1. The document discusses the author's experience at the 16th Mumbai Film Festival over 4 days, where they saw over 20 films from around the world.
2. Some of the highlights included the Japanese horror film "Over Your Dead Body", the Argentine film "Refugiado", and the acclaimed Indian Marathi film "Killa".
3. The author also attended panel discussions with famous filmmakers and actors. However, they found the pairing of Catherine Deneuve and Deepika Padukone in one discussion to be an odd match.
4. Over the 4 days, the author was impressed by the variety of films screened and discovered new favorites, including the Iranian vampire western "A Girl Walk
1. The document discusses the author's experience at the 16th Mumbai Film Festival over 4 days, where they saw over 20 films from around the world.
2. Some of the highlights included the Japanese horror film "Over Your Dead Body", the Argentine film "Refugiado", and the acclaimed Indian Marathi film "Killa".
3. The author also attended panel discussions with famous filmmakers and actors. However, they found the pairing of Catherine Deneuve and Deepika Padukone in one discussion to be an odd match.
4. Over the 4 days, the author was impressed by the variety of films screened and discovered new favorites, including the Iranian vampire western "A Girl Walk
1. The document discusses the author's experience at the 16th Mumbai Film Festival over 4 days, where they saw over 20 films from around the world.
2. Some of the highlights included the Japanese horror film "Over Your Dead Body", the Argentine film "Refugiado", and the acclaimed Indian Marathi film "Killa".
3. The author also attended panel discussions with famous filmmakers and actors. However, they found the pairing of Catherine Deneuve and Deepika Padukone in one discussion to be an odd match.
4. Over the 4 days, the author was impressed by the variety of films screened and discovered new favorites, including the Iranian vampire western "A Girl Walk
1. The document discusses the author's experience at the 16th Mumbai Film Festival over 4 days, where they saw over 20 films from around the world.
2. Some of the highlights included the Japanese horror film "Over Your Dead Body", the Argentine film "Refugiado", and the acclaimed Indian Marathi film "Killa".
3. The author also attended panel discussions with famous filmmakers and actors. However, they found the pairing of Catherine Deneuve and Deepika Padukone in one discussion to be an odd match.
4. Over the 4 days, the author was impressed by the variety of films screened and discovered new favorites, including the Iranian vampire western "A Girl Walk
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MAMI DIARIES: MUST WATCH CINEMA, NOW PLAYING IN MUMBAI!
Brilliant cinema at the ongoing Mumbai Film Festival, raves Sukanya Verma. In all its 16 years, this is my first trip to the Mumbai Film Festival. For some reason or another, I always found myself occupied with a professional or personal engagement to make time for what I have discovered to be the sine qua non for all movie buffs. But this year I planned things better and made sure I attend the festival made possible this year by passionate patrons of cinema with mind and money. Day 1: Early in the morning, I set out for Andheris PVR theatre, in the western suburb of Mumbai, wearing the identity badge around my neck, feeling more cheerful and eager than a school kid off to an excursion. Access to the allotted screening room is a breeze and I settle in my seat with a couple of friends and equally excited folk. Its a Takeshi Miike film after all.
