In my most recent pursuit to catch a foreign film, I found myself sitting with a latte at a public screening watching 2011 Russian movie ‘Elena’ directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev. The latte made me late by 2-3 minutes but fortunately I didn’t miss much of it.

Vladimir, a considerably rich man in his late sixties lives with a woman named Elena whom he married 10 yrs ago. Elena from a middle class family first met Vladimir when she was nursing him at hospital. Both have children’s from previous relationship and they all grown up. In a weird way couples are sole source of income for their children i.e. respective children of course. While Vladimir supports his daughter who is shown as free spirit 30 something lady who don’t give shit about leading a responsible life. Elena on the other hand is indispensable to the needs of his son’s family. She gives most of her pension money to his son who cares less to earn a living by getting a job. He instead spends his day smoking cigarettes, emptying beer bottles and lazing around the house. Already father to 2 children he is expecting another one with his wife. As you can see the situation is basically not we would expect in a ideal world, in fact this is opposite. While Vladimir and Elena debate and argue who deserves the money more and who is more irresponsible, you see kind of ambiguity that lights up through these conversations. Wait there is a dangerous and ‘murderous’ twist coming in the second half and the basic morality in questions will be going for a toss.

If you have already seen the movie then please read the trivia section of this movie on IMDB. It gives the movie whole lot more meaning and opens up the movie for a different thought process on a new level. The movie on the other hand doesn’t drop such hints and instead gives an impeccable narration. That may be the best thing about the movie. The poignancy is also a major factor all through the movie, there are moments when the camera pans in and out or stays rigid and let life around it grow and express. Although for a first timer this type of situations may seem confusing, but having an open mind might make you see things differently.

Speaking about ambiguity, reminds me of this scenes that shone the light on such beautiful direction. So Elena wants money for her grandson education and she request Vladimir to help him since her son is unable to do so. Vladimir refuses giving reasons like her son should be responsible enough to provide for his son if he had planned to bring him in this world. In other scene where Vladimir over an animated conversation tells his single daughter to go and have kids, it will make her more responsible. You can see the incoherency in the conversation as Vladimir has irrational love towards his daughter. The director does drop such small subtle hints without actually shoving the message to our faces.

The movie is also beautifully captured from the lush apartment in the city to the small apartment in suburbs. The transition is beautiful and am told after reading some reviews that it displays the social divide between the rich and poor. The end is pretty unconventional.

Nadezhda Markina puts such fantastic performance as the aggrieved mother. She gets to the screen of the character and we find our self recognizing with this person. The there is Andrey Smirnov as Vladimir the rich, arrogant person played to such finesse. That conversation with her daughter was symbolic of his contribution. Others do play important parts and deserve equal accolades but these two are the performers in this movie. The music is very apt with the situation, in the darker moments it rises to a crescendo giving ‘impending doom’ feel. The director Andrey Zvyagintsev deserves a hat tip for such impressive work (I am told he has done better).

Elena for me is a kind of window into the future, where there will be rich and poor and the term humanity will be modified accordingly. It also shows the parents indefinite and undying love towards their children and the will to do anything to make them happy. I will surely ask you people to give it a watch.

Both Pakhi and Varun babu are sitting near the lake making conversations. Suddenly they start talking in hushed tones albeit with a hint of coyness, both looking in each other’s eyes. They stop and the change of expression on Varun’s face and his eyes is evident. He holds back himself out of compulsion and in that scene of 30 sec silence triumphs over words. Their eyes let us hear and their words although far few and soft make us feel. This in fact is the ‘USP’ of the movie.

Pakhi, a spoon fed daughter of rich zamindar(landlord)falls head over heels kind of love when she accidently bumps into Varun. He is archaeologist with a mission. She is as smitten as he is but 1950s wasn’t the ideal time for young people to be as physically expressive. But they don’t need any moral permission
to further their bond of love. They dive deep until truth emerges and that devastates them both. The crude truth and it’s consequences set them apart.

