Monday, April 9, 2012

Pablo Georgelli’s “Las Acasias’: A Panegyric of the Language of Cinema


         

     
High voltage drama,  throwaway anecdotes that unveil sublime and somewhat enigmatic philosophical truth about life at the end,  hilarious episodes which involve quaint and quirky hitchhikers ,  unpredictable deterrents that suddenly turn a cool journey into a cliff-hanger ----the familiar ingredients of a run-of-the-mill  or  a serious road movie which make it work--------are simply conspicuous by their absence in ‘Las Acacias’, a ‘confirmed’ road movie…! Sounds paradoxical, but Pablo Giorgelli’s debut feature ‘Las Acacias’(2011)  virtually subverts  the usual stereotype of this well known genre and yet looms large as a profound cinematic beauty reminiscent of the best in the business….! Since  premiered in the International Critics' Week section of the 2011 Cannes Film Festival winning the festival's coveted award for Best First Feature Film, the film has had an enviably glorious run so far grabbing more than half a dozen of prestigious awards in well known festivals across the globe. 

     A road movie definitely it is , at least structurally and stylistically. But I am smitten more by the film’s enormous genre-straddling potentialities. ‘Las Acasias’, which  apparently tells a ‘deceptively’ simple story of two strangers going on a long and tangibly tedious journey together, reveals so much more. Ruben(German De Silva) is a  lonely middle aged truck driver who has been driving the route between Paraguay and Buenos Aires for close to thirty years carrying wood. One day, the even tenor  of Ruben’s  routine journey  is  suddenly perturbed as he has to reluctantly transport a young woman, Jacinta (Hebe Duarte) and her five month old baby, Anahi to Buenos Aires as a favour for his employer. Their journey begins in silence and it remains almost wordless till the end . But as the journey progresses so does their relationship. Through an exquisite blend of minimalist verbal communication and eloquent non verbal communication , the story gradually unfolds itself . Mostly a quiet  entity,  Jacinta  occasionally shows up the sober and solemn but sad and sensitive woman in her. She has a daughter who has no father. In a desperate bid to fend for herself and her daughter, she is migrating to Argentina to live with a cousin who, in turn, is expected to  help her get a job.  Ruben has a son, whom he met for the first time when he  was four, and has not met for long eight years. He has a sister whom he seldom meets.  The silence of the physical journey, however, fails to silence the journey into hearts fed by compassion and empathy. And over the course of the film  their hearts, as distinctly evident in the final sequence, palpably sink into each other’s despite  an utter lack of verbal communication between them. Thus ‘Las Acasias’ is about  a journey that unravels before us an intensely human tale of survival, loneliness,  compassion , friendship  and , above all, the amazing prospect  of human connection and empathy  that might potentially  culminate in love…. And what is still more amazing is all that is neatly  and palatably packed in an- hour- plus, near silent movie…..!
      Having said all that about the film’s thematic appeal, let me concede the storyline is not exactly its forte.  A cinephile  enamoured of  road movies must have seen it so many times  in  a far more delectable form that he might easily and justifiably find its  plot  a hackneyed one. What makes  ‘Las Acasias’ stand out from the crowd  is the extraordinary cinematic  treatment of  its ‘ordinary’ threadbare subject. After having  savoured  a plethora of  biggies of the genre ,which include  thought provoking swashbucklers  and nail biters like Godard’s ‘ Pierrot le Fou’(1965), Anthony Minghella’s ‘Cold Mountain’(2003), Sean Penn’s ‘ Into the Wild’(2007), Walter Salles’ ‘ The Motorcycle Diaries’(2004) ,and sensitive brain teasers like Bergman’s ‘Wild Strawberries’(1957) , Dustin Hoffman starrer ‘Rain Man’(1988) and Danis Hopper’s classic ‘Easy Rider’(1969),  I was naturally anticipating a similar engrossing and fulfilling experience as I was all set to sit through ‘Las Acasias’.  Moving  and  soothing  an experience it turned out  to be. But then ,to my sheer amazement , it also turned  out to be  a thoroughly different cinematic journey! ….More than 90% of the screen space is occupied by  the insipid , lacklustre, stuffy  cabin of a truck  that plies along an excruciatingly  long and equally  lacklustre route . The cabin is occupied by two strangers  who , not to speak of engaging in any vigourous verbal communication , hardly talk to each other. Nor  does the film have any music except the actual sounds that are integral part of such a truck journey.  Apparently  , ‘Las Acasias’ does not hold out any promise of a gripping , moving  cinematic experience…But its director has a different take on the issue and he has all the deftness of a master director to pull off his offbeat approach to his ‘commonplace’ theme. His actors may not talk , but their faces do eloquently. Pablo Georgelli  makes the most of the miraculous power of the faces of his cast to exude emotions and feelings spontaneously.  Ruben often squints into his side mirrors, supports on a diagonal time and again  as he drives along or resumes driving after a halt, and one can see the vehicles zooming up behind his truck and passing him---a spectacle which gives an impression he is actually driving.  Absence of music  in the film only heightens the verisimilitude sensitizing the audience to the actual sounds around . One can discern the directorial sleight in the use of light as well. While the cabin sequences betray a feel of real light, the few outdoor sequences  that the film has are no exception. It is quite convincing to see the images and shadows being reflected on the window panes as darkness gradually  descends . In fact, the mise-en-scene  is contrived , designed and presented in such a naturalistic way that one can not interact with the film as a mere onlooker . One becomes part of it. As one sits through the film, one discovers oneself with Ruben , Jacinta and Anahi in real time living their experience as an ‘ invisible’ co-passenger. But it is undoubtedly the excellent close quarters cinematography which emerges as the tramp card of the film’s extraordinary cinematic treatment. The director and the cinematographer were definitely at the pinnacle of their creative prowess as they filmed the cabin sequences using a wide variety of appropriate  angles successfully recreating  the tedium and vapidity of a long truck journey and simultaneously redeeming the monotony with proper variations.

