Stree 2 - 2024 - Film Review

From the makers of the first successful and fabulous Stree in 2018, comes its much-needed sequel Stree 2, with a power-packed non-stop two-and-a-half hour entertainment filled with the expected funny dialogues, comic scares, silly buffoonery, and some loose underlying messaging. 

The story is set again in the village of Chanderi, many years after where the first film ended. The original tormentor of the village, the ghost Stree, who was redeemed and pacified in part 1, becomes a venerated local deity with tales around her becoming folklore with the people. But having left the village now, without her presence, there is a rising new demon, the headless giant monster, aka Sarkata, the ghost of the same feudal lord that had murdered Stree all those years ago, and who Stree had revenged against by beheading him. And just like Stree’s MO was a feminist one, abducting men who leer at women, Sarkata’s MO is a chauvinist one, abducting women, who are more "modern" than others. As Sarkata’s havoc rages on, once again it is up to the village’s protector Vicky (Rajkumar Rao) to save the day, supported by his friends Bittu (Aparshakti Khurana), Jana (Abhishek Banerjee) and Rudra (Pankaj Tripathi), the returning witch-love interest Shraddha Kapoor and multiple supporting casts. And save, they do, with a good dose of comedy, scares, and plot twists and turns.

The film delivers on its promise of a good family entertainer on a long weekend, especially for those who chose not to get stuck on roads or flights, heading out of town. All the things we loved about Stree 1 are there - the jokes, the feminist commentary, the spooks, the modernizing Bharat and its conflicts, the performances by Rajkumar and Pankaj. No wonder then that the film is having a great start at the box office. 

We also cheer the story of the protagonist, Vicky, as a pure-hearted soul against a fast corrupting and consumption-based society, who is destined to save the day, simply because of the way he is, contrasted to everyone else. An important reminder of the need to hold on to simple notions of love and humanity as possibly the only way of salvation for all of us. 

Also, the possibility that the film leaves with us, of creating a comic-horror universe by Maddock films, bringing in Bhediya (Varun Dhawan) as a special appearance sounds like fun and exciting if they get it right. Look forward to that.

But, unlike Stree 1 (the fate of every sequel is to get compared to the first one, so can’t go easy on that!), the film stops just short of being altogether brilliant. To be fair, Stree 1 was great because it was refreshingly new. The whole genre of horror-comedy, and using that to tell a feminist story in 2018 (see my review here https://books-booze-boxoffice.blogspot.com/2018/09/stree-2018-movie-review.html) was sheer genius and hit the spot. With this already set in the first one, Stree 2 had a tall ask of delivering something new yet being consistent with the overall theme. And so the only new it delivers is a new story of a new demon and a new story of vanquishing him. If you want to be kind to the makers, you could say, well that’s enough and what more would one want. Delivering a watchable sequel is a lot more than many sequels have been able to do across Bollywood and Hollywood. But if you want to be more asking of content makers (as I am prone to do), then you could say that the film doesn’t move the needle as much as it potentially could. Six years after the first film, there are still so many opportunities to tell new and fresh feminist stories and push the envelope and the conversation even further. But after setting a high standard in Stree 1, this film satisfies itself by making a feeble attempt at the perspective that our inherently patriarchal society is still intolerant of women modernizing and stepping out of the home. Now, it’s right that our society still has many regressive realities including an underlying misogyny towards the modern woman, so it’s not totally irrelevant, but the film ends up paying lip service to it, almost as an after-thought, rather than being integrated into the central storyline (which in Stree 1, it was). In fact, this is clearly evident in the tagline that the makers have used. In Stree1, the tagline was “Mard Ko Dard Hoga”, clearly signaling the feminist point of view that was at the core of the film. In Stree 2, the tagline is “Sarkate ka Aatank”, clearly signaling that the entertainment value of the film is at the core of the film, not a deeper point of view. 

The only other fault I would lay on the film is the lack of new imagination on some of the key storytelling elements of the film. Sarkate’s dark underworld where he holds the women he abducts captive reminds us a lot of Vecna’s world in the Upside Down in Stranger Things 4. Even Jana’s possessed floating with his retina whitening reminds us of this wow last season 4. The other significant moment in the film where the Sarkata hypnotizes all the men in the village to regress back to patriarchy locking their women in the home, is again reminiscent of Barbie World’s takeover of Ken and his mates after he learns about patriarchy. Sigh! 

As a passionate lover of Indian content and filmmaking, I do expect more and want more from our movies. Because I know it’s there. We’ve all seen it. Stree 1 is a testimony to this original imagination. We’ve also seen sequels being as brilliant as the first one. Remember Lage Raho Munnabhai, Badri Ki Dulhaniya, Sarkar Raj, Drishyam 2, Tanu Weds Manu Returns, to name a few.  

