Two Line Reviews - #425

Movie: Barfi!(Hindi, 2012)

Plot: Barfi is a lively, deaf-and-dumb Chaplinesque character who wins the heart of a girl who ends up marrying a man who she was engaged to. After 6 years when she meets him, Barfi is seen to have become the protector of his autistic childhood friend. This is followed by a seris of incidents that separate them. How the pacts got formed, how they separate and do they re-unite? These are told in a timeline jump style interlaced with humour!

What Works?

• The freshness in treatment hits you! So do the locations! So do the prime characters! The man behind it, Anurag Basu, deserves the applause! Foreign language films have had this treatment; First of sorts for an Indian film!
• Ranbir Kapoor - How big this guy is turning out to be! He does the tough job of emoting without dialogues and comes up trumps! Priyanka Chopra's performance is realistic and lives up to expectations!
• The real surprise package was Ileana. Her delivery of expressions, subtleties are a slap to all film-makers from the South who have used hour-glass girls like her just for the dancing portions in films!
• Pritam's songs are responsible for creating the lovely setup that the camera and the story capture. Darjeeling is captured very well by Ravi Varman's lenses!

What Doesn't?

• A film of this type didn't need twists and a non-linear narration. That somehow reduces the impact in the climax.

Barfi! is sweet, fresh and the taste lingers for a while!

Two Line Reviews - #305

Movie: Rockstar (Hindi,2011)

Plot: A talented guitarist lacks the aura that could catapult him to fame as a rockstar. Feeling that a tragedy in life could get him there, he seeks one  as a 'means' by proposing to a beautiful stranger. What happens is not what he expects & suddenly roles revers and music becomes the 'means' to the romantic 'end' he's after.

Highlights:

• This can be tagged a 'musical' for the sheer role songs play in moving the plot from place to place. A.R.Rahman gives all that the film requires with some highly riveting songs!
• Ranbir Kapoor's performance as Janardhan a.k.a Jordan is a revelation. His amazing screen presence combined with power-packed expressions makes him shine brightly.
• Imtiaz Ali, though not completely successful, weaves magic here and there. The scenes around Kun Faya Kun, Is Lamhe, Dichotomy of Fame songs were magical.
• Superb Camerawork brings the venomous beauty of Kashmir, Prague & Rome to view.
• Supporting roles are few (such is the power of Ranbir's role) and those of Shammi Kapoor, the master-cum-manager & Nargis (who looks pretty but doesn't act that well) deserve a mention.

Lowlights:

• The love (though the pairing is nice) doesn't create as much impact as the 2nd half would have wanted it to.
• The swings in mood of the hero are confusing at times. So is the reason for some of his public outcries when all the mishap he's gone through are personal. That makes the rocking Sadda Haq's placing irrelevant too.
• The craze of crowds' in cities project as though he is a rebel for a nation's cause which he definitely is not considering what happens on screen.

The 2Rs (Ranbir & Rahman) are the Two Eyes of this film which is good in parts.

Two Line Reviews - #299

Movie: Raajneeti (Hindi,2010)

Plot: When the running of a state is up to two families for grabs, the coveting & the political games begin. Even a researcher in the family doesn't escape the conniving claws of power and politics.

Highlights:

• Basing a film on the Epic Mahabharatham & coming up with a pretty decent attempt is no mean feat and that puts Prakash Jha to the 'pluses' list.
• An ensemble of characters -Katrina, Rampal, Devgn, Manoj - have all done some appreciable work - but it is Ranbir, in the role of the wily Samar, who takes the cake!
• The pains to make the film look 'massive' is evident with the sets, crowds & the camera captures that well.

Lowlights:

• Nana Patekar, in a listless role, and Naseeruddin Shah in a blink-and-you-miss role, have been ill-utilised; The climax lacks the punch.
• Some complete rips-off off Godfather 1 gives a distaste

Massive Political Drama, well told.

Two Line Reviews - #84

Movie: Rocket Singh Salesman of the Year (Hindi,2009)

 

Claps:

• An unusual film on the Sales industry & intricacies involved in it - A thoroughly engaging fare.
• The idea employed by the under-utilised sales guy that forms the core of the film - I wish something like this happens in the IT service industry as well!
• Ranbir shows versatility & convinces us that he is asli sardari.
• Able shows of the supporting cast - the partners & father.

 Blips:

• There is definitely a dose of dramatic scenes that aren't realistically possible.

 Overall Score: 9.3/10

Two Line Reviews - #83

Movie: Wake Up Sid (Hindi,2009)



Claps:

• This film, again on an ignorant,arrogant,immature young guy, is in stark contrast to Dev D. It is such a positive,feel-good film on a duo.
• Ranbir Kapoor garners attention with his tremendous screen presence & Konkana Sen is at her usual best.
• Costumes,Art work & the wonderful music of Trivedi & S-E-L,Trivedi's Iktara being the best.
• Some very absorbing scenes like the tussle with pop, & clicking pics of the next door child for his mom.

Blips:

• Some needless characters are let loose at the end.

Overall Score: 9.3/10