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Court is a critically acclaimed Indian courtroom drama, directed by Chaitanya Tamhane and released in 2014, focusing on both the personal and political aspects of the Indian judicial system. The movie is an insightful portrayal of the lives of people, often on the fringes of society, who are caught up in a complex web of laws, bureaucracy, and social prejudices. Through the eyes of its characters, the movie shows how the legal system is rigged against them, how the court processes are used to silence dissent and how the marginalized communities are tied to endless cycles of poverty and oppression.

The film centers around the arrest and trial of a folk singer and activist, Narayan Kamble (Vira Sathidar), who is accused of inciting a sewer worker to commit suicide through his songs. As the trial progresses, we get an intimate look into the lives of the lawyer (Vivek Gomber) defending the accused, the public prosecutor, and the judge (Geetanjali Kulkarni) presiding over the case. The movie is anchored by these beautifully crafted human performances that serve to elevate the richly textured narrative.

One of the most striking features of the movie is its realism. The director avoids the usual trappings of movies like these, such as a grandstanding lawyer, dramatic courtroom outbursts, or a surprise witness. Instead, he presents us with the more mundane, bureaucratic side of the legal system, which is often agonizingly slow and frustrating. Through subtle and nuanced performances, the movie shows how the legal system is a very human one, with biases, prejudices, and personal gains all coming into play during the proceedings.

The narrative of the movie is layered, weaved around each character's personal struggles and political affiliations. Narayan Kamble, the accused, is a self-taught folk singer, who writes songs that seek to highlight the problems of the working class and the injustices they face. His songs are a potent mix of satire, activism, and poetry, but also a reflection of a man who has persevered through countless hardships. Kamble's trial, therefore, becomes not only a legal battle but also a moral one. The trial uncovers the systemic oppression and the unequal distribution of justice that the marginalized face every day.

The lead defense lawyer, Vinay Vora (Vivek Gomber), is a calm and measured presence in the courtroom. He steers the defense through the maze of legal procedures and tries to do justice to his client's cause. However, he is also an upper-class, English-speaking, educated lawyer from the city, with little understanding of the world that his client comes from. The personal conflicts within Vora, between his professional duties and his empathy for his client, lend the movie an emotional depth that is rarely seen in courtroom dramas.

The prosecuting lawyer, Nutan (Geetanjali Kulkarni), is a militant and dogged prosecutor, focused entirely on securing a conviction for Kamble. Nutan is also a product of the same system that Kamble and his supporters are protesting against, which makes her a complicated character. Without spoiling the plot, the film shows how the legal system, with all its loopholes and bureaucratic red tape, can make it almost impossible for the truth to come out.

The director's eye for detail is immaculate, whether it's capturing the streets of Mumbai or the mundane court procedures. He uses static shots that linger on the frame, and the courtroom is presented through a series of long takes, making the viewer feel like they are watching a documentary instead of a fictional movie.

Overall, Court is a thought-provoking film that challenges the audience to confront the deep-rooted corruption and systemic problems of the Indian legal system. It is a rare film that manages to incite both empathy and outrage in equal measure. It is easy to see why the film made a clean sweep of many international film festivals, including the Venice Film Festival in 2014, where it was awarded the Best Film in the Orizzonti section.

Court is a 2015 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 56 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.6 and a MetaScore of 83.