MIFF 2016: FD’s North-East outreach

Films Division (FD) has initiated an outreach programme to inculcate the fine art of film-making in the far-flung areas of India’s North-East. Six young, first-time film-makers were taught the intricacies of the craft at a prolonged mentoring effort. It was literally ‘a dream come true’ for Pi Lallianpuii (Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations, Mizoram), Aldrin Losanghina (Mizoram), Anungla (Nagaland), Tiakumzuk Ao (Nagaland), Megotsolie Dolie (Nagaland) and Arup Mazumder (Assam, Director of Photography), as their films managed to make it to MIFF 2016. Beginning in 2014, this is the first phase of a long-term programme. Other N.E. states, like Manipur and Tripura, might be on the FD radar soon. Of these states, only Assam has an organised film industry, but there too, mentor Joshy Joseph chose to go to Silchar, instead of the state capital, Guwahati.

Concerned at the rejection of several pitches from the region by FD, in spite of interesting subjects, due lack of polished presentation, FD staffer-director Joseph, who is familiar with that part of the country, mooted the idea of going to their hometowns and conducting workshops. Over a mere nine days, they had completed a film each: three days to write, three to shoot and three to edit. Since there are virtually no cinemas in Nagaland and Mizoram, the six will never see their films in a local theatre. So, watching them at MIFF, along with the audience, was an unforgettable experience for them, as they told the press on Saturday, 30 January. Also present was Mizoram Film Selection Member, Pu Napoleon.

Tranquility (Lallianpuii) is about car drivers in Aizawl, a ‘crowded’ capital (relatively speaking), who are amazingly patient and tranquil, even when stuck in traffic jams. Sounds of horns are conspicuous by their absence. In a mere three minutes, Lallianpuii provides a capsule of a horn-free city and its polite drivers, with car registration numbers beginning with MZ. Songs of the Marbles (Ao) uses playing marbles as currency among children and a child bully as a symbol of political extortionists. It is made in the organic unity style, cyclically, practically ending where it began.

Birth of a Poem (Mazumder) highlights the plight of a lover waiting to meet his beloved and how his longing gives birth to a romantic poem. Misty Voyage (Losanghina) focuses on the Mizos, who do not venture out after dark, and watch films and, in terms of entertainment, programmes dubbed in Mizo, on TV. Of the other two Nagaland films, one was titled Anungla (in deference to her ideation) and another kept ‘Untitled’. Both are versions of the same story, one that addresses displacement, and unsung heroes. It uses only one Naga folk song, and no dialogue whatsoever.

Lack of regular cinemas in the region also means virtually no censorship, and film-makers can make films of their choice. But they have to depend upon DVD distributors and cable TV operators. Mizos generally do not speak or understand any language other than Mizo, and even Salman Khan’s films are dubbed in the local language. Songs, however, are left intact. In Nagaland, Nagamese is the link language among many tribes, and they do not like dubbed versions. Most people in the state love to watch Korean soap operas and identify a lot with Korean culture. Nagaland too is very fond of Korean content.

Insurgency has almost ended in Mizoram after 1986, but Nagaland continues to face the problem. There is no state help for film-makers in either state, films being low on their priority list. The North East Zone Cultural Centre, set-up in the 80s, still functions, with headquarters in Dimapur (Nagaland). Though they fund cultural activities, and even documentation, cinema is not on their agenda.

Joseph pointed out that the camera, sound and editing were handled by professionals and the equipment was sourced from the nearest big city, Kolkata. Many more such workshops are needed before the outreach can have full impact, but all six of them were of the unanimous view that this was a breakthrough. They were deeply grateful to FD and MIFF. As ‘Puii’ summed it up, “I was so touched when, after the screening of my film, some members of the audience expressed their hope that other cities will follow Aizawl in becoming horn-free.”

MIFF 2016: Harshal Wadkar: Cyclic emotions

Pune-based amateur film-maker Harshal Wadkar, whose film 30-minute short fiction film Cycle was screened at the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) in the national competition section, met the press at the Media Centre, Films Division, on the 31st of January, and followed it with a Q and A session. To begin with, some clips of his film were shown, to set the tone, after which he made his opening remarks.

Wadkar said he and a group of his friends had been making films as a hobby for many years now. In 2009, he did a Film Appreciation course at the National Film Archive of India (NFAI), which egged him on to make more meaningful films. Cycle is his 13th independent film, and the first to make it to MIFF. It is based on a short story, by Vyankatesh Madgulkar, published in 1954. After watching a 45-minute dramatic stage adaptation, he was captivated with the idea, and started to shoot the story.

Initially it was set in the period of the original story, but he found it difficult to recreate and manage that era, so he set in present day. “I changed the body a bit, but I retained the soul,” he added. As the title suggests, Cycle is about a bicycle, and the havoc it plays in the lives of three men, two youngsters and one teacher.

Asked about his shot division, he pointed out that his story moves from the point of view of his protagonist, and he uses empty montage quite deliberately. Getting candid, he admitted the influence of the American director, Martin Scorsese, who often uses a pause or deadly silence before dramatic scenes, like a murder. He called them “moments of silence”. He even confessed to shooting a cycle theft scene in the manner of Vittorio De Sica from the all-time classic, Bicycle Thief.

Another member of the press asked him if film awareness had increased significantly in his native Pune, compared to other cities, since bodies like the Film and Television Institute of India and NFAI. Harshal said that there were a large number of short film festivals being held in Pune every year, many more than in earlier years. But finding exhibition outlets continues to be a million dollar question. Incidentally, he shared with media, satellite television broadcast rights of Bicycle had just been bought by a major Marathi channel, for a period of three years.

What next, he was asked? Is he going to go the feature film route? Harshal insisted that his roots were strong, and he does not contemplate deserting e short film or documentary genre in the near future. But yes, he was launching a feature film, about two (girl) friends who get into a conspiracy to compromise on their ethics in order to pursue a career.

MIFF 2016: Indian women pack a punch

Ameesha Joshi, born in Canada to immigrant Indian parents, and Anna Sarkissian, of Egyptian/Armenian-Irish parentage, could not have imagined that their documentary on Mary Kom, Sarita Devi and Chhoto Loura, famed women boxers of India, would take 10 years to complete. But, like resolute boxers, they never let circumstances knock them out, and, to their delight, their ambitious 87-minute film, With This Ring (not be confused with the 2015 American TV film of the same name), was shown at Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF), in the Special Screening category. On Sunday, 31 January, they met the press at the MIFF Media Centre, in a discussion moderated by Press Information Bureau (PIB)'s Nitin Sapre.

Ameesha, whose roots are in Ahmedabad, told the gathering that it was a picture of Mary Kom, India’s most famous female boxer, that had triggered the idea. “I saw it in an exhibition. Being Indian by heredity, I began to wonder how difficult it must have been for a woman in India to achieve international fame in the field of boxing. That was in 2005. I shared this thought with my film school colleague, Anna, and we decided to go to India and make a film about it.” She added that she had already made a film about a woman boxer in Canada, so she had some knowledge about the subject.

“I did not know a thing about boxing and had no interest in it whatsoever,” confessed Anna, who is a qualified anthropologist. “But soon after hearing Ameesha’s idea, we prepared to go to India, with funds provided by Ameesha’s family. Over the years, we visited India four times and also went to Barbados, UK and China. Shooting took place during 2006-12, and we must have spent around six months in India. I have travelled extensively in this country, and have loved every bit of it especially the food.”

Asked whether she spoke any Gujarati, Ameesha smiled and admitted that she could understand but not speak the language. Anna, who has learnt Arabic, the language of her Cairo-born father, had picked up some Hindi during the shooting, but cannot remember much now. Both agreed that language was a major problem during their days in India.

Responding to another question, about funding, the duo revealed that nobody was paid, and $21,000 was raised via crowd funding. Funds were also provided by the Quebec (the two met as students at Concordia University, Montréal, Québec) State Council for Arts and Literature Canada Council for the Arts, and the National Film Board of Canada. Their alma mater, Concordia, provided production equipment free of cost. With This Ring was a marathon film for the makers, who have made a few short films earlier. Nearly 200 hours of footage was edited down to 87 minutes!

Both are enthused and delighted by the response to their film at MIFF, and are hopeful that they would find avenues of marketing and releasing it. Summing up, Ameesha said, “Back in 2006, hardly anybody had in India heard about Mary Kom. When we mentioned the name we were often asked, “Mary Kom? Is she Chinese? This in spite of the fact Indian women boxers were the highest ranked. Then, in 2012, women’s boxing was recognised by the Olympics, and Mary went to represent India. We followed her to Liverpool, where she was training. Though we were not allowed to shot the Olympics in London, we were delighted that she bagged the bronze medal!”

Responding to this writer’s question, the duo said that they had added an epilogue, to update the film, since it covered the period only until 2012. It was stock footage, but it gave a necessary update.

MIFF 2016: Festival Director and Jackie Shroff meet the press

Midway through Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF), the Director and the Brand Ambassador met the press on Monday, 01 February, at the Media Centre, in the Films Division Complex. It was the customary mid-fest conference, but with the addition of a new feature, the brand ambassador.

“I am delighted to see that large numbers of viewers are sitting in our halls and watching documentary, short and animation films from around the world,” began Mukesh Sharma. (He was being more optimistically correct than factual, though. Not many shows at MIFF attracted large audiences). “We faced several hurdles in organising MIFF 2016, but the energy that is floating around is highly encouraging. I assure you that the next (15th) MIFF will be an even more pleasurable experience, once the film hub, currently under construction in this very complex, is ready. Instead of multiple venues, as at MIFF 2016, we will then accommodate 2000 viewers under one roof.”

Jackie Shroff shared that he was delighted to be among ideators and film-makers from all over the world. Having worked in mainstream commercial cinema for 33 years, he said he is entering a new phase in his life. “It made me feel so happy when students of the Ryan School (which is conducting workshops at MIFF) greeted me this morning with ‘Happy Birthday to You’. Yes, it is my birthday today, and guess what new step I took on this day? I attended a workshop on animation screenplay writing (conducted by Luca Raffaeli of Italy and moderated by award-winning India animator Dhvani Desai)! Animation has always fascinated me, and I hope to make some animation films someday. ”

Confirming his enthusiasm, Sharma said besides performing his duties as brand ambassador, Jackie has been watching films too. To avoid over-enthusiastic fans disrupting screenings, he sneaks in when the lights are off, sits right at the back and sneaks out again before the lights come on. Asked whether he has had much interaction with audiences, Jackie replied in the negative. “So many of them want photos, selfies and autographs—that leaves little time to talk.”

Replying to a question about what could be done to improve MIFF, he said, “That is for the administrators to decide. But I would be very happy to see it become an annual event, like every other film festival in the city. A biennial festival is just not the same thing. IFFI (International Film Festival of India) at Goa is exciting too, but to me, Mumbai and Goa are the same. The synergy is the same. Both are island cities, and I love them both. We should make India shine, whatever the venue. Let us become examples of hospitality to all the delegates of the world. Let us sketch success stories of oneness every year. Instead of finding faults, let us support those who work hard to make these events successful.”

Sharma then paid a compliment to Jackie, that, he insisted was richly deserved. “Jackie’s presence has boosted our morale tremendously. He added that ripple that became a wave of energy.” Asked by a journalist if the festival could be extended by a few days, since there was so much happening, Sharma responded by saying that it was not likely with the present infrastructure, which was really strained to manage the present duration, “but the point is taken”, he assured.

A surprise lay in store for Jackie Shroff, as the Films Division and the Press Information Bureau (PIB) teams, both presented him with birthday cakes, which he gladly cut, and even posed for photographs and selfies with media-persons and FD personnel. A slice was offered to all present, and those in the Media Centre, managed by PIB, were given two helpings.

Jaikishen ‘Jackie’ Shroff was born on February 1, 1957 (his ‘official’ website gives his year of birth as 1960, which cannot be accurate, for he would then be only 13 years old while doing a villain’s role in Heera Panna-1973, also listed on the same website; even 1957 is stretching it, since that would make him 15-16 when the same film was shot). Jackie made his acting debut in a bit-role as a villain in 1973’s Heera Panna, which starred, and was directed by, Dev Anand. He then went on to act in another Dev Anand starrer, Swami Dada (1982), in yet another bit role

It was actor-turned director Subhash Ghai who signed him for the 1983 hit Hero, a film that catapulted this model to stardom. So far, he has appeared in about 150 films, in a career that has spanned 43 years. He married his longtime girlfriend, Ayesha Dutt, who is also a producer, and both husband and wife run Jackie Shroff Entertainment Limited. They have two children, a son, Jai, and a daughter, Krishna. Jai is better known as ‘Tiger’ and has also taken up acting. Jackie considers King Uncle, inspired by Annie but commercially lukewarm, among his favourite films. Recently, he did a short film called Makhmal (velvet) and a feature named Chalk and Duster.

MIFF 2016: National Jury speaks its mind

Films in the competition section at the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) are divided into three main categories, national, international and Public Service Advertising (PSA). A five-member jury viewed the 27 films in the national category, and, after completing their task, met the press at the Media Centre, on 02 February, Tuesday.

