Movie Review: Wazir..check but far from checkmate

Making a movie titled Wazir is a risky move to open with. Having themes of chess introduced into it is riskier still. Why? Because It gets your audience thinking in that vein as well. As the director moves his pieces into place, as the audience you too start trying to guess what he is up to. Unless, he’s got something really unexpected up his sleeve, there’s a good chance you’ll see through his game. And that..in a nutshell is the issue with Wazir.

If you hear absolutely anything about the movie, and there’s a fair share of spoilsports who would like nothing better than to ruin things for you, there’s nothing left to go and watch so, read as few reviews as you can (barring this one, of course)

Wazir starts off strong. While the title credits start with a song, it goes for the jugular right from the first few scenes and has you invested in its characters and context. Unlike chess, however, to which the movie alludes every chance it gets, there are no pieces being laid out, no stage being set to reel you in. Still it all builds up well and you are engaged for majority of the movie. However, the climax squarely falls flat.

Maybe if you can’t figure it all out, you’ll have your moment of shock and awe. Me, I could see where it was all headed at the interval itself. Hardly the thrills one would hope for. Also, the sequences are contrived to the nth degree. Throughout the movie, while you’ll have every urge to do so, avoid questioning ‘how’ did this happen and just assume that is how it is meant to be. The sad part is, even if you accept the sequence of events as they play out, the finale doesn’t create those moments of disbelief that thrillers are supposed to be all about.

Some of the writing is par excellence. A few lines will get you to have a lump in the throat and could scarcely be presented more simply and effectively. Unfortunately that’s not the case throughout the movie and despite all its ‘talk’ of shatranj and the ‘khel khel mein..’ strain, the dialogues are quite straight forward.

The acting is top notch as well and the exchanges between the duo of Amitabh and Farhan (which forms a significant part of the movie itself) being particularly engaging. Some of the high strung scenes have Farhan screeching rather than performing, but he does equally well in the more restrained emotional bits. Aditi Rao Hydari while she has a side role, expresses plenty with her eyes and despite less dialogues makes her presence felt. Amitabh performs flawlessly but then he has far more calibre than what his (finally) simple character demanded.

The songs are the other bane of this a little over 2 hours of drama. While sung by the best crop of singers we have today, none of them are particularly melodious and most of the time they only slow down whatever little pace the movie would’ve developed so far.

Much like the game of chess, the checkmate move is what would’ve made this one stellar – when one had the sinking feeling that they’ve been outwitted by a mind keener and sharper than their own and the gameplan is truly worthy of applause. Unfortunately, instead you come back with the feeling that you spent the last two hours playing with an amateur who while he had the best pieces and played what he thought was a winning move basically led you to the conclusion that you deserved a more worthy opponent.

Movie Review: Star Wars: The Force Awakens..with renewed vigour

As you sit in the hall watching the beloved spectacle unfold on the screen, you are more and more convinced that this revival was the right thing to do. This franchise has captured the imagination of millions in its glory days and if you can do justice to it – then moving the franchise forward is simply the right thing to do. The great news is that with JJ Abrams at the helm – the early indications sure do look promising.

Taking the storyline itself into the future after Return of the Jedi was a bold and very risky move. There is a lot of nostalgia attached with the old characters and this would’ve been a sensitive one to negotiate. However, I think Abrams has done an admirable job of meshing the old and the new. It tugs at the heartstrings for just a bit but keeps the focus firmly on the action. So much so that this movie simply seems a continuation of the franchise. It is refreshing to see that Abrams is not trying to change much which seems to be the trend with all the reboots and story advances the other franchises are having these days.

The art direction and cinematography is excellent. You quickly get immersed in this distinctly different world and with the technological advances over the years, the action looks simply spectacular. Screen transitions are very much like the earlier movies as well. While the 3D is hardly there, you should catch this one in IMAX if you can, simply because the giant screen would make the action much more immersive. I wish though, that the sequels that follow are even shot in an Avatar-esque 3D camera – that would really be something.

The story has new characters albeit in familiar plotlines. There are references to what has already happened but not to such an extent that you can’t follow the plot without watching or more likely, still remembering the original storyline. There are some pretty large plot gaps and convenient twists that make this new story pretty average. The climax disappoints in terms of content but the visuals look even more spectacular. One does get the distinct feeling however that this movie is packaged to be an opener to a new chapter of the franchise with more explosive and story laden sequels to follow.

