Change Your Image
harsh-kabeer
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Badlapur (2015)
Awesome! Grim, gritty and gruesome!
I think it is Ugly, in the recent crop of Bollywood flicks, that matches the grimness of Badlapur. Whereas conventional Bollywood flicks are painted in colourful palette, Badlapur is done in shades of grey that is never afraid to go dark, but refuses to go white. Its darkness made me swoon on my seats. Its boldness enthralled me. This is the noir Bollywood has been waiting for. In Badlapur, the director has created two main characters that turn the very conventional ideas of protagonist and antagonist on its head and delivery a dark, comic, intense thriller that glued me to my seat in the first half, but falters in the second half where it tries to give intensity to the changing dynamics between the two main characters, but falters because the screenplay in the second half could not throw the same punch it did in the first half. The build up was definitely great and it showed itself in the stronger moments of second half, but as the story veered to its climax, it starts turning the whole revenge story upside down which is beautiful, but could not bring the same intensity and sharpness. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is the star of the movie. He is a phenomenon. Varun Dhawan comes second best. His acting is fine and his acting shows the intensity his character requires, but his voice does not live up to it. Overall, a must watch. Not for those who love the usual Bollywood fare.
Baby (2015)
Baby is loud, over the top and utterly stupid.
What a waste of time! The first half, that was okay de spite many of its flawed and uninspired scenes, was completely undone by the stupid, tension free, predictable second part. Baby does have its few moments of 'awesomeness', but they are few. And they are always destroyed by the clichés, jingoism and melodrama that Neeraj Pandey had thrown in large measures to 'hold' together the movie.
Akshay Kumar rocks in his role. And he is the only one to look forward to. Danny and Anupam Kher are wasted. Danny is Akshay's boss, but he always seems to be the one who seems to be begging for Akshay's help. Anupam Kher's role play more as a comedic entry than a serious, meaty role. Tapee Pannu as a female agent is good and the sequence involving her is the best thing you will watch. Hans Zimmer like music is a pain in the ears. Awful.
I think it shouldn't come as a surprise either. A Wednesday suffered from the same flaws, but since it was done on a smaller scale, the flaws were not so glaring and since it reinvented the genre of a "kickass common man in an Indian scenario" giving voice to the atrocities suffered by a common man, it seemed a hard hitting entertaining movie. But Baby is something that has been done umpteen number of times. So it needed to reinvent the genre itself, overcome the stupidity and jingoism associated with it, but sadly it succumbed. And being a fan of espionage thriller, I am disappointed.
Unoriginal, unfunny, stupid and without any intelligence whatsoever, a pity for a movie whose story relies on a lot of 'intelligence' to crack down the terrorists. Taking its inspirations from multitude of Hollywood movies (heck there is a sequence copied from Dark Knight), the movies feels uninspired and badly done. The second part goes Argo-ish, but it is never able to maintain the tension- a prerequisite for a thriller movie, I would say.
Baby is loud, over the top and utterly stupid.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
Emotionally vacant.
Finally it comes to an end. No matter how hard Peter Jackson tries to emulate the magic of Lord Of The Rings trilogy, he is going to fail miserably. The story that is already stretched out in the first two instalments hangs by a thread in this edition. The characters may be high on loyalty, love, sacrifice and honour, but none of them really manages to make this movie emotionally resonant. The only saving grace of the movie is the opening scene where Benedict Cumberbatch de spite playing a CGI dragon manages to impress in mere minutes, a feat that the entire movie couldn't in its running time. If you love your Middle Earth, or love the visual panache of Jackson that mixes his dance like choreography of huge action set pieces with some old fashioned fantasy tale about good and evil, then you are good to go. Watch and savour it. But if you seek bit more than the emotional bankruptcy that it serves, then avoid. It is elongated, dull and empty.
John Wick (2014)
As personal as it can get!
