buying / even stealing - tombstones of Jews. These tombstones have been used by the villagers for paving the roads and for sundry other purposes. The tombstones belong to the Jewish families who were once residents of their village and are presently non-existent.

Why does Jozef dig up these tombstones ? What connection does he have to those poor dead souls ? Is there a reconciliation between Josef and Franciszek ? What is the uncomfortable secret behind the tombstones of the Jews that Jozef unearths ? How did the entire Jewish community disappear from the village ? Were they part of the victims of the holocaust ? What is the reason behind the villagers discomfort and their hostility towards Jozef ? The movie provides answers to these questions and more in a narrative which, despite being structured like an unfolding thriller, is, essentially an evocative human drama with fine performances by the leads.

The movie is inspired by accounts of real life events which were reported during the second world war and sheds light on the simmering tensions and fault lines within the Polish society which are present till this day. Upon its release, the movie proved hugely controversial and stirred up a hornet's nest of emotional undercurrents in Poland which underlines the relevance of its themes even in the present day.

A VERY VERY GOOD WATCH !!

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THE PATIENCE STONE (aka SYNGUE SABOUR) (PERSIAN) (2013)

Noted Afghan born writer/director Atiq Rahimi adapts his own prize-winning novel to a screen drama in The Patience Stone.

It is the story a nameless Muslim Woman (Golshifteh Farahani) caught in the cusp of a fierce war zone in an unnamed country (what could probably be Afghanistan). She is tending to her much aged husband (nameless gain), a wounded warrior who is presently in a vegetative state with no apparent sign of life or senses. Early in the movie when the onset of war is obvious, she packs off her two children to a safe haven. However, she is forced to stay on to look after her husband. A husband whom she had not met even after her marriage. She married a photograph of him as he was fighting for the cause. 

On his return, the husband turns out to be an oppressive and conservative person in stark contrast to all her dreams. Now, on finding him in a comatose deaf-mute state, she, for the first time since her marriage, feels a surge of freedom. She sees him as the titular mythological Syngue Sabour or The Patience Stone to which one can pour one's heart out without any inhibitions. She feels herself recounting to him her deepest feelings and secrets to a great cathartic and therapeutic effect.

The movie, in most part, is a monologue, by the woman played by Golshifteh Farahani, confiding her secrets to her husband. The marvellous actress delivers a stellar performance which is the keystone holding the entire movie together. In a performance that straddles a whole spectrum of emotions, she forges an immediate and  compelling connect with the viewers and keeps them emotionally invested in the story. 

Writer/Director Atiq Rahimi provides snapshots of the social and political conditions of the region. While Farahani's narrative reveals the ultra conservative male dominated society with little, if any, freedom or respect for women, her travails during the ongoing war point to the existential crisis that hounds the populace there. 

A VERY  GOOD WATCH !!

NEBRASKA (2013)

While every movie presents an opportunity to embark on a journey through a dreamscape crafted by its director, road movies, as a genre,  are all the more alluring as they bring in another metaphysical dimension to these journeys.

In Nebraska, Bruce Dern plays Woody, a senile alcoholic in Billings, Montana who, after receiving a scam mailer promising him of a lottery winning of a million dollars, decides to walk 750 odd miles to Lincoln, Nebraska to collect his prize personally. He has to trek the entire distance since his alcoholism has ruled out any driving. When his journey is aborted twice in its early stages to his utter disappointment, his son, David (Will Forte) agrees, albeit reluctantly, to drive an obsessed Woody to Lincoln. This is much to the chagrin of his mother Kate (June Squibb) who chides David for being too indulgent on Woody's foolish delusions. David, on the other hand,  sees this as a break from his drab job as a stereo salesman and also, an opportunity spend some quality time with his reticent father.

Their journey to Lincoln with a stop-over at Woody's hometown of Hawthorne make the rest of this movie. David's road journey with his father also becomes one of discovery where he learns about hitherto unknown dimensions to his father and his early life. And, remaining true to the tradition of the genre of road movies, their journey itself proves more rewarding than the destination.

Bruce Dern provides a towing performance he sinks himself completely into the complex character of Woody, an alcoholic senile man who is consumed by his obsession. Woody is a character, that is hard to like and perhaps, equally hard to hate, which requires the performer to strike a fine nuanced balance. Dern absolutely nails it in a career-defining performance which has already fetched him a well-deserved award for Best Actor at the Cannes last year. Of the supporting cast, June Squibb is excellent as the fierce and forthright Kate providing a perfect foil to a taciturn Woody. Will Forte plays David with right doses of subtlety and nuance as a son who wants to connect with his father even as he is harried by his father's several streaks of unpredictability.

Captured in immaculate black and white, director Alexander Payne's Nebraska is a poetic, poignant movie of discovery laced with humour. Payne presents a deeply humanist drama populated by complicated characters with vignettes of the melancholic life in the American Midwest.

