Random Muse

Once upon a time!

A review even before the movie release is unethical - cards on the table, I agree. Well this is not a review exactly, because I am not going to analyse anything deep on cast or filming - that part can be handled later on when the movie is released. I just need to say that this is one of the few Sinhala movies that struck my heart.

Sanath Gunathilaka's Ekamath Eka Rataka - dubbed as 'Once Upon a Time' in English based on Emile Zola's 'For a night of love' - is not an intelligent movie. Nor is it a standard movie. It doesn't have a specific story line (so don't worry I have nothing to kill your appetite on the film). It has neither start nor end. It just flows out.

An ageing man with a crooked back totters down to his office everyday. A cheesy looking young lawyer walks down the streets attracting girls. An aphrodisiac girl lives in a deluxe mansion getting dressed every evening for her suitor. Rest of the characters float along propping up this 'threesome'. Ageing man plays the lead role whose routine pervades the movie. He has a soft companion at home to hear everything he has to say. Goodgirl is an understanding Labrador Retriever.

Not only that, it is adorned with a few you-know-what scenes. Wow, you can't wait to watch the movie, eh? For me those scenes are well woven and nicely matched, a rare feature in Sinhala movies. Believe me it is not porn, as some would definitely jump the gun to label; they are very aesthetic and eye-pleasing scenes.

I naturally went back to Sanath Gunathilaka's performance in Viragaya. I was at a loss. He performed an unrivalled role in Viragaya, but 'Once upon a time' man beats Viragaya's Aravinda at times. In Viragaya he had to work mainly on his body and movement. But here he has to breathe in a complete oddball who can never beckon love but only sympathy. Speech, body movements and facial expressions have to keep on playing that out. And above all Sanath has to do the job of director as well as this lead role. No cakewalk in spades.

Zola's creativity on the other hand is not so easy to handle on reel; it easily makes the audience yawn. Sanath somehow surprisingly handles that. He makes every scene tell us something. It doesn't have a specific story, I repeat, but you have to read every scene, for they have untold stories.

The way the girl enters the scene is really impressive. The man was fast asleep with Goodgirl, and suddenly a light is flashed on both of them. They locate the source of the light to the mansion where the girl lives. They spot a girl with stunning beauty who closes the window at length leaving them again in usual darkness.

It also talks about feminine craving for strength and power. Their ability to win over men. Their influence over men. It is about two men and a girl, and how the fair sex has influence over them. Apparently the girl falls in love with the younger one. She continues mocking the ageing man, but starts caring for him when she needs his assistance for a matter of life and death. But I don't like to think the girl chose to care for him because she needed his help badly. I like to think it, their love, is complicated, rather.

The girl is constantly obsessed with her strength and influence over the boy she falls in love with. Her pride is often hurt and the boy even has to sacrifice his most precious thing just for the sake of girl's pique.

These three are interlinked to each other, and so to say they are afraid of each other.

The boy persuades girls in street to mock the man, but he doesn't face him straight away. The girl doesn't like the man's face but loves listening to his flute for hours.

So this is about a love among three. Does the love triumph? What will happen at the end? Watch it. It is really funny! When I say really, count on me for that!

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