Movie Review: Rogue One–A Star Wars story..the Force is not so strong on this one

Another one that goes with a disclaimer – I am not as much of a Star Wars fanboy so this review may be perceived as unfair or inaccurate by the die hard Star Wars fans. I’ve seen the movies of course and felt that The Force Awakens arrives with truly a new hope for taking the franchise forward. Rogue one though simply isn’t as exciting or thrilling for me to look forward to this franchise spinoff.

Over the years, Hollywood has become better and better at capturing the visual experience of movies that ignite the imagination. Star Wars is no exception. While the initial movies may almost look like costumed drama (though with better storylines) the newer installments have become increasingly polished and Rogue one doesn’t get a step wrong in that department. Beautifully realized and technically marvelous in terms of its set pieces, CGI or otherwise, Rogue one gets just the right canvas. The action is particularly spectacular to watch. Whether it’s the storm troopers, the light sabre or the sleek futuristic battleships – everything looks real. Despite the complexity of the aerial combat, its still not hard to follow.

The letdown here is really the story. While they’ve attempted to be a little different, the story progression is predictable to a fault. There is a façade of double talk, secrets, mysteries and thrills but in reality, there are hardly any. There is an irritatingly loud background score, rising to a crescendo despite the fact that nothing spectacular actually is happening on screen.

The movie borrows liberally from other similar movies featuring a rebel faction and even so, the handling is poor. At no point do you care what happens to the characters on screen. As to the characters themselves, well, none of them get fleshed out particularly well. We don’t have our next (or is it earlier…) Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia or even R2D2. K2SO tries to do that job and while he brings a bit of comic relief, BB8 did a much better job of the same.

In terms of the acting, since there’s hardly a need to emote, I guess they all do a decent enough job. One thing this script definitely lacked is coherence. Had they slowed down a bit, got us to actually connect with the new characters and their dilemmas, it would have been a much different and hopefully more thrilling ride.


I get what the movie was trying to do and the effort is laudable. However, even as a standalone Star Wars prequel that leads into the original iconic series, it isn’t all that I had hoped for. That’s not to say that it’ll be a dull time at the theatres – the spectacular action alone makes it worth the ticket.

Movie Review: Befikre..couldn’t care less and that works

Before you get your hopes all up let me issue the disclaimer – nowhere am I saying that Befikre is your must-watch romantic comedy. I have to admit though that it is a breezy and fun watch..for the most part at least.

There are two things that work majorly in Befikre’s favor – one is its ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude towards the plot, its characters or their emotions. It’s a fun ride that at no point wants to become serious and save for the pathetic climax, it’s a formula that works.
After a long time, we’ve had an offering who’s only intention is for you as the audience to have a good time – so there’s plenty of humor, some laugh out loud moments, good dialogues and unadulterated fun. For the little time that it does take on a more serious shade, is where it begins to drag and feel stretched.

The other big feather in its cap is Ranveer Singh. I’d like to say it’s the couple’s sparkling chemistry but with Vaani Kapoor for company, that would be majorly over-stating the case. While Vaani does a decent enough job, this is a Ranveer show all the way. The man is a powerhouse and he slips into character so effortlessly, he may as well be playing himself. He manages the delicate line between being high energy and over the top with finesse and despite his loud character never once looks like he is over-doing it. Any other actor instead of him and this may have been a hard to digest watch, let alone a one-time breeze.

Paris is used liberally but more as a sparkling canvas to the two leads rather than a third character itself. The movie doesn’t stop to take a breath and the plot rushes along at a feverish pace, pretty much through the movie. Some of it also involves some pretty bizarre plot twists so go prepared for that. For a breezy movie some of its dialogues have surprising depth and they are a welcome addition rather than sounding preachy or pedantic.


Befikre then is unexpectedly, a decent one-time watch. If you are expecting another DDLJ, well you are going with the wrong expectations. The closest this movie reminded me of was Salaam Namaste in its first half. A few songs lesser and a snappier second half would have got it more plaudits. The final scene though has some beautiful lines, that betray its carefree façade. Its not all thoughtless and that’s a nice note to leave the theatre on.

Movie Review: Kahaani 2…an ordinary story this time around

I remember writing for my original review that Kahaani was a rare gem. Kahaani 2 just affirms that fact. While it is again gripping and well-presented, the story itself isn’t all that great this time around and even though the build up is terrific, by the end of it all you are bound to leave the theater disappointed.

Kahaani 2 does a couple of things well. Firstly, it de-links any reference to the original which was the smart thing to do. Dragging that perfect story would’ve been a death knell. Secondly, it builds up really well. Sujoy Ghosh definitely knows how to tell a story – script and plot are king and he lets them have their day in the sun. In fact, Kahaani 2 smartly unfolds like exactly that – a story. A story that takes its time in building up through the chapters and with each advancing page adds more excitement for the reader.

The challenge is that in a movie of this genre, you want to be stumped – completely taken aback in disbelief that the smart director/ writer has thought of and presented a twist that simply never occurred to you. With Kahaani, we totally had that. With Kahaani 2, we simply don’t – the twist is so obvious, its apparent even as we watch it all unfolding and even then, there are so many elements that simply don’t add up.

Its that aspect, in fact, that relegates Kahaani 2 to the realms of the ordinary, where many a thriller has (unsuccessfully) gone before. Think of Talaash and remind yourself of the disappointment you felt at the final revelation – now raise that up a few notches and you should reach Kahaani 2.

The one thing that’s unchanged from Kahaani is Vidya Balan (including her orignal character’s name). Yes Bida is back and despite a completely new character, she is in fine form. Despite the weak storyline, Vidya Balan gives it her all and has us connecting with and caring for Bida (or is it Durga Rani Singh..I’ll stop here). Keeping her company is Arjun Rampal, who does a decent job and thankfully doesn’t have to emote too much.


Much in the vein of the original, this one too doesn’t waste time on unnecessary songs and keeps the presentation short and tight. With a more convincing climax and grand revelation, Kahaani 2 could well have counted as a worthy sequel. As it stands though, while its well-told, Kahaani 2 ulimately manages an ordinary story.

Movie Review: Dear Zindagi..could’ve taught better life lessons

There was something alluring in its trailers or rather, teasers. Something that indicated that this would be a ‘hatke’ movie. Maybe it was the fresh humor, or the fact that it had Shahrukh in a mature role (for a change) and Alia seeking his counsel – it certainly had an appeal to it. While it does expound some interesting philosophy, especially at the first half stage – by the end of it all, the life lessons that Dear Zindagi gives don’t really stir you as much as you would wish them to.

The initial part of the movie seems a good, subtle commentary on the life and times of today’s Gen Y - their confusion and insecurities. What does challenge a bit is the slow pacing and distinct lack of humor. Still the perspective shown at the half way mark is bound to get you to snap out of slumber and take notice of proceedings. Unfortunately, all that fervor dies down in the second half, with all that fresh thinking discarded for some stereotypical plot development.

That said, how much you will like the movie is highly influenced by the degree to which you can connect and relate with the issues of the protagonist. Unfortunately, the way the script unfolds, it is harder for you to gradually build connect with the protagonist and get influenced by her ups and downs, if you can’t otherwise relate to them.

While the movie has both Shahrukh and Alia, it heavily focuses only on Alia’s character. I would’ve loved a more balanced narrative across the two, especially more depth to Shahrukh’s character but that’s not the case here. In terms of acting, while Alia does a great job this time round as well, I am a tad less enthusiastic, because it’s an extremely familiar character for her. That said, while a little unconvincing up front in the first half, she is brilliant in the second especially the emotional scenes. Shahrukh, sadly is still very much Shahrukh Khan and while that itself will have the girls swooning, he doesn’t get into the character he plays. To be fair, there is very little room given to him by the way his character is written as well.

