Movie Review: Lafangey Parindey….stay away

Have you seen the trailer of Lafangey Parindey? (She was born to fly..etc)..Well, if you have, that’s the movie for you..Walk into the movie hall and though it clocks an annoying 2 and a half hours, I doubt you would have seen anything more, other than perhaps the biggest advertisement for the TV show, ‘India’s Got Talent’

YRF has clearly lost the plot. There was a time that a YRF production, though not always spectacular, could at least be counted upon as dependable movie fare..Well, the times have certainly changed

The ‘Tashan’ of making the big bucks have clearly made YRF a ‘Badmaash Company’ and they are now using advertising and endorsements to rake in the moolah rather than the audience’s ticket fare. What else would explain taking a promising script that may have had potential and presenting it in such a flat manner. The character of Pinky Palkar, could have been such a strong force so as to blow the audience away with her resolve and commitment (read movies like Iqbal) but despite Deepika Padukone’s best efforts, Pinky fails to move you. In fact, there is precisely one scene that would really stir some emotion and is quite beautifully presented but that’s where the joy ends

Neil Nitin Mukesh, in his trademark style, remains blank and expressionless throughout the movie and One Shot Nandu ends up being a one-dimensional character (even though that wouldn’t have been the intention). The only one who deserves mention is probably Deepika, who has definitely raised her own performance bar. Not only does she look beautiful (which she does in all her movies) but she quite literally, puts her best foot forward and tries to breathe life into the character of Pinky

Unfortunately, since the plot is woefully predictable (especially after the elaborate trailers) and there is little else to save the script, her performance is not enough to make this a hall-worthy experience. One would think that the ‘ringa ringa’ score that would have many humming away during the trailers, would be well exploited, but since that too comes only at the beginning of the movie, by the time you come out of the hall, you have no recollection of that either.

To sum it up, I have absolutely no reason whatsoever to recommend that you waste money and go to the halls for this flick…Just watch the trailer and you can tick Lafangey Parindey off your list…

Movie Review: Peepli LIVE – Live the experience

A few years ago, there was a satire by the name of ‘Welcome to Sajjanpur’ that seeked to tackle a host of issues and was set in a distinctly village focused scenario. That movie failed to evoke my emotions as I thought it was perhaps a little too subtle in its approach and the main plot itself wasn’t very engrossing. Peepli LIVE, though, set in a similar setting, doesn’t have any of those flaws

Hats off to Anusha Rizwi to be able to present such a grim and serious issue, as farmer suicide in such a fresh and convincing manner. While the movie starts off with the lives of the two main characters, Natha and his brother, it soon snowballs to such epic levels wherein they are reduced to mere pawns in a larger and murkier game involving media, politicians and what nots. Irony is practically engraved into every frame of this movie and each scene gives you the opportunity to dig deeper and realize what the director truly wants you to see

However, before I continue praising Peepli LIVE, its important to understand and accept one fact. The movie isn’t commercial by any standards. Its not an out n out entertainer and there isn’t one scene that can be regarded as slapstick. Realism is at the very core of this flick and all the subtle humor is generated from stuff that is very much believable and practical. So if you are looking for a brainless comedy, go watch some of the other offerings this week. What you need to keep in mind while watching Peepli Live is the message the director attempts to portray and the way she manages to bring across contemporary issues with both a touch of humor and loads of irony.

Another interesting trick is the use or rather the lack of use of background score and sound effects during dialogue delivery. Rather, the focus is on the actual sounds - the chatter amongst the media, the clanging of utensils which only adds to the realism of the frames

To add to the experience, the movie is supported by a stellar performance by the entire star cast - each doing complete justice to the character they portray.

There is so much to this movie that one would want to discuss and ponder over but I guess that’ll have to wait as it would mean giving away too much of the plot of this wonderful satire. Suffice it to say that you shouldn’t miss it. While there isn’t too much ‘hall-worthy’ in this flick in the conventional sense (no mindblowing action, no special effects, no exotic locales etc), I don’t think you would get the appropriate effect of what the movie tries to convey, unless you watch the drama that unfolds at Peepli - 'LIVE' ,in the theater, so go book your show right away..

Movie Review: Despicable Me – Nothing despicable about it…

Now this is what happens when you enter the theater with huge expectations. Having missed this movie at the beginning of the week, I heard rave reviews of Despicable Me and entered the hall with sky-hihg expectations. Did it meet those expectations? Not entirely

To clear the air – no it isn’t as good as Monsters Inc. or Finding Nemo. Its a normal, decent animation flick.

