Tezz review: "Will be taken off the theatres fast!!!"

IPL season is half through & with the viewership dwindling as opposed to yester years, Bollywood would love to make hay when the sun shines. So this weekend we have the maestro of comedies or more appropriately remake ustad, Priyadarshan coming up with a thriller "Tezz" for a change. So will it have takers or will it be yet another uninspiring ripoff???

Since the past many years, foreign locales has been the haven of Bollywood mainly to impart a classy feel to it & also to escape from hefty taxes imposed by different corporations. So within a fortnight, we have got yet another film based in London which maintains a stringent policy against terrorists especially after the tragic bombings of 2005. Priyan makes use of this subject for weaving the plot of his latest venture. Aakash Rana (Ajay Devgn) was an engineer working in London who gets his wedding annulled & gets deported to India for illegal immigration status. Now four years has passed & he is back in London to unleash his vengeance by planting a bomb on the London-Glasgow Express. So can the Anti Terrorist Officer, Arjun Khanna (Anil Kapoor) save the day or will Aakash have the last laugh???

Frankly speaking, Priyan has gone bonkers to have filmed based on such an illogical screenplay but even then if he had atleast paid attention to the execution he could have salvaged some pride after all as always this is a poor rip of the Japanese film "The Bullet Train" with liberal inspirations from "Speed". Instead of wasting money on the wardrobe, if he had invested some of the hard cash on the visual effects which seemed totally amateurish  it would have made for more of an enjoyable watch. However, it does have a couple of bright spots like the bike chase involving Sameera Reddy & the parkour sequence of Zayed Khan. As for other aspects, except for Thiru's visuals the others didnt have much to sing praises about.

There's a limit to how much an actor can bring to the plate especially if he doesnt have the backing of a decent script & that is what pretty much happened to Ajay Devgn. There is no doubt regarding his caliber to enact intense scenes but here it was neither required nor provided him opportunity. It was refreshing to see Anil Kapoor do something different than slap stick comedy while Boman Irani has done complete justice to his role. One of the best actors in the country, Mohanlal is reduced to a glorified guest appearance..the significance of which I still cant fathom. 

Verdict:  "Tezz" will struggle to get a decent opening as it wasnt able to inspire any kind of anticipation in its promos. Add to that, crappy screenplay & childish visual effects..the film is doomed for sure. In short, you may as well fast forward to the two chase sequences & leave the rest to imagination!!!

Rating: 1.25/5

Regards...Ben

Vicky Donor review: "Wont hurt to donate some time for this mirth!!!"

Last few years has witnessed a mushrooming of production houses with almost all the major stars having their own be it SRK's "Red Chillies" or Aamir's "Aamir Productions". The latest to join the bandwagon is John Abraham's "JA Entertainment", which has come out with its maiden venture "Vicky Donor". With a couple of new faces gracing the screen, the onus is on the script to deliver the goods. So will it be happy days ahead for John???

Over the years, India has gone through a wave of change in all walk of life but there are topics like "pre marital sex". "artificial insemination" etc. which are still considered taboo though it does happen behind closed doors. Interestingly, sperm donation is the subject which is taken up for discussion here in a light hearted manner. Vicky (Ayushmann Khurana) is a happy go lucky Punjabi munda living with his widowed mother in Delhi, who runs a beauty parlour. In the nearby locality, Dr. Baldev Chadha (Annu Kapoor) runs an infertility clinic who is in frantic search for a healthy sperm donor which eventually leads him to Vicky. Though reluctant initially, Vicky finally agrees seeing the money on offer. But things take a change when he falls in love with a banker, Asima Roy (Yami Gautam). Will she able to digest when he tells her about sperm donation???

Shoojit Sarcar should be lauded for taking up such an interesting topic & molding it in an enjoyable manner rather than being preachy & melodramatic. Juhi Chaturvedi does deserve praise for coming up with an impressive screenplay which entertains & enlightens at the same time without being abstruse. Another major plus point is the excellent choice of actors who have given a whole hearted performance, making it an enjoyable watch.

Ayushmann Khurana of MTV Roadies fame was the apt choice for the protagonist as he seemed totally at ease be it his body language or dialogue delivery & does promise to be the one to look out for in future. Yami Gautam who has graced the silver screen with serials & ads, delivers an endearing performance. Similarly, Annu Kapoor whose credentials as an actor has been proved beyond doubt in the past itself is yet again reiterated. The rest of the cast be it Vicky's mom, grandmom etc., couldnt have been performed better by anyone else.