 

Having said that, overall, we still enjoy and cheer for the movie, not just as an entertainer, but for building the franchise that champions (at least in intent) a mainstream feminist narrative that continues to be highly needed in our society, as horrifically reminded once again with the shocking news from Kolkatta, the same weekend as the release of Stree2. And we cheer the movie, for reminding us that for every box office success that is an Animal, there is a box office success that is Stree. A reminder, of the beauty of the diversity that is India, where every truth in culture has a counter truth. And that it’s this dynamism of perspectives that is the real democracy and gift of being an Indian. 

More power to you, Stree. 

“Oh Stree Raksha Karna”!

Deadpool and Wolverine, 2024 - Movie Review

The latest fare from Marvel Studios, the much-awaited Deadpool and Wolverine, after 6 years of the last less-than-exciting Deadpool 2, gives us a much-needed Superhero movie fix that we’ve been missing but stays limited to a two-odd-hour joke-fest and nothing more.

The story begins with the brilliant opening sequence of Deadpool digging up Logan’s (aka Wolverine’s) grave, fulfilling his lifelong desire to unite with one of his own superhero idols. Giving the audience the perfect start with a title dance-fight sequence, choreographed to the nostalgia-trip song Bye-Bye (by NSync from 2000). An absolute delight that hits the spot for every Deadpool fan giving them exactly what they came for. And this just may be the best part of the film, because after this the real story begins, when he is summoned by Time Variance Authority, TVA, that is responsible for maintaining timeline sanctity across the multiple universes (you may remember this from Loki series on Disney Hotstar). TVA lead, Mr Paradox (played by the talented Matthew Macfayden, aka Tom Wambsgans from Succession) informs Deadpool that his timeline (and therefore his friend and family) are all about to be destroyed but he can find a safe haven elsewhere, which triggers Deadpool’s fight against TVA to protect his world from dying, by searching for a Wolverine in one of the multiverses that could be his partner-in-crime. He eventually finds a Wolverine, but gets banished by Paradox into the Void, a universe where all the forgotten beings reside, run havoc by Cassandra Nova, the evil sister of Charles Xavier (X-Men). There, then, starts the journey of fighting Cassandra and her evil reign, as well as TVA towards finally saving his timeline and his world, with a healthy dose of multiple and inappropriate jokes  and hilarious situations with Wolverine, supported by many old and new characters like Nice Pool (a good Deadpool in a universe), Johnny Storm (from Fantastic Four, also Chris Evans!), and even other Marvel characters like Blade, Elektra, Gambit and X-23 (from Logan, 2017).

What is thoroughly enjoyable in the film is the one thing that you look forward to in a Deadpool film, the dialogue and the jokes told in typical Ryan Reynolds style, which has you wincing and laughing out loud at the same time. Just for that, it’s totally worth the watch. And paisa-vasool entertainer, more than any Marvel movie or series that's released in these last few years. 

Despite this though, the reason why overall the movie fails spectacularly is because of the very thing that Deadpool himself jokes about in the film, the Disney MCU takeover of what was an original 20th Century Fox franchise, in 2016 (Deadpool 1, still the best film of this series).

Now, there are two ways to approach this film, and indeed two sets of audiences that the film attracts. One, that it’s the third in the Deadpool franchise. Or Two, it’s the 34th in the MCU franchise. The film's box office success shows that by trying to appeal to both audiences, Disney has had a clever business idea. A little bit like Kamala Harris choosing Tim Walz as the running mate to reach a wider un-duplicated audience appeal. Full marks for business strategy then!

But from a story-telling and content perspective, we have a problem with the film. In trying to appeal to both audiences, it ends up being neither. It’s neither a great MCU-next nor a fab Deadpool-3. By Disney-MCU’ing Deadpool, the jokes and the shock-n-awe are more muted, safer, and more predictable, and the storyline is the all-too-seen-and-now-very-annoying multiverse blah blah blah. How many more multiverse MCU movies will we have to see? Is there no other imagination left, dear Disney? 

And again by Deadpool-ing MCU, it brings down the magic, the fantasy, the larger-than-life vision, and the sheer beyond-reach, beyond-everyday super-power-ness of our superheroes trying to save the universe from catastrophes of the worst kind. 

In many ways, the Deadpool franchise and MCU are like matter and anti-matter. The reason why Deadpool works is because it is a breath of everyday-flawed fresh air from the all-too-perfect MCU. Just like the reason why MCU works is because we all want to believe in things larger than our everyday-flawed lives. See my review of DP 2 here  https://books-booze-boxoffice.blogspot.com/2018/05/deadpool2-shocknawethats-what-deadpool.html. By trying to reconcile two polar opposite constructs, the film ends up being a mish-mash of story, plot, and emotions, leaving us entertained yet bored at the same time. 

