2 points for visuals. There's nothing more to the story. I am all up for representation of sexuality, however, this attempt is too pretentious. Too many issues introduced all at once, not addressed properly- end product is nothing more than a glittery mess. Acting is not good either. The characters deliver their dialogues as if on a gunpoint. The main lead appears to be creepy at times, in how he keeps walking in a trance like state or smiling for no reason. The whole mellow of falling in love is not felt. "Love" is not even explored as a theme, the movie concerns itself with how a guy coming of age desperately needs to have sex. Nudity looks forced. Comparisons with Call Me By Your Name are obvious, however, that movie knew what it was doing with its characters. It allowed the audience to get into what the character was feeling. The experience of falling in love was palpable therefore. Here, the main guy isn't likeable. Not even relatable for most, not because of his sexuality but because he's just unreal. The intercourse between him and his professor at college is very problematic - and somehow, the director seems to be convinced it's not. A student quite literally uses his body to exploit his professor. And the professor on the student's insistence has sex with him. Seriously? The narrative tries to bring to the fore feminist issues, but falls flat. The girl is not likeable. The western references are too repetitive which is why the story's setting in India appears jarring. Serious misreadings of spirituality riddle the narrative. For the director, the driving force in anyone's life is the libido which is not true. The impact of heartbreak is not even felt - because the emotional quotient is totally absent from the movie. Prateek works like a cold face ghost. No passion, no emotion.
Movies like these make me question, why do people concern themselves with the look of a movie and fail to acknowledge what connects at the end of the day is story and the characters. Some reviewers are raving about this deplorable mess only because it represents homosexuality. However, there's no point depicting the experience of love (homo, hetero any) if it's done so superficially and pretentiously.
Movies like these make me question, why do people concern themselves with the look of a movie and fail to acknowledge what connects at the end of the day is story and the characters. Some reviewers are raving about this deplorable mess only because it represents homosexuality. However, there's no point depicting the experience of love (homo, hetero any) if it's done so superficially and pretentiously.
