This weekend was sunny and glorious, and the whole of Dublin was outside on the streets in droves, filling up the parks, pubs, and canal-sides. I went for a walk in the park with my friends, and enjoyed some Curiosity Cola after a long, long time and the eclectic mix of movies that I watched made the weekend all the more fun.
Family Katta (Marathi)
The last Marathi movie I watched was “Court”, which was a powerful film on the Indian judicial system and a commentary on life across all levels in a city like Mumbai. So, when my friend suggested watching Family Katta, a tale of a family coming together to celebrate their parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, I was interested to see how differently this tried and tested theme would be tackled.
The first half of the movie is breezy, refreshing, and shows tremendous promise. It focuses on the two grandparents who are preparing for the big celebration the next day when their children and grandchildren are all expected to arrive. The roles of the two grandparents are essayed by veteran actor Dilip Prabhavalkar, and accomplished theater and television actress Vandana Gupte. Their on-screen chemistry is delightful to watch, and so is their interaction, which beautifully portrays the companionship, intimacy, and ribbing shared by two people who have been together for a long time.
Sadly, the movie plunges into a cave of unwanted twists and dialogues in the second-half, which leeches out the good things that it had going for it earlier. A highly bizarre situation stretching my suspension of disbelief too far is made worse with too many cliches and screechy conversations, which altogether removes any remaining potential the movie had. And it did have lots of it at the beginning.
Rating: 2.5/5 (solely for the performances of the two grandparents)
The Lizard (Iranian)
Iranian movies have always charmed me. The Lizard (Marmoulak) was no exception. The movie is about Reza, a thief who has earned the nickname ‘marmoulak,’ meaning lizard, for his ability to scale any wall. Imprisoned for theft, Reza chafes under the ‘spiritual diet’ and redemption that the prison warden promises him. He gets frustrated with the warden’s attempts to reform him with solitary confinement and tries to commit suicide. Unsuccessful, he lands up in the hospital next to the prison where he meets a mullah. He manages to steal a spare set of clothes that the mullah had kept on the bed and escapes from the hospital leading to some funny situations, which is what the rest of the movie is about.
Shot through with mordancy right from the start and laced with sparkling wit throughout, The Lizard is highly engaging with an amazing performance from Parviz Parastui. Reza’s street smarts and ability to think on his feet lands him the job of chief mullah at a small mosque in a little village, and his interactions there are the highlight of the movie. His impromptu talk of the many ways to approach God, his answers to the young boy who persistently asks him questions, and his meeting with the ladies in the train compartment are some of the scenes that stand out.
Rating: 4/5
April and the Extraordinary World (French)
When I looked up April and the Extraordinary World this is the irresistible, pithy but loaded description that I got – Accompanied by her talking cat (Philippe Katerine), a teen (Marion Cotillard) embarks on a quest to find her missing parents in 1941 Paris. Talking cat, teen, quest, missing parents, 1941 Paris. That’s it. I was hooked.
April and the Extraordinary World has a steampunk science fiction theme and an unusual story-line that prods you to think about a world where science ceased to make progress. The air is covered in steam and soot, trees are museum exhibits, and people move around in pedal-powered dirigibles. It’s a fascinating scenario. Scientists like Einstein and Edison who changed the landscape of the world mysteriously go missing. We then learn that they have all been abducted and forced to conduct their work in secret. That is, all but one. Although her parents got taken away, April managed to evade the kidnappers, and continued to work on the secret Ultimate Serum that her parents were developing. But now she is in danger of disappearing too.
The whole style and theme of the movie reminded me of Ghibli’s ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’, which I thoroughly enjoyed. But while Ghibli infuses its hallmark magic and nostalgia into the movie, April and the Extraordinary World stands out for its visuals of hand-drawn images (a lot like Hergé, I thought), its Dexter-like lab settings, bizarre technologies and villains, and the incredibly lovable Pops. His deadpan humour never failed to cracked me up and I wished there was more of it.
Pizoni: Don’t speak. Don’t move a muscle. Turn around.
Pops: Make up your mind, shall I turn around or not move a muscle?
April and the Extraordinary World is perfect for adults and children alike although I feel the former would enjoy it a bit better. Do get that preferred drink of yours and settle in for this fun ride to a parallel universe.
Rating: 4.5/5
Lovely! I have to Google “mordancy” now!
Yaay you liked it!