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Bulbbul (2020)
Haunting Visuals and Beautiful Symbolism
Bulbbul
Anvita Dutt calls Bulbbul a fairytale in the very indigenous sense of the word. This supernatural drama, currently streaming on Netflix is the conformist tale of the demon-woman or "chudail", as we all know it but with the very empowering undertone of feminism.
Set in the backdrop of 19th century Bengal Presidency, Bulbbul starts with a spitting image of a patriarchy as we are introduced to the form of child-marriage where a young girl is married off to a rather old man. The eponymous lead of the movie- Bulbbul (played by Tripti Dimri) is strikingly beautiful in her role as we see her years later turning into the "Thakurian" of the manor.
The story unfolds in two non linear narratives- one is the present and another is Bulbbul reminiscing her past. Throughout the story we encounter several characters with the core characters being Indranil (played by Rahul Bose), who is Bulbbul's husband, his mentally challenged twin- Mahendra (again, by Bose), Mahendra's wife- Binodini (Paoli Dam) and their younger brother, Satya (played by Avinash Tiwary).
A striking abnormality in the family is the absence of any children in the household. Given the movie is from a time when women were treated nothing more than seed-bearers to continue the family tree, this plot hole strikes a different tune. Along with the fact that even though set during the British empire, we do not actually see any interaction with the British government and use of any dialect from that time, which only takes away the essence of the timeline the movie tries to depict. The premise is the age old fable and pretty predictable even when presented with mysticism.
However, even with the apparent loopholes and basic story telling where a girl loses her innocence in her process of turning into a woman- Bulbbul stands out as a rather stunning movie due to the phenomenal visuals and literary symbolism. The fact that Dutt uses Tagore's ingenious Choker Bali as her namesake for Mahendra and Binodini, establishes the thrusting cultural enrichment the movie tries to portray. How symbolic it feels seeing the edgy, messy, and tangled up relationship between the young widow and our child-bride. We also find the touching influence of Satyajit Ray's Charulata in Anvita Dutt's Bulbbul as we see the broken nest be instrumental for both Charu and Bulbbul's awakening. A little too literal as well as metaphorical for the latter though. Even the relationship between Bulbbul and Satya is a resinances of Charu and Amal's camaraderie and shared interest in verses. The misty blood moon nights in synchronization with Amit Trivedi's enchanting background score makes the film all the more bewitching to watch. The cinematography is on point as it never fails to capture the quintessential moments be it Bulbbul's wait for Satya by the window or the painful, blood drenched truth within the four walls of the bathroom. The frame shifts effortlessly to capture the changing colour scheme between the past and the present.
The performances are stellar. Tripti Dimri is beguiling as the doe-eyed young bride looking for the warmth of companionship in the haveli and changing into the mysterious "badi bahu" with mischief and untold secrets twinkling in her eyes as she fans herself using the peacock feather hand-fan which marks her newfound regal demeanor. The change in her sarees' hue from pastel (in the past) to slate (in the present) signifies her transition to own up to the title of the house's most honorable member. Rahul Bose in the twin roles wreaks havoc with his unparallel performance that stuns the audience. Paoli Dam as the jealous "chotti bahu" oozes poison all over the house hold. Parambroto Chatterjee is his subtle role as doctor Sudheer is the lenient holder of a soft-spot for our Bulbbul and never fails to make that eye contact which entrusts our believe in him. Avinash Tiwary falls a little short in his character as the "dewar" of the house but never disappoints us.
At times, the film falls short to capture the ethnic Bengali air and rather settles for a contemporary North Indian tone. Even with the magnanimous thakur-bari, heavy golden jewellery, big red bindis and alta and crisp dhotis- not a single character speak Bengali. No, not even the minor ones. With a fleeting Bengali song that we hear Binodini hum, the unsettling feeling of the entire movie set in pre- Renaissance Bengal and still not a single hint of it other than the apparent indication of the location written on screen never leaves you as you watch the film.
But, at the most, Bulbbul will still amaze you. It never stops to shine as an apostasy towards the ever existing patriarchy and more than anything tells as feminist tale.
What are the Odds? (2019)
Indian take on Wes Anderson's style of filmmaking
Meghna Ramaswamy's What are the Odds? is a brilliant take on Wes Anderson's style of movie making. It is filled with warmth and delivers adorable, whimsical moments that make you laugh.
The cinematography is a 9/10 with brilliant aesthetics.
A musical, magical movie about what are the odds of two oddballs embarking on an unseen journey.
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Must watch for Cinematography
The story of fading actor Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton)- who was once famous for his iconic role as the Birdman, takes on the straining task to mount a Broadway play.
As we see him struggle his way to the opening night, the journey of a movie star to truly become an actor while battling his ego and mending relationships becomes pellucid.
The first thing that comes in my mind when I talk of this movie is its phenomenal piece of cinematography - a continuous shot feature.
Iñárritu makes sure that the characters make you question the moral, ethical and existential backdrop in which you live, all the while never taking away the glimmer of hope.
There is a constant feeling for validation and relevance and it cynically connects to the audience.
With spectacular ensemble of cast and remarkable storytelling, this is definitely a noteworthy watch for everyone out there.
The film truly resonates with (Edward Norton) Mike's dialogue:
"If art isn't making you feel something real, something uncomfortable, it's not inspiring."
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My Unpopular Opinion:
In its year, Birdman took home all the awards and I have seen people go gaga over it. However, there has been this uncanny thing that I could never point a finger on regarding why I could never "love" the movie until recently I read this review by Todd VanDerWerff.
VanDerWerff talks about how the script being filled with exposition and I finally sighed, understanding that the characters have actually been explaining to each other their mental states rather than exploring them throughout the movie!
And on a closer inspection, other than Sam's (Emma Stone) monologue about Riggan being self obsessed, none of the dialogues hold a substantial core.