Change Your Image
mahadyuti-adhikary
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Phoring (2013)
A refreshingly simple and beautiful film
Phoring is the best Bengali film I have watched this year. There are minor hiccups, especially the propensity towards emotional manipulation towards the end, but I choose to ignore them. The refreshing honesty of the film with its non-cerebral simplicity makes inroads into your heart, yet at the same time, explores certain complex themes with a nuanced candor. A gawky young adult caught between the two intersecting, permeable realms of the 'age of innocence' and 'age of experience' embarks on a journey from depersonalisation to self-realisation. The flight-graph of Phoring or the metaphorical dragonfly is beautifully narrated by the director through the prism of spiritual secularisation, starting with his naive conversations with God which finally culminates into the final act of dismissive arrogance where he denounces and disowns 'his' God.
Bakita Byaktigato (2013)
A standout Bengali indie feature
Bakita Byaktigoto (Rest is Personal) is standout film because of its endearing and lucid simplicity. Most of the new-age Bengali films these days overuse and abuse the term surreal. However, Bakita Byaktigoto is rooted very much in the real, wrapped in a fairy tale bubble, with its fascinating docu-narrative blurring the boundaries between fantasy and reality. Riwtik, the lead protagonist, on an incredible quest for a seemingly intangible pursuit of love, steers the story on his able shoulders with a remarkable sense of economy in effortless acting and infectious honesty. Amit Saha and Aparajita Ghosh Das also play out their roles with astounding competence. Sumptuous camera-work, bearing the director's stamp of innate effective minimalism, and the score by Anindya Sundar Chakraborty, transiting from earthy notes to modern sound, are also worth mentioning. A laudable, stellar debut feature by Pradipta Bhattacharyya.
Tasher Desh (2012)
Discordant fantasy drama
Tasher Desh is a psychotomimetic vision of Qaushiq Mukherjee's unapologetic experiment that goes beyond the professed acid trip. A madcap versifier, with almost fanatical obsession for the outré, becomes a master conjurer conjuring up compelling and bizarre images in a non-linear, dual narrative that slowly seduces the audience into a hypnotic psychedelic ride. The inertia of the chimeric first half explodes into a volatile kinetic force as we are introduced to the restless motley of Card soldiers in the fascist dystopo-neverland. The very Q-esque split-screen shots, hyperstylised edginess of hand-held camera movements trigger the hallucinatory surreal eeriness of a grungy meta-reality. But everything goes downhill from then on. Mr. Infant Terrible suddenly turns into a glorified music video director haplessly resorting to deliberate abstractness as an escape route for his fizzling out self-indulgences. The sensory and visual striptease becomes clumsier in the amorous exchanges which reduces the prophesied sexual liberation into a libidinous exercise with an unsuspecting abrupt climax. Zany, techno-funk pagan Rabindrasangeet and Manu Dacosse's flamboyantly sumptuous cinematography are the two biggest gains from this discordant and floundering amorphous fantasy drama. And, a special mention for the subtitling which is impeccably apt and incredibly germane.
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013)
An epic tale of epic exaggeration which sadly turns into an epic disappointment of epic proportions
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is a landmark film. It will go down in the history of Hindi Cinema with the unique distinction of having the longest slow-mo sequence. In Rajeev Masand's words (on the final scene): "Never before has slow motion and background music been so abused in a film!" Nothing works for the film. Absolutely NOTHING. It's an epic tale of epic exaggeration which sadly turns into an epic disappointment of epic proportions. Despite the repeated use of the word 'epic' in the last sentence, the contours and essence of the word fall short of the amplified excesses in the film. Overdose of melodrama, overwrought with jingoism and fabricated self-indulgences, trapped in a deeply flawed screenplay with out-of-sync songs and desperate attempts at emotional manipulation. Farhan's eye-gasmic photoshopped abs, bandages flying off and blood oozing out, coaches doing bhangra on an athletics ground, Divya Dutta's glycerine-soaked eyes. Yawn. Dilip Tahil is good. One of India's greatest character actors, Pawan Malhotra stands out, far above the rest. National Award winning Prakash Raj successfully sheds off his Bollywood stereotype tag of the garrulous villain. Prasoon Joshi may be one of the finest lyricists of our generation, but he fails miserably as a scriptwriter. Farhan Akhtar, however, deserves accolades for his sincerity. He sparkles in bits, but although he replicates Milkha's body, he fails to do the same with his soul. The Flying Sikh deserves a better homage. Much, much better.