While it makes some interesting points, it largely falls back on the familiar rather than bring up a fresh perspective on unexplored realms. The over-extended runtime doesn’t help its cause and while the intent is appreciated, Dear Zindagi ultimately is not the love letter to life you wish it to be.

Movie Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them..magic but not magical

At the outset, being an ardent Potter freak, I may be a bit harsh on this one.  Fantastic beasts… is pretty acceptable fare as a standalone feature, with mind blowing special effects, cute and endearing creatures, a new set of characters and peppered with humor every now and then. Where it falls short is in its weak development of the nemesis and poor plot development despite the dark overtones. Then of course, there is the association with the Potter-verse…

Many many moons ago, Rowling introduced us to the magical world of wizards and the legend of Harry Potter. 7 books and 8 movies that captured our imagination and stretched the bounds of our creativity with a deep focus on narrative, character development and expert story telling. With this latest offering, while she and the director David Yates, try to tell us we are back in that universe – it feels more like a homage than an actual homecoming for us Potter fans.

Fantastic Beasts.. (despite the very odd and long title) starts off on a wonderful note and keeps you interested initially, with characters, spells and creatures, both familiar and new, However, it ends up spending more time and considerable creativity on the new beasts than the story or characters themselves. The protagonist(s) don’t get enough detailing or backstory to make you feel connected and care for them. Neither is there an undercurrent of impending dread or deep roots (along the lines of ‘He Who Must Not Be Named’)

Fantastic Beasts..is best when its just having a bit of fun and not trying to take itself too seriously. Its dark moments stick out in sharp contrast and actually spoil proceedings rather than enhance them. It is towards its climax and final moments that Fantastic Beasts..spins the yarn a bit more and introduces elements that make you somewhat keen on the sequels that will inevitably follow.

Eddie Redmayne gives everything to his character of Newt. He is Newt, with eyes that show love and wonder for his magical creatures, a touch of anguish when they are in trouble and sincerity all the way through. Dan Fogler does an even more noticeable job, with the most enjoyable character of Kowalski and steals your attention every now and then. Katherine Waterston is relatively disappointing, in part due to her weak character of Goldstein. Colin Farrell is too intense and sombre as Mr. Graves.


Rowling’s return to the wizarding world is a fresh and unique offering which while its set in the same universe, misses a bit of the old magic in its story telling. Still, with the new beasts for company and the final plot twists, it may make for even better sequels in the years to come. As a Potter fan, go with low expectations and while not fantastic, these beasts might just grab some attention.

Movie Review: Dr. Strange…stranger not stronger

Ever since The Avengers brought everything together so neatly, the Marvel universe has been getting stranger and stranger. While some would herald the newbies like Guardians of the Galaxy, Antman and Deadpool as welcome additions that brought freshness to the universe, I see these as distractions and obstructions, to the simplicity with which The Avengers brought magic to the silver screen. Dr. Strange, while stranger still, is sadly, no different.

The story is the real letdown here. Have you read a book called Simoquin Prophecies? While a relatively lesser known fantasy title by author Samit Basu, it pulls ‘inspiration’ from a variety of existing, well known epics and fantasy stories (from Ramayana to Harry Potter to give you some clue). Such a description would suit Dr. Strange as well – string together some concepts from The Matrix and Harry Potter, some scenes from Inception, give it a different name and lo behold – Dr. Strange shall appear before you. Only, after drawing such inspiration, there is nothing inspiring or magical about the tale Dr. Strange chooses to weave for this newest superhero. The start is intriguing and interesting, but after keeping your interest somewhat to the half way stage the threads just fall apart. This really is a disappointment, because the visual effects and humor manage to keep you engaged and with a stellar plotline this could’ve become one of Marvel’s better offerings

The visual effects are spell binding. The context of the movie is such that it required significant visual delight to truly impress and to give credit, Dr. Strange does excel in that department. While not all scenes do justice to the 3D, some scenes show considerable promise, especially during the initial stages of the movie. The (now trademark) Marvel humor is also very much present and makes for some much needed comic relief during particularly dull moments.

Cumberbatch gives it his all and it is apparent that he is enjoying himself – pretty much through the movie. The challenge is also that you don’t know whether to take Dr. Strange seriously or simply see this one in a lighter vein wherein truly anything can happen. There is a fair amount of ‘learning’ that the audience has to do and terms we have to get familiar with as well. The sad part however, is after all that learning, the climax completely disappoints and it all seems like much ado over nothing spectacular. The visual effects continue to impress and there is a kaleidoscope (quite literally) of images making for one spectacular visual showcase. However, the yarn continues to disappoint. You don’t at all feel vested into Dr. Strange or any of the characters in this universe (or is it multiverse…)

There are both mid-credits and end-credit sequences so stick around for those. For a change, these sequences actually pique your interest – more perhaps than even the movie manages. Strange as it may seem, my suggestion to you despite the seemingly rave reviews, would be to sit this one out unless you want to go purely for the dazzling visuals – plotwise Dr. Strange doesn’t conjure up enough to keep your interest.

Movie Review: Ae Dil Hai Mushkil – is hard to praise

The heart wants what the heart wants. Only, in this case, we as the audience weren’t quite sure what Karan Johar’s heart truly wanted from his latest offering – Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Was it that he wanted to explore the complexity of love in various shades, give Ranbir and Anushka a solid platform to express themselves or re-live the memories of his past offerings. Or perhaps, he too, knew that he didn’t have a solid offering and the title is actually him, convincing his own heart, that it seems difficult that he can win his audience this time around. Whatever the intentions, ultimately – he manages a predictable storyline which is heavily reliant on a mish mash of his previous successes but doesn’t come into its own for even a moment of its over-long runtime.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil starts off weird and a little desperate to get your attention and goes further downhill from there. The attempts on humor are forced and you feel a little for both Ranbir and Anushka who are still trying to make those lines work. There are a few laughs, to be fair, but the previous offerings have offered a much easier ride (I am not counting Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna in this list). The premise for the intermission feels laughably shallow as does the romance up to that point. That it forms the basis for the remaining movie is indicative of the weak foundation the movie has.

The second half offers a breath of fresh air with Aishwarya Rai Bacchan looking the ethereal beauty – her presence is quite mesmerizing on screen. Anushka’s performance is earnest but finally unconvincing; she simply lacks the power her character needs – something that Kajol did for Karan Johar movies previously and quite effortlessly at that. You feel for Ranbir a bit, who doesn’t put a foot wrong despite his weak character, and ends up with a performance that was delivered well, but didn’t do justice to his immense talent. Tamasha (another not so great movie) provided him a better platform to perform and express himself so you can imagine the range this one manages. Fawad Khan has too fleeting a presence – I am sure the original version would’ve shown a lot more of him, but after all the cuts and edits – there is nothing left, of notice.

The songs, otherwise the bane of most Bollywood movies, are pretty much the saving grace for ADHM – especially the haunting piano melody of the title track – which becomes your best reason to still stay interested in the proceedings on screen. That music is also what’ll stay with you long after the ending credits – not much else. The twists and turns are few and far between and those too seem forced rather than a natural extension of the plot.

When I first saw and heard the title song – I fervently hoped that the movie would do justice to this awesome melody. Far from it, ADHM is perhaps one of Karan Johar’s weakest offerings (after Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna). If your heart refuses to listen, you can still watch it – but keep in mind, this time ‘Kuch Khaas nahi hota hai’ - this one’s going to be hard to praise.

Movie Review: Inferno…scarcely the scorcher you hope for

While the closest to the riveting Da Vinci Code that took the world by storm, in terms of its setting and build up (I refer here strictly to the book and not the movie), for all its depictions of hell, doomsday, blood and blazing fires, Inferno is scarcely the scorcher you hope for.

