Excision (2012)

From debutant American director Richard Bates Jr. comes this demented little indie horror-comedy, a macabre bed time story guaranteed to give you a good nightmare!

"Excision"(2012) begins with a rather stomach-churning dream sequence in which Pauline (AnnaLynne McCord) has a blood-soaked seizure as she profusely bleeds from various openings in her head and in the end vomits out blood as her doppelganger sits in front of her and appears to have a kind of orgasmic moment! Yes, this is just the beginning of a series of disgusting episodes that are to follow in this strange blend of the harrowing as well as the hilarious!

Pauline is the cliched cinematic representation of a mentally disturbed, socially inept, outcast teenager, a friendless girl labeled a freak! Sure, we’ve seen that kind of a character before haven’t we? What separates "Excision" from other films dealing with this type of persona is the fact that it is only Pauline herself that admits that she has a problem (specifically Borderline Personality Disorder) and begs to be sent to a proper psychiatrist, while neither her domineering mother Phyllis (Traci Lords), nor her clearly weak father Bob (Roger Bart), take her condition seriously. They send her instead, to a church parish Reverend William (John Waters), for some sermons that could probably help her out!

An aspiring surgeon, (or rather, a teen obsessed with performing a surgery of some kind) Pauline faces opposition from her parents, who probably know that she isn’t fit to be a surgeon at all! Only her repressed ambition to become a surgeon and her curiosity about STDs and necrophilia prompt her to make some rather unusual choices concerning loss of virginity and gives her nightmares (dreams?) of performing surgeries and having sex with brutally mangled dead bodies! In the midst of this, there’s her younger sister Grace (Ariel Winter), who is clearly more in control, but suffering from Cystic fibrosis! The desire to make amends and give her life some meaning, along with a heartfelt hope of curing her only sister makes Pauline take drastic steps of shocking proportions in the film’s most terrifying culmination….

"Excision" is a unique genre-bending work which provides the best of many worlds. To start with, it is a disturbing psychodrama about a troubled teen, but one which refrains from turning into a run-of-the-mill teen slasher horror and that’s a welcome relief. It plays out more like a psychological thriller that deals with this girl and how her quashed aspirations of becoming a surgeon manifest in the form of terrible dream sequences and extreme acts bordering on insanity! The film is at times downright repulsive, with its grotesque imagery and moments that make you squirm in your seats! Behold, the awesomely twisted nightmarish visions as seen by Pauline, a product of her obviously deteriorated state of mind, which are sure to please the gore-hounds and lovers of the surreal. And then again, it is also a family drama revolving around the lead character’s dysfunctional family.

Phyllis, the perfectionist mother who is extremely particular about the way things work around the house and about social discipline in general is complemented by the surprisingly quiet, submissive, father who may or may not have sexually abused Pauline in her childhood! Phyllis herself apparently has had a torrid childhood thanks to an extremely difficult mother, and hence wishes that her relationship with her daughters be far from the relationship she shared with her mother. Then there is Grace (Ariel Winter) who clearly cares about her older sister and is protective about her and vice versa. Only despite the seemingly well-intentioned chemistry there is something wrong in the daughters' upbringing, thus rendering their bonding rather half-baked.

Yet the parents always maintain that they only wish the best for their daughters now. There are some emotional one on one moments between family members but not ones that come off as traditionally melodramatic. These are moments laced with sardonic humour, and somewhere you know that the relationships are somehow unhealthy despite the family’s supposed attempts to let sanity prevail!

Richard Bates Jr. strikes a great balance between the darker and the funnier aspects of the film and this is where he succeeds the most! While he presents the more grisly parts of the film with a flavor that is sure to make the most hardened of horror buffs cringe in disgust, he also ensures that there is a genuinely lighter touch to uplift or appease the viewer and bring a smile on his face every once in a while!

There are some savagely comic moments strengthened by splendid performances, especially by Traci Lords who runs away with the best performance of the film. She is brilliant as the controlling mother who does show her soft side from time to time but one that always seems to lack any genuine warmth. This performance is followed by a rather scary looking AnnaLynne McCord's great act of the sociopath teen, further closely followed by Roger Bart who provides his sparse moments of deadpan comic brilliance! The straight-faced comedy works in the film's favor, considering it is primarily a work of psychological horror, yet none of the comic sequences seem misplaced or jarring and in fact make the film much more watchable. Veterans Malcolm McDowell, Ray Wise and John Waters appear in brief but fruitful roles in the context of the film and make their mark.

