Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is a very well directed movie about 3 grown ups who are friends since school days, but now lead their own different lives. Now, one among them is getting married and they decide to go on a trip to Spain before his marriage. On this trip they will participate in 3 adventure sports, each of each ones choice. However, it might sound like The Hangover, but it is not. It is a drama movie not comedy.
This however is not the real story. Although, this is the story for almost 3/4th of the movie but the real story is revealed in the final 1/4th of the movie. Now, this real story would not have been gripping if it has been stretched for 3 hours. Hence, the dirctor very cleverly conceals this real story till the last and fills most of the movie with a story line which is not going anywhere but at the same time is even stopping the audience form going anywhere. Then, at last when the real story is revealed the audience is mesmerized, as it is no doubt very interesting, when compressed, and gives a sudden spike in the otherwise flat story line. Finally Zoya Akhtar manages to win everyone's hearts by justifying the title at the last scene and making everyone forget about the beggining. All everyone ever remembers after leaving the theater is the last 1/4th of the movie. A must to watch:
Direction: This is one of the best directed movies I have ever seen. Zoya Akhtar had a plan, which could have backfired on her disastrously (what if the first would have been so boring, due to the flat stroy line, that the audience would not have waited for the second half), she took the risk, and it paid out surprisingly well in the end. Stupendous job Zoya.
Performances: Everyone has done a good job, especially Kalki Koechlin. It is not easy being an amateur and making your presence felt against the big names. A thing she has done so well that you can not help noticing her.
Music: Be it the songs or the background music, you will most definitely like it. At a few places here and there you might feel it a bit meager, like at one place there is a tune of "Saare Jahaan Se Achcha, Hindustan Hamaara" being used without any real need.
Thing which might disappoint you:
Sound Mixing: This has not been quite as good. There are times when you can not hear the dialogues over the music.
Overall it is a very cool movie, which can be viewed be any audience without much contempt. Hence, I rate it as follows:
Entertainment rating: 3.5
Critics raing: 3
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Movie Review
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 continues the journey of Harry and his friends (Ron and Hermione) in search of more of The Dark Lord's horcruxes, finally ending with the final battle between Harry Potter and The Dark Lord.
Now this movie is very much like it's predecessor i.e. Adventurous and Thrilling. Although still not as good as the novel but it does keep the story identical, with a few changes here and there in order to save time and to create dramatization. It also contains a few humor not present in the novel, but it works well at times when there are long and monotonous conversations. As the previous chapter this too focusses a lot on Harry, Ron and Hermione and the rest of the characters have a very limited role which they have done well. Hence, the positives:
1. Performances: Everyone has played their part well, no doubt, the stakes are always high for Harry Potter movies but they were much higher for the last chapter and everyone has given their 100% to it.
2. Screenplay: Screenplay was very well written. As it is always very difficult when you are writting an adapted screenplay, the writer took great care not to change the story too much compared to the novel and still managed to create a lot more thrill in the action sequences.
3. Cinematography: This is the department in which the 3D was evident. The camera angles in not only the action sequences but also in the much stable scenes was kept such that the whole set must be visible giving details about the distances.
4. Art Direction and Set Decoration: Thanks to the 3D and the amazing cinematography the sets just awed the audience. May it be the Gringott's vault or Hogwart's Room of Requirement, very hard work was done create those sets.
5. Costume Design: The wizard robes have always earned a lot of admirarion and this time was no different.
6. Sound Mixing: It was good, if not brilliant. You can distinguish between the sounds well and the infusion created sound not noise.
Negatives:
1. Background music: I think the background music was not very catchy. I hoped that they will use the famous theme more. But it seems that they have intentionally kept it constrained, due to the reasons unknown.
2. 3D Effects: 3D effects were not used to even half their ability. There were such scenes in the movie which could have made it to the top of the list of the best scenes ever, if only........
Overall it was an amazing watch for both, the people who have read the novel or those who have not. Although those who have read the novel might like to remember the novel rather than the movie, but it is expected isn't it. After all which of the last 7 movies have stood up to the standards of the novels. Therefore, I rate it as follows:
Entertainment rating: 4
Critics rating: 4
Now this movie is very much like it's predecessor i.e. Adventurous and Thrilling. Although still not as good as the novel but it does keep the story identical, with a few changes here and there in order to save time and to create dramatization. It also contains a few humor not present in the novel, but it works well at times when there are long and monotonous conversations. As the previous chapter this too focusses a lot on Harry, Ron and Hermione and the rest of the characters have a very limited role which they have done well. Hence, the positives:
1. Performances: Everyone has played their part well, no doubt, the stakes are always high for Harry Potter movies but they were much higher for the last chapter and everyone has given their 100% to it.
2. Screenplay: Screenplay was very well written. As it is always very difficult when you are writting an adapted screenplay, the writer took great care not to change the story too much compared to the novel and still managed to create a lot more thrill in the action sequences.
3. Cinematography: This is the department in which the 3D was evident. The camera angles in not only the action sequences but also in the much stable scenes was kept such that the whole set must be visible giving details about the distances.
4. Art Direction and Set Decoration: Thanks to the 3D and the amazing cinematography the sets just awed the audience. May it be the Gringott's vault or Hogwart's Room of Requirement, very hard work was done create those sets.
5. Costume Design: The wizard robes have always earned a lot of admirarion and this time was no different.
6. Sound Mixing: It was good, if not brilliant. You can distinguish between the sounds well and the infusion created sound not noise.
Negatives:
1. Background music: I think the background music was not very catchy. I hoped that they will use the famous theme more. But it seems that they have intentionally kept it constrained, due to the reasons unknown.
2. 3D Effects: 3D effects were not used to even half their ability. There were such scenes in the movie which could have made it to the top of the list of the best scenes ever, if only........
Overall it was an amazing watch for both, the people who have read the novel or those who have not. Although those who have read the novel might like to remember the novel rather than the movie, but it is expected isn't it. After all which of the last 7 movies have stood up to the standards of the novels. Therefore, I rate it as follows:
Entertainment rating: 4
Critics rating: 4
Monday, July 4, 2011
Transformers: Dark of the Moon Movie Review
Transformers: Dark of the Moon is a pure entertainment movie with a very gripping story line having lots of twists and turns. Two or three times you will feel that this is the climax and now what remains is the anticlimax, but not long after you will start feeling the building up to another greater climax. It is this build up which is the most impressive part of the movie. It keeps the audience gripped to their seats for the complete 157 minutes i.e. two and a half hours. A long time to sit on one chair with just one break, but it is the craftiness of the story line by virtue of which you enjoy that chair and don’t want to leave it even when the movie is over.
Highlights:
Story line/Plot: Too good, it is much better than the last part. A few new characters have been introduced and each and every one of them plays a very crucial role in thickening the plot.
Sound Mixing: As always, the sound mixing was brilliant again. Thanks to lot of action sequences there was ample amount work in that department’s plate, which they performed quite nicely.
Background Score: It was good but could have been better as a few tunes during the action sequences were not very impressive. But then a person starts to wonder just how many tunes can be composed. And if some are not up to the mark, I think we should still give the department some credit.
Lowlights:
Performances: Here I am talking about the humans and not the Transformers. The transformers did a great job but their human counterparts (heroes, as well as villains) were not up to the same standard.
3D effects: This was disappointing, considering how many animated actions scenes were there which could have been made breath taking just by adding some special effects, but that touch was missing. The beginning witnessed some nice effects but they were lost pretty soon.
Overall it is a very entertaining movie and there is not much for the critics to criticize either. I rate it as follows:
Entertainment rating: 4.5
Critics rating: 3.5
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