A Great Chemistry
A poor tough guy meets a brat, spoilt rich girl. Or a city dwelling smart guy meets a bholi bhali gaon ki chhori. The two situations seem to be the case in almost any bollywood movie- but these are only attempts to monetize a simple formula that a great contrast makes a great chemistry. It’s a different thing altogether that these contracts have become so typical that in most of the cases the charm is lost unless the script writer is able to pull out a stunning plot or the director delivers a breathtaking masterpiece (like DDLJ).
After I had written a few stories of my own, I was trying to come up with a formula which could make a great story. And then I saw a common pattern in some of the movies I absolutely adore. These movies are- Leon, A Million Dollar Baby, Silence of the Lambs, As Good As It gets, Lost in Translation. In all of them the contrast between the two main characters is so stark and the gap is so wide that they produce a dazzling chemistry on screen which leave us pleasantly amazed. I will summarize the two central characters of the movie in each case.
Leon- I think this was the first movie of Natalie Portman who plays a 12 year old, sweet but arrogant, girl and Jean Reno who plays a good hearted, tough hit-man or ‘cleaner’, who has just suppressed all his emotions. He starts liking the girl and the girl starts liking him too. There are such moments of subtle romance in this movie that any story writer would envy the script writer.
As Good As It Gets- A crazy misanthropic writer played by Jack Nicholson likes a single good hearted caring mother played by Helen Hunt. Again the contrast is what makes the movie click and the one can observe many spicy, crazy little incidences which keeps you riveted to the screen for 139 minutes.
A Million Dollar Baby- Clint Eastwood (boy… this guy never goes wrong) plays a tough boxing coach and Hillary Swank is a girl with strongest grit and desire to become a boxer. Clint is a tough guy, but you can see his emotions for his student when she falters. In the end he kills Swank for obvious reasons. But what a chemistry!
Silence of the Lambs- It is beyond my reason as to how an author can create a character as dreaded and ghastly as Doctor Hannibal Lecter (played by Anthony Hopkins- I think this is one of the best role played by anyone after Marlon Brando played the godfather) and still make him so charming and adorable. And observe the chemistry with the new inexperienced detective played by Jodie Foster. Again the brilliants contrast makes the movie one of the best ever.
Lost in translation- Beautiful, charming Scarlet Johanson and her friendship with an old man whose married life, as the case generally, is tired and lack lusture. The movie ends but leaves one only wanting for more.
I have been trying to think of such characters, believe me I am trying hard, but I have not been able to come up with such contrasts. The pairs just look too perfect and sometimes I feel that that whole universe of such awesome couples is exhausted; but to shatter my belief and as if to belittle me I always come across some movie or the other which such great characters and I am left saluting the author. I wish I could write one such masterpiece.
I would also like to add that when I saw the movie Jab We Met (another movie with great chemistry produced by two absolutely different characters- a bubbly Karina and a serious Shahid) I was quite happy as I enjoyed watching the movie but was also disappointed because I had thought of a similar story, though in my case the guy would have been the more cheerful character. I hope I come up with another such idea and this time I write the story before I see the movie.
(Written on 27th April, 2009).
