A weekend full of movies!!

Humpty Sharma Ki Dulahnia

I have absolute no clue on why people even dream of making such a movie. I mean it's like I dreaming of settling down in Faridabad. Can you imagine me (or for that matter any damned soul on this earth) imagining such a thing... No right? and yet such movies are made. 

Aimless direction, aimless story, pointless screenplay, below average music sums it up (no I am not gonna count "Saturday Saturday" and "Samjhawan" as this movie's tracks). The only silver lining was the actors and the chemistry and they make the movie bearable by all measures. Varun and Alia were real good and they had the feel of being in Love for a romantic movie. The characters of Poplu and Shonty were well played although they never were the focus nor could garner much from whatever was at offer to them (unlike what Deepak Dobriyal has done with his small role in an forgettable movie "tanu weds manu"). It was a happy and sad feeling to see Ashutosh Rana after long (both for quite obvious reasons). He deserves better roles for sure.

Overall verdict: 5/10 (mostly for the on screen chemistry of the lead pair)

Bobby Jasoos

A hyderabadi middle aged "girl" aspiring to be a detective. This is all the movie is about. Nothing special about the story but the decent screenplay pulls it off with a good performance by Vidya Balan. But I am confused if this is a thriller or comedy or a comic thriller or a drama or what? I can't decide and I would let you chose your own genre as per your choice for this. 

By all means it's a Vidya Balan movie and all other characters and actors just fill in the small voids that are to be filled and can be filled by anyone for that matter. Nothing special in the music album and thankfully only 2 or I guess 3 songs are included in the movie making it a bearable and little over 2 hours movie. The sad part was there was no surprise element and the story was too predictable to generate interest (you expect it when the movie title has a "Jasoos" tag to it).

Overall verdict: 5/10 (for Vidya Balan for pulling it off a bearable watch)

Ek Villain

The movie I was willing to see as it generated some interest in me but when I finally did it turned out to be a big disappointment. More than anything else the two things that were horrible was the screenplay and the editing. I mean the editing was so poor that the Editor should just quit the job and find another one. Yes the story wasn't something out of the box but the screenplay had the potential of keeping it a thriller instead of an obvious story-line but it failed too.

Actors seem to be having a tough time with poor plots and screenplays and they have kind of levelled up. Ritesh, Siddharth and Shraddha all were very good and so was the chemistry between Siddharth and Shraddha. Ritesh played a good negative role which was under exploited and could have been much more evil and fierce (which would have surely spiced it up) but the director thought of making it a crappy 2nd half of the movie where you just can't understand as to why the movie is still running. Very confusing, very wayward direction. 

Music saves the movie and brings in relief with each track.

Overall verdict: 4/10 

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes

Actually the weekend had started with this one (not to forget hell lot of chicken in Old Delhi with Abu & company) and it totally rocked. A great story build up I must say with brilliant screenplay and damn good special effects. I mean this movie really shows how the effects should be. The apes look so real (and no we didn't watch this one in 3D).

The emotions of the leader of the Apes "Ceaser" are just too good. Believe me when I say this was one of the best Computer generated imagery I have seen in a Hollywood flick and you really don't need 3 D to watch it. 2D looks much more real than those over hyped 3D effects (for me they look good for animation movies and not in everything). I am surely and eagerly waiting for the sequel now. Hats off to the director to carve out such a movie in which I didn't have too much expectation but came out real happy and connected with the lead "Ceaser". He is the man (oops Ape). All hail Ceaser!!

Overall Verdict: 8.5/10

Nautanki Saala

Boring. Slow. Directionless. These are some of the keywords that sums it all up for Nautanki Saala. A director-actor Ram played by Ayushman is going on fine with his life when he comes across Mandar played by Kunal Roy Kapur, a random person trying to commit suicide on some Mumbai road. As depicted, Ram is an extremely nice person with a heart of gold but has the habit of lying too as an actor. This lands him into a lot of trouble with his personal life as he tried to help out Mandar to get hold of his life again.