"Excision" brings to mind several older such thrillers based on deranged female leads, especially Lucky McKee's excellent "May" (2002) and on some level, the Australian shocker "The Loved Ones" (2009). Inspirations and similarities apart, "Excision" holds its own as a bloody revolting yet memorable little horror comedy. The screenplay however does take a dip somewhat when it comes to being engaging and seems slightly longer than its 80 minutes length. Moreover, some of the film's best sequences, a couple of dream sequences are cut extremely short and disappear before they make a bigger impact. Despite a few pacing issues, "Excision" is a film that is sure to stick with you for a long long time.  Go ahead and indulge...if you have the stomach for such stuff.

Score: 8/10

No Smoking (2007)

Maverick Indian filmmaker Anurag Kashyap ventures into surrealist territory with his ambitious but strange little film titled "No Smoking". This film was unanimously panned by critics and audiences alike upon its initial release in 2007 (much to Kashyap's dismay who has called it his favorite amongst all his directorial ventures). That certainly doesn't come as a surprise in a country that thrives on trademark Bollywood potboilers full of song and dance and essentially a mix of genres of slapstick comedy, romance and action. With "No Smoking", Kashyap pushes all boundaries and and presents to an unprepared audience, this Kafkaesque nightmare, partly inspired by films of David Lynch and some other filmmakers who don't mind messing with their audience's minds!

The story revolves around a central premise directly lifted from the Stephen King short story "Quitters Inc." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quitters,_Inc.). A man named K (John Abraham) is an arrogant, self-centered, narcissistic, filthy rich tycoon spoiled sick by his chain-smoking habit. He smokes practically everywhere, in his plush bathroom tub, in his bedroom, all over his house, his office and even the elevator in the building as he rudely asks a poor old woman who requests him to stop smoking, to take the stairs! 

His wife Anjali (Ayesha Takia), sick and tired of his habit and refusal to quit plans on divorcing him. But so arrogant is K, that he throws attitude standing in front of the mirror, talking to his reflection: "Nobody..tells me..what to do!" ("Taxi Driver" anyone?). An old pal Abbas Tyrewala (Ranvir Shorey) who seems ill at ease and visibly troubled, runs into K and mentions that he had successfully kicked the butt, thanks to Shri Shri Prakash Guru Ghantal Baba Bangali Sealdah Wale (Paresh Rawal), a god-man at the helm of a rehabilitation center simply called Prayogshala (The Laboratory).

After an initial reluctance and after his wife actually leaves the house, K agrees to pay Baba Bangali a visit. And this is where things start to slip into a nightmarish universe. This Prayogshala is unlike anything you may have seen. It has a call center/customer care run by women clad in veils. Several levels beneath the floor of a ramshackle shanty, strangely equipped with a single hi-tech gizmo, a palm-print identification device, lies the Prayogshala inhabited by the sinister Baba Bangali and his strange looking team of men and women assistants.

K soon realizes that once you get inside the Laboratory, you can’t get out on your own free will. Baba Bangali will always be watching you. Baba Bangali’s method of curing the addict involves the mechanics of fear. The addict is threatened with dire consequences to himself or a loved one, every time he/she succumbs to the vice! 

As it turns out Baba Bangali keeps the entire record of the addict’s history of smoking and the knowledge of people close to him in VHS tapes archived in an old dusty library..! A twisted complex maze of a journey now commences; K’s De-addiction program, one that would defy rationale and threaten to change K’s life as he knows it, forever!

Anurag Kashyap astonishes from the initial few frames and does it with aplomb, kicking off the proceedings with a bizarre dream sequence set amidst snow-clad landscapes in Siberia. At the culmination of this dream, as the soldier prepares to shoot K, the latter asks him for matches to light his cigarette! Kashyap holds our attention for almost three-fourths of the film despite the far-fetched nature of the plot. There are some spectacularly quirky traits of the director in the film-making which is perhaps the first of its kind in Indian cinema. We see some comic strip like speech/thought balloons appearing on screen to indicate a character's thoughts in sequences where there is no dialog.

Adding to the idiosyncrasies are some flashback sequences filmed in some crude black and white cinematography, with equally old tunes playing in the background and an accompanying sitcom-like laugh track in some darkly hilarious flashbacks, a la "Natural Born Killers". The dark humour infused within is extremely clever and there are some subtle jabs at older Bollywood films as well. The best thing about these oddities is that they work remarkably well in the black comedy context of the film and add a special touch to the proceedings, almost never found in Indian cinema.