Lootera is the movie that i enjoyed by the minute, it’s the small instances in the scenes that light up the cinematic wonderland. The movie is quaint at times and surreal in some others. The love story set in mid 1950 took me in right at the centre of everything that’s unspoken but understood. Awed by it’s jaw dropping choreography (some lighting) to it’s incredible art direction to it’s crisp editing. It was pretty evident that this movie came from the same house that featured ‘Udaan’.

If I could just walk you through some scenes that really made me admire the makers of this movie. When Varun says ok to the idea of teaching Pakhi painting without him even having the elementary knowledge of the art in the first place and you could see both of them trying to get away since the permission has been granted but Pakhi’s father who was sharing tea with Varun says ‘abhi nahi’(Not now). The director plays this scene so subtly that you see yourself grin. Another scene is when Pakhi tells Varun how her father died and then there is that singular unfazed moment of tension until the next scene unfolds. Another is when Pakhi is pouring her heart out and Varun goes numb to her feelings but his eyes don’t deceive. Lootera mostly unfolds in the eyes of their characters.

Although I don’t have much experience of the era, the costumes and the treatment of the movie is eye catching. Also we have to admire the kind of voice modulation actors had to go through to give the movie a periodic look. Also picturesque Dalhousie is +1.

While I would love to talk about the stars who acted so brilliantly but Vikramaditya Motwane(Director and screen writer) is at the centre of this movie. Like the new crop of movie makers making their presence felt he is invading the waters that divide mainstream and commercial with a touch of his eccentric filmmaking. Like his work which steals the heart of so many of his followers the director is the true Lootera. Second most important person that really made and impact on me was Ranveer Singh as Varun. He carried a persona that was very unlike his other two movies. In a shackled mode he let his ever moving eyes tell the tale of his heart. I think he does brilliantly in the climax. Sonakshi Sinha as Pakhi is no less when competing with her colleague. She’s conditioned to be moody, stoic and unapologetic. In the second half she really comes into her own and gives a powerful performance. Actors like Adil Hussain, Vikrant Massey are used to the extent the story limited them but they played brilliantly. Shirin Guha as Sonakshi’s father also caught my eye. Also a word of appreciation to screen writers Bhavani Iyer and Anurag Kashyap.I dont know why its coming so much below this para but there never much enough to say about what Amit Trivedi’s BGM and soundtrack does to the movie. The music no question is well augmented and inclines with the feel of the movie.

Yes you will get crowd who will laugh at those serene moments and pass comments but that’s natural. Lootera should be watched if not for the love of it then atleast for the sake of your grandfathers who were so polite and humble. So unlike us.

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The mark of true friendship is always in the brutal honesty the persons. One cannot shy away from speaking his mind when the need comes for intervention or beating around the bush in case of confessions. The Intouchables is one such movie speaking through the heart of it’s protagonist and always true words.

The life of quadriplegic millionaire Philippe is planned out till Driss walks into his office for a caretaker job interview. While others maybe be bullshitting him about the job, he puts it straight – he needs Philippe signature to avail unemployment benefits. Phillipe is amazed at how frank this guy is and how indifferently rude he has been to him. Out of some disgust to the bullshit he has been receiving about his disability, he hires the guy for a month trial as his caretaker. Next – he isn’t the same man anymore – he laughs, smokes and does things one could only dream of.

When Driss asks Philippe what can relieve him of his pain, Philippe looks at two girls with short skirts and says something to the effect, “I think I can use some of that”. To which Driss replies with a grin, “We have got sick minds when it comes to that, haven’t we?”.  What I liked about the scene is the candid nature of two and how forthright they were about their thoughts. Normally there is a good guy and there is that naughty guy, but Philippe being the good one doesn’t hold back from the adulteries of the naughty one, Driss. What he sees is a new colour in his life that has been marked with shades of lost love and phoney sympathies. The movie reeks of such beautifully executed moments of good humour and companionship.

