Brazil - Film Review

Let me tell you a few things before I start off with the asymmetrical ideas that constitute for a film review with a random precision.

         i)                    Till now Brazil – the soundtrack – by Vengaboys was the only version of that song that I had heard.

        ii)                  Terry Gilliam is the first name I see every morning – Thanks to the big “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” poster shining on my wall- when I wake up.

Ok – So Brazil(1985) is the second of Terry’s Film that I have seen till date, first being Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – which happens to top the list of my personal favourites (clearly visible by the fact that I have named it twice in some other film’s review). I would be wrong if I would say that it took me by surprise, as I did expect some wicked humor and a tasty blend of mind-drenching metaphors, that would put a joyful smile on my face. The movie delivered it in the best way possible. From the first frame of the movie where you find a TV advertisement of Designer Ducts, you knew that you were in for a mind-boggling treat. 

The movie is based “Somewhere in 20^th Century” about some totalitarian government buried deep and risen high with its bureaucratic mess which has penetrated every inch of even any life, ranging from Nature – to – even an insect's life.  In this dystopian world lives a man Sam Lowry, played by Jonathan Pryce, whose life is as numb as his department – Records – a name that clearly is a synonym for Dust and Bundles. Sam is stuck up in a job with a humorless and a clueless boss, who would call Sam to solve even 2 + 2, and then pay off his debt using a cup of tea, biscuits and flattering talks. But as they say – dystopia never comes alone and a good film is always made in layers - we have our very own Sam Lowry free from his Jacket and Record department, now flying over and above like a mechanical eagle, looking ten times smarter with long hair, and falling in love with an angel trapped in a cage(Kim Greist).

The movie is full of obvious satires and a hard Huxley-like hopeless approach to life, if it can be called one in a Society, if it can be called one. We have a bug in the system – a real bug – drawing first blood for the Team Satire against Team Technizized society ( a word originated on lines of Organizized, thanks to Mr. Scorcese) causing arrest of a Mr Buttle – instead of Mr Tuttle. In an Orwellian society, a mistake like that needs to be covered up, lest the bureaucrats may be blamed. But thanks to the Satire no. 2, which shows symbolical baboons running the society, it leads to another chaos. The tyrrincal guard who would welcome you with fists in restaurants and civil workers who treat you as there shit, have forms for everything and corresponding receipts too – yes, they make sure all the taxes are paid by the creatures living in that society. They are, therefore, eligible for Satire No. 3 that Terry plays. Lets move on, in the dream itself, Eagle Sam’s green world, is penetrated by skyscrapers, and his angel love is caught by Babombie ( a word I constructed – Babies + Zombie) well that’s how they looked, serving a Electrical Lord –full of circuits, which is a bang on hit on our lives – depicting how we have been enslaved by machines. Satire no. 4 shows how Big machines rule us, while Small, unkept ones do the task of the commander. Taking this forward comes Satire no. 5 – when Sam’s air conditioning breaks down – we have Robert De Niro, as Mr Tuttle, fighting as a free-lancer and “fixing people’s problems” while all government’s “Emergency Service” does is that it sends two dickbytes to “fix” the problem. They don’t even have any clue about even the rules. In another layer we have satire no.6 - Sam’s mother getting beauty treatment with razors and chemicals,  and “Already she is twice as beautiful as she was before” when she has her head wrapped in polyethene.

The list is long-

i)                    Sam’s mother wearing a sandal-shaped hat.

ii)                  “Terrorists” bombing a restaurant and people in high class section continue with their meal – while the dead bodies are covered with a satin curtain.

iii)                Cuisines with flashy names and delicious expectations – that look like Dog’s poo.

iv)                Children playing Interrogation games and burning up people’s car. People paying for their own interrogation.

v)                  Receipts being signed to commemorate a death.

vi)                Claustrophobic cabins – and shared desk space 

vii)              A time-lapsed version of E-mails with letters, notices and memo etc travelling through network of pipes

viii)            Interrogation- is just another for torture and inhumane “Information Retrieval”

ix)                 Lawyers, making their pitch like any corporate salesman

The end – can be easily predicted by anyone who understands the source of any inspiration for this movie. It had to be crazy, pessimistic and to certain extent fulfilling a dream of any narcissistic society. Though many suggest it became drag because of it’s length – I believe, that made it more interesting and stronger. At the same time I got a feel that the entire movie was a thought process of Sam Lowry – resting in that torture chair in the last scene. However, I have no other fact to support it, so I would refrain from pressing it.

