Review of 'Life of Pi'

A book or a movie takes you on new and exciting adventures. But, sometimes they also lead you through familiar labyrinths. For me, ‘Life of Pi' offered both.

I have a mental picture of Pondicherry, where I grew up in the ‘80s - wide open buildings in the Indo-French quarters, the view of the beach from the ashram, yellow limestone walls and the shady paths of the botanical gardens. ‘Life of Pi’ brought this image to screen so vividly that I was almost tempted to like the movie better than the book.  The bharatnayam dance lessons brought a wave of nostalgia of similar experiences. I remember my mother reprimanding me when I made the Sign of the Cross gesture with 'In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit' in a Hindu temple. Although I did not read Camus’ The Stranger until later in life, I went through the same existential angst of our teenage protagonist, Pi. When Pi enjoys the storm on the deck of the ship, I was reminded of how much I enjoyed running around in the rain. 

‘Life of Pi’ is not only about the philosophical questions that Pi raises while growing up in Pondicherry, but also a story of survival. Survival of a ship-wrecked teenager stranded on a boat with a tiger named Richard Parker. This boy who believed that even animals had ‘souls’ had to find a practical way to not only stay alive at sea but also make sure that he is not devoured by a hungry tiger.  Just like ‘Wilson’ provided the much-needed companionship in ‘Cast Away’, Richard Parker is subjected to conversations that help Pi stay hopeful and afloat. 

It is not the interpretation of the book that Ang Lee has brought to screen but the nuances of dwelling deep into the characters. One example is the dinner table conversation between Pi and his parents about his interest in multiple religions. While his father points to him western rationale and power of medical science, his mother soft-spoken yet strong, points to the ONE who takes care of the inner self. It is a beautiful yet subtle depiction of Indian women of my mother’s generation. The soothing Tamil music, the ‘karthigai’ lamps on the water and the lovely shots of the beach mesmerized me blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. For those of you who grew up in India in the ‘80s or are from Pondicherry or in search of a soulful story, this is a must watch.

Review of the movie 'The Master'

What is it that Lincoln said ? '“You may fool all the people some of the time, you can even fool some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all the time.” 

Paul .T. Anderson's The Master  seems to fit this bill. Movies that meander aimlessly never fail to amaze me. Even if the maker of the movie believed in it (P.T.Anderson), what the hell were the people around him doing?

The story of The Master had immense potential. It could have conveyed the thin line between fanaticism of  belief and non-belief, it could have been a powerful message about the charisma of charlatans, it could have even been a story of the power of influence over the helpless, instead it chooses to be an incoherent mishmash of a half-lunatic war veteran and an evangelist of a new religion.

The war veteran ,Freddie Quell, is played by Joaquin Phoenix and the evangelist,The Master, is a brilliant Philip Seymour Hoffman. Freddie is an alcoholic and wanders around until he lands on the yacht of Lancaster Dodd, otherwise known as The Master. The Master is the harbinger of a new cult that is based on beliefs of reincarnation and hypnotism. The Master takes Freddie under his wing and begins a series of psycho-analytical tests to convert Freddie. Freddie's beliefs in The Cause are ambiguous. He attacks anyone who opposes the master but whether he himself is a true believer is questionable. Dodd's wife Peggy (wonderfully portrayed by Amy Adams) seems to be a silent controller of the Master himself. His teenage son does not seem to believe his father's preaching and his daughter and son-in-law seem to be 'Yes' men. In the midst of all this, The Master is a great orator, often holding gatherings in private houses and releasing books about 'The Cause'. His attempts to change Freddie's violent behavior are futile and Freddie escapes him to return to his hometown of Massachusetts.

I have multiple problems with this movie. The biggest one of them is that there are way too many loose threads. Why does Dodd go to the middle of a desert to recover a box that 'seemed' to be his unpublished works? What is the purpose of Dodd's daughter trying to seduce Freddie?  What was the necessity to show the sexual hallucinations of Freddie? Why does Peggy not have a voice in front of the gathering? And many more.

I know that some people might think that meaningless cinema is brilliantly creative , but I think that it is greatly idiotic. The Master seems to fall in the latter category.

Review of Beasts of the Southern Wild

There is a scene in 'Beasts of the SouthernWild' in which six-year-old  Hush Puppy says ‘When you’re small, you gotta fix what you can.' and that pretty much summarizes what this movie is about.'Interesting' is the adjective you would use to describe the adventures of six-year-old Hush Puppy who lives in 'The Bathtub' along with her father. You would also wonder if Hush Puppy is the modern day Scout  and her father Atticus? Pretty soon you realize that they are not. 

 Hush Puppy, along with her father, belongs to a small community who refuse to embrace civilization even if it means that diseases are left untreated and their land disappears under water.  Their dilapidated house has filthy livestock but Hush Puppy revels in it. She bonds with them by listening to the heartbeat of animals and fish and believes that they speak to her. Her father Wink, is suffering from a deadly disease but teaches Hush Puppy to be self-sufficient both physically and emotionally. Crying is frowned upon and fearlessness is encouraged. She is also taught how to fend for herself in case the world ends. 

