Taken For A Ride

It was made very clear in the first part that Liam Neeson's ex-CIA character Bryan Mills can take on any number of men and fight against all odds and emerge victorious. To put it lightly, Oliver Megaton's Taken 2 is an Ek Tha Tiger for the English-speaking audience.

The film begins where it left off in the first, the father of one of Kim's kidnappers seeks revenge from the man who murdered him. And once that premise is established, it becomes pretty clear what course the plot will follow. Murad Krasniqi (the vengeful father) plans to abduct Bryan's family and then kill them before his eyes. However, they only succeed in capturing Bryan and his ex-wife Lenore, while their daughter Kim manages to escape. The ex-CIA agent communicates with his daughter via sophisticated gadgets and guides her to help him save them.

The one-man army formula isn't new to Indian audience, therefore, it becomes extremely predictable what is going to happen. The only question that the film can answer, is how? But as it turns out, the 75-minute long answer to that question is mind-numbingly obvious and stale. The bad guys' bullets just can't find the target and the protagonist's punches are good enough to knock out the secondary henchmen. Oh grow up! Apart from a clumsy chase sequence towards the end, where Kim drives the car having failed her driving test back home twice, none of the action scenes cause any ripple.

Luc Besson who has made a career out of writing action films, disappoints with the story. It simply looks like a desperate attempt to make a decent film into a franchise, but frankly, Taken doesn't have it in its theme to become a series. Liam Neeson's screen presence and dialogue delivery is what the 95 minutes revolve around, but besides that, it's an outright yawn fest.

Taken 2 is dull,unimaginative and there is absolutely nothing that you take back with you after you've seen it. Not a single memorable dialogue, not a single exciting visual - absolutely nothing. And the only thing you identify with is Liam Neeson's last lines to the villain, "I'm tired of all this." Yes, Liam, we all are.

Rating: 1 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on October 14, 2012

A Twisted Tale

A futuristic action-thriller that will keep you guessing till the very end, Rian Johnson's Looper is a fresh attempt at creating drama out of time-travel. Set in 2044, the film revolves around the new-age gangsters and mob that use the illegal technology of travelling through time to commit crimes of the present in the past.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Joe, a hired assassin whose job is to simply kill the targets sent by the future mob and dispose off their bodies in a time when those people don't even exist. But life gets complicated for the Looper, what Joe and his likes are referred to as, when he realises that the mob has decided to end his loop and sent future Joe (Bruce Willis) to die at his own hands.

Now, it is quite obvious that a premise as complex as time-travel tends to indulge you in its plausibility but the director does a great job in making you focus on the plot and the story, instead of pondering on the mechanical details and loopholes in the execution of the fantastic theme. All the doubts with respect to the plot are answered in the first 15-20 minutes and once you have bought into the premise, the journey of the character keeps you glued to your seat through the remainder of the film. The narrative moves at a brisk pace, boldly slowing down at places to dig deeper into the characters' lives and motives, which works very well.

The editing pattern is a little difficult to get used to initially, but as the theme settles, you get a hang of the events. The cinematography is pretty generic for the genre and the background score is as good as absent. A tight story executed with precision and brought on screen with extreme perfection, Rian Johnson has done a great job.

Although it is an outright futuristic action film, Johnson spends adequate time in exploring the universal themes of existence, love, loss and sacrifice. All in all, the Future You will be thankful if you saw this film, and the Past You will have made a great choice by watching it. Get it?

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on October 14, 2012

Inquilaab Zindabaad!

There is a plethora of stories related to India's freedom struggle, so is the number of heroes that this struggle has given rise to. But our history books focused on a handful of those stories and our film industry too has, until recently, stuck to the history books. However, Debabrata Pain's Chittagong is a refreshing change in the genre of patriotic films and to some extent, sets high standards for filmmaking in the future.

Based on a true story, Chittagong is a first-hand account of teenage rebel Jhunku Roy who was a part of the Chittagong uprising in the 1930s. Jhunku belongs to a wealthy family and has prospects of studying abroad, but is simultaneously involved with a group of youngsters led by Master Da (Manoj Bajpai). His dilemma is resolved when one of the boys is killed by an inhumane British officer. However, he finds it hard to blend into the rigorous lifestyle, but later fits in. But the revolt begins to fall apart, as most higher-ups are either captured or killed. Jhunku continues the struggle years later, after his release from prison, and leads a peasant revolt by himself.

