Inglourious Basterds (2009)

I started watching ‘Inglourious Basterds’ expecting an offering as ‘pulpy’ as some of Tarentino’s earlier work, but was pleasantly surprised to see a gripping sequential screenplay to a not so surprisingly thin plot.

The story, by Tarentino’s own admission, a tribute to the classic western, but set during World War II, revolves around a group of Jewish Americans who are dropped into France with the sole purpose of killing the Nazi leadership. In parallel, the French revolutionaries, mercilessly sought out and killed by the German SS have a survivor who swears revenge on the Nazis and plans to burn the whole lot of them alive in a theatre that she runs in Paris, while they are watching the premiere of a German war hero tribute. How the two objectives lead them to the same venue and whether the objective is achieved or not is what the plot tries to answer.

The reference to the classic western is apparent for the first ten minutes, where a French farmer looks at a vast landscape that slowly reveals a German convoy headed towards him. The attempt to portray the Basterds as a bunch of wild Indians looking for scalps notwithstanding, there is little that alludes to the western. Also, Tarentino’s trademark chapter-wise breakup seemed a bit out of place in a structure that was more commonplace than outlandish. But, he deserves plaudits for the slow buildup of tension throughout the story. Each scene is soaked into the viewer and that is what makes the film gripping.

The acting honors are taken not by the known names in the film but by Christoph Waltz, who plays the SS officer, known as the ‘Jew Hunter’. He is utterly charming and well mannered but brutal and ruthless. A lethal combination of skills, portrayed brilliantly by Waltz. Melanie Laurent as the French resistance survivor lends an eeriness to the proceedings with a vengeful mind behind an innocent and staid, yet beautiful face. Brad Pitt as Aldo Raine, the head of the Basterds is utterly irritating and I wonder if he was trying to imitate Lee Marvin from ‘The Dirty Dozen’. Nevertheless, a poor imitation and a poor performance.

Watch ‘Inglourious Basterds’, if you want to see a good thriller, but be mindful of a few Tarentino trademarks which seem rather out of place in this context.

London Dreams (2009)

The first ten minutes of this film made me go ‘Desi Amadeus’ ‘Desi Amadeus’. I was not wrong. ‘London Dreams’ builds on the same concept as the seminal classic ‘Amadeus’ which is about jealousy that genius attracts; jealousy that can consume and jealousy that can destroy.

The plot revolves around Arjun, a boy who nurses a childhood dream of enthralling a packed Wembley stadium and having the world eating out of his hands for his musical prowess. That is his calling. His best friend in the village Mannu is a happy go lucky chap who was forced to learn music by his father, but nevertheless has a gift from the Heavens for it that Arjun does not possess.

Arjun makes his way to London and sets up a band called ‘London Dreams’. During a visit to the village, he discovers Mannu’s ability and has him come to London to be a backup singer in his band. Lo and behold, Mannu’s brilliance begins to overshadow Arjun’s hard earned prowess and he begins to feel threatened. He resolves to squash Mannu’s career. Would Arjun be able to suppress Mannu’s genius? To what length would he go to stop his best friend? This is what we try to find out.

‘London Dreams’ is an impressive film with a solid story and an impactful screenplay. Vipul Shah does make you raise some questions on the immigration rules of the UK right up front, but after that you settle into a very intense and impactful ride right up to the end. A movie like this should have music that makes you realize the difference between talent and genius. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s soundtrack and Salim-Suleiman’s background music do just that, even though it doesn’t leave you humming a catchy tune as you finish the film.

Ajay Devgan and Salman Khan as Arjun and Mannu respectively turn in splendid performances in difficult roles. Devgan’s role is right up his alley and it brings out his simmering intensity. He however looks awkward on stage and could have worked on his body language while singing and performing to be more believable. Salman Khan as the brilliant but frivolous Mannu is in his comfort zone with a lot of tomfoolery and some heartfelt emotion thrown in. Both seasoned campaigners have been cast perfectly. Asin's second Hindi outing after 'Ghajini' does not give her as meaty a role, but she performs adequately as the shared love interest.

Towards the end, ‘London Dreams’ does turn melodramatic, when it should have been ruthless like ‘Amadeus’ was. But, then that’s the difference between realism and escapism. Nonetheless, a film definitely worth watching.

Blue (2009)

If you were to judge ‘Blue’ on its production values, it would rank right up there with any international film. Despite having a less than gripping screenplay, it does manage to hold your interest as a viewer right up to the end.

The plot revolves around a sunken vessel called ‘Lady in Blue’ which was laden with wealth that was to be returned to India post her independence. The vessel sinks off the coast of the Bahamas and takes down with it the treasure and the reputation of its captain who manages to escape alive. This vessel becomes the only ray of hope for a fisherman Sagar who needs to save his brother Sameer from the mob who expects him to cough up 50 million dollars in exchange for his life. He is however reluctant to do it as the vessel had claimed the life of his father, a master-diver with whom he had attempted this earlier. He is persuaded to go ahead with this nonetheless by his rich boss Aarav. Will he be able to exorcise the ghosts of his past and undertake this mission to save his brother is what the plot tries to uncover.

