NEW DIRECTORS/NEW FILMS REVIEW // A REVIEW OF "COURT"

BY W DEREK JORDEN

The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s 44th edition of New Directors/New Films is being presented in New York City from March 18 – March 29. For 44 years New Directors/New Films has been an annual rite of early spring in New York City, bringing exciting discoveries from around the world to adventurous moviegoers. All aspects of cinema, from production to exhibition, have changed dramatically over the years, but the spirit of innovation and the element of surprise that have always defined this festival remain intact. Dedicated to the discovery of new works by emerging and dynamic filmmaking talent, this year’s festival will screen 26 international feature films and 16 short films.

We here at TheArtsWire Weekly are bringing you our take on the films we're screening during the festival.

Governmental judiciary functions typically aren’t fancy. Chaitanya Tamhane’s latest feature COURT is much the same way. No frills and no tricks, just good movie making. The shots are so well-crafted that they don’t look crafted at all, but completely candid. Wide angles and a director that allows the camera to linger a few extra moments tell us more than just the story at hand and make Court as rich as India itself. But even the story at hand is beautiful and thought-provoking. A folk singer (Vira Sathidar) being charged with convincing a man to commit of suicide, a lawyer (Vivek Gomber) trying to defend him, a prosecutor (Geetanjali Kulkarni) eager to put him away and move on, and a judge (Pradeep Joshi ) who’s responsible for the singer’s fate, but is clearly just a man himself. The time that is spent with each of these greatly developed characters generates a deep level of interest from the audience. Many more characters, each one as real and true as the one before, and each providing an additional layer to the vast diorama, don’t so much intersect as they do pass by, just for a moment, just for a brushstroke, on Tamhane’s expansive canvas.

As in life, many moments are sad like the sweet man and teacher of children going to jail, while some are quite laughable, especially the relationship between the attorney and his parents and some of the proceedings that occur inside the actual courtroom. With very little soundtrack besides a few of the rhythmic beats that accompany the folk singer’s verse, this film does a wonderful job sharing a glimpse into what India may be like for many people. Just like court cases that come across our televisions--OJ Simpson’s trial that drew out for eleven months--or any legal process any one of us has gone through, even waiting in line at the DMV, COURT is in no rush. This film, though just under two hours, takes its time to get to the anticlimactic end.

 

VERDICT: MUST SEE

Written and Directed by: Chaitanya Tamhane Starring: Vivek Gomber, Vira Sathidar, Pradeep Joshi, Geetanjali Kulkarni

Playing as part of The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center's 44th New Directors/New Films Fest. For tickets: http://newdirectors.org/

FINAL THOUGHTS: This broad view of modern day India, beyond the miserable slums and outside the super cities, is a well-thought out film that descriptively defines several lives and broadly allows us into many others, all the while giving us a look at what may be wrong or right with the way we keep control of our society.

W. DEREK JORDEN is an actor currently living and working in New York City. He and his wife live on a Spaceship on the top of a building, which makes for some interesting dinner parties.