"Dude, you saw what she posted today?"
"Nahi yaar, time nahi mila, screening mein thha. Dikha abhi?"
"Yaar, the 3G here is very bad, it isn't opening."
This was a conversation I overheard in the morning between two young men while rushing towards a screening at Cinemax Versova. Could they have been talking about an article? A movie trailer? I stole a glance at the first guy's phone I walked past and confirmed that it was exactly what I thought they were talking about: Bai Ling's photo-feed on Twitter.
Ling, has been a bit of a topic of discussion at the 16th Mumbai Film Festival for reasons that have nothing to do with her impressive filmography. The 48-year-old Chinese-born actress - best known for The Crow, Crank: High Voltage, Anna And The King and Wild Wild West - is also known to be quite the exhibitionist. While many of her photos seem to show her simply having a good time in Mumbai and clicking selfies with her fellow invitees (including one with a hilariously embarrassed Catherine Deneuve), a few feature her in various states of undress. Ling may be the most, erm, 'adventurous' jury member ever to have been invited to the Mumbai Film Festival and it doesn't seem like anyone is complaining.
Never judge a film by its review (almost)
Here's the thing about festival premiere reviews: they have higher chances of being biased. When an eagerly-awaited film plays in front of a celluloid-hungry film festival audience, objectivity is often subjugated by euphoria and a strong 'I was there' sort of feeling. This explains why many films, especially those by celebrated directors, start off by getting a few very positive reviews, before the critical backlash kicks in and often even overcompensates for its early praise.
I should have followed my own theory when I went to watch the French film Girlhood, directed by Celine Sciamma (Water Lillies, Tomboy), which played at the Director's Fortnight in Cannes this year and received glowing reviews. Girlhood (Bande de filles in French) is a coming-of-age tale (there seems to be no shortage of those at this festival) featuring an all-black cast and set in a rough, lower-class neighbourhood on the outskirts of Paris. It plays out like a grimmer version of Clueless by way of La Haine, with a minimalist style and a synth-pop score that is reminiscent of Nicholas Winding Refn's Ryan Gosling-starrer, Drive. While its craftsmanship can't really be faulted, it is let down by a somewhat inert performance by Karidja Toure, who plays the central character Marienne. Toure never lets us look beyond the emotions she's already showing on screen, which prevents one from truly feeling for the character.
Venues matter
I spent the latter half of my day at Chandan cinema, a single-screen venue many have been trying to avoid. This is largely because, aside from being far away from the other two venues, it features an outdated sound system and projector and the seats aren't as comfortable.
However, I must say I don't agree with all those points. For one, I like the sound of the outdated sound system. That typically 'single-screen' reverb that accompanies every line of dialogue, every sound effect, is one that my brain associates with the act of going to the movies. Also, despite the seats, I must say I managed to take a very refreshing 15-minute nap during the screening of Korean filmmaker Kim ki-Duk's One on One. Purists may baulk, but ki-Duk's latest film, I'm sorry to report, is an absolute bore that worships too long and too hard at the altar of linearity and is often unintentionally hilarious.
I was also glad to be at Chandan for the screening of the day's final film: Mommy, directed by Xavier Dolan, which won the jury prize at Cannes this year. Shot in an unusual 1:1 aspect ratio, this tragicomic Canadian drama tells the story of a hapless, down-on-her-luck mother Diane Despres (an outstanding Anne Dorval) and her 15-year-old son Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon, equally outstanding), who suffers from ADHD and is prone to fits of violence. It's a wild ride of a film, filled with foul-mouthed rapid-fire dialogue, exquisitely filmed montages, and at least one profoundly cinematic moment that is destined to become course material for film students everywhere. Mommy required the massive canvas that is the Chandan screen for the film to really have an impact, and it left me heartbroken and wishing they had a repeat screening at the same venue for it. What a masterpiece.
Pick of the day
'Mommy' (French), directed by Xavier Dolan.
Quote of the day
"A mother doesn't just wake up one morning and decide to stop loving her son. What's gonna happen is I'm gonna be loving you more and more, and you'll be loving me less and less. That's just the natural way of life."
- From 'Mommy'
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