The start is promising – Robert Langdon is back and while proceedings are a little slow you brace yourself for the earth shattering impact that would subsequently be revealed. Following an atypical Dan Brown book setting, it spins its yarn against a series of paintings and ancient history and yet another conspiracy theory, yet again. However, while the threads for the Da Vinci code were deliciously complicated, Inferno keeps the solutions a little too simple. There seems to be much ado over nothing – even the background score suggests it. While we have the illustrious Hans Zimmer at the helm yet again, he is but a shadow of his true self – something that’s been the case with this series itself.

The big reveal (if one can call it that) is when the stuff simply crumbles and  you realize that the pieces don’t fit together as well as you hoped. There are more questions than answers and the entire scenario seems forced rather than a natural flow to the proceedings

While I have great respect for Ron Howard’s directorial skills (especially after Rush) this time around, he seems to be at a disadvantage with a poor script. While he tries to push that same sense of urgency and a race against time that Angels and Demons (the most successful of the book adaptations, in my view) did – this time there isn’t enough to hold your attention.

In all fairness, I haven’t read the book – so I can’t be sure if there was enough content or the movie doesn’t do it justice. From what I witnessed though, beyond a point I just didn’t care what happened to the characters and their world. I am pretty sure that’s not what the author would’ve wanted.
As for the acting, Tom Hanks is a veteran and he brings a level of sensitivity and endearment to Robert Langdon that makes you at least feel some connect for him. Felicity Jones is pretty mechanical but the role doesn’t require her to emote much. Our own Irrfan Khan comes off as wanting to sound a little too suave – something his no-nonsense dialogue delivery doesn’t go well with so that’s a disappointment.

If you’ve read Inferno, you probably know what to expect – I don’t think the movie can convince you otherwise. If you haven’t, you might still want to venture to the theaters to watch Robert Langdon’s latest adventure – but don’t expect much else. 

Movie Review: MS Dhoni–The Untold Story..best left untold

Yes I know…I can hear the sound of heartbreak. In our cricket crazed nation, a movie on Dhoni cannot go wrong and I am probably incurring the wrath of a billion fans by a review title like that –  but the truth, no matter how bitter, must be told - since the movie does go wrong and on so many levels that I can find no reason to suggest you waste your money and time (at an excruciating 3 hours) even though it celebrates the life of such a cricketing icon.

While its called ‘The Untold Story’ there isn’t much of a story to tell. The trailer, with its slick presentation, raised expectations significantly but in its attempt to engage, ended up giving all that the movie has to offer as well. If you can quell the curiosity, just watch the trailer of the movie and tick MS Dhoni off your list. There needs to be something significant and dramatic in the life of the protagonist for you to build connect with any story – something that jolts you and grabs your attention. Dhoni’s life may well have those moments – but the movie doesn’t.

The start is captivating and powerful – for the first 3 minutes. The moment you get thrown back to the birth of it all, is where the boredom starts. There is nothing interesting or engaging about the ‘journey’ and while the background score and lingering visuals suggest otherwise, nothing holds your attention and you wonder why the director is taking so much time to arrive at the point, assuming that there even is one.

Neeraj Pandey has given us one of the finest offerings in Bollywood cinema with A Wednesday. He followed it up with the pretty special ‘Special 26’ as well. It was with Baby (the forced India version of Argo) that the cracks began to show. However, with MS Dhoni he sinks to new lows that are surprising for a director of his calibre. If there wasn’t much to tell, you’d expect he would make it snappy and slick, throttling from childhood to the rising star to the super icon status Dhoni holds today.

Instead, he chooses to be the ‘fan’ – showing us uninteresting and unimportant things with a fervor suggestive of it being pivotal to the story he wants to tell. Mr. Pandey is convinced that since its Dhoni, everything will catch our fancy. And so, we are forced to sit through – Dhoni the batting star who everybody wants to watch, pretty much since childhood; the father who seemed unreasonable in the trailer but actually is pretty reasonable as the story progresses; shot after shot being hit by Dhoni till every stroke starts getting rammed into your skull and make you grimace instead of applauding – I can go on about these and believe me, I am just getting warmed up.

The only person I really feel sorry for in this entire waste of 3 hours, is Sushant Singh Rajput. Why it had to be Rajput who looks nothing like MSD, I’ll never know. However, once entrusted the role, he gives it his all – from Dhoni’s mannerisms, to his batting stance to even his accent – Sushant Singh Rajput adopts it all with ease and comfort and despite the lack of a story – makes Dhoni his own. His super-imposition into the shining moments of Dhoni’s career are also pretty effectively done, though the CGI is obvious. Neeraj Pandey’s trademark attention to detail is also staggeringly obvious – whether it’s the transition of mobile phones across the years, to the logos of airlines and their changes – this time though, its plain he’s just showing off rather than telling an engaging story.

Cut down to 90 minutes and focusing more on the little moments that make Dhoni – well, Dhoni – would’ve been a great tribute to the naturally talented and driven leader for Indian cricket and superstar icon of today’s youth. As it stands though, MS Dhoni – The Untold Story is a fanboy rendition of the life and times of the cricketer, that missed being edited.

Movie Review: Sully..follows a simple and somewhat effective flight plan

There is a difference between the real life and the cinematic. However true to life we want movies to be, we want to be taken along a journey, feel the highs and lows with its characters and truly live the experience, albeit vicariously. If presented in exactly the fashion that they would have happened, we tend to miss some of the emotions, tense nature of some of the moments and maybe even wonder why things seem so plain. For me that’s one of the key ‘flaws’ in what is otherwise a masterful effort to depict the real life heroics of Captain Sullenberger – Sully.

The movie starts off on a different note, assuming we already know about the incident and chooses to focus instead on the possible implications of what has occurred and what ought to have occurred. While intriguing, it’s a tad confusing as to where this is going to all be headed. However, a very timely flashback to the actual events, grabs your attention and doesn’t let go till pretty much the end credits.

There is a lot that is nuanced about the way director Clint Eastwood has made Sully. What could’ve been a tense, knuckle whitening, pulse quickening affair complete with a pounding background score that literally walked you through the ordeal, is actually presented as a true life account resembling more a documentary than an action film.

Given that the actual action itself was over an exceedingly short period of time, instead of slowing down time and taking you frame by frame on what actually happened – the movie chooses to instead show you the same events from multiple perspectives. It’s a choice that doesn’t make itself obvious at the outset but when you reflect on it – it’s a pretty smart one. However, as understated as it comes out, you might be forgiven if you completely miss it as well.

On the acting front, Tom Hanks is ever-dependable as Sully himself, though he hardly gets to do any ‘acting’ given his vast talent – Captain Phillips got him to more (and even that one didn’t get him to do much). Aaron Eckhart again immerses himself into the co-pilot’s character and despite the limited airtime, makes his presence felt.

Heart of hearts though, while I can appreciate this form of film-making I am personally a bigger fan of the Paul Greengrass variety – where the tension builds up, the movie grabs you by the jugular and doesn’t let go till its all over. There was so much more emotion and gravitas that could’ve pulled into this film – with accounts from the actual passengers and crew – ‘educating’ the audience on what would have been a very difficult decision and underlying further the heroics and the flawless execution.

Sully is different kind of cinema – more understated, more subtle and more like how it would have actually happened. I don’t fault the film making but I would’ve definitely liked to get more out of the experience.

Movie Review: Pink…shades of dark and dull

There is no denying the social relevance of this movie – if that alone is your lookout, you can stop reading this review and go book your tickets. There is nothing dainty about Pink – it takes the issue head on, doesn’t mince any words, doesn’t shy away from calling a spade a spade (or in this case a crude and narrow mentality) and relentlessly makes its point. However, taken as a whole, there are definitely gaping holes that it chooses to gloss over simply by over-emphasizing its issue and intent.