There are some even darker comic moments in sequences between Paresh Rawal and John Abraham in the first visit to the Prayogshala, also involving the meek little midget assistant (Chaurasiya, played by Zahir) of Rawal. Kashyap's use of surrealism and seemingly irrational situations is actually a sign of some great symbolism-heavy, intelligent writing. There is a lot of spiritual meaning to be deciphered from the jargon used in the film about sin, redemption, forgiveness, and freeing of the soul from the root of all evil!

There are other themes running about too, those of a personal freedom and the thwarting of it by a greater power; perhaps the dominance of society and censorship on artistic freedom? In a rather brilliant piece of writing, Rawal's character tells K that his fee from the huge amount of money being charged is only INR Re. 1, which he accepts only in cash! In the film’s terrifying culmination, some light is thrown on what this Re. 1 is actually intended for. "No Smoking" is filled with sequences which are an absolute delight for lovers of surrealist films. There are moments that will make one respect Kashyap’s panache for writing and his commendable imagination and creativity.

Sadly, where Kashyap disappoints slightly, is in his own handling of his brilliant script. Apart from most deftly executed sequences including the aforementioned, eccentric but unique touches, sometimes Kashyap loses his way and behaves rather clumsily with some of the material, especially in the last act. There were some sequences which could’ve been better filmed or at least better edited to save it from spiraling down to the nadir of incoherency! It is considerably clear what Kashyap is trying to say as a whole, and it is very much appropriate that he chooses not to spoon-feed the viewer. But if you have chosen to let the images speak instead of blatant words of explanation, then it is imperative that it be done with a kind of finesse to make the images rich or substantial enough for the viewer to derive a satisfying theory or multiple ones at that, in a manner convincing enough, if you sit down to dissect each scene.

And this shift to incoherence is so abrupt, that Kashyap seems to be in a hurry to transport the viewer to the shockingly unreal climax in a flash, even forgetting that the viewer needs to go there in a steadily paced fashion in order to grasp what he is trying to communicate. Kashyap, also, unfortunately resorts to an unnecessary cabaret performance filmed on Jesse Randhawa, that heavily slackens the pace and kills the urgency of the narrative! In fact, most of the scenes after this have some irritatingly misfit, jarring songs accompanying them, most with lyrics related to smoking that are sometimes quite funny to hear, and that really mar the quality of these sequences. One particularly shocking sequence involving the protagonist’s brother comes off as rather flippant and unintentionally comic thanks to the horribly misplaced song in the background! A better choice of ambient accompanying score or sound design could’ve rendered these sequences much more effective.

Technically the film excels, especially in the sound design, art direction and the cinematography department. John Abraham shines in a performance of a character tailor-made for him. He fits the arrogant K to the T, even in some demanding sequences. This is arguably his greatest performance so far. The plump Ayesha Takia who doubles up as K’s wife Anjali and also his buxom, Barbie-doll secretary (curve-enhancing wardrobe, gaudy lip gloss, spectacles, the works!), doesn't really get much to do except make sad faces while watching Steven Spielberg's holocaust drama "Schindler’s List" and putting heavy makeup on! Paresh Rawal chews the scenery in whatever few scenes he has and gets to mouth some of the best lines in the film. Special mention must be made of Ranvir Shorey for his fantastic performance, albeit in a tiny role, as K’s paranoid friend Abbas.

"No Smoking" is a solid effort from one of the few Indian filmmakers who dare to embark on a path devoid of conventionalism. As far as the handing is concerned, unfortunately, it falters somewhat. But the idea that is "No Smoking" is far too extraordinary to nitpick based on minor flaws of the craft. A few mistakes notwithstanding, Kashyap has made an important film, and I wish he and other Indian filmmakers take cue and make more films like these.

Score: A solid 8/10

Holy Motors (2012)

***NOTE: The following analysis/review may contain MILD SPOILERS regarding some detail in the film, but not to the extent of taking anything away from the film viewing experience as such .***

Something like "Holy Motors" comes once in a blue moon and hits you like a thunderbolt that threatens to change your life forever. How? It makes you taste blood and reinforces your belief in great cinema. It makes a huge percentage of other films you may have revered seem pale in comparison. It makes you believe that inventive vision and great craft are still alive! 

