Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy's newest feature spins an ubiquitous story on family, love and healing. Inspired by the warmth you get from watching Studio Ghibli and playing with cats, “Max, Min and Meowzaki” presents a lighthearted but timely survey of social issues in India.
Max, Min and Meowzaki is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival
As we begin, “Max, Min and Meowzaki” are no more. Max (Siddharth Menon), a voice actor and rock singer, has broken up with his filmmaker girlfriend Min (Medha Shankar), who seems to have left him for an older man. The two, who once bonded over their love for Hayao Miyazaki's films, must decide who gets custody of their kitten, Meowzaki. Max refuses the kitten, citing his allergy to animal fur, but Min still leaves it with him temporarily. As Max mourns his breakup, we learn that he has also been grieving the recent loss of his mother, Vasudha (Gitanjali Rao) to cancer. Illuminating a thread of intergenerational trauma, the story quickly branches out to its large ensemble of characters, including Max's conservative father, Ramesh (Adil Hussain) and a cat-sitter for Meowzaki, Carol (Vidhatri Bandi). Bit by bit, each character embarks on their own journey of change and healing.
Ensemble productions often tread difficult ground, sometimes carrying too much, sometimes expounding too little. “Max, Min and Meowzaki” struggles to hold with a staggering runtime of 140 minutes, but one retracts blame when thinking on the script's thematic ambitions.
“First time, all of us are single. You, your Appa, and me. That calls for a celebration.” Wholesome as can be, Narasimhamurthy sensitively navigates difficult topics of childhood and domestic trauma, not usually encountered in the comedy-drama sphere. The obvious thought and care put into creating his characters' backstories breed the movie's most effective moments, that allow the audience to empathize, but still hold characters accountable for their mistakes. Written with nothing less than a sincere heart, Narasimhamurthy leaves no stone unturned, but with confrontations natural and unforced. Ramesh's disapproval of Max dating Min reveals a prevalence of Islamophobia, and his private confessions in therapy uncover uncomfortable struggles faced in keeping with society's moral conventions: gender norms, filial piety. Though frequent on-the-nose melodramatic dialogue and delivery leave much to be desired, resonance of heart may still be found.
Unfortunately for “Max, Min and Meowzaki”, performance holds a lesser candle to director's intention. Occasionally, moments land well, such as the penultimate conversation Max has with his father, where they properly ask each other for the first time since Vasudha's death, “Are you okay?” Adil Hussain's portrayal of Ramesh, one of the more complex characters shines through, as many of his scenes become structured as retrospection and confession. Vidhatri Bandi's bright but slightly world-weary Carol also charms. A goal for naturalism is observed, with sprinklings of familiar slang and vulgarities, but it being mixed with stately dramatic dialogue throws the rhythm off, and undermines either's impact.
Technicalities largely take a backseat, with camera, lighting and music following general conventions. Most scenes operate on action-reaction, from actor to actor, or actor to object, and so on. Production design, however, delight with frequent pops of detail and character. For a lengthy piece with various locations, Vijay Dulguch's and Vinay Vishwakarma's copious attention to detail create an authentically diverse world. Max's modern apartment, awash with colorful tasselled curtains and framed Studio Ghibli posters, tells its own story, as does Carol's more bohemian apartment with its mismatched vintage furniture. Feline motifs in Roshni Bose's costume design for Max, while a little overt, still prove whimsical. Perhaps, they are also testament to Max's continued love for Meowzaki, despite his allergy, or his wish to move on.
While imperfect, one cannot deny “Max, Min and Meowzaki”'s genuinity. At the end of the day, take solace in the fact that whatever happens, there will always be two things: Hayao Miyazaki's films, and cats.
