Devs (2020)

The first episode of Garland's latest kicks off giving a pretty good picture of what's to come. A meditative mood piece, with its somber tone, dissonant score, mesmerizing images and a brooding atmosphere; very much a wet dream of any serious cinephile.

Revealing much about the plot would do it disservice. Those familiar with the excellent "The OA Part II" will probably find some thematic similarities, although "Devs" is more on the sci-fi/tech side and less dense, plot and characterization-wise.

"Devs" manages to hold our attention to a considerable degree, with its intriguing story-line and hypnotic camerawork. At its core is a heartbreaking story of love, loss and an obsessive desire to overcome this loss. For those who crave some cerebral content in their cinema, there is a lot to chew on with its subject material and heavy verbiage concerning quantum physics, free will, the multiverse theory, the De Broglie–Bohm theory and what not! You will probably have to google all that up!

All this manages to keep us hooked, trying to make sense of everything that unfolds on screen as we relate the complex verbal exchanges to the progression of the story.

The trouble however starts glaring with Garland's casting choices and writing.

The female lead Sonoya Mizonu who is supposed to carry the entire show on her shoulders is god-awful with her singular expression and grating dialog delivery, and hence her presence mostly sticks out like a sore thumb. No matter how much you try to ignore her, you cannot, because she pretty much ruins every frame she is in. This makes it difficult to take her seriously or root for her as a lead character. Perhaps she is best suited for roles like she did in Ex-Machina (2014); Kyoko the robot!

Much of the exchange between her and the character of Jamie (Jin Ha) is cheesy and uninteresting, bordering on the cringeworthy. The dialog often tends to get repetitive, as if Garland is trying to fill up the per episode space of around 50 mins. There is also one particularly off-putting exposition-heavy sequence explaining the whole business as some primer textbook, in the latter half of the series. This sequence comes in a tad too late, when the more discerning viewer has already figured out what is happening and does not need another half hour to cover that aspect.

Some of the character actions seem completely out of place and clumsy in hindsight. For instance:

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How could a hard-boiled spy sent in on a dangerous mission be so clumsy as to vomit and sob upon reading some lines of code, and attract attention? Why would he be so hasty as to try to steal something on the very first day of his engagement with Devs? Why not wait for an opportune moment?

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Also baffling is the choice of a female actor to play the wunderkind Lyndon (Cailee Spaeny). She tries hard but comes off as awkward pretending to be a smart-ass geeky "boy".

The two actors who shine in the whole affair are Nick Offerman as Forest and Zach Grenier as Kenton, his loyal security in-charge. They add the much needed edge to the proceedings and make us cheer, their moral compasses notwithstanding.

Despite the shortcomings, "Devs" is certainly worth the ride. Check it out on Hulu or Hotstar.

Score: 3.5/5

Dead Man's Letters (Pisma Myortvogo Cheloveka) (1986)

There is nothing remotely uplifting about the hellish world depicted in Konstantin Lopushanskiy's "Dead Man's Letters" (aka "Letters from a Dead Man") (1986). The first thing that grabs our attention is how depressing just about everything in every frame of this film looks.

It is a post-apocalyptic nightmare of the worst kind. Total annihilation, death, destruction and decay is all that you see. There has been a major nuclear disaster, which has presumably, completely destroyed a few cities including the unnamed town in which the film is set, or perhaps even the entire world! Apart from the physical destruction of property, the air is polluted with radioactive elements, thereby making it impossible to walk in the open without a gas mask and a protective suit on. A few survivors take shelter in underground vaults of a large museum. One of them is an old physicist/professor (Rolan Bykov), the protagonist, who is nursing his ailing wife.

Some other individuals, who seem to be the military police have taken up the task of imposing curfews, isolating the dying from the healthy, and shifting them to another place which is the central bunker. Energy to light up bulbs in the world below is generated by manual pedaling. The old professor writes the titular letters to his son Eric, whose whereabouts are unknown; he is probably dead following the holocaust. We don't really see the man actually writing the letters for the most part, so it is possible that he writes them in his mind, as there is no place to send them. But these letters, the contents of which, we learn through his voice-over narration are heartfelt and full of emotion. They are sometimes cries of despair, and expressing deep regret about the past and a general lost cause, while at other times more philosophical and conveying that there could indeed be a silver lining.

