viveck_thakur Reviews

RRR (2022)

Can't be right.

[5/10 · 3 December 2022]

How can so many people misread one movie so badly or am I missing something? If this movies receive so much appreciation India should have had multiple Academy wins but that is not the case for two reasons. One, Indian movies are acquired taste and two 80% of Indian movies are not worth it anything, let alone international recognition, same like everywhere else. But the two factors combined really puts largest movie producing country in the world behind all the other countries.

Coming back to RRR, everything in this movie is way over the top and two protagonist are mightier than superheroes. Even Captain America will give in if barely given food for two weeks but our hero barely loses a muscle and he is not just hungry but wounded as well. Other protagonist doesn't even squeeze his eyebrows when whipped by barbed whip and doesn't flinch releasing wild animals in a party when there can be women and children present. The emotions are so basic and solution so convenient. Most Englishmen seen in the movie do not have a shred of decency and are de facto villains. Movie that is so colorful all the characters are either black or white. Compared to villains in this movie, Thanos will be a saint and Avengers will be ashamed of themselves for killing him.

To sum it up, it is beyond me that this movie is getting so much recognition. This can't be happening. It can't be right.

Slumberland (2022)

Problem lies with viewers.

[8/10 · 27 November 2022]

I have come to realize that if one is making a movie for families it will never get high enough rating, that's a given. Frankly, People who only watch and love Noah Baumbach and Terrence Malick movies should not expect similar experience from Slumberland. This limits the movie's reach to people who would have otherwise experienced it and loved it. I gave it a well deserved 8 since it is very well made but it is no The Return of the King. Not as much layered as some would want it to be but, come on, it made for viewing as a family which includes kids as young as 8 years old (my family) it indeed is competently handled by Francis Lawrence. A simple story with a lot of heart. Cool CGI and imaginative set pieces along with amazing performance across the board do help. I wasn't expecting it to be so good, just wanted to have a good time with my kids but was completely drawn in. This is a perfect one for holidays. Give it a go and you won't be disappointed.

Just Like Heaven (2005)

Surprisingly effective!

[8/10 · 10 March 2022]

As far as romcom goes, this one is right up there. The actors have to work big time with all the trappings of the genre for the movie to land on its feet and this one does. Both the leads are extremely charming and they carry the film all the way. Supporting cast is also effective and we get a really good date movie. Recommended if you are not off put by the genre.

Red Notice (2021)

Meh!!!

[3/10 · 21 November 2021]

Convenient, contrived and insipid.

Don't take me wrong, it is extremely fast paced, jumping from France to Russia to Spain to Argentina from one set piece to another and with "witty" one liners and predictable character banter but nothing inspiring happens. We have seen Ryan Reynolds doing this character million time and so did The Rock and Gal Gadot has never played anything complex and layered. So we get a beautiful looking serving of same old same old.

It's vanilla ice creams decorated with snowflakes.

Dhoom 3 (2013)

This is Dhoom has no excitement!!!

[2/10 · 12 September 2014]

Even the finest of the series starts feeling dull if you keep doing the same thing in exotic locations with same camera work. The movie was a marketing genius considering they brought in Aamir Khan in a movie like Dhoom. I liked the very first Dhoom and to be fair I really could not say why. Then one day a friend who is from the industry told me that it has good editing and I said to myself....yes that's it. Good editing and unexpectedly good work from John Abraham when you were hoping him to be the weakest link. Songs which were fresh at that time and and first time you saw nude bikes on the street of Mumbai...it was kind of fresh...y. Second outing was made worth watching (only to an extent) because of Hrithik, I absolutely cringed in my seat with embarrassment when I hear Aishwarya say, "are you checking me out?" in Jamaican accent. But Hrithik has a presence which gives credibility to even the most ridiculous scenes. Well third time it does not have the freshness of first movie nor the charm and Hrithik of the second movie. Third time it is a complete let down. In first 20 minutes I was laughing so hard...at the movie. Everything is so over the top that if we merge Rajnikanth and David Dhawan, even then they will feel ashamed. When I think of double role in the recent times the first that comes to my mind is Shahid Kapoor in Kaminey who was so delicious in the movie. Aamir Khan (one of the most overrated actor in the history of Indian cinema) is not even the shadow of it. When he is playing the serious Sahir he is okay, and when he is playing the other guy (I don't know what his impediment is) he is a caricature of a guy who would have such an impediment. Come to think of a guy who is socially challenged and brilliant, one thinks of Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man...but that would be an insult to Dustin Hoffman if I ever begin to compare two roles.

I am not sure Katrina is a stripper in the movie or a circus act. The entire CPD is at the disposal of Abhishek Bachchan who is the dumbest Super Cop and son of Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. Uday Chopra is disgrace to say the least in his role. The only guy convincing in the movie is Jackie Shroff in those 5 minutes of his screen time. Couple of songs are good...but they were not making music album I believe.