       Pablo Georgelli’s 'Las Acasias’  is not a nail biter or a swashbuckler of the genre it represents. But I can assure you ,as a film buff, I have never  seen any other road movie as soothing as Pablo Georgelli’s maiden venture. Kudos to ‘Las Acasias’….











Sunday, February 12, 2012

‘Jankfai Jonak’(From the Shadow of Silence): A Tale of Technical and Thematic Triumph in a Troubled Terrain

Faith is part and parcel of a belief-system. Faith at its best inspires, fortifies, makes life worth living…..! Faith is a glimmer of hope in the teeth of the worst of odds….!But human history also bears testimony to the grim reality that all that faith epitomises is not rosy……! Faith, which almost always preys on the credulity of common masses, may culminate in catastrophes….! Faith, which has a borderline with superstition as flimsy as air, is always vulnerable to the unscrupulous designs of the Machiavellian as well as the malicious motives of the green-eyed monsters……! Sanjib Sabhapandit’s ‘Jangfai Jonak’(From the Shadow of Silence) is a critique of this ugly face of faith which has an uncanny potential to spell doomsday for innocent and innocuous individuals…..! Two highly contemporary and veracious stories are juxtaposed in the plot to drive home to the audience the perspective of the film. Both the stories the film works around are well-knit both thematically and structurally. One features an innocent adolescent who is made a ‘Baba’(A God Incarnate) despite his reluctance by the gullibility of common masses . In the other, a malicious suitor and an avaricious fortune-teller join hands to conspire against an innocuous young girl . Capitalising on the credulity of naive rural masses , they make her a ‘Daini’(Witch) and brutally kill her. Sanjib Sabhapandit is a serious filmmaker who has an uncompromising knack of dealing with themes of intense human appeal and profound social relevance in his films . Both of his first two films “Juye Pora Son” and “Jatinga Ityadi” were highly extolled by critics and connoisseurs alike for their cerebral themes . ‘Jangfai Jonak’ is no exception. But what has fascinated me most about “Jangfai Jonak’ is its amazing technical finesse hitherto unknown to Assamese Cinema. While Sanjib Sabhapanjit’s first two films were marred by technical blemishes glaring enough to vitiate cinematic beauty, ‘Jangfai Jonak’ has certainly broken that jinx and loomed large as a cinematic triumph. The film ,in fact, is a fitting reply to the much hyped skepticism of certain film pundits about the adequacy of HD cameras for shooting quality feature film. The cinematography of the film is simply impeccable except in a few moving shots. Parashar Borua wielded his lenses superbly to capture the hues and mood so evocatively…The film can boast of some of the best shot night/low-lit sequences in Assamese cinema. Top notch editing is another cynosure of the film. The editor duo (Saurabh Dutta and Ratul Deka) have adroitly resorted to ‘tight cut’, split edits, L-cuts/J-cuts, camera zooms , blow-ups , matching action and other digital intermediaries to give rise to a delightful visual treat that mimics real life experiences so well and makes acting so real that it does not feel like acting. While all true blue movie buffs appreciate how crucial an element lighting is for filmmaking, one of the most underrated elements in Assamese Cinema is ironically the light designs. In recent times, no Assamese feature film barring ‘Adajjya’ could live up to my expectations in lighting design. I am thrilled to find a second one in ‘Jangfai Jonak’. Skillful employment of both hard light and soft light to create a sense of verisimilitude all throughout the film , astoundingly natural looking night sequences and indoor scenes are what impress me most in ‘Jangfai Jonak’. Although the lighting effect falters a bit in the final night sequence, I have not an iota of hesitation to concede it is still a beautifully shot, highly natural looking night sequence rare in Assamese Cinema. Annirudha Boruah’s background score is highly spiffy and quite in tune with the mood and spirit of the film. Equally admirable is the job of the Make up Artist as well as the Art Director. Sanjib Sabhapandit, who has also done a near perfect script for his film, has,indeed, struck a perfect equilibrium with his technical crew motivating everyone to render an optimal performance and thereby ensuring a highly accomplished final cut .The director’s deftness is not circumscribed to the film’s technical finesse alone. He has motivated his cast to deliver a convincing performance collectively. Sanjib Sabhapandit’s predilection for minute details in ‘Jangfai Jonak’ is instantly reminiscent of that of Jahnu Barua and Dr. Bhabendranath Saikia in their critically acclaimed films. ‘Jangfai Jonak’---a good movie indeed virtually from every cinematic perspective. Here is finally an Assamese feature film which has redefined for Assamese filmmakers how a technically sound and thematically appealing film may be made on a shoestring budget creatively and judiciously falling back on latest sophisticated technology of digital filmmaking.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Fallen Under the Spell of Two Debuts.....!