The other angle the film desperately tries but misses by a mile is to create the highly anticipated chemistry between Deadpool and Wolverine. Even if that had worked, we would have something to celebrate from the film. But all the off-screen hilarious chemistry we’ve seen between Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman on social media, unfortunately, does not translate to an on-screen sizzle. As a possible next resurrection of the Wolverine franchise after the brilliant last Logan, 2017 (my short review here https://books-booze-boxoffice.blogspot.com/2017/11/logan-short-film-review.html), the film again fails miserably, only ending up making the iconic character (built beautifully by 20th Century Fox series), into just another side-kick. What a travesty!

And finally, what really misses the spot is the complete lack of imagination in the overall plot of the movie. From superpowers to time travel, to multi-verses, to even having multiple superheroes across the universe, playing cameos, we’ve really seen it all. The debilitating hunger for good writing and an unsatisfied thirst for creative thinking is what we’re left with at the end of the film.

All in all, with enough jokes to tell for days after the film, and a great retro-soundtrack (which we also look forward to from the Deadpool franchise), it’s a good weekend cinema fun with the 18 years+ family members. But as two running mates, Deadpool and Wolverine, or Deadpool and MCU, the film disappoints fantastically. 

Let’s just hope Harris and Walz have better luck in November!

 

Music That Changed Our Lives, Music That Made Us #1Jaane Jaan Dhoondta Phil Raha, Jawani Diwani, 1972

For many of us Gen X’ers, growing up in the 80s, much before the computer or the Internet, the playback of the music from the 60s and 70s was not just a throwback to older times that our parents listened to when they were young, but very much part of the present music scene then, all of us consuming this generation of music, as much as our parents did. The term ‘OK, Boomer’ was still thirty years too far in the future, and we grew up listening and absorbing the 60s and 70s, as much as we did the 80s, the 90s, the 2000s, and the 2010s, and continue to do so now in the 2020s. I call our generation the ‘blessed generation’, possibly the only ones that can simultaneously enjoy pop culture and music across 6 decades!

That’s why this blog on “Music That Changed Our Lives, Music That Made Us”. To travel back and forth across time over 60 years to re-visit the brilliant pieces of magical and inspiring symphony that have changed us for the better, and made us who we are today. As the famous quote goes, ‘We are what we consume’. Well, “if music be the food of love, play on”.  

The first one I start with in this series has to be one of those songs that introduced the idea of an urgent and longing romance to our young and hormonal teenage minds. As some of us might recall, in the mid-90s, when India opened up to the world, cable TV had just transformed our lives, and we suddenly had access to content like never before, both Indian and international. Just as MTV and Star TV were teaching us about the birds and the bees, Indian channels were flooding us with films and songs from our glorious film history. Suddenly R D Burman's music was in vogue again (even giving us his last album around the same time, 1942, A Love Story,1994). And that’s when we re-discovered this genius of a love song ‘Jaane Jaan Dhoondta Phir Raha’, from a 1972 film Jawaani Diwani, starring Randheer Kapoor and Jaya Bhaduri (Bachchan was still a year away). (Yes the same film that also has the eponymous song, which also had a recent popular remixed version… Haa Meri Raani, Ruk Jao Jao Rani… ).

The central emotion of the song is that of longing for a beloved, that is just within reach and yet so far away. That wretched bitter-sweet feeling when you know your love is just about to be fulfilled, but it’s still taking a while to get there. Mujhko awaaz do, chhup gaye ho sanam, tum kahan… and the response makes you believe it’s almost there.. Main Yahaan.. As teenagers, listening to this song on a loop, again and again, it spoke to our simple fluttering hearts that beat for the opposite sex around us. This was not a time of Tinder and casual hookups. This was the time when romance was the desire, awkward glances exchanged were enough to make your day, and a smile and walk together holding hands was the ultimate reward for a privileged few. For the rest of us, reveling in our one-sided unrequited love, this beautiful duet became the perfect representation of how we felt most of the time… Dhoondta Phir Raha, Hoon Tumhein Raat Din Main Yahaan Se Wahaan. Stringing our hearts with the harmony of the chase, the tease, the search, the innocence, the yearning, the unfulfilled destiny, the uncertainty of whether it’s going to happen or not. 

