The Time It Takes (2022)

The Time It Takes (2022)

Created by and Starring: Nadia de Santiago

Streaming on Netflix.

It's a new format, with ten 11-minute episodes. And the structure of the episodes is also very interesting - whereas the first episode is 10 minutes in the past, 1 minute in the present, and the second is 9 minutes in the past, 2 minutes in the present and so on. It's a beautifully narrative structure to explore the relationship in the past and eventually lead it up to the present. The show explores one relationship, but in a way explores modern relationships in general. And it is brutally disturbing for the way it explores everything bad that can happen within the context of a relationship ranging from feeling distant, to feeling rejected to being cheated on. And my heart was heavy to see that she'd still want to make it work. The duality of modern relationships being very futile vs someone trying with their everything to make something work throws us into an inexplicable dilemma. The show kept me wondering how to feel about everything. The icing on the cake is how it goes to the space where they also explore how childhood trauma can spill over into our adult relationships.

The show is brutally honest and heartbreaking. Mostly because of the narrative structure. We know that they're apart and after that every happy moment in the past feels tragic because we know what it eventually lead to. Everything seems futile. But you also keep wondering if you could get yourself to cherish it till it lasts. The happy moments in the flashbacks are crazy romantic - there's a lot of passionate sex, there are so many cute and tender moments which we enjoy till we actually understand her plight in the present. After that cute moments aren't cute anymore. They're brutal. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Nadia De Santiago, the lead actress was also the creator of the show. She's the hero of the show, she depicted pain and heartbreak beautifully. In the present, just her blank face showed that she was in so much pain. I was just so mad about the ending. After everything... after everything... couldn't she have walked away? I was begging for her to walk away. But they end it before that. I'm still hoping that she did, but guess we'll never know.

Grass (2018)

Grass (2018)

Written and Directed by: Hong Sang-soo

Grass is a film set in a cafe, where a writer tries to write and is eavesdropping on conversations around for material. The film is essentially an anthology of some conversations that happen around her. It's classic Hong Sang-soo - minimalist setting, film centred around conversations, long shots and a lot of smoking. This film, or even some of other Hong Sang-soo films, operate on this level where he doesn't make you emotionally invest in the characters. It's more on an observational level. And I feel like this story is a perfect premise for his kind of storytelling, where the character is observing people around. It's almost always like this to me. This doesn't mean that his films don't hit you, some bits stay with you and make you wonder - especially if you're an artist yourself. Almost all the flaws of his characters are that those obsessed artists are easily prone to. 

This reminded me of Coffee and Cigarettes, although the conversations in this film are tonally dark - characters accuse each other of being responsible of bad things. The only breather we get is when the characters take smoke breaks. One thing that I like about this film is how honest the characters are, in conversations. It makes you want to be that honest with yourself and reflect. I love the ending where she says that she prefers eavesdropping from a distance rather than being part of the conversation - it says a lot about who she is, and how artists can be.

Decision to Leave (2022)

Decision to Leave (2022)

Co-written, Directed and Produced by: Park Chan-wook
Best Director at Cannes Film Festival 2022

The film takes off with a simple premise - a murder mystery and as the film progresses there are a lot of layers added to it. And it keeps getting added to a point where it feels a tad bit overwhelming. It being a murder mystery, obviously there are a lot of plot points and details which drive the story. But beyond that, this film has the angle where the detective falls in love with the woman whose husband is dead. There's infidelity, a murder mystery, and tons of interpersonal moral dilemmas. It's also overwhelming because they don't give us enough time to process the bizarre plot points. I felt the same while watching Park Chan-wook's The Handmaiden (2016). All of this with an underlying mystery throughout the film, makes the film's experience a little weird. The most unique thing about the film is the overall tone, and the thing is the tone is a derivative of the story. You can't have this tone with a lot of other stories. So here, style and substance are almost intertwined with each other.

Talking about the style of the film, the way the film is shot, edited and scored adds creates the film's texture. The camera angles are slanted, distorted. The magnification and the lensing is weird. There's a shrieky dramatic mood to the score. And above all this, what surprised me the most in the film is the fluidity. It matches the pace of the current day editing style. It's so snappy, fragmented, moves so quick and jumps from one to another. All these things added, the film has a very strong directorial voice. Almost as if it can be a tonal reference to a lot of new films/shows. 