There are parts of this collage which do not make sense ; the huge boar-like creatures could have been allegorical but they actually come charging towards the six year old and she stops them with her courage. But you can forgive these misgivings looking at the various layers it presents. On one level this appears to be the story of a little kid who is missing her mother and tries to be strong and does not want her father to die. Another layer is the stubbornness of social groups who are resistant to change. But ultimately it is a joy to see the six year old's smile in the poor, dirty, deteriorated land. 

The kid who plays Hush Puppy has a wonderful knack for expressing through her eyes.Her magical view of everyday things and her struggle to be brave in the face of adversity are definitely Oscar-worthy.But you must remember that this is definitely an unusual and exotic fare in the midst of typical American films like ‘The Dark Knight Rises’.

I'm much too busy seeing that you don't lose any of the money I married you for. - The Thin Man

Can you imagine any movie in the last five years that would be appreciated after nearly eighty years. I cannot think of one!

The Thin Man, made in 1934, is timeless and does not make you feel antiquated. The credit for it must go to the fun and witty dialogue of the husband-wife duo, Nick (William Powell) and Nora Charles (Myrna Loy) along with their chuckle-inducing dog, Asta. Nick Charles , a retired private investigator, is approached by Dorothy (Maureen O'Sullivan) to locate her missing father, Clyde Wynant . Nick is not too eager to take up this assignment.This is what he says to his rich wife Nora :

" I haven't the time. I'm much too busy seeing that you don't lose any of the money I married you for." 

With the murder of Wynant's girlfriend, Julia, Wynant is the prime suspect and members of the Wynant clan plead Nick Charles to help them.Nick is too busy enjoying a drink too many and still refuses to get involved in the case. Nora wants some excitement and eggs Nick to start the investigation. Their light banter edged with sarcasm seems like a good camouflage for their romance.

Nora Charles: Pretty girl. (about Dorothy)
Nick Charles: Yes. She's a very nice type.
Nora Charles: You got types?
Nick Charles: Only you, darling. Lanky brunettes with wicked jaws.

When Nick narrowly escapes getting shot at, he decided to plunge into the case. Nora, although, fearful for Nick, enjoys the thrill of the investigation.The case takes a turn like a good who-dun-it when Nick invites the murderer to a fun dinner party, which includes policemen dressed as stewards waiting to serve fish.
 
 Although The Thin Man continued to be a successful series of films, it is unclear who the actual Thin Man is. Internet sources reveal that Wynant was alluded to as the Thin Man in the movie but it seems to have stuck to the detective, Nick Charles. Maybe my viewings of the other Thin Man series would reveal more.

A fun movie to watch on a sultry summer afternoon when you wish to see something that is cross between an Agatha Christie mystery and an Alfred Hitchcock thriller.

(PS: I was very impressed by the dress worn by Myrna Loy in the Christmas party scene. Another reason to believe that this movie does not feel like 1934. Enclosing a picture of it below)

Review of the movie To Rome with Love

How do you write a non-tribute to your favorite director? By being candid, I guess.

Woody Allen , one of my favorite directors, has disappointed me with a tedious, errant and contrived movie called 'To Rome with Love'.

The scenes where Woody Allen, playing Jerry, a retired music director, seem to have the best laughs. But sadly Woody Allen doesn't stick to those scenes. There are four disjointed stories and what point they all serve is best understood only by the makers of the movie.

The opening scene introduces us to the chaotic Roman streets where Hayley(Alison Pill) , an American tourist , meets the handsome Italian Michelangelo. Hayley invites her parents, Jerry(Woody Allen) and Phyllis (Judy Davis), to meet her in-laws.During the visit, Jerry discovers the natural singing talent of Michelangelo's mortician father and launches him as an opera-singer. The best of the guffaws are part of this story :

Jerry: "The kid's a communist, the father's a mortician, does the mother run a leper colony?"

Elsewhere, we are introduced to an architect John (Alec Baldwin) who bumps into a young architectural student Jack (Jesse Eisenberg). In a series of surreal imagination, John hovers around Jack like a guardian angel. Sometimes whacky, sometimes didactic, John tries to steer Jack away from the mistakes of the young  like warning him against women like Monica. Woody's obsession with the pseudo-intellectual woman, is  brought to screen by Monica (Ellen Page) who waxes eloquent of Dostoevsky and Ozymandian melancholy.

Monica: "I would do anything to spend one night with Howard Roark."


Scenario three is about a newly-wedded couple who are separated and is laden with the cliched 'call-girl pretending to be wife' . Even Penelope Cruz in a sexy red dress, fails to save this one. 

The last tale is the one depicting that the famous become 'famous' for no apparent reason. Except as a tribute to Fellini and Roberto Benigni (Life is Beautiful) , this is the most tiring of all . 

The movie might have worked decently well if the story of  the newly-weds and that of a 'schmuck' becoming famous were avoided.For those who are not familiar with Woody Allen's  work, this is not the best place to start familiarizing with his oeuvre.But if, like myself, you are a Woody Allen fan, then you must definitely check it out just so that you can go back to appreciating Annie Hall or Manhattan more than ever.