One of Vivek Von Trier's masterpiece is Hate Story. Vivek Von Trier attempts to glorify the idea that a girl can control anyone under her by feeding her pussy in these film. Furthermore, the dialogue "Mai iss seher ki sabse badi r*ndi banna chahti hu" demonstrates how incredibly generous Vivek Von Trier is. I'm curious as to why this film was unnoticed by the Academy and every single film festival award. A true pornomatic gem in the history of cinema.
A strong story drowned by the films appalling misogyny. All the men are painted as dumb fools who'll do anything for the bat of an eyelid, and the lead female character's sexuality is exploited to the point of incredulity. And who's holding the camera during the 'spy CCTV' scenes??! Ridiculous.
A thoroughly satisfying tale of a woman, abused by a powerful man, turning to strike back at him; a tale of sexual harassment and its reversal like has more resonance now, than when released in 2012. Dam cuts a striking figure, and I thoroughly enjoyed the scheming interplay between Kayva and Siddharth. For example, he sends his investigator to bug her house, only for her to find the audio-visual devices and use them to send disinformation back at him. Then he releases the steamy tapes to the media, framing her for the murder of her lover. I was impressed with the ending, too - it's moral and grim at the same time. Despite the extended duration, the time sped by.
Film: "Hate Story IV"; Director: Vishal Pandya; Cast: Urvashi Rautela, Vivan Bhatena, Karan Wahi, Ihana Dhillon and Gulshan Grover; Rating: ***
For a change, this fourth edition of "Hate Story" series is a pleasant surprise. It is not a noir film but it certainly has a femme fatale who is impressive and who holds her own against characters that are bad.
Keeping with the theme of the franchise, revenge remains the core issue at the heart of this tale too. And there is ample skin show and frothy music which unfortunately does nothing to propel the narrative.
The story by Sameer Arora revolves around business tycoon Vikram Khurana's two sons Aryan (Vivan Bhatena) and Rajvir (Karan Wahi). While Aryan is happily married to Rishma (Ihana Dhillon), Rajvir is a flirt whose girlfriends don't last for over six months.
Rajvir stumbles upon Tasha (Urvashi Rautela) after he is assigned to find a fresh face to model for their company with the instruction, "Aisa chehra jo madhosh bhi kare aur hosh bhi uda de".
Tasha is a dancer at a local club who aspires to be a model. And she certainly fits the bill for not only does Rajvir fall for her, but also his older brother Aryan and their father Vikram (Gulshan Grover) -- who too has a roving eye but keeps it in check owing to his forthcoming mayoral elections -- find her very attractive.
While Rajvir genuinely falls in love with Tasha, Aryan hoodwinks his brother to get closer to her. But what it results in is a web of manipulation, doubt, blackmail and ultimately revenge.
The plot, narrated in a non-linear manner, is skilfully crafted with a taut and neat screenplay. The first half of the film is racy and keeps you hooked and the second half gets into a preachy tone.
The dynamics between the actors are rock solid. With her oomph and floss, Urvashi Rautela as the femme fatale Tasha is impressive. She is the star attraction of the film.
Of the two male leads, neither Vivan Bhatena nor Karan Wahi have the on-screen charisma to counter-balance Urvashi. They deliver, but perfunctorily.
Gulshan, on the other hand, is slack and wasted in a stereotypical role.
The production quality of the film is superior and the visuals by cinematographer Sunita Radia are appealing. While the locales and scenes are matter-of-factly layered, the songs are cut like music videos. None of the songs stand out.
Overall, "Hate Story IV" is an engrossing tale despite its predictability.
How did you come to make the film?
Kangaroos are one of the most recognizable icons in the world and have always held a fascination for the directors of this film. We set out to explore the wonder of this magnificent and unique animal. However we also recognized it was at the heart of a complex and divided situation in Australia.
We knew opinion was split around this famous icon and that would make an interesting story but once we started the research and interviews we were surprised to learn that millions of kangaroos are shot each year and sold for profit. It seemed incongruous to us that Australians, who are immensely proud to hold up the kangaroo as their beloved national symbol, would sanction their nightly killing.
