Parastree Movie Review : Watch this twisted crime of passion at your own risk

 

Critic's Rating:

2.0/5

Story: 'Parastree' which translates roughly in English to “Paramour” is an Indo-Nepalese film that revolves around a depraved fetishish of a man and his wife's extra marital affair.

Review: The extramarital premise has been done to death in Indian cinema, but along have come aspiring filmmakers, who feel they have something more to offer – namely in the form of lust and dare-we-say-it, necrophilia! A marriage on the rocks, involving the attractive and alluring Aavya (Shilpa Maskey) and the demented Biswas (Jhaken BC), devolves into a morbid tale of ill-treatment, jealousy and murder.

While the hubby is away on work, adultery is at play at home, with young stud Aayan (Gaurav Bista) wooing Aavya at the local gym. Making romantic overtures to the disenchanted wife on the radio show that she hosts, he manages to whisk her away on his bullet to the hills, where one of the movie’s two forgettable songs unfold. The backdrop of rivers and rock to the clichéd lyrics of “Aankon mein ho tu” appears to be a throwback to old filmy musical sequences.

But then, the film abruptly returns to the narrative, where a love triangle leads to revelations and resentment, which in turn, heads for a bloody conclusion.

What could have been a better movie is let down by poor performances. The onscreen passion leaves a lot to be desired and the dialogue appears stilted at times, especially when the characters break off into offensive English. Love is enacted a tad bit better than anger, but most delivery of word and gesture is disappointing. The use of mirrors as a motif to convey emotion, ranges from inspired to laughable.

The modest production qualities and a predicable screenplay don't help much either. Music is strictly passable, which ideally should have been strong given that this is a tale of crime and passionate.

On the whole, Parastree is predictable and not very original. If you have two hours to kill and are in the mood for some twisted sexual fetish and gore, then 'Parastree' could be of some use to you. But as in most mediocre Indian movies, it lacks any kind of real emotional resonance. Enter at your own risk.