To sum up, a movie that made 260crores at box office there is not a single inspired moment in those 172 minutes.

PS. In the end why can't motorcycle turn into fighter plane and fly off to Krakozhia.

Righteous Kill (2008)

guilty of bringing great names together

[5/10 · 11 September 2008]

I hope they do a movie together again to clear this mess! I mean why would Al Pacino would do 88 minutes and after that this clutter. He is a terrific actor but why he has chosen the script which are not even half as good as "The Recruit", which again was just a "decent" movie.

I saw the movie here in India yesterday and chose it over a local horror movie released on the same day. And in India watching a movie in a plex is a costly affair these days. So I regret loosing my money but more then that I regret wasting two such amazingly talented actors who are legends in such an excuse of a movie. And more than that I regret the fading intellect of these great actors which make them chose movie like these.

Pity!!!

Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006)

To my horror I liked it!

[9/10 · 21 August 2006]

To my utter horror I liked the movie. I really did, agreed there are some Karan Johar moments but may be I had discounted them before entering the theater. Sample this:

1.SRK's David Beckham act. And Victoria becomes victory and Hindi becomes English. 2.SRK messiah act when he first meets Rani Mukherjee 3.Lady commentator at kids football match 4.Lady doctor at hospital 5.Interaction between Amitabh Bachchan and Kiron Kher. Remember Anupam Kher and Archana Puran Singh (KKHH), Dara Singh and Sushma Seth (KHNH)

....and may more such sequences!

It gives a sense of Deja Vu but India's most successful director (commercially) has delivered to an extent this time. So coming to the positives of the movie, for starters

1.You don't have SRK's hangover after coming out of theater 2.SRK is not messiah 3.Characters are flawed but not antagonist 4.Technically movie is very good i.e. cinematography, art direction is good (for this time they were low on budget so could not afford Victorian palace, please excuse), music is good (nothing like RDB or Omkara but good), dialogs are competent, editing is very good, screenplay could have been better. 5.Direction is not overboard. You cannot expect Mr. Johar to be subtle (it's not in DNA of Johar's or Chopara's of India or for that matter entire Panju community) but at least he underplays 6.The tense atmosphere through out the movie and burst out of Abhishek takes the cake. 7.Mr Bachchan play his part naturally being a skirt chaser but not being an old perv. 8.Preeti is good. I mean really good. For Kiron Kher, she does same in every movie two comedy sequence and two heart breaking sequence, so nothing new. 9.Now we are left with two more people. Rani has the weakest of characters. Why is she generally unhappy? Because she is not able to deliver baby, deliver in bed, enjoy parties, enjoy success of her husband? Why she falls for Shahrukh? Was she on a perpetual look out for a looser and why? I don't know but she delivers. What ever I have commented above is after autopsy but before it she looks alive, million dollars and acts like no one else can play the role. 10.And finally the man who people love to hate and hate to love, including "humbly yours". But he reinstates once again after Swades that he is a good actor. In Swades he was brilliant but here he is good and really. His frustration with himself and people around,his jealousy, acknowledging himself to be looser but not able to accept it, his anger with his wife, with his son, with people around him, with himself is something that I can relate with. In short he loves to hate.

My reservations:

1.Why has director not shown Preeti getting married by the end of the movie? 2.Why Abhishek and Preeti have to forgive Rani and SRK respectively? 3.Why Rani has to fall for SRK when she has such a good husband in Abhishek? 4.Why SRK (Beckham) have to break his leg to become a looser? Why he can't be a looser from the very beginning? Why larger then live? 5.Why they have to be super-rich and why they have to be living in US of A?

On the whole a time pass good entertainer with a message if you are looking for it. Few of us may find it degrading but its just a story of two people which can take any direction.

Omkara (2006)

For once Shakespeare won't be turning in his grave

[10/10 · 9 August 2006]

I loved the movie. Initially when I came out of theater I wasn't sure but as days passed the movies is still in my head and now I can safely say that I loved it. The first thing which strikes to me is that in todays time do we have more versatile actor that Konkana and Saif, esp. Konkana. Just look at their variety and you will be amazed. The last person I can visualize in role of Langda Tyagi is Saif, probably Fardeen also. But their is one difference, I never do consider Fardeen as an actor. But Saif delivers and how. And so does Vishal as a director, singer, music director. To admit I have not read Othello but I was aware of the story and setting, so I wasn't an alien either. I had loved Maqbool somewhere in my mind I had the feeling that it was a fluke. But when the first dialog of movie is delivered I knew this is going to be special. Even though when I came out I wasn't sure. But know I can easily put it along Mr. and Mrs. Iyer.

