Because Life is Crazy

Surrounding the Oscar buzz that has seen a strong lead up in the past two weeks with hefty candidates like Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty releasing in succession, expectations were high for David O Russell's Silver Linings Playbook. The film is surprising to say the least. Nominated for best picture alongside some of the grandest and brilliant cinema, the film astonishes you by being a simple and fine slice-of-life drama that charms everybody who enters the cinema hall expecting life-altering cinema.

Adapted from the namesake novel by Matthew Quick, the film is based on a simple premise: Life doesn't always go according to the plan. Pat Solatano, returns home from a rehab facility having lost everything -- his house, his job and his wife. Determined to rebuild his life, Pat, who suffers from bipolar disorder, finds himself at his parents' home. Pat's father is a heavy book-keeper and gambles on every football game, and all he wants from Pat is to get back on his feet. Then comes a turning point when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious widow with problems of her own. Things get complicated as the two perceptibly complex and crazy characters try to help each other set their respective lives straight.

Between The Fighter and this film, the only link Russell has maintained is the honest realist treatment. Taking complex life situations, like restraining orders, creating drama around it in such a carefree manner makes this story, about the struggle of two outcasts, a treat to watch. The portrayal of these characters too, is highly important and extremely fragile; and Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are flawless. On one level, the film is a regular Hollywood romantic comedy, but Cooper and Lawrence give it that extra dimension that is missing from all those sickeningly sweet stories which show the characters in soft focus and always have a predictable happy ending.

Of course, Silver Linings Playbook has an happy ending too. But it dodges the bullet of predictability every time you feel that it's approaching. The film proves that the genre of romance can still conjure good cinema and it doesn't necessarily need a satire or a high-budget biopic or a complex philosophy to make excellent cinema. A seemingly real love story with a happy ending that also has a little moral attached to it, the film tells us that our happiness doesn't really depend on finding the people who correct our shortcomings, but instead on finding people who are unconditionally willing to co-exist with our unique brand of madness.

The film is a lesson in simplicity and you leave the theatre with a smile knowing you have the power to make positive changes to your imperfect and bleak life; and in more than one way, it teaches you to see the silver lining on every dark cloud that comes your way. A nervy dramatic rom-com, Silver Linings Playbook is a film that fits the insecurities and anxieties of the times we live in.

Rating - 4 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on February 24, 2013

A Kite on a Breezy Day

After the disastrous Hello and the blockbuster 3 Idiots, Kai Po Che is the third cinematic adaptation of a Chetan Bhagat book. Starring fresh faces in all the lead roles, Abhishek Kapoor's film makes one point above all else: never judge a film by its book. Based on The Three Mistakes Of My Life, the film makes the most of the available content and its skillful presentation is what keeps you hooked in an otherwise dull plot.

Barring minor alterations, Kai Po Che is simply an audio-visual re-telling of The Three Mistakes Of My Life. It is a story of three friends, which begins in the pre-earthquake, pre-riot Ahmedabad in 2000; and deals with the universal themes of friendship, aspirations and forgiveness. Ishaan, Omi and Govind are the closest of friends and want to start a sports equipment store and a cricket academy to give young and talented athletes a platform. The three are drastically different from one another and when they are exposed to the radical changes that happen around them, they are faced with severe predicaments and end up making decisions that alter the course of their lives.

What works in favour of the film is the intelligent screenplay which picks up on the fine points of the book and does very well to hide its flaws. Without deviating from the narrative, the film capitalises on certain intense moments like the Test match against Australia, and the riot sequence. Abhishek Kapoor's direction is another plus point, which makes a convincing overall presentation. His fixation with friendship continues from Rock On!, but his handling of some intense scenes shows remarkable growth from the polished dreamy world of his previous endeavour. The second half, which is too saturated with events, is where the film loses hold over its consistency. But, those who have read the book will know how little it provides, and to make a decent enough movie with that content is commendable.

