Tag: Pakistan

HOTEL MUMBAI- Review

Another weekend, another impressive “indie” flick starring the talented Dev Patel. This time out he’s not the main star in a fictional thriller, as he was in THE WEDDING GUEST. Much like the Marigold Hotel films, he’s part of a formidable ensemble. Oh, this is about a rental residence also, but it’s far from that haven of romance and whimsy. This week’s film is set at a very real place and dramatizes the very real (perhaps too real for many squeamish sensitve filmgoers) horrors that occured just a few months and a decade ago. This locale is the oppulent Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, but because its staff and guests embodies the spirit of the city during those desperate days, it would be referred to as HOTEL MUMBAI.


The story begins in the sun-speckled Mumbai harbor on November 26, 2008, as an inflated raft carrying several young men in their early twenties drifts toward the shoreline. Each of them listens intently to a voice over their phone ear jacks, a voice spurring them on a quest. As they head to the streets, the men pair off in twos, grab their heavy travel bags, and head away to their assigned locations. Meanwhile, a young father (a year-old daughter and a baby on the way) named Arjun (Patel) rushes away to his job as part of the wait staff at the exclusive Taj Mahal Palace. He’s nearly sent home by the restaurant’s stern but understanding chef Oberoi (Anupam Kher) when he reports in wearing black sox and sandals (a dress shoe fell out of his backpack) until the master chef loans Arjun his spare set (smaller, of course). It’s a big day at the hotel, as they await the daughter of a prominent local family. After much prep, they check into one of the biggest suites. It’s a romantic getaway for Zahra (Nazanin Boniadi) and American hubby David (Armie Hammer), who also have a toddler and an old friend serving as a nanny, Sally (Tilda Cobham-Hervey). She stays behind in the room with the baby, while the newlyweds head to the in-hotel restaurant for a cozy dinner. Things go well, despite being seated across from crass Russian buisnessmanVasili (Jason Isaacs) who is loudly ordering his evening’s “entertainment” on his cell phone while flipping through a folder packed with 8X10 glossy photos of the local “talent’. Across town, the nightmare begins as two the young arrivals unzip their bags, pull out pistols, grenades, and automatic weapons and begin firing into the crowds at a packed train station. A mile away another two toss a grenade into the Leopold Cafe, then execute the survivors. The panic in the streets makes its way to the Taj, as the manager opens up the lobby to the frightened throngs. Unfortunately, there are two wolves amongst the scared sheep, and the Taj is under attack. What of the guests in the above floor restaurant? Can they hide from the killers? But can the Zahra and David stay put while Sally and their baby are in danger? Can any of them survive until the rescuers arrive?

Patel smoothly switches gears, from last week’s downbeat, surly thug for hire (in GUEST) to warm, hard-working family man as the kind-hearted Arjun. He’s a quiet, soft spoken “everyman” whose endless reserves of compassion and courage prove invaluable when the unthinkable happens. From his tender moments with his wife and daughter to the “tough love” encounters with his boss, Patel makes Anjul a compelling but reluctant hero. This is true in his rescue run with a wounded guest, but also when he must calm down another guest whose prejudices take over. It helps that his screen “father figure’ is the equally gifted Kher, who becomes the calm, composed “rock” that all those adrift swim toward. Oberoi stands tall in the face of doom, determined to protect the “guests’ while not insisting the staff stay put (and one or two do opt to take that secret service tunnel to the street). Kher’s another hero as he tries to calm the panicked as he formulates a way to get past the intruders to his “home”. Another unexpected heroic character is Isaacs, the crude, but courageous Vasili (in Vegas the casinos would consider him a “whale”), who will take the brunt of the abuse from the killers to “buy time” for his guests, refusing to cower at the end of a gun barrel. The same could be said for Hammer’s David who chooses his child over a relatively space hiding spot (although he’s not the “Die Hard” hard case the poster might have you think). Boniadi has much of that same determination as the defiant, smart Zahra, standing up for the home she loves, while her pal Sally tries to shelter a crying child eliciting believable hysteria from Cobham-Hervey.

