Tuesday, April 10, 2007

ऑडिशन



Okay! I usually take time to judge a film, i try to think about it watch it over and over, because i have figured that there are few films that you start liking once you start thinking about them, they tend to grow on you, also i have realized that the first opinion that you usually form about a film are mostly prejudiced, because you already know what you are going to watch-be it due to trailers and teasers you get to see on Television or internet or due to reviews that you read somewhere its hard now a days for a film to catch you off guard and say GOTCHYA!!

AUDITION(Odishon) does this for me,especially because this is a lesser known Japanese film that has fortunately managed to evade the Hollywood radar for such a long time, otherwise a remake would have been out by now.Its a sweet and heartwarming lovestory that works on various level,its a family drama and a equally effective comedy as well..its starts with the Ayoma (Ryo Ishibashi) loosing his wife ,who leaves behind a son and then the story jumps to few years later when the son has grown up and is 17, and he is worried about his father who have buried himself under tons of work and his professional commitments in order to deal with his grief and loneliness, the son wants his father to start dating again, fall in love and get married and manages to convince his father,well almost.
Ayoma works for a production house and his colleague device a plan to help him choose the right girl, the plan is to hold mock -audition for a film. Ayoma takes liking for mysterious Asami (Eihi Shiina) ,he is enchanted by her beauty and of the fact that she has lead a very difficult life but still haven't given up on it, at some level Ayoma starts to identify with Asami and fall in love with her. Asami is oblivious to the fact that the auditions were fake and looks at Ayoma as just another producer trying to exploit her but since she is aware how important that film is to her ,she leads Ayoma on instead of declining his advances,but the more time they spend together the more they get to know about each other and eventually end up falling in love, Ayoma confesses that the Audition were fake and Asami forgives him only on one condition that he (Ayoma) will love her and only her..
Its hard to find a film these days which is so simple and modest, a film that juxtaposes loneliness with true and unconditional love and how much are people willing to sacrifice for it- The son wanting his father to start dating again and ready to move out of the house once his father gets married, the colleagues of Ayoma who are taking efforts to hold mock audition just to get Ayoma a partner, Ayoma himself who has enough courage to confess to Asami that audition that meant so much to Asami, were actually a ploy and above all Asami who forgives Ayoma stating she doesnt needs the part in a film because she has got much more in the bargain(love of Ayoma).
The film takes its own time in establishing its characters, one good thing about the characters here is that they are not fairy tale good people, they are all gray ,they all make mistakes,they all feel the pain and guilt,the film also attempts to explain how complicated is the emotion called Love and how the interpretation of love is different for different people.
Watch this film before a remake of it comes out in America,watch this film because its so simple and straight forward and watch it with your family (errrrr..or maybe just watch it yourself and then decide if you want your family to watch it) .



GOTCHYA........!!!!!

5 comments:

R Kamal said...

its hard now a days for a film to catch you off guard and say GOTCHYA!!

True, i prefer to watch films like thatway only.but some times out of enthusiasm, it happens otherway.

and sometimes people get overly excited and talk...that times you tend to have some sort of idea or expectation.thatswhy whenever i speak about films, i may talk bout the subject, characters, how i liked it...but i never say about story and plot.

good post after a long time!keep them coming...cheers.

aroop said...

very true..i completely agree, maybe thats why i have observed people taking interest in international cinema..because unlike Hollywood stuff,these films ,usually are lesser known to us ,we dont expect anything from them and therefore we watch them without any bias.

Jafar said...

Hi Aroop,

Good to read about your take on "Audition" which undoubtedly is a powerful film! Deceptively simple..once it begins it doesnt seem to be going anywhere for quite sometime, but then, by the time it ends, it blows you away. That's one thing I like about such filmmakers who do what they believe in, rather than succumbing to any formulae. I'm sure, anyone interested in world cinema must be aware of this film. Good to know that you have taste for such offbeat and good films. Unfortunately we dont find many around us who are aware of or interested in world cinema. Poor fellows, they dont know what they are missing on!

Anyway, since you liked "Audition", I would also recommend you "The happiness of katakuris" and also "Imprint" by the same director.

Regards

aroop said...

hey jafar..nice to find someone with a taste for Takashi Miike..havent seen Happiness of Katakuris but have seen Imprint..wish they made the film in Japanese with english subtitles instead of making it in English for a wider audience (since it was made for a anthology being aired in US called Masters of Horror). My favourite Miike Film is Ichi the Killer-its like watching a offspring of Stanley Kubrics Clock work Orange and John woos: A better tomorrow and trust me its not just the SHOCK value- i like that film because there is a lot of David lynch feel to it,its so surrealistic you feel you are watching somebody elses nightmere, also there is Visitor Q (a insightful tounge in cheek account of one of the most dysfunctional family in Japan). Also may i suggest Chan Wook Parks sympathy triology which includes
Sympathy for Mr.Vengence
Old Boy(i am sure u have seen this already)
and Sympathy for lady Vengence also try and watch Battle Royle before the lousy US remake comes out..
its nice to see some one else digs Takashi Miike..

R Kamal said...

where are you?

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