Decoding The Success Of 'Aashiqui 2'

'Aashiqui 2' suggests, by its name, that it is yet another of those pointless and completely irrelevant sequels that the Mahesh Bhatt-banner Vishesh Films rolls out ever few months or so. Just think of it- 'Jism 2' was completely different from the first 2004 movie and despite starring porn-star Sunny Leone, critics unanimously said that the film lacked the sexual fireworks which had excited all teenagers back in that year.

Maybe the banner plans to extend the signature popularity of each of their movies in the heyday by launching sequels, which are not really sequels. So, the same purpose seems to drive 'Aashiqui 2' a movie which promises to be as romantic and melodious as the earlier film starring Rahul Roy and Anu Agrawal, the 90s yarn that you remember more for its music and romance than for plot.

So, how does the new movie stack up in comparison? Like in the 1990 movie, the music and romance seems to have propelled Mohit Suri's film to runaway box office success. It has been a full month since the film opened up and pretty much everyone is still raving about how good the film has been.

As for me, I was not that easily roped in. 'Aashiqui 2', for me, had a predictable layout, drawing similarities from superior romantic films like 'Rockstar' and 'Abhimaan' and Suri's direction, other than some captivating bits, falls short of making it refreshing. Much was said about how good the leads were and clearly Aditya Roy Kapur is the biggest takeaway, along with the chartbusting music which carries the film better than its plot. Kapur plays a twisted character with both charm and conviction- his silent moments of brooding and insecurity almost come close to Robert De Niro in 'Raging Bull'. The same cannot be said for the other Kapoor in the film- leading lady Shraddha manages to look good in the key scenes but she is eventually nailed as yet another wilting wall-flower.

But shoot me. I am simply one of the few who did not quite find 'Aashiqui 2' as spectacular as everyone claimed it was. I am here to talk about the people all over the country humming to its songs (which is perfectly valid) and those who are going to watch it again (not so clear).

Where did 'Aashiqui 2' score the most? If you have a look at some of the past romantic films, it can be seen that most of them have turned out to be major disappointments. The rom-com genre is clearly the most abused- exotic locations in South Africa and Australia are now sounding like cliches while some of those low-budget outings are nothing short of grating stuff. Pure romance does not apply any longer- the success of romances like 'Jab We Met', 'Band Bajaa Baraat' and 'Ishaqzaade' is more due to their relatable plots and storylines than the candyfloss essence. Anurag Basu's 'Barfi' came close to being a candyfloss and sweet romance, but its main problem was the distracting mystery which ruined the fun and romance. Last November, the late and great Yash Chopra rolled out his final film 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan' amidst much anticipation. Contrary to the box-office reports, the film found a few real fans (one of them was me as well) because of the meandering storyline, the long running length and the incredulous elements- for instance, a visibly aging superstar playing a 25 year old.

So, maybe people noticed that 'Aashiqui 2' managed to deliver as a romantic film, albeit an old-fashioned one. In comparison to some of the recent candyfloss romances, 'Aashiqui 2' has some strengths. It is fairly economical at a running length of 2 hours, it has some effectivly conjured romantic moments and the music is perfectly used as well. Of course, one can point out some of the technical errors and snags. 'Aashiqui 2' is not necessarily a slick product, as some critics pointed out. The film lacks the technical polish of 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan' or 'Rockstar', but the audience nevertheless laps it up merely because the film sticks to those old-fashioned conventions of romance pretty well. And yes, the narrative, while mostly one-note in the second-half, nevertheless remains firm and strong.

But to call it it a spectacular romance would be a bit of overstatement. Audiences, crazed by the film's music and fresh casting decisions, are willingly calling it a great romance, even going to the extent of calling it better than some of our modern gems like 'Jab We Met' and 'Band Bajaa Baraat'. This seems to be a bit far-fetched. Films like these are known for their clever writing, the romantic chemistry between their leads and their charming characters. Suri's film has a solid chemistry between its leads but it falls prey to the old-fashioned cliches and characters who are mostly caricatures.