A MUST WATCH !!

 

THE PAST (aka LE PASSE) (FRENCH/PERSIAN) (2013)

In "The Past", his French language debut, noted Iranian director Asghar Farhadi presents an intense family drama set in Paris. A divorce is at the heart of this movie as in, his 2011 movie, A Separation, which won Iran's first Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Movie.

Ahmad (Ali Mosaffa) is an Iranian who comes to Paris to settle his divorce with Marie, a French pharmacist. Marie (Bernice Bejo, from The Artist) and Ahmad have been separated for four years.  Soon after his arrival, Marie informs Ahmad of her plans to marry Samir (Tahir Rahim), an Arab laundromat owner and that they are also expecting a child. Marie has two daughters from an earlier marriage - Lucie, a sullen teenager and the younger Lea. Samir has a wife who is in coma after an attempted suicide and a young son, Fouad. After the hospitalisation of his wife, Samir and Fouad have moved in with Marie. While the young Lea sees a similar-aged playmate in Fouad, Lucie cold shoulders Samir and hates her mother for rushing into a marriage with him. Lucie, however, shares a warmer relationship with Ahmad, her earlier stepfather. Ahmad finds himself playing the mediator between various players and in the process, gradually unravels a secret that puts all the players on the brink.

Farhadi presents an intricately woven drama and draws the viewers ever so deep into the unfolding events. His characters - each with their deep flaws, guilt, vulnerabilities, doubts and emotional baggage from their past - are very real in their attempts to grapple with their situations. Their struggle to disentangle their present and construct a clear future is clouded by the events from their past which threaten to unravel their plans. Are they to permanently remain the prisoners of their past and mistakes committed therein ? Or, can they find a way to disentangle their present and forge new and happier ties that they seek ? Farhadi explores these questions and more in this intricately constructed narrative structured as a socio-emotional thriller. 
Farhadi shows a keen eye in his attention to details (as in the case of Marie's house where most of the drama unfolds across several rooms) and brilliance in his intelligent metaphors which serve as subtle markers to the future events including the initial meeting of Marie and Ahmad across a glass wall at the airport, their clumsy attempt to back their car from parking as well as the manner of title appearing on the windscreen of the car that is wiped away or even in Ahmad agreeing to clear up the mess of spilt paint.

The film benefits a great deal from the fact that Farhadi employs a solid cast that is strikingly beautiful and have enough acting chops for playing these complex characters and they have put in remarkable performances which makes the drama connect to the viewers. Ali Mosaffa is exceptional as the Ahmad, a man trying find some calm after finding himself unsuspectingly drawn into the middle of a raging storm of relationships of his estranged family and Tahir Rahim plays the brooding Samir with an assured subtlety. However, it is Bernice Bejo who packs in a powerful performance as the enigmatic and the fierce Marie whose present is caught between her past grievances and the future questions. Her performance has already received a well deserved Best Actress award at the Cannes last year. Farhadi also draws wonderful performances from his younger cast, especially Pauline Burlet who plays an angry, yet helpless Lucie who is disenchanted with the situation she finds herself in and Elyes Aguis  as Fouad who is torn between the comatose mother he loves and mother imposed upon him.

The Past is an engaging family drama which underscores the dynamics of dysfunctional families and their effects on the children who are often ignored in the confrontations between the adults of the family. With The Past, Asghar Farhadi has reinforced his position as a master in presenting intricately crafted human dramas populated by nuanced, real characters which have universal appeal. Kudos !!

A MUST WATCH !! 

AMERICAN HUSTLE (2013)

American Hustle directed by David O. Russell (The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook) is a comedy-drama inspired by the real life events referred to as Abscam Scandal which happened in the late 1970s in USA when an FBI sting operation resulted in the conviction of several corrupt politicians including six Congressmen, a Senator and a Mayor. 

Christian Bale plays Irving Rosenfield, pot bellied, pill-popping middle aged businessman who runs a of dry cleaning chain. However, he is actually conman and mints his money through fake art deals and hoodwinking people desperate for money with false promises of loans. He is trapped in a loveless marriage to the unstable Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) and whose son, Danny, he had adopted. He meets his match in the smart Sydney Posser (Amy Adams), an ex-stripper and present day clerk at the Cosmopolitan magazine with soaring ambitions to reinvent herself. Mutual attraction gradually leads to a rollicking partnership when she suggests that she could assume the identity of Lady Edith Greensly, with a fake English accent and "connections" to London banks. The two thrive in  mutual company and live the high life till they are trapped by the zealous FBI agent Richard Di Masso (Bradley Cooper). When Di Masso throws them an offer of immunity if they aid in arrest of four big league criminals, Irving and Edith/Sydney hesitantly agree to it. They try to entrap the popular Mayor Carmen Polito (Jeremy Renner) who is desperate for funds to rekindle the economy of Atlantic City. The stakes are raised higher with the involvement of the mob, the resultant involvement of some Congressmen whom Di Masso want to entrap, the growing unease between Irving and Edith/Sydney, Di Masso's growing feelings for Edith/Sydney and the edgy, unpredictable Rosalyn who is hovering around the scene like a gathering storm. 

