Gauri - The Unborn (A)
Directed by Aku Akbar
Cast: Rushita Pandya, Rituparna Sengupta, Atul Kulkarni, Anupam Kher
Produced by: Amit Mohan
Duration: 100 mins
It usually with much nervous-giggling and chair-gripping anxiety that one treads in to watch a horror flick. But fear not, for Gauri - The Unborn wont be sending you home with any nightmares, except those of having to see it again.
Gauri.. starts off promisingly. The eerie background score by Raju Singh during the titles sets the mood and you watch with bated breath as the camera zooms in from outer space to earth and zeros in on a playground, where a young, enthusiastic mother, Roshni (Rituparna) is cheering for her daughter Shivani (Rushita). All of a sudden Shivani is pushed by invisible hands as she starts her race. The camera pans down slowly to show the hand marks of a child appear on her back to loud music that sounds like a hundred train wheels screeching simultaneously. And it's from then that you start to fear, not the ghost, but the director's style of introducing horror in very obvious, lame ways.
Enter Sudeep (Atul), Roshni's successful architect husband with insatiable lust for his wife. A holiday is planned to Mauritius but alas! The spirit that's found it's way into adorable Shivani from its stratospheric abode makes her inclined to throw regular heavy-breathing tantrums. Shivani hisses menacingly that they visit an old family house or else- and so thats where her obeying parents take her.
Things start to go wrong when they reach the house, with some really chilling moments thrown in. But since the writer-cum-director insists on delivering a 'social' message as well, we have a precocious six-year-old tell her mother why its wrong to abort a child through lengthy dialogues, diluting all that adrenalin pumped. Coupled with the writer's fondness for leaving nothing to the imagination, by the intermission you have the plot and motive neatly spelt out for you.
When the next scene opens to the done-to-death blue night, lightening and rain, you almost roll your eyes. The sudden appearence of the child (to more train-braking sounds) gets predictable, like spotting the toes of a person posed behind a door, waiting to say boo.
On the acting side, Rituparna and Atul are believable and competent. Anupam Kher hams his anti-abortion lecture, but then who can blame him? The movie clearly belongs to little Rushita with her winsome looks and sudden freezing stares.
The pace slackens where it should not, thanks to the weak screenplay by Mohan Azaad. The sudden returns to normalcy disconnects you completely from the earlier eerie moments, making them feel like spoofs. The most incredulous angle is of course the ghost's obession with the bath tub where she was conceived (yes, you got that right).
The movie equally suffers from the treatment meted out to it by Aku Akbar. Is it a fantasy-ridden special-effects horror flick like "The Ring"? Or is it supposed to have those believable, it-could-happen-to-you scenes like in "What lies beneath" and "Bhoot"? Or is all a gigantic effort on Akbar's part to rap aborting parents on their knuckles by putting the fear of the devil in them? For instance, Roshni and Sudeep are freaked to tears and regret when they are told that millions of unborn souls are wailing in fear and crying out for their mommies on dark stormy nights. The determined push for a guilt trip gets trite and makes you feel no pity for the knife-throwing, badly behaved imp of a ghost.
Unless you're the kind who'd believe in vengeful souls of murdered chickens and cockroaches, give this a miss.
Rating: **
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Jingoism, racism and patriotism. Where are the lines?
Just saw Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal. Nothing in the trailers interested me, so normally I wouldnt have been in the movie theater to start with. But a friend had a spare ticket and I had the time, so I thought why not.
And till about an hour into the movie, I was really wondering why. The movie goes at neck breaking speed for the first 20 mins. You are first introduced to the Southall United football team. The very next scene the bad guys (the unconvincing cold-gori-bitch) threaten to take away the club's ground if they dont come up with some money to renew the lease. At this point you already know how the story will go. The team will win the trophy and the ground will remain theirs. Fine it might have been important to establish the goodintentionedheart and not-because-I-just-want-to-win-the-blasted-cup guys. But did Arshad Warsi (Shaan, the captain of the team in the movie) have to pepper his lines with stuff like 'you (British) were in our country for hundred years and we got you outta there without lifting a finger. you think we'll just like that give you our land?' Very unwanted and from what I could see didn't really cut with the audience either. The very next scene the club owner dies and just like that Shaan, who is almost a son, promises to win the trophy. Continuing in the blink-and-miss progress of story, Shaan finds them a coach in Tony Singh (Boman Irani), who most predictably has left the sport and has an alcoholic problem (never revisited again in the story). Despite all the traumatic past, all it takes is one super corny line from Shaan to convince Tony to coach their team and he does.
