MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN (2012)

Genre: Drama/Romance
Director: Deepa Mehta
Cast: Satya Bhabha, Shahana Goswami, Rajat Kapoor, Seema Biswas, Shriya Saran, Siddharth, Ronit Roy, Rahul Bose, Charles Dance, Kulbushan Kharbanda, Anupam Kher, Darsheel Safary, Soha Ali Khan, Anita Majumdar, Zaib Shaikh, Samrat Chakrabarti, Shabana Azmi, Sarita Choudhury, Shikha Talsania
RunTime: 2 hrs 28 mins
Rating: NC-16 (Some Nudity & Violence)
Released By: MVP & Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: www.facebook.com/MVP.com.sg

Opening Day: 28 March 2013

Synopsis:  Midnight’s Children is an epic film from Oscar-nominated director Deepa Mehta, based on the Booker Prize-winning novel by Salman Rushdie. At the stroke of midnight on August 15, 1947, as India declares independence from Great Britain, two newborn babies are switched by a nurse in a Bombay hospital. Saleem Sinai, the illegitimate son of a poor woman, and Shiva, the offspring of a wealthy couple, are fated to live the destiny meant for each other. Their lives become mysteriously intertwined and are inextricably linked to India’s whirlwind journey of triumphs and disasters. From the unlikely romance of Saleem’s grandparents to the birth of his own son, Midnight’s Children is a journey at once sweeping in scope and yet intimate in tone. Hopeful, comic and magical – the film conjures images and characters as rich and unforgettable as India herself.

Movie Review:

So this reviewer isn’t the perfect academic, hence the ignorance about India’s prolific history. He has zero knowledge about India’s transition from British colonialism to independence, much less the partition of British India. And when this Canadian American production along, many factual events in the film surprised him for the first time. Nope, he does not know anything about the Indira Gandhi proclaimed Emergency, neither does he know anything about her son Sanjay’s cleansing of the Jama Masjid slum. Of course, there’s Google who will feed you details about these historical events, but if there’s the Deepa Mehta directed film, why not watch it and be entertained at the same time?

Based on acclaimed writer Salman Rushdie’s novel of the same name, the protagonist and narrator of the story is a boy who’s born at the exact moment Indiabecame an independent country. Adding magic realism is the fact that he possesses telepathic powers, which allows him to assemble a Midnight Children’s Conference, a group of geographically disparate children born close to midnightto dwell on issues Indiafaced, ranging from culture and language, to religion and politics. Meanwhile, there is another child switched at birth who is experiencing a different life. Both their lives will be intertwined and linked to India’s illustrious history.

The film starts off with numerous whimsical moments, with an imaginative tale of coming of age unfolding before audience’s eyes. The second half takes on a very different tone as it shifts focus to the trials and tribulations faced by the protagonist, and on a larger extent, the historical changes experienced by India. Running at almost two and a half hours, the duration of the film may be too trying for the less patient viewer. Granted there is indeed some masterful direction by Mehta, the Indo Canadian filmmaker who helmed the Elements Trilogy (1996’s Fire, 1998’s Earth and 2005’s Water), there are some inevitably sluggish moments which may not appeal to the average movie goer.

For literature enthusiasts who are familiar with Rushdie’s works, this is the best opportunity to see how words are translated to visuals by the power of cinema, even more effectively with Rushdie penning the screenplay himself. The 1981 novel is a winner of the Booker Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and also the “Booker of Bookers” Prize and the best all-time prize winners in 1993 and 2008 to celebrate the Booker Prize 25th and 40th anniversary. The themes of the novel are appropriately brought through the use of magical realism in the film, and should connect nicely with viewers. The heavier handed themes of post colonial independence are told through stunning imageries, courtesy of Giles Nuttgen’s commendable cinematography, which makes the film accessible to digest.

The cast delivers engaging performances, with main lead Satya Bhabha as the protagonist and Siddarth Narayan as the other baby switched as birth. The two men’s charismatic presence helps viewers to feel their emotions as Indiagoes through unimaginable changes. The child actors are a joy to watch, especially when they come together for the abovementioned Midnight Children’s Conference. It is most unfortunate then, that the film sometimes drags on for quite a bit, making these charming moments almost forgettable in the bigger scheme of things.        

Movie Rating:

(Watch how acclaimed writer Salman Rushdie’s words get effectively translated to visuals in this sometimes sluggish production)

Review by John Li