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On this page: KILL | GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS | THE NATURE OF LOVE

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL | Last update 10.Jul.24

Girls Will Be Girls
Review by Rich Cline | 4/5

dir-scr Shuchi Talati
prd Richa Chadha, Claire Chassagne, Shuchi Talati
with Preeti Panigrahi, Kani Kusruti, Kesav Binoy Kiron, Kajol Chugh, Nandini Verma, Devika Shahani, Akash Pramanik, Aman Desai, Sumit Sharma, Jitin Gulati, Pratap Singh, Pradeep Kapoor
release US Jan.24 sff,
UK 20.Sep.24
24/India 1h58

SUNDANCE FILM FEST

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From India, this distinctive coming-of-age drama is beautifully told through the eyes of a bright teen girl who is having her first encounter with love. This is a complex and remarkably insightful film, as writer-director Shuchi Talati draws on her own experiences, adding details that bring scenes to life with unusual subtlety. And unlike most teen movies, the story depicts various momentous events with an unflinching honesty.

A top student at her school in the Himalayas, 16-year-old Mira (Panigrahi) is intrigued by well-travelled new student Sri (Kiron). This is her first romance, so she wants to take things slowly. But when she introduces him to her young mother Anila (Kusruti), Mira feels pangs of jealousy. As Mira and Sri study together, they become closer, furtively kissing and touching. Mira is confused because Sri says he's new to this yet clearly knows what he's doing. And she's eager to learn. But this is the first time Mira has been distracted from her studies.

Curious and observant, Mira is always watching everything, and she is surprised when she catches herself finds paying special attention to Sri. As her grades begin to suffer for the first time in her life, Mira is also discovering that the world isn't always fair. For example, her school headmistress (Shahani) blames the girls when boys are sneakily taking pictures up their skirts. Through all of this, Mira sees her connection to other girls begin to shift, and this extends to her teachers and especially her mother.

Performances are beautifully understated across the board, avoiding melodrama for something much more internalised. Panigrahi gives Mira a sharp kick of intelligence and determination that makes her likeable, even when she reacts badly to someone. The connection between her and Kusruti's Anila ripples with a range of barely suppressed emotions, only expressed in glances. And Kiron offers a superbly gentle turn as Sri, building strong chemistry with Panigrahi.

Talati's approach to the story is refreshingly up front, in the drama at home and at school as well as in the love story between Mira and Sri. In the final act, the plot takes some darker turns, most notably as gender politics begin surging in the classroom, and the film starts to feel a bit overlong. Intriguingly, it's in the mother-daughter relationship that the film finds its heart, even when things get rather difficult.

themes, language, sexuality 7.Jun.24

Kill
Review by Rich Cline | 4/5

dir-scr Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
prd Achin Jain, Hiroo Johar, Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Guneet Monga Kapoor
with Lakshya, Raghav Juyal, Tanya Maniktala, Abhishek Chauhan, Ashish Vidyarthi, Adrija Sinha, Harsh Chhaya, Parth Tiwari, Kashyap Kapoor, Sameer Kumar, Sahil Gangurde, Priyam Gupta
release Ind/UK/US 5.Jul.24
23/India 1h55

TORONTO FILM FEST

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A blistering explosion of violence, this Indian action thriller plays out with gritty desperation. It may look like John Wick meets Bullet Train, but writer-director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat puts tongue in cheek, keeping fight sequences messy and brutal, even as emotions run high. Things may get a bit sappy in this sense, but this is a film that keeps us gasping for breath right along with the characters.

When his girlfriend Tulika (Maniktala) announces that she's marrying a man her powerful father (Chhaya) has chosen for her, military commando Amrit (Lakshya) and his pal Viresh (Chauhan) crash her engagement party and sneak on board the train to Delhi carrying Tulika and her family. Coincidentally, there's a huge gang of 30-some brothers, uncles and cousins who launch a major heist on the same train. And now Amrit and Viresh need to save the day. The gang's leader Fani (Juyal) is a hothead who doesn't mind murdering innocent people. So things get very, very bloody.

