Movie Review: Madras Café..serves realistic gritty fare

Madras Café, a one of a kind film from Bollywood, is a gritty, realistic, crime thriller – that isn’t looking at charming its audience. It wants the story told – the way it deserved to be told, without any departures from reality to make it more palatable. So there are no sudden induced plot twists. The drama unfolds right before your eyes and if you are able to spot it, you would know exactly who the mole is much ahead in the story, if not why. It tells the story from the eyes of its main sufferer and protagonist, Major Vikram (John Abraham) and never once, does the plot stretch reality to make us, the audience, fall in love with or connect with its hero.

Madras Café is not for thrill seekers or aficionados of traditional high octane action. There isn’t a single comic line across the roughly 2 and a half hours that it runs for. The drama is brutal, bloody and graphic. The narration is done in a dull, lifeless manner – a voice that has already lost hope and is merely going through the motions from a formality perspective. Yet, given the context, this is exactly the way such a movie ought to be made

Making such a movie is about walking a tightrope – how much to stick to the main plot and whether to maintain any sway for those thrilling moments that would make it a commercial success. Madras Café’s tightrope walker, Shoojit Sircar, is a seasoned professional. He walks the rope, dead in the center and gives us a realistic, crime drama without any frills whatsoever. Does it work? Let’s just say it won’t for all and sundry.  There are some of us who might get bored or irritated with the bland nature of plot development, where things just happen without all the hoopla we are, by now, accustomed to. But that’s the way it is, with Madras Café

What it does do right and that too, to a large extent, is offer a glimpse of exactly what could have gone down before the assassination that shocked the country and the world. How events could have unfolded, in parallel and how unglamorously some people would have struggled to make sense of the snippets of messages coming through, getting caught up in a whorl of politics, power games and frame-ups. John Abraham does a good job of portraying his character, though, if he emoted a touch better, it could have added some life to the story telling. Nargis Fakhri’s role is short and functional – again a huge departure from traditional Bollywood fare

I tried to figure out what kind of movie I had seen once I exited the hall. Without much success, I settled for a pot pourri of Blood Diamond, Black Friday and Zero Dark Thirty minus the thrills in all three. Madras Café serves anything but ordinary fare. Yet its gonna be an acquired taste; may not feel great at the first bite. Still, I’d suggest you give it a shot as such cinema is a rare event in Bollywood.

Movie Review: The Conjuring..manages to summon quite a few spooks

What spooks one about horror is not the sudden bangs and loud noises but the slower stuff – the focusing on a single frame, the camera slowly moving in, the slow build-up, that heart-in-the-mouth feeling over the unexpected that is about to unfold next and then the sudden..well, you get the point. With The Conjuring you get treated to exactly that..that is, at least for a while

Chances are that you would have seen this rare decent horror flick by now. If you still haven’t – a word of advice. Don’t see any trailers. While the trailer itself is sufficient to spook you it definitely spoils the fun for you in the hall. If, however, you would like to meet with as little surprises in the dreary emptiness of a dark hall with a large screen – then, by all means, see the trailers first. Bear in mind though, that if you do, then the first half of this movie would become a rather less eventful affair

The start of the movie is just apt with everything happy and hunky dory. There is a sense of gradation to the horror and as the family on screen becomes apprehensive, cautious, tentative and completely terrified in stages, so do you as the audience. Couldn’t have been better

However, as the movie builds, particularly in what would be the second half, it seems to teeter dangerously on the brink of relapsing into the stereotype till it simply falls in – giving an over-dramatized finale all screams and ghouls intact. Thankfully this part is a pretty short end to an otherwise well-presented and sufficiently horrifying horror flick. The fact that it is supposed to be actually based on a true story only adds to the terror. There is an underlying sense of dread to every scene and you are worried about what might just unfold next. All the credit to the director for accomplishing that

The acting is also solid as each one including the five kids put in a good show. Lili Taylor as Carolyn Perron (am pretty sure you’d be googling that name once you’ve seen this flick) and Vera Farmiga as Lorraine Warren have the most meaty roles and are particularly effective

In summary then, there is every reason I’d say you give The Conjuring a visit and see what it manages to summon off you

Movie Review: Ship of Theseus..takes you on a thought-provoking voyage

Ship of Theseus is unlike anything Bollywood I have seen before it – and I mean this in a good way, in fact, the best possible way there is. There are no unnecessary songs, no unnecessary melodrama, mindless action, trite dialogues – none of that. In fact, Ship of Theseus is so removed from traditional Bollywood, that if this is to be the new direction then this movie is the harbinger of good tidings for Indian cinema.

