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Ishaqzaade: Romantic Saga in the heartlands of Hindi belt.

May 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

ISHAQZAADE releasing today is a film from the banner of Yash Raj Films having many firsts to its credit. When a film is from the banner of Yash Raj Films, obviously, it would be oozing with romance, but ISHAQZAADE is romance with a twist. First twist in the tale is that it is a film which is a Hindu-Muslim love story, and that too situated in the Hindi heartland. The subject of a Muslim girl and a Hindu boy romancing each other has been a taboo in the world of Hindi cinema and one has to think twice before venturing into it. However, Yash Raj films experimented with this genre through VEER ZAARA and after more than a decade is returning back to it once again, now the focus is shifting to the hinterlands of UP.

In the world of Hindi cinema, whenever they have used the subject of Hindu boy- Muslim girl love story, it has mostly been in reference to the background of partition. Be it a TRAIN TO PAKISTAN, or GADAR-EK PREM KATHA (indeed the list is scanty), the setting of such romance has been through undivided Pakistan and VEER ZAARA also had the background of partition and Punjab. Partition was chosen as a convenient prop, as otherwise the justification of a Hindu boy and a Muslim girl falling in love with each other was difficult to contextualize. Scars of partition on the psyche of the girl are obliterated through the love that eventually blossoms between the savior and the hapless.

Without using the backdrop of partition, but using the story line of a Hindu boy and a Muslim girl falling in love with each other was attempted with success in BOMBAY ( but it was again a film that was based in South India and in Mumbai) and with BREAK KE BAAD- which was sort of upper middle class. ISHAQZAADE from that perspective has a social background of normal middle class young people who fall in love with each other, without giving a credence to their religious backgrounds. Though we talk of ‘Ganga Jamuna Tehzib’ in our discourses, this discourse has never found expression in the form of love prospering between a Hindu boy and a Muslim girl, and from that perspective ISHAQZAADE is a bold attempt forward. From the social context it is coming off-age cinema in the world of Hindi films as it is situated in a mofussil part of India in and around Barabanki and talks about romance of such kind happening in such places.

Another salient feature about ISHAQZAADE is the fact that the lead female actor of the film Parineeti Chopra has not been shown as a soft, protected damsel, who is least bothered about what is happening around her world, engulfed in the mystique and aroma of her youth and beauty as conventionally is the norm, but she is a fearless girl who does not think twice before wielding a gun, using cuss words, and even getting involved in brawls and chases. It is from this perspective, its a first debut of its kind for a lead female star in Yash Raj films.

Shakespeare would indeed feel proud that his ‘Romeo and Juliet’ continues to find manifestations in myriad forms in the world of Hindi cinema. But Shakespeare would also find it amusing that Juliet of his times, and Juliet of ISHAQZAADE are studies in contrast. While the position of the female has not changed much in the Hindi heartland, films like ISHAQZAADE should provide some confidence to young girls to take on the male centric norms and try to create a new social order.

Girls of the present times are developing a bold and brash attitude, and through the medium of cinema and a film like ISHAQZAADE the winds of change are being carried to the mofussil towns of the country and one only hopes that it would facilitate in instilling a sense of confidence in the girls of the present times in the Hindi heartland.

With the new breed of actors coming in, more so in the female category, the manner of portrayal of woman characters on screen has changed from being relegated to two-three songs and some romance to having meatier roles, wielding guns and matching word for word and sword for sword. Therefore , in ISHAQZAADE, in the song –“main Pareshan Pareshan” as well, there is an element of determination and firmness in the expressions accompanying the song, though the song is purportedly supposed to connote the celebration of falling in love.