Maybe it is because our audiences are badly starved of romance and there was nothing romantic on display in recent months.

Or it is just that our audiences continue to be as fickle as ever.

Whatever you may call it, there is no denying the sheer popularity of a film like this. People are going gaga over it while the lovely songs continue to be chart-busters. They clearly do not mind the predictable layout and many of them are even willing to shed a few tears at the end.

And of course, I will be there for the nitpicking as usual. But yeah, if it is just all about sharing a jacket in the rain with your loved one, then who cares?

Why 'Go Goa Gone' Gets It Right

Last Saturday, I was in the cool, air-conditioned environment of a multiplex standing next to the offices of Balaji Telefilms and Yash Raj Films respectively. What was happening on the screen was something that made us sit up and pay attention. While sticking to a basic Hollywood layout of zombies, slacker guys and gallons of gore, what writer-directors Raj and DK along with their dialogue writers Sita Menon and Raja Sen did in 'Go Goa Gone' was to bring alive the video-game-addicted-teen inside us all. Blending the snappiness of a Woody Allen comedy with a fiery ensemble of invective-laden punchlines and with an off-the-wall zaniness, this crunchy and crisp action comedy also had the right cast to pull it all off. I would not hesitate to call it clearly the 'Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid' of the zombie genre.

Yet, while there is both hilarity and horror with the zombies, this is also a film about youngsters and the amazing part of it lies in how believable these characters feel. The trio of befuddled buddies- slightly reminiscent of a similar troika in the Coen Brothers' 'O Brother, Where Art Thou'- are essentially a pack of blundering boys who refuse to grow up, think about sex even in the face of danger and are far from heroes, but they are loveable in every sense, precisely because they are relatable and far from the stereotypes that most filmmakers painted in the early days. Their characters develop not by excessive sketching- but by the way they behave.

And clearly, after watching the rushes to 'Go Goa Gone' as well as to other movies like 'Delhi Belly', 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama', 'Kai Po Che' and so on, I am tempted to say that all these films have this strong chemistry between their leads that makes them instant hits with a growing youth audience that is willing to spend over 150 rupees for a movie. All these movies may not have extraordinary plotlines or stories but they have the benefit of realistically etched characters and fantastic writing that makes the ordinariness of characters stand out. And in a way, these films, any one of them, stands out better than, say, 'Dil Chahta Hai'.

Look, I have nothing against 'Dil Chahta Hai'. Farhan Akhtar's warm and witty directorial debut is a fine showcase for his talent and I would even go ahead to say that it deserved bigger honors than the over-rated 'Lagaan' which was the talk of the town those days. Akhtar's film is an indvidual achievement, a personal take or perspective on relationships of friendship and romance, told in exuberantly mesmeric style and emotional heft to mint what can be called rightly a masterpiece.

But there is a flip-side to the films's neat edges and the problem is that they are too neat. If reports are to be believed, Akhtar's film did not quite click in small towns and among the middle-class folks. The reasons are obvious- the films's characters are mostly super-rich folks who can afford to go for vacations to Goa and laze around in gorgeous Sydney without a care in the world. Clearly, this is something that does not happen with us all. Not all of us are actually born with a silver spoon in our mouths.

Talking of silver spoons, a rich guy is similarly teased and mocked in a chartbusting song from Abbas Tyrewalla's 'Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na', called by some critics as the new 'Dil Chahta Hai' and I agree completely. It is not only an earthy and whimsical take on urban love and friendship. It is also surprisingly free from the smooth edges of Akhtar's work. The characters- including the modest hero and his buddies- are surprisingly simple, middle-class people with simple aspirations. One of the dashing rich characters- a young debonair- also has a darker, mercurial edge to his finesse.

Believability in a youth movie is important as it helps a movie to connect to its young audience and vice versa. Clearly, playing it simple is the trick but there have been notable exceptions where movies with aggressive ideas have clicked with audiences.