He is also reeling under a sense of a huge disillusionment that his beloved science had let him and mankind down. He is unable to fathom the idea that science could be responsible for a catastrophe of such monumental proportions. Somewhere he still insists that he has some hypotheses, but no proof, that it is impossible that all of mankind has ceased to exist on the outside. However, most of the outside is a blind spot, so there is no way of knowing what is really left 'out there', beyond the known realms. And one can't go very far either, what with limited supplies, all the broken railway tracks that go nowhere, and the sorry sight of mountains of rotting corpses all around. The damage isn't just physical, but psychological as well. There is a group of children who are more or less rendered lifeless, in a strange stupour, as if in a shell-shock.

Lopushanskiy's biggest success lies in his astounding vision of mass obliteration. The visual form given to the devastation is such that it messes with your psyche and puts you into a mourning mode! This is arguably the ugliest, scariest depiction of a post-apocalyptic world to ever grace celluloid. Not only does it make you feel immensely miserable; but you also get the feeling of being suffocated and trapped in its gloomy, claustrophobic atmosphere that literally emanates rot.

One of the most effective and hair-raising sequences in the film is that of the professor visiting the central bunker, and eventually breaking into terrified screams of shock and repugnance, as he walks through a children's ward, amid their cries of agony. This sequence, along with a few other scenes and the central idea of isolated individuals in underground bunkers also brings to mind a particular vignette in Juraj Jakubisko's masterpiece, "The Deserters and the Nomads" (1968).

Lopushanskiy had been an assistant to the great Andrei Tarkovsky on his "Stalker" (1979), and the influence on his film is evident from his stylistic choices. It is almost prophetic that "Stalker" depicted a cordoned off 'zone' that, it was later said, resembled the depopulated area which was a direct consequence of the Chernobyl disaster. "Dead Man's Letters" is in turn inspired by the happenings of the Chernobyl incident. The dilapidation, the wetness of the land, the presence of water all around, and the sight of railway tracks, albeit broken ones bring some frames of "Stalker" to mind, instantly.

A striking aspect of the film is the cinematography, with its heavy usage of coloured filters, mostly a darkish tinge of yellow and in some scenes, icy cold blue. Could it be coincidental that in a film with excess of yellow dominating most frames, the protagonist in the letter voiceover, once says "..for the twilight is monotonous."? Nikolai Pokoptsev's brilliant cinematography, Aleksandr Zhurbin's eerie, somber score and Leonid Gavrichenko's terrific sound design accentuate the dreariness of the universe portrayed by Lopushanskiy.

It is a deeply disturbing picture of death and madness, as some folks give up, burst into fits of hysterical and nervous laughter, and turn suicidal. Amid lull periods of despair, there are long ramblings, albeit stemming from a mental deterioration, about what went wrong with humankind, its mistakes, lamentations about the scant remains of humanity, and advocacy of love. A theory as to how the holocaust really happened is briefly touched upon. There is a suggestion that it was accidental, thereby avoiding putting a direct blame on anyone for a planned attack, but there is no way to ascertain what really happened. For even this revelation, if at all it is one, comes in one of musings in the form of the so-called letters of the old man.

The town also isn't really supposed to be a Russian one. It is not clear, for all the artefacts, paraphernalia, weaponry and vehicles seem to suggest that it is a non-Russian territory. In one of the film's best scenes, a shot from the top shows two masked men in conversation, one the physicist and the other, presumably an astrologer, wading through the flooded ruins of a deserted library amid papers scattered all over. The astrologer, in a long monologue, possibly with a tinge of hysteria too, suggests that there really was no war, no attack. It was all written, a prophecy. Doomsday was here, the apocalypse as described in the Book of Revelation, and it was but an inevitability!

But despite the feeling that all chances are lost, our professor is the one epitome of optimism. He lights candles of hope on a presumed Christmas time with the children, highlighting the essence of Christmas, that is spreading happiness. And therein lies the principal message of Lopushanskiy's film. In showing us the ghastly nature of the aftermath of a nuclear war, and by creating a very hapless picture of the same, Lopushanskiy is attempting to open the eyes of mankind. War of any kind is a losing game all the way. Seeking happiness through a peaceful path of love, and most importantly, being human, is the wisest way to be.

The film ends with a profound quote from the Russel-Einstein Manifesto that pretty much sums this sentiment up: "There lies before us, if we choose, continual progress in happiness, knowledge, and wisdom. Shall we, instead, choose death, because we cannot forget our quarrels? We appeal as human beings to human beings: Remember your humanity, and forget the rest."