First-time feature director Anthony Maras (who co-wrote the script with John Collee) maintains a sense of tension through most of this gripping docudrama thriller, letting the “white knuckle” moments suddenly burst through the quiet like a violent tidal wave on a calm beach. Even before the gunplay erupts, Maras produces a feeling of impending doom as we hear that voice prodding the crew, even telling them to keep the phone line open so he can hear the death rattles and blasts. And though the American and British actors are played up the marketing, they don’t overshadow the Eastern cast, particularly true as we follow two local police who slowly enter the Taj even though they know their pistols are little match for the crew’s near unlimited firepower. And though the loss of life and banal cruelty is heart-wrenching, the story is almost hopeful, even life assuring as we see staff and guests throw away their class distinctions and truly bond in order to not give in to despair. Though evil runs rampant, shooting flames and smoke into the dark skies, it never truly triumphs despite the body count. And that’s the real spirit that rings through the hallways of HOTEL MUMBAI.

3.5 Out of 5

THE WEDDING GUEST (2018) – Review

Spring arrived (finally) just a few days ago, so what better time for a flick about one of the season’s most frequent events and celebration, a wedding. From the title, we gather that it must be a “rom-com” romp with all the chaos and confusion associated with “tying the knot”. And since it comes from writer/director Michael Winterbottom, the man who helmed that hilarious THE TRIP trilogy and stars the energetic Dev Patel from the Marigold Hotel movies, it’ll have lots of laughs and warmth (maybe Coogan and Brydon will cruise in). Well, you’d be mistaken if you gathered all this from the title, or to quote one of the better songs from MARY POPPINS RETURNS, “The Cover is not the Book”. No, this is an Eastern trek into classic film noir territory as we strap ourselves in for a road trip with THE WEDDING GUEST.

Said title character is a British-raised Indian Muslim named (well, it’s what he answers to) Jay. As we meet him, he’s just flown into Pakistan, informing the authorities that he’s going to a wedding. He proceeds to rent a car for two weeks (perhaps turning the trip into a vacation). Jay then stops off in a small dusty village to purchase two pistols (uh oh), then buys a roll of “very strong” duct tape (double uh oh). A few miles up the road he parks his car and rents another one (wha-) and completes the trip to the wedding locale, an opulent estate outside another tiny town. After renting a room, Jay embarks on his trek’s true mission. Evading the gate guard, he climbs the fence, enters the home, and abducts the intended bride, Samira (Radhika Apte). A flash of violence complicates Jay’s plan, but they make it back to his vehicle. After tossing her into the trunk (she’s bound, gagged, and hooded) they speed away into the night. Making it back to the first rented car, Jay lets Samira out of the trunk and informs her of the plan. If she wants to go through with the nuptials, he’ll leave her by the side of the road near town. But if she wishes to be reunited with her London love, Deepish, he’ll take her to him in India. Samira chooses the ladder, and after a quick clothes change, they head across the border to India. But things soon go “sideways” as Deepish (Jim Sarbh) gets “cold feet” when the big “bride-napping” makes the news. But Samira insists on seeing him, and Jay just wants to get paid for the job and its “complications”, one being the attraction between abductor and captive. And what was the couple’s big “endgame” involving Deepesh’s family business of precious gems and stones? Will this triangle take a deadly turn?

The lead role is a big departure for the usually sunny, cerebral star of this dark tale. Patel (who’s also one of the film’s producers) embraces that darkness giving us a determined calculating criminal-for-hire, one hoping to avoid violence but is prepared, nonetheless to strike first in order to survive and collect his bounty. Jay is a mystery, a man full of contradictions, stopping off on the way to the job in order to do his daily prayers, then quickly back in his deadly “professional duties”. Has he always done this “sort of thing”? Where did he acquire these “special skills”? We, along with the other characters, never find out, as Patel builds a secretive, protective wall around Jay. And Patel is completely believable in this complex, but brutal role. Now what Jay is not prepared for is the alluring Samira played by Apte unlike a typical noir “dangerous dame”. She slowly turns from timid captive to calculating partner, knowing that her face and name are all over the news. Apte, through her large expressive eyes, conveys Samira’s almost fear of Jay morph into an emotional bond. Of course, much of this is escalated by her weasel of a longtime beau Deepesh played with an oily arrogance by Sarbh. He’s a smooth-talking wild card, showing his “true colors” when things go awry. Sarbh’s so convincing that we wonder what Samira ever really saw in him. This is one twisted talented trio.

Winterbottom has concocted a unique crime thriller that’s mixed with a “budding friendship” road picture. As mentioned earlier it’s an exotic spin on the classic noir films with plenty of double and triple-crosses and a tough, rough, “all-business” pro whose “hard edges’ slowly soften via a very smart ‘skirt”. The suspense builds from the mysterious first act as we’re pondering the motives of Jay as he gathers his “tools”, finally exploding in the nearly botched mansion invasion and “grab”. From there’s it becomes almost a “travelogue’ as we view the gorgeous locales from all manner of transportation (cars, trains, even a “sleeper” bus) and accommodations (from “dirty dives” to swanky plush suites). This builds to the inevitable meeting of the three principals, which, as feared, quickly goes “south”. And as James Cain reminded us, “The Postman always rings twice”. Though the plot has familiar elements, the cast and settings make THE WEDDING GUEST an engaging “slow boil”.

