Friday, January 16, 2015

Why everybody should watch St. Vincent

After a long, long time, I finally saw a movie that moved me to tears. Surprisingly, it wasn't about Nazi atrocities, genocide, community oppression, or Jack dying (that one always makes everyone cry), but about a bitter old man, who finds a second chance at happiness.

The plot is very simple, yet it captures emotions beautifully. We meet a rigid old man, set in his ways consisting of drinking, smoking, gambling and meeting up with a pregnant prostitute every Tuesdays. Enter a single mom with a young boy, who has a hard time adjusting in the new school. The boy and the old man get to spend more time together, and we follow the gradual growth in their relationship and how they let each other in. A lot of other amazing, funny things happen in this course, but I think I will leave them for you to watch and discover.

Why I think people should watch movies like St. Vincent is because you see profound emotions being captured in a very understated manner. And frankly, after watching loud, in your face Bollywood movies like Happy New Year, Bang Bang and even Haider, for that matter, subtle movies with a lot of undercurrents is pure joy. Most importantly, you see real human emotions in the movie- someone who is so wrapped up in her own misery, she can't see anything else around, someone who is at the end of the rope, and the things he does in his desperation, unlikely friendships with bullies, and a ray of hope in an otherwise dire situation.

Enough said, watch it and prepare to be moved.

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