Mother (2015)

Its difficult to do reviews about movies for me as most directors are either acquaintances or friends. So I generally watch the movies but avoid writing about them. The last few local films have also left me disappointed... it almost seems as if the editing was done by amateurs and the script was dreamt up by an 11 year old. Pakistani cinema is going through an evolution/ revolution so I prefer to be patient and supportive.With that disposition I quietly ventured into Moor. Before I even stepped into the cinema I grabbed a large bag of popcorn as in the recent past it has proved to be the only source of nourishment during local movies... but then the film started. The opening shot I think was 3 to 5 seconds long. That single shot was so rich in cinematography... the camera angle, framing and the monochrome light play that it literally blew my mind away. If it was a stand alone still shot it would win some photography award somewhere.Cinematography: What should I say? Jami displays amazing skills to establish his story through his choice of lens, light and color. Added to this his sense of establishing time and space, in the barren yet gorgeous Baluchistan terrain, is absolutely brilliant. He uses the emptiness of the environment so well to amplify the emptiness in the lives of his characters and the helplessness they sometimes feel. But the best thing about his cinematography is that it allows him to immerse the viewer into the world of Moor, thereby making it redundant to have unnecessary talkies that most other film makers use to establish their scenes.Narrative: By Pakistani standards an absolute feat in itself. For the first time I have scene a movie which has the absolutely right balance of story telling and leaving just enough space to pull the viewer in, forcing him to think and evolve with the story using his own imagination. The barometer for the narrative's success is how quickly we were able to empathize with each character. I mean, forget the main characters, even the smallest roles like the stepmother who was responsible for so much misery,... you felt the loathing for her and her antics. Which director in this country works so hard on his screenplay to establish side stories and tertiary characters to that level?Sound Design: Possibly one of the best listening experiences since Khuda Kay Liye. While to some directors sound design basically means an 'item number', Jami has roped in the huge talents of the Strings to weave a rich tapestry of sound that perfectly helps drive the right emotion at the right moment in the film. Rather then try to hijack the story, the sound compliments the narrative, perfectly amplifying and strengthening it. At moments it seems your own heart is beating to the chords and the rhythm from the percussions... the right catalyst to escape my daily reality and enter the world of Moor.Editing: So I saved my favorite part of the movie for the last. The biggest bone I have to pick with Pakistani producers and directors is the absolute third class editing skills they have displayed recently. The jumps in the storyline sometimes are so absurd that it seems that a first semester film student was putting together a weekend project for his class assignment. Jami outdoes all his peers by displaying some near fantastic cutting skills with his scissors. His mastery of time and continuity by piecing together his shots is what brings the entire narrative alive, immerses you in his world, helps drive empathy for the characters and keeps your brain constantly engaged in anticipation of what happens next.The film is being considered as one of the best works in cinematography, editing, sound design and screenplay coming out of Pakistan.

After 021 this is Jami's second venture & what a visual treat Moor is, brilliant cinematography a story which was weaved intricately yet abstract, acting par excellence, most people might see this movie on a surface level & would even find it too dry for their taste but the juxtapositions scattered throughout the experience were hard to miss, I wish someone could mobilize the who's who locally & make sure that this could be made our entry in the foreign cinema section at the Oscars, the style of film making contains influences of Irani & European directors yet Jami ensures that his own style of film making shines through... Kudos once again to Jami for ensuring that Pakistani cinema maintains its own flavor/class instead of what is being churned out in the name of revival of Pakistani cinema aka Bollywood inspired rip offs

I wanted to like this movie. I really wanted to, but couldn't despite all sincerity. First, the good things: Awesome cinematography, at par with any internationally acclaimed movie. Breath-taking landscapes of Baluchistan captured in all its grandiosity. Brilliant score by Strings. Urban yet soul-touching music.But the movie failed to properly convey the issue of corruption in Railways (or Pakistan in general). I couldn't develop emotional connect with any of the characters whatsoever. Non-linear haphazard storyline, forgetful dialogues, terrible pace, story-telling at its worst. What's with the spitting scenes, twice? And useless scenes like Baggoo's race with the Range Rover of Lalu. No character development at all. This movie should have been named "Wahid" instead of Moor as Hameed Sheikh is almost in 90% of the frames. Samiya Mumtaz given very little On-Screen time. Amateur acting by Shaz Khan, but mature acting by Sonia Hussain. She looked elegant and beautiful on screen. Ayaz Samoo's wasted debut. At the end of this 150 minutes long snooze-fest, I just wanted refund !!

Watched Moor yesterday and came back with a relaxing feel in my heart that Yes there are still people out there who actually know how to make films and give a tribute to someone, rather then making a 2 Hour TVC of their Sponsor by adding few cheap jokes and item numbers in it!I was just Mesmerized by the beauty and scenery the land of Baluchistan has and we haven't seen it for so long, Thank You Moor for Showcasing Out Beautiful Province To Us.The Screenplay, The Direction, The Cinematography, The Shots, The Framing, The Acting and The Music Specially made me Hooked to my seat till the end and gave me a lesson of inspiration to always look for what one should do and choose the right path and not fall for the tempting desires because it will make u comfortable but will not fulfill your soul. and the remorse will haunt you for the rest of your life.It was a great experience for me as it was a inspirational film, Thank you to its director sir Jami for reviving my belief that we could make good films in Pakistan.A Must Watch!!