The highlights of the film are the three main characters played by debutantes Sushant Singh Rajput and Amit Sadh and a gradual revelation that is Rajkumar Yadav. Rajkumar plays the role of the practical and business-minded Govind; who is shy and lives by the book. With every single role, Rajkumar has shown significant growth, from Shaitaan to GOW2 to Talaash; and having nailed this important role, he has taken a huge step forward.

Sushant Singh Rajput, who is the pick of the lot, plays Ishaan, the athlete and the hot-head and is charming and confident in his performance. And Amit Sadh, barring a few scenes where his face looks a little too stiff, also gives a great debut performance as the conservative Omi Shastri. The film gets its casting spot on, and apart from the leads, the characters of Bittoo Mama, Ishaan's sister Vidya and others prove how important it is to have a good overall ensemble.

Amit Trivedi's music is the biggest contributor in creating the setting, and setting the mood. He captures the essence of Gujarat in his own way and also underlines the important themes in the narrative very gracefully.

At 2 hours, the film is crisp and at times seems to fight against its own dull plot to remain interesting. And in the end, the film proves two points above all else: It is possible to like a film without liking the story; and secondly, sometimes, films are better than the books they are based on.

Rating - 3.5 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on February 24, 2013

5 films - Most Nominated At The Oscars

The Turning Point (1977)

A film about two friends whose paths intersect years after their friendship-cum-competitive-rivalry in the ballet world, The Turning Point was a film that has, perhaps, the biggest "good but not good enough" stories to tell about the Academy Awards. Directed by Herbert Ross and starring Shirley Maclaine and Anne Bancroft, the film holds the record of being nominated in most categories without winning in a single one of them. With 11 nominations, it is tied with Steven Spielberg's 1985 film The Color Purple, which was a film about the struggle of an African-American woman in dealing with social evils like racism, sexism and poverty in early 20th century America.

Titanic (1997)

This fictionalised account of the sinking of Titanic in 1912, is the most expensive film made in the 20th century. The epic romantic tragedy, set in a disaster, was directed by James Cameron, who later made the most expensive film of the 21st century (so far) in Avatar. Titanic was the first film to cross the $1 billion mark at the box office and with its 3D re-release in 2012, crossed $2 billion. The film was nominated in 14 categories and won in 11 of them. For a sunken ship, that is some great achievement.

Ben Hur (1959)

This historic epic drama, set in ancient Rome, has now become a historic epic in the world of cinema as well. Directed by William Wyler, the film starred Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd. Since it was a period drama, Ben Hur required a set to be created -- a set which still is the biggest set created for any film. It won a record 11 awards at the Oscars and is remembered for its glorious chariot chase sequence. Its record was later equaled by James Cameron's Titanic.

Cabaret (1972)

One of the few musicals that swept the Oscars, Bob Fosse's Cabaret is a brilliantly crafted film that is taught in film schools for the costumes, set design and overall composition. Starring Liza Minelli and Michael York, the film is set in 1930s Germany which was under the rule of the growing Nazi party. Cabaret was nominated in 10 categories and won in eight of them. Ironically, with most nominations that year, the film failed to win the award for the best picture, and surprising still is that it wasn't even nominated in the category.

All About Eve (1950)

One of Marilyn Monroe's first major roles, All About Eve was a film directed by Joseph Mankiewicz. Based on a short story by Mary Orr, the film told a complex story of relationships and betrayal and gives a glimpse into the entertainment industry. The film held the record for most number of nominations at the Academy Awards for nearly half a century before it was matched by Titanic in 1997. It won in six of those categories and still holds the record for most number of actresses from the same film to be nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category (four).

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on February 22, 2013

Kill Me Now!!!

The culture of movie franchises is fairly new in India, and of the few decent franchises that do exist today, Murder 3 will go down as the film that killed its franchise. After the great success of Murder, with songs that played in clubs for years, and after a brilliant performance by Prashant Narayanan in Murder 2, Vishesh Bhatt's Murder 3 makes you hope that you never have to see another film from this series.

