Flick Bits: Meenaxi/Ore Kadal/Anjathey

A dash of Indian cuisine in my otherwise largely Occidental fare in my movie consumption is a welcome diversion, yielding some undiscovered gems that tickle the palate. My last excursion to the Indian sub-continent for flicks was a mixed bag though:

MEENAXI: A TALE OF 3 CITIES (Hindi)

No one's happier than moi that running parallel to the Bollywood assembly line of Dream Manufacturing Machines is a non-mainstream film culture that tests, challenges and even pushes accepted norms in ideas and narrative. It's yielded gems like the Rajasthan infused noir and intrigue of Manorama:6 feet under and Eklavya, intriguing explorations of relationships via Life In A Metro and the quirky Honeymoon Travels PVT LTD. Hell even mainstream fare like Anurag Bhasu's Gangster have dared to tamper with the time honoured tropes of story telling involving the underworld of crime. M.F. Hussein's Meenaxi, however, is a regretably regressive example of art house posturing at its worst. With it's lush cinematography courtesy of Santosh Sivam and exquisite soundscapes weaved by maestro A.R.Rahman, it's a movie you soak in to indulge your senses rather than attempt to decipher or engage with, thanks to a narrative that makes not a of a lick of sense. It's a long, mastubatory ode to it's gorgeous heroine (a never more ravishing Tabu), who plays muse to a Hyderabadi writer (Raghuvir Yadav), prodding and challenging him to write a novel that excavates her personality. As the writer Nawab spins varying plots, one set in the Rajasthani city of Jaisalmer and one in Prague, his attempts are met with increasing derision, the muse mocking her mentor, causing his downward spiral into despair and depression. As the Nawab succumbs to his debilitating illness, he discovers the key lies in setting his character, Meenaxi free. In the muse attaining freedom, so does the story finally sprout wings and fly. If that little sum up has you going "Huh???", fear not, that would be the general reaction to anyone not belonging in the 0.000005% of the world's population who's tuned into Hussein's flights of fancy. Meandering on a road to nowhere, Meenaxi's a certified bore, having you go rapidly from " What's this about" to "Do I give a fuck". Avoid this misfire, and grab the luscious soundtrack instead.

Ore Kadal (Malayalam)

If Meenaxi is a textbook example on how to bollocks up an art movie, Ore Kadal shows you how to do it right. With the genre's typically langurous pace tied to a cohesive and densely structured narrative, it's a slow burning experience that ultimately rewards. Mammooty's self absorbed social scientist and intellectual and his relationship with Meera Jasmine's fragile housewife is a layered study in human interaction, where the man's disdain for emotional attachment and the woman's increasing need of one to maintain balance in her unravelling marriage proves to be the emotional and psychological undoing of both parties. Terrific stuff.

Anjathey (Tamil)

Given the suspense free zone where most Tamil movies comfortably reside, Anjathey turns out to be a rare beast indeed, starting out as an oft-told tale of bosom buddies turned arch foes before morphing into a solid police procedural that mines some serious sweaty palmed suspense from it's plot involving a ruthless gang who kidnap young girls for ransom. The movie doesn't skimp on the horrifying fate that befalls the victims or the emotional toll it takes on their distraught parents. Director Mysskin nails it by never forgetting the golden rule of suspense: it can only truly be achieved via characters who have been given time to grow, seep into and mold viewer's perceptions, attitudes and expectations of them. Engaging heroes and repellant villains, get this right and you don't stray too far off course. And Mysskin rarely puts a foot wrong. Bravo!