Some scientists are working on co-existence methods with farmers to encourage sharing the landscape. However education is needed within Australia itself before any change of ideology will happen. Is there a need for a solution, a change of ideology, some robust science and public discourse? Definitely.
"We interviewed many different scientists in Australia and there seem to be many opposing views. We were surprised to find resistance from government, industry and across the universities to open up a national conversation with these different experts."
I recently watched a new award-winning film about the plight of iconic kangaroos in Australia called Kangaroo - A Love-Hate Story (THE TRAILER can be seen here). As I'm writing now, the trailer for this riveting and well-rounded expos that discusses what some call the worst slaughter on eartheven more brutal than seal huntsalready has more than 398,000 views.
I've watched Kangaroo a few times and decided to reach out to the people who made the film, Kate McIntyre Clere and Mick McIntyre, to see if they had the time to answer a few questions about it. Below is what they had to say.
Why did you make Kangaroo?
We make films that celebrate the natural environment. We loved the idea of showcasing this magnificent Australian animal to the world. What we did not know was the kangaroo is at the center of the largest mass destruction of wildlife in the world.
Who is your intended audience?
Once we started filming we also thought people would want to know about the mass killing going on each night across Australia and how they may be directly participating in the kangaroo's destruction through their pocketbooks
Kangaroos are one of the most recognizable icons in the world, right up there with the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty. The kangaroo is an image that defines Australia to the world with 95 percent of visitors to Australia wanting to see a kangaroo. We felt that Kangaroo, the movie, was an international story that everyone would want to know about. Once we started filming we also thought people would want to know about the mass killing going on each night across Australia and how they may be directly participating in the kangaroo's destruction through their pocketbooks.
What are you main messages?
Kangaroo - A Love-Hate Story gives the audience a well-rounded view of the situation in Australia and lets them make up their own minds.
Most people know very little about kangaroos, their biology, their natural habitat, the commercial kangaroo industry, the products made from kangaroo parts. Kangaroo - A Love-Hate Story gives the audience a well-rounded view of the situation in Australia and lets them make up their own minds. Please watch the film so you can learn all the complexities surrounding the kangaroo
How did kangaroos go from icon to victim? Was it money or simply a hate for a supposed so-called pest?
When Australia was colonized by white settlers over 250 years ago the kangaroos were killed as meat for eating but as sheep and cattle herds grew over the next 100 years, many people stopped eating kangaroo, however they were still frequently killed for sport. It didnt take long before the white settlers began to see kangaroos as competing with their stock for feed, and damaging their crops. Later when ecosystems collapsed from over-stocking of introduced livestock the farmers blamed the kangaroos and believed they needed to be removed from the landscape. This idea that kangaroos are seen as a pest has continued through until the present day.
How do kangaroo killers get away with ignoring the science?
We interviewed many different scientists in Australia and there seem to be many opposing views. We were surprised to find resistance from government, industry and across the universities to open up a national conversation with these different experts.
How has Kangaroo been received?
Kangaroo was well received when screening at several film festivals, winning three awards along the way. The film was then picked up by distributors Abramorama in the U.S. and Indievillage in Australia. Kangaroo opens theatrically in America in New York and Los Angeles January 19 and continues in theatres across the country. For more details visit kangaroothemovie.com. Reviews to date have been very promising and more will come out as it opens in each city. It opens in Australia on March 15.
Do you have hope that Kangaroo will change people's minds and hearts about the rampant killingsome might say, murderof these iconic sentient beings?
We definitely want to start a conversation. We believe that after people watch Kangaroo they will be much more informed of the issues and be able to make clear decisions around their shopping choices and what they want the Australian government to be doing for the welfare and ultimate future of this iconic wildlife.
Is there anything else you would like to share with readers?
Please watch the trailer now and share with friends. Kangaroo has many social media tags.1 See it at a cinema or host your own screening of the film
"Cruelty can't stand the spotlight"