The film is about a budding fashion photographer, who is in love with a budding architect Roshni, in South Africa, and brings her along with him to India where they begin their life together in a fancy British home outside Mumbai. Things start to fall apart as doubt creeps into the relationship and Roshni decides to test Vikram's fidelity. But the plan backfires and she goes missing. As a consequence, Vikram starts a new romance with Nisha, a waitress. Whether Roshni comes back, whether the mystery of her disappearance is solved, whether Vikram is truly loyal, are the questions that the film then answers. But quite frankly, it does so in such a drab and uninteresting manner, that you couldn't care less whether any of them died.

Built around an interesting premise, the film simply hovers over the complexities of relationship, trust and unveils the story in a messy and lousy manner. With enormous flaws in every department, the film takes a decent plot and turns it into a boring tale that nobody wants to hear. The casual attitude in direction reflects in the thoughtless costumes and make-up that the characters are shown wearing as well as in the verbose treatment where the protagonist has to say he is a photographer for the people to know he is one. The only two characters outside the three leads are cops whose characterisation is hardly worked out and in a scene at the police station, an unnecessary attempt at humour is made in the DK Bose category. What is funny, in fact, is the unintentional humour that oozes out of the mindless dialogues between the characters in serious scenarios.

What is least expected from a Bhatt Production is good music, and the film doesn't even live up to that mark. As far as voyeuristic pleasure is concerned,which honestly is the selling point of the franchise, the film fails at capturing the sensuality. This, coupled with below par performances from Randeep Hooda and Sara Loren, leave you with nothing to look at. As far as Aditi Rao Hydari is concerned, her fans are still waiting for her to replicate the standards she set in her supporting role in Rockstar.

In a nutshell, Murder 3 is a title that suggests the emotion one will have while leaving the theatre, through its title. You will be so deprived of entertainment that you will want to murder three.

Rating - 1 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on February 16, 2013

Chronicling History

While husband James Cameron is busy making his kind of larger-than-life epic cinema, Katherine Bigelow has proved her mettle by creating drama in the everyday situations. Having set the expectations with her earlier film Hurt Locker, which was a welcome change at the Academy, she has only set the bar higher with her latest Zero Dark Thirty.

The film looks at all the events from the 9/11 attacks to the night Osama Bin Laden was finally overcome. Through the eyes of protagonist Maya, we see the journey of a decade, where an elite team of intelligence and military operatives, working on- site in Asia, committed to a solitary mission: find and kill Osama Bin Laden. Written by Mark Boal, who collaborates with Bigelow once again after Hurt Locker, brings you the unseen side of the most popular story of our time. History's most sought after man and history's most watched chase for this man - all brought to you in a manner which makes you feel like reading a really honest first hand account.

Bigelow continues the Hurt Locker like treatment which renders a real-life ambience to the activities on screen without glorifying the actions nor shying away from showing the stark cold-blooded gunning down of victims inside the compound. The fact that most of the adrenaline pumping action happens in real time makes it even harder to assess and let sink. However, it would be wrong to call such a film entertaining because it isn't the kind of cinematic drama that one is used to. Butnonetheless, the overall narrative and the visuals are interesting and intriguing to say the least. The film gets most of the facts accurate save for minor dramatic liberties that are a given in any fiction.

Impeccable characterisation, minimalist impact dialogues and honest filmmaking are at the heart of Zero Dark Thirty and that is what makes it one of the finest films of the year. And while some would comment about the lack of emotion in Hurt Locker, it's not the case with this film.

Jessica Chastain is a gem in her role and plays one of those characters whom you feel for. Her composure, body language, aging and expressions are going to make it into some acting textbooks in the coming years.

