Tag: Identity

Lion (2017) starring Dev Patel, Sunny Pawar & Nicole Kidman

Emma10 Comments

NOTE: This review contains SPOILERS for the movie.

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A poster for the film Lion.

I went to see this MUST-SEE film 3 weeks ago (w/ the NetSAP book club); I had read a FEW chapters of the book upon which its based (A Long Way Home) by Saroo Brierley. The theater (Landmark E St in DC) was packed that SUN afternoon- like nothing I’d seen before! I heard that MANY people has been coming to see La La Land; however, the Oscar buzz had been strong re: several other recent films (incl. Fences, Hidden Figures, and Moonlight). Last year, #OscarsSoWhite was a VERY popular hashtag on Twitter (and other social media); this year, there are diverse movies in the mainstream theaters… AND they’re making money, too.

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Five year-old Saroo (Sunny Pawar) with his eldest brother, Guddu (Abhishek Bharate)

As soon as I saw him, he just felt like the kid that I’d been imagining and feeling, and then we got him into the rehearsal space and I put a camera on him. I just felt like we were watching our movie. -Garth Davis, director (on Sunny Pawar)

The MAIN reason to see this film is Sunny Pawar, the unknown child actor who plays Young Saroo. He had never acted before and didn’t speak English. The ONLY other performance I can compare it to is that of the tween Anna Paquin in The Piano. Unlike Paquin, Pawar doesn’t have a LOT of dialogue; he expresses himself mainly through his eyes and actions. At the start of the film, Saroo is living with his siblings and mother (played by Priyanka Bose) in the village of Ganesh Talai in the Khandwa District of Central India. He and his older brother, Guddu, go out each morning in the hopes of getting some change, fruit, or (if they’re lucky) milk. His mother works in a quarry, hauling rocks; her husband left her for another woman in a different town (this is discussed a BIT in the book). They are a happy family, though VERY poor and uneducated.

Sunny Pawar stars in LIONPhoto: Mark Rogers
Young Saroo (Sunny Pawar) in the homeless children’s center in Calcutta.

One night, after Guddu goes off to work (telling him to wait), Young Saroo goes to sleep at the nearby train station. When he wakes up, he doesn’t see ANYONE around, so he gets on an empty train to explore… and it takes off! He ends up in the busy city of Calcutta and somehow survives on the streets for 2 mos. (though he doesn’t know the language, Bengali). One day, a seemingly kind woman, Noor (Tannishtha Chatterjee- star of Brick Lane), living near the train tracks takes him to her apartment. She feeds him, gives him a bath, and asks about his life. Young Saroo suspects something is wrong when Noor’s male friend (played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui- one of India’s BEST character actors) visits and checks him out. In no time, the quick-witted (and fast-running) kid is out the door! 

After some time at a crowded homeless center (more like a prison) for kids, Saroo gets the news from Mrs. Sood (a kind social worker) that an Australian couple- Sue (Nicole Kidman) and John (David Wenham) Brierley- want to adopt him. He wonders if everything possible was done to try and find his mother, and Mrs. Sood confidently says “yes.” The local police had interviewed him, ads had been put in the newspapers, BUT his family was a LONG way from Calcutta (which is located in West Bengal). 

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Sue (Nicole Kidman) and Saroo (Sunny Pawar) meet for the first time.

When Saroo reaches Australia (Tasmania to be exact), he easily takes to his new life w/ the Brierleys, who are solidly middle-class and run a charter boat business. He is a comfort to Sue after the family faces challenges w/ his younger brother, Mantosh, who suffered much before he was adopted (also from India). John instills in Saroo a love of the outdoors. 

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The adult Saroo (Dev Patel) uses Google Earth to find his way home.

Dev Patel does a good job as the grown-up Saroo (incl. accent), a young man who loves his adopted family, but feels compelled to find his birth mother. She “could be out there suffering,” wondering where he is, he tells long-time girlfriend Lucy (Rooney Mara). Some friends in his graduate certificate program think that w/ modern technology (Google Earth) he could try and find his old hometown. 

