Film thoughts: Peepli Live

Directed by Anusha Rivzi, Peepli Live was a stunning, and stirring look at media exploitation in the case of "people's interest" stories. Imagine if Sydney Lumet's "Network (Two-Disc Special Edition)" was tied to social issue... this is probably the movie that you would get as a result.

Natha is a man faced with a difficult decision. When the bank informs him that the lease is up on his house, he mortgages his land to try to keep it. Natha, then is informed that the Indian government has a program where if farmers kill themselves, they get 100,000 rupees. so Natha decides to announce to a reporter that he will kill himself.

Meanwhile, there is an election under way. An election that would either keep the old government intact (that enforced this program), or a new government that would supposedly revoke the program.

Natha then quickly gets caught up in a media firestorm, and eventually gets written off as a martyr to the cause of this election.

The sickening pace at which the "scoop" is covered is really maddening to watch, This is only furthered by Anusha's time lapse photography... this is used sparingly, but extremely effectively. The pace also is synchronized with the location of filming. While filming in Peepli, it is rather shot rather slowly and almost meanders on, but all the filming in Dehli, is full of quick cuts and jumps.

These speed and style of this photography make you question if the modern world has truly progressed at all.

I could help but thinking about all of the media that exploits the downtrodden just for the sake of the story... then coincidently, they addressed that very issue on the screen. They were clearly aware of those implications as well.

One my favorite character's was probably Natha's mother... who was unbelievingly unbearable. I realized that, but then I came to the conclusion that that was definitely the point.

Really stunning film, tied to reality where as Lumet's "Network" felt at times completely unrealistic.

I definitely recommend.