Score: 10/10

 

The Curse (1987)

"And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a torch, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters, and many men died of the waters." - Revelations of St. John, Chapter 8.

Director David Keith and screenwriter David Chaskin dumb down and oversimplify some religious quotes to find a connection to the sci-fi horror brand of H.P. Lovecraft, specifically his short story, "The Colour Out of Space". Nevertheless, in the attempt, they do deliver some fairly watchable B-horror schlock that has its moments, with a little help from the undisputed king of gore, Lucio Fulci!

It all begins one fateful night when a giant glowing ball of fire, presumably a meteorite crashes on the self sufficient farm land of the devout and almost fanatical Christian, Nathan Crane (Claude Akins). Crane resides with his oafish lard of a son, Cyrus, his beautiful wife Frances (Kathleen Jordon Gregory) and his stepchildren Zachary (Wil Wheaton) and Alice (Amy Wheaton). The event is unexplainable, as is the origin of the rock. The only local scientist/physician around, Dr. Forbes (Cooper Huckabee) isn't able to do much with his knowledge. Overnight, the rock glows, shrinks and finally melts into the ground. But ever since, something begins to go wrong on the farm, starting with the water from the farm well turning putrid, and then eventually affecting the crops, the livestock and the inhabitants of the house themselves, mentally as well as physically.

Of course, as cliche' would have it, there is a strong atmosphere of denial. The strict, curmudgeon, bible-verses-spewing Nathan refuses to believe that anything is amiss, despite Frances showing visible ugly warts on her face and symptoms of insanity, as well as the deteriorating quality of food and water. Only when things go horribly out of control, does he believe that something is indeed wrong, except, he blames it all on Frances who has a one night stand with the temporary hired farmhand, thereby sinning and bringing upon a curse on the family! Only Zack recognizes the problem and keeps himself and his sister Alice away from their food and water and smuggles supplies from town and the neighbours' property.

Keith's film is not a great one by a long shot, but thanks to a strong and intriguing concept, a crisp length and some insane events unfolding on screen, he manages to deliver an entertaining and sometimes hilarious (perhaps unintentionally so) sci-fi/gore film. Zack's predicament, and his struggle to keep himself and his sister safe while his mother disintegrates, is palpable, what with his minor age and his stepfather's draconian ways. While the actors themselves do leave a lot to be desired, Keith delivers by subjecting his characters to some squirm-in-your-seat treatment that makes it all work. 

Gore genius Lucio Fulci was brought in to monitor the special effects and therefore, do expect a lot of gooey, pus-like seepage, from practically everything including vegetables that look very rich and nutritious on the outside but ooze some thick, foul juice from the inside! Adding to genuine horror fun are a full, fresh crop of apples full of maggots and rotting insides, and characters going gradually insane along with their physique exhibiting visible malformations, as they regurgitate and start melting away! 

There's some unnecessary comic relief, even slapstick, in the form of subplots with side characters including the selfish realtor Davidson (Steve Carlisle) and his fly swatting secretary, a Tennesee Valley Authority representative Willis (John Schneider), and Dr. Forbes' comely wife Esther (Hope North). Most actors are either wooden or over-the-top, or unintentionally funny, including Claude Akins and his way too hyper bible rantings and slap-happy ways. 

Malcolm Danare mostly irritates, even when he gorges on his food like a pig, and seems to wear only one set of clothing in the entire film! Wheaton's act is artificial and mannered, while Kathleen Jordan Gregory has to wear zombie makeup way too soon and thus her acting is mostly limited to a display of demented histrionics, which is a good thing in the context of the film.

Keith's film has a few logical holes and technical issues to take some plot developments very seriously. While the gory nastiness is mostly well handled, it is the other effects, in some areas, where the tackiness shows. There are some (un)pleasant surprises in the narrative, but overall it is not difficult to guess where the story would eventually head. The final twenty odd minutes come off as a wrap-up job with a deus ex machina coming into play along with usual climactic cliches. Another aspect that lets down is Franco Micalizzi's Italo disco like booming soundtrack that is totally wrong is some of the more tense sequences, thereby rendering them slightly damp.