John Wick is a well made action movie that does not consist of big explosion and bigger sets. Most of its action pieces rely heavily on close combat and gun. It is stylishly and sleekly done with a tormented Keanu Reeves at the centre of things. The choreographed action sequences are very much close and personal with the brutality of every shot fired and every blow landed resonant in the shots. The directors who were formerly stunt directors have infused variety in the settings in which the action takes place and keep the action flowing. And one thing that really got me interested was how the movie weaves a community of thugs, smugglers, assassins and mob bosses. It seems as if it is altogether a different world with its own set of laws, ethics, codes and loyalties. Since the story is an internal one happening in the underbelly of New York city, this is the only world you get to see and it is intriguing and fascinating, so much like our world and so much unlike ours driven by our desire to survive and thrive. John Wick is the kind of action movie that is rare to find nowadays. If you like some old fashioned vendetta movie and love to see Keanu Reeves kicking some asses, this is the movie for you!
The Babadook (2014)
Surreal!
The Babadook is not a scary movie as movies like Annabelle aspire to be, because it never relies on jump scares to put a fear in you. Instead it works a build up through its emphasis on psychological terror as the story becomes clear and one becomes aware or thinks he is of what horror lies in the future. The characters are etched beautifully giving them a depth and humanity, something that is so rare in horror genre. And it is because of the brilliance of the director that we come to empathise with each of the characters, no matter how monstrous their actions may seem. Having compared it to movies like Annabelle, I think it would be unjust on my part to say that it does not derive from them. But the things that it derives add to its brilliance. Annabelle is a supernatural horror movie with supernatural being physically tangible. The element is concrete. The audience knows it is there. It exists. And this adds to the terror, to know that there are creatures of darkness, literally. But Babadook does the exact opposite. It makes a real life monster through its strong metaphors and tells it with the surrealism that is so beautifully done by the director that by the time we are done with the movie, we know that Babadook does not exist literally but metaphorically. And therein lies the terror and optimism of Babadook. Few may get turned off by the ending, but it worked for me and I am giving it an extra one mark for wrapping up the story so beautifully.
Nightcrawler (2014)
Dark, twisted and bleak!
It is phenomenal if you like this kind of cinema. There is no good here to root for, no love to get mushy about, but what it offers is not far away from the reality of society. The truth is the society fosters monsters like Jake Gyllenhaal and these monsters are but the reflection of the society we live in. If truth be said, I actually kind of liked Jake Gyllenhaal's character. He was creepy, cold, calculating and derelict of any morality, but at least he was not hypocritical, unlike the usual people. An intelligent take on the electronic media that dispenses news and the society that feeds on it lavishly. A must watch. It keeps it gripping though out and gives a lot to munch about later.
Gone Girl (2014)
A necessary antidote to our misplaced modern love!
Gone Girl is fascinating, and an interesting and amusing take on a dysfunctional marriage (Aren't all marriages dysfunctional?!). I would rather recommend that one should not approach the movie as a mystery suspense or thriller movie. Because that is secondary. The real story is the functioning of a couple, the real genre is the marriage. When two people, passionately in love, come together to tie the knot and say their ''till death do us part'', what happens? Are those fairy tales we watch real? Do we all live happily ever after? The brilliance of the movie lies in its surreal story that is told in an unambiguous, definitive way. There is not a shadow of doubt to as what happened in the movie, but the story itself comes somewhere from the dark recesses of the emotional labyrinthine, a thought we dared not to think, an idea killed at its inception. That is what Gone Girl does. And that is exactly what Fincher loves to do. Tap the darkness. But its darkness is also why sometimes movie indulges in excesses. It is as if Fincher just couldn't get enough of it and overdoes it. Like a child bestowed with the toys he had wanted all along, Fincher just couldn't let it go. Also up to three fourths of the movie, the scale seems to be nicely balanced between Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck, but after that Ben Affleck seems like a victim and the wife as the abuser which many may think to be misogynistic in portrayal, but for me it was just unfair and a blot in otherwise a brilliant take on marriage. In spite of these flaws, Gone Girl is a fantastic movie. Gone Girl ridicules the notion of true love set by the standards of our happily ever afters and the happiness in marriage that this society preaches. Our insatiable diet for the happily ever afters. But then the movie also talks about the beauty of it (as both confess they bring out the best of each other), and it is what makes it so twisted and self destructive. A deal with the devil! Apart from love and marriage, the movie also sets out to give light to the illusory nature of perception propagandized by the media. The movie in the first half is itself ripe of manipulation and debauchery feeding off the ideas that we are too eager and judgemental to make. And how Fincher mocks at us! Brilliantly acted by Rosamund Pike with an able support from Ben Affleck and rest of the cast, it is a must watch. I loved it. And the ending was perfect. Any other ending would have just spoiled the whole movie for me. For me, the blood stained Rosamund Pike in the arms of Ben Affleck with Affleck whispering 'bitch' in her ears while the crowd applauds true love will remain the most iconic 'romantic' scene ever. That scene in itself is an antithesis to all those stories of soul mates and happily ever afters- a necessary antidote to our misplaced modern love!
