"Being Cyrus" (2005) - Movie Review

Frankly speaking, the movie did not strike me very interesting until the end. Once the end came through, it projected light on lot of intricate details discarded as irritatingly comical. Those scenes which did not make much of a sense made itself meaning either as a direct connection to the plot or as a distraction necessary for the film. The music, art and particularly the Indian actors/actresses speaking English projected it as a movie of complicated dramas and unusual relationships. Indeed, “Being Cyrus” is about that too but it has some bigger agenda apart from it.

The movie sketches the “funny” little characters of a Parsi family. The family is separated by location but share their bit of strained and doped relationships. The connecting factor in between these two is done by a character named, Cyrus (Saif Ali Khan) who comes out of thin air. He gets hired by a retired sculptor Dinshaw (Naseeruddin Shah) who hardly has any sense in his day filled with hallucinating himself with illegal smokes. Dinshaw’s talkative wife Katy (Dimple Kapadia) instantly strikes intimacy with Cyrus. The film is how this dangerous intimacy moulds into and how it sets itself for a nice convincing finish.

This is a style of film noir with sleek and necessary editing. The movie took its path through characters which were not given enough depth. Their actions and speeches are totally disconnected and some times seems absurd. But director Homi Adajania definitely gives out the reason for those very interestingly. This is one of the very few movies which appeared disappointing, ended with fine and satisfactory conclusion.

It is always edgy to show a character with dark images. In the arena of art, movies are considered one of the prominent entertainments. Due to its wider popularity among all varieties of people, it is expected good thing to happen in the screen. Good winning the evil. Even the people who appreciate those arts would like those happening in it. It is human to think like that. Sketching out a bad character taking the centre stage even though can be appreciated artfully would still linger into the hearts of people giving uncomfortable ness. This film does that too. It makes the audience feel guilty for slightly feeling happy for a bad person. The story telling does its job right out there. Another reason for the acceptance of it is due to the honesty of the protagonist character. The honesty in not hiding of what he did and how does he looks life ahead to the audience. Albeit his conversations with the audience being one way, his candid ness makes him friendly and acceptable.

I did think that it was unnecessary to have the movie in English. I felt that the authenticity and originality got lost in it. Sometimes it gave the feeling of small kids doing an English play in their school stage. But I guess that’s how any Indian with a back ground of the characters shown will speak. In that case, why do they converse in English which is kind of rarity to use it in their day to day life? I do not know what made the director to opt for English. When I say this, I am looking back the movie in my mind. And due to how it’s been projected, it feels not bad and not good either. But what felt really wrong now feels fine. Maybe this is the reaction; the director wanted the audience to feel.

The movie is a like a child trying to arrange a huge Jig Saw puzzle. The joy is not in getting the puzzle right but it is the child’s weird way of thinking to keep those in different places. Because the joy is watching the child play crazily, most of us will miss how the child finishes the puzzle perfectly. Only in the end, it gets realized. “Being Cyrus” is how Adajania arranged his Jig saw puzzle. While it appeared dark and gauzy, it came interestingly distilled and cleans in the end.

The film poses itself as an independent styled drama movie. The score is also set in such a way which plays it as a comical and funny drama. Salim-Sulaiman needs to be credited for this style of music which also forms the deception for the real picture happening inside the movie.

It is really encouraging and happy to see an independent drama thriller movie emerging out of India. It is also heart warming to see great actors and actresses accepting to do these characters for a project like this. I am not appreciating the movie stamping it as a great movie and have never been made before. It is been appreciated for its honesty on sticking to the concept and in the same time forming a nice convincing film noir thriller.