Gulzar rocks and so does cinematography and background and other cast and crew. Ajay Devgan gets all the good movies because he is a good actor or its quite opposite? From me 9/10

Mangal Pandey (2005)

Watch it for Amir and Tobey strictly

[6/10 · 12 August 2005]

I got to see Mangal Pandey yesterday and I though I was lucky enough to get the tickets. But my luck was only till credits started rolling. The expectations were sky high, the most anticipated movie ever, almost like an event in itself, considered to be first ever crossover film in true sense, Ketan Mehta who made Sardar and Maya Memsaab, A. R. Rehman, Bobby Bedi probably the most gutsy producer of our times and then off-course Amir Khan. The movie was supposed to revolutionize the movie going experience. But the only saving grace of movie are Amir and Tobey. The only reasons and probably very good reasons to go and watch the movie. So where all does movie falters? Almost every where. In scripting, character development, narration, pace, cinematography (probably I was expecting Lawrance of Arabia), Direction and Music (other than Mangal, Mangal). And finally Amir was not the "Ghost Director" of Lagaan, other wise "The Rising" would had been a similar fair bordering towards classic. More so because it could have had a lot of content which was evidently missing. I wouldn't have missed the movie even if it was the worst rated movie in IMDb but I'll not go and watch it again.

Sarkar (2005)

I didn't like it!

[5/10 · 9 July 2005]

I recently saw Sarkar and to say the least was not impressed at all. It seems to be a movie made in hurry and in process giving blind eye to so many things associated with good movies like Satya and Company. People were talking about the acting of Amitabh and Abhishek but I think a person who deserves applause is KK. But than you don't expect any thing less from Mr. Bachhan. Junior is also shaping up really well but he still needs to bring the nuances in his acting which is so essential for the accomplished actor. Rest of the cast has nothing much to do.

As to comparison with Godfather it is not even remotely close in terms of execution and than there are so many things unexplained. Also characters of Baba which is a take on the pope in the original is a complete stereo-type. Background music does not adds to the characterization although it goes with the moods of the movie, but again it is nowhere close to Satya and Company (both by Sandeep Chowta). Dialogues were not good enough leaving at one or two places. Again how does Abhishek comes to know about the mole is not explained. Also original was about the family and but this is only about father and son.

If I were Ram Gopal Verma and the critic of good cinema I will not call it inspired by Godfather. Mr. Varma we expect from you only path breaking cinema. You are the original and you can't ask us the expect anything less.

Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002)

Its not about Hindu and Muslim

[10/10 · 1 March 2005]

Hindu - Muslim riots in the movie is merely the backdrop. People who have commented here just see it as a yet another attempt to take advantage of western perception of India. Sorry, it seems you have completely missed the point. The point tries to make a case between love and honor. And this is India, married women do not indulge (more often that not) in to extra marital affairs. So there is dilemma in the Minds of Raj and Meenaxi. Meenaxi who reluctantly fall in for Raj and Raj who understands it but is bound by his honor. Their relation is platonic and full marks to Aparna for keeping it so because by making it controversial she could have reaped more benefits at the box office.

Well certain someone said that the act by the leads had not been put up properly. Konkana Sen Sharma got national award for her debut. People need to realize that she is a bong. Unlike west we don't not only have different dialects but entirely different languages. And the dialect is also extremely different. Which is why the performance is really really mind blowing, especially from the leads. Rahul Bose give a completely restrained performance. Aparna keeps is subtle. She is the greatest women director or may be probably the only who can carry of the subject like this. Kudos!

Andaz Apna Apna (1994)

This comedy has a script !!!

[9/10 · 6 February 2005]

Its a spoof, its an intelligent comedy, it has some a pathetic action and choreography (and mind it, it is intentional), good hummable songs, good performances by the entire cast, brilliant by Amir, Salman and Paresh and over all an script which is so rare in Indian cinema that too in comedy (watch David Dhawan, Harmesh Malhotra etc). Story is of two wastrels whose only aim is to get rich and famous by any which ways. They come across one such way when they find out that a rich NRI is coming India to get married. Rest of the story is about oneupmanship and how these wastrels try to out wit each other. Entire cast is perfectly cast right from Deven Verma till Viju Khote. Songs are rightly placed and are funny. Surprise package is Salman who acts with perfect timing and this particular act gave him his style of comedy.

All an all a fum film which you should not ignore if you like and watch Indian Cinema.

Baran (2001)

Profound in its simplicity.

[10/10 · 2 February 2005]

There are directors who give one or two classics and are considered immortal and than there's Majid who gives classic back to back. Well I don't have word for him.

Baran is one such film from the director who has given us Children of Heaven. The simplicity of the film and the simplicity of cinematography are exemplary. Way the beauty of Iraq is captured is amazing. Each scene is aesthetic yet poignant. With minimal dialogues and no dialogues for the girl playing the title role it is quite an experimental film. If any one has noticed the film there are only on three instances that background score comes into play and during this time you will notice that we are watching a movie and not a documentary. They cast which was mostly non-professional actors looks authentic and spontaneous. The technical aspects are simple like an achievement. And last scene when rain (Baran) starts pouring down to fill the mark created by Baran's shoes is overwhelming.