3.5 Out of 5

THE WEDDING GUEST opens everywhere and screens exclusively in St. Louis at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas and Tivoli Theatre

DRONE – Review

A few weeks before movie goers are immersed in Christopher Nolan’s recreation of one of the greatest World War II battles with DUNKIRK, and a few days before a certain Amazonian princess and her sisters join the fight in the previous world war, this new film takes a look at modern warfare. Much as with the recent films like 2014’s GOOD KILL and last year’s critically lauded EYE IN THE SKY, this new work focuses on a way of combat that’s, for want of a better word, impersonal. You don’t have to breathe in the same air as your enemy, you don’t ever have to set foot on the battlefield. You can sit in an air-conditioned office or cubicle, sip a cool drink while watching a near silent video transmission on your monitor. Killing is much more civilized (?), when you’re pushing a few buttons and command a DRONE. There’s no blood literally on your hands, just a risk of carpel tunnel.

 

This story starts a year ago in a bustling crowded city in Pakistan. A man enjoys a modest meal with his mother, wife and teenage son before heading away to work. He bids them good day and walks outside to his motorcycle (more of a scooter). As he sits, two women stroll pass, and before he starts the motor, death rains from the sky. The flames shoot through the kitchen window, searing the wife as she waves to him. Cut to today, suburban Washington state, USA. Neil Wistin (Sean Bean) has a lot on his mind as he readies himself for work. He’s tasked with writing a eulogy for his recently departed father. His sixteen year-old son Shane (Maxwell Haynes) is distant. Wife Ellen (Mary McCormack) is of little help. Plus Neil has to sell pop’s old sailboat, which is taking up most of his driveway. As Ellen leaves for her college teaching job in her own vehicle, a car follows her. After dropping off Shane at the high school, Neil heads to his “I.T.” job. But Ellen has a detour to work. She has a brief romantic tryst with another faculty member. As they exchange goodbye kisses in the parking garage, that car is lurking nearby. We then find out the nature of Neil’s real job. He’s part of a company hired by the CIA to man drone planes. We see him and his co-worker Gary (Joel David Moore) track and fire on a “hostile target” (Pakistan again). Cut to soft-spoken Imir Shaw (Patrick Sabongui) reading at a picnic table as children play in the park. An irate father tells him to vacate just as Imir notices two men in a car watching him. After work Neil meets his estranged brother at their father’s old nursing home. While packing his things, Neil notices a newsletter with a photo of his dad and son on the cover (Shane had visited ‘Gramps’ a lot). Driving home, Neil hears of an NSA security breach on the radio. Upon arrival, he’s back at his laptop, struggling with the eulogy. He hears something outside. Someone’s looking over the boat. Imir introduces himself to Neil. Is he really a prospective buyer, or are the events of the day somehow connected?

 

 

Bean, best known as a swashbuckling hero in TV and film, gets to show his acting range with his take on an average American “Joe”, albeit one that’s hiding a dark, dark secret. With his unkempt hair and clumsy manner, Neil is trying hard to show the world that all is normal, while he slowly unravels, knocking back a few too many beers and too much wine at dinner. McCormack as Ellen is working at keeping up appearances also, playing the dutiful wife and mother while juggling an affair that twists her in too many directions. Masking his emotions seems to be the usual demeanor for Haynes as their son Shane, still stinging from the loss of a grandfather he respects and perhaps loves more than his own papa. And then an outside element is thrown into this repressed, but still volatile mix with Sabongui as the ethereal Imir. He’s a tad jittery, nervous about hiding his true purposes. He avoids an altercation at the park, only to spring into action mode, when cornered. Soon after their first meeting, Imir is almost a therapist for Neil, helping him deal with his family loss. But later, he’s exposing this “happy family” . a real embodiment of the “chickens coming home to roost” adage.

