Category Archives: Rest of the World

non-Indian films

Loins of Punjab Presents

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 I originally sought out Loins of Punjab Presents because I really like Nina Paley’s Sita Sings The Blues  and read that my favourite shadow puppet, otherwise known as Manish Acharya, had made a film. I watched it with a hint of sadness and regret in light of his untimely death. But that didn’t stop me enjoying this lovely mockumentary with a near perfect balance of sweetness and acidity.

The film takes place around a singing competition, ‘Desi Idol’, sponsored by the Loins Of Punjab company. A local news crew is on site shooting a story about the competition. Their presence allows characters to talk directly to the camera, and the captions add some pithy observation. The characters are introduced out in the wild, but then observed at close quarters in the hotel where the competition is based. There is a villain, a hero, romance, drama, tears and laughter. Mostly laughter.

The master of ceremonies is the wonderfully repulsive and Gypsy Kings obsessed Mr Bokade (Jameel Khan). He is horrible yet noble when it counts. He just has no idea, and it is oddly delightful to see his unswerving belief in his own magnetism.

Bokade’s mangled explanation of insiders and outsiders and race relations is pure gold, and somehow it made perfect sense. His bewildered sidekick is the offical representative of the Loin King, the very anxious Mr White (Kunaal Roy Kapur).

Manish Acharya not only directed and co-wrote, he stars. Vikram Tejwani is the nice guy, a sensible businessman whose job has been outsourced to India. He likes to plan ahead, using his time wisely.

He researches film heroes and based on his data believes in the power of Amitabh Bachchan to appeal to all generations and to the judges. Manish Acharya gave Vikram a wry sense of humour that made him really endearing.

Sania Rehman (Seema Rahmani) is a struggling actress who decides that it might be easier to trade on her hitherto neglected Indian heritage and make it big in Bollywood. Her knowledge of Hindi is limited to a few phrases learned by rote and some filmi songs. She bluffs her way through and while her mistakes and vulnerability are usually played up for fun, she is a sympathetic character.

Seema Rahmani managed to play an average actress brilliantly, and subtly show the difference between Sania and Sania acting. It was clever and very funny.

Preeti Patel (Ishitta Sharma) is talented, and overwhelmed by her large family and their expectations. Her parents are ambitious, protective and trot out every old chestnut about ambitious, protective parents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiet and mousy when she isn’t singing, as soon as she takes the stage she lights up. Singing is an escape, and Preeti has the talent – does she have the will? Much of her performance relies on reaction and expression rather than dialogue or fireworks.

Josh Cohen (Michael Raimondi) is the white boy who loves India. He is naive, idealistic and frankly a bit of a drip. Not only did he ‘find himself’ in India,  he also found love with Opama Menon (Ayesha Dharker). He invented Joga, a ludicrous combination of jogging and yoga that is probably being sold on a cable TV station as I write this, and the couple are out to sell the big idea and make their fortune.

Opama is fond of Josh but not so happy with the negativity she encounters from other Indians when they see her with him. The singing competition brings out her insecurities as she is thrown into an almost all Indian environment and the judgements fly thick and fast. When Opama tells Josh to choose between Joga and music, their relationship is also in the balance.

Josh also has to face up to some aggro as people question whether a potential Desi Idol should in fact be desi. It shakes his rosy notions of being at one with everyone, but is resolved in an appropriately filmi way.

The wild card is Turbanotorious BDG (Ajay Naidu). He is angry, urban and loud and travels with his African-American partner Otto (Kory Bassett). I read a few reviews that described them as ‘best friends’ but I say, based on the loud and proud demands for a queen sized bed and the public handholding and other incidents, they were more than just friends.

Ajay Naidu played it loud and abrasive mostly, but his relationship with Otto and his family showed another side to the character. His response to being judged on appearance or first impressions is in your face aggression. And his insane energy turned the whole show upside down at a crucial point. Lesson to judges – do not even think about eliminating the Turbanotorious BDG! This clip isn’t in the film as such, but it is animated by Nina Paley so that seems very fitting:

I promised a villain and this film delivers. Shabana Azmi is socialite Rrita Kapoor, the shark amongst the minnows.

She is determined to get one up on her rival by winning the competition and donating the winnings to charity. Rrita is polite, elegant, and always has a gleam of malice in her eyes. Her murmured hints and compliments derail the opposition and she cuts a swathe to the final showdown. I always like seeing Shabana in her rare masala film appearances, and she seems to be having a lot of fun as the posionous Rrita. But can a villain ever win in a Bollywood inspired film?