"Holy Motors" begins with a scene filmed on the film's maker himself! Leos Carax, known in credits only as Le Dormeur, opens up a secret door with a key that is fused to his finger (a middle finger, no less! Symbolism?)! The door then leads to a packed old movie hall, with a film playing, while the entire audience appears to be dead or asleep or in a trance-like state. Only a couple of dogs and a small baby are seen wandering about! Sounds bizarre? Well, this magnificent and enigmatic beginning is…..only the beginning! 

We cut to an entirely different setup now. A freaky looking man, Mr. Oscar (Denis Lavant), who seems to be a prolific businessman climbs aboard his stretch limo driven by Celine (Edith Scob). He asks Celine about his appointments for the day, and they appear in some file kept next to Oscar. He flips through the file and what follows next is nothing short of a sudden transportation into an entirely new dimension of unreason!  Prima facie, what these appointments consist of, are some unusual tasks or jobs, presumably acting jobs for Oscar, as he changes his makeup and costume every time he sets out of his limo to fulfill a particular appointment! So while in one such appointment he becomes an old homeless woman standing on the street begging for alms, in the next he is a motion capture artist putting on a strange costume for some animated screen action, probably for a video game or an erotic animation film! In yet another scenario (or is it his reality?) he is a father of a teenage girl, trying to exercise his power on her.

As the scenarios in Oscar's appointments start to get increasingly weird and even become a matter of life and death, you start wondering what his job is really all about! Further on, some hints are sprinkled as to what it could all mean. But in the end, Leos Carax is another one of those filmmakers who don't believe in wrapping everything up neatly in a nice package. In the classic tradition of surrealist filmmakers like David Lynch, he leaves you flummoxed but not at the cost of not making any sense at all. Leos Carax's film is an intellectually stimulating futuristic road trip of sorts, in which the hero keeps moving on in a seemingly never-ending journey of shifting identities. It literally appears as if Oscar is being transported from one universe to another, ceasing to exist in one life, and moving on to the next. What is he doing all of that for? Who are his employers? Is he being forced to perform these duties? Is there some greater force controlling Oscar's moves? 

The only other human connection that we see is in the form of Celine. But who is she really? Perhaps a personal secretary appointed by Oscar's employers.  Someone sent to overlook Oscar's activities to make sure he is on the right track. Or could she be there to prevent him from escaping this loop that he has found himself in? It is not entirely clear. There are a whole lot of different interpretations that can be drawn from the attack of all the mind-bending and sometimes macabre images Carax throws at us!

There could be various ways to look at it, but it wouldn’t be very wrong to say that "Holy Motors" paints a rather scary picture of the future of entertainment. Perhaps it is hinting at an idea of cinema and reality TV blending together to give entertainment an entirely new meaning. Perhaps it is Carax's exaggerated portrayal of how actors become slaves to showbiz and are willing to go to any levels to get those hits and stay one-up. Then again, it could be a vividly imagined scenario of real life seamlessly merging with reel life for an actor, as he forgets his real existence, and starts living his various roles. On a more abstract level, could it be that "Holy Motors" is a depiction of Oscar's own personal hell? Maybe a depiction of an actor doomed to live this kind of vagabond existence from which there is no escape. And that the man at the helm of Oscar's journey of madness is the man we see in the beginning, Le Dormeur, showcasing Oscar's act to his zombified audiences! But given Carax's eccentricity, chances are, it could also hint at his own isolation and eventual return to the world of cinema (this is Carax's first feature film in thirteen years) depicted in a dream-like vision, or a symbolic representation that the audience with an appetite for some real cinema no longer exists or is dead...!

Regardless of whether there is any deeper meaning to the narrative or not,  it is not particularly essential to dissect the film. A patient viewer can still indulge in this freewheeling adventure by completely submitting to whatever Carax has to offer and come out immensely satisfied. And just when you think that you’ve seen it all and that it can't get any weirder, Carax takes the film towards its shockingly unreal culmination that is sure to make you levitate from your seat and applaud the filmmaker for his radically bohemian vision.

