An American hero
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Director: Ian Bonhȏte & Peter Ettedgui
1 hour 44 minutes
THIS is an inspiring and moving story about a hero.
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story focuses on actor Christoper Reeve, who played the character of Superman in the first movie based on the DC Comics hero in 1978 and its sequels – and then what happened after his fall in a horse riding accident and the spinal cord injury which left him paralysed and led him to campaigning for disability rights.
Told through archive, his films and home movies news footage and on camera interviews with his three children and his own voice-over which according to the end credits come from his own audio book narrations.
I am amazed that there is so much personal stuff.
Another Hollywood Star Robin Williams (1951-2014) and his wife Marsha were very close to Reeves and really supported him after his injury on May 27 1995. They had met during the 1970s when they were both studying theatre at the Juilliard School.
After his accident Reeve became an advocate for disability rights and this led to President Obama passing the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act 2009 – aimed at improving the quality of life and health needs of individuals with paralysis.
The documentary concludes that a true hero is an ordinary individual who preserves and endures in spite of the obstacles they face and come out the other side, often inspiring others. Reeves is certainly that and he is true American hero.
It’s a beautiful watch. (Suman Bhuchar {SB})
ACV rating: ***** (five out of five)
‘Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story’ premiered in the UK at London Film Festival (October 5-15 2024) where SB saw it. It was then in selected theatres in the UK from November 1 and dropped on Sky Documentaries on December 28 2024.
Films, friends and dreams in this charming caper
‘Superboys of Malegaon’
Director: Reema Kagti
2 hours and seven minutes
INSPIRED by the wonderful documentary ‘Supermen of Malegaon‘ (2008) and directed by Faiza Ahmad Khan (although the incidents covered are different), this is the story of Nasir Shaikh (played by Adarsh Gourav) & his coterie of friends – writer Farogh (Vineet Kumar Singh), loom weaver Shafique, wedding photographer Anwar and an aspiring teacher.
They live together in a city called Malegaon (in the western Indian state of Maharashtra and about 150 miles from Mumbai). The group of friends watch Buster Keaton and Jackie Chan films in their local cinema but these films are not popular. The story is set in 1997 and later moves up to 2004…
One day Shaikh discovers how to clip sequences from random films and join them together to create a pastiche of sorts (and long before any apps were available to do this kind of editing).
However, the cinema he runs with his brother is raided by the police amid accusations of piracy and that puts paid to that endeavour.
Soon Shaikh hits upon making a parody of the Amitabh Bachchan 1975 blockbuster ‘Sholay‘ with local actors and low-key tech where a bicycle takes the place of a motor bike.
We see a lot of ingenuity in how the guys use camera equipment – a cart for a trolley and so forth – something that is described as “jugaad” (frugal innovation or thinking outside the box). The parody of ‘Sholay‘ brings them success as well as tensions in the friendship. And friends fall out.
Shashank Arora as Shafique is great, as is writer loyal friend gets his moment to act.
It’s about male friendship and the women are very second fiddle. Set in a Muslim milieu, the production designer Sally White has done a great job with the look. It’s directed by Reema Kagti and produced by the same team behind the global Indian hit Prime Video series, ‘Made in Heaven’. It also went down well at the Toronto International Film Festival (September 5-15) where it had its world premiere. (SB)
ACV rating: **** (out of five)
It released in Indian cinemas from October 15, it is now available on Prime Video…
