JOHNY MERA NAAM
(1970)
Directed by- Vijay Anand
Written by- K.A. Narayan & Vijay Anand
*Dev Anand, Pran, Hema Malini, Jeevan, Iftekhar, I.S. Johar, Premnath
Critiquing a '70s Bollywood film is similar, yet quite the opposite of critiquing, say, a French film.
Both require incredible attention and are pretty long.
However, for the latter you have to focus and take in all the superficial beauty and then look beyond that for the thematic wonder hidden beneath the layers within the movie.
For the former you have to maintain your focus amid all the general bullshittery flying about in every direction and enjoy the fun in-between moments of genuine cinematic pleasure these films have to offer. Both aren't easy jobs.
Vijay Anand's Johny Mera Naam does belong to the latter category but he makes going through it a breezy, enjoyable affair with his lovable tidbits strewn throughout the screenplay which help you through moments of dullness and worthless drama.
He crafts a quintessential Bollywood corny, funny, thriller/romance/drama film featuring actors in multiple roles, beautiful locations, memorable music and some really cool moments.
This is the simple story of two brothers separated as children. One becomes a cop, the other, obviously a crook.
What follows is an interesting, low stakes game where the cop infiltrates the crook's ring and befriends him, ultimately leading to the revelation and a teary reunion. That 'reconciliation by boxing' scene was pure cheesy fun. And I loved it!
Overall, a pretty good and complete Hindi film. It has its low moments where you just wish the plot would fast forward towards resolution, but when Vijay Anand throws in a neat little twist it swiftly grabs your attention and you start having fun again.
The previous '70s film that I watched (Parwaana) had a massive one-up over this, which was its running time. Johny Mera Naam is a good one hour longer than Parwaana and this hour is probably filled with needless meanderings about the plot just to develop a romantic subplot or the goofiness procured by three identical brothers.
Ok, scratch that. I.S. Johar was cool. (The guy is a Bafta nominee!)
All the performances were fine. All the actors, unforgettable.
From Dev Anand's agile retorts and legendary gimmicks to Pran's rich, calm voice and Hema Malini's big, enchanting eyes.
The character artists all did a fine job too.
A film with good rewatch value and one that didn't age too badly thanks to Anand's nifty little bag of tricks.
Rating- 3.7/5
PARWANA
(1971)
Directed by- Jyoti Swarup
Written by- Agha Jani Kashmirir, Madhusudan
*Amitabh Bachchan, Yogeeta Bali, Navin Nischol, Om Prakash, Asit Sen, Shatrughan Sinha
A wicked murder mystery that unfortunately spends a majority of its screentime catering to masala Bollywood norms.
Jyoti Swaroop directs a cliche train of boy loves girl-girl loves someone else-spurned boy swears to reclaim what's rightfully his, fittingly quoting the age old adage, "Everything's fair in love and war".
And so, Parwana delivers one of the most sinister murder plots ever conceived on Indian celluloid.
This is a very stiff and very new Amitabh Bachchan's only fourth film, where he appears as the coy, oily haired and mild mannered artist, Kumar. Though his unique flair is clearly evident in scenes of emotional outburst.
When his unrequited love for girl next door, Asha is challenged by her newly betrothed, Rajesh, Kumar takes it upon himself to win Asha by hook or by crook.
There are cliches abound and of course nearly half the film could be skipped through, because it doesn't take a fully functioning brain to guess '70s bollywood love stories. It is when the crafty Kumar weaves his diabolical web that things start to get interesting. And they soon get out of hand too in the climax when his masterstroke is eventually revealed.
I learned of this film while watching Johnny Ghaddaar, which pays a grand homage to it in basing its plot on Parwana's murder technique, and so, despite its premise being spoiled for me, I can say I really enjoyed the nefarious plot unfurl right in front of me.
In other departments, Madan Mohan's music wasn't anything special. The dialogues your usual '70s Urdu/Hindi amalgam.
The most memorable performance from the film, however, remains the cameo from Shatrughan Sinha as the fiery public prosecutor. He plays the sleazy sarkari vakeel who will do anything to break the accused and wiggle out a confession with the stereotypical loud conviction of all Hindi film prosecutors.
Yes, this is not a perfect thriller. But it's certainly one of the most original ones, at least where it matters. And though the real murderer and his whole plan is guessable thanks to some shit editing and lame direction, that doesn't take away from the fun.
I really enjoyed this film, because as cheesy as it was, there was a certain charm to the old world, family values infested '70s era Bollywood which has been lost forever. And I appreciate that whenever I get the chance to reminisce about it.
But top that off with a neat mystery and you have me hooked!