The three judges, played by Samrat Chakrabarti, Sanjiv Jhaveri and  Avantika Akerkar are dead ringers for the washed up and wannabes that infest reality TV. And I must give a special mention to Rani Bansal and Dhruv Singh who played the terrible Eurovision style MCs – they nailed the stilted pointless banter.

Shaan did a special appearance that got him the very special guest chair. I personally would have preferred a seating arrangment that didn’t include electrical wiring. Alexx O’Nell hammed it up as a hotel manager, but the rest of the supporting cast played it more or less straight and suited the fly-on-the-wall style of film.

The easy option would have been to sketch broad outlines and take a few cheap shots. Anuvab Pal and Manish Acharya gave it more love than that and allowed the actors to flesh out the characters. The laughs are all the sweeter for seeing people overcome their pain or sadness. The same jokes often deliver a rebuke for the human race’s apparently endless capacity for stupidity. When Sania and Vikram start stumbling towards romance, they seem genuinely shy and awkward, not just funny. When Turbanotorious BDG is told he is out of the competition, Ajay Naidu looks straight down the barrel of the camera with silent despair. An unassuming man called Saddam Hussein loses his job in the post 9/11 tide of fear and he and his wife struggle with the unfairness of it all. And there is a running gag with a paranoid elderly white man who thinks he has stumbled into a nest of terrorists. There’s commentary but it doesn’t derail the comedy.

The script plays with a lot of Hindi film tropes including the Angry Young Man. In one of my favourite scenes Vikram challenges Bokade who had disqualified Sania (at Rrita’s behest) because she didn’t really speak Hindi. Inspired by the Big B, Vikram launches into an impassioned plea about the diversity and democracy that is India, and when logic fails he appeals to the emotions. Then he caps it off with a bit of a song and dance before meekly resuming his seat. It is glorious!

And that is what I loved about Loins Of Punjab Presents. It takes filmi cliches and stock characters and translates them into something close to real life. There is a feeling of playful affection for the filmi heritage that really worked for me. There is also a bit of a wink, or maybe it was an eyeroll, that saves it from being too sweet for my palate. I’m a cynic who likes a good laugh and this delivers. If only there had been a proper big retro dance number. 4 stars!

PS – if you’re the kind of person who likes to know what happens to your favourite characters after the film, the end credits will make you very happy.

La Cité Des Enfants Perdues

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When I am asked to name my favourite film (a very difficult decision) I usually choose this – The City of Lost Children. It doesn’t seem to matter how many times I see it, I still get lost in the amazingly detailed world that directors Jeunet and Caro created. It is a film I have seen many times and will no doubt watch very many more and I still love it.

It tells the story of One, a carnival strongman who looks after his petit frère Denree in a very Victorian styled port city.

Denree is stolen by the Cyclops, men who put out their own eye to use an electronic version,  and sold to the evil Krank. He is a mad scientist who lives in a fantastical rig in the ocean, along with his dwarf wife, 6 narcoleptic clones and Uncle Irvin, a talking brain in a fish tank. Krank has grown prematurely old because he cannot dream and uses his scientific genius to extract the dreams from the children he steals.

 

 

 

 

 

He thinks that these will help stop his ageing, although I would have thought the constant nightmares the children produce would have accelerated the process instead. One sets out to find Denree and along the way is helped by Miette, an orphan who heads a group of child pickpockets and thieves. These thieves in turn are under the rule of the Fagin-like Octopus who appropriates their takings each day and threatens hideous punishments for underachievers – a dark hole full of spiders is certainly my worst nightmare!

Added in to the story are an alcoholic failed side show owner, whose flea circus is used to deliver mind altering drugs and a diver who lives under the sea in the port, salvaging everything that falls into its murky depths.

The best part of the film is undoubtedly the visuals (which is why I’ve gone a little crazy on the number of screencaps here!). The harbour city is full of bridges, stairs and swirling fog and emphasizes the Dickensian feel given by the costumes and carnival barkers. This is further alluded to by the Octopus, conjoined twins played by Geneviève Brunet and Odile Mallet, and their team of child thieves. The more futuristic laboratory evokes the writing of Jules Verne in the device used by Krank to extract the dreams and the cranky migraine prone brain in a tank.