The choice of story-telling is smart – without actually talking about what happened and letting the audience figure it out for themselves. It holds your attention and gets you to put together the pieces. The build-up is even better – though very dark and disturbing, so better to go prepared for that. There are some very powerful moments in the first half that are quite well executed – the sudden outburst, the veiled threats – all very nicely done indeed.

With the second half being a courtroom drama, it was this initial portion that could’ve been a concern, but so far the director holds all the threads together – though the pacing is a tad slower. Also, Amitabh’s presence is grossly under-utilized in the first half – giving him a wraith like appearance, where he is glowering most of the time, wearing an unexplained contraption – such a waste of such precious talent.

The second half is where Sr. Bacchan gets the platform to showcase his brilliance. However, despite his best attempts, his character comes across as rather weakly developed – its as if his presence alone is meant to be more than sufficient. The story progression seems too contrived and misses some obvious plot points given the context as well as ignores some side tracks previously established.

There is just dull and dreariness in the courtroom, the focus being more to bring out the plight of the girls and rambling on about how narrow minded our society is than to present an intriguing case. There are a few lustrous moments as well – when the lawyer does some compelling cross examination. However, bulk of the time is spent in repeating the facts of the case as well as arguments and building  a women’s safety manual, that just gets irritating beyond a point.

By choosing to use a sledge hammer to nail its point of view, into the audience, Pink actually reduces the impact. The weakest point perhaps is the climax, which uses an argument that could’ve been used as the opening statement of the case, to arrive at the final decision. It simply doesn’t make enough sense. In fact, a movie like Jolly LLB (not the most impressive courtroom drama) had presented its case with much more conviction than Pink manages to.

What keeps you invested throughout Pink though, is the earnest performances by the three girls – Taapsee Pannu is a far cry from her girl next door avatar in Chashme Buddoor and as a fiesty and spirited girl delivers a wonderful performance. The north eastern character of Tariang is a nice touch that subtly focuses the lens on another important issue without over stating itself. If only there was more such subtlety. Amitabh Bacchan’s baritone is ever reliable and he doesn’t miss a trick. However, it is actually the little known Kirti Kulhari who puts in a wonderfully natural performance (except for one tearful outburst) that gets the most noticed. Piyush Mishra is again saddled with a weak character, as the prosecution lawyer and pitiably doesn’t have much to do. That said, it’s the strong performances of all its leads that lifts Pink to greater heights than the script warranted.

Pink is by no means a bad movie, but when you scratch its surface, the cracks become visible. What keeps you from doing so is the honesty with which it portrays its central cause and the earnest performance of its leads. Prepare for a combination of dull ramblings and exciting moments in the courtroom and not to look at this one as a typical court case – and its unlikely that you’ll come out disappointed.

Movie Review: Baar Baar Dekho…ek baar bhi mushkil

I didn’t have high hopes with this one. The trailer revealed enough to know this movie had a suspiciously familiar plot. There were only two ways that Baar Baar Dekho could’ve still impressed – the trailer turned out to be a red herring or the story was told in such a wonderful way that you’d want to watch it again and again simply to marvel at the way it was packaged. Baar Baar Dekho succeeds in neither of these counts and at an over-long runtime of close to two and a half hours – it makes for a very difficult one-time viewing alone.

The movie starts off slow and the umpteen songs (yes, they are back) while mostly catchy and engaging, do nothing for the story which is predictable to a fault – through to the end of the line. Despite that, it unfolds at an agonizing pace, sometimes slowing down to a crawl where you wait in frustration for something to give. Well, it doesn’t.

One thing that could’ve made this a comfortable one-time watch is a perfect pair of leads – who owned the screen when they came on it and brought life to the characters and the storyline. Alas, with Siddharth Malhotra’s limited dialogue delivery and Katrina’s inability to emote effectively, that hope too is dashed to the ground. Siddharth Malhotra really had a great opportunity to show off his acting chops – but while he gives it a fair shot, he ends up falling short on this one. Of course, Katrina looks dazzling and is particularly graceful in the dance numbers. Of the two, she probably does a better job of acting as well, but they both barely make the cut. With Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra instead, this would probably be a different movie.

There are two things to appreciate about Baar Baar Dekho though – the over-focus on technology in the future giving us a glimpse of where we might be headed and making at least an attempt at telling the story without the hey presto! solution that you would typically expect in such a movie. Then again, the absolute finale does precisely that…can’t say much more.

Apart from that, the background score is commendable. While it doesn’t have a particular theme, the choice of instruments and notes meld perfectly well with the scenes and context presented.


Baar Baar Dekho then stays in line with the unsatisfactory pattern this 2016, of movies that do the same thing that others have done, and done a whole lot better. It might still make a good TV watch but there is nothing that warrants a visit to the hall. If you still plan to go, at least go with low expectations and some good company so that the one time watch doesn’t feel as long and tedious.

Movie Review: Don’t Breathe..chokes you, but not relentlessly so

That’s the challenge with hype. Your expectations become so sky-high, that whatever you watch, it ends up falling short. Even if it’s a perfectly good movie, it doesn’t quite reach the summit your expectations set for it. Don’t Breathe falls squarely in that category.

Ok firstly, Don’t Breathe is not a horror movie – at least not the ghoul/ spirit/ ghost type. It is what can be called survival horror – in the vein of say Panic Room or even the Saw series. That said, its one of the better made films in recent times especially for this genre.

Right from the start, you get to see that the director is in no hurry to rush things. The camera takes its time, roving all over the house, resting ever so slightly on objects of importance, filling you with a sense of dread on what you can expect to follow in the course of its short runtime of a little less than 2 hours. The build up thereon is good with some scenes that particularly jolt you and leave you gasping for breath while others make you want to hold it.

However, after setting up such a great premise, you can’t help but get the feeling that the movie could’ve done a lot more with what it had built. An over-reliance on gunplay, a missed opportunity in a pitch black room and a weirdly twisted logic for how the proceedings unfold are a few of the chinks in the armor of Don’t Breathe that prevent it from being truly spectacular. After the main ordeal, which itself swings like a pendulum, there is another side track, but by then your attention is bound to have dissipated away.

The camerawork and background score (if you can call it that, most of it is masterful silence) are exquisite and lift the movie considerably. The plotline on the other hand, is wafer thin and the treatment is such that it really doesn’t require major acting chops other than the ability to literally hold one’s breath for fear of giving something away. Needless to say, all lead actors do a decent job of it.

If you really want to enjoy Don’t Breathe, don’t even take a peak at the trailer. It pretty much gives up everything of note and leaves very little to the imagination which is a pity because there is much to appreciate in Don’t Breathe. The movie provides some genuine thrills, that you are bound to enjoy, irrespective of whether you are a fan of the genre or not. However, what this movie misses out on is a relentless chokehold on its audience – on the lines of a No Country for Old Men, Panic Room and even our own NH 10, refusing to let go till the oxygen levels begin to drop and you feel subdued and numbed.

In any case, Don’t Breathe is definitely a hall worthy experience so you shouldn’t think twice about booking your tickets – just keep your expectations in check and you should come out pretty satisfied and maybe gasping for a bit of air.

Movie Review: Happy Bhag Jayegi..doesn’t leave you all that happy

Its not so bad that you’ll want to run away from the hall before it reaches its intermission but with its forced humor, over-acted performances and ultimately weak script – there is little in Happy Bhaag Jayegi that leaves you grinning ear to ear.

What starts off as a fresh approach to what may seem as an Indian version of The Runaway Bride, morphs every 20 minutes into something that is hard to connect with or feel a part of. Character development is practically non-existent and while there is definite potential with the setup, there is a marked lack of finesse in the execution – leaving pretty much everything up to the performances.

