Necklace
Director: Shekhar Das
Oh my God, were the first words that came to mind whilst watching this film. Why did I travel two hours to go through these horrendously dubbed dialogues? As I was coming to grips with it all, suddenly the film just froze. Everyone in the cinema started to protest, but it was a defect that continuously occurred.
The poor quality print and poor sub titles added to the overall meagre acting and unfortunate storyline of this Bengali film to render it a less than average addition to this year's London Indian Film Festival.
The plot consisted of a staged accident which enabled the poor thief and his wife could claim as much as they could from their middle class young married victims. The film had a lot of potential to be either comedy or a thriller. However it did not succeed in either genre, instead attempted to incorporate comedy aspects but undoubtedly failed.
I say it should be back to the drawing board for the producers and director. It is said that Bengali cinema is now resurgent but not based on the standards of this disappointing showing.
Director: Prashant Nair
This film was in the London Indian Film Festival and it tried to explore the relationship between rich, poor and foreigner visitors.
The noveau riche husband and wife were not held in high esteem by their poor servants. The husband drank too much and his domineering wife bullied the servants and took pleasure in being rude to those beneath her, as only those with new found wealth would do so.
Their lives are disrupted when a young Englishman, son of the head of the family's business associate, visits Delhi on his first trip to India and naturally he stays with them.
When his money disappears from his room in their house it allows us to view the reactions of both classes, the family themselves and the servants who are unsurprisingly blamed for the theft. The legendary Victor Banerjee has a supporting role and lifts the film immensely with his gentle performance.
Nevertheless the film is somewhat predictable and you will probably guess the ending. I know I did. This was a film with solid performances but the plot could have gone further and it should have explored one particular relationship in depth. It went half way in making you feel sorry for the fate of its main character.
These factors could have a made an average film one of greatness, it had all the right ingredients to do so but its predictability and lack of depth did not allow it to go all the way.
Delhi in a Day
Director: Prashant Nair
This film was in the London Indian Film Festival and it tried to explore the relationship between rich, poor and foreigner visitors.
The noveau riche husband and wife were not held in high esteem by their poor servants. The husband drank too much and his domineering wife bullied the servants and took pleasure in being rude to those beneath her, as only those with new found wealth would do so.
Their lives are disrupted when a young Englishman, son of the head of the family's business associate, visits Delhi on his first trip to India and naturally he stays with them.
When his money disappears from his room in their house it allows us to view the reactions of both classes, the family themselves and the servants who are unsurprisingly blamed for the theft. The legendary Victor Banerjee has a supporting role and lifts the film immensely with his gentle performance.
Nevertheless the film is somewhat predictable and you will probably guess the ending. I know I did. This was a film with solid performances but the plot could have gone further and it should have explored one particular relationship in depth. It went half way in making you feel sorry for the fate of its main character.
These factors could have a made an average film one of greatness, it had all the right ingredients to do so but its predictability and lack of depth did not allow it to go all the way.
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