Kai po che! (2013)
Meticulously crafted crowd-pleaser
Kai Po Che is a winner all the way. Meticulously crafted, it's neither a spellbinding celluloid marvel nor a half-baked Bollywood potboiler. The story of friendship, heartbreak and redemption through a stormy ride of betrayal by fate and history transforms Chetan Bhagat's mediocre work into an honest and heartwarming crowd-pleaser. The three towering aspects of the film are - the casting, cinematography and music. Anay Goswami does a terrific job with the camera. Amit Trivedi, yet again, vindicates his position as the most consistent and bankable music director in the industry. If A.R.Rahman is the Sachin Tendulkar of Bollywood, Amit Trivedi surely is Michael Clarke. Sushant Singh Rajput delivers a stellar performance as Ishan who is mercurial and temperamental, infectiously warm and gullible, trapped in a bubble of naivety. Amit Sadh as Omi is a knockout too, bringing out the complex nuances of his character with a steady transformation from unwavering loyalty towards his friends to a gradual, stuttering descent into murkiness. But, Raj Kumar Yadav as Govind, eclipses his other two equally brilliant co-stars. Ambitious and miserly, hesitant and calculative, yet a quiet intensity amidst the incoherent traits of minimalism adds many shades to his character, and he plays out his role with mathematical precision, complementing and acting as a perfect foil to Ishan's volatility and Omi's vulnerability. With GoW, Nawazuddin Siddiqui has taken the elevator-route to capture the imagination of cinephiles and critics. LSD, Shaitan, Shahid and Kai Po Che - Raj Kumar Yadav prefers a ladder instead, taking slow and assured steps to the rightful place where he belongs.
Dabangg 2 (2012)
Funnier, smarter, sexier than the first part
For starters, Dabangg 2 is better than Dabangg 1. Funnier, smarter, sexier with more quotable quotes, more action and more drama! If anything, the trailer is so bloody misleading. Women wolf-whistling. Men chanting out his name. A mother, holding a baby in her lap, screaming out loud - "Salman, Salman!" Unabashed, shameless, unembarrassed. It's beyond, what we call, 'watching a film'. It's being a part of the mass hysteria, to imbibe the experience of the phenomenon called SALMAN KHAN! The rich, the poor, the male, the female, the corporate honchos, the autowalas - Salman Khan movies bring about an utopian amalgamation, a microcosmic model of a genderless, casteless, classless Indian society. It's not a naked portrayal of machismo on the movie screen, no. It's God acknowledging and celebrating the madness of his disciples. Yes, me and millions of my kind - we are not 'Salman fans'. We are his disciples.
Skyfall (2012)
'Bond movie experience' taken to a whole new level
The trio of Sam Mendes, Javier Bardem and Thomas Newman has taken the 'Bond movie experience' to a whole new level. No fancy toys or meaningless sex. This is edgier, darker and one of the the best Bond movies ever. Sam Mendes hits a renaissance point by perfecting the impossible task of injecting a fresh lease of life into the character without compromising on the vintage element of nostalgia. The newly transformed Bond has skyrocketed Skyfall to an unscalable height of brilliance in the 50th year of the franchise. Thomas Newton's music is the soul of the film, right from the opening credits to the gripping finale. Javier Bardem is compelling as a psychotic avenger with a deliciously cold sinisterness, marveling at the prospects of accommodating controlled chaos and mayhem within his private designs of revenge. Daniel Craig strips Bond of his gaudiness, and looks meaner and sexier with restrained panache and wacky humour. The physicality of 007 is overwhelmed by the psychological moorings and vulnerabilities of the human Bond. Judi Dench, the incumbent faithful, is beautifully centre-pieced as the object of elegiac tribute.