Unfortunately, the performances disappoint as well. Abhay Deol, otherwise Mr. Dependable, is surprisingly way off key – especially in the first half. Jimmy Shergill has a fairly straight forward character and he does fair justice to it. Happy, played quite sincerely by Diana Penty is supposed to be the hallmark of the show, but try as she does – Diana fails to deliver her lines naturally. She is quite the pretty picture to look at and her expression is mostly right, but the dialogue delivery disappoints, especially as a Punjabi kudi, she just doesn't make the cut. Apart from that there is Faizal Khan who has a barely noticeable role and Momal Sheikh who's role demanded a better actor. Finally, there is Piyush Mishra, who is a pleasure to watch despite the side act. However, saddled with mostly unfunny lines and situations, there is little that he can do beyond a point.

Humor is perhaps the toughest to pull off – so I’d still applaud the attempt to generate some clean humor. This one is totally a family movie with not one scene being ‘kids unfriendly’. The only problem is I don’t know how much even the kids are going to enjoy this one.

The background score makes all the suggestions that something very funny is about to be done or said, but that rarely happens. Instead, it becomes a crutch to hold up what little humor there is in a particular scene. There are digs on the India Pakistan relationship, Pakistan in general and when it reaches a point of making jokes on the Urdu language – the desperation to make you laugh is clear as day.

The songs, while somewhat melodious, don’t help matters much and only lengthen the already tedious proceedings. Thankfully they move in line with the narrative so they don’t slow things as much. Happy Bhag Gayee is a case of great potential, that is completely squandered away. There are other films that have done this kind of stuff and done it far better. Unfortunately, that’s the only thought you come away with after the roughly 2 hours runtime.


That said, I do feel that if movies like ‘Mere Brother ki Dulhan’ and ‘Dolly ki Doli’ were up your alley, you’d probably enjoy this one too. However, if you are hoping for something more, then Happy Bhag Jayegi is not the one to run to.

Movie Review: Jason Bourne…I wouldn’t stand in line for this

The Bourne Ultimatum..even the slightest recollection of the last (and arguably finest) in this legendary trilogy sets the pulse racing and the adrenaline soaring. It was the perfect swan song for Bourne and ended on just the right note. What then is the point of Jason Bourne, the next installment (I disregard Bourne Legacy to have anything to do with this series) to be released? Unfortunately, as you exit the theater roughly two hours later, you still haven’t found any answers.

To adapt from the trademark Moby soundtrack that accompanies the series, the movie doesn’t sink to such depths that one would say ‘it fell apart’ but it does come pretty darn close. The only reason things still manage to stay together is due to the genius at the helm – Paul Greengrass. I’ve said it earlier and I’ll say it again – the man has such a vision for action, its hard not to get sucked in. However, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that even he gets somewhat exposed in this mish mash of action scenes with the weakest plot of the series and a climax that seems like it is part of the Fast and Furious series, rather than Jason Bourne.

There is nothing horribly wrong with Jason Bourne per se – if you can forgive its weak plot. The shaky camera is there, the tension is somewhat there, Heather is no Pamela Landy but Alicia Vikander gives her everything she’s got – but then its all been done before and done way better. What had your rapt attention in Ultimatum is that the quality of action was lifted to a whole new level. It wasn’t just about bullet holes, bombs and fancy devices – the action had the smarts. You felt as if you are seeing things from the mind of Jason Bourne – the master agent and that was enthralling. This time too, while the attempt is to do that, there are no ‘aha’ moments of shock and disbelief at what Bourne just managed to pull off despite the odds being against him.

If I were to rename this particular installment – I’d call it The Bourne Chronicles  or Jason Bourne – Just another day, because that’s what it feels like. It doesn’t feel like Bourne got tested, the opponents were smart or that Bourne was a whole lot smarter. Maybe if I hadn’t seen Ultimatum, I’d not expect so much – but having witnessed that brilliance, this installment almost seems lazy and contrived.

On a positive note though, the new version of Extreme Ways that plays in the end credits is way more exciting than the previous ones.

I won’t say that its so bad you shouldn’t go for it – it has all the trademark features of a Paul Greengrass offering and that alone makes it worth a visit. But I wouldn’t hold my heartbeat for this one. Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass may be back, but it looks like Jason Bourne is still missing.

Movie Review: Star Trek: Beyond…doesn’t really move the ‘enterprise’ forward

While titled ‘Beyond’ the only unknown frontiers this installment of the beloved franchise really explores are those in terms of physical space. Beyond that, there isn’t really much ‘beyond’ this time around. While Into Darkness, really gave a jumpstart to the whole franchise and primed you up for bigger things to come, Beyond – unlike its name actually just plays it safe rather than sorry. This isn’t really a bad thing – but don’t expect to come out all that exhilarated when you exit the hall roughly two hours later.

There is a line that comes right in the beginning as James T Kirk narrates – Things have become rather episodic – and this is exactly how this installment plays out. It looks and feels more like another adventure for the crew of the starship enterprise as part of a TV series rather than a giant leap forward in terms of the franchise as a whole. The visual effects continue to raise the bar though and you will be treated to some great action – but in terms of content – it’s a been there, done that kind of story.

JJ Abrams thrilled with his vision for the franchise, as evidenced in the origin story and taken to a whole new level with ‘Into Darkness’ . With Beyond, his absence and the presence of Justin Lin (director of The Fast and Furious 3-6) is all too obvious. The action is more gravity defying (which actually suits this franchise better than it did The Fast and the Furious series, being set in space) but it is all too familiar and doesn’t reinvent itself. There is the emotional chord here and there, but it looks more like a temporary coating on the surface, than a genuinely deep set core – not unlike the Fast and the Furious franchise.

Its not bad for a thrill ride, mind you and very much a comfortable watch. Its just that with the high standards set by Into Darkness, one expected the next one to dive even deeper into the franchise and bring new highs. Instead, don’t be surprised if you feel the need to stifle a yawn as you watch the proceedings. Humor, while very much a feature previously, is surprisingly frugal this time around.

What makes matter worse is the laughably shallow antagonist against the intriguing and formidable Khan from Into Darkness. So pitiable is the villain’s characterization that you almost feel sorry for him to be given such little thought and wish he could find a more solid identity for himself as the movie plays out. Much like Bane from Rises, he relies on brawn rather than brain to make an impact..and in much the same way, it doesn’t work.

Acting was never really a key requirement for the franchise, and it is even lesser the case this time around. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto had to show more versatility with the previous installment with their character than they need to this time around. Other members of the cast play their part as well and while they take ownership of what is expected – none of them were never really challenged to begin with.

If I sound disappointed well, its because I am – not so much with what Beyond has to offer, but more with the direction the franchise seems to be taking. The last thing I want is for this to become the Fast and Furious: Space Adventure edition than the intriguing and exciting journey of those explorers of space boldly going where no man has gone before.

The ‘enterprise’ deserves better.

Movie Review: Udta Punjab..flies higher than expected

When I saw the trailer of this one, I was in ecstasy. And then, immediately depressed. Historically, movies that have had a great trailer have scarcely lived up to the expectation. Then, with all the hype and controversy – I became further apprehensive.  Happy to report though, that all those concerns are unfounded – Udta Punjab is quite the watch and possibly the best that 2016 has offered thus far.

I have a feeling that when the honorable Censor Board (said with a heavy dose of sarcasm) decided to weed out some scenes and ordered the 80 odd cuts in the movie, they might have stopped watching after the first half hour. I say this because, during that time, you might yourself believe that this movie hardly sets the right example – it glorifies drugs, bad language and all that’s wrong with Punjab, without apologies. If only they’d been patient enough to watch through to the end – they might have felt differently about this extremely well made movie. Especially when the director has the good sense to show the real face of Punjab – silently weeping out of despair and sheer helplessness, beside all the razzmatazz. If they still couldn’t figure out what the director really wanted to portray – perhaps this isn’t the job for them.