 

Director Jason Bourque attempts to organize several ongoing narrative threads that never really merge. The script he worked on with three other writers wants to be an “edge of your seat” thriller, political “message”, and family drama. Subplots (Ellen’s affair, the Shane/Grandfather secret, Neil’s strained ties to his brother) are left dangling in the wind. Even the big showdown, the suspenseful meeting of Neil and Imir is undercut by sluggish pacing as they engage in a long meandering “dance” to the big reveal. And what of this whole dour atmosphere? Seeing the Canadian production credits, I wondered if this was a commentary on the US from its Northern neighbors. Maybe many their think they live above lots of violent repressed bigots (I hope they think we’re a bit better than these characters). The casual racial slur Neil’s co-worker Gary spews after finishing a “job”, then the Islamaphobic threats to Imir at the park contribute to this tone. There’s another unresolved story bit about a shooting at Shane’s school, so we can seem walk past a flower memorial before getting “wanded”by security. Again, no follow-through. But this is all a build-up to a final denouncement and “twist” ending that’s no real surprise to anyone. DRONE has a lot to say about the consequences of this brand of “clean” warfare, but it fumbles the final drop of its dramatic “payload”. Target missed.

 

2 Out of 5

 

HE NAMED ME MALALA – The Review

henamedmemalala

This new documentary feature centers around the life of one very influential person. Unlike AMY from earlier in the year, this is not a retrospective of an ended life. This young lady continues to work and inspire. It’s that “fly on the wall” profile of someone at the height of their influence, as acclaim and fame swirl about them. The doc MADONNA: TRUTH OR DARE immediately comes to mind. Well, yes this young lady is famous, but she is not from the entertainment world like those doc subjects. Oh, I did mention that she is young, just a couple of months past her eighteenth birthday. Well, almost a year ago to the day she became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. And in her less than two decades, she’s done more than most people at three or four times her age. In this engaging new film, we go behind the magazine covers, the awards, and speeches. Oscar-winning documentarian Davis Guggenhiem gives us an intimate glimpse of the remarkable Ms. Yousafzai in HE NAMED ME MALALA.

The title’s he refers to her father Ziauddin. In the film’s animated prologue, we’re told the story behind that name:  that of the inspiring Afghan poetess/warrior, Malalai of Maiwand. The film shifts between the current hectic days as Malala tries to balance school in her new British home as she travels the globe to tell her inspiring story while pressing world leaders into ending warfare and devoting their efforts into education for all people, and the story of her beloved homeland and the brutal attack that forced them out. She’s definitely her father’s daughter, as we see them travel as a team to the UN, different TV talk shows, a young girls’ school in Nigeria, and to a refugee camp on the Syrian border. Malala’s two younger brothers seem to have adjusted well to the new surroundings, while mother Tor Pekai has a more difficult time,  preferring to be out of the spotlight. More animation tells of their life back in northwestern Pakistan’s Swat Valley and how father set up a school. Snapshots show Malala and her brothers cavorting around the village full of rolling hills (and a nice waterfall). The idyllic life seems to come to an end with the arrival of the Taliban. News footage shows us the heavily armed men taking over, burning books, and banning anything from the outside world. We hear the audio tapes that the Mullah blares out of loudspeakers. When the schools are bombed, Malala speaks out via some BBC reporters. And when she reveals her name, we get a hazy, sun-drenched reenactment of the gunman’s attempted assignation of her on a school bus. This is followed by her time at different hospitals, the arduous rehab sessions, and her return to her cause.

Davis Guggenheim (AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, WAITING FOR ‘SUPERMAN’) makes the most of the intimate access to the whole family. We get the one on one interviews along with many intimate moments such as Tor’s shopping trek and Malala’s time at school (she even shows us some of her graded papers). They’re fascinating folks, so the director really had to know when to just get out of the way, although occasionally we’ll hear Davis on the sidelines or, from behind the camera, quizzing his subjects. His main strength in the film is balancing the big moments with the small. We see Malala playfully teasing her brothers, even as she googles some crushes (she into cricket more for the players than the sport), which reminds us that she’s just like most teenagers. But then there’s the incredible speeches she delivers and we’re stunned at her ability to communicate. The sweet moments never take away from the power of her eloquence. This makes Davis’s decision to save the horrifying details of her injury an insightful choice. In a way, it’s as if our own daughter or kid sister were viciously struck down. The simple, subtle score by Thomas Newman never overpowers the images, the best of which may be the judicious of animation (a great choice over re-stagings). The flowing, pastel-like art helps give the Pakistan back stories a dream-like, almost fairy tale quality. Kudos to animation designer Jason Carpenter and his whole talented team. But the biggest praise must go the entire Yousafzai family for letting us into their world and giving everywhere a chance to see how one young girl’s bravery and determination is helping to change the planet.

4 Out of 5

henamedmemalalaposter