The Coming of Age story has been portrayed throughout the history of cinema. The Dardenne Brother's recent "The Kid with a Bike" showed their main protagonist coming to terms with his loneliness while Alfonso Cuaron's "Y Tu Mama Tambien" told the story of two men discovering their sexuality. For Meera Menon's first feature film, "Farah Goes Bang," Menon takes a different approach by combining the sexual troubles of recent college graduates with their political views.
The film tells the story of Farah (Nickohl Boosheri), a recent college graduate who takes a road trip with her friends KJ (Kandis Erickson) and Roopa (Kiran Deol). The girls hit the road to campaign for John Kerry and on their way hit many obstacles which test their friendship and their will to continue.
Farah is an insecure girl who remains a virgin while her friends have experienced sex with multiple guys. She sees herself as less attractive and therefore attempts to beautify herself in many ways. The film opens with a montage of Farah shaving her legs and waxing her eyebrows. She puts makeup on and then meets Waseem who is clearly attracted to her. In their encounter he gives her a condom implying his desire for sex but she is afraid and ends up leaving him. Farah's insecurity continues throughout the first act as her attire is very covered and wears a scarf over her head. At one point she is portrayed as wearing a dress. However, her own fear of unleashing her sexuality forces her to change into pants and a shirt. She also looks at magazines of models and circles body parts she wants to emulate while doing exercise. Farah is also very shy and when her friends ask her to go into the pool she stays out and remains clothed.
KJ and Roopa are the polar opposites. They drink, smoke, wear skimpy clothes and bathe in bikinis. They are also loud and over-the-top and they attract men very easily.
The film's biggest strength is the way Menon develops her characters. As aforementioned Farah is insecure and throughout the first part of the trip she remains closed off. She barely speaks at first and when in front of men she has difficulty communicating. At one point she gets the attention of a young black customer at a local gas station but she is too scared to speak. However she is still curious and goes into a bathroom with a plastic gun as a means of feeling what it could be to have sex. However as the film arrives toward its midpoint Farah becomes more curious and open with her friends. She is more comfortable speaking about their sex experiences. This however does not change her insecurities. When she gets the attention of an Asian college student, they speak for a while but then he says that he wants to meet KJ. She is disappointed and quits the conversation. At one point she is also attracted to a campaign supervisor but he ends up sleeping with KJ. Her self-discovery comes after an encounter with a transvestite who tells Farah that she is beautiful on the inside and outside. While moment comes out of left-field, its execution is touching and therefore effective.
KJ and Roopa are also well defined. KJ is destructive and dysfunctional. She has had multiple sex partners, smokes pot consistently and is very unkempt. Her hair is always messy and clothes always unpolished and rugged. Her face hints at a girl older than she really is and her attitude is explosive. When a man insults Farah, KJ starts to punch him; at another moment she beats up a woman that insults her. There is never an indication in the first act as to why she is so explosive except for a conversation between Farah and Roopa in which they say that her family has gone through a lot. However Menon leads the viewer to understand that it has to do with the war taking place in Iraq.
Roopa has no job and feels pressure all over. She is strong at first and believes that John Kerry will change her whole life. When they leave for the trip she is assertive and puts pressure on KJ and Farah. However as she starts knocking on people's doors she realizes it isn't that simple and becomes disappointed. One lady tells her she is obnoxious for knocking on her door and trying to persuade her while others refuse to answer at all.
Roopa and KJ eventually disintegrate as the film progresses because they realize they have a minimal impact on the lives of others. They must confront the hardships if they want to survive the troublesome times. Roopa's transformation is seen through her clothes and her face. She starts off in a very tight dress with lots of makeup. However towards the end, she no longer looks fresh and her attire is weary. Actress Deol's once assertive voice becomes toned down and her leadership takes a back seat.
KJ's transformation is not as evident since she is already very much destructive at the beginning. However Erickson subtly brings KJ to a breaking point. In one crucial scene when she is revealing what happened with her family, she begins a conversation very cordial and restrained but as the conversation goes on she breaks into tears. Erickson illuminates the character with a layer that viewers never expect from the initially strong and willful KJ.
Menon infuses the film with some whimsical moments such as the transvestite, and a lady who plays a George Bush song for the girls. The girl's constant sex talk is also quite humorous but genuine.
Overall the film is engaging and entertaining and one that should resonate with many audiences for its universal stories.
The film receieved its world premiere on April 19 and will screen on the 24th and 27th.
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