What makes the film stand out from other accounts of glory is the way the content is handled. While not revering the martyrs and revolutionaries for what they mean in today's world, the film delves into their lives at that time and shows the characters for what they are as people. Every single character that is important to the narrative is well-crafted and none of them appear like two-dimensional cutouts. The art direction on a tight budget is commendable, as making a period drama requires tremendous caution. To add to visual authenticity, the cinematography (Eric Zimmerman) and visual tones transport you back to the 1930s and its simplicity holds your attention.

With an ensemble cast that includes the likes of Manoj Bajpai, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Jaideep Ahlawat among others, the performances are measured and accurate in terms of intensity. Delzad Hiwale, who plays the young Jhunku, does a tremendous job acting along side the industry's finest artists. The supporting cast, being handpicked, has also raised the overall standards of this film.

The background score is a little repetitive in the larger picture, but the soundtrack by Shankar-Ehasaan-Loy and Johnny Wilson, just like the film, travel from the maker's heart straight into the audience's heart. The reason Chittagong rises above good films and becomes something better, is Debabrata Pain's direction. The focus and vision he must have had while making this film is evident in every single scene of this film.

But as they say, filmmakers only make good films. A great film is what the audience makes of it. And in a week where nearly a dozen films have released, Chittagong deserves to stand taller than most others.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on October 13, 2012

Mediocreum Averagemum

National Award winning director Sachin Kundalkar steps into the magnificent realm of Hindi films with a film that promised to entertain the living hell out of you. But amidst all the expectations set by the film's promotions, the whacky songs and the wakda propaganda, Aiyyaa ends up being a damp squib.

Aiyyaa is a fantastic tale of a Maharashtrian girl, Meenakshi Deshpande, who is torn between two worlds – her dream world in which she is a fancy celebrity and is madly in love with an artist, Surya (Prithviraj); and in the other, she's a daughter in a mundane, middle-class Marathi family. She lives with her parents, grandmother and a younger brother and always dreams of running away with the love of her life and be free. The film extravagantly tries to explore the fascinating world of this girl as her dreams and realities begin to intertwine. But the amplified treatment and ridiculous extravagance is overdone and absolutely stops being amusing after the first hour.

Rani sticks out like a sore thumb with her awkward and heavily accented Hindi, just like Sridevi's Shashi from a week ago. The rest of the cast blends well as a unit, but the content doesn't allow them to prosper due to being marginalized as secondary characters. Playwright Satish Alekar plays Meenakshi's father while Nirmiti Sawant plays her mother. Both stick to their natural styles of acting and bring freshness to what is otherwise a very cliched narrative.

Inconsistency in the degree of madness is the reason for Aiyyaa's failure to impress. As a romantic comedy, it offers something different, but because of the over-cooked performances and discrepancies in the flow of scenes, you gradually begin to see it as a mindless comedy and that is where it goes wrong. The scene construction and plot leave you wondering how to feel and you end up choosing to feel confused.

The promise of delivering something Wakda is fulfilled only by the music. Sava Dollar and Dreamum Wakeupum have already caused a ripple in the charts and Amit Trivedi's music is the only binding agent in the film. Sneha Khanwalkar's What To Do, a raunchy number filled with double entendres, filmed on Amey Wagh (Nana, Meenakshi's brother) and Anita Date (Maina, Meenakshi's colleague), cracks you up and no matter how unnecessary it may seem, it is something you will take back with you.

Besides that, there is nothing so crucial that needs to be discussed. Maybe Aiyyaa is a film that collapsed under its own expectations and maybe it's wrong to go into a cinema hall with expectations. But on its own, the film has its moments and is fairly average amusement.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

Publsihed in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on October 13, 2012

5 Films: That Showcases The Life of a Rockstar

Pink Floyd -- The Wall (1982)

Based on Pink Floyd's album The Wall, this Alan Parker film takes a peek into the twisted life of a rockstar. The film tells the story of troubled singer Pink, who has had a vexed existence. Smothered by his mother's love in the childhood, harassed by teachers at school for writing poems, cheated by the girl he was in love with; Pink begins to cut himself off and builds a wall. The vivid metaphor is quite graphical and a hair-raising interpretation of Roger Walters' lyrics from epic songs like Comfortably Numb and Another Brick In The Wall. The film is exactly what the insides of a rockstar's mind looks like.

The Doors (1991)

A sudden rise to fame, a million hardcore fans, a horrid personal life, the inevitable downfall and an early death - the live fast, die-hard attitude that rockstars are made of. The Doors is Oliver Stone's homage to the popular American rock band by the same name and also a biopic of its lead singer and America's favourite poet - Jim Morrison. Val Kilmer plays Jim in the film and has done most of his own singing. And be it die hard fans or Morrison's former band-mates, it was impossible to believe that it isn't actually the electric poet on screen. An outright tragedy based on true events, this film is a great documentation of a rockstar's life.