Chittagong (2012)
It's like a ticking bomb that doesn't explode
Chittagong is disappointing. It's an honest film but fails to transcend into a good film. The biggest disadvantage that plagues a period film based on real events is the predictability of the plot. So, to make the film more engaging, the director needs to indulge in a sort of retelling of history inculcating a healthy dosage of drama into it. This is precisely where Bedabrata Pain falls short. There's no building up of drama. Watching the film is like glancing through the pages of a history book. The narrative of the film is so simple that it is reduced to a textbook of chronological historical events. Hence, although it adheres to factual fidelity, it doesn't deliver what is expected from a celluloid drama. It will be cruel to say that the film is uninspiring because it does have a lot of heart and characters do evoke a genuine sense of empathy. It's more like a ticking bomb that doesn't explode. I'm not talking about the typical Bollywood exaggerated sentimentality, but Pain's maiden effort doesn't have that soul-stirring zing in it, it's not intense or emotionally compelling enough. I love simplistic minimalism and restrained performances, but the characters somehow are nipped in the bud and deliberately not allowed to grow and evolve, especially when the director had the luxury of a casting coup comprising the likes of Manoj Bajpai, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Jaideep Ahlawat and Dibyendu Bhattacharya. He fails to exploit the brilliance of such wonderful actors at his disposal. Even the background score is so disappointing and underwhelming, completely incompatible with the elegiac undertone of the film. The editing has rough edges with loose disconnected parts. The only rewarding aspect of the film is Eric Zimmerman's breathtaking cinematography.
Barfi! (2012)
When the character is central, and not the hero
It does not revolutionize Bollywood in any way nor is it an example of superlative cinematic brilliance. There are flaws, and lots of them. But, at the same time it's a lesson in the long-lost art of simple filmmaking without being pretentious. The effort is so genuinely heartwarming that it comes out through the characters in the film. I've been extremely critical of Ranbir Kapoor in the past. Maybe he is dumb, but he can surely act! In Junior Kapoor, we do see glimpses of his grandfather. His goofiness is so bloody infectious. He does not play the sympathy-card, he just lets the film carry him along instead of trying what Bollywood heroes desperately try to do - to carry the film on their shoulders. The character is central, not the hero. One of the very few Hindi films I've seen where the audience connects with the character, and not the hero. Ileana is effortlessly sweet and quite unexpectedly brilliant. Saurabh Shukla delivers a standout and stellar performance. The strength of the film lies in the characterisation - so under-toned, and pitch-perfect to counter-balance the trappings of melodrama. The cinematography is breathtaking and so is the music. The visual imagery adds to the emotional quotient of the film. The earnestness of Anurag Basu does suffer a blow because of the predictability of the plot since the temptation of repetitiveness unwittingly underwhelms the magic created in the first half, and, of course, the disappointing performance of Priyanka Chopra. Instead of under-emoting, she overdoes it. Somehow she goes retard trying to portray an autistic girl. Don't judge this film through the prism of cerebral dissection and critical analysis. For once, listen to your heart, not the critics.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The storm came, roared thunderously and blew everything away
The Dark Knight has risen! The storm came, roared thunderously and blew everything away! Watching the film evokes the same kind of ecstasy as that of making love. It starts with an extended foreplay, builds up slowly, escalates wildly and culminates into an explosive, intense and unrelenting orgasm. In fact, it's a thousand times better than an orgasm. It's as close as having that romanticized elevated sense of being numb close on the heels of death. When you go numb and your senses fail you, and you are transported into a world that is beautiful, heart-wrenching, dark, compelling, unreal and majestic - you know that the storm has hit you, the fire that rose has engulfed you.