ISHAQZAADE would also be the first film from the Yash Raj films banner in a long time where romantic landscapes do not feature prominently in the songs, rather the songs have been filmed in mundane locations such as a forlorn wagon of goods train, the element of romance being added to it by adorning it with decorative lights. Perhaps romance now does not need the catalysis of the background, which in effect is the reality, so why hype it with romantic settings. Let it be as close to reality as  possible! For a change therefore, the girl kisses the boy to express her love than the other way round and the manner in which Parineeti Chopra kisses Arjun Kapoor on the screen, by closing his eyes and then planting the kiss, again showing an element of assertion  while entering into a relationship, it has to be dealt on an even keel.

ISHAQZAADE is the story of the new India, India of the youth who has aspirations, more so that India, outside metropolitan cities, which is the real India, and it has definite potential to be one of the biggest hits of 2012.

ISHAQZAADE

Release Date: 11th May 2012 (India)
Genre: Romance
Starring: Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra
Producer: Aditya Chopra
Director: Habib Faisal
Music: Amit Trivedi
Lyrics: Kausar Munir

About The Author
NALIN RAI
Passion for cinema is a quest which the writer tries to fulfill by interpreting it in as diverse ways as can be possible, so that cinema indeed becomes a serious business.
Follow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nalinrai

 

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A POINT OF INFLECTION IN THE HISTORY OF HINDI CINEMA PAAN SINGH TOMAR

March 4, 2012 By 1 Comment

Long Live Cinema_Paan Singh Tomar_Still_Irrfan

Wonderful to note how Paan Singh Tomar is receiving praise by all and sundry and has emerged as one of the most powerful films to be made by the cinematic fraternity. It has become a talk of the time as it has picked up a character, the real Indian character and built up the story around it and it has really hit the audience with a rawness and ingenuity that has not been seen in cinema for quite a long time.

The sensitive manner in which Irrfan Khan has portrayed the character of PAAN SINGH TOMAR reemphasizes his acting prowess and underlined what Danny Boyle had said about him in Time Magazine where he was asked to comment about Irrfan Khan “More than Shah Rukh or Aamir or Salman, it’s Irrfan who is the Great Khan – India’s finest actor, perhaps even Asia’s.” Indeed, he has reemphasized the view about him as being one of the finest actors by succinctly etching out the character of PAAN SINGH TOMAR spread over a period of 30 years, allowing the character to ride over the star. Indeed, the manner in which Irfan Khan has crept into the character of PAAN SINGH TOMAR has made him talk and toast of the time, and it is his sheer performance that has picked up a character forgotten into the annals of history and given him the halo of recognition that is indeed required if we as a country want to excel in the field of sports.

Sports films, as a genre in India have had a rather checkered history and it is owing primarily to the fact that the filmmakers could not desist from ingesting it with an overdose of romanticism, giving secondary treatment to the pain and struggle associated with the genre. Therefore, genre of sports could not evolve, however wherever it was sports that was focused upon, as it was done in CHAK DE , it became a cult film. The same seems to be happening in the case of PAAN SINGH TOMAR as well. As the film spreads its wings and next week will expand its outreach to the mofussil parts of our country it is going to further solidify its impact.

The solidification would be owing to the fact that the dialogues have not been compromised upon, they maintain the rural flair, a catalyst of identification with our average movie goer outside the ambit of the multiplexes, who otherwise finds it a tad difficult to identify with the candy floss romance and the ROM-cams which have become the order of the day. Such was the conviction of Tigmanshu Dhulia about the dialogues in the film that even though the censor board asked it to tone down the hard-hitting dialogues, Dhuliya did not acquiesce and the result is a film that would become a talking point for its hard hitting dialogues as well.