Over Your Dead Body (Japan): Miike creates an eerie, enigmatic ambiance to coincide fact and fiction and achieve the sinister ideals of its zigzag plot with a gruesome finish. It all has to do with the developments of an on-going period play, based on a 200-year-old folklore, wherein a penurious samurai deceives his wife and child to marry a wealthy mans young daughter and how these adulterous events find a semblance among the dramas leading actors in real time. For all its artistry and deliberation, this is ultimately Miike. And in keeping with his reputation, Over Your Dead Body eventually offers ample of blood and gore to nauseate over. Early morning horror is drowned in a steaming hot glass of cutting chai on the roadside before I head for the next screening -- Elephant Song at nearby Cinemax. En route, I learn all shows before 3.15pm are cancelled owing to Maharashtra assembly elections. Much too new at the festival scene to feel disappointed about such setbacks, I walk back to PVR hoping to sneak into another movie. Luckily, I snare a vacant seat inside the screening of Argentinas Refugiado. 2
Refugiado (Argentina): The film delicately examines the impact of domestic violence on a young mother-son duo on the run. Theres some wonderful acting in there, especially by the young Sebastin Molinaro, in those heart tugging moments where he resists, revolts yet eventually reconciles with his rude reality. And to think a girl in the adjacent seat kept texting on her phone throughout such a poignant story. I have quite some time on hand before the next film on my menu so I head back home and wolf down my lunch of masoor biryani. Back in Cinemax, I decide to check out film critic Anupama Chopras conversation with the legendary French actress Catherine Deneuve and Bollywoods Deepika Padukone. Undoubtedly Padukone is on a all-time high in her career and, sure, they both have tattoos on their feet, but the pairing of a hot star of recently recognised acting potential with an accomplished icon to discuss a heroines perspective and evolution in cinema simply felt odd. While the Belle du Jour stunner sat there like a radiant lioness chomping off a slice of her interviewer at every opportunity, the Finding Fanny heroine played the diplomatic card but couldnt resist rolling her eyes and making a face when the veteran joked about the 28-year-olds unfeasible fantasies regarding film production. Nothing substantial came out of this discussion except Denevues French pride, Padukones patience with moronic questions from the media and Chopras resilience in the face of technical glitches and vastly conflicting sensibilities of her two guests. After this entertaining session, I was more than willing to take that hard-hitting sock of a Spanish drama, Schimbare.
Schimbare (Spain): Making difficult choices is something we all have to do but seldom the kind a married couple does for the sake of their ailing child in the harrowing Schimbare. And yet is it so easy to let go of ones conscience? 3
Almost nothing of consequence happens for the longest time but all those minor details eventually connect to make a dreadful disclosure, one that culminates into an unforgettable tragedy. Too much intense stuff for one day, whew. I proceed for the final viewing of the day and spot The Lunchbox director Ritesh Batra queued up for the French crime thriller, Fever. I dont know if he enjoyed what he saw but I LOVED my pick.
Killa (India): What a delightful piece of cinema. Killa is like Hayao Miyazaki in live action. Just think the deliberation, the soaking in of the atmosphere, and the familiar face of childhood, only the sweeping hand drawn imagery replaced by superlative performances from its young, insightful cast. This Marathi gem deserves every single applause and accolade that comes its way. To be dubbed a festival favourite on Day 1, says a lot, doesnt it? Day 2
The Little House (Japan): First of all the print wasnt impressive. But mostly the middling direction fails to raise the potential of the story about a maids observations of the family she served and witnessing an extra-marital affair between her mistress and her husbands young colleague against the changing climate of Japans political history. The Little House unfolds like the pages of an erratically maintained diary thats neither probing nor personal. After this underwhelming experience, I join National-award winning director Hansal Mehta, Bangistan director Karan Anshuman and rediff.coms journalist turned filmmaker Suparn Verma for lunch at TGIF. Famished, I gorge on the yummy enchiladas and their animated chatter on evolution in editing software as well as Bollywoods ghost director stories. 4
A Most Wanted Man (UK/US/Germany): One of the festivals most coveted screenings, A Most Wanted Man sees a massive turnout. I quite enjoyed Anton Corbijns espionage drama based on John le Carrs novel. It may not have the sly brilliance of Tinker Tailor Solider Spy but maintains an attractively absorbing momentum and tense mood around a mans moral dilemma. The late Philip Seymour Hoffman delivers as one would expect but is simply god-level in the fabulous final scene. French romance comedy, Into the Courtyards screening at Cinemax is delayed by an hour so rush to PVR in a bid to catch the Iranian film, Snow but its packed to the core. Left with no option, I go to watch The Good Lie.
