In Karan Kandhari's Sister Midnight, Radhika Apte plays a woman who marries her childhood sweetheart only to discover that married life isn't all she dreamed it would be. Early in the film, you realize there's nothing typical about this couple, even though this is the ideal of domesticity in the Indian context. Get married, move into any one-room house you can find, cook for your hardworking husband, and get on with life. But Sister Midnight is an ambitious black comedy that will make you react viscerally to the plot unfolding before you. Or maybe you'll ask yourself, "What the hell...?", "Did I just watch it?" I think either reaction is a success for Karan, who has made a profound film in the most comedic way possible.
I'm not going to tell you that you should watch arthouse films to give yourself an intellectual edge over others, because the truth is, when I saw this film, I felt really stupid for not being able to understand what was going on. How uncreative of me! "Why can't I understand other people's creativity?" But, long after I finished the film, it stayed with me for days, and slowly, I began to understand. So, maybe I'm not that stupid, and this is the perfect example of subjective independent cinema. I think Karan intentionally weaves an almost silent story (at least the first 15 minutes seem dialogue-free, but even after that, it's pretty minimalist) that leaves you questioning every little detail, as if you were a drone outside a gossipy neighbor's window. No, I don't really like gossip, but this film made me feel like I was in the inner circle.
Director: Karan Kandhari
Writer: Karan Kandhari
Stars: Radhika Apte, Ashok Pathak, Chhaya Kadam
The problem with an ambitious film with CGI goats and a genius actress, who is often misinterpreted as "too edgy" or simply underrated, is that you're bound to get mixed reviews. The easiest way to give this film an unbiased synopsis is to say it's about a woman who gets married expecting a fairy tale, but ends up having a nightmare. But that's quite an understatement of the image I've made. There it is, because it's so much more than that. Well, imagine I'm Professor Utonium (from The Powerpuff Girls). If I had to describe Sister Midnight's chemical formula X, I'd say it has a touch of satire, some snapshots of domestic life, a ton of talent, a handful of fantasy, and a dash of chaos. I think this makes it easier to realize this film isn't for everyone. I guess you could say it's for cinephiles, because they could at least pretend to like it, since it's an ode to the artist and their art, rather than a studio director-approved edit. It's only half-joking, but I don't think many people will be excited about trying to figure out what's going on, because it's not linear, it's not cohesive, it doesn't even provide answers—it just happens, and the craziness piles up.
The truth is, some of the content in this film struck me as an antiquated take on people's expectations of the big city of Mumbai. Instead of huge potholes and traffic so bad it takes four hours to reach your destination, we see empty streets, beautiful colors, and a lot of trash. I think if I were to make a film set in Mumbai today, it would have that sepia filter we see in Korean apocalyptic films, but I digress. I guess, in a way, the city here has a life of its own. Yes, we know it doesn't sleep and that you can find someone helpful around every corner. But the narrative paints a disappointing picture of the eclectic city. I think there's an attempt to capture this disparity when we see Uma find work in a much more urban environment than where she lives.
Remember how I said this film was about a woman who marries her childhood crush? By that, I meant he's a guy she looked up to when she was in school and ended up marrying because she had to. For me, the film lacks that, as it remains... It's a bit stuck in the past, and that's its biggest drawback. Personally, I watched it as entertainment and was entertained, but if you're looking for answers or reading between the lines, I can't help but imagine you might be quite disappointed.
Visually, the film is incredible, and except for the CGI goats, which I found too absurd, I thoroughly enjoyed every frame, some of which at times seem almost theatrical due to the lighting. Cinematography 10/10. But I think the best thing is the background music, embellished with different languages and genre twists, which makes the film that much cooler. Oh, I guess it makes it clear that this film was made in the age of "TikTok" without using modern technology in any way. I honestly don't know what I'm saying right now, but let's just leave it at the great music.
There's no denying that the highlight of the film is Radhika Apte herself, who, as always, gives a phenomenal performance. I mean, this must be a piece of cake for her at this point, right? From her expressive eyes to her incredible shifts in tone, I think she's an actress capable of playing any role and looking made for it. The supporting cast is also fabulous, and I especially love the chemistry she has with the neighbor.
Sister Midnight is a film that will provoke some and make others feel like they've wasted their time. But if you're like Matt from The Studio, maybe you should give it a try as a patron. I'm giving Sister Midnight 4 out of 5 stars simply because it left me quite confused and made me laugh out loud.
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