The best part of Nolan's Batman trilogy is that all the 3 films are distinctly different from each other. It would be unfair to compare The Dark Knight Rises with the previous two installments. Batman Begins was a Renaissance-moment, a triumphant interpretation of the caped crusader. His damaged psyche torn apart by guilt and fear - Nolan nails it with precision. And, the original treatment was so refreshing when Rachel points out that Bruce Wayne was the mask that Batman wore, not the other way round. The Dark Knight was edgier, darker, representing a world where chaos and order co-exist and complete each other; the sadistic sinisternerness of the Joker, blurring the boundaries between being amoral and being diabolical, is evidently portrayed - "What am I without you? To them, you are just a freak, like me. You complete me." It dealt more with the psychological, a duel between the Agent of Chaos and the Fallen Knight, whereas The Dark Knight Rises is much more physical. Nolan wanted it to be a spectacle, an extravagant and dazzling finale on epic proportions, and he did achieve it. It's no-holds-barred, outrageous and heart-pounding, gut-wrenching, raw action on one hand and on the other, it captures Batman's emotional vulnerabilities like never before. For the self-appointed critics - please stop comparing. Applaud and acknowledge the genius of Christoper Nolan.
Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)
Kashyap's best work after No Smoking
OK, Gangs of Wasseypur. Let me indulge in a few truisms. Yes, this is the greatest Hindi film of our generation. 'Godfather meets Park Chan Wook' will be an unfair tag, and so will be to draw parallels with Tarantino or any other global contemporaries. This magnum opus is SO Indian, and only the genius of Anurag Kashyap could deliver an uninhibited, arrogant, dark, brutal, savage, larger-than-life revenge drama, taken to dizzying heights of cinematic brilliance that induces extreme emotional orgasm. No conscience-talks, no unnecessary moralizing. The screenplay by Zeishan Queresi is a knockout as it successfully merges history with fiction, beautifully captures the socio-political fabric of rustic India with a historical commentary which provides more authenticity. The humour is out-of-this-world loud and bloody brilliant, expletives galore - unabashed, unapologetic. Rajiv Ravi's camera work is the best I've seen in Indian Cinema in a long, long time and sets a benchmark difficult to emulate. Sneha Khanwalkar's background score is a killer and the songs often add to the narrative. Now, coming to the actors - all of them are outstanding, I'm at a loss for words! The subtlety of Jaideep Ahlawat and Piyush Misra, the feisty and sensuous female characters amidst the male brigade sparkle, Tigmanshu Dhulia's spectacular debut....However, everyone is overshadowed by the pothead-turned-Michael Corleone Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Manoj Bajpai is reborn. As Rajeev Masand says - "It's difficult to separate the actor from the character." With a single-minded unmitigated and unflinching determination for vengeance, his quirky humour, lecherous glances, penchant for the theatrical grandiose - he's the driving force of this film.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Ledger's Joker the best character portrayal ever
The principal reason behind the movie's super-success is probably the portrayal of the character of JOKER by Heath Ledger.The death of Ledger had triggered a worldwide interest in the film and this role has definitely made him into a cult figure.Juvenile yet sinister,Ledger transcends the sophistication and 'goofiness' of Jack Nicholson.Beside the brilliant speeches on morality,chaos and order,there are certain moments in the film which are really kick-ass:
1)the 'pencil trick' 2)when he meets Rachel and finger-combing his hair says 'hello beautiful' 3)just the simple utterance of the word 'Hi' when he comes to meet Harvey Dent at the hospital,made so other-worldly by the expression of his eyes and raised eyebrows 4)he comes out of Gotham Hospital in a nurse's dress and tries to trigger off explosions with his remote;it malfunctions for a second or two and he bangs the remote on his palm like a child does with his toy and suddenly the explosives go off!