Those who have got enough doses of any kind of cinema, knows characters like Driss. They are maybe not as regular but we know the kind when we see them. But this Driss has some qualities that qualifies him to be called eccentric in is own category. When housemaid tells him that Philippe needs him now, he shuts her up with ‘one minute’ while meticulously ogling at his new bathtub. Yeah he carries that kind of rudeness even when he burst into laughter seeing a stage actor singing in opera. The movie is inspired form real events but what holds it together is it’s two leads, completely endearing even when they don’t act together.

I really mean it when I say these  two – François Cluzet and Omar Sy really compliment each other. One with a wide smile and other with reassuring one, fits in perfectly. Omar’s character battles a lot of demons including family predicaments and racial slurs but the performance put by him is truly laudable. If Omar is the second hand in a watch than François is the minute hand, painting every scene with such mature performance. His last scene where his expression move from total disbelief to amazement is a scene you can watch multiple times without feeling bored. The Director and writer duo Olivier Nakache & Eric Toledano steers the movie without being overdramatic which can be really tricky. The one other thing is the music that really moved me, such beautiful piano composition towards the climax. it’s been 2 days and still I am totally in awe.

Oh, a must watch for everyone.

8.5/10
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I am sure all of us had our share of fables from our elders, the spooky ones, the ones that instilled dread or the ones that addressed moralities in a wider range. We have been told, instructed and fed the societal do’s and don’ts. Desire is the prime enemy of human being and that it leads to other ruinous consequences such as greed, revenge etc. We are protecting our sons and daughters from the crimes of the world from the clutches of the ‘men’. But doesn’t that conceal the intrepid nature of a man and the basic need to confront the  unpredictable.

Directed by the famous Ki-duk Kim , this Korean drama paints the tail of a monk (master) and his lone disciple. The most gratifying thing about the story is it’s location. Their settlement consist of a raft with a roof,  floating in a lake well cushioned inside a tropical valley.  It is to my understanding that the master well known as the holy one, is noted for his healing abilities. The story is well knitted piece of individual moral speeches well represented across the various seasons. Most of the scenes in the movies starts with a soothing and serene movement of camera across the lake which also nestles the masters house. I don’t think I have ever felt so much at peace revelling on the tranquillity of the scenes.

The characters and the behaviour of the boy is seen transient across seasons which does arises a smoke of confusion around the movie.  But pondering helps as it reiterates the changing behaviour of a human being over a period of time as he experiences the world around him.  When the boy surrenders to sexual lust and copulates with a patient of master, he doesn’t object which I half expected he would. He instead goes on to say that sex may have cured his patient which is very magnanimous (and expected )  of master.

Maybe the slate is not as clean as it appears to be, intermittently either I was lost or the message the director wanted to convey. The mother with a veil over her face  was one of the scene that I was unable to comprehend as it refused to show the mothers face.

In December last year I failed to catch the screening of Pieta, but thankfully some of the people who did caught up with it recommended me to watch out for the man, Ki-duk Kim. Well evident from this movie to me that he is no regular filmmaker. Here he enthralled me with his deep study of Buddhism, his ability to hold your mind even when stillness is the orator. I have no doubt that even the actors are superior in their portrayal.

In the end when the new boy does the same mistakes, you tend to believe that this is the circle of life. We are meant to go through all the pain and calamities to know the real meaning of life. The movie is sure watch for the patient ones.

8.0/10
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Ok doing this after a long time. Took a break from the otherwise slow paced updation of the much ignored blog. Hobbit was on mind for sometime and got to watch it recently and it’s one of the movie that is fresh in my mind

Hobbit is again like LOTR falls into the category of adventure journey movies. Dwarf kingdom of Erebor is under the siege by dragon, the smaug. This forces the dwarfs to leave their homes and scatter elsewhere. The dwarf prince along with 12 others dwarfs forms a force which is determined to claim back their land ( mountain i.e.). Here to help them in their quest is eveready Gandalf the grey and reluctant Bilbo Baggins. Based on J. R. R. Tolkien book of same name this is 1st of the 3 movies planned under the book.