What pained me at almost every point in the movie is the potential of what the director could have achieved. He had a story of how an underdog asian team make it to the top of the local heap. You look at that and think gosh, he could have actually shown pakistanis and indians in the same team. He could have touched upon cross-culture marriages or maybe people struggling to make a living out of sport. Oh he could have done sooo much! But on all counts Vivek Agnihotri fails. Even the racism he supposedly portrays make ALL Britishers look evil and mean. It was so one-sided that at the end of it every time the Indians said 'yeh gore log' (these white people) it sounded racist. Indeed, I think it was. It is so sad that in this day and age a director has to resort to making Indians look like victims to score some box office points. I immediately thought of Bend it like Beckham (a story of an Indian girl play football in the UK). It did have racism in it, but it was done so well. It showed both kind of British - the racists and the non-racists. That balance is so important to a movie. I couldnt help wondering what Shaan's wife (who is white in the movie) might have said to all his 'gora log' slandering.
The most disappointing aspect was that the entire team was Indian, not Asian (though they keep talking of it as an Asian team). Infact, to Vivek Asian seems to mean North Indian wonly. And almost completely punjabi.
The jingoistic tone continues with every turn in the movie and begins to get on your nerves. There is one scene when John asks his dad, what I wish had been answered, "If you are so fond of India, why are you still here? If you wanted me to be Indian, why give birth to me here and make me a British Citizen? Why confuse me?” The question though asked is met with silence. Pity, I wish the writer/direct had an answer, because it would have helped convince me that the characters were not hypocrites and parasites living off a country they speak ill about.
Also the constant weeping and crying that makes no sense. And the billo song was so begging to be edited.. it just jarred your senses.
The second half is a lot more tolerable, though the weeping quotient increases. John Abraham (Sunny - the snotty but gifted striker)'s oh so-cocky smiles gets a tad repetitive. But since it make him look extremely hot, (see pic) so you do actually forgive the excess. He does look like he knows how to play, which cannot be said of Arshad Warsi or Raj Zutshi (Monty Singh). Btw, the overdose of 'Singh' in this movie is killing!
The climax is good but predictable. Every shot had me excited, till the point they start to streeeeeetch it. John runs towards the ball in sloooow motion. There is pain on his face. The ball is kicked. You see it spinning sloooowly. Arshad's mouth is working sloooowly. John is still looking pained. A little girl in the stand is looking horrified. Boman is freaking out.. in slow motion. The ball is still spining. John is still running. Oh god get on with it, you want to shout. Of course the damn thing is going in for a goal. Is this supposed to be a suspense? Am I supposed to wonder if John is or is not going to save the day? Of course he will. And for super noble reasons too. And almost die in the attempt (yes in bollywood, even sports fields are death mines).
The movie has it nice moments. But Vivek kills it in no time. Like the visit to Manchester United. No football fan I am, but the scene impressed me. Right up till Boman starts hamming in the locker room about champions. God if he was hamming imagine the rest. Also the points in the fillum where it looked like some real football was being played were good.
Would I recommend the movie to anyone? Nope. I spent 230 on the ticket (I still cant believe it, when did movie watching get so expensive in Bangalore?) and 150 on travel and 160 on food. Thats Rs 560 (or two tees, or one one fab india kurta, or two cocktails, or whichever way you want to see it) down the bloody drain!
Rating: ** and a tiny bit more
And till about an hour into the movie, I was really wondering why. The movie goes at neck breaking speed for the first 20 mins. You are first introduced to the Southall United football team. The very next scene the bad guys (the unconvincing cold-gori-bitch) threaten to take away the club's ground if they dont come up with some money to renew the lease. At this point you already know how the story will go. The team will win the trophy and the ground will remain theirs. Fine it might have been important to establish the goodintentionedheart and not-because-I-just-want-to-win-the-blasted-cup guys. But did Arshad Warsi (Shaan, the captain of the team in the movie) have to pepper his lines with stuff like 'you (British) were in our country for hundred years and we got you outta there without lifting a finger. you think we'll just like that give you our land?' Very unwanted and from what I could see didn't really cut with the audience either. The very next scene the club owner dies and just like that Shaan, who is almost a son, promises to win the trophy. Continuing in the blink-and-miss progress of story, Shaan finds them a coach in Tony Singh (Boman Irani), who most predictably has left the sport and has an alcoholic problem (never revisited again in the story). Despite all the traumatic past, all it takes is one super corny line from Shaan to convince Tony to coach their team and he does.
What pained me at almost every point in the movie is the potential of what the director could have achieved. He had a story of how an underdog asian team make it to the top of the local heap. You look at that and think gosh, he could have actually shown pakistanis and indians in the same team. He could have touched upon cross-culture marriages or maybe people struggling to make a living out of sport. Oh he could have done sooo much! But on all counts Vivek Agnihotri fails. Even the racism he supposedly portrays make ALL Britishers look evil and mean. It was so one-sided that at the end of it every time the Indians said 'yeh gore log' (these white people) it sounded racist. Indeed, I think it was. It is so sad that in this day and age a director has to resort to making Indians look like victims to score some box office points. I immediately thought of Bend it like Beckham (a story of an Indian girl play football in the UK). It did have racism in it, but it was done so well. It showed both kind of British - the racists and the non-racists. That balance is so important to a movie. I couldnt help wondering what Shaan's wife (who is white in the movie) might have said to all his 'gora log' slandering.
