Raaz - The Mystery Continues

Perhaps, the title 'Raaz' should've got everyone's adrenalines shot-up, anticipating it to be a stupefying ride of roller-coaster. Well, the 'Bhatt' factor seems to spell tremendous magic when it comes to 'Horror'. Of course, who can refuse it or forget the most scintillating horror flicks released by the 'Bhatts'. Years back it was 'Raaz' and then '1920' had us tied to our seats and now 'Raaz – The Mystery continues' isn't an elision.

Mohit Suri brims with a commendable directorial and precisely, he strikes with a decent effort on all quotients. Not only does this flick include a gripping screenplay; his top-notch designing of the technical aspects of cinematography and background score too has us raising our hands for a grand applause.

Does 'Raaz – The Mystery Continues' offer a never-seen-before show of an exceptional storyline? Nah! You've the clichéd plotline of a ghost's unaccomplished desire for seeking revenge. But, the difference comes in the form of the unique intentions of a thirsty soul. Don't get surprised to experience certain replicas of 'The Exorcist', or the Recent Hollywood releases 'Mirrors' or 'Stigmata'. With all these properties Mohit Suri doesn't get you disappointed at any moment of the show.

Precisely, at particular points we've him getting through the lines of the 'classic-horror touch' that'll let your nerves frizzled and move you to the edge of your seats. Looking for an illustration; Uh-huh! Kangana's bathtub sequences, Adhyayan Suman dropping cash from an ATM Machine, they are sure to horripilate your senses.

 A successful model Nandita (played by Kangana Ranaut) is in love with a creative director of a television program, Yash (played by Adhyayan Suman). Everything is fine and cool until Nandita's life takes a dramatic turn when she meets an artist, Prithvi (played by Emraan Hashmi). He tells Nandita that all the paintings he has made on her are getting disfigured which spells impending danger for her. Initially, she does not believe him but then she starts facing horrifying situations herself. After this, hell breaks loose and an unstoppable storm begins. Thus unfolds some of the most thrilling horror sequences of Bollywood with 'Raaz – The Mystery Continues…'

Kudos to Kangana, Emraan and Adhyayan; they are 'wordlessly stupendous,' showcasing their brilliant performances. Kangana engrosses with her fantabulous actions as a scary girl on the pursuit of detangling the dark-hidden mysteries. Watch her scream while on her anesthesia, they're tremendous getting you awestruck. Obviously, it's a million-dollar expression. On the pars, we have a flabbergasting performance by Emraan Hasmi in a silent-stubborn guy bounded with inscrutable looks. Possibly, Mohit Suri seems to have been vividly influenced by Ed Norton's looks in 'The Illusionist'. Thus getting similar makeovers for Emraan... Doesn't look like a debut show, but a decorous act by Adhyayan. Emoting to different situations of joy, horror and pain, he's patently colossal. Jackie Shroff does justice in his minimal role.

When it's a horror flick, everyone's gotta follow Hitchcock's traits of coalescing the factors of 'foreshadowing', 'pre-planting' and what else? Shuddery twists and turns with shocks 'n' surprisals. Mohit Suri doesn't tread away from the master's theory. If he had penned an impaling screenplay sans unwanted songs and presenting a fine-ending, things would've been far better than the present scenarios.

In fact, a 'horror' doesn't strike richer without perfect musical scores and a spellbinding cinematography. Of course, it's the most innovative angle-moves that fling such a feel… Ravi Waliah's cinematography is top-notch, particularly in the exotic locales.

A short-break from horror is offered through the songs 'Soniyo' [Raju Singh] and 'Maahi' [Sharib-Toshi]. The background scoring is stunningly prodigious enhancing the visuals, especially on scary sequences.

On the whole, 'Raaz – The Mystery Continues' is a superb horror flick with few middling attributes. Although it doesn't happen to be as powerful as '1920', it's worth watching for the enchanting directorial of Mohit Suri.

 

8x10 Tasveer

Well, here’s another new genre of ‘Supernatural Thriller’ persistently hitting screens sans a pause. Glimpse through previous weeks’ releases. ‘13b’ dealt with a phenomenal idiot box, ‘Aa Dekhen Zara’ – about a mysterious camera unveiling future’. Here goes, ‘8 X 10 Tasveer’ right on similar notes. This time it’s all about a ‘photograph’ that will unravel the frizzled scenario.

It’s really surprising to watch Nagesh Kukunoor taking up a new avatar of treating an unparalleled script – ‘Murder-Mystery’.  He takes off with a perfect narration all throughout the show and naturally holds onto a perfect climax. What else should a film possess to carry the label of best verdicts? Obviously, Nagesh seems to have focused more on technical aspects that helps a lot for a positive approach on audiences.

Perfect cinematography – sleek editing – dazing locales of foreign countries; here’s the mantra of delighting audiences with a visual treat.

But the film stops an inch from reaching the destination of triumph. It all goes with a slight stumble in the latter part and the reasons justified for murders. Nagesh Kukunoor sports himself bounded with amateurishness on dropping such motifs on the screen.

‘8X10 Tasveer’ is a story about young man named Jai Puri, (Akshay Kumar), who possesses supernatural powers. Jai is of Indian origin who works as a forest ranger in Canada. His life is shattered by the loss of a very important person in his life, his father (Benjamin Gilani). This personal tragedy leads him to use his unique supernatural power to unravel the mystery behind the murder. ‘8x10’ is a supernatural thriller with a nail-biting finish to come up with startling answers.

Getting on with performance, Akshay Kumar excels with his decent show. Perhaps, if you ever felt that Akki had overdone acting in many of his previous flicks, here’s something that proves his adeptness. Be the sequences, where he’s woe-stricken by his father’s loss or the part where he shares elated moments with his sweetheart, he’s cool. Ayesha Taakia goes about with her middling act and Nagesh could’ve depicted her characterization that would’ve had a better impact. Man who steals the show is Javed Jaffrey. He’s sure about sparkling smiles on your faces when he says ‘My name is Happy… Happy without ‘I’ and you are pulled in more with his witty mannerisms, particularly ‘Aaj Mera Happy Birthday Hai’ quotient works out well. Sharmila Tagore, Benjamin Gilani, Ananth Mahadevan and Rushaad Rana score 5/5 for their best take. Credit goes to Nagesh for a perfect casting.

Vikas Sivaraman’s cinematography is scintillating. As mentioned earlier, his works on the stunning locales are sure to carry your senses straight to those places. Songs are quite mediocre and it could’ve been done better while the background score by Salim Sulaiman has been done stylishly.

On the terms of scripting and narration, Nagesh excels with extraordinary skills. Of course, you are bounded with so much of suspense that you’ll really get mystified about the murderer. But then, if you’re really a wizard, the mystery is disentangled right before the intermission.

On the whole, ‘8 x 10 Tasveer’ is all about a faultless thriller that should get you hooked for a couple of hours. If few garbled vistas were pulled out from the reels, then the film is worthy getting ennobled as a ‘Best Thriller’.

 

99

Exquisitely, it’s a great weekend for all film buffs who felt like thrown out of kilter sans releases. Gone are those unremarkable Fridays that didn’t bring an entertaining moment for them as ‘99’ kick-starts as a first release after such issues prevailing for a long time.

99 – One shot from century, a mark away from centum or whatever you may perceive it to be as. The film just sways on this line with interesting characterizations delineated. Perhaps, first thing you would like about is the finely established roles – fantabulous casting of performers.

Kudos to filmmakers Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K.!!! They’ve maneuvered with ravishing moments in the film, altho’ brimmed with certain flimsiness in narration. Spinning the best innovative spells – What many filmmakers failed to do have been accomplished by this duo. Of course, the auteurs could’ve spent a little more time in diminishing their amateurish elements. It’s like delaying moments in establishing each character and of course, the fire of thrilling moments ignites merely before minutes to intermission.

Well, just book your tickets, give a break to your cognizance, sit back and relax….

Set at the backdrops of year 1999, the film is centered on two small-time outlaws (Kunal Khemu, Cyrus Broacha). They’re over-the-top dealers of illegal SIM Cards duplication. Their happy lives get entangled with out-and-out hazardous moments once they rob a car and meet an accident. The sorriest part is that the car belongs to a roughneck gangster (Mahesh Manjrekar) to counterbalance with money.

Here protrudes the roller-coaster thriller ride that takes you straight onto the busiest streets of Mumbai and Delhi.

Makers of this film geared up with a flamboyant debut directorial in ‘Flavors’ (Telugu) and they’ve proved with the same best results in ‘99’. Indeed, the makers have churned their films with three ducky vistas ‘Funny, Intelligent and Stylish’… ‘99’ has these traits in equal ratios.

But really, there’s something that gets everyone more bemused about few filmmakers of this sort. They drop interesting ideas on their papers, but things get transformed as mediocre when they’re on the screens. Why do they plan for very long duration? Although, this comedy thriller has more enjoyable parts, you’ll start looking here-n-there and certainly find few yawning, looking at the watches. Nonetheless to these degrading factors, fantastic characters diminish them and that’s a smart little move by makers. Be it these criminals (Kunal and Cyrus) or the serious match fixer (Vinod Khanna), they get straight under the skin of personations.  Soha Ali Khan is much most hunky-dory on her show. Boman Irani leaps with a commendable performance and the duo-filmmakers should’ve established his image more delicately. Simone Singh and Amit Mistry have done justice to their roles.

Getting on with technical aspects, music is a big letdown on both the vistas of Background Score and Songs. On the contrastive grounds, Rajeev’s camera works on exotic locations of Mumbai and lanes of Delhi are awe-inspiring. Looks like both departments of camera and editing have laid their innovative designs together.

Right on complete rating, ‘99’ scores same as its title and would have done better if certain diminishing elements were avoided. Well it’s a good attempt by duo filmmakers that’s sure to keep audiences entertained.

 

Kal Kissne Dekha

Alas, looks like long-listed supernatural-thrillers aren’t gonna end in Bollywood. Why do filmmakers penning a thriller-script actually fail to deliver that genuine genre? A Billion dollar question indeed! In the past couple of months we’ve been witnessing certain flicks running lack of nitty-gritty panoramas of thriller elements. Regrettably, the scenarios were wretched with ‘8X10 Tasveer’, ‘Aa Dekhe Zara’ as there were no twists-n-turns, factors of surprisal elements for the audiences.  Incisively, here joins another flick on the queue of feigned-thriller that extremely dashes down our hopes.

‘Premonitions’ – so-called ducky sort of conceptualization has hop-skipped from Hollywood to B-Town. Predicting the future, getting for hand-in-hand combat with fate, etc; naturally, ‘Kal Kisne Dekha’ is set at backdrops of these vistas that lacks almost everything in terms of ‘Thriller’.

Screenwriters have indeed crafted interesting plots and attention-grabbing twists, but soon they’re turning to be more off ennui. Above all the most disappointing part is where we are urged to go-through merely the talents of Jaccky Bhagnani and story loses importance over there.

Nihal Singh (Jaccky Bhagnani) hailing from Chandigarh is a seemingly simple yet unconventional lad loaded with non-stop talk, questioning a lot. Totting up to his characterization, he’s a genius designing complicated gadgets during leisure hours. Much bonded to his mom, his costliest dream is to study in best institute of science. His insatiable passion for big ideas in small things makes his so unparalleled to other lads beside him.

Of course, Nihal’s dreams come true when he’s accepted the top-charting college of Mumbai. Right flying across the seventh heaven, this chap has to go through certain turmoil in the initials days of his college life. He’s bawled out by his seniors and very often affronted by the girl he’s fond off most.  Nevertheless, nothing seems to be a great barrier for this Ladka from Chandigarh as he easily wins applauses of appreciations from his classmates as well his professor Verma (Rishi Kapoor), warden of his college.

Much fascinated with his unique nature of mind, Professor Verma voluntarily agrees to become his mentor. The fille whom Nihal deeply in love with is Meesha (Vaishali Desai) doesn’t spare a pinch of soft corner on him. But things take a worst of turn when Nihal happens to foresee future only to find that dangerous situations are awaiting for his sweetheart.

The innocent guy has to run now with the task of saving Meesha from clutches of life-threatening situations. Now the news about Nihal’s ability to foresee future spreads like wild fire-in forests amongst the media channels. Meanwhile sweet love blossoms between Nihal-Meesha and they find solace in each. But, things are getting more worsen for Nihal as someone is right behind him on misusing his gift of premonition against him. Will he able jump out of his jeopardizing situation and save himself forms crux of the story.

Vivek Sharma proved of his adeptness with his debut directorial ‘Bhootnath’ and what gets him overwhelmed with flimsy motifs with this one. Although, the filmmaker has established interesting plot-points and knots at certain intervals, he hasn’t stridden for a gripping narration in latter half. You will witness whole lot of unsubstantial moments with illogicalities. Again, Vivek has failed miserably in designing ‘Characterizations’. Most of them suddenly disappear without prominence and that should’ve been counterbalanced. Screenwriters have spelled certain interesting shocks-and-surprisals and yet they don’t seem to be invigorating.

Jacky has a long way to go ahead and he could’ve opted for a more substantially estimable flick. Likewise, Vaishali carries off the film on her part with charisma. Rishi Kapoor on a contrary role is a real surprise. Vivek could’ve showcased Deshmukh more considerably. Rahul Dev does his part well while the cameo roles by Akshay, Sanjay Dutt don’t turn out to be attractive quotients. 

Getting with technical dioramas, everything is perfect. Appealing music, scenic shots and editing are precisely colossal. Sajid-Wajid has proved off tuning good melodies and Johny’s cinematography requires special mention.

As a whole, Kal Kisne Dekha isn’t exceptionally best on narration. With more unanswered questions running in your minds, the film will be an ungratified show at the end.

 

Body of Lies

It's been seven years since the September 11 attacks and five since the Iraq war began. The war on terror is unclear, confusing and too immediate to get any kind of proper perspective. The movie "Body Of Lies" doesn't make it any easier for us to understand. It is a muddle of a movie, albeit with good intentions which, while trying to make too profound a statement, gets itself into an unnecessary mess.

The movie is populated by too many characters and there are too many strands of sub-plots to follow to create any kind of coherent reaction. It's a shame because the stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, along with director Ridley Scott and a fine script by William Monahan, have all been excellent in other movies. 

DiCaprio does a fine job and just might be the only bright spot. Scott again falls into the trap of trying to make a profound statement and thus allowing himself to get bogged down. The script by Monahan is big let down especially since he did a great job with the Oscar winning "The Departed".

The plot, when it actually makes sense, revolves around the American spy Roger Ferris working in Jordan even as he receives orders from his boss (Crowe) from his home in the US. Ferris is trying to catch terrorists with the help of the Jordanian security chief Hani (Mark Strong). Matters get complicated with close associates not revealing all the information, Ferris getting romantically involved with a local nurse (Golshifteh Farahani). Things get a little bit more resolved towards the end but not before a fair bit of head scratching and lack of empathy.

The characters are not allowed to be fleshed out and we find it hard to connect with them. But Dicaprio does a fine job of relaying the importance of looking at the players in this war as humans as opposed to his boss who considers everyone as pawns.

The supporting actors all give a fine performance with Mark Strong clearly making a mark. He holds his weight opposite the likes of DiCaprio and Crowe. The Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani gets few scenes and provides some refreshingly light moments. But even the sub-plot involving her in the end seems pointless.

The movie respects the situation in the Middle East and tries to express the nuance of complexity. It might have done its job unintentionally by confusing us. But it fails to make us empathise with the many innocent people who continue to be unfortunate victims.

For those looking for a well made movie anchoring itself in an increasingly complex mess hoping to learn a little bit more and at the same time being entertained, this movie will satisfy.

Quantum of Solace

If "Casino Royale" was set up as a template for the new Bond actor Daniel Craig, "Quantum Of Solace" merely re-establishes this new order. All the major ingredients that go into making the Bond movies special are featured here. "Quantum Of Solace' doesn't thrill or break new ground, but it is still a very good Bond movie.