Despite its problems, "The Curse" remains faithful to Lovecraft's story to a large extent. It is this story and the generous display of putrefaction that keep the film together and could please a gore hound, nevertheless. This reviewer had fond memories of watching the film at the age of 12, when procuring films on VHS was a task and the intricacies of the craft of filmmaking were overlooked in favour of a decent enough plot with a good dose of icky visuals. The film does not hold up as much now, upon a rewatch 20 years on though, but still qualifies as a decent pick for a weekend midnight screening of some good old B-Horror, with an additional point for nostalgic value.

Score: 7/10

They Live (1988)

"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum". A revisiting of John Carpenter's cult classic "They Live" (1988) is as joyful as the gusto with which Roddy Piper's character of John Nada mouths these lines. And sure enough the beefed up jock protagonist and his buddy Frank (Keith David) kick some major ass in the film!

For all those familiar with the John Carpenter breed of cinema, "They Live" is as good as it gets in the 80s! A repetitive score with a thick bass and harmonica composed by the filmmaker himself fills the air as the quintessential body builder backpacker drifter hero (Roddy Piper, the star of Wrestlemania!) complete with long blonde hair and denim threads makes his entry on the streets of L.A. Soon he gets a job as a construction worker, befriends another muscle man Frank (Keith David, always excellent), and then pretty soon senses something fishy while walking around the camp for homeless labourers where he is put up.

It is a matter of time before he stumbles upon a startling discovery, a box full of sunglasses, that make the wearer see the real world, in which the members of the ruling class, law enforcers, and big corporate honchos, TV show hosts are all actually ugly aliens, their faces resembling those of decomposing corpses, disguised as humans....or as Nada describes in one epic scene "Formaldehyde-face"! 

Upon wearing the glasses one can see the true face of the world; all mass media including banners, hoardings, TV channels, magazines are actually the sources of subliminal messages that ask hypnotized citizens to obey, consume and conform to authority. The world is all black and white while the real, all colour happy world is an illusion! 

Turns out the aliens have a masterplan that thrives on exploiting the working class. But a group is onto their plan, and they are, little by little, creating an army, a resistance movement that's on a mission to put an end to the alien menace.

"They Live" provides a clever twist to the apocalyptic tales Carpenter has churned out before. It has a super fantastic concept at its center and while Carpenter doesn't fully flesh it out like one would expect, he delivers a sumptuous blend of horror, sci-fi, comedy, satire and even Ed Wood Jr. style B-film aesthetics in the form of devices like tub-shaped flying saucers and teleporting devices in the form of wrist watches! 

So expect a good amount of well written scenes, including a familiar device of a priest's ominous, prophetic ramblings about an impending doom, and oft interrupted TV signals that are replaced with warning messages about them! 

And those who miss the good old fist fights, there is an almost five minute long fist fight sequence between the two heroes following an argument about wearing sunglasses! This part may be a little trying but it is fun nevertheless. 

The initial discovery part of the whole alien conspiracy is the best part of the film, and it is followed by the crackdown which although heart-thumping and action packed is filled with typical action movie cliches. Nonetheless, a substantial amount of twists and turns are thrown in to keep one on the edge, and there's a good bit of humour to ensure comedic entertainment. 

Sample these awesome lines:

Nada: "I am giving you a choice: either put on these glasses or start eating that trash can."

Frank: "Not this year!"

While the above description may give the viewer an impression that this is a superficial sci-fi action comedy film, rest assured, the undertones that the film's concept comes with will leave you surprised! "They Live" is a solid slab of subversive cinema that revels in its eighties aesthetics (including a macho hero and fitting soundtrack for such a persona), and deliberate campiness and yet delivers a strong allegorical story that takes jibes at consumerism, the capitalist economy and the ruling class. 

All those at the authoritative positions are deemed as masked individuals blinding the working class and exploiting them through subtle mind control. Covering one's eyes with the special glasses in fact, makes the blind see reality! Find also a blink-and-miss self reference to John Carpenter himself in a scene that takes a veiled dig at Siskel and Ebert.

Performances are mostly middling. While Piper makes for a good commanding presence, his acting and dialog delivery leave a lot to be desired despite getting to mouth some of the best lines. Meg Foster appears with her famous eyes, makeup accentuated, and wears but one expression throughout the film. It is Keith David that shines in his bit part as usual!

There are few films that will guarantee a fun-filled ninety minutes without insulting the viewers' intelligence. "They Live" is one of them. It provides an eclectic mix of various genres and also has an extremely interesting and original concept at its center. Rediscover this film now! This is a surefire entertainer for the entire family.

Score: 8/10