Technically brilliant in all areas, "Holy Motors" maintains an oneiric feel throughout. There are some highly imaginative, fantastical visuals and some great music too. At one point the film almost turns into a musical, perhaps to simply mystify the viewer or to bend genres randomly. Either way, it brings out the whimsicality of Carax (in a positive way, of course) who just wants to go all out with his material. With each new appointment, comes a new episode in Oscar's life, each episode more eventful than the last. The proceedings are maddening, but not frustrating. As a matter of fact, you find yourself giving in to the delirious perplexity and can't help but be hooked to the screen in a raised anticipation of what’s to follow.

Denis Lavant who carries the film over his able shoulders delivers the performance of a lifetime, donning several different roles and very comfortably disappearing into each of the diverse personae he assumes. Kylie Minogue, Michel Piccoli and Eva Mendes appear in brief but very important roles and make their mark. Edith Scob is apt for the character of Celine. Watch out for that scene in which there's a nod to her most famous film appearance.

Despite the long hiatus from feature-length cinema, Leos Carax has returned with a bang and delivered a landmark film, a highly captivating, daringly original, modern avant-garde masterpiece that would make Luis Bunuel proud. "Holy Motors" is sure to go down in history as one of the most important films ever made.

Score: 10/10

Berberian Sound Studio (2012)

There's something awfully sinister about the Berberian Sound Studio. Walking through those eerily empty corridors and upon hearing some piercing screams coming from one of the recording studios, our gentlemanly but seemingly meek protagonist Gilderoy (Toby Jones) already seems ill at ease.

Nothing really happens at the outset, but from the first few frames, merely with the help of ambient sound, an enigmatic background score, a visibly disconcerted central character and a rather unwelcoming and rude desk secretary Elena (Tonia Sotiropoulou), writer-director Peter Strickland already establishes a sense of foreboding. This quality of sufficiently dislocating a viewer from a state of composure via cinematic effects is what this excellent new British film, "Berberian Sound Studio" is all about.

It's the 1970s, as is evident from the paraphernalia lying around the front desk. The aforementioned Gilderoy is supposedly a highly revered Sound Engineer and Foley Artist, called upon by a famous but smug Italian director Santini (Antonio Mancino) to provide his services for his next, a horror slasher film of the giallo genre! Now anyone familiar with this genre knows that these sort of films are those crude, low-budget pictures high on the gore quotient, rife with ghastly images of torture, violence, blood splatter and sometimes sexual violence! Poor old Gilderoy, used to working on family friendly nature documentaries, is obviously taken aback!

Already somewhat apprehensive about the assignment, Gilderoy meets some more strange people in the studio, including the initially over-friendly but later rather condescending, foul-mouthed producer Francesco (Cosimo Fusco) who clearly seems to have a disrespect for women, especially those in the industry. And then there's the flamboyant, ever-smiling director Santini who walks around with his dog, spreading cheer all around, but has a dark side to him..! It is only Silvia (Fatma Mohamed) who seems to take some genuine liking to Gilderoy and ominously hints that there's something fishy about the business in the studio!

As his job on the film begins, Gilderoy grows increasingly unnerved, thanks to the language barrier, a very different work culture, and more importantly, the frightening nature of his work that starts to take a toll on his frail psyche as he finds himself losing touch with reality and disappearing into an otherworldly nightmare...

"Berberian Sound Studio" is a very clever film. It can be classified as a psychological thriller that's a homage to the Italian giallo films and also the films of the 70s with an emphasis on analogue sound and magnetic tapes. It isn't a horror film per se, but it showcases the mechanics of the making of such cinema. It highlights the very essence of scare tactics that filmmakers usually employ. A lot of time is spent on giving us an educative tour of sound production in cinema. So while we don't actually see the film that Gilderoy is working on, we only see him create the sound for some barbaric acts that are part of this film! While we don't actually see any bloodletting or graphic violence happening, we still cringe in disgust, as some squishy melons are smashed to create an effect of a body falling from a height! We visualize terrible things just as some hard watermelons are chopped incessantly with a butcher's knife to sound like a human body being chopped or beheaded, and cabbages are stabbed to produce a realistic sound for a body being subjected to a knife attack multiple times! We shudder at the thought of even imagining anything as some tomato juice is blended to create the effect of a chainsaw at work and leaves from radishes are uprooted from the root to make us believe that some women on screen said to be witches are being subjected to torture by having their hair uprooted from their scalp!

