Searching for Sugar Man: Documenting two fans on the search for a rockstar

In the modern world we live in, it is nearly impossible to believe that any information would be impossible for us to find. Apart from certain countries which have a strict government or military regime, everyone has access to information anywhere in the world. Therefore it becomes difficult to imagine a rockstar who doesn’t even know he is famous, or his fans not knowing anything about him – not even if he is alive or dead. But this is the story of Searching for Sugar Man which was a 2012 documentary directed by Malik Bendjelloul about events spanning a timeframe from the 1970s to the late 1990s between South Africa and the United States of America.

In the 1970s, the situation in South Africa was strife because of Apartheid rule. No information was allowed to enter the country and the state of the country was not relayed out to others because of an oppressive government system. The news and other media were highly censored as everything passed through the careful eye of the government’s departments. At this time, the albums of Rodriguez, a previously unheard of musician, reached the record stores in South Africa. His protest songs were apt for the situation and inspired many of the political activists and a few musicians as well. However, because of lack of information about the artist himself, rumours spread that he had committed suicide on stage in the United States as a form of poetic expression. In the late 1990s, with the end of Apartheid and more likely sources of information emerging, a record store owner and a music journalist joined forces to find every piece of information they could collect about Rodriguez and find the truth about whether he actually committed suicide or was still alive.

Searching for Sugar Man paints an almost unreal story. Although the premise of the documentary does occur during the oppressive Apartheid regime, it is highly improbable that an entire nation would be unaware of simple facts about a rockstar that they rated so highly. The strict flow of information in and out of the country does go to show that it would be possible for such an event to occur. Even the censorship where one of the songs is scratched off the vinyl goes to show that an oppressive political system can control flow of information the way it wants to. The fact that Rodriguez wasn’t aware of his own fame could probably go down as a collective result of his lack of success in his own country coupled with information being withheld from him by the owner of the record label he was signed to.

The documentary carefully plots out Rodriguez’s failure in America through the eyes of the men that produced his album. It then goes to South Africa where his fans speak about the inspiration that he provided during their freedom struggle, something he was entirely unaware of. It documents the story of two fans that set out to find information about him once the oppressive regime had ended and how they went about collecting facts and contacting his family before they could finally consider their mission accomplished. There are many excerpts of people who worked with him in the United States – from construction workers to record producers – as well as others in South Africa; musicians and anti-Apartheid activists he inspired. The documentary also has clips of old video footage and photographs being used wherever appropriate. However, the documentary fails to acknowledge the fame and success Rodriguez did enjoy in Australia; it chooses to focus solely on the situation in South Africa and the two fans that set out to find him.

The documentary uses original music from Rodriguez’s past albums, which he is credited and receives royalties for. The music is original and it is difficult to understand why his music wasn’t well appreciated, but it is easy to see why this documentary can be highly rated.

Seven Psychopaths: A story about seven psychopaths in a story

One of the best forms of humour is deadpan. Deadpan is the ability to keep a straight face when making fun of a person or a situation. It involves a huge amount of self control not to laugh when making a joke and is mostly seen on stage, performed by a few good stand-up comics. When it comes to film, deadpan requires a really good actor to be able to bring about the humour to make his audience laugh while acting out the scene with a certain level of seriousness. It can be extremely difficult to achieve if the right actor and the right direction are not in place.

Marty is a writer who lacks inspiration to finish off his masterpiece – a screenplay for a film called Seven Psychopaths. He lives with his girlfriend Kaya who is supportive but has grown tired of his procrastination, his drinking habit and his deadbeat friend Billy. A struggling actor, Billy works with an elderly man named Hans to kidnap dogs in Los Angeles and return them to their owners for a cash prize. Billy is also aiding Marty finish his screenplay and suggests he use inspiration from real life after reading newspaper reports on the Jack of Diamonds killer in the area. On one of their routine kidnappings, Billy and Hans pick up a Shih Tzu unaware that it belongs to Charlie Costello, a gangster who is known for being unpredictable and terribly violent towards his victims. Charlie has an unnatural affinity towards his dog and starts a bloody trail to find it. Marty is confronted by Charlie and warned to return the dog or face his death. When Marty reveals this to Billy, they set up for a final showdown where it’s kill or be killed.