When one compares the kind of pre-publicity associated with another sports film that is being talked about highly BHAAG MILKHA BHAAG, directed by Rakyesh Om Prakash Mehra , is being given, characterized by the event of Milkha Singh giving  his famous shoes to Farhan Akhtar with which he ran in the Olympics, and the preparation that is being undertaken by Farhan Akhtar, what happened with PAAN SINGH TOMAR is a study in contrast. Irfan Khan also prepared for PAAN SINGH TOMAR, but it never became a part of the publicity campaign. The comparison with the film on Milkha Singh is not in a way to undermine the achievements of Milkha Singh, but a contrast of situations between Pan Singh Tomar and Milkha Singh. Pan Singh Tomar was seven times steeple chase champion and it is not an easy feat to achieve, but as Pan Singh Tomar as a character was an obscure entry in the annals of history, obscurity has been used as the channel vehicle by Tigmanshu Dhulia as well in approaching the subject of PAAN SINGH TOMAR and it is the approach of being obscure while making the film that has stood on its head and made it one of the cult films in Hindi cinema for all times to come.

For Tigmanshu Dhulia, an Allahabad boy, which is also the city where the students from the Bundelkhand area come in droves to study, and in their discussions has kept alive the lure of PAAN SINGH TOMAR, could have been the reference point to develop this character and give it a real sense of place in the history of our country.

May be, PAAN SINGH TOMAR would become a point of inflection in the history of Indian cinema and would inspire more filmmakers to delve into the realm of bringing in such subaltern characters from the countryside into the discourse of the country at the national level through the cinematic oeuvre and representation, as it is happening with the film making fraternity all over the world. Even if few take the challenge purpose of PAAN SINGH TOMAR would be served. For Tigmanshu Dhulia, who has consistently used the area of Allahabad and its surroundings as his reference point and has been churning one hard hitting film after the other, it would be interesting to watch his next project with great sense of anticipation.

Long Live Cinema_Nalin RaiAbout The Author
NALIN RAI
Passion for cinema is a quest which the writer tries to fulfill by interpreting it in as diverse ways as can be possible, so that cinema indeed becomes a serious business.
Follow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nalinrai

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EK MAIN AUR EKK TU: A perfect average | Review by Prakash Gowda

February 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Long Live Cinema_Ek Main Aur Ekk TuWhen it comes to romantic films, some things never change for us – Yet again the lead pairs sing when they get drunk at foreign location, yet again they end up sharing a bed and don’t make out, yet again they deny their love, yet again Kareena Kapoor plays Geet, yet again Imran Khan plays a heroine, yet again we find solace in smart editing, aesthetic cinematography, good performances, and confident direction. The film, Ek Mein Aur Ek Tu is no exception, but does give you value for your time and money.

Shakun Batra, a first-time director, who has been Assistant Director in films like Don and Rock On, and even played a cameo in Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na, in his interview for a leading magazine quoted that he was very clear about the kind of film and aesthetic treatment for it, making it a slightly non-plot film, where characters do more of the talking ala Woody Allen films.

Well, if there’s where the director was heading forth, he’s bang on. The statement should have been a disclaimer in the beginning of the film, rather than a ‘three types of kids’ narration of a non-plot story that chronicles two weeks in the life of Rahul Kapoor (yet again, we have a lead with the name of Rahul) jab he met Riana Braganza (yet again, Kareena Kapoor plays over the top hero).

If Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Clockwork Orange’ was about reforming a wild teen through psychological conditioning, Shakun Batra’s ‘Ek Mein Aur Ek Tu’ is just the other way round. The treatment of the film is undoubtedly HS (High Standard, if you remember Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai), but the characters seem caricatures. For instance, Imran Khan wears an expression that reads: I am a good boy and will underplay my role unless when asked to dance or get drunk. Kareena Kapoor’s face screams: I am a cool girl and overplaying my role is my birthright. Ratna Pathak Shah’s face reads: The brief is loud and clear folks – I am playing Mrs. Sarabhai. Boman Irani’s face reads: I am a businessman playing the role of Pran in Sharabi or every other rich dad in a Hindi film.

