Film Review- Child 44

Working Overtime

Film: Child 44

Cast: Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, Gary Oldman

Directed by: Daniel Espinosa

Duration: 2 hrs 17 mins

Rating: * *

Based on the first book of the trilogy by Tom Rob Smith, it hard to imagine how they came up with this kind of a film when such an illustrious cast and not to mention producer Ridley Scott who had the rights.

Firstly, since it is set in Russia, the film shouldn’t have been made in English, those accents fluctuate between atrocious and silly. Secondly, the screenplay is so muddled that it tries to do tell too many things at the same time with a fairly disastrous result.

There are no murders in Paradise, we are told, paradise being the USSR under Stalin. Life after war was not easy there, life during and before the war was not particularly good was not particularly good for Demidov (Tom Hardy), a state security officer. While they are busy chasing dissidents and prosecuting them for treason, a series of child murders occur, but they are all hushed up because of the murders in paradise thing. 

Meanwhile Demidov’s wife (Noomi Rapace) who married him out of fear because he was a secret service agent, is suspected of treason. He gets demoted and is sent to a remote part of the country but the murders still intrigue him. Eventually the plot settles down and it becomes a murder mystery but neither with any conviction nor with the element of suspense.

What should have been a taut thriller ends up with just about every ingredient going wrong. It is almost as if they took random passages from the book and decided to shoot them. The actors just go through the motions you have to admire Tom Hardy for putting in that effort although that accent could vie for one of the worst of all time. 

Published in The Navhind Times on 28th June

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Film Review - Mad Max:Fury Road

Highway To Hell

Film: Mad Max: Fury Road

Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron
Directed by: George Miller
Duration: 2 hrs
Rating: *  *  *  *

In many aspects, it is incredible that the director who started the franchise with Mad Max in 1979 (followed by a sequel in 1981 and then 1985) can still deliver the goods a thirty five odd years later. In between he dabbled with animation films like Babe: Pig in the city and Happy Feet. 

But with Mad Max: Fury Road, George Miller strikes back and how. There is action and more action and so much of it that it takes time to digest and admire what you have just seen when you walk out of the theatre. Basically it is a chase involving huge armored vehicles and no this is nothing remotely like Fast and Furious. Furious would be like an old Ambassador competing with a Formula 1 car running at turbo speed – Mad Max is a billion light years ahead in every aspect.

Set in the desert in a dystopian world, Max (Tom Hardy) is a lone warrior held captive by men with tonsured skulls called the War boys, he is their ‘blood bank’ because he happens to be a universal donor. We move from 0-100 kmph in a few seconds and the foot is never taken off the accelerator, even for a moment. Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne, been there done that as far as Mad Max is concerned) is the boss of the Citadel where people are longing for liquids, primarily water and then oil. Everyone is at the mercy of Immortan Joe and his henchmen in this strange world. Charlize Theron plays Imperator Furiosa a tough cookie who rebels against the chief, she escapes with some young women who are objects of Immortans desire. They are called ‘breeders’ giving a fair idea of what the men think about these women. Max joins hands with Furiosa in the arduous journey till we head towards a spectacular finale in the most barren landscape you will ever see. 

In Mad Max: Fury Road actions speak louder than words. But make no mistake, the film is not only about action, there are various themes that are also dealt with admirable deftness starting from the authoritarian rule of Immortan Joe to rebel women and men akin to suicide bombers.     

The mayhem unleashed on screen is something to savor. Right from the costumes, to those massive vehicles with a range of variety and pole vaulting war boys, not to forget the whacky guitarist on top of a vehicle, Miller pulls it off with elan.

For a change here is a film where you don’t mind the 3D. While Tom Hardy steps in the shoes of Max with ease, Charlize Theron is mighty impressive as Imperator Furiosa. Apparently, another sequel is being planned centered around Furiosa. All one can say is bring it on and bring it on quickly. But meanwhile, enjoy this heck of a joyride. 

Published in The Navhind Times, Goa on 17th May 2015

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