Strickland's wise decision of not showing us what happens on screen and simply guiding us with the narration of some scenes and providing us the sound effects for the same leaves room for a lot of imagination, and that makes the whole experience even scarier. He shows us how sound plays a very important role in a horror film or any film that sets out to disturb its audiences. Thus, this film relies a lot on its sound design, one of the film's greatest assets, to put forth this point convincingly. There are some great visuals to behold, blended together with some fine sonic effects. There is a lot of attention to detail, specifically pertaining to the processes in the sound production department. Strickland's use of lighting is noteworthy, especially in the scenes shot in the vocal recording booths, or during the power cuts, or what seems to be Gilderoy's transition into a nightmare. Some finer moments like how Massimo and Massimo (Pal Toth and Jozeph Cseres), the two sound artists go on to consume the melons that they chop for the sound, and promptly offer some to Gilderoy are sure to make you smile rather nervously!

Often deemed Lynchian, "Berberian Sound Studio" indeed does seem heavily inspired by the works of David Lynch. It is not just the meticulous sound design that is so evidently similar to that employed by David Lynch, but also the themes that reflect some of Lynch's recent work. Apart from the mystifying oddities of the screenplay, a la "Lost Highway", there are similarities to be found with "Mulholland Drive", specifically in the narrative aspects focusing on the dark side of the glamourous world of film-making and the morally corrupt brass who exploit their artists. Additionally worth noting is the repeated flashing of the red sign that reads "Silenzio"! There is also a reference to "Inland Empire" as there are similarities to be found with John Carpenter's highly underrated psychological horror "In the Mouth of Madness" in one terrifying scene towards the third act. The idea of a jittery, disturbed central character who slips away into a nightmarish situation is also similar to Lynch's "Eraserhead".

Film inspirations apart, "Berberian Sound Studio" has its own power of messing with the viewer's mind with its surreal, unsettling atmosphere, some intelligently written scenes which are outrageously bizarre, definitely capable of inducing a nervous chuckle and successfully disturbing the viewer through its modest 90 minutes length. Beneath its thriller exterior, there is a dark wit to be found in its subtle satirical notes. It is also brilliantly acted, especially by the lead actor Toby Jones who runs away with a classy performance. Peter Strickland is a director to look out for, for with "Berberian Sound Studio", which is only his second film, he has surely delivered a masterpiece.

For maximum effect, watch alone, with a pair of headphones on.

Score: 10/10

Compliance (2012)

***NOTE: The following analysis/review may contain MILD SPOILERS regarding some detail in the film, but not to the extent of making the film viewing experience any lesser.

In 1961, Yale University Psychologist Stanley Milgram conducted a series of social psychology experiments, collectively termed The Milgram Experiment.  These experiments tested the willingness of the participants to submit to a person of authority by obeying him/her and perform certain acts even if they went against their moral conscience. The purpose of the experiment was specifically to answer a question about the existence of a sense of morality in some Nazi SS Officers who carried out the Holocaust. The point that was being driven at was, that a majority of these officers were only following orders, and it had nothing to do with their own moral beliefs about the ghastly deeds in question.

Something similar was done much later, only this was no official experiment. It was a series of prank calls made to fast food chains and departmental stores over a few years in the early 2000s! The caller posing to be an authoritative figure, like a policeman, called up mostly fast food restaurants in small towns across the USA and convinced the store managers/floor managers to conduct strip searches of their young female employees, under the pretext of seeking their help to carry out a bigger police investigation! One of these cases went so far as to turn into a lewd circus of humiliation, involving three to four other members, one of them not even employed with the restaurant! All this, thanks to the very smooth-talking caller and a dimwitted store manager who felt she was helping the police! This shocking event happened at a McDonald’s restaurant in Mount Washington, Kentucky. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strip_search_prank_call_scam#Mount_Washington.2C_Kentucky.2C_incident).

Writer-Director Craig Zobel’s 2012 disturbing thriller, "Compliance" is based on this event. Sandra (Ann Dowd, terrific; the best performance in the film), a middle-aged manager of Chickwich, a local fast food chain, is having a bad day at work. It’s Friday and there was already an incidence of a freezer door being left open the night before, leading to spoiled goods worth $1500! Already upset and somewhat tensed about facing the regional manager about this, she instructs her employees to be on their toes and make do with whatever limited urgent stock of Bacon and pickles they ordered. Business continues as usual, until one phone call made to the back office changes everything!