Everything Everywhere All At Once

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

Written and Directed by: Daniel Brothers

It's a hypermodern masterpiece. It's the modern Pulp Fiction. This film makes you go gaga, because it keeps expanding your horizons of imagination of one side, and on the other side it also freaks you out about how the effect you've had while watching this film, is perhaps how we've been feeling with our overwhelming consumption of internet. While our attention spans are going down and down, this film comes to us like 'hold my beer' where sometimes we process what just happened after the scene is finished. Hyperreality is a very interesting concept that talks about how art imitates life, and after a point life starts imitating art (which is already an imitation/exaggerated version of life) and now art has to imitate life which is already an imitation of art which is already an imitation of life. A never ending loop. This film probably lands after 10 loops of art, life, art, life and so on. 

In spite of the technical plot, about how they have to prevent something bad happening in the multiverse, the film works at a dramatic level too. It beautifully talks about dysfunctional family, by her daughter being one of the antagonists, the divorce with her husband and it also talks about existentialism with the subplot of the IRS officer. I'm just blown by how this film talks about a lot, a lot, a lot and yet it sticks to its style and form. After a point, I started wondering if talking about a lot of things was also part of the style of the film. This is probably the most original film I've seen since Super Deluxe. It's not a derivative of any existing art forms, it's in fact an integration of existing art forms and non-existing art too. Films like this will influence a lot of art that's going to come by. So let's get ready for a lot more films, shows, music videos that just make us go, 'what were they smoking?'

18 Presents

18 Presents (2020) 

Written and Directed by: Francesco Amato
Streaming on Netflix. 

It's one of the best film ideas I have ever come across. Anna, a rebellious teenager whose mother, Elisa, died at child birth, gets to time travel and be with her mother and father when her mother was pregnant. Anna knows that Elisa is her mother, but Elisa doesn't know that she's her daughter. And a beautiful friendship is formed between them. Of course, initially there's friction because Anna is a stranger. But eventually a beautiful friendship is formed between the both of them. I was wondering that perhaps this is the only way a child could match up to the love of a mother. If the mother loves the kid, without knowing that the kid is her own child, whereas the kid knows that it's their mother. There is a terrific scene where Elisa slaps Anna, and Anna says that she couldn't focus on work because her mother (who Elisa thinks is someone else) is sick. And Elisa empathizes with her. Only if she knew that she was her own child. 

The film is beautiful by itself, it made me cry. But since the idea was so terrific, I had different scenarios forming in my head. What didn't work for me as much was about how they just tease the idea of Elisa getting to know that Anna is her daughter. And later how they explain the whole time travel setting, vaguely as if they both interacted with each other in their respective dreams. This part was slightly off, but I let it be because this film anyway uses the fantasy element to tell a very emotional, human story. So it didn't bother me as much. The climax ripped me apart. Elisa writes a letter to Anna, before her pregnancy. She has some instinct that she doesn't have it in her to make it beyond the delivery. She asks for a pen and paper, writes a letter, sighs and finally says, I'm ready now. To give life to her daughter. I love how they visually end the film, with the whole swimming pool match cutting with the baby. I really enjoyed the emotional energy of the film. 

Amour (2012)

Amour (2012)

Written and Directed by: Michael Haneke 

Palme d'Or at Cannes

Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film

It's a love story of a couple in their 80s. They're dealing with deteriorated health, they're struggling with getting daily chores done, they're sometimes even struggling to talk to each other. What seems like the most unromantic film ironically felt like the most romantic thing I've ever seen. Because deteriorating health and old-age is reality that all of us, hopefully, will go through. And I feel like if you want to go through all of that with someone, then that's the one. You could go through your 20s with a lot of people and still have fun. Who'd you be with in your 80s and have fun? That's the question. Being there for each other at that point feels like the pinnacle of love. I feel like Amour is a film to watch with a date, and then think if you'd want to go through that with that person.

Spoilers alert here on. In this minimalist setting, with one location, very few characters and the film moving very slow, with small small moments between them, all of this builds up to the shocking and the unfathomable ending, where he kills her to let her off that pain she's going through. How did he do that? I was wondering, wouldn't he want a few minutes more of her? But his love is beyond that. He wouldn't want her to suffer for even few more minutes. The film made me thinking who had it worse, her or him, and I could never reach to an answer. Because she knows it's heartbreaking for him too. And he knows that she knows. And it's an endless loop of how they both keep feeling for each other, till the point where there's no difference between one and another. Both of them are the same living in different bodies.