Written and directed by Martin McDonagh, Seven Psychopaths is about a story running within the main story of the film. There is a certain ambiguity in the plot especially with the constant discussion of a screenplay that the protagonist is writing. The story-in-story concept doesn’t quite work for the film as it complicates the plot and confuses the audience. The protagonist writing a story which interjects with his personal life and comes from his written work into his real life leaves a few questions about the coincidental situations he faces; an example would be where Marty writes a story about a Quaker who slits his throat which presents itself in the form of his best friend’s associate. The seven psychopaths in the film are not who they seem to be. The psychopaths would presumably be from the screenplay that Marty is writing but here again they exist both in his literary work as well as his real life.

While Colin Farrell plays the lead role and provides a level-headed personality to his character, he ends up being a balance as opposed to Sam Rockwell’s portrayal of the zany accomplice who creates more problems than he solves. Christopher Walken is entrusted with providing the deadpan humour that he is capable of and it does come across in the film at times, but the sensitive side of his character takes away from the humour and makes the line between seriousness and deadpan difficult to comprehend. Woody Harrelson as the antagonist does a decent job as a hard man with a sensitive side of his own but struggles with bringing the comedy to the film.

The humour doesn’t come across in the film perfectly. There are instances when it does play well as a comedy but not at all times.

Gangs of Wasseypur: The story of one family’s need for revenge

The use of narratives in a film are widely criticised as a lazy attempt by the filmmaker to establish his plot without having to work too hard to reel it into his story. Narratives allows a filmmaker the chance to have one of the characters in the story, or a third person who is independent of the actual plot, to tell the story from their perspective thereby having them talk directly to the audience to say whatever the filmmaker wants to be said. However, the use of narratives cannot necessarily be criticised in every film considering that they are used at certain times to help establish a bond between the narrator and the audience or at times they can be used to describe an event, or several events, in a timeline which would otherwise be difficult to establish without the use of a narrative. That said, one of the most prominent features in Anurag Kashyap’s 2012 film Gangs of Wasseypur is the use of a constant narrator who is a running character in both parts of the film.

Synopsis – Part 1

In pre-independent India, the small town of Wasseypur lay in the coal mine-ravaged state of Bihar. The townsfolk would work in the coal mines to earn their living and lived in fear and awe of Sultana Qureshi, a dacoit who would rob trains that passed through the town and was not recognisable to any law enforcement officer or villager. Taking advantage of the anonymity established by Sultana, a Pathan named Shahid Khan impersonates him to rob trains before Sultana himself can execute his plans thereby bringing down the wrath of one of the most feared dacoits upon himself. This starts a new war within the Muslim sects in Wasseypur as the Pathans and Qureshis start a blood feud and Shahid is forced to leave the village. Shahid moves to a larger town called Dhanbad, to the north of Wasseypur, and begins working in the coal mines at the same time that his wife dies giving birth to their son. After India attains independence, local industrialist Ramadhir Singh is assigned a few coal mines and hires Shahid Khan as his strong-man to make sure his business runs smoothly. While visiting Shahid Khan one night, Ramadhir over hears him speak to his cousin Nasir about planning to kill Ramadhir and take over his business. He immediately plots to kill Shahid by sending him to an assassin in Varanasi. Figuring out Ramadhir’s plan, Nasir protects Shahid’s son, Sardar Khan, and trains him to avenge his father’s death. Years down the line, Sardar grows up to be a fearless young man. He starts his criminal career by usurping the land of Ramadhir’s son JP Singh and reignites the feud as Ramadhir realises that he is Shahid’s son who he had murdered many years ago. Sardar is married to Nagma and they conceive two sons but Sardar is put behind bars for his previous crimes. After plotting out an escape from jail, Sardar takes asylum and marries a Hindu girl by the name of Durga. He returns to Wasseypur to find that the Qureshi clan is the widest known mafia group and tries to grab back power by planning bomb attacks on their shops during Muharram. Sultan Qureshi, nephew of Sultana Qureshi, is made aware of Sardar’s efforts and he resorts to join hands with Ramadhir Singh who supplies him with automatic weapons. In Sardar’s home, Nagma is once again pregnant with Sardar’s child and refuses to have sex with him which prompts him to visit his second wife Durga, eventually leading to Durga giving birth to another of his sons by the name of Definite. Nasir is busy taking care of Sardar’s family in his absence which comprises Nagma and her two teenage sons, Danish and Faizal. One night, Nagma is despondent and receives support from Nasir. They almost engage in intercourse but stop when they are spotted by Faizal who becomes scarred for life and forever seeks comfort in drugs in the future. In the coming years, Sardar’s sons grow up to assist him in his business. He is drawn closer to his first wife Nagma, provides his second wife with an allowance and agrees to have his eldest son marry a Qureshi to establish a temporary peace between the two families. Unfortunately, his second wife has grown tired of playing second fiddle and informs the Qureshis about his whereabouts in order to assist in an assassination attempt which takes place at a petrol pump. 