 

The storyline is quite flat with no twists or surprises or thrills. The only thing that could have saved it would have been a flawless screenplay to bring life with some funny highs and one liners at regular basis or I should say at every damn moment possible. But a rather poor screenplay results in almost no flare whatsoever. There were moments but they were so few and so shortlived that they didn't help a bit. Rohan Sippy seemed to have no clue whatsoever on how to progress and even how to wrap it up. Aayushman and Kunal Roy Kapur did fine with their parts while Pooja Salvi was highly forgettable and had some sort of fixed expressions for most of her scenes.

 

Music was the only saving grace apart from a few good one liners that bring small smiles amidst highly boring proceedings. A very skippable movie.

 

Overall verdict: 3.5/10

Commando - A One Man Army

Two words that defines this movie - Vidyut Jamwal. This is like a career boost for this man who may not look like he has all those acting skills but has all the potential to be termed as the bollywood's new "Khiladi". Yes, he can surely don he cap Akshay Kumar has over all these years. I would say he has set the level so high that we will have to see how many more such guys do exist that could do all those stunts as well as act enough to be mentioned as actors.

But its not only Vidyut that carries the whole burden of the hollow script and poor screenplay. The baddie Jaideep Ahlawat turns out to be the most entertaining character of the movie and plays his character to the bone. Pooja Chopra looked stunning at times and equally straight faced at others but turned out looking cute and carefree as the character was meant to be alas with bit of overacting in parts. Script was never meant to be the driving force for the movie. A girl trying to save herself from the baddies and running away from home suddenly gets into the path of a Commando who has somehow managed to escape from Chinese prison after a year long of extreme torture. The flaws in the storyline are endless and can be written in lengths if I start noting them down. So a big zero for that. Direction was pretty average as well. The director didn't knew what and what not to show and for how long. That brings the editing into the loophole as well. There was no reason to add certain scenes to the final reel like the one where the girl is about to run away from home and the flashback with her parents is portrayed.

 

Now the positives. Music was lively and something that you can hum for a while. The song "Saawan Bairi" does capture your mind for a much longer time though and is quite catchy. But whats best about the song is its cinematography. The usage of Phantom cameras is exceptional and spell bounds you. The locations used for the movie are amazingly scenic and have been captured very well from several angles. The same holds true for the biggest positive of this flick: ACTION. The stunts were breathtaking and were equally well shot from every angle possible. And the fact that apart from the cliff drop, all stunts were performed by Vidyut himself without the use of any ropes or attachments make your jaw fall flat at times. The awesomeness of the action sequences kind of overshadows everything else and makes the movie watchable.

 

Overall a must watch for the first ever Hollywood level stunts performed and executed so flawlessly by an Vidyut Jamwal and to an extent also for the real badass baddie Jaideep Ahlawat.

 

Verdict: 5/10

Talaash

There are movies for which you feel very enthusiastic and others for which you wait so eagerly that you start counting the "days to go" days before. For me, although an Aamir Khan starrer, Talaash was neither of them. But the sudden hoo la hoo on the day of its release around me made me go for it the very first day. I was most of all sure that at least I wont be disappointed since its an Aamir khan flick. The only good thing was it struck me right in the very end that I have been deceived and that it truly is a disappointment. This doesn't mean the movie was bad either. It was plain average stuff.

The positives first. An ideal story and script considering the genre to which it belonged. Great performances from everyone from Aamir to Kareena to Rani and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Screenplay was good too but lacked the essence of a thriller, which was what I wished from this movie. Background score was soothing. Music was fine and something you can listen to, but nothing so special.
 

What the movie lacked was the thrill. Even if it wasn't made to shock you or make you jump every now and then, it should have had that feeling of being awed, at least when the story unfolds and everything is linked together. But the setback was right when it all becomes clear. That there's nothing to be surprised of, that there's no such element in the plot that's gonna make you praise the movie for days and weeks. Editing was below average and proved to be something that pulled back the movie down even further. You can't have such a long movie, that too a "claimed to-be" suspense thriller sort of, when you just can't make the viewers wonder what's gonna happen next. I didn't wish to have some bland stuff in dinner, rather I was expecting something spicy. Instead I was served some tasty but bland stuff with plain salt. Movie was wrongly projected for sure.
 

