Crossing Into the Deep End, Where Desire Is Fathomed

The flowers that bloom in the French film “Water Lilies” belong to a familiar cinematic species, the newly sexualized teenage girl. Being French, these teenage girls exhibit some notably different characteristics from their Hollywood counterparts; among other things they don’t text, snap their gum or deliver snappy dialogue like some peewee-league Rosalind Russell. But like most movie teenagers, they also weigh in closer to carefully fabricated adult conceits than to fleshed-out real girls.
The three 15-year-olds at the center of “Water Lilies” certainly belong to recognizably fictional types. There’s Anne (Louise Blachère), the sloppy, fat loner (more gently rounded than truly big), who pals around with Marie (Pauline Acquart), a reedy child-woman who, in turn, only has big hungry eyes for Floriane (Adèle Haenel), a ripe beauty whose suggestive smile portends trouble. The scope of that trouble slowly emerges as the girls circle one another at the local pool — they’re all involved in synchronized swimming, hence the title — at parties and, most provocatively, in one another’s bedrooms. Desire, the writer and director Céline Sciamma suggests, embracing her film’s controlling metaphor rather too enthusiastically, has a way of disrupting the most carefully choreographed life.

Ms. Sciamma sets her story in a generic French suburb at a great psychological remove from the holiday hot spot where Catherine Breillat’s teenagers romp in and out of their clothes in “Fat Girl.” Although Ms. Sciamma explores adolescent sexuality and makes something of an uneasy spectacle of the young flesh at her disposal, she has neither Ms. Breillat’s searching intelligence nor her daring. “Water Lilies” is a nice, watchable, attractive, minor work. What it lacks is a sense of purpose, a commitment not just to its characters but also to its own reason for being. Girls grow up. They fumble in and out of bed, sometimes with one another. They cry. They laugh. They’re unspeakable. And then they’re adults.

“Water Lilies” was an official selection at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, probably as much for its national provenance as its accomplishments. Ms. Sciamma, who makes her feature debut here, has a fine sense of color and form, and works well with her young cast. She generally puts the camera where it makes sense and avoids any visual fuss, a few underwater shots notwithstanding; and her editing advances rather than impedes the story. The girls are sympathetic, though Ms. Blachère pushes it. Even so, what is most interesting about “Water Lilies” is that Ms. Sciamma appears not to have recognized that she has the makings of a real star in Ms. Haenel, whose shaded performance suggests a more interesting film than this one.

Juno

Juno (drama)
Cast: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner
Direction: Jason Reitman



JUNO justifiably created a buzz at the Oscars. For here's a film that tackles a tangled topic -- teen pregnancy -- without getting into knots and tangles. It's such a fresh, uncomplicated look at one of the most compelling problems today. And it becomes more important in countries like India where an iron curtain is doggedly pulled down on such occurrences, despite the fact that teen sex -- and pregnancy -- is a truth that should no longer be denied here.

Just sample the no-nonsense approach. Sixteen-year-old Juno (Ellen Page) loses her virginity with her high-school buddy (Michael Cera), also a virgin, and ends up pregnant. She tells her parents who thank God the problem is not drugs and ask her what she would like to do? Earlier, Juno has already run away from the clinical abortion clinic because a teen activist said the foetus had fingernails. She announces her plans to go through the pregnancy and give up her baby for adoption. Dad helps her find a suitable couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) and life goes on normally, with a few hormonal swings here and there. Juno feels left out when she's not invited to the prom, but finds a dance partner in the foster dad. But it's the real dad she really loves, even though he's a gawky, immature teen like her. And it's the sheer gawkiness of this no-holds-barred film which makes it a winner. The film neither celebrates nor condemns teen pregnancy; just treats it as a reality of life that needs to handled with sensitivity and care.

The completely youthful idiom, deftly created through the language, demeanour and attitude of the young Ellen Page and her friends makes the film a milestone mirror of its times. Wanna see what Youngistan is all about, without glossing over the naked truths? Say hello to Juno .

Shaurya

Cast: Rahul Bose, Kay Kay Menon, Javed Jaffrey, Deepak Dobriyal
Director: Samar Khan
Shaurya kya hai?
The nerve to make an original film in an industry where every third film is derived! But a few good men from Bollywood still confuse it to adapting English films to an Indian context.

