The Perfect Mise-en-Scène

Released in 1978
10/10
Genre- Realistic, Drama
Main Cast: Raj Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna
Music- Panchamda (R.D. Burman)
Story- Salil Chowdhury
Screenplay: Bimal Dutta
Direction- Hrishida (Hrishikesh Mukherjee)

BRIEF INTRODUCTION Set in the pre-independence era, this is a story about a jobless young man (played by Khanna) who is not even able to feed his own family and is frustrated enough to end his journey. He then meets a guardian angel (played by Kapoor) who explains to him that life is a precious gift not to be wasted like this. And that life is a possibility of various events, good or bad but without life, nothing is possible at all. How the guardian angel transforms him and changes his perception towards life forms the second half of the film with an amazing surprise for the audience at the end.

The Movie Starting as a drama, the film turns out to be an artistic masterpiece. The art design, the dialogues, and the imaginary element in the film, all fit perfectly in the screenplay. This, I think is the finest by Hrishida after the mid-70s and also his last collaboration with Khanna. The film was not very successful commercially at the time of release but received widespread critical acclaim. Some critics also regarded the film as ahead of its time.

The Dream Cast Two of the biggest legends of Hindi cinema together, The Showman and The Original Superstar for the first and only time. It was a real treat to see these two veterans sharing the screen, both of them peaked in their performances.

Kaka: Not just a Superstar of Blockbusters but also a Superstar of Choices
Despite Kaka’s widespread mainstream appeal and impeccable box-office record he used to choose projects which were new and had different kinds of subjects, different from the norm, be it Anand (1971), Bawarchi (1972), or Avishkaar (1974), so on…and the same goes with Naukri. During the late 70s, with a trend of multistarrer action films ruling the roost, Kaka chose to play a non-glamorous character in Naukri and did it with perfection and that’s what a true Superstar is like.

P.S. One of the most underrated mainstream Hindi films, a masterpiece.

Released in 1976
10/10
Genre- Mystery, Thriller, Romance, Horror
Main Cast: Jodie Foster, Martin Sheen, Alexis Smith,
Mort Shuman, Scott Jacoby
Story- based on the novel of the same name by Laird Koeing
Screenplay: Laird Koeing
Direction- Nicolas Gessner

BRIEF INTRODUCTION Story about a mysterious girl and her more than often unavailable father, recently shifted to their new house, frequently bothered by too inquisitive people in the neighborhood and the town. But that’s not it, there’s more to it, there is a secret about the father, which the daughter has to hide, her father is a poet, he is either writing or sleeping but never available immediately, so, where is he? Whoever tries to find out becomes unavailable too, forever…

The Movie A mystery thriller, that turned out to be a horror. There are so many genres mixed that the film can’t be classified as one particular genre film but whatever it is, it is one of the finest, most gripping films ever. And that is justified as the screenplay is written by Koeing who also authored the original book. Although the film sets up the mood for a mystery thriller it turns out to be a nice horror as well. The screenplay is so gripping that one can’t even blink for a sec.

Performances The cast delivered flawlessly, be it Foster, Sheen, Alexis Smith, Mort Shuman or Scott Jacoby, Martin Sheen with a particular style of dialogue delivery and villainous expressions suited the character of Frank just well, and Scott Jacoby as Mario was very convincing to his character.
Jodie Foster I was completely blown away by the amount of confidence in Foster’s performance and that too in some of the initial films along with Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976). The dialogue delivery and the expressions are very bold and add a lot of intensity to Rynn’s character.

Rynn’s character Rynn’s character although not much in age has shown to be very mature in the film, with quite some wisdom and strength to confront anyone. She talks about leading life alone and the way she wants to…not the way others tell her to. And that it doesn’t matter, if she’s not an adult but she too has rights. Her conversation with Mrs. Hallet for me is one of the best scenes in the film.

P.S. The film won two Saturn Awards, for Best Horror Film and Best Actress (Jodie Foster).