DEV-D



LOVE, SEX AUR DHOKHA

Consider Rakeysh Mehra's 'Rang De Basanti', Anurag Kashyap's 'Dev-D' and Dibakar Banerjee's 'Love, Sex Aur Dhokha'. In the first, the values of patriotism are contrasted with the consumerism of young India and the film also portrays how the normal youngsters become sensitive to the problems facing the country. In the other two, there are intriguing stories of a youth awakening to sexual freedom and pushing moral and cultural boundaries yet paying a hefty price. One is a spectacularly twisted and groovy take on a famous classic of literature; the other is an innovative experiment with visual style and storytelling. In both, the fantastic ideas combine with some subsersive, seminal storytelling.



Delhi Belly

But clearly, simplicity is the key and it works really well. And there are many times when the relatability comes in incidentally and takes the whole film to a completely new level. It happens in 'Go Goa Gone' and 'Delhi Belly', films in which the outrageous stories are made believable by characters inhabiting them. They are now viewed as starkly believable portraits of bored and idle youngsters thrown into unbelievable situations. In a smashingly simple film like 'Rocket Singh', which celebrates the underdogs of the corporate world, the youngsters are portrayed as simple people with simple aspirations and ambitions of becoming salesmen, doing MBA studies and so on.

On the other side are people like Akhtar, Siddharth Anand and Karan Johar who have rolled out expensive-looking, stylish outings about youngsters. But do these films really click? Zoya Akhtar directed 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' a film about three friends visiting Spain for an adventure but while it was acclaimed and welcomed, much of its popularity was built on its beautiful locations rather than its characters. And last year, Karan Johar gave us 'Student Of The Year', a glossy, shiny product that gave us some memorable characters and good chemistry between its promising male leads but eventually it was viewed as too good-looking to be actually real.

So, what is a youth film all about? Well, in simple terms, it is about appealing to the youth. And it is about giving us youngsters whom we can relate to. And that is where 'Go Goa Gone' gets it right. Hardik, Luv and Bunny are people who are instantly likeable even as they are far from being perfect.

　

　

　

The Best English Movies Of 2012

Yeah, I know I am late. This is the list that should have come a long time before. But blame it on a multitude of factors- the delayed releases of films in India, my final, hectic year at college, my lethargy and my crazy mixed up mind as well. But still, to make amends, I am here making a most fantastic list of the finest films that we got last year, or rather this year….

To sum it up, 2012 was a rather great year- intelligent entertainers that loomed over the usual blockbuster crowd, master-filmmakers at top of their form, some new and relatively unknown names. We were given solid stories of terrorism, of comic book heroes, cowboys, profane teddies and even a legendary figure from history books. But what matters is how they eventually scored and which one of them deserved the top prizes.

So, this is a crazy list- dominated by the usual names in the top, while the rest is for rejoicing the crowd-pleasers but the Number One is clearly the biggest winner of them all and it is quite a surprise as well….

So, shall we begin?

10- Life Of Pi

There is an excess of visual storytelling over plot, reason and character in Ang Lee’s ‘Life Of Pi’ and such excess, as in Stanley Kubrick’s ‘2001- A Space Odyssey’, renders everything as self-indulgent, half-baked and painfully slow. Yet, applause should go where it has to- to the sheer, poetic force of its visuals, the kind of immersive exuberance that helps us to forgive its glaring flaws.

Composed in jaw-dropping 3D and stunningly life-like CGI, this light-hearted tale of a boy’s adventure at sea with a tiger leaps gracefully from beautiful sights of Pondicherry to the CGI-created seas in terrifically spectacular way. Entire moments- of wide-eyed wonder- are more memorable than the actual adventure itself. And even as Lee grapples tediously with heavy subtext and a bad pace, the film never stops looking good.

 

9- Ted

 

Seth McFarlane’s unashamedly bawdy and brazen debut scandalized many- when was the last time you heard about a teddy-bear who swore, drunk and got laid- but it also won many hearts with its sweet simplicity. In the exterior, this is a full-fledged raunchy comedy packed to the gills with hilarious setups- the departmental store gag will leave you in stitches- but at heart, it is also a wonderfully nuanced story of friendship, young love and more.