The most disappointing aspect was that the entire team was Indian, not Asian (though they keep talking of it as an Asian team). Infact, to Vivek Asian seems to mean North Indian wonly. And almost completely punjabi.
The jingoistic tone continues with every turn in the movie and begins to get on your nerves. There is one scene when John asks his dad, what I wish had been answered, "If you are so fond of India, why are you still here? If you wanted me to be Indian, why give birth to me here and make me a British Citizen? Why confuse me?” The question though asked is met with silence. Pity, I wish the writer/direct had an answer, because it would have helped convince me that the characters were not hypocrites and parasites living off a country they speak ill about.
Also the constant weeping and crying that makes no sense. And the billo song was so begging to be edited.. it just jarred your senses.
The second half is a lot more tolerable, though the weeping quotient increases. John Abraham (Sunny - the snotty but gifted striker)'s oh so-cocky smiles gets a tad repetitive. But since it make him look extremely hot, (see pic) so you do actually forgive the excess. He does look like he knows how to play, which cannot be said of Arshad Warsi or Raj Zutshi (Monty Singh). Btw, the overdose of 'Singh' in this movie is killing!The climax is good but predictable. Every shot had me excited, till the point they start to streeeeeetch it. John runs towards the ball in sloooow motion. There is pain on his face. The ball is kicked. You see it spinning sloooowly. Arshad's mouth is working sloooowly. John is still looking pained. A little girl in the stand is looking horrified. Boman is freaking out.. in slow motion. The ball is still spining. John is still running. Oh god get on with it, you want to shout. Of course the damn thing is going in for a goal. Is this supposed to be a suspense? Am I supposed to wonder if John is or is not going to save the day? Of course he will. And for super noble reasons too. And almost die in the attempt (yes in bollywood, even sports fields are death mines).
The movie has it nice moments. But Vivek kills it in no time. Like the visit to Manchester United. No football fan I am, but the scene impressed me. Right up till Boman starts hamming in the locker room about champions. God if he was hamming imagine the rest. Also the points in the fillum where it looked like some real football was being played were good.
Would I recommend the movie to anyone? Nope. I spent 230 on the ticket (I still cant believe it, when did movie watching get so expensive in Bangalore?) and 150 on travel and 160 on food. Thats Rs 560 (or two tees, or one one fab india kurta, or two cocktails, or whichever way you want to see it) down the bloody drain!
Rating: ** and a tiny bit more
Friday, November 2, 2007
Ommi bhai and Doolly's prem kahani
O M K A R A
A movie that just blew my mind, with its cinematography, performances, screenplay and the brilliant direction. Vishal Bharadwaj deserves every award he has won for this movie.
The movie opens with Langda Tyyagi (Safi Ali Khan) breaking up a baraat and informing the groom that his bride to be, Dolly (Kareena Kapoor) has eloped with Omkara (Ajay Devgan), Tyyagi’s boss and head of the ‘gang’. It’s impossible to describe the genius-ness in these shots - rural Uttar Pradesh, with its pathos filled dusty landscape, the colourful wedding decorations and Raju (the loser Dolly is supposed to marry) falling off a moped when he tries desperately to get help.
The story, based on Othello, has stayed true to the original, much like Vishal's previous Bard-tribute, Maqbool. As the plot unfolds the first wisp of doubt settles in Omkar's head when Dolly's angry father mutters "Jo ladki apne baap ko tugh sakti hai, woh kisi aur ki kya hogi" (roughly translates as - the daughter who wasnt faithful to her own father, can never be faithful to anyone.)
All goes fine for a while. Dolly and Omkara pick a date for the wedding and in the meantime live together. Omkara and his gang of henchmen enjoy good fortunes after they help the local politician (Naseerundin Shah) get elected. Omkara then appoints Kesu (Vivek Oberio) as his successor or 'bahubali'.. a post that Tyyagi had been eyeing for himself. Upset, he then seeks to get his revenge by cleverly manipulating Raju and dropping deciteful insinuations to Ommi that Dolly is having an affair with Kesu. There are several artistically captured moments in the movie, like this one, where Langda Tyyagi admits that he thinks the two are having an affair. The train's headlight, the rain and Tyyagi lying wounded with Omkara standing above him almost makes you hear that last nail getting hammered into the coffin.