Udta Punjab has a solid build up. The first half hardly does anything in terms of plot development – but it does one thing really well – it sets the stage and builds connect with the 4 lives that you are supposed to care for. That comes in more than handy, with the uneven pacing of the second half and you are willing to allow the drag because you now care about their fate. It also gives a subtle yet powerful commentary on the actual drug problem and is willing to show it in all its ugliness.

A great amount of credit though, goes to the near perfect direction from Abhishek Chaubey, at least in the first half. The director uses some smart tactics – tightly binding one thread to the next, using props from various frames to connect across the 4 lives. Not once do you feel the pace ebbing or there being too many threads. In the second half, while he continues to maintain that trend, too much time gets spent on the individual threads, that makes the pacing uneven and there are times when you wonder even if the director has a fix on things.

If the script is good, the starcast is in even better form. Everybody, with the exception of Kareena Kapoor Khan, is an absolute perfect fit to their given roles and do more than justice to the characters allotted to them. Surprisingly, Diljit Dosanjh not only manages to hold his own but has great screen presence each time the camera focuses on him, which happens liberally in the first half. Alia Bhatt is a serious talent, who is challenging herself with every film and emerging a shining star with each attempt. She takes on a tough character, complete with a native Bihari accent and pulls it off with aplomb. Shahid Kapoor is in scintillating form – while he may appear over the top initially, its what the script demanded and he pulls it off completely. Even Satish Kaushik in his limited role, manages to get noticed. Kareena is a much better actress than what she does in Udta Punjab – she can’t do the Punjabi accent and looking pretty continues to be high on her priority list – irrespective of the context in the movie.

There are two things that keep this film from scaling even greater heights than it already does – not one song is memorable or worth humming and the background score isn’t all that impressive either. Two, the uneven pacing – it slows down when it should gather speed and quickens the pace, when you least expect it to. The unnecessary love angles don’t help and further slacken the pace.


This is perhaps what keeps it a few notches lower than say, a Kamineyy. Still, this is a very different movie – subtle in some ways, glaringly obvious in others – and it all works, for the most part. Abhishek Chaubey is one to watch out for, the starcast more than delivers, especially Alia and Shahid and Udta Punjab is worth all the hype and more.

Movie Review: Te3n…good for a one-time watch

When the trailer for this one came out – I thought we’d finally have the next ‘Kahaani’. While it spins quite a tale together, Te3n despite the solid starcast of the three stalwarts doesn’t manage to pull it off. That said, it is still fairly engaging – even if its not thrice the fun you’d hope for. Of course, the fact that it’s a complete copy of Montage, a South Korean film, doesn’t earn it any brownie points.

Te3n starts off slow and uneven. While the events themselves can be every bit thrilling and engaging, the director chooses to slow things down. It is only the class act of  a downcast, disillusioned yet determined Amitabh Bachchan that keeps you engaged despite the slow proceedings. To make matters worse, the director chooses this juncture to introduce songs as well as to showcase Kolkata, almost bringing matters to a grinding halt. Mercifully, though the action picks up considerably post the initial lull.

The interval introduces a somewhat interesting twist to the events and while it all looks quite contrived, it keeps you interested nonetheless. What is pivotal to this one, is the climax which, while highly implausible – does seem to be the best way this could’ve ended. In fact, looking back at events, after having witnessed the climax, a lot more sequences get put in perspective. However, the director definitely misses a trick or two to make this startling reveal truly thrilling. This is further spoilt by unnecessary and frustrating flashbacks to what is pretty clear for the audience and less time spent on unraveling the thread that truly binds things together. Also, it misses some critical emotional heft around crimes and motivations. Let’s just stop at that.

As for the acting, Vidya Balan is wasted in an uninspiring avatar – she can do so much more with her capabilities. Nawazuddin Siddiqui has a more interesting character but surprisingly doesn’t emote as much as he could. The real star of the show is of course, Big B who puts in a wonderfully restrained performance.

In the hands of a more capable director, Te3n had a set up that could’ve really got the pulse racing or at least kept you at the edge of your seat. Given the uneven pacing though, you end with a thought that while it’s a decent script, its good for a one-time watch. 

Movie Review: X-Men Apocalypse..spells irredeemable doom for the franchise

The circle of woe is now complete. What started off as a remarkably fresh and invigorating take on a franchise that has had its share of hits and misses, ends in utter catastrophe, and that’s not half due to its doomsday focused storyline. For fans who thought that The Last Stand was bad (personally I felt it was at least fun and coherent), with Apocalypse you’ll hit a new low, that you didn’t even realize was possible.

The warning signs came with Days of Future Past I suppose. An overly complex plot had past, present and future all melded together – but at least the plotline had a defined sense of flow to the proceedings. The way Apocalypse starts you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’d walked into an alternate production of The Mummy and it goes further downhill from thereon. The pacing slows down to a crawl, as the pitiably shallow plotline is put in place.

Mr. Singer has a thing for flying stuff – debris, cars, gravel and sand I suppose. He used it liberally in The Last Stand, Days of the Future Past and its back in all its supposed glory with Apocalypse. None of it works. There is no sense of underlying tension – the action is either thick and fast or non-existent.  There are some moments of humor, that keep you moderately interested but these too don’t last long enough to make an impact. If the build up is bad, the climax is laughably pathetic – leaving you to wonder if there was any time spent in putting together this script at all. The dialogue delivery is so predictable that you'll be completing the characters' dialogues before they've said them, on more than one occasion.

The star cast tries its best to prop up a weak script. Fassbender and MacAvoy reprise roles that were made memorable by First Class but the beautifully complex relationship they share is given little screentime.  All the ‘past’ X Men make an appearance and new faces like Sophie Turner (better known as Sansa Stark from Game of Thrones fame) Evan Peters and Tye Sheridan set up the characters of Jean Grey, Quicksilver and Scott Summers. There’s even a decent surprise that lasts a few moments but all of this is not enough to give Apocalypse an identity of its own. 

In fact, there is enough evidence, that the movie is so weak that it needs to prop itself against flashes from its singular gem, First Class, every now and then. Somebody had remarked that 20 minutes of the movie are really great. I have a feeling they referred to the numerous flashbacks we see of First Class when they made that statement. Apocalypse, of its own, has not a single worthy moment. There are two ‘Ahas’ to be had, if you will, but they will pass you in such a cataclysm of other banality, that even they wouldn’t stand out as much. There is absolutely nothing about Apocalypse that I can recommend.

I had alluded in my previous post, to the fact that if this franchise is to have any hope at all, Matthew Vaughn needs to be back in the driver seat. Well, Apocalypse with Singer at the helm, extinguishes any hope of resurrecting the glory days of X-Men that First Class gave any glimmer of. I can only wonder where this franchise is headed next since there’s ample evidence, complete with a painstakingly late end-credits scene that confirms that this is far from the end of the saga – if anything, its only set up now for more installments. One can only hope, that some more thought goes into the next one that would inevitably follow. For now though I think its about time we said RIP to the legacy of First Class. What a pity...

Movie Review: Captain America Civil War...not just petty in-fighting

Civil War is not your average extension to a franchise that worked wonders with its origin movie and seemed to take a nosedive with its hurried sequel. Oh wait..we are not talking about the Avengers..this is supposed to be Captain America..right?...Right??

Whatever you call it finally, Civil War is the new direction for this universe. Marvel is treading dangerous new ground and I'd applaud the effort. Its not just about superheroes taking potshots at each other and coming together to overcome a formidable enemy. Nor is it the struggle to find the next big thing the Avengers can assemble for again, to save the universe.

Don't go expecting another Avengers - its not. In some ways, its something more and in many others, it falls really short as well. In parts, Civil War is a more mature and refined Marvel with a director duo who knows how to set up their action pieces and a philosophical premise with equal panache. On the other hand, they spend much time in conversations and build up - so much so that it affects the pacing of what is otherwise a very good movie. Hats off to the franchise to at least address the central premise of the film, something another recent superhero movie made an absolute meal of (am looking at you Mr. Snyder). The name Civil War is not just to pique interest - it represents a clash of ideology that needs to be and is well explored through the course of the film. To be fair though, while the movie stays true to its theme and the 'Civil War' as well as the reasons for it seem to fit, it would fall apart if you questioned it beyond a point.