Set in narrow train carriages and confined spaces, the fight choreography is unusually tense, with rather a lot of stabbing, bashing and bone-crunching, and very little gunplay. The grisliness is extreme, as these fights take place in frenzied bursts of visceral mayhem. So the film's pacing is rapid-fire, only rarely pausing for breath, or for some wrenching grief over the loss of family members on both sides. Bhat indulges in sweet flashbacks to crank this up.

In his first leading man role, Lakshya has powerful charisma on-screen, both in the quieter moments and when he's taking down yet another group of marauding monsters. And the lean, muscled Amrit takes a real beating, collecting new wounds with each encounter. In a cleverly nuanced, equally full-bodied performance, Juyal matches Lakshya's presence on-screen, a magnetic villain who commands attention even when he's doing something mind-bogglingly sadistic.

Among the large ensemble cast, several side roles register strongly, including Sinha as Tulika's plucky little sister and Tiwari as a hulking, unstoppable thug. These and others provide terrific subtext and surprises that add to the film's overall momentum. Cleverly, the title appears right at the halfway point, as a key event sends the plot charging off in a new direction. This is a bold, rippingly entertaining genre film that will make even the most hardened audience member groan at its hyper-nastiness. Which of course makes it exhilarating cinema.

themes, language, violence 24.Jun.24

The Nature of Love Simple Comme Sylvain
Review by Rich Cline | 4/5

dir-scr Monia Chokri
prd Sylvain Corbeil, Jules de Chateleux , Nancy Grant, Elisha Karmitz, Nathanael Karmitz
with Magalie Lepine Blondeau, Pierre-Yves Cardinal, Francis-William Rheaume, Monia Chokri, Steve Laplante, Marie-Ginette Guay, Micheline Lanctot, Guillaume Laurin, Linda Sorgini, Mathieu Baron, Christine Beaulieu, Lubna Playoust
release Can 22.Sep.23,
US Oct.23 ciff, UK 5.Jul.24
23/Canada 1h51

CANNES FILM FEST
TORONTO FILM FEST

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A riotously romantic comedy that's certainly not a romcom, this French Canadian film keeps us laughing but carries a surprisingly meaningful kick. Writer-director Monia Chokri knowingly explores the outside forces that affect even the most passionate relationship, and the result is a film that's funny and very sexy, as well as both challenging and moving. Most importantly, the film touches honestly on things most movies briskly skip around.

In Montreal, Sophia (Blondeau) happy in her 10-year relationship with Xavier (Rheaume). Both are academics, as are their friends and family, so banter is witty and sharp, and life is comfortable. Then handyman Sylvain (Cardinal) arrives to fix up their lake home, and his rough-edged, open sexuality makes Sophia's heart skip a beat. A flirtatious evening leads to a torrid affair, and eventually Sophia knows she has to tell Xavier about it. Now making a new life with Sylvain feels like the most natural thing in the world, until she meets his friends and family.

Cheeky directorial decisions add interest to key scenes by casually obscuring details or isolating characters with up-close camerawork. Carefully designed costumes and musical choices further define these likeable people. This adds to the juxtaposition of city and countryside, creating intriguing contrasts between snooty book-lovers and much more open-handed rural folk as they mix together, often awkwardly. Of course, the script also has fun with the fact that an educational pedigree has no bearing on either intelligence or emotional maturity.

Performances are earthy and expressive, with the story told through Sophia's eyes. Blondeau gets the balance right between her brainy smugness and more pathetic yearnings, and she also finds very differing kinds of strong chemistry with Cardinal and Rheaume. Cardinal's Sylvain oozes manly sexuality along with being unusually observant and honest, while Rheaume's Xavier is more quietly charming. They win Sophia over with their body and mind, respectively, each making his own vivid connection.

Side characters include parents, siblings and friends who offer brightly colourful moments that explore how various social circles mix and clash around Sophia. Many of these scenes are difficult to watch, sparking painful confrontations or deep-cutting strains between people who love each other. So Chokri's central question is whether it's possible for people from different worlds to create a life together. Her opinion may seem a bit too clear-cut, but it's certainly both entertaining and thought provoking.

themes, language, sexuality 18.Aug.24

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL