I know this comes in late but it was still due and for some reason if you still haven’t seen Barfi..I’ll only say that you shouldn’t miss it. Barfi is one of those rare Bollywood treats that they don’t dole out as often as one would like. In a nutshell, it offers you some delightful moments, some wonderful acting and an excellent presentation with minimum words being spoken
In many ways Barfi is a celebration of life – joyous, light with a spring in every step. Innocence and simplicity rarely come across so beautifully on the screen. This is one of those rare movies where you are bound to have a smile plastered across your face throughout the first half while you watch chaplin-esque comedy sequences brilliantly portrayed by Ranbir. Then just at the right moments it touches a chord and you see the emotion behind all the laughter
The fact that the protagonist is dumb and mute is used so exceedingly well in the film that an otherwise simple sequence of frames takes on great meaning and delivers tremendous impact. There is a touch of directorial class about a few of such sequences and I am pretty sure Barfi can be regarded as Anurag Basu’s finest till date. Music has been used wonderfully well and though the songs are melodious, its the background music in all the scenes that keep you interested
If the film falters, surprisingly, its in the plot. While it sets up well, the storyline isn’t exactly what you would have liked - taking the focus away from the wondrous lives of Barfi and Jhilmil into familiar clichéd grounds. To be fair though, you couldn’t really figure out another way the story could’ve been taken forward. That and the fact that its a little too long, (the age old Bollywood vice) and could’ve done with some snappier sequences and less predictable dialogues especially in the second half are the minor blemishes that you need to bear with
As for the performances, well that’s the main force that makes Barfi the movie it is. Its gonna be hard to find competition to Ranbir soon the way he’s going. With no dialogues, its supposed to be all expression and express he does – every single twitch, raised eyebrow or just a plain old smile – it all comes out perfect. In fact, such is his impact that you barely notice Jhilmil (Priyanka) despite her having done a more than credible job. However, she proves equally effective and does complete justice to the difficult character of Jhilmil. Ileana D’Cruz make a confident entry to Bollywood; she has a very expressive face and that works beautifully for her character
Barfi, thus, offers a delicious treat – don’t go looking for plotline and story – this one is for the performances and presentation alone and in that regard, its a rare gem
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