'Love In The Times Of Corona' review: Aesthetically pleasing anthology
Love In The Times Of Corona, created and directed by Indrani Ray, is currently streaming on Voot. Mostly backed by women and starring women, the anthology of three stories is touching and honest to innermost feelings. We get eye-soothing frames and nods to Gabriel García Márquez and Bengali music, while shades of love and relationship during the COVID-19 lockdown get portrayed. Here's our review.
Each short was shot during peak lockdown, remotely
Armed with intent stories we believed in wanted to tell, fuelled by the grace of our stunning cast crew, we shot during peak lockdown - remotely, each short capturing the mood of the time we filmed it in. #LoveInTheTimesOfCorona 🙏
— Indrani Ray (@IndraniRay) July 27, 2021
Today's feature on @VootSelect @TanviG https://t.co/sIf9Nlh4HS
Lockdown made people open up, in more ways than one
Reports have shown that hundreds reconnected with exes or old flames during the pandemic. Ray's first story A Short Hello, starring Dipannita Sharma, also shows a similar story that's dated August 2020. It shows a woman doing her daily chores, but there's loneliness, unlike before, giving rise to reminiscence, and a need to reconnect. Sharma mentioning her pronouns in credits was a welcome move.
All stories feature urban issues with upper class people
The second story Tea and a Rose features Adil Hussain and Natasha Rastogi as two old acquaintances discovering love in September 2020. Finally, Dinner in Lockdown takes place in February 2021 and like the other two stories, the lead characters (played by Shibani Dandekar and Shekhar Ravjiani) are urban, belonging to the upper class. Here, one broken wine glass shatters a life of pretense.
Screen opens with sepia tones but resolutions color it up
What works best for the anthology is its pleasing tone and soothing style of delivery. All the stories open up in a sepia tone and once our protagonists reach a decision, all empowering in different ways, the screen (along with their lives) fills up with color. The use of music in every short complements the characters well and the acting performances are satisfactory.
The anthology is part of Voot Select Film Fest
Part of Voot Select Film Fest, Love In The Times Of Corona is a worthy addition. It's like a warm cup of coffee and books, situated during something very grave like the pandemic. Hence, those who had to worry about sustenance will not be able to relate to these sanitized tales. Produced by Tanvi Gandhi, Eun-Ah Lee has edited the shorts. Verdict: 3.5/5.