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Nicole Kidman and Dev Patel at the BFI London Film Festival

Nicole Kidman (an Aussie), has been nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar; she does a fine job as a kind, understanding, and VERY emotionally strong mother. Saroo and Mantosh are “not blank slates” as her own children would’ve been, Saroo explains in one of my favorite scenes. Sue could’ve had her own (natural) children, she admits, BUT she and John chose to adopt knowing there are already MANY kids out in the world that need good homes. (Kidman, in real life, has adopted children.) 

Another element that makes this SUCH a compelling film is it’s superb editing; the life of the adult Saroo is intercut (at times) w/ that of his younger self. Seeing the plate of jalebi at his Indian friends’ house takes Saroo back to when he saw that sweet treat being fried in the marketplace. The music is very good (never over the top), which is quite suited for the film. This story has a big pay-off in the end, which is true to life!   

 

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Fargo (Season 1)

Emma2 Comments
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Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman) is bullied by the Hess family

NOTE: This review contains MILD SPOILERS for the FX series (inspired by the Coen brothers’ film- Fargo).

I heard about this show from a former co-worker (who called it “the best show on TV”) and via little snippets online.  However, it took me SOME time to get into the story and finish watching the DVD set (which I purchased on sale from FYE).  I watched it twice to get a better understanding of the story. 

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Lester happens to meet Lee Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton) in the ER

If you enjoy watching British actor Martin Freeman (The Hobbit; Sherlock), then this show MAY make you into a fan.  He gets to stretch his acting muscles here, NOT only playing the meek, mild, “Nice Guy” you’d expect. 

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Deputy Molly Solverson (Allison Tolman) interviews Lester at his desk in the insurance office.

The good guys on this show are ALMOST as interesting as the baddies- you’ll want to cheer for them for sure!  Deputy Molly Solverson (Alison Tolman) is a humble, earnest, and observant 2nd gen police officer in her hometown of Bimidji, MN (which is close to Fargo, ND).  Molly is around 30, looks like an average Midwestern woman (thank you, producers), likeable, BUT sometimes undermined in her role (by the males in her department).   

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Deputy Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks) in his patrol car

She finds a complementary foil in reluctant cop and loving single dad, Officer Gus Grimly (Colin Hanks).  On my second watch, I LOVED seeing their working friendship evolve into a slow-burn romance.  Tolman and Hanks have such an easygoing and sweet chemistry- it’s rare to see in modern TV.  Murder investigations CAN bring people together! 

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Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele play FBI agents

There are several well-known actors who are guest stars on the show; I esp. liked seeing Key and Peele as two clueless FBI agents.  In a few of their scenes, I wondered if they were making fun of the two cops on Season 1 of True Detective or perhaps such sketches from their OWN show. 

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The “new” Lester flirts with a young woman in Vegas

One of my favorites on the show is Lou (Keith Carradine), a retired cop who now runs a diner; he is also a widower and Molly’s father.  Lou and Molly have such a GREAT relationship; we see the love and respect shine through in every scene they share.  At times, Lou is concerned re: the safety of his daughter, BUT he never undermines her ability to do her job. (FYI: Season 2 goes back in time to find Lou, played by Patrick Wilson, as a young deputy.)

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Malvo tries to get info out of Lou Solverson in his diner

If you like Billy Bob Thornton, then this series will simply be a treat; the veteran movie actor creates a scary good villain and chews up the scenery.  He transforms himself w/ different hair, clothing, posture, manners, etc.  I think Fargo is definitely worth a watch (esp. b/c of the VERY strong acting, writing, cinematography, and music).  It’s a character drama mixed w/ a police procedural, w/ sudden doses of violence (which is to be expected also in MOST of the Coens’ films).    

Roots (2016): A&E/History Channel’s take on a classic miniseries

Emma1 Comment

NOTE: This review contains MILD SPOILERS for the TV miniseries based on Alex Haley’s book, Roots: The Story of an American Family.