Terry, in his psychedelic Sci- fi trilogy strikes beautifully with Brazil. The use of camera is brilliant, in terms of Lenses to give the desired effect wherever required – ranging again from Wide- Angle lenses to portray gigantic nature of the Ministry, to kinoptik lenses giving us Claustrophobic effect in Sam’s new office. The designing of the entire set structure was equally beautiful and composed to define required imaginative dystopia. Tilted shots when needed, jumps and cuts to weird angles with disturbed lightning and sounds – give it a cherry on the top.

The only drawback about the film, which is more of a personal opinion, is that for people already having this taste – it was a bit too predictable.

Rest all – An amazing film – and very rightly listed as a must watch. Go ahead – watch it and get screwed in Brazil.

Akshat “The Reflection” Sharma. 

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Latcho Drom - A Review.

Many a times, rather – always, we see a movie with a walking antagonist, struggling and conflicting in some or the other way. I have seen quite a few movies, portraying a different character always. Some of them are great fighters, some suffering from an OCD, some even in form of souls – dead and dreaming both, but today it was a different encounter.

Latcho Drom- took me into a new world, full of timed, rhythmic and progressive beats. Today, I encountered yet another differently styled protagonist, no, not gypsies, nor human civilizations. Yes, all the living beings in the movie play an amazing role of supporting the lead character- more of a “side-kick” – but the “hero”, the protagonist of this movie was, undoubtedly, Music. All the while I had heard about this film being about life of gypsies.

It is said, it’s about Gypsies travelling all around the world, from deserts of Rajasthan, to borders of Egypt, from fields of Istanbul to Romania, following it into Hungary, Slovakia, France and Spain. Agreed.

The film captures life of often-neglected gypsies, who travel, across land and water, living their life with new cultures, infusing same with their own, picking up some from there, and moving forward, whenever needed or desired. They have been more than often been hated and persecuted by almost every king and kingdom, masses and civilizations. Hitler went after them as industriously as he did with the Jews. Nicolae Ceausescu terrorized them in Romania. Christians castigated them as pagans. The “roshomon” of every country has always been prejudiced, suspicious about them.

Latcho Drom- portrays life of this breed, species – I would like to call them – Reason being they are higher to us. We all feel that they are ignorant about ways of the world, they don’t know rules, or culture, or how to behave in the society, very few would have encountered “worldly pleasures”. However, they have lived in open, breathed every morning fresh air, woken up to the first ray of sunlight, slept under the lullaby of stars, and lived their life – in the language of music and lyrics. They converse with their God, whenever they want, however they want, their beliefs have kept them strong against the entire community which they often come across. People welcome them with guns for a few minutes, only to tell them – to go away- in less respectable way than they would shoo away stray animals with. We see them dancing to the tunes of their own happiness, to the beats of their work, to the tunes of morning light- to the lament of holocaust –to the exiled life that they live. We find them singing the pain in their words, with claps, and pass on a beam to a crying face- via someone as innocent as a child.

That is the reason – why I find Music – to be the lead character of this movie.

I don’t know if it is only me who is reading too much between the lines, or maybe it is my love for music that’s speaking – but I noticed the film talk about life of civilizations woven with music. Film starts with – A child singing, in high scale, a song – greeting the morning time, it follows – with dance and prayer, moves on to another country where civilizations have atleast the shelter above their heads, to shack houses, and so on and so forth – till the time their shelter is snatched away by keepers of society. They are again, homeless- and a mourning lament follows that sings to everyone snuggled under their warm blankets, eating tasty bread and discussing gossip.

