Movie Review | Animal (2023)
SPOILERS AHEAD!
Animal is a movie that tries very hard to be woke. Brownie points for getting a few things right, but rotten tomatoes for still getting many things wrong. It tries to bridge the gap between the rising ape and the falling angel. But, oh well, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
“Animal” is about a deeply disturbed, broken, traumatised man who is completely obsessed with his father and suffers from various psychological issues. He is pretty well-intentioned, but without the usual tools of healthy communication and a good bit of socialisation, can only channel his thoughts through unexpected bouts of toxic masculinity, overkill and hyperactivity. Which neatly puts him back in the category of a common ape.
In complete contrast to Arjun Reddy or Kabir Singh, it is Vijay who is devoid of personality or purpose, a result of deep and complete enmeshment with his father’s personality. Everybody, including his mother, wife, children, and himself comes second to his father.
His wife, Geetanjali, has a lot more personality, agency and a much meatier role than Preeti. Except when faced with Vijay’s paternalistic, condescending attitude towards her. Coz boyfriend knows best. Boyfriend always knows best- nothing has changed in that regard since Arjun Reddy/Kabir Singh.
An attitude that he extends unsolicited towards his sisters as well. He burdens himself with the glorious purpose of being the brother who will find and vet potential suitors for his sisters. So that they don’t end up displaying the very traits that he possesses!
One could argue that being paternalistic and condescending is better than being downright misogynistic or sexist, but that doesn’t hold much water considering they are all interrelated anyway.
Try as they might, one thing Vanga’s films still haven’t gotten right is actual mutual respect and equality.
Vijay, due to his deep-seated issues, isn’t capable of selfless love, despite his best intentions. He makes it clear that he wouldn’t want his wife to remarry if he ever dies. And that he wouldn’t give his wife a divorce even if she wants it, because CHILDREN. The very same children that he puts at risk when he aims and shoots a gun near his wife’s person.
He refuses to see or accept that he is a danger to those around him. And refuses to allow anybody to leave him, nor will he leave them himself.
The honeytrap, going along with it and making full use of willing prey is the oldest trick in the book of enemy infiltration. But it is also a lot more forgiveable than the cliched honeytrap falling for the enemy. Because women are always so very emotional and just that simple.
The film is all about an obsessive father-son bond and childhood trauma resulting in a dangerously disturbed adult, interweaved with entertaining action and dialogue throughout.
From a story telling perspective, even the father-son bond is just an afterthought or an excuse for action, guns, bazooka and so on. The level of which is not often seen in Indian cinema. Oh well, as long as it’s entertaining, everyone wins, I suppose.
The moral of the film, and it does have a social message, whether it is intended or not, is this:
Raise your kids well.
Verdict: Seen as entertainment and entertainment alone, the movie works really well. Just park your thoughts and mind elsewhere.
Rating: 4/5
PROs:
The performances, the action, the style, the guns, the fights, etc.
Geetanjali is a hell lot of an improvement on Preeti. She has some agency.
The female protagonist speaks.
She fights.
She argues.
She throws a laptop.
Thinks of getting a divorce.
Had a job in the US.
Wears western clothes.
Doesn’t mind taking off her top in front of the house help.
Engages in, asks for, even demands intimacy.
Wow, such modern, woke sentiments. We have never seen the likes of it before. This definitely calls for a party.
This time the male protagonist does not hit back even when the female protagonist hits him many times. Like, I wouldn’t mind her getting hit, considering they already have a toxic relationship anyway, with alternating sadistic-masochist tendencies. It would have been more realistic if they hit each other as an “expression of luurve”.
CONs:
No clear or consistent storyline. The movie simply takes the theme of traumatised attachment issues, violence, and revenge, and runs with it.
The male hero remains an underdeveloped man child with psychological issues and very little understanding of emotional regulation. And unrealistic recovery from life-threatening injuries. He also refuses psychiatric help.
The music was over-the-top cheesy and cliched and over-emotional at places. Even unnecessary. Reminds one of the over-dramatic Indian serials on TV.
The repetitive use of somebody narrating a story as a way to open the film.
The repetitive paternalistic attitude of the male protagonist, would have worked in the 80s or 90s movies, but not in the 21st century and right now, when people are making it a point to avoid dangerous social narratives, and promote individuality, independence, equality, mutual respect and wokeness. We can’t keep falling back into regressive patterns.
The repetitive inability of the female “protagonist” to think for herself. She had to wait for the hero to tell her what sort of a man she should be with and give her clarity, and surprise- it’s the hero himself. Very convenient.
Geetanjali failing to see that the family is in danger despite Vijay ending up almost dead, and attributing his actions to delusion is just unbelievable. But women don’t usually see reason anyway, even if it hits them in the face, so I suppose we’re good.
