TSI Five-O: One for the road, but only for the aesthetics
Dev Benegal’s paean to the magic of the cinema scores high (make that very high) on the aesthetics but low on the story and the dramatics. “Road, Movie” is an unconventional watch but the surrealism at some points gets to you. In a narrative as linear as the desert roads the truck, which is a travelling cinema and the central subject of the film, is being driven on, Benegal tells the story of Vishnu (Abhay Deol) who agrees to drive the truck (belonging to his uncle) across the desert to sell it to a museum. On the way, three fellow travellers enter the fray- a boy who runs away from a tea shop (Mohammed Faizal), a mechanic (Satish Kaushik), and a gypsy (Tannishtha Chatterjee).
The stunning visuals of the landscape and roads in Rajasthan and Kutch lift the visual appeal of the film several notches and the rest of the technicals are top notch as well including the background score. But the trip feels devoid of real adventure thanks to the slow pace and the fact that the story focuses only on the four characters brought together by queer circumstances on to the truck. If you are among those who appreciate the artistic side of cinema as a medium, there is a lot to root for here, but if you are looking to be entertained, this film does not have your fill.
Some of the dialogues are pretty good, and there’s an odd spark here or there (the remixed version of ‘Tel Maalish’ during the end credits is a nice touch) but there’s nothing overwhelming. It only makes you suspect that the film has its art in the right place, but not the rest.
Dev Benegal’s paean to the magic of the cinema scores high (make that very high) on the aesthetics but low on the story and the dramatics. “Road, Movie” is an unconventional watch but the surrealism at some points gets to you. In a narrative as linear as the desert roads the truck, which is a travelling cinema and the central subject of the film, is being driven on, Benegal tells the story of Vishnu (Abhay Deol) who agrees to drive the truck (belonging to his uncle) across the desert to sell it to a museum. On the way, three fellow travellers enter the fray- a boy who runs away from a tea shop (Mohammed Faizal), a mechanic (Satish Kaushik), and a gypsy (Tannishtha Chatterjee).
The stunning visuals of the landscape and roads in Rajasthan and Kutch lift the visual appeal of the film several notches and the rest of the technicals are top notch as well including the background score. But the trip feels devoid of real adventure thanks to the slow pace and the fact that the story focuses only on the four characters brought together by queer circumstances on to the truck. If you are among those who appreciate the artistic side of cinema as a medium, there is a lot to root for here, but if you are looking to be entertained, this film does not have your fill.
Some of the dialogues are pretty good, and there’s an odd spark here or there (the remixed version of ‘Tel Maalish’ during the end credits is a nice touch) but there’s nothing overwhelming. It only makes you suspect that the film has its art in the right place, but not the rest.
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