The brilliance of the song goes further, as the game of hide and seek continues, as it flows from the first mukhda, sung by the boy, showing his vulnerable insecurity (not much has changed there has it) of whether his beloved will be with him, will his love be fulfilled Raaste Mein Kahin Reh Gaye Humnashin, Tum Kahaan.. despite his beloved re-assuring him with a Main Yahaan in response. And into the second mukhda with her response re-affirming that she feels the same sense of being lost and uncertain despite the inevitability of their love Haath Aise Mein Bas Chhodkar Chal Diye Tum Kahaan.. which then flows into the last mukhda, when we realize it wasn’t hide and seek, as much as it was ‘lost and found’.. where the feeling of being lost and uncertain was unnecessary, because in truth they had found each other long time back and that their destiny was already written to be together always Paas Ho Tum Khade Mere Dil Mein Chhupe, Our Mujhe Kuchch Pata Na Chala. And that they were so caught up with the noise from the outside world that they couldn’t see what was always inside of them Dil Mein Dekha Nahin, Dekha Saara Jahaan, Tum Kahaan, Main Yahaan.

All in all, this magical stringing of music and words, sung by the genius Kishore Kumar and the inimitable Asha Bhosle (uff, her background voice and an almost baritone Mujhko Awaaz Do) hit the sweet spot every time, gratifying the ears and the hearts of us all, the adolescents of the 90s. And we listened and hummed and sang together in get-togethers and parties on the top of our voices, feeling good with a sense of affirmation of what we all felt as a generation in the 90s.. alone and together.

3 Body Problem (Season 1), Netflix, TV show review

Based on a successful Chinese fiction novel trilogy, Remembrance of Earth’s Past (The Three-Body Problem 2006, The Dark Forest 2008, Death’s End 2010), Netflix’s #3BodyProblem (Season 1) is the next production of the wildly successful GOT creators, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. Needless to say, all of us GOT fans (for most seasons anyway) jumped in head and heels, readying ourselves up for what promised to be one helluva ride.

The story begins with the astrophysicist, Ye Wenje, who, after her father’s brutal death during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, is sent to a military science base to contact extraterrestrial life, as part of the science-tech-space race that was prevalent during the Cold War era. Driven by a mixed sense of revenge yet saving humanity, she ends up inviting a super advanced life form (the San-Ti) to come and inhabit and potentially save Earth from humans. The impact of this event triggered in the 1960s is felt in the present-day UK, as a bunch of (mainly Oxford) scientists feel their lives being threatened, controlled, and even murdered by San-Ti and their technologically advanced communication through AI-enabled "sophons", highly immersive and real VR gaming, and human ambassadors that have formed a cult of San-Ti worshippers (referring to them as their “lord”), waiting for them to come and save them. Even as the San-Ti create havoc in present times around the world, the reality is revealed that they will arrive to inhabit the earth (and potentially eradicate humans), but only 400 years later, coming from their un-stable and now collapsing galaxy (being part of the 3 suns solar system, hence the 3-body problem). The British Secret Service steps into action. Led by Thomas Wade and aided by his faithful officer Clarence, they recruit the very same afflicted Oxford scientists along with an army of the best officers, scientists, ammunition, and resources, to fight the cult-followership (led by Ye Wenje and Mike Evans), and starting a long term mission to stop the San-Ti before they reach Earth. 

The series has all the makings of a potential blockbuster production. The creators come from the pedigree of perhaps the most successful TV show of the last decade. Netflix production budgets mean no lack of money to create anything at all. The visual and sound effects are magnificent and impactful. And most of all, at the heart of it is the perfect nerdy concept of the "3-body-problem", one of those unsolvable physics problems in the world, mixed with a generous dose of science-fiction with un-seen and un-imaginable alien species that are coming to invade us. Even the central philosophical tenet of the series is brilliant, wherein at a time of uncertainty in the world, in some form or manner, we are all contemplating and debating our very own existence as a human race… waiting for either salvation or retribution.. even as we are not really able to make out the difference between the two. Thanos or Avengers? Shiva or Vishnu or Brahma? Life or After-Life? Fight the San-Ti or let the San-Ti save us? Do we really know what’s the right choice anymore?

And in fact, the first half of the Season speaks to this perfectly. We are totally intrigued, immersed, and involved in the plot, jogging our minds, dazzled with the multiple possibilities in which the story is heading, blown by the paranormal phenomenon that we are not able to explain. And for all of us nerds, it’s a complete geek-fest digging into concepts and ideas we’ve not explored before. But in the second half of the Season, it quickly slows down and unravels towards an unsatisfying and disappointing ending, leaving us all under-whelmed, cheated, and a little meh’ed. And for that, this new potentially exciting Netflix series comes a cropper.

This is because The 3-Body Problem has, well, 3 Body-problems!

