The Heat (2013)

A lot was said about Paul Feig and his previous movie – Bridesmaids.  Most of the world was swooning over but this author was quite surprised and has always wondered why.  I really didn’t see any reason for an Academy Award nomination for screenplay.  But what Bridesmaids couldn’t expose, The Heat does quite convincingly.  Proves that the Paul Feig is currently average at best.

Feig continues with his favourite, the obnoxious Melissa McCarthy who plays the role of a local cop – Mullins.  She is always dressed huge TShirts with some kind of a waistcoat thrown in as spice along with Alladin or Harem pants and large sneakers.  Her favourite pass time is beating the pulp out of felons who are half her size.  But, she is also very straight.  Straight enough to have turned her brother in as well.

 

Mullins’ is about to have a new partner – Ashburn (Sandra Bullock) – who is her exact opposite in every manner.  She is a high performing FBI resource who is about to hit the glass ceiling.  A person who goes by the book at all times and is not most liked by her peers, Ashburn is otherwise very effective.  Unfortunately embarrassing her peers in the process.  Which would explain why she isn’t most loved in her department.

 

To get the promotion that she so desperately wants, Ashburn is asked to bring in a dreaded drug dealer who is currently operating in Mullins’ backyard.  Neither Mullins nor Ashburn like to work in pairs but they quickly find out that this time around there is really no choice in the matter.

 

What is supposed to follow is a comedy with a bit of action thrown in.  But the movie quickly degenerates into a standard American slapstick.  Not that the slapstick wasn’t visible earlier on.  It just reaches difficult levels as the movie progresses.  There is little to look forward in terms of story or screenplay or dialogues or for that matter music (which isn’t the most important element in a Hollywood movie – in comparison to B Town).

 

Sandra Bullock is strenuous in her performance of Ashburn showing no signs of the talent that won her an academy award not too long back.  I have never been a McCarthy fan and have only wondered why people rave about her.  I am sure she is a wonderful person but as an actress she is just over the top.  There is nothing else to really say and I believe I have started rambling now.

 

That’s pretty much what The Heat is.  About 2 hours of rambling.  Nothing that a Bollywood movie cannot offer you.  The only saving grace is the length of the movie that’s less than 2 hours and therefore doesn’t torture you endlessly.  Vastly avoidable.  You could, maybe, watch it on TV if you have nothing better to do. 4 on 10.

Watch the trailer on http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3181487897/?ref_=tt_ov_vi