Incident by a Bank (2010)

Incident by a Bank (2010)

Written and Directed by: Ruben Ostlund

Streaming on MUBI. 

The film is based on a real robbery that took place in Stockholm, and the film is a recreation of that event. It's a single-shot film, there are no cuts. And it's an ensemble piece done by over 90 people. Firstly, it even looks very challenging simply because the sheer space of the frame is so huge, that I was wondering how they managed to co-ordinate every person at the exact timing throughout the film. And there's action too. It's not like a talkie drama. It's a robbery. Though the film is a single shot thing, the frame keeps changing as the camera keeps panning and zooming in. I don't exactly know how to feel about this, because at one point it feels good because the frame is dynamic, but on the other hand, I ended up thinking, why do a single shot in the first place if you're panning and zooming in any way, if not for the technical style. 

As far as the act was concerned, it was beautifully choreographed and acted out. It just felt like a bystander was recording the whole thing on a handicam and we were looking at the footage. It felt really authentic. The last time I felt the same while watching something was in a fight scene in Asghar Farhadi's A Hero, it felt so real. The fighting. This film definitely held the authenticity. It's interesting to see a filmmaker who's done multiple feature films, do a short. I think there's a lot of difference in writing and making a film, and a short. Because the medium of shorts, opens up a lot of creativity. You can break a lot of rules, simply because the time of investment is less. I hope there come more anthology segments so that we can see all the big filmmakers trying the form of a short. 

Layer Cake

Layer Cake (2004)

Directed by: Matthew Vaughn

Starring: Daniel Craig

Based on a book of the same name. 
Streaming on Netflix. 

I could sense a lot of Guy Ritchie's style in the film, and I wasn't surprised to know that the director of this film, produced Guy Ritchie's first two films. Although this film is high on drama than on style. The opening felt like it's going to be high on style, but later I realized that the tone of the film is a bit gritty - rightfully so, it's a gangster film, so why not? And the violence, "because it's so much fun Jan"! I liked this film being in the drama space because it allows for us to see the characters as real people - which is exactly what happens in a show like Breaking Bad. Whereas, when it's extremely high on style, it's a little tricky to crack the space where we track with the characters too - which probably a master like Scorsese can pull off with a film like Goodfellas. But otherwise, if the film needs us to track with the emotional graph of the characters, then it's better to keep it not so high on style. Although I wish the film used a little more voice over than what it has currently. 

I like how the characters in this film are constantly in trouble. Usually, we see gangsters flicking cigarettes, walking in shades, wearing cool coats - but in this film though they do all of that, the film makes it a point to make us feel the discomfort and makes us realize the severity of living a life like that. The conflicts in the film are the usual ones we see in gangster films - finding out a snitch in the gang, killing them, figuring out differences within the gang, killing the big and guy and becoming the next big guy, trying to flee the cops, etc. The ending is also a classic gangster film ending - I liked how he looks back, says something classy and slick, but he never gets to turn back. Though I saw it coming, it's a smooth way of ending a gangster film without a bleak worldview. So I didn't really mind it.

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (2021)

Written and Directed by: Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival

From the director of the Oscar winning film, ‘Drive My Car’ came another film in the same year. And even this film did a good run in the festival circuits. Both the films deal with the intricacies of modern relationships. I’d say that I enjoyed this film more than Drive My Car. This film is an anthology of three stories – and all the stories have very minimalist, simple setups – mostly told through conversations. The first story is a simple story about how a girl meets her best friend’s ex. The premise is extremely simple, but what he does with this is mind-blowing. This premise could lead to a comedy of errors, it could be a slice of life comedy, or a simple rom-com too. But this film goes into deeper territories. It talks about different shit people do in relationships ranging from self-sabotaging acts to how people deliberately hurt the ones that they love. For me, the entire stretch of conversation at the office was masterful writing.

