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vikas_rawat
Reviews
Yabanci (2012)
A decent watch
I saw this film at the International Film Festival of India, 2012. The movie is about a young girl who travels to Istanbul to honor her father's last wishes and bury him there, after he'd fled to Paris following the revolution in the 80's. The movie is about how she struggles to bury him because he's not a citizen of Turkey.
Running close to 90 minutes, the film is a breezy watch as it follows Ozgur as she goes from Paris to Istanbul and tries to salvage all remaining sources and connections that could help her.
The movie is watchable because of it's decent performances. Ozgur's solitude is shown very well, both by the actor and the director, and the viewer can easily connect with the protagonist. The story, however, could have been treated in a better manner and could have been brisker.
In all, the film is a decent watch. It is not a bad film but not extraordinary either.
Rockstar (2011)
'Rockstar' leaves you with a feel-good hangover of itself, that is hard to digest at first watch.
Love stories have always been Bollywood's thing. A trifle here and there might have changed over the years, but the formulaic love story, the one that we've all grown up on and savored, always takes you by the hand, guides you through the film's ups and downs and leaves you at an ending. But when you have a story as new, as fresh and as free-falling as the one in Imtiaz Ali's 'Rockstar', then these are times that herald a new change in today's Bollywood.
The story goes something like this. Janardhan Jakkad(JJ a.k.a Jordan), a Delhi simpleton, has always wanted to be a rockstar. His friend/mentor and college canteen manager, Khatana, gives him a 'get-your-heart-broken-and-you-will-be-a-rockstar' solution. JJ automatically aims for the prettiest chick on campus, Heer, sure to have his heart broken. But what follows is a story that goes from a simple one of fame-mongering to a love story most unusual. The chapter of Jordan and Heer never seems to end and their complexities take them on a path that would ultimately destroy their lives.
It is very difficult to characterize the movie with a single emotion. It is so beautifully layered that it will take repeated viewings to form a consensus within yourself as to WHY you love the film. Just like its soundtrack, 'Rockstar' is a movie you will have to allow to grow on you. The film can best be described as a heady cocktail of love and fame and how each has an effect on the other. It's the free-falling nature of the story that gives it a feeling never before experienced in Indian cinema. The movie borders on self-indulgence every once in a while but wonderfully balances it out with realism.
The music, composed by A.R. Rahman, is in many ways a character in the film. Every phase of Jordan's life is characterized by a song which magically sets the tone for the next few minutes, till the next song or sequence comes along and changes the mood. The music, in many ways, drives the film. Its very obvious now why Imtiaz Ali replaced usual collaborator Pritam with Rahman. Without the type and scale of the music Rahman has given for this film, 'Rockstar' would have been very handicapped. The music truly forms the soul of the film. Also, from the snow covered mountains of Kashmir and Himachal and the dingy discotheques to the old-architecture of Prague and the various concert venues, the film looks beautiful in almost every shot, thanks to ace cinematographer Anil Mehta. The right variations in angle, color and focus gives the film a biographical feel where the scenes portray an emotion as much as the actors in them do.
Which brings me to the performances. The film has few characters and each of them are well-defined. Aditi Rao plays the journalist Sheena, who tracks Jordan's life and though she has precious little to do, she plays her part. Piyush Mishra as the shrewd record company owner Dhingra, is the quintessential greedy man in the film and does well too. Kumud Mishra as Khatana, Jordan's old friend and manager is perfect and brings in a certain sincerity and authenticity to his part. Shammi Kapoor as the shehnai maestro Ustad Jameel Khan is absolutely charming every time he appears on screen. It is hard to miss the glint in his eye and these being his last shots, will always be what 'Rockstar' will be remembered for. Now for the two lead actors. Nargis Fakri is unfortunately, the weakest link in the film. She obviously has a lot to learn in the acting department. She blatantly disappoints in scenes where she is required to do more than just look pretty, and ends up as the cold dish in 'Rockstar'. Nonetheless, she does look good in every frame and with better acting, could go places. With her current form, she will find it tough to make a mark.
However, 'Rockstar' completely belongs to Ranbir Kapoor, who has clearly gives this film his all. He plays his part with utmost perfection and with a depth that is so rare in Bollywood these days. Through the film, it is Jordan, and not Ranbir Kapoor, that we see on screen. He earnestly brings out the character transition from JJ to Jordan with such ease, that this could very well be his career-defining performance. He's clearly left his contemporaries WAY behind. Ranbir Kapoor, as of now, owns Bollywood.