There was simply nothing for which the movie needs to be praised apart from the great story it had (which they to an extent butchered in execution) and the performances specially Aamir Khan. Yes he was his usual self the way he is Mr. Perfectionist, although this time he wasn't able to instill the same character to his movie just like Ghajini.
 

Overall it was average stuff.
 

Verdict: 5.75/10

Life Of Pie

The last time I was so astounded with something on the big screen was in Avatar. Though Life Of Pie definitely doesn't stand anywhere close to it but yes it had that power to mesmerize me at moments. The plot is average, with few glitches as well, but the execution is near perfect, all thanks to the amazing director Ang Lee. I have been his fan since the day I had watched Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and my admiration for his direction grew even stronger with this movie.

 

A writer meeting up an Indian in Canada as he has been directed by his uncle to do so and then hearing up his story of adventure, survival and his life may not look a very gripping tale at first, but eventually beholds you with the help of some amazingly rich and colorful special effects and graphics. I would say after Avatar and Kung Fu Panda 2, this is the third movie in which I actually loved the use of 3D and found it relevant enough to make your experience one of its kind. The script though, lacks clarity and moves bit wayward in the first half as it focuses on the little boy "Pie" and his search for god. Later on he falls in love with a girl but is soon forced to leave India and travel across the Pacific to Canada with his family and their zoo animals. The leisurely pace eventually speeds up when the ship hits into a storm and is drowned. The only survivors are Pie himself and a handful of animals on a shipwreck. From here starts his survival on the shipwreck with a tiger named "Richard Parker". He had to feed himself and also the tiger and he gradually claims his place on the boat in the tiger's presence. The focus of the story was more on the relation the boy shares with the tiger and what he ultimately comes to realise in this painful journey across the pacific than in showcasing the suffering of a castaway.

 

The best technical aspects of the movie were the special effects and the cinematography. The amazingly real sound effects, which gave the storm scenes even more authentic touch were like an icing to the cake. A few scenes made you remember Avatar for sure especially the one in night with all the jelly fishes and the blue whale. The lead actor, Suraj Sharma did a splendid job. Irrfan was fine as usual although he didn't have too much to deliver. The glitches were the average script but an equally amazing screenplay not only neutralizes it but makes it a visual experience of a lifetime. Poor editing too makes  the movie a little longer than it could have been. But in the end it's the magical experience you feel during this journey that would overshadow all such errors and faults.

 

Overall a visual treat for sure. Yes, it's not those awesome stuff where you remain spellbound for days and months but it does have it's moments of awe that you will cherish once it ends.

 

My Verdict:  7.5/10

Cocktail

I wished for it to get me to a new high (also coz I haven't drunk since two months now) that last happened with ZNMD but alas it was not meant to be and turned out to be just a Breezer. I wish there could have been more chemistry between the characters, more essence of friendship n lastly more of Love. Each of the elements were missing badly. The only positive was the sweet smile of Diana and music of Pritam.

Direction was average, screenplay was confused and editing bit messy. The flow was just not there and everything was in flashes. The first half starts off sluggishly but turns fine later on and has several fun moments, some even hilarious. But turn to second half and the length starts bothering you. All the sentimental stuff doesn't touch you enough neither has been depicted too well. Performances by Bomen and Dimple were good but they didn't have a big part to play after-all. Saif was fine but neither the script nor the screenplay and the dialogues had enough that he could carry this one on his shoulders alone. Deepika was again fine and has found comfort in stereotyping herself. This type of character is her niche and she isn't trying to move away from it either. Let's see how long she stays afloat with it. Diana was sweet but will need to work a lot on her acting for sure.

