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Released in October 2019, the Malayalam-language film “Vikruthi” (transl. ‘Mischief’) is a timely warning against the dangers of the normalization of the internet voyeur culture.

Every day, we look at thousands of photos and videos of people we don’t know on social media. And we judge them based on our own life experiences. In doing so we sometimes commit the grave mistake of not looking at the ‘other side’ of the story and passing easy judgments on people we don’t know. Trial by social media is a dangerous worldwide phenomenon these days and Vikruthi warns us of its disastrous implications.

Directed by Emcy Joseph, the comedy-drama based on true events that took place in a Kochi metro train in Kerala, India, is an eye opener. Eldho (Suraj Venjaramoodu)—a hearing and speech impaired middle aged man—falls asleep on a Kochi metro train on his way home after spending a couple of sleepless nights taking care of his daughter at the hospital.

Just then, Sameer (Soubin Shahir)—a migrant worker who is in his hometown for a vacation—sees Eldho, assumes he is drunk, and posts his photo with an implicating caption on social media. The photograph becomes viral within hours and by the time Eldho and his family realize what’s happening, he has become infamous as the “Kochi Metro Drunkard.”

The film then goes on to show the effects of the viral photograph that portrays Eldho—a teetotaler school peon—as a drunkard. The photo not only affects his professional life but also puts enormous strains on his family, including his hearing and speech impaired wife, a son, and a daughter.

Despite being a debutant, director Joseph’s storytelling in this film written by Ajeesh P. Thomas is brilliant. The writer/director duo takes a small incident that also tells a representational tale of our present-day society, and weave it into a 2h 3mins film that is thoroughly entertaining and educating.

In recreating what was based on true events for the big screen, the filmmakers take minimal ‘creative liberties’ and refrain from cheap filmy gimmicks. They stay honest to their story, which also applies to the actors.

Sameer’s social media post putting Eldho into an extremely difficult situation comes back to haunt him. The photograph not only hurts Eldho’s reputation but also has a chain effect that boomerangs on the photo-taker. The two characters, who don’t know each other, are engulfed in a cyclone of fear, anxiety, and confusion—just because of one photograph.

Award-winning actors Suraj and Soubin, playing Eldho and Sameer respectively, are like ‘men-next-door’ cast randomly for a film. This characteristic of Malayalam cinema sets it apart from other film industries in India. Actors in Malayalam movies do not exaggerate or unnaturally amplify their characters. The emphasis is more on fitting their characters.

In this movie, the lead actors continue the same tradition of becoming a part of the movie without sticking out.

Who should watch it?

Vikruthi could be an enjoyable watch for anyone who likes serious dramas with a touch of dark humor. The movie is simple yet compelling, and definitely worth a watch.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Genre: Comedy/Drama

Run time: 2hrs 3 mins

Actors: Suraj Venjaramoodu, Soubin Shahir

Director: Emcy Joseph

You have probably heard of ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’. The movie poster with Audrey Hepburn in a sleek black dress is one of the most iconic images of 20^th century Hollywood.

But surprisingly not many people know of Truman Capote’s novella by the same name on which the movie is based. 

The movie is popular than the book, and considering Capote’s original story is a little removed from the sweet romance that’s shown in the 1961 film adaptation, it’s easy to understand why. The book is a little dark and doesn’t have the movie’s happy ending.

But I love reading Breakfast at Tiffany’s for the images it sparks in my mind. Capote’s descriptions of people and places make me nostalgic about things I didn’t even know could make me wistful in the first place.

My well-thumbed copy of Capote’s ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ is a Penguin Essentials edition published in 2011. The pretty blue and pink cover of this particular book instantly cheers me up and, over the years, I have turned to it whenever I needed a quick pick-me-up.

In Breakfast at Tiffany’s, a contemporary writer recalls his early days in New York City, when he makes the acquaintance of a remarkable 19-year-old girl, Holly Golightly, who lives in the same block as him. Holly is an actress turned socialite who hosts parties in her small apartment while receiving a string of wealthy albeit unappealing men.