Synopsis – Part 2
When word of Sardar’s death reaches his family, his sons visit the petrol pump where he was murdered and Danish, the eldest son, kills the lone captor from the assassination plot. Realising the eminent danger, Sultan orders for Danish to be killed as well. Although the younger son Faizal is always inebriated, he vows to his mother that he will get revenge for all the killings. Lying low and waiting for the right moment to strike, Faizal announces himself to the rest of Wasseypur by brutally murdering his friend who won a local election and was an informer for the Qureshis. Faizal marries his sweetheart Mohsina and takes care of his father’s business. He enters into a truce with Ramadhir under the condition that he will receive political support if he does not carry on with his plan for revenge. By extension, Sultan is unable to carry on any attacks on Faizal because of the truce but Fazial carries on assassinating Sultan’s goons to reach the men that assassinated his father and brother. While the feud between the families carries on, many smaller criminals try to establish themselves as goons in Wasseypur thus bringing out new small gangs. Shamshad Alam, owner of a transport business, enters into a deal with Faizal to benefit both businesses but skims profits illegally without informing Faizal. At the same time, Definite, who is Durga’s son and also Faizal’s half brother, is yearning to make a name for himself in Wasseypur. Faizal’s younger brother, Perpendicular, is also gaining fame for his notorious acts in the town. This eventually leads to Perpendicular being killed by the Qureshis who were hired by the townsfolk and Shamshad double crossing Faizal to put him in jail. Definite and Shamshad face off to be the next big criminal in Wasseypur which leads to Definite being imprisoned alongside Faizal. Together they scheme to have Shamshad killed while Ramadhir joins forces with Shamshad and instructs him to bail Definite and recruit him against Faizal. Eventually, Definite sides with Fazial by dropping a bomb in Shamshad’s office which leaves Shamshad handicapped and bedridden. Meanwhile, Ramadhir is losing faith in his son JP Singh which leads JP to plot behind his father’s back. JP instigates Sultan to attack the Khan house after Faizal is released from jail. Faizal and his family survive and plot to kill Sultan which is carried out by Definite and Faizal’s goons. Definite is imprisoned and waits for Faizal’s orders but is neglected when the educated Iqlakh joins Faizal’s army and revolutionises they way he conducts business. Iqlakh, however, has an agenda of his own to kill Faizal because Sardar’s orders many decades ago had destroyed Iqlakh’s family. Faizal is aware of Iqlakh’s plans but goes along with his ideas as long as they profit his business. Under advice from Iqlakh, Faizal decides to contest the elections in his constituency by rigging the ballots. Ramadhir is shaken by Faizal’s growing power and orders for him to be killed, a plan which is carried out by Iqlakh along with the support of Definite who JP Singh has had released from jail. Definite double crosses Iqlakh, murders him and reveals the plan to Faizal. Enraged by the plan, Faizal gathers all the automatic rifles in his arsenal, stocks them up in an ambulance and drives to the hospital where Ramadhir is visiting Shamshad. Faizal’s goons easily overpower Ramamdhir’s security and Faizal has his revenge in the most gruesome manner imaginable before surrendering himself to the police along with Definite. While being transported to the jail, Faizal is killed by Definite who planned out the whole ordeal with JP Singh. JP Singh was fed up of his father’s taunts and formulated a plan to eliminate him as well as Faizal thereby allowing him to control Wasseypur and Definite to walk free.