Isn’t it weird how we find three characters always, A girl waiting to dance – a lady already dancing to the tune of the learned musician – being looked at, in awe by some kid – who aspires to be like him, and above all – a crowd around them – some sharing their life with it, others ,just looking. Never do we see their faces - as a mass.

Another thing – that struck me about this creation was the way music was produced. Not only, were the music being created by sounds of their daily tools – signifying how their work-life is as similar as their homes, how they find solace and enjoyment in whatever they do,  but also, the beauty in which it was produced – Similar tempo – rising progressions – adding instruments  - joined by vocals – layering it with beautiful Lyrics and sung out to the steps of dancing souls.

All I will say in the end is that – If you weren’t tapping your feet to the rhythms and music in this movie – stop calling yourself a music lover- and, most probably, if you didn’t enjoy this piece of art – Well – Think again, about your future.

Cheers. 

Brief Analysis on "Taxi Driver"

Disclaimer - *The following post can is variable to Human Perception and may differ accordingly. Your feedback, comments are welcome* 

Well, if ever there was a story told about Loneliness- Taxi Driver would be in the top 10 list of those stories. Over the time – as you will read further down, this word will appear again and again… and again, for it is this word that drove the entire movie from the beginning till the end. Everything else, plot, events etc. was a result of this nature of the protagonist. 

Let’s talk of the first scene – you see a LONELY man, suffering from Insomnia – in a strange city. He has not a single soul to talk to, I barely find him talking to people in the entire movie – except for the odd times where probably Martin can’t help avoiding any other character to take the movie forward. Literally, when you don’t have anyone to talk to- when the entire night you are driving random couples, half of which, make your cab their bedroom – when every morning before giving back the keys you have to clean up the cum and the blood, you can’t help but hate it. Rather, I should use the term Loathe.  

Here’s a man – who drives all night and tries his best to sleep in the porno theater. What is noticeable is that you never find Travis turned on, by those visuals, they don’t affect him. But a couple of words with the attender at the theater who would sell him gums and pop corns – makes him happy. What does it say? Maybe – that he is living within, and everything out there in the real world is un-real. Un-real, in the terms that he isn’t involved. He is a mere taxi driver- running around with the meter, getting paid for dropping off the residents of this small world to their destinations. What also strikes me is the fact that – Also, put in words by Ashok Sir- is the uses of metaphors that were made in the film.

Let’s start –

Biggest metaphor that I noticed – was the Taxi itself. It stands for Fate, characters come and go, they tell Travis, where they have to go, but barely notice the journey(Life). Either they are too busy fucking inside the cab(having sex would not fit) or they are too busy planning the election portfolio or killing their wives. But it’s only Travis who sees the dirt outside, everywhere and he prays for a rain to come and wash away. This takes me to another metaphor of the rain – Raining not in sense of water, but Blood. Many a times, it has been foreshadowed, “Someday a REAL rain will come and wash all the scum off the street”.  Travis is the cleaner of the dirt – he cleans his own world, his own cab, another foreshadowing element that he shall be the One to clean the outside world also. Notice how the first time taxi’s windscreen is drenched in the rain – it’s cleaned by the wiper, but not everytime. We see a blurred view of everything outside until we see it from Travis’s eyes.

But here’s where the conflict arises. How can a taxi-driver fight? He is JUST a taxi-driver. Someone who can’t even say it out himself, that he is down and lonely and he needs help. “I have got some BAD ideas in my head”.  His alter ego – talks to him via different characters. Wizard – who believes to be knowing everything about the world- but does he – another image of God, we all know he knows a lot, never doubt God’s skill, but well, haven’t seen any authentic proof. Wizard says that a man takes a job and then he becomes what is done to him by this job. 