The first body-problem is the body of the work and the writing that doesn’t make the mark. Having not read the original Chinese novel that the series is based on, it’s hard to say whether the lack of depth in the story-telling is because of the sourcebook or because of the writers of the TV show, but where Benioff and Weiss had a winner in their hands with GOT, to begin with, was George R R Martin’s prolific books with so much history, geography (and biology!) that every episode was an in-depth experience that left you wanting more. Without this depth, the story just becomes about an alien race wanting to invade our planet, and in that becomes a seen-there-done-that story only a million times before. We also realize with this show that Netflix is no HBO and that perhaps is the other reason for the lack of impact. HBO is a master class in impactful and deep story-telling - Succession, Outsider, White Lotus, Sex and the City, Mare of Easttown, etc etc. Whereas Netflix's strength lies in making highly engaging pop entertainment - Stranger Things, Money Heist, Bridgerton, Elite, Wednesday, etc. Not exactly the same thing. Perhaps HBO’s take on the 3-body problem would have given us what we were looking for.

The second-body problem is the missing body of completeness of the Season. For most of us, even though we are unfamiliar with the original Chinese novel, it is well understood that most of the new TV shows will have a follow-up season and we don’t expect the story to finish completely in one season. But, what the good shows do really well, is they give enough of a sense of completion to give satisfaction to the audience of time well spent across 8 long one-hour episodes, while still leaving it open enough for them to come back again for the next season. In fact, Netflix is a master at that, given all the above (and many other) popular shows, Stranger Things being best-in-class on this. And so it’s a pity that for this show, they didn’t do that. At the end of Season 1 of 3-body, not only are we left with a complete sense of incompletion, but also a sense of hopelessness that it will really go anywhere in Season 2.

The third-body problem is the lack of connection with the many some-bodies in the show. For a story that has so many characters, with each playing a significant role in the plot, with their own individual stories and emotions, it is a miss that we don’t build a relationship with any of the characters, no matter how strong and important they are. Again a huge contrast to GOT, where we had deep emotions (be it love, hate, disgust, attraction, pity) with each and every character in the plot. In 3-body, we watch the characters playing their role in a story with a distance, not feeling Will’s unrequited love for Jin, or Jin’s reluctant complicity in the mission, or Auggie’s rebellious yet hopeless desire to change the world, or Thomas Wade’s patriotic fervor to save mankind, or even Ye Wenje’s dubious moral compass that starts the whole thing. The only characters that make some impact are Clarence (played by Benedict Wong), the cheeky-yet-focused officer who unwittingly becomes the key agent of action, and Mike Evans (played by talented Jonathan Pryce) as the menacing-yet-calm leader of the San-Ti cult.

All in all, Did we like Season 1?

Unfortunately no. It was a completely missed opportunity.

But will we watch season 2?

Yes of course, with the hope that it realises the potential of what it could be.

Dear Netflix, Benioff and Weiss, hope you’re able to pull off Season 2 better. 

Otherwise, we may have a 6-body problem to deal with!

American Fiction, 2023 - Film Review

Adapted from the 2001 novel Erasure, by Percival Everett, comes the Academy’s this year’s favourite black movie, the critically acclaimed American Fiction, directed and written by Cord Jefferson, the adapted screenplay of which won the Oscar (its only Oscar).

The story revolves around Thelonious Ellison, or Monk, who is, well, a critically acclaimed writer, respected in the literary circles, but not too successful with his books, because as his publisher explains to him, he writes books that are like ‘Blue Label’ (of the Johnnie Walker range), respected by all, but consumed by a few, whereas what he should be writing is ‘Red Label’ that is loved and consumed by many. The Red label, or as I would rather remember it as, the ‘Black Label’ also doubles up as a meaning for what the audience and the publishers (especially a white one) are looking to read in a Black fiction novel – the grime, the crime and the sublime. When he writes an ironic joke in the form of a stereotypical black novel that accidentally becomes a super hit, minting him money, fame, critical success and even a Hollywood movie, against the backdrop of his broken family falling apart and coming together, he comes to accept his own failings along with that of the world around him, moving on, and holding on to the friends and family he’s got left.

The film is a light-hearted satire on the issue of inclusion of black people and the normalization of (privileged and un-privileged) black lives in American society. The film pits against each other two contrarian views of this idea. On one side, is the view of the protagonist, Monk, who refuses to accept the cliche of black lives and black fiction, and propagates the idea that black stories can be and should be so much more than a 'ghetto' life. On the other side, is the commonly accepted view, (which also sells lots of books and movies), that shows black people speaking in black accents, hustling and struggling against fundamentally deprived lives, as represented by the best-selling author Sintara Golden (played by Issa Rae).