The plot is something we all know, but the screenplay grips you nevertheless. The usage of the Kamarbandh, an ornament that is tied around the waist, are just some of the brilliant adaptations Vishal has done. Right up to the end (and no matter how many times I see it) the build up to the climax, the tension apparent on Ajay's and Kareena's face during the wedding, is rivetting. The sense of doom palpable. The final scene with Kareena rocking on the jula over Ajay Devgan's dead body is a piece of genius. I have used the word again I see :)
The performance of each and every one in the cast is stellar. I of course love Ajay's performance (how can you not?). Kareena and Oberoi (who would have ever casted them as Biharis??) have done justice to their roles, convincing in their semi-urbanness. Even Bipasha Basu's character of Billo had meat! Konkana Sen is the only role that felt incomplete in some way. Like there was more to her character of Indu (Ommibhai's adopted sister) than shown. Perhaps her character evolved in scenes that were later edited? But the absolute mind blowing, oscar worthy even, performance belongs to Saif Ali Khan. When and where did he get to be so brilliant? When you think of his earlier movies, Dillagi remember? and see how far he has come with Dil Chahata Hai, Being Cyrus and Omkara, you really want to stand up and applaud this man.
Music is aptly set. I loved Sathi Re and was surprised to discover that Vishal had lent his voice to it. The lyrics of Jag Ja (Jag ja re gudiya, misri ki pudiya, meethe lage do naina) are so authentic that it sounds like some old North Indian lullabay. I found it hard to believe that Gulzar had actually penned them. Of course everyone knows Beedi Sarailay and Namak. But the rest of the music is equally powerful.
The movie won plenty of awards. It seems like anyone who was anything in the movie got an award from someone. And why not? When you see the movie you'll know why.
Rating: the full monty ***** and one more * !
The offical site
A movie that just blew my mind, with its cinematography, performances, screenplay and the brilliant direction. Vishal Bharadwaj deserves every award he has won for this movie.
The movie opens with Langda Tyyagi (Safi Ali Khan) breaking up a baraat and informing the groom that his bride to be, Dolly (Kareena Kapoor) has eloped with Omkara (Ajay Devgan), Tyyagi’s boss and head of the ‘gang’. It’s impossible to describe the genius-ness in these shots - rural Uttar Pradesh, with its pathos filled dusty landscape, the colourful wedding decorations and Raju (the loser Dolly is supposed to marry) falling off a moped when he tries desperately to get help.
The story, based on Othello, has stayed true to the original, much like Vishal's previous Bard-tribute, Maqbool. As the plot unfolds the first wisp of doubt settles in Omkar's head when Dolly's angry father mutters "Jo ladki apne baap ko tugh sakti hai, woh kisi aur ki kya hogi" (roughly translates as - the daughter who wasnt faithful to her own father, can never be faithful to anyone.)
All goes fine for a while. Dolly and Omkara pick a date for the wedding and in the meantime live together. Omkara and his gang of henchmen enjoy good fortunes after they help the local politician (Naseerundin Shah) get elected. Omkara then appoints Kesu (Vivek Oberio) as his successor or 'bahubali'.. a post that Tyyagi had been eyeing for himself. Upset, he then seeks to get his revenge by cleverly manipulating Raju and dropping deciteful insinuations to Ommi that Dolly is having an affair with Kesu. There are several artistically captured moments in the movie, like this one, where Langda Tyyagi admits that he thinks the two are having an affair. The train's headlight, the rain and Tyyagi lying wounded with Omkara standing above him almost makes you hear that last nail getting hammered into the coffin.
The plot is something we all know, but the screenplay grips you nevertheless. The usage of the Kamarbandh, an ornament that is tied around the waist, are just some of the brilliant adaptations Vishal has done. Right up to the end (and no matter how many times I see it) the build up to the climax, the tension apparent on Ajay's and Kareena's face during the wedding, is rivetting. The sense of doom palpable. The final scene with Kareena rocking on the jula over Ajay Devgan's dead body is a piece of genius. I have used the word again I see :)
The performance of each and every one in the cast is stellar. I of course love Ajay's performance (how can you not?). Kareena and Oberoi (who would have ever casted them as Biharis??) have done justice to their roles, convincing in their semi-urbanness. Even Bipasha Basu's character of Billo had meat! Konkana Sen is the only role that felt incomplete in some way. Like there was more to her character of Indu (Ommibhai's adopted sister) than shown. Perhaps her character evolved in scenes that were later edited? But the absolute mind blowing, oscar worthy even, performance belongs to Saif Ali Khan. When and where did he get to be so brilliant? When you think of his earlier movies, Dillagi remember? and see how far he has come with Dil Chahata Hai, Being Cyrus and Omkara, you really want to stand up and applaud this man.
Music is aptly set. I loved Sathi Re and was surprised to discover that Vishal had lent his voice to it. The lyrics of Jag Ja (Jag ja re gudiya, misri ki pudiya, meethe lage do naina) are so authentic that it sounds like some old North Indian lullabay. I found it hard to believe that Gulzar had actually penned them. Of course everyone knows Beedi Sarailay and Namak. But the rest of the music is equally powerful.
The movie won plenty of awards. It seems like anyone who was anything in the movie got an award from someone. And why not? When you see the movie you'll know why.
Rating: the full monty ***** and one more * !
The offical site
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Manorama 6 feet under
Aint the title intriguing?
Navdeep Singh has done well by his first movie, which he helped write as well. No spoilers ahead this time, so read on bravely.