A Hard Day's Night (1964)

Based on the life of perhaps the biggest rock band in the history, A Hard Day's Night is a light-hearted depiction of one day in the life of The Beatles. With actual band members playing themselves, this Richard Lester film takes a look at a day when the band are in their home town to perform for a TV broadcast. From evading crazy fans and howling girls to taking care of Paul's odd grandfather to Ringo going missing, the film narrates quite an eventful day. Or something rockstars like to call Just Another Day In My Life.

Amadeus (1984)

Legendary filmmaker Milos Forman brings a story of revenge, defeat and disappointment. A story of a rockstar from a different era - the 18th century. Amadeus narrates the life of the whimsical genius Mozart, told by his secret rival Antonio Salieri. He saw Mozart differently - a vulgar, undeserving lesser mortal incapable of serving the Lord through his music. The film focuses on Salieri feeling cheated by god himself for not bestowing the gift of music upon him instead of giving it in abundance to an arrogant rapscallion. Salieri is confined to an asylum where he outlives Mozart but eventually dies in the shadow of his greatness.

Marley (2012)

Get up, stand up; stand up for your rights, he said it, and the people believed him. Bob Marley was more than just a singer or a performer or a rockstar. He was the proverbial Prophet who gave strength to the oppressed and gave them belief to seek redemption. Marley, by Kevin McDonald, is a documentary that journeys through the life of this musical prophet focusing on his personal life, his music, his legacy and the impact he had on the minds of millions of people all over the world. Combining archival footage of the legend with interviews from the people close to him.


Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on October 12, 2012

Going For The Kill

Every once in a while, there comes an action film that takes the audience by storm -- like Pulp Fiction did at its time or something No Country For Old Men did recently. Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly is one of those landmark films that will be talked about years from now.

The film cuts to the chase right from the start and there is no time wasted in introducing the characters which are pivotal to the story. But as the story progresses, the audience gets trapped in the action that surrounds them, thanks to the characters. The story revolves around Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt), a professional enforcer, who has been hired by some corporate higher-ups to investigate a felony that occurred at a mob-protected poker game. But through the events that follow, the director paints a painfully realist picture of the ugly face behind the corporate mask of America.

A lot of credit has to be given to the overall treatment, which dishes out a cold-blooded, brutal, violent and at times distasteful ambience and makes the film unique and electrifying. The dialogues in particular and the scenes in general provide a take-that-in-your-face account of the gory details of America's under belly at a time when the country was on the fringe of promised change. The story is also lined with audio-visual footage of Obama's pre-election presidential campaign- the promises and the policies that are now vague reminders of the failure the past 4 years have been.

What adds value to the gripping plot are the background score and the out-of-the-box cinematography. Slow country and jazz music juxtaposed with unimaginably violent visuals are a great combination. The cinematography is very unlike American films and reminds you, in flashes, of Requiem For a Dream.

The dialogues and screenplay only amplifies the coldness of the plot. In the last scene, Jackie says to the man who hired him, a line that sums up the entire film. Referring to Obama's famous speech he says, "He's tryin' to tell me we live in a community? Hell no. I live in America. America..is not a country, it's a business. Now give me my f***in' money!"

For the average audience fed on the Die Hards and Terminators, Killing Them Softly might be a little too uneventful to keep their attention. But, in the larger picture, the film is a treat to watch for all Brad Pitt fans and fans of good cinema. Not only is this film a great action thriller, it is an intelligent critique on the times in which we live.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on October 6, 2012

Comeback Vomeback

Sridevi makes her much-awaited comeback and unlike the long list of disappointing comebacks, English Vinglish has substance to match Sridevi's style. Gauri Shinde's maiden venture is a heart warming tale of, what can only be called, the woman next door.

The film tells the story of a Pune-based housewife, Shashi Godbole who is a homemaker and a mother of two kids -- a son and a daughter in her teens. Embarrassed by her inability to comprehend English, tired of being ridiculed by her husband as someone who's "born to make laddus" and being constantly taunted by her daughter at home, she enrolls herself in a crash course to learn English while in New York for her niece's wedding.

