Change Your Image
s-kapoor
Reviews
Earth (1998)
Powerful historical setting...
Having seen a few of Deepa Mehta's movies recently this movie was certainly a powerful story and was well filmed. But there seems to be a quality about Mehta's movies which seem to be so cerebral that they detract from the emotive intensity of what is India.
The stories she finds are so compelling and yet I believe that the movie-making and acting are not stitched together as well. Take away the historical setting and it seems to collapse not because you removed one critical element, but because it is the only substantive element.
I can see why people enjoyed this movie, but I wish there was more. I wish she had dealt more deeply with the group of friends and the tension between their own religious differences. It was more about the partition happening around and I believe Ms. Mehta might have let slip an opportunity to have made the whole tale far more poignant. The setting of the Parsee family's nanny seemed to have very little relevance in the story - the professed Parsee inclination to side with whoever is in power does not contribute to the story.
Instead it is a potent spectacle as one watches from the outside, but there is no overt invitation or quiet pull-in to the movie.
Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002)
One of the best films, Indian or otherwise, in a long time
The story starts of in the setting of an ultra conservative Hindu mother with child and a Muslim photographer who happen to have mutual acquaintances from which emerges a passing commitment of the photographer to ensure that the mother and child arrived at their destination safely.
The bus ride takes place in environs which are struck by Hindu-Muslim riots, but the riots are only external manifestations of the prejudices that the young Tamil Brahmin woman has grown up with. Aparna Sen is masterful in her craftsmanship where it is hard to tell what is external and what internal.
The movie is just as easily about the simple, insidious impulsion of being attracted to someone, slowly overpowering the prejudices that might have repelled them. Delicate mastery of the director in the restrained and therefore far more profound attraction between the two characters.
Other comments have called Aparana Sen as one of India's finest women directors...
If this film is to be adduced as evidence, she is simply one of India's finest directors!!!
Whale Rider (2002)
Movie making at its phantasmic best
Castle Hughes as Paikea is absolutely phenomenal. Invited me to battle all the injustices that girls (no matter of what society) are subjected to. She manages to evoke empathy without seeking it.
The movie strikes a very healthy balance between reflecting tradition but narrow cynicism with quiet urging to step out into a magical realm. While one may be inclined to be surprised at the narrow views of Koro, one also feels his profound commitment to his traditions - the dialectic tension is alive and draws and keeps you engaged.
Koro is stern in one part and gentle in another and keeps alive the tension of whether to like him or not and makes you feel Paikea's battle with him. An uplifting story and a movie that not only takes you along in its journey, but leaves you journeying beyond it.
Just rent it and see for yourself!
Swades: We, the People (2004)
Balanced acting and a compelling story
Bollywood is notorious for overdoing things so when we saw Swades, it was surprisingly balanced - there is little dispute that it is romanticized, but romanticism is far more the norm in India. Given that scale as a standard, Swades was well calibrated. The acting was well controlled and the story compelling. Shah Rukh Khan is a pretty good actor and so is Gayatri Joshi, not to mention stunningly beautiful. The interaction between Mohan (Shah Rukh) and Gita (Gayatri) in many places is really charmingly done and mature such as the eye contact game when she is tying Shah Rukh's "dhoti".
The music is also very good. The song "Yuhin Chala Chal Rahi" is an fusion of Indian classical, bollywood and western rhythm which really works. The lyrics of the songs are also meaningful.
The only negative I would highlight is that the subtitles during the songs are a little overly poetic and "olde English" - like which detracts from the real lyrics of the song.
Definitely recommend it!