Movie Review: Shor in the city…makes itself heard

While originally not on my ‘watch-list’ (what with Tusshar, as he is now called. in the lead and it being an Ekta Kapoor production..can you really blame me?)..but the touted dark horse this weekend seemed worth checking out.

The first and perhaps the only mistake I made before entering the hall, was to assume this would be a comedy..albeit a dark comedy but one with laugh out loud moments and amazing comic situations. Nothing of the sort….don’t assume you are watching a comedy and you 'll be fine.

Watch ‘Shor in the City’ for what it really is..a fairly hard hitting, yet subtle flick with loads of irony in every sequence. The first line of the movie says ‘The city is just an excuse for people to be good or bad, especially bad’…hats off to the person who thought of this line since it very succintly describes exactly what this movie is all about.

Don’t expect it to be a classic…its not even close. The last offering by this stable was LSD and we all know what LSD was like. This one is closer to that. But while LSD was too slow and a little too subtle for my liking Shor in the city does just enough to make itself noticed. It leaves plenty for the audience to think of, once the movie is over but doesn’t really force them to do so either. You can come out of the hall and be indifferent to what you saw or you can ponder over the irony shown in the film..its that kind of a movie

While I wouldn’t qualify it as a must-watch, I’d still encourage you to watch it for the fresh offering that it is, a rare instance in Bollywood

Movie Review: Source Code…enthralls yet disappoints

It is so gripping you wouldn’t want to move from your seat, even blink an eye, lest you miss the critical element the protagonist is looking for in the 8 minute bracket he has, to save…

Almost gave away the plot there, but when I saw this trailer about a month and a half ago, its been a near desperate wait for this one to finally reach the big screen.

Till the first half broke, Source Code seemed as if it had been well worth the wait. And then such promise, such potential was frittered away quite casually in what can only be described as a lukewarm second half and an even quieter climax. Coming from Hollywood, this is highly disappointing…

If I were to draw parallels I would say Source Code starts off as a ‘Paycheck’, gripping from the word ‘go’, new things coming to light every 8 minutes (You’ll find out why), with a background score that is also very similar to Paycheck. In fact, the concept itself is so fascinating, the possibilities so immense that you brace yourself for an explosive second half.

But alas…that never happens. Perhaps the director ran out of ideas..maybe he wanted to send out a social message..whatever the context, the end of the movie is disappointing as in the case of Vantage Point, another movie that had shown a lot of promise.

While Jake Gyllenhaal puts in a convincing act, that still isn’t enough to get over the disappointment while exiting the movie hall. However, purely for its ‘unputdownable’ (an expression normally reserved for a great book) first half, you can try cracking this code this weekend

Movie Review: Chalo Dilli….jaana zaroori nahi hai

Its okay..

That’s distinctly the feeling you have,once you emerge from the cinema hall after watching Chalo Dilli. The trouble with this movie is that it tries too hard. Time and again there are some great opportunities to make the audience laugh but the over-attempt results in over-kill

Blame it on the script…blame it on the cast..blame it on whatever. But Chalo Dilli doesn’t do enough to make you want to undertake this journey more than once.

One look at Vinay Pathak in the first few scenes and you rejoiced that Bharat Bhushan (Bheja Fry) was back for another round. But in his new avatar, Pathak manages only a few laughs. As for Lara Dutta – the story has been told time and again – she looks ravishing but acts..well, she can’t act…let’s just leave it at that.

And that, is a critical aspect especially since she’s supposed to be the leading lady in this comic flick

One thing to appreciate though, is the rather insightful act you get to watch, most of the characters and their actions can be related to somebody you might know, or at least have observed. However, whenever you see potential for some interesting situations to develop, the movie shifts to a different track, leaving you wondering what was the point of showing those scenes in the first place..

The issue with the second half and especially the end is that it gets too preachy and has too much in-your-face messaging. Would rather have appreciated a more subtle message where the audience also had some food for thought

As for the songs – thankfully, I counted only 3. It is appalling to note this new unfavorable trend of lifting old classical hits and making sad, or rather pathetic ‘new’ music out of it. The song ‘Laila main Laila’ falls under the same category. The only relief is that it is nowhere close to the sorry excuse for a song that was made in DMD. (am talking about Mit Jaaye Gham…kaash yeh gaana hi mit jaata…)

All in all, its a fairly timepass watch…and if you have nothing better to pass the time this weekend, you may venture a watch

Movie Review: Dum Maro Dum…packs a punch!!

