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.