Rating- 3.7/5
TÖKYÖ NAGAREMONO [TOKYO DRIFTER]
(1966)
Directed by- Seijun Suzuki
Written by- Yasunori Kawauchi
*Tetsuya Watari, Chieko Matsubara, Ryuji Kita, Hideaki Nitani, Tamio Kawaji
My mind is imploding right now due to a surge of passionate and conflicting emotions.
Seijun Suzuki's Tokyo Drifter is a most polarizing film. Badly made and an absolute treat to watch.
The film juggles the good and bad aspects with equal ease and ends up as a heady cocktail of spiked cinematic pleasure.
Quite basically;
The Good: Lovely cinematography. Exquisite lighting. Unforgettable music. Dreamy sets.
The Bad: Hammy acting. Patchy writing. Weird action. Lazy direction. Sloppy editing.
So, it's more or less even-steven, but I still can't come to dislike the film, because for all its fallacies the film has stayed with me and I can't get it out of my head.
The visual aspects of the film are undoubtedly incredible and its strongest point, and so, half the credit for my love for the movie would go to cinematographer Shigeyoshi Mine. He starts off in black and white and then moves to color via a montage of Tokyo city.
He then throughout the course of the film treats us with stunning visuals whether of snow covered landscapes, colorfully lit environments, or the beautifully captured urban surroundings.
But even that isn't all as Suzuki takes it a notch higher with his surreal sets which give the film a unique, dreamlike quality.
The neon-lit bar, disco and restaurant are all wonderfully crafted, but the crowning jewel is the minimal set featuring low stairs. a giant piano and weird sculptures in the climax. We see it first lost in blackness as the heroine sings, pining for her lover but as the hero steps in, the set magically fills with dazzling white light by his angelic aura, radiated from his pristine white suit.
Also Hajime Kaburagi's music is phenomenal. The main theme is such a hauntingly beautiful tune I still can't get over it and have been incessantly humming it ever since I first heard it.
Yes, there are some terrible, terrible cons in this film too, which are seemingly unpardonable. The writing is hazy and the plot gallops away without ever resting to settle the ongoings in the viewers' minds.
The editing is a bit off too and entirely disconnected sequences are almost intercut so they seem to be happening simultaneously and you lose all perception of time in the screenplay.
But despite its over-acting, infeasible action, and a cliched and too nonsensical to be bothered about plot riddled with stock characters, Tokyo Drifter is a fantastic experience.
Because when you look beyond the obvious trappings of story, character development and well, logic, you see a fulfilling and wholly unprecedented experience which goes far beyond its limitations and even expectations, and appeals to you on a most basic, sensory level.
Rating- 3.8/5
LE DEUXIÉME SOUFFLE [SECOND BREATH]
(1966)
Directed by- Jean-Pierre Melville
Written by- José Giovanni, Jean-Pierre Melville
*Lino Ventura, Christine Fabréga, Paul Meurisse, Michel Constantin, Marcel Bozzuffi, Raymond Pellegrin, Pierre Zimmer
Le Deuxième Souffle is a fantastic experience. With an ample running time of 150 minutes it tells the story of a gangster who breaks out of jail and his subsequent attempts at getting back into the game.
It is told with Melville's inimitable style which includes sharp cuts, smooth transitions and tricky camerawork, that makes use of the camera as an organism within the film's environment as it maneuvers through gorgeously executed tracking shots and smartly positioned frames.
Jean-Pierre Melville's gangster noir is a treat for both fans of the genre and those new to it. With Marcel Combes brilliant cinematography which effectively caters to both the noir elements and Melville's own visual style. The exquisite lighting and moody shadows, which are prerequisites for the former, are brought out well, but combine it with the latter and you get something wholly unprecedented.
The story takes its own time to set up. We are gradually introduced to all the characters and the build-up takes a while before acquainting us with everyone. Melville follows seemingly disconnected threads with equal earnestness and detail and thus firmly establishes every character within the first half hour.
The escaping convict, the lonely woman and her protector, the over-smart cop, the scheming gangsters, everyone is perfectly etched out and it is when these characters pool into the main storyline does the excitement truly begin.
Le Deuxieme Souffle is certainly one of the most complete crime films I've seen in a long time. There is a heist, the obligatory cat-and-mouse game between the police and the gangsters, even an almost personal sentiment to the cop's interest in catching the criminal, topped with enough action, double-crosses and shootouts.
Plus, it's incredibly cool. All thanks to Melville's keen eye for detail which continues to add fun elements to the story. The crooked cigarette, Gu's queer murdering style, the diary, and how and where it ends.
Not only is it a 'whole' film which despite a linear storyline keeps you engaged, it is brimming with originality and smartly developed characters. Particularly, the serious and very professional Gu and the confident and merry Inspector Blot.
Even the 'muscle', Alban, is a character of its own and you can see his importance for the siblings.