The real reason I wanted to watch this is not because I was excited to see another LOTR edition served with a twisted title, no. The real reason was to piece the smaller fraction in the movie to the LOTR movies. I wanted to see smaller things that went unexplained in the mega movie trilogy. To start with the movie is frustrating to sit through first 30-40 minutes because nothing much is uncovering and dwarfs are busy letting us know what they can do and are famous for. For the first large part of the movie Bilbo remains in the sidelines and it’s the Gandalf who takes charge of leading the pack. It’s without doubt that Bilbo’s character and his importance in the trilogy will grow in the next instalment but sadly he sleepwalks through first hour mark. It’s only in the last part that he gets to become the Baggins we expect to see.

In terms visual effects, it keeps me engrossed and amazed at the level of detailing done. The sequence in goblins kingdom is a visual treat that paints the very picture of the these creature to perfection. I also loved the Gollum sequence which pretty much compensated for the boring parts. I would like to applaud standing on my chair, to whoever did the translation of such wildly running words to beautifully structure motion picture. I haven’t read the books but I could imagine the creativity in developing such intricate characters especially Azog the Defiler and radhagast.

Performance wise you cant ask for much, seeing that the movie is getting adjusted into the space for more things to come out. Martin Freeman hasn’t got much to explore his abilities. His short moments with Gollum and that ‘home’ scene with Thorin shows his adaptability in Baggins shoes(no pun int). Rest of the cast which includes Ian McKellen, Sylvester McCoy, Richard Armitage etc does have their moments in between. Peter Jackson has done a tremendous job but it lacks the perseverance of LOTR.

The one thing that is good about Hobbit is it wont hamper much the concluding movies because I believe with a director like that and cast like that you can only surprise and enthral us with new things. Like the erebors, Jackson has to get his mojo right claim back the things he is known for and enthral like he used to.

8.2/10
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Image : http://cerezomae.blogspot.in

People are in awe of Ben Affleck these days with his astronomical rise to another level of stardom and his charming ways of capturing those momentous images on camera. Frankly speaking I don’t get the hoopla around ‘Argo’, I didn’t see much into it and my dubiousness is not because of the pro American sentiments obvious in the movie. I will talk more about it when I write about that movie, another day. I enjoyed watching The Town because of it’s spunkiness. But the movie that triumphs over these newly featured ones is his directorial debut ‘Gone Baby Gone’.

When 4 yr old Amanda McCready goes missing, the whole of neighbourhood is in shock. The girls has no father and her mother is drug addict, her aunt therefore decides to hire detectives to find her abducted/missing daughter. The detectives, Patrick and Angie amateurs in their profession whole heartedly works alongside the reluctant police,  whose 70 hrs of prior investigation is effectively a wild goose chase. Patrick and Angie with their neighbourhood contacts unearth names and things that were of no cops luxury. They with Policeman Remy and Nick gets closer to the abductor, but wait there is a twist coming and maybe another later  and definitely one at the climax.

I know I have been sketchy with my plot description but hey it’s tedious to unravel such complex plot. I do like to make confession that I have made an attempt to see this before but I couldn’t, I found it slow pace and Casey Affleck that to be replica of James Franco in that Oscar ceremony. But what a imbecile I was to ignore such work of pure awe. The movie starts with a beautiful voice over by Casey Affleck then moves over to the main story. It’s has Boston city named all over it, in it’s wide shots, in it’s short glimpses and in it’s people. As the detectives makes conversation with characters played by Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman, there is a tarantino-ish feel to it albeit not with the devilish music background. Casey Affleck character is developed with the morals and chauvinism of a do-gooder. He rarely shows fear in his eyes and his persona is very enigmatic.

I found a lot scenes in this movie that were worth remembering but I won’t mention those because I might have to sound spoiler alert. There are moments of disgust not because there is blood or violence(hardly) but the kind of people shown and how they live their life. As the secrets box keeps opening, there are things that come to fore, characters get more intense, they develop backstory and this whole whirlpool of characters and their stories boils down to questionable climax. I know some people might be left unsatisfied with the ending, but what could he do. He made a decision that nobody agreed on, he made it by himself he lost everything and there is no chance he could go back on it. It’s against him. By the way you get a ominous feeling at the start when Angie asks Patrick if their is a good life and if this case can change anything worse about it.

