Deepanjana Pal
Firstpost·ScoopWhoop·Firstpost.Bollywood
Neerja
2016 · ScoopWhoop · Feb 2016
True to tradition, Neerja loses a little of its steam after interval, but it continues to be tense until the climax. After that, it seems as though Qadras couldn't figure out how to end the film and so, Neerja makes some concerted attempts at pulling the heartstrings and stretching the film's runtime to two hours.
Shaandaar
2015 · Firstpost · Oct 2015
With all this against them, it's to the cast's credit that Shaandaar isn't unwatchable. Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt look gorgeous and do their best to keep you entertained with their easy delivery and sharp dance moves. However, the two are entirely unconvincing as a couple, unless love in 21st century India is made up of chaste distances and inane chatter.
Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2
2015 · Firstpost · Oct 2015
...thinks the only way to get laughs is by making the women ridiculous. The film promotes prejudice and camouflaged in its 'insights' are offensive stereotypes that you'd hope modern India would want to shatter rather than reinforce. It makes you wonder just what sort of romantic trauma was survived by those who made, supported and produced this film.
The Walk
2015 · Firstpost · Oct 2015
For those who know the Twin Towers only as crumbled tombstones made of smoke and tragedy, The Walk is a tour of those buildings as they were originally and as they were meant to be. To see them up close, watch The Walk. But to know what the madness and passion they inspired, find a DVD of Man on Wire.
Jazbaa
2015 · Firstpost · Oct 2015
Gupta takes the plot of the Korean film Seven Days, but there's none of the tension or ambivalence that has made South Korean crime thrillers so distinctive and popular. The director appears to think that panoramic shots of Mumbai as seen through Instagram will make up for a slack script and absurd lapses in logic.
Singh Is Bling
2015 · Firstpost · Oct 2015
That said, there isn't much by way of a plot or storytelling in this film. It's essentially a set of well-written comic sketches, featuring recurring characters. There's nothing evolved or sophisticated about this film, but that doesn't mean it's not worth a watch. Singh is Bliing is — and it might be just what the doctor ordered to lift your spirits after watching Talvar.
Talvar
2015 · Firstpost · Oct 2015
Vishal Bharadwaj's retelling of the Aarushi-Hemraj murders will leave you shaken and heartbroken...
The Martian
2015 · Firstpost · Oct 2015
Despite being a fanatsy, this Ridley Scott film doesn't feel fictional for a moment...
Kis Kisko Pyaar Karu
2015 · Firstpost · Sep 2015
For the price of a movie ticket, you will be whooshed back to 1990s' Bollywood. From tacky fashion to mansplaining, KKPK has everything that made the Nineties such a ghastly decade in Indian popular culture. The movie will make you say a prayer of thanks that we've left that era behind... until that awful moment when you realise this film was shot in 2014, has been released in 2015 and yet proudly declares that women need marriage like Kapil Sharma needs lip balm. That is, desperately.
Katti Batti
2015 · Firstpost · Sep 2015
Everyone's a lunatic in this boring love story with Kangana and Imran...
MSG-2 The Messenger
2015 · Firstpost · Sep 2015
I walked out of MSG – Messenger of God because to consider it worthy of being reviewed offended my sensibilities. Not because I'm Bengali (our sensibilities are notoriously delicate and sophisticated) but because I have a functioning brain and I know the difference between cinema and propaganda.
Meeruthiya Gangsters
2015 · Firstpost · Sep 2015
Partly because of the script and partly because of the editing, Meeruthiya Gangster moves forward awkwardly and unevenly... If coherence isn't something you require from a film, then Meeruthiya Gangsters ambles along from crime to crime with stopovers in bars for some ear-shattering songs.
Black Mass
2015 · Firstpost · Sep 2015
Black Mass ends up being a forgettable film, with only Depp's unnervingly artificial and lifeless face lingering in memory like the dregs of a nightmare. Go pick up a DVD of The Departed instead and you'll get a better sense of why Whitey Bulger spawned a legend.
Hero
2015 · Firstpost · Sep 2015
It's difficult to say what debutants Pancholi and Shetty are capable of because Advani's remake of Subhash Ghai's Hero starts off as awful and ends as boring. There are about two genuinely emotional moments in the film's 131 minutes.
Welcome Back
2015 · Firstpost · Sep 2015
At 153 minutes, Welcome Back is just a shade too long and the ending is a sandstorm of stupidity. But you'll forgive Bazmee and gang because for at least 120 minutes, this comedy keeps you in splits. Welcome Back might be 2015's silliest film and this is the best reason to watch it. After all, when was the last time you came out of the cinema giggling?
