Film: Talking of Michelangelo Genre: Experimental Narrative Director: Modhurima Sinha Initial Release: 17th November 2017 Re-Release: 28th August 2020 Platform: mycinemahall

Producers: Arijit Roychowdhury Vivek Singhania Modhurima Sinha

Cast: Aparna Sen Victor Banerjee Sreenanda Shankar Abhinandan Dutta Siddharth Ghosh

Cinematographer(s): Abhijit Dutta Asish Halder

Editor: Swarnava Chakraborty

Sound Designer(s): Ritaban Basu Amit Kumar Dutta

Quite a different feel to the fresh form of a genre. A narrative with a difference. The story of the 'within' & the life outside of us. The true self that we are Vs the individual the world sees. The haze of the perception built around us, about us and the real us.

Noteworthy filmmaking from the visionary director & producers.

Stars: 3.5 out of 5

Premise: The film is based on T.S.Eliot's poem-'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. A beautifully woven story of Nandini, a wealthy & married young woman who belongs to the elite circle of urban contemporary Calcutta, with this poem as the base narrative, talks about the opening up to the real world of happiness & true essence of being. This is the journey of the protagonist, Nandini, from ignorance of the real world to the discovery of self.

Modhurima Sinha, the director of this film has showcased each frame as a painting of the thought, the inner-mind & how it works. The unfolding of Nandini's character is portrayed through a series of photography and how her opinion of the world changes her demeanor & personality is beautifully brought out to the audience.

Sinha showcased the human emotions & what goes on in the minds, flawlessly. A smooth transition of thoughts and events have been portrayed well through the edits by Swarnava.

The nuances of every relationship is established by the actors' toned down & poised expressions. The first half established the subtle undercurrents of the plot. The cinematography of this film is worth the mention as every frame takes the story ahead. The nuances of lighting from the Noir tone to the bright outdoors when the freedom of mind and thought is depicted, is commendable. Abhijit Dutta's work speaks volumes when it comes to painting the frames & shots through the lens. Music and it's essence cannot go wrong with stalwarts like Debajyoti Mishra. From Western classical to Hindustani classical & folk, it added a touch of emotion to the scenes doing complete justice to the plot.

Set at a leisurely pace, the first 30 minutes does not give out much to the audience. The loneliness of the protagonist shouts out loud. Then comes the inspiration and the change in tone. Though story could have had a little more depth to the supporting characters, the role of Nandini, played by Sreenanda Shankar is flawless & stands out. Her silence speaks louder than her words. The expression in eyes bares her soul to the audience.

The recitation of the poem by Aparna Sen & Victor Banerjee is a work of art; a masterpiece that gives this film an edge over the others of the same genre.

This is a strong plot & subject, portrayed in a simple narrative.

My rating would be 3.5 out of 5.