Court: Movie Review
There’s a stochastic scene in Court that has a court proceeding unfolding in front of you. Much of the hearing proceeds to your satisfaction. You are immersed in the goings-on. Somewhere between a lawyer’s argument and a judge’s generic statement, you spot a clerk in the background, fiddling with her mobile phone, unmindful that a legal proceeding is unfolding in front of her.
“Director Chaitanya Tamhane’s triumph lies in the spasmodic manner in which he intersperses the central plot with the everyday lives of his characters.”
It is such observational simulacrum and attention to detail that defines most of this film. The central plot involves a folk singer, who is charged with abetment of suicide. One of his street performance some while ago, pushed a sewer laborer to take the ultimate step, alleges the case filed against him. The case’s proceedings make up for most of the film. But director Chaitanya Tamhane’s triumph lies in the spasmodic manner in which he intersperses the central plot with the everyday lives of his characters.
From a court scene, the film occasionally breaks into the life of the defending lawyer, who enjoys his single-hood with jazz music and a glass of wine. Another lengthy court scene later, the film follows the public prosecutor, a lady in her mid 30s, a housewife, who discusses olive oil prices during train journeys, picks her son up from a day-care center, cooks before her husband gets home, serves him and their kids, watches a Marathi play on a Sunday, claps at the play’s jingoistic sons of the soil pitch!
“Many actors and directors claim to incorporate slice-of-life characters in their films, this one truly does.”
Court is crowded with characters. Of them all, the film stops and inspects four important ones with much care. It is a fresh approach to getting the audience involved with the characters. Many actors and directors claim to incorporate slice-of-life characters in their films, this one truly does. And it even goes through the effort of familiarizing you with them.
The film moves at a leisurely pace taking you through a routine of life-court-life-court-so on. But it is the director’s realistic and efficacious treatment of the mundane that lends Court plenty of tenability.
Court is not your regular Bollywood courtroom drama. In fact, there’s no drama. The courtroom proceedings are as muted and esoteric as they are in real life. Amidst this lousiness of its central plot, Tamhane pushes the message subtly.
“The film makes a case for a more efficient judiciary system.”
It is in these moments that Court makes its moves. The film makes a case for a more efficient judiciary system. The film pitches in for a revamp of some laws and discarding of old ones. The film stands up against superstition and caste discrimination. The film holds our hand and rams us into a wall of realities, we know exist in India, but are too afraid to or too indifferent to confront them.
Court does this job in its bits and pieces, but as a whole, stands as a cinematic chevalier. The film’s attempt to portray its characters’ professional and personal lives as two separate entities must also deserve an applause. That none of its character lets the courtroom drama impact/affect/even interfere with its personal life outside the court is a defining aspect of Tamhane’s film.
“Characters move on, frames stay, life goes on, you watch, with much fascination.”
Two other things help Court immensely — the narration and performances. The film’s European art house treatment is one of its greatest USPs. There are times when nothing crucial is happening in a frame, yet minor characters and insignificant objects fill it up to hold your attention. For a significant portion of the film, scenes linger on even though they have schematically ended. Characters move on, frames stay, life goes on, you watch, with much fascination.
Kiran Rao with Dhobi Ghat, Anand Gandhi with Ship of Theseus and now Chaitanya Tamhane with Court — it is great to see this style finding more acceptance in India.
Tamhane is so assured about using this form of narration that not once does the camera or character break away from it. Take for instance that scene where the defending lawyer dines with his family in a Gujarati thali restaurant, steps out, moves on, but the camera stays back near a tree he happens to pass by. Two others cross the frame. In a couple of seconds, you hear threats and shrieks. You know, a community the lawyer had spoken against, took to blackening of his face, to exact revenge. The camera stays by the tree. The proceedings are never actually seen on camera. There is some kind of a cerebral kick in watching such an exposition.
“Tamhane is aided majorly by his actors, who let go off all pre-concieved notions and give in to his sketches and methods.”
Tamhane is aided majorly by his actors, who let go off all pre-concieved notions and give in to his sketches and methods. Vira Sathidar essentially plays a version of himself and lends adequate awkwardness to Narayan Kamble, specially during the court scenes. Vivek Gomber wonderfully underplays his character, attaching noticeable lethargy to his movements. Perhaps on purpose. And then there’s the terrific Geetanjali Kulkarni, who brings in the requisite warmness to her interaction with her colleagues, a fiery and practical attitude during the court scenes, and a somber and stifled restrain to her housewife act. It is a performance that stands out among many other noteworthy performances, and hence is very special.
“Court is a cinematic triumph.”
Court is a wonderfully made film, no doubt. But more important than that, Court is a cinematic triumph. For the simple reason that here is a film that shatters all preset structures and notions of film making (atleast in India), and stands by itself irrespective of whether it caters to commercial stipulations or not.
It is no surprise then, that Court has been picked as India’s official entry to the Oscars for 2015. Among all the films vying for the spot, Court probably stands the best, and a solid chance to make an impact and possibly bring the award home.