The second story is also in a very interesting space – it’s simple on the outside, but if you go within, it plays with a lot of ideas like revenge, goes a bit into territories of voyeurism, and I absolutely loved how the story flips. Even in this story, the entire stretch of a scene is classy writing – set in one room, two people and it’s about 20 minutes and it explores so much of the human condition within relationships. I could sense a lot of unflinching honesty in the writing. The last story, was the least favorite of all for me. I liked the intensity of the feelings the characters were carrying, but somehow it didn’t translate to me as much. I’m usually not that much of a fan of anthologies – but I absolutely enjoyed watching this film, simply because how gripping the writing is, irrespective of its extremely simple setups.  

The White Tiger (2021)

The White Tiger (2021)

Written for the Screen and Directed by: Ramin Bahrani

Starring: Adarsh Gourav, Priyanka Chopra, Rajkumar Rao

Streaming on Netflix. 

It feels like a follow up film to Slumdog Millionaire. I enjoyed watching the film for its style and its narrative style. Although, having Balram speak in English felt a little off. In this day and age where we watch a lot of World Cinema, I wish they'd have shot the film with the dialogue predominantly in Hindi. The style of the voice over in this film is similar to Wolf of Wall Street - they make day to day observations in a world that is completely different from our regular world. In Wolf of Wall Street, he talks about wealth, his lavishness and more. In this film, they talk about poverty. Though the film has empathy towards Balram, the lens from which even the film looks at him is quite elitist. The fact that they make an observation about 10 people sleeping in a house - which is quite normal in some parts of the country - speaks about their lens. I feel that to an extent that's necessary, or else the film would've been too art house. But I felt that if the film could eventually change its lens as the film progresses, and travel with the character - it's have been more hitting. Now, even in the beginning, the film looks at this world from an outsider's view. What if they travel with the character and what if the worldview of the film too evolves with the character?

Apart from this one issue, I absolutely enjoyed the film. I loved Adarsh Gourav's performance. He was terrific. I enjoyed the craft of the film, the way it's shot and edited is beautiful. I want to definitely watch Ramin Bahrani's other films. The film definitely hits hard in terms of how it talks about the rooster attitude, social mobility, the wealth disparity and things like that. It's an unnerving story of an underdog, and by the end of the film, I definitely want to know more about what happened to Balram after this, because it's likely that he continues to go down this path for his desire for more.  

A Hero (2021)

A Hero (2021)

Written and Directed by: Asghar Farhadi
Won the Grand Prix at Cannes Film Festival 2021. 

A Hero is a classic Asghar Farhadi film. It starts off with a simple conflict, and the way it builds, the layers that are added in the story, the way it gets so complex, it's so bloody interesting. I like how Asghar Farhadi always plays the god. He presents us with a few situations, a few characters and they keep fighting amongst themselves, coming up with tons of possibilities. The film doesn't even answer half of them. They are just let open. But he tickles us with all these possibilities for sure. From these few possibilities, he then probes. He probes by creating situations which make it tougher for the protagonist. It becomes as riveting as if it's like a thriller film, but it's a simple drama without any violence or sex. His films are interesting because he never introduces the characters, they introduce themselves - so there's always a possibility that they could be lying. So there's that constant sense of mystery throughout. 

For the first time in an Asghar Farhadi film, I saw music being used. I remember it being used in 2-3 scenes and I was so surprised. I absolutely loved a few moments in this film - the fight between Rahim and the creditor - the way it was shot and executed - it felt so so real. It's filmmaking at its best. I also enjoyed the whole stretch when Rahim takes his girlfriend to pretend as the lady who lost her bag. And later when he's caught, the scene at the charity office was also thrilling. There was one cut which I enjoyed so much - after Rahim tells them that he got his girlfriend because they couldn't find the lady - they cut from a series of closes to a sudden wide shot where we see everyone. At that point, I felt how he'd have felt. The feeling of being caught in front of everyone. I enjoyed a lot of such moments in the film - and I loved how in the ending he takes a stand and asks him to delete the video. It's a nice arc.