Released in 1997
10/10
Genre- Sci-fi (Science-Fiction), Thriller
Main Cast: Ethane Hawke, Jude Law, Uma Thurman
Screenplay: Andrew Niccol
Direction- Andrew Niccol

BRIEF INTRODUCTION Set in a dystopian future with a background of advanced biotechnology, the story revolves around a character fighting his way out of genetic discrimination to fulfill his dream.

Initial impression One of the greatest sci-fi movies I have seen so far. After watching the film, I was quite amazed at it being so advanced in its setting, talking about concepts like Eugenics and a topic like genetic discrimination. I want to appreciate Niccol’s futuristic approach to this film, the design, the atmosphere, the visuals, and the conversations. He has provided some of the best stories to the industry be it G A T T A C A or The Truman Show or any other project related to him.

The Movie A true sci-fi I would say, and also a very underrated film, quite ahead of its time. Sci-fi masterpieces like Gattaca are rarely made in the mainstream. We see a lot of science fiction with little backstory or no backstory, and even if there is a backstory, most of the time it is unconvincing or far fetched but Gattaca has a lot of thought behind the story, behind the characters, behind the art design, it is complex creative imagination manifested as an understandable film. Straightforward narrative, no clutter, no unnecessary distraction, a focused plot, and a very natural and convincing performance by the cast.

P.S. The film was nominated for Academy Award in the Best Art Direction category.

Released in 2021
Genre- Romance, Drama, Comedy
9/10
Main Cast: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn,
Tom Waits and Bradley Cooper
Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson
Direction- Paul Thomas Anderson

BRIEF INTRODUCTION Licorice Pizza is a romantic journey of a couple, various events in their relationship, and the ups and downs related to it followed by them realizing their feelings for each other.

The Movie Yes, it’s a romantic film but not a cliché, it’s very fresh and interesting with a bit of humor sometimes. The music of the film plays a key role in setting up the mood. The film received three Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.
Since the movie is set in the 70s, it gives a nostalgic feeling while watching, and the development in the relationship is slow-paced and very natural/organic, unlike today when romance has merely become a game of interacting on some kind of electronic media making relationships more synthetic and fragile.

P.S. The film is available on one of the leading OTTs, watch it, it’s a good film, it’s a young film, for young people.

Released in 1974
Genre- Musical, Rock, Horror
9/10
Main Cast: Paul Williams, William Finley, Jessica Harper
Screenplay: Brian De Palma
Music- Paul Williams
Direction- Brian De Palma

BRIEF INTRODUCTION The story starts with an innocent, talented singer/songwriter, Winslow Leech (played by Finley), trying to make his mark and get recognition in the music industry. And what happens next is, the wrong people recognize his talent and trick him into giving his best work to them, specifically Swan (played by Williams). The second half is formed by Leech returning as yes, you guessed it right, “The Phantom” for his due credit and his ladylove (played by Harper). The rest is for the audience to find out by watching the film…

The Movie A treat for all rock lovers, with a little bit of drama, a little bit of romance, a little bit of fight, and a whole lot of music. Being a fan of De Palma’s work, especially Scarface, I was a bit surprised at first when I got to know about Phantom…being a musical film but if we take a look at Palma’s work, his other films, with every new film he did something new, a new subject, a new genre so that justifies it.

Theme The novel, Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux served as the primary inspiration for the story of the film.

An interesting dialogue from the film
“I would never let my personal desires influence my aesthetic judgment”

P.S. The music of the film was nominated for both Academy Award and Golden Globe.

Released in 2013
Genre- Thriller, Psychological
9/10
Main Cast: Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska Matthew Goode
Screenplay: Wentworth Miller
Direction- Park Chan-wook

BRIEF INTRODUCTION Stoker is a story of mysterious characters in a family. The film opens up with the death and funeral of the lead character’s father and the arrival of her estranged uncle who never kept in touch with the family. Things start to get interesting with his stay and the subsequent disappearance of the people around him. The events that follow lead to a bigger mystery and truth related to the Stoker family.