The story is quite simple but the screenplay strangely loses out on depicting the deep as a dangerous place. There are sharks shown for effect, but nothing is done to build up the tension of diving into them. In fact the passage to the vessel is shown to be rather easy. Anthony D’Souza gives the film a racy feel with top notch over and under water cinematography and slick action work. He could have taken the film several notches higher if he had built on the predatory dangers more. The music and background score are racy with the song ‘Chiggy Wiggy’ and ‘Fiqraana’ leading the way.

No one particularly scores in the acting department. The only character worth noticing is that of the boss Aarav played by Akshay Kumar. He manages showcase a passion for risk taking with a love for the good things in life. Sanjay Dutt as Sagar is out of shape and the effort to conceal his bulging waistline can be seen from camera angles to his wardrobe. Zayed Khan, Lara Dutta and Katrina Kaif all turn in performances that leave you with nothing much to write home about.

‘Blue’ could have been a better and more gripping film, but can be watched for its technical finesse and passable storyline.

Absence of Malice (1981)

There are times when you can get the plot concept right, but the execution is too tepid to make the concept seem worthwhile. Add to that, some lukewarm performances and ‘Absence of Malice’ turns out to be a damp squib considering the firepower it carries.

The plot revolves around Michael Gallagher, the son of a boot-legger who is accused of murdering the local union leader. The accusation is not done through official channels, but as a story leaked to the press by an Assistant US Attorney, through a reporter who catches wind of their investigation. Gallagher knows that he is being set up so that the Attorney can rely on him to find the real perpetrator, so that his own name is cleared. Whether Gallagher takes the bait or turns the hunters into the hunted is what the plot tries to uncover.

Considering that it is a Sydney Pollack movie, ‘Absence of Malice’ is disappointing simply because it does not hold your attention. The narrative is too vague and the pace is too slow and does not grip. Towards the end, the platitude about the press not knowing what is right and what is wrong and the attorneys being rapped on their knuckles by a senior attorney is amateurish.

Paul Newman as Gallagher is the only one who steps up and shows glimpses of the caged rage that he showed in movies like ‘Hud’ and ‘Hustler’. Sally Field as the reporter is disappointing. There is no chemistry between the lead pair.

The film is disappointing. Only worth watching if you are a fan of the director or the actors.

Michael Clayton (2007)

As the walls begin to close on Michael Clayton, you start feeling suffocated. When that happens, you realize that what you are watching is a top class screenplay in action. ‘Michael Clayton’ predictably does a redemption number in the end, but not before telling you why it was so necessary.

The film, named after the protagonist deals with his life as a ‘fixer’ for a prestigious law firm. A former litigator, Clayton is the man whom everyone calls when the shit hits the ceiling. He can fix deals, change facts, in short, get the murky side of the lawyer’s job done. His most challenging fixing assignment is to find a formerly-decorated-now-moral-and-eccentric colleague who is handling one of the firm’s biggest clients, but feels the need to expose their dark side to the world. As he tries to bring him in, he realizes that the enraged client is after both him and the lawyer. Is he able to save his colleague and himself is what the plot tries to answer.

‘Michael Clayton’ is an excellent suspense thriller set against a corporate landscape with lifeless walls, unimaginative offices, grey and dark suits and a dark atmosphere outside. It is a wonderful screenplay that brings to light, characters that are intelligent, deep and also hurt. Tony Gilroy who had earlier directed the ‘Bourne’ series delivers a fine film. The only sore point of it was that the ending was predictable. Does it have to be redemption every time? Does the guy have to discover his conscience? Why can’t he just be the ‘fixer for life’? Something different!

George Clooney revels in this role. He looks haggard and washed out and portrays Clayton’s frustrations at doing the worst job in the firm and the emotional demands of being broke, divorced and now hunted superbly. He was nominated for the Oscar for this role. Tilda Swinton plays the devious chief counsel of the client firm, a lonely successful powerful woman who is surprised and afraid of her own ruthlessness. Her role is an interesting one as it is the string-puller in the background. She won the best supporting Oscar for this role. I did not think it deserved that much, but nonetheless an impactful performance. Tom Wilkinson as the brilliant but eccentric lawyer is predictable in a role that is quite similar to the ones he's done before.

Watch ‘Michael Clayton’ if you want to watch a gripping intelligent film that brings to light, the complicated lives of people who are uncomfortable in their skin.

Wake Up Sid (2009)

‘Wake Up Sid’ is a coming of age story that depicts the very real transition called ‘growing up’ that an individual goes through in life and one type of catalyst that enables it. It however, ends up as being evocative and gripping only in parts and passes as above average fare relative to other films in the ‘provoke thought and debate’ genre.