Ship of Theseus is not for everyone and the director, A Gandhi, takes no pains to ensure that it becomes so. Nothing is explained more than required and if you choose not to unravel the layers, so be it. Very deftly, he introduces the concept of the Ship of Theseus in the first scene itself (though frankly you ought to look it up before you go for the movie; a simplistic yet thought provoking paradox)  and expects you to figure the rest for yourself

To help you out though he puts across 3 equally shining examples in the form of completely different stories to illustrate his point. You could have your favorites among the three but you can’t say either of the stories is bad. There is the mainstream story and then there are the snippets of the other stuff topped with loads of irony in each story. The quality of the cinematography is exemplary and some of the wide angle shots are the stuff of great picture postcards. The camera is heavily focused a little too close to the action at practically all times but it fits the context well. The dialogues are well written and some of the philosophical angles and the ensuing debate they cause will hold your attention even after you have exited the hall

None of the actors are particularly well known but each one puts in a solid act. The only possible complaint you could have for the movie is that for the 3 stories he has to show, Gandhi takes an awful lot of time and some scenes could be a lot snappier. It’s a moot point but I think hastening any of the sequences would have capsized this particular boat since there is meaning and substance to almost every moment that lingers

Ship of Theseus, then is every bit worth the hype and packed houses it is running to. If you want to appreciate quality cinema and intelligent story- telling its time you headed to the hall before this one sets sail for good

Movie Review: D-Day..is a Disaster of epic proportions

I know this is an unusually strong statement but such was indeed the sentiment as I exited the hall. What started as a taut, racy thriller – the kind seldom offered by Bollywood – soon became less than ordinary and one witnessed such a fall from grace that it still hurt long after the impact was made. How could Nikhil Advani get it so wrong after such a promising start – one can only wonder

This movie further bolsters the belief that following the commercial, more popular reviews is a big mistake. D-Day has been hailed as a slick, unconventional thriller with great plot twists and tense action amongst the media. In my view, none of this is true. It starts off in that mould, I’ll give it that. Then the age-old issue of songs interfering with plot developments crops up. That alone, I could have still sat through, but after that the additional love angles and slow pace of the movie kill whatever interest one would have developed previously

The movie intermissions at a point where you only hope that the second half is much better than the first. It isn’t. In fact, its much worse than the first. At one point you are left wondering what the movie is really building up to, if anything at all. At times, it almost looks like a deliberate attempt to make a dysfunctional movie practically as an intentional spoof. If that were true, it could still have made some sense, but the movie tries to show itself as serious and patriotic and that simply looks forced. There are plotholes that are too gaping to ignore as well. As for the plot twist, I didn’t find it convincing at all but that’s probably because it looks more incidental than a real shocker as part of the mainstream plot

The fact that Nikhil Advani had a fairly accomplished cast of characters further added to the disappointment of the movie being so ordinary. Irrfan does a good job but even his best efforts can’t really save the movie. Neither is the striking Huma Qureshi able to do so despite no fault in her performance. Rishi Kapoor in his unusual avatar is probably the worst utilized – while his character starts off menacing as intended, it deteriorates to practically the aforementioned spoof.