Interstellar (2014)
Not a fanboy.
High on ideas, low on emotions. That is Nolan's recipe. Sometimes, when I think of Nolan movie, it seems that Nolan is more interested in discussing his ideas than the story. For him, the ideas take the priority over plot. But still you need to go out and watch Nolan. Because it will be original and the like of which you haven't seen in years. It will be epic in its scope and substance and Nolan's failings are largely compensated by his visual flair and his huge ideas. He is there redefining blockbuster as we speak. Interstellar is the one film where I am okay with Nolan's inadequacy at handling characters and emotions. Not that it triumphs, but it does that in that sort of maudlin way that is acceptable enough for me as long as Nolan attacks us with his ideas. Also it helped that the supporting cast was brilliant. So no matter how bad and stupid they were, at least one could see a conviction in their one dimensional-ness. But still the movie suffers from some awkward emotional moments and some unbelievable coincidences that may appear to be out of place in a science fiction film. And Nolan being Nolan, he had even tried to explain those coincidences! Now coming to the great part. First thing that impressed me a lot was the idea behind annihilation of Earth. It was subtle, befitting and simple. I never for once got bored in the entire three hours. There were few grimaces here and there and a leap of imagination and acceptability to Nolan's logic, but it all turned out fine for me. Visually it is astonishing as could be expected from a visually proficient director. And few of the sequences really got you to the edge of the seat. There are lots and lots of expositions as Nolan walk you through his high ideas and make you familiar with black hole and relativity. But that is not a matter of complaint. It all fits except for when few ideas seem to be forced, especially the one about love. Though Nolan fits that in the movie, that moment was bit out of blue and emotionally dull. The music was good. The movie has a brilliant cast and much rest on Matthew and the cast helps a lot. Because it carries the audience through the rough patches. The best part is the immersion it offers. It really makes you think what if? And takes you on a ride where the consequences matter to you. What is at stake in the movie could be at stake for us in the future. And the movie makes you believe it and that is phenomenal. All in all, it is a pure Nolan film. Savour it on the largest screen. A blockbuster that makes you think- how rare is that! But if you are the one for emotional catharsis, then better avoid it.
The Blues Brothers (1980)
Fun!
If Rohit Shetty keeping his usual trademarks intact makes his masterpiece, it would almost be like The Blues Brothers. I went in without knowing anything other than the fact that it was a cult favourite, and I was wondering whether I was wasting my valuable three hours (the movie is two hours and thirteen minutes long) for something that I would be disappointed with (musical and comedy not being my favourite genres). But it is awesome! The brothers who seemed okay in the beginning became awesome-r by each passing moment. It is a high energy musical comedy with crazy stuffs happening now and then and believe me, when I say that you have not seen the like of this one. Never had so much fun while watching a movie for a long time until The Blues Brothers. P.S. And if you like your blues and soul, then the movie has Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Ray Charles and Cab Calloway to boast off.