 

 

 

 

The meeting place of the Cyclops on seems to be designed to look like one of the circles from Hell with a roaring fire and steeply pitched seating at the sides. Along with the bombastic rhetoric of their leader Gabriel Marie (Serge Merlin) it’s very apocalyptic, until they head out around town with a very quaint wagon to pick up the children.  I am intrigued by the Cyclops and their relationship to the old ‘seer’ belief that you can see more clearly by removing your own natural vision. In this case rather than an inner eye they use an artificial eye but sadly the philosophy behind their decision isn’t ever explained or explored in any detail. The device seems to use some kind of sonar and their vision is turned a wonderful green as a result of using this manufactured eye. In reality they are quite pitiable and when it comes down to it, not a very effective fighting force due to the limitations of their mechanical enhancements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love the many and varied characters that populate this world. Ron Perlman is perfect as One, the rather simple strongman who speaks in very short declarative sentences. I am very impressed by his accent as he really doesn’t sound American at all, although his rather limited script probably does help. One is a rather tragic figure too. His description of how he was a sailor on whaling ships until he heard the whales singing and subsequently lost his job because his harpoon would always miss is very poignant. He is very protective of his younger brother, even though Denree is an orphan he has adopted, and he takes the same care of Miette despite the fact that she seems much better equipped to take care of him.

Judith Vittet is very good as Miette, the streetwise kid much older than her years. Her competence and quickness of thought is such a contrast to One’s more lumbering presence and it creates an appealing dynamic.  Miette appears to become attracted to the silent strength of One, and it is to Jeunet and Caro’s credit that their relationship never becomes tawdry or sexualised, but remains innocent and sweet throughout the film.

Perhaps the most challenging role in the film is that of the diver and the clones, all played by Dominique Pinon. He has an amazingly mobile and rubbery face and manages to give each clone their own personality as they try to placate Krank, do all the work around the laboratory and argue over who is the ‘original’. As the diver he is wonderfully obscure and insane. This is beautifully illustrated by the way that when he first salvages Miette from the water he merely adds a label to her listing the date and place of her discovery rather than trying to see if he can revive her.

Mirelle Mossé is excellent as the diminutive Mademoiselle Bismuth and Jean Louis Trintignant is wickedly barbed as the voice of Uncle Irvin. He gets some of the best lines and often appears as the voice of reason just to add even more to the unreality of the story. Daniel Emilfork is alternately petulant, childish, terrifying and domineering in an excellent portrayal of the mad genius created by the missing scientist. He makes him a most unattractive character and it’s impossible to feel any sympathy for him and his plight as he really is just evil.

Another feature I love about the film is the intricate methods the characters use to attain their ends. For example, the way the Cyclops use to get rid of Miette and One is to tie them up and put them on the end of a plank over the sea. The plank is anchored at one end by a basket of fish which attracts seagulls, ensuring that the weight of the baskets gradually diminishes and the pair will eventually topple into the sea. Tossing them straight in would have had the same ultimate effect, but wouldn’t have allowed the Cylops to bet on the outcome. Similarly when Miette and her band of thieves are trying to break into a business they uses a complicated method involving cheese and a magnet attached to the tail of a mouse, when the magnet alone would have worked equally well. There are many more of these elaborate devices throughout which add a surreal feel, as if we’re watching an alternate universe where the usual laws of the natural world don’t apply.

 

 

 

 

The machinations of the Octopus and her partner in crime the Peeler are equally labyrinthine and the idea of using performing fleas to induce mind control over their victims is just another twisted thread in the tale. It’s all just wonderfully bizarre. Geneviève Brunet and Odile Mallet really do appear to be twins and the way they manage to make their hands work as four instead of just two is fascinating.

The costumes suit the rest of the film visuals and are designed by Jean Paul Gautier. The excellent cinematography is by Darius Khondji and Jean Rabasse is the art director who translated Jeunet and Carot’s vision to the screen so beautifully. The music by Badalamenti is haunting, evocative and fits the surreal nature of the film perfectly. I really can’t fault anything in this film. I’ve read other reviews where people have complained that the plot is lacking, or that the film develops very slowly, but I think the story is well developed and that it moves quickly enough that it has taken me numerous viewings to see every detail. And I’m sure there are things I have yet to spot. It’s not for everyone, but if your taste runs to the surreal or bizarre then it’s definitely one to watch. 5 stars.

Gallipoli (1981)

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Gallipoli is an iconic film that encapsulates a lot of things Australians like to believe about ourselves. The notions of mateship, larrikinism and of course the ANZAC legend are intrinsic to the idealised version of ‘Australian’, but you don’t need to know about WWI to appreciate the film. The history of European occupation here is short and often brutal, and Gallipoli also raises questions about national identity and our tie to England.  The use by Britain of Australian and New Zealand troops in the front lines and as cannon fodder is part of the legend, and the tension between loyalty and resentment is always present in the film.

