Challo Driver

I walk upto the PVR Counter this morning and ask for tickets for 2 shows. The first one I have already written about – Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. The 2nd one, met with a reaction or should I say, a look of ridicule from even the guy at the ticket counter. It said, “Are you sure? Did you say Challo Driver”? The guy was quick to change his reaction and inform me about the fact that the only show of the movie was unsold yesterday.

After a quick conversation with his manager, he finally did give me a ticket and saved me a couple of hours of doing almost nothing. But then, even watching the movie was as good as doing nothing. The saving grace – I had 5 other people in the hall who kept me company all the way to the end. Ergo it is safe to assume that the movie was not really very bad considering all of us waited till the end.

Tanya Khanna (Kainaz Motivala) is a twenty something who wants to start an adventure company which would be named after her parents. She is from Chandigarh and is quite qualified. But she doesn’t have enough money to seed into her business idea. And that’s why she finds herself in DallyVich trying to make as much money – not too much really – to ensure that she can get her venture off the ground.

But she really cannot stick around too much at any job because she is really not able to find her groove – in other words, something that she really loves to do. She returns to her flat one day after quitting her job only to be handed over a “different” opportunity to make a little bit of money. Getting what is considered to be a truly man’s job – A driver. And considering that she is a really good driver especially with SUVs, she finds herself I the queue for the not so enviable role of driving for Arjun (Vickrant Mahajan) aka Terminator because he has fired 46 drivers in the past 3 years.

Debutante actor Vickrant Mahajan has also directed the movie, written the lyrics of the songs, the Screenplay and the dialogues. Quite an all in one package one would say. But only capable of saving money and not delivering a quality end product at the end of the day. Challo Driver joins the totally not happening lists of movies that had so much potential at the stage of the storyboard but thanks to the “driver” of the movie being not so great, just fizzles out within a few seconds of the start.

To add to the woes of the movie, one has to sustain some really pathetic performances from the entire star cast led by our protagonists of course. The only person who stands head over shoulders over the entire cast is Prem Chopra. A good concept / story has been flushed down the drain once again. A pity because this could have been so much better than some of the crap that we have been subject to over the past few weeks. Instead it joins the crap @ 4 on 10.

Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql1Kk85tzcY

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

The realms of human imagination have never ceased to surprise people over the years. if one were to put their mind to it, there is no telling what your next big idea could turn out to be right? And so what if the next big idea was a totally out of this world, whacked out, unbelievable, audacious, ridiculous conspiracy theory that drives you to make a movie out of it no matter how absurb the idea were to sound.

The idea could be as weird as suggesting that the United States of America came really really really close to become the United States of Vampires – possible I guess. And that The States really owe a lot to Abraham Lincoln for their existence and I am not for once suggesting that it was because of his star studded political career. At least that’s not what Timur Bekambetov (director of superb action flicks such as that Angelina Jolie starrer called Wanted) wanted to say.

Timur wanted to let us know that President Lincoln came through to his pinnacle of success not just with great leadership but also with his lesser and to date hidden skills of Vampire Hunting. A skill that he was driven to pick up when one of “those” kind killed his mother in her sleep and he watched her die. A desire to seek revenge drove him to try and kill Jack Barts (Marton Csokas) with a simple bullet – a task that he almost messes up but manages eventually. Only to be saved a few seconds later by Henry Sturges (Dominic Cooper). Because Vampires don’t die if you put a bullet through their eye.

Sturges goes on to help young Abe Lincoln (Benjamin Walker) learn the finer nuances of not just seeking out vampires but also killing a variety of them who would otherwise have been quite sticky to handle – in the literal sense of the word. Especially when they having a variety of skills other than brute strength and immortality. Strengths such as the capability to disappear in a split second and reappear behind you. And the fact that their only known weakness is towards silver (I always thought that was a werewolf characteristic – but then its fiction and anything is possible).