The first side, seen through the eyes of Monk, is funny and tickles our privileged sense of humour, where we find ourselves siding with Monk, judging and making fun of the white men and women who wallow in their own superficial sense of sympathy for the under-privileged black people, and the misguided way in which they absolve their own guilt by championing what they believe is the right depiction of black ‘American Fiction’. This forms the central plot of the film and is portrayed brilliantly by Jeffrey Wright. As his emotional curve goes from apathy to annoyance to sheer anger towards this blatant commercialization of black lives, the ironic hilarity comes from his consequent success curve that moves in an inversely proportional direction. Like he says himself in the film “the dumber I behave, the richer I get”. As Monk pushes the ridiculousness of his story, first calling it "My Pafology", and then re-christening it to just simply “Fuck”, the scenes with the publishers, the Hollywood producer, and his literature community get funnier and funnier.

This side of the story also intermingles beautifully with his own personal life, which itself challenges his stance that black lives can be normal. All his life, after living separately from his family, when he is forced to return to them, he finally sees their inherent broken-ness - in an ailing mother, a burdened sister, an estranged gay brother, a philandering father who killed himself, and eventually in his own emotional unavailability. These moments of Monk with his family and as he finally 'sees' his family and their lives, for what they are – full of struggle, and hustle, and pain and violence, a kind of ghetto of its own -  are beautiful, tender, and touching and make the film what it is and truly worth watching.

However, what leaves us unsatisfied, is the lack of exploring the ‘other side’ of the black fiction perspective. The perspective of Sintara Golden. While her book is a best-seller, playing to the popular white- American guilt, which Monk shuns publicly, the author herself doesn’t see it as playing to the crowds. Instead she sees it as an authentic representation of what black lives really are in society, and contrasts it to Monk’s more privileged upbringing. As she assertively says to Monk in the film "Potential is what people see when they think what's in front of them isn't good enough". But, this side is abruptly brushed under the carpet, and the story goes back to affirming only Monk’s perspective till the end, resolving only his life and his crisis. This is what leaves us a little cold and distant as we move into the last quarter of the film.
A film, that is otherwise so beautifully emotionally open, ends up being intellectually closed.

But this one flaw notwithstanding, American Fiction is a recommended watch for sure, and another one of those Oscar nominations that got overshadowed this year, by the magnum opus of Oppenheimer (my review https://books-booze-boxoffice.blogspot.com/2023/07/oppenheimer-2023-movie-review.html). 

And more importantly, a mental note to self to read this author, who’s new book ‘James’ is in fact, just out!

Dune - Part One (2021) and Part Two (2024) - Film Review

What makes one fiction cult and another one mainstream, irrespective of its popularity? For example, films like Guy Ritchie’s Snatch (2000) or David Fincher’s Fight Club (1999) have a cult following, whereas James Cameron’s Titanic (1997) or Speilberg’s Jurassic Park (1997), of the same vintage and equally great films in their own right, have mainstream popularity. Or in science fiction, films like the Marvel Universe or Star Wars hit the mainstream spot, while films like The Matrix (at least when it started) or Nolan’s initial films like Inception, or the Mad Max series become cult classics? 

Getting into Dune, once again brings this perspective to life in a big way, because Dune, falls squarely in this category of “cult” sci-fiction.

Dune, the film, based on the (ahem!) cult sci-fi novel of the same name, written by Frank Herbert in 1965, is two movies (Part one in 2021 and Part two now in 2024) together capturing the story of the first book in the Dune novel series, which itself comprises six books, written over two decades. The intergalactic plot is across multiple planets, with the epi-center of the story set on the desert planet Arrakis (hence ‘Dune’). Inhabited for centuries by the local Fremen tribe, but ruled and exploited by the Empire for decades, for the precious ‘spice’ that is found only on this planet. Spice, which is the most valuable commodity in the

universe, with multiple uses, not the least of which is the key ingredient of the fuel that powers interplanetary travel.  Against, this backdrop, the first book (and the films) tell the story of Paul Atreides (played by Timothy Chalamet), as he grows from a naive youth, son of Duke Leto Atreides, TO a survivor along with his mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), after his father and the entire Atreides clan is murdered over a political coup, TO becoming part of the Fremen tribe and joining their cause of fighting the imperial and brutal Harkonnens as Muad’Dib, TO finally realizing his destiny as the prophesied political and religious leader of the Fremen and therefore planet Arrakis, as the Lisan Al Gaib. Thereby winning freedom for the planet from the evil emperor, and claiming the imperial throne for himself, challenging the entire political machinery of the universe. 

