NYIFF ’19: Draupadi Unleashed

During the heyday of the British Raj, the Indian elites could be just as scandalous as the Colonials. That will be particularly true for Indira. It is not her intention, but her resistance to traditional gender roles will inevitably lead to conflict in Tom Stopperan & “co-director” Nisha Sabharwal’s Draupadi Unleashed, which screens tonight during the 2019 New York Indian Film Festival.

If you blink, you might miss the marriage of Indira’s mother, Sita, whose tragically short tenure was foretold by a mysterious, magically realistic harbinger. Yet, she was rather fortunate, because she was welcomed into her in-laws’ family, becoming a daughter to the lovely and gracious matriarch, Amma.

When Indira reaches marriageable age, her union to the well-heeled Amar is similarly arranged. Initially, she is not entirely opposed to her entitled intended, but she has feelings for someone else: an ardent, but somewhat immature cousin (how Austenian). Her sort-of Aunt Masumi still has feelings for and long history with Amar herself, so sparks are likely to fly. As the drama and resentment ebbs and flows over the course of years, Indira will take the sometimes-dubious advice of Manu, a formerly reclusive guru.

Essentially, Draupadi is an elegant looking, richly furnished soap opera, with all the benefits associated with the genre. It has a classy sheen and a legitimate interest in women’s rights in Indian, which sometimes evokes a vibe similar to that of Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children adaptation. There is simmering passion, long buried secrets, and strange mystical happenings.

Draupadi was a mythic figure, whose own problematic marriage was not healthy or happy. The title is a bit obscure for American audiences, but not completely inapt, because this is very definitely a woman’s story. Yet, Salena Qureshi never really engages as the standoffish Indira. Instead, it is Anna George and Azita Ghanizada who really connect, giving the film tragic heft as Amma and Masumi, respectively. However, Dominic Rains (who established his indie cred in films like Burn Country, a.k.a. The Fixer, and The Persian Connection, a.k.a. The Loner) conspicuously upstages everyone, especially Qureshi, as the petulant Amar.

Draupadi is a juicy period production, filled with scandal and sizzle. It is not exactly high art, but it looks great. Think of it as slightly saucy Merchant-Ivory. Recommended for fans of historical dramas with a touch of spice, Draupadi Unleashed screens tonight (5/8), as part of this year’s NYIFF.

Tribeca ’16: The Fixer

You might think Afghanistan is worlds apart from this Humboldt County-ish community, but they have their similarities, like violently erratic drug growers. However, Osman does not know the lay of this darkly sinister hippy land. Yet, he ought to understand the importance of local knowledge better than anyone in Ian Olds’ The Fixer, which screens today as the best actor award winner at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

Osman was a fixer, one of those unsung guides/translators/hand-holders who are indispensable for foreign correspondents. Since hotshot journalist Gabe uncharacteristically sung Osman’ virtues, his original hometown paper agreed to serve as Osman’s immigration sponsor. However, they do not have a job waiting for him, as Gabe had led him to suspect. Some of the town’s unsavory elements are less than welcoming, but his host, Gabe’s sheriff’s deputy mother Gloria could not be more welcoming. In fact, she might be too happy to have him staying with her.

As Osman acclimates himself to the area, he crosses paths with Lindsay, who definitely qualifies as local color. To make up for a less than auspicious first meeting, Lindsay takes Osman under his wing, offering him an unofficial tour of the local drug scene. Unfortunately, Lindsay disappears soon thereafter, having run afoul (again) of Russian “organic farmer” Dmitri Sokurov. Reasserting his journalistic instincts, Osman resolves to save Lindsay or at least bring his killers to justice.

The Fixer is a bit of a Jekyll-and-Hyde movie, but it represents a quantum improvement from Olds’ last James Franco project, the unwatchable sham, Francophrenia. There is some wit in Fixer and some intriguing noir, as well as erratic tonal shifts and some awkward telegraphing.

Iranian-American actor Dominic Rains is indeed a reasonably defensible choice for the Tribeca acting nod. He balances intelligence and naïveté quite adroitly and develops crackling good screen chemistry with the remarkably diverse ensemble. He even plays off producer James Franco quite well. Frankly, Franco is somewhat effective as the stoner lowlife in his initial, out-of-focus, off-kilter scene, but he clearly looks miscast (presumably by himself) in every subsequently well lit scene.

In contrast, Melissa Leo is uncomfortably real as Gloria, while Rachel Brosnahan brings out surprising dimensions in Sandra, the hipster actress Osman might be getting involved with. However, it is Thomas Jay Ryan (a.k.a. Henry Fool) who really spikes the ball as the mysterious Sokurov.

For what it’s worth, The Fixer is probably the best Franco film since True Story, which is a more impressive distinction if measured in intervening movies rather than years elapsed. It is not perfect, but it is worth checking out to watch actors like Rains, Ryan, and Brosnahan do their thing. Recommended for fans of small town noir, The Fixer screens today (4/24) as an award-winner at the 20016 Tribeca Film Festival and also today during the San Francisco International Film Festival.