Verdict: Being a low budget film coupled with small stars, it wont create much of a buzz at the box office. But the light hearted treatment of the topic along with credible performances should have word of mouth going in its favour. In short, give it a try for some leisurely time pass as it's indeed a genuine effort!!!

Rating: 3/5

Regards...Ben

22 Female Kottayam review: "More than 22 reasons to give it a try!!!"

Summer heat is beating down with relentless ferocity & what better way to cool off than sit in the comforts of a theatre watching an engaging film. So just as in every Vishu season, the film makers have drawn swords to exhibit their might to draw the audience's attention. Without doubt, one of the most eagerly awaited among the lot  is Aashiq Abu's "22 Female Kottayam", whose previous venture "Salt N' Pepper" was a blockbuster creatively & financially. So can Aashiq make it a double whammy & prove that his previous hit wasn't a fluke???

Being from the Medical profession, I do understand the plight of the nurses be it their reduced pay as evidenced by strikes in various hospitals or the thankless nature of their profession. However, the conditions are much more rosier abroad financially leading to the exodus of a large number every year. It is this very subject that Aashiq has dwelled upon in his latest venture. Tessa K Abraham (Rima Kallingal), is a nurse hailing from Kottayam who works in Bangalore. Just like her colleagues, she dreams of going to Canada & makes efforts for the same. It's during one of these Consultancy rendezvous that she gets acquainted with Cyril (Fahad Fazil). In time, they fall in love & she moves into his abode. But all hell breaks loose when she gets brutally raped & though Cyril bays for the rapist's blood, Tessa refrains him as she tries to pick up pieces of her life. But will things ever be the same as before???

Aashiq Abu has chosen a socially relevant topic to which we blissfully render a blind eye as  if to make ourselves believe that we are oblivious to all such atrocities. There are many sequences that hits us hard, the prime example being the brutal sexual assault which is definitely one of the best ever cinematographed in Malayalam films. The script by Abhilash Kumar & Shyam Pushkaran was fantastic & though they claim to be loosely inspired by "Ek Hasina Thi", it remained true to the central theme here. There are indeed sequences in the second half which seems kinda stretched, but I felt they never really tested the audience's patience but on the contrary the treatment of the subject made us more engaged. Shyju Khalid's visuals were hard hitting while the BGM by Bijibal & Rex Vijayan was in sync with the mood.

The title more or less conveys the message that the film is going to be female centric & Rima Kallingal must consider herself lucky to have landed with such a meaty role. She has done herself no harm as she unleashed a superlative performance which is undoubtedly the best in her nascent career. Fahad Fazil seems to have sealed himself to be the caricature of the modern day youth & comes up with an impressive act which is evolving by the day. Similarly, the veteran cast of Prathap Pothen, Sathar & T.G Ravi have done complete justice to their roles, not to forget the sincere efforts of the rest.

Verdict: Impressive promos, Vishu season & Aashiq Abu's previous hit will ensure a fantastic opening for the film. The biggest plus for the film is undoubtedly the courage of Aashiq to deviate away from the successful formula of  "Salt N' Pepper", which very few would have done. Though it seems packaged as an urbane film, the theme is very much relevant for the scores of nurses from all walks of life which should ensure a decent run in single screens as well. In short, do watch it & savour yet another gem of this year!!!

Rating: 4/5

Regards...Ben

Housefull 2 review: "Lame but hilarious at times & houseful for sure!!!"

One of the golden mantras to success that Bollywood seems to have stumbled upon is to cash in on the popularity of hit films by churning out sequels, be it the "Golmaal" or "Dhoom" series. The latest to join this bandwagon is "Housefull 2", sequel to the dumb yet successful "Housefull". Going by the promos, it promises to be much more hilarious & dumber, not to forget the eye candies on offer. So will it be running to houseful shows???