There is a nicely unassuming quality about the film- the writing is endowed with much unabashed tomfoolery yet sincerity, the characters are normal, flawed people who are nonetheless charming and the titular teddy- voiced hilariously by McFarlane himself- wins many hearts even with his offensive actions.

 

8- The Dark Knight Rises

 

It can be Christopher Nolan and only Christopher Nolan who can lift the simple premise of hero versus villain into something not just dead serious but grand, dramatic, suitably epic, complex and deeply relevant. In the finale of his thrilling Batman saga, Nolan holds up a comic book as a mirror to the ongoing chaos in the world by painting an epic battle between good and evil which dominates us all inside.

This is more than the average superhero film- as a battle between the incorruptible Batman and the evil Bane, this soon emerges into something more subversive, more intense. Deftly weaving together parallel threads, Nolan amps up the excitement, suspense and drama in this concluding chapter and brings to life a visually stunning, larger-than-life action film that is both whistle-worthy yet intelligent.

The third act stretches a bit too much and undercuts the tight pace and crunchy action but Nolan more than makes up with a climax that proves why Batman is the best of the heroes out there. Splendid!

 

7- Looper

 

The smartest sci-fi movie since Christopher Nolan’s ‘Inception’, Rian Johnson’s slick and futuristic action-thriller lives up to its name in being a loopy, twisty ride, almost obsessed with nerdy, geeky ideas. However, there is also enough wit and wisdom on offer- the film is fashioned breathlessly like an Alan Moore-meets-Frank Miller comic book while the characters- from futuristic and tech-savvy gangsters to their hapless victims- remain compellingly believable and real.

Throwing us fantastic concepts of future crime, time travel and the all-important concept of good versus evil, Johnson directs a fantastically ingenious and equally dramatic story of two versions of the same man forced to confront each other due to circumstances. As the travesty unfolds and coincides with a desperately tense whodunit formula, ‘Looper’ stuns, moves and captivates us with solid storytelling and fantastic acting from Joseph Gordon Levitt and Bruce Willis. The action is breathless and even as the stylish first-half gives way to a sermonizing second-half, Johnson’s film remains to be compelling, tough and terrific.

 

6- Skyfall

 

Happy 50^th Birthday Commander Bond!

There is no better occasion for the Bond series to forget its recent blunders and come up with a solidly entertaining, rip-roaring and classy outing that harkens back to the glory of the Sean Connery days without losing its instantly urban groove. Ace director Sam Mendes, along with his charismatic leading man Daniel Craig and cinematographer Roger Deakins, has helmed a Bond film for the ages- a pure crowd-pleaser down to the bones yet brilliantly paced to be thrilling, dramatic, intimate and witty, all at the same time.

‘Skyfall’ essentially feels like a party, a vividly bright and sprightly celebration of those good old times- witty one-liners, gorgeous women, ethereal landscapes and Aston Martin DB5 all make a dashing comeback. However, Mendes has also crafted a luxurious and sharp-to-taste cocktail of ingredients both new and old- such that this is a Bond film with something for everyone. The result- Skyfall is clever, stunning and all the finely balanced bits come off to a stellar and dramatic end that reminds us why ‘Nobody Does It Better’.

 

5- Argo

 

It is not easy to make a full-fledged film out a mere newspaper article, let alone a thriller. But what actor-director Ben Affleck and writer Chris Terrio do is to make a film that helps us to transcend the mere words of a newspaper article and feel the real events happening around us. As an account of the outrageously true mission to rescue the diplomats stranded in 1970s Iran’s hostage crisis, ‘Argo’ is not quite accurate. However, as a rare thriller that deals with fear and paranoia, the film living up its fancy science-fiction name simply soars and rises beyond the genre.

