tapanmozumdar

#KillersOfTheFlowerMoon is difficult to watch. It takes time to sink in that the cunning oppression of the indigenous people by the migrant and expansionist Whites has not passed even a hundred years. Though the story is told from the perspective of a White man of Italian origin, Maestro Scorsese, and the two main characters are of Italian origin as well (often giving the film a Godfather-esque flavour), abundant presence of indigenous actors and a leading lady locates the time and space of the narrative well. The three hour long film has quite a few 10-15 minutes long scenes with dialogues between two characters, but the charm of the actors and zero fluff writing makes it engrossing. The intensity of De Niro is such that one almost wishes for emancipation of the sinister character he plays. Di Caprio matches him scene for scene, and by virtue of the script, comes out a winner in the final scene. Lily Gladstone is a revelation and her nuanced act will be a top contender for the next Oscar. The background score by Robbie keeps the audience on the tenterhooks and rides the mood of the film for all the length.

All in all, it's more than a film. It's a Masterclass in historical commentary and film making. And like all long classes, get a little saggy at places, but picks up well and leaves a long lasting impact.

The sad part was the empty theatre. With the spectacle of Marvels or Mission Impossibles ruling the roost, a well told story from a master director too can't bring the people to the theatre. Tells a lot of the Insta reel groomed spectators of the current times.

Posting while watching! Abhishek has always made his father proud. But after this film, Bachhan Sr. Will envy Abhishek, the actor. The loser drunkard has seldom been played with more panache, humour and grit. And that includes Naseer Saab in Iqbal. I can only imagine the pressure on Abhishek considering the iconic drunk scenes his father has gifted to the screen. Though there are clear glimpses of Amitabh in certain diction and intonation in the role, but largely Abhishek has owned it and taken it a couple of notches higher to his father's.

Script is the usual sports drama and inspirational. The film stands out due to Abishek and of course, Saiyami Kher. Ivanka Das is another surprise actor in this film and her life's actual deal is even more fire, worthy of a film in itself.

Watch it for Abhishek :)

After the film ended at the expensive IMAX theater, I heard the twenty-something boys beside me talking about the black piece of clothing that was well grafted on an apparently nude actress. The boys on the other side, a few years younger were wondering why Oppenheimer has never been in their syllabus. Down the steps, an outspoken man was showing off his readings on the life and times of the 'actual' Oppenheimer. A new couple were still sitting, and giggling, picking up from the same giant tub of unfinished popcorns. A lady in a crop top was busy disciplining her two children, both under ten who were probably bored with the verbosity without much 'action' in the film.

No one was scared. No one was appalled at the monstrous genius of the human kind that converted an abstract science into a weapon of mass destruction in a war they were already winning. No one was retching at the sight of peeling skins, charred torsos, yellow vomits that persisted till the less fortunate ones took time to perish. There was a feeling of celebration, a general happiness that prevails at the end of a film that a full house planned to watch well in advance,

And that's where the film fails. Of course, the argument could be that it's about Oppenheimer from the POV of a renowned Catholic filmmaker, whose films have earned upwards of $5 billion so far. It's not from some Jewish peace activist or an anti-war Asian. Still, the lack of empathy for the victims that the director, and the storyteller, Nolan demonstrates in this film is remarkable. The main character seemed more bothered about his name being tarnished in the annals of history than his hands, and brain, behind the bloodbath.

That's another fallacy. Those who have watched the black and white interviews of the scientist would not find the man who looked perpetually sad, couldn't look straight into the camera or the eyes of the interviewer, gave his responses with long pauses and a practised, self-loathing monotone. Cillian Murphy might have acted his career best and may win an Oscar or so, but the fact remains that he came across as more of a Nolan character living in parallel timelines, and waking up with a bang to some reality (so typical of Nolan's films) than the actual man.

Robert Downing Jr. In his predatory scene gives a glimpse of his experienced repertoire and may get his share of the awards the next season. His character seemed more reliable, perhaps due to the fact that interviews of Lewis Strauss are not so easily available on the net and he could imagine the person the way he wished. Emily Blunt impresses, but that I guess is her tight lipped British demeanor in any case. Jean Tatlock, both the actor and the character she did, were magnificently wasted as the person didn't seem to have much affect on the life and thoughts of Oppenheimer, who would apparently screw any woman who wishes so. The much talked about nude scene was better clothed up in India, as the nudity didn't seem any impact on the course of the film and seemed to be there only for titillation.

The most ridiculous part of the film is, of course, use of Albert Einstein. Appearing in two scenes as an apparent consciousness of the Director of the Manhattan Project, he seems comical and without any purpose. Even the scene that reveals in the end the dialogue they had by the lake is so shallow in conversations that it could have been jolly well between Salman Khan and an apprentice in Tiger 3!

About the IMAX experience. Well, the filmmaker tried his best and advertised to his might to bring billions of dollars into this much hyped format of display. Except for the thunderous roar that causes vibration of the seats, the IMAX experience is banal in this film.

There is a scene when Gen Groves, Matt Damon in one of the many monochrome characters he plays, recruits Oppenheimer. When he speaks of the adverse adjectives people refer the professor with, Oppenheimer asks, "And they don't say a brilliant mind, etc.?" The General says, "In the community you are in, that's a given."

So will be the cinematography, editing, special effects, sound engineering etc. In a Nolan film. After all, the guy is the most hyped filmmaker of our times. But if after all this hype, you find an onion, peeling layer after layer and reaching a nothingness, that too with no tears in your eyes, you may find the experience of watching the film a three hour exercise in floccinaucinihilipilification, of little or no value in the annals of documented history or cinema.