Introduction

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Malachi Kirby, Anika Noni Rose, & Rege-Jean Page (NYT)

What would you like young audiences, esp. young black men, to get from this story?  -Sunny Hostin (CNN)

That your history did not begin with slavery.  -Malachi Kirby, actor

You may be asking- WHY do we need a retelling of this story?  MANY in the US (and worldwide) already read the book and watched the 1977 series.  But once you start watching, you realize how important it is that Roots reaches a new generation of viewers.  Faith (NOT necessarily religion), family (incl. marriage- “jumping the broom”), and traditions (from Africa) become even MORE important under slavery. 

Mark Wolper, son of David Wolper (who developed the 1977 miniseries) decided on the remake after his kids couldn’t sit still to watch it.  The main issue- it was TOO slow!  NOT only does this show have more action, it’s much more colorful, richly detailed (thanks to technology and knowledge filmmakers didn’t have 40 yrs. ago), and very watchable (thanks to veteran and newcomer actors, as well as skilled directors).  I was esp. happy to see that LeVar Burton (who played the original Kunta Kinte when he was only 19 y.o.) was an executive producer on the series; he also has a brief cameo in Part 1.  The music is one of the BEST elements, thanks to Ahmir “Questlove” Johnson, a member of The Roots. 

Part 1

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Kunta Kinte (Malachi Kirby) rides his horse through the woods in West Africa.

This is (undoubtedly) the strongest 2 hrs. of the 8 hr. series!  Time is given for us to know re: the West African city of Jufuree (which was NOT a little village, BUT had a pop. of nearly 10,000).  The sets are quite intricate and large-scale.  There is the gorgeous turquoise dyed cloth that is worn by many people.  Women use dark color on BOTH their lips and around their eyes. Tribal practices are blended w/ the religion of Islam (a fact which was jarring to SOME viewers, from reviews I read).  Yes, people do use the term “Allah” and prostrate themselves to pray!  About 30% of the African slaves brought to “the New World” were Muslims. 

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The Kinte Family in Jufuree

Kunta Kinte (British newcomer Malachi Kirby in a standout role), the son of Binte Kinte and Omoro Kinte, is a bright, observant teenager who is training to be a warrior (w/ his male peers).  He also has a crush on a local girl, and she seems to like him, too.  But his parents say that they’ll arrange a marriage for him (when the time comes).  Kunta has great respect for his parents, tradition, religion, yet he ALSO possesses a strong will (which will BOTH help and hurt him later in life).  We will see things more from his eyes in MANY cases (thanks to camera-work).   If great acting is in the eyes, then Kirby is definitely one to watch in the future.  

The next segment of the story which impressed me was The Middle Passage; a huge ship was built to accommodate actors, cameras, and crew!  If you saw 12 Years a Slave, then you can handle this part (maybe a BIT better than more sensitive viewers).  We get a glimpse of JUST how cramped, crowded, and downright horrific conditions were for the men (and some boys)! 

A slave is not bought; a slave has to be created!  -The overseer explains to Kunta

When we get to America, it’s Revolutionary War era, and Kunta is purchased by a surly/middle-aged planter from Virginia, John Waller (British actor James Purefoy).  He has a British wife, Elizabeth, who has settled easily into the life under slavery, though their marriage doesn’t look happy.  His more sensitive and younger brother, Dr. William Waller (British actor Matthew Goode), lives in a neighboring plantation and is also the local physician.  But the worst of this lot is the red-headed (and bearded) Irish overseer who REALLY enjoys his work!   

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Fiddler (Forrest Whitaker) and Kunta/Toby (Malachi Kirby) on the Waller plantation

Kunta (who is named Toby by Elizabeth) DOES find an (at first hesitant) ally in Fiddler (American veteran actor Forrest Whitaker), who has special role in the Waller household (thanks to his musical talent) and is a favorite slave of the mistress.  Whitaker does a GREAT job in his role (as you’d expect); he also gets some of the BEST lines in the entire series!  In one esp. poignant scene, Fiddler stops in his tracks, recognizing a lullaby that Kunta sings.  He swears that HIS grandmother sang that song, too. 

