Movie Review: The Judge..can’t decide what kind of case it wants to be

A few years ago, there was a beautiful albeit slow paced movie of a man caught in circumstance – The Descendants. Other than the unfitting ending it had, majority of the movie managed emotions and their portrayal quite well. For the first 35 minutes or so The Judge follows a similar path. The crucial difference is that while The Descendants had a very natural progression to the storyline, The Judge literally flies off in 15 different directions – leaving you completely bewildered at what the movie wants to showcase in the first place

The beginning of The Judge is promising and up to a point the movie was crackling – brimming with possibilities – rarely have I seen such strong emotions and under-currents so well portrayed in a family drama movie. Till suddenly, they just fizzled out completely – vanishing into thin air. What seemed a story around unresolved and understated conflicts in relationships, suddenly became a father son relationship, no sorry a murder trial, or wait a story about growing old with some kind of a love story thrown in as well – till its simply all over the place and you can only wonder what thread they’ll pick up next

As in the case with The Descendants, the writing is good and there is many a quip and smart remark that will make you chuckle and sometimes laugh out loud. But throughout the watch, the focus of the movie is not clear. You begin to think its about the murder trial and you settle in to go through the evidence and witness the testimonies when the director suddenly seems to zip past all that as if its not really the crux of the matter. The case itself isn’t that great and the arguments presented could easily be trumped by any of the episodes of Boston Legal. As the movie reaches its unsatisfying climactic moments, you are disconnected and disappointed and couldn’t care less what the final verdict is – just that the jury can make up its mind soon and you can get out of the theater

Robert Downey Jr. in a multi-faceted role looks the part though he is too suave to seem vulnerable. Robert Duvall plays his part well too, though I thought the relationship of these two characters which should really be the soul of this movie, is not well etched out. That said, largely due to the talents of the two actors - moments of the duo bickering, challenging each other and exhibiting that rare moment of emotional outburst, form some of the best moments in the movie.

The Judge promises an interesting case with a lot that is said and left unsaid in its earlier moments – but the follow through falls much short and the multiple threads don’t help matters. The mounting evidence in the wayward nature of the narrative convinces you that nobody really thought this through while making it and that The Judge deserved better representation and a more focused plot presentation.

Movie Review: Haider..well made but long drawn

 Length or movie runtime is a crucial element. Keep it too short and you can’t get the audience to connect with your characters and the story development. Stretch it too long however, and you lose the audience’s interest despite having a good story to tell. That is principally the issue when you settle in to watch a movie like Haider, which would otherwise have been a very well made movie

Two hours and forty two minutes – enough to put a doubt in anyone’s mind. However, with the panache of Vishal Bhardwaj and a high quality cast of characters, one still soldiered on to witness this adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet to the beautiful valleys and snow capped façade of Kashmir.

The first half of the movie is slow but the build up is nice. Some of the directorial sparks like when Shahid’s character returns and his response of utter denial are great to watch. Coupled with that, the writing has some real gems for dialogues and the grim scenery is so well captured that you get involved, if not deeply so. The undertones and background score remind you of Kamineyy and especially the snazzy touch at the time of intermission has you all excited for bigger things to unravel in the second half.

Unfortunately, little of that ever ends up happening. Once the movie is over you actually wonder whether this was itself the ‘chutzpah’ of a kind that the movie so famously brandishes and the joke’s really on you. Don’t get me wrong, this movie is miles ahead of Matru ki bijlee and definitely picks up where Maqbool left off. Despite being an adaptation, Bhardwaj throws in quite a few instances that make you wonder if there are any twists to the adaptation itself. Nice touch, but at the end of it all it’s the length of the movie that does it in. Not helping matters, there are some disjointed sequences and what flowed earlier in one smooth harmonic motion, now seems to have lost the plot and is wandering aimlessly looking for some direction.

