Movie: A Separation (2011, Iran)

A very nice Iranian family drama. 8 out of 10.

Last night I watched 2011 the Iranian movie 'A Separation'. It i a beautiful movie. This is my first Iranian movie and so I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Iranian society is quite modern. Contrary to the perception one gets from media (at least in America) Iran is not just a country that is making a nuclear bomb and threatening world peace. As can be seen in this film, they too have trials and tribulations of ordinary decent people. This movie tells the story of a wife who is seeking separation from her husband who on the other hand does not want it. The wife walks out and goes to her mother's home. The husband and a 12 year old daughter stay back. 

The husband also has to take care of his dad who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. So he gets a helper. Without giving away the plot, after the first day he has an argument with the helper and dismisses her from employment. This leads to a complicated situation. The rest of the movie handles how these characters deal with their situations which is a trying situation for all.

The movie has excellent acting and smooth editing. The Photography captures the Iranian life in an interesting manner. The film brings out the subtle but complex phenomenon of how the human psyche can swing from the good side to the other side.

The writer cum director Asghar Farhadi should get high marks for creating a very rich and highly intricate social drama. The movie stays away from sentimentality and takes a lot of care to keep the story and situations real. There is not a frame which makes you shake your head in disapproval. 

It is a movie worth watching for people interested in world cinema. I will give it 8 out of 10.

Review: Kabaddi (Kannada Movie)

Dec 5 2009
Title: Kabaddi (2009)
Starring: All new people.
Director: Narendra Babu.

Score: 8 out of 10.

In my reviews I will only reveal what the movie is about. I do not want to spoil the movie for you.

My friends Ashita and Govardhan have combined their passion for Kannada movies and their entrepreneurial skills and have started screening Kannada movies frequently in the US. It is a good thing since nobody else is doing it and we get to see Kannada movies in spite of being far away from our native places. Tonight (Friday Dec 4th) was the first show of the new movie Kabaddi. Even though the movie runs through the weekend, Friday night is the best time to watch it. For one, Friday night is still nascent with the excitement of the coming weekend. Once we wake up tomorrow i.e Saturday morning it will be all down hill from then. It also brings back memories of watching 'Second Show' in Bangalore. So at 6.30 I called Ganesh, my friend since College and we both were there at 7.45. The movie was being screened in Sierra Theaters in Milpitas.

This a very new movie and is doing well in Karnataka now. It is a sports movie. It is about the Indian sport Kabaddi. The story is set in a small city - Mandya. A very dedicated and highly respected teacher called Guruji in the movie is building a Kabaddi team with the local college students - all aged less than 20. He and the team's sponsor Venkatesh - the local bigwig have the ambition of making it a high caliber team which would shine at the national level. Enter the Hero - Praveena a poor teenager. The affectionate Guruji sees in him a prospective Kabaddi star. But as it always happens in Indian movies Venkatesh conveniently has a sister who after the initial display of arrogance etc, promptly falls in love with him. So we have a poor boy and a rich girl, the girl's brother who does not like it and tries everything to stop it. Venkatesh is provided 2 thug like brothers. So taking care of Praveena is handled by the family. We are now in familiar territory. This boy-girl part adds the masala to this otherwise healthy movie. Since it is a sports movie, expect a lot of Kabaddi matches which are exciting to watch.

The movie is really well made. The director Narendra Babu has shown a lot of maturity, sense and restraint in developing this movie. The movie has a freshness about it which is really welcome in Kannada film world. For one, it is not a remake. Secondly and most importantly, all the actors are new comers. At least I did not know any of them except Avinash. They are all young, new and offer the viewers a chance to expect something unseen. They deliver it in good measure. All the actors have shown tremendous love and enthusiasm in the way they have portrayed their roles. Hamsalekha gives some good songs. I think he also plays one of the roles. The movie captures a lot of lively sequences involving the people, their life and their language and greenery in and around Mandya.


The unique thing about the movie is that it has an Arjuna Award winning Kabaddi player.

Overall it is a very good movie. It is very entertaining and very professionally made. Narendra Babu should be congratulated for a successful display of the art of movie making.

I do want to make a special mention. The guy who plays Guruji - he steals the show. He conveys a lot of emotions through his eyes and restrained acting. His acting is so dignified and subtle I feel it is one of the best performances I have seen recently.


I give it 8 out of 10.