Performance wise everybody is top notch, Casey Affleck holds that grip and control over his character that I have seen rarely. Michelle Monaghan is little subdued and I thought like the makers wanted her to have more but it didn’t permit. Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris  with their ferocious performance are like fuel to this movie. Every now then the sparks fly when they staple those dialogues. Titus Welliver, Amy Ryan and others were superb throughout their acts. A pat on the back of Ben Affleck, rightfully his best movie for me. Back ground music keeps up with the pace of the story.

A must watch for those who like the movies with mind inducing thoughts and questioning morals. A must watch for everyone.

7.8/10
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Movies aren’t supposed to be better than the books they are adapted from. That’s the kind of mentality I carry around whenever I see any adapted signature on a poster of movie.  When I first heard that ‘3 mistakes of my life’ is being made I feared since the yardstick to which the movie has to live was pretty low. Long time back when I read the book, I frowned upon it and reminisce calling it overdramatic and shady. Quite intellectually and without steering away from the main story, the movie does just the opposite, keeps it as simple as possible.

Life isn’t as king size as the three friends; Govind, Ishaan and Omi wants it to be. They yearn for good life and want to live it down to the seconds. Govind to describe is a purposeful, taciturn, prudent minded kind of guy. Ishaan a reject at state level cricket selection, is just the opposite, the freewheeler among them. Omi is like any other you must have noticed in college, easy to be manipulated and rudderless pursuing any kind of aim. They make an interesting appetizers for absolute entertainment ahead.

Together they setup a sports academy teaching aspiring cricketers. They do this with the help of Omi’s uncle who is a upcoming politician. Soon they come across a rare talent , Ali and Ishaan plans huge things for him. He sees himself in him, trust him and solitarily tries to provide the fine diamond finish to his prodigy. On the other hand Govind foresees the future and wants to expand their business. He is also being seduced by Ishaan’s sister Vidhya. Omi is happy following his friends and is little reluctant at his uncles proposition to enter politics but doesn’t refuse. Then follows the two events that sets the milestone in their life, changing equation, dismantling relations and ending on the wrong side of the bridge.

When people say this movie didn’t justify the riots that happened in 2002, I feel like jettisoning myself to another planet probably with enough to live for next 50 years. Listen people, movies aren’t meant to justify an event, they play out the stories with characters and enough fodder for your brains to gather new perspectives. IN this movie you don’t need to because the leads do a fantastic job of portraying characters that are imaginable and relatable. The story with it’s brilliant characterization has moments of contradiction and hilarity. The movie keeps you on the edge every time this three guys comes on screen. The Guajarati language maybe a bit distracting in the middle but doesn’t much influence the overall experience.

There is a time when you see instant sparks flying out when these guys interact albeit in casual manner. But in one scene Govind lashes out at Ishaan and there at that moment you realise how the chemistry works. There is also the scene in the movie when Govind takes Vidhya to show her their recently brought shop in a mall, as he stands 7-8 feet away and explains her, there is this feeling you get when you see such masterful scene being directed. Also when Omi moves through angry people doing what they do in riots, there is sense of innocence that comes through his character which is widely the truth most of the time in real life. All in all Abhishek Kapoor needs a pat on his maybe from some awesome film god. He takes amateur film talent and does the same as Ishaan does with Ali, make it worth watching.

Sushant Singh Rajput and  Amit Sadh playing the the two characters are intelligently cast. They give the movie sweetness, laughs, raw passion and simplicity. They maybe indispensable but the guy who climbs the ladder with that stroke of brilliance is Raj Kumar Yadav. I loves him in LSD and Shaitan. He isn’t overdramatic or hero lookalike, but he has that talent of knowing the crest and troughs of acting. In some moments he is subdued and relaxed while in others he talks as if he is spewing fire. Some of the most memorable scenes are when he is around. Amrita Puri as the only lead actresses is funny and adds that bit of desi glam quotient to a mostly male centred movie. Others characters had little to do but they made sure they gave it the fullest.

