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shailensukul
Reviews
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)
Tries to be something it is not
If you have a broad palate and watch movies outside of Bollywood, this movie feels disconnected and a poor clone of the many Hollywood life affirming movies.
It aspires to make a connection that is just not there and at time feels like an extended travel guide.
The acting is weak and so is the script. The cinematography is decent, not much else is. I lost interest towards the end.
I am truly surprised at the quality of reviews on this forum, and can only infer that a movie with this theme may not be common for the Indian audiences for it to receive such high ratings.
Bbuddah... Hoga Terra Baap (2011)
Piece of Crap!
A nonsensical piece of crap not worth your time. Devoid of any script, acting and anything bordering logic. Not much more to say, avoid unless you need an excuse to see Amitabh Bachchan on screen. But even then you need to be a really hardcore fan to sit through this mindless dribble.
The story fluctuates without any sense of direction, Amitabh Bachchan is a mere shadow of his former self, the direction is incredibly lousy, feels like the director left the camera on and just left. I am amazed at all the good reviews coming out of India, in particular a reviewer called Taran Adarsh who seems to lack the balls to be objective now days. The pressure on critics to give a positive review must be incredible for movies from these older actors who have a lot of pull in town.
I really hope Mr Bachchan gets better scripts in the future as he still has some good years left. Unfortunately, with Bollywood's one track obsession with "love stories" there is not much scope for mature actors to showcase their talents.
Billu (2009)
Indulgent Piece of Crap
What an indulgent piece of crap! Shah Rukh Khan has truly started his decline into senility! Produced by his wife Gauri Khan, the only thing holding up this movie is the decent comic direction by Priyadarshan and the convincing acting by Irfan Khan.
The overblown and self gratifying scenes from Shah Rukh Khan are truly annoying to watch (yes there is even a light saber in one of the many meaningless scenes).
The story and movie would have performed so much better had it not been for the distractions of SRK. Come to think of it, why hide behind the on screen name of Sahir Khan when meaningless repeats of his other films are scattered throughout the glorifying shoots. It makes one wonder about the mental condition of the actor and the negative influence he has on the direction of movies (his company is the producer).
Nevertheless, the supporting cast and Irfan Khan in particular are good and make for an enjoyable watch.
This film might do well in India where Shah Rukh Khan does not really have to do much in his movies than to repeat the same old clichés (he is already revered as a demi god anyway). In a more discerning overseas market with a more intelligent audience, films have to work much harder for aceptance and therefore, this film will be soon forgotten, even loathed.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
Watch it for the Robots
The human characters in the movie are pretty boring especially in the first quarter of the movie. The new actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley fails to add much substance, her lips a ridiculously huge and she fails to hold more than one expression. In fact, she should really ask for a refund on her botched Botox job.
But who cares, we are there to watch the robots and we do get loads of action. Optimus gets extended screen time to kick some major ass and the whole apocalyptic war theme goes well with the action sequences.
Do not over analyze the plot and just sit enjoy the experience. Definitely worth a watch!
Peepli [Live] (2010)
Provocative Satire
Absolutely great how a newbie director/screenwriter has treated such a sensitive subject matter of farmer suicides in a satiric comedy with such maturity. The subject matter may have been too dry to be treated as a documentary. This is bound to touch nerves in all corners of the world, as it did with me. I myself am descended from Indian laborers brought to work in Fiji and also am a citizen of Australia and farmer suicide and depression is a problem in both countries. The ending was powerful in its simplicity and left me with a profound and deep question, which I hope came across to the audience: In an ever-changing and industrialized world, how does a person, who has spent all his/her life toiling in farms, come to grips with the world that has moved past them. Industralization has reached such a level with mechanized automation even in farms, that farmers are almost left irrelevant, unless they can afford the million dollar setup of a 21st century farm. Even so, with seeds coming from American companies that have been genetically altered NOT to reproduce after 1 crop, the global paradigm shift has moved towards mass production with a few companies controlling the masses.
Although the movie never proposes a solution, it leaves us with much to think about. This movie gets a 10 because it has delivered a powerful message of introspection, which few movies have been able to achieve.