Dev D (2009)

Requiem for DEV/
DEV-spotting

Written and Direced by: Anurag Kashyap

Starring: Abhay Deol, Kalki Koechlin, Mahie Gill.

Music and background score by: Amit Trivedi

"Sattu, don't send me to London","Don't call your father by his name", "Well Grandma calls you Sattu too", " Because she is my mom". Rare occasion might be but this conversation between young Dev and his father provides enough insight to Dev's ungreatful and remorseless character. In next 2 minutes grown-up Dev (Abhay Deol) asks Paro (Mahie Gill) for a 'bit' of a cyber fun. She agrees while knowing what a tease it will be. Follow-the-heart or in other words where the heart is at, the LIBIDO.

Please welcome back with a round of applause to the mind behind grenade exploding Satya (1998) and bone-chiller Kaun (1999)'s writer Mr Anurag Kashyap. I missed out on his first directorial venture, Paanch (2003), but Black Friday (2004) and No Smoking (2007) gave me reason to wonder his courage, only. Dev D is a chance at reminder of his true writing talent resembling the widest horizons of Satya and Kaun. Dev D is a movie of the generation of MMS voyeurs, cyber punks and flesh famished junkies. Male and Female hand in hand narrowing the gap to a single 'byte'. The 'byte' being the difference between the core properties of their respective 'connectors'. Nobody can ask Mr Kashyap," So what is your contribution to Saratchandra Chatterjee's classic novel?" It is as blatant as any internet sensation's strength to spread over the globe overnite. Nailed it!! I mean, 'proper' nailed it.

Abhay Deol does it again. After playing desi-version of JJ Gittes, Manorama-Six Feet Under(2007), and a cool superchor, Oye Lucky Lucky Oye (2008), he is back as arguably the most popular loser in the history of Indian literature, Devdas. Unlike charming Yusuf saab's 1955 version or beloved Shahrukh Khan's 2002 version, this one is a brat. Not only that but he is surrounded by brat versions of Paro (Mahie Gill) and Chandramukhi (kalki Koechlin). Blame Dev and Paro's 'choices' on the age of internet but Chanda has her strong reasons. Talk about character building. Chanda's pre-call-girl story is unfaltering. Reminded me Fenix's troubled and bloody childhood in midnight-movie-genre inventor Alejandro Jodorowsky's Santa Sangre (1989). Can't really blame Chanda's choice at the life style. But it is rather necessary to get drugged to the tunes of 'Ankh Micholi' as Chanda leans her head out of the bus' window. Strongly reminiscent of Joker's head tilt out of the stolen cop car's window in The Dark Knight (2008). Talk about Dev and his character's impulses. Well impulse is what makes us human. The characters in this movie have impulses to watch porn, gulp down vodka-coke (i mean seriously?, screw-the-world choice maybe) and chase dragons. These guys have 'rivers of white water' (like the dudes in Dil Dosti Etc). Regret is unheard of. Fear is un-felt of, untill one moment for Dev. It had to be the fear of death for Dev to re-evaulate his choices in life. The character study doesn't get any more convincing than this. Abhay understands the necessity all the way and gives a stunning performance. The scene with his mother is a great example.

When writing stops the camera starts to show it's power. Kashyap went with Danny Boyle's suggestion to use the German camera, used in Slumdog Millionaire, to shoot Dev D. The revolving takes focusing nothing but Abhay's drooling face are illustrious. The steadicam reminds of Arronofsky's Requiem for a Dream (2000). The luminous streets of Delhi and blinking cheap hotel signs are 'Oldboy'ish and striking. Amit Trivedi's music becomes an integral part of this bonanza. 'Saali Khushi, Nayan Tarase, Pardesi and Emosanal Atyachar' blend and make this flicker-show fly high.

How much ever Dev D reminds of anything seen before, this one stays as one of the remarkable original works of art. Dev D is an important addition to the current golden era of Bollywood. The era of A Wednesday, Rock On, Manorama, Dil Dosti Etc and Luck By Chance. This era is reminiscent of the independent film driven '70s Hollywood era of Taxi Driver, Network, Dog Day Afternoon, El Topo and Chinatown. That era was ended by gargantuan commercial success of an independent film called Star Wars (1977). Paul Schrader said, it killed Hollywood. I am fingers crossed for the independet filmmakers of Bollywood.

My rating: 9/10.

The Wrestler (2008)

It is a SIN!

Directed by: Darren Aronofsky.

Written by: Robert D. Siegel.

Starring: Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei.

"Don't go. You are gonna get hurt", says Cassidy. Randy replies, " The only place I get hurt is out there. The world don't give a sh!t about me", and begins heart-stopping guitar riffs of Sweet Child'o Mine in the background as Randy walks to the ring of infamous independent wrestling rematch with Ayatollah.

The Wrestler is a story of a gone-are-the-glory-days professional wrestler Randy 'The Ram' Robinson's (Mickey Rourke) survival-of-the-fittest days. Making ends meet is perhaps the last thing on his mind. His fling with a local strip-club dancer Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) and his self-CPR to revive as a father to his estranged daughter has its moments. Only to realise he continues to fail. Not to mention the sleepovers in his truck since the trailer-park manager changed the locks on Randy's trailer since he failed to pay the rent.

How much ever poignant and painful it might have been written by Robert Siegel, this film has no meaning without Mickey Rourke and Darren Aronofsky. Arronofsky is straight-to-the-core director. May it be the protagonist's attempt to drill his own skull in Pi (1998) or the dilation of pupils after injecting heroine in Requiem for a Dream (2000) Arronofsky wastes no time to exhibit his character's visceral state. Duplicated in Wrestler, as Randy adorns the hair-net and takes a long walk from the bathroom with the camera following his back and hears crowd cheering and screaming all the way to the plastic curtain. He opens the curtain to enter the bakery-station in the market. The cheering stops. One of the best scenes in the movie. Unmistakable character study.

But the main shining event is Mickey Rourke. He,reportedly, literally bled with fork wounds and staple gun. He jumps on to a barbed wire. He slits his forehead while opponent fakes an argument with the referee. And in the end he gives a bleeding grin and hugs his opponent in the locker room. He gets knocked on the face with the door by a prospective employer 1/10Th of his size. He apologises. He gets 'Ram-Jammed' as the neighborhood kid walks out after playing Nintendo for 10 min. He gets whacked at his daughter's disapproval of his fatherly love. He is knocked out by his own heart. Mickey Rourke is as sensational and spellbinding as maybe Hillary Swank with sock-stuffed-jeans as Brandon Teena in Boys Don't Cry (1999). This is a complete knock-out.

It is a SIN! First Academy overlooked Heath Ledger's breathtaking performance in Brokeback Mountain (2005). Then for some reason in an attempt to revitalise the status, awarded Sean Penn for portrayal of gay politician in Milk (2008). Moreover the jury for some other reason never hears Bruce Springsteen's brilliant composition The Wrestler that plays over the end credits and Springsteen doesn't even get a nomination. It can only be qualified as a SIN! Ironically matching the underlying theme of unsuccessful attempt of this movie, just like the strength of destiny for Slumdog Millionaire.

But in the end, as human nature goes, this will remain the most acclaimed performance and a fascinating film.

My rating: 9/10.