Two of them--internationally acclaimed wildlife film-maker Mike Pandey and Taiwan-based festival programmer and film-critic, Jane Yu, Director of the Asian Cinema Fund, Busan International Film Festival--had already left. Mike, whose grandson had taken ill and he had flown to New Delhi to be with him, had spoken to a Delhi-based journalist and offered to communicate via video link, but that was found to be impractical by the organisers.

The three other jury members were present: Audrius Stonys, Lithuania-born academician, who lectures on cinema in many cities, including DocEdge Kolkata; Indian programmer, journalist, researcher and casting director Uma Da Cunha and Biju Dhanapalan, an engineer-turned-visual effects specialist who worked on over 100 feature films in India before re-locating to Singapore, where he currently teaches animation. Also present was Mr. V. Packirisamy of the Films Division, the national jury co-ordinator, who provided some facts and figures.

“A mix of brilliant and bad,” is how Dhanpalan described the films seen by the jury. Stonys pointed out that even if there were just two outstanding films at a festival, it should be considered a very good festival. “At MIFF, we saw at least four great films, and another 10-12 high-grade efforts. Indian documentaries have always been by and large good, but till a few years ago, the cinematic language they used was very Indian. Now, these films have crossed that hurdle and their style can find place in any international film festival.”

Da Cunha complimented the Films Division for spending two years putting MIFF together. However, she added, “It should be made an annual event and should be organised on a bigger scale.” Replying to a question about how MIFF compares with other film festivals, like Cannes or Venice, she commented, “It is unfair to compare it to Cannes or Venice. So many factors should be considered before evaluating a festival—how old is the festival, base city-funding or lack of it and other sources of financing, prizes and prize-money, etc. But let me assure you that a prize at MIFF has its own special value.” Dhanapalan was of the view that it is the talent that defines a film-city. “Hollywood just happened because people of various nationalities were attracted to the place, to work in the film industry. Blockbuster director Peter Jackson did the same for his native New Zealand. If we can attract excellent talent, there is no reason why India cannot surpass Hollywood.”

Asked how our documentaries were faring internationally, and is co-production a growing trend, Da Cunha revealed, “Indian documentaries have won so many awards internationally. By comparison, our features have worn hardly anything in recent years. And yes, co-productions are a great was to get funds and reach bigger markets.”

On a question about budgets, Stonys said, “Budgets are not an issue in India. Yes, some self-funded documentaries are below par and cannot be marketed as a result. But generally, Indian documentaries, like MIFF itself, have a very good reputation in the world. All that is needed to make even better films is quality education, and a much larger number of regular film workshops.”

MIFF 2016: Q & A, with the International Jury

In the last press conference of Mumbai International Film festival (MIFF), three of the five members of the international competition jury came up to the Media Centre on Tuesday, 02 February, met members of the press, and answered various questions related to their experience at MIFF. Jesper Anderson from Denmark is a journalist and film curator, Don Askarian a German film-maker of Armenian origin whose award-winning films are being screened at MIFF and Ms. Gitanjali Rao, an awarded animator, who, too, has a package being screened at MIFF. Jury Chairperson Askarian, who had a workshop on at almost the same time, joined-in late.

Jumping directly into a Q & A, the trio invited questions from media-persons. Andersen, who has visited India many times and organises Indian film festivals in Copenhagen, was asked about the standard of films he saw as a jury-member. “I found the long documentaries the most impressive. Short documentaries and short fiction films were not so strong. One way of avoiding this would be: by not waiting for entries to come, on their own. Instead, MIFF, budget permitting, could engage curators, who would look around internationally, for the best on offer. I am willing to scout for the best films from my region, the Scandinavian countries”, he averred.

Gitanjali was asked about her feelings on becoming a member of the jury at a festival where she has won the Golden Conch, and where a retrospective of her films is currently being held. “What can I say? It is a great feeling! Till about ten years ago, Indian animators and documentary film-makers were applauded in India only after they had won international recognition. All that is changing now.” When a question was put to her about world and Indian standards in documentary film-making, as experienced through viewing the 37 odd films she saw at MIFF 2016, she said, “I would need to see many more films to comment authoritatively. But in general, I feel international documentaries have not changed much in the last 8-10 years, whereas the Indian documentary is indeed adopting a more international style. Since Indian film schools like the Film and Television Institute of India and Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute do not really teach documentary film-making, makers either followed the only available model, the Films Division formula, while others went just by their instinct. Having said that, the new age Indian documentaries are highly passionate, and are still very Indian.”

Elaborating on the financing scenario in Europe, Askarian said, “Documentary film-making is entirely funded by TV channels and various funds, including funds for films of ‘third world’ countries. Language is no barrier, but you must get your laws and history right. And make sure you teach yourself good film-making. Learn from films. Learn from Stanley Kubrick. Some great films are like teaching books, so log on to You Tube. Before looking for finance, make a very good film. You cannot lie to all the people all the time, and running around with a piece of rubbish will not get you finance.”

Anderson and Ms. Rao were asked about exhibition options for documentaries. In Denmark, Anderson pointed-out, documentaries were screened on national TV once a week. “In addition to this, we have had some documentaries releasing in cinemas too.” Ms. Rao said she was happy that TV channels like Epic and NDTV, as well as some Doordarshan channels, were showing documentaries. “But what about animation films? Most animation films are just 3-4 minutes long, yet cost a lot; not many achieve excellence, though they take years to make. Sadly, TV channels do not find them viable, in terms of scheduling. They would need thousands of animation films to sustain a daily slot. I earnestly hope that the government addresses this issue.”

(Gitanjali Rao graduated with honours as a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Sir J. J. Institute of Applied Art, Mumbai, in 1994. She is a self taught animator, film maker and theatre artiste, who has produced, directed and animated award winning short films, Orange, Printed Rainbow and True Love Story. Both Askarian and Rao had retrospectives at MIFF).

MIFF 2016: Winners’ list

Manipuri documentary film Phum Shang (Floating Life) won the Golden Conch Award for the Best Documentary Film (up to 60 minutes) at the 14th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) for Documentary, Animation and Short Films, which ended on 03 February 2016.  Swiss film My Name is Salt, and Indian entry Placebo shared the Gold Conch award for the Best Feature length Documentary Film.

In the picture are, l to r, Mukesh Sharma (Director, MIFF), Vinod Tawde (Maharashtra State's Minister for Culture), C. Vidyasagar Rao (Governor of Maharashtra), Jackie Shroff (actor and Brand Ambassdador, MIFF) and renowned feature-film director, Ramesh Sippy

The 52-minute documentary Phum Shang, directed by Hao Bam Pabankumar, an alumnus of the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata, critically examines the serious environmental problems faced at the Loktak lake. The largest fresh water lake in North East India, characterised by its unique floating biomass, known as Phumdi, is today considered a dying, lake due to unchecked human activity. Pabankumar won the Golden Conch and a cash prize of Rs. 3 lakh (3,00,000).

Lutz Konermann (cinematographer) watches as his wife, Farida Pacha, collects her award

My Name is Salt, directed by Mumbai born, Zurich based Farida Pacha, is a film about the journey of thousands of families to the Rann of Kutch, in Gujarat, to extract the whitest salt in the world. My Name Is Salt also won the Best Cinematographer award for Lutz Konermann, while Placebo won the Award for Best Editor. Chandigarh-based film maker Abhay Kumar’s 96 minutes film Placebo explores the stress and pressure faced by medical students. 

Abhay Kumar directed, and co-produced, the film, with Archana Phadke, the cinematographer

A hybrid documentary that took four years to complete, Placebo is based on facts: After witnessing an act of brutal violence, a film-maker goes undercover, in one of the greatest educational institutes of India, to investigate the rising incidents of violence amongst some of the best minds in the nation.Placebo was also declared the Most Innovative Film in the competition section.

Debanjan Nandy’s animation film Chhaya bagged the first prize in the Animation Category of International Competition.

Debanjan Nandy wins for Chhaya

Mumbai film-maker Devashish Makhija’s Agli Baar (Next Time) shared the Best Short Fiction Film honours with the UK entry Solo Finale by Ingo Putze. 

Dadasaheb Phalke Award, for the Best Debut Film of a Director ,went to Far From Home, by Copenhagen, Denmark-based film maker Nitesh Anjan, whose father migrated to Denmark and then considered returning to India, after many decades. This predicament is the subject of his film.

The International Jury for the Festival comprised prominent documentary makers Don Askarian from Germany,  Jesper Andersen from Denmark, Mathieu Roy of Canada, Siddharth Kak and Gitanjali Rao (both from India).  Mike Pandey, Uma DaCunha, Biju Dhanapalan, Audrius Stonys (Lithuania) and Jane Yu (Taiwan) were the members of the National Jury.

MIFF 2016 showcased over 385 films under International and National competition, MIFF Prism, Indian Premières, Jury retrospectives, animation and award winning films , children’s documentary films, North East package, Films Division productions,  PSBT (Public Service Broadcasting Trust) films, homages, and more.

Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) is a successful American screen-writer in the Hollywood of the 30s and 40s. However, his outspoken support for labour unions, and his membership of the Communist Party of the USA, draws the contempt of staunchly anti-Soviet entertainment industry figures, such as columnist Hedda Hopper (Helen Mirren) and actor John ‘Duke’ Wayne (David James Elliott). J. Parnell Thomas (James DuMont) heads the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

Trumbo is one of 10 screen-writers ‘subpoenaed’ (summoned) to testify before the United States Congress, regarding alleged Communist propaganda, in Hollywood films. They refuse to answer questions directly, confident that even if they are convicted, a liberal majority among the judges of the Supreme Court will overturn the convictions for contempt of Congress. Actor Edward G. Robinson (Michael Stuhlbarg), a Liberal Democrat who supports the cause, sells his prized painting, the Portrait of Père Tanguy, to raise money for their legal defense fund.

The unexpected passing away and subsequent replacement of a liberal Supreme Court Judge condemns each of them to spend time in prison. In 1950, Trumbo serves eleven months in prison. As the Hollywood Blacklist expands to exclude more liberals from working in the industry, Trumbo and his comrades are abandoned by Edward G. Robinson and producer Buddy Ross (Roger Bart), who are keen on protecting their careers. Even after serving his prison term, Trumbo remains blacklisted, resulting in a financial crisis.

Aware that he will be unable to sell any scripts himself, he offers his screenplay for Roman Holiday to his friend Ian McLellan Hunter (Alan Tudyk), to take credit and keep 30% of the fee. The film bags an Academy Award for Best Story, but it goes to Hunter. Selling his idyllic lakeside home and moving to a house in the city, he goes to work as a pseudonymous screenwriter for the low-budget King Brothers (John Goodman and Stephen Root) Productions, also farming out the writing of B-movie screenplays to fellow blacklisted writers.

King Brothers' agree to produce a quality film titled film The Brave One, an original story by Trumbo under a pseudonym, and it receives an Academy Award he cannot claim. But word does get around, and two major offers come up: actor Kirk Douglas (Dean O'Gorman) recruits him to write the screenplay for his epic film Spartacus (directed by Stanley Kubrick), and director Otto Preminger (Christian Berkel) recruits him to script Exodus (based on the novel by Leon Uris).

James Dalton Trumbo was born in Montrose, Colorado, on December 9, 1905. He indulged an early interest in writing by working as a cub reporter for a local paper. Trumbo continued his journalistic pursuits while attending the University of Colorado.  When his father died, Dalton took a job in a bakery, where he worked for nearly 10 years, but continued writing, short stories and novels, which were never published. In the early 1930s, Trumbo’s stories started appearing in magazines like the Saturday Evening Post, Vanity Fair and the Hollywood Spectator. He was appointed managing editor of the Spectator in 1934, a year that also saw him publish his first novel, Eclipse. The same year, he found a job as a script reader in the Warner Bros. story department. Then, in 1935, Trumbo was given a contract with Warner, as a ‘junior writer’.

Road Gang (1936) was his first screen credit. A Man to Remember, Kitty Foyle (Academy Award nomination, best adapted screenplay), and Thirty Seconds over Tokyo followed. Trumbo did ultimately receive a long-delayed Academy Award for The Brave One, and he was posthumously given an Academy Award for Roman Holiday (1953).

Three Trumbo publications were in circulation before his life was developed into a film: a collection of his letters during 1942-62, Dalton Trumbo: Blacklisted Hollywood Radical, by Larry Ceplair (author of The Marxist and the Movies: A Biography of Paul Jarrico and Anti-Communism in Twentieth-Century America: A Critical History) and Christopher Trumbo (son, recently deceased; TV writer, screenwriter, and author of the play Trumbo: Red, White and Blacklisted) and a biography by Bruce Alexander Cook, which is largely the basis of the film. Cook, who died in 2013, was an American journalist and author, who also wrote under the pseudonym, Bruce Alexander. His first book was a non-fiction work, The Beat Generation, published in 1971 while his first novel was Sex Life, in 1978.

