I’ve spent this Diwali in bed, thanks to an epidemic of viral fever. My namesake, Amit Tiwari, brought home three DVDs to keep me entertained during the few waking hours I’ve before the relay-course of medications begin to make me drowsy all over again: Woody Allen’s Match Point, Duncan Tucker’s Transamerica, and the French-Canadian filmmaker, Jean Marc Vallée’s C.R.A.Z.Y. Unlike his previous recommendations, all of them were quite simply brilliant.Mr. Allen’s film marks a break from his earlier repertoire: Match Point isn’t an ‘intellectually funny’ movie; it isn’t even set in New York. Put briefly, it’s the story of a tennis coach who must choose between lust (his passion for a struggling American actress) and happiness (marital bliss with a wealthy British heiress): or as the character played by Jonathan Rhys-Myer says, between ‘good and luck’. Ultimately, for Allen, good- and God- don’t exist. What’s more: in this case, we, the audience, don’t want Him to intervene, even as Mr. Rhys-Myer’s character turns wickedly immoral.
Mr. Tucker’s Transamerica explores the cross-country relationship between a transsexual woman, played superbly by Felicity Huffman, and her newly found bisexual hustler-son, played by Kevin Zeger. The scene when Ms. Huffman tells Mr. Zeger’s character that she is really his father is to die for. Again: Mr. Tucker, like Mr. Allen, irreverentially shuns all moral judgement, in what is essentially a celebration of Freedom of Expression.Mr. Vallée’s C.R.A.Z.Y. is a sympathetic film about the childhood and youth of a Quebec man coming to terms with his sexuality, especially with relationship to his conservative family, which includes his parents and four brothers. The title of course is a tribute to Patsy Cline’s number, and becomes a character in itself in the movie. Once again, God remains notably absent; or if He does make his presence felt, it is in a most enigmatic- but ultimately redeeming- way.
I recommend them all highly.
Happy Holidays!
AJ
AJ
ReplyDeleteI agree about Transamerica.I was quite moved when the mother and the son gets mugged on their way back home and stop at a motel.......Mother is hungary and tries to eat from the left over and the son goes at the back of another car giving blowjob to another man trying to earn extra bucks.Very touching scene.
Best wishes for Diwali.
Haven't seen transamerica but other two are in my all time good books...specially C.R.A.Z.Y.
ReplyDeleteJust loved the character of the confused boy and his chemistry with his dad.
Also donno if you noticed that besides being tribute to the song,the word C.R.A.Z.Y. also represented the name of 5 brothers:
Christian,Raymond,Antionie,Zac,Yuan.
If you liked above then do see these:
"Lamerica", "Amelie" ,"Read my lips"...all french
Amores Perros....spanish(if you liked pulp-fiction you would love this one)
"The scent of women"(Alpacino was awesom) and recently i saw two good ones "Human Resources" and Carlito's way.