For what it is meant to be, English Vinglish is a little too in-your-face. In putting the point across, the subtlety of existence of a housewife appears lost. Some of the instances in the film which lead to Shashi feeling hurt feel a little melodramatic, contradictory to her grin-and-bear attitude. The English classes Shashi joins are a consortium of racial stereotypes -- a Mexican nanny, a Pakistani cab driver, a South Indian software developer and a professor. The class also includes a French chef (Mehdi Nebbou) who falls for Shashi, and over time restores her self esteem.

But just as the film reaches its crucial final third, it picks up pace and saves itself from what could have been a huge narrative mess. Shashi proves her point to her family and fulfills all responsibilities of a good wife and mother. But more than what happens in the end, the film scores its points in how it happens. It leaves you satisfied with the way things turned out for Shashi, without having broken any hearts, well, except maybe a French one.

Sridevi's portrayal of a Maharashtrian woman falls short definitely, but the Punjabisation of a Marathi wedding song compensates for the same. The rest of the cast play secondary roles to her and do their job well. With exceptions to a few smart-ass punchlines which the film could have done without, it is a great viewing experience. The first-time director shows she has a story to tell, and knows how to too.

To sum it all up, English Vinglish is a great entertainer and a good-spirited boost for a woman tired of the mundane in her life. And as for Sridevi, who is, without doubts, the epicenter of this film; bhagwaan aisa comeback sabko de.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on October 6, 2012

5 Films: That Are Yash Chopra's Best

Waqt (1965)

After a couple of low intensity films, Chopra made a grand entry into the main stream with this film, which over time achieved cult status. This star-studded film starring Sunil Dutt, Rajkumar, Sharmila Tagore, Shashi Kapoor, Balraj Sahni and others was the foundation of the legendary Khoya-Paaya formula that dominated the film industry in the 70s. Waqt is the story of a family, separated by a natural disaster, that never really comes together but their destinies are intertwined with each others. With Sahir Ludhianvi’s lyrics embracing the voices of Mohd Rafi and Asha Bhosle, this film is a classical Indian musical drama. Chopra’s films are known to conjure up classics and Ae Meri Zohra Jabeen is just the example of why songs are the backbone of mainstream cinema in India.

Deewaar (1975)

Chopra’s collaboration with the writer duo Salim-Javed has produced some legendary work and Deewaar is arguably the best collective outcome. Amitabh Bachchan at his angry-young-man peak wording with perfection lines like Main Aaj Bhi Feke Hue Paise Nahi Uthata and Aaj Khush Toh Bahot Hoge Tum. With scenes that have been re-enacted, referenced, and paid tribute to, Deewaar is a landmark in itself. The fight sequence in the beginning, the brother’s rift in the Mere Paas Maa Hai scene and the climax in the temple have been a part of our imagery ever since.

Silsila (1981)

Chopra’s reputation as the best romantic filmmaker in India can be attributed to the enormous success of Silsila. A complex love story of two lovers whose feelings for each other resurface when they meet after separation. This rosy musical celebrates love and comments on the institution of marriage, morality and desire. With Bollywood’s talked about pair of Amitabh and Rekha romancing to legndary songs by Javed Akhtar and composed by Shivkumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia as Shiv-Hari. The film ends with a message love is faith and faith is forever. Among its fans, Silsila is unarguably the best romantic film of all time.

Kaala Patthar (1979)

On its face, Kaala Patthar would stick out like a thumb on a hand that counts Chopra’s films. Unlike all the mainstream films that the man produced before and after this one, Kaala Patthar’s premise is much darker, serious and unusual in style. However, star value in the film remains intact with Shatrughan Sinha, Shashi Kapoor, Neetu Singh, Rakhee and others collaborating with Chopra’s muse of sorts – Amitabh Bachchan. Kaala Patthar is a tragedy based on an accident in an underground coal mine, but it transcends the tragedy and focuses on the positive – the heroic resurrection of a man who had given up on himself. Quirky dialogues, well-crafted scenes and a blend of melodrama and subtlety, Kaala Patthar is Chopra’s finest work.

Dil Toh Pagal Hai (1997)

There are two types of people in the world – romantics and hopeless romantics. And these are the only people who like the gooey romantic cinema that is offered by the father of romance in Indian films. Dil Toh Pagal Hai is a story of three youngsters whose quest for love takes them on a complex journey where friendship is tested, misunderstandings and ego clashes erupt and love remains unrequited for. But all of this is put together in a lively manner with Shah Rukh Khan (Yash Raj’s next big muse), Madhuri Dixit and Karisma Kapoor. The chirpy Chopra musical defines Indian cinema of the 90s and also sketches the outline for the future of the mainstream.