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
2015 · Firstpost · Aug 2015
U.N.C.L.E is a wicked, entertaining ride that zips around all the cliches -- the stoic, brutish Russian; the lecherous Italian; the icy villainess; the smooth-talking spy, and so on. To dismiss it as a spoof of spy films is doing it injustice. U.N.C.L.E is too fun, lavish and beautiful to be a spoof. However, those who expect modern pizzazz from Ritchie may be disappointed. This is a nostalgia trip to the age when Hollywood films dared to dismiss realism and embrace the absurd, stylishly.
Phantom
2015 · Firstpost · Aug 2015
Considering how Phantom cheerfully borrows from real life and makes no bones about ISI being in cahoots with Lashkar-e-Taiba, it isn't surprising that the film isn't being shown in Pakistan. However, considering just how much of a bore Phantom is, for once the Pakistani courts may just have done our neighbours a favour.
Manjhi: The Mountain Man
2015 · Firstpost · Aug 2015
...a film that is so comprehensively artificial that you'll forget Dashrath Manjhi was a real man and that his is a true story.
Brothers
2015 · Firstpost · Aug 2015
A few more films like Brothers and Bollywood will have achieved what no amount of litigation can manage — the freedom to copy freely. Because if Gavin O'Connor, who directed and co-wrote Warrior, ever sees how his story has been brutalised, he might just go on a campaign claiming that intellectual property rights be damned, Hollywood is better off not being associated with Bollywood remakes.
Bangistan
2015 · Firstpost · Aug 2015
Of all the Bollywood films that have explored fanaticism, Bangistan the one most lacking in courage and insight. Unless someone from behind the scenes speaks up, we'll never know why it's such a confused mess. However, it's clear that an irreverent comedy was mangled and manipulated to become an earnest lecture on harmony — not because the story demanded it, but because someone didn't have the guts to crack jokes and poke fun at fanatics. And so, a decent premise was blown up. That is the real tragedy of Bangistan.
Drishyam
2015 · Firstpost · Jul 2015
Handicapped by its stars, Kamat ends up making a decent film that doesn't live up to its potential, lacks wow moments and seems too long at 163 minutes. And that's a shame, because there's a good story and an intelligent adaptation hidden out of sight in Drishyam.
Masaan
2015 · Firstpost · Jul 2015
...while it may not be flawless, Masaan is moving and for the duration of the film, it makes you forget everything but the world in which it is set.
I Love New Year
2015 · Firstpost · Jul 2015
In a word, I Love NY is ghastly. It's shoddily shot, terribly dubbed and saddled with an absolutely rubbish screenplay. Ranaut's rise to stardom has made many want to cash in on her fame. Tanu Weds Manu Returns is a prime example. However, TWMR, for all its flaws, respected Ranaut as an actress and gave her ample opportunity to show off her talent. I Love NY, in contrast, exploits Ranaut's fame and is ultimately damaging. It's so bad that you forget Ranaut can act.
Minions
2015 · Firstpost · Jul 2015
Minions isn't interested in provoking anything — neither ideas nor emotion. It would like to bombard you with yellow to the point where you switch your brain off and slump in the cinema. At least that way you can distract yourself from the fact that you bought into the publicity machine and paid for a thoroughly uninspired and dull movie.
Bāhubali: The Beginning
2015 · Firstpost · Jul 2015
With hunky heroes and great battle scenes, SS Rajamouli's fantasy film is epic...
Labour of Love
2015 · Firstpost · Jun 2015
From the storytelling point of view, the end of Labour of Love is a frustrating and critical misstep because it takes a gorgeously promising film and turns it into a disappointment. Still, despite this, Labour of Love is memorable, mostly for its sensitive cinematography, but also because Sengupta was brave to trust his camera, actors and soundscape to tell a story. Labour of Love is quintessentially arty, but this time around, it's not a bad thing.
Spy
2015 · Firstpost · Jun 2015
If there's any complaint to be made about Spy, then it is that there should have been more of Statham and McCarthy. We could watch them go at each other for hours. Here's hoping there's a sequel.
Jurassic World
2015 · Firstpost · Jun 2015
There's a lot to marvel at in Colin Trevorrow's Jurassic World -- like Irrfan Khan's strangely-accented English, the way Bryce Dallas Howard sprints through jungles in high heels without ever stumbling, and the countless cliches that litter the path to the film's ginormous climax. Trevorrow's film brings back the dinosaurs and they are better than ever...
Dil Dhadakne Do
2015 · Firstpost · Jun 2015
For those who like the glossy world of fiction that was Akhtar's terrain in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Dil Dhadakne Do may be just the lavish fix you want. If you're a fan of Luck By Chance, however, you may find yourself shedding a tear as you long for the director who so skilfully blended wickedness, style and insight into a heady, charming mix.