Paradoxically enough, two debuts out of a plethora of cerebral European films I have savoured in recent times have waltzed their ways into my heart ! The first one is an idyllic brain-teaser , Australian author Julia Leigh’s debut film ‘The Sleeping Beauty’(2011).The film has already loomed large as a cynosure in the festival circuits worldwide. The other is Swedish actress Pernilla August’s directorial debut ‘Beyond’(Svinalangorna). ‘Beyond’ found a cosy berth on the global art-house circuit last year.
To encapsulate in a single sentence , ‘Beyond ‘is a haunting tale of the familiar menace of alcoholism , its resultant abuse and how it unhinges the equilibrium of domestic life often precipitating a traumatic experience for the children. Although almost perpetually pertinent a theme it is to any human society, there is nothing catchy , nothing much spectacular about it... Just ‘old wine in new bottle’ kind of stuff....But what perhaps makes ‘Beyond’ go beyond its lacklustre thematic matrix is its awesome treatment ...... An impeccable cast, unadorned and naturalistic yet kinetic cinematography and lighting style that lends the film an almost doc-like verisimilitude, highly creative and suggestive use of flashbacks, a gripping narrative technique , are all exquisitely blended together in the film to culminate in a cinematic triumph...!!! A drama set in 1970s Sweden ,‘Beyond’ is essentially the story of Leena, an attractive thirty-something mother with a caring and dotting husband, and two cute ,affectionate daughters. Her Christmas Day is shattered by a call she hangs up on. It is from her mother , a moribund patient in the distant Swedish town where she grew up. Persistent to see her daughter one last time before she departs, she has the hospital call on her behalf. Visibly ruffled up Leena ‘surprisingly’ conceals the call from her family and goes out for a swim. When she returns, it is obvious the hospital persisted, because her husband is seen gearing up for a long journey with the kids who are ‘strangely’ in the dark about the existence of a maternal grandmother. A visibly reluctant Leena has now no choice but to make the trip. The tedious 800-km journey is intercut with memories from her childhood ---memories of a turbulent home cropping up before her. A series of flashbacks gradually explain Leena’s anger and , above all ,her psyche that provoked her to cut all ties with her alcoholic mother ........Leena’s family palpably in the throes of economic uncertainty moved from Finland to Sweden to turn over a new leaf. It was a family of four----father Kimmo, mother Aili, Leena and her younger brother Sakari. Kimmo was a tippler , a wife-beater and a domestic tyrant, and Aili, too, took to drinking to console herself for the dependent masochistic mess which was her fate. Leena was forced to be mother to Sakari and keep up some facade of normality at school and before the neighbours. Quite tangibly Leena’s childhood and adolescence turned out to be nothing but a trail of endless nightmares. An ‘awfully’ sombre territory “Beyond’ takes us through...But the debutant August exudes great directorial deftness in redeeming the despair aesthetically through two well contrived ingredients---a highly spiffy and suggestive background score and an equally suggestive subplot. The background music, which alternates sombre chords with lighter classical piano melodies, helps maintain the emotional equilibrium . A subplot involving the young Leena’s penchant for swimming and her success as a swimming prodigy falls back on water as a motif --- motif which evocatively suggests the girl’s emotional edification and fortitude to survive.