At roughly five and a half hours in length, Gangs of Wasseypur is the longest film in the history of Indian cinema. The film was made in two parts to facilitate an easy theatrical release. The first part features a protagonist in the form of Sardar Khan while his son Faizal Khan is the protagonist for the second part of the film. The plot documents a fictionalised account of the gang wars in the town of Wasseypur over a period of 70 years. The story focuses particularly on one family that was involved in the wars over three generations and their blood feuds with the other mafia families in the town. By establishing a constant narrator in the film, director Anurag Kashyap was also able to tell the story through the eyes of the only family member who survived through all the battles thus turning the film into a personal account of the events. Most of the characters in the film are based on real life personalities that were known to have been part of the gang and political wars in and around Wasseypur.

Anurag Kashyap puts another notch in his belt of brilliance with Gangs of Wasseypur. The film uses the cinematic style of narration to break away from the clutter of other standard films. The narrative ensures the film is told from one particular angle thus lending it a prejudice and endearing the audience to one particular side of the gang wars i.e. the Khan family in the film. Although the political corruption, family vendetta and bloodlust is visibly practised by all the families, by virtue of having the protagonists and the narrator in the ranks of the Khan family, the audience does tend to have a soft spot for the family. Kashyap also uses humour (black humour most of the time since it is often associated with death and murders) to break the constant feeling of stress that develops during the film as a result of the innumerable number of deaths and other illicit activities that take place in the film which can put a strain on the audience’s sense of morality. However, at times, the humour seems to be forced and does not come across naturally; particularly the scene when Sultan is about to be murdered and his killers are hassling about his desire to buy bananas instead of mutton. As is his style, Kashyap does leave subtle clues to the audience about current affairs and his thoughts on the same as he has a character speak about a fascination with Bollywood and how people have become increasingly influenced by films in their day-to-day lives. He has also used other film techniques, most notable of which is a non-linear style as he uses flashbacks to narrate the story. The film also has multiple angles in the story since the list of characters is vast and the film does justice to explore the backstory of every character that affects the main plot. The film also has breaks and freeze frames when a new character or location is introduced. In such sequences, there is excellent use of animation and colours to stylise the sequence; one particular scene which stands out is after the cold start where a backstory is established and the British occupation of India and coal mining in Wasseypur are explained in detail. The level of gore in the film is meant to lend an effect of reality. However, the gore in the final action sequence and the blood splatter seem unnecessary; although it could been seen as the character making a statement and Kashyap himself, as the director, making a statement through his character. The soundtrack in the film is strongly influenced by Indian folk music but also has international styles with rock and dubstep being utilised in parts. The lyrics of most of the songs used in the film are explicit with many sexual references being made by virtue of music.

Gangs of Wasseypur is another excellent film churned out by Anurag Khasyap. The film is loosely based on true events and was originally penned down by one of the writers and actors of the film who is a resident of Wasseypur. Although lengthy, it is a stellar piece of cinematic work.

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone: The confusion of a dream-reality

Magic has a sense of appeal that can amaze even the staunchest critics. Many people claim that magic employs deceit and should not be praised but, all the same, a magician does use unique skills that have been practised and acquired over years to dazzle his audience. Most often we can’t help but be in awe of the magic tricks that we see. While The Incredible Burt Wonderstone has magic as a key component in the film, it relies on magic solely as a medium to establish a passion and friendship which is what the film is truly about.