Should you then spend money and watch it in the hall? – Most definitely yes..why? Because of the 3D experience that will be completely lost on you otherwise

Yes, we finally have an animation flick which gives 3D the respect it deserves. Despicable Me is the best I’ve seen from a 3D animation point of view. Sure there are scenes that are just meant to give the 3D experience, like the ride in the amusement park or the trip to the moon but you surely get your money’s worth.

The 3D isn’t all the movie has to offer though. There are some scenes where you are guaranteed to burst out laughing, though those are few and far between. What makes movies like Finding Nemo and Ice Age absolute rib ticklers are characters like Dory and Scrat, which is an element sadly missing from this movie. While the main character Gru (voice by Steve Carell) stirs a variety of emotions in you at different stages of the movie, it does miss a few funny scenes/ dialogues, overall. The other issue with Despicable Me is that it has an ‘all too familiar’ look to it…Gru reminds of you of Grinch and Agnes is sure to remind you of Boo (from Monsters Inc.). While they have not been featured in any animation movie so far, the bots that are a part of Gru’s lab would bear a distinct resemblance to zoozoos (Vodafone)

Other than that, the movie doesn’t have too many flaws. The animation is perfect (but then that is now a standard expected off Hollywood and no longer deserves separate mention). Steve Carell is in great form and pulls of a convincing ‘Gru’.

The movie has a weird plotline that’ll keep you interested till the end. The ending credits are perhaps the icing on the cake as far as the 3D experience goes so make sure to keep your glasses on, long after the movie is over. All in all, I’d say its one of the better offerings this week. If you made the mistake of picking Aisha as first choice, Despicable Me offers a good chance to make amends

Movie Review: Aisha…aaaaa!!!!

That was a cry in agony, by the way….
Its one of the rare occasions where I’ve gotta admit a guy’s perspective may not do justice to give a full opinion on the kinda movie ‘Aisha’ is. Trouble is, dis movie is completely ‘gal centric’, and there alas, lies the dilemma. I would tell you not to even consider watching this flick in da hall but den a gal might tell u different..Here’s my take anyway…
Welcome to the world of Aisha and it quite literally is about her all throughout the length of the movie. Sure, there are a couple of side characters thrown in but the movie really belongs to the character of Aisha..or at least it was supposed to as per the script…up till the point that they decided to cast Sonam Kapoor as her (Aisha)
Let’s be fair…Sonam Kapoor isn’t the prettiest of damsels of B-Town (not by a long yardstick) and the few scenes where she’s managed to look decent are ones where she’s wearing traditional attire with minimal make up. Instead to cast her as a glam doll and a fashion-obsessed, rich & spoilt gal is clearly a mistake. The other issue is that ‘Aisha’ has a lot of dialogues to deliver and dialogue delivery isn’t one of Sonam’s strong points either
Oh by the way, the other lead in this movie is Abhay Deol and I doubt if he has been more under-utilized and given so little room to perform in any other flick, so I am sure you’ll understand if I don’t give him too much importance in this review
Resultingly the movie depends heavily on its side characters who thankfully do not disappoint. The biggest revelation is Amrita Puri who plays the character of Shefali, who I think emerges as the true heroine of the film. While the camera focuses firmly on Sonam Kapoor for majority of the movie, she still manages to steal the show in the little moments she gets – whether its about her complaining while she’s taking a long walk with Randhir (Cyrus) or the power packed scenes in which she confronts Aisha..she is in prime form
The other ‘sidies’ also more than justify their presence in the movie with Cyrus Sahukar (Randhir) and Ira Dubey (Pinky) coming up with noteworthy performances
If you are looking for stuff like a great plot, fast paced scenes, oodles of laughter..well, you’re clearly sitting in the wrong theater. What Aisha offers you is a very typical chick flick (I always struggled with a definition for that; now I have my answer) an extremely predictable plot that unfolds at an excruciating pace, with little nuggets of subtle humor thrown in. Add the fact that there are one too many songs and none too melodious and you know exactly what you are headed for…
Guys, I am warning you – this is a movie that I am sure you won’t enjoy. However, I am equally sure that your ‘better halves’ are sure to drag you to the halls to watch this flick..so if you can manage to convince them and catch it on DVD instead…consider it a job well done