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paulm77
Reviews
Morvern Callar (2002)
a beautiful, unusual rule breaking road movie
I liked this film a lot though there were times where it felt a bit indulgent, or perhaps you needed to be on drugs, in a club, on that vibe to fully appreciate all the 'trippy' scenes. Nonetheless, it is brilliantly acted, shot, edited. Beautifully observed, and creates a real mental head space - an expression of Morvern's inner self, her confusion, guilt, grief over her boyfriend's suicide. It's not without laughs either, there is a great vein of humour especially regarding the lads and ladettes in Spain and the side splitting, drug fuelled hoovering and baking scene. Doesn't seem to use any music except what Morvern plays on her walkman - very bold! Maybe not quite the big hit that the novel was and not quite as successful as her debut Ratcather, but more interesting and original than most films out there. I look forward to Lynne Ramsay's next film.
Elephant Boy (2005)
A very unusual boy escapes a life of begging on the streets of Bombay by making a pilgrimage
A stunning, moving, poetic film with a strong story and a fantastic performance from a real? boy who suffers from a condition of having huge, deformed feet. Original and quite unlike anything I've seen before. There is a throwback to Salaam Bombay (even a nod to David Lynch!) but this film is much more contemporary in its use of images and music than Salaam. It's not urban cool like City of God but has its own style and for a short film, is just as impressive. Someone else mentioned Satyajit Ray but I don't know his films. Jai is a beggar / shoe shiner in Bombay who is given money by a tourist woman. Jai plans to use this to escape to his village and asks his begging partner, Nisha to go with him - but they are both controlled by a Beggar Master. It seems as though Jai secretly loves Nisha but this is kept as an undercurrent. Jai's escape plan backfires, and Nisha is lost to a brothel keeper. Jai slashes one of the customers in revenge and is forced to leave the city. His only possession is a photograph of the tourist woman by a Scottish mountain. When Jai can't find his way home, he determines to find his own mountain and makes a dangerous solo climb up a sacred hill top, grieving for Nisha and determined to make it. Here the film becomes much looser, dream-like and reflects Jai's inner state. In the morning, taking in the awesome view and bathed in beautiful sunlight, Jai makes his prayers. He has made it but at what price? What he is praying for, we don't really know - for himself, Nisha? Both I suspect. The fact of him having made the difficult climb despite his horrendous disability, with only faith and belief in himself to keep going, is more the point. It's a bitter-sweet ending that doesn't pull punches. An honest, humane and poignant film. A testament to anyone suffering terrible hardship and what it takes for them to get through it, even if it's just one day at a time.