Zero Dark Thirty is an experience worth having in a cinema hall. The film overwhelms you, intrigues you, makes you want to be alert and present, to understand the gravity of every moment. Such films come but once in many years, and when they do, all you have to do is bow down to their greatness and cherish the experience of viewing.

Rating - 4 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on February 16, 2013

5 Films - Best Romantic Tragedies

Gone With The Wind (1939)

Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Margaret Mitchell, Gone With the Wind is a devastating love triangle involving Scarlett and Rhett (Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh), who are simply made for each other, and Ashley, who Scarlett is pursuing in futility. And as much as you want them to be together, time plays the villain as Scarlett realises too late how much she loves Rhett. After all the heartbreaks Rhett goes through, when Scarlett turns to him and expresses her love for him, she finds out he has already moved on and doesn't care about her. In, perhaps, one of the best climax sequences, when Scarlett confesses her love, Rhett responds with what is by far the coldest response one has ever heard on screen, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

Casablanca (1942)

Rick and Ilas (Humprey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman) had a brief affair in Paris a few years ago, but were separated due to the World War II. Years later, their destinies cross paths again as Ilas walks into Rick's bar in Casablanca, with her husband. "Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine." defines the heartache that Rick feels when he sees Ilas once again. It is a heartbreaking story lined with some great songs like 'Time Goes By'. And just when you begin to think they might have a second chance, just as you are expecting Rick to get on the plane with Ilas, he doesn't. Rick has to let Ilas go, yet again, for he sees a better life for her if he is not a part of it.

The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

Roberto and Francesca spend four days with each other but the love they have will last forever. However, she is married and unwilling to leave her husband and children, even though she would want nothing else than to be with him. The film is a graceful showcase of how love can catch you off guard and make you do things that you wouldn’t normally do. However, no matter how strong the love between the two, Francesca just doesn’t have it in her to choose Roberto over her children. The scene in the rain where she has to make the final choice can render hopeful romantics inconsolable.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Jack and Ennis, portrayed with great finesse by Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger are in a relationship that is forbidden by the world. However, their love lasts many years. They both get married and have children but their love doesn't have to suffer. However, the fact that they can never truly be together as the society thinks of their love as wrong, is saddening. They live on, with only their love for each other and when Jack dies, Ennis visits his parents house in an overwhelming scene where he sniffs Jack's shirt, takes it with him and hangs it next to the picture of Brokeback Mountain --- a classic embodiment of a dialogue earlier in the film, "I wish I knew how to quit you."

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Leaving aside the complexity of a man who is aging backwards, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has a love story at its heart and a really tragic one at that. Benjamin (Brad Pitt) and Daisy (Kate Blanchett) have known each other all their lives, but unfortunately, when they met, she was only a little girl and he was an old man. Since then, their fates take an individual course and their destinies intertwine with one another, but never truly meet. An out of the world tale of how two people who were meant to be together all their lives, end up spending only a brief period with each other, when they are approximately of the same age.

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on February 15, 2013

5 Films - About Gathering Men For A Mission

Seven Samurai (1954)

One of the finest films the world has ever seen, Seven Samurai is perhaps the most influential films from Asia that made a worldwide impact. In more ways than one, this film was the pioneer of the theme of recruiting a set of men for a specific motive. Starring Takashi Shimura and Toshiro Mifune among others, the Seven Samurai is a film about a village, that is tormented by bandits, hires a group of seven unemployed Samurai to defend the next harvest. The film was so successful in the US that many big budget Hollywood films tried to ape the plot element and succeeded. From The Guns of Navarone to The Dirty Dozen to Sholay, the formula has been a 100% hit.

Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1958)

Although it revolves around a story of someone recruiting a group of men, V Shantaram's Do Aankhen Barah Haath only fulfills half the requirements of our theme this week. The film, based on a real life experiment conducted in Satara, shows how a jail warden takes up a task of rehabilitating six hardened criminals and turning them into men of virtue. The film, which was well appreciated and re-made in several regional languages in India, is said to be a deep study of the human psychology. The film is a great moral lesson in childhood and also propagates certain virtues that one must always hold up.

Ocean's 11 (2001)

The more appropriate inclusion to this list would have been the original 1960 version of the film, which was directed by Rat Pack. However, the Steven Soderbergh version has a better production quality and also, George Clooney plays Danny Ocean in this one. The thriller, revolves around Ocean and his 10 accomplices, who include Matt Damon and Brad Pitt, trying to rob the Bellagio, The Mirage, and the MGM Grand casinos in Las Vegas. An adrenaline rush, coupled with an amazing soundtrack make this film an unforgettable experience. And just to be safe, watch the original too; it has Frank Sinatra in it.

300 (2006)

This brutal, bloody and thrilling fantasy action film, based on the comic series by Frank Miller, is a modern day fantastic re-telling of the Battle of Thermopylae. The film, directed by Zack Snyder, revolves around King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) of Sparta who gathers 300 brave Spartans to fight the thousand times larger army of Persian God-King, Xerxes. The comic book like treatment in live action feels a little over-the-top and the theme that 300 men, in the name of courage and patriotism are willing to take an impossible task of beating 300,000 men just highlights the stupidity that courage is made of. But kicking someone in the chest and yelling "This is Spartaaaa!!!" never gets old.

Inglorious Basterds (2009)

A gem from the modern master Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds is set during the World War II and tells the tale of how Lieutenant Aldo Raine, of the 1st Special Service Force, recruits eight Jewish Americans in a high profile mission to kill important German officers. Tarantino's intriguing narrative shows how this plan happily coincides with the plan of a vengeful theatre owner in Paris. Starring Brad Pitt as Aldo Raine, Christoph Waltz as Lans Handa, Eli Roth as Donny Donowitz, Michael Fassbender as, Melanie Laurent in exquisite character roles; the film, just like all Tarantino films that preceded, is violent, stylish and unique. The film's lead up to the climax, the Chapter 11, is the most talked of scene in the film as it showed an alternate premature end to the World War with the brutal assassination of Hitler.

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on February 10, 2013

Two Right Feet

A generation exposed to reality dance shows witnesses the next step in the audio-visual performing arts with ABCD (Any Body Can Dance), India's first 3D dance film. The film all but makes up for the unimpressive narrative of the TV shows, and also heightens the drama that is seldom seen on TV. In the 100-years of our cinema, there have been very few films whose core is dance and in that respect, ABCD is a great step forward.

A series of excellent and mind-blowing choreographies one after the other, ABCD progresses linearly in an acceptable narrative. However, the story and the plot merely play the role of a temporary adhesive that glues the dance routines together. A classic tale of the 'underdog triumph', the film doesn't really try too hard to get deep into the characters' lives and floats on the surface. However, one stops paying attention to the stale story and predictable plot once the feet start moving.

The entire cast made mostly of the creme de la creme of India's dance reality shows of the recent years, the artists put up a great show with regard to what really matters in the film. Prabhudeva, who plays Vishnu, flaunts his repertoire yet again and one cannot shake the feeling of wanting to get up from the seat and move a limb or two along with the performers on screen. KK Menon, the only actor in the ensemble does best of whatever he has, and it's high time he does another film that suits his calibre. The dialogue delivery and body language (when the characters are not dancing), is severely mediocre, and yet, since one is only waiting for the next dance number, the textual linkages are easily ignored.

The major fallout with respect to the 3D is that it hardly adds any value, with the exception of a few flashes of colour and water that generate the illusion of depth. Other than that, the choreographed sequences are good enough to be enjoyed in 2D too. With an over emphasis to get the dance scenes right, most of the hard work seems to have gone in designing them while the rest of the time, the film sticks to the basics. The climax, which is of course the finale of a prestigious dance competition, arrives after a few cliched twists but the overall presentation of the final sequence is totally overwhelming.