Holly is an interesting character. She loves easily and leaves just as easily. She gets angry quickly and forgives fast. She can buy expensive things for herself, yet wants to be spoiled with lavish gifts. Eventually she gets into some trouble and flees and our narrator, Fred, pines over the postcards she sends him.

This is a cute, fun story that was scandalous when it was first published but today makes you feel like all your actions are justified as long as you are happy. Holly’s behavior wouldn’t be a cause of much shock in the current times but a female protagonist like her was unheard of when the book was written. Much of the story is also about the masks we put on to fit in and the worlds we create in our heads for a sense of belonging.

There is a lot going on in this tiny novella. I’m sure what you take away from it will be different than what, say, your friend does. On a lighter note, for me, Breakfast at Tiffany’s is also a comforting place that reminds me of a time, pre Covid-19, when parties happened on a whim and people came and went as they pleased.

Fiction

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Truman Capote

Published: 1958

Publisher: Hamish Hamilton

Language: English

Charlize Theron starrer “The Old Guard” that released on July 10 is right now the most watched movie on Netflix. Reading the description, it felt like the film was going to be along the lines of the Milla Jovovich-starrer “Resident Evil” film series (2002-2017). But would it be in the same league? The Old Guard definitely gets close to the iconic Resident Evil series but we fear it might not create enough momentum to be made into a long-running franchise. The movie does hint at a sequel though, and we think a sequel is in order to right the little wrongs in the first edition.

To save the world from disasters, Andromache/“Andy” (Theron) leads a covert group of mercenaries to fight wars. They have been doing so for centuries, because of their inability to die. They get cut, they bleed, they break bones, but they do not die because of their regenerative healing capacities. With centuries of fighting experience all over the world, the team of four immortals has become expert in gunfight and hand-to-hand combat.

They are hidden from the world until James Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a former CIA operative, hires them to rescue a group of children in South Sudan. But what starts as a rescue mission ends in the team realizing that it has been ambushed and its cover blown by Copley.

Copley in turn is working for Steven Merrick (Harry Melling) who wants to capture them and research them to discover the secret to their immortality and then monetize it. The Old Guard team also finds a Nile (Kiki Layne), an American marine who has just discovered she’s an immortal and has had a hard time accepting the truth and letting go of her past.

The fight for survival between the team and Merrick makes for the rest of The Old Guard story. With the team’s experience and abilities against Merrick’s money and cunningness, the battle is an interesting one for the audience to follow. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, the action fantasy film is a package of drama, adventure, suspense, and adrenaline rush.

The lead actors have definitely worked hard on the stunts and fights, and the effect shows. These fights are a mix of various forms of martial including a close-range gun shooting style seen in the “John Wick” (2014) film series. But despite earnest effort of the actors and the stunt team, the camerawork feels lazy, out-of-date, and uncreative. Too many shaky handheld shots and wide long shots in action sequences somewhat takes the life out of an intense hand-to-hand combat.

Wielding a Medieval-axe in combat situations, Theron—who was nothing short of exceptional in the action thrillers “Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015) and “Atomic Blonde” (2017)—continues her action-star legacy in The Old Guard. As the leader of a pack of immortal warriors, Theron’s Milla is commanding, resolute, and mystical.

Besides Milla, who’s the ‘boss’ of the Guard team and also the oldest immortal alive, the film also tries to give backstories of her gang of immortals. The multiple backstories result in the film crossing two hours in length, without contributing much to the storyline. Some backstories seem incomplete, badly written, and redundant.

If the movie had been written into a full series, the backstories would perhaps have been justified. Justice would have been served even if the screenplay was crisp and to-the-point.

Who should watch it?