To write about the director will be like undermining his work. In one word he is brilliant.

If you have not seen it you are completely missing one genre of films.

Swades (2004)

Can't ignore the movie.

[10/10 · 8 January 2005]

In an interview with Karan Johar Sanjay Leela Bhansali said that he would prefer Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar to Ashutosh and Farhan Akhtar. I personally that SLB is a very good director, but his statement does not makes sense to me. Anyways talking about Swades, one may like, don't like it, find it too preachy, too lengthy, too boring, may also find it not real or too realistic to digest, but it is one movie which no one can/should ignore.

Every thing about this movie is near perfect. The sense of hope and disappointment, the humor and tragedy and humor in tragedy, the hopelessness that nothing can be done and the strength evolving from that very hopelessness, the love as a strength and the love as shackle, the characters as hackneyed and the characters as individuals, the characters without motive and characters becoming motive. This movie is the epitome of irony and contradictions in our society. A movie, which tells that get up from the slumber that, we are in for centuries. It is as much for the Resident Indians as it Non Resident Indians. This movie says by all means come home for love but also come home for honour. All the marks to the Directors, Cast and Crew. And a special mention for the maestro A R Rahman. Who ever said that he is not happening must see this movie wherein he comes with the bang. He does not give the regular popular music but it adds to the punch of the movie and hits you in your guts. Especially the title song, which ironically does not appear with credits. Performance wise after seeing the movie I don't think SRK can be replaced with Amir. He seems to belong wherever he is. Gyatri Joshi makes a appearance in a flop but will go a long long way, not like Gracy Singh who is no where now after giving three hits. Other cast comprising of Rajesh Vivek, Dayashankar Pandey and Nanny is played to perfection and the sense of humor is evolved from the situations and not with the dialogues. The chemistry of SRK and GJ is exceptional. All credits to the director again. The dialogues are simple yet so very profound. And the journey of Mohan Bhargav to the peasant to get the rent and on his return purchasing water for 25 paisa summarizes the movie. I think no one would have directed that sequence better than AG.

Ultimately can be summarized from one of its own dialogue "Apne pani main ghul jana barf ka muqqadder hota hai". "Its destiny of ice to dissolve in its own water." Hope people do get message.

From me its 10/10if not more

The Fountainhead (1949)

Totally miscast and way off the mark in-terms of impact.

[4/10 · 1 December 2004]

I think is is the worst adaptation possible of the novel which changed the way million of people think. Most characters including Howard and Toohey are miscast. What on earth suggest makers to cast Gary Cooper. May be Miss Rand thought the power of the script will prevail over the casting but she must have realized after seeing the movie that novel and films are two different mediums. I think it went into a different territory of love and hate game and philosophy took the backseat. We see the philosophy only in between as filler wherein it is the soul of the novel. Also the antithesis of Howard which is Toohey has not been shown properly neither is Peter Keating. Most of the dialogs in the novel which establishes the character are missing. The opening conversation between dean and Howard has been shown just because it has been to be shown. The most important conversation of the novel is missing.

"Do you mean to tell me that you're thinking seriously of building that way, when and if you are an architect? "

" Yes "

" My dear fellow, who will let you? "

" That's not the point. The point is, who will stop me? "

Only part satisfying in the movie is the performance of the actors who played the character of Gail Wayand and Dominique.

So if you have read the novel and have very fond memories don't insult it by watching the movie. But if you are movie buff do see it to experience how genius is maligned.

*4/10. A star less because it made a mess of a really path breaking work.

Schindler's List (1993)

Any one who cares....

[10/10 · 20 November 2004]

Any one who care about Cinema in what so ever small manner and also who sympathize with people perished or survived in holocaust will do a great disfavor to themselves will if they do not go and watch this movie, may be to just get shocked. A brilliant camera work along with the print used in the accompanied with the most adequate lighting adds to the horror of the situation. The jarring camera work immediately transports us to that era of which we have only black and white memory. As far as the script is considered I think it will be much more than ten textbooks any one will read in script writing. Acting if Liam, Ralph and Ben have been most natural you will find in any kind of Cinema. It seems they never supposed that they were recorded on Camera. And finally coming to direction it is Most Brilliant. I just wish to be present at the point when Spielberg would have been explaining his scenes to his actors and the perfect coordination with the people at back ground and foreground. Some scenes such as small children's not more than the age of fine throwing stones at the Jew when they were moved to camps, the horror which women witness when they were moved to another camp and they apply there on blood on there cheeks to look radiant and young were beyond imagination and end I think is beyond what has ever been ever filmed. In every way it is a classic and much more. It is history in life.