The Movie Although the film is a thriller, the presentation of events, the silence in the expressions, with intense music in the background give a feeling of horror to the audience along with the thrill. Many elements of the mise-en-scène reminded me of Hitchcock films. While reading some articles about the film, I got to know about the inspirations for the screenplay. And as I thought, the writer has taken inspiration from some of the classic works of Hitchcock, the way of introducing doubt for a character or building up tension in the story.

Performances Nicole Kidman peaked in her performance as an unstable and complicated mother, she was more than perfect for the role.
Mia Wasikowska The intense look on her face and a reflection of rage and complexity in the eyes, her expressions delivered more than the dialogues.
Matthew Goode Subtle performance by Matthew Goode as the mysterious uncle, a characteristic dialogue delivery with a hint of evil intentions behind it. His personality suited the character well.

An interesting dialogue from the film
“Just as a flower does not choose its color…we are not responsible for what we have come to be. Only once you realize this do you become free, and to become adult, is to become free.“

P.S. DO NOT DISTURB THE FAMILY.

Released in 1992
Genre- Legal, Comedy
10/10
Main Cast: Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, Ralph Macchio, Mitchell Whitfield
Screenplay: Dale Launer
Direction- Jonathan Lynn

BRIEF INTRODUCTION A comic legal drama about two friends, framed for a crime they didn’t commit. Joe Pesci’s character is then appointed as their lawyer (Vinny) to defend them in court. His comic interactions with the judge, court, and the new city, with his girlfriend form the second half of the film.

The Movie One of the funniest movies of the 90s, very thoughtfully put together by the director and the writer, a legal drama with a comic tone backing it. The conversations in the film make sure that the audience doesn’t stop laughing till the end.

Performances Joe Pesci Being a huge fan of Pesci’s work in all the Scorsese movies, it was completely unexpected for me to see him in a role like this. Pesci’s image of being a tough guy in his previous films had no reflection on his character in this film except for his accent. To be honest, his performance amazed me till the end.
Marisa Tomei Tomei was the perfect choice for the character of Lisa. Her performance made the film very interesting, especially, the last part. Other than Pesci and Tomei, I found Fred Gwynne’s performance (who played Judge Haller in the film) quite impressive, intense, and comic at the same time.

P.S. Marisa Tomei received the Academy Award (1993) in the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance in the film.

Released in 1960
Genre– Drama, Musical
10/10
Main Cast: Leela Naidu, Balraj Sahni
Story/Screenplay: Sachin Bhowmick, Rajinder Singh Bedi
Music– Pandit Ravi Shankar (Lyrics by Shailendra)
Direction– Hrishida (Hrishikesh Mukherjee)

BRIEF INTRODUCTION The story revolves around a talented singer, played by Leela Naidu. First half of the film talks about Anuradha’s relationship with music and her marriage to Dr. Nirmal, played by Balraj Sahni. The second half deals with her isolation and her immense talent being wasted in fulfilling her duties as a homemaker. How Anuradha deals with this kind of life forms the rest of the story. Upon release, the film was nominated for numerous awards, winning the National Award (1960) in the Best Feature Film category.

THE THEME I feel very delighted and proud to write about this film. As early as the 60s when not even rarely, one thought about making films focusing on the individual life and struggles of a woman, Anuradha was released with such a strong women-centric theme. And not just the theme, but the film also speaks about so many important roles that a woman plays, sacrificing her happiness, her interests, her talent, and that too without even coming to the limelight, sometimes as a mother, sometimes as a wife, sometimes as a sister, sometimes as a friend. Anuradha is not specifically about one woman, it is about every woman, who has given a large part of her life for the betterment of someone else’s life without even expecting any appreciation or acknowledgment for it. I dedicate this post to all the wonderful women in the world.

My reaction after watching the film I was both shocked and happy when the film ended, especially after watching the last part of the film, to know that there were people in the industry (mainstream) in that era who cared to make films on such important subjects. I want to thank Sachin Bhowmick and Hrishida, for making Anuradha and coming up with this theme in the early 60s.