If Kapoors are staid, the Braganzas are chilled out, especially the actor who plays Riana’s dad. The warmth and ambience of the Braganza home evokes memories of ‘uthe sabke kadam’ from Baaton Baaton Mein. The music of Ek Mein Aur Ek Tu is foot-tapping, peppy, heart-warming, and lilting – all at the same time, which has consistently been so, every time Amit Trivedi’s guitar strings have locked horns with Amitabh Bhattacharya’s keyboard. The duo seems to be having fun weaving screenplay of the film in guise of music and lyrics. The music does result into ‘uthe sab ke kadam’ moments, be it the foot-tapping ‘Auntyji’, pepply ‘Talli hai zameen’, heart-warming ‘Gubbaare’, and lilting ‘Aahatein’.

The highpoint of the film is undoubtedly the outburst scene of Rahul Kapoor in the climax during the deal-dinner with his parents and family friend, which includes a woman pouncing upon him stealthily. Unlike other films, the scene doesn’t ensue to a change of heart for his parents. This is subtly hinted when the character of Ratna Pathak Shah wonders, “What’s wrong with chopsticks?” The film has a core message and it delivers without much ado. The film, like its lead character, doesn’t try going overboard, get melodramatic, exaggerate, or bore you. It just remains the way Raina rates Rahul: Perfect Average.

Contributed by our reader Prakash Gowda

Read EK MAIN AUR DEJA VU | Review by Prachi Mehta
After some half a dozen failed attempts, I hope I’ve spelled the film’s title correctly. People say that I have an insensitive male brain but I feel giving “Tu” an extra ‘k’ as a small gesture of love is actually sweet. This is really a feel-good movie. I’m writing this post sitting in the movie hall and I’m feeling good about my multitasking skills….[read more]

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EK MAIN AUR DEJA VU | Review by Prachi Mehta

February 12, 2012 By 1 Comment

Long Live Cinema_Ek Main Aur Ekk TuAfter some half a dozen failed attempts, I hope I’ve spelled the film’s title correctly. People say that I have an insensitive male brain but I feel giving “Tu” an extra ‘k’ as a small gesture of love is actually sweet.

This is really a feel-good movie. I’m writing this post sitting in the movie hall and I’m feeling good about my multitasking skills.

In India, religion makes the love stories legendary. If that’s not an issue then rigid parents do the needful. But in Videsh, beginning of most love stories is hormones driven. Then they discover compatibility issues, and in the end when they walk on the beach hand in hand they want us to believe in this crappy “opposites attract” theory.

My brain is full of questions right now:

1.     What went wrong in spite of such a skilled and ‘expensive’ cast? Ratna Pathak mentioned the word ‘Sarabhai’ and got all middle-class feel, Boman somehow doesn’t look like an intellectual architect, Ram Kapoor is still the anchor of ‘Rakhi ka Swayamvar’ at a party, Imran looks more of a bored bipolar than a shy guy.

2.     Heard of people who buy the cow when they just need a glass of milk? Yes, the married chaps. In this story, we didn’t see them having milk but they do buy the cow. What a disappointment!

3.     Is there anything in the movie for the people who had already watched the trailers? They even omitted the word ‘Hajaam’ from the print.

4.     I might have missed out on some part of the movie but why exactly Kareena’s mother asked her to buy cigarettes and maternity jeans? I also remember they mentioning PMS, cute butt, escort service etc but I don’t remember the context.

Okay so my 1 hour 45 minutes of deja vu is about to come to an end. I still don’t have any good argument to defend myself when the female friends who liked the movie will call me insensitive. I don’t have a boyfriend who will agree to get married if I get him heavily intoxicated. I am not really interested in knowing what they are saying about destiny. I drank the largest tumbler of coke and I need to go to the restroom at the earliest. I will only find puking drunkards and charasi molesters if I plan a night out in Vegas. This is such a trashy fuckall post that it will get censored. Ciao.