The visuals are urgent, the script crackles with digs at both Hollywood and politics and Affleck’s own directorial touches are nifty, ingenious and artistic. Scenes of insurgency are recreated after actual photo montages and a movie publicity event parallels the torture on hostages in Iran. Most remarkably though, Affleck builds up a sudorific storm of tension, paranoia and urgency as the diplomats are guided by their world-weary savior Tony Mendez (Affleck in a superb performance) and it all culminates in a grilling finale in the end. This is not just a thriller but rather an exacting portrait of fear and insecurity, and of hope and despair.

 

4- Zero Dark Thirty

 

Kathryn Bigelow’s masterpiece- a ripe-for-controversy account of the manhunt for Osama Bin Laden- sticks to facts, discoveries and a flawlessly gritty reconstruction of the night raid on Abottabad. But in sticking to its facts and hard truths, this is eventually more than just a documentary. It is a finely crafted thriller driven by the force and pace of an action movie; Bigelow’s film is also a dark and tragic drama about loss of innocence in war and it makes for a sensational yet sobering experience.

At the center of the piece is the gripping Jessica Chastain playing a modern-day heroine who along with skeptical CIA heads, alert spies and tough yet likable SEAL troops takes down the terrorist leader in a battle that is shocking, brutal yet heroic and purposeful. Bigelow navigates the story with tightness- never afraid to make us cringe yet serving enough thrills and spills to make this film nothing less than a classic war movie where you choose your sides. Bravo!

There are a few snags, yes and the pace does slacken a bit but for most part ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ is gripping, spectacular and phenomenal.

 

3- Lincoln

 

 

It is almost a Herculean responsibility to transform the behind-the-scenes verbose action behind the historic 13^th Amendment into a film that actually entertains like any good old entertainer and to position Abraham Lincoln with all his idealism and flaws as the hero of the piece. Yet, Steven Spielberg, writer Tony Kushner and a super-actor have gone a step beyond that- they actually make us cheer, clap and whistle.

A tense and dramatic depiction of Lincoln’s efforts to get slavery eventually outlawed, Spielberg’s film is a towering achievement of filmmaking, writing and acting. His direction is flawless, precise yet heartfelt and dramatic, as it raises the tension in Lincoln’s life and his political career; Kushner’s script is taut, brilliantly written and stirring and there is a fantastic cast of actors- Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field, David Straitharn and others chew up the frames and make the entire period drama a truly epic and monumental affair.

Yet, it would be useless not to mention the one man who really dominates the film and that is DANIEL DAY-LEWIS.

The magnificent actor not only plays the great man; he resurrects him, injecting his own life into it. His performance is cold-blooded yet warm, furious yet subtle and quiet, naïve yet witty and so much more. Spielberg and Kushner helm a classic, but Lewis’s performance makes it a sure masterpiece.

 

2- Django Unchained

 

A furious and fearless masterstroke of filmmaking confidence, Quentin Tarantino’s latest firecracker, painted recklessly and gloriously in blood-red, is nothing less than a walloping tornado. With its relentless spree of bloody dialogue, bloodier lines and fantastically scripted, unforgettable characters played by unforgettable actors, ‘Django Unchained’ is more dynamite than firecracker and it sure explodes. And how!

A deceptively simple format of a cowboy hero waging a war of revenge against the bad guys is twisted on his head as Tarantino, with the talents of a really skilled juggler, conjures with his fiery writing and direction a Western for the ages. Threaded together in a fairy-tale narrative, there is nonetheless mastery packed in fine, immaculate layers of cocked guns, clever, convoluted conversations and a starkly hilarious yet unsettling portrait of America’s shameful era of slavery and racism.

Jamie Foxx is solid as the eponymous slave-turned-cowboy hero, Christoph Waltz steals much of the show as a dentist-cum-bounty hunter who shaves off foam from his beer and layers it on his words instead, Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson are unforgettably menacing as the villains. And finally, the hero of it all is Tarantino, tugging us into a war that shells our minds with its ruthless storytelling yet wills us to give a full-fledged grin.

Whoa!