The setting of this movie, in a sleepy town in Rajasthan is brilliantly portrayed. The characters are so real and believable - Abhay Deol, Gul Panag, Vinay Pathak - neat performances. The supporting cast has been selected pretty well. They lend to the movie and its mood. The scene where the two henchmen hired to beat up Abhay start quarrelling amongst themselves as to who has to break his finger was hilarious and yet so frightening.
I think the only critique I have is that the pace completely slacked from about 30 mins into the movie, right up to the end. Now you might wonder at that - at why a movie that’s slow paced, a cardinal sin for a thriller, be even mention-worthy. Well that according to me is because of the directorial style. Hats off to Navdeep. I think if he hadnt been the co-writter of the movie as well, if he hadnt felt the need to portray a 100 small, inconsequential scenes, he might have understood the editor's pleas to cut-cut-cut. And the movie would have been a better hit at the box office.
Soundtrack wise I think they’ve done well. The music (the times that I did pay attention to it) blended well with the scene and put you right in rural Rajasthan. The climax was a bit disappointing, in the sense, the plot was fine. But the element of drama, of revealing the all-important game plan in a sudden flourish, was missing. Sigh. So many things working and all it required was a little slicker editing. Are you listening Navdeep? Next time, hear the editor out, ok?
Rating: *** 1/2
A harsh review
And of course Wikipedia
Navdeep Singh has done well by his first movie, which he helped write as well. No spoilers ahead this time, so read on bravely.
The setting of this movie, in a sleepy town in Rajasthan is brilliantly portrayed. The characters are so real and believable - Abhay Deol, Gul Panag, Vinay Pathak - neat performances. The supporting cast has been selected pretty well. They lend to the movie and its mood. The scene where the two henchmen hired to beat up Abhay start quarrelling amongst themselves as to who has to break his finger was hilarious and yet so frightening.
I think the only critique I have is that the pace completely slacked from about 30 mins into the movie, right up to the end. Now you might wonder at that - at why a movie that’s slow paced, a cardinal sin for a thriller, be even mention-worthy. Well that according to me is because of the directorial style. Hats off to Navdeep. I think if he hadnt been the co-writter of the movie as well, if he hadnt felt the need to portray a 100 small, inconsequential scenes, he might have understood the editor's pleas to cut-cut-cut. And the movie would have been a better hit at the box office.
Soundtrack wise I think they’ve done well. The music (the times that I did pay attention to it) blended well with the scene and put you right in rural Rajasthan. The climax was a bit disappointing, in the sense, the plot was fine. But the element of drama, of revealing the all-important game plan in a sudden flourish, was missing. Sigh. So many things working and all it required was a little slicker editing. Are you listening Navdeep? Next time, hear the editor out, ok?
Rating: *** 1/2
A harsh review
And of course Wikipedia
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Requiem for a Dream
I’ve been on a movie-watching spree for a while now. I still have miles of reels to go before I sleep, but this one, this one is screaming to be written about. The one I speak of is Requiem for a Dream. Released in 2000, the movie is based on a novel by Hubert Selby and directed by Darren Aronofsky (who?).
I may have given the story in great detail here (way too much is the phrase I was looking for), but bear with me, please? Its my first review.
Statutory Warning: If you have not seen this movie, STOP reading this minute. Spoiler ahead.
Oh fine, I warned you but huh?
The film follows the life of four protagonists as they fight various addictions. The film opens to the loud almost frightening, cheering of a crowd. It’s clearly a game show or a reality show of some kind with audience shouting in unison “Juice by Tappy! Juice by Tappy!” The sense of hype and make believe just hits you as the camera pans the crowd and the sweeping spotlights picks out over-excited faces as the crowds goes “oooOOOOOOOOH! TAPPY’s got juice! TAPPY’s got juice” You then see the famous Tappy shaking hands and looking at the camera saying, “Juice by you”. While its never clearly established in the movie what the show is about its clearly some orchestrated reality show where, one assumes, the winners talk about the great struggles they’ve overcome (say like weight loss) and then get awarded a prize of some sort.
The show is an addiction (the first kind shown in the movie) for Sara Goldfarb, a woman in her fifties. Her son Harry, in his early twenties visits her only to repeatedly pawn her TV. The viewer gets the feeling that Sara is terrified of her son as she locks herself in her room and refuses to come out while Harry tries to open the door. However the rest of the story doesn’t justify Sara looking scared in that first scene. The scene more works to emphasis her blind love for her son (every time he pawns the TV she buys it back and refuses to let the police intervene). The director uses a split screen to show what happens in the hall and in her room, a technique he uses in various parts of the movie. Harry’s black friend, Tyrone is waiting outside and together they take the TV to be pawned as the titles come up. The background score, by Clint Mansell starts and is extraordinary in creating the sense of heightened drama and pathos. You might remember this score from Sunshine, but it works far better in this movie.