Now, by definition, cult means it’s not for everyone, and that it appeals to a narrow audience that either connects with the theme, or more often than not, connects with the nuances and the layers that are beneath the overt story-telling. And that’s why we see many who are drawn to watching Dune for its big, grand, sci-fi, SFX experience, walking out feeling under-whelmed or with a ‘meh’.

Because, for one, unlike many other fiction novels made into movies (like say the brilliant Lord of the Rings), the film Dune expects its viewers to have read the book. Or the atleast, know enough about the novel. And for those of us who have, the film (especially with Denis Villeneuve’s big-budget IMAX experience) is a beautiful and inspiring bringing-to-life of this unique imagination and vision of Frank Herbert, telling the complex story-telling of imperial politics, nationalistic resistance, and religious fundamentalism. A story where it’s not always clear what’s the better path for an entire population, that one way or another, is enslaved and manipulated by one kind of power or the other. Just like the world we live in every day. No black-and-white answers in life, right?  

Throughout the film, we are rooting for Paul Atreides, a victim of political play, as he fights against the system, with the help of his Fremen believers, slaying the evil Harkonnens, avenging his family’s betrayal, and coming to power by defeating the emperor, with a clear public affirmation that he is “the One” that will bring redemption to Arrakis and the universe. But, throughout the story, we are also very aware of and frightened by the impending and inevitable danger of him coming to power, as the absolute religious leader, who will spawn a mass annihilation in the future. As history (and indeed our present world) has evidenced, we know this to be true in our world, where the popular leader himself becomes the destroyer of the very thing he was chosen to save. A certain Russian leader, a Turkish leader, an American leader, and perhaps a leader closer to home, comes to mind! What do they say about absolute power…. 

As the young Paul Atreides, who was thrown into the desert after his father was killed, we love him, feel bad for him, want to help him, champion him, feel his vulnerability, cheer for him, as he fights and survives and wins the Fremen trust and leadership and defeats his vile enemies.

As Muad’D’b, the young fighter and an equal member of the Fremen tribe, we admire him, respect him for his earnestness, his madness, his will, his love for Chani, his sheer resilience and the clarity of vision for what he is fighting for, even at such a young age.

But, as Lisan Al Gaib, the religious leader of Fremen based on blind faith, the result of a prophecy which itself is a massive political plot spawned by the spiritual and shady power-monger community of the Benne Gesserit, we are unsure, we are worried, and fear the consequences of what this absolute power might forebode for the world and his people.

And as Kwisatz Haderach, the ONE, who can see and exist across time and space, we are in awe and overwhelmed at the uncertainty of the future with this being, who till yesterday was just a little boy, but now seems to have the fate of the whole universe in his hand.

The film captures these nuances beautifully, especially told through the lens of Chani, the Fremen woman that Paul falls in love with and makes her his partner. And it is these nuances and layers that make Dune the cult franchise that it is. 

The genius of Dune is also in the realisation that written in 1965, we can clearly see how many popular sci-fi franchises like Star Wars, or Star Trek are inspired by the various elements from Dune. The prodigal son, the evil Empire, the hero’s lineage linking back to the evil rulers themselves, and so on and so forth. 

The casting of the film is brilliant and hits the spot for the storytelling. Timothy Chalamet, as the protagonist, does a really good job of portraying the layers of his character and shows his talent. Rebecca Fergusson as Lady Jessica, who herself transforms from a protective mother to the Reverend Mother of the entire tribe, at heart a Benne Gesserit, using her soft and magic power to manipulate her son and the people around her towards political gains. Javier Bardem, as Stilgar, the leader of the Fremen tribe is both powerful and endearing. And all the other actors portray their roles superbly and convincingly. Zendaya, however, as an important central character, is underwhelming and leaves us unfulfilled in her portrayal of Chani, albeit supporting the story just about enough. 

While we know a lot of cult books and movies do become mainstream over time (Marvel’s comics, Game of Thrones, The Matrix, etc), Dune seems firmly in the category that will likely stay cult for a long long time. So, watch the film only if you’re planning to join the cult. 

And if you are, my advice would be to read the book first. 

Killers of the Flower Moon, 2023 - Film Review

Martin Scorcese’s next masterpiece brings to the audience an appalling tale of human greed, cold blooded crime and racist prejudice, forgotten by history and the history-makers. Portrayed through lead performances by the genius DeNiro and the brilliant DiCaprio, this three-and-a-half hour epic saga is nothing short of a big cinema movie-making treat, that demands full attention, and listening to.