There’s a conflict of Destiny, fate vs Self-made man. But then, it is the same man who says “Do anything” – and after all that lecture- “It doesn’t make any sense to me” . Loneliness being the pre-dominant theme extends to all the characters that we see in the movie. Be it Travis, or Betsy or Iris or Wizard. Everyone is caught in there trap of comatose destiny. Betsy is lonely – and a typical middle class girl (as Mohit Sir said- Chalu) – she is lonely enough to flirt like a dumb with tom, accept a date with a stranger taxi driver- react with a smile when he hints of inviting himself over to her house(to listen to the record)  – but at the same time – she is educated enough in Middle class morality to go out screaming when it turns out to be a dirty movie, and never give him a chance again. Let’s talk more about this:

Dada believed that – He is a psychotic person- who took her to watch a xx movie, not something that you would want to impress a date with. Mohit sir voted in favour of travis. Aren’t they both right? 

Well, Travis – he doesn’t know anything better- here is a man who drives around red areas at night and sleeps in Porn movie theaters during the day. In the entire movie, he hasn’t shown a single expression of excitement by looking at the flesh – maybe he has seen too much.

Betsy – She is a girl – like any other- She is supposed to get angry at all of this.

Martin puts it out plainly for the Audience – “We’re just different”  

Another metaphor that strikes is the use of the word – “Killer, Copper” and the signs of two fingers and thumb shooting at Travis through the entire movie. Be it  the Wizard or the Dough or the Charlie T – everyone is pointing at him, maybe to intimidate or maybe to point at his inner self or maybe to announce it to him that – you are sitting at the gunpoint- you are supposed to do what is being offered to you. No wonder – he blows off the index finger and the thumb and thanks to Tom, we all know, how difficult it is to light a match without it.

At another instant – another one of his Alter Ego – is brought into the light. When the Suit guy, asks him pull over and puts all of Travis’s thoughts into words, be it his fear and hatred of Black people(whom he believes and sees everywhere on drugs) or be the fate that should be bestowed upon all of them. Here’s another moment when the story is foreshadowed by its own element – when it subtly wakes up the “I will make my own fate” guy in him. Story from there is another fight of how he prepares his own self, and prepares for the surrounding events happenings around him.

Another metaphor – is a 20$ bill, which has been bothering his conscience – it’s symbolizing dirt and the filth Travis is troubled by all the while, and he returns/uses it to the same dirt. He is ashamed of having accepted it, but it keeps him motivated and his hatred alive for that scum.

Images on the television is another example of Metaphor. Here’s a device that has the ability to penetrate the lives of other people out there and on the other hand there’s a lonely man – who is dying to fill in that space – He hates it – he envies the characters that live a life on that set. He wants to kill each and every one of them, pointing a .44 while watching a tv towards the Tv, is a bit eerie otherwise.

Remember that empty pair of shoes he sees when the band playing jazz music scene is on.

Why did he want to kill the Palentine candidate?

I have two answers – he took him, for lack of a better word,  as a personal and professional enemy. Now, interesting thing about lonely people is that – they get attached to the smallest living entity that does them good or even worse, pays attention to them, for eg – Porn Movie Theater. In the same category, Betsy stayed for a while. Mr Palentine – was someone she talked highly about, her FATE. He even supported him for the sake of getting a shot at Betsy(I won’t blame him for that) – And then when things with Betsy(his ornament denying Loneliness is ripped apart) doesn’t work out, he becomes from a Good man to a bad man, leader of the scum who like everyone else – wants a piece of pie without paying for it. Well, he is got to die. Also, we find Travis, ready and “confident” enough for the massacre, now more than before when he realizes/tests/scrutinizes that Secret service is positioned with him.

This now brings me to the final end - 

Was it justified?

Well, let’s use pointers

-          He cleaned the scum

-          He made his own destiny

-          He helped change Iris’s destiny

-          He became a hero

-          He got in touch with Betsy again

It’s ambiguous.

The answer to this lies in the shot before the final scene – remember how the director uses a Floating shot when he shows all three antagonists murdered.  I can bet a thousand bucks, Martin shot it from Travis’s soul’s POV. Why?

Well, answer would come if you are aware of something called Tibetan book of the Dead – which talks about the cycle of Soul, after death and till it enters a new body to be born again as a baby.