Having dared to make such an experimental film, director Imtiaz Ali is truly the new-age doyen of Indian Cinema. His refreshing take on love stories, from 'Jab We Met' to 'Love Aaj Kal', continues with 'Rockstar' which will be remembered for a long time as the first movie of its kind. Truly original and truly inspired from all the right sources, Imtiaz Ali is the new age phenomenon of modern love in cinema.
Truly magical and spell-binding, 'Rockstar' leaves you with a feel-good hangover of itself, that is hard to digest at first watch. I'd give it a 4/5.
Don't miss.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (2011)
Sheer spine-chilling awesomeness and absolute heart-thumping brilliance
It is no easy task to make a film carrying tremendously high expectations of being a finale to the most popular series in the world, not to mention the fact that the majority audience already knows every possible plot point. And yet, it is in these circumstances, or rather in-spite of it, that 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2' rises to a level of cinema that previous films only fleetingly approached. Knowing fully well that millions of Potter-fans across the globe would either way lap-up the film in any form, the makers of DH-P2 have gone that extra mile in ensuring a fitting climatic end for the series, thereby elevating the already popular franchise to another dimension.
The film picks up exactly from where Deathly Hallows Part 1 left off, with Harry, Ron and Hermione continuing their search for the remaining bits of Voldemort's soul, which eventually takes them to (where else but) Hogwarts. Be-fittingly, it IS Hogwarts that plays host to the final showdown, with Voldemort and his army of death eaters, snatchers and giants landing up at its doorstep hunting for Harry. What ensues is a battle of the likes of which Hogwarts has never seen before. It is in the middle of all this that one of the most important escapades from the action takes place, as Harry dives into Professor Snape's memory. You have to be made of stone to not have cried or at the least have gone watery-eyed in this sequence, where the true nature of Snape is revealed. It is followed with another escapade, where another beloved character makes an appearance. The movie also has its share of deaths, with some important characters being bumped off. The film builds up brilliantly to the ultimate climax between Harry and Lord Voldemort, with characters like Neville, Professor McGonagall and Molly Weasely playing major parts.
Having been a true-blue die-hard Potter-maniac for 10 years now, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2' HAD to be spot-on in its execution to get a thumbs-up from similar million others, and yet had to be elaborate enough to make it understandable for the movie-fans of the series. DH-P2 scores full marks in adapting J.K Rowling's final book as accurately as possible, with the few changes actually making the film better. Steve Kloves finishes off in style with his bang-on, sharp script that clears all ambiguities he'd left in the previous adaptations. The cinematography of the film, although not as breath-taking as previous installments, manages to create the perfect atmosphere for the finale. The release in 3D, however, does not create any particular jaw-dropping effect, with the exception of the initial gringotts-dragon scenes. The music of the film is considerably improved upon (compared to DH-P1) by Alexandre Desplat, with the right mix of hard-hitting orchestrations and soulful melodies to counter both the fierce-action and gentle emotion in the film.
Director David Yates, who started his stint with 'Order of the Phoenix', successfully steers the series to its epic conclusion, with his most brilliant film till-date. Of the performances, all actors give their characters their best final shot, especially Helena Bonham Carter as the eccentric Bellatrix Lestrange. The principle characters of Harry, Ron and Hermione are given the perfect send-off with accurate performances by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. Daniel manages to restrain himself at the crucial moments, and it only shows the amount he's grown as an actor since that first film 10 years ago.
The film however belongs to Ralph Fiennes and Alan Rickman. While Fiennes manages to bring all-out evil in his no-holds performance as Harry's evil nemesis Lord Voldemort, Alan Rickman as Professor Snape does magic to the film in the shortest screen time, a la' Antony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs. It may possibly be one of his career-defining performances that should be awarded with, at the very least, an Oscar Nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Though the Harry Potter series has always received the cold-shoulder by the Academy, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2' may very well break the mould with a nomination/s in the top categories.
As fans across the world bid adieu to the most loved phenomenon of this generation, they couldn't have hoped for a better send-off to the series than 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2'. For sheer spine-chilling awesomeness and absolute heart-thumping brilliance, I'd give the film a 4.5/5.
Adios Potter!
The Social Network (2010)
Even if you're not on Facebook, watch it. If you are, you anyways will.
