Review: MARGARITA WITH A STRAW, Masterfully Directed And Extremely Clever
Premiering in 2014 at the Toronto International Film Festival, Margarita With A Straw received standing ovations at each of its three sold-out screenings, and it is not hard to understand why.
Dismissing any cliché or heavy handed sentiments, director Shonali Bose instead focuses on a remarkably gifted young girl with cerebral palsy named Laila. She has everything and is surrounded by love and support. She writes music for an indie band at her University in Delhi and like all young single-something's she is lonely and sexually frustrated.
When something happens at her school her mother makes an informed decision to transfer Laila to a University in New York. It is like a dream come true for her, and a chance encounter leads to a passionate romance; one that defines her as different for reasons that reach far beyond her physical condition. However, the relationship also opens up conflict, confusion and fear as Laila struggles with her mother, her lover and ultimately herself.
Laila is played by actress Kalki Koechlin, a phenomenal talent that fully immerses herself into the role. It is not just the physical mannerisms and spasms inherent in cerebral palsy, but the way of thinking the actress seems to fully understand. It is frankly amazing that she is acting, as her performance is faultless, sensitive and tender.
Laila's offbeat nature and passion makes her a completely charming protagonist, and she carries the film with gusto. It would be so easy to exploit such a character or to make the story darker in tone, but there is both humour and sadness that feel genuine and deserve respect.
The supporting cast is equally great; Laila's younger brother and father are warm and provide a lot of humour, the mother, while slightly overbearing, is also captivating. Laila's partner, whom she meets in New York, also has a great presence; being both caring but carrying something troubling from the past.
The film is shot in both Delhi and New York, the locations used not to juxtapose, but to track Laila's journey and growth as she begins to truly understand herself. The cinematography certainly captures the tones of each city well, but it also focuses on close-ups, revealing both Laila's exposed nature and emphasizing the same flesh that we are all made out of, no matter the difference.
This is particularly effective when we hear the kindness off-screen from strangers, but only see Laila's face and reaction.
This style is reminiscent of the film Blue Is The Warmest Colour, as Margarita With A Straw uses these close-ups to portray the tenderness and intimacy, and do not feel exploitative, even in the films racier moments.
The narrative is strictly a middle-class one, and Shonali has not only captured the nuances of this type of life in India, she has also avoided the poverty, pollution and generally pessimistic views of Indian cities that one might expect. This is a relief as it does not dilute the wonderful story and the characters. The main focus is also the generation Y in India, something that is hardly ever portrayed in such an accessible and non-exploitative way, from the pervasion of social media and technology, to indie music; it just all feels genuine.
Like China, India is drastically changing. The economy has allowed for a more diverse film culture outside of commercial blockbusters and this is championed by bolder and smarter films. It is a huge boon that Margarita With A Straw, although somewhat taboo and stigmatized by its themes, will be getting a general release throughout India.
Margarita With A Straw is masterfully directed and extremely clever, it manages to please the audience in a traditional captivating and tear-jerking way, while telling a ground breaking story that encourages open-mindedness. It is one of the best films of the year.
Review originally published during the Busan International Film Festival in October 2014. The film opens in select theaters in the U.S. on Friday, May 20.
It will release on DVD and VOD via Wolfe Video on June 14, and across all digital platforms including iTunes, Vimeo On Demand, and WolfeOnDemand.com, and will also be available the same date on DVD via Wolfe Video and many major retailers.
Margarita with a Straw
Director(s)
- Shonali Bose
- Nilesh Maniyar
Writer(s)
- Shonali Bose (story
- screenplay and dialogue)
- Nilesh Maniyar
- Atika Chohan (hindi dialogue)
Cast
- Kalki Koechlin
- Revathy
- Sayani Gupta
- Hussain Dalal
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