Remo D'Souza's ABCD is an ordinary film with its heart in the right place and for an audience that has been fed dances in the name of entertainment; the film at least provides some quality which one can appreciate. All in all, the film is two-and-a-half hours well spent and you have to be made of stone if you come out of the hall without wanting to tap your feet to some music.

Rating - 3 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on February 9, 2013

Not That Special

We are a country of a billion people and considering each person has at least one interesting story to tell, we live among a billion untold stories. Our films are not known to look for inspiration from the real world as our film culture has born out of selling a distant romantic dream and the wishful thinking that distances us from our reality. Therefore, when a film like

Special 26, based on true events from within us is made, the excitement is obvious. Rare and fascinating alright, the film is not a well packaged product and although brilliant in sparks it never lights a fire.

A group of four individuals, who pretend to be from the CBI, conduct raids all over the country and loot the politicians and businessmen off their ill gotten money. And since it is black money, the victims aren't willing to complain. However, when the real CBI hears of this, the enquiry begins -- just in time for the biggest con that the fake CBI are about to pull. In short, the plot has immense potential and the story just cannot be a dull affair, which it isn't.

However, the screenplay is not consistent and fails to raise the story to the magnitude that it deserves. Ajay (Akshay Kumar) having a romance going on the side is an unnecessary wastage of screen time; the absence of which would have made no difference; the absence of which was the main reason why A Wednesday is so crisp and perfect. The plot unfolds in a very point by point manner and brings nothing new into the telling of this story.

The climax of the film is derivative and although based on a true story, the haphazard manner in which it is narrated, dents the overall impact of the film.

Akshay Kumar is himself, as usual, but the character he plays, Ajay, required that typical performance which only Akshay Kumar can deliver. Anupam Kher, collaborating once again with Neeraj Pandey delivers a great performance and similarly, Jimmy Shergill, who too continues his partnership with the A Wednesday director, does a great job in his supporting role alongside Divya Dutta. Manoj Bajpai continues to impress in what is his second coming into the film industry with Gangs of Wasseypur. Chittagong and Chakravyuh; Kajal Aggarwal, in her lifelong role as the eye candy in Singham and now this film, is an unnecessary recruit.

Special 26 is what can be called a TV movie and the treatment that the content has got, makes it look like a decent three-part TV series. The screenplay is the weakest link in the film and if it was written any differently, maybe it would have not been such a letdown. However, as they say, 'ifs' and 'buts' only make good arguments, they don't make good films.

Rating - 2.5 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on February 9, 2013

Tryst With Destiny

After showing what he is made of, in the contemporary classic Shaitaan, Bejoy Nambiar has once again brought something new to the table with his latest, David. One might get the feeling of having seen a long film, which it relatively is, but to David’s credit, it tells three distinct stories which could have easily been three very interesting films by themselves. And by that standard, the film is pretty short. It tells the story of three characters who have nothing in common, save for their name; who live in three different settings in three different times; and who are about to make that one decision that will change their lives forever.

For the weak minded, David’s screenplay may require a notepad to be taken to the cinema hall; but it is really not that complicated. David is an intriguing tale about the absurdity and the power of destiny and how it plays a huge role in one’s life without any signs to show. The three stories are set in three different times – 1975 London, 1999 Mumbai and 2010 Goa. These three stories have absolutely nothing to do with each other and have been separately narrated with distinct treatment. The story of David (played by Neil Nitin Mukesh) in 1975, is shot in black and white and has an amazing noir overtone to it. Vinay Virmani’s David, set in 1999 Mumbai, has a hint of realism, while Vikram’s David, who is a fisherman in Goa 2010, has a great sense of humour.

To their own merit, all the three stories are brilliantly crafted and the coincidental intersection of their lives aside, the film lives up to its reality. Taking the screenplay of Shaitaan as a benchmark, David’s screenwriting could have been tighter throughout the film. However, the reason to really watch David is not its screenplay, but the story, the performances and the directorial ability to control such a vast story.