Now there have been many movies in the past that have shown the back story of a famous phenomenon that affected an entire generation, and arguably Facebook is that phenomenon of this generation. But what sets 'The Social Network' apart is its complete indifference to the way it portrays the character of Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. By not giving clear reasons for his sort-of villainous actions, the film leaves it to the viewer to decide and even as the end credits roll, even much after that actually, you are left with a seeming doubt in mind - Hero or Villain? For the movie seems to be trying hard to convince the viewer that Mark is both. The other major characters of Mark's only friend Edourdo(Andrew Garfield) and the Napster founder Sean Parker(Justin Timberlake) are written with clear cut white and dark shades respectively.
The story behind Facebook, as with all great things, is actually pretty elemental. A break-up sets off a turn of events in the life of young Mark(Jesse Eisenberg), as he sets about creating what would become the world's most famous social networking site. As the story proceeds, with flashbacks and current happenings, we discover the various betrayals and events that shaped Facebook as we know it(including how the 'The' got knocked off from Facebook.com) and what would have been a pretty average story is super enhanced by crackling,on-your-face dialogues that take time for you to register, as the film is littered with just so many of them. Not only that, but the fine, restrained performances by all the actors adds a depth to the movie that makes it very realistic. The movie may not appeal to some sections of the audience simple because the movie's progress is strictly verbal and there is nothing else to support the movie except for the dialogues and the acting. The music is the one other factor that adds onto all that is good in the movie.
The one sore point is the some-what abrupt ending, which shows Mark using his own creation to re-connect with the very 1st person he hurts in the movie. But overall 'The Social Network' leaves a lasting impact with its sharpness and is a very engaging film thanks to the writing department. I'd give it a 4/5.
Even if you're not on Facebook, watch it. If you are, you anyways will.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 (2010)
The best Potter movie yet. Do Not Miss!
Before you read this, know well that I am a Potter-maniac of the highest degree and anything branded 'Potter' will have my utmost approval. Nevertheless, I will try my best to review this film exactly like it isn't - just another movie.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is, in one word, God-Awesome! Now that I have briefly described the film, I will start with the reasons.
Now for several years, the book fans have complained that the Potter movies take their creative liberty a little too far and deviate considerably from the story to suit cinematic paradigms. But Deathly Hallows truly takes inspiration from the book and remains faithful to even the tiniest plot point. This disproves several critics who claimed that the movie-split decision was purely financial. It is clear that Yates could not have made a single final movie and stayed true to the book at the same time. So splitting seemed obvious, resulting in the Finale getting extended to the delight of fans worldwide.
The film begins, and for most part, maintains a dark, brooding tone that compliments the events of the story. The first part of Deathly Hallows has its own share of shocking deaths. But there is hardly a moment to mourn, as there's a reason to laugh in the very next. The movie starts with the effects the magical world has on Muggles - scenes of the Dursleys leaving their home and Hermoine erasing her parents memory, even as Voldemort tortures the Muggle Studies teacher from Hogwarts, who pleads for help to colleague Snape sitting right at the Dark Lord's side. With Dumbledore gone, Harry's turning of age means he should be put right into a safe house, with the flight from Privet Drive turning out to be an ambush. There-after, the movie proceeds on and this time around, the trio, instead of being on the train to Hogwarts, go around camping across beautiful landscapes to escape the Death Eaters on the prowl and gather clues that would lead them to the next bit of Voldemort's soul.
Now the movie is most definitely the best one in the series so far, simply because it is much more dark and much more strongly driven. There is the slight characteristic dip somewhere in between that we've come to expect from Yates's movies. But otherwise, the film is crackling for most parts, with several moments that bring you to the edge of the seat and immediately throw you back. The music, the locales and the very feel of the film gives you the impression of oncoming dread, and in several ways the film is a perfect set-up to what I can imagine would be a magnanimous end. The movie ends on two notes, one of a burial and another of an un-burial, one tear-jerking while the other gut-wrenching.
Also, the movie truly belongs to the coming-of-age trio of Harry, Ron and Hermoine as there is no one else to hog the screen space this time around. This movie tests the bonds that they've formed over the years like never before. Also, with Dumbledore's absence, Lord Voldemort becomes more visible and the audience gets to see more of him in this film. With a neat and near-flawless execution of a brilliantly written plot, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 definitely sets the tone for the final movie and gets a 4/5 from me. I recommend you go and catch this one right away.
Don't miss.