Contributed by one of our readers Prachi Mehta
You too can mail your reviews to us at LongLiveCinema@gmail.com

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CHRONICLE & AFTER THOUGHTS | Shiladitya Bora

February 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Wikipedia defines Found Footage as a genre of filmmaking, especially horror, in which all or a substantial part of a film is presented as discovered film or video recordings, often left behind by missing or dead protagonists. The events onscreen are seen through the camera of one or more of the characters involved, who often speaks off screen. Filming may be done by the actors themselves as they recite their lines, and shaky camerawork is often employed for realism. While the genre dates back at least as far as 1980′s Cannibal Holocaust, it was popularised after the release of such films as The Blair Witch Project (1999), Paranormal Activity (2007) and Clover field (2008).

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Long Live Cinema_Chronicle-posterThe Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity and now Chronicle, Found Footage films never actually worked for me (Dibakar Banerjee’s Love Sex Aur Dhoka being a notable exception). If such films succeed at the box office, the credit should actually go to the Marketing team as I feel in most cases Found Footage films are nothing but the result of lack of imagination on the part of the director/screenwriter.

A teenage loser, Andrew (Dane Dehaan), buys a video camera and starts videotaping almost everything that happens in his life. One night after being thrown out of a party, Andrew is approached by Steve (Michael B. Jordan) to film a weird pit that Steve and Andrew’s cousin Matt (Alex Russell) have discovered in the woods. In the pit they discover a strange glowing crystal that gives them telekinetic powers. Their lives are changed by this new found power. Initially, the use of their new found telekinetic power is limited to harmless pranks like turning on a blower to lift up the skirts of their female schoolmates, using a teddy bear to frighten a small kid at a grocery store, etc. But when one of them uses his power to push a car off the road causing an accident, Matt (the responsible one of the three) suggests that going forward they should NOT use their powers on living beings, in public or when they are angry. Andrew breaks the rule when he breaks apart a spider into many parts (brilliant executed scene). Things start going wrong when Andrew couldn’t contain his anger (the result of his frustration at a dying mother, constantly being beaten up by alcoholic ex-fire fighter father, being bullied at school). Andrew is now out there to destroy the world and Matt tries his best to calm him down.

Until now found footage been mostly limited to the horror or thriller genre, but with Chronicle it opens up to other genres as well. In Chronicle the director has tried to marry the found footage concept with the Superhero genre which I felt was an unnecessary one.

Many a times, independent filmmakers and studios pick up this genre as it is relatively easier on budget. However for this genre to thrive, it is important that it’s used only when narrative demands.

The sky diving/ sky cruising scenes are brilliantly executed. The VFX executed by Bangalore based Breakfast Studios holds well.

OVERALL AN UNREMARKABLE FILM. NOT BAD AS WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT, BUT YOU’RE NOT MISSING MUCH EVEN IF YOU SKIP THIS ONE.

 

Long Live Cinema_ Founder_Shiladitya BoraAbout The Author
Shiladitya Bora is the Founder of Long Live Cinema. He also manages DIRECTOR’S RARE, the recently launched Alternative Programming initiative of PVR Cinemas, India’s leading and premier Multiplex Cinema Exhibition Company.
Follow on Twitter https://twitter.com/shiladityabora

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CORIOLANUS | Review by Siddharth Jain

January 22, 2012 By 2 Comments

Long-Live-Cinema_Coriolanus-PosterDuring the recent Occupy Wall Street demonstrations, a flyer, supposedly written by a high-ranking finance executive enraged by the protest, was circulated among the gathered crowd. It spewed scorn at their ragtag movement and warned them of dire consequences if they persisted. This compellingly-written tongue lashing grabbed as much attention on social media vehicles as the movement itself- and arguably took a good amount of wind out of the protestors’ drive.

At the very beginning of Coriolanus, a similar crowd marches to a grain storage to demand that the overfed aristocrats release food to the hungry masses. The haughty army general in charge of the security at the storage menacingly snarls,

“What’s the matter, you dissentious rogues
That, rubbing the poor itch of your opinion,
Make yourselves scabs?”

