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Set sometime in the not so distant future, Code 46 tells the cautionary tale of a highly regulated world where every action is closely monitored by the State, especially with respect to who one can or cannot marry. A married American man, who has come to a futuristic Shanghai to investigate a possible counterfeit racket in an organization, ends up getting romantically involved with a mysterious female employee working for it, oblivious of the fact that by doing so he might be violating “Code 46”, a law considered sacrilegious by the powers that be. The film has been expertly shot – the set-pieces, lightings and shades used managed to the its moodiness, and also accentuate the themes of loss, memory and urban alienation. Tim Robbins too, as always, has done a noteworthy job as an actor. Unfortunately, the director didn’t pay as much attention in developing the characters and building the narrative as he did on the atmosphere. Consequently, though the sleekness and the visuals were good to look at, the film felt dehumanized and hollow, and thus failed to involve me, leave alone captivate me. In fact, I would go so far as saying that I found the movie a bit boring even. The two lead actors, too, were highly lacking insofar as a plausible chemistry between the characters goes.
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Genre: Sci-Fi/Psychological Drama/Romance
Language: English
Country: UK
Life Goes On opens on a bleak note. The loving matriarch of a Bengali family residing in London suddenly dies of a massive heart attack. And that kick-starts a journey of grief, angst and soul-searching for her respectable doctor-husband, her three daughters, her husband’s closest friend, and other non-family members connected to her daughters. The family might be a success story for the Indian community residing there, but one need not scratch too deep to realize that it is falling apart at its seams. The mother, when alive, was the string that bound the family together, and she continue to be the binding force even after her tragic death. Though Sharmila Tagore’s role isn’t very large per se, she acts as the pivot for the other characters through each of their memories of her; moreover, it is always a pleasure to see the effervescent actress, who had begun her illustrious celluloid journey as the young Aparna in the Satyajit Ray-masterpiece Apur Sansar, perform. The marvelous ensemble cast also has in its foyer renowned veteran thespians Girish Karnad and Om Puri, and Sharmila's real-life daughter Soha Ali Khan, among others. The acting is good throughout, and the leisurely paced film is nicely photographed. Apart from the extended Hindu-Muslim angle, which I found very discordant - both thematically and structurally, this exposition of a near-dysfunctional family is a lilting watch on the whole.
Director: Sangeeta Datta
Genre: Drama/Family Drama/Ensemble Film
Language: English/Bengali/Hindi
Country: UK
The King’s Speech reminded me of The Queen, another terrific movie with the British royalty as the focal point, even though the two films are as different from each other as could be. Prince George might not have been a direct heir to the throne, but when his ailing father expires and his older brother abdicates the throne, he must take up the responsibility, especially with World War II looming around the corner. There’s just one catch though – he stammers while speaking, and the situation deteriorates manifold when called for public speaking. Thus, courtesy his loving wife, he gets acquainted to Lionel – an unconventional speech therapist. Though he takes an instant disliking for his flagrant insubordination and his quiet disregard for people at power, a profound bond eventually develops between the two, and despite their occasional differences, King George VI eventually rests his complete trust on the wise-cracking proletariat. The film is pretty straightforward narrative-wise, making it an easy watch. And though it lacks the utter brilliance and depths of The Queen, the two does have a similarity in terms of exceptional performances. Colin Firth, as all the critics rightly say, is indeed outstanding as the stuttering king, and so is Geoffrey Rush as a commoner who becomes a dear friend to the king.
Director: Tom Hooper
Genre: Drama/Historical Drama/Docu-Fiction/Biopic
Language: English
Country: UK
To simply qualify Brazil as inspired from George Orwell’s 1984 would be telling only one half of the story. The Byzantine plot is based in an Orwellian and dystopian future where the world has been converted into a cold, disconsolate, concrete jungle, populated by dysfunctional human beings, controlled by a Fascist regime and tyrannical bureaucracy, and operated by endless automisation. And, to escape the bleakness of the decaying world around him, Sam Lowry, a civil servant, takes refuge in his elaborate dreams where he is a winged superhero single-handedly fighting grotesque villains in order to rescue his lady love. Terry Gilliam, who directed this enormously ambitious science fiction film, filled every nook and corner of the story with pungent observations and jet-black satire of a technology-obsessed world filled with narcissistic, cartoonish characters, and quick to label revolutionaries and renegades (people who possess the courage to choose freedom over oppression) as pariahs and dangerous terrorists. The film, filled with special effects, production designs and breathtaking imagination that would be groundbreaking even today, has as its motif the melodious 1930’s song from which the title and the theme have been borrowed. Jonathan Pryce gave a superb performance as the meek, docile and escapist loner, and has been immensely aided by a host of terrific performances, including a quirky cameo by Robert De Niro.
Director: Terry Gilliam
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Political Satire/Social Satire
Language: English
Country: UK
The Bank Job isn’t just any heist film, it is a cinematic rendition of actual occurrences – and that makes the film really more interesting. That, and the fact that it’s a quintessential Brit gangster film. And who else to reprise the role of the central protagonist than Jason Statham; he’s made roles like these his very own, and with his deadpan, devil-may-care persona and Cockney accent, he sure is good as ever as a debt-ridden owner of an auto company who ends up taking the job of robbing a bank in London, all the while unaware that a whole lot of political conspiracy is behind it. A lot in the film might have been fictionalized, yet all that occurs on screen is quite believable. The film is fast-paced, well cast, nicely edited and has its fair share of surprises – facets that ensure that it is tailor-made for an entertaining ride. It is also gleefully violent, amoral and has a raw in-your-face kind of brazenness to it, thus making the ride all the more engaging. Okay, this isn’t the kind of film that would stay with me for a very long time, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy this brisk and unpredictable thriller – the perfect film to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon along with coke and popcorn.
Director: Roger Donaldson
Genre: Crime Thriller/Docu-thriller/Heist Film
Language: English
Country: UK