The movie then establishes Harry’s attractive girlfriend, Marion and their love for excitement as they needlessly break into a flat and just miss being caught. The two clearly love each other to bits. Marion is far richer, but hates her parents who’ve set her up with an expensive therapist. Harry and Marion dream of opening a design studio for Marion where she can design clothes. All three, Tyrone, Harry and Marion do heroin, but it seems harmless at first. Meanwhile Tyrone hits upon the idea of drug peddling to make a lot of money. They start off right and even make some dough, but staying so close to a lot of heroin (that was meant to be peddled) has them trying it out way too often and they each slip further into the addiction.
Meanwhile Sara Goldfarb gets a call from the ‘television guys’ who want her in as a guest for the Tappy show. She’s excited and even picks out a red dress carefully stashed away in her cupboard. It is the dress she wore to Harry’s graduation and a fav with her husband. Except that she doesn’t fit into it anymore. Her next obsession for losing weight starts her as her neighbour starts her off on a grapefruit diet. As with all those who starve to lose weight she quickly starts obsessing about food. Her refrigerator seems to beckon her. Another neighbour then sends her to a ‘pill doctor’ who puts her on some harmful drugs which gets her all hyper and reduces the craving for food.
Meanwhile the three friends are rolling in money. Tyrone, is show enjoying the newfound wealth in a scene where he’s enjoying some newly installed mirrors and there is an attractive woman calling him to bed. But as he watches the swaying mirrors he suddenly pictures himself as a little boy, being scooped into a bear hug by his mom and him telling her, “I told you mom one day I’d make it” and she says, “You don’t have to make anything my sweet, you just have to love your momma” Tyrone looks visibly moved by his recollection, as he goes back to bed to his girlfriend.
The pill-diet works for Sara and she loses enough weight to impress her friends – and the red dress almost fits. But the promised letter from the television company doesnt come and she starts obsessing about not getting the letter.
Harry notices his mom’s hyper-ness and also the constant teeth grinding when he comes to drop a new TV set for his mom. His warnings to her, to stop taking the pill falls on deaf ears when Sara replies: “What have I got Harry? I’m lonely and old. But I like the way I feel now. I like thinking about the red dress and television. Now when I get the sun, I smile.” Harry leaves feeling enormously guilty and even cries on the taxi back home. But then he shoots up and feels better – a signal of the beginning of the end.
In the scene following this, Marion ask Harry if she’s beautiful and he says, she's the ‘most beautiful girl’ he’s seen. She’s his ‘dream’ – a requiem (a prayer for salvation) for a dream.
Meanwhile the pills are not having the same effect on Sara as before, and so she doubles up her dosage. Instantly her hallucinations start with her being on the Tappy show, with the crowd going, “Sara’s got juice, Sara’s got juice…ooooOOOOH Sara!” Sara also starts hallucinating that the refrigerator wants to eat her up!
Soon the three pals find it had to get heroin to peddle much less to inject themselves. Tyrone finds himself caught for an offence he had nothing to do with. So Harry and Marion spend lots of cash to bail him out. Heroin is hard to come by and Tyrone tells Harry that the only man who has any will give it only for 'pussy'. Harry seriously considers it for a second.
It's fall now as Sara loses more sleep, so does Marion – unable to handle the withdrawal from the drug. Harry’s hand is also seen getting infected. A visibly undernourished Sara, who seems to have all but lost it, visits the pill-doctor. The absolutely irresponsible doctor prescribes her more drugs to calm her. Harry convinces Marion to sleep with her loserofatherapist to get some money. Marion is dressed in black and there is so much of heartbreak in the scene and the ones following it, as Marion does actually sleep with the therapist. Darren Aronofsky uses this Snorricam technique, where the camera follows the actor in a closeup and the background just sort of fades away like in a rear view mirror (sorry cant explain it better, so have put in a snapshot of the same).
Things don’t take long to slip from bad to worse. Heroin still is hard to get and Marion is losing it as well, Sara slips into delusions and Tyrone misses his mom more than ever. Desperate Harry and Tyrone drive down to Florida in search of the stuff. Before leaving, in a fit of anger Harry scribbles out the number of the guy who gives drugs out to only ‘broads’ for Marion to contact. Sara’s overdose pushes her over the edge and she finds Tappy and an attractive version of herself in her apartment laughing at her. Completely harassed and wrecked by her hallucinations and she finds herself on the streets trying to get to the studio. Its winter now and she barely has a coat on. Marion sleeps with the man in exchange for some dope. He invites her to a ‘party’ the following Sunday. In florida Harry’s arm is infected to a very gross extent, so when they do shoot up it gets worse. They get to a hospital but the doctor calls the cops without treating Harry, when he figures they are addicts.
At the studio the stunned staff get the security to take Sara to the hospital – where they try to force feed her.
Marion meantime has finished her stock and sadly decides to go the man’s Sunday bang-party, which sounds like such a bad idea that your stomach churns. One of the saddest moments occurs now, as Marion is getting ready to go and is putting on some mascara. Harry, in obvious pain, calls her from the police station and they have this conversation as they both break down:
When you comin' home, Harry?