Trumbo has been adapted into a screenplay by John McNamara, who has said that he had met several blacklisted screenwriters while a student at NYU. Trumbo’s surviving daughters, Niki and Mitzi, were heavily involved in the creation of the movie's script. Perhaps the only area which has just been skimmed and not fleshed out enough, is the USA communist party’s activities. Two, scenes, one in which Trumbo faces up to John Wayne, and another when one of the King brothers takes on an anti-communist in his own office, are remarkably well-written. Although quite a few weaknesses and questionable attitudes form part of Trumbo’s screen persona, some vested interests and some differing chroniclers have lambasted alleged liberties taken in order to portray Trumbo in a more virtuous light than he deserved. Others have questioned the idea of forming composite characters for convenience. Give them a hearing, if you like (see links below).

Taking liberties with history is not exactly unheard of. It is in sharp focus here, because the story is set in Hollywood, and some of the personalities are still alive. And those who have passed away, have middle-aged children, children with memories and memoirs. One will have to get beyond, “No, this can’t possibly be true,” “Was He really such a jerk?” “Wait a minute! Isn’t She the one who…?” and so on, to absorb the excellent narrative of the film.

The truth is that Communists, and even Communist sympathisers, were hounded and persecuted in post World War II America, and some even fled away to foreign countries. Even Trumbo had to relocate to Mexico, temporarily. Trumbo may not be the Closed Circuit Camera footage of the protagonist or the 30-odd characters in the film. Frankly, it doesn’t matter. There is a big, universal issue, of ideology---communism v/s capitalism--there is an effective recreation of the period it took place in, and of what drove the persons to do what they did. Good content, superbly delivered.

Director Jay Roach (Austin Powers trilogy, Meet the Parents, Meet the Fockers, Recount, Borat), whose all-time favourite films include The Party and Annie Hall, is in great touch here, balancing an ensemble cast and getting the best out of his leads. Casting Cranston and Mirren turn out to be twin tour de forces, while John Goodman and Stephen Root as the King Bros. could easily pass off as twins.

Bryan Cranston (son of small-time actor Lee Cranston; seen in Saving Private Ryan; scored with TV hit Breaking Bad) is seen here in his first big role, and he gets a very richly deserved Oscar nomination at age 59. There is a ton of method in his acting, yet not one wee bit is mechanical. Will an actor playing a real-life communist, who shows Hollywood’s legendary giants in bad light, go on to grab the Academy Award? Wait and watch. Cleo Fincher Trumbo had a talent for juggling water glasses, and Diane Lane juggles them too. As she does her part, without any fall. Helen Mirren (The Queen, Oh Lucky Man!, Excalibur, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, Calendar Girls, Love Ranch) gave up skin show roles when she turned 65. Now 70, she shows you, if you had any doubt, that acting can be a captivating revelation of a different kind.

Louis C.K. as Arlen Hird (a composite character, representing Samuel Ornitz, Alvah Bessie, Albert Maltz, Lester Cole, and John Howard Lawson, all Jews) draws much sympathy. Michael Stuhlbarg as Romanian Jew, Emmanuel Goldberg, who changed his name to Edward G. Robinson, often gets confused with Roger Bart, who plays Buddy Ross, possible a symptom of the audience disease called ‘toomanycharacteria’ Alan Tudyk is sincere as Ian McLellan Hunter

David James Elliott as John Wayne is opinionated macho, Richard Portnow an opportunistic Louis B. Mayer, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje a forceful black prisoner who killed a white robber, but hates commies. Dean O’Gorman is effortless, while Christian Berkel is stylised, to suit the part. Elle Fanning (Niki Trumbo, the older daughter) is made from just the kind of clay directors love moulding.

Trumbo is a rivetting chapter from the history of American film industry. It is also a refreshing lesson in histrionics.

Rating : ****

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLuxQhdUqLY

Links for background reading

http://www.amazon.com/Dalton-Trumbo-Bruce-Cook/dp/0684147505

http://thetyee.ca/Culture/2015/12/04/Remembering-Dalton-Trumbo/

After it was shown to the Central Board of Film Certification in Mumbai last week, I learnt that Deadpool was offered a U/A (under 16 not allowed unless accompanied by adults), if they deleted some content, otherwise the certificate would say A (for Adults Only). The distributors were happy with an A rating, so the content was left intact. But the question that arose then, as it had arisen when I learnt that it was rated R abroad, was why is a super hero comic cartoon character film being restricted to adults? Isn’t the largest target audience for such films in the 12-24 age-group? It is, but not this time. Deadpool is certainly not kids’stuff. Yes, they might enjoy the self-deprecating, campy, bristling, acerbic and punny humour. They might find the stunts and animation dazzling and enthralling. But there is a generous dose of stuff that is sexually explicit, and choreographed violence that ups the ante in this genre. Certainly not child’s play!

Wade Wilson is a New York mercenary, with a difference. His brief includes beating-up pizza delivery boys who stalk teenage girls. One day, he meets escort Vanessa Carlysle (Morena Baccarin) in a bar, and, after a sizzling sexual encounter, they become romantically attached. Diagnosed with multiple organ cancer, he reluctantly leaves Vanessa, to enlist for a secretive regenerative mutation experiment to cure his cancer, only to be injected with a special serum by Francis Freeman (Edward Skrein) and tortured for days. Wade is flabbergasted to learn that far from curing him, the gang wants to turn him into a mercenary killing machine called Weapon X.

Against the perpetrators’ wildest hopes, his cancer gets cured, but severely disfigures his face and skin. As a bonus, he gains tremendous strength, which helps him escape. But as he cannot come to terms with his disfigured face, he keeps himself away from Vanessa, and moves in with an old, blind, black woman named Al (Leslie Uggams). On the advice of his best friend Weasel, he becomes a masked vigilante. Weasel runs a ‘fight to the finish club’ at his bar, where there are bets place on who will live and who will die. This ‘Deadpool’ inspires Wade to name himself Deadpool. How cool is that?

Bent on regaining his looks and teaching Francis a lesson, Deadpool traces and attacks his gang, one by one. Following a string of leads, Deadpool attacks a convoy of cars on an expressway, and kills all the occupants, but Francis nearly escapes. Deadpool stops him just in time. The confrontation is suddenly interrupted by the X-Men Colossus/Peter Rasputin (Stefan Kapičić) and Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand), who have been looking out for him and have learnt about his whereabouts from TV coverage of the incident on the expressway. They want him to join the team. Their arrival and intervention enables Francis to free himself and run away, and, when Colossus handcuffs himself to Deadpool, on their way back to the X-Mansion, Deadpool cuts off his own hand and escapes back to his home.

Deadpool has a screenplay by school friends Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese (Zombieland, G.I. Joe: Retaliation; Rhett wrote Monsters, Inc., Dinosaur, Clifford’s Really Big Movie). Within a defined universe, they create a no holds-barred, action superhero/ugly duckling-prostitute love-story/stand-up comedy blend, with phrases and lines rattled off at a machine-gun pace, and a strong undercurrent of music. In the original comic series, Deadpool was created by another duo, Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld (X Force, New Mutants) in 1991, plotted and illustrated by Liefeld, and scripted by Nicieza. They were not going to get credit, until they approached Miller, and he made sure they did. Any similarity between Deadpool and Spiderman is purely incidental, while Colossus is both bulky and Hulky. Overall, Deadpool is a visual blend of a medieval swordsman and body-glove comic heroes of the 20th century.

Animation and CGI veteran Tim Miller (co-founder and Creative Director of Blur Studio; worked on Batman: Arkham City, DC Universe Online, Dante’s Inferno, X-Men, X-Men 2, Daredevil; creative supervisor on Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), possibly realising that you can do only so much new in the VFX, CGI and Motion Capture realm, weaves in a heavy dose of sex and sexy jokes. Reynolds has said that the atmosphere on the sets was that of a joke factory. “For one joke in the movie, we wrote 16 versions,” he revealed. And it has paid off, for sure.

Right at the beginning, the zany credit titles tell you that the comic-book superhero format is all okay, but you have really come to watch a funny movie. As do the end credits, right till the post credits scene, with Ryan Reynolds in a bathrobe. Sadly many of the jibes are lost on account of the 300 words per minute at which motor-mouth Reynolds talks. (120-180 wpm is normal. Persons with normal hearing find anything above 200 wpm intelligible). Rubbing it in would be your predicament, if you have not seen all the X-Men films, not read the comics and do not remember them (films/comics) backwards. If you are a true aficionado, your laugh quotient will be much higher.

Ryan Rodney Reynolds from Vancouver (National Lampoon's Van Wilder, The Green Lantern, Buried, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) has a whale of a time. Which superhero, who is also oversexed and a compulsive wise-cracker, wouldn’t? Brazilian Morena Baccarin from Brazil was 10 when she moved to New York City with her father, a TV editor, and her mother, an actress, where she studied theatre at the renowned Juilliard School. Which of these CV components made her a sultry siren, we wonder! English actor Edward George Skrein (debut in The Sweeney; Game of Thrones; Transporter Refueled) also goes by the name of The Dinner Lady P.I.M.P., worked as a rap musician prior to his acting career. Anybody who assumes such a name is bound to have sense of humour. After music, ‘Junior Jason Statham’ has learnt how to do action scenes too, and how!

T.J. Miller and Brianna Hildebrand are cool and nonchalant. Taylor Hickson is buxom, and that itself is fuel to the writers’ chuckle engine. Stefan Kapičić gives voice to the Russian accented CGI character Peter Rasputin / Colossus. Andre Tricoteux portrayed him for motion capture purposes. Leslie Uggams is a riot. Jed Rees as The Recruiter is suitably deceptive. Punjab-born Karan Soni (Safety Not Guaranteed, Goosebumps) portrays Dopinder (!), a taxi driver. Deadpool will do things for his career. And Indians, don’t miss the beginning. Imagine present day USA, imagine an Indian taxi-driver, imagine the hero taking a ride in it, imagine the song that is playing in the taxi’s music system. No, not Wham! An old RK song!

Rating: ***1/2

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONHBaC-pfsk

How to be Single, Review: Not this way, for sure

There is no success formula to being single, just as there is no magic prescription for being married. Time was when you were either single or married. Time is when you could be single, married, twice married, thrice married, nth time married, divorced, nth time divorced, undergoing trial separation, in a relationship, into one-night stands…. But the title of this film indicates that is about persons who are single, so let’s keep it to that. Single! Simple? Anything but simple! Ask me. I have always been single, but did I miss a trick somewhere? Will this film help me attain greater happiness in my ‘singledom’? Let’s find out, over the next110 minutes.

After four years of college, young Alice (Dakota Johnson) decides she needs a break from her long-term boy-friend Josh (Nicholas Braun). Excited and ready for new challenges, the eager graduate moves to New York, to take a job as a paralegal in a law firm. Helping her navigate her way through an unfamiliar city is Robin (Rebel Wilson), a fun-loving, wild co-worker, who enjoys partying and one-night stands, a free spirit trying to juggle booze, drugs and sex.

With Robin as her free-wheeling guide, Alice can now learn how to get free drinks, meet men and enjoy the single lifestyle, be it a love connection, a hook-up, or something in the middle.

In 2008, Liz Tuccillo published her debut novel, How to Be Single; film rights were also bought the same year, by New Line Cinema, and Drew Barrymore and Nancy Juvonen were on board to produce the film. Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein were set to adapt the novel. In 2011, it was announced that Barrymore would also be directing, but they finally settled for Christian Ditter.

39 year-old German director Christian Ditter (Verzaubert, Grounded Vorstadtkrokodile, Wickie and The Treasure of The Gods, French for Beginners and Love, Rosie) has helmed this outing. Having seen Love, Rosie, and having not loved it, I am sad to see that How to Be Single is even less appealing. It has many laughable jokes and catchy one-liners, some crude, yet striking a chord, confessionals and two or three clever plot twists. Somehow, they just don’t add up. He keeps you wondering where he is taking you next. That’s fine if you are watching a suspense thriller, but confounding when it is a narrative, with at least seven main characters. There is little to like in most of the characters, and not much to hate either.

After reading the synopsis of Liz Tuccillo’s book, it would appear that a substantial amount of liberties have been taken in converting it to a screen story. First to work on the novel were Abby Kohn (Master of Fine Arts in film production from the University of Southern California) and Marc Silverstein. The duo is known for Never Been Kissed, He's Just Not That into You, Valentine's Day and The Vow. Both are married. (Silverstein and wife Elizabeth ‘Busy’ Philipps’ daughter is called Cricket!). It is a happy con-incidence that the writers of Valentine Day have a new release on that very day this year. Didn’t make a difference in terms of product quality, though. I wouldn’t want this film to be my Valentine date.

The producers found Kohn and Silverstein’s script a PG 13 plot. So, in comes Dana Fox, Stanford graduate and writer of Couples Retreat, What Happens in Vegas, The Wedding Dana, who is married to a much younger man and the couple have three children. Having been through the dating scene herself, Fox decided that instead of focussing so much on the romance, the film should look at the time between relationships. She told a magazine, “This is a movie about people talking about sex, and if they can’t talk the way people talk then it, doesn’t work. If you are going to talk about sex, then you have to go at it from a real R-rated angle.” No issues with that. In sync approach is great. Superficiality is not.

