Movie Review of Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire – One of the most talked about movie of today is simply an out an out entertainer with the golden touch of reality. It is a story about a teenager Jamal, who has been taught by life answers to just the questions that are hurled at him at the game show. He answers all 14 questions right,” but is been arrested on suspicion of cheating.
In his attempt to explain how he knew all of the answers, Jamal is forced to recall the sometimes painful memories from his childhood. And through a series of flashbacks the secrets of Jamal’s life unfolds, filled with hardships, a tough relationship with his brother Salim and his unwavering love for his childhood friend Latika. Apart from the hardship shown one can also take a note of Slumdog being one of the sweetest love stories with all the thrills possible.
The film is told through a series of flashbacks linking the jailed Jamal in the present with the hardships of his past. While Jamal’s love for Latika remains the center of the story throughout, the film never strays away from giving big helpings of reality and gut-wrentching drama. It is fluffy, somewhat implausible love story in one moment and real world tragedy in the next, keeping its audience engaged at every turn.

The film sees some spellbinding performances. It's not just Dev Patel, who plays the oldest avatar of Jamal, but also the other kids who play the younger versions of Jamal and Salim have done an excellent job. Anil Kapoor is just perfect as the crooked superstar and host of the show. Irrfan Khan radiates excellence too. Freida Pinto and Madhur Mittal – the oldest versions of Latika and Salim respectively, hardly have much screen space. But they are good in the small roles.

Danny Boyle the director has the perfect vision for how to deliver this story unto the screen. He displays an amazing feel for environment as character, Boyle delivers what his fans have come to expect which is throbbing music, jaunty editing, showy cinematography and when necessary, a delicate touch for the intimate moments. Technically, Slumdog Millionaire has got some of the most innovative camera work in recent times. The film's editor too deserves praises. And of course, the music by AR Rahman deserves all the praise that he has garnered.

Overall, it is really hard to find a fault in Slumdog Millionaire. This is definitely Danny Boyle's most competent job till this date. It definitely deserves every Oscar nomination it has bagged and stands to win some too.

Movie Review of Drona

DRONA is a big film in all respects -- big stars, big canvas, big expenditure on SFX, big ad spend, big expectations. Sadly, it's a big, big, big letdown as well.

Fantasy films are a rarity in Bollywood. The screenplay is a complete mess. What saddens your heart is the fact that the producers of DRONA, have spared no efforts in giving DRONA a spectacular look. The vision is perfect, but how about narrating an absorbing and attention-grabbing story? One would remember DRONA for its striking visuals, not storyline.
Although the makers have been maintaining all along that it's not about a superhero, the fact is, it is. In DRONA, the protagonist does everything that a superhero does. However, the lead character would only look more powerful if the anti-hero is equally authoritative. Surprisingly, the negative force here is more of a buffoon than a villain.

Dhruv Ghanekar's music is a big yawn. The tunes are listless and the placement of songs is equally jarring. Also, the length is a problem.The film goes on and on and after a point, it is difficult to bear it.
In a nutshell, DRONA disappoints.
DRONA rests on a thin plot, there's not much that director Goldie Behl can do to salvage the show. Yet, Goldie has executed two sequences with style. In fact, these two sequences stand out like an oasis in a desert. The first, when Kay Kay turns Jaya Bachchan into a statue. The second, the train sequence. Awe-inspiring sequences!
Sameer Arya's cinematography is, quite surprisingly, inconsistent this time. The lighting is too dark at places. The production design is innovative.

Jaya Bachchan is grace personified. The only regret is, she gets less footage. Abhishek does very well. He plays his part most convincingly. Priyanka's introduction is fantastic, but her 'Babuji kehte hain' dialogue gets on your nerves after a point. Kay Kay fails to impress. Navneet Nishan hams.

On the whole, DRONA lacks soul. At the box-office, the publicity blitzkrieg might ensure good returns in its opening 4-day weekend, but the cracks should start appearing sooner than expected, since the film fails to keep you hooked.

The Last Lear fails to impress the Audience

Rituparno Ghosh, one of the finest storytellers from Bengal, chooses Utpal Dutt's play 'Aajker Shahjahan' as the premise for his new endeavour "THE LAST LEAR". The plotline is the type that holds appeal for a miniscule section of audience.

The problem with THE LAST LEAR is that there's too much Shakespeare in the movie,which everyone cannot dissolve. Besides, all theatre themes may not hold good on cinematic level.

Yet, there's no denying that THE LAST LEAR has its share of engrossing moments. A few individualistic sequences are noteworthy as also the portrayal of characters by some prominent names. But that's not enough!

In a nutshell, THE LAST LEAR fails to connect. At best, it may find some patronage at Festivals, but there's nothing for Indian moviegoers.

Harry [Amitabh Bachchan] lives for acting, loves theatre, adores Shakespeare and absolutely detests cinema. Enter Siddharth [Arjun Rampal], a movie director. He is smart, Harry finds out in the very first meeting. He is glad to have found a cerebral partner to have a conversation with.

Slowly, they bond over coffees, vodka and conversations. Harry decides to work in Siddharth's film. New relationships blossom. But an incident changes everything…

Director Rituparno Ghosh's choice of the subject has its limitations. It's good to think different, but THE LAST LEAR is abstract. From the writing point of view, a number of points remain unexplained and even if they are, it's difficult to decipher.

Like, for instance, Shefali Shah's hatred for Preity is unexplainable. Also, the accident and the aftermath lack clarity. Why does Arjun want a retake? Why does he want Amitabh to perform the death-defying jump all over again? This, when he knows that Amitabh can't see without his glasses. This and many more questiopns remains unanswered.

Amitabh Bachchan is the life of THE LAST LEAR. But it's definitely not his best performance so far. The actor has delivered stronger performances in the past. He's good, not great. Arjun is evolving into a fine actor. After ROCK ON!!, this is another performance that would fetch Arjun laurels. Preity is very effective. Shefali Shah is superb. Divya Dutta is wasted. Prosenjit is alright. Jishu impresses.

On the whole, THE LAST LEAR has something for the Festival circuit, but nothing for the cinema-going audience in India.