MFF 2013: Films to watch out for this week

The ticket portal is up and running for Sunday and Monday. Sunday and Monday are good days to spend at Cinemax Versova. Plus, unlike the other two venues Metro and Liberty, Cinemax gives delegates food passes. Win! After midnight tonight, it will let you book tickets for Tuesday too. So here are our picks for the next few days. SUNDAY Mood Indigo Cinemax Screen 4, 5.45pm Director: Michel Gondry It’s a love story set in a fantastical world that’s filled with gadget and the delightful cuckooness that is so uniquely Gondry. Tables with rollerskates, a pianocktail (play a tune and it’ll mix a cocktail to match that melody), human-powered Google, weapons created out of human warmth — there are so many magical moments in this film. Unfortunately, just as happiness is brighter in fantasies, so is tragedy and sadness. Be prepared for heartbreak. Hush (Suti) Cinemax Screen 1, 6pm Director: Lukas Nola The only reason this film is on the list is that two jury members have said it’s brilliant. All we can tell you is that it’s from Croatia and that it’s about a young woman who hopes her daughter will not be shackled by her miserable circumstances. Mamay Umeng Cinemax Screen 3, 6pm Director: Dwein Baltazar An old man, preoccupied by death, has no interest in anything of the world around him. Is it wise to be so detached from everything and everyone, or is it depressed resignation? Baltazar’s film is a meditation of sorts and despite how morbid it sounds, it’s a beautiful little film. MONDAY Heli Cinemax Screen 3, 10am Director: Amat Escalante Be warned. This film about contemporary Mexico is not an easy film to watch. From killing puppies to cocaine to flambéed genitals, it’s all in this film. But for all the violence and cruelty, this film got glowing reviews from critics when it was screened at Cannes. So if you’ve got the stomach for cruelty, don’t miss this one. Bekas Cinemax Screen 5, 12.30pm Director: Karzan Kader It seems if seen through the eyes of a child, even the experience of a refugee can be cute. Set in Iraqi Kurdistan, this film is about two parentless boys who are shine shoes for a living. After seeing a little bit of the movie Superman, they decide they’re going to go to America, which they figure they can reach via a donkey. It’s a bit Disney-esque at first glance, but still, this film’s a charmer. When was the last time you thought of “cute” and “Iraq” in the same sentence? [caption id=“attachment_1183129” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A promotional still from Kaphal (Wild Berries). Image courtesy: http://kaphal.wordpress.com/[/caption] Wild Berries Metro Screen 3, 3pm (also at Cinemax Screen 4, 5.45pm on Tuesday) Director: Batul Mukhtiar Two brothers decide there’s only one thing to do when their father returns to their village from the city and is just no fun: make him disappear. So the brothers set off to meet Pagli Dadi, allegedly a witch, and ask for her help. It’s a sweet little film about childhood and pranks and idyll, laced with adult concerns about local economies. Katiyabaaz Metro Screen 3, 5.30 (also at Cinemax Screen 4, 8.15pm on Tuesday) Directors: Fahad Mustafa, Deepti Kakkar Loha Singh is the Robin Hood of Kanpur. Instead of gold though, he steals electricity. This film about electricity theft in Kanpur is a fascinating story about a big issue in small-town India. You’ll be hard pressed to see a more beautifully shot Indian documentary. The Spirit of the Beehive Liberty, 3pm Director: Victor Erice An iconic horror film, this film was made back in 1973 and it remains a must-see for fans of the genre. Beautifully shot and filled with chills, the film is about a girl named Ana who becomes fascinated with the monster in Frankenstein. There’s also a fugitive soldier, a poisonous mushroom and more elements to scare the bejesus out of you. Enjoy. The Selfish Giant Cinemax Screen 1, 6pm Two boys and a scrap heap come together to tell a story that’s terribly bleak but also compelling. When two scavengers get involved with a shady local dealer who likes to gamble on horse races, the boys’ friendship is strained. One of them has a gift for judging and handling horses while the other doesn’t. This leads to jealousy and all sorts of trouble. La Passé Liberty, 8pm Director: Asghar Farhadi Farhadi became a rockstar with his A Separation and La Passé, he returns to the divorces and crumbling marriages. A couple is all set to divorce but the still-not-ex-husband finds there’s a lot of turmoil and many secrets from the past that need to be dealt with before the family can move on. The film stars Berenice Bejo, whose performance as Peppy Miller in The Artist won her an Oscar nomination. This time, though, she’s more harpy than peppy. TUESDAY Closed Curtains Cinemax Screen 1, 10am Director: Jafar Panahi This is one of the best films in the festival this year. It’s the second film Panahi has made while being banned by Iranian authorities from making films and Panahi seems to be using this time to explore how the mind ravels and unravels when constrained by such circumstances. The film is about people who are trapped in a house. There’s no plot but there are so many ideas. Don’t miss it. The Armstrong Lie Cinemax Screen 3, 3.30pm Director: Alex Gibney This one’s ruffled a few feathers because Gibney’s documentary reveals just how much of choreographed event the Tour de France is. Armstrong tries to depict himself as a tragic hero, but Gibney does his best to show that things are never what they seem. Even if you don’t give a damn about racing, there’s a lot of drama in here to keep you entertained and leave you enlightened. Eden is West Metro Screen 4, 10.30am Director: Costa Gavras The experience of an illegal immigrant is so beautifully and painfully detailed in this old but gold Costa Gavras film. Gavras’s fine sense of humour combined with his characteristic compassion to create a charming and heartbreaking story. The moment at which Elias the illegal immigrant points a toy wand at the Eiffel Tower and it lights up — it’s pure, cinema magic. The Lovers on The Bridge Metro Screen 4, 3.30am Director: Leos Carax Made at a point in time when Carax and actress Juliette Binoche were lovers, this is an exquisite love story. Binoche and Lavant play vagrants who fall in love. Binoche’s character is suffering from a disease that is robbing her of sight. When Lavant learns that her family is looking for her because they’ve raised the money to get the operation that could cure her, he fears he’ll lose her in the process. So he decides he’s going to keep her from her family. Inside Llewyn Davis Cinemax Screen 3, 6pm Directors: Ethan and Joel Coen Set in the 1960s and with a soundtrack that’s absolutely gorgeous, this is a film about an arrogant, talented and unlucky folk singer. Not all the misfortune can humble him but as he finds himself running in circles, he does start to feel exhausted by failure. Yet, it seems he can’t leave this business of singing by fair means or foul. Added attraction: Justin Timberlake singing an earnest-to-goodness rendition of “Five Hundred Miles.” The Great Beauty Metro Screen 5, 8pm Director: Paulo Sorrentino Sorrentino is a bit of an acquired taste. His films are beautifully shot, slow and they don’t always seem to be logical. But if you’d like to see a film that’s about the sensuality and decay of modern Rome, told with more imagery and less narrative, this one’s for you.