A blend of sexy, conscious and confused is Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey—denied a censor certificate in India, Need for Speed, Black Mass). Rebel Melanie Elizabeth Wilson (Bridesmaids, Pitch Perfect, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb), Australian stand-up comic, 35 going on 36, with a pointless controversy brewing in relation to her age, is clearly wasted. Though she is talented enough to sail through, the strain begins to show. India has a Rebel Wilson of its own, called Bharati, a stand-up comedienne, who has yet to crack the big screen.

Leslie Mann (The Cable Guy, 40 Year-old Virgin, Knocked Up, George of the Jungle) as Meg, the gynaecologist (de rigueur in a subject like this, I should think) with hang-ups, is affected and her dialogue delivery needs improvement. Damon Wayans Jr. (The Other Guys, Someone Marry Barry, Let's Be Cops) as David, the wealthy widower and single parent, known for comedy, carries a melodramatic part with some élan. Anders Holm (TV comedy, The Interview, The Intern, Unexpected) as Tom, the barman, is zestful. Nicholas Braun (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, At Middleton, Date and Switch, Poltergeist, Freaks of Nature) is Josh, with looks that are wall-flowerish and match those of Jugal Hansraj (former Indian child-star turned director) +Dev Patel. Alison Brie (Sleeping with Other People, Get Hard, Search Party, No Stranger Than Love) plays Lucy, a character Fox found easy to delineate, having been through the online dating game herself, though Lucy did not ever indulge in it.

Up in the second para, the synopsis said that something about ‘something in the middle’.

You are not likely to find anything worthwhile in the middle, except muddle.

And did I find some useful tips on being single and really happy?

Want to guess?

Rating: *1/2

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrDI4-BSovs

The book

On a brisk October morning in New York, Julie Jenson, a single, thirty-eight-year old book publicist, is on her way to work when she gets a hysterical phone call from her friend Georgia. Reeling from her husband's announcement that he is leaving her for a samba teacher, Georgia convinces a reluctant Julie to organize a fun girls' night out with all their single friends to remind her why it is so much fun not to be tied down. But the night, which starts with steaks and martinis and ends with a trip to the hospital, becomes a wake-up call for Julie. Because none of her friends seems to be having much fun right now: Alice, a former legal aid attorney, has recently quit her job to start dating for a living; Serena is so busy becoming a fully realized person that she can't find time to look for a mate; and Ruby, a curvy and compassionate woman, has been mourning the death of her cat for months. So, fed up with the dysfunction and disappointments of being single in Manhattan, Julie quits her job and sets off to find out how women around the world are dealing with this dreaded phenomenon. From Paris to Rio to Sydney, Bali, Beijing, Mumbai, and Reykjavik, Julie falls in love, gets her heart broken, sees the world, and learns more than she ever dreamed possible. Back in New York, her friends are grappling with their own issues -- bad blind dates, loveless engagements, custody battles, and single motherhood. Through their journeys, all these women fight to redefine their vision of love, happiness, and a fulfilled life.

The author

Liz Tuccillo was an executive story editor of HBO's Emmy-winning Sex and the City, and has also written for Off Broadway. She has co-written two books with Greg Behrendt, He’s Just Not That into You (filmed in 2009), and its sequel. Currently, she is living and dating in New York City. (From the Simon and Schuster website).

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Review: Gory pride, bloody prejudice

It’s not quite like anything you have seen before. Imagine going on a cruise, in a carrier that is part horse-drawn and part ship. On board, there are two sets of activities going on: a family of five sisters and their parents are trying to get the girls married by hook or by crook, and another set of creatures, called the zombies or the undead, are fe

eding on human flesh, threatening to eat up all the humans who inhabit the England of few centuries ago. Along the way, there are two dance balls on board, and the cruise-liner halts at a cemetery and the Church of St. Lazarus, where the half undead, who feed on pug brains and not human, are praying. Lost? Don’t worry, several maps and animated graphics will keep you on course.

A zombie outbreak has fallen upon the land, in Jane Austen’s classic tale of the tangled relationships between lovers from different social classes, in 19th century England. Her feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James) is a master of martial arts and weaponry, skills acquired in the Far East, and the handsome Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley) is a fierce zombie killer, yet the epitome of upper class prejudice.

Elisabeth’s sisters--Jane (Bella Heathcote), Kitty (Suki Waterhouse), Lydia (Ellie Bamber), and Mary (Millie Brady)--have all been sent to China by their father, where they learnt the art of weaponry and martial arts. Mrs. Bennet (Sally Phillips) wants her daughters to be married off to wealthy suitors, as they will lose all they have once their father dies. As it turns out, the wealthy Bingley family has moved in nearby, and are throwing a ball, wherein Mrs. Bennet hopes that the young and handsome Mr. Bingley (Douglas Booth) will win over one of her girls. Elizabeth, on the other hand, doesn't want to marry. The Bennets attend the ball. Bingley instantly sets his eyes on Jane. A horde of zombies then attack the party, prompting the Bennet sisters to spring into action. As they slay every zombie in their path, Darcy instantly becomes smitten with Elizabeth, when he witnesses her in combat.

This year marks the 200th death anniversary of Jane Austen, who wrote the masterpiece in 1813. Confronted in her lifetime with the prospect of having her novel go through this amalgamation, transformation and brutalisation, she would have well nigh turned into a zombie herself. One wonders whether Seth Grahame-Smith (Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, Android Karenina, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Killer) had any compunctions when he when on to publish his 2009 collaboration with a dead author. Undeniably, there is a novelty, and something new is always welcome at a time when most films winning accolades are based on true stories. Even suspect experimentation is better than stalemate.

Director Burr Steers (a nephew of Gore Vidal) has done the screenplay. There is too much historical (fictionalised) and geographical (animation and topography) detailing, and, concurrently, too many characters who just appear and disappear, without any back-story or introduction at all. One cannot keep pace with the number of women who are in the marriage market, and I gave up after six. Of course, the main roles are well developed, both by conversational dialogue and by references. Lady Catherine de Bough’s eye-patch is a revelation, and the digs at its need or want are funny indeed.

As director, Burr Steers (Igby Goes Down, 17 Again) shows some deft touches—Elisabeth’s hands darting around to catch flies, the sore throated accent of Darcy (too bad if it is natural!) Steer, who is impressed by the works of Richard Lester, Richard Matheson, Peter Weir, Bruce Beresford, and Mike Newell, shoots an opening (pre-credits) scene that is both humorous and horrifying, setting the tone. He manages to keep you guessing about the villain and his motivations almost till the end. And in the end, in a mid-credits scene, the villain is leading the zombies toward the celebrating protagonists, ready for war, sowing seeds for a sequel. A prequel would be in order too.

British (it could not possibly have been any other nationality) actress Lily James (Downton Abbey, Wrath of the Titans, Fast Girls, Cinderella). James marries guts and gumption with inherent charm, and is photographed more as a mature-minded woman than a sylph. Sam Riley (lead singer for the band 10,000 Things; acted in Control, On the Road, Maleficent, Brighton Rock; is now 36) plays Darcy matter-of-factly, as a man of conviction, who, nevertheless is capable of being won over in the end. His face is given a different shape as is his hair, so that he looks rather different from his real-life persona. In another substantial part, Bella Heathcote (this one is Australian, but a great mimic; Dark Shadows, The Rewrite, Not Fade Away; bagged a good role in Fifty Shades Darker) is cast as the more conventionally beautiful sister of Elisabeth, and one can understand why Bingley fell for her at first sight.

A gushing, blushing Douglas Booth is suitable as Bingley. Charles Dance (For Your Eyes Only, White Mischief, The Imitation Game) finds himself hamming and cracking stale jokes, though they could not possible be staler than the 400 years old time grid of the film. Sally Phillips (Bridget Jones’ Diary, Birthday Girl, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Churchill: The Hollywood Years; British stand-up comic, who charges £5,000-10,000 for an appearance) does better as his wife. Commanding notice is Jack Huston (grandson of legendary John Huston, nephew of Anjelica; acted in Kill Your Darlings, Two Jacks, American Hustle). Wonder how he reined in his American twang! Lena Headey (Dredd, 3000: Rise of an Empire, Zipper), gets the eye-patch and a few other funny moments too. She also gets to wield a mean sword and, towards the end, one big hero moment.

In at least two scenes, the half revealed bosoms of the actresses heave compulsively and noticeably. The scenes are not romantic, so the sights evoke mixed responses. Quite similar is the predicament of the viewer: he finds it difficult to decide whether pride and prejudice can peacefully or co-exist with romance and humour, blood and gore.

Rating: **1/2

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syjfmdvLu9c

FICCI FLO Film Festival, Report, I: FLO Mo

Known for organising India’s biggest three-day Media and Entertainment conclave in March every year, FRAMES, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) held its first film festival in the city of Mumbai, during February 18-20, a fortnight after the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) and six weeks before FRAMES. It was organised by the FICCI Ladies Organisation, FLO. Unfortunately, due to a host of reasons, FICCI FLO Film Festival (FFFF) failed to attract audiences.

I learnt about FFFF from Rashmi Lamba, who managed The Hub (interactive round-table groups on documentary and short films) at MIFF and has been managing the Film Bazaar at Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI)’s Mumbai Film Festival (MFF) too. FLO had appointed her the Creative Director of the festival. I also chanced to meet Devyani Padode, a publisher and the Chairperson of the Mumbai Chapter of FLO. They told me that this was a women’s festival, showcasing works of women film-makers and/or women protagonists. The credo was Reel Women Power. Sounded interesting, and I agreed to attend it, as well as write about it.

Rashmi wanted me to write about the Hub too. I went to the MIFF Hub twice, but she was not available. Later, I asked her to send me an overview of what transpired at the Hub, and based on that information, I would then work-out my piece. Nothing came. FFFF was variously reported as an event to be held during 15-20 February/17-20 February/18-20 February. On their website, I learnt that 15 and 16 February were workshop days and 17th was a Symposium.

Three workshops were lined-up at the Films Division premises, which is where MIFF was held. There was no mention of the venue on the FFFF website for the Global Symposium, which was presented by the Geena Davis (Oscar winning actress) Institute on Gender in Media, the second to be held outside the US. Entry was to be ‘By Invitation Only. The Symposium was sponsored by ITVS, the largest Independent Television Service in USA. Film shows were confined to three days, 18-20 February.

No press conference was held, to the best of my knowledge. All my attempts to register as a media-person proved futile, for a week at least. Even after registration, no invitation was received, to visit any of the workshops, or to attend the symposium. Though I was accredited at the Government of India’s Make in India national mega-event, that clashed head-on with FFFF, being spread over 14-18 February, I would have still found time to go to the film screenings, cinema being a greater attraction for me than sessions on industrial progress.

Yes, I do regret not going down to Pedder Road on Thursday, the 18th, afternoon, after the 4 ½ day (public access) Make in India closed its doors, but I was just too tired to travel the 15 km distance. So, my first visit to the campus of the Films Division (FD) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, to join the FLO, was on Friday afternoon. I was guided by Rashmi to the media registration desk, where Priyanka Das gave me a wristband, identifying me as a person from the Press. She also gave me paper carry bag, with the catalogue and the schedule inside. There were few people around, and I did not spot a single journalist over the next day-and-a-half. Shows flagged off at the inauguration the previous day, with lunch following, the three venues—J.B. Hall and RRIII theatre in the FD premises, and the nearby Russian Culture Centre—had sparse attendance on Friday. Not really a FLO, more like Slo Mo.

One look at the well-produced brochure and the handy schedule told me that a whole lot of personnel and corporate bodies had contributed, in cash and in effort, to put FFFF together. For the forty- two odd films screened, the festival sponsors and partners thanked for their participation numbered the same. With such support, a much better show could have been put up. But that’s another story.

Question arose, why were there only 42 films in three days and three venues? Because many films had repeat screenings. My introduction to FFFF came on Friday, the 18th, afternoon, with Inside Out, a documentary on girls who question why they are subjected to stares. Made by Divya Cowasji and Shilpa Gulati, students of the Centre for Media and Cultural Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, the film uses propped actors to contrast the plight of slum dwellers with that of independent city girls, vis-a-vis moving about freely. At 27 minutes, it seemed long and a bit repetitive. A girl holding a poster saying “Why are you looking at me?” was an interesting idea and a lasting image.

On its heels came Bharatmata Ki Jai, the name being a pun. Bharat is India and Bharatmata is Mother India. ‘Jai’ means ‘victory be’. Only in this case, the makers are referring to a cinema in central Mumbai, named Bharatmata, and not Mother India. Bharatmata has the unique distinction of screening only Marathi films, and never refusing to screen any Marathi film, big or small. Some very informative facts about the cinema hall’s history emerge in the course of the film. Overall, however, it remains a slightly above average student film. Made by four students of the TISS—Avadhoot Khanolkar, Arpita Chakraborty, Amol Ranjan, Shweta Radhakrishnan—it is 28 min long.