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on October 5, 2012

Tuka Mhane - Times Are Changing

In 1936, cinema in India was still in the nascent stages of flirting with sound, and as technology blossomed, the audience was bombarded with content based on spirituality and mythology. Regional cinema was moving towards a new trend at that time -- social issues. But, amidst all this, people in India went to cinema halls to witness an epic film. Prabhat Film Company produced what proved, in the coming years, a landmark film not only in the Marathi cine world, but also Indian cinema. 

Tukaram -- Maharashtra's beloved saint poet was always a legend. His poems and philosophies have ruled the minds and directed the hearts of people for centuries now. Prabhat's Sant Tukaram only made this belief stronger. It showcased the life of an iconic figure and showed him to be just like the rest of us. The devotion and emotions that the film captured moved the audience. Tukaram's faith and devotion was evident in every single frame. The film received critical acclaim worldwide, but its real success was to present people with a masterpiece featuring one of their most loved saints.

Cut to 2012. A fresh film, Tukaram, chronicling the life of the saint hits theatres. Directed by Chandrakant Kulkarni, Tukaram is a fresh attempt at capturing the essence of the philosophies of Tukoba. The overall treatment given to the film tends towards realism with no over-the-top melodrama. The characters are seen as common people and there is no mystique and aura created around the main character either. The film illustrates the life of the man behind the saint. It exhibits the journey of Tukaram -- from being a self-sufficient trader, to losing everything that he owned and loved, including people and property, to becoming a complete devotee who has found higher existence. His journey, from losing earthly possessions to finding something spiritual through prayer and poetry, makes him look like a rockstar.

Something has changed between 1936 and 2012 that has made us look differently at the same man -- a man we loved then and love now. Primarily, we can see the difference in the titles of the film itself. While the earlier film was called Sant Tukaram, the latter dropped the rank to make sure that it is the person behind the saint who gets revealed. The films are different in their treatment too. Vishnupant Govind Damle's version had mystique, awe and respect for Tukaram, while the recent film makes us identify with the man and love him, rather than just respect him.

It comes as a breath of fresh air and like a ray of hope that we have taken a step to look at our icons (social, political or spiritual) for the people that they were, rather than looking at them as flawless superhuman idols. It is safe to say that times are changing; and we are changing with them.

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on June 16, 2012

Somethings Just Don't Die

If you find yourself buying a ticket for this movie, you have certainly bought into the premise of this 10-year-old franchise. Considered to be a part of the league of Harry Potter, Saw and other large franchises based on the sheer number of films that they are made of, Resident Evil is downright pathetic.

Resident Evil: Retribution, the fifth in the series of films that are loosely based on Capcom's survival-driven horror video games, is no upgrade from its previous editions. Paul WS Anderson continues his over-the-top treatment of the premise with his protagonist, Alice (Milla Jovovich), in this film too with a predictable plot and, quite frankly, predictable horror visuals. With in-your-face 3D effects and animations that fail to scare you, the storyline is so thin, if you have a back seat in the hall, you probably won't even see it.

The film begins at a point where Umbrella Corporation's deadly T-virus has caused an apocalypse and taken over almost the entire world. Alice, trapped in an enclosed operational facility under a glacier in Northern Russia is being sought by a team of armed men who will help her escape. But it's not so simple. The team has to fight the army of the undead who are affected by the virus and also a group of clones who have been summoned by the Red Queen (the super computer who controls Umbrella). This leads to a series of violent and gore sequences which are either driven by Matrix-like armed combat or simple stock footage from first-person-shooter video games.

The Alice in Wonderland metaphor which was quite thick in the previous film is now merely a shadow of its ingenuity. The characters are shallow and most of the secondary leads don't even get enough screen space for the audience to get acclimatized to their face. Add to that, terrible acting by a cast that could easily be the prototype for any action video game - a hot girl (Milla Jovovich), the bad girl (Sienna Guillory), a couple of strong men with perfect jawlines and trimmed beards (Johann Urb and Boris Kodjoe) and that other chick from Avatar (Michelle Rodriguez); and you have for yourself the perfect recipe of a mediocre film.

And that is just what Resident Evil: Retribution is - a ninety minute stroll down mediocrity. Unless you are a fan of this series, and a pretty die hard fan at that (which you probably are if you have watched all four), let this go. Because unless loud noises, creepy creatures and undead zombies give you a kick, there is nothing to look out for. For the fans however, this film ends the same way all the previous films did - with a promise to return with a plot more obtuse than before.

Rating - 1.5 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on September 28, 2012