In Karan Kandhari’s Sister Midnight, Radhika Apte plays a woman who gets married to a childhood crush only to realize married life isn’t everything she’d dreamed of. Early on in the film, you’re made to realize there’s nothing typical about this couple, even though this is the ideal of domesticity in the Indian context. Get married, move into whatever one-room house you can find, cook food for your hard-working husband, and live on. But Sister Midnight is an ambitious dark comedy that will make you have a visceral reaction to the plot that’s playing out in front of you. Or maybe you’ll be left wondering, “What the…” have I just watched?” I think either reaction is a success story for Karan, who’s made a profound film in the most comedic way possible.
I’m not going to sit here and tell you that you should watch art films to give yourself an intellectual edge over others, because in truth, when I was watching this film, I did feel like I was genuinely stupid for not being able to figure out what was going on here. So much for being a creative, eh? “Why can’t I understand the creativity of others?” But, well after the film was over, it stuck with me for days and slowly dawned on me. So, maybe I’m not that stupid, and this is the perfect example of subjective indie cinema. I think Karan intentionally weaves an almost silent story (at least the first 15 minutes feel dialogue-less, but it’s quite minimal even after that) that leaves you questioning every little detail, like you’re a drone outside the window of a gossip-worthy neighbor’s house. No, I don’t really care for gossip, but this film made me feel like I was in the inner circle.
The thing with an ambitious film with CGI goats and a genius actress, who is often misinterpreted as “too bold” or simply underrated, is that you’re bound to get a mixed bag of reviews. The easiest way to give this movie an unbiased synopsis is by saying that it’s about a woman who gets married expecting a fairytale but ends up getting a nightmare instead. But that’s quite the undersell I’ve done there, because it’s so much more than just that. Okay, imagine I’m Professor Utonium (from The Powerpuff Girls). Now, if I had to describe the Chemical X formula for Sister Midnight, then I’d say it’s a dash of satire, some snapshots of domestic life, loads of talent, a whole fistful of fantasy, and garnish with a little too much chaos. I think this makes it easy to realize that this movie isn’t for everybody. I guess you could say it’s for the cinephiles, because at least they might pretend to like it because it’s an ode to the artist and artistry rather than an edit approved by the studio exec. I’m only half joking, but I can’t imagine too many people will be thrilled trying to figure out what’s going on here, because it’s not linear, it’s not cohesive, it doesn’t even give you any answers, it just happens, and the crazy stuff keeps piling on.
In truth, I certainly found some of the content of this film felt like a dated version of people’s expectations of the big city of Mumbai. Instead of massive potholes and traffic so bad it’ll take you four hours to reach your destination, we get to see empty streets, beautiful colors, and a lot of garbage. I think if I had to make a movie set in Mumbai today, it would have that sepia filter we see in Korean apocalyptic films, but I digress. I suppose, in a way, the city here has a life of its own. Yes, we know it doesn’t sleep, and we know that you can find a helpful person at every corner. But the narrative paints an underwhelming picture of the very eclectic city. I think that there is an attempt at capturing this disparity when we see Uma find a job in a much more urban setting than where she lives.
Remember how I said this film was about a woman who marries her childhood crush? By that, I meant he’s a boy she looked at when she was in school and then ended up married to because she had to be. To me, the film is lacking in that it’s still stuck a little bit in the past, and that’s its biggest drawback. Personally, I watched it as an entertainer, and I was entertained, but if you’re eager to get some answers or read between the lines, then I can’t help but imagine you might be more than slightly disappointed.
Visually, the movie is incredible, and apart from the CGI goats, which I found way too silly, I genuinely enjoyed every frame, some of which occasionally feel almost stage-like because of how they’re lit. Cinematography 10/10. But I think the best part is the background score that’s embellished with different languages and genre bends, making the movie just feel so much cooler. Oh, I guess it makes it obvious that this movie was somehow made in the “TikTok” era without displaying modern technology in any way. I don’t actually know what I’m saying at this point, but let’s leave it at great music.
There’s no denying that the highlight of the movie is the woman herself, Miss Radhika Apte, who, as usual, delivers a phenomenal performance. I mean, this must be a piece of cake for her at this point, right? From her expressive eyes to her incredible tonal shifts, I think she’s one actress who can literally do any kind of role and seem like she was made for it. The supporting cast is also fabulous, and I especially love the chemistry she has with the neighbor.
Sister Midnight is a film that will provoke some and make others feel like they’ve just wasted their time. But, if you’re like Matt from The Studio, then you might just give this film a chance as a patron of the arts. I will give Sister Midnight 4 out of 5 stars, just because it left me largely confused and made me actually laugh out loud.