Siti, the most common abbreviation/pet name of Indonesian and Malaysian girls, along with Wati, was the title of an Indonesian fiction film, made in black and white. I caught it much into the second half, and even then, found a discreet exit the better option. Eddie Cahyono directed this 88 min effort, highlighting the plight of a woman whose husband is paralysed after his boat met with an accident. It was crawlingly slow, with most shots dimly lit, apparently in an attempt to recreate real-life ambience, which it did.

Mustang was a cute and touching story about five sisters in Turkey and the wrath they face for their innocent frolicking with boys from their school. A co-production between Turkey, Qatar, Germany and France, it is directed by Denise Gamze Ergüven. Mustang was a hot favourite at International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Goa, 2015, and was appreciated here too. At the spacious Russian Centre, the last two films for the day were No Problem: Six Months with the Barefoot Grandmamas, and Invoking Justice, both from India, and both long documentaries, almost an hour each.

Yasmin Kidwai had an appealing subject: middle-aged grand-mothers from Africa (women there marry rather early) travelling from under-developed countries to Tilonia, near Ajmer, Rajasthan, India, to learn the art of building, installing and maintaining solar panels, to provide electricity in their villages and small townships. I found some issues with the fact that India needs such panels as much as other countries do, perhaps more so, and the facility in Ajmer is too small to cater to such huge needs, so why were foreigners being trained at SWRC? Also, there was almost no information on the founder of the Barefoot College, Bunker Roy, though he appeared on camera 2-3 times. The term ‘Barefoot’ originated in China and its village health workers, and describes the concept of an organisation committed to the poor, neglected and marginalised sections of society.

In 1965, a young post-graduate student, Sanjit ‘Bunker’ Roy, volunteered to spend the summer working with famine-affected people in Palamu District, Bihar, now part of Jharkhand, one of the poorest of India’s states. His urban elitist upbringing had distanced him from poverty and destitution. This experience changed him, and formed the determination to fight poverty and inequality. It became his mission. The idea of the SWRC (Social Works and Research Centre), Tilonia, emerged from these concerns.

The subject apart, some of the footage was predictable, with the African women missing their families, while concurrently bonding with their teachers and local staff, till the final, tear-filled goodbye. It is a painstaking film, not an outstanding one. Deepa Dhanraj has a revolutionary theme in her hands when she focusses on the female Jamaat (community councils) among the orthodox Muslims of TamilNadu, in South India. Divorces, deaths and polygamy—these brave-hearts face them head on. Having established the concept and illustrated it with a couple of cases, the film then runs out of steam, just after the mid-way point. And yours truly runs out of the hall.

Watch out for the next instalment of my FFFF reports.

It happens around Christmas, so Carol is the quite the name of the season. Yes, there is snow and Christmas trees and gifts, but Carol is no innocent Santa Claus tale. Rather, it is an exquisitely woven love story, between two women. We can call them lesbians today, without looking over the shoulder, but when Patricia Highsmith wrote the novel, in Senator McCarthy’s America of the early 1950s, a time of witch-hunting, the term would surely invite wrath. Sixty-four years later, there are no such fears. 

Two women from very different backgrounds find themselves in an unexpected love affair in 1950s New York. A young woman in her 20s, Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara), is a clerk working in a Manhattan department store, and dreaming of a more fulfilling life as a photographer, when she meets Carol (Cate Blanchett), a customer, an alluring woman trapped in a loveless, convenient marriage. Therese's boyfriend, Richard (Jake Lacy), wants her to go to France with him and hopes they will marry. Carol is going through a difficult divorce from her neglectful husband, Harge (Kyle Chandler), with whom she has a young daughter, Rindy. As an immediate connection sparks between them, the innocence of their first encounter dims and their connection deepens. While Carol breaks free from the confines of marriage, Kyle begins to question her competence as a mother, as her lesbian involvement with Therese and close relationship with her best friend Abby (Sarah Paulson) come to light.

Based on The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith, Carol has a screenplay by playwright Phyllis Nagy. Nagy is best known for the HBO film, Mrs. Harris, written and directed by her, which premièred at The Toronto International Film Festival and went on to garner 12 Emmy nominations (including nominations for writing and directing), three Golden Globe nominations and two Screen Actors Guild award nominations. Highsmith, known for such milestones as Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley, died in 1995. An almost concomitant feature of stories that are published as novels is the attention to detail. When you add to that the give and take of a dialogue based play, you can rarely go wrong. Highsmith and Nagy have a happy bonding, a century apart in time. In 2014, 11 years after the project was started, there was no need at all to be subtle, understated, and platonic, but they were not making Blue is the Warmest Colour.

Todd Haynes directed and wrote all his films (Far From Heaven, I’m Not There, Velvet Goldmine, Safe) prior to Carol, and one can see why he reposed his faith in Nagy for Carol. He meticulously brings out the problems of the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’, while balancing and counterpoising the psyches of initiator and the uninitiated, in the sexual equation. On the surface, Therese Belivet might appear emotionless and dumb, but that is only relative to the charged and bold Carol Aird. One must also compliment him on his choice of music and the excellent sound-track by Carter Burwell that stays with you long after you have left the auditorium. A tad long, at 118 minutes, this slow film hardly ever drags, even when nothing monumental is happening.

Cate Blanchett (Australian, Blue Jasmine, The Aviator, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, I’m Not There) is wonderful, but she is not alone. Expressing sentiments, having scenes with a husband and a daughter, seducing a much younger girl--she gets so many opportunities to perform, and perform she does. Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Pan, Trash) has perhaps the more difficult role, of a lowly salesgirl, of Czechoslovakian parentage, who has no happiness but is a warm-hearted person, who gets attracted to a customer and finds herself in a forbidden love. It offers her few emoting points, yet she tugs at your heart. Not to be left behind is Kyle Chandler (The Wolf of Wall Street, Broken City, The Spectacular Now, Super 8, The Day the Earth Stood Still), who is naturally impactful.

Jake Lacy (Obvious Child, Intramural) makes an understanding boy-friend who has to face the prospect of his girl leaving him for another girl. As Rindy’s Godmother and Carol’s mysterious first affair, Sarah Paulson (12 Years a Slave, Mud, Game Change) is composed and confident. You are not going to like Cory Michael Smith (Tommy Tucker), but then who would like a private eye, snooping on the two protagonists of touching love story? John Magaro, as Dannie McElroy, who works for the New York Times, gets to kiss Mara, and that scene is handled with such maturity.

Much has been written about the end of the movie. More will be written. Good writing and worth-a-risk character stretching make the finale simplistic yet most effective, applying one stroke of black while splashing white with the other hand. There is almost no live sex in the film, and the bit that was has been snipped by the Central Board of Film Certification. If you get uncomfortable at the very mention of the words homosexual or lesbian, do stay away. If you can assimilate and appreciate a beautiful film about women finding ways to unravel their ambivalent sexuality, go for it.

A word about the Super 16 stock used to shoot the film. I am unaware of the stages it went through till it reached the NFDC Preview theatre on Tuesday, the 23rd of February 2016. Neverthless, both objects and humans looked very warm and lively. The only problems were the walls, which appeared granular and flaky.

Rating: ***1/2

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=679wr31SXWk

Excerpt from the novel, The Price of Salt, by Patricia Highsmith

“But Carol had not betrayed her. Carol loved her more than she loved her child. That was part of the reason why she had not promised. She was gambling now as she had gambled on getting everything from the detective that day on the road, and she lost then, too. And now she saw Carol's face changing, saw the little signs of astonishment and shock so subtle that perhaps only she in the world could have noticed them, and Therese could not think for a moment.”

Inspiration for the characters of Carol and Therese

“A blondish woman in a fur coat, (Kathleen Senn) who wafted into Macy’s in New York to buy her daughter a doll.” Highsmith was working there as a sales-girl during the Christmas rush. On her day off, she took a bus to New Jersey, found the woman’s house (from the address on the sales slip) and simply walked by it.

From the Back Cover

A chance encounter between two lonely women leads to a passionate romance in this lesbian cult classic. Therese, a struggling young sales clerk, and Carol, a homemaker in the midst of a bitter divorce, abandon their oppressive daily routines for the freedom of the open road, where their love can blossom. But their newly discovered bliss is shattered when Carol is forced to choose between her child and her lover.

Author Patricia Highsmith is best known for her psychological thrillers "Strangers on a Train" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley." Originally published in 1952 under a pseudonym, Claire Morgan, "The Price of Salt" was heralded as "the novel of a love society forbids." Highsmith's sensitive treatment of fully realised characters, who defy stereotypes about homosexuality, marks a departure from previous lesbian pulp fiction. Erotic, eloquent, and suspenseful, this story offers an honest look at the necessity of being true to one's nature.

About the Author

Patricia Highsmith (1921-95) won the O. Henry Award for her first published short story, "The Heroine." Her 22 novels and eight collections of short stories include such well-known books as" Strangers on a Train" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley." Highsmith engaged in sexual relationships with women as well as men, and "The Price of Salt" is regarded as highly autobiographical.

Tragic deaths

Kathryn Cohen, one of Highsmith’s lesbian lovers, a 54-year-old woman, killed herself by taking an overdose of barbiturates. One lover, Allela Cornell, drank nitric acid, suffering a long and painful death. In 1953, Highsmith left another lover, Ellen Hill, to attempt suicide, after a blazing row, but she survived. Following sporadic treatment for her alcoholism, Virginia Kent Catherwood died in 1966, at the age of 51. And Kathleen Senn--the woman whom Highsmith glimpsed in Bloomingdale’s--killed herself by carbon monoxide poisoning, in the garage of her home.

An Australia-United States co-production, Gods of Egypt was shot in Australia, predominantly on green screens, at Fox Studios, Sydney. Most ‘Egyptian’ Gods are played by Caucasian actors and the boundaries between earth, the sky, heaven, hell, man, god, ferocious bird, plasto-metallic creatures, life and death, are all blurred. CGI, forced perspective, shooting with two cameras side-by-side, motion control, are the flavours of the day.

Authenticity is conspicuous by its absence. Remember, it is mythology in the first place, so, at best, you would expect the film to stay true to the ancient myths, which is a contradiction in terms too. Gods of Egypt has plenty of high adrenaline action, well executed, except for the rare CGI or VFX glitch. Now do you want to look for histrionics and subtleties, or would you rather sit back and let the roller-coaster take you for that thrilling ride?

Magic, monsters, gods and madness reign throughout the palaces and pyramids of the Nile River Valley. With the survival of mankind hanging in the balance, an unexpected hero takes a thrilling journey to save the world and rescue his true love. Set (Gerard Butler), the merciless god of darkness, has usurped Egypt’s throne, by killing his father Osiris, plunging the once peaceful and prosperous empire into chaos and conflict. With only a handful of heroic rebels opposing Set’s savage rule, Bek (Brenton Thwaites), a bold and defiant mortal, madly in love with Zaya (Courtney Eaton) enlists the aid of powerful god Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), Set’s brother, who has been blinded by his jealous sibling, in an unlikely alliance against the evil overlord. Their breathtaking battle against Set and his henchmen takes Horus and Bek into the afterlife, and across the heavens. Both god and mortal must pass tests of courage and sacrifice if they hope to prevail in the spectacular final confrontation.

American writers Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless work as a team, and have to their credit Dracula Untold and The Last Witch Hunter. They should know a thing or two about neverland and the ‘third world’. It is a concoction that suspends your disbelief beyond belief. A God behaving worse than the greediest of men, killing his father and brother, and wreaking mayhem on a million hapless subjects, is enough to infuriate any God-fearing viewer. Having said that, now move on and look for the visuals: there are caves, caverns, towers, obelisks, space platforms, sphinxes, pyramids, underground passages, sword battles, spear battles, axe battles, machete battles, javelin battles, spike battles, transformations from man/god to beast and vice-versa, man/god to bird and vice versa, fire, fire, more fire, the dazzling light from the metallic shields carried by soldiers that blinds the opponent fighting in a one-to-one fight, eyes gouged out (mercifully covered by blue orbs), 100 clones of Thot in the same frame, some terrific top angles, some real precipice effects, all in 3D.

Director Alex(ander) Proyas (Dark City, Knowing, The Crow, I-Robot), 53, is an Australian born in Alexandria, Egypt. Is that where the inspiration came from? Proyas isn’t telling. This is what he told a publication, “The world of Gods of Egypt never really existed. It is inspired by Egyptian mythology, but it makes no attempt at historical accuracy, because that would be pointless — none of the events in the movie ever really happened. It is about as reality-based as Star Wars — which is not real at all ….Maybe one day, if I get to make further chapters, I will reveal the context of the when and where of the story. But one thing is for sure — it is not set in Ancient Egypt at all.” Australian, Scottish, French and American actors dominate the cast, with some of them having Maori, Chinese and Cambodian blood. Proyas has gone over the top in many places, and that can work two ways. It can destroy myths, or, it can take you on a joy-ride. Pace is unrelenting, but the goings on do get a little fuzzy and hazy from about half the film to about ¾ ths of it. Horus’ greed is never rationalised (can greed ever be?) and Hathor (Horus’s wife and later Set’s mistress)’s character remains ambivalent. Wise-cracking thief Bek is able to reach anywhere and penetrate any fortress with amazing alacrity. Why does Ra sit alone on the spacecraft needs to be explained, as does his killing by his grandson. Neither Ra, nor his son Osiris, have any idea of the kind of being Horus is, which is highly questionable. Humour helps the film along, whether it comes from Bek or Thot, though one would expect some more maturity from a god in his ministry.

