FILM: Singham Returns
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Amol Gupte, Zakir Hussain, Dayanand Shetty…
DIRECTOR: Rohit Shetty
Though he does not roar Aata majhi satakli with the same intensity that he did in the 2011 released Singham, in Singham Returns inspector Bajirao Singham (Ajay Devgn) clearly makes his stance clear that the lion rules the roost.
With the righteous police officer now posted in Mumbai, Singham Returns pays tribute to the 47,000 policemen of the Mumbai police force and heralds the wake-up call to wipe out corruption in our country.
The story is simple, staid and often seen. But what gives it a boost is the treatment. Rohit Shetty takes “Singham Returns” notches above the regular fare that is being dished out as entertainment in Bollywood’s action-comedy genre.
The graph of the narration accelerates when constable Mahesh Jadhav is found dead in a sunken ambulance stacked with currency notes. With the media slurring the dead constable’s character, and in the bargain tainting the police force, Bajirao Singham swears to investigate the case.
The leads point out to the deviously debauched and corrupt god-man Baba (Amol Gupte) and the scheming head of the alliance party, Prasad Rao (Zakir Hussain), who soon have the virtuous mentor of the Bharatiya Lok Party, Guruji (Anupam Kher), killed.
Now with Guruji killed, Singham’s motive to investigate the case becomes stronger, but unfortunately the laws of the land tie his hands.
Caught in the crossfire between the Swami-politician nexus and law, Singham dares and is supported not only by his superior, the Commissioner of Police, but also by his entire team.
The result is the obvious.
Speaking to the Mumbai audience in specific, the film has a universal message of eradicating corruption.
It also unravels the frustrations of the law-keepers. And the climax scene, with the policemen revolting, brings back memories of the chaos that Mumbai witnessed in the early 1980s when the policemen went on a strike.
The story is timely, treated in a realistic manner and has all the ingredients of a blockbuster in the right proportion. The action is typically Shetty, loud and intense.
Humour is infused in the form of witty dialogues with the right punches popping up at the precise moment.
So are the songs in the film. They are so evenly paced out that they don’t seem intrusive. The number, “Meri duaa sun le zara” is mellifluous and pleasing.
Each character is well defined, with definite arcs.
On the performance front, with intensity pouring out of his eyes and flexing muscles, Ajay is once again convincing as Bajirao Singham. With age showing, his romance with Avni (Kareena Kapoor) is neatly tackled and their pairing seems apt.
Kareena is vibrant as usual and her inherent flair for comedy is evident in every scene of hers.
Amol with his vivid histrionics as the conniving, fraud god-man infuses life into his character Baba.
Zakir, though typecast, is effective. But Anupam’s appearance and bearing as Guruji is so akin to the numerous characters he has portrayed earlier, that he fails to leave an impact.
The melodrama infused by the supporting cast is praiseworthy.
The wide-angle shots, along with the smooth camera movements delivered by Cinematographer Dudley are commendable.
Also editor Steven Benard’s sharp and refined razor-cut edits make the viewing a visual treat.
Packed with excellent action shots, dramatic sound effects and infectious and exhilarating background score, the film is entertaining, which reinforces the disclaimer shown at the beginning of the narration.
And that’s not all. The finale song, “Mala raag ala, raag alaa aata maji satakli,” which rolls during the end credits, will soon be the new anthem of the frontbenchers. (IANS)
FILM: The Giver
Cast: Brenton Thwaites, Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Alexander Skarsgard, Katie Holmes, Odeya Rush, Taylor Swift…
DIRECTOR: Philip Noyce
“From the ashes of the ruins communities were built” – states the first frame of the film which then proceeds to depict the state of affairs in a Utopian society, where there is no pain, no crime or unhappiness. Here, laws were laid for “equality” by erasing memories of the past.
A concept film, based on Lois Lowry’s book of the same name, Philip Noyce’s “The Giver” reminds you of Neil Burger’s “Divergent” which was released last April.
But unlike “Divergent”, this one is a simpler, one-dimensional story of revolt against the system.
The story, narrated through young Jonas’ (Brenton Thwaites) point of view touches issues about; identity, self-realization and defying traditions.
He along with his friends the fun-loving Asher (Cameron Monaghan), and kind-hearted Fiona (Odeya Rush) are about to graduate to the next level in their community, and they are all anxious about their next assignment, which would be handed down to them by the community Elder (Meryl Streep). Unlike the rest of the group, Jonas, due to his “intelligence, strength and capabilities to handle sorrow”, is chosen for a mysterious and isolated posting of ‘The Receiver’ – a post designated to be the repository of memories, since the founders recognized that there might be some circumstances when mistakes could be prevented by reminders of past failures.
Jonas is to be trained by the current receiver (Jeff Bridges) who is aging. Since he would be transferring the memory to Jonas, he calls himself, ‘The Giver’.
The training consists of transferring memories of a past, before the imposition of ‘Sameness’ – that the others in the community can’t even imagine – in which there was not only war, hunger, and disease, but also colour, weather, and strong emotions. It is during these interactions with the ‘Giver’ that Jonas comes to understand, and resent, the choices that had to be made to create his world, and the terrible secrets behind its perfection.
Together, he and the ‘Giver’ concoct a plan to change the way his world works, but before they can carry it out, Jonas is forced to make a decision that may destroy them all.
The drawback of this film is its title. It is misleading. The ‘Giver’ is the adviser, who guides the hero and shows him that the world is a more complex place than he believes. But the film is the journey of the ‘Receiver’. Jeff Bridges, though he appears in the title role, is not the hero. He is effective.
He does not seem to be the aging character as described in the book, but he portrays the worn-out and mystical ‘Giver’ with apt precision.
The disconnect with the film becomes more prominent as one fails to empathize with Jonas. Brenton Thwaites as young Jonas is expressionless.
He is supposed to be stunned and traumatized to be motivated, but instead all he delivers is a sluggish awestruck look and demeanor.
Meryl Streep in human and holographic appearances, is fake and superficial. And the rest of the cast are mere characters to drag the story forward. (IANS)
The production value of the film is good. Though the look and feel of the film seems oft seen, production designer Ed Verreaux’s unique, plateaued table-top location with its snow-flaked design conveys easy-going exterior with sinister threat. It is the highlight of the film.
Cinematically, black and white frames interspersed with a few colour frames gives the film a characteristic charm. Also, the visuals across the arid land as well as the snow-clad mountainous terrain are attractive.
While the scriptwriters Michael Mitnick and Robert B. Weide, have tried to be loyal to the book, its translation into the visual medium by director Philip Noyce is disappointing.
The last act of the film hinges on absurdity. The badly edited sequence, which includes generic and vague shots of war and agitation which suddenly pop-up combined with past and present scenes, creates confusion.