Day 3 Of Jio MAMI 19th Mumbai Film Festival: Largely A Disappointing Outing For Movie Buffs

Day 3 usually means most festival-goers have got into the swing of things with the processes and procedures of back to back viewings having become second nature. So much so that our actions become almost mechanical as we operate out of habit and routine.

During one afternoon screening, just when the lights went out and the screen came to life, half the audience stood up almost instinctively, naturally expecting the national anthem, only to realise they had mistakenly risen up for the ‘please turn off your phones’ message, much to the amusement of many. Either that, or those people are just deeply respectful of generic theatre instructions. I guess we’ll never know.

Later in the day, while hurriedly exiting one screening to make it in time for another, I saw one of the ushers standing by the exit, taking in the last few moments of the film. Similarly, during another show an usher was sitting on the aisle steps, entirely absorbed in the film before him and I couldn't help but wonder about their relationship with the movies.

Considering how much they're exposed to the big screen and how many movies they must watch, albeit indirectly, you have to wonder what it means to them and how seriously they take it all. I’d like to think there are many among them who are secret cinema snobs who frequently engage in heated debates over the Kurusawas, Kirostamis and Kashyaps of the world.

In other adventures from the day a woman hopped in an hour into a film, sat next to me and casually asked me what it was about. To many cinema purists this is nothing short of blasphemy to the movies, but some part of me almost envied her. There’s a certain innocence to those who don't take all of this too seriously like we so, something which most of us lost a long time ago in our obsession with the movies.

Last Flag Flying : Conventional Comfort Food

Last Flag Flying is the latest from Richard Linklater (Boyhood, The Before Trilogy) with one of his most mainstream outings to date. Set in 2003, it tells of a man, casually called Doc (Steve Carell) who reaches out to his former marine buddies  (played by Laurence Fishburne and Byran Cranston) after 30 years in order to help him bury his son, a young marine recently killed in Iraq.

The film is a conventional comedy drama that’s heartfelt and keeps the laughs coming, but nothing we haven’t seen before. It’s also not exactly leaps and bounds away from a typical Hollywood studio comedy. Strip away some of its poignancy and politics and throw in a few forced, crass gags and a cast featuring Morgan Freeman and that’s exactly what you’d get. On a separate note, the film is the kind of 3-old-friends-reconnecting-on-a-roadtrip story that would lend itself marvelously to a mainstream Hindi film, in the off chance they didn’t butcher it.

Linklater uses Doc’s story to make some strong statements on the impact of war on soldiers who return home and the effect of those that don’t. He gives us the soldier’s perspective and sheds light on the narrative they are subjected to by the government and military to keep them invested in war not to mention the military’s possessiveness over their own, even after death. In one scene Bryan Cranston’s character pointedly says something to the effect of ‘We have got to be the only invaders who actually expect the locals to be happy we’re there’.

Steve Carrell is perfectly cast as the mourning, mild-mannered, vulnerable father coming to terms with his loss. Bryan Cranston, who holds the most challenging role emanates charisma and is a laugh riot as as the lovable rogue and unhinged loose cannon of the group. Laurence Fisburne is equally good in an unlikely casting choice and the three share a crackling chemistry.

Though there isn’t too much going on beneath the surface and it has its fair share of plot contrivances, Last Flag Flying was a heartfelt crowd-pleaser and welcome break from the arthousiness of it all. 

A Very Old Man With With Enormous Wings : A Patience-Testing Experiment Which Fails To Yield Result

Prateek Vats’ documentary about 103-year old ex-bodybuilder Manohar Aich, who was once crowned Mr Universe in the 1950’s, was the first truly disappointing film seen this year. Vats’ film follows no real structure and is predominantly made up of idle footage of Aich’s day to day life and interactions with his family (which are largely limited to grunting noises and head movements due to his age). Though the film is an interesting experiment aimed at capturing life as it is, it’s over indulgent, dreadfully slow and a real slog to get through.

Despite some tender moments which shed light on important aspects such as our nation’s love of forgetting its sporting heroes, A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings largely falls flat. While it’s an interesting approach to examining life and the process of ageing, it comes at the risk of drooping eyelids and restless audiences.

The Hungry: A Deliciously Despicable Drama

The Hungry is a gripping dark drama from Bornilla Chatterjee and an adaptation of Shakespeare’s lesser known Titus Abdronicus. The film tells the story of a marriage between two families joining hands in a business venture. Chatterjee offers a whole host of delectably despicable characters with so many hidden motives and agendas between them, it difficult to keep up. Her characters are marvelously well-etched with so much happening beneath the surface that every scene oozes malice and deceit. She has an icy grip over the chilling narrative and by extension the audience with a clear knack for creating searing tension.

The film is most enjoyable early on, when you know very little of the plot and characters and how the various puzzle pieces all fit together. The deeply unsettling drama keeps you on your toes and on constantly on edge, masterfully dripfeeding information, never revealing more than it needs to. One scene in particular is so stomach churningly brutal, it has you begging to be put out of your misery.

The commendably well-acted film which includes the likes of Naseeruddin Shah, Tisca Chopra, the criminally underdiscussed Neeraj Kabi, Suraj Sharma, Saiyami Gupta and a raft of wonderfully talented lesser known faces and might well be the ensemble drama of this year’s festival.

Chatterjee’s is self-assured and her command over the medium is a thing of beauty. She is certainly one young filmmaker to keep an eye out for. The Hungry is a puzzling, unsettling treat for the senses and one of the best films seen so far such that it’s almost insulting that it wasn't selected to be this year's opening film.

The Valley: Film School Amateur Hour

They say it takes about 15 minutes to understand the world of a film, its tone and the sensibilities it has to offer. Well, The Valley lost me at about minute 4. Director Saila Kariat’s debut feature has its heart in the right place but is nonetheless a clunky mess. The film is only tolerable and mildly engaging in moments which is sad considering the weight of its subject matter. The film tells of a young Indian American girl who commits suicide and her father’s subsequent investigation to understand why her seemingly normal daughter would go to such grave lengths.

The film works on almost no level with every element spectacularly falling flat, from the laughable dialogue, utterly tepid chemistry between every human onscreen and the lack of even one capable actor let alone an acceptable script to support them. Lead actor Alyy Khan is lifeless and just doesn’t have the chops to carry an entire movie, especially one as badly written as this.  The Valley was frustratingly poor and it’s going to be tough to outdo. I just hope I don’t have to sit through anything that attempts to.