One more positive was the cinematography. It was fabulous and made every frame look so beautiful. It surely helped the viewers not to start banging their heads when movie turns sooo predictable in the second half. 

Overall a mediocre one time watch.

Verdict: 5.5/10

Moviesssss

Gangs Of Wasseypur

When I heard one of my colleagues saying (who was very enthusiastic about watching this movie) that he may skip it since few others in our office mentioned it to be a pretty normal flick and bit boring. I had two things to say to him. First, the thing you are enthu about, you definitely need to check it yourself and not form views from others reviews. Secondly, in this time of t20 craze and everything fun being compared to fast, thrilling and full of blast, its quite tough to find people who appreciate "test match" type stuff i.e. sluggishly classic. Gangs Of Wasseypur is just like a test match. Sit down, spread your legs and enjoy this long and slow tale built around dialogues and characters. After a long time the characters define the plot instead of vice versa.

The trailer may have suggested you a thrilling murderous plot with tons of bloodshed and spectacular performances and cunning twists and turns where you would just shout out loud WTF in your mind. But it turns out to be like river Ganga as it nears Bay of Bengal rather than what it is in the Himalayas. The beauty increases manifold and its in no hurry so that you can appreciate it in complete detail. The USP of the movie lies in the character development. It was as if a real life character was standing in front of the camera and playing his usual self. Manoj Bajpai rocks as usual with his dialogue delivery and his lusty cunning expressions. But the movie doesn't move solely on the protagomist's shoulder rather every single actor instilled life into their characters. Right from Syed Zeeshan Quadri to Richa Chadda and from Nawazuddin Siddiqui to Piyush Mishra all were fabulous.

A must watch for its sheer classiness. There were scenes in the movie which made me remember one of my close Bihari friends as well. Believe me he used to speak just the same way as Manoj Bajpai did. Waiting for the second part eagerly. Wasseypur calling.

Verdict: 9/10

Teri Meri Kahaani

Typical Kunal Kohli stuff, that's what I would say. Old love story but a different way of presentation. If it wouldn't have been his direction this would have turned into a worthless peace of crap. Now its at least one time watchable but not for all, especially those who have somehow developed a sour taste for old romantic classic stuff and rather believe in gorging on realistic cinema. 

The movie depicts three different times and each has their own positives and negatives. The oldest story set in 1910 is the one which is the best. Shahid plays the Casanova perfectly and Priyanka too fits in the character just faultlessly. The one set in the 60's employs bit of special effects as well which actually doesn't reach that level of perfection. The reconstruction of VT terminus and mumbai could have been less sketchy although it wasn't too bad either. The 60's story was OK-OK and there wasn't anything special that clicked. The least impressive story was the one set in the present times. It was patchy without flow and not with all those emotions that can be related with a heart-felt love story. 

The chemistry between Shahid and Priyanka is great and they look nice together. Acting was fine too from both the ends. There were several glitches and thus the editing was quite poor. Overall it was an average flick with one of the three sub-stories being the one which holds together the whole movie and the romance.

Overall Verdict: 5.75/10

The Amazing Spiderman

If I say in one line it would be: Not so amazing after all. 10 years is too less a time to make a fresh start and come out with a new spiderman. The memory of Spiderman (2002) is still fresh and also of its sequels and when you come out with something that starts off yet again from base explaining how spiderman comes into existence and his friends and family and such stuff it turns out to be quite boring in the first half. Rather it was way too much detailed description and deviation from actual comics story that it actually didn't go well (with me at least). Come on, we do expectMarie jane to be still there at least but even Spidey's love interest has been changed to some Gwen Stacy. And he no more has unlimited supply of web cobs but manually installs them on his wrists. WTF is he Spideyor a hybrid of himself and Batman. 

The second half especially the special effects in the last 15 mins saves the movie to a great extent. I was not the bit impressed by the super villain either and Dr. Octavius from Spiderman 2 still stands as the best opponent that has been presented to Spidey.

Overall average stuff.

Verdict: 5.5/10