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The King’s Speech reminded me of The Queen, another terrific movie with the British royalty as the focal point, even though the two films are as different from each other as could be. Prince George might not have been a direct heir to the throne, but when his ailing father expires and his older brother abdicates the throne, he must take up the responsibility, especially with World War II looming around the corner. There’s just one catch though – he stammers while speaking, and the situation deteriorates manifold when called for public speaking. Thus, courtesy his loving wife, he gets acquainted to Lionel – an unconventional speech therapist. Though he takes an instant disliking for his flagrant insubordination and his quiet disregard for people at power, a profound bond eventually develops between the two, and despite their occasional differences, King George VI eventually rests his complete trust on the wise-cracking proletariat. The film is pretty straightforward narrative-wise, making it an easy watch. And though it lacks the utter brilliance and depths of The Queen, the two does have a similarity in terms of exceptional performances. Colin Firth, as all the critics rightly say, is indeed outstanding as the stuttering king, and so is Geoffrey Rush as a commoner who becomes a dear friend to the king.
Director: Tom Hooper
Genre: Drama/Historical Drama/Docu-Fiction/Biopic
Language: English
Country: UK
World War II along with its various Nazi-engineered events and future repercussions didn’t just leave an indelible scar on the collective psyche of Germany and the East European countries like Poland, Czech Republic, etc., they continue to haunt them to this date – case in point, the number of films that continue to be made on subject and themes emanating from those dark episodes. This German drama, based on the last few days of the life of Sophie Scholl, an active member of a non-violent underground student-cell called White Rose, who was tried by the Third Reich in a fast-track kangaroo court and executed along with her brother and friend for distributing incendiary and seditious pamphlets in a Berlin university, is another member of the long-list of films mentioned above. Julia Jentsch is superb in the role of the young and fearless eponymous martyr, and so is Alexander Held as her complex, morally indiscernible interrogator. It’s not a perfect or a great film by any measure; but what made it intense and quite gripping even, was, instead of focusing on a whole lot of issues, the director made her iron-willed heroine the sole subject for the film – consequently we got to see in heartbreaking detail her transformations as her death became more and more inevitable.
Director: Marc Rothemund
Genre: Drama/Historical Drama/Political Drama/Biopic/Docu-Drama
Language: German
Country: Germany
Edward D. Wood Jr. might have been in love with the medium of cinema and the very act of filmmaking, yet he has also been voted as the worst filmmaker of all time. This apparent irony and much more, have been captured and portrayed in utterly compelling and entertaining fashion by Tim Burton in Ed Wood. This quirky, deliciously idiosyncratic and darkly comic voyage into the life of the cross-dressing Wood, who directed one turkey after another despite being an ardent admirer of Orson Welles, is certainly a one of a kind journey. But what stands out most in the film is the fascinating friendship that Wood forms with his idol – a veteran, drug-addicted, cash-stripped former star called Bela Lugosi. That, along with the bizarre acquaintances that he surrounded himself with, and the atrocious films that he made believing all the while he’s creating great art, help us in knowing this sadly marginal and critically-panned auteur. Johnny Depp gave a sterling performance as the protagonist, while Martin Landau was terrific as Lugosi, the washed out actor who once gained tremendous repute for his portrayal of Dracula, among others. Despite its comic tone, the film has been given a noirish feel thanks to exceptional, B/W, expressionistic photography. And the thumping soundtrack, along with the decidedly offbeat screenplay, played its part in making this a unique and eminently watchable biopic.
Director: Tim Burton
Genre: Comedy/Satire/Biopic
Language: English
Country: US
To call the acclaimed French filmmaker Oliver Assayas’ Carlos an epic would be an understatement because, its 5 ½ hours length might seem formidable even to those accustomed to watching epic films regularly. The film deals with the rise and fall of the infamous political assassin Carlos who, as we all know, is now languishing in prison. Employing incredible research work, the film has pieced together the life of one of the most enigmatic persons of the last century through terrific storytelling. The director has resorted to cinema-verite, giving the film the feel of a documentary. Thus, by being ripped off of any unnecessary melodrama and by being a fiercely honest portrayal of the man without any ounce of judging him, the film has succeeded in making Carlos seem like a frighteningly real man of flesh and blood. Divided into three parts, this episodic portrayal of the infamous terrorist’s rise through the ranks, his attempts (which often are successful) at some outrageous and spectacular acts of violence, his pop-culture celebrity-hood, his comparative stagnation after being ousted from the Palestinian group he was part of, and finally his slow decline after massive changes took place in the world order post the collapse of Soviet empire. Edgar Ramirez has given a tour-de-force performance as Carlos in this visceral, violent, anarchic and thoroughly outstanding piece of work.
Director: Oliver Assayas
Genre: Drama/Crime Drama/Epic/Biopic/TV Miniseries
Languages: French/German/Arabic
Country: France/Germany
Kaushik Ganguly’s Arekti Premer Golpo had stirred up a fair amount of controversy prior to its release because of its subject matter, and though a lot of people might have watched it more due to curiosity, I was genuinely surprised as it has turned out to be a brilliant film. And with acclaimed Bengali auteur Rituparno Ghosh making his debut as an actor, it wasn’t surprising to note a fair bit of his touch (the fact that he served as the film’s “creative director” confirmed my suspicion). The film has two parallel storylines. In one a gay filmmaker Abhiroop Sen, known as much for his films as he is for his outrageous dressing style, and in an emotionally charged but clandestine relationship with his married DOP, is making a reveal-all documentary on Chapal Bhaduri (who has starred as himself), the first openly gay and cross-dressing theatre (“jatra”) actor of Bengal. The second, a film within a film of sorts, is a fictionalization of Chapal’s past life. In an interesting decision by the director, most of the actors have done dual roles. Rituparno Ghosh as the filmmaker and as Chapal’s younger persona, has given powerhouse performances in each of the roles. Even Indraneil Sengupta, as the gay lover in both the storylines, is excellent. The film also boasts of a string of wonderful turns by Churni Ganguly, Jishu Sengupta and Raima Sen in various roles in both the stories. The film has been enormously aided by exceptional cinematography, lilting background score and a terrific script. Sensitive, restrained, often mesmerizing, emotionally captivating , the film is worth savouring, and by the time it ends, the "love stories" remain anything but “just another”.
Director: Kaushik Ganguly
Genre: Drama/Psychological Drama/Romance/Biopic/Showbiz Drama
Language: Bengali
Country: India
