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One of the oldest strategies for dealing with a crisis is denial. Quarantine has not been easier for anyone and unless you are one of the calm ones or have found a way of staying in the game without even saying, “I want to be able to go out again,” you know what we’re talking about. And as long as you’re sure that the cabin fever escape will not turn you into Jack Torrance from The Shining (1980), you can totally find peace in imagining that you belong to an alternative reality altogether. To enable your quarantine escape, our dear Director and Film-Writer friend Sonam Nair drew a list of films you can get lost in.
About the list, Sonam says, “all of these have a certain kind of surrealism to them. They are a little bit out-of-reality on their own. Of course, the reality is not great at the moment, so they are about right for us to find and get lost in a parallel reality.”
Mr India (1987)
The first film on Sonam’s list is one we’re more than sure you’ve watched (several times) and loved so much. Directed by Shekhar Kapoor and starring Anil Kapoor and Sridevi, this film takes us through the story of Arun who is a poor but big-hearted man who takes orphans into his home. On discovering his scientist father’s invisibility device, he transforms into a hero who fights corruption and saves India from the iconic villain Mogambo, magnificently played by the late Amrish Puri. To Sonam, “it’s such a treat for any age. This is also why it’s the first Indian film on my list.”
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
One of Tim Burton’s masterpieces, Sonam chose to put this film here because, in her own words, it is “a really pure love story and a really new world created by Tim Burton. It’s completely some fairy tale and everything is so quirky and you buy into this world because that’s the genius of Tim Burton. It’s one of the sweetest love stories ever.” It’s the story of an incomplete artificial man who has scissors for hands. His life takes a 180 degree turn when he runs into a suburban woman who introduces him to her world.
Marie Antoinette (2006)
Sophia Coppola’s larger-than-life historical drama starring Kirsten Dunst is the retelling of France’s most talked about queen, Marie Antoinette.
“The film is not literally surreal and is based on history but Coppola has directed it so well that it needed to be here. She has put a modern twist to this queen who was so indulgent that she had all these luxurious fancies. It’s an escape in how luxurious and rich it is in terms of the number and variety of costumes, food, and palaces. There’s so much indulgence in everything. ... each frame is delicious,” Sonam gasps in awe.
Vertigo (1958)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Vertigo is the story of a former police detective who juggles wrestling with his personal demons as he keeps becoming obsessed with a beautiful woman.
Sonam says, “ It’s kind of surreal in a weird way. There’s no real surrealism but there is a spooky weirdness throughout the movie and weird twists and turns that make you wonder what’s going on in the movie. However, it’s also a visually beautiful film with stunning colours and slow thoughts that creep into your mind and you forget. I, always, when I am going through a bit of a lull, like to watch Vertigo because it’s just something you get sucked into and it’s also gorgeous!”
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
A Stanley Kubrick delight, this film tells us the story of when after discovering a mysterious artefact buried beneath the Lunar surface, mankind sets off on a quest to find its origins with help from intelligent supercomputer H.A.L. 9000.
Sonam explains, “It’s stunning that it was made so long ago because it still looks very current and gorgeous. It’s a long movie but it’s visually stunning. You can get lost for a bit. You can really just escape this world and go into another for a while.”
(Film description credit for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - IMDB)
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