A voice claiming to be Officer Daniels (Pat Healy) asks to speak with Sandra and informs her that there’s a person with him, reporting a theft by one of the employees at ChickWich, a young, blonde girl. He also claims that he has the regional manager on the other line and wants to get to the bottom of the matter on the phone if possible, and get it over with sooner. Sandra, believing the girl in question to be Becky (Dreama Walker), as she fits the description, brings her in. Mentioning that there was no officer to run over to the restaurant right now, Officer Daniels smooth talks Sandra and convinces her that she would do a great favor to the police by helping out. After an initial search for the stolen money in Becky’s pockets and purse, Sandra is instructed to strip search the girl, and if necessary, hinted to carry out a body cavity search! And this is where things start to get uglier. The caller asks a lot of questions, some uncomfortable ones, reaffirms that he is the authority, the law, and it is Sandra’s and the other staff’s duty to comply! He also adds that there is a bigger investigation going on, and if either Becky or Sandra refuse to cooperate, he may have to detain her or both of them in police custody for questioning!

What begins as a preliminary check to look for money turns into an ordeal of humiliation and harassment that continues over the next few hours, with involvement from others, including Sandra’s fiancé, Van (Bill Camp, in a neatly restrained, ambiguous performance), participating in the revolting act which, indeed, turns into an abasing sexual assault, all at the behest of the caller who calls himself the authority!

Though not a very easy film to watch, Zobel gives us a highly effective, claustrophobic nail-biter; a kind of film that is capable of having a strong psychological effect on the viewer. It proves to be Zobel’s own experiment with the audiences to find how they react as mute spectators to the on-goings in the film! What kind of a reaction is this film capable of invoking? I am sure there may have been several walkouts, some others may have scoffed at the implausibility of the events, still others must have felt sickened, yet sat through it anyway! There were a few times I felt like yelling "How dumb is this! Verify if that man is indeed a police officer! No policeman would ask you to do that! Why aren’t you personally calling the regional manager?" My own reaction was that of seething rage, frustration and helplessness. It was simply difficult to fathom  that something like this could happen! And then that paves the way for jotting down several character actions and reactions which could go down as inherent technical flaws or holes that demand a lot of suspension of disbelief on the part of the viewer! Why give in to the caller’s demands? Why not just let yourself get arrested, come face to face with the complainant and get the matter sorted out? Why even perform the deeds? Can they just not pretend? The caller can’t see them anyway. Why does Sandra not call the regional manager herself to corroborate the officer’s claim that he is on the other line? Why does Sandra leave her middle-aged, drunk fiancé alone with Becky and ask him to obey the officer’s orders? And finally, why does he in turn, comply? Did he not have the sanity that the woman he was engaged to, lacked? Maybe it was his own loyalty being put to the test by the twisted mind of the caller! Maybe he was already a man, sick in the head, being seduced by a golden chance of being an authority by himself and getting to do forbidden things to a comely young girl half his age…

A lot many questions keep hammering you until you face the fact that such behavior is very much possible, if not always probable! At this juncture we would probably put ourselves in their shoes. What would we have done in a similar situation? Majority of the answers would be "anything but that"! Frankly, that’s easier said than done, with a police officer being put on hold, threatening to detain one of you in custody for not co-operating with the law! Maybe some of us would risk it, and eventually save ourselves a lot of trouble. But this is exactly where diverse human traits come into play! Not all of us are risk takers are we?

Then we recall Milgram’s experiment! Milgram did find some success, wherein the subjects obeyed the experimenter, regardless of their personal view on the act in question! At least the subjects in Milgram’s experiments knew they were a part of an experiment, but still went along, when prodded! It is reported that in Milgram’s first set of experiments, he had more than 50% subjects who complied! But the characters in this film are only meek individuals trying to make a living. They merely wanted to get the situation out of the way as quickly as possible and avoid a long police procedure! Blame it on lack of common sense or lack of intelligence. Or in other cases, the fear of the law or simply the itch for dominance and power! No matter how ridiculous and twisted the demands of the caller got, the people in question, barring a couple, always obeyed! Did they do wrong?

Nonetheless, the inevitable aftermath of the incident followed; people were fired, others went into therapy, and the perpetrator, an ordinary family man got arrested (and later acquitted!). But at what cost? An unfortunate incident, a harmless prank turning into a lifetime of shame!

Barring the rather cold, wooden performance of Dreama Walker, as Becky, the victim, "Compliance" is a remarkable low-budget indie thriller that is worth your time. If for nothing else, do watch it as an lesson in awareness. It could happen to you…!

Score: 8/10