Movie Review: Race 2…is a cheap car with fancy headlights

Race 2 is stylish, superbly shot and packaged but if you look under the hood, that’s where the disappointment lies. While it tries to be as fiery and racy as the original, at the end of the day it just doesn’t offer the same kind of mileage for the time you spend in the hall (and you spend a good 2 hours 20 minutes)

There were a few clear reasons why the original Race stood out and was the surprise hit that it turned out. It had unpredictable characters, devilish plot twists and a sense of suspense where you quite don’t know what to expect next. Yes, it was also stylishly packaged and made on an extravagant budget. Unfortunately, it is only this last part that the sequel really concentrates on and therein lies the folly. Sure, it has the same flavor of twists and turns but this time you really can’t smell the rubber when the tires screech at a supposedly sudden bend in the road

The other faux pas of this movie which is really its undoing in my view is its scenes being ‘inspired’ from too many popular Hollywood movies (I could count Casino Royale, Mask of Zorro and a painfully obvious rip off from National Treasure, am sure there were more..). What’s worse is that none of these scenes were really required and had the script been a little tighter and far more original (as was the case with its predecessor) this one could have stood its own too. Suffice it to say, that as soon as you begin to give the movie some credit..bang there goes another rather familiar scene ‘inspired’ from a Hollywood movie

Its not all bad though. Race 2 gets a stylish and snazzy packaging you would seldom find in a Bollywood movie. No expense seems to be spared and as is the case with the theme of the movie – money seems to have simply flown like water to get the shots right. Some special effects disappoint but sharp editing and brilliant cinematography and camerawork give a velvety sheen to the movie. Its a pity that the plot is lacklustre.

Though packed with plenty of stars none of them really make a lasting impact. Saif lacks the fresh look his character had in the original and John’s wooden performance fails to lift his character. Female leads don’t really have much of a role in this movie though on a relative basis Deepika is clearly the better actress. The tiresome Mini (secretary to RD) is replaced with an even more tiresome Cherry (I didn’t think that was possible..clearly I was proved wrong) and she and Anil Kapoor share some of the most cringe worthy dialogues you could imagine.

As we approach the finish line, the verdict is this - the original Race was pacy and thrilling. By spending more time on the design of the car than its performance on the road Race 2 clearly falls behind

Movie Review: Inkaar...yes, yes, yes...oh no!!

Inkaar is a compelling watch. No doubt about it. Sudhir Mishra can take a bow. A simple premise turns explosive and even spews venom every now and then but (and I hate to bring up this but, but the truth must be told), just when you think you have a winner all the way, Inkaar ends up disappointing in the worst possible manner. Hence, the blog title is what it is

Inkaar starts off promising and builds up even better. The flashback mode works well for telling the story and  despite its slow pacing and high focus on narration, it keeps you interested. Inkaar takes on a bold topic and thankfully maintains a no holds barred approach to its presentation. Expletives are used where required even though they tend to get censored out in the actual dialogue delivery and the movie looks to deliver its impact with the dialogues rather than over-use of background music or camera close ups..a refreshing change.

A really classy intermission has you looking forward to how the story will pick up pace in the second half and that too meets the mark. The contradictory accounts are superbly told and writing and editing is right up there. Seemingly black and white characters and accounts turn an alarming shade of grey and you are suddenly not sure who you support and why. In fact, you are eagerly awaiting for the movie to unfold it all for you..the spine tingling climax with some chilling realizations that would be the hall mark of this tale well told so far..however, what you get instead is almost lazy, trite and too stale in comparison reducing it to average Bollywood fare..a huge letdown

If the writing and presentation is good, solid performances further lift this movie. Arjun Rampal delivers his best performance yet, playing his complex character with an ease that he has seldom shown. Chitrangada Singh looks ravishing (not the best choice of adjective perhaps, given the tone of the movie but then I have to do justice) throughout the movie and her expressive eyes more than make up for accented dialogue delivery in parts. The songs are nice and melodious but don't stick too long in the memory and sometimes tend to slow down an already slow narrative

Inkaar, then is every bit worth a visit to the hall. Just be prepared for an under-whelming climax

Movie Review: Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola…ki Gulaabi Bhains ki aankh!!

If you didn’t get the title – let me explain because the last thing I want is for you going for this rather sad offering from a stalwart director just on a mis-interpretation. Truth is, I literally felt like swearing after the movie was over and given the over emphasis on the gulaabi bhains I am sure you have already seen in the promos – I felt this title covered it nicely

Mr Vishal Bhardwaj is the same one who got us gems like Omkara and Kamineyy (I’d add Maqbool to the list but for some reason I am still to watch it). Hence his credentials are only of the highest quality. However, when somebody like Mr. Bhardwaj offers a product like Matru ki Bijlee..it defeats all meaning and purpose. Without a doubt, this one is his weakest offering yet..yes, including Saat Khoon Maaf

The biggest flaw for Matru lies in its rather weak script – if you can call it that even. There are 3 supposedly central characters, but there is close to nil character development. There is no understanding built on why they are the way they are and by the end of an agonizing two and a half hours you’d happily shoot all three of them yourself if it meant you could get out of the hall faster.

The first half is slow to a point where I can tell you what happened in just two sentences, including any obvious twists and turns. The second half tries to do a lot more but its so apparent that you are caught wondering why the movie takes so long to get to its climax. Coming from the maker of Kamineyy, this is a real shocker in itself. Gone is the tight packaging, the underlying tension and then earth shattering impact. Instead you get a motley bunch of sequences ranging from comedic to serious to inane to insane
The songs are average to below average and even the gulaabi bhains stops appealing after a while. If the movie is somewhat bearable, its for precisely two reasons. For one, Pankaj Kapur puts in a highly commendable performance as Mr. Mandola and is able to display the range of emotions required by his rather complex character. The other reason is that there are bits of good humor/ satire of the intellectual variety which tickles the senses every now and then

That’s it. There’s nothing else to look forward to. Anushka on this rare occasion, looks out of place and doesn’t look her character as well. Imraan is strictly okay though to be fair to both, their characters don’t give them much room. Shabana Azmi is in good form and plays her role like the veteran she is – but in my view her character really didn’t suit her

There you have it then. I say this with a heavy heart, myself being an ardent Vishal Bhardwaj fan. If you don’t want to start off proceedings for 2013 in the worst possible way that’s one item you can tick off the list. Best to wait for his next..