Drive My Car

Drive My Car (2021)

Co-Written and Directed by: Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Based on a short story by Haruki Murakami from 'Men without Women' 
Won the Oscar for Best International Feature & Best Screenplay at Cannes

I had read this short story by Murakami long back, and it led a strong impact on me back then. It was exciting to see a 3-hour film made on a 30-minute short story. Of course, they further developed it and showed a few more events which the short story treats as a backstory. This story is entirely about feelings - how do people feel when put in complex situations. The film is very simple physically - like the events that happen are pretty simple to explain - but the feelings involved are extremely complex. A man is dealing with the death of his wife - but he's also dealing with more - he comes to know that she was cheating on him and he never finds the courage to confront her. He loves her so much that he fears losing her. He'd rather not confront her, live with it and let it be. And then she dies. Now, he's dealing with the guilt of not having asked her about it. Now he wants to know what was on her mind when she was doing it. He wants to speak to her one last time - but the chance is gone. It's extremely complex and in a way bittersweet, because even now he doesn't hate her. 

The book deals with how he talks to the guy who she was sleeping with - to know what he had that he didn't. To understand why she'd have slept with him. To find answers. But in the film, he doesn't do that. He seems to already know the answers and he's in a way patronizing with the guy. I remember in the book, he treats him almost as an equal and they even end up becoming friends. The film has terrific moments - the ending sequence where they go to Misaki's hometown - that entire sequence is so beautifully written, shot and performed. I like how they use the setting of theatre, rehearsing the lines in the car and all such techniques to elevate storytelling. I really enjoyed watching this film. 

Your Name

Your Name (2016)

Written and Directed by: Makoto Shinkai

I'm usually not into anime - I watched Spirited Away by Miyakazi, and I enjoyed it. But I wasn't moved, probably because for me, anime as a form was another translucent layer added between me and the story. This film, I just read up the logline and I was damn excited. It's such an exciting premise. And where the film goes with this premise - is in the epic film zone. They manage to somehow seamlessly mix a love story and an epic story of how a teenager saves a lot of lives. This film has an amazing story just for the way they blend both these stories. Though I was in awe and I was amazed by the story and the way it unfolds step by step, I wasn't moved by the film. I don't know if it was because of my inhibitions with the form, but I didn't feel so much. 

After looking up the premise, I was expecting an intimate love story between a teenage couple. This premise can be terrific to tell a story like that. Imagine - a couple who have self doubts, wake up as each other and get to feel how the other person feels like. Maybe one of them thinks that they're not good enough, and the next day they wake up in the other one's body and they see the world through their eyes. Not only do they get to live their life for a day, but also understand their situations better. I see a lot of scope for an intimate story like that. Perhaps for the headspace I'm in right now, I'd have enjoyed that sort of a story a bit more. Though my thirst for an interesting story was fulfilled and I enjoyed this film, I was watching it from a distance. I couldn't go into the characters and experience the film with them, which I'd ideally do with films that move me.

Chungking Express

Re-watch: Chungking Express (1994)

Written and Directed by: Wong Kar-wai

Streaming on MUBI.

I watched this film a year or two back. Even back then, I loved the film for its visual aesthetics and the trippy nature and vibe of the film. Now, in the re-watch, I could appreciate the writing a lot more. Especially the voice-over is written beautifully - it's informative, expository but it's also funny. Every line has some layer of fun or a jab to it. One of the lines which I thought was very simple yet interesting was about how he says that he was born at 6:00 AM and hence, in 2 minutes, he'll actually be 25. It's such a weird detail to think about.The phone call scene was hilarious, where he calls up all the girls he's ever known. Though the scene is funny and filled with dark humor, it never feels like the scene lacks empathy. The scene makes us stay with the character and feel his loneliness, but in a lighter tone. I love how both the women in this film have very distinct visual styles. Their hair, make up and look is so distinct that once you watch this film, you have their imagery etched in your head. It's interesting to be able to create such images within simple settings, without any grandeur. 

Wong's portrayal of love, longing and, heartbreak has always been romantic. I'm sure Wong's films would make people who've never faced a heartbreak, go through some kind of a FOMO. I think his films work because he uses trippy visuals, fragmented editing style, interesting pop music and a lot of stylistic elements of filmmaking, to show a simple, singular emotion - longing. In The Mood for Love, is a more focused film and even that film has a beautiful sense of style. But I think Chungking Express is one of those very few films that expanded my vocabulary of cinema, and has defined my stylistic choices as a filmmaker and as an artist.

Yellow Cat

Yellow Cat (2020)

Directed by: Adilkhan Yerzhanov
Streaming on MUBI India.