Set in the landscapes of London, the film unfolds with the simmering rivalry between half brothers Daboo (Randhir Kapoor) & Chintoo (Rishi Kapoor). Going by the quote that children learn from their parents, cousin sisters Heena (Asin) & Bobby (Jacqueline Fernandes) are also sworn enemies of each other. As one would expect, Chintoo & Daboo are in search of rich grooms, which eventually led to Jai's parents (Shreyas Talpade) being insulted by Chintoo owing to their inferior family status. Jai soughts the help of his millionaire buddy, Jolly (Ritesh Deshmukh) to avenge for his parents insult. Finally, they devise a plan & resort for the assistance of their seniors & con men, Sunny (Akshay Kumar) & Max (John Abraham). What then follows is a mad rush by the guys trying to cover their follies & how they go about it.

Sajid Khan has always shouted himself hoarse that his brand of film making is targeted at the masses & not for the classes. Though that is quite an acceptable statement, as returns does matter; his crass sense of humour is quite nauseating. As in the prequel, here also he makes use of all kind of props which is expectedly below the belt to make people laugh. With a wafer thin plot, the comedy & dialogues were supposed to be the USP of the film but unfortunately except for a couple of hilarious sequences the rest were kind of sick. Sajid Wajid's music were peppy but doesnt quite linger on while the other aspects of the film were fine.

Akki is at ease pulling off the comic sequences with immaculate timing along with Ritesh who once again reiterates that he is one of the best around in this genre. John has indeed improved in comedy since "Garam Masala" days, while Shreyas has also done his part aptly. The veterans does have their moments,with the ladies being there more as eye candies rather than mouthing lines. 

Verdict:  There is no doubt that the film will have a fantastic opening which will ensure it to reap back its cost before Monday. Even though, the film will get a thumbs down from the critics; I believe it's on its way to being a blockbuster. Sounds surprising??? but true...so in short, you may check it out if you want to laugh your lungs out to crass comedy!!!

Rating: 2/5

Regards...Ben

Ordinary review: "Extraordinary response confirmed!!!"

Living in Bangalore has its own share of advantages & disadvantages, with the prime negative for a movie lover being the delay or at times non-release of many of the Malayalam films. One such movie to be added onto that list is "Ordinary", which has been garnering positive responses since the time it released in Kerala. Anywaz, it has finally released here & we do get an opportunity to decipher the reason for such hoopla.

It might sound interesting but buses at times have played many a significant role in Malayalam films be it Lalettan's "Varavelppe" or Dileep's "Ee Parakkum Thalika". Now it's the turn of Chakochan as Iravikuttan Pillai who dons the khaki uniform of the conductor in the KSRTC to the hill station, Gavi. Providing him company is driver Suku (Biju Menon), who speaks with a thick Palakkad accent. In due time, he develops a healthy relation with the regular commuters of Gavi & nurtures a soft corner for Kalyani (Sritha Srinivas). But what is life without twists & turns, however what actually transpired was more than what Iravi & Suku had bargained for.

The last few years has seen the influx of fresh blood into the industry which has led to the creation of several interesting films. With "Ordinary", yet another director in the form of Sugeeth has been inducted into the fraternity & going by what we have seen, the early signs seems promising. The first half was outstanding to say the least, as the audience gets immersed in the fog kissing valleys of Gavi. However, the urge to inject something serious into the film kind of derailed the latter half, especially the climax. Faisal Ali's visuals were stunning as it seemed as exquisite as a painting, making us yearn to be in such locales. Vidyasagar's music was impressive especially Sun Sun Sundari & Enthinee Mizhi.

Frankly speaking, I am at a loss of words to express the brilliance of Biju Menon. His performance was so hilarious that you feel like watching the first half again. Chackochan's & Biju's on screen camaraderie, is the life of the movie which is more than adequately supported by Baburaj, who never ceases to surprise post "Salt N Pepper". The rest of the crew of Lalu Alex, Jishnu, Ann & debutant Shritha Sivadas have done their part aptly along with Asif Ali, who though at times goes overboard.

Verdict: The film has already been declared a superhit thanks to its brilliant first half. It's likely to swell the coffers even more with the release in centres outside Kerala. In short, though the second half is trite, the first half makes it more than an ample reason to watch it!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben

Masters review: "Masterful thriller!!!"

Summer vacation has commenced & with Vishu, just a fortnight away it's going to be gala time for the movie lovers. Kicking off this session is Prithviraj starrer "Masters", which has already garnered a great deal of hype as it marks the entry of Sasikumar into the Malayalam industry. Coming on the back of the critