Film: Welcome 2 Karachi
Cast: Arshad Warsi, Jackky Bhagnani, Lauren Gottlieb, Dalip Tahil and Ayub Khosa
Director: Ashish R. Mohan
Welcome 2 Karachi aka welcome to mediocrity, lacklustre humour and uninspiring performances. Director Ashish R. Mohan’s film isn’t welcoming.
Two idiots, (thank god they were not three!), Shammi Thakur (Arshad Warsi) and Kedar Patel (Jackky Bhagnani) who are inseparable buddies, are always dreaming of something bigger and better in life. While Shammi is a naval officer, who has been court-martialled, but considers himself a genius and street smart; Kedar the super genius, is a simple Gujarati boy whose only aim in life is to go to the US and make money.
Since Kedar’s visa is twice rejected and he knows going to the US is a distant dream, Shammi devises a plan where they can go to the US in a boat, hence dispensing with the need of a visa.
Misinterpreting Kedar’s father Mithesh Patel’s instructions of picking up the marriage party who has booked the boat, the duo zip off themselves with the women dancers in tow. Mid-sea amidst a thunderous storm, the boat capsizes.
Unconscious, the two wash-up onshore the next morning. A bomb blast on the beach lands the duo in hospital, where they find each other, after the initial shock of discovering where they are. No prizes for guessing this is Karachi, as that is what the title of the film suggests. This marks the beginning of ‘welcome to confusion’.
In a case of mistaken identity, they are kidnapped. What follows are a series of trials and tribulations, for both; the duo and the audience, albeit, swathed in humour. They find themselves caught in a quagmire. One troublesome situation leads to another as they encounter terrorists, Taliban, US government officials, et al. They finally cross the border or so they think. But safety still eludes them.
The film is supposed to be replete with humour as it is pitched as an action comedy. Action, there is plenty, but the humour quotient is weak. Some good punches, witty one-liners, but mostly cliched mannerisms of a Gujju boy who hams his way through, is all what the film offers.
Arshad Warsi walks through the film, yet, effortlessly performs some scenes with his characteristic humour and panache. He is endearing. There are sparks of his inimitable style and comic timing, but those are few and far between.
Jackky Bhagnani, makes a sincere effort, but disappoints yet again. Only his energy on screen is laudable. Lauren Gottlieb, hardly has any screen time, but has a strong enough screen presence and looks the character Shazia Ansari, the ISI agent, she is portraying.
Veteran actor Dalip Tahil is the quintessential shrewd Gujju businessman from Jamnagar, always trying to strike profitable business deals, but fails to make a mark. He seems more Sindhi than Gujju.
Ayub Khosa as the Taliban leader is convincing and deserves a mention.The music is loud and obtrusive, but the number “Chal bhaag nahin toh” is sufficiently racy and situational.
Overall, the production values of the film are of good quality. The setting and locales can safely pass off as Pakistan. Kudos to the art director.
Director Ashish R. Mohan seems to have a flair for action, but could have concentrated on quality humour as well. The dialogues, though witty at times seem like a feeble effort to make the audience laugh. (IANS)
Film: Maggie
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Abigail Breslin, Joely Richardson, Douglas M. Griffin, J.D. Evermore…
Director: Henry Hobson
Maggie is director Henry Hobson’s debut film. It is a no-frills family drama enveloped in mystery and horror.
Set in the post-apocalyptic world, where the inhabitants are infected by the Necroambulist virus that turns people into zombies, this is an emotional saga of a father-daughter relationship, where Wade (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a farmer and a loving father. wants to protect his daughter Maggie (Abigail Breslin) from becoming a flesh eater.
Maggie gets infected with the disease while she is staying in the city, away from her family. Aware that this fatal disease is going to consume her, she calls her father to bid him her final goodbye.
Instead, Wade lands up in the city and after a two-week search, he finds her in the early stages of infection. He brings her back to their farmland, to nurse her but not before being admonished by the authorities that she will be quarantined, in case her symptoms become worse.
The film is fraught with tension and sorrow as the family bides their time waiting for the inevitable. Her step-siblings are sent away from home as a precaution of unwarranted events.
They watch Maggie as she gradually changes. Her pupils turn cloudy opaque, her veins and wounds darken and her sense of smell gets tuned to raw flesh.And as Maggie’s situation deteriorates, Wade is in a dilemma. He has three options before him — let her be quarantined or give her the ineffective, painful injections that they give at the quarantine wards or make her journey quick.
What makes this film stand out from the rest of the zombie films, is the tempo of the narration and the in-depth back story it offers. Unlike the usual zombie films, this one is soft, slow and languid. The plot is simple and straightforward depicting the gradual physical and mental deterioration of the protagonists, making it emotionally effective. It is this familial drama that gives it a distinct voice.
For a change, the usual stone-faced Arnold Schwarzenegger surprises you with his casual and restrained performance. He plays the concerned father to the core. It his heart-rending to see him scared for his daughter as he fends off the local police and infected neighbours. He is believable as he emotes naturally.
So is Abigail Breslin. She gives a powerful heart-breaking performance. Your heart goes out to her when she tells her father, “You should not have got me back”. Together, they portray a lovely father-daughter duo.Joely Richardson as Maggie’s loving, yet wary stepmother, who sends her children away, is exasperating and affable as well.
The two are well-supported by the rest of the cast. Among them, Aiden Flowers as Bobby, Maggie’s step brother, is charismatic.
The production of the film is made up of basics. Production designer Gabor Norman has managed to create the grey ambience of the dystopian state with precision and this is well-captured by Lucas Ettlin’s camera work. His frames largely consisting of tight close-ups are effective. These draws you to the tension of the tale, upfront.
On the edit front, the film does not flow seamlessly. Some scenes end abruptly, making the transitions jerky at times.
David Wingor’s sound design, which includes the eerily soft and mellifluous background score, works well in the flow of events.
Overall, “Maggie”” is a well-directed zombie film that is pleasantly engaging. It will appeal to those who are not into gore and blood curdling horror. (IANS)