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Saturday, April 20, 2024
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HOLLYWOOD I CAN'T THINK STRAIGHT
EDITOR'S PICK
Rating:
* 1/2
It`s a pity that films about alternate sexuality have to come wrapped in
diverting and or glamourised packaging. Hence Deepa Mehta`s much-applauded
Fire was not so much about lesbianism as about two neglected
daughters-in-law in a crowded Delhi home finding comfort in each other`s arms.
Even Ang Lee`s Brokeback Mountain was set in the Wild West, where
apparently rodeos and ranchers have their own moral codes.
Where is that one modern film on alternate sexuality set in a normal humdrum
place we all can recognise and be comfortable in?
Shamim Sarif`s I Can`t Think Straight is set in the urban jungle.
And the most amusing aspect of the rather-flimsy plot is that the characters`
genteel gestures of classiness are often shown to have desires and cravings that
don`t tally with conventional definitions of decorum.
So what do we have here? An upper class Muslim girl Leyla (Sheetal Seth) - soft,
vulnerable and surprisingly in-sync with the character`s sketchily-written inner
world, whose snobbish parents (Dalip Tahil, Antonia Frering) are preparing for
her lavish wedding when she meets Tala (Lisa Ray).
The bond that grows between Leyla and the mysterious, enigmatic enchantress Tala
could have done with serious fleshing out.
The narration done in that breathy husky tone that women often adopt when trying
to show they`re in control, leaves out room for any deeper development beyond
the surface gloss.
The film looks fetching, thanks to Aseem Bajaj`s camerawork. The stately
interiors of the homes and the jet-setters trying to look as if their suits are
ironed while they are wearing them, give out the feeling of a film rich in
texture. But alas, the content remains de-vitaminized, sapped of any life-giving
energy.
Leyla`s progression from self-denial to self-realisation is surprisingly devoid
of pronounced punctuation marks. She lives in a world of SMS abbreviations
rather than poetry. It`s all done in one breathless take, in a manner of
speaking.
Disappointing beyond the surface and empty to the core, I Can`t Think
Straight makes you wonder what the director was thinking...straight or
otherwise.
The film`s release-timing is rather unfortunate. People would want to see Lisa
Ray for all the wrong reasons. But we can`t feel kindly towards the film just
because Lisa is ill.