If your tolerance levels to fantasy and vivid imagination is really high, you could find Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter to be an enjoyable flick and a good use of your time. I on the other hand enjoy fantasia but not such far-fetched fantasia with not so great effects. Bekambetov is usually known for some fantastic stunts and action sequences. The ones here seemed to be a bit not so well done unfortunately. What could have been a movie as slick as Wanted turns out into one that’s average at best. I give this 5 on 10 because other than some action sequences and a fascinating conspiracy theory, there is really nothing much to look forward to.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2367398425/

The Dark Knight Rises

With every Christopher Nolan movie, I dread walking into the movie hall. Because every time, I see a new one from his table, my older ranking starts seeming like a joke. In 7 years, this is Nolan’s 5th movie. And every time, I am tempted to give a 9 on 10. I land up giving it only to bite my tongue a year or two later. So I am really not sure whether I should rate The Dark Knight Rises at all.

No one but Nolan has really shown the story of Bruce Wayne, the way Bob Kane would have wanted it to be narrated. And that can happen if an only if you love something so much that you give it everything one has – not to mention the truck loads of talent that is required to bring a passion to life. TDKR is no different. There could not have been a more fitting finale to give Batman the status of “the most popular superhero to hit the silver screen”…. Or can there be?

Disclaimer – I am a huge fan of Nolan and more importantly the Dark Knight as narrated by Nolan. So this review is definitely going to be biased. So if you want to read a genuine critic talking about how the movie could have been better etc., then I suggest you look elsewhere coz here you are going to find only good things being written about Nolan. In fact Nolan has to actually commit hara-kiri and we may still pardon him.

In true Nolan fashion, this part also is brilliantly scripted and shot with great emphasis on each frame and character. No hero can or will ever be great without an equally brilliant villain. I will not even think to venture into The Joker’s territory as one of the best villains ever but you need to watch out for Tom Hardy as Bane in TDKR to believe what I am saying. And it is not just the eerie nature of the mask or the gruff muffled voice through the mask which makes you cringe in your pants. One cannot help but admire casting director John Papsidera. How can anyone pick such perfect actors for each role?

I cannot say that TDKR is flawless. The exceptionally trained eye will pick up some glitches – but they are too insignificant in the context of the movie. But I also haven’t yet seen a standing ovation to a Hollywood movie. I haven’t seen so many people staying glued to their seats till the last line of the credits moved out of the screen. And I haven’t seen a housefull 7 am show anywhere in the country.

Enough said. Time for you to go out there and try your luck. Watch it on the IMAX Screen some time at least – even if it is the 2nd time – don’t worry… you will be back for seconds. 9 on 10 once again!!!! Chris Nolan – you rock our world!!! I know… I haven’t given any sneak peek into the story this time. But believe me that’s intentional. I would not want to ruin the best movie of the year so far with even the smallest of spoilers. The shows @ IMAX are full upto Monday I am told. So if u get lucky…. U get lucky… enjoy.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2376312089/

Cocktail (Hindi 2012)

Cocktail is directed by Homi Adajania whose first movie was Being Cyrus (remember) which I thought was a very good piece of work. And I was quite amused at the expression that someone gave me when I predicted that Cocktail will be a very good movie. I trusted Homi to deliver a movie that was at least as well made as his singular previous attempt.

For those who came in late, by well made, I mean attention to detail, getting the finer aspects correct, ensuring that the right cuts are made, making sure that there are minimal or zero consistency errors etc. etc. etc. At the end of 150 minutes, I was disappointed with all these aspects of the movie – I can now visualize my friend grinning ear to ear saying “I told you so”.

Thanks to a decent story line, this RomCom which is written by Imtiaz Ali and Sajid Ali (and it has Imtiaz Ali ALL OVER IT), turns out to be a decent watch. Cocktail is the story of three people who get thrown in together by some twists of fate and go onto become really good friends. Gautam (Saif Ali Khan) is a Casanova of sorts. A software engineer in London who hits on anything that is in a skirt or a saree or salwar or even a pair of jeans. And is successful more often than not. Veronica (Deepika Padukone) is the female equivalent of Gautam who spends most of her non working time getting smashed out of her wits on endless rounds of tequila shots and other varieties of alcohol.

