Two Line Reviews - #475

Movie: David (Hindi, 2013)

Plot: Stories of 3 Davids from three different periods and places (1975 London of a David who is a don's protector, 1999 Mumbai of a David whose pursuit of musician ambitions is disrupted by a communal assault on his father & 2010 Goa of a David who drinks and falls in love with the girl of his best friend) get related to each other at the fag end.

What Works?

• Even though I was expecting much more from this Bejoy Nambiar film, there were parts where the film was absorbing enough. The 1975 portions are intense with the shoot-out at the Moharram march taking top honours; the riot scene in the Mumbai portion is quite engaging as well.
• The camerawork and slick editing make their own marks in the film. Malpe beach and its surroundings (shown as Goa in the film) is captured in all its vigour!
• In terms of performances, there is no single exemplary one but none of them disappoint as well.

What Doesn't?

• The film's climax where the episodes are attempted to be tied together is a sad old stretch of imagination!
• Vikram chooses the most non-happening of the 3 stories and tries to bring it to life which he cannot quite well do, except for a bit of humour thrown in between.
• The strong cast has been inefficiently used - Vikram, Nasser, Tabu & Neil - not much of their talents have been extracted!

As separate stories, they mave have been better. Problem is, they aren't and it shows!

Two Line Reviews - #362

Movie: Shaitaan (Hindi,2011)

Plot: A group of carefree drug-abused friends ecstatically get out of control and kill a family in a car accident. The police working on the case finds traces the culprits and negotiates a deal. To cover up, the group enacts a kidnap tale blackmailing the parents of one of its own members and clearly get defeated by the consequences which it hadn't considered while formulating its plan.

Highlights:

• Considering the fact that it is Bejoy Nambiar's debut film, one has to give it to him for the style and daring approach he has adopted.The film has its share of appreciable sequences.
• Among the performers, the one who plays the police and the lead of the abused gang do well. The gorgeous Kirti Kulhari & her friend have their roles towards the end which they do well; That of Kalki's is simple and done ok.
• Music is a plus in this film; Amit Trivedi's tracks carry the mood of the film.

• The big minus is the way the disintegration of the gang is shown; How they try to escape make them look like retards.
• Shiv roaming around with just his vests on is another thumbs-down.
• Another dampener is the influence of her locked-up mother on Kalki.

Pedestrian stuff (Pun intended)!