Kaaka Muttai
2015 · Firstpost · Jun 2015
These are difficult decisions for parents to make, but rest assured that if you are brave enough to take your young adult offspring to see this film, they will probably have a blast and come out just a little wiser. Just like the adults who have the good sense to watch Kaakka Muttai. Don't miss this film. If not for anything else, then because Little Crow's Egg's cheeky grin is a treasure you'll store in your memories long after you've left the theatre.
San Andreas
2015 · Firstpost · May 2015
There was actually more suspense in Frank Hoogerbeets' prophecy about a 9.8 earthquake in California, which went viral yesterday. "Have an escape plan ready," Hoogerbeets advised in his video — just as Giamatti's Hayes does in the film — and it's not a bad idea if you've bought tickets for San Andreas.
Tanu Weds Manu: Returns
2015 · Firstpost · May 2015
... for all the magic that is Ranaut, Tanu Weds Manu Returns is a blathering mess. It's as lazy as most of bad Bollywood. Resting upon Ranaut's talent and appeal, Rai and Sharma figure they need nothing more than picturise a few catchy songs. Why bother with a story that actually makes sense? There's no need. Keep it stupid, put in a few pro-woman slogans because that's what sells these days, and let Ranaut's popularity do the rest.
Tomorrowland
2015 · Firstpost · May 2015
You don't want to go on this ride, even if it is with George Clooney...Tomorrowland looks like an newly-rented apartment that is yet to be furnished. Supposedly created by the most brilliant, there's no sign of genius or idiosyncrasy in the characterless and charmless cityscape. It looks like a facade that has nothing beyond it.
Bombay Velvet
2015 · Firstpost · May 2015
Ultimately, Bombay Velvet is a thoroughly disappointing and frustrating film. There are some powerful ideas that have been lain to waste here, like the journalistic rivalry between Khambatta and Mistry, the subtle insertion and acceptance of a certain kind of criminal into 'polite' society, and the impact of violence on a person's worldview. This should have been a film that seduced us with its beauty and then savaged us cruelly. Instead, we're victims of a lavish boredom. By the time the last bullet is fired, all you can feel is relief that Bombay Velvet is over.
Mad Max: Fury Road
2015 · Firstpost · May 2015
With Mad Max: Fury Road, Miller shows that if done right, even the most crassly commercial of genres can be powerful, idealistic and cinematic. Action can be nuanced without losing its fun elements. Sure, it might take 30 years to come together, but by George, Miller's done it.
Piku
2015 · Firstpost · May 2015
And that's Chaturvedi's real talent: her writing never gets bogged down in seriousness even while dealing with serious issues. She successfully explores ponderous concepts, but through sparkling conversations about bowel movements. Piku is great fun. It's filled with laughter and so much motion as well as emotion that you will want to watch it again the moment you come out.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
2015 · Firstpost · Apr 2015
A quintessential superhero movie that begins with a bang and ends with a boom...For all its bittersweetness, there's a lot of fun to be had in Age of Ultron.
Margarita, with a Straw
2015 · Firstpost · Apr 2015
Kalki Koechlin is brilliant in this flawed yet heartfelt film... Ultimately, Margarita With A Straw is a film with a lot of heart and a powerful performance from Koechlin, but you can't help feeling that Laila deserved better.
Court
2015 · Firstpost · Apr 2015
In many ways, its aesthetics and idealism make Court feel reminiscent of Indian parallel cinema of the 1970s. However, Tamhane's storytelling is distinctively contemporary and he's careful to ensure Court doesn't become preachy, self-indulgent or slow (standard problems that make so many Indian parallel film classics seem dated today). Perhaps one of the more depressing aspects of placing Court in the chronology of Indian cinema is realising that Tamhane's film belongs to a tradition of cinematic dissent that couldn't pierce our apathy as a society.
Dharam Sankat Mein
2015 · Firstpost · Apr 2015
Dharam Sankat Mein has many, many flaws, not the least of which are incredible plot twists (particularly at the end) and the ghastly performances delivered by the actors playing Dharam's wife and son. While it keeps the audience hooked until interval, the second half of the film meanders into listlessness and struggles to keep up the energetic pace it had initially.
Detective Byomkesh Bakshy
2015 · Firstpost · Apr 2015
At the end of Detective Byomkesh Bakshy, Banerjee dangles the possibility of a sequel, which is an uplifting thought. It would be wonderful to return to the world that Banerjee created and perhaps the next time round, there won't be the flaws that pockmark this film. Stylish, beautiful, but also underwhelming...
The Gunman
2015 · Firstpost · Mar 2015
Despite having a mere three scenes in The Gunman, Bardem is the only one in the film who brings some personality to the movie. He plays a swaying drunk, who always holds a glass full of delicious pain-relieving liquid. If you find yourself watching this film, you'd certainly need some of that stuff from his glass.