Running is a constant theme through the movie, and Peter Weir made a really unusual decision to use a piece of music that resolutely does not fit the era. Oxygene by Jean Michel Jarre became a hit here after the film was released. While the electronic sound was at first startling, it helps boost the sense of urgency and propulsion in those scenes. It’s not a war film as such, although if you saw the dreadfully cheesed up trailer for the US market you might think so.

Peter Weir tells a story about friendship, and loss of trust in the powers that be.

Archy (Mark Lee) is a golden boy; blond, blue eyed, athletic, a capable stockman, a good kid. He is idealistic, naïf and likeable. He just wants to join up and defend his country. Archy struck me as a Boy’s Own type of hero, always doing the right thing and looking out for his mates. The film opens with him training for an upcoming sprint race, and talking to his Uncle Jack (Bill Kerr). Their dialogue gives me a lump in the throat every time, because I know how this story ends.

There is a lovely scene of Uncle Jack reading to the spellbound younger kids and he is reading the bit from Kipling’s Jungle Book when Mowgli has to leave his pack and start life as a young man. And that’s what Archy thinks is his duty – leave home and be a man. Mark Lee gives Archy an angelic face and a sense of quiet determination. When he makes one decision that will reduce his personal safety, he looks to be hiding his fear as well as happiness and these subtleties really make the character.

Frank (Mel Gibson) is a more cynical character. Initially refusing to join up and fight for something he doesn’t believe in, he decides there may be more opportunities for a returned serviceman after the war. Frank is the more modern character in some respects. He doesn’t buy all the rhetoric, nor does he trust the people in charge. He is a charmer and a chancer, and as different from Archy as you could imagine. Being Irish, he sees the war as England’s war and doesn’t feel the patriotic fervour that leads young men in these country towns to sign up en masse. It’s so sad to see how many men and boys from one region are listed as war dead on country memorials. Mel Gibson has become a bad joke in recent years, and clearly has demons of his own to deal with. It’s refreshing to see him back when he was just a nice looking guy who could really act. His is the strongest performance in the cast as he shows the most change in his personality and is the instigator for many memorable moments.

Archy and Frank are amateur sprinters and they meet in competition. They bond through what I will say is a typically male enterprise – taking a shortcut without really knowing the directions.


There is another myth I think a lot of Australians like to believe about ourselves, which is that we are at one with the land and can survive in the great outdoors. The reality is, of course, that if you drop most of us in the outback we’d be goners.

The boys cross paths again at a training exercise where they are supposed to pretend to kill each other, and Archy manages to get Frank transferred into the Light Horse. They have great chemistry and their friendship is really fun.

The ensemble of backing actors is fantastic. Many are better known for work on stage and TV, but Australia has such a small performing arts sector that actors do tend to work in multiple media. Robert Grubb, David Argue, and Tim McKenzie as Frank’s mates, and Bill Hunter as Major Barton are brilliant and get some of the best lines.

There is a scene where the troops were playing Aussie Rules near the Pyramids – it’s so Aussie! I loved it.

The boys also represent a gamut of views, with reasons for signing up ranging from patriotism to racism to hoping the girls fancy a man in uniform. They are the average blokes and their stories are shown in glimpses, not always articulated, but not neglected.

The cinematography by Russell Boyd is just sublime. A lot of the location shoot took place in South Australia, which also doubles for some of the Egyptian coast, and it is beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Seale was among the crew who captured both the wide expanses of the outback and small intimate moments and made it all look beautiful. So much is told through imagery and juxtaposition of scenes that no words are required.

When I first saw Gallipoli, it was Archy that I felt for. He was just so … nice. When I’ve had occasion to watch it again, I relate more to Frank. He is imperfect, a bit full of himself, but he tries so hard to do the right thing when it matters. I think Frank is the modern viewpoint, questioning why he should be involved in someone else’s problems. While the characters are representations of the central argument, each of them is distinct and believable.

The brilliant screenplay by David Williamson contains the sweetness of bromance, comedy and also some bite. He doesn’t let the sentiment gloss over the less appealing behaviours that can spring from a sense of moral superiority or entitlement. Witty one-liners undercut the tension of the war and there are constant reminders that war is not an abstract concept, it is people fighting for their lives. He allows even the most unpleasant character to have some humanity so I can relate to all of them, like them or not. There are a couple of historical inaccuracies but as I am not a war historian, I don’t think it matters in terms of how the story plays out.

So back to my original thought. If you haven’t seen much or any Australian cinema, this might be a great place to start. I do love this film, and the themes really resonate for me. Leaving aside the ANZAC  connection, I would still say see it as Gallipoli has an engaging story and a witty and moving screenplay. It’s also a ‘Who’s Who’ of Australian film making. But mostly – it’s a great story beautifully rendered. 4 stars!