The following three shots are typically the soul’s POV ( If anyone wants me to prove it, I shall do it personally- can’t type the entire book here)

Now I am not saying he is dead – but as far as it goes with me, it’s his final dream that he wanted to see- be a hero – not be lonely or Psychotic- it is a heaven that he has gone to.

Notice – apart from the following POVs that how he is no longer scared of Charlie, or the way Betsy just comes into his life or the honors received.

Notice – when cab moves away after dropping her off – her reflection is not seen in the cab’s back window. Yes, it’s seen inside only at Travis’s POV.

And in the last shot – that rearview mirror shuffles and even travis’s reflection is lost. And we see only the city.

A clean city. Washed. 

No Reflection in the mirror - Reflection lost - When it's not Travis POV. 

Lohitadas National Short Film Festival

Lohitadas National Short Film Festival Ernakulam
Official Website: http://www.mythkerala.com/

Application Fee: Rs. 500/-

Application Form: http://www.mythkerala.com/#/entry-form/4566969923

Last Date of Submission: Will Update soon

Date of the festival : 26th, 27th and 28th of October 2012

Rules of Submission: Only films shot in a digital format will be accepted.
All non English language films must be subtitlled in English.
A selection Committee appointed by the festival will selected all films.
The decision of the committee will be final.
Any short film or campus film can compete in the LNSFF 2012 regardless of its time of
production.
All individuals who are at present a student can compete in the campus film category.
It is not necessary that all the crew of the campus film be a student. However, in the
campus film competition categories of direction, cinematography, script, actor and actress,
only students will be allowed to compete.
Copy of identity card of the educational institution should be submitted along with the
application form for competing in these above mentioned categories.
If there are technicians or actors who are not students, they will not be considered for
honours in the prescribed campus film category.
Participants who are at present students will only be considered for honours in this
category.
The festival committee holds the right to make any changes to the programme.
The last date of submission of entries with a screener and all relevant documentation is on
or before 2012 September 15. Entry fee Rs. 500 will be collected.

Proud Official Promoters: iMovie Junction
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The rise of regional cinema

* When Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor-starrer Agent Vinod, made on a budget of at least R60 crore, released in Kolkata this March, multiplexes didn’t hesitate to cut down shows in the first week itself because two Bengali films, director Anjan Dutt’s Abar Byomkesh and Anik Dutta’s Bhooter Bhabishyot, were running to packed houses and demanding more shows.

* Producers of upcoming Punjabi film Saddi Love Story set for an October release, are already planning marketing and publicity for this Jimmy Shergill outing, a huge draw in Punjabi films.

* When Nikhil Mahajan, who studied at the Sydney Film School, wanted to make a film, he chose Marathi simply because he wanted to “see a good Marathi film”. He is busy making his first film, Pune-52.

Both Marathi and Bengali films are in the midst of a major transition. Budgets have grown from Rs.40-50 lakh to R1-3 crore; young entrepreneurs are willing to invest in regional films and well-known production houses are including at least five to six regional films in their film slate to mitigate risks. The appetite for regional films has grown too, thus prompting professionals to be interested in the industry and multiplexes to increase screening of regional cinema.

Take Marathi cinema for example. In the past nine years, there has been a metamorphosis, with young, educated film makers entering this segment. From cheap comedies and formula films in the ’80s and ’90s to cinema with a conscience, Marathi cinema is making an attempt to push boundaries. Several factors are triggering this change. Budgets have grown from R30-40 lakh to R2.5-3 crore. Marketing spends have also increased and significantly major production houses are getting involved in Marathi cinema. Mukta Arts, AB Corp Zee Telefilms and Reliance Entertainment all have plans to produce Marathi films. Film personality Mahesh Manjrekar and Pune-based developer Aniruddha Deshpande have also come together to establish ‘Great Maratha Entertainment LLP’, a venture to work on different verticals in the entertainment business to make it function more like a corporate house.

