A couple in their mid-30s sit across from a marriage counselor, discussing the fact that they haven’t had sex in years. But the usual questions about root causes only lead down blind alleys it’s clear that this problem, like all problems, is much deeper. They decide to take a vacation to reconnect with each other, but of course problems arise on the way: It turns out neither of them booked anything.
After some fighting, they settle on what looks like a hostel in the jungle; there they meet Nitin (a caretaker), and a woman (the owner?) who’s running it away from social media and general public eyes. Things seem good: The couple takes long walks where their shared sense of humor lights up; their interactions with the owner are rewarding. But then friction appears again, and the two leave in the night. While driving somewhere else, they stumble upon a hitchhiker.
Amitabha Chaterji’s film is split exactly in half by this hitchhiker; both halves have an exceedingly talky approach that often makes it feel like you’re watching a play (in a good way). On the other hand, Chaterji’s own (and Pramit Das’) cinematography somehow captures jungles and mountains and forests with images that will stick with you forever this movie has an undeniably cinematic quality at its best moments.
The couple (and sometimes also just one half of them) talks to the mysterious woman about everything under the sun: sex (and porn); biological weapons; food; ecology and animals; rules; past relationships; various kinds of philosophical topics not all of which have bearing on or even anything remotely to do with what we might consider “the main narrative” of part one.
Part two switches up almost entirely and becomes more concerned with corruption, patriarchy/family relations, crime/punishment/justice/corrections/etc., and just generally different things this time which, however, still manage to function in relation to the main narrative.
The transition between two parts, which could be seen as a metaphor for relationships of people or something if you want it to make sense, is not totally smooth; neither is the genre shift from social drama/road movie to thriller. But that’s OK! The agony part about what’s gonna happen works great on an entertainment level. Ditto the ending comment, even though it doesn’t quite land: It probably wants to say that people need to try new things in order to grow or even keep love alive but seems instead like it’s saying that committing crimes can have the same effect.
But: The acting here is uniformly terrific. Amrita Mukhopadhyay as “the wife” (I don’t think they’re ever named) does anger and pleasure especially well; her smile/laugh at one of her husband’s jokes might be the most beautiful moment in the whole movie. Judhajit Sarkar spends most of his screen time with a more “apologetic” energy he has chemistry with well, everyone (that’s part of why the dialogue-heavy thing works so well).
Problems were found in “Primitive” as the director might not have known what to do or how to do it so, to speak. But at the same time it is well-made, acted, funny and interesting in its context these reasons probably brought it to Moscow International Film Festival.
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