This film wasn't very accessible to me. It had a lot of deadpan humor, which I really enjoy - I'm a huge fan of Bill Murray's deadpan comedy in Lost in Translation, Broken Flowers and On The Rocks. The issue in this film was, it felt too obscure and scattered - which made the film alien to me. I wasn't tracking with the story as much. I was enjoying the scenes individually. The set-ups, the quirks in the actors, the pop culture references and the way the film is shot - I was enjoying all of them. But I wasn't emotionally hooked. But, I didn't mind watching it only for its absurdity. It's a damn weird film. 

Because it's extremely weird and unpredictable, but it never becomes any dramatic. No matter how trivial the stuff that's happening there, the pacing will always remain the same. I think that's the sign of a solid director - who is unapologetically held on the tone of the film. I think that's essentially the job of a director. Keeping in check - the tone of the film. Because I personally think, sometimes, even more than the plot and characters - the tone makes the audience decide if they want to continue watching it or not. So the tone of this film felt too obscure to me. It's like what if 'Ballad of Buster Scruggs' became even more obscure?

Nevertheless, I loved the unpredictability of the film. The stand-offs are interesting. And I loved some of the locations in the film - so beautiful they were. It's a Kazakhstani film - and Kazakhstan is not usually in our pop culture too. So it was interesting to experience the milieu there through a film. But the setting of the film made it feel like it doesn't represent the country in any way. 

Petite Maman (2021)

Petite Maman (2021)

Written and Directed by: Celine Sciamma

Streaming on MUBI.

Celine Sciamma has a very strong directorial voice. When she's directing a scene, it feels like we're watching the characters by standing right in between them. It's the way it's paced, with a lot of space given for silences. And it's also the way it sounds, the dialogue sounds a bit like whisper and we hear each and every sound they make. Sometimes including gasps and breath too. I've not seen better use of sound in this minute level. The way a character gasps can change the meaning of the scene sometimes. Difference between a gasp of relief and a gasp of exasperation. In Potrait of a Lady on Fire, there were a lot of silent moments between the characters, but here, we see long takes where there is some action happening in the frame - but it's actually nothing - because the action is mostly some repetitive action which isn't adding anything to the scene except for creating that tone.

I like how she had them wear red and blue so that it's visually distinct. Otherwise, two young girls are not so easily distinct. I love the idea of exploring friendship between two young girls. It's so pure and innocent. And above that, the interesting idea that one of them is the other's daughter and the element of time travel is introduced into the story just like that. Again, I love how their bonding is captured. Lot of beautiful montages. Beautiful scenes. I love the scene where they both talk in bed in whispers. The film didn't work for me on an emotional level, but I didn't mind it only for its obscurity and creativity.

Oslo, August 31st

Oslo, August 31st (2011)

Directed by: Joachim Trier
Written by: Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
Premiered at Cannes Film Festival 2011.

The film is about a suicidal drug addict, who gets a day of leave from the rehab center to apply for a job. The film is about the events that happen in this one day. He goes to meet his old friend who is married with a kid. The friend encourages him to do something with his life, and he goes to a job interview where he walks out of the room. He quits after the slightest of inconvenience. This is where I thought that he is in a state which is too far from the place he needs to be at. The film then lives up to this scene, he later gets drunk, buys drugs and shoots up in the ending. It's a tragedy. The film has a bleak worldview, which says that the world has nothing much to offer which would make an addict stay off drugs for a while.

The protagonist is in a very low state in the entire film, we realize that as he meets people. His sister doesn't show up to meet him, we realize that he treated his ex-girlfriend badly. The film never attempts to even give him a redemption, the direction that the film goes in, character feels beyond redemption. But I personally don't think anyone is beyond redemption. I would've preferred a bittersweet ending over such a bleak ending, but I think since it's talking about a drug addict, the numbers probably speak and probably that's where the bleakness comes from. I like how the film was shot, handheld, non-continuity editing, especially the opening sequences - it's almost like an intimate documentary. Anders was beautiful in the part, he brings out a sense of pain through even his blank face.

The Worst Person in the World

The Worst Person in the World (2021)

Directed by: Joachim Trier
Written by: Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier
Best Actress at Cannes for Renate Reinsve. 