The starcast makes a valiant effort – Tabu playing the highly complicated character she always does in these movies with all her skill and Shahid maintaining great screen presence if a tad unconvincing in the longer dialogues and emotional affairs and the trustworthy KK Menon notching up another feather in his illustrious cap. Shraddha Kapoor’s presence is limited as unfortunately is the case with with Irrfan Khan who seems to have a dynamic character but perhaps made for another movie – given all the screen-time its been given.

Perhaps, some of the fault for how it all plays out lies in the original tale, with Shakespeare tragedies all having weak heroes. Whatever the case, such as it is, despite the performances, great writing and mostly good direction - the tale fails to engage beyond a point and you are left just counting the minutes till its really all over.

Movie Review: Finding Fanny..a weird and unfulfilling search

I don’t mind movies having quirky characters. In fact, it adds quite the zing into otherwise mundane and predictable plotlines, also making the characters themselves more human and believable. While Finding Fanny sets out with that agenda, no one (and I am pretty sure that includes the director himself), seems to have any idea what direction the movie was actually intended to take

There is a good chance this movie could’ve been perceived as staying in the same spot or running around in circles had the plotline not involved a road trip with a definitive start and an end destination. That alone lends some semblance of structure to an otherwise haphazard plotline. The first half itself yields very little other than a microscopic look at the idyllic life of Goa and some seemingly desperate attempts to make you laugh. The second half isn’t much better and goes from bad to worse towards the climax.  There’s some intelligent writing but such instances are few and far-between.

As for the acting, even a glittering starcast can’t rescue Finding Fanny and make the search more enjoyable. Naseeruddin Shah’s weak willed character is clearly a misfit for his strong personality and though one never doubts his versatility as an actor, he would probably have been better served with another role. Deepika Padukone is exquisite with her expression but the same cannot be said for her dialogue delivery which continues to be pretty much a monotone whether in narration or otherwise. Dimple Kapadia does justice to her character though hers too is weakly developed while Arjun Kapur is passable for the most part, save for his inexplicable and undecipherable outburst. In terms of acting, the real star of the show is actually Pankaj Kapur as the sleazy artist, who despite the glittering cast and by contrast, his own weak character, delivers flawlessly

As you would have noticed, almost all the characters in this particular story are weak and poorly developed. While in-a-jiffy backstory telling is a good technique, one hopes to be told more of the history, the incidents that shaped the character of today – especially since there are passing mentions of something having happened strewn throughout the 93 odd minutes the movie runs. However, there is no such revelation and one is left to imagine it for his/herself

Despite the short runtime the movie feels slow and you can’t wait for the end credits to roll, especially in the second half when things become more bizarre by the minute…let’s just leave it at that. While the opening credits are encouraging with the movie’s claim of some parts in the movie being true and those being the weirder parts, one would have hoped for more soul and meaning to the journey. Unfortunately, the journey ends with a message that rings even more strange and hollow since none of that is actually felt or experienced during it.

At the end of it all, its best to just conclude, that Finding Fanny was a pointless expedition, that became more and more hopeless as the journey continued and it would’ve been better if one had chosen to abandon her instead

Movie Review: The Hundred Foot Journey..good for the first sixty steps

I may be too late in writing this since most of you would have already gone and seen the movie. The reason I didn’t watch this one all this while, is because I hate it when a movie trailer gives away practically everything there is that a movie has, to offer in terms of plot and story and that’s exactly what I suspected to have happened with The Hundred Foot Journey as well. Having finally seen it after a lot of positive reviews from others though, I write about this one with fairly mixed feelings

For the most part I was quite satisfied with what was on offer and had the journey ended about 25 mins earlier than it did, I would have come out quite happy having witnessed the simple story told with a lot of heart and a beautiful soul. However, since they didn’t end it there and then dragged along with no sense of direction or purpose, with closing shots at 5 separate occasions, which misled you to believe that the movie was finally ending, while it actually wasn’t, the prime feelings on exiting the theatre were disappointment and frustration instead

Sometimes the best ‘effect’ you can create in a movie, is to treat it as simply and minimally as possible and let the story and its soul do all the talking. This is the method that seems to have been applied rather well in The Hundred Foot Journey (for the most part). The movie builds up nicely, character sketches are well etched and there is a distinct flow to the proceedings. There are some delightful departures from a cliched storyline as well, which further add to the merriment.

