Three film recommendations for the weekend of 8 July

Once again, I went on the Sam Steen Show on Today Radio this morning and gave three recommendations for the weekend: Nayak: The Hero, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, and Nightmare Alley.

Nayak: The Hero has garnered lots of recognition over the years and was a box office succes when it first came out, but somehow it slipped from the public's consciousness. It wasn't until it was restored in 2004 that the film regained attention. This week we also have a Guillermo del Toro double feature, one an anti-fascist retelling of Pinocchio, and the other will make your heart pound.

1. Nayak the Hero (Ray, 1966, India)

When I was in high school I came across a clip of Nayak: The Hero while mindlessly scrolling on YouTube. I was entranced. Somehow, I lost the video and the title of the film. I desperately tried to describe what I had seen, but to no avail. The film was lost to me. That was until about a month ago, when once again, I was scrolling aimlessly and the same clip showed up, this time with the title and director: Nayak: The Hero by 
Satyajit Ray.

The film follows Arindam Mukherjee (Uttam Kumar), a beloved and very popular film star, as he takes a train to Delhi to receive a prestigious acting award. On the train he opens up to a female journalist, Aditi (Sharmila Tagore), and reveals his fears, mistakes, regrets, and troubles.

The film offers an up close and personal look at what fame and excess does to an individual, but also a close look India in 1966. The film examines women's place in society and the work force, as well as what Indian cinema looks like in the face of Hollywood/American cultural imperialism. It questions why American movies are the dominant mode of cinema. The film also uses some hyper-stylized and surreal stage sets (my favorite). It is a staple of Indian cinema, that has been beloved internationally since it came out.

The film is available on The Criterion Channel and for free on YouTube with subtitles.

I couldn't find an official trailer for the film, so instead, I am attaching my favourite scene (the one I desperately searched for). Enjoy.

Le Héros (Nayak) - Satyajit Ray, 1966.

2. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (del Toro, 2022, US)

If you don't know the drama surrounding this film, let me enlighten you. The film had been in development since 2008, but in 2017 it was announced the project was cancelled. In 2018, Netflix announced the film was back on, but it wasn't until December of 2021 that Guillermo del Toro announced the film's release date in 2022.

Simultaneously, Disney had been working on a remake of Pinocchio as well. After the release date of del Toro's was announced, Disney rushed the rest of their production to beat del Toro's film, only for Disney's to be a massive critical flop and for del Toro's to come out on top.

Set in Mussolini's Italy, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio is not a remake of the classic story, but more of a retelling. After Geppetto lost his son during an air raid in the First World War, he builds Pinocchio, a wooden boy. When he goes to sleep that night, a wood sprite grants Pinocchio life and assigns Sebastian the cricket to be his moral guide. Geppetto awakes and finds a very much alive Pinocchio whom he is often confused by and frustrated with.

While this description of the film does not sound too far off from the original story, I can't say much more without giving away some major spoilers, so just trust me: the film is different that the 1940 Disney movie.

It won Best Animated feature in 2023, and there has never been a film more deserving. It is now the longest stop-motion film ever created, with some of the best character design out of any animated piece of media.

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio is only available on Netflix.

GUILLERMO DEL TORO'S PINOCCHIO | Official Trailer | Netflix

3. Nightmare Alley (del Toro, 2021, US)

I, like many people, often roll my eyes when another remake of a classic film is announced. While an older film might be tied to a specific moment, it has endured as long as it has because that moment in time is applicable in the present. However, as the saying goes, the exception makes the rule. Notably, De Palma's 1983 film Scar Face is a remake of a 1932 gangster film of the same name directed by Howard Hawks and Richard Rosson.

I don't think anyone would describe De Palma's film as a cash grab or unable to live up to the original's glory (but you should really watch Scar Face 1932, it's very good). Guillermo del Toro's Nightmare Alley is exactly the same.

Unlike De Palma's Scar Face, 2021 Nightmare Alley is a fairly faithful adaptation to its 1947 counterpart. The plot follows a grifter, Stan Carlisle (Bradly Cooper), who finds himself at a carnival where he teams up with another performer Molly (Rooney Mara). Together, they develop a popular medium/psychic act until they encounter a psychologist (Cate Blanchett) determined to out them as frauds.

With a stacked cast, the film manages to capture the original's creeping dread and expand on it further than before, as Stan's schemes grow quickly out of hand and as the psychologist, Dr. Lilith Ritter, closes in. Both Nightmare Alley's deserve your attention.

It is available on Apple TV+.

NIGHTMARE ALLEY | Official Trailer | Searchlight Pictures

Listen to the recommendations on RTL play here, or via the player below.