Recent reviews
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No film was as high on its flight of substance as Zoya Akhtar's disruptively bold film 'Gully Boy'. Gully Boy is an emotional underdog poetry which celebrates the free-spirited rapper boys of Dharavi, who sketch it all in the diaries, plug earphones in the buses with all the hustle and bustle and a ... No film was as high on its flight of substance as Zoya Akhtar's disruptively bold film 'Gully Boy'. Gully Boy is an emotional underdog poetry which celebrates the free-spirited rapper boys of Dharavi, who sketch it all in the diaries, plug earphones in the buses with all the hustle and bustle and are considered trash in the world outside. The sparkingly captured, grim and gripping film, however, focuses on only one of them: Murad, and his world- his mentor MC Sher, his… his figurative connection with Sky, his oppressive father, his strong mother, his girlfriend Safeena, his friends like Moeen, and a life around the filthy slums of Dharavi where dwell some independent spirits like him- those who want to break free.
And the film really is a flight of fancy. Director Zoya Akhtar has pricelessly decorated the film, no, not through the aesthetic of the visual, but the aesthetic of meaning, of though and of depth. And what makes me believe that it will make it to the Academy Awards is its fluidity, its unprecedented solidity. That flow of words and that poetry of action.
Since the last 10 years, the choice of submissions to the Academy Awards have not been as riveting- they have never been a potpourri of the independent and the entertaining. Gully Boy, let me report you the world, is both. It is full of warmth and effortless, spirited enthusiasm with a success story at its core, which makes it enjoyable.
And Ranveer Singh stands out. His performance as Murad is exciting and enthusiastic. He is so strong, he embodies the film as a whole. And Alia Bhtt’s Safeena, as expressive.
But overall, Zoya's film stands out as a sharply made and interestingly written, but surprisingly mainstream take on minorities and dreams. Not your usual, underdog narrative. It's a film that feels like its written in a colloquial tonality. That is an achievement for Zoya. { moreLike0November 04, 19 -
very realistic, al d cast in the movie , done their best
Like0February 22, 19 -
Director Zoya Akhtar somehow always manages to make even the most humdrum of stories into ravishing pieces of art. Gully Boy is no different even if you look at it from the perspective of a person who hopes to see social issues being addressed through cinema. For it also marvelously hints at issues ... Director Zoya Akhtar somehow always manages to make even the most humdrum of stories into ravishing pieces of art. Gully Boy is no different even if you look at it from the perspective of a person who hopes to see social issues being addressed through cinema. For it also marvelously hints at issues such as social status and inequality and wealth and even (Islamic) polygamy to an extent. The excellent camera work by Jay Oza will make you want to watch it for the second time on the big screen despite of this review. And that is the kind of movies that Akhtar makes, only to find them being watched and rewatched by cinephiles years from now.
Gully Boy gets everything right and pumps up your mood regardless of what position you are in in your own life, but just thinking about it a few hours after you have seen it will make you realize that it just falls short of becoming something that can be dubbed as extraordinary.
{ moreLike1February 15, 19