Burt Wonderstone was a lanky child with nearly no friends. He was constantly bullied by kids who had a physical superiority over him and, to add to this, he received no particular support from his parents who seem to be absent from the key moments in his life. To his joy however, his mother leaves him a magic set as a birthday gift which has been compiled by his hero, magician Rance Holloway. Burt begins to practise the tricks in the set and manages to make a friend in school when he demonstrates a trick to Anton Marvelton. Burt and Anton grow up to become famous magicians in Las Vegas but their friendship eventually gets strained because of their disagreements over performing the same mundane magic tricks for 15 years. In this spell, street magician Steve Gray tries to dethrone them as the best magician in all the land with his new shock-value tricks that manage to captivate the younger audiences leaving Burt and Anton struggling to keep themselves relevant.

While magic appears to be the focus in the plot, it is actually just a vessel for director Don Scardino to bring out the underlying points of friendship and passion that are subtly highlighted in the film. While the protagonist has lost his passion for his art, which is established in the backstory, it is also evident that his friendship with his best friend has taken a hit because of his expanding ego on account of his success. As the film progresses, he is revealed to have a sensitive side as he is stripped away from certain privileges and left vulnerable. Steve Carell plays the role of the protagonist to no great amazement; he is amiable as the fool in the spotlight who suffers personally for the benefit of others. Jim Carrey does a credible job as antagonist Steve Gray, particularly playing the comedic moments to his advantage.

Overall, the film seemed to lack focus as it shifted from being a story about a successful man with a wounded ego to transform into a mix between a family-oriented friendship story and a raunchy romantic affair. There seemed to be more of a focus on debunking the art of street magic by highlighting one world famous magician in particular. The film critiqued his style of performing painful aberrations and portraying them as a demonstration of superhuman capabilities. The use of comedy in the film is sparse and very untimely. The film does have a pleasant soundtrack which can be heard occasionally during certain scenes.

It is not a great film by any definition. It is passable for a comedy film but the humour is rare and underplayed.

Hansel & Gretel - Witch Hunters: The continuation of a classic fairy tale

Fairy tales and fables have always been told with great aplomb around the world. They have been passed on from generation to generation by word of mouth but have also been written down in text by many people who aimed to capture their essence and preserve it for many more generations to come. It is very rare that anyone would attempt to change the story of a classic fairy tale but it is attempted every once in a while. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is a 2013 film by Tommy Wirkola which has a new take on the story of the siblings Hansel and Gretel.

In a small German tow called Augsburg, the disappearances of children has caused a major panic as it is revealed that witches have been kidnapping them. Every woman is now under scrutiny of the ignorant sheriff while the mayor has resorted to hire a sibling duo known for hunting witches; Hansel and Gretel. The brother and sister were themselves victims of a kidnapping by a witch in their youth but managed to escape by burning her alive. Now, as adults, they travel from one village to another with a vow to kill every witch they can. They are somehow impervious to the black magic of witches which makes them the ideal bounty hunters for the town of Augsburg as they attempt to find and foil the witches who are wrecking havoc in the small town.

While it is laudable that writer and director Tommy Wirkola has attempted to take on a classic fairy tale and continue it with his own plotline, the film has many shortcomings that leave it less credible than would have been hoped for when making the movie. The back-story that Wirkola creates to establish his characters and their abilities has never been written of before in the classic fairy tale. The addition of his own ideas in the existent plotline is questionable and at the most can be reasoned with artistic license. On the other hand, the show of technology in Hansel and Gretel’s weaponry cannot be reasoned in a period film of the medieval times. Hansel’s diabetes in the film as a result of eating too much candy in the classic fairy tale is a nice touch, however the inconsistency of his diabetic attacks and need for insulin on cue during a battle begs for reason as to why the need did not arise in a previous scene when it was established that he was hanging unconscious from a tree for a whole night without administering any insulin then.

There are far too many shortcomings in the film to be ignored. It is filled with action sequences at regular intervals but the story that takes off from the classic Hansel and Gretel tale adds no particular value to it nor does it standout by itself as a film.