Soon.
When?
Soon – he says again as tears roll down both their cheeks.
And then she says, “Harry? Can you come today?”
And he bursts out crying because he cant, but says he’ll come today. Marion looks up and then slowly dabs away the tears so as to not smug her makeup because she knows he’s lying, and that she has to go to the man.
A young doctor meanwhile gets Sara to sign on a paper agreeing to subject herself to ECT – an electric-shock treatment thing, which seems unfair because she barely knows what she is doing.
At the prison, Tyrone is made to work like a dog while Harry – who can barely stand at this point, is sent to the hospital.
Meantime Marion has got herself into something best described as live pornography where she has to perform various sexual acts for drunken men dressed like they just came from work.
The last scenes shows each one of the protangists break down and go to a very foetal position.
Harry – has his arm cut due to chronic gangrene, curls up and cries
Tyrone – tired, with severe withdrawal symptoms imagines his mother comforting him, curls up.
Marion – clutches a brown bag of the ‘stuff’ and curls up with a happy smile
And finally
Sara – who can still her Tappy call her on stage. She calls for her Harry and they hug on the stage. They say they love each other, as Sara curls up with a very mad smile on her lips.
The final scenes would be incomplete without the haunting music, almost like setting the stage up for disaster.
An amazing movie.. one that I couldnt get out of my head for days after that.
Rating: A full 5 *****
Better reviews at:
Wikipidia
IMDB
I may have given the story in great detail here (way too much is the phrase I was looking for), but bear with me, please? Its my first review.
Statutory Warning: If you have not seen this movie, STOP reading this minute. Spoiler ahead.
Oh fine, I warned you but huh?
The film follows the life of four protagonists as they fight various addictions. The film opens to the loud almost frightening, cheering of a crowd. It’s clearly a game show or a reality show of some kind with audience shouting in unison “Juice by Tappy! Juice by Tappy!” The sense of hype and make believe just hits you as the camera pans the crowd and the sweeping spotlights picks out over-excited faces as the crowds goes “oooOOOOOOOOH! TAPPY’s got juice! TAPPY’s got juice” You then see the famous Tappy shaking hands and looking at the camera saying, “Juice by you”. While its never clearly established in the movie what the show is about its clearly some orchestrated reality show where, one assumes, the winners talk about the great struggles they’ve overcome (say like weight loss) and then get awarded a prize of some sort.
The show is an addiction (the first kind shown in the movie) for Sara Goldfarb, a woman in her fifties. Her son Harry, in his early twenties visits her only to repeatedly pawn her TV. The viewer gets the feeling that Sara is terrified of her son as she locks herself in her room and refuses to come out while Harry tries to open the door. However the rest of the story doesn’t justify Sara looking scared in that first scene. The scene more works to emphasis her blind love for her son (every time he pawns the TV she buys it back and refuses to let the police intervene). The director uses a split screen to show what happens in the hall and in her room, a technique he uses in various parts of the movie. Harry’s black friend, Tyrone is waiting outside and together they take the TV to be pawned as the titles come up. The background score, by Clint Mansell starts and is extraordinary in creating the sense of heightened drama and pathos. You might remember this score from Sunshine, but it works far better in this movie.
The movie then establishes Harry’s attractive girlfriend, Marion and their love for excitement as they needlessly break into a flat and just miss being caught. The two clearly love each other to bits. Marion is far richer, but hates her parents who’ve set her up with an expensive therapist. Harry and Marion dream of opening a design studio for Marion where she can design clothes. All three, Tyrone, Harry and Marion do heroin, but it seems harmless at first. Meanwhile Tyrone hits upon the idea of drug peddling to make a lot of money. They start off right and even make some dough, but staying so close to a lot of heroin (that was meant to be peddled) has them trying it out way too often and they each slip further into the addiction.
Meanwhile Sara Goldfarb gets a call from the ‘television guys’ who want her in as a guest for the Tappy show. She’s excited and even picks out a red dress carefully stashed away in her cupboard. It is the dress she wore to Harry’s graduation and a fav with her husband. Except that she doesn’t fit into it anymore. Her next obsession for losing weight starts her as her neighbour starts her off on a grapefruit diet. As with all those who starve to lose weight she quickly starts obsessing about food. Her refrigerator seems to beckon her. Another neighbour then sends her to a ‘pill doctor’ who puts her on some harmful drugs which gets her all hyper and reduces the craving for food.
Meanwhile the three friends are rolling in money. Tyrone, is show enjoying the newfound wealth in a scene where he’s enjoying some newly installed mirrors and there is an attractive woman calling him to bed. But as he watches the swaying mirrors he suddenly pictures himself as a little boy, being scooped into a bear hug by his mom and him telling her, “I told you mom one day I’d make it” and she says, “You don’t have to make anything my sweet, you just have to love your momma” Tyrone looks visibly moved by his recollection, as he goes back to bed to his girlfriend.