And then there is Meera (Diana Penty) who is a demure damsel from India. She has flown into London only to find out that her husband (Randeep Hooda) is part of an elaborate immigration scheme and doesn’t want anything to do with her anymore. She bumps into Veronica who takes her in and they become close friends in a short while. In comes Gautam and so does a steamy relationship with Veronica. Meera makes sure that she stays out of their way and makes her dislike for Gautam quite obvious at all occasions – but then one cannot help remember the Airtel tag line about friends.

Cocktail turns out to be a good enough film to be seen once at the end of the day. A story line that has been seen before in Indian cinema but hasn’t been portrayed in a RomCom sort of way. Cocktail bridges that gap for sure but it could have done with some better finishing. The performances are reasonably strong across the board but I was disappointed with Deepika who has gone over the top at times. Diana Penty is quite good if you manage to look beyond her stunning looks that is (I can assure you it was extremely difficult) – but I guess she will stick around just on the basis of the latter for a while to come.

Superb performances from Boman Irani and Dimple Kapadia who outshine everyone else with little or no effort. Pritam’s definitely inspired music sounds good in parts but not so great in parts. Lot of psychedelic effects to show the pain and conflict in Veronica’s mind towards the end. Was irritating but good. Overall, worth a dekko. Don’t expect much and definitely don’t expect something as good as Cyrus. 5 on 10.

Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FfBzyiU0ZU

Bol Bachchan

Like I said earlier in the day. I do not mind Rohit Shetty movies at all. But sometimes they do get to your nerves. And quite a bit. With no offence meant to the monotony or the predictable quality – one such comparison would be Def Leppard. No two Def Leppard songs are too different from the other. Similarly no two Rohit Shetty movies – whether it the totally slapstick Golmaal series or the Bajirao “Atha maajhi satakli re” Singham – can be too different. No offence meant to either Rohit Shetty or Def Leppard fans out there :p.

The difference being, Def Leppard can be heard out for quite some time. After a while of Rohit Shetty, one is compelled to switch channels or even consider moving out of the theatre. Not because it is a badly made movie but simply put because – if you have seen it once, you have seen it all. So essentially, Bol Bachchan is yet another cut copy paste of all his previous ventures with a vastly different star cast.

Shetty of course continues with his tried and trusted Ajay Devgn but adds in the angle of good “friend” Abhishekh Bachchan who seems to have signed up for a limited 2 movies per year – good for him. I can see it only going down to one per year. AB Jr. – I like you. And I mean it. But get out of the shadow of Yuva. You will not be able to repeat such a performance. Live with it and go out there and just be natural. It will help.

Prithviraj Raghuvanshi (Devgn) is the be all and do all in a village called Ranakpur in Rajasthan. He is widely respected and feared. Respected for his sense of justice and huge heart. Feared for his affinity for the English Language. So “Chhati ka doodh yaad dila doonga” translates to “I will make you remember Milk number 6”. You get the drift right.

Shastri (Asrani) is one of his “subjects” so to say who is a close family friend of Abbas (AB Jr.) and Sania (Asin) from Delhi. Abbas and Sania lose a property dispute case against their paternal uncle. With nothing to lose they come to Ranakpur on Shastri’s insistence. When Abbas breaks into a disputed temple to save a drowning child, Prithvi is impressed and gives him an accountants job that pays 35K per month. But to ensure no major communal issues, Ravi (Shastri’s son) introduces Abbas as Abhishek Bachchan. The comedy of errors ensues.

Rohit Shetty has not made any bones at all about the obvious inspiration he has drawn from Golmaal. If there was one person who is deeply influenced by the 1979 comedy it would be Shetty. The entire story of Bol Bachchan moves into a double role for Jr. B – one with a moustache and the other without. Need I say more? Go back to paragraph 2 of this review if you have forgotten what I have written earlier.

Watch it if you have nothing better to do – 6 weeks from now when it airs on TV or Tata Sky Showcase. You may like a bit of the slapstick humour that Shetty is famous – or should I say infamous for. 4 on 10 despite a warm welcome to one of my all time favourites on screen – Archana Puran Sing. Good to see her back with a performance typical of her.

Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn7I0Ajp0xc

The Amazing Spider Man

Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is back. One can choose to go “What the hell???? Don’t these guys get enough of making the same movie again and again and again and then when you think its all done they get one more just for posterity”. One can also choose to go, “Wow!!! Lets see what Spiderman is upto this time around”. Fortunately, I fall in the latter category and went to the screen expecting a good show. The good news – I was not disappointed. The not so good news – I wasn’t half as excited when I exited the movie as I was when I left the hall after say, The Avengers.

A better part of the movie goes through the same old rigmarole of how Peter Parker allows curiosity to get the better of him only to get bitten by a mutant spider of some kind and then turns into Spiderman. The difference however – in each one of the movies – is how he lands up being Spiderman. This time around it is by one which is being used to test gene therapy of some kind which will allow human beings to lose all of their weaknesses.

Leading the project is Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans – remember the nerdy character who doesn’t have a bath and is Hugh Grant’s room mate in Notting Hill – I couldn’t believe it either) who used to be Peter’s old man’s best mate. Richard Parker (Campbell Scott) suddenly disappeared under circumstances that can best be described as mysterious. Doc stops keeping in touch with the Parkers. Period. Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and Aunt May (Sally Field) both find this quite weird but have done nothing to reach out to Connors either. Connors is now heading research @ Oscorp and is charged with the responsibility of keeping Osborne alive – a job that Rajit Ratha (Irrfan Khan) knows how to do.

The Amazing Spiderman – thankfully doesn’t not stop in its differences with the name. It goes onto give a different story and therefore can keep the audiences engaged if they have seen the trilogy that preceded it. If they haven’t then this is one will be a good entertainer. The 3D effects are far superior to any of the previous ones. And Marc Webb – who has only one full length feature to his credit prior to this one – comes up with the goods for sure.

It’s a super hero movie so don’t look for acting as such but the performances are definitely above the expected level. The disappointing part for us Indians is that we would have expected our own Irrfan Chacha to have a meatier role. His screen time is restricted to about 2 minutes and 38.91 seconds. I give the movie 7 on 10 and I guess you will enjoy it. But honestly – not as good as the previous ones.

Watch the movie on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBfk0MqD67s

Maximum

Over the past few weeks, we have seen several debates about movies being really slow. The confusion has always been on whether the movie is slow or intense. For my money’s worth, Shanghai and Gangs of Wasseypur were supremely intense movies and not to be confused with being slow. Maximum on the other hand is a movie that can qualify to be called “Really Slow”!!!!

For once, I have seen some stalwarts of Indian cinema act on screen bereft of any intent or commitment to the role whatsoever. That, the likes of Naseeruddin Shah still does a great job is credit to the man’s talent. However, for the first time, I have seen the likes of Vinay Pathak fall flat – really flat. As if there were no reason for him to actually act in this movie. As if they were doing a favour on director Kabeer Kaushik or whoever was the producer involved – much like the story line which involves knowing the right people at the right places and calling in the right favours at the right time.

ACP Pratap Pandit (Sonu Sood) is by his own admission a problem child. It is the year 2003 and Mumbai Police is probably at its peak thanks to the initiatives taken between Pratap Pandit and his boss. However, the team which keeps Mumbai safe is being divided between Pandit’s Boss – Subodh Singh and his counter part in Anti Terrorism – Khanna. There is a turf war building up and Subodh and Khanna have both got their pawns ready in the form of Pandit and Pandit’s ex mentor – Arun Inamdar (Naseeruddin Shah).

Maximum follows the two war horses butting heads in a battle to gain the maximum power that is possible given the circumstances – just so that one can stay a step ahead of the other at all times. A battle that rages over 8 years and results first in the rise of Pandit and then the gradual fall as he keeps losing ground. The movie however, also clearly shows as to how the department lands up being the eventual “Biggest Loser”.

Other than the main performances from the expected faces which flatter to deceive, Maximum is littered with more lackadiscal acting from Sonu Sood & Neha Dhupia. Only two people come up with really solid performances – Mohan Agashe and Rajendra Gupta. Why the rest fail to come up with committed performances will remain a mystery to me for sure.