The stage is set for the complex political conflict at the center of the story which, in spite of being from a 400-year old Shakespeare play, is as poignant and relevant as today’s headlines. The eponymous anti-hero is portrayed by Ralph Fiennes, ferocious, imposing and completely mesmerizing us every moment that he’s on screen. His Caius Martius (later given the title of Coriolanus following a battle victory) is out of favour from the aam janta of ‘A Place Calling Itself Rome’, even though he’s always been a fearlessly protector his country. The reason: he has clamped down on their citizen rights and basic supplies in times of war while the classes continue to live in affluence. He is thus established clearly as a monster you want on your side during war, but would prefer to see chained in a padded cell during peacetime. Just as things are coming to a boil, he leads his troops into battle against the Volscians, led by his equally vicious opponent, Tullus Aufidius (Gerard Butler, equally marvelous). CMC succeeds in routing the Volscian army and the political leadership of Rome takes the opportunity to propose his elevation to the powerful post of Consul. But according to the law, this move requires the endorsement of the public. And we all know how volatile public opinion can be, especially with political opportunists scheming against the leadership and the media changing sides ever so often.

Though the rest of the plot holds no major surprises, I won’t reveal more for the benefit of those who, like me, aren’t familiar with the Shakespeare play. As the story unfolds, it gradually dawns on us that in this world of male political hawks, a woman controls the destiny of the doomed general. This character is his own mother, Volumnia (Vanessa Redgrave), a fiercely ambitious official who exercises a strong Oedipal attraction on her son. She is the only individual capable of manipulating his steely resolve to strike back at the city that has turned its back on him.

It’s almost impossible to believe that this intense knockout of a film has been helmed by a first-time director: Fiennes himself. He has made some fairly bold creative choices; for instance, having the actors speak the original Shakespearean English even as he sets the film in modern times. Critics of the film are hollering that this makes the dialogue inaccessible not only to an international audience, but also to modern Britons.  But the actors deliver the lines with such effortless clarity and emotion, the archaic language rolling off their lips like everyday conversation, that the audience misses nothing.  There are plenty of furiously passionate exchanges involving the lead actors, each more riveting than the last.

Long Live Cinema_Aufidius-CheFiennes has also assembled an interesting filmmaking team. Barry Ackroyd as the DoP imbues the battle scenes with the same chaotic handheld feel we got to see in The Hurt Locker. John Logan does a great job of condensing the rather long play into a taut, 122-minute screenplay whilst retaining of all the inherent drama. The transportation of the story from 5th century B.C. to the present resonates with current events; Corioles could very well be the Falklands, Afghanistan or Iraq; the marginalized people’s movements mirror those in Tahrir Square or Tripoli; even Tullus Aufidius is a Che Guevara like guerrilla leader who enjoys popular trust and support.

Apart from these and the uniformly brilliant performances, the film excels in its handling of the homoerotic undertones and mother-love that Shakespeare’s works are known for. A strong sexual tension simmers beneath the surface of the fatal hatred between Fiennes’ Coriolanus and Butler’s Aufidius. And his bond with his mother is such that even his loyal wife struggles to find a place in his heart; after all, Volumnia’s bloodthirstiness makes him the ruthless warmonger he is. Asserting that “there’s no man in the world more bound to his mother”, she manages to save her country and at the same time, lead Coriolanus to the only possible conclusion this tragic tale could have. Ultimately, the film’s biggest achievement is the way it builds a powerful, gripping cinema around a character that no one is likely to feel any sympathy for.

Long-Live-Cinema_Siddharth-JainSiddharth Jain considers himself a cinema lover first and an advertising guy next. He holds substantial past experience in media education and has been involved with Long Live Cinema right from its inception. Siddharth also enjoys sharing his passion for cinema and the visual medium with students as visiting faculty at various mass media schools across Mumbai.

