Hey folks, Harry here... I'm not all that up on my India filmmakers... but from the sound of it, THE WRESTLERS sounds like a damn fine film that requires our attention if any BRAVE American Distributors decide to actually bless us with an Indian film in our Art Houses.... And the second film is one we are assured of seeing... Wong Kar-Wei's latest film IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, which we got absolute raves for from Cannes this year. And again... well, read what ol Jan has to say... here ya go....
Harry,
Jan is right here again and feels privileged to have seen two North American premieres tonight. One is "The Wrestlers" from India, which just won the Best Director Award at Venice. The other one is the long anticipated Wong Kar-wai's latest "In the Mood for Love."
(1) The Wrestlers; directed by Buddhadeb Dasgupta
Directed by Dasgupta, who just won the Best Director award at Venice Film Festival, "The Wrestlers" is and Indian film about the dark side of human characters beneath the beautiful facade of nature. At first glance, this film looks like a warm comedy about an agricultural community in the countryside. The main characters are two men, who work at a railway station, often play wrestling with one another. Later on, we are introduced to the friendly people in the small community, such as the kind-hearted pastor, the four old men who dream of going to America, the dwarf who works on the train and the cute-looking kid who often follows the pastor. However, the friendship of the two wrestlers turns sour when one of them is going to get married. Probably due to jealousy and agony, the tension between these two friends starts to build up (although it's not explicitly mentioned, I guess the unmarried friend is homosexual). Meanwhile, three suspicious strangers have arrived, planning to commit a crime against the pastor. And the seemingly peaceful community never looks the same again.
I was very surprised when the movie suddenly takes a twist in its last 30 minutes. All of a sudden, this film turns from a comedy into a tragedy, from an atmosphere full of warmth and optimism into a cold observation of the dark side of human nature. While I'm now writing this film review, I'm trying to rewind this film in my head. I start to realize that this film has never intended to make it like a comedy in its first hour. It's only us, or our naive character, which think it's a comedy (many people laugh when the unmarried guy got jealous although they're unaware that his heart is actually burning with anger). So, when the film suddenly turns sombre, we're caught by surprise. In a way, it's a strange experience for me. So, I guess that's why this film won the Best Director award at Venice.
(2) In the Mood for Love; directed by Wong Kar-wai
If you compare those so-called romantic Hollywood movies with Wong Kar-wai's "In the Mood for Love," those films will suddenly look silly and shallow. Once praised by Quentin Tarantino as the best director in the contemporary world cinema, Wong Kar-wai's latest bitter love story is about two neighbors (Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung) whose respective spouses are having an affair. Later on, these two neighbors also find themselves attracted to each other. However, Tony and Maggie's characters, like others in Wong's previous films, are unable to open their minds for a new start and still restrained by their past.
Like other Wong's films, "In the Mood for Love" is high-style, beautiful and incredibly romantic. In many Hollywood love films, there must be obligatory love scenes to show that the male and the female characters are in love. But in this film, Tony and Maggie don't even kiss. They are timid, restrained people who are hesitant to love. Instead of getting a new relationship, they find their love more lasting by concealing their true feelings to each other.
By the way, Tony Leung got the Best Actor Award from this movie at Cannes. He really deserves it. At first glance, it seems Maggie Cheung's performance is more outstanding. But Tony Leung's is actually more subtle -- his performance is so good that is almost invisible. He plays a very controlled man who stifles his desire. If you're a good observant, you can feel that Tony is actually holding his tears while Maggie's character is crying when they figure out their respective spouses are having an affair. And you can also feel his heart smiling while he starts to fall in love with Maggie.
This film is not only about performance, however. Since the story takes place in the 60s, Wong is very meticulous to every single detail to that period of time, such as the decoration of the apartment, the costumes and fashion and more importantly, the atmosphere. The cinematography and the art direction are top-notch.
My conclusion: "In the Mood for Love" is one of the most romantic movies full of sensitivies this year. When the movie was finished, I felt some sort of sadness lingering in my mind. But meanwhile, I've also learnt one thing: The most unforgettable and romantic love is always the one without a happy ending.
Jan