Even the raunchy Hazel Keech – replete with love handles which could put Good Year out of business (with competition only from Vidya Balan as on date) – belting out Aa Ante Amalapuram doesn’t do much to raise the movie’s tempo. And Anjana Sukhani’s presence is all but irrelevant. Disappointing @ 4 on 10. Definitely expected more.

Watch the movie on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InO-XttE2yc

Brave

Sorry! Sorry!! Sorry!!! Like Really Really Really Sorry!!!! Most of all to Disney and more to the readers of this blog. It has been nearly a week since I saw the best animation movie of the year to date and I haven’t done anything to urge you folks to make your way to the nearest theatre to watch an absolutely gorgeous Red Haired Merida (Kelly Macdonald) ride through not the just the woods but into your hearts with absolute ease. And I know I sound like a fan boy but what the heck. I love animation and I love Disney Pixar. So all bias forgiven.

The essence of Brave – and there is no need to scream “Spoiler Alert” – is summarized in the last 2 lines of the movie. Something that all of us could actually take away a lot from. “Our fate lives within us. You only have to be BRAVE enough to see it”. That one line is what people keep giving us but very few of us are actually BRAVE. Princess Merida definitely was.

Not because Princess Merida was a brilliant archer – which wasn’t what a princess is supposed to be. Not because Princess Merida could ride like the wind (especially on her favourite steed Angus) – which wasn’t what a princess was supposed to be. Not because Princess Merida wanted her frizzled red hair to be open enough to breath (or for that matter her clothes) – which wasn’t what a princess was supposed to be.

It was because she had a belief in herself that pushed her to stall a wedding which was all but sealed in blood. A belief that got her to run away from home and do something really stupid i.e. get a witch to create a concoction that turns her mother into a bear. But the same belief that gets her to stand up to the situation and find a way out of the mess that she has got herself into.

Brenda Chapman was the first American woman to direct a full length animation feature film from a major studio in Prince of Egypt. Why did she stop is something I am not familiar with. But the magic that she created in 1996 is only magnified significantly with the use of technology that is accessible to us these days. She has also partnered in the screenplay with the lead directors Mark Andrews and Steve Purcell both of whom had no major experience in directing before. Surely Chapman was of great help.

Original music by Patrick Doyle (also the voice of Martin) & fabulous editing by Nicholas Smith come together to give us an extremely enjoyable movie from the house of Disney Pixar (tell me something new… yawn!!!...). The good news for us animation fans is that Dreamworks is also doing fabulously well. So one can expect more such blockbusters in the near future. 8 on 10 for Brave. Watch out for the slow motion release of the arrow when Merida challenges her suitors – makes the entire movie totally worth while.

Watch the trailer on http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi678863641/

Teri Meri Kahaani

The last time a movie released with the initials TMK was the 24th December 2010. The twitter hashtag of that movie was actually changed to TMKN. I think Teri Meri Kahani has retained it as TMK. And the initials haven’t proved to be remotely as bad as the earlier movie landed up being. If you aren’t aware of the earlier blockbuster – in the literal sense of the word, it busted at the box office – it was called Tees Maar Khan. Kunal Kohli’s TMK however turns out to be a mush gusher from frame 1 without any undue delays whatsoever.

Spread over 102 years (yeah... a really long time), this TMK can be a fantastic question for a Match the following – the kinds we used to get in school. Match Rukhsar/ Aradhana / Radha with Krish / Javed / Govind. The correct answer would be the love stories of Rukhsar : Govind, Radha : Krish (the most obvious) and Javed : Aradhana. I wouldn’t expect you to know that unless u have seen the movie.

The first is set in a 1960s Bombay (that’s what it was called then and that’s what quite a few of us prefer to call it even now) which involves an aspiring musician who has no income and has put his life savings to stay in an expensive city for 3 months. He meets a gorgeous actress Rukhsar on the vintage train ride from Pune. Instant chemistry is followed by a predictable love triangle.

The second is set in 2012 London where Krish has broken up with his girlfriend Meera (Neha Sharma) on his birthday but bumps into Radha (how corny) over a case of alleged phone thievery. And as it happens only in the movies, they spend the entire night across several London night spots. Instant Chemistry. Another predictable Love Triangle. This time with Social Networking thrown in.

