Movies

MOVIE for Work

In an Indian city, a man and a woman (Saajan and Ila) meet by coincidence. It is not a love story like any other, but it started and grew through the delivery of lunchboxes. In India every employee gets a daily lunchbox from their wife or a restaurant. The Dabbawallahs pick up the lunchboxes and deliver them to their destination. The job of Dabbawallah has existed for more than120 years in Mumbai; there are approximately 5,000 delivery men who pass the profession from generation to generation and make sure that people receive their lunch at the office, cooked by their wives. They are highly respected, mainly for their ability to never fail. In the story, two boxes are inexplicably exchanged, generating an epistolary relationship between Ila and Saajan. The two, writing confessions, start to externalize their situations to one another: on one hand, a wife completely indifferent to her husband, on the other, a man close to retirement who hasn't yet dealt with getting old. This is a story of love and friendship: it is subtle, delicate, without excesses. It happens by the will of fate (according to Harvard University there is one chance in a million that Dabbawallahs could mistake a delivery) and by their will to maintain their virtual relationship as an escape from their everyday lives. It develops through little hand-written notes, soaked in spices and curry. This is a "gentle" Indian story, embedded in a dense and chaotic metropolis, described by images of offices, public transportation and restaurants. A city that’s a thousand miles away from today's Western reality where relationships, although virtual, are managed through social networks and lunches are ordered online.

The Lunchbox

A delivery mistake creates a wonderful connection to build a fantasy world of love and happiness.

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Review by Carasoo Sender. Recipient and Channel. Try to change the channel, and the story will still be valid the 99 percent of the time. Love of growing needs mystery and sometimes a mistake. The result in this case is that a poor guy is left empty-handed in all senses.

01 Saajan reads Ila’s note 02 Ila opens her lunch 03 Irrfan Khan as Saajan in the crowd 04 The movie poster

Photos are courtesy of Happiness Distribution.

Characters Irrfan Khan (as Saajan), Nimrat Kaur (as Ila), Nawazuddin Siddiqui (as Shaikh) and Denzil Smith (as M. Shroff) Created and Directed by Ritesh Batra Produced by Guneet Monga, Anurag Kashyap and Arun Rangachari.

[W sonyclassics.com/thelunchbox]

Reviews By FRANCESCA TONEGUTTI

We are in the Republic of Zubrowka, a made-up country, at the beginning of the post-war communist period, but with a jump to the past the story tells of a legendary concierge (Ralph Fiennes) who in the 1930s was the reference point of the luxury spa and hotel. In a surreal setting, the movie develops a complex plot, equally animated by several weird characters. Among them, the concierge and his trusty lobby boy Mustafa Zero stand out. They are involved in murders, a wealthy inheritance, the theft of a Renaissance painting and a daring escape from prison, a castle on the top of a mountain. Besides the beautiful screenplay and pastel colors, matched with care, that make Wes Anderson’s touch recognizable, we are struck by the character of Gustave H: an estimable, polite and ironic man who runs the hotel without smudging, and who’s able to support and satisfy customers, especially the wealthy old blonde women, regular guests of the hotel, with whom he establishes a true relationship of love and dedication. The movie, often ironic and distinguished by clumsy scenes, is thought-provoking in the story of the lobby boy who aspires to learn the profession by emulating his boss. He is often the victim of racism for being an immigrant; Zero is destined to pick up Gustave’s work and material legacy, but unfortunately the war will take his great love (Agatha, the beautiful candy maker in the famous Mendl’s) away. An imaginary world, populated by many characters (famous and talented actors appear in cameos) who move around the countless rooms in the hotel or in other charming scenes, telling a fable that is at times a little bitter.

01 Elevator life at the Grand Budapest Hotel 02 M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes) and Zero (Tony Revolori) 03 Zero with a girl 04 The poster of the movie

The Grand Budapest Hotel

A legendary concierge and a lobby boy become trusted friends in a tale of theft and recovery, the raging battle for a family fortune and a love affair – all against the backdrop of the changing continent.

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Review by Carasoo The topic here is of mutual devotion, but also of satisfied needs. A work topic that is done perfectly in a context of what's seemingly a relational chaos typical of our society. The aesthetics, the role of forms, color and known faces link everything together. Lesson for junior executives: roll up your sleeves and do. Lesson for senior clients: ask.

Photos are courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Characters Ralph Fiennes (as M. Gustave), Tony Revolori (as Zero), F. Murray Abraham (Mr. Moustafa), Mathieu Amalric (as Serge X), Adrien Brody (as Dmitri), Willem Dafoe (as Jopling), Jeff Goldblum (as Deputy Kovacs), Jude Law (as Young Writer), Bill Murray (as M. Ivan), Edward Norton (as Henckels), Saoirse Ronan (as Agatha), Jason Schwartzman (as M. Jean), Tilda Swinton (as Madame D.), Tom Wilkinson (as Author) and Owen Wilson (as M. Chuck). Created by Wes Anderson and Hugo Guinness Directed by Wes Anderson Produced by Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales and Jeremy Dawson [W grandbudapesthotel.com]