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
2015 · Firstpost · Mar 2015
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is just what the doctor ordered if you want a simple, feelgood film. That's remarkable when you keep in mind that most of the characters are basically just waiting to die in this story. Yet, there's no sadness here. At its gloomiest, a tinge of wistfulness dulls the Technicolor, Indian fantasy that Madden and his team have created. But those moments are brief and what The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel remind us is that so long as you're alive, there's a life to be lived and enjoyed.
Cinderella
2015 · Firstpost · Mar 2015
Ironically, the motto that Ella in Cinderella lives by is, "Have courage and be kind." Had Brannagh found some courage with his storytelling, he would have shown kindness to audiences who walk in to Cinderella hoping for Brannagh's storytelling skills and instead get old-fashioned slop that's so unimaginative that it borders on offensive. Parents, don't take your daughters to see this one, even if it is a Disney film.
Focus
2015 · Firstpost · Mar 2015
Focus isn't dazzling, but it has a few fun moments, one of which is a masterclass in conning that Nicky gives Jess early on in the film. Smith moves with balletic smoothness as he delivers a variation of Robbins's TED talk. It's elegantly executed, but you know it's a performance, aided by clever camerawork and a production crew that will make things appear as and when Smith needs them to do so.
NH10
2015 · Firstpost · Mar 2015
NH10 was not an easy film to make and it isn't an easy film to watch, but give it five minutes, and it will suck you into its menace-riddled story. A thoroughly average idea and a flawed script add up to a gripping experience, thanks to Singh's direction, Merchant's editing and Sharma's acting. That's rare, particularly in Bollywood.
Badlapur
2015 · Firstpost · Feb 2015
The tempo does pick up after the interval, but at the expense of logic and it isn't enough to whip up our flagging interest in Raghu and Liak. Part of the problem is that there is no tension in Badlapur. Liak and Raghu circle each other from safe distances. There's no threat to Liak's life or to that of anyone he cares about. Raghu's actions become increasingly illogical and his motivations become difficult to fathom. The last part is intentional, but it doesn't help to hold the attention of an audience that cares less and less for Raghu.
Wild
2015 · Firstpost · Feb 2015
Considering how much fun Strayed's memoir is, the monotony of Vallée's film adaptation should make you want to scream like Witherspoon does when we first meet her. However, even that feels like too much effort. There's nothing wrong with Wild. It's just not moving enough and you don't sense enough of Cheryl's wildness. Instead, Wild just ends up feeling, well, tame.
Shamitabh
2015 · Firstpost · Feb 2015
...despite the flawed writing, Dhanush and Bachchan make Shamitabh a pleasant enough outing to the movies.
Baby
2015 · Firstpost · Jan 2015
While Baby is not a bad film, particularly by Bollywood standards, it is manipulative, ill-informed and lazily written. Its admiration and advocacy of violence is juvenile at best and irresponsible at worst. That said, Pandey, who is credited with story, script and direction, did have the good sense to show us that not all Muslims are terrorists, whether in India or anywhere else.
Dolly Ki Doli
2015 · Firstpost · Jan 2015
Left to the pretty faces, a film that could have been a charming caper ends up to be a simple disappointment.
Paddington
2015 · Firstpost · Jan 2015
He's small, furry, has a marmalade addiction and the star of a must-watch film. There's hope yet for this world, so get yourself a marmalade sandwich and watch Paddington.
I
2015 · Firstpost · Jan 2015
I is too long, too stupid and too regressive to be entertaining. If you're determined to watch it, make sure you see the Tamil original and not the awkward, Hindi-dubbed version, regardless of whether or not you understand Tamil. It's a little longer than the Hindi, but infinitely more fun, especially if you're with Shankar and/or Vikram fans. The wiser option, however, would be to wait for someone to put I's best moments on YouTube.
American Sniper
2015 · Firstpost · Jan 2015
...it's a gripping film, but an uncomfortable one. Watch it for Cooper's powerful acting performance and liberals, don't beat yourself up if it takes till the end for you to realize Eastwood conned you into caring for a messed-up man with a bloodlust.
The Imitation Game
2015 · Firstpost · Jan 2015
The Imitation Game is blessed to have a supporting cast with actors like Mark Strong who are able to rally around the hybrid of Sherlock and Turing that Cumberbatch plays. The acting and editing lift this film out of mediocrity, but just barely.
Big Eyes
2015 · Firstpost · Jan 2015
The real disappointment of Big Eyes is Burton himself, and that's reason enough for many of us to look as miserable as the waifs that Margaret painted....The real disappointment of Big Eyes is Burton himself, and that's reason enough for many of us to look as miserable as the waifs that Margaret painted.