The third is set in 1910 Lahore where Javed is a vintage Casanova to who has no trouble unlocking the doors of nubile and gullible women. He believes that the Brits are actually doing a good job with India during the Raj. But all of this till he meets Aradhana as he is fleeing from the Brit officers after doing one of their daughters. Instant Chemistry. Thankfully no love triangle.

Good music from Sajid Wajid and the average soppy direction from Kunal Kohli are the hallmarks of Teri Meri Kahaani. Shahid Kapoor continues to raise doubts about his gene pool. Priyanka Chopra (and this is a thoroughly biased opinion) continues to dazzle with her looks and acting (ok I may have lied just a bit there). Not much of a rest of the cast. Kunal Kohli is also quick to take credit for a movie that has been inspired by the 2005 Taiwanese movie – Three Times.

If you like the soppy Kunal Kohli types morantinc Romaaans movies then this is the right way to spend Sunday afternoon. If not, then avoid it like the plague. 5 on 10 because it was reasonably made, not finished too well and the fact that I am sucker for romance.

Watch the movie on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBfk0MqD67s

Gangs of Wasseypur

It is very difficult to find fault with the likes of Anurag Kashyap because more often than not, he makes masterpieces. Masterpieces which are fleshed out to the level of detail that leads to most people to interpret the movie as too slow. Like I mentioned to someone a couple of days back that movie makers such as Kashyap and Dibakar Banerjee put so much of emphasis on characters that the intensity often comes at the expense of pace and is not appreciated by most people. Gangs of Wasseypur is no different from any such movie that you have seen from Tipping Point productions.

GOW gets to the table the atypical commitment towards making a movie that one has come to associate with the likes of Anurag Kashyap only. The emphasis on each character and each frame is stunning. And in this case, Kashyap has gone to great levels to get the back story absolutely in place before moving on to the actual story, for which we will have to wait for a while. The back story itself has taken over 150 minutes of which the first 90 minutes itself gets to a point where you actually start to wonder – is there an interval to this movie? So on a not so serious note, ensure that you relieve yourself before the movie starts lest you are not able to hold back too long

The back story starts way back in the 1940s where the roots of Wasseypur are established. It is a small village on the outskirts of Dhanbad – primarily dominated by the Qureshis who gain their livelihood by robbing trains of the British Raj. A new smart alec Sultan Khan throws a cat amongst the pigeons and earns the wrath of the Qureshis who are actually butchers by profession.

He is banished from the village and starts to make a living in Coal Country where he is noticed by a new Thekedar (Contractor) Ramadhir Singh and taken under his wing. Sultan eventually gets eliminated by Ramadhir when inadvertently learns of Sultan’s ambitions to take over from him. Many moons later Ramadhir is a politician and Sultan’s son Saradar has grown in stature and slowly but surely starts avenging his father’s killer.

Part 1, spans 3 generations of the Khans and the Qureshis with Ramadhir being the constant feature across all of them. GOW, one may rightfully feel, is a bit stretched because after all of this, we still have another part to go. If there is a flaw, this would be it. And that in some scenese, Anurag’s human nature comes to the fore with some silly consistency errors and some even sillier factual errors. Albiet not visible to the normal human eye for certain.

One this is for certain though. The performances from every single person – lead or supporting is stunning – superb work by the Casting director – Mukesh Chhabra. The extras may not have done too well though which is very unlike Kashyap again. The screenplay is absolutely Jharkhandi and so is the music from Sneha Khanwalkar. Both keep the interest and humour alive in the movie which would otherwise have put the audiences to deep sleep. I was unable to catch the name of the editor but without the superb cuts, GOW would not have turned out to be a brilliantly finished movie.

That its an Anurag Kashyap movie in itself is enough reason to watch it. But that it is a very well made one will only make it better. But be prepared for the slow pace. 7.5 on 10 as of now. I may take the rating higher once I have watched 2. Mind you, watch 1 and you will not be able to skip 2. Enjoy!!! Oh yes, I forgot – extreme violence and super gory scenes – not for the light hearted.

Watch the trailer on http://www.youtube.com/user/Viacom18Movies?v=j-AkWDkXcMY