'Moments' like these make us feel that THE DARK KNIGHT is,after all,Heath Ledger's movie.One of the most remarkable quotes of the Joker is 'Introduce a little anarchy...Upset the established order...And everything becomes Chaos.I am an agent of Chaos'.As Ledger says these words to Harvey Dent,he reminds us of Satan in Milton's Paradise Lost keen of upsetting and toppling the order of God in Paradise.It's something like Satan meets the modern day anti-establishment punk rock,Ledger is so bloody good!When Batman asks him why he wanted to kill him,he rubbishes it by saying 'I don't wanna kill you,I would never do that!What am I without you?To them, you are just a freak,like me.You complete me!'Even at the end,the Joker reasserts this view when Batman doesn't kill him although he is beaten to pulp 'You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness and I don't want to kill you...because you are too much fun'.Evil and Good complete each other,one has no value or significance without the other.He constantly tries to say that Batman is not a hero but more of a fallen angel who is nothing but a 'freak' like the Joker.The psychological treatment of the movie is just brilliant.The Joker is self-contradictory when he says that 'everything is part of a plan' and later he tells Harvey Dent that he is not a schemer,he is a 'dog chasing cars' and confesses 'I don't know what to do when I get the car
I just do things'.Here lies the brilliance of the Joker,he is a careful manipulator with the inherent sadistic sinisterness,often interpreted as madness by others.The Joker pushes Harvey to the psychological twilight zone of confusion until he recognizes his suppressed 'spatial self' in himself.Morality takes a backseat as Harvey tries to find order in a world of chaos.He is made to choose what is 'fair' even though it is evil.Harvey chooses the wrong path but what the Joker points out is that by being an 'agent of Chaos',he is being amoral and not immoral.The manner in which the Joker introduces Harvey to his 'dark side' lying deep in his sub-conscious self has reverberation of Pink Floyd's THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON.The song 'Brain Damage' has lines - 'The lunatic is in my head/You raise the blade, you make the change, you rearrange me till I'm sane/You lock the door and throw away the key/ There's someone in my head,but it's not me'.Sanity and insanity,if considered in the domain of order and chaos of the modern world,puts to light the fact that the fear of the unknown 'Other',which cannot be understood or interpreted,has often been linked to madness or insanity and it has the potential to destabilize the established order of sanity and normalcy.The Joker initiates a revolution against the normal order of society and in regard to this,he says to Batman'Madness is like gravity
All it needs, is just, a little push'.
Ledger is funny with his nurse's dress and certain mannerisms but the character of Joker is very disturbing and morbid too,especially when he gives his explanation behind the scars on his face and keeps on asking in a resonating voice 'Why so serious?'His authoritativeness overshadows Batman when he says these words as he is confronted by the latter'This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object'.
If we discuss the Modernist theories of Absurdism and Nihilism, we can connect the Joker's character to it.Absurdism states that 'The pursuit of intrinsic or extrinsic meaning in the universe is a futile gesture' and Nihilism argues that 'existence is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value'.According to Nietzsche, objective morality does not exist in a world bereft of a higher order or God.In the absence of morality,existence has no intrinsic higher meaning or goal.Hence, the Joker's confession that he doesn't know what to do when he finally gets an object he chases.He just 'does things' without completely understanding the purpose of his action or the value of the object.To the Joker,morality is just an excuse to suppress the hidden 'inner self'.He has fun disturbing the established order of the society and he does that with an amoral stand.
As mentioned before that although the film revolves around the good guys like Gordon and Harvey Dent,the Joker is the heart and soul of the movie.I just forgot that it's a Batman movie after all!Christian Bale does a terrific job as a lonely and world weary Batman thinking about 'retirement'.He is way better than Keaton and Val Kilmer who were made to behave like a 'perfect' and essentially moralistic superhero whereas Batman is actually a flawed superhero who has no half measures when he deals with evil.To add to all these,the gravity defying stunts are just mind blowing!A special mention must be made about Christopher Nolan for reinventing the Batman cult.A top notch script with brilliant camera work.Most of the film is shot at night and the murkiness of the chilling,dark ambiance is captured in a Dante-esquire world where evil reigns supreme.