Tevar
2015 · Firstpost · Jan 2015
It'll be interesting to see whether the audiences lap up this exotic piece of rubbish that Sharma has dished up to them, packaged as it is in big-budget fanciness. If they do, then clearly the pundits who go on and on about a new era have it all wrong. You can take India out of the '80s, but you can't take the '80s out of India.
Ugly
2014 · Firstpost · Dec 2014
Ugly is a disappointment, not just because it's a whodunit that sinks like a badly-made souffle but also because we expect better and more of Kashyap. Of him, we expect more taut storytelling, greater sensitivity in characterisation, as well as more originality and insight.
PK
2014 · Firstpost · Dec 2014
On the face of it, PK is a simple, sweet family entertainer that has its heart in the right place and wants everyone to live happily ever after. It's also one of the braver films we've seen from commercial Bollywood because of Hirani doesn't shy away from pointing a steady finger at those who would inflame communal tensions for petty, personal gain. Somewhere under Hirani's seemingly sweet and harmless exterior, is an angry, disappointed and disillusioned man. He doesn't appear in the film promotions, but he's the one making the films in which people take on the ugliness of the real world and defeat it. Their weapon of choice: optimism that just won't give up, no matter how messed up everything may be. However, it's telling that the one who wields that weapon in PK is an alien who just wants to get off this planet.
Lingaa
2014 · Firstpost · Dec 2014
Lingaa is not a good film. Rajni films rarely are. But like so many of them, Lingaa is entirely aware of how silly it is and rejoices in this. That's what makes them so much fun to watch. I for one am planning to watch the film again just for the subtitles. To quote the film, "Hey Lingaa, let's jinga-ling."
Action Jackson
2014 · Firstpost · Dec 2014
Do yourself and those around you a favour: watch Action Jackson only if you have a free ticket or want to punish yourself. Perhaps if this film doesn't make an obscene amount of money, Prabhudheva will be forced to respect his audience a little.
Exodus: Gods and Kings
2014 · Firstpost · Dec 2014
God is an 11-year-old boy and Moses is an orange bore...
Ungli
2014 · Firstpost · Nov 2014
Much like the middle finger salute, however, Ungli ends up to be a rather pointless and forgettable gesture.
Boyhood
2014 · Firstpost · Nov 2014
Boyhood is a long, meandering film, but it's masterful and elegant. Time ticks away and with every scene, your curiosity about what lies ahead for Mason intensifies. By the end of the film, the rest of Mason's life has begun and we're longing to be part of it all over again.
Gone Girl
2014 · Firstpost · Oct 2014
Gone Girl will hold your attention for its lengthy running time, but whether you'll laugh it off as chauvinistic pulp or be haunted by it depends on how much the idea of an intelligent woman scares you. If this film is any indication, she's the stuff of Fincher's nightmares.
Bang Bang!
2014 · Firstpost · Oct 2014
Bang Bang! shows you the lengths that a woman has to go to convince an Indian man to make love to her. Silver lining: few men or women are as stupid as Rajveer, Harleen, so there's hope yet for the rest of us.
Haider
2014 · Firstpost · Oct 2014
Haider is a moving film that tells the story of not just a character or a family, but of Kashmir itself. ...It may ultimately leave you dissatisfied and heartbroken, but just for the first half, Haider is worth watching again and again.
Khoobsurat
2014 · Firstpost · Sep 2014
For the second time in months, Bollywood has turned the tables to great effect by making a hero play the part that was traditionally reserved for women. We heartily approve. As heroines have argued over the years, it isn't demeaning to be an important and beautiful prop when the character is written and performed well. With actors like Khan in the mix, there may yet be hope for the Indian romantic comedy.
Daawat-e-Ishq
2014 · Firstpost · Sep 2014
Despite honourable intentions, all Faisal has done with Daawat-e-Ishq is brought every paranoid chauvinist's nightmares to life on celluloid.
Khubsoorat
1980 · Firstpost · Sep 2014
There's a lot that's painfully unmodern in Khoobsurat and depending on your background, it will feel either ridiculously old-fashioned or sadly constant.
Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost
2015 · Firstpost · Sep 2014
Qissa is far less dense and a simpler narrative. Despite losing its way in parts, it's a thought-provoking film that looks beautiful and has some superb acting performances by Dugal, Shome, Khan and Chopra. That isn't enough to make Qissa satisfying, but it does leave you haunted by the questions that riddle Kanwar, Neeli, Mehar and Umber's stories.
