18th JioMAMI Mumbai Film Festival with STAR 2016
Endless Poetry (Alejandro Jodorowsky)
****
Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait ( Khyentse Norbu)
Hema Hema: Sing me a Song While I Wait is a fascinating critic on life where mistaken identities, guilt, shame, and lust are dancing around the carnage of death and birth. It is about life, death, shortfall of collective identity, and showcases the power of anonymity. It takes inventive spiritual philosophy to challenge the age-old concept of individual idnetity.
****
Under the Shadow (Babak Anvari)
Jump scares have never been this good and unpredictable. Iranian film-maker Babak Anvari perfectly sync taut war tension between Iran & Iraq and terrifying presence of ‘Djinn’ from folk-tales. Babak breaks all the conventions of making a horror film, and constructs layered, satirical horror film that will scare even the most cold person who is not easily spooked. But what makes it a great film is how ambiguous and unclever it makes you feel. A mother’s dilemma is questioned in more ways than one. It takes you on an experience like never before. A clever, intriguing and scary horror film for ages.
****
Clash (Mohamed Diab)
Clash intrigues in parts. The dynamic between the characters, however, is all way too forced to leave a mark. The quest to be the winner never comes down to unforgivable stakes and the claustrophobic environment never leads to something substantial.