Belle is a female slave who feels sympathy for Kunta.  She convinces Dr. Waller to get Kunta to care for his horses and drive him around to patients.  Belle looks after him when he’s near death, and they grow to love each other (over the span of 10 yrs.)  Belle (though still youthful) has a painful past, BUT decides to marry Kunta and start a new life.  They have a daughter, who Kunta names “Kizzie.”  Now he is firmly rooted in America, yet still VERY much an African in his heart and mind. 

Part 2

Never let them take your mind.  -Kunta tells his daughter

Kizzie becomes a companion to the Waller’s daughter, who insists on teaching her to read.  BUT (of course) this is the SAME reason that she is sold “down the river” when she reaches adolescence.  Kizzie ends ups at a small farm in South Carolina owned by an alcoholic, violent gambler- Tom Lea (British actor Jonathan Rhys Myers).  The first time, Kizzie fights w/ ALL her strength to stop her new master, BUT to no avail.  In time, she has a son, who Tom names “George” (after his father).  Kizzie, who gathers up the strength of Kunta, Belle, and her ancestors, decides that she’ll endure for her son to have a better life. 

Part  3

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Kunta’s daughter, Kizzie (Anika Noni Rose), worries for the future of her son on Tom Lea’s farm.

In some odd way, Tom seeks to be closer to his (unclaimed) young son, which causes Kizzie (American theater/TV actress Anika Noni Rose) great pain.  Tom announces that the older slave, Mingo (who handles the cocks and goes to fights w/ him), will teach George.  It turns out that Chicken George (as he is called) has a natural gift w/ these animals!     

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Chicken George (Rege-Jean Page)

Chicken George (British newcomer Rege-Jean Page) grows up and falls in love w/ Matilda, a slave from a neighboring plantation.  Her father is a no-nonsense minister (on his day off), while Kizzie doesn’t believe in the Christian god.  Chicken George keeps making money for  Tom, gets respect for his talent/hard work from the local cockfighters (of all colors), and eventually marries Matilda.

You have no honor, Tom Lea!  -Chicken George shouts to his master/father

In time, the gentlemen planters even warm to the Leas, though they are from low birth and Tom is of Irish heritage.  Kizzie fears that things can go wrong at ANY moment, b/c of Tom’s volatile temper.  There is an explosive scene between Chicken George and Tom, where we realize how low a master can go (even when the matter at hand is his OWN blood).  BOTH Page and Rhys Meyers shine in this scene; however, these men are eclipsed by Rose, who is a standout in this series. 

Part  4 

There’s no wrong way to be a slave.  -Chicken George explains to his son, Tom

This is the weakest of the episodes, BUT does have some good moments.  We see Chicken George join up w/ one of the “African” regiments of the Union army.  One of his son’s, Tom, becomes a skilled blacksmith.  Like his father, he earns money for his master, and raises a family w/ his part-Cherokee wife. 

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The free descendants of Kunta Kinte leave the Murray plantation in South Carolina to start their new lives.

Tom straddles that conflicting (yet exhilarating) time between slavery and Emancipation, working hard to keep his anger and resentment in check. The descendants of Kunta Kinte grow in number and take their place as free black Americans.  There is a LOT more (which I haven’t discussed above)- check this show out for yourself!

The Eudora Welty Lecture Series at The National Cathedral: Salman Rushdie (October 20, 2016)

Emma3 Comments

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Salman Rushdie continues to be a controversial figure, but in today’s world, I feel that voices like his (British, Indian, and atheist) need to be heard MORE than ever!  Depending on your age, you may know Rushdie from the fatwa (which was placed on him by Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran), his cameo on Bridget Jones’ Diary, or his short-lived marriage to Padma Lakhshmi (of Top Chef fame).  Or maybe you have a FEW of his books (BUT are intimidated to read)?  A few years ago, a book club I organized both read Haroun and the Sea of Stories, which is Rushdie’s YA book. 

*NOTE: Special thanks to my friend Lana for above photo and taking notes.

The Beginning of Rushdie’s Life as a Writer:

He realized that he would never write a good book until he knew who he was (not English, but Indian).

He was part of first generation of free Indian Children.

