With great powers come great misery...

Sultan (Hindi, 2016)

There is really nothing ground shattering to blog about this film. Perhaps the pre-release media shenanigan by Salman Khan would be talked about longer than the memory of the movie disappears from the public mind. I reckon this memory would not be long. 

This is just another predictable flick of a guy who finds joy in loafing around playing pranks and indulging in age-inappropriate activities who steers his life around to win over the love of a girl. As in most Indian movies, the firebrand cracker of a girl just turns jello at the sentimental self-sacrifices of her Romeo. This time, the theme of the film is the good old traditional Indian sport of 'gusti' or wrestling. Together the couple goes on a medal-winning spree all around the world till tragedy strikes. Aarfa (Anushka Sharma) becomes pregnant only to be left behind for the world championships. The haughty Sultan (Salman Khan) whose fame went to his head finds out the hard way that it pays to show humility. Sultan and Aarfa lose their baby to what they think is due to his absence at the time the neonate needed him most, or rather his O-negative blood. 

They go separate ways. After years of soul searching, Sultan realises that he has to set up the resources of a blood bank in his locality to prevent a recurrence of what happened to his kid. 

In comes, a loser rich man's son with his dismal CV of repeated failed MMA (mixed martial arts) competitions. The rest of the film is predictably about his turmoils to win the matches against all odds and Sultan's reunification with his estranged wife.  

What struck me with the movie is not the storyline, the romantic chemistry, the wisecrack dialogues or the indeed scenic outdoors of Haryana. A person tries to improve himself or pull himself out of a rut for personal development once self-realisation dawns upon him. He would go the world's end to fulfil his dreams. The pot of the gold at the end of the rainbow would eventually come. Together with that would roll in new needs and commitments which he has to oblige. By then, his endeavour is no more to satisfy himself but for the bonds that he had developed along the way. By now, he is duty bound to slog, no more for himself but to fulfil his dependants or his Dharma. People who propelled him forward in the first place are no longer in the equation, just like how he is no more relevant to himself. He is just a piece of footwear that sacrifices itself to its master before the master decides to throw it to the bin. 

Power struggle for love

Foxcatcher 2014

It is weird watching Steve Carrel in anything but a comedy role. Here he is a dark psychologically disturbed millionaire with a childhood issues. He is portrayed as a cold blooded and self centred man who would use his money to buy love and importance.

It is based on a real life story of an American Olympic wrestler and his brother, also a wrestler and his coach with a multi-billion dollar heir to a rich family who promotes his grounds for the love of the sport of wrestling.
Hidden deep in the heir's psyche is his protected and lonely upbringing.

As the movie progresses, one is left wondering where the film is heading. The wrestler, Mark Schultz, trains in his estates, in the eerie presence and hawk-eye of his sponsor, the heir, John du Pont. One wonders what type of relationship they are having. On one hand, he is said to be a father figure. On the other hand , they are seen snorting cocaine together. Sometimes, Mark appears helpless like a slave! Is there more to their relationship, something pervasive?
There appears to be a kind of power struggle between du Pont and Mark's brother for Mark's unabated attention. The outcome, however, turns out meaningless with du Pont gunning down Mark's brother!

Even though hailed as a thriller with excellent acting by the cast and slow pace of the show that accentuates the dark theme of the show, it did little to fancy my attention.