The focus of this movie is largely on the action and the visuals so there isn’t much acting to do per se. However, everybody including the newcomers to the franchise, do a decent job. BB8 is probably going to become the next beloved mascot of this new generation of the series.


I think this is a promising start to a new chapter of the franchise. By staying true to its roots, paying homage to its original story and characters, rather than trying to replace them, Abrams has made quite the fanboy movie and given the series the respect it deserves. May the Force be with him as he now takes on the even trickier job of building a complex plotline in the sequels that are bound to follow.

Movie Review: Spectre..casts a terrible shadow on the Bond franchise

Mr Mendes – let’s just face it. You don’t ‘get’ Bond. Either that, or the Bond that I’ve been a fan of - especially in the Pierce Brosnan era and post that in Casino Royale – the one that was like a guilty pleasure that took me on an action packed, escapist adventure albeit with a wafer thin plot – is more a matter of me not being mature enough and nothing to do with your seeming intent to kill everything that is beloved about this (so far) wonderful franchise. I sincerely doubt that is the case though.

I was appalled after watching Spectre and I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody – least of all fans of the action adventure Bond like myself. I had a sneaky suspicion post Skyfall itself – while the world was marveling at what Mr. Mendes had achieved – humanizing Bond and all that drivel – I saw it as a ‘wannabe Dark Knight’ that didn’t even come close and a homage to HomeAlone in its second half. Still, I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt. Skyfall had its moments – maybe Sam Mendes too could do justice to Bond.

After sitting through an agonizing 2 hours 30 minutes of Spectre though, I am firmly convinced -if you want to save the Bond franchise, please hand over the reins to someone who understands him better. We might as well invite Mr Mendes to Bollywood though – what with true love, heroic rescues and even I love you moments, why he would fit right in.

Spectre doesn’t feel like a Bond movie. The start is promising – one explosive action sequence makes you sit up and take notice. And then, it all just dies a slow and painful death. Bond is supposed to be about Bond himself, his death defying stunts, his dogged single mindedness on the mission and his outlandish actions to stay on course with one action sequence leading into another – a web of deceit, espionage, sabotage and master plans galore. Instead Mr. Mendes will have you see the natural beauty, sights and sounds of the various places Bond ends up visiting. There will be slow ‘supposedly’ meaningful close up shots and as you gear up for something interesting to come, it’ll abruptly cut to the next scene leaving you wondering why was there a close up in the first place. This happens too many times to keep count.

The good and there is very little of it in my view, is the handful of action sequences that are shot well and keep you somewhat interested. There’s a ridiculous one involving a plane – I don’t allude to that one. In between, it also manages a street car race/chase which could easily have been straight out of the Fast and Furious franchise. Let’s ignore that one as well. The camera angles and cinematography is the other plus.

Daniel Craig is also in sleepwalk mode in his role. Christoph Waltz plays his act well and has commanding screen presence. Ralph Fiennes is a fine actor but he is wasted as the new M and the new Q is too much of a kid. Like so many of the Bollywood remakes of old movies, Mr. Mendes just seems intent on re-modelling Bond to the very opposite of all that it was, even if it shreds the very soul of the franchise in the process.

I guess Spectre is aptly named – it is truly a sinister apparition that threatens the Bond franchise to have the most painful of last memories. This is not how I want to see the Bond franchise end. He deserves a better farewell than this. There was some talk of Nolan taking over this franchise, before Mr. Mendes unfortunately decided to oblige us one more time. Maybe Nolan can provide some saving grace. Somebody, anybody – let’s do justice to Bond – get one more action packed adventure and let him have his moment in the sun one last time before he fades into the sunset.

Movie Review: Bridge of Spies..makes an ethereal connection

This one almost seemed a no brainer.  With Tom Hanks in the lead and the veteran Steven Spielberg directing it was a foregone conclusion that this was going to be good. The only question now was..how good..

However, as the movie began and leaning into the first 40 minutes or so you suddenly weren't so sure.  After the thrilling opening sequence,  the movie slows down to such an extent that one begins to have doubts. In fact, unless you really took a keen interest in the proceedings  you could even be excused of wanting to snooze every now and then. However, you can easily cast aside these concerns.

That's because Bridge of Spies is well and truly a director's movie. He has paced it the way he wants you to experience it.  if you still have  doubts just watch the way a plane crashes and shots are fired to be assured that this director knows what he's doing. I better not say any more at this point.