Despite a few shortcomings that prevent The Old Guard from being another most-watched franchise, it is thoroughly enjoyable. The stretched screenplay does not get boring because of brilliant acting and background score that keeps up the momentum. For an action movie fan, The Old Guard is still a must-watch. Even those with a weak stomach for action movies can definitely squirm through this one, which is not as gory as most other movies with similar storylines.

Rating: 3.4 stars

Genre: Action/fantasy

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood

Actors: Charlize Theron, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kiki Layne

Run time: 2hrs 5mins

Right at the start of the movie “Chaman Bahar”, when our protagonist Billu aka Prem Kumar Yadav (Jitendra Kumar) is introduced to the audience, the radio plays a classic Bollywood song from the 90s. That’s exactly when the audience are subtly told that the film will take them back to the ‘90s situation’ where boys stalked girls out of sheer wantonness, with most of them not even letting the girls know of their intent. Might sound offensive to the current generation, but in those days, when sources of entertainment and communication were limited, the typical Indian concept of eve teasing was a popular ‘time pass’ for many youths. 

The story of Chaman Bahar—in a nutshell—is about a Billu who opens a paan (betel leaves) shack in a small town in Chhattisgarh, India. In doing so he goes against his father who wants him to be a security guard at the local District Forester’s Office, a duty the men in the family have been doing for generations.

An adamant Billu buys a small paan shop on a ‘busy’ roadside. But he immediately finds out that he has been tricked. The shop is actually on a deserted section of the town with no traffic. A pair of local unemployed youth—Somu (Bhuvan Arora) and Chotu (Dhirendra Tiwari)—enter the scene, giving him the bad news and also promising help.

All is not well for Billu until the vacant house across the road sees new tenants. The family has a teenage daughter Rinku (Ritika Badiani) whose entry in the town creates a sensation among the local boys. Her teenage schoolmates and even older men in their 20s start stalking her and wait outside her house just to get a glimpse of her. They make Billu’s little store their junction and in no time, business is booming for him.

The presence of the ‘fair maiden who wears shorts’ also attracts the attention of a local political aspirant Shila (Alam Khan) and business heir Ashu (Ashwani Kumar) who are constantly at odds with each other. Billu profits from the group of boys hanging out at his store. They buy cigarettes and tobacco from him all day. But only until he too is bitten by the love bug for Rinku—and hence the complications in his life start.

The simple, rooted story of Chaman Bahar is also packaged into a grounded movie that despite being produced under the banner of the multi-million dollar Saregama India emulates the stylistic simplicity of a low budget, independent film. The cast, the location, set design, the overall presentation, nothing is overboard.

Actor Jitendra Kumar, whose crossover from web series to Bollywood has earned him praises from critics and audiences alike, justifies the hype he has been getting. Jitendra is real, believable, lovable, and easily gains the audience empathy as he gets into one mess after another in his pursuit of Rinku’s love.

Writer-Director Apurva Dhar Badgaiyannhave also creates his own version of the ‘Shakespearean fool’ in the form of Somu and Chotu. The duo constantly outwits the powerful, and manipulates the situation to their advantage, while also keeping the humor quotient up.

While the movie has a lot going for it, the 1hr 51mins length is perhaps overkill for this plot that could otherwise have been turned into an excellent short movie, or an episode in a series. Although conflicts and resolutions are aplenty, the film somehow feels stretched.

Also, with the 18-year-old actress Ritika Badiani looking way below her age, grown men stalking her seems problematic. But again, this is reflective of those times and in a way shows the ugly side of eve teasing.

Who should watch it?

Despite the length, Chaman Bahar is mostly an entertaining movie. Without evident malice, violence and explicit scenes, it is a movie to be enjoyed by audiences of all ages.

Chaman Bahar

Rating: 3.5 stars

Genre: Drama

Length: 1hr 51mins

Director: Apurva Dhar Badgaiyannhave

Actors: Jitendra Kumar, Ritika Badiani, Bhuvan Arora, Dhirendra Tiwari