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A week full of intriguing tales and more… Cinema

ZIYA US SALAM

ADVANTAGE VANTAGE: Director Pete Travis’s “Vantage Point” (left) holds all the aces this week even as “Sweeney Todd” (middle) and “Chandramukhi” (right) will have their takers.

ADVANTAGE VANTAGE: Director Pete Travis’s “Vantage Point” (left) holds all the aces this week even as “Sweeney Todd” (middle) and “Chandramukhi” (right) will have their takers.

VANTAGE POINT

(At Satyam, Patel Nagar, and other theatres in Delhi and elsewhere)

Just about a year ago, “Babel” changed the way discerning film-lovers appreciated cinema. A multi-layered saga, its great strength lay in its ability to weave in seemingly disparate threads. Now comes “Vantage Point”, not half as delicate, not as leisurely, not even traversing across continents, but in its own right a compulsive watch.

Like “Babel”, this one too has so many layers to the story, many interlocked elements in narration. And a brilliant interplay of flashback and fast forward techniques that never allows the viewer to slink into complacence. A couple of minutes of speaking on the mobile phone or a little walk to buy yourself a packet of popcorn and you could miss an interesting turn or two. Between these elements of unpredictability, there are subtle comments on the emerging global polity.

It is that kind of cinema: focused, smooth, consistent, gripping and riveting. Of course, it is not without flaws: the media presence and the repeat shots of the newsroom get to you. And some of the intensity could have been scaled down without affecting the flow of events in any way. Be that as it may, but the way “Vantage Point” shapes up there is only one vantage point: a corner seat in the auditorium!

Starring Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker with William Hurt, this Pete Travis-directed film takes off in Spain as the world gathers for a historic occasion: oligarchy passing off for democracy! All this in the guise of a global war on terror! There is international media, world leaders and thousands of fans. Of course, there are protestors too, shouting “Say No to war!”. All this reminds the viewer of recent protests against the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. Of course, as in life, the protestors are muzzled here too, with the television networks clearly declaring, ‘they don’t make news unless one of them set himself afire!’

Cruel but true in a world which follows on the mantra: show me the man and I will show you the rule.

Back here, the good things don’t last long as there is an assassination attempt on the President of the U.S. But it is not a simple whodunit story as there are eight strangers with eight different points of view trying to get to know the truth. There are a couple of secret agents assigned to protect the President. There is an American tourist with his camcorder who probably has captured the villain. Then there is a news producer with footage of the global event. Each one has a story, each one has a different point of view.

How all the seemingly intractable threads come together makes for wonderful viewing. It is a thriller which is neither too dark nor too action-oriented. Just the right dash of action to go with chilled out performances. Finally, a film that scores a few points without preaching too much.

SWEENEY TODD

(At PVR Priya and other Delhi theatres)

The Oscars and Johnny Depp have a good thing going. He may never be the universal favourite for the big award but he is always around, always in the reckoning. A couple of summers ago he left his mark with a gently flowing “Finding Neverland”. Now comes this barber tale “Sweeney Todd” that is every inch as delightful and crispy as the pizza they claim to deliver at your door in 30 minutes!

In director Tim Burton’s film, Depp is the lead character, Todd, yet again; it is their sixth partnership, and the familiarity shows. Depp plays a guy who starts life all over again in London with the shearing business. However, hair is not what he is after: he wants to rid the society of corrupt aristocracy.

In his revenge saga, he joins hands with Helena Bonham Carter’s Mrs Lovett, who runs a bakery downstairs from his barber shop. How they go after the judge who falsely implicated Todd makes for engrossing viewing. The scenes flow naturally and even the undertones of tension do not make you cringe.

This adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical, however, has less music, more macabre stuff. Despite its black humour, it is basically a thriller that deserves to be watched for showing a slice of London life we thought did not exist. And some fine chemistry between the lead pair.

CHANDRAMUKHI

(At Golcha and other Delhi theatres)

Films are big business now. Every new venture is a multi-million gamble. More so if it is a Rajnikanth film. Not so here. Director P. Vasu’s film carries no burden of expectations, having already grossed over Rs.150 crore on the circuit since its release a couple of years ago. Besides, of course, all the official awards.

Unfortunately, the film in its dubbed Hindi version here now does not have much to recommend itself. First, though “Chandramukhi” inspired Priyadarshan to make “Bhool Bhulaiyan” last year, the Rajni-starrer has made it to North India a few months after the Akshay Kumar film reaped a mixed harvest at the box office. There is more than a touch of familiarity one realised as the first-day-first-show crowd was heard hooting, “Ye to bhool bhulaiyan jaesi banayi hai!” (He has made it like “Bhool Bhulaiyan!”). The story, the characters, the setting, everything is very, very similar! The same old haunted haveli, actually a huge mansion where nobody dares to tread. Until there comes the hero – a neuro surgeon. As things fall off the cupboards, girls faint and the finger of suspicion points in one direction, then another, one realises Priyadarshan had not forgotten a trick from Vasu’s film. Not copying a sequence or two, he just lifted the film!

Another thing working against “Chandramukhi” here is the hero himself. For all his grandeur and charisma, Rajni does not help sell too many tickets among the Hindi-speaking audiences. His gimmicks evoke an occasional laugh, his action does not result in a surge of adrenaline either. Result? A film that falls flat.

Not much to rave about in the star cast either: Jyotika, Nayantara, etc, are not quite the names to get the front-benchers or even the balcony crowd swaying to their craft. And Sonu Sood has a tiny role he probably did because under-employment is better than unemployment.

For all its commercial gains and National Awards, “Chandramukhi” here has no glimmer, no sparkle. Meant only for the Rajnikanth die-hard fans, “Chandramukhi” in its latest avatar is headed straight for the scrap heap at the box office.

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