Movie : Pastiche
Director : shivaan Makker
Can a falling man save his last breath and everyone he loves or would he let them fall into a cauldron of despair!
The definition of Pastiche suggests a work of art which follows a specific process of imitation. The resemblance can be to another work of art, an artist or a specific period. From the first frame of the movie , it is evident that the director is a lover of cinema. It is his tribute to a world of profound jubilation, a world of immense pleasure and a world of stories. It is a thriller about the thrillers that have occupied our minds for the right reasons. The pattern of narration, the frames, the sequence of events, everything suggests the director’s admiration for art, his love for tropes like suspense, mystery and horror.
The story gyrates around a man who currently resides in the abode of agony without a hint of glee. He must protect his family at all cost from the pangs of a couple of aggressive people who have invaded his house where he stays with his wife and his son. The events occur over a course of a single day with little to no indication of impending doom over the protagonist and his family. The proleptic appearance of blood, the subsequent violent exchanges, the greed, the agony, the lust – everything remains true to the occurences that place themselves one after the other organically.
The story oscillates around characters and confusion. The protagonist appears evidently depressed, bogged down by the tedium of life. He appears tired and clueless. Yet he decides to carry on, to seek the elusive light at the end of the tunnel.
His wife and son appear to be having a casual conversation. They appear to be preparing for dinner. It is at that very moment they hear a sound, an indication of order turning into chaos.
A couple of masked men act as harbingers of chaos. They appear violent from the very outset. The represent the unconscious penchant for chaos that lurks inside mankind. (Zolpidem) They are savages who appear uncanny but never distant. Their intent is to annihilate and their methods are erratic and devious. However, there is a sequence when they start bickering against each other. Perhaps a moment of comic relief for the audience. A moment to gather our thoughts together in eager anticipation for the events that shall follow.
The presence of metatheatrical elements enhance the depth of the narrative. There are references of movies like A clockwork Orange, The Silence of the lambs and One flew over the cuckoo’s Nest which clearly strengthen the title of the movie. It is also the director’s way of paying homage. One would also be reminded of the dialogues and conversations in the movies by Quentin Tarantino. Specifically the hilarious exchanges between characters in the middle of a violent sequence.
The trope of parody in the movie does the job of perpetually interacting with the audience and making them laugh and glare in moments. It ensures that there is a smile on the face of each and every one who watches the film.
The performances are impeccable in the movie. Their adroit effort makes us love and hate certain characters of the movie in equal proportions.
Another interesting trope used in the movie is ensuring the presence of a voyeuristic gaze. It is almost as if the audience is an active part of the drama. In fact there is a moment of dramatic irony in the film when the audience is aware of the presence of the invaders before the wife and son of the protagonist.
The movie impresses because it is a cinema about cinema. It reminds us of the movies we have admired over the years. Movies that have somewhere shaped us, the cinephiles. That is the usp of Pastiche.