You can't plan to watch  Bridge of Spies hoping for a thriller - with tense car chases, cross and double cross, espionage, mystery and intrigue  at every turn.Bridge of Spies is none of the above. It has a unique storyline, a context that takes some connecting to and a tone and subtlety that not all will appreciate. Like a mature wine of a particular vintage it takes a true connoisseur to appreciate the richness of its texture.

Tom Hanks pulls off a relatively easier  character, given his acting talent, with a wonderfully restrained performance. A special word of mention to Mark Rylance who makes his presence felt despite the much shorter air time.

Bridge of Spies is not a must watch for all. However for the few who can appreciate it, it will certainly feature very high in that list. Go find out if it manages to make a connect with you.

Movie Review: Talvar…surgically cuts sharp and deep

I’ve been quite the ass. I know - Not the most self-promoting way to start a review but that’s exactly how I felt after watching what is probably the best movie of 2015, so late in the day. So affected was I by all the talk of this movie, though well made, being depressing and a mood spoiler, that I kept putting it off. However, one look at the trailer ( something I normally avoid) and I knew I had made a mistake.

Talvar cuts you deep – there is no doubt about that. It is unforgiving and relentless in its presentation. The camera does not shy away from showing the murder in its macabre form and the grieving parents played exquisitely by Konkana Sen Sharma and Neeraj Kabi will hit you hard. Parents will definitely find this one a difficult watch.

I am not going to debate whether the movie presents the case in the right light, whether it supports or refutes the actual events or whether it helps shed any kind of light on the proceedings at the time. Very aptly, the movie itself doesn’t direct you regarding that either (though it does lean very hard, on one version of events) – instead choosing to let you experience the events as they actually unfolded and arrive at your own conclusions.

What this movie does wonderfully well is to have a sense of balance. It is easy for any film maker, especially for such a subject, to take the audience deeper into the dark abyss that sets the movie’s context and show the utter hopelessness of the situation from different angles. However, the film goes a step further and brings in wry humor and comic relief, especially after intense scenes. The combination works particularly well and gut-wrenching thought the storyline is, there are welcome moments of relief every now and then. Further, the movie makes no attempt to dramatize beyond what is necessary preferring to make sequences more realistic than oriented towards commercial impact.

The first half of Talvar is taut and gripping. You want to hang on to every word, look through every clue and follow the investigation. In the second half the movie dips a bit with the final analysis coming across as farcical and unusually light. However, one glimpse at the parents is all it takes you to relegate you back to a state of despondency.

Irrfan puts in a stellar performance – his passion and anguish coming across particularly well on the screen. Special hat tip to Konkana Sen Sharma and Neeraj Kabi for agreeing to play such a heart-wrenching role in the first place. Not once do the two stalwarts look like they are putting on an act.

Despite its controversial subject and presentation – Talvar is an indication of a grand leap forward by Bollywood – one that should be applauded and promoted. Scarcely does one get to witness such a well made movie without the unnecessary razzmatazz. There’s scathing commentary of the state of affairs of our police and investigative departments, the adverse impact of clashing egos and the futile attempt to fight a corrupt system – without actually saying any of those in words.

The content is depressing no doubt, but you still can’t miss it. After all, these events have actually occurred even if the truth and facts around them are blurred. At the very least, the movie will have you wanting to go back and re-examine the facts of the case, that’s the kind of impact Talvar leaves you with.

Movie Review: The Walk…truly one to remember

The Walk, while very well directed, is much less a movie than it is an experience. As you watch through the opening and how the movie develops, you can’t help but feel that this is all just really a build up – fillers leading up to a grand finale that will simply take your breath away – and take your breath away it does.

While the 3D effect isn’t amplifed, The Walk is still very much an IMAX movie since the scale at which things are happening, you need to watch it on the largest screen possible. However, don’t go expecting things to pop out too often, or the feeling of vertigo due to the dizzying heights the camera pans through – and that is still very much okay because in hindsight I think too much 3D would’ve actually made the experience less surreal than it ends up being.

