For almost the entirety of the first half, the film plays as a highly stylised regional film, with all the characters talking in Bengali and Hindi. There’s little of the unconvincing English-speaking employed in Slumdog Millionaire.
Tag: Academy Awards
Night of the stars
Darkness in many of these films isn’t just of the day; it’s of character itself. The disloyalty of Troy in Fences. The bloodlust of Tanner Howard in Hell or High Water. The violence—inner and outer—of Lee Chandler in Manchester by the Sea. The treacherous conformism of Kevin in Moonlight.
Moonlight: A beautifully contemplative tale with subtle, powerful messages
I cannot think of another protagonist who has so little to say throughout a film. When he does talk though, his pain spills through lines so delicate that you want to wrap him up in a blanket and hide him somewhere, just so the world can’t hurt him any more.
Hidden Figures: Heartwarming, necessary cinema
Films like Hidden Figures promote the contributions of unsung heroes, as much as as they serve as timely reminders for us to consider the consequences of our actions, and more importantly, their cause.
Will Visaaranai do the trick?
Visaaranai, the first Tamil film to be submitted at the Oscars this millennium, stands a strong chance because it is devoid of the frills of Indian commercial cinema. Of course, the Oscar panel also generally laps up stark ethnic tales. It has been 16 long years since a Tamil film was chosen as India’s submission…
Sudhir Srinivasan 