the brook

A movie that I’d describe as a true flight of fancy, flown to near-perfection.

It’s a seemingly slow-paced film, yet manages to surprise with almost every scene. The plot is rather basic - a young English girl wrongly accuses a man who loves her older sister of a crime he did not commit, changing their lives forever. The simplicity of the story only serves to accentuate the brilliant artistry of the film. The parts of the story that are actually told are unconventional not just in content and character but also in chronology, which kept me guessing, interested and imagining throughout - a rare treat in these days where movies are made for an audience to sit back and be invaded by a deluge of hyper-emotional scenes, special effects and assorted wizardry.

One of the highlights is the depiction of old England - an England that in my head was first created through the words of P. G. Wodehouse. The movie isn’t a comedy by any stretch but it recreates in its opening half my perfect idea of a mansion in the English countryside during a hot summer (dare I say Blandings Castle?), right down to the “Blue Room” reserved for special guests. In the second half, it is World War II that is in the foreground, and that’s very well done too. Perhaps deserving of even more creative credit, given the hundreds of war movies that exist.

The photography - or cinematography, as I should probably call it - throughout the movie is nothing short of stunning. I’m willing to bet that there were some avid photographers involved in its creation. The collection of landscapes, silhouettes, background contrasts, framed lighting, close-ups - I could go on - seldom fail to delight. I could forget all about the plot and the acting and enjoy the film just for the scenery.

Rarely do I walk out of a movie theater feeling so fresh. But thats twice in two months that a film has done that for me. The other one was the Darjeeling Limited, something I wanted to write about as well. Another time, perhaps.

Went and watched Aamir Khan’s brainchild today. Nothing that I can say will do it justice - so let me just say three things - everything about it was perfect, from dialogue to direction to end credits; it is easily the best movie I have ever seen; and lastly, at the end of the movie there was clapping throughout the theatre; and I can’t recall the last time I experienced that for a Hindi movie.

This is a heartwarming adventure film about a team of Antarctic explorers who are forced to leave behind their eight dogs at their base as they flee the cold winter. The trainer refuses to give up on them even after months have passed and eventually finds a way to go back to look for them in the middle of the Antarctic winter.

Videographhy and the depiction of the Antarctic landscape is breathtaking, but what really blew me away was the depth of expression and communication of the dogs in the film. The movie was inspired by a true story of a Japanese expedition to Antarctica in 1958. Easily ranks as one of the best films I’ve seen.

What should life be? Who should you love? What should you eat? Should you study? Where should you work? How should you dress? What passion should drive you?

Living a good life is about having freedom. Freedom to make these choices, and more. And the absence of freedom is absence of these choices. Or any choices, for that matter. This is the message of Paradise Now.

It’s the story of two close friends, members of a cell of a militant Palestinian group, selected to carry out a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv. At first blind believers in their organization and religion, their struggle for truth and right action is depicted as they are forced to abort their initial attempt and come into contact with a human rights activist.

They have contrasting personalities. One is extroverted and confident while the other is inward looking and thoughtful. One is full belief in himself while the other is constantly doubtful, haunted by rememberance of a father who betrayed his people and was executed for it. Ultimately, one chooses to renounce violence - no doubt to go back to his home and be humiliated as a coward and unbeliever. The other carries out his mission despite his misgivings, and faces a death which he doubts will gain him paradise.

We all know what happens next. Read the news. They become letters and numbers in the third column of the bottom half of the international news page. Nobody wins.

An excellent movie.