This film fulfilled me on every level. Firstly, I could relate to 4-5 characters in the film. Of course, the protagonist, Julie, she is 30 and she yet feels like she is still a kid who has to figure out everything in life. She is indecisive. She struggles with career choices, she struggles with her relationships and basically everything. There is a beauty in being indecisive - it basically means that they don't carry your mistakes, and you'll move on as soon as you realize that you're at a wrong place. I could relate to the guys she was dumping, I could relate to her when she was doing it, and I could relate to the new guys she was going to as well. It's like that level of fulfilment. The film basically us everything that happens in the world of modern dating. It takes an empathetic view to everyone, the film never judges the characters and that's the beauty of the film. We usually rush to put labels to everything, even something like cheating - if you have to understand why someone does that, you have to be empathetic and that's exactly what the film does.

On a filmmaking level, I was tripping all out when I was watching this. Classic postmodern cinema. Fragmented narrative style. Non-continuity editing. Voice over and montage. Chapter-wise narration. Beautiful cinematography. Amazing performances, especially Renate was so good and Anders is so good in the ending, I got so teary. The beautiful thing about Renate was that, Julie was feeling guilty for leaving Aksel, but it's only to an extent and that's exactly what comes through Renate's eyes. In the shot where they are spooning, and he grabs her breast and she gently takes his hand away. It's such a beautiful shot - he's still in love and she has completely moved on. I love the scene where she writes an article, and it's read out through voice over. I loveee the party scene where they are goofing around. The film has a tone where it can do whatever it wants to, and yet everything is so coherent to the world of the characters.  

Peppermint Candy

Peppermint Candy (1999)

Written and Directed by: Lee Chang-dong - The director of Burning (2018)

The film opens with the suicide of the protagonist and then it explores what all he had gone through by flashbacks, in reverse chronology order. The film ends with a scene where the protagonist and his friends meet near a bridge as kids and have a lot of fun - they were innocents back then. This is the exact bridge where he commits suicide now. The film is set in historic events taking place in South Korea. The film is a character study of the protagonist, in the setting of South Korea - exploring how a man loses his innocence because of a series of events in his life and then finally ends up killing himself. This is an unconventional screenplay - it is like a cocktail of La Dolce Vita and Memento - but it's also a beautiful character study as well.

The film shows that the director has control over everything in the frame, the staging and the blocking is just beautiful. He takes his own time to get into a scene, he mostly uses off screen space to start a scene and slowly goes into a scene. This created a similar effect to his beautiful mystery film, Burning (2018). I like how he captures physical drama through wide shots and doesn't cut very often, whether it's a havoc in a place, or a fight scene, or a police slapping a suspect - he captures them in a way that it seems like it's happening right in front of us.  He uses sounds to create drama, for example, the first scene where he commits suicide is an exuberant scene. We see the visual of the train coming behind him, and him screaming and all of it coming together to a freeze frame. It's cinematic brilliance. He uses sounds of trains here and there, to remind us of the tragic event. This screenplay technique seems like a gimmick, but it's always interesting to see where the characters started from, when we see some esoteric, eccentric characters.

Fallen Angels

Fallen Angels (1995)

Written, Directed and Produced by: Wong Kar-wai
Streaming on MUBI.

What you take back after watching a Wong Kar-wai film is the feeling the film leaves you with. It's almost like an abstract painting. The feeling that a Wong Kar-wai film leaves you with is a bit similar to the feeling a Murakami book leaves you with, although Murakami uses story too to elicit the same feeling and Wong does that purely with imagery and sound. Fallen Angels is a film that leaves an effect on you, not with its characters, emotions or the story, but with the kind of imagery that the film uses throughout. Wide angles, handheld camera, rapid movements of the camera, fast cuts, neon lighting, the cityscape of Hong-Kong - it's an extremely visual film. The camera play is so dynamic, and it's so rare to see such movement of camera in the films in the 90s. Now, we see such camera work because of fluid cameras, but back then it was rare. 

Wong's usage of voice over is beautiful. It's almost like you are listening to a bed time story, irrespective of how dark or adult, the themes are. Just like Chungking Express, I'm only left with the residue of the story and characters in my memory - it's so vague. I'm just consumed by the imagery. Perhaps In The Mood for Love, was the only Wong film where I remember so much about the characters. I think it's because his world in itself is so rich to experience, that I get lost in the aesthetics of the film and the craft. It's so tough to achieve a kind of trust from the audience where irrespective of the story - you would be invested in a film just to experience the director's craziness and Wong has undeniably achieved that with his work.