Guzaarish is a film you really want to love. Right from the first frame, the visuals strike you. It is as if the director dreamt each and every frame and translated it on screen, with an aim to awe.
This awe, scale and depiction of characters which look like paintings is the very problem of the movie. While the movie mentions the time and place it is set in, it never feels so. Though the characters are human, their portrayal has expressions of the scale of a mythological drama. Understandingly, these all are for a certain dramatic effect, again clearly imagined by the director.
As the visuals and the scale of these dreams awed , they slowly constructed the barrier between the character and the viewer. Coz, as the movie advanced, it's human scale decreased and the dramatic painting like visuals just distracted form the core simple emotions that the movie could have been all about.
Completely appreciate the imagination powers of this director, the notable styling by Sabyasachi. Like the movie, Sophia's beautiful Spanish portrayal has more of a visual impact than emotional (good acting-but glycerine shot eyes were too many). Ethan sometimes seemed too myth-like. I could have still liked the movie much more, till in an act of self-indulgence, it got too dramatic with a party in the end. The main spoiler being a hug with people jumping onto the dying character.
If nothing else, would have appreciated a more poignant end than the unintentionally clumsy and weird end.
Too much going back to expect for SL Bhansali, but still waiting for the basic treatment of a beautiful subject like Khamoshi. Because, 4 films post that, I really do not care about the magnanimous scales, bigger stars, gorgeous textiles and colour psychology palates. All I care is for a good, honest, non-manipulated film.
A witty take - spoiler alert!
5 comments:
Well said, Masand and Anupama's take on the film are pretty much on the same lines.
SLB 's sense of visual aesthetics is commendable vis a vis his contemporaries and different from what we would normally see. Like you have already mentioned, apart from heightening the sense of drama and adding a mystic quality, it doesn't add to the story and further disconnects from reality.
Its not wrong, but I wish it did justice to the story too! Infact I felt, the concept of 'magic' makes a great premise to cater to his larger than life theatrical inclinations, but he didn't do justice to it!
When I left the theatre, I was wondering, if the story was about his paraplegia, did Ethan have to be a magician?
Yes, exactly!...too many disconnects even in the story like you mentioned. It seemed a series of ideas, sounding great in parts, but never coming together that well.
Yes, read Masand n Aunpama Chopra's- I guess that whole contrast between the large scale visuals to the human-emotion scale core is just too evident- and the weakest link!
But, visually stunning and exceptional-most definitely!
saw the movie yesterday and actually quite enjoyed it, the beauty, grace and everything else.
quite a bold movie to make, there would be such few takers for the subject as also for the screenplay.
might be remembered later as a classic, i did recommend it to most of my friends. Its a must watch for quite a few reasons!
Yes!...Definitely recommending it...
Just felt could have got a lot better, smoother and intense- that is where I felt the whole visual scale interfered. But apart form all that- it is definitely a good movie.
yes...it was much less intense than his other movies, something even i found surprising.
Post a Comment