Month: December 2013

Review: Djinns of Eidgah at The Royal Court

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‘A play that is necessary as Kashmir is a place that has fallen off the map in Western politics.’

Richard Twyman

This two act multi – faceted exploration (at the Royal Court) into the political landscape of Kashmir, youth radicalisation, faith and mental health left a lot to take away and digest.

Weaving Islamic storytelling, a technique using heavy metaphoric imagery in its language – and the Dastaan (a long tale), it works effortlessly as a theatrical device as we’re taken on a mystical journey where Djinns speak to the mortals.

Based on real stories Abishek Majumdar centred the focus around two orphans, both dreaming of their own freedoms. The Djinns of Eidgah takes place during the time of Eid and in heavy current conflict. With the children constantly surrounded by soldiers and violence this piece tackles those issues which conflict countries face; a new generation of children who have lost their childhood resulting in eventual hatred.

The promenade set up created an uncomfortable yet intimate experience and using minimum props left that experience unique to the individuals imagination.

The piece as a whole looks at the bigger political picture by questioning the centralising clash between two countries and what it is about this place that makes it so wanted and what its like for the ordinary Kashmiri to live on a day to day basis.

Religion and superstition play an important role in the reality of everyday lives in Kashmir as well as many predominantly Muslim and Hindu countries – Majumdar chooses Djinns as a way of combining these two elements and illustrates a sociological understanding of becoming comfortable and accepting the idea of death as a destined inevitability. Which is almost formulaic considering this is a daily occurrence for the vast majority in Kashmir.

For the west it appears to be the opposite. With many rejecting faith and superstition it’s perhaps no wonder why many find the idea of death an uncomfortable topic to discuss. Perhaps deep down we all know that existence is meaningless and everything we do leads to nothing.

 

We see hope emerge in its truest form, as a result of the most horrific and tormenting of experiences. Ashrafi demonstrates her inner human resilience in this passage – the last conversation she will ever have with her captured brother before he is murdered.

Ashrafi: Abbajaan, came to me today…the first time after he died Bhaijaan, and you know what he said?(…) I will never go away Shefu…never. I am a star and your Bhaijaan will become the moon this Eid. And forever we will be there ad appear on every single Eid.

Bilal: Yes Shefu

Ashrafi: You will die Bhaijaan?

Bilal: (Smiling) Yes. Yes Shefu. I will

 (…)

Ashrafi: …keep my Hafiz with you Bhaijaan…he will make the pain lesser.

Bilal: It seems you are older to me Shefu. (smiles)

Ashrafi: I am Bhaijaan…I am very old. I am as old as this land itself. If they get the land, I will become the moon, if they get the moon, I will become the sun…they will never get me Bhaijaan…they will never get us. We will all become Djinns…Djinns…at the Eidgah….Allah made Djinns before he made Men.

This moment felt like a release and fulfillment of her desire and hopes; a metaphor for freedom and was, for me, one of the most memorable of scenes – perhaps because of its climactic quality.

The beauty of this play also lies in the protagonist’s development and journey as we see why he made the decision he did in the end. Although speaking to my mates who came with me afterwards, some felt the direction of the piece was leading towards understanding radicalised thinking rather than presenting both sides of the argument. I found the balance to be quite even because of the doctors character. however this feeling could come from the play’s explanatory content possibly written for western audiences. A bit too explanatory but for good reason as we see scenes unravelling feuds over cultural choices and traditional decisions made.

If anything this play was definitely a lesson into the understanding of the ‘Country’s’ current state.

A few ‘fun’ facts about Kashmir:

India, Pakistan and China are currently allocated portions of Kashmir which they control.

Kashmir became an important centre for Buddhism during its inception and a Buddhist emperor has often been credited with having founded it.

An estimated 68000 people have been killed in kashmir since 1989.

Review: The Counselor – film

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Contains some spoiler alerts!

Watched at the Errol Flynn Cinema in Northampton I found The Counselor (Annoyingly spelt with one L) over stylised, riddled with clichéd existential one liners and Fassbender masters how to talk throughout the whole film in a deep husky whisper. Unfortunately this film left me frowning in a state of confusion and miming ‘wtf was that?’ to my amigos including writer (poet and screenwriter) pal Ashaur Rahman, who simply shrugged and looked as baffled after almost EVERY scene as I did. Don’t get me wrong; I’m an existential nihilist at the best (and worst-mostly worst) of times but I don’t go about my daily routine surrounding my responses, to the simplest of tasks, with metaphoric meaning.

The-Counselor

‘At our noblest, we announce to the darkness that we will not be diminished by the brevity of our lives’

‘I just wanted the fucking butter…would you just pass it already?’

The dialogue is beautifully crafted but its rhetoric is all off and way too over the top. I don’t buy into the film as a whole because of its repetitive nature and characterisation. However the reasoning, irrationality and absurdity of what HAPPENS to them is executed in a way that could lead to various different endings: the beauty of existentialism. Which I get but even this felt forced.

The most re-quoted line since its release: ‘Truth has no temperature’ followed by a smug pout, by Malkina (played by Cameron Diaz), is probably one of the most popular. It of course means nothing and adds no value to the film. It simply allows her to look super cool as she sits back in the middle of a desert whilst sipping on a martini watching her beloved pet Cheetah’s chase a rabbit – as you do! So far removed from reality is this film that all it seems to care about are the outlandish costumes, lavish settings and death in the most extreme ways – which Malkina then gets to babble on about at the end about how sexual she finds it all. The more brutal the more sexual it is.

As if that wasn’t annoying enough, Diaz’s constant pouting looks of disapproval and nonchalant attitude left a big question mark over her acting abilities. Playing the evil Cruella de ville, only obsessed with Cheetah’s instead of Dalmations, her performance felt over-acted, unbelievable and under performed but hey…she looked good and for some viewers – that’s all we care about!

Playing the don at the very top of the chain, in the underground drug market, Malkina’s character had the potential to bend female stereotypes and really push the boundaries when it came to authority and power especially as a character leading the whole operation. Instead Ridley Scott chose to make her more concerned with looks, her sexuality, and wealth. I understand that this hides her psychological scars but unfortunately doesn’t create enough of a 4 dimensional character as say Vito Corleone in The Godfather. I know they’re incomparable but we like Corleone as a character and aren’t constantly annoyed by his one liners, and he definitely doesn’t need to be sexy to do his job, so why does Malkina? Why didn’t I care?

Immersed in an elite culture of diamonds, drug barons and penthouses the Counselor (played by Fassbender – the only actor holding the film together) is asked to complete a job that goes completely pear shaped, leaving him in a bubbling snot induced mess.

But it seems like it needs to go pear shaped for these ‘cool’ conversations to take place, rather than  organically – so although I liked the plot it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s thoroughly engaging and without its flaws.

One scene which wins the most ‘full of itself’ award is Malkina’s rendezvous with the windscreen of a very lavish car. Yep she…fucks a car! Which leaves Reiner (played by Bardem) comparing the whole experience to like watching the mouths of shellfish bottom feeders.

Filled with an A-list cast this film was more about the looks than the substance and unfortunately gives out the wrong incompetent message that I’m surprised even Pitt, Cruz and Fassbender wanted in on. Perhaps the words seemed so appealing on the page, it would invite even the most humblest of actors a great ego boost. As quoted in the Telegraph ‘Its an actors’ paradise’.

Still from The Counsellor, the new film from director Ridley Scott

On a final note, Fassbenders decision to retreat his lost love from the slums of Mexico, sets up the ending perfectly to suggest that materialism means nothing when it comes to love and loss.