However, one glaring issue with this otherwise short and sweet journey is that with its ‘goody goody’ nature the overall narrative comes across as too weak. There is a sprinkle here and a dash there which could have rustled up quite the spice the movie so boldy professes but failing to be adventurous,  the dish it itself offers is ultimately quite bland. Add to that, the completely unnecessary drag of an ending, with a spillover of content that could span a good sequel in itself and a good story becomes more and more average by the minute

On the bright side though, Helen Mirren and Om Puri, the masterchefs in this particular recipe put their best foot forward and bring quite the spark to the dull canvas. Complimenting each other near perfectly, their characters’ bluster and indignant exchanges as well as the essaying of more poignant moments create some of the high points of this journey. It helps also, that they have among the best written dialogues as well. The young chef, sorry cook, and his cute love interest play their parts ably as well but do not manage much of an impact

Had the story ended much earlier than it did, the 100 foot journey would have been a soulful experience with albeit a weak storyline. Considering its current form though, I’d exercise caution before embarking on this  particular expedition

Movie Review: Guardians of the Galaxy..better stay on guard

 
Once again, I am dumbfounded. Having just witnessed a two hour two minute assault of this new attempt at yet another franchise that Marvel has concocted, I can’t for the life of me understand why it deserves such rave reviews across the board. In my view, every bit of caution is to be exercised and you must not let your guard down, whatever praise anyone might heap on Guardians of the Galaxy

A scene is funny when the attempt to make you laugh isn’t obvious and an exaggerated effort at that. This simple truth is blatantly missing in this new age space adventure. There are four main characters of which only two -  Rocket and Groot will genuinely make you laugh. Others will make you cringe, shake your head in disbelief or even bang your head in desperation just waiting for it all to end.

I am a total superhero fanboy and I loved ‘The Avengers’ to bits so its not as if I don’t understand this genre. The visuals of Guardians.. are really good though why they have to be in this mockery of the third dimension beats me. However, that said, the action is well scripted and very diverse. The plotline is wafer thin and predictable to the point of frustration. Its all been done before and done better.

As for the performances, with a set of little known actors taking centrestage, it is Bradley Cooper who shines above all others – though to be fair, his character of Rocket has the best lines as well. Chris Pratt delivers an earnest performance but his Star Lord character required a lot more depth which makes it more of a black hole than a supernova in its current form

There are great touches every now and then. Some of the writing is smart and even have you in guffaws at times. But for the most part, it seems a desperate, almost tired effort at making you fall in love with a new set of characters and their quirks. The last time that truly happened for me, in such a space/ galaxy setting was not the silver screen but rather a TV series called Firefly – if you haven’t seen it, I suggest you give it a shot.

The sequel to the Avengers is still more than a year away and while we await the glorious return of the real band of superheroes, I guess we can expect Marvel to keep throwing tidbits our way. I only wish that Marvel instead would put their creative ideas and strength all into one good new offering – one that is worthy of its creation. However, one can only hope. For now, Marvel is more busy just hammering out sub-standard stuff and Guardians of the Galaxy just gets added to that list, in my books

Movie Review: The Grand Budapest Hotel..grand for perhaps a precious few

Some movies are perhaps made for too specific an audience. They are not for all and sundry and the majority perhaps wouldn’t know what is grand about them. I suspect The Grand Budapest Hotel might be one of those and I count myself in the majority for this one. That’s probably the only explanation as to why what seemed to me a perfectly ordinary movie, with a positively stellar starcast that have performed itsy bitsy roles given their abilities, is receiving such rave reviews from critics and review aggregators alike