Nikhil Advani made Kal Ho Na Ho well. The setup for this one is demanded radically different treatment. While he attempts a good transition to this genre, it seems as if he himself lost the plot somewhere along the way. The first half of the first half, if I were to put it that way, is a laudable effort. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie becomes almost a laughable effort. A movie that I believe deserved such a title more was probably 16th December. Something of that nature presented with a little more finesse and with this cast of characters would have given a lot more ‘bang’ for your buck

As it stands though, D-Day is a disaster but not the kind, the movie wanted to portray – here’s hoping for a better outcome next time around, Nikhil Advani

Movie Review: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag…is a good tribute to the ‘Flying Sikh’

I am glad this movie was made. There is so much that I learned about the greatness and glory of the achievements of our very own Flying Sikh, which would have been lost on me otherwise. In a cricket obsessed nation, such stories tend to go untold and I am glad that wasn’t the case with this one

However, what prompted the makers to make it a freakin 188 minute offering is what I can’t get over. When you emerge from the movie hall, that is your single, albeit substantial, complaint. Especially when as per what’s shown there isn’t too much meat to the story. Quickly told, this story would have resonated big time and perhaps even made for repeated viewings. However, the pace at which it unfolds would weary even the most determined watcher

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is, no doubt, well made. The cinematography is classy and the movie has a distinct sheen about every sequence. Remove a few songs, a few extra sequences and stick to the main story and you had an explosive offering. Instead, what could have been a beautifully directed and shot movie gets relegated to mere moments – moments which are brilliantly captured and full-on display how forward movie making has moved in Bollywood – but that’s what they end up as – moments. Be it the way his runs are captured to the macabre nature of our partition; a hilarious sequence on a plane journey to the burning of a certain tissue paper - these are the moments that create the real magic about the movie. However, thanks to its runtime and the extra sequences, despite being somewhat of a biopic on a really inspirational life story the film really doesn’t succeed in getting the audience to connect and feel for its main character, which is a pity. Then there are some scenes that don’t really add up with threads that are left hanging in mid-air, making you wonder what was the point of showing them in the first place.

As for the act, well, its Farhan Akhtar all the way. Not only is he visibly fit for the part, he slips into the shoes of his character quite effortlessly. In my view, the character itself isn’t all that complex to pull off but that takes nothing away from Farhan’s performance. The only slight hitch is that his Punjabi accent isn’t all that there – but that isn’t a problem for most of the movie. However, it does come out in sharp contrast to the natural performance of Pawan Malhotra, as his Army coach. Sonam Kapoor has roughly 2 dialogues in the entire movie so that isn’t a problem for this one and she actually looks quite pleasing to the eye for a change. Divya Dutta gets noticed for all the right reasons in her spirited support role while Yograj Singh also does a good job

Regarding the music, quite simply – most of it shouldn’t be there. It slows down the narrative and adds nothing to the plot. Only Zinda is a song that really peps you up and maybe it could’ve been repeated in the background for scenes later in the movie rather than all the other unnecessary music. Tu Bhaag Milkha is decent but its no Lakshya and doesn’t have the same kind of energy about it

To sum up then, this movie should have been a 2 hour watch with much less of the song and dance routine and more on the inspirational story. Still, a visit to the hall is a must, if only to celebrate the story of the Flying Sikh, and ensure his legend is not forgotten anytime soon.

Movie Review: Ghanchakkar..ne kuch khaas nahi ghumaya

After creating unexpected magic at the box office with The Dirty Picture the unlikely hit combination of Emraan Hashmi and Vidya Balan came together for what sounded like a situational comedy with noir elements, with Ghanchakkar. With a trailer that gives away practically the entire plot, one still ventured to the theater hoping that there was more to this story than meets the eye. Unfortunately, there isn’t

First the good part. Let’s start with background score. Surprised? Well, I was too, but a large part of what makes this movie watchable is the near perfect background score that Amit Trivedi puts in place to make even the dull moments come alive with anticipation. That, and the unique and promising premise this movie starts with are its real heroes. Where the train goes off-track is when the director, quite evidently, wondered what to do after such a promising start. He could’ve taken it in 15 different directions; instead he chose to take it in – well, none (other than perhaps towards the climax but we can’t talk about that for obvious reasons)

