On The Town Review: “A Work of Art” can be summed up as a balanced comedy that is entertaining and heartfelt at the same time. It is a film that can be enjoyed by both the youngsters and the older ones too. It is an all time favorite for the twenty-somethings since it will stay in their minds for a long time to come.
As per the film, Billie Eilish plays Maureen Vane. She has been a stripper, but finds herself with a dilemma about how she should go about getting the gig. Maureen is also a widow, who is dealing with financial problems. A man named Lee (John Cusack) offers her the job at his club called Billie’s Place, which is just down the street from the stripper’s place.
It is actually based on an incident that happened when Lee and a friend visited Indian hotels and discussed their career options. This is basically the reason why the title of the film is “On The Town”. Though the film does not have a plot line, it follows a narrative that is narrated and followed by the characters of the film. It tells the story about how they meet and where they end up meeting.
What makes this movie stand out from the rest is the music and lyrics of the movie. Most people that have seen the movie think of its music and lyrics as being beautifully created. Maureen Vane’s melody is very catchy and well sung. John Cusack’s acting is also good and so is the song as it makes the film more emotional.
Billie Eilish is all of about the motherly instinct. Her body language, facial expressions and even words are her way of communicating that she cares for her daughter. Though the character is not very colorful, she still conveys the essence of what it means to be a mother. She does not have a very positive outlook on life and is prone to rage whenever she is forced to work overtime for no good reason. This is also why it is hard for her to understand the demands of Lee.
What makes this film interesting is the fact that Maureen is one of the Indian ladies that works hard but looks more like a man, in contrast to the usual sexiness of the Indian ladies. This type of woman has been portrayed in other movies but none of them have got as much acclaim as this one. This is a good example of the diversity of the Indian women and the complexity of their gender roles.
The movie reminds me of many of the Indian movies that are currently doing well like Aziz Ali Khan’s Baaghi and Nana Patekar’s Iktaar, even though these movies are far better than this one. Still, even with the flaws of the movie, I am glad that it was made. The song was added after the film was shot and therefore did not get into the final cut. Even if it did not make the final cut, it was kept in by the writers.