 

 

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TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY | Review by Siddharth Jain

January 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Long Live Cinema_Tinker Tanker Soldier Spy PosterWhat is the true meaning of loyalty? How much do people at the forefront of overt or covert revolution actually believe in the ideology they espouse? Where does this belief- or lack thereof- end up taking them?

Arguably, the best films are those that throw up complex, important questions and leave us thinking about the answers. On that parameter, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is certainly an achievement and rewards the viewer with a deeply immersive cinematic experience.

Those of us who grew up in post-liberalization India, with the media constantly whining about how India is ‘shining’, will probably find TTSS unfolding like a particularly disorienting nightmare. Its protagonist, George Smiley (an awe-inspiring Gary Oldman), is an inhabitant of 1970’s London, a perennially grey, shabby place where even those unfamiliar with Europe’s cold-war era troubles will readily sense socio-political unrest and overall pessimism. Swedish director Tomas Alfredson is completely at home in this kind of bleak landscape and creates an unbelievably detailed, accurate mise-en scene to mirror that period in history.

The film is adapted from a novel of the same name by John le Carré who, like Smiley, spent several years in the British Secret Intelligence Service. He has therefore painted a vivid picture of the Service facing perhaps its greatest crisis ever: there seems to be a undercover Soviet agent amongst the its most senior officers. A bold attempt by Smiley’s boss and the MI6’s enigmatic head, Control (John Hurt), to discover this mole goes all kinds of wrong when the agent assigned to the job walks right into a trap. The proverbial can of worms is now wide open, and leads to Control and Smiley’s forced retirement from the organization they’ve been loyal to all their lives.

But Smiley is brought back at the behest of a senior diplomat and tasked with uncovering the identity of the mole. Thus begins a game of double-crossing, false promises, paranoia and constant looking over one’s shoulder. Could it be Alleline (Toby Jones), Haydon (Colin Firth), Bland (Ciarán Hinds), Estherhase (David Dencik)… or perhaps Smiley himself? A supposedly renegade agent, Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy), provides hopes of a breakthrough when he returns from a misadventure in Istanbul. Tarr promises to help the spymaster in return for a vital guarantee; the consequent betrayal colours the drama with yet more dishonesty and bad faith.

Tomas Alfredson directs a powerhouse ensemble cast comprised of the very best English and Irish talent- and all of them turn in superlative performances. There are moments of explosive drama and pure cinematic genius, all rendered effortlessly. Take for instance, the striking tableau, a la Rear Window, of sex and violence seen in the windows of an apartment block. Another scene has a bee entering the car three men are traveling in; two of them are much troubled by it and attempt to swat it, but Smiley with his infinite calm opens the window and lets it out. This simple act reveals gives us a glimpse into the character’s mental make-up. And then there’s the heart-stopping five minutes when Smiley describes his meeting with his Russian counterpart, known only as ‘Karla’: addressing the audience as if putting us in the unseen Karla’s shoes, Gary Oldman delivers a tour de force performance.

It’s a tremendous achievement on the part of screenplay writers Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan to condense the sweeping novel into a running time of just a little over two hours. The art department also deserves kudos for the way they’ve meticulously re-created the period with its distinctly dull wallpapers, hairdos and natty fashion sense.

The film takes its own time to create the heavy atmosphere and, like its literary source, eschews all Bourne- or Bond-style spy heroics. Though there is intrigue at its core, it chooses to focus less on dramatic tension and keeping the suspense- and more on studying the men caught in this royal mess. For these reasons, it may disappoint those expecting a slam-bang action thriller. But cinephiles who love slow-burning, character-driven dramas will love getting sucked into the world of George Smiley and his cronies.

Long Live Cinema_Siddharth JainSiddharth Jain considers himself a cinema lover first and an advertising guy next. He holds substantial past experience in media education and has been involved with Long Live Cinema right from its inception. Siddharth also enjoys sharing his passion for cinema and the visual medium with students as visiting faculty at various mass media schools across Mumbai.

 

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