1-    The Master

 

 

To tame a film like ‘The Master’ is as difficult as taming a dragon, as one of the characters muses about. And there are nearly a dozen theories and opinions on what Paul Thomas Anderson’s film could possibly mean. Some call it a critical satire on Scientology; some others explained at it as about a platonic homosexual relationship between its two powerhouse male leads; others went on to critically analyze each little nuance and moment- right down to the hard-hitting ending. And some merely gave up. As for me, I can sum it up in the following way- ‘The Master’ is a multi-dimensional piece of art, a story of two men, of messed-up moonshine, morals, of a nation psychologically destroyed by war and misled by hollow philosophy. It is clever, twisted yet timeless and tragic.

Anderson is clearly the Martin Scorsese of the next generation and he has always made films whose impact exceeds their plots- the quest for oil and riches saga in his masterpiece ‘There Will Be Blood’ parallels the story of America’s naked ambition with startling sharpness. And in this story of an angry war-weary veteran (Joaquin Phoenix) seeking acceptance and redemption from a delusional cult-leader (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), he has exposed the dark side of humanity through its honest, humorous and vibrant depiction of obsessions of sex and power.

Phoenix and Hoffman are both superb and completely absorbing while Anderson’s direction, powered by his metaphorical and masterful script, ensures that this remains a poignant film about relationships, friendship and love while giving us a bitter satire on how we choose to be influenced by people incapable of being leading or inspiring us. Brilliant!

And while praise usually goes to a film for its ideas, here, applause should rightly go to Anderson for crafting a film that celebrates the individual with his flaws and mediocrity above the challenging ideas it presents. And such a film is indeed a masterpiece.

 

 

 

 

 

Life Of Pi- Spectacular, Sweet But Slow

      

It is not every day that a boy raised in the multi-cultural Pondicherry by a Westernized father and traditional mother is named after not just the eponymous mathematical symbol but firstly after a swimming pool. Both director Ang Lee and novelist Yann Martel have taken the name of the story’s character far too seriously. So, Piscine Molitor Patel aka Pi does not only showcase an impressive grasp on mathematics. He also lives up to his original name- Piscine, which is obviously a term meaning fishy and sleeps with the fishes and a tiger in a lifeboat.

 

 

Pulpy as it may sound, all credit goes to Martel for weaving a Booker winning novel around that quirky premise of adventure in the seas and to Lee for recapturing it on the large screen in a truly larger-than-life manner. Lee’s latest film ‘Life Of Pi’ is as magical as it can be, sticking loyally to Martel’s simplistic prose and at heart a simple, neatly cut tale of how the biggest perils teach us a lot and all that. It is good, old-fashioned cinema and storytelling as pure as clear-eyed as the waters of Piscine Molitor, the pool.

It is a truly spectacular ride as well. Lee, clearly one of our most artistic filmmakers, decided to opt for CGI, motion capture and 3D- all rolled together and doled out in truly stunning style, as the central adventure- Pi stranded on a life-boat with a Royal Bengal tiger named Richard Parker after a disastrous shipwreck-begins to unfold. The CGI touches are a bit blatantly distinct in some moments, but most of it- the raging seas, the thick clouds, the tiger’s snarls and roars- feel alive and kicking. This is more Steven Spielberg than Werner Herzog but it is none the worse for it and Lee delivers bang for the buck.

Yet, Yet. One can’t help but wish that this could have been more than that. There are notable times when Lee’s film soars beyond the mainstream territory. ‘Life Of Pi’ has all the makings of a classic but it falls short on some crucial levels. Just when you expect it to stun you on a personal level, it comes off short, it misses the boat. And from then on, you don’t even care about the good parts. Almost.

 

The first 30 minutes or so- focusing on the origins of the character Pi Patel (Suraj Sharma)- is perhaps the closest thing we have to a plot in the film. We are told, by an adult Pi himself narrating (a reliable Irrfan Khan), about a bittersweet upbringing in a pretty and picturesque Pondicherry- about his father’s stubbornly Westernized ways, about his mother indulging him to discover religions and the beauty of music. It comes off a bit choppy but Lee handles the emotional heft well and it all feels well-placed.