The story is set in the 1920s America, in the town of Fairfax, in the south-west state of Oklahoma. A land that belongs to the Red Indian tribe, referred to as the Osage. A chance discovery of oil makes the whole community rich overnight, creating wealth for generations. As landowners of this land with black gold, with ample money and time at hand, the Osages create a large consumption market of all kinds of goods and services and addictions, which apart from happiness and pleasure, also brings with it physical and mental ailments, and a whole ecosystem of white men (and women) with jobs to serve, collaborate, partner and take advantage of. Against this back drop, the film tells the specific story of the abhorring mastermind plan of William Hale (De Niro). Of gradually eradicating the Osages and acquiring their land inheritance, either through marrying and then eliminating their women, or with plain old cold blooded killing, when needed. All this while publicly playing the perfect charade of a partner-leader-compatriot of the Osages. Against this deep-seated conspiracy, arrives Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio), nephew of William Hale, returning from World War I duty, quickly becoming a pawn in his uncle’s vicious and silent genocide. Marrying the available and future land inheritor Mollie (Lilly Gladstone), Ernest, along with his uncle and brother Byron accelerate the plan of eliminating the relevant Osages one by one, in cold and cruel ways, while on the surface always displaying love and affection. Taking undue advantage of the land where the US Federal law doesn’t apply (the Indian law applies), the vile deceit and quiet bloodshed continues unabated, till Mollie, after losing all her sisters and mother, and despite being quietly poisoned by her husband, makes a trip to Washington DC, asking for help from the federal government. The FBI (the 1920s version of it), finally arrives, unravelling the crime and eventually putting an end to it, but not until multiple Osage families are wiped off forever.

Scorcese is clearly on a mission with this film. The primary motive of the film is not to entertain like The Departed, even though the cinematography, the background score, and the performances move us, just like a classic piece of entertainment would. The purpose of the film is not to enthral like Shutter Island, even though the deploring murders of the Osage tribe has got us hooked on, to know happens next like a good thriller. The intention is not to tell the story of a person, time and place like The Wolf of Wall Street, even though the film brings alive an important and forgotten time and people and place in American history, immediately after the first World War. 

Scorcese’s mission in this film is much larger, much grander and more important in current times. His mission is to remind us of seeking a complete and an objective view of history. He wants us not to blindly accept the understanding that has been handed down to us from generations, without being questioned. He doesn’t want us to forget the uncomfortable and potentially horrible truths of our ancestors, just because we don’t want to face them. He doesn’t want our understanding of history only to be what we’ve read in our school history books, which have been carefully written by the makers of today. He wants us to seek more, ask more, find more from our history. Because as he has said often, we can’t define where we are going, till we know where we’ve been. Our history, no matter how ugly it may be, has led to where we are today. And only if we deeply empathise with our own histories, will we not repeat the same mistakes, and build towards a better future. By showing a mirror to our past, Scorcese hopes to open a window into our future.

The specific story of the Osage murders is thoroughly engrossing and heart-breaking at the same time. The innocence of this Indian tribe, being easily manipulated by the vicious white man, evokes the same anger that Mollie feels. We helplessly watch the brutal killing of the Osage people, without any retribution to the culprits. This glimpse of a blatantly imperial and an inherently racist mindset of its time is a shocking realisation of what humans are capable of. And reminds us perhaps, why in 2024, we still see hate-crimes, wars and imperialism and racism, alive and kicking all around us. And in this, is Scorcese’s biggest achievement. 

A big stand out of the film is (no suprise) Leonardo Di Caprio and his portrayal of the complex character that Ernest Burkhart is. While genuinely in love with Mollie, he still can’t help following his uncle’s evil plot of poisoning her. Ernest is a good looking, confident, war veteran who wants to have a good life with a woman he loves. And yet he is inherently a man of weak character, easily bullied and manipulated by people around him, especially his uncle, doing things that he doesn’t even believe in. Only Di Caprio could have delivered this character to Scorcese’s vision. It’s a delight as always to see his performance. And once again, we walk out impressed with this sheer talent.

Lily Gladstone as the under-stated, afflicted, diseased and victimised Mollie is brilliantly impactful. Her subtle emotions hit the mark with the audience every time. We feel her every heart beat, her frustration, her anger, and her desperate love for the husband who is killing her, and till the very end wanting to not believe it.

DeNiro is brilliant as always, but throughout the film, he is a little too DeNiro, which at times, takes away from the character he plays. 

For all Scorcese fans, all the classic experience of his film is there. And it hits the sport perfectly. The art, the setting, the music, the largeness, the mood, the engrossing storytelling, the complete immersion of the brain for the entire time, and the impact. I only wish i  had seen it on the big screen. 

Scorcese’s vision, DeNiro and Caprio in the lead and Lily Gladstone’s stellar additional act, what’s not to like! But only watch it when you have a dedicated three and half hours. Anything less, and you will miss it.