As for the comedy. Well, it’s the subtle stuff that bring the real guffaws rather than the obvious efforts to make you laugh..the priceless dinner table moments after the hilarious bank scene to count a few. Emraan Hashmi’s rather confused character seemingly had potential to make you laugh too but considering its Hashmi doing the delivery, the humor element dries up considerably. I am also not sure why the script required a Punjaban housewife and am even more perplexed why Balan was chosen for such a role. While her Punjabi dialogues come in with spot on accent and fervour, her other dialogues seem far too forced and lack the natural Punjabi touch. To make matters worse her character, which had the potential to be the most complex isn’t really so; an actress of Vidya Balan’s calibre ought to have been given a lot more scope and this character even had the potential.

The writing is a real let-down – even when someone like Rajesh Sharma can’t make you laugh much with his one – liners, its clear that content must take the blame. This is even more obvious, down the line, where you’ll hear the main characters scream and shout the same dialogues you could swear you heard just 10 minutes ago and this happens multiple times. The movie relies more on frequent swear words than on good dialogue to interest its audience and for the most part – it doesn’t work

A big problem for Ghanchakkar is that its really not sure what it wants to be – an in your face comedy, a subtle and quirky satire or a crime thriller. By trying to be all three it ends up being neither. To make matters worse, Ghanchakkar is at least half an hour too long and could’ve been a lot more snappier – thereby becoming a more engaging watch

As it stands then, Ghanchakkar's premise promised a lot but its execution delivers little – had hoped for better when I walked into the hall.

Movie Review: Raanjhanaa..surprisingly loved it!!

I know what you are thinking..this movie has Sonam Kapoor and Dhanush as its leads. It sounds like the typical boy girl romance love story. There hasn’t even been much noise about its release either. I don’t blame you. These were the thoughts even I had when I hesitatingly entered the movie hall. As I exited it however, there were no misgivings..except perhaps that it still had Sonam Kapoor..as the female lead. Raanjhanaa..contrary to expectation is quite a gem

The movie starts off confirming all your worst fears. The plot context and build up is predictable and stereotypical. Dhanush doesn’t impress on first look. For the first half he looks like a bad version of Vivek Oberoi who has issues with dialogue delivery in Hindi. Sonam Kapoor picks up from where she left off, screeching and screaming and you never stop wishing this movie had another female lead. What is fresh even in this is the writing and the humor. While some might find some of the lines crude, I thought they fit the context well and brought some genuine laughs.

However, as the movie gathers momentum the criticisms dry up. Plot twists happen and connect to the characters builds so rapidly that you have little time for other frivolities. Dhanush introduces you to the range of emotions he can portray despite the restrained performance the script required, pulling off a complex character with finesse. Sonam Kapoor’s expressive face begins to convey far more, though her dialogues continue to jar. Its in the quieter moments that she is far more bearable. Abhay Deol is his trademark dependable self handling a fairly simple character. The side actors, Swara Bhaskar and Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub deserve more than a special mention. Swara plays her role with such a natural ease that one wonders if she could have done a better job of the lead character than Sonam and Ayyub’s has the most comedic lines delivered with just the right timing

The movie puts you through quite an emotional wringer and some might even find themselves shedding a tear or two or at the very least feel a lump in the throat. While some plot development may seem contrived, I guess it was essential to tell a good story. The writing is top notch and especially Dhanush’s lines seem to have been given a lot of thought. The song and dance routine is smartly done and though there are plenty of songs, most form a backdrop to the progressing narrative so it doesn’t slow down.

Aanand Rai, the name brings painful memories of Tanu Weds Manu (which I am told was a hit with the masses; wonders will never cease..) but don’t let that mislead you into not watching this one. With Raanjhanaa Aanand Rai, hits it out of the park with subtle scenes that convey intense meaning eg.  Dhanush running, but there’s more to it than that..I’ve forgotten that he even made Tanu Weds Manu

Raanjhanaa then is one of the better movies this season. Even if this review doesn’t convince you as much, do give it a shot and you might just fall in love with what you watch