What to Watch This Weekend: The Knot (Uljhan), French Exit, Nina Wu, Luz, The Oak Room, Drive All Night, Our Friend, Concrete Cowboy

For A Subtle, Realistic Look At A Changing World: The Knot (Uljhan) (Virtual Cinema)
The Knot explores class structure, hierarchy, and a changing India through an unfortunate accident and the differing attitudes of its well realized characters.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Dark and Quirky Comedy: French Exit (Theaters)

The dry, dark comedic style, wonderful dialogue, and quirky cast of characters fueled by Pfeiffer's magnetic performance make French Exit a film worth staying for.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Painful and Powerful Film About Success: Nina Wu (Virtual Cinema)

Nina Wu is a painful and powerful film, with a bold style and striking performances, telling a story that looks at the pressures and abuses to succeed in a cut throat industry.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Beautiful Life and Love Drama: Luz (Digital)

Luz breaks the mold and a lot of film conventions, portraying a complicated and beautiful Latino relationship with a slow burning story, supportive characters, and wonderful music.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Stylish and Engaging Story: The Oak Room (Digital)

The Oak Room will capture your attention with its evolving tales, great performances, and dark style; so grab a drink and settle in for an engaging, unconventional night.   For more information, check out the review!

For An 80s Noir Experience: Drive All Night (Digital)
Drive All Night has an 80s, video game, and noir inspiration, with bold colors, classic effects, and surreal sounds to keep you wondering during this wild night.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Powerful Friendship Drama: Our Friend (Redbox)
Our Friend is a poignant, painful, and powerful movie about love, family, and friendship that feels so real and raw and should not be missed.  For more information, check out the review!

For Some Uplifting Drama: Concrete Cowboy (Netflix)

Concrete Cowboy gets high marks for its old-fashioned uplifting story and look at a facet of American life that is not normally explored. 

Interview: Ashish Pant of The Knot (Uljhan), Indian film starring Vikas Kumar, Saloni Batra, Nehpal Gautam

Ashish Pant, the writer and director of The Knot, or Uljhan, discusses his traumatic inspiration for the film, how he developed this concept, and filming in India. We also discuss some of the subtle details that went into the film and how much dedication the cast and crew had to this project! So give it a watch and make sure to check out Into the The Knot (Uljhan) in virtual cinemas on March 31, 2021! Written and Directed By: Ashish Pant Starring: Vikas Kumar, Saloni Batra, Nehpal Gautam Synopsis: Shirish and Geeta, an upper middle class Indian couple, accidently run over someone. Their differing reactions to the consequences of the accident reveal fissures in their relationship and put their values and beliefs to the test. The Knot explores class conflict, materialism, and guilt. It asks whether high walls and locked gates can banish inequality and class structure, or whether the complicity of the middle class infects our most intimate relationships.

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The Knot (Uljhan) Review: A Subtle, Realistic Look At Class And A Changing India

Release date: March 31, 2021
Running time: 107 minutes
Written and Directed By: Ashish Pant
Starring: Vikas Kumar, Saloni Batra, Nehpal Gautam

Shirish and Geeta, an upper middle class Indian couple, accidently run over someone. Their differing reactions to the consequences of the accident reveal fissures in their relationship and put their values and beliefs to the test. The Knot explores class conflict, materialism, and guilt. It asks whether high walls and locked gates can banish inequality and class structure, or whether the complicity of the middle class infects our most intimate relationships.

The Knot starts with a great sense of claustrophobia, orienting anyone that has never driven in India with the sense of just how close everything is.  It has you in the driver's seat navigating a crowded city street while humanity swirls around you.  This also gives you a sense of the bubble that Shirish and Geeta, who are middle class, live in.  They spend their lives away from the masses in their gated house or in their private car.  But when the inevitable happens, the film shows the differences in attitude and values between Shirish and Geeta.  I liked seeing their different reactions to the event, and how they tried to come to terms with and move past it.  Shirish is the more practical one, but that is also because of other aspects going on in his life.  Geeta is the more nurturing one, but she can also be cold and practical when needed.  And Shirish and Geeta are expertly portrayed by Kumar and Batra.  The two have a natural chemistry and also an ease on screen.  

The attention to detail in The Knot is impressive.  The movie was filmed in Lucknow, giving it a sense of authenticity.  And writer / director Ashish Pant even wrote the film in several dialects depending on the character's station in life.  Those that were in the lower class spoke with a more slang dialect, while those at the upper echelons of Government spoke in perfect Hindi.  It is a subtle detail, but definitely an impressive one that gives this whole film a sense of authenticity.  And this movie is all about small details like this.  The film has so many subtle hints and suggestions about the Indian class structure that you will have to watch it a few times to catch them all.  For example, Shirish and Geeta live in a modest, nice house that Shirish is trying to leave for a wider open, safer locale.  But when their driver enters the house for the first time, he is in awe of how large it is.  This subtle sense of perspective really lets you get to know the various characters and the overall societal hierarchy of India.

The Knot is a slow one that explores many different topics in modern Indian society.  The film looks at the class structure, the treatment of people based on their station, and how those above treat those below them.  These subtle topics are fascinating to watch.  I was especially interested to see Shirish's treatment of those that are below him.  He is sometimes cold or impatient and demanding with them, yet fails to recognize the disappointment and frustration he feels when the same treatment comes from above him.  And the film also explores an India that is modernizing and trying to crack down on corruption and fraud, while still recognizing that it exists and is a regular way of doing business.  Although less overt, it still shows exchanging favors to try and get things done, and a need to give gifts and bribes to try and rise in your station.  

The Knot is a reserved film that does not ramp up the drama until the end.  Even the scenes that should be dramatic are more muted, which is a nice touch as it seems to adhere more to real life.  The drama isn't overdone and the characters react naturally to the various issues and stimuli that they encounter.  And even towards the more climactic end, the characters still feel like real people dealing with a horrible situation.

The Knot explores class structure, hierarchy, and a changing India through an unfortunate accident and the differing attitudes of its well realized characters.

Watch it.

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The Knot is available on virtual cinema on March 31, 2021.  For tickets, click here.

Also, check out our interview with writer and director Ashish Pant!