Speaking of performances, Neil Nitin Mukesh has finally had one of those roles that is tailor-made for him; like Johnny Gaddaar and 7 Khoon Maaf. Vikram is perhaps the most accurate Goan in a Hindi film. His perpetual drunken state accounts for that severe south Indian accent and does a great job otherwise. Vinay Virmani is the weakest among the three leads but is fairly tolerable. Among other roles, Monica Dogra looks great on screen but her acting doesn’t live up to the standards. Tabu and Saurabh Shukla, are well groomed characters who bring a lot of Goa into the narrative. However, if there is one language that shouldn’t be coupled with the native Konkani, it is Hindi. Several other small roles, which might make for a long reading, have been performed with equal consistency which adds value to the film.

Just like the ‘Sach aur Sacchayi me farak hota hai’ from Shaitaan, David too ends with a deep philosophical message from the director. When destinies of three unrelated stories affect one another, depending on your philosophical stand, you may love or hate the film; because that is what determines whether David overwhelmed or underwhelmed you. Lengthy at times, the broken narrative makes you focus on the activity on the screen and makes you stop texting for a while. And in today’s day, if that is not success, what is?

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on February 3, 2013

Birth of a Nation

Based on Salman Rushdie’s bestselling novel Midnight’s Children, Deepa Mehta’s film is the closest visual adaptation that the book could possibly get. However, the magical tale about the characters’ notion of identity faces an uphill task in a narrative that struggles throughout the duration of the film to find an identity of its own.

Midnight’s Children is a fascinating story of a group of children born in the magic hour after India’s independence. Focusing on the lives of two characters, who were born on the stroke of midnight, the film narrates the entire story of the children and the country through the words of one of them. From Nehru’s ‘Tryst of Destiny’ speech to Indira Gandhi’s unceremonious declaration of the emergency, the film, like the novel, traces the journeys of the midnight’s children whose destinies have somehow attached themselves to the destiny of the country they were born in.

Rushdie’s poetic descriptions in the novel, of both the characters and the setting, translate marvelously into visuals. And while it strongly retains some delightful elements from the novel, in parts it does deviate from the consistency with which the story flows in the book. Thanks to a detailed background, Deepa Mehta manages to create impeccable characters, all adding a certain value to the narrative whose meaning runs deep.

With some shrewd actors playing most of the important roles, Rajat Kapoor, Rahul Bose, Ronit Roy and Shahana Goswami stand out as the supporting actors who play out their parts with great integrity. Among the leads, Salim, played by Satya Bhabha falls short on screen presence; and Shiva, played by Siddharth, fits the bill perfectly and lives up to his potential. Seema Biswas, who plays the crucial role of the nurse-nanny, requires no critique whatsoever.

Visually pleasing, the only parameter on which the film falls short, is recreating the magic realism and the surreal connection between the midnight’s children. The unexplained background over how they form the bond and how they communicate, multiplied by the unsubstantiated hallucinatory visuals, seem incredible in the worst sense of the word. In the novel, the description is a part of the larger story; however, when seen on screen, it stands out like an eyesore, incongruous to the reality that is being created.

A onetime delight to watch, Midnight’s Children is a great chronicle of the early years of this nation and the lives of its people. However, the film’s over-written screenplay (by Salman Rushdie), with an indecision over what to exclude causes the film to be overloaded with information and a little too long to endure, only proves that an author must never adapt his work on screen himself.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on February 3, 2013

Fairytale Flipside

Never enter a house made of candy. And if you ever want to kill a witch, just set her butt on fire - these are the principles on which the heroes from the children's bedtime stories, who have now turned into hardened bounty hunters, killing witches around the world, operate. Tommy Wirkola's Hansel and Gretel - Witch Hunters, is a dark re-telling of one of the Grimm brothers' most celebrated fables.