His father told bedtime stories (oral tradition strong in his family)- animal stories; tales of heroes.  His mother told local tales: gossip,  scandal, secrets (when he included  in stories, she said he “got in trouble”).  One of his academic grandfathers took him to university library, where he discovered Agatha Christie.  His other grandfather was a very religious man (prayed 5X/day, fasted, etc.) He was also open to any/all ideas; Rushdie admitted that he didn’t believe in God (age 10).

Read comics from early age.  He was lucky to have a lending library/bookstore nearby where he got into Perry Mason mysteries, Alice in Wonderland.

The Wizard of Oz (film) inspired him to write his first story at age 10.

His family had a tradition of kissing books and bread to apologize to it and place someplace where wouldn’t happen again (food for mind; food for the body).

Left Bombay 1961 for English boarding school at age 13 (his idea, not his parents’).  Maybe he had an”unnoticed love of adventure” b/c was quiet as a child?

Got into Cambridge, but didn’t want to go b/ c of racism faced at boarding school earlier.  He went and enjoyed it a lot; studied history; wrote for student newspaper.  He also got into Borges and Joyce at this time, and learned about incident of satanic verses (in his last semester).

His parents moved to Karachi, Pakistan; this was not an appealing place for him.  His father initially disapproved, but then supported his return to England after he graduated from Cambridge.

Wrote TV commercials and scripts in London for an ad agency (where he worked part-time).  In the early 1970s, he wrote and published, but these works were not successful because he hadn’t known himself enough.  He decided to understand what he was doing wrong and traveled to India, which entered state of emergency (1977).

Midnight’s Children: Started in 3rd person, but then told from Salim’s voice and it was better (voice not my own, but gave me voice).  Kept working  in advertising again to pay bills.  This book took 5 years to write it because was learning how to write.  He also needed to blend news with fiction.

Quotes:

Geography is key [to a person’s writing]. Writers (like Faulkner): Have roots/history and can mine the earth for a lifetime of stories.

Work we do about the past, changes the future.

 As we discover, we remember, as we remember, we discover.

Stories are not true- but can make you know truths that truths cannot tell.

Can’t write until you hear people speak, because can’t tell their story if you don’t hear their voice.

I think the greatest gift my family gave me was freethinking. 

[On his trip to India when writing Midnight’s Children]: From childhood, dig out memories from attics of mind.  Healing of rift within myself that separated me from my past…  drank deeply from well of India. 

Write what you know, but only if what you know is interesting. 

36 Hours (1964) starring James Garner

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In this psychological war-drama an Army Major is captured by the Germans during World War II. They attempt to brainwash him into believing the war is over and that he is safe in an Allied hospital, so that he will divulge Allied invasion plans.  -IMDB summary

Naturally charming, funny, handsome, and real-life hero (2 Purple Hearts in the Korean War)- James Garner is the protagonist of this WWII spy film. It was written/directed by George Seaton; the original story (Beware of the Dog) comes from Roald Dahl. Some of you know Garner as Mel Gibson’s cranky sparring partner (Maverick); others saw him regularly on TV (The Rockford Files).  But perhaps his MOST famous role was as the elderly Noah, the devoted husband in The Notebook.

Garner and Saint

This MUST-SEE film was shot in 1962 and released in 1964, BUT in black and white (which adds to its world-building). Garner is joined by two strong actors- Rod Taylor as Dr. Gerber (a jaded psychiatrist) and Eva Marie Saint as Anna (a steely nurse/concentration camp survivor).

Are you really an army sergeant?  -Jeff asks, incredulously

Regular army – no.  I am too old, too fat! Home guard.  We are patrolling the border so then the young, strong, and handsome men can go to Russia and freeze to death. Wonderful system, huh?  -Ernst replies w/ a big laugh

There are Germans in this tale that are NOT all bad, such as portly/jovial/cunning soldier, Ernst (John Banner), who provides terrific comedic moments in the last act of this otherwise serious film. 

I highly recommend this film (so am not going to give away TOO much)!  If you liked The Manchurian Candidate, then this is up your alley.