Travelling through time and on this strange train can be equally scary — but in very different ways
#8
Do you know what the best part about this Diwali is? It’s falling on a Monday, giving us more time to just lay back and watch even more movies. And Retake’s eighth edition is here with a handpicked set of films to help you (and your family) make the most of this long weekend — Retake style!
After watching these movies, the fast-food place you and I’ve often been to won’t be the same, nor would you want to hop onto a train full of these blood-curdling beings. But you will also see a more tender side of time travel and a man’s quest for something so ordinary yet so momentous for his family.
The Founder
When biting into that big Maharaja Mac, do you ever wonder how McDonald’s came into being? Sure, it started as a small local eatery, but what took it to its current ubiquitous form is nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. The Founder gives you a peek into that story and also answers why McDonald’s is often said to be in the real estate business rather than fast food.
The year is 1954, and an enterprising Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) stays on the road to sell his milkshake mixers to make a modest living. When Richard and Maurice McDonald (Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch) buy some of his mixers, Ray is left impressed by their uber-efficient and fast-serving restaurant.
Ray convinces the brothers to let him franchise McDonald’s while they manage their original restaurant. That ‘other’ McDonald’s starts to grow in leaps and bounds, for which the actual founders, the McDonald brothers, pay the price.
Love Sex Aur Dhokha
As sensational as its name is, Love Sex Aur Dhokha is a lot of things at the same time. It is technically a collection of three short films, but all are connected by a thread. It all weaves together throughout the film, and everything circles back by the last leg.
The writing style isn’t the only unique part of LSD. It uses footage from handycams, surveillance, and spy cameras to get that crude and clumsy look, bringing it closer to the real-life incidents it’s inspired by.
Each story deals with often unspoken aspects of love, sex, and dhokha. LSD starts with a film student’s childlike love for a girl with an influential and overprotective family that doesn’t end well for the couple.
Then a supermarket manager is thinking about making and selling a sex tape of his vulnerable colleague to pay off his debts. Finally, a desperate journalist almost gets himself killed for a Tehelka-style sting investigation, but all he receives in return is dhokha.
About Time
Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) inherits the ability to travel back in time when he turns 21. He could’ve used this newfound power for anything under the sun but chooses to fix his love life. He soon realizes that he can’t change what people think of him, no matter how many times he goes back to do things that please them.
It sure helps him find a life-long partner in Mary (Rachel McAdams) — though not without a lot of going back to fix his goof-ups. But his time travel cannot mend everything. He can’t avoid the inevitable, even if it leads to dire consequences for his family, leaving him torn between his old and new family.
All the technicalities aside, About Time talks about the more personal side of time travel, its implication on our relationships, and how even the slightest changes made in the past can create a new present and future altogether. This film is a more thoughtful take on time travel, unlike any conventional, larger-than-life sci-fi saga.
Do Dooni Chaar
When you get some time from all the cleaning and decoration ahead of Diwali, you could spend an afternoon with your family, sitting together and watching a movie. If edgy films are still a no-no when watching something with your parents, Do Dooni Chaar would be the one for you. It’s a perfect blend of fun and substance, with a story you and your family can connect to and enjoy.
The film is about a hearty Duggal family living in a tiny Delhi apartment. Santosh Duggal has steadfast morality but not a fancy job — or a ride. His modest salary doesn’t allow him to afford a car. But when his social status comes into question, he decides to buy his family a car no matter what it takes, even if it means compromising his morals.
Train to Busan
Seok-woo and his daughter Su-an embark on a train journey to spend her birthday with her separated mother. In the hustle and bustle of the journey, nobody notices that a sick passenger is onboard a running train. She turns into a zombie, and soon, half the passengers get infected and become blood-thirsty monsters like her.
There’s no chance for the uninfected to get off the moving train. After finding a way to keep zombies at bay, Seok-woo, his daughter, and others are safe inside some compartments, but not for long. While Seok-woo learns of his company’s involvement in the spread of the infection, they must find a way to stay alive and fight their way to a safe place with humans.
For those who like zombie films, Train to Busan is a must-watch — it’s one of the best ones out there. What sets it apart isn’t the zombie attack but how the complex characters handle this extreme situation while confined to a small space with ghastly beings. Despite their personal apprehensions, they all must work together; otherwise, not a single soul can make it out alive.
That brings us to the end of this week’s Retake issue. No matter what out-of-this-world subject these films talk about, at their core, all of them are as human as they get. Like the spirit of Diwali, they embody the uplifting traits of compassion, kindness, and tolerance, which we all could use more of.
Happy Diwali!
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