Mary Kom
2014 · Firstpost · Sep 2014
Omung Kumar's Mary Kom is a bland film that quickly becomes boring because there's no tension in the story. But it has Priyanka Chopra. That was enough for those who financed the film because they believe that's all you, the audience, want. Perhaps it will be enough for you too, but if you're interested in Kom's real story, read Unbreakable.
Katiyabaaz
2014 · Firstpost · Aug 2014
Katiyabaaz is a beautifully-shot documentary that tells Kanpur's story with great sensitivity and wit. The years spent on the project have allowed the directors to film some fantastic sequences, like the violence that erupts on the streets one night when a large part of the city loses electricity. Small-town India at its electric, despairing best...
The Giver
2014 · Firstpost · Aug 2014
By the time The Giver ends, you can completely relate to why the Elders didn't want the Communities to have any memory. We'd definitely be happier if we could forget The Giver had been made.
Into the Storm
2014 · Firstpost · Aug 2014
The point of The Hundred-Foot Journey is to give the viewer a tasting menu that covers everything from heartwarming home cooking to molecular gastronomy (which according to this film is just strange-looking, soulless food rather than the crazy, magical experience that the cuisine actually offers when it's done expertly). However, without Mirren and Puri to keep things fresh, The Hundred-Foot Journey ends up feeling like a banquet made of leftovers that's going on for entirely too long.
Entertainment
2014 · Firstpost · Aug 2014
Akshay's film is mind-numbingly stupid, full of cliches...It says a lot about how starved for real entertainment this country is when Entertainment, with its stale jokes and stupidity, gets a laugh.
Lucy
2014 · Firstpost · Aug 2014
The problem with Lucy is that Besson's suggestion that the unlocked intellect will turn us into superheroes doesn't feel entirely credible. The science he lays out in the film and what happens to Lucy feel a little out of sync. You could perhaps still, with a pinch of CPH4, believe Lucy can control everything from gravity to another person's musculature. However, when electric cables start shooting out of her and she travels back in time to touch digits with an ape like in Creation of Adam, it becomes difficult to take the film seriously.
Hercules
2014 · Firstpost · Aug 2014
While Hercules isn't unwatchable, it is disappointing because an action spectacle like this one has no business being boring. You're better off imagining what adventures could await Hercules and Singham if they did actually join biceps.
Kick
2014 · Firstpost · Jul 2014
Zero paisa vasool in Salman Khan's spectacularly dull film...
The Grand Budapest Hotel
2014 · Firstpost · Jul 2014
A perfect little gem in an imperfect world...
Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania
2014 · Firstpost · Jul 2014
For most part, Humpty Sharma ki Dulhania is a fun, but bland and forgettable film. Its real failure is that this tribute to DDLJ doesn't have any characters or moments that stay with you. In its time, DDLJ was filled with clichés too, but it packaged them in situations that made them endearing, memorable and new. Humpty Sharma ki Dulhania, to quote one of the film's better lines, is a "100% original fake" and you can't help wondering, for all its laughs, why anyone bothered to make this film when re-runs of DDLJ exist.
Bobby Jasoos
2014 · Firstpost · Jul 2014
In short, Bobby's the sort of girl with whom you can't help but fall in love. So go see Bobby Jasoos. With a little help from her friends and family, she'll make you happier than you've felt in ages.
The Fault in Our Stars
2014 · Firstpost · Jul 2014
...lacks the directorial vision that would have translated the sweet, geeky charm of the book. The lines that read smoothly sound clumsy when spoken. The fault doesn't lie in the words. The most un-normal of dialogues and conversations can become magical, but it takes a talented director and a superb cast to make the weird wonderful. Unfortunately, The Fault in Our Stars isn't so lucky.
Humshakals
2014 · Firstpost · Jun 2014
If you're thinking of watching Humshakals, here's a suggestion. Don't do it. There are better things you can do with your money and being swallowed alive by a python is less excruciating than watching Sajid Khan's latest attempt at making a movie.
The World Before Her
2014 · Firstpost · Jun 2014
The power of The World Before Her is its sensitive alertness to how these two very different platforms for Indian women both appear to be rotten planks. For all their apparent differences, Durga Vahini and Miss India have a lot in common. Whether in India or Bharat, it seems all anyone wants to do with women is mould them while pretending to empower them.
Bewakoofiyaan
2014 · Firstpost · Mar 2014
Bewakoofiyan is like the strapless bra -- a good idea in theory but in practice, pointless and uncomfortable. Ladies in particular, go watch Queen instead.
Nebraska
2014 · Firstpost · Feb 2014
Bob Nelson's script is a beautifully-crafted journey that doesn't rush into anything. Nebraska unfolds elegantly, steadily and slowly. Sharply witty in parts, this is a tender, loving film. Filled with imperfect characters, almost every one of them has an arc.