One of my friend chose a meaningless movie with his family over Kai Po Che, I still make fun and torment him with my below par sarcastic humour. Don’t be him, they don’t come this easy.

In order to save his only job, widower Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) is sent to a village to audit the remains of a family. This job includes surveying a mansion house and it’s contents. However on  arriving, he is asked to leave on immediate effect bearing some superstitions that villagers have. He can’t, because he will loose his job and wont be able to take care of his son. He decides to visit the house ignorant of horrific consequences. Here he meets the woman, the woman in black.

Yeah, it’s no different, been there seen that kind of story. It involves the same mystery situations,  the same shocking revelations but no conventional ending. From the suggestive title one can  make out half of the story, thus the movie falls into the bucket of predictability. But if only were movies were weighed by the stories they showed, we would be in a swamp of identically similar movies. What matters after the story is it’s treatment, helping us unfold the colours of the plot. This movie not only scores in jumping their audiences out of their seats but also showing  some stunning visuals.

What I a m referring to is art direction. When the protagonist visits the mansion house, it carries a kind of eerie presence to it. The kind of detailing that goes in designing that house from interior is just plain astounding. The intermittent shots that shows puppets animated faces also brings out that strange feeling. The director has wisely used those shots to create the effects.

The movie is lacking in areas with a weak screenplay, but overall it grips you. I loved the fact that all the main characters in this movie had some past baggage, a history that directly connects with the plot. When I first saw the ending I was skeptic of it, but then I read about it and was thoroughly satiated. It is to know that the woman in black doesn’t win over Arthur, he denies her that right.

Performance wise Daniel Radcliffe is good but could be better. His portrayal of much older man than he is fails too convince me in some scenes. But his prowess as an actor is tremendous, I will be waiting for more. Ciarán Hinds as Daniels compatriot in the move is exceptional in some scenes. he sometimes takes hold of scenes from Radcliff and gives his own touch. Rest of the cast does well in their appropriate roles.

Give it a watch, you might be surprised with the kind of work being done. It’s horror to the core and gives back a lot what it promises.   

6.5/10
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If I were to think about a Hindi heist movie by a Indian filmmakers, it would be stupid of me not to consider that movie a Hollywood remake, a bad one mind you (cough .. Players .. cough). That was before I saw Special 26. This movie and it’s makers depict everything that is in constant revolution in Indian cinema. It’s conception and subject is something that is very endearing, especially to an Indian heart.

A gang of 4 men impersonate as CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) officers and perform raids on corrupt politicians and businessman. They loot, slap, bellow and command the ‘big people’ like they are animals of barn. In this practice of serving what’s wrong and right, they are are targeted by the real CBI. The officer gets so intrigued by these conman that he devises a plan to catch them all together red handed.

Before I start putting un-colloquial words on this post let me just confess that I have seen enough heist movies.This all so mighty nature led me to believe that I knew the ending well enough 20 minutes before the climax. I even with intellectual air up in my head try to tell my  engrossed friend how the movie will end, to which I was served with enough verbal abuses. But then something happened and I was left totally flabbergasted with the turn around in story. That air up in my head disappeared like a shamelessly coward dog.

The movie is good because it has what it’s story demands – a tight screenplay. Apart from the 2 song sequence, it guides uninhibitedly, making it’s patterns quite like the popular heist movies. With the subtle humour of it’s characters and intelligent direction, the movie has a lot of scenes to get amused and laugh at. There is that scene where officer (Manoj Bajpai) tells the suspended policeman that he wont get fooled by this gang like he did and with that you know that this will be a good tom and jerry chase and the imminent win of one over other. There is also the savoring scene of interviews where young people come with very funny lines on why they want to join CBI.  Neeraj Pandey with his promising debut comes forth with another movie that is enjoyable, witty, intelligent and has enough to make your moneys worth. He has augmented his reputation to another level, maybe the one of  the best filmmaker in contemporary Indian cinema.