Will Irving and Edith/Sydney succeed in fulfilling their end of the deal ? Would Di Masso emerge the hero for netting the big fish ? Does he forge an emotional connect to Edith/Sydney ? And, what role would Rosalyn play in all this ? The rest of the movie navigates us through this murky waters as these characters try to con each other (& themselves) in a roller coaster ride with loads of fun, witty dialogue, authentic 70s setting and some really well chosen songs that accompany the tense proceedings.

While Silver Linings Playbook was evidence enough that David O. Russell is a master of creating complex characters that connect to the viewers, in American Hustle, he weaves sheer magic with an ensemble of such quirky characters played by a stellar cast. He has carefully chiseled out each character with a clear set of chinks and eccentricities which make them very human and enables the viewer to emotionally invest in them. 

Given such well written characters, it is but natural that the A-list stars that inhabit them revel in their respective roles. While his mastery in physical transformations is legendary, Christian Bale is simply superb as the tense conman who is apprehensive of the dangers involved in a high-stakes con and desperate to save his family and his love. Matching him every bit is a smouldering Amy Adams revelling in a complex character as she oozes sex appeal in her plunging necklines, fakes an English accent and alternates effortlessly between emotions whether when being hopelessly in love or her desperation for reinventing herself or her frustration on being cornered. Bradley Cooper plays the hot-headed over-ambitious FBI agent out to make a name for himself with elan and Jeremy Renner is good as the well-meaning Mayor. Robert De Niro leaves a lasting impression in a small role as a mob enforcer. 

Yet, it is Jennifer Lawrence who steals the show in a cameo as the feisty, unstable Rosalyn who feels frustrated with a marriage in shambles and craves for love and attention. As a loose cannon who could derail the carefully mounted con at any moment, she brings an intensity to a role which could have easily been a caricature. All of 23 years old, this talented lady is already a winner of Academy Award winner and stands a good chance to win another one this year for Best Supporting Actress. She has loads of talent and I may not be exaggerating if I say that she could well be the emerging as the Sachin Tendulkar of her art. 

David O. Russell, in mounting this delectable entertainer on a large pitch-perfect period canvas, appears to have finessed his mastery in presenting memorable features populated by volatile characters. He has presented us a winner here that is already a front runner at the Academy Awards with a clutch of nominations after having won several at the other award shows. 

EXCELSIOR, indeed !! An exhilarating experience that is sure to leave the viewers look forward impatiently for his next !!

A MUST WATCH !!

HUSH ! GIRLS DON'T SCREAM (aka HISS DOKHTARHA FARYAQD NEMIZANAND) (PERSIAN) (2013)

It is her wedding night and her groom is eagerly awaiting her arrival with bated breath along with the guests. Alas, he is as stunned as the gathered guests when the bride, Shirin Naeimi (Tannaz Tabatabayi), arrives with blood splattered on her otherwise spotless white bridal gown. Shortly thereafter, Shirin is arrested for murder of a man who appears to be a complete stranger. While Shirin confesses to the crime before the investigators, she is reluctant to say anything more on her reasons for the same. Shirin's troubled parents engage a lawyer to save her from what appears to be a certain conviction and the resultant, capital punishment. Meanwhile Shirin's fianceè is dazed after the shocking events of the wedding night and finds himself under severe backlash from his family who had opposed the marriage in the first place. He feels let down by Shirin and abhors her for it. Yet, he continues to be in love with her. Shirin, despite feeling deep love for him, remains a prisoner of her circumstances and more critically, of her past. Seemingly resigned to her fate after confessing to her crime, she withdraws into a shell and stonewalls further questions - by the investigators as well her lawyer - with a loud silence.

Is the dead man actually a stranger to Shirin ? Did Shirin actually kill him and if so, why did she resort to such an extreme measure on her wedding night ? Why did she confess to the crime ? Having confessed, why has she remained silent ?The rest of the movie explains her pitiful predicament in a non-linear narrative which alternates between her past and the present which is in parts a thriller as well as a courtroom drama.

Tannaz Tabatabayi delivers a fine performance that strikes the right note to convey the anguish and emotional turmoil of Shirin. Derekshandeh presents a gripping narrative and refrains from posturing or preaching even as she peppers the film with subtle touches, be it the behavioural nuances of Shirin such as her fidgeting, fearful blink on facing the flash of a camera or even the silent solidarity expressed by Shirin's fellow inmates.

