I was eagerly waiting to catch BLACK. So when I got a ticket only for the Saturday show I was dissappointed.
But the reviews that trickled in left the impression that the movie is AWESOME and the best India has seen yet and that if any Indian movie had a good chance at Oscar’s - this was it.
I was too excited to see the movie, after hearing so much.
When I walked out of the theatre at 1:30am after the show I was confused - Did I see a good movie or a great movie ?
Finally after 2 weeks of thinking about it I am able to get my thoughts together and write about the movie. BLACK is a Very Good movie, just falls short of being a GREAT movie, in the leagues of ’Life is Beautiful’ or ’Cinema Paradiso’.
(I always quote Life if Beautiful, bcoz it tells such a tragic story, thru a comic eyes and still when the movie ends it leaves you with damp eyes, because it has got its heart in the right place. That’s the effect I expect from a movie that is based on human relations and trials, that’s what I expected from BLACK, that’s where it fell just short of it!)
Snajay Leela Bhansali (SLB) is the best Producer/Director in India today, undoubtably, but his craving for International recognition (I think so) pushed him to tweak the soul of the movie and pushed it a notch below GREAT movie (he concentrated more on technical perfection and bit, wee bit less, on emotions).
Technically the movie is one huge leap for Indian cinema. Amazing cinematography, Lighting and Art direction.
Acting wise among the best on Indian screens Ayesha Kapur (young Michelle), Rani (grown up Michelle) and Amitabh (Debraj Sahai).
Scenes where the film faltered:
1- We do not get any idea where and in which time is the story told? (why did SLB want to give such a hazy view of the family background?)
We have a very rich Anglo-Indian family (Huge mansion, lots of servants, huge parties, a Black singer, Hostel and college charges for 12 yrs for Rani)
2- The Sis get angry and spills out her rage, just after she pleads with Rani not to ruin the day for her (what happened that prompted her to do it herself?)
Scenes where the film exceled:
1- Amitabh’s scenes with the Mother
2- Rani’s request to make her feel like a woman (very courageous effort by SLB)
3- The scene when Rani makes AB touch the rainwater, and the screen moves from the dark background of the hospital (blackness/ darkness) to the stark white exterior of the place (into light)
All in all BLACK stand proudly as one of the best movies in Indian movie history, but it could have been the greatest, that’s my only regret.
But Hats off to Sanjay Leela Bhansali !!!