Trishna possesses drama, intrigue, romance and tragedy, a combination that makes it an extremely powerful and riveting film.
A British film directed by English filmmaker and director Michael Winterbottom, Trishna tells the story of an innocent, hard-working and beautiful girl, Trishna (Freida Pinto), who is born to a poor family in Rajasthan, India. Trishna provides a glimpse into the fatalities and tragedies that can occur as a result of a catastrophic romantic relationship. In this case, it involves the son of a property developer, Jay Singh (Riz Ahmed) and the daughter of an auto-rickshaw owner –two lovers who are worlds apart in an unaccepting society.
Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire, Rise of the Planet of the Apes) plays Trishna from youth to adulthood, and she does it impressively well. Pinto, who is now 28 years old and lives in Los Angeles, delights with both her incredible looks and magical performance –-one that is certainly Oscar-worthy.
An unconventional cinematic piece, Trishna is based on Thomas Hardy's classic novel Tess of the D'Urbervilles. This is where Winterbottom truly shines from beginning to end, as he delivers an impeccable and epic movie about a woman whose life is shattered by a combination of love and circumstances. It surrounds a romance that leads to a senseless illusion – one that is unexpected – while the circumstances lead to a different lifestyle: glamorous living standards, lustful sex, improvements (both financially and socially) and riches.
In life, everything comes with a price tag, however. Upon witnessing Trishna’s unique physical beauty, Jay instantly becomes fully captivated, and soon falls in love with her; Trishna also appears to be head-over-heels for Jay, who stole her heart, virginity and purity.
Given that Trishna originates from a lower-class family, Jay is obsessed with keeping their relationship a secret, and this obsession eventually develops into him treating Trishna as a sex slave, forcing her to perform sexual atrocities.
Trishna eventually escapes, but must resort to extreme measures to do so.
Pinto profoundly connects with Trishna’s character; she controls the screen like never before. Consequently, Trishna revolutionizes the drama genre.
Grade: A-
Trishna releases in select theaters July 13.
And on Video on Demand July 20!
Comment