While termed as 'Civil War' the scale is anything but local. Over the course of its run time you'll traverse on a global scale at a pace that could give Phileas Fogg a run for his money. So much so, that you reach a point, where you'd wish they could all just stay in one place and fight it out - whatever the outcome. What continues to work to Marvel's advantage though - is their focus on keeping things fun and light, despite the heaviness that surrounds its theme. Tom Holland and Paul Rudd and their characters are a big part of this.

As for the performances, pretty much the entire cast are in good form. Scarlett Johansson probably finds her best raison d'etre with this one, if you'd been wondering what she was doing still hanging on to this franchise. Iron Man is in a very different avatar than you'd expect him to be and while Robert Downey Jr. does justice again, he is not as much the life of the party that he's been so far. Chris Evans is doing more and more with Cap and as a close friend of Iron Man, its finally beginning to work. There are a score of superheroes who make an appearance and while its a difficult act to maneuver, not one of them feels out of place. Especially, their coming together in any of the action pieces, are a treat to watch. Full credit to the directors for that.

The climax is what you'd find the most controversial - some would argue that its much too tame after the excitement at the airport. We would like nothing more than the airport set piece like fun n games to continue in Avengers'esque fashion - but Marvel clearly shows more perspective with where they are taking the story.

Civil War is easily the strongest film of the Captain America franchise though that's not saying much. Compared to Avengers, it does feel a much closer parallel to the splendid origin film which is a wonderful compliment.  With a little more action, better pacing and an explosive climax, it would've been close to the ideal stand alone movie. However, that would've not done as much for the franchise. To adapt a line from one of my favorite movies - Civil War is the movie this franchise deserves, but not necessarily the one we need right now. All said and done, I am excited about where the Marvel universe moves next and that is proof that Civil War delivers.

Movie Review: The Man Who Knew Infinity…celebrates a beautiful mind

The Man Who Knew Infinity is a sincere attempt to immortalize a genius who we, quite frankly, should know so much more about. For that reason alone, I would encourage you to watch this movie. It is a source of immense pride as well as a touch of sadness that such a legend existed in India and yet we know so little of him (or at least me, at any rate).

I would like to say that the movie itself is magical in its own way, celebrating the wonders of that brilliant mind, unfolding a universe with patterns that created a symphony of their own in the most magnified of views and holds you in awe of this beautiful mind that was capable of so much more than us mere mortals could even conceive. That, however, would be stating what this legend deserved and not exactly what the movie itself offers.

One of the chief problems with this movie, is it isn’t clear what it wants to dwell on – the genius of the Indian mathematician, his personal life, his devotion to religion, a unique equation across a strong bond that was beautiful in its own way – so it ends up giving us a smattering of each of them – never really delving deep enough for us to get engaged and enraptured in anything particular. Pacing is the other challenge. While it moves through time fairly quickly, the pacing is uneven and there isn’t a sense of build-up that you would hope for. The near absence of humor doesn’t make things much better.

On the bright side though, some of the writing is exemplary and there are a lot of subtleties here and there. These do not try to explain themselves but being a celebration of the intellect, expect the audience to catch them on their own. The cinematography is good too, with the shots of Cambridge and its interiors being particularly awe-inspiring.

There are some moments of brilliance – despite the complicated subject of advanced mathematics, the movie smartly explains what the protagonist is trying to achieve and why it is so wondrous. The fact that this is a true story finally has the maximum appeal and the engagement is largely driven by wanting to know the fate and achievements of the protagonist.

With a strong protagonist, the Man Who Knew Infinity could truly have scaled larger heights and counted higher, but as things stand, Dev Patel, much as he tries, simply is too ordinary in his portrayal. Perhaps his character (being the protagonist) could also have been written better. Instead, the focus and much of the limelight goes to Hardy, played by Jeremy Irons, with a wonderful performance that actually gets you to feel some connect, albeit for the wrong person. All others are hardly of note as the film revolves majorly around these two. The side arcs are frankly a distraction.

With a better choice than Dev Patel and better plot structure, The Man Who Knew Infinity could’ve truly got the commemoration he deserves. Though its reverence for his feats are obvious, the movie succeeds only in parts. Still it is a credible and honest attempt at telling the life and times of the great genius and for that alone, it is worth a study.

Movie Review: Jungle Book..a classy re-imagining of the classic

Right from the old world Disney title entry that serves as the opening credits for the new age Jungle Book you get the feeling that you are in for something special..and that feeling stays with you long after you’ve left the theaters.

When I first saw the trailers of the new Jungle Book it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that my jaw dropped. The creativity and thought process itself was astounding. Sure, they’ve been live adaptations of other classic stories like Cinderella but this was a whole different ball game – it features only animals and one kid!! How do you bring that to life without using any actual animals? However much I explain, it won’t suffice. But one look at this movie and you’ll realize the exciting vision of Jon Favreau which quite simply is brought to glorious life.

None of this is real. Its all CGI. Much as you repeat this to yourself, equally you are bound to shake your head in disbelief. Surely this tree, that sunlight, that elephant, Bagheera, Baloo – some of this stuff has to be real. That’s how true to life this movie is and hats off to the director for making this one the way he has.

One of the main reasons this Jungle book is the astounding success it is, apart from its visuals is its frame perfect voice acting – especially Bill Murray as Baloo (who puts energy and life into the shots) and Ben Kingsley as the wise Bagheera. Lupita’s Raksha evokes quite the emotion and Idris Elba’s Sharekhan brings out dread. While a lot of people (reviewers) have picked a bone with Scarlett Johansson’s Kaa, I thought she did a pretty good job for the rather short role she had. Instead, I was more disappointed by Christopher Walken’s King Louie, but that was more to do with his appearance, the song and dance routine and his character, rather than his performance. Neel Sethi puts in a credible performance and his innocent, vulnerable Mowgli is a joy to watch.

If I was to crib (and I am really keen not to so I’ll keep it short) the 3D is not all that much there and after the crowning success of Life of Pi, one feels that was a missed opportunity. Still the visuals are simply gorgeous and while you will come out of the jungle in 2 hours, it’ll stay with you till long after

Despite being a children’s classic, am not sure if this one is for kids though. Some characters can look quite sinister and the perfect background score adds to the dread. Over and above that the atmospheric visuals can paint a pretty scary landscape for a kid.

There is a surprising amount of sub-text and nuance in the storyline with many social causes and lessons being implied.Its not all like the children’s classic and there are fair departures on how the story proceeds. Its still all very predictable of course, but it takes a different turn from the many lighter moments of the original cartoon.

Whether you’ve seen and loved the original Jungle Book or not, this is one Jungle you have to visit. So alluring is its ‘natural’ beauty and charming are its 'occupants' that you would be hypnotized in its spell and tempted to join the pack yourself. Jungle Book just became timeless in a new way, all over again.

Movie Review: Kung Fu Panda 3..almost delivers a skadoosh

While Kung Fu Panda will always get points for originality, it is Kung Fu Panda 2 that really raised the stakes for this franchise. The quality of it all – moving to the 3D arena, picking up where the story left off, giving such a natural progression to the story line and a formidable villain with superb animation – it gave us hope and belief, that this series would not aim low to just be a money spinner but instead be one of those rare gems that takes time, effort and polish to make it look just right. Resultantly, expectations were high from Kung Fu Panda 3..will it do the impossible and go one better yet again?…

I would have liked nothing better than to say that, in its own way, it does but that would not be stating the whole truth. For a large part of its runtime, it does exactly that but just as it begins to fill you with hope, the movie loses its natural flow and abruptly cuts to a less than thrilling and rather rushed climax. This is really a pity because the movie does so many things right, one wonders what went so wrong for it to make the finale the way it did. It almost felt like that there was another, more measured storyline planned, but it couldn’t be executed due to some constraints and they had to end up going with this one. That’s how out of place the climax feels.