The Good Lie (USA): It may have Reese Witherspoons face plastered all over the poster but the film mainly revolves around a bunch of Sudanese refugees. The Good Lie shifts from a dramatic story of their survival in Sudan to adapting to the American way of life producing some funny moments. Familiar but endearing, this. And then the last one. 5
Serena: A watchable if glossy tale of doomed romance where you know pretty much everything thats about to happen before it does. Jennifer Lawrence dons pretty vintage attire with aplomb but offers nothing new in yet another wild, wounded avatar. Bradley Cooper does better in comparison with his understated disquiet. Day 3: Back to back movies take its toll on my ill-equipped health. I wake up to a bad bout of cold, fever and cramps, pop in some antibiotics with the hope to catch at least two movies. I scrape through. While waiting for the screening to begin, I cannot help but overhear (I have no choice, really, theyre sitting right next to me) this lively chitchat about a Screenwriters panel discussion that happened earlier in the day. About how insolent and nasty the crowd can get instead of engaging in a healthy debate around the cute Vishal Bhardwaj and his witty responses, the sharp and super eloquent Sridhar Raghavan, the no-nonsense Anjum Rajabali, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehras justifying star power and how Sriram Raghavans talks like a Parsi.
Girlhood (France): The film hits several high notes before arriving at its slightly prolonged climax. Director Cline Sciamma plays on the melancholy of its teen protagonist caught in tough surroundings and bleak prospects with a realism thats both refreshing and effective. 6
I am back in another queue to watch another French flick, Love at First Fight, which by the way boasts of some exceptionally tender chemistry between its two talented leads in this quirky and novel take on boy meets girl. I slowly exit the hall feeling no trace of fever, cold or cramps. The ambiance is healing. The mood is jubilant. Its like we are all enveloped in an alternate reality more dazzling than the Diwali markets sprawling all over the city. What a festival! Day 4
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (Iran): Shot entirely in black and white with a funky soundtrack, this effortlessly stylish, sensual and scary vampire western from Iran is an instant hit. For a self-confessed scaredy-cat like me, the next two nights are spent shivering thinking about a scene where a bewitchingly beautiful vampire in a veil frightens the bejesus of a kid wandering in the dark of night. Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem (France/Germany/Israel): Gett doesnt leave your system for a long time. Shot entirely in a courtroom, the film tells the story of a woman seeking divorce from her husband who refuses to oblige even though they have been living apart for years. Through her five-year fight in a Rabbinical court, documented effectively in the story, things get so unbearably frustrating and discriminating, its both comic and devastating. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (France): The Catherine Denevue-Jacques Demy combination is known to produce magical results on celluloid. Peau Dane is one of my favourites. And so the sheer pleasure of witnessing The Umbrellas of Cherbourg in all its restored glory is hard to put down in words. Its attractive, almost ready-to-eat imagery and lilting melodies against the changing backdrop of romance and betrayal makes one wish we all conversed in songs. Pride (UK): An impassioned gay and lesbian community decide to fight for the cause of Welsh miners in this feel-good, funny, frothy drama where homosexuals are in Prides own words heroes and not victims. With its heart and head in the right place, Pride, set in the 1980s, is a spirited adaptation of a true story featuring British heavyweights like Bill Nighy and Imelda Staunton.