Any connoisseur of cinema is sure to find ‘ Sleeping Beauty’ a mind-boggling cinematic enigma, ambiguous and unsettling……! But this can hardly dissuade him from plunging deep into the cinematic marvel that this flick is. Julia Leigh’s debut film ‘Sleeping Beauty’ is instantly reminiscent of a subversive edition of the Sleeping Beauty figure of the most popular versions of the classic fairy tale in which the Sleeping Beauty epitomizes the archetypal passive heroine. But given the multi-layered meanings this film works its way around, calling it a mere subversive modernist version of the classic fairy tale seems a gross understatement. The film palpably coaxes a discerning connoisseur into falling back on current psychoanalytical and feminist film theory to interpret the internal dynamics that make ‘Sleeping Beauty’ so catchy and cerebral a film in the same breath. It is a film about ‘Male Gaze’, about the nature of subtle commodification of woman in a predominantly patriarchal set up. It is a critique of the nature of sexual aggression as well. But all this is not enough to enable us to categorize it. ‘Sleeping Beauty’ is an awesome sensory film that eludes simple explanation. The debutant director , her cinematographer and her art director have combined well to display a superb sense of visual storytelling which manifests itself in the construction of each scene. Deft employment of soft light and vivid primary colours, highly spiffy and minimalist background music add to the overall appeal of the film. But the cynosure of “Sleeping Beauty’ is none but the sleeping beauty of the film, Emily Browning who has delivered a stellar performance in a highly challenging role.
Lucy (Emily Browning), a university student who gets engaged in several jobs to meet her ends is the ‘enigmatic’ Sleeping Beauty ----enigmatic because what motivates her in life is a complete mystery . Yes, she has to work part time to fend for herself, primarily to sustain her university life .But then her attitude towards life seems one of sheer indifference and casualness. To our sheer astonishment, she decides whom to sleep with by flipping a coin .Perhaps it is this nonchalant attitude to life and ambivalent take on sex coupled with her innate tenacity to conform to the currents which provoke her to be on an astounding and somewhat absurd spree of activities. She first accepts a job that requires wearing lingerie while serving wealthy elderly dinner guests, and later takes another where she is consensually tranquilized and left alone with aged men. Lucy’s jobs obviously do not involve any actual sessions of sex or lovemaking. But they all indicate something sombre within some men that make them want to dominate women. Thus ,with Lucy drugged asleep and then awakened with no memory of what has happened, these aged folk surpass and tame Lucy the woman in an intricate power equation. From this perspective, ‘Sleeping Beauty’ exposes the nature of sexual violence as a ‘masculine’ phenomenon that springs from a callous desire to wield power and degrade and not from sexuality as such.
Lucy’s ‘casual’ attitude to sex cajoles us to probe deeper the moment we confront the film’s reluctance to show any visually explicit sexual content on screen and also to attribute any emotional essence to whatever representation of sexuality it has . A galaxy of naked or semi-naked characters permeate through , but no scene of actual sex or lovemaking. In stead the film presents a series of situations where the expression of sexuality exudes artificiality. ‘Sleeping Beauty’ might tantalise those who are perpetually in a scramble after mere erotic and emotional fulfillment in films. But the serious moviegoers are sure to be smitten by the cerebral issues the film raises and the technical finesse with which it is done.