Though things tend to drag a bit in the second half with some scenes unnecessarily stretched to created some less needed tense moments, The Walk reserves its best act for the grand finale.
What you get to witness is sheer poetry in motion, a symphony at its most fundamental level - with a light smile playing about his lips in quiet pride, Phillipe pulls off the most extraordinary of artistic maneuvers ever. You might be a tad disappointed that it gets over all too soon, but Phillipe has more tricks up his sleeves so rest assured you’ll get more that your money’s worth.

Joseph Gordon Levitt probably pulls off his best performance till date fitting into the shoes of passionate artist Philippe with the ease of a veteran. He is truly, in spirit, Philippe himself as he overcomes various obstacles to pull off ‘The Coup’. What The Walk does particularly well, is bring out the soul of the artist, ably supported by Levitt’s performance. The Walk is a spectacle in itself and the movie is ambitious enough to stand its own. However, the way Zemeckis brings through the story, the fierce passion, the single mindedness of purpose for what is Philippe’s ‘dream’ is what really adds depth to what could’ve just been great visuals. Having Philippe narrate his own experience is a masterstroke and you get a true glimpse of the altogether different ‘level’ genius operates on.

That’s not to say that things are all too perfect. The background score for majority of the movie is light and comic, too often leaning towards a heist like tone – like you are watching Oceans 11 rather than The Walk. However, when it matters – during The Walk itself – the score also lifts things to another level. The real appreciation here though, is reserved for the director – who creates ‘moments’ that will stay with you long after you’ve left the movie – the visual depiction of clouding out everything else, the rope that creates itself in the mind of the artist, the way Philippe bows down to his audience and a few others shows just why Robert Zemeckis is such a great director. The cinematography is astounding in the finale and how they achieved what they did is a marvel in itself.

I wouldn’t classify the entire movie as a must watch. However, simply for the spell binding last half hour, The Walk gets elevated to heights (quite literally) none would’ve believed possible. For that alone, you have to witness this ‘coup’ at the largest screen and don’t be surprised when you look at tall buildings and your imagination starts playing tricks on you – such is the surreal experience you have with The Walk.

Movie Review: The Martian…delivers with all cylinders firing

The only aspect of The Martian that would be disappointing as you exit the theater, after a well spent 2 hours and 21 minutes is that it isn’t after all a true story or based on one. The inspirational and uplifting tale of human will, that you have just witnessed, is at the end of the day, fiction and not an actual ordeal even though it feels like one and you wish it were. Other than that, The Martian delivers on all fronts.

As you start the movie, catching it at breakneck speed right in the middle of an intense mission and witness what follows you begin to wonder if Ridley Scott may have missed a trick – that the movie may be rushing through its key moments rather than building up to them. But fear not, there is enough firepower in the thrusters of this particular ship to give you a thrilling ride and given all it has to showcase, it couldn’t have been directed better.

For some insane reason the movie is not playing at IMAX and my first reaction to the opening scene was – this movie shouldn’t have been shown on any other screen. However, as it plays out, the soul of this movie is not in its visuals, its wide angles of the desolate and bleakly ‘red’ landscape of Mars or the 3D effects of the dust storms on the planet. Those are merely elements in an otherwise complex compound of intelligence, emotions and the will to survive. While beautifully rendered and worthy of a real 3D experience, there is much more to appreciate about The Martian than just that.

Good writing with wry humor injected into even the most hopeless situations adds much appreciated thrust to an already powerful script and the combination is satisfying to say the least. Especially the dialogues towards the end of the movie, delivered in a no nonsense fashion resonate what each of us would have felt and taken away as lessons from the movie, despite sounding preachy or pontificating.

The performances of each and every member of this particular star studded crew – led from the front by Matt Damon but including Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Jeff Daniels to name a few do full justice to their characters. However, the real praise lies for the director. After a visually impressive but otherwise forgettable expedition with Prometheus, Ridley Scott gets right back in the driver’s seat and gets this spacecraft to lift off with ease. The movie is edited to a fault – not one scene feels out of place or forced and this – when there is a fair amount of techno-babble at the beginning of the movie.

I know I said it runs for 2 hours and 21 minutes but you needn’t worry about that – the director manages to get you fully absorbed and invested in its story and characters. In fact, as the tension mounts and the journey reaches its satisfying conclusion, it builds enough momentum and emotional attachment to feel as if you as the audience have, as well, lived this experience – a feat few movies can manage.

To put it simply, the Martian is an incredible story that is extremely well told and probably the best 2015 has had to offer thus far – blast off to the theaters before you miss the chance of watching it.