The story revolves around Sidharth ‘Sid’ Mehra, a twenty year old with a rich dad who lives a life of luxury and pleasure with nothing to worry about. Life in Mumbai is a whirlwind of parties with the odd unsuccessful exam cram thrown in. He encounters a struggling writer Aisha who has come to Mumbai to make it big and shows him a window to a life of independent thinking and being.

As pressure begins to mount on Sid from his parents, to make something of himself, he fails his final degree exams and realizes that he needs to take stock of his life and create his own identity. How he does it, and how his relationship with Aisha blossoms from being a friendship to a roomie to more is what the film tries to explore.

Ayan Mukherji’s film takes a while to get you keyed in. The first hour of the film has a lackadaisical pace with little direction. But, ten minutes before the interval, the first confrontation wakes the audience up, before waking Sid up. From here on, the film comes across as a mature take on Sid’s and Aisha’s progression with each other and with life.

Ranbir Kapoor deserves plaudits for his portrayal of Sid. He has the ability to look cute and innocent and can also depict intense and dark emotions. He is matched by Konkona Sen Sharma. At first, the pairing of the two very different personalities seems ill done, but you slowly realize that it is meant to be that way and then you feel the difference in perspectives. Anupam Kher and Supriya Pathak as Sid’s parents are very believable and real like.

‘Wake Up Sid’ tackles a very pertinent subject, but its execution is at best lukewarm. Recommend watching it if you are not yet a ‘grown up’ or want to see what ‘growing up’ can mean to different people. It is one of those things after all, that does not have a universal definition.

Kaminey (2009)

‘Kaminey’ is a grim and dark portrayal of a rather silly story of twin trouble that distinguishes itself from its predecessors in that its treatment has a quirky style, but that style unfortunately triumphs over substance.

The story revolves around two identical twins, born to a railway signal man, who absolutely hate each other. Both have speech defects, in that one stammers and the other can’t pronounce the word ‘Sa’ and uses ‘Fa’ instead. Guddu, the stammer-master is in love with a gangster’s sister and Charlie, the Sa-Fa-master earns his living fixing races and dreams of becoming a big bookie one day. Their lives change, when Charlie gets hold of a bag filled with Rs.10 crore worth of drugs. All he needs to do is to exchange it for the money.

Unfortunately, the gangster mistakes Charlie for Guddu and the owner of the drugs mistakes Guddu for Charlie. Confusion! And to add to it, all of them find out about the 10 crore worth drug chest. Now Guddu wants to use that chest to pay off the gangster, the gangster wants that money, the owner of the drugs wants it back and Charlie wants to use it to get rich. Who will get to it? Pray let us find out!

Credit must be given to Vishal Bharadwaj for the creation of these unique characters. He manages to deliver a hard hitting screen play that is more Ram Gopal Verma than Manmohan Desai. The music has a raw appeal to add to the color of the canvas. But, where he loses the plot is that he assumes that it would suffice to deliver a good film. It is equally important to have a story that binds these interesting characters and scenes together. That is sadly missing in ‘Kaminey’. The plot is too thin, almost amateurish.

Shahid Kapoor’s performance is noteworthy. He is cold, calculating and tough as nails as Charlie and soft, vulnerable and caring as Guddu. The contrast is there for everyone to see. Amol Gupte makes a mark as the gangster and his ‘phiskyaaon-dhiskyaaon’ mock shooting sequence with Charlie’s friend Mikhail stays with you after the film. Priyanka Chopra as Guddu’s girl is passable, but pales in comparison to Kapoor.

Watch ‘Kaminey’ if you find solace in the word ‘pulp’ and want to give credit to the quirk for it shows the audience a murky cape, but unveils a teddy bear instead of a murderous and rabid beast.

Wanted (2009)

I must confess that what I am about to write is based on my attempted viewing of this film up to the interval point. I couldn’t sit beyond that. ‘Wanted’ is an example of drivel that gets generated in the name of commercial cinema. It supposedly makes good business sense but weakens the case of meaningful entertainment.

The story revolves around a gangster named Radhe who will do anything for money. He works for a gangster Gani Bhai and falls for a girl Jhanvi, who is harassed by a local cop as he wants to sleep with her. In the backdrop is a bloody crime war with a tough Mumbai police inspector working hard to clean up the city. That’s as far as I could go.

The reason is that the film is crass and lewd in its depiction of characters and the plot. Everything ranging from the fight sequences to the romantic scenes to attempted intense moments falls flat on its face and makes you wonder, ‘What were they thinking?’ It has some of the biggest names in filmdom, like Boney Kapoor, Salman Khan and Prabhudeva backing it, but it ends up shocking you. The one thing I could say is that Prabhudeva has made Salman dance a whole lot better.

I recommend avoiding this movie. It is an excuse for a film that will make you miss the brains that you decided to leave behind!