reneehupert

Having seen this film only yesterday, I am really late with this review (more than a decade since it came out), but some films are truly timeless and worth the praise long after they are released.

Dev D is a masterpiece in all its glory without glorifying the protagonist. The movie is an grim reflection of a man spiralling into a sea of booze and drugs and repeated bender trips after a fallout with his childhood sweetheart. While on the surface the movie deals with issues of a break-up and the consequent self-deprecating addiction-fuelled journey, the larger issue of the movie deals with the protagonist's narcissistic personality. Throughout the movie this point is driven home repeatedly as we see that Dev spurning away people whenever his ego is threatened. There are many instances of Dev seeking to gratify himself through others, be it his family, or Paro, or even Chanda, which becomes evident when Chanda says to Dev, "You can't love anyone, just accept it."

The film was long yet it was beautifully woven together and struck the perfect balance between a gripping story without going overboard with the theatrics. Anurag Kashyap provides brilliant direction, coupled with a whacky soundtrack by Amit Trivedi and an absolutely fantastic acting by Abhay Deol. There is a lot of symbolism in the movie meshed along with the headlines prevalent during those days, yet the rendition of the movie remains relevant even after a decade since it was made, making it well-deserved to be a timeless masterpiece of Indian Cinema.

The only thing which was similar to a mainstream Bollywood movie was the ending, which was somewhat made to appeal to the larger audience and leave a more hopeful chance at redemption for what seems like a complete mayhem of a person. In real life though, that redemption is rarely found for people like Dev.

I can say it with full conviction, out of the many shows and movies I have watched throughout my life, there is no show which covers the entire gamut of life so realistically as Bojack Horseman. People often say that the show talks about depression, however I disagree. As meta-physical as it might sound, I think it talks about life itself, with depression being a part of it.

Bojack does a wonderful job of exploring various types of personalities, relationships, career paths, family life, political (in?)correctness, and of course, depression, but more than that, happiness. Hats off to Raphael Bob-Waksberg and his entire cast and crew for showcasing this fantastic piece of art.

Bojack Horseman is truly one in a million. As corny as it might sound, it has the potential to make you see yourself and your surroundings in a completely new light. It has the potential to really transform your perception of life itself. After all, "isn't the point of art less what people put into it and more what people get out of it?" :)

I began watching this movie, expecting it to be another romantic flick, but boy was I wrong. There is nothing 'film-like' about the movie, it actually seems like a slice of life itself, and that is what makes it so beautiful. Both the co-stars, James and Jessica, have a terrific chemistry and their acting is absolutely breathtaking. Even the supporting actors (including the legendary Viola Davis) have a titular role throughout the film. The direction of the movie seems a bit haphazard and one might find their attention slightly wavering had it not been for the gripping performances by the actors. I do believe that 'Him' and 'Her' complement each other well, however, 'Them' seemed redundant in comparison to the other two.