The Grand Budapest Hotel exudes old worldliness from the opening credits itself. The entire movie is presented in a unique 4:3 format – a novel expression of the visual capabilities of the times the movie is set in. The canvas is filled nicely – almost as if the set pieces had been borrowed from older movies to make sure they don’t jar. Add to it the rather sophisticated voice over narration with high quality humor and you settle in for what would visually be an ornately designed and presented PG Wodehouse novel. Alas, what you get is far from it – especially from a ‘laughs’ perspective

Despite Ralph Fiennes leading the honors, completely in his element as the protagonist quirky concierge of the grand old establishment, the remaining characters are just dull, underdeveloped and lifeless – and far too many at that. Eminent names like Adrien Brody, Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Jude Law and am missing some 10 others even as I mention these, are completely wasted in one dimensional ordinary characters. This is not as bad since most of the attention stays firmly focused on Fiennes and he delivers all the way. However, the plot development is banal, the jokes at times too asinine – some even reminding me of movies as bad as Housefull so you can get some idea. Add to that, despite clocking just 99 minutes, don’t be surprised if you find yourself nodding off every now and then given the pacing of the movie

There are some genuinely smart lines and a poignant underlayer if one wants to reflect and dig deeper. However, the entire tone and presentation of the movie was as if it just wanted me to have a good time so I don’t think it succeeds on that note either

Perhaps I am also being too harsh here. Maybe this is a movie of an era gone by – a generation I may never completely understand or appreciate. If you are an old worldly romantic, I’d say you still give it a shot and see if this movie indeed did justice. All others looking for something exciting, more in touch with today’s reality and pace – I won’t recommend a booking at The Grand Budapest Hotel. Of course, with Kick being the other option, its not a lot of choice either. Perhaps, you’d just be best waiting till next week

Movie Review: Humpty Sharma ki Dulhaniya..DDLJ deserved better

 
First things first, this movie is not a tribute to DDLJ. Those who are calling it that, the film cast and crew included, need to look up the dictionary meaning of a tribute. This is pretty much a parody. Simply put, the script writer, director et al, looked at DDLJ and thought – where all can we make a change – no matter how nonsensical, illogical or downright silly it all gets. (Think Amazing Spiderman from Sam Raimi’s original creation). And thus, that script and some bad songs with hilariously bad lyrics later Humpty Sharma came to the theaters

The fact that it clocks a lesser 2 hours 15 minutes is a welcome relief, considering this is Bollywood and the agony could easily have been prolonged to 3 hours instead. One should be grateful. Another aspect to be grateful for is that the 2 leads make a valiant effort to lift a lifeless script and their sidekicks (or rather Varun’s sidekicks) have been blessed with some smart one-liners that make for a few fun moments. For everything else – especially the songs, you can curse Humpty Sharma ki Dulhania

This is the fourth film with Alia playing her fiesty avatar and while she fits the bill, she could certainly do with some variety in her characters. Speaking of characters, this movie hardly invests in them and while Raj and his Senorita Simran made efforts to find a place in your heart where you willed till the last moment that their story had a happy ending, you couldn’t care less whether Humpty and his lady love end up together or not. As for the other performances, much has been said of the performance of Ashutosh Rana, playing the Amrish Puri babuji counterpart. Personally, I just found his performance unnecessarily intense.

There are sparks here and there, where the story could’ve taken a fresh approach which made some sense. However, the proceedings thereon extinguish any such hope. Moreover, while some of the gags and one-liners may bring some laughs, you can’t help but shake the uneasy feeling that its all been done too many times before

While its not a tribute to the masterpiece of its time that DDLJ was, Humpty Sharma certainly makes you want to consider a re-viewing of that eternal love story (for the umpteenth time). In its own paradoxical way, that qualifies to be the best reason you would consider watching this revised Dulhaniya. If you have any other expectations – best to stay at home and watch Raj and Simran instead.