“Kennedy” starts showing the lead character cool, poised and collected. We see modern India but enveloped in a sea of red warm colors as if foreshadowing of a murder that will happen. Yes a well planned murder happens and Kennedy is the culprit. All of this happening in a high end condo complete with full orchestra musical score. This film has a very sophisticated feel, sometimes horrific but oftentimes hypnotic.
Every now and then we see a full performance of a HipHopish Night Club Male singer with nightmarish make up. In contrast was Charlie ( Sunny Leone ) she was crude, funny and the same time sexy. She was a breathe of fresh air in the midst of the bloody murder and chaos happening as regularly throughout the film plot.
The film for me is cross between Over the Top Bollywood, Murder Mystery Hollywood and ArtHouse Glam. We see a mix of Bollywood Melodrama with the family complications. We see Hollywood quality gun shootouts and car chase scenes. We see Art House Film Noir in the commentary on social injustice in India. All of this happening during the Covid Era where a lot of people were in isolation in their own houses.
Our protagonist antagonist almost doesn’t talk in the entire movie but when he does is with the ghost of his past murder victim. He sees dead people. You see his loneliness and guilt. He is frightened and ashamed. You see in his expressive eyes he wants to change. But he can’t. Like the ghost of his past he is controlled by a corrupt Top Level Cop. He can not escape he is trapped in the present that he despises. He is deemed dead by the society. Worse all of deemed dead by his own family. That for him is far worse than being literally dead.
Before I give my conclusion to this review, I reviewed this film excited to support an Asian Film at the Biggest Film Festival in the world which is Cannes Film Festival. I am really now convinced that the Asian Wave is On ! The phenomenon is not only happening in the US but also worldwide !
I could not help it but cry as Kennedy is trapped in this world that he did not create but was imposed on him. I can not imagine living in a world like that. Beautiful as it was cinematically vivid, enticing and lurid. The world he lives in is bleak, dark and lifeless. Capped by a bombastic end I don’t why but I shed a tear or two. Kudos to Rahul Bhat’s Solid (Award Worthy) performance and Anurag Kashyap’s superb direction. I got immersed in Kennedy’s journey spiraling downwards. I empathized with him. I was hypnotized. I really really felt him. Kennedy and this film made me cry.