But it miraculously never comes off as pretentious or trying too hard to mix in all these different elements. Rather everything fits naturally into the narrative, and with minimal background score for added realism and tension.
Despite being longer than your average film, it never loses steam, in fact, expertly maintains the tension as it seamlessly transports from scene to scene.
In short, Le Deuxième Souffle is a marvellous film which maintains a balanced narrative and uses nifty techniques and well-rounded, entertaining characters to tell a wonderful gangster story.
Requires patience but you end up thoroughly enjoying it.
Rating- 4.2/5
GET CARTER
(1971)
Written & Directed by- Mike Hodges
*Michael Caine, Ian Hendry, John Osborne, Britt Ekland, Geraldine Moffat
Okay, first off, this film is the most British thing I've seen. Ever! That is the first impression I had of this amazing gangster film, but definitely better observations followed.
Michael Caine plays London based gangster, Jack Carter, who is out to investigate the foul play surrounding his brother's death. On this solo mission Jack comes across his fair share of old acquaintances, dangerous sharks and femme fatales before coming out the other end of the maze.
Exploring a Chandleresque plot director Mike Hodges presents Jack as a cold, no bullshit type character, his steely gaze seemingly detached from the rest of humanity.
But for all his psychopathic behaviour Jack is also one of the coolest characters you've seen. The epitome of his calm and calculating persona being when he is intercepted by thugs while enjoying the company of a lady and instantly climbs out of bed toting a shotgun and shows the men off right onto the street, all the while as comfortable in his own skin and gun as, well, not many people can be.
The story is a bit thick. Events conspire behind the scenes as much as on screen and so require your attention, but what better way to hold your interest than a character as unpredictably interesting as Jack?
Caine's arresting presence keeps you transfixed on the proceedings and you follow him closely, even if you don't agree with his methods, right until the end.
Hodges' direction is ace. So surprisingly assured and restrained even though this is his directorial debut. The editing and camerawork are pretty fine too.
Also Roy Budd's moody score stands out especially well. Specifically, the enchanting main theme, 'Carter Takes a Train', with its unique feel, perfectly utilizing the tabla, which plays in the beginning and end and more or less defines the film probably as well as Caine does himself.
But the best thing remains Caine's character and its journey. From being stealthy, cunning and hellbent on getting answers, he smoothly graduates to killing without thought or remorse. His sudden rage, his unfazed coolness, his ringing voice and his echoing, evil and sleazy laughter ably bring out the different shades of his personality, all thanks to Caine's phenomenal performance.
For me, as good as the film was, it was solely dependent on Caine's shoulders. Take him away and you take away the soul and the style from Get Carter.
Overall, an earnestly intense and incredibly stylish film which doesn't awe you with unpredictable twists but bowls you over with smart performances and the almost exotic feel of its ultimate Britishness.
Rating- 4.0/5
NOAH
(2014)
Directed by- Darren Aronofsky
Written by- Ari Handel, Darren Aronofsky
*Russel Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Douglas Booth, Anthony Hopkins
A heartfelt and honest retelling of the Noah's Ark story told through the method of lesser fancy money shots and more focused storytelling and character building.
There were the makings of an epic but Aronofsky never goes overboard and maintains a solid balance between the grand scale of the story and its personal nature. Something I dare Ridley to not do with his upcoming biblical epic.
The performances were very good and every actor got a chance to take center-stage and flaunt their acting chops, but it was, without a doubt, Crowe's movie. From beginning to end he wonderfully plays the haunted and torn messiah to a new humanity.
I have been noticing him play the same gruff, frowny roles lately, but here he completely inhabits the character, and even if his Noah is just an extension of the 'Russell Crowe character', it's perfect that way.
The music and the visuals add greatly to the film.
Clint Mansell provides a superb score which wonderfully accentuates the narrative and kicks in at the perfect moments.
Whereas, Matthew Libatique's cinematography is a treat. I really enjoyed the time-lapse sequences, particularly Genesis and the History of Man.
However, the film is not without its fallacies, most prominent of them being the patchy writing. The film *almost* faithfully follows Noah's story in the first half but deviates to a more personal, seemingly The Searchers inspired arc in the second, which is, well, predictable to say the least.
The resolution is fair, but it just leaves you a bit underwhelmed and wanting.
I know it would be foolish to expect a spectacle akin to the Parting of the Red Sea, but I felt the film could have done with a bit of grandeur in its visual style. Of course, Aronofsky's refrainment from going the blockbuster way was evident and well appreciated, but I still felt the film lacked a certain 'God-punch' which it could have used to execute a better payoff than orgasmic rainbows.
A nice film which tells a beautiful story in its own way and leaves you satisfied. Masterfully underplayed and splendidly executed though a bit lazily told.
Rating- 3.6/5
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