Getting Gerard Butler (Olympus Has Fallen, The Bounty Hunter, Law Abiding Citizen) to play the ungodly would appear a casting coup of sorts. He has the mean look and the crazy eyes, with a physique to go with them. The Scottish accent may be out of place, for this Canadian-Scot who trained to be a lawyer, but you cannot ignore his screen presence. The umpteenth actor to emerge from Game of Thrones, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is Danish. On the big screen, his appearances include Black Hawk Down, Wimbledon, Kingdom of Heaven, Game of Thrones. Blinded, fought, humiliated, imprisoned, fought, humiliated, his is a case of survival against all odds. Not much acting required.

Elodie Yung (G.I. Joe: Retaliation, District 13: Ultimatum, The Girl with Dragon Tattoo) is a French actress of Cambodian descent. Her features look more Asian than any of the others. Playing Hathor, she offers to become Set’s mistress in return for sparing Horus’s life. Besides that major  sacrifice, there is little she has to do in the film. Abbey Lee Kershaw (Mad Max: Fury Road, Ruben Guthrie), an Australian model, plays Set’s consort, Anak, in a minor role. Australian, with Maori, Chinese and English blood, Courtney Eaton (debut Mad Max: Fury Road) wants to work with Baz Luhrmann. Portraying Zaya in Gods of Egypt is a good beginning, but she will need a wider portfolio.

Brenton Thwaites (Maleficent, Oculus, The Giver), Australian, 26, looks much younger than his age on screen, and though he is 1.87m in height (5’10”), looks much shorter, according to his role. (All the mortals are normal height, but Horus, Set, Thoth, Anubis and Hathor are very tall and otherworldly). Thwaites is bouncy and excited, and it is a plum role. Coming to the bossman, or rather, Chadwick Boseman (The Kill Hole, 42, Draft Day, Get on Top) plays Thot, the only black character I can recall. Here’s another guy who can carry a joke. There is a complex scene of his own multiple images where he had to stand for hours and other actors had to be called for three days, because the shot had to be taken hundreds of times.

Rating: **1/2

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMVxECWC-vk

On the casting ‘faux pas’

Alex Proyas: “The process of casting a movie has many complicated variables, but it is clear that our casting choices should have been more diverse. I sincerely apologize to those who are offended by the decisions we made.”

Lionsgate (producers): “We recognize that it is our responsibility to help ensure that casting decisions reflect the diversity and culture of the time periods portrayed. In this instance, we failed to live up to our own standards of sensitivity and diversity, for which we sincerely apologize. Lionsgate is deeply committed to making films that reflect the diversity of our audiences. We have, can and will continue to do better.”

45 Years, Review: 95 minutes of great cinema

A tender and touching British film waits you in the shape of 45 Years. If you have had enough of mass destructive action, comic superheroes and animation, try this slice of life that challenges you to find artificiality in either the narrative or in the performances. No action at all, no heroes, no animation, very little comedy, a few dies of subtle humour, and the sex quotient is a lesson in bedroom manners.

The film takes place across six days, marked by inter-titles.

News of the discovery of a body in the Swiss Alps shakes the easy-going life of a childless British provincial couple, Geoff (Tom Courtenay) and Kate Mercer (Charlotte Rampling), living in Norfolk. The woman had slipped into the fissure on a glacier and died 50 years ago, when the husband, was dating her. Now happily married, for 45 years, he has not talked about his earlier affair to his wife, except in passing, and as he gets jolted by the news of the amazing discovery, uneasiness and tensions surface. The couple had to cancel their 40th wedding anniversary because of his heart by-pass surgery, and are now planning to celebrate their 45th anniversary instead, with dozens of friends, at the Assembly House in Norwich.

Prodded by Kate, Geoff talks about his relationship with Katya and thoughts evoked by the discovery of her body. He tells Kate that he and Katya had pretended to be married, in order to be able to share a room in the more puritanical early 1960s. Because of this, the Swiss authorities consider him to be Katya's next of kin. Kate is troubled by the revelation. While Geoff is attending a reunion luncheon at the plant from which he retired, Kate, climbs up into the attic, to see what things her husband may be keeping there. She finds a carousel slide projector, loaded with images of Switzerland and Katya, next to a make-shift screen to view them. One slide shows Katya with her hand on her protruding abdomen, indicating Katya was pregnant at the time of her death.

Though it unfolds quite like a play, it is, in fact, based on a short story, featured in the compilation, In Another Country by David Constantine, now 71. Categorically not factual, the basic premise arose from a real incident. Holidaying in France some 15 years ago, Constantine heard of the discovery of a twenty-something mountain guide, who had fallen down a glacial crevasse, in Chamonix, in the 1930s. Seventy years on, the retreating ice released its hold on the guide’s body, which the son he had fathered before his death, was taken to identify. The shocking sight of his father--perfectly preserved in his prime, while he himself approached his eighties--tipped the son towards insanity.

In the film, Geoff does not go to identify the body, and it is the woman who dies, not the guide. But more than the tragic accident, it is the ambience that Constantine recreates, and the life of the couple that he captures, that effuse genius (read excerpt below). Also, do not miss the references to British politics, Fascism and global warming. They are inherent in the scenario, yet obviously and cleverly inserted to create a sub-text. Screenplay by Andrew Haigh works out the plot with great economy and consistency, and even the characters who are given brief or no screen time seem familiar and omnipresent. These include two dogs, one already dead when the story begins. Sensitive and smoothly edited (Haigh used to be an assistant editor and worked on films like Gladiator and Black Hawk Dawn), the film forms lump after lump in your throat. Director Andrew Haigh (Greek Pete, Weekend) has shown remarkable maturity for a relatively new entrant in the field. British English is easy to follow, without any Scotttish, Welsh or Cockney accents. Attention to detail, like sets, locales and lighting, is another quality he oozes in good measure. Perhaps the only little shortcoming is the lack of natural cutting points in the editing pattern.

Tom Courtenay and Charlotte Rampling are both a delight. 78-year-old Courtenay (Dr. Zhivago, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Billy Liar, The Dresser) never lets you feel that he has done far fewer films than an actor of his calibre should have. Rampling, who turned 70 on February 5, by contrast, has been prolific--Georgy Girl, The Damned, The Night Porter, Farewell, My Lovely, Stardust Memories, The Verdict , Max, Mon Amour , Swimming Pool , Melancholia).

Both have equally charged roles: Courtenay the colder of the two, more aloof, a heart patient, smoking occasionally against medical advice, strong political views; Rampling the more practical, more social, the one who takes control of their lives, nurses him in his ill-health, and above all, who has to accept reject an affair that pre-dated their marriage. How can you choose between the two? But I can understand why more film-buffs rate Rampling’s portrayal a notch higher. The pair share an uncomfortable sex scene—the first in Courtenay’s career, it was meant to be uncomfortable

Geraldine James (Mirabehn in Gandhi, Mrs. Hudson in Sherlock Holmes; now 65) as Lena, Dolly Wells (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Bridget Jones’ Diary) as Charlotte and David Sibley (Gandhi, Closed Circuit, The Sleeping Room; also a professional photographer; now 67) as George provide solid, unobtrusive support.

At 95 minutes, 45 Years manages to assimilate the ambience of the childless home of an elderly couple, post-retirement emptiness and unfulfilled desires, and countryside camaraderie, into a brilliant matrix.

Rating: ****

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg5cpiX18TA

Excerpt from the short story

What worried Mrs Mercer suddenly took shape. Into the little room came a rush of ghosts. She sat down opposite him and both felt cold.

That Katya, she said.

Yes, he said. They’ve found her in the ice.

I see, said Mrs Mercer. After a while she said: I see you found your book.

Yes, he said. It was behind the pickles. You must have put it there.

I suppose I must, she said.

It was an old Cassell’s. There were words in the letter, in the handwriting, he could not make out and words in the dictionary he could hardly find, in the old Gothic script; still, he had understood.

Years since I read a word of German, he said. Funny how it starts coming back to you when you see it again.

I daresay, said Mrs Mercer. The folded cloth lay between them on the polished table.

It’s this global warming, he said, that we keep hearing about.

What is? she asked.

Why they’ve found her after all this time. Though he was the one with the information his face seemed to be asking her for help with it.

The snow’s gone off the ice, he said. You can see right in. And she’s still in there just the way she was.

I see, said Mrs Mercer.

She would be, wouldn’t she, he added, when you come to think about it.

Yes, said Mrs Mercer, when you come to think about it I suppose she would.

Again, with his face and with a slight lifting of his mottled hands he seemed to be asking her to help him comprehend.

Well, she said after a pause during which she drew the cloth towards her and folded it again and then again. Can’t sit here all day. I’ve got my club.

Yes, he said. It’s Tuesday. You’ve got your club.

She rose and made to leave the room but halted in the door and said: What are you going to do about it?

Do? he said. Oh nothing. What can I do?

All day in a trance. Katya in the ice, the chaste snow drawn off her.

He cut himself shaving, stared at his face, tried to fetch out the twenty-year-old from under his present skin. Trickle of blood, pink froth where it entered the soap.

He tried to see through his eyes into wherever the soul or spirit or whatever you call it lives that doesn’t age with the casing it is in.

The little house oppressed him. There were not enough rooms to go from room to room in, nowhere to pace.

He looked into the flagstone garden but the neighbours either side were out and looking over.

It drove him only in his indoor clothes out and along the road a little way to where the road went down suddenly steeply and the estate of all the same houses was redeemed by a view of the estuary, the mountains and the open sea.

He stood there thinking of Katya in the ice. Stood there so long the lady whose house he was outside standing there came out and asked: Are you all right, Mr Mercer?

Fine, he said, and saw his own face mirrored in hers, ghastly.

I’m too old, he thought. I don’t want it all coming up in me again. We’re both of us too old. We don’t want it all welling up in us again.

But it had begun.

In Another Country: Selected Stories, and The Life-Writer, by David Constantine, are both published by Comma Press.

London Has Fallen, Review:The Butler did it

If he can save the White House, can London be far behind? To be accurate, it never really fell. Yes, London Bridge was blown up. A few hundred armed terrorists, with a few dozen combat vehicles, had gained access to the city’s communications network, donned local police uniforms, blown-up most of the historical monuments and deployed surface to air missiles locked at the escaping US President’s helicopter, and all was well, until Mike Banning decided enough was enough. Mike Banning, the President’s indispensable body-guard, is the name of the character played by producer-hero Gerard Butler, a role he reprises after the hit outing, Olympus Has Fallen. It doesn’t matter what or who has fallen. Butler hasn’t.

In London, the British Prime Minister has died under mysterious circumstances, and his funeral is a must-attend event for dozens of heads of state of the Western world, with Japan not to be left out. What starts out as the most protected event on Earth turns into a deadly plot to kill the world's most powerful assembly of leaders, and unleash a terrifying vision of the future. Several political supremos are assassinated by a group of Middle-East based arms dealers, who have infiltrated local security personnel, in retaliation for the death of their chief’s daughter in a drone strike meant to terminate the men, who survive.

The American President manages to escape from the London attacks, though he is unable to leave the city and fly back home. The only hope of stopping the mass destruction rests on the shoulders of the U.S. President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart), his formidable US Secret Service lead agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler), who is protecting him, Vice President Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman), who takes over the command centre in Washington, and British MI6 agent Jacquelin Marshall (Charlotte Riley), who, rightly, trusts no one.

Olympus Has Fallen had North Korean villains. This time, they are Middle Eastern/Pakistani. London Has Fallen is written by the same team that wrote Olympus, Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt, with additional inputs from two prodigies close to Butler. Rothenberger (an active supporter of Disabled American Veterans) and Benedikt, born in Reykjavík, Iceland, are a married couple. They first met in a screen-writing class in Philadelphia about fourteen years ago. Both quit their corporate jobs and embarked on a writing career. It took them a long time (over 20 ready scripts) before Olympus Has Fallen was bought. That was followed by Expendables 3.

Some years ago, Warner offered Chad St. John the job of writing a revenge movie that didn’t have any dialogue in it. St. John was up to the challenge, and he came-up with an impressive screenplay that had less than a dozen lines of spoken words, in just over 70 pages. It’s been on the ‘Black List’ of scripts since 2009. After going through an ever-changing list of leading men, Gerard Butler was the choice and production began. Soon afterwards, legal issues surfaced, and the project was shelved. St. John, in the meanwhile, had impressed St. Butler!

