A Wednesday

Sometimes a movie comes along that shocks the wits out of you, not just because its brilliant, but because its brave. John Milton said that destroying a book is even more heinous than killing someone as it entails killing an idea (On Books: "he who destroyes a good book, kills reason itself."). Well, I don't care if what surveys say as most people I know discuss more than books. And so his words are applicable to A Wednesday. And if you haven't caught it yet, you should.

In my book it joins the league of important movies like Swades and Taare Zameen Par . These movies are important because they are ruthlessly honest in their noble intentions, true to their art. And that is a tough thing to do, not just in Bollywood, but every sphere of life.
Is life really meant to be a compromise?
Do we really have the power to stand up and make a difference?
Are we victims or survivors?
Do we really have a choice?
These are some of the questions the movie punches in your face and forces you to think. Sometimes its not about the answers given but the questions raised. And A Wednesday does that quite impactfully.

Every actor except Gaurav Kapoor (too comic and unconvincing as a superstar) pitches in note-worthy performance. And Neeraj Pandeys vision never waivers. All in all a rare treat at the cinemas.

WIDE AWAKE

Is it some kind of joke? Why should a movie called Wide Awake make you struggle to avoid sleep! I was conned into seeing it because of the tag written and directed by Manoj Night Shyamalan.

Yup the movie belongs to his pre-sixth-sense days, a time when he was little known and struggling. And it is easy to see why.

The movie is about a little boy who cannot over his grandfather’s death. He seeks out God to check if grandpa is ok.

So there are some poignant scenes like when he gets back from school and Dons his grandpa’s robe and sits on his chair. It is an attempt to reclaim what is now beyond reach.

A story so rich in emotional depth could have been a masterpiece. Instead it becomes endless, wimpy, and, a strong competitor to sleeping pills. Which is pretty weird as Shyamalan is now known for his expertise in handling emotional depth ala The Sixth Sense. And it is the direction which slips the most. The movie is a perfect combination of deathly boring (ignore the pun) and, never ending.
But its not all bad (nothing is, really!). the kid Joshua has done a pretty good job. Shyamalan’s ease in making kids emote is visible here. Joshua’s scenes with his best friend are also cute. There is a bit of innocence captured in their childhood skirmishes.

The fact that some of his classmates question god despite studying in a Catholic School (“God is our homework.”) is both interesting and funny. The other notable performance is that of Rosie ‘O Donnel, who plays the cute Nun.

The end has the trademark Shymalan twist and, a hint of the supernatural. And yes, your verbal reaction will be like the one after The Sixth Sense (“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat”). But it would not be in the same emotional vein. But you will recover soon enough to enjoy the fact that it has finally over.

So yes, the end is the best part. All in all a movie best avoided. Unless, you wanna follow Shyamlan’s journey from awww.. to wow!