The Bollywood hit of the season is here!! It has been a long while that I have had the good fortune to watch a decent Bollywood action flick (last one that comes to mind is Khakee) and that is exactly what Rohan Sippy delivers with Dum Maro Dum
What does it for DMD, more than anything else is a decent plot and build up. Right from the start, the movie builds up really well. The main characters are well drawn up, their back stories very well explained and you are only hoping that the momentum of the first half will pass on to the next. For a change, you are not disappointed. Further, snazzy camera effects, great editing and brilliant use of the tune of Dum Maro Dum as background score at various stages only add to the punch of the movie
Interestingly, the poster for this movie is also really apt, though you will realize that only once you've seen the first half.
Now, this movie has two villains. One is, of course, Aditya Pancholi. The other, while he doesn’t even show his face in the film, is Pritam. Yes, Pritam – the music director. He, not only piles you on with umpteen number of songs; to make matters worse, none of them are good!! What ultimately brings down DMD at least one notch lower is the ‘at least’ 3 songs extra it has. For once, you have a movie with decent plot and build-up. Why pack it with so many songs and why Pritam as Music Director?? That and the fact that they could’ve probably gone for a better villain than Aditya Pancholi are the real lows of the film
In the acting department, well nobody really stands out. Abhishek Bachan acts his part and puts in a good performance. Prateik Babbar though, stands out for all the wrong reasons, and his squeaky dialogue delivery can get really irritating at times. The newbie Rana, delivers a sincere performance and gets noticed. Bipasha looks good but her character is hardly challenging. Deepika, while not a central character, in the movie sets the screen on fire with her scorching moves in the track Dum Maro Dum, though there’s a lot more they could’ve done with the song, especially given the time it enters the movie. The song itself, is a shameful rip of the iconic Zeenat Aman Dum Maro Dum..how I wish that memory had not been tarnished by such pathetic music (really Pritam, you’ve done your best to spoil this one)
The movie has some tender moments too, but they do not slow down the action or pace of the movie. While the 2nd half zips past and especially towards the climax seems rather hurried, the overall package packs quite a punch and should definitely be your first choice for the movies this weekend

Movie Review: Rio..celebrates the spirit of the Carnival!!

A few years ago an animated movie came out by the name of ‘Happy Feet’ about a penguin who could dance. While it received a lot of critical acclaim and kudos…personally it wasn’t that impressive..and I didn’t really feel like dancing to the penguin’s tune. I felt it was a ‘little all over the place’ and the message it presented was kinda forced on the audience.

Rio has nothing to do with a bird who can dance/ not dance..yet you are bound to sway to its beats, enjoy its highs and lows and come out of the hall in high spirits!

A perfect setup for a 3D movie, Rio celebrates Rio (the place) its spirit and the all-important carnival. In fact, so much so that the main storyline itself becomes secondary in the process. That said, this is one animation whose plotline moves at a breakneck speed so put on your crash helmets from the first scenes itself. Don’t be fooled by the rather quiet start (which itself is unique for animation movie). Before halftime, you would have already been in & out of cages, travelled halfway around the world and be struggling to keep pace with the trials and tribulations of Blu (our protagonist Macaw)

Yet, like most animation flicks the plotline is fairly predictable yet keeps you clued in. Each character, not just the main ones, are well drawn out and have a distinct personality. The humor levels are just about right, though more could be expected from an animation movie. Jesse Eisenberg is near-perfect as Blu, and suits the nerdy yet lovable character of Blu to the T (especially after Social Network) while Anne Hathaway is simply adorable as the love interest. The villain of the tale (I shall not name who) is also particularly noteworthy and the audience is sure to find him a despicable and disgusting character.

The animation is good as ever and the 3D is quite noticeable, especially in scenes of flight and travel. What this movie somewhat misses is an extra character like the Penguins in Madagascar or a Scrat (especially since this one is from the makers of Ice Age).

