Review: Love, Wrinkle-free is clean indie fun at its best

Film: Love, Wrinkle-free (English)
Director: Sandeep Mohan
Cast: Ash Chandler, Shernaz Patel, Arika, Seema Rahmani, Ashwin Mushran, Sohrab Ardeshir
Rating: ***1/2
 
He has a perpetually furrowed brow, she has a serene smile. He is a marketing manager for an underwear company, she runs a family restaurant, strangely called ‘Shack’ in Goa. He wants his family (including adopted teenage daughter Ruth) to be proud of him and he thinks the brilliant ‘edible lingerie’ business idea will help him make it big on his own. Her only aim is to be able to sing in the church choir, that prefers younger voices now. Her pride is at stake.
 
Meet Savio (Ash Chandler) and Annie Monteiro (Shernaz Patel). They’re middle-aged, whiny but very likeable. All their daughter wants is 50K. Don’t ask why. Watch the film for that.
 
Then there are others. The younger, free-spirited tourist, photographer Natalie (Seema Rahmani), who wants to capture the slightly overweight Savio doing halasana and viparit karni (yoga junkies will know what’s happening). She makes Savio want to spike his hair, and smile sheepishly into the mirror. For Annie, there’s local junkie (Ashwin Mushran). He gifts her ‘hoarse power’ to heal her throat. The attention makes her blush.
 
The interactions of these characters leave you in splits. When the Monteiros break the news of Annie’s pregnancy to Ruth, she retorts: couldn’t you have used a condom? Their conversations aren’t even remotely clever, but as real as they’re funny. Savio’s life is a mess: his middle-aged wife is pregnant, he’s accused of sexually harassing a colleague, lost money to a fake venture capitalist, and finds himself attracted to a much younger woman.
 
The simplicity of director Sandeep Mohan’s subject is evident. His strength is his characters, all well-etched. The holy cows will dismiss them as stereotypes born out of Bollywood. Having spent a substantial time in the state at various stages in life, this reviewer can safely vouch for the bugger’s intention. Probably why I found the film funnier than the others did.
 
The orange-tinged, Instagram-ed look lends authenticity to the infamous susegad way of life synonymous with Goans. Shreyas Beltangady’s editing is crisp, but a lot more chopping could have worked. Many of Savio’s troubles seem like afterthoughts added for impact, sometimes sympathy. Salsa and yoga lessons, Ruth’s walks on the beach, seemed superfluous to the narrative.
 
Chandler’s brow is perpetually cross, but the few times he smiles, he lights up the screen. Savio’s Marlon ‘Godfather’ Brando impersonation and typical ‘t’ speech issues grow on you, just like Patel’s confidence. They make a quirky onscreen husband and wife. Arika as the daughter deliberately underplays her part. Rahmani is beginning to become a favourite, (after last year’s Good Night Good Morning), with her screen presence being infectious. Ashwin Mushran, Sohrab Ardeshir and others add variety to the humour.
 
Vivek Philip’s background music and songs done by an ensemble of musicians (the Momo Kha song is hilarious) are in keeping with the light mood of the story.
 
Every family is dysfunctional. The Monteiros are just a bit more. Be sure to have fun at their expense. It’s clean indie fun at its best.
 
One big discrepancy, though: No Goan wears the ‘I Love Goa’ tee in Goa. That’s what the bhingtakaars (Indian tourists) do.