Reviews by Times of India
You have 'Housefull-2' - a castle full of mischief under a midnight-blue sky, lovers, fathers, imposters and 'Prince Charles'. For those seeking Albert Einstein, step aside. For those who'd like an apple-pie comedy, all slapstick - and some slap and tickle - Housefull-2's a breeze. Housefull-2 is a bag of laughs with eye-candy.
'Agent Vinod' is slick and visually stylized, but loses steam at times. The movie is a tad long and often creatively compromised - for style over substance. With well-designed stunts and car chases, there are very few high points or shock value. One being the background score (Daniel B George) that changes beautifully with the locations. Otherwise, Agent Vinod is cool. But not steamy enough to win a license to thrill.
At first glance, Jodi Breakers has a lot going for it: an unusual and interesting lead pair, fabulous outdoor location (Greece, in this case) and foot-stomping music. But the movie is let down by a script that lacks fizz and connect. Director Ashwini Chaudhary's venture begins as a comedy but gradually morphs into romance and loses momentum in the second half. Not even Helen can perk things up. Romance as remorse doesn't work here.
The good thing about Ekk Deewana Tha is that it chooses deep conversations and not deadly fists to reach where it finally wants to. It doesn't offer any insights into the art of love; rather it merely lays bare the regular confusions - is it love or friendship? - of young hearts. Ekk Deewana Tha has its moments but it doesn't really put you in the mood for love.
EMAET is the sweetest heartbreak that Bollywood has conjured in a long, long time. It works both as a college buddy movie and a date movie; for the young and the not-so-young. You can even watch it alone. And if a gorgeous girl asks you for a drink, go ahead, take a chance. As Rahul will tell you, it will be worth every second of your life.
But soon the movie loses its comic timing. Bharat's playing Hanuman in the local Ramleela becomes a diversion from the main plot. So does the character played by Mugdha Godse. In the end, Gali Gali Chor Hai doesn't live up to its promise. Just like the anti-corruption movement at the moment.
But would you go out for a DVD of Players and put it in that cherished section of your home video corner saying: Hundred movies to see before you die! All you brave Indian filmmakers, do pick up classics, but first, get a bit classic yourself and learn about cult film making which is so much different from commercial cinema. You'll find the difference. Your Bollywood ventures end up like cold cuts - stylishly done - are so different from piping hot goulash
The film does lack a bit on the emotional quotient and human relationships are hardly given a chance to grow. But just when you think it's all sound and fury, there's a sensuous tango between Roma and the Don as the cop opts to help the gangster she once loved and the gangster is determined to save his junglee billi (wild cat), any which way. A word about the dialogues: brilliant. A word about the music: mediocre.
It's a refreshing film which keeps you involved with its sensitive portrayal of two lonely souls trying to find succour in an alien city. Interestingly, the film takes a balanced view and doesn't end up passing judgements on the polarised cultures of big and small towns. Both have their positive and negative points, states director Saurabh Shukla. And rightly so. Both Vinay and Neha pitch in interesting performances while Naseer excels in a small cameo.
But problems begin when the rest of the film becomes one long string of sequences where Sunny tries to say sorry and Simran retaliates with what's in a sorry! The film literally enters into static zone, once the romance falls into dire straits. How long can you keep watching a heartbroken guy apologise again and again to an unrelenting lady? Essentially a non-happening film with mediocre acting.
Firstly, there is no humour, no earthy flavour (remember the vows on the bread pakora), no tingling chemistry between the lead pair -- everything which made the first film such a winner. What does work in favour of the film are its performances and its non-hysterical tenor. The girls are a spirited lot and Ranveer is, well Ranveer: your average Joe kind of hero who looks convincing enough as Sunny, Deven, Iqbal, Ricky, his sundry avatars. Music by Salim Sulaiman is ordinary. A word about Parineeti Chopra: cute.
The Dirty Picture is essentially Vidya Balan's film, all the way. She gives a towering performance as the protagonist who remains unapologetic about her life till the very end. The high point of her act is the fact that despite portraying a sex bomb, her sexuality never ever gets vulgar and crude. Also, it is the naughty dialogues (Rajat Arora) of the film which add immense flavour to the proceedings. It's a no-holds-barred screenplay which rightly refuses to treat sex as a four letter word. Kudos to Milan Luthria for handling such a controversial theme with such sensitivity and boldness. The Dirty Picture is definitely not only your film for the week, but is a seminal work that will be studied in feminist discourses.
Debutant director Rohit Dhawan tells his story in a light vein and never compromises on the fun quotient. He seemed to have learnt his craft from his father, David Dhawan, well, but never plays it over the top like him. Moreover, he keeps the drama dizzily moving on and peppers it with a feisty screenplay, with some funny one-liners thrown in here and there.
Leave it to Imtiaz Ali to take a love story and present it in a manner that's completely different from run-of-the-mill Bollywood. Romance, under his creative vision, becomes a multi-layered, sensitively nuanced, monumental experience which has more to do with serenading your soulmate rather than a stereotypical marriage partner. The highpoint of Rockstar is it's high tension, high-on-passion romance between two unlikely people.Savour a beautiful experience. Watch Rockstar and wait for Imtiaz Ali's next from his compendium of love.
Don't really go looking for logic or something new in here. And don't even go looking for some high end drama. Case in point the couple in question. Dunno if it's daddy-with-the-dough's efforts to promote the son he's doughnuts about, but to be fair, it's an honest debut and Chirag may have a future if he makes the right choices.