International South Asian Film Festival 2010: Asshole (Gandu) – Review and Trailer

Sex and drugs and rock and roll is all my brain and body need - Ian Dury & The Blockheads

Now, substitute the lyric of “rock and roll” for that of “rap”, and – in a nutshell – what you have in Asshole (Gandu) is the Bengali cinematic version of that now legendary punk anthem.

Shot in black & white, with flares of color scattered throughout the film’s bizarre third act, Asshole (Gandu) tells the story of an introverted and poor aspiring young rapper and his friend, Rickshaw, who aside from being obsessed with Bruce Lee, earns his living by driving – you guessed it – a rickshaw.

As learned quickly, through the use of a 4-way split-screen introduction, the film’s title has many meanings; stupid, stupid fucker, loser and moron.  In the case of Director Q‘s (awesome name, by the way) film, Gandu is the street name given to the film’s main protagonist, which stands for asshole.

As a whole, this film is a bit of a mixed bag.  The entire first hour delivers a grade-A gritty character study, whereas grade-B wankerism looms heavy in the film’s overindulging self recognizing third-half.  Had the third act been cut out all together, the film wouldn’t have lost any of its impact and would have made for a much more enjoyable experience.  Who knows, maybe the director will do just that.  In all fairness, the status of the screener copy I got of the film was tagged as being ’Rough Cut’.

On a more positive tip, the beautiful black and white cinematography, timely editing and pitch-perfect use of both score and soundtrack give Asshole (Gandu) its wings.  Like drinking a refreshing blend of both Jim Jarmusch (director of Down By Law, Ghost Dog) and Larry Clark films (director of Kids, Wassup Rockers), Asshole (Gandu) - at least in its first two acts - has all the makings of being this generations sex and drugs and rock n’ roll rap.

Showtimes for Asshole(Gandu):

Friday, November 5, 2011 11:30pm @ Brava Theatre (2781 24th Street)