In an inconsistent narrative which raises many a doubt about the period, the logic and reasoning behind the setting; this film makes a joke out of a great story, to say the least. Apart from a few elements like the fact that Hansel has diabetes due to excessive consumption of candy in a traumatic experience in his childhood, and a background story which builds a plot-centric past for the leads; the film brings nothing new to the table. Set in the same time period as the original tale, perhaps (it is not specified), there is no plausible explanation for the advanced arsenal that Hansel and Gretel carry (like in Van Helsing) and neither does the film elucidate as to why in the 14th century are people saying, "Whatever happens, stay cool."

The plot focuses on Hansel and Gretel, who have travelled in search of witches, destroyed many of them and saved villages, only to return to their old village, which is now plagued by witches. As the blood moon approaches, their task is to find the children kidnapped by the witch for a black magic ritual for eternal power. But this quest leads them deep into a web which will bring back some unresolved issues of the past. The dullness of the narrative snowballs gradually and you end up watching a mindless, bloody action film which fails to interest you in the fate of the characters.

With Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton in the lead roles, the first question that pops on to anybody's mind, nearly 20 minutes into the film, is - what are these two doing in this gratuitous film? However, Jeremy Renner's stone-cold looks and indifferent dialogue delivery seem to take your eyes off the epic ridicule that you are being subjected to. Infrequent punch-lines and irritably monotonous dialogues also put you off a lot.

Finally, the moral of this story is that a lot can go wrong from the time an idea for a film emerges to the time it is made. The shrewd storytelling of the Grimm brothers is lost in translation onto the screen and although the film is dark and spooky, it lacks the strength to build up the mystique and isn't the wicked flick everyone wanted to see.

Rating - 2.5 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on February 2, 2013

Much Ado About Nothing

Amidst all the debates regarding censorship issues and some communal groups taking objections, Kamal Haasan's much-talked-about film has finally released and once you watch it, you will agree that the only people whose sentiments it hurts, are those who wanted to watch a decent story being told in a logical and plausible manner. Vishwaroop is a typical mainstream action thriller whose sole aim is to show that whatever Salman Khan can do, Kamal Haasan can do too. Vishwaroop is exactly how Ek Tha Tiger would have been with Kamal in the lead instead of Salman.

Vishwaroop has all the archetypal characters that form the necessary ingredients for a recipe of an action film - an unbreakable good guy, a naive first lady, a group of people he works with (one of whom will save him and one of whom will die just before the climax), a megalomaniac with a disfigured face, his henchman and a city which is being targeted. However, the film limits itself to the two-dimensional descriptions of these characters and never gives any depth to their motives.

Set in New York, the film traces the adventure of a spy who is trying to save the city from a terrorist organisation that has plotted a biological attack. However, the film introduces this plot and then uproots the audience and parachutes them into Afghanistan in order to witness the supposedly rich back-story of how the good guy and the bad guy met. However, the flashback is so excruciatingly long (almost 60% of the film) that you lose track of the present tense of the story. And when it does come back into the present, the film wraps up in the most predictable manner, with absolute disregard for the plausibility of actions like breach of national security, and that of the privileges of authorised personnel.

The point of debate that had formed a thick black cloud of smoke around the movie - the portrayal of Muslims, isn't in fact a cause for concern. The only Indian Muslim in the film is played by the protagonist, who the film tries to portray as an anti-hero but fails. The only social portrayal that seems a little unjust is that of the Afghan Muslims, who are completely stereotyped. It isn't different than what you have seen before in Rambo or any other terrorism related film made in the USA after 9/11. Also, you cannot figure out why the brief role of Osama was not played by the same guy who did it in Tere Bin Laden.

To view Vishwaroop as anything more than an entertainer would be to give it undue credit. It calls for a good time you can have with your friends at the cinema and later, make jokes about the ridiculous scenes.

Rating - 2.5 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on February 2, 2013