Shaadi Ke Side Effects
2014 · Firstpost · Feb 2014
Chaudhary's script doesn't have any of the maturity that real life demands of a married couple. Despite having two actors who are happily married in real life, what Shaadi... gives us is a portrait of a resoundingly unhappy marriage between two people who have just one flash of passionate chemistry right at the start of the film. After that, it's just unhappily ever after.
Gulabi Gang
2014 · Firstpost · Feb 2014
Gulabi Gang is a documentary that you should watch with Google at hand. It's not comprehensive because Jain doesn't delve into either Pal's own history or the beginnings of Gulabi Gang. Neither does it provide a particularly in-depth understand of Bundelkhand's social hierarchies. The villages in the documentary could have been in any part of north or central India. But Gulabi Gang does an offer a glimpse into why Pal, with her ego and her confidence, is such a hero to those who commit to the pink sari: she's one of the few women who are committed to fighting for other women and the oppressed.
Pompeii
2014 · Firstpost · Feb 2014
Pompeii is a disaster movie, so it's not as though anyone should expect much by way of logic or narrative, but you do expect some spectacles.
The Lego Movie
2014 · Firstpost · Feb 2014
The message in The Lego Movie is simple: if you haven't built things using Lego, you haven't lived. For those whose childhood doesn't include a Lego set, the good news is that you're never too old to start with Lego. The Lego Movie is pure joy made out of colourful, interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of minifigures and other parts.
One By Two
2014 · Firstpost · Jan 2014
One By Two offers one of the least insightful and most shallow portraits of India's urban youth. If the upcoming generation of Indian men is really like the ones in the film, I predict a sharp and dramatic rise in the country's lesbian population in the next census survey.
12 Years a Slave
2014 · Firstpost · Jan 2014
...Why watch an overwhelmingly sad film about a man who spends 12 years as a slave in faraway America, back in the 19th century? What does it matter to you and me here in India? Why suffer more than two hours of a cinematic lecture about a culture and history that isn't ours? Because 12 Years A Slave is about something we'd all like to believe we have: the human spirit.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
2014 · Firstpost · Jan 2014
...a straightforward, chronological look at Mandela's life from boyhood to old age. It's a carefully balanced film that may not do full justice to Mandela, but it's more invigorating than the filmi Mandela we saw in Clint Eastwood's Invictus.
American Hustle
2014 · Firstpost · Jan 2014
...is good fun if you can distract yourself from the illogical bits by focusing on the wigs or gaping necklines of Amy Adams' outfits.
Miss Lovely
2014 · Firstpost · Jan 2014
Miss Lovely moves slowly, unravelling like real life. It demands the viewer read into silences, see the phantoms hidden by smoke and the cheap dazzle of measly successes and the menace lurking in smiles and embraces. The violence and degradation that characterise the films that Vicky and Sonu make, seeps into their lives subtly. The point at which Miss Lovely flounders is in its last chapter.
Inside Llewyn Davis
2014 · Jan 2014
Somehow, the Coen brothers manage to make the fictional Llewyn Davis, with all the surreal elements in his life, feel more painfully real. Does the fact that his songs are such exquisite, melancholic gems make up for everything that Llewyn goes through and for the fact that he's among those who are doomed to be forgotten? That's the question that every unknown, struggling artist faces and to quote Llewyn, it's a question that's "never new and it never gets old."
Dedh Ishqiya
2014 · Jan 2014
The film contains an ode to the lyricism of classic Urdu poetry, mobsters as well as the familiar two-against-the-world formula that has powered so many legendary films. Chaubey weaves all of this together to create a fictional India in which you'll love losing yourself. Madhuri, Naseer and Arshad dazzle in this delightful film.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
2014 · Jan 2014
As The Secret Life of Walter Mitty shifts gears to make Mitty fit a more stereotypical mould of "cool", the gorgeous cinematography and mellow, indie-rich soundtrack become the film's saving graces.
The Wolf of Wall Street
2014 · Jan 2014
If you're appalled by the vacuousness and superficiality of Belfort's world, then perhaps you're seeing the ambiguities that one would expect of a Scorcese film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to figure out whether we're imagining them or if they're actually there.
Mahabharat 3D
2013 · Dec 2013
This new Mahabharata isn't so much a kid-friendly version as one made for dummies, by dummies. It's awkward, sanitised and dissatisfying to those who know the epic and to those who don't, it's boring and ugly. Do your kids a favour. Tell them stories from the original epic and steer clear of this film.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
2013 · Dec 2013
...feels wonderfully Middle Earthy and manages to be satisfying whether or not you're a fan of the book. Jackson takes a few chapters with very little substance and turns it into three hours and ten minutes of magnificent adventure. The plot is threadbare, but there's enough drama and tension to keep you on the edge of your seat.
