Cocktail - Movie Review

So, this week's big release is the Saif-Deepika-Diana starrer 'Cocktail', directed by Homi Adjania and written by Imtiaz Ali. Well, the awesome pairing, super cool soundtracks and good promos already generated huge hype around the film, but, does it live up to the expectations? Not really. I personally went looking forward to Adjania-Imtiaz duo and of course, the beautiful, Diana Penty!

The movie is set in London where Gautam (Saif Ali Khan) is the quintessential flirt, who is notorious for his 'angeenat pange', as his mamu (Boman Irani) refers to. He meets Meera (Diana Penty), the hindustani gharelu girl, who is duped by her husband. Arrives her saviour, the oh-so-rich-and-spoilt brat, Veronica (Deepika Padukone), who is a photographer by profession, but spends her riches on clubbing and drinking. How they bond and fall for each other is the remaining story. (quite predictable, nah?)

Well, nothing might seem new in terms of the basic storyline, but the vision in which the movie has been made is really huge. Deepika is amazing as the spoilt rich girl, Veronica, because her role is the most well defined one among the three leads. Just as Saif said in a recent interview, she is the wildest actor in town now. And by playing a complex character like Veronica, she proves him true. She is fiesty, she has the spunk and believe me, she oozes oomph into her character. Her acting abilities have improved and how! The sequence in the club in the second half is one of the finest examples of her performance in the film! 

Coming to Saif, its his usual role. He played similar ones in Love Aaj Kal or even Hum Tum. Diana Penty is a delight to watch. She uses her eyes beautifully, but still needs to work on her acting skills a little. Boman Irani is, as usual, good in his role as Saif's Mama. Dimple Kapadia, who plays Saif's mother, is another amazing actor in such an ensemble cast. She plays the typical Dilli woman, who wants her son to marry a 'desi kudi'. She is in her elements after a long time! (Probably after 'luck by chance', this is her best)

On the whole, the movie is quite entertaining, but the background score is a bit of a disappointment. The second half is sluggish, and could have been made shorter. But watch it with a heart. And all the MCP's out there might find some problems with Deepika's character, but thats how she is supposed to be. Final Verdict is- Watch it for its music, Adjania-Imtiaz and Deepika Padukone.

MY RATING- 3/5.

Bol Bachchan - Movie Review

The first post in 'The Filmy Basti' and what a perfect masaledar hindi film to start reviewing with! 'Bol Bachchan', directed by Rohit Shetty, is a laugh riot starring Ajay Devgn (funny name, hard to pronounce), Abhishek Bachchan, Asin, Prachi Desai and a host of other actors! Coming from Rohit Shetty's stable, it carries his trademark stamp all over - From flying cars, to slow-motion-action sequences, Rohit has repeated all his patented gimmicks!

An official remake of the yesteryear classic, 'Golmaal', BB is a brutal murder and an insult to the cult classic that had Amol Palekar in the lead. Though the basic plot remains the same, a few cosmetic changes dont add to the fun much. Ajay Devgn reprises a role modelled on the lines of Utpal Dutt's  from Golmaal, while Abhishek tries getting into the shoes of Amol Palekar. Asin has a reasonable amount of screen space, but again is marred by a bad script. Prachi Desai just adds the heroine quotient, but is of not much use.

The supporting character in this double role-chaos generating comic caper are A grade! Archana Puran Singh leads the pack, followed by Krushna. They leave you in splits! :D (Both of them are part of the Comedy Circus on the small screen too). Asrani is good too, but Ajay Devgn with his rajasthani accent takes the cake! He is hilarious.

keeping aside any comparisons, and watching this film with an open mind, just like any other Rohit Shetty film, might make it even more appealing. One tends to like it even more, when they stop comparing it with its original. The film has its share of flaws and as well as crackling moments. Script loses its fizz in certain parts, but gains momentum soon. Not, one of the best comedies this year, but definitely worth a watch. My Rating- 2.5/5.

TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN

Its been a really strange day- a day of realizations. Realizations about how naive i have been. 'TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN' is my blog post that marks the end of the road for 'Movies Masti And Magic'. Since people are getting offended by my 'masti', i have decided to do away with it. So, from now, i rechristen my blog as 'The Filmy Basti'.

Before i move on to the new look, let my last be the voice of my pain and angst. I might have done a million mistakes. I might have been the worst guy on earth too, but people taking advantage of me is something that has shook me as a bolt! Never in my wildest dream had i expected people to be so harsh with me, people whom i considered my close friends. Having said that, i hold no grudge against them, but their place in my life has definitely eroded.

