Sunday, June 28, 2015

Long live the new wave movie maker

When Indian film makers make a movie about a rose, some overemphasize the thorns, others exaggerate the beauty of the flower, and still others try to send out a "message" by showing that beautiful flowers can grow in thorny plants or that even a beautiful flower is surrounded by thorns... as though the viewer cares. But then there are those that don’t make too much of the thorn or highlight the flower more than its fair share or try to send out an unasked-for message... they just say a story of a flower that grew in a plant with thorns... after watching such movies the audience don’t feel bad that their life isn't as good as the rose, they don’t feel bad for some flowers that are surrounded by thorns or take home a message that their life can be better if they learn to appreciate the flower in their thorny lives or strive to blossom despite the many thorns in their lives... they just come out of the theater with a “that was a good story” feeling. And that is the feeling that I want when I get out a theatre. Premam gave me that. So did Neram, Soodhu Kavvum, Jigarthanda, and a few other recent movies… Long live the “new wave” movie maker.