B.A. Pass
2013 · Firstpost · Dec 2013
Ultimately though, it isn't the sex or the characters of B.A. Pass that are memorable. It's the electric beauty of director-cinematographer Ajay Bahl's Delhi and that luminous, topsy-turvy Paharganj made up of lurid lights, dreams and nightmares.
Bullett Raja
2013 · Nov 2013
With its emphasis on machismo and male bonding, Bullett Raja is clearly targeted at the manly men puffing up the country's male population as Khan does his chest and biceps. What does it say about that audience that Bullett Raja is Dhulia at his silliest and most inept?
Gori Tere Pyaar Mein
2013 · Nov 2013
Repetitive and boring, Gori Tere Pyaar Mein manages the feat of making the audience completely lose interest in the couple at the heart of the film. The thoroughly forgettable songs don't help the film's cause. Before interval, Gori Tere Pyaar Mein is about falling out of love. After the interval, it's about breathing in a bit of Gujarat and building a bridge. There are few moments of laughter and no love.
The Fifth Estate
2013 · Oct 2013
Condon does a disservice to both his actors as well as his material. In the nuance-less world of The Fifth Estate, Assange is bad, Berg is good and Wikileaks is the confused lovechild of these two men.
Amour
2013 · Oct 2013
If you're ageing or if you have parents who are elderly, this is one of the most troubling and heartbreaking films you'll see. All the more reason to see it, but it's probably a good idea to keep a rom-com or video game at hand to distract you from the intensity of Amour once you leave the film.
Captain Phillips
2013 · Oct 2013
It's crafted with such precision in terms of acting, editing and direction, and it takes the audience on a breathtaking ride. Just don't forget that Captain Phillips may look realistic, but it's mostly fiction.
Fire in the Blood
2013 · Oct 2013
If good intentions made a documentary, then Fire in the Blood would be brilliant. Unfortunately, that's not enough. Real-life stories like the ones in this documentary demand, and deserve, more.
About Time
2013 · Oct 2013
The real love story at the heart of About Time is the one between Tim and his dad. Go watch it. Chances are, you'll come out of the cinemas with hope in your heart and a smile on your face.
Gravity
2013 · Oct 2013
There aren't too many perfect films that get made, but Gravity is one of them. Don't miss it.
Besharam
2013 · Oct 2013
If Besharam had to woo audiences by relying upon its appalling script, dull dialogues, forgettable supporting cast, terrible soundtrack and Ranbir Kapoor, the film would be unwatchable.
Fruitvale Station
2013 · Sep 2013
The pace of the film is superb. Every conversation, every phone call, every flashback serves to raise the tension that will explode at the climax of the film.
Dabba (The Lunchbox)
2013 · Sep 2013
Dear reader, this is a delicious, beautiful little film. Just don't watch it on an empty stomach.
Shuddh Desi Romance
2013 · Sep 2013
Shuddh Desi Romance is basically the Indian interpretation of Julia Roberts's Runaway Bride. The stories are different but the central idea is the same: what happens when someone loves falling in love but panics at the idea of getting married?
When Hari Got Married
2013 · Aug 2013
It's the stuff of a romantic comedy, made all the more poignant because it's real.
Jobs
2013 · Aug 2013
So imagine the disappointment of watching Jobs and realising a film about Steve Jobs doesn't really bother with aesthetics, logic or storytelling. The music is forgettable, the cinematography is unimaginative and there are no insights into what made Jobs one of the most influential men of our times.
The Wolverine
2013 · Aug 2013
There's fine line between familiar and boring, and The Wolverine looks like it's a franchise that needs someone to stop it from mutating into predictable and dull.
Bajatey Raho
2013 · First Post · Jul 2013
There's not much to Bajatey Raho beyond its characters. More than a plot, Bajatey Raho is a series of gags and not all of them work equally well. But the film has strong acting performances and at 107 minutes, it doesn't waffle around. Had it been longer, your patience could have worn thin. As it is now, you'll walk out with a silly grin on your face.
Ship of Theseus
2013 · Firstpost · Jul 2013
The audience for Ship of Theseus must enter the auditorium with a different set of criteria than what decides if a Bollywood film is a hit or miss. You're expected to keep in mind that style can trump credibility, that this is director Anand Gandhi's first film, and the focus is upon the intriguing idea that inspired it rather than the set of events that make up the plot of Ship of Theseus.
Despicable Me 2
2013 · Firstpost.Bollywood · Jul 2013
Despicable Me 2 may not be as clever or as good a story as the its predecessor, but it's just so darn cute that you'll spend all 98 minutes (plus intermission) grinning delightedly.