 

It is the ship-wreck scene that delivers much flesh and blood into the languid pace. Lee choreographs the scene with terrific urgency- as Pi is eventually stranded while the animals from his family zoo try to flee the situation as well. It is a beautifully crafted scene, helping the audience to transcend the mere words of Martel’s book and savor everything as sensational and thrilling. A moment lingers best in the mind- Pi diving underwater to watch the whole ship with his doomed family sinking into the depths.

The adventure kickstarts shortly thereafter as Pi finds himself with a sick zebra, a melancholic orangutan and a nasty hyena who finishes up the other two. That is just before the big surprise- in a fantastically thrilling shot, the fearsome beast shoots out like missile and Lee stuns the audience by this creation, which feels genuinely sprightly, dangerous and equally vulnerable.

 

But from there on, it goes terribly downhill. Lee is clearly in a problem, trying to sort out his priorities- is it an adventure movie? Is it a movie about animals and humans? Or is it still concerned about that intriguing concept of God, earlier highlighted in the film? Handling so much is indeed a tall order and while David Magee’s adapted script smartly, briskly cuts out most of the sermonizing parts of the novel, Lee suddenly becomes indifferent. In the parts where he should have really delivered the most, Lee suddenly begins to drag his feet.

The second half is terribly bogged down by repetition, predictability and bad pacing- Lee does little to make things interesting between Pi and his unlikely companion on the boat, other than just sharing stars, supplies and fish. Martel’s novel has some crucially flawed elements and Lee and Magee could have ideally cut them out to bring in a refreshing essence into the film. But save for a few stunningly scripted moments- the initial ones with the orangutan and hyena are very well-done indeed, as is the scene when Pi gives the tiger another chance at survival- the rest is as predictable it can be and the relationship between Pi and Richard Parker the tiger feels underdeveloped.

 

And of course, it can always be justified that Lee was perhaps more interested in the adventure, the use of technique and so on. Indeed, it is a valid argument but even then Lee could have given us a truly phenomenal adventure. After some stellar bits- one in which a Humpback whale shoots out of the seas at night and another in which a bunch of fish are hunted by what look like carnivorous Puffer fish, Lee simply stops trying and the film drags a bit too much. Another storm at sea does not quite click as a really cool idea and a stopover at a carnivorous island, while stunning and promising, feels quite half-baked.

Most crucially, the ending feels so abrupt and sudden that it completely mars our experience with the adventure. One cannot blame Lee for that- Martel chooses to do that as well but it leaves all of us befuddled. It is easy to see why the relationship between Richard Parker and Pi feels so underdeveloped. And while it can be argued that the former is after all a wild tiger, it still hurts.

 

 

Still, with such serious flaws, Lee’s film is worth a watch, if only for the visual palette that it presents, than the final outcome on the canvas. It is not every day that the 3D and motion-capture technology are used so effectively, not just convincingly but also to evoke some genuinely jaw-dropping moments. Lee achieves that splendidly, helping us to forget some of the disasters (‘John Carter’ is the most dreadful). His compositions are energetic, vibrant and the landscape of sea, the gently rocking boats and cloudy skies feels amazingly authentic. There are some truly phenomenally poetic moments- like the golden morning sky beautifully reflected on the water or the night creeping on Pi and Richard Parker, as they look forward to hope.

 

Suraj Sharma is quite good playing Pi, infusing his character with vulnerability and heroics. The supporting cast does not have much to do- Adil Hussain and Tabu are predictably fine as Pi’s parents while Irrfan Khan as the grown-up Pi is good as usual. However, by now we had enough of him in such roles and we want more from this terrific actor. Not that it matters, though, as this is eventually Lee’s ship and he steers it through visually beautiful territory, just not too enthusiastically.