Haider (2014)
It is one hell of a head trip into the mind of a state that is plunging deeper into madness, caught in the interminable cycle of hate and revenge.
Haider is not a masterpiece or that perfect film that will hound the top hundred list of cinema. But it still should be cherished and celebrated for, keeping in mind the sleaziness that seem to pass off as entertainment in Bollywood nowadays. Even if we remove the poor excuse of Bollywood that I always seem to make to boost the credentials of the movie and see it as an individual identity in the world cinema, Haider has enough to stand on its own feet.
As everyone would have known by now that Haider is an adaptation of a play by William Shakespeare, Hamlet that is actually a four hour play and the longest of Shakespeare's plays. It is considered by many to be character oriented than plot driven. Thus, adapting Hamlet has always been a tough nut to crack for many of the filmmakers who have been adapting it since the birth of cinema, and kudos to Bharadwaj for having the balls to do so. And particularly in Bollywood where masala films are the trend. The strain of the monstrosity of the task undertaken is do seen in places where the story becomes shaky, stretched and clunky and particularly with one romantic song that the movie would have done better without.
But let us not keep to the flaws, when the good that movie does is just magical and many. Firstly, it is a brilliant integration of the play into the sociopolitical climate of Kashmir that it never seems for once to be a foreign play adapted in Indian settings. And the characters seem as they have always belonged in the beautiful valley. I had my doubts about Shahid being casted as Hamlet aka Haider, but the sheer brilliance of Shahid Kapur melted away all my apprehensions. Tabu unlike the play's Gertrude is given a much meatier character and screen time, and she does justice to it with her dexterity. Bharadwaj has been very bold and it became evident in the first half hour of the movie when in a flashback an adolescent Haider kisses Tabu on the neck and the camera zooms on the gesture. It is then you realise that Bharadwaj is not going to leave out one of the most discussed aspect of Hamlet- Oedipus Complex. And his boldness is shown comradeship in the silent, lingering sensuality of Tabu's character that simmers subtly with the motherly affection and heartbreak. Kay Kay Menon is the sly fox who marries Tabu after the death of the Shahid's father. And he is a phenomenal thespian.
The story is set against the backdrop of unrest in Kashmir and the entire story through its characters aim to recount the suffers and toils of its people and the vicious cycle of revenge and violence that seems to spare no one. It is one huge politico-social allegory that not only have direct references to the issues at hand, but also each character serves as an allegory for the players in this game of interminable violence. At the centre of the story there is a complex entanglement of love, betrayal, treachery and jealousy that threatens to tear apart the very peace they wish for. And at the centre of this web is Haider- a poor soul, torn between love, jealousy and revenge and slowly descending into madness.
What I love about Vishal Bharadwaj is that he is a man of vision. You can assuredly rest your faith in the fact that his love for cinema makes him unsusceptible to the allures of money and he is going to deliver a cinema that he believes in. The only problem with such people is that they are consumed not with mediocrity, but the unquenchable thirst of their ambition. And the fewer flaws of the movie stem from this. There are many amazing scenes in the movie that are paisa wasool. The song that Shahid Kapur sings, retelling the whole conspiracy, to see the reaction of his soon to be step father is a very brilliantly choreographed scene that is powerful and evocative, true to the nature of play that Hamlet choreographs in the Shakespearean play. The joker Haider plays under the tree was superb one man act. Simply brilliant. The ending scene with snow marred with dead bodies, graves and blood holds an imagery that will stay long with me. The gravediggers scene at the end is surreal and in some way denote the madness that is slowly enclosing Haider, or the impending doom. It was done fantastically. Loved that part.
Haider is powerful cinema. The imagery, the sound, the acting, the dialogues all mix to create an experience that is haunting and captivating. Haider was never meant to be entertaining. It is one hell of a head trip into the mind of a state that is plunging deeper into madness, caught in the interminable cycle of hate and revenge.