Shaurya kya hai?
The courage to choose an innovative context as the core and crux of the film! But a few intellectual filmmakers still believe that the issue of ‘victimized Muslims’, over-exploited in Bollywood by now, is fresh to films as yet.

Shaurya kya hai?
The audacity to represent a social theme and yet present it entertainingly! But director Samar Khan confounds entertainment with an item number here and a couple of deftly executed scenes there.

Undoubtedly Samar Khan’s intentions are decent and dignified enough on highlighting the plight of the minority community in our society. But then haven’t we been witnessing that for over a decade now ever since Mukesh Rishi convincingly raised the issue in Sarfarosh for the first time. From Arbaaz Khan in Garv as the victim to Suniel Shetty in Main Hoon Na as the victimizer and a plethora of prototypes in between, we have been there and seen that enough number of times. And coincidentally in all cases, Bollywood is inclined to show the minority being wronged by law. Samar Khan does the same.

Choosing an army backdrop, Shaurya entails a court martial trail evidently inspired from the Tom Cruise – Jack Nicholson starrer ‘A Few Good Men’. And while Indianizing the Hollywood plot, the director decides to raise the issue of the victimized Muslim. One wonders what clicked Samar Khan first – the issue or the inspiration?

Major Akash Kapoor (Javed Jaffrey) gets a military posting in Srinagar. Close friend Major Siddhanth Chaudhary (Rahul Bose) wants to accompany but not on official grounds. Rather he prefers the paragliding pretext in Kashmir valley. Akash manages to manipulate a posting for Siddhanth too but as the defense lawyer of a convict Javed Khan (Deepak Dobriyal) whose case he has to investigate and fight against the prosecutor who would be Akash himself. Basically they intend to maneuver a fake trial whereby Akash gets his victory and Siddhanth enjoys his holiday.

Expectedly Siddhanth seems to be least interested in defending Javed initially. But once he meets Brigadier Pratap Singh (Kay Kay Menon) to whose regiment Javed belonged, his viewpoint changes and he is imbibed with his sense of duty and responsibility. Things take a turn when he fights the case against Akash.

The director lends his finest nuances in setting up the military backdrop of the film. But in contrast he spends too much time on the buildup. The central plot kicks off only by the interval point. The pace is intentionally slow and adds to the effect as each scene takes its own time to mature. But despite that Siddhanth’s change of mind doesn’t come across as convincingly.

While the treatment is sufficiently subtle and subdued, at some instances it isn’t pardoned of filmi liberties. For instance, Siddhanth very assertively claims on a heroic note that his client is not guilty (even before he starts investigating the case) and you feel like blaming the script of being guilty of the typically overconfident Bollywood hero.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to perceive the premise of the issue of the film which makes the second half come across as conveniently predictable. So despite the neatly executed climax courtroom drama (with a brilliant implosive outburst by Kay Kay Menon) the culmination doesn’t go beyond your assumption or imagination.

On the upside, Samar Khan captures a splendid aura while directing the scenes involving Kay Kay Menon and Rahul Bose. The metaphorical conversations between the two are crisply written. Thankfully the romance angle with Minissha Lamba is relegated to the backburner though not before appending a transition song. The refreshing background score soothingly works on a subconscious level while the camerawork is occasionally cool, whenever outside the courtroom.

Of the cast, Kay Kay Menon is the clear scene-stealer with an intimidating and menacing personality and also walks away with the best of lines. Rahul Bose is fairly good while Minissha Lamba comes across as confident character. It’s a pleasant change to watch Javed Jaffrey in a non-humourous role. Deepak Dobriyal speaks through his silence but above that his character doesn’t demand much from the supremely talented actor.

Shaurya, unarguably, is a film with noble intentions. But its lacks novel execution!

Khuda Kay Liye

Director: Shoaib Mansoor
Cast: Shan, Fawad Khan, Iman Ali, Rasheed Naz, Naseeruddin Shah
Language: Urdu, Hindi, English
Country: Pakistan

At the advent of the millennium Indian cinema witnessed a slew of fanatically jingoistic Pak-bashing films. Like any other passing phase, this too was substituted with pro-Pakistan films on the grounds of establishing good relations in changing times with our neighbouring country. From the victimized Muslims to terrorizing ones, we have seen enough of them on the Indian screen. But in most cases it was often served with the commercial consideration of manipulating an audience in the minority community. But when a Pakistani filmmaker comes up with a film, valiantly and unabashedly showing the black and white shades of the countrymen in a seemingly unbiased demeanour, the outcome appears more credible and relevant. Cinematically, we have often realized the potential of Pakistan in poetry but ridiculed it for prose. Khuda Kay Liye changes the latter notion with its poised and progressive point of view.