This is clearly the Ang Lee of ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ rather than ‘Brokeback Mountain’, the film which is unanimously called as his best work and deservedly so. So, don’t quite expect ‘Life Of Pi’ to be the compelling drama that it promises to be. Just sit back on your life boat and marvel at the scenery around you. Be warned though- you will be only floating slowly without really reaching anywhere.

My Rating- 3 Stars Out Of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Best English Films Of All Time

Disclaimer- This is a simple, informal and unofficial list of the best English-language films right from the beginning of the time. I would like to make it clear that these are the films that I have seen so far and there are so many films that I could have added. But my problem is that at time I simply don’t feel like watching films, thus shrugging at all the recommendations that people make to me.

So, here I am, trying to compile a list of the finest English-language films I have seen and I suppose that the list could be, in real terms, larger than what it is below. There are possibly many more films that need to be watched and there are so many fantastic directors coming to our attention. But while I am being insular, in settling for only the films I have seen yet, I think that this list is also endowed with some truly stunning gems and some others that I have simply chosen out of blind love and adoration.

Here we go then…..and your suggestions are always welcome…..

The Kid

                                                                           Circus

City Lights

                                                                          Modern Times

Citizen Kane

                                                       Casablanca

King Solomon’s Mines

                                                                   The Ten
                                                             Commandments

12 Angry Men

                                                                       Paths Of Glory

The Killing

                                                                       The Bridge On
                                                                 The River Kwai

                                                                             North By Northwest



Psycho

Lawrence of Arabia

                                                                          From Russia
                                                                             With Love

The Great Escape

                                                                      Dr. Strangelove

The Good, The Bad
and The Ugly                                                   The Wild Bunch

                                                                   Butch Cassidy and
                                                                    The Sundance Kid

Dirty Harry

                                                                             The Godfather

Mean Streets                                                        Chinatown

                                                                             The Godfather
                                                                                   Part 2

One Flew Over
The Cuckoo’s Nest                    Jaws                     Dog Day Afternoon

                                                                             Network

Taxi Driver

                                                                           All The
                                                                    President’s Men

Annie Hall

                                                                     The Deer Hunter

Apocalypse Now

                                                                         Raging Bull

Raiders Of
The Lost Ark

                                     The Thing                                      E.T
                                                                              The Extra-Terrestrial

The King Of Comedy

                                                                               Brazil

Back To The Future                                             Platoon

Lethal Weapon

                                                             Full Metal Jacket

Born On
The Fourth Of July                              Robocop

                                                   Goodfellas

JFK

                                                         Reservoir Dogs

Unforgiven

                                                     Schindler’s List

Pulp Fiction                                 Ed Wood

                                                     Fargo                           Toy Story

Twelve Monkeys

                                                    Trainspotting

Kundun

                                                   Saving Private Ryan

Fight Club                                                                      Toy Story 2

                                                          Memento

Black Hawk Down                                     The Fellowship Of The Ring

                                                                   Master and Commander-
The Two Towers                                       The Far Side Of The World

Mystic River                  

                                           28 Days Later

Minority Report

Kill Bill                                                                 The Aviator

Munich                                  Good Night and Good Luck             King Kong

  United 93                                  
                                                   The Departed

Casino Royale                                                             Children Of Men

                                   The Prestige

There Will Be Blood                                  

                                                    Zodiac

The Bourne Ultimatum

                                                     No Country
                                                     For Old Men

The Dark Knight

                                          WALL-E

Inglourious Basterds

                                         Up

District 9

                                      The King’s Speech

The Social Network                                                            Toy Story 3

                                         Hugo

Tinker Tailor
Soldier Spy

                                      Midnight In Paris

Post Script- There are so many movies I have missed out and I mention some of them here- ‘Ben-Hur’, ‘Hatari!’, ‘Goldfinger’, ‘The French Connection’, ‘Close Encounters Of The Third Kind’, ‘Road Warrior’, ‘The Color Of Money’, ‘Cape Fear’, ‘Terminator 2’ ‘Jurassic Park’, ‘Gladiator’, ‘Sherlock Holmes’ and so many more….