Performances Leela Naidu, with her soft speech and confident expressions, very subtly conveys the message as Anuradha. Balraj Sahni, as always, played his part very naturally.

Music Renowned Sitar Player, Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar composed the music for Anuradha and this was another interesting reason for me to watch the film. There are very few films that feature music composed by him and Anuradha is one of them. My favorite song from the film is, “Haye Re Wo Din Kyun Na Aaye” wonderfully performed by my favourite Lataji. “सूनी मेरी वीणा, संगीत बिना, सपनों की माला मुरझाए…हाय रे वो दिन क्यों ना आए…Shailendra exactly knew how to put the situation into words.

P.S. The star of the film Leela Naidu was also Miss India-1954 and was hugely considered one of the most beautiful women in the world.

Released in 1986
Genre- Thriller, Psychological, Mystery, Noir
10/10
Main Cast: Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper, Laura Dern
Screenplay: David Lynch
Direction- David Lynch

BRIEF INTRODUCTION The story revolves around a troubled mysterious woman, and two friends, followed by an intense attempt by the two of them to rescue the woman from the clutches of evil. Many more mysteries roll out along the way. Not just a movie, it’s a fine piece of psychological thriller, blended with mystery with a noir backdrop in the story.

The Movie Blue Velvet combines multiple genres and that too with perfection, coming from the ace filmmaker, the master of surrealism, DAVID LYNCH. The film offers so much that it is not possible to tell everything in the brief introduction section.

Performances Honest and powerful performances by all the actors, Kyle and Laura played their parts flawlessly. Rossellini and Hopper, their performances were very instrumental in putting all the intensity into the film.

P.S. The title comes from “Blue Velvet” a very popular song by Bobby Vinton.

Released in 1989
Genre- Biographical/Drama
Beyond any critical rating
Main Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Brenda Fricker, Hugh O’Conor
Based on “My Left Foot”, the 1954 autobiography by Christy Brown
Screenplay: Shane Connaughton & Jim Sheridan
Direction- Jim Sheridan

This is a very special post and I feel very fortunate to write about this film.

BRIEF INTRODUCTION Based on a true story, the plot of the movie revolves around an extraordinary person with cerebral palsy, who later becomes an artist and a writer. Events in the film depict his experiences with his own self, his family, different people, and the world, and that he was not less than anyone in any aspect just because of a condition. It’s an inspiring journey to learn from.

The Element of Truth In a general way, it might not be very important for the audience to have the element of truth in the character or the film but for me, it becomes very important to have that element of truth in the film especially when it is based on an autobiography and My Left Foot fulfilled it for me. What is the Element of Truth, and where does it come from? Element of truth in a simple way means that the characters keep themselves true/honest to the story and the world they are portrayed in.

The Performances Very rarely, it happens that you see a truly honest performance, a performance straight from the heart. My Left Foot is a film in which all the actors, especially the ones who played Christy Brown, Hugh O’Connor who played young Christy Brown for a brief time in the film and Daniel Day-Leiws who played the adult Christy, both of them put their heart and soul into the character. And I am not just saying this because I am a huge fan of Lewis but it is so evident in the film that one can’t deny it.

Daniel Day-Lewis There are very less actors in the world, who go to that extent, psychologically and emotionally, to get under the skin of the character because, sometimes it even gets difficult to return from there and its too expensive psychologically but Daniel Day-Lewis is one actor, who in every performance, proved that he goes to that extent, that far, to bring the perfection, that edge in front of the camera. The way he portrayed Christy Brown, changed my whole perception of acting. All the expressions, actions, and even the smallest attention to detail, no wonder he won the Academy Award for his performance in this role. Along with Lewis, Brenda Fricker, who played mother Brown in the film, also won the Academy Award for her role in the film. The cast and the film won several accolades, including Academy Award and BAFTA.

P.S. Don’t miss this one, it truly is a masterpiece, a rare gem.