Any murder is an abominable crime which calls for swift and severe punishment to the perpetrator. But, how would one punish a crime when it involves the murder of a person's soul where there are no dead bodies to find nor a complaint is registered ?  What does one make of a crime where the accused remains scot free while the victims are hauled over the coals ?

Iranian director Pouran Derakshandeh's Hush! Girls Don't Scream ! addresses a very relevant and often ignored horror that haunts societies universally. She draws our sharp focus on how the very structure of a society steeped on conservatism and religious ideology could cripple the rights and muffle the cries for help from a vandalised section of such society. And irrespective of the geographic, economic, religious or cultural divides, there seems to be a disturbing unanimity in the ways in which such societies tend to (mis)handle such happenings. It is indeed a travesty that in the garb of decency, honour and scores of more silly excuses, almost all societies turn a blind eye to such inhuman crimes even as they silence the desperate screams of victims by playing a helpless, mute and deaf spectator. Consequently, we have a skewed societal system which emboldens the perpetrators while mutilating their victims irreparably forever.

It is interesting that such a movie, on what is considered a strictly taboo subject in most parts of the world, is made in Iran, which is seen as a staunchly conservative society. It is even more amazing to know that it had a wide release in Iran and was also a blockbuster, besides praise at several international film festivals including the recently concluded Bangalore International Film Festival (BIFFES). Veteran director Derakshandeh deserves plaudits for making a movie that is seething with anger, yet, at the same time remaining, sensitive, subtle, nuanced and above all, universally relevant.

Enraging, deeply affective and lingering on long after the viewing, this movie makes a pitched scream to societies around the world to wake up and take note of a devastating crime in our midst !

A MUST WATCH !!

MY SWEET PEPPER LAND (KURDISH) (2013)

Kurdish director Hiner Saleem's My Sweet Pepper Land is set in the newly autonomous state of Iraqi Kurdistan which is facing fundamental existential challenges from neighbouring Turkey, Iran and Syria as well as the local chieftains who are yet to come to terms with their newly elected democratic government and rule of law. The picture opens with a darkly comical scene involving the newly autonomous state's first legal execution by hanging of a prisoner which undergoes a muddled process.

The movie is about the struggle faced by the two protagonists - yesteryear war hero turned reluctant policeman Baran (an intense Korkmaz Arslan) and a schoolteacher striving to educate the kids Govend (a radiant Golshifteh Farahani) - at a remote village of Qamriyan on the Turkish border. Both Baran and Govend chose the remote village over lucrative careers in urban areas to escape the hounding to get married from their respective homes. The village has only two telephones and a bar/eatery named "Pepper Land" and by virtue of being on the border between Iraq and Turkey is notorious for smuggling and other illegal activities. These activities take place under the patronage of the local warlord Aziz Aga who is a powerful man and controls the village with his army of trigger-happy, lecherous goons.


The village is also steeped in conservative tradition and misogynistic ideas. Both Baran and Govend find themselves at loggerheads with Aziz Aga who wants to lord over the village and find their new ideas of rule of law and education for children as threats to his control over the village. We also see a budding romance between Baran and Govend as they stand by each other in their struggle. There is also an all-women band of armed Kurds waging war against Turkey for liberating the Kurds across the border.

What follows is an aesthetically mounted Western-esque adventure set in the breathtaking rocky remoteness of the border village. The story is set to happen in 2003, immediately after the death of Saddam Hussein whose regime had brutally oppressed the Kurdish regions and the region was given autonomy and democracy under the new establishment. While the horse riding, gun toting adventure is the mainstay of the movie, there are subtle indicators to the backwardness of the region, struggles faced by the few modernists, lack of rule of law and other challenges faced by the people inhabiting this region.

Arslan, with his an invincible and rugged looks, is convincing as the yesteryear war hero-cum-present day law enforcer, Baran who is chivalrous and enjoys Elvis, Bach and Mozart. The immaculate Golshifteh Farahani is completely natural as the modern teacher determined to bring education to the kids of the village despite the odds she has to face from her own family and the local goons. Both Arslan and Farahani share a comfortable chemistry and have a significant screen presence which aids the movie a great deal.

While by no means an epic or even an extraordinary movie, the director, Hiner Saleem, deserves plaudits for narrating an entertaining story which presents a contemporary take on the Western genre with elements of dark humour and setting it in such remote lesser known lands. The movie also boasts of some excellent technical credits including first-rate cinematography which captures the mountainous landscapes in their bleak, yet, beguiling beauty and a charming score comprising of diverse influences. My Sweet Pepper Land was presented as an entry under the Un Certain Regard category of the Cannes Film Festival, 2013 and since then, been a part of several international film festival including the Bangalore International Film Festival (BIFFES-2013).

A VERY GOOD WATCH !!