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Day 5
The Search (France/Georgia): Michel Hazanaviciuss remake of Fred Zinnemanns The Search starring Montgomery Clift embraces a noticeably darker tone. While the original is set against World War II, the new one centres around a boy whos lost his family in 1999s Second Chechen War after Russian military guns them down. How the refugee kid forms an unlikely family with a UN human rights worker forms one side of the story while the loss of a young mans innocence after hes forcibly recruited into the Russian army leading to the aforementioned shootout is explored in another. One works, the other not so much. Clownwise (Slovakia/ Luxembourg/Czech Republic/Finland): Quite enjoyed the spirit and humour that binds the storys three mime artists, friends and collaborators now reuniting after 30 years. Time and distance has taken its toll in different ways on the creative, temperament troika who didnt part on good terms. Clownwise has a lot on its mind and takes its sweet time to unfold but even at its dullest, every single is punctuated with a moment that evokes a powerful response. Funny how the gentlemen sitting on either side of me -- one dozed off, the other snored through -- were the loudest to applaud during its awe-inspiring final shot. ;) 71 (UK): Went in thinking this would be another war movie but 71 is a hard-boiled thriller against the backdrop of the troubled climate of west Belfast in its initial years. Its no surprise then how throughout its nail-biting 100 minutes, youll find yourself at the edge of the seat. Watching this terrifically shot film reminded me of the time I was in the city not too long ago and beholding prominently preserved scars of its brutal history. Really good stuff, this. Mommy (Canada): Mommy is just another level of genius. Its audacious. Its original. Its insane. Its honest. Its brilliant. I promise you havent seen anything like this ever. Xavier Dolans 1:1 aspect ratio filmed Mommy is the story of a tough mom and her erratic teen son as they tide through the best of times and worst of times displaying a unique blend of charisma and 8
complexities. Especially since Anne Dorwal andAntoine Olivier Pilons inject extraordinary life into these characters written masterfully by a 25-year-old Dolan. 25!!! Day 6
The Tree (Slovenia): The Tree does not follow a traditional narrative structure to tell its story of entrapment wherein a mother and her two boys are forced to stay within their walled house after one of her sons is held responsible for his friends death making him an easy target for the family seeking revenge. Devoid of drama The Tree is quiet but effective filmmaking that wants you to think and draw emotions on your own. In a Q & A that follows afterwards, its director Sonja Prosenc says she didnt wanted to take a minimalistic approach without using background score to suggest the emotional tone. Macondo (Austria): The life of a Chechen refugee boy forced to grow up before time (played by an actor more perceptive than his age) and take care of his two sisters while her mother fends for them single-handedly in a neglected neighbourhood of shiny Vienna and the inner conflict he experiences on seeing another man (potentially) taking the place of his deceased father in their home is gently conveyed in Macondo. Whats impressive is how remarkably its cast of non-actors delivers. As filmmaker Sudabeh Mortezai points out that most of them act from the inside and thats why the impact is strong. Theeb (Jordan/Qatar/UAE/UK): The majestic landscape of Jordan. The adventurous tone of its storytelling. The gritty spirit of its titular child actor. The haunting background score. Theeb is absolutely riveting and a visual treat, its impossible to take ones eyes off the screen as it goes back in time to chronicle the wonderful story of a Bedouin boys survival and guts. Clouds of Sils Maria (Switzerland/Germany/France): While one can unfailingly count on Juliette Binoche to rock the show, its Kristen Stewart who springs a surprise with her stunning emotionality as an international actors personal assistant in Olivier Assayass delicately unravelling Clouds of Sils Maria. 9
Aside its terrific portrayals and breathtaking cinematography, Clouds of Sils Maria is a profound meditation on the process of acting and ageing around the constantly changing face and focus of show business. Day 7
Nirbashito (India): Taslima Nasreens provocative writing and the strong reactions they produced is why any mention of her is synonymous with controversy. But Churni Gangulys Nirbashito is an intimate account of the author and poets isolation in the stark solitude of Sweden as well her cat Baaghini left behind a friends care in the bustling chaos of Kolkata. Whats fascinating is how the film smoothly alternates from lyrical loneliness of a banned writer to comic chaos of bureaucratic workings without hitting a harsh note. Coming Home (China): In a somewhat same space as Hollywoods The Notebook but much better, Zhang Yimous Coming Home is the latest reminder of why hes one of my favourite filmmakers and understands the agony of waiting like nobody else. His The Road Home is the ultimate love story in my opinion and the sentimental but subtle Coming Home is another poignant tale of affections between a husband and wife reunited after two decades. Only she no longer remembers him and is frozen in a time bubble and hell do everything to give her hope. I walked out of the theatre overcome with emotion because Coming Home is so moving. And the wait for the 17th Mumbai Film Festival has already begun.