One good thing though is that it doesn’t try to preach and spread a social message of any kind. The message is subtle, maybe even cliched but that’s what suits the tone of the movie

If one were to be particularly critical of such movies, one can say that there is nothing ‘new’ coming from their makers and each character can be somewhat related to some or the other character in some past animation film. But an animation flick is something meant for all ages. It needn’t be cross examined and critically analyzed. The best way is to sit back, relax and let the child in you enjoy the show

Movie Review: Just Go With It…is worth going for

At the outset, I would like to make it clear – this is a typical DVD watch. While its worth going for, purely from a good watch standpoint..its not your not-to-miss flick of the week and doesn’t necessarily need an outing to the theaters.

What makes this one worth a watch though is the gentle and easy flow of the movie especially in the first half and how the title to this movie is really apt…from the beginning we all ‘just go with it’ – the characters in the movie, the audience that watches them…its not your movie to sit and analyze and debate over. Its one of those flicks you are supposed to just sit back, relax and enjoy

That said, it isn’t really mindless either. A fair bit of humour with some absolutely laugh out loud instances, Just Go With It makes for decent movie fare. Especially the first half, is particularly encouraging..in fact, the movie reminds you a lot of ‘No Entry (the lone Bazmee comedy that was actually pretty decent) in how it shapes up and the way the plot moves forward

What is a bit of a let-down is the more typical rom-com second half. The movie just gets a little too much on the love angle, the gags become lesser and it kinda feels disconnected. Its all very sweetly done but it misses that X-factor. The end itself is particularly tame.

Adam Sandler puts in his customary decent performance playing a character he is all too familiar with by now. Jennifer Anniston plays her part well too though age is beginning to tell on her and I think she should graduate to more ‘motherly’ roles rather than play the love interest now. Nicole Kidman is thoroughly under-utilized in the character she plays. A special word for Nick Swardson who puts in a particularly note worthy performance as do the kids in the movie.

Oh! and absolutely stunningly gorgeous is Brooklyn Decker; in fact, she may be one reason you might actually wanna catch this one on the big screen ;)

So there you have it..that’s my take on the flick..whether its worth your ticket at the movie hall is something you’ll have to let your heart decide..and ‘just go with it’

Movie Review: The Lincoln Lawyer..is a case worth investigating

Now I know that this review comes in over a week late..call it a case of oversight..but I overlooked The Lincoln Lawyer last week so thought I’d remedy that.

Playing out practically like a John Grisham novel (it is a screen adaptation of a novel by Micheal Connelly actually), the Lincoln Lawyer catches your interest from the very start and manages to keep you intrigued, practically throughout.

While the narrative does get a little slow in between, still the movie covers adequate ground in the first half and breaks for interval by revealing quite an interesting quandary our protagonist faces

A coming of age performance from Matthew McConaughey (for the uninitiated he’s the guy from those rom coms – How to lose a guy in 10 days, Failure to Launch etc), McConaughey is in his element as the smart and slick lawyer and really manages to get under the skin of his character. Especially, the transformation of his character as the movie gathers pace and the story moves ahead is particularly impressive. Ryan Phillippe also does justice to his character as the ‘client’ of Matthew McConaughey.

The movie is also smartly written with some genuinely intelligent quips and remarks from our lead character (McConaughey). However, where the movie disappoints (at least it did so for me) was the way the plot situation is handled in the second half. Maybe the director ran out of ideas, maybe he showed something I didn’t see…whatever be the case, the finale of the movie isn’t as thrilling as one would expect it to be. You keep waiting for McConaughey to pull a rabbit out of a hat only to find out he really didn’t need one..go figure that one out.

The issue about reviewing a movie that revolves around a lawyer’s case is that there is practically nothing you can talk of, without giving something about the movie away and that would indeed, be a shame

So suffice it to say that if great acting, a decent plot and a fairly engaging time is what you are looking for ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ may be right up your alley.

------Case Closed-------

P.S. As for the releases this week, well I have no plans of watching ‘Thank You’ (No thank you to that one and with this I think I can effectively strike off Mr. Bazmee from my list), the Game is practically 'over' (on all counts) and I'd be damned if I 'Accepted' a rip off like Faltu :)