When a movie is a mood
Brunch|December 30, 2023
Cinematography is what makes some films seem magical and others, a mess. Here's what to look for on the next streaming marathon
Urvee Modwel
When a movie is a mood

It's easy to get lost in Asteroid City (2023), Darjeeling Limited (2007), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) and The French Dispatch (2021). What is it about Wes Anderson's style that hooks us in? Is it symmetry, the perfectly composed frames or that muted pastel palette? Turns out, it's all that and a little bit more.

Anderson's signature visual elements are easy to identify. What about the distinctive look of A Death in the Gunj (2016), Call Me By Your Name (2017), Gully Boy (2019), Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022) - or most Sanjay Leela Bhansali films, really — that makes us want to watch them over and over even if we're only half following the plot? Pooja Rajkumar Rathod, 32, cinematographer for the 2023 documentary Secrets of the Elephants and Satya Rai Nagpaul, 53, cinematographer for 2022's Ghoomketu, both BAFTA Breakthrough India 2023 honourees, offer a quick guide to following a film's visuals.

Stay composed.

This story is from the December 30, 2023 edition of Brunch.

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This story is from the December 30, 2023 edition of Brunch.

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