FILM FEST FEVER –MAMI 09-4

Indu Raman | Festivals & Contests | November 3, 2009 at 5:54 pm

MAN ON WIRE- Documentary By James Marsh

Man On Wire It is no wonder that this film has won a spate of awards. Rarely does one come across a documentary which has thrills, wit, nostalgia, a sense of wonder, beauty and bravado. The story of Phillipe Petit the high-wire walker is recounted with all these elements making it the most riveting story. James Marsh has made this a thriller which keeps one at the edge of the seat nervously laughing at the bravado shown by a team of young men who set about planning and executing an impossible feat.
Petit as a young boy sees a news item in the magazine which reports the making of the world’s highest building, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York. While practicing his obsession of walking the wire between high rises like the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and the Harbour Bridge in Sydney he dreams of the day when he will walk the Twin Towers. Meanwhile he pulls in his girlfriend, a few accomplices and an inside man in WTC into the conspiracy. How they achieve this breathtaking, daredevil feat is the rest of the story.
The film owes its success to its masterly crafted script which goes back and forth in time allowing the viewer to experience the build-up and thrill of their excitement, fear and mischief.
One swallows the lump in the throat as we see the archival photographs of the Towers being constructed and the deep pain of 9/11 resurfaces momentarily. This film is a lesson to all those who make documentaries into dry, deadpan statistical reports.

KUTTY SRANK-DIRECTOR SHAJI KARUN

No one knows where he came from or what religion he follows. A boatman Kutty Srank is the undisputed hero of the local Chavittunatakam troupe. (An excerpt of the quaint play tells the story of the French soldiers fighting with the Turks.) His popularity attracts both loyal friends and sworn enemies who deride him for his dark past. But three women who are involved with him speak highly of his qualities as a man. One young woman suffers because Srank does not return her love. The other two owe him their life as he saves them from death. The film gives us a kaleidoscopic view of how caste, creed, liquor and petty politics play a strong role in the lives of the villagers.
The screenplay by P.F.Mathews uses flashback as a technique making it a complicated tale to follow. For the first time in Malayalam cinema Anjali, a woman cinematographer wields the camera. On the whole the film does not have the sheen and perfection of Karun’s previous films like ‘Piravi’ and ‘Vanaprastham’. The histrionics of the heroines Kamlini Mukherjee, Padmapriya and Meena Kumari (Sri Lanka) overpowers Mammooty in the title role.

THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE- DIRECTOR STEVEN SODERBERGH

the-girlfriend-experience-poster Watching Soderbergh’s latest film was a breathtaking experience. No, not the film but the crowds that thronged the theatre. There was not an inch of space that afternoon in the small theatre which held double the permitted number of viewers. Some squatted on the aisles, some stood behind and some squashed my toes. All of us were there with heightened expectations from the Director of ‘Traffic’ and ‘Erin Brockovich’. The title and the salacious details in the synopsis had probably drawn in the crowds.

The low budget digital film starred non-stars. Again flashback seems to be the flavour of the day and we go back and forth in a hooker’s life and experience. One cannot point out any outstanding merits of this Soderbergh offering. Chelsea (Sasha Grey) lives with her boyfriend and discusses her professional marketing plan as if she is some high end consumer product. Set in the time of the 2008 Presidential election and horrors of recession, she discusses how she make the best of her ‘talents’ She profiles herself as a sophisticated escort who can pass for a girlfriend or lover for an evening at the cinema or dinner. She coolly discusses a website to proclaim her assets, gets a reviewer to write ‘good reviews’ and shares her experiences with a journalist researcher for money. All this, with a steely inscrutable visage and a smirk. There is no explicit sex, ugly customers or dangerous liaisons.

More than sex it is the economy which her customers want to discuss with her. They confess depression after their losses, advise her on investments and on whom to vote. The film leaves one cold and untouched. The feel of the camera work is more like watching a reality show with hidden cameras catching Chelsea as she shops, dines or seduces. Where is the SS touch?

SOOVIDE PUU (A Wish Tree)–DIRECTOR LIINA PAAKSPUU

This is the director’s debut feature film. This Estonian film tells the story of a simple girl who travels to the big bad world of the city to make a living. She has an unusual childhood ‘changing sparkplugs’ and repairing cars at her father’s garage. She finds a job at a store and unsuccessfully tries for a bank job. After some shocking experiences she finds love.
The actors shine with their spontaneity and natural acting, but the film does not qualify as an outstanding effort.

LOST PERSON’S AREA -DIRECTOR CAROLINE STRUBBE

This particular film had very low sound and it was a strain trying to catch the dialogue. The film as it is was handicapped by unsteady handheld camera work and unimpressive photography. Many walked out after a few minutes.
The Fun cinema must definitely upgrade their screening equipment and ensure problem free performance at an international events like MAMI. We had reels stop / start, sound problems, delayed schedules and more.