Review: Ship of Theseus

This one's a long post with a lot of unnecessary details, so if you want the 2-min version, scroll down to the other post to read Pallavi's succint version! 

I managed to watch SOT. Just last night, in fact. Since i thought that there were going to be no more shows post the first week of release, i hurriedly booked tickets to make sure i didn't miss the film. Especially after Schmuckeshwar aka Somak told me that the DOP of the film is someone who can make anything look beautiful after having worked with him on a corporate film. And i value S' judgement a lot. 

We started early and reached the theatre on time so we didn't end up missing the first fifteen minutes, like we usually do. I even had time to get popcorn. Someone wanted a seat exchange and we didn't oblige because they weren't better seats. It was a late-night show on a weekday and i also had my yoga workout (that i didn't want to miss) but i still booked that show.

It was well-worth every single thing that i did to make it for this show. And probably more. 

There are plenty of visuals from SOT that are etched in my mind. Long after. Last night in my dreams. And this morning too. I can vividly recall details that i would love to see again. Schmuckeshwar was right... Pankaj, the DOP is brilliant. Of course, Anand Gandhi, the director, has done a superb job. And the casting - it's perfect. 

The pace is definitely slow but your attention doesn't wander because each shot is so beautiful,  so lovingly captured, you can't take your eyes off of it. 

SOT is 3 stories in one that have a common thread, and my favorite was the second one that features the story of a jain monk ailing with liver cirrhosis. The easy banter he shares with his young lawyer are easily the best moments in the film for me. (I also wish more religious leaders were like this monk.)

Of course, SOT has many layers and philosophical stuff and a lot of takeaways but that is something personal to each viewer so we wont start that here. Watch the film and i hope you enjoy it as much as i did. (SOT has got a lease of life and another week's run, so you can catch it on the big screen).

Remember Pallavi of The Next Monday Syndrome? I read her review of SOT on FB and asked her to write a guest post review of the film for my blog and in typical Pallo-style she said she had a lot on her plate and if i could wait a week? So i declined the offer and suggested instead that i post her FB comment on here!! 

So here's what she had to say: 

(Yes, her FB updates are pretty long. Usually longer than some of my blog posts!)

Intriguing, profound and endearing. Three stories that make up Ship of Theseus. The movie is packed with passive aggression. Five minutes down the film, holding a popcorn tub seemed a bit misplaced. This was not just entertainment, from the word go the movie demands you to give your absolute involvement to it. Very well made film and I am glad its been marketed well. Also it's brilliantly packaged for Oscars (why not?). More steam should be put behind such artistic endeavors. The theatre was filled with patrons from different demographics and everyone seemed to enjoy the film considering there was a round of applause at the end of the film from every corner. Its good to see that Indians as movie goers are not saying this or that anymore. Finally it looks like its all about loving your films. :)

PS: Do you know Anand Gandhi started his career as a dialog-writer of a very-popular soap opera? You'd be surprised! He also wrote the screenplay of another hugely popular hindi soap.