If you ever wondered what a David Lean film would look like if directed by Baz Luhrmann, look no further than “RRR.”
Last night, I finally got around to watching this box office juggernaut – India’s most expensive film to date – now the second highest-grossing Teluga film in the world. You may recall, “RRR” took home an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Naatu Naatu,” by two artists who go by the names M.M. Keeravani and Chandrabose.
Keeravani also provided the film’s score. In his memorable acceptance speech, he cited John Williams as one of his inspirations, and then sang the rest of his sentiments to the tune of The Carpenters’ “Top of the World,” which he said he listened to as a boy growing up in India. The media back home, apparently, mistook Keeravani’s remark as his having listened to actual singing carpenters!
From the disparate tones of the various clips I’d seen from the film, I couldn’t imagine what the picture could possibly be about. Let’s just say it’s an imagined epic bromance between two historical freedom fighters during the time of the British Raj. The film plays out like an Alexandre Dumas novel (“Queen Margot,” perhaps?) but with the over-the-top rhythms of Kung Fu Theater. And oh yes, seemingly out-of-nowhere Tollywood dance numbers.
Ultimately, it’s as big and dumb as any Hollywood blockbuster, with worse CGI, but hilariously deployed. I can’t say I was ever bored for the film’s three-hour running time, and I was genuinely into the divided loyalties and emotional conflicts facing the two leads.
The Brits are all mustache-twirling villainy, supercilious and brutal. Jason Isaacs missed a trick by not being in this one. If Sylvester Stallone met Arnold Schwarzenegger for an epic dance-off on the road to winning independence from King George III, this would pretty much be the film.
I was expecting maybe a little more tragic grandeur at the end, but there’s something to be said for pleasing the crowd and sending everyone home with smiles on their faces.
“RRR” is available for streaming on Netflix. This is the WTF dance number that has everyone talking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsU0CGZoV8E
The trailer
Keeravani’s Oscar acceptance
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