Director Marc Forster is an odd choice to helm a Bond movie since his previous hits - "Finding Neverland" and "Monster's Ball" - were not action movies. While Craig returns to give a solid performance and the gritty style with raw action maintained from the previous movie, this movie does lack a coherent plot that at times undermines the whole viewing experience.

The movie continues with Bond seeking to find his lover's killers. 

This Bond is very angry and leaves too many people dead in his trail. Bond soon finds himself in the midst of a nefarious plan of villain Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) who is posing as a crusader for the environment but secretly has a more sinister plan. 

Hunting the bad guys requires Bond to travel quite a bit and this gives the filmmakers a good excuse to stage some action sequences. There is a chase on foot through the streets, a chase on speed boats and even a battle in the sky with planes. Through it all, Bond maintains his cool but never cracks a smile.

At times the movie takes itself too seriously. This Bond movie may be the least fun of them all. His desire to seek revenge casts a dark shadow of a mood through out the movie and some well timed humour might have been refreshing. Gone also are the gadgets, along with Q. The one liner innuendos are also missing and for the first time, Bond's signature "The name's Bond, James Bond" has been dropped.

The action sequences are disappointing. This was the most expensive Bond movie made and the action does take place in some exciting locales. But the director makes a minor mistake. He choreographed the action from up close. We are placed right in the middle of the action, but we are not clear on what's happening exactly. Sadly, at times we don't want to seem to care.

The actors do a commendable job. Craig clearly suffers from a script that could have exploited his range in talent more. His character comes of very one dimensional. 

The Bond girls Olga Kurylenko and Gemma Arerton are stunning but end up as props. They are not allowed to be fleshed out. There is a bit of a back story for Camille (Kurylenko) but even she is disposed off much like former Bond girls.

Craig is set to return for more Bond movies. He had a good start with "Casino Royale". With "Quantum Of Solace" he cements the new more gritty Bond, but at the expense of fun. 

Here's hoping the Bond of the future will lighten up, have some fun, and not take himself too seriously. Not everything from the old Bond movies needs to be changed.

Death Race

Some movies manage to be incredibly inferior in some areas and yet manage to deliver wonderfully in others. The action movie "Death Race" is a prime example where the plot and script are laughable but where the action sequences are thrilling. At times it looks too much like a movie which can be enjoyed only by a very niche audience. 

Jensen Ames is an ex-con framed for murder and sent to a prison where the prisoners are forced to compete in a high-speed car race with barely any rules. 

The movie is set in 2012 and it does get a few things right. The economy has collapsed in 2012 and sinister corporations have taken over. The background of the economic collapse eerily echoes the present financial crisis. But pretty much everything else in the movie is other worldly. 

The races are at times spectacularly thrilling, but also verge on becoming monotonous. The action scenes are staged well and it would have to be so since the action is this movie's saving grace. 

The script is laughable. Statham is not a good actor by any standard and his dialogue is mercifully monosyllabic. The dialogue serves just to intimate us on the proceedings and no attempt is made to flesh out a character. 

There are two very fine actors in the form of Joan Allen and Ian McShane. Allen is an Oscar nominated actress and seems to have a habit of appearing in action movies after having shone in the Bourne series. She has very little to do here and tries to bring a touch of class and sophistication to this at times drab movie. 

Ian McShane impressed in the HBO series "Deadwood" but has not managed to snag the role he deserves. Statham does the requisite grunting, wincing, scowling and gives the intense gaze of a typical action character. 

Since this is an action movie, we can literally tick away the necessary ingredients. There is the cliché eye-candy in the form of Natalie Martinez. There is a hint of background characterisation for her that seems sadly added on for the mere pleasure of being looked at. 

At times the movie is unnecessarily violent and even that seems strategically placed to satiate the testosterone laden male teen. The gore is mostly momentary and thankfully the action emphasis is on explosions during the car race. 

For those looking for a not too demanding viewing with just enough action to be thrilled for a hour and a half, "Death Race" is a good bet.