“The involvement of major production houses in Marathi films is heartening,” says director Umesha Kulkarni who is known for his films such as Valu, Vihir, Deool and Masala. “Marathi cinema was earlier divorced from reality and from today’s world view. The entry of young directors with a fresh approach has changed that and is bringing back audiences to theatres where content is king,” he adds. Kulkarni’s film Valu was distributed by Mukta Arts. His production company Arbhaat Nirmitee, formed along with national award winning actor Girish Kulkarni, involved AB Corp in the second production. UTV Motion Pictures was involved in marketing of Harishchandrachi Factory, which was selected for the Oscars. Big Pictures, a Reliance Group company, entered Marathi films through Amol Palekar’s Samaantar. In the next three years, the major production houses are expected to add around R35-40 crore to make 15-20 Marathi films.

When Romit Dasgupta, director, Globsyn Innoventure, moved back to Bengal from the US in 2007, he began to watch the Bengali film industry closely. “Over the past four years, the number of Bengali films released has increased and that made us want to be a part of the industry as well,” he says. In 2006, the number of Bengali films that were released was pegged at 45, which increased to 110 in 2010. Dasgupta and four other partners are getting ready to release their first film, Aborto, by well-known Bengali actor Arindam Sil, which will be ready November this year. “For the R1-crore budget, we put in 50% and the rest by director Sil,” says Dasgupta.

Arijit Dutta, MD, Priya Cinemas in Kolkata, points out that the Bengali film industry has seen a resurgence of urban genre films. “We are seeing 50-60 releases of urban-centric films, but there has been a drop in commercial, mass-based films,” he says. “Earlier, we would see commercial Bengali films running for 10 weeks in a row, now that has dropped to two to three weeks. Audience preferences are changing,” Dutta adds. The Bengali film industry is touching R100 crore now (the Hindi film industry is worth R4,000 crore) and the Punjabi film industry is pegged at R50 crore, while the Marathi film industry “still has a long way to go to before it crosses the R100-crore barrier”.

Nandu Ahuja, senior VP, distribution, Eros says its upcoming Punjabi film, Saddi Love Story, co-produced with Jimmy Shergill, will be released in 60-70 theatres. “With the Punjabi diaspora a strong market too, recoveries have improved,” says Ahuja. He adds Punjabi films are now getting a wider release after a string of successes in the past two years.

Need for corporatisation

“Corporatisation of Marathi films is bringing in capital, enabling this cinema to reach out to a wider audience. Individual producers do not have this kind of bandwidth, which the corporates bring to the table. In the past five to seven years, film budgets have increased five times, but film makers are still waiting for better returns. Very few films are recovering money,” Kulkarni rues.

Shrirang Godbole, chairman, Indian Magic Eye Motion Pictures, a Pune-based film production house, says footfalls have increased and this has attracted major production houses to Marathi cinema. “Marathi films have smaller budgets in comparison to Hindi films, where revenues largely depend on the opening. However, in regional cinema, budgets are smaller and there are more chances of recovering revenues,” Godbole says. Ahuja points out that Marathi films are slow starters, but gain immense strength from word-of-mouth and improve from week to week. Corporates, however, need to have a more sustained run in Marathi cinema instead of doing single projects, says Godbole.

The call of the diaspora

Marathi, Bengali and Punjabi films have begun to reach out to international audiences as well. Valu, directed by Umesh Kulkarni, became the first Marathi movie to be screened at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam. Mukta Arts recently bought the worldwide distribution rights for the film. Bengali films are now screened in Los Angeles and top Tollywood star Prosenjit and filmmakers like Rituparno Ghosh are a big draw in the Bengali diaspora in the US and the UK. Punjabi films also do well overseas, especially in Canada.

Industry players agree that digitisation of prints has helped regional films reach out to a wider audience. For Marathi films Masala and Deool, there were some 350 shows and 10 prints, while the rest was digitised, says Kulkarni. This helped reduce costs by 50% and enabled distributors to release the film across different areas simultaneously, he explains. The marketing spend has increased as well and from a single or couple of print advertisements, filmmakers are now putting in 10-15% aside as marketing budgets for regional films.

Camera Rentals

Can't get BIGGER than this!

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