Reader…there is much to be shared with you today. I do not know what to address first – details of the very mundane bus ride I went on today, the absolute masterpiece of a movie I saw at the end of that bus ride, or the emotional discoveries that said movie threw up for me. I’d better get started then, if I am to stick to my 500-word target for today.
Dear Reader, today on a half-crowded bus I happened to sit next to a gentleman who was reading a book! Which in hindsight does not seem as exciting as it initially seemed (oops), but believe me when I say it made for the most rom-com-esque view during my journey. In an ethically questionable moment of weakness, I managed to sneak a few glances at what he was reading and from what I saw, he was into the self-help genre. This, in combination with the alternating green and yellow grasslands and the soothing motion of the bus, the slightly warm evening sunlight, and the semi-sleeping co-travelers all with earphones plugged in, made for a very pleasant journey to our destination for the day, the first-day show of the movie “Manjummel Boys”.
Now, I would not call myself a movie critic for the simple reason that I do not watch a lot of movies. Nonetheless, I feel pretty confident in declaring this movie one of the best I’ve ever watched. “Manjummel Boys” is a survival thriller based on a real-life incident that occurred at the since-closed Guna Caves in Kodaikanal in 2006. The subtle yet moving screenplay, the incredibly effective cinematography, the acting – oh, the acting! – and the “WHOOOOP!”-inducing choice of soundtrack all combine in this emotional rollercoaster to make us feel as though we were in the caves ourselves with the lead characters as they battle for life (SPOILER ALERT!).
In addition, this movie was one of the rare films that managed to at least temporarily cure me of the disease of being a literature student (I’m kidding, kidding). You see, some of us are afflicted with the serious condition of over-analyzing every scene in a movie for the ideological biases (you can stop reading here if I sound too pretentious) implicit in it. Much like a spycam built into the glasses worn by the spy in a cliche Hollywood movie scans for suspicious persons, if I may. I found myself forgetting the urge to psychoanalyze the director’s motives scene-by-scene just for the fact that every scene had me on the hook at the edge of my seat, holding on to my friend’s arm for support as I bit in nails in anxiety. And if that doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will.
However, all of these impressive technical feats of the movie pale in comparison to the emotional lesson at its core (which had me covertly wiping off a few tears in the darkness of the theatre). At its heart, “Manjummel Boys” is about how one can find God in the people whom you surround yourself with, the very people whom you love above life itself. I do not want to give away further details in case some of you are planning to watch it, and although it pains me to shut up about the movie just yet, I will content myself by leaving you with yet another exhortation to GO WATCH IT!!.
Yours in absolute awe of the entire team behind “Manjummel Boys”,
Sneha.
No comments:
Post a Comment