Adieu Godard

This is a shockingly bad movie. Worst is that it appropriates Godard into the title and theme, and delivers a horrible messed up misadventure.

Pathetic acting, no concept of framing scenes, terrible Editing, - just a awful mess.

It is trying to tackle cinema appreciation and it's influence without making any deep dives into a Common man's exposure to cinema as a art form. It adds meaningless scenes of romance and goes off track from the basic premise.

Why did the villager suddenly get hooked onto Godard ?what are the elements of his craft that impressed him?

How did the track of his daughter add any value to overall theme of this movie Just making a movie in black and white does not elevate the quality. Of the movie. Cinema is more than just knowing how to hold the camera.

I was watching a film one day when our maid came to clean the room. "Telugu film dekhucha! Bujhi parucha?" I was actually watching a Tamil film and I informed her about the subtitles. I have heard people don't like subtitles as they feel uncomfortable looking up and down constantly. Hence, they usually don't watch the films which are not in the language they understand. One needs to find excuses to watch a movie, why try to find excuses to not to watch a movie! But to everyone's relief Amartya Bhattacharya has brought yet another film that is made in Odia that is being globally watched and appreciated. That movie finally released here at Odisha and I watched that last Friday.

6 or 8 months back, I had jotted down in my diary app that how I was avoiding doing anything that put pressure on mind or where mind is used such as thinking, writing, reading, analyzing. I thanked social media, OTT for my wretched condition. In Amartya's new film the central character Ananda argues - earlier, people used to have tails. But they stopped using it, so it vanished. If people stop using their brains, it will vanish someday. And what people without brain will do - they will not be able to think, they will become - sheep - to follow anyone anything in herd and worship everything that gives them instant pleasure and gratification - just like those action, thrillers, fantasies, love stories; endless reels, shorts, vlogs, posts, whatsapp forwards. Mindless people can be easily manipulated, ruled and brainwashed- like people of naughty America - like the voiceless character Jatin in the film who has lost the ability to think and makeup his mind.

Ananda along with Jatin and few others are porn addicts in the film. They rent porn CDs to watch as a group and seek instant 'action' and gratification. (Porn is a metaphor here. One can substitute the 'porn' here with action, comedy, thriller, romance, reels, shorts etc.) Ananda, which literally translates to 'pleasure', one day accidentally rents a film of French new wave filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard. Though he initially detests but gradually gets addicted to the films of Godard - because those films made him 'think'. He wants to share that joy and opportunity of thinking with everybody so much so that he decides to hold a Godard film festival in the village.

This basic premise in the film is interspersed with a bigger and 'intellectually heavier' subplot of 'art' as a pure and independent form- represented by Ananda's daughter 'Shilpa', her present lover 'artist' Pablo and past 'naïve' admirer Joe. Pablo says he loves Shilpa and he takes inspiration from some incidents and characters Shilpa is narrating to him for the purpose of making a movie. But he gets suspicious and doubts the integrity of Shilpa - in other words, the virginity of art - when Shilpa tells him about her past innocent lover Joe - with whom she may or may not have had sex. Does art belong to some 'one', can it be owned? No, not especially by an egoist so-called artist like Pablo. Art favours the innocents - just like that child at the end of Amartya's other movie 'Khyanikaa'.

After ridiculing the patriarchy of art form, both the plot ends cohesively with a point that pleasure lasts an orgasm but ecstasy is infinite. It can only be had by pursuing art, intellect, or in the context of this film, Godard. While people in the end dismiss thinking, labeling it as injurious to health and bid Godard goodbye, Ananda becomes Chidananda and greets Godard hello, how you are doing.

'Adieu Godard' is Amartya Bhattacharya's finest to date. It is his rebellion to establish film as an art form. And presently, particularly in these times of boycott, nepotism, stars vs story, industry supremacy, Amartya Bhattacharya's film is dangerously relevant and astonishingly well timed. While as subject, style, and form, Adieu Godard is impeccable, I have some problems with it. I feel the humour in the film is little too much, exaggerated, and overdone - so much so that it sometimes ventures in to the line of farce. I always feel that the theatre artists' performance, especially of the veterans like Choudhury Vikas Das, appear accentuated when being watched over the long-mid-closeup of audio-visual medium. While theatrics certainly require that but, in my opinion, it needs to be subtle and toned down for the screen. Choudhury Vikas Das has an undeniable towering persona on the screen, he owns the scenes he is in but, I, honestly, feel the performance of Dipanwit Das Mohapatra, Abhishek Giri and other minor characters are more natural in this film. Amartya Bhattacharya is one fine photographer and he has won national award for his photography, so there is not a single frame in this film devoid of meaning and worth criticizing. The solo frames of Choudhury Vikas Das in black backdrop of worn-out households are breathtaking. His photography style in the film is much more grounded and natural unlike his other films. I have, however, one suggestion. I know he must have his reasons, and the content of his films certainly benefits from the style and philosophy of his photography, but can he start using better gears, especially camera and lenses! The cuts are crisp and editing is sharp. I appreciate the minimal and stunning score of Kisaloy Roy and lively sound design of Sujoy Das. The dress and costume team has also done a commendable job.