The pill-diet works for Sara and she loses enough weight to impress her friends – and the red dress almost fits. But the promised letter from the television company doesnt come and she starts obsessing about not getting the letter.
Harry notices his mom’s hyper-ness and also the constant teeth grinding when he comes to drop a new TV set for his mom. His warnings to her, to stop taking the pill falls on deaf ears when Sara replies: “What have I got Harry? I’m lonely and old. But I like the way I feel now. I like thinking about the red dress and television. Now when I get the sun, I smile.” Harry leaves feeling enormously guilty and even cries on the taxi back home. But then he shoots up and feels better – a signal of the beginning of the end.
In the scene following this, Marion ask Harry if she’s beautiful and he says, she's the ‘most beautiful girl’ he’s seen. She’s his ‘dream’ – a requiem (a prayer for salvation) for a dream.
Meanwhile the pills are not having the same effect on Sara as before, and so she doubles up her dosage. Instantly her hallucinations start with her being on the Tappy show, with the crowd going, “Sara’s got juice, Sara’s got juice…ooooOOOOH Sara!” Sara also starts hallucinating that the refrigerator wants to eat her up!
Soon the three pals find it had to get heroin to peddle much less to inject themselves. Tyrone finds himself caught for an offence he had nothing to do with. So Harry and Marion spend lots of cash to bail him out. Heroin is hard to come by and Tyrone tells Harry that the only man who has any will give it only for 'pussy'. Harry seriously considers it for a second.
It's fall now as Sara loses more sleep, so does Marion – unable to handle the withdrawal from the drug. Harry’s hand is also seen getting infected. A visibly undernourished Sara, who seems to have all but lost it, visits the pill-doctor. The absolutely irresponsible doctor prescribes her more drugs to calm her. Harry convinces Marion to sleep with her loserofatherapist to get some money. Marion is dressed in black and there is so much of heartbreak in the scene and the ones following it, as Marion does actually sleep with the therapist. Darren Aronofsky uses this Snorricam technique, where the camera follows the actor in a closeup and the background just sort of fades away like in a rear view mirror (sorry cant explain it better, so have put in a snapshot of the same).
Things don’t take long to slip from bad to worse. Heroin still is hard to get and Marion is losing it as well, Sara slips into delusions and Tyrone misses his mom more than ever. Desperate Harry and Tyrone drive down to Florida in search of the stuff. Before leaving, in a fit of anger Harry scribbles out the number of the guy who gives drugs out to only ‘broads’ for Marion to contact. Sara’s overdose pushes her over the edge and she finds Tappy and an attractive version of herself in her apartment laughing at her. Completely harassed and wrecked by her hallucinations and she finds herself on the streets trying to get to the studio. Its winter now and she barely has a coat on. Marion sleeps with the man in exchange for some dope. He invites her to a ‘party’ the following Sunday. In florida Harry’s arm is infected to a very gross extent, so when they do shoot up it gets worse. They get to a hospital but the doctor calls the cops without treating Harry, when he figures they are addicts.
At the studio the stunned staff get the security to take Sara to the hospital – where they try to force feed her.
Marion meantime has finished her stock and sadly decides to go the man’s Sunday bang-party, which sounds like such a bad idea that your stomach churns. One of the saddest moments occurs now, as Marion is getting ready to go and is putting on some mascara. Harry, in obvious pain, calls her from the police station and they have this conversation as they both break down:
When you comin' home, Harry?
Soon.
When?
Soon – he says again as tears roll down both their cheeks.
And then she says, “Harry? Can you come today?”
And he bursts out crying because he cant, but says he’ll come today. Marion looks up and then slowly dabs away the tears so as to not smug her makeup because she knows he’s lying, and that she has to go to the man.
A young doctor meanwhile gets Sara to sign on a paper agreeing to subject herself to ECT – an electric-shock treatment thing, which seems unfair because she barely knows what she is doing.
At the prison, Tyrone is made to work like a dog while Harry – who can barely stand at this point, is sent to the hospital.
Meantime Marion has got herself into something best described as live pornography where she has to perform various sexual acts for drunken men dressed like they just came from work.
The last scenes shows each one of the protangists break down and go to a very foetal position.
Harry – has his arm cut due to chronic gangrene, curls up and cries
Tyrone – tired, with severe withdrawal symptoms imagines his mother comforting him, curls up.
Marion – clutches a brown bag of the ‘stuff’ and curls up with a happy smile
And finally
Sara – who can still her Tappy call her on stage. She calls for her Harry and they hug on the stage. They say they love each other, as Sara curls up with a very mad smile on her lips.
The final scenes would be incomplete without the haunting music, almost like setting the stage up for disaster.
An amazing movie.. one that I couldnt get out of my head for days after that.
Rating: A full 5 *****
Better reviews at:
Wikipidia
IMDB
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