Moving on, apart from the name, nothing much has changed! :P I would like to reiterate the fact that i am NOT a critic, and my reviews are just my personal views. Also, i would like to stress on the fact that i dont need a certification or approval from anybody about my judgement of films. I write what i feel about films, and they may appear prejudiced or might contradict what certain people feel. To all such people - Get a life! :D

So, i hope the new look brings in new blog followers, new readers and above all- fresh and new content. And the Disclaimer :
'TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN' - Any reference to any person in any of my posts published hence, is purely for fun, and done with great respect. The references, if any, would NOT be made in derogatory sense or to humiliate or to criticize anyone. If anybody finds any DIRECT reference to them and finds it offensive, i apologize beforehand, and request them to get in touch with me and sort the issue out. (P.S- no reference will be made to anyone, but if i make unintentionally, please take it in the right spirit.)
Happy Blogging!!

The Amazing Spiderman - Movie Review

With no other good film releasing this week, i decided to catch the latest spiderman flick! Directed by Marc Webb (He has spider 'web' in his name too... LOL), 'The Amazing Spiderman', fails to amaze. Made on an opulent scale, just as its prequels, the movie might seem a little boring and similar to the movies already made.

With a new name, but a similar start, the movie traces the journey of Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), from his childhood to his teens, where he is 'bit' by a 'genetically cross bred' spider at OSCORP, a company being mentored by his scientist dad's scientist friend, Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans). He bumps into his classmate and love interest, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) and goes about 'saving the civilization' in the movie.

Andrew Garfield fits the bill perfectly as the high school nerd, in search for his parents. Emma stone looks a bit old for him, but oozes in a nice girl-next-door charm. Their chemistry is worth mentioning. Rhys Ifans is good too, but a little over the top acting at certain places. Our Desi guy, Irfan Khan gets a raw deal, as he is wasted in a small role (he barely has 3-4 scenes in the film), but thankfully, he didnt go overboard in the media, gushing about his role (Unlike Mr.Anil Kapoor :P :D).

The movie has its moments- THE VISUAL EFFECTS. But then, its got a lot of similar incidences from the first movie. Also, the screenplay slackens up in the middle, making it a bit of a bore! The movie has its share of flaws in the script as well. I felt the movie should have explained the mystery behind the protagonists parents disappearance. Anyway, the film makes for a decent watch, barring the creepy LIZARD scenes! (Y-U-C-K)

On the whole, at a little longer than 2 hours,  the movie fails to live up to the colossal expectations it has. Though IMDb and a host of other critics have given it positive reviews, i personally found it a little disappointing. Less action and more reaction! :P But nonetheless, it makes for a good watch this week, with nothing else worth spending your money on! MY RATING- 3/5.

Teri Meri Kahaani - Movie Review

I know i m a little late this time around, but was rather occupied. Anyways, having seen TMK twice already, the best way to describe this 2 hour long-'thrice upon a love story' is - Love triunphson  all odds, no matter how cliched it is! :P

Marking Kunal Kohli's return to direction after a long hiatus, Teri Meri Kahani works well on the romance and acting front, but loses some brownie points on the story and novelty front. Starring Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra in the lead, the film gives them 3 different time eras (three different looks and characters) and thus, ample opportunity to showcase their talent. And, surprisingly, they do not disappoint. Their crackling chemistry is evident, especially in the !920 based story.

The movie traces three love stories, starting in 1960, jumping to 2012 and again going back to 1910. All the stories involve Shahid-Priyanka, entangled in love and uske side effects. Providing support are Prachi Desai and Neha Sharma, who fit well in their short, but sweet roles. The 1960's era is oh-so-believable, barrig the Chaplin inspired sequences involving Shahid and Vrijesh Hirjee. The next story is set in 2012 and is adorably  believable with FB fights, FB status and tweets galore! The last story set in 1910 is where Kunal Kohli gets out his Sher-o-shayari. IT has a different charm, which remind you of Fanaa.

The leads deliver yet another awesome performance and their chemistry lights up the screen. Prachi Desai has a cute role and does justice to it. Neha Sharma is good, but her role is inconsequential. All the other supporting actors are good as well. Apart from the performances, the screenplay, the dialogues and the cinematography is goof too.

What falls flat is- the void in the story and confusing climax. Though it has 3 stories intertwined, its seems a little longer than the duration of 120 minutes. But, still, watch it for the soft romance genre, which is missing these days. On the whole, its good watch! My rating- 2.75/5.