AAMIS MOVIE REVIEW

Review By : Movie Run Time : 1 hour 48 minutes Censor Rating : U/A Genre : Crime, Romance, Violence

AAMIS CAST & CREW
Production: Metanormal, Signum Productions, Wishberry Films Cast: Arghadeep Baruah, Lima Das Direction: Bhaskar Hazarika Screenplay: Bhaskar Hazarika Music: Quan Bay Cinematography: Riju Das

The haunting last frame of director Bhaskar Hazarika’s 2019 Assamese film, Aamis, is the shot of two criminals, a young man and a middle-aged woman, holding hands for probably the first time during their companionship. Throughout the film, the director finds a textbook moment of love at the most morally void of places, as the crime committed by the two is a result of their adventurous taste buds.

Bhaskar, who has worked as a screenwriter in Hindi cinema, won critical appreciation for his debut film Kothanodi, which was inspired by the folk tales of Assam. Aamis (Ravening) is set in urban Guwahati, and the story revolves around Sumon (Arghadeep Baruah) who befriends Nirmali (Lima Das), a paediatrician whose household consists of her son and her mildly narcissistic husband, a doctor whose job demands him to provide healthcare at remote places.

A student of anthropology, Sumon’s PhD thesis specialises in indigenous culinary habits and he is an active member of the meat club, a group of carnivore enthusiasts who prefer eating dishes made with unprocessed meat.

Nirmali sees a much-needed male companion in Sumon, and their friendship grows as they share exotic meat delicacies, ranging from wild rabbit, catfish to bat meat. While Nirmali prefers cutlery to eat her dishes, Sumon prefers to eat with bare hands, as he likes to get his fingers dirty (this foreshadows a major climactic moment of the film).

Nirmali’s dietary preferences cast a shadow even on her personal relationship, where during an occasion she prefers the cold, refrigerated meat instead of the farm-fresh yams brought by her husband. Sumon wells up his feelings towards Nirmali, but they are separated by a thin veil of decency as Nirmali shuns adultery. This dynamic is made even evident during a scene where Sumon tries to hold Nirmali’s palm while they watch a school play.

But Sumon’s lustful feelings are manifested through their shared passion for meat (further reveal would be a major spoiler). At this point, the film ceases to be a shy romance between two foodies and turns into a dark exploration of gluttony. The entire first half, which consists of warm encounters between two unassuming people, is used to butter the viewer for a shocking second half.

The narrative changes its tonality in a seamless way, and Hazarika uses a realistic, urban setting to place his outrightly antisocial characters as Nirmali’s taste buds become wilder with Sumon being the catalyst. Aamis questions the fragile nature of morality through a wildly unpredictable screenplay.

Lima Das’ brilliant performance conveys Nirmali’s bizarre character arc with complete conviction, and Arghadeep Barua compliments his role as the hopeless romantic. Riju Das’ muted cinematography excels at the most shocking moments of the film. Aamis is not for the weak-hearted as this thought-provoking film has a tendency to shock the viewer.

You can watch the film on moviesaints.com

Verdict: Aamis is a dark, genre-bending culinary drama with an unpredictable twist. A compelling watch

BEHINDWOODS REVIEW BOARD RATING

3.25
3.25 5 ( 3.25 / 5.0 )

PUBLIC REVIEW BOARD RATING

REVIEW RATING EXPLANATION

பிரேக்கிங் சினிமா செய்திகள், திரை விமர்சனம், பாடல் விமர்சனம், ஃபோட்டோ கேலரி, பாக்ஸ் ஆபிஸ் செய்திகள், ஸ்லைடு ஷோ, போன்ற பல்வேறு சுவாரஸியமான தகவல்களை தமிழில் படிக்க இங்கு கிளிக் செய்யவும்      

Aamis (aka) Amis

Aamis (aka) Amis is a Assamese movie. Arghadeep Baruah, Lima Das are part of the cast of Aamis (aka) Amis. The movie is directed by Bhaskar Hazarika. Music is by Quan Bay. Production by Metanormal, Signum Productions, Wishberry Films, cinematography by Riju Das.