Christian Gudegast was set to direct a film called Den of Thieves, from his own script, co-written with Paul Scheuring, in which a legendary bank heist crew decides to rob the Federal Reserve in Los Angeles, right under the nose of a rogue sheriff’s deputy. Gerard Butler and Sam Worthington were to star. Sadly, 16 years after the basic plot was penned, the film has yet to see completion. So, why not take him on aboard for London Has Fallen, felt Butler. Between them, they manage a tight beginning, a thrilling premise and some lighter moments—the scene of the Italian Prime Minister and his lady companion (wife?) for one. They also get into the mushy wife and kid, and duty v/s family, routine, that fails to strike a chord.

“Vengeance must always be profound and absolute” pontificates the arch-villain, with cold menace. In the footsteps of Bond villains, to be sure, but Barkawi fails to strike terror with his looks and manner. Some witty dialogue peppers the first few scenes, including the reference to the Presidential race, when the Pres is jogging! How in heavens could the bad guys penetrate everything and everywhere needs to be explained. One traitor, however high in the hierarchy, is not enough to unsettle a whole country. Could be a case of scissors pruning the length to remain manageable (it is 1 hour 39 min long), but that is no excuse for the jump cut that shows the President and his Shield Friday reaching the besieged city centre on foot, after their helicopter is shot down outside the city. Clever turning points include the electric power supply trick towards the end.

Is it a mere co-incidence or is there more to it? The director is a man named Babak Najafi Karami (Sebbe, Easy Money II: The City of Misguided), an Iranian Swede, who does not use the last name (born in Karami, Iran, in 1975; the family moved to Sweden when he was 11)! Besides North Korea and Pakistan/Afghanistan/Iraq, America has perceived Iran as a rogue state too. Najafi’s favourite directors are Fatih Akin and Alejandro González Iñárritu. Obviously, he has a lot still to learn from both. Action and VFX are just above par, with the helicopter scenes standing out.

London is well-captured, and promoted, except for the mayhem on display, reducing landmarks to shambles. Half-an-hour into the film, you lose track of who’s who in the supporting cast, but for the Vice-President (how can you lose track of Morgan Freeman?). Gerard Butler is producer, star and one-man army. He is also indestructible. Najafi fails to rein-in this vanity trip. Where does he score, in comparison to Antoine Fuqua’s helming of Olympus? Not very high. And with several main characters and two original writers carried over, he cannot escape the propensity of sequel audiences to indulge in the practice of comparing.

Gerard Butler (Tomorrow Never Dies, Phantom of the Opera, A Law-Abiding Citizen, 300), scowls, howls, dominates, intimidates, stares, glares and flares. Tall and athletically built, he has a square jaw and highly animated mouth, which still delivers dialogue with a Scottish drawl. Aaron Eckhart (American-British; The Dark Knight, The Rum Diary, Olympus Has Fallen) is a much more gifted actor, in spite of his long face and statuesque frame. He infuses some life in a stock character, taking off from Olympus. Morgan Freeman was the Speaker of the House in Olympus, and has been promoted in the sequel. As always, he exudes quiet dignity as a senior position bearer, something he has done at least a dozen times before. There is smart ploy to add a touch of suspense to his allegiance.

Israeli actor Alon Aboutboul (Rambo III, Body of Lies, The Dark Night Rises) is cast as Aamir Barkawi, the gun-runner bent on vengeance. His features go well with the region the baddie operates from. There is a quiet cold-bloodedness about him, but nothing that would make you tremble. Mrs. Leah Banning is Radha (Rani Amber Indigo Ananda) Mitchell, who grew up in Melbourne, the daughter of a model-turned-fashion-designer mother and film-maker father, who divorced when she was young. Film outings include Melinda and Melinda, Finding Neverland and Phone Booth. It’s a sympathetic role, and you almost want Butler to give up his job for wife and son. And he almost does. England-born Indian Shivani Ghai (Bride and Prejudice, Everywhere and Nowhere, The Bounty Hunter) features as part of the Mansoor family, with little screen time.

Also in the cast are Waleed Zuaiter as Kamran Barkawi (the son), Adel Bencherif as Raza Mansoor (part of the revenge plot executors), Mehdi Dehbi (Sultan Mansoor, brother), Angela Bassett as the Director of the United States Secret Service (nice little cameo), Melissa Leo as Ruth McMillan, the United States Secretary of Defense and Charlotte Riley as Jacquelin Marshall (reasonable footage, but little to emote).

Hear Ye, Hear Ye…Members of the American Secret Services, don’t even think of quitting. Other qualifying Americans, do think of enlisting. Filmgoers round the world, don’t write off the franchise yet.  For we still have San Francisco, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Tokyo, Ottawa…

Rating: **1/2

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMbyPhQo75A

Zootopia, Review: Viewtopia

Zootopia (known as Zootropolis in some countries) is Disney’s 55th animated feature, in 3D computer graphics. The theme--unlikely buddies teaming-up to solve a crime--is not exactly a novel idea in Hollywood productions, but buddy comedy-drama takes an entirely new meaning when the buddies happen to be a rabbit and a fox, and the villains are animals too, for this make-believe tale is set in Zootopia, a highly civilised, modern and automated mammal world, sans human beings. Though there are no humans on screen, it will be a very good idea if you place yourself in the audience, for 108 minutes of unadulterated fun.

Zootopia is a gleaming metropolis, populated by anthropomorphic mammals, divided in several districts including Sahara Square, Tundratown, Little Rodentia, and the Rainforest District. Judy Hopps, a rabbit from rural Bunnyburrow, goes through rigorous training and fulfills her dream of joining the Zootopia Police Department, as the first rabbit officer. However, she is regularly assigned parking duty by Chief Bogo, turning her into a mere Meter Maid. Nobody had ever expected a bunny to join the force; they all thought that the right vocation for rabbits was carrot farming.

One day, a Mrs. Otterton, an otter, arrives, pleading help to locate her missing husband, one of the fourteen mammals recently gone missing. Bogo tries to stall her, but, to his dismay, Hopps volunteers, and even accepts Bogo’s condition that she will have to resign if she cannot solve the case within 48 hours. Nick Wilde, a fast-talking fox who’s trying to make it, big goes on the run as a key witness of Mr. Otter’s disappearance. Hopps locates him and coerces him to assist her with the investigation, lest he be charged with tax evasion, which he openly admitted and Judy recorded with her carrot pen. But when both become targets of a conspiracy, they’re forced to team up and discover that even natural enemies can become best friends.

Six story-writers, two screenplay writers and three directors form the creative team that has put-together this project. Some names are common, and the ensemble behind-the screen cast has done a commendable job. Rich Moore (Wreck it Ralph) came on-board late 2014. He moved the story away from Nick to Judy. Byron Howard co-directed Bolt and Tangled.

The duo does not deny the influence of Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington on their narrative. The third name in the directing department is Jared Bush (Big Hero 6, Creative Leadership; Penn Zero, Part-Time Hero, Co-Creator, Executive Producer and Writer: Zootopia, Co-Director and Writer). Besides the directors, the story credits include Phil Johnston, Jennifer Lee, Joshie Trinidad and Jim Reardon. There were 1,97,136 story panels created for Zootopia. All that effort gelled together to give us an immensely watchable animal drama, full of human emotions and allegories, including language humour and a key twist that depends on cracking the meaning of the term ‘night howlers’.

Movement and body finish are given special attention. You can actually distinguish animal fur, which is not common in the genre. Don’t feel too self conscious if a wolf-whistle escapes you when Gazelle comes on—she is really something. Also, keep your laughs and applauses reserved for the sloth scenes, and think of the slothful officials who take ages to respond. So what if the story is about cocooning, ambition, abuse of power, greed, confidence tricksters, stereo-typing, crime boss and other familiar human subjects seen in movies over the last 100 years? It’s the blending and presentation that matters.

Voices are uniformly good, and help make the animals human. You can rarely go wrong with the likes of Ginnifer Goodwin, J.K. Simmons, Idris Elba and Jason Bateman. Without individual comments, here is the list.

·         Ginnifer Goodwin as Officer Judy Hopps; Della Saba voices a younger Judy.

·         Jason Bateman as Nicholas P. "Nick" Wilde; Kath Soucie voices a younger Nick Wilde.

·         Idris Elba as Chief Bogo.

·         J.K. Simmons as Leodore Lionheart, a noble lion who is the Mayor of Zootopia.

·         Tommy Chong as Yax, an enlightened laid-back Yak who is the owner of the naturist club Mystic Springs Oasis.

·         Octavia Spencer as Mrs. Otterton.

·         Jenny Slate as Dawn Bellwether, a sweet sheep, who is the assistant mayor of Zootopia.

·         Shakira as Gazelle, a gazelle from Sahara Square, who is a famous pop star and has a lot of fans (chuckle at the visual interpretation of Gazelle, and enjoy Shakira’s sensual vocals).

·         Nate Torrence as Officer Benjamin Clawhauser, an obese cheetah who works as a dispatcher/receptionist for the Zootopia Police Department.

·         Bonnie Hunt as Bonnie Hopps, the mother of Judy Hopps.

·         Don Lake as Stu Hopps, the father of Judy Hopps and a carrot farmer.

·         Alan Tudyk as Duke Weaselton, a small-time weasel crook from Little Rodentia. (Remember the Duke of Weselton from Frozen, also voiced by Tudyk?)

·         Raymond S. Persi as Flash, the "fastest" three-toed sloth in the DMV (short for Department of Mammal Vehicles).

·         Maurice LaMarche as Mr. Big (a Bond villain was named Mr. Big; an arctic shrew who is the most fearsome crime boss in Tundratown.

·         Tom Lister, Jr. as Finnick, a fennec fox who is Nick's partner in crime.

·         Jesse Corti as Manchas.

·         John DiMaggio as Jerry Jumbeaux Jr., an African elephant who owns an elephant ice cream parlor called Jumbeaux's Café.

·         Leah Latham as Fru Fru, the daughter of Mr. Big, who disapproves of her father doing his crime business.

·         Kristen Bell as Priscilla, a sloth who is Flash's co-worker at the DMV.

·         Gita Reddy as Nangi, an elephant that works as a yoga instructor at Mystic Springs Oasis. (The word ‘nangi’ means naked in Hindi. Wonder what made them choose such a name; Canadian actress Gita is now 48; was seen in Eat Pray Love, Dogs Lie, Indian Fish in American Waters, The Bourne Legacy).

·         Rich Moore as Doug, a sheep chemist that works for Deputy Mayor Bellwether (also a co-director on this film).

·         Byron Howard as Bucky Oryx-Antlerson (co-director of the film).

·         Jared Bush as Pronk Oryx-Antlerson (also a writer on this film).

Zootopia deserves a viewTopia, and age is no bar.

Rating: ***1/2

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgzS_2as8EA

13 Hours-The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, Review: Michael? No Bay!

This 144 minute film is a good 44 minutes too long for its own good. It reconfirms the golden rule that true stories are not necessarily film material, unless worked-on real hard by a team of talented individuals, more behind the camera than in front of it. That it is produced and directed by Michael Bay adds to the disappointment. How accurate it is, in terms of recent history, is a matter of debate, both in the USA and in Libya. How inaccurate it is, in terms of hitting cinematic bulls eye, is too apparent to debate.

13 Hours-The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi sets its story in 2012, in Benghazi, Libya, which, they say, was ‘named’ as one of the most dangerous places in the world at that time, and all countries had pulled their embassies out of the country, in fear of an attack by militants. (There was a campaign to oust President Muammar Gaddafi, a staunch critic of the US, and many believed that the campaign was orchestrated by the US). The United States, however, kept a diplomatic outpost open in the city.

Less than a mile away was a not-so-secret CIA outpost called The Annex, which is protected by a team of Private Military Contractors ‘Global Response Staff’, made up of former special operations personnel. New to the place is Jack Da Silva (Krasinski), who arrives in Benghazi by flight and is picked up at the airport by Tyrone S. "Rone" Woods (Dale), a member of the team and a personal friend of Da Silva. Arriving at the Annex, Da Silva is introduced to the rest of the team and the chief Bob (Costabile), who constantly gives the team strict reminders to never engage the citizens, to avoid conflict with possible militants in the area.

The U.S. Ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens (Letscher) arrives in Benghazi, from the capital Tripoli, to maintain diplomatic connections, amidst the political and social chaos. Despite warnings, Ambassador Stevens decides to stay at the Special Mission, with limited protection from a pair of Diplomatic Security Agents (DSAs), and guards hired from the local ‘17-Feb’ militia. On the morning of the eleventh anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Stevens notices suspicious men taking pictures of the compound, and notifies his security team. That night, a group of Islamic militants assault the compound.

A covert and controversial military operation made its way to the book 13 Hours: A Firsthand Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi by Mitchell Zuckoff, which was given to Chick Hogan to turn into a screenplay, by Paramount. Zuckoff had previously authored six previous non-fiction books, including the New York Times bestsellers Lost in Shangri-La and Frozen in Time. He is a professor of journalism at Boston University. The company had bought film rights even before the book was published. Chuck Hogan is the author of several acclaimed novels, including Devils in Exile and The Killing Moon.  The Town was awarded the Hammett Prize for excellence in crime writing, and named one of the ten best novels of the year by Stephen King.  He is also the co-author, with Guillermo del Toro, of the international bestseller The Strain. Co-writer and director Ben Affleck adapted his novel Prince of Thieves into a film, retitled The Town. When Hogan’s agent came to him with the proposal to adapt the book, he said "We have this great story, it's about Benghazi," and Hogan says he felt, “Oh my gosh, I don't want to wade into that morass!” But he thought about it, and felt that there was story in it, about the people, not the politics.  Hogan had the screenplay ready by 2014.

