Moving love letter to cinema Starring: Bhavin Rabari, Rahul Koli, Richa Meena, Dipen Raval, Tia Sebastian and Bhavesh Shrimali Rating: 4...
Moving love letter to cinema
Starring: Bhavin Rabari, Rahul Koli, Richa Meena, Dipen Raval, Tia Sebastian and Bhavesh Shrimali
Rating: 4/5
The film starts with a title card that reads: “Gratitude for illuminating the path…Lumière Brothers, Eadweard Muybridge, David Lean, Stanley Kubrick, Andrei Tarkovsky.” At first glance, it might seem a little cliché and overdone, but by the end, it seems heartfelt.
It revolves around a 9-year-old boy in a
remote village in India who begins a lifelong love affair with cinema when he
bribes his way into a rundown movie palace and spends a summer watching movies
from the projection booth.
Pan Nalin’s Last Film Show, comparable to
Cinema Paradiso, can easily be called a “rip-off of a classic” and while both
of those are slightly correct, Last Film Show is far from being a rip-off of a
cinematic masterpiece. The biggest difference is the theme of both films. While
Cinema Paradiso’s theme is about falling in love with cinema (which is Last
Film Show’s theme as well), Last Film Show seems to be more concerned with
innocence and the loss of innocence.
It's evident from the first frame itself
that this film comes from a place of familiarity for Nalin and that this a film
which loves films (made clear through countless homages to classic films, with
the clearest one being Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey). Why do
cinephiles love cinema? Is it a form of escapism for them? Do they see
themselves in films? It is out of intrigue? Is it just a medium for
entertainment? The answer differs from person to person, but for Nalin, the
answer is out of intrigue and an instant attachment to the medium. Cinema is
clearly art, and Nalin – unlike many Indian filmmakers – understands and
respects that. At the beginning of the film, Samay doesn’t understand cinema but
by the end of the film he’s a little closer to understanding cinema – does
anyone understand cinema fully?
Pan Nalin’s direction shines in this love
letter to cinema and movie-going and the joy of it as he masterfully directs
this poignant and heartfelt film. The cinematography is dazzling and gorgeous
to look at as Swapnil S. Sonawane uses a wide-angle lens beautifully. The
performances are excellent and realistic, especially Bhavin Rabari’s
performance.
A homage to watching films and the beauty
of 35mm projection and single-screen cinemas, Last Film Show is a film to be
seen by all to understand the artistry in cinema.
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