November 12, 2008

Movie Review - A Wednesday


Warning - Spoilers ahead.

It's been a very long time since I wrote a movie review. But this movie warranted one. My dad had touted this movie for weeks even as he CD-mailed me the DVD. As is usual in such cases, I was expecting that it wouldn't live up to the hype that it was given. I was wrong. It was everything and more.

It had stellar performances from everyone in the movie. In a short 95 minutes, the movie manages to grip the viewer and make every frame powerful. Of course at the helm are 2 of India's premier performers delivering unfailingly yet again, Naseerudin Shah and Anupam Kher. The director Neeraj Pandey has ventured a bold script with just the right actors. The plot revolves around the wrath of a common man played by NS, who is outraged at the (lack of) action by the police with respect to even the terrorists who had been captured and held in custody. Misleading them to believe that he is a terrorist himself, he manages to force the police into accumulating 4 major terrorists at a single secluded location, with the promise of revealing hidden bombs that are poised to rip the city apart. The climax of course is when he blasts the terrorists instead, rather than the city and turns out to be a hidden samaritan. The plot is crisp and very fast paced and has the viewer glued for a well-invested 95 minutes. The end whilst unexpected is inspiring and it is indeed a bold movie by Bollywood, given the fact there are some undeniable ties between the industry and the real underworld.

To me at least, it was thought provoking and I found myself reflecting what would be the 'right' thing to do, ethically and morally. And it has that 'Indian' (movie) kind of feeling. All in all, definitely worth your time, but not one of those timepass movies that you can watch while doing something else. Give it the time it deserves. The dialogues are definitely worth that much.

****1/2

8 comments:

Ram said...

I swear I would have thought the same when I heard this movie ;)

Jaya said...

As in?

rrv said...

I think Naseerudin Shah is a great actor, but somehow I knew from minute 23 that he meant to kill the terrorists. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so bright :). It completely spoiled the movie for me. All this, when I had taken the trouble not to read any review or talk about the movie so that I wouldn't 'know' the story before I watched it.

Have you watched the Bond movie yet?

Jaya said...

Radhika -> believe it or not... I knew it too. I was all along telling Shravan that -kadasila paru he'll kill off the terrorists and it turned out to be true!! Me neither. I hadn't read any reviews and my dad raved on n on for weeks to me. It did impress though... and it brought some issues that we've been havign as a country to the forefront. I saw the Bond movie - nothing spectacular. Didn't feel like writing a movie for an everyday Hollywood flick.

PrivateMartin said...

Hi Jaya
seems like a nice movie, will try to see it. By the way have you watched NShah's british film Shoot On Sight. I havent seen it but it seems to be a very nice mivoie too. Story is kindoff based on the real like shootong incident of a guy in london subway, talks about terriosm and how muslims are seen by british as bombers and terrorists.

PrivateMartin said...

sorry i was trying to type too fast and did not see the spelling errors, NEVER MIND, YOU GET THE POINT!!! haha

refer to one of your earlier post.

Jaya said...

Privatemartin -> I totally understand the spelling errors :D Its all in the heat of the moment. Haha. Well, I will try to catch that movie. But you surely try to see this one. Its worth the watch.

Anonymous said...

some times having an hyper active brain spoils the party any way great review and great comments

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