Directed by Michael Bay (music videos, Bad Boys/2, The Rock, Armageddon, Transformers x 4), 13 Hours-The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi lends itself to polarised right wing and left wing views. As a film-maker, that should be the least of his concerns. What he could reflect upon are directorial decisions like throwing hordes of Libyans in swarm after swarm at the facility, when a single, large force would have sufficed. If the Libyans were so serious about destroying the base, they should have brought the decisive mortar launchers in the first hour, not the 13th. The way he has shot the repeated arrival of militia groups, each arrival followed by the same question to the Chief, “Are you expecting any ‘friendlies’?” reduces it to comedy. Snipers on the roof are standard military issue. So what new do we learn by watching them go on and on, and die in the end? Detailing is good, action thrilling and crowd scenes well-executed, especially the two road-block scenes. Drone shots are breath-taking, as most drone shots usually are. Too many characters keep coming and going, and, after a while, it impossible to remember either names or designations. Is this in the class of Michael? No Bay!

James Badge Dale (The Departed, Iron Man 3, The Lone Ranger, The Walk) is hard-nosed, a real tough guy. John Krasinski is handsome, has a long face, a long nose, and vulnerability beneath the uniform. Somewhat type-cast is Pablo Schreiber as Kris "Tanto" Paronto, a former U.S. Army Ranger. Matt Letscher looks like an Ambassador, but his motivations are vague. Toby Stephens as Glen "Bub" Doherty, a Global Response Staff (GRS) officer, security team member, and good friend of Jack Da Silva arrives with a rescue team and exudes strength amidst impossible odds.

What do you know? There is a female in the cast too. Ah yes. There was one, wasn’t there? French actress Alexia Barlier (Viper in the Fist, Conversations With My Gardener, What We Did on Our Holiday) plays Sona Jillani, an undercover CIA officer, posing as an Exxon Oil representative. How did I miss that detail? Sona means gold in the Indian sub-continent and Jilani (not Jillani) is a common Muslim surname. Was there somebody with this name? Or is it a mere pseudonym? David Costabile is the guy they keep asking for permission to launch an attack, and he keeps saying no. It is a role that evokes no sympathy and another one that questions motivation, though he does have an official line as an excuse. Given these facts, Costabile is okay. Andrei Claude as Bandolier, the leader of a militia who carry out the attacks on the US embassy and CIA annex in Benghazi, is seen time and again only in passing.  As the interpreter Amahl (could that be Amal mis-spelt?) who is forced to turn gun-wielding killer, Peyman Moaadi is effective.

Closing titles reveal that all of the members of the Annex security team have since retired and live with their families.

This time around, Michael Bay is unable to address or engage either young adults, adult adults or old adults, among the general audiences. Militarily inclined, 30+ viewers, especially those with young children, might find something to take home. They may also wonder whether governments should have bases and diplomatic outposts in areas of conflict, especially if they “do not exist” officially.

Rating: **

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CJBuUwd0Os

One opinion

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/01/15/review-michael-bays-13-hours-is-a-coded-message/207993

Michael Bay’s response to a posting on the website, Deadline

Regarding Yesterday’s ‘Deadline’ Article

Posted on Michael Bay’s website, michaelbay.com, on Jan 26, 2016

Shame on you Deadline. Your article “Libyan Filmmakers Question Authenticity Of Michael Bay’s 13 Hours” is downright shoddy and irresponsible journalism.

Deadline writer, Ali Jaafar, did not call me for comment. He actually just spoke to one Libyan director, Osama Rezg, trying to promote his movie. Note the poster of his film at the head of the piece.

It’s nice to know Deadline now promotes fellow directors talking ill of other directors. This Libyan director reviewed the film by only looking at the 2-minute trailer. He said, “Just from the trailer, you can see it’s not Libya.” Well, my fellow director – it’s now becoming an ISIS stronghold, so Americans are sort of, not welcome in that neck of the woods. In fact in the NYT today, they announced that the Pentagon is opening a new third front on ISIS: Libya. (The film was shot in Malta and Morocco).

Director Osama Rezg says “I wish Director Michael Bay would have spoken to us.” I do too, Osama. You say none of my actors were Libyan. Hard to tell by the trailer, but we had over 24 Libyan people on our cast. They all left after the revolution, to the safety of Malta. We even had Libyan advisors who were at the compound that day. As well as a Libyan who was Stevens’ very close friend and was supposed to see him at his brother’s wedding party that night he died. Chris decided not to go that night, which proved to be a deadly decision.

Osama, you say, “Even what characters were wearing is not authentic to what a Libyan would wear.” Well you should take that up with my Oscar winning costume designer, Deborah Scott. She’s pretty sharp at researching history. She did the Titanic. All I know is we matched the FBI-released Consulate surveillance photos on that night, September 11th 2012. Maybe you didn’t see those?

And I know Libyans, as you say, “We were saddened by Chris Stevens’ death, we mourned for him.” In the trailer it shows—oh shit—it’s only in the movie where you see over 100,000 people mourning the death of Chris Stevens in the streets of Libya.

Osama I’m glad you got everything off your chest that you didn’t like in the trailer, and promoted your movie after slamming my name. Good luck on your film.

As for the Deadline writer, he actually changed the original title from ‘Filmmakers’ to ‘Filmmaker,’ because he got wind from Deadline staff that he might have not done the best fact-checking.

Note to writer: if you change the title to cover your honesty tracks, then change the words “filmmakers” in the body of your piece as well. Just a thought.

Michael Bay

Triple 9, Review: 9 pins

If bodies count in a crime drama, the body count in Triple 9 is very high. In fact, hardly anybody is left alive in the end. So that makes it morbid. Decapitation and gore galore make it really blood-curdling. Cops and criminals mixing and mingling, while betraying and killing each other, make it confusing. High-profile robberies, blackmail, drug dealers, buddy-buddy cops, uncle-nephew, brother-brother, alcoholic cop, titillation (if the censors have let it pass), betrayal, smashed cars, blown-up buildings… welcome to Triple 9.

In Atlanta, Georgia, criminals Michael Atwood, Russell Welch and his brother Gabe, along with two corrupt cops; Marcus Belmont and Franco Rodriguez, rob a bank to retrieve a safe deposit box. The box contains information that could overturn the recent conviction of a Russian Mafia boss. When Michael brings the safe deposit box to the boss' wife, Irina, she with-holds their reward money, and blackmails Michael and his crew to undertake another mission, which involves breaking into a government office and stealing more data on her husband. To coerce them to take the job, the mafia kills Russell, traumatising Gabe. Michael also feels the pressure, as he has a son with Irina's sister, and not doing the mission could prevent him from seeing him ever again.

The group decides to go ahead with the job. As they think of ways they can pull it off, Marcus and Franco suggest a Triple 9, which involves an ‘officer down’ phone call that sends most of the police force on duty to the location of the incident, thereby allowing the gang to carry out their robbery at the real, distant location. Marcus is given a new partner, Chris Allen, who he tries to befriend as they go out on drug-related calls together. During one call, Chris attempts to question a local gang member, Luis Pinto, about a gang-related homicide, only for Luis to attack Chris, before being detained for his actions. Chris' maternal uncle, Jeffrey Allen, is a Sgt. Detective in the police force, working on the bank robbery case, and is trying to track down the members of the robbery crew. Jeffrey gets a lead and discovers that Gabe is one of the people involved in the bank robbery. Gabe, still grieving over his brother, tries to stop the heist from happening, by following Chris and Marcus around and telling Chris, but is stopped both by Michael and Jeffrey.

On the day of the heist, Marcus takes Chris to an abandoned housing project, supposedly to meet an informant with information on their homicide case. As they walk around the building, Marcus slips away and Luis comes in and tries to find Chris. Chris bumps into Gabe who tries to warn him that he is going to be killed. Luis then charges in and tries to shoot Chris, but hits Gabe. As Luis runs away, Chris confronts a critically wounded Gabe, and before he can say anything, Marcus comes in, triggering a shootout between the two. Gabe is killed and Marcus is severely wounded, which leads Chris to make the Triple 9 call.

Triple 9 is writer Matt Cook’s first effort, and some influences are clearly discernible. His script (then styled as 999) found its way in 2010’s Black List, the annual roundup of Hollywood’s hottest, unproduced screenplays, that included Juno, The Imitation Game and Edge Of Tomorrow. Producers had already decided to film it, but it stayed on the list nevertheless, attracting some buzz and helping the casting.

Taking an overview, it’s a simple case of overkill. Too many tracks and too many characters, most of them barely identified or introduced, lead to consternation. Some of the motives and motivations seem unfounded. A couple of police-druglord encounters are well-written. The basic premise of a Triple 9 call to distract the police, and the use of Georgia-based Russian- Jewish mafia as the villains-in-chief, are uncommon elements in a crime thriller, and are welcome. The Triple ploy 9 works, not so the ethnic baddies, who come across as caricatures cross-pollinated with sadists. Besides Russian Jews, there are whites, blacks and Hispanics, one half on either side of the law and some straddling both boats. Cook tries to be ingenious in the climax, but I could see it coming a mile away.

Directed by Australian-Canadian John Hillcoat (The Proposition, The Road, Lawless), Triple 9 boasts of some impressive encounters, but poor characterisations. Hillcoat lived in Connecticut in the late-’60s, where the charged atmosphere during anti-war protests and news coverage of the Vietnam War made a strong impression on him. He told a publication, “I watched a lot of cinema about violence in the ‘70s, as a young teenager, and was very impressed by a lot of those film-makers that took traditional genres and really explored it in a complex, interesting way that was really immersive.”

His 6th film is complex for sure, but a little low on the ‘immersive’ and ‘interesting’ quotient. Much of the narrative is revealed through dialogue, in an accent that I, in India, was unable to definitely classify—Georgian/plain American/black American/Hebrew/Russian/Australian/’mumblian’? Hillcoat was to direct The Revenant (not reviewed by this critic because the PR agency co-ordinating the press screening apparently ‘forgot’ to send an invitation), and viewers might now wonder whether it was for the better that he did not

Casey Affleck (Caleb Casey McGuire Affleck-Boldt; younger brother of Ben; Good Will Hunting, Ocean’s Eleven, Gone Baby Gone) is brash and sincere in turns. His bonding with the other protagonist, Woody Harrelson (Indecent Proposal, Natural Born Killers, The People v/s Larry Flynt) as Jeffrey Allen, is not fleshed out. Harrelsen looks mean, has rock-carved features and is a drunkard. He is on the right track in trying to crack the case, but there is little sympathy generated for his methods or his (lack of) genius. Chiwetel Ejiofor (British; Love Actually, Salt, 12 Years a Slave) as Michael Atwood has a meaty role with a dichotomy of emotions. He is a hardened former special operations man who has a son from a mafia don’s wife’s sister. He can blow up buildings, kill by the dozen, cause massive car-wrecks and yet grovel at the Madam’s feet because she blackmails him using his son as bait. Good show, though under-utilised.

Kate Winslet (Titanic, The Reader, Divergent) as Irina Vlaslov is a laugh. You might find it difficult to recognise her, with those looks and that accent. Honestly, Winslet is wasted in the role, using choice expletives and looking murderous being all that she does. Yet, why do I feel she was having fun? Anthony Mackie (Captain America, Notorious, Ant-Man, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer) as Marcus Belmont is one of the bad cops and the buddy half. His soft looks could fool you into believing he is a good guy, but the film reveals his credentials right in the beginning. Aaron Paul (Mission Impossible: 3, Need for Speed, Breaking Bad, Exodus: Gods and Kings) as Gabe Welch has to mainly mope and stagger, and so he does. Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead) as Russell Welch meets a terrible end, as a driving dead. Gal Gadot (Israeli; Fast and Furious, Justice League, Batman v/s Superman) as Elena shows long legs, a long face, oozes sex and waddles around. Clifton Collins, Jr. (German-Mexican; Transcendence, Star Trek, Pacific Rim) as Franco Rodriguez looks the kind of guy you would not trust, just the persona the script demanded. Playing a cross-dresser is Michael K. Williams as Peacock, never an easy part to play, and he plays it well. Luis Da Silva as Luis Pinto is the quintessential Hispanic drug-gang hit-man.

Music by Atticus Ross, Bobby Krlic, Leopold Ross and Claudia Sarne, mainly Ross, contributes to the ambience.

There is little that is positive in the film, which ‘noirer’ than most noire films. People keep popping off like nine pins. Some of the butchery, and almost all the profanity and nudity are gratis. At best, it is a case of wasted opportunity. There was the germ of an idea that, unfortunately for the film, did not develop into a proper entity. Instead, it spread all over, much like the shower of bullets that punctuates the screenplay. Such a high-profile ensemble cast deserved better.

Rating: **1/2

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu2aQRP4ITg