About Time(2013) : Loving life as one lives it

Genre:

drama-fantasy-romance

Plot: 

Tim is young and is part of a happy family of five with a sister and an uncle. On his 21st birthday he learns about the unbelievable family secret from his father that the men in the family can travel back in time. His utilization and non-utilization of this time traveling at different situations of his life makes for an interesting watch.

Director's Angle: 

The director attempts to convince a viewer on the point of how to proceed with the daily routine that the life offers to each of us.

'Critic'al View:

The movie sails on smoothly through out with situations tailor made to suit genuinely to the fantasy element that carries the film. 

The relations between the main lead and various persons in his life are depicted beautifully including the romance between the two main leads. The situations that narrow down Tim's time traveling escapades are logical and intriguing.

Honestly, I can't make out whether the plot was thought of in order to make the point that the movie makes at the end or it was just stumbled upon the end point during the development of the plot.

The music composition enriches the situational mood completely.

***SPOILERS*** 

At times in the movie, Tim uses his time traveling to change certain mis-happenings. So when he says at the end of the movie that he doesn't use time traveling anymore meaning that one doesn't need time traveling in order to be happy, there seems to be a contradiction. 

***SPOILERS***

Be warned. There is some sensuality.

Quotes:

• In the opening remarks, Tim inadvertently introduces his father to the viewer with the line, "he always seemed to have time in his hand", which turns out to be half true(as he can't go into future) as we go into the later part of the story.
• Tim at the end says, "We're all traveling through time together, every day of our lives. All we can do is do our best to relish this remarkable ride".

Rating: 4/5 

(5 - Excellent, 4 - Very Good, 3 - good,  2 - average,  1 - poor,  0 - Repulsive)

The movie is full of positivity and encouragement towards facing life with a cheer. Alas, If only it was that easy.

Review of 'Highway': towards freedom

Genre:

Drama-romance

Plot: 

Mahabir(Randeep) is a theif who accidentally gets hold of Veera(Alia), as his men uses her as a hostage while robbing a petrol bunk, where Veera herself reaches while fooling around with a friend, the night before her wedding,in which she wasn't really interested in. But when Mahabir gets to know that she is the daughter of a well known rich family, he tries to hide her at various places before asking for ransom, even as the search for them intensifies. As the relation between them deepens they try to find a way out of the tangle they are in.

The Director's Angle: 

The movie portrays two persons aggrieved with the happenings in their life coming together incidentally and search for freedom and peace in their own way.

Strong Point:

The showcasing of how the relation between the two lead characters gradually change.

Music:

The title song has already got the applause even before the movie release. The background score and other songs were situational.

'Critic'al View:

Veera is the young member of a wealthy(closed!) family, being which she feels suffocated. And Mahabir is a member(rather leader) of a thieves(rather dacoits) group, who is sick of rich people,  who, according to him, are looting every one . Both characters have strong personalities and emotions that come out at various junctures. 

The depiction of the slow change in the feelings between Veera and Mahabir is smooth and realistic enough for their, rather diverse backgrounds.

Randeep is so natural in the character that he suits better to that rather than his original self. Alia too is convincing in most part of the movie, except in few emotional scenes, but she gives her best in the climax scene, where it is crucial.

Good use of the plot to show scenic beauties of the high north. It should also be appreciated for highlighting one of the serious societal problems India is facing for a long time, now.

Quotes:

• Alia: तुम मुझे जहा से लेके आये हो वहा मै फिर से जाना नहीं चाहती,   जहा लेके जा रहे हो वहा भी जाना नहीं चाहती, लेकिन ये रास्ता बहुत अच्छा है, मै इसे छोड़ना नहीं चाहती ( I neither want to go back to the place from where you brought me, nor to the place where you are going to take me, but this road is very good, i don't want to leave it)

• A group Member: देखते रहो, एक दिन तु कुत्ते कि मौत मरेगा (See, you'll die like a dog one day) Randeep: अरे , कुत्ते, कुत्ते कि मौत ही मर सकता है, और कैसे मरेगा? (hey, Dogs can only die like dogs, how else can they die?)

Rating: 3/5 

(5 - Excellent, 4 - Very Good, 3 - good,  2 - average,  1 - poor,  0 - Repulsive)

The movie sure makes you feel connected but falls short of really inspiring one.

Movies with similar Storyline(partly/broadly):

Qayamat se Qayamat tak, Into the wild

Review of 'Traffic': 'conveying right signals'

Genre:

Drama

Plot: 

An accident and several people's personal affairs and emotions were attached to a heart transplant surgery and a human heart has to be transported on road through 170 km under difficult circumstances inside 90 minutes.

The Director's Angle: 

The movie depicts the emotions of different persons involved beautifully and under realistic enough circumstances.

Strong Point:

The screen play that was taken care of even minute things adding to the viewer's pleasure. 

Logic: 

• The importance of why the heart needs to be transported with in a time limit() wasn't mentioned anywhere.
• [***SPOILERS*** I couldn't see why the part of how the girl reached the hospital bed needing a heart transplant was not shown at all. ***SPOILERS***]

Music:

The movie has only one song at the beginning which wasn't boring and the background sound was mostly on track except at very few scenes where it overshadows the emotion of characters.

                          

'Critic'al View:

The story starts with the introduction of several persons from different strata of society in a city, who are going to play an important role in each others life directly or indirectly on a fateful day. 

The first half deals with the  strenuous inter-relations between the four groups of people facing different circumstances in their lives. And the second half thrills with the suspense around the heart reaching the hospital on road.

The movie portrays reactions of different people when they are forced into an emotionally draining situation with a small added excitement.

The movie does have a few offbeats in between making it loose some steam at times.

Rating: 3/5 

(5 - Excellent, 4 - Very Good, 3 - good,  2 - average,  1 - poor,  0 - Repulsive)

A fresh movie with a feel attached.

Movies with similar Storyline(partly/broadly):

Disconnect(2012), Pulp Fiction(1994), Traffic(2000)

Review of 'Paisa': Nani 'Scores', but Movie 'sours'

Genre:

Drama

Plot: 

Prakash unknowingly gets hold of 50 crore rupees that were to be used in a by-poll for an MLA seat, but by the time he gets to know of them, there are different groups of people searching for them.

The Director's Angle: 

The director ventured to tell a dramatic play between people in the quest for money with a tinge of humor.

Strong Point:

Nani's almost brilliant performance

Music:

The title song is catchy and the racy background score is good.       

                    

'Critic'al View:

The movie starts on a jerky note with different political parties talking about spending crores in a by-poll election for an MLA seat and moves on to descent introduction of lead characters. But then it starts loosing the flow with several hard cuts from scene to scene. 

There's also a casual approach towards building up the second half in choosing how the chase for money goes on and ends without any thrilling element involved. Also there is an under usage of characters with the story limiting itself to very little.

Bloopers:

• Some scenes clearly shows that they were shot with actors in front of a screen showing the place rather than on location.

Rating: 2/5 

(5 - Excellent, 4 - Very Good, 3 - good,  2 - average,  1 - poor,  0 - Repulsive)

The movie fails to live up to the expectations as it is so linear, i.e without any turns, twists or any stir-up.

Who can watch:

Who like to see Nani's Dhoni-like single-handed performance in a loosing cause.

Movies with similar Storyline(partly/completely):

Swami ra ra, Kshana Kshanam, No Country for Old Men.