Kung Fu Panda 3 has a beautiful soul. The storyline progresses to its next natural step from the last installment as well. The Furious Five are in great form and even though, Kai is nowhere close to Shen the Peacock, he does just about enough to keep you interested. The animation quality is stellar and yet again the franchise finds new ways of painting the same canvas in creative ways – some as flashbacks to familiar times, others to tell a new unfamiliar history. The action is fast and engaging. The voice acting is top notch as well and the entire cast, led from the front, by Jack Black as Po is in top form.

The jokes, even though some are repeats, never get old and there is plenty that will have you chuckling every now and then. There are some good lessons as well, but they either seem rushed and forced or too subtle to leave an impact. The coming of age of Po that was the highlight of its sequel, doesn’t seem nearly as convincing in his third outing even though the attempt is made again.

But for its climax, the third installment virtually delivers a skadoosh. There is no denying, despite the disappointment of the climax, this is a trilogy that has delivered at a high bar all throughout and Po and this franchise will go down in history, truly as the dragon warrior they always deserved to be. On the bright side, though, I have heard some talk of this saga originally having 6 chapters and not just 3 so there may be hope after all. For now, though, it brings closure and if you’ve loved part 1 and 2, there’s no reason you should miss this third and seemingly, final installment

Movie Review: Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice..deserved a brighter beginning

For those of you who didn’t ‘get’ the beginning referred to in the title of this blogpost, I am sorry I can’t help you. For those of you who did, that’s exactly what this movie is supposed to be about and everything else is just an incoherent hash of random emotions, dialogues, fists, punches and crashes. Is that a good thing? Most certainly not.

Dawn of Justice begins with a rather unique perspective – though its an ugly reminder of the metal mangled mess that Man of Steel was, it presents proceedings differently and was a refreshingly good idea. Unfortunately, like a lot of other stuff in the movie, its very superficial and doesn’t leave any impact, on you or the plotline (if you could call it that).

I am not one for a superhero face-off – I’d prefer them saving the world rather than bashing each other up. Still, there is potential in such a script, if the motives for each side were clear, you weren’t sure whom to root for and there was a philosophical angle that made neither a white knight. This one fails on all three counts. In fact, the big face-off happens for a laughably bad plot device and it would be hilarious if it weren’t so sad. Speaking of laughter, well there’s none of it – there’s just dull, gloom and despair with plenty of brooding to boot. The best ‘fun’ lines are already covered in the trailers.

Nolan should probably thank Zack Snyder. After the soaring heights he achieved with the Dark Knight, Rises was quite underwhelming as the finale. However, with the Snyder version of the Dark Knight (or rather Bat of Gotham) you get to witness what depths the character could have fallen to and thank your stars that Nolan did it so much better. I wouldn’t blame Affleck – he does what he can, with his poorly written character. Henry Cavill is in no different state. He has shown us what he can do, given the right canvas (if you still haven’t seen The Man from U.N.C.L.E, you are missing something), but if you give him Man of Steel there is precious little that even he can do about it. Eisenberg suffers the same fate, whose Lex Luthor looks retarded instead of a maniac. The only one who looks somewhat sane is Amy Adams, who has a shorter part (than in Man of Steel) and does a decent job.

And then, there is Mr Snyder with his obsession of his original movie Man of Steel. Much as we hate it, he keeps taking us back to it, still failing to prove a point, if any. There is exactly one shock and awe moment and that too dies away in the dust, fumes and smoke. I am at a loss why this movie was made in 3D at all – there is nothing that feels like 3D except perhaps for the maple leaves in the opening credits. Also, I know its Han Zimmer, but that doesn't mean the background score has to start blaring for every single shot.

I would’ve written an even more scathing review, given how things were shaping up around the half way stage, but the latter half of the movie, some what makes up for considerable lost ground and the action depicted towards the end is quite well done. The premise it builds up to excites even more so there may be hope for this franchise still. Wonder Woman (they really shouldn’t have revealed her in the trailers) is perhaps the most refreshing hero on-screen though she has the minimum air time. Even her abilities are just assumed to be understood by the audience and much potential to establish her heroics is squandered away. That said, the ‘super-heroism’ (if there is such a word) is done quite well in the finale and that is probably the best reason to watch this movie. The effects are good, the action is realistic and well shot.


With his latest offering, Mr. Snyder joins my (so far short) list of directors whom I can neither appreciate nor understand (joining Mr. Mendes and Mr. Bhansali for company). Dawn of Justice doesn’t do ‘justice’ to either Batman or Superman..or for that matter the other characters it heralds the beginnings of. Let’s hope they have a better day in the sun - the dawn has cast more of a dark shadow than a bright light on the future of this franchise.

Movie Review: Kapoor & Sons (since 1921)…a moving celebration of family

To be really honest, I wasn’t at all flattered with the movie title. That and the trailer of this movie had me convinced that this one wasn’t going to be worth my time. Despite such misgivings, I still went for it and I don’t regret the decision. I don’t think you would either.

Kapoor & Sons, like the family it portrays is far from perfect. The movie could easily have been 20 minutes shorter, some scenes could definitely have been cut out or at least made more snappier. However, apart from that and the pitiably low quality of music this one has, there is little fault to find with this imperfect family.

The family’s characters have been etched out really well and despite this being a Karan Johar production, there is a significant amount of realism built into the visuals and the character portrayals. Some of the background chatter and one to one conversations may even have you reflecting if this is something you’d encounter in your own home. Of course, its all exaggerated to tell a story, but it doesn’t seem to be set in the make-believe world that Karan Johar movies normally are.

The writing of the movie is surprisingly quite good – that and the sincere performances are what keep you invested throughout. After a long while, Kapoor & Sons brings together a story and characters, where you actually feel the connect, wish the best for them and join in their tears when the mood gets gloomy. While the first half is predictable to a fault, it is no less enjoyable.The second half meanwhile, has quite a few tricks up its sleeve especially if you saw the trailer and made any inferences. The trailer, I might add, is a smart ploy. It gets you thinking about the movie’s story in one direction while it marches in the exact opposite one. The background score compliments the visuals especially towards the climax, and while you can poke holes into how the story progresses, you can’t help but be moved by it as well.

Kapoor & Sons’ well written scripted is lifted by its performances – veterans Rajat Kapoor and Ratna Pathak Shah deliver a wonderfully natural performance – they may well be their characters. Rishi Kapoor has a delightful, albeit one dimensional character and he brings much welcome laughter and mirth to the scenes. That said, while the prosthetics make him look the cute grandfather, there’s not much else to convince that he is that character, in terms of his performance. Amongst the newbies, it is Fawad Khan who is the real revelation with a wonderfully understated and nuanced performance – this guy will be one to watch out for. In an ensemble cast where all the characters have almost equal air time, he manages to stand out. As Tia, firebrand Alia while a refreshing presence on the screen, has little to do, but in one emotional moment, she asserts herself and proves just why she is not just the new kid on the block. Siddharth Malhotra, is perhaps the weakest link, who while he does justice to his character, struggles with the emotional bits, quite visibly.


I have to admit, I am one of those who really liked K3G as well, so maybe such drama gets to me. However, am pretty sure that even if K3G was not up your alley, this particular family will get your approval. Kapoor & Sons, while it deserved a better title, is not just about one big happy family – it delves much deeper into relationships, conversations and emotions and its director Shakun Batra deserves all the applause to knit such complexity together with panache and a generous dose of realism. Don’t get dissuaded by the title like I did, this one definitely deserves a closer look.