Performance wise it does with what little it has to offer. Akshay Kumar plays the subdued part well in accordance to the story and it’s his characterisation. But those of you who might carry the notion of his best performance yet need to slow down a little. The pick of this movie are two persons who with their portrayal make this movie so much fun to watch. Manoj Bajpai with his angry man attitude gets the part so well even with his overconfident nature of portrayal. It might seem like he will growl at you for passing a stupid comment and then he comes with the most quirky dialogue. Anupam Kher potential as a actor is far from recognised. The way he shifts his mannerisms from serious to devil-may-care attitude is worth applauding. This is just a opinion but I think that if Anupam Kher would have done something like ‘Do dooni Char’, it would have been all the more relishing (No OFFENCE RK).  He just gets the common man attitude and attire. Rest of the cast did commendably good in supporting the story. Oh and yeah watch it l so for the art direction and portrayal of cities in 80s especially Delhi.

A must, must watch.


//

Everything in life is triggered by some or other event. One cannot just stand and say that he will live his life the way he wants it. Making choices in day to day events has consequences that sometimes affect on larger level.

This story travels the world depicting 4 stories that are somewhere connected with the events happening around them. Richard (Brad Pitt) and Susan (Cate Blanchett) try to resolve their marital problems by having quick trip to the barren lands of Morocco. Meanwhile at their home, their children are being kept involved by their nanny, Amelia (Adriana Barraza). She on the other hand has her nephews wedding to attend but is between a rock and a hard place as her work makes her stay at home with children. Zoom to the far east and there is this deaf-mute adolescent girl, Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi), who fails to get over the grief of her mothers death. Even with her disability to hear and talk she tries to blend in with the crowd but it’s not that easy as she thinks. In a small rural village in Morocco lies the trigger to all this events that will see them go through a phase that will alter the course of their lives.

Babel surpasses all kinds of boundaries when it tries to tell the story of people splayed across the face of earth interconnected by situation and emotion. It involves characters that are very real-like and similar to people we encounter on daily basis. In Brad Pitt I have seen the most glamorous actor play the most unglamorous role of any actors career. The movies is actually derelict of extravagant dialogues or witty punch lines but it never ceases to be a rollercoaster ride of emotions. To the core the movie is about being heard by dear ones, to be able to develop that connectivity with people you hardly met and not be marginalised by things that fall well below the ladder of relevance.

Although the story brings hell lot to the table, the soul lies in the character development  that breathes so much of life into the movie. Almost all the the characters does incredibly emoting their words through their eyes like putting pen on paper. The other thing that movie does so efficiently is express solidarity to each other faiths and beliefs. You might be horrified or apprehensive but the movie shows it’s worth being open minded then live in secluded world of xenophobia.

As per my own habit I like to mention some artistically aesthetically scenes that will remain in my mind till some alien brain washes it. The old Moroccan woman passing her smoke to Susan to mitigate the pain, the little brother cover firing in order to save his injured brother and anguished father, Chieko scenes with policeman at the end were some of the best scenes. Also the scene involving US border patrol check was among the intense scenes in the movie.

I have seen better International collaboration but this movie requires special mention for it’s seamless and gripping screenplay. The editor of this move needs a special applaud for cutting the movie into right length without jeopardising it’s premise. I am not going to go around praising each and every actor in this movie because then I will be weighing them against each other and also I do not have the vocabulary to go through such immensely overwhelming performances. The director  Alejandro González Iñárritu needs special mention too for even thinking of making such efforts.

In the end I am unable to judge the portrayals since there is that air of moral ambiguity present across the movie. I feel sorry for Amelia, happy for Susan and Richard, anguish for Moroccan family and sense of achievement for Chieko. This movie may not appease to wide range of spectators but it’s a like a reality on the big screen only the actors portraying the characters are pretending, rest all remains just as same and believable.



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