Few years ago, I had asked Amartya Bhattacharya in a symposium that 'these films you do, they are not conventional, they are not accessible, they dwell in between the intellectual and abstract. Odia people, especially of present, or simple folks like my mother don't care for these films and most likely will never watch them! How can someone remain inspired if one's own people don't watch them." He replied that "why do you expect only your people to watch these! Why don't you think beyond Odisha! Make a film that people in foreign countries will watch and appreciate, think in this way. Language or geography are not barrier, they never had been. Why you restrict the possibilities, you make a good film and the world is your audience."

I feel proud that these Odia films of Amartya have crossed the boundaries and gathered accolades from all over the globe. I think Adieu Godard is his final call - to start a new wave - to bring about a renaissance- especially in Odia cinema. Aspiring producers and filmmakers time to think beyond the action, romance, comedy, thrillers.

I thank Swastik Choudhury and Amartya Bhattacharya for giving me an impetus to start thinking again after years.

Wonder full move.

Every one do his role perfectly even thogh the junior artist do his role perfectly the story moves around how the porn adicted person became the fan godard but movie never make you bored ovie

move makes you laugh a lot and make you cry .

This movie is not mass entertainer if you thing you will going to enjoy this movie by watching it by seing its action then you are wrong but you will enjoy the movie watching its comedy movie makers try heard I think we should give one chance to watch in theatres.

Perfermances are good you never board by watching this movie in singlre momment if you love mass action movie so we request you to do not watch this movie. I bet you if you watch this movie you never think that its a odia movie I give this 10/10 but I frankly said this movie for OTT not for theatre but I request you kindly watch this mopvie theatre for odia movie future.

Not only poorly made but arrogantly as well. A film that mocks at common people cannot be a tribute to Godard in any manner. Its a mockery rather. The absolute opposite of this film would be a better tribute to Godard who was even a self-proclaimed 'Maoist' at one point of time in his life. While watching the film one was astounded how deeply prejudiced the filmmaker is, e.g. One character's inability to speak is used repeatedly to punctuate the comedy beats of the film. How can a film that makes a mockery of disabled people and poor people be a tribute to Godard? The film actually felt like watching one of those potboilers from Priyadarshan & his kind (Hera Pheri, etc.). But even a Priyadarshan grants much more agency to his characters. The film's basic premise seems to be that all humans inhabiting the film are inherently stupid except for the genius filmmaker. Slow clap.

First i ll review this film from a professional point of view . The entire plot & premise is Subtle yet weirdly discomfortable. The camerawork was impressive , considering it is first of its nature , there are aerial shots and moments of thoughts lingering inside characters with zero dialogues. Love it. The tension , the suspense is mind blowing. Middle age Casting felt perfect. Film had various funny moments and the generic frustration of Rural villagers . That is, Hating a particular thing only after they have failed to understand its complicated nature.

Let it be a Godard 's movie or Let it be Shilpa's character.

The way Ananda smokes a cigarette & tells two of his friends to push their minds' capabilities was really the part which won my heart. Overthinking should never be an issue, Its always what we overthink about .

Another great point for the director , He carefully modded the film with french scores & footages of the new wave . It is difficult cause the french culture is way too different than Odiya culture,but indeed A great job.

The only bit of problem i faced is that the Acting & dialogue delivery of current Shilpa & Pablo didn't hit the mark. The film had a tragic ending, just what i was expecting but the ending felt rushed. (Spoiler ahead) The suspense was bare minimum so Sadness which as i know is the soul of french new wave wasn't shown effectively before Ananda left this realm. His death was striking but the pain ended rather quickly . (Ananda's nightmares came true , those villagers accusations towards his daughter became true when he saw that Indian tape .) It would have been cool seeing the accusations as flashbacks but the scene shifted , Sadness turned into Melancholy soon when Shilpa re united with her childhood lover . Would have loved to see how Ananda's friends react after his demise , But It focused on the optimistic side , on Ananda's daughter Shilpa , How happy she is.

Which i think is the Odiya way of telling Have faith , everything will work out eventually. Which kept the harmony between joy and sorrow . Its effective only because it is painful. The grandeur conclusion of every cinema.

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Now from a personal point of view : I arrived at the theatre a bit late. The movie was already on & you have absolutely no idea how easily i found myself laughing from all the hypocrisy , idiosyncrasy which engulfs this part of the world. Oh bliss! I have been to colleges , villages and heard people spreading rumours like wildfires. So i appreciate director's decision of being bold . This is truly a revolutionary step towards cinema to break its stereotypical limits of having an antagonist/protagonist and a particular female for romance purpose. Yet some people can & i know obviously will judge it because of experimental things like shaky camerawork , mocking towards society's rigid standards , some creative decisions & mindsets of complex persons like Ananda , Godard , Me.

But ;

" Better now than never ".

And As a director's first with limited budget , the film is bold , emotional ,funny and meaningful. I hope it reaches youth in elderly and to every youngblood who is having a hard time deciphering this world. It has no specific genre , except being a tragic drama at its very best And The moral is vivid ; Dont hate people just because you failed to grasp their depth , don't neglect because someone is different , don't harm someone when they reject you.

Kudos !