At the outset, Khuda Kay Liye starts as a story of two rock musician brothers Mansoor (Shan) and Sarmad (Fawad Khan) from Pakistan who are at the prime of their careers. The younger, Sarmad however comes in contact with a religious extremist group headed by Moulana Tahiri (Rasheed Naz) who brainwashes his mind into believing that pursuing music is against Islam. Slowly and subsequently he gives up music, starts keeping a beard and separates himself from his family to join the radical fundamentalists.

The story diversifies into a parallel track where Sarmad’s uncle (Humayun Kazmi) who is settled in London is worried of losing his only daughter Mary (Iman Ali) to a British guy who she is in love with. This despite the fact that the father himself is in a live-in relationship with a British woman! He justifies his double-standards offering the excuse that Islam allows a man to have relationship outside their religion but not a woman. So he gets his daughter to Pakistan to surreptitiously get her married with a prospective Pakistani groom. While we have seen such setting in several Hindi films ( DDLJ, Namastey London ), this one fortunately doesn’t lead to exploiting patriotic sentiments but on the contrary shows how the daughter is wronged in settling in country, absolutely alien to her.

The father initially asks Mansoor to get married to Mary but when he refuses, Sarmad is approached. Sarmad agrees and an incognizant Mary is forcibly married off to him at the outskirts of undeveloped Afghanistan. The father heartlessly leaves Mary behind in a region so rural that he finds difficult to use the toilets there. All this just so that his descendants are Pakistani!

On the other hand, the liberal Muslim, Mansoor’s story proceeds as he migrates to US to study music. But unfortunately after the 9/11 attack he is wrongly accused of being involved with terrorist organizations since he’s a Muslim.

Director Shoaib Mansoor remarkably reveals the plight of Muslim in three different continents and connects them in a fascinating way to comprehensively capture all interconnected issues. Not only does the film exhibit a drift between the Muslims and the Western World but also internally amongst the Muslim community amid the Liberals and the Extremists.

The climax set in a courtroom clears all ancient myths about Islam of men growing beard, women being behind veil and youngsters abhorring music and Western attire. Naseeruddin Shah impresses in a cameo playing a Muslim cleric who gives a disclosing discourse on how the fanatic fundamentalists manipulate Islam for their personal gains. All in the name of God! The director conceivably puts in a lot of his personal reformist thoughts in the film without getting preachy and retaining the entertainment value.

The production values aren’t slapdash as anticipated from usual Pakistani films. In fact it’s top-notch and at par with what the story seeks. The language wouldn’t be a problem with the Indian audience but the viewer needs to be a little more attentive in Naseer’s chaste Urdu revelation. Music undoubtedly is a highlight with the Sufi rock-number ‘ Bandya ’ and the undiluted devotional track ‘ Allah Ho ’ standing out.

Performances are equally accomplished. On an Indian analogy, Shan appears as a mix of Sanjay Dutt and Adnan Sami in his looks and comes up with a fabulous act. Fawad Khan as the indoctrinated extremist is engaging. Rasheed Naz is convincing as the venom-spewing and influential fundamentalist. Iman Ali gets an equally meaty role as much as her male counterparts and emerges victorious with her riveting performance.

Khuda Kay Liye vindicates the fallacy against the regressive approach of Islam and also clears the myth that Pakistani films are constrained to shoddy standards. In fact this one is much above excellence as compared to several Bollywood potboilers.

For God’s sake, you can’t afford to miss Khuda Kay Liye !

Bhram

Cast: Dino Morea, Milind Soman, Sheetal Menon
Director: Pawan Kaul

Was it a suspense flick?

Was it a love story?

Was it a family drama?

Was it a revenge plot?

The genre of Bhram is as much undefined as the narrative. The story opens on three parallel plots and before you realize it struggles back and forth entering and exiting out of multiple flashbacks on the pretext of non-linear story-telling. The attempt falls flat and the experiment only adds to your confusion. The actual mystery of the movie is to identify where the flashbacks start and end.

Shaan (Dino Morea) is seemingly the most eligible bachelor in town. That’s his Bhram! Strangely he falls for an alcoholic and doped fashion model Antara Tyagi (Sheetal Menon) who seemingly goes bed-hopping with every socialite. Why is she so distressed? A doctor in the film reasons it saying ‘all fashion models have pink thongs and black lungs’.

Shaan gets the bahu-to-be to meet bade bhaiyya Dev (Milind Soman). But as soon as they confront each other, she cries rape. Not to her but to her elder sister years ago. Dev defends saying its just Antara’s illusion.

Meshed between the brother and bride, Shaan sets out to Kullu Manali to unveil the truth. And truths are not illusion which means Dev was actually the rapist. Oops did I spill the beans? Not that it isn’t evident from this lame suspense struggler of a film! The climax is so lousy that you feel deceived by the director for making you sit till the end.

The performances are as uninspiring as the plot. Throughout the film carries a jaded and dated look. Music doesn’t strike a chord.
Bhram doesn’t live up to its genre. The only thing it lives up to is its title. Bhram is literally a cinematic illusion.

The reviewer can be contacted at gaurav.malani@timesgroup.com

One Missed Call

Cast: Shannyn Sossamon, Edward Burns, Ana Claudia Talancon, Ray Wise.
Director: Eric Valette.

If you like the film The Grudge and The Ring this will be a must watch. One Missed Call is a film that has borrowed its concept from two other films and has merged them together. The result, a film with a few scares scattered here and there, apart from this the film kind of drags. The execution of the scares and editing of the film was done with aplomb.

As far as the performance of the cast is considered, there is not much to say. This is because the entire film being a thriller has the people play the scared role over and over again. This makes the entire acting pretty much mundane. So don’t expect much from the cast.

While the story line, well as I said grudge and ring mixed... a fire in a hospital people are killed... vengeful dead baby sister... killing spree... warning to victim in advance... death. Yes, folks this is the basic idea of the entire film, seems kind of funny that a whole film would be made on this topic while so many already exist.

On the whole the film was not that bad and will definitely have a few scares for the audience.

Halla Bol

Halla Bol (drama)
Cast: Ajay Devgan, Vidya Balan, Pankaj Kapoor
Direction: Raj Kumar Santoshi


LONG before Rang De Basanti , Raj Kumar Santoshi made films like Ghayal and Damini , focusing on the common man as activist. And like RDB , these films too met with both critical and mass acclaim.

Of course, RDB had an unrivalled chutzpah and a newness that would be hard to match. Nevertheless, with Halla Bol , Santoshi returns to his quintessential theme, but this time there is a flavour of topicality.

The film seems to be inspired by three major incidents in the recent and not-so-recent past: the Jessica Lal murder case followed by the Justice for Jessica movement, the activism of Aamir Khan in the Narmada issue and the murder of noted street theatre activist Safdar Hashmi during a performance.

For those who had witnessed the vibrant street theatre movement almost a decade ago, Halla Bol was the rallying call of Safdar and his troupe, as it invoked popular support for its crusade against social and political ills. Today, Santoshi remixes the revolutionary naara in a kabhi powerful- kabhi pulpy account of superstar Sameer Khan's (Ajay Devgan) tryst with his conscience.

Sameer Khan's story is familiar. He is actually Ashfaqe-ullah, a small town theatre activist who dreams of making it big in Bollywood, even as he idolises his dacoit-turned-theatre guru, Pankaj Kapoor. Once in Bollywood, he sheds his middle-class bearings and changes everything -- values, ethics, attitude -- along with his name.

Of course, his family refuses to change with him, including his girl friend-turned wife (Vidya Balan) who watches his moral degradation from a distance. It takes the murder of a young girl in a party to provoke his conscience and ferret out the old activist, Ashfaqe-ullah. Soon, Sameer is the one-man army against the battery of evil politicians, businessmen and cops who are hellbent on covering up the crime. And the only shoulder he can lean on in these trying times is that of his old Guruji's: a firm, powerful and mesmerising Pankaj Kapoor.

Halla Bol is a rambling film that tries to take on too many things: the underbelly of Bollywood, politics, police, page 3, media...So much so, it loses grip, ever so often. But what holds it together are some power-packed performances, a sensible, topical theme and a handful of riveting scenes.

Watch Pankaj Kapoor tackle the bribe offered to him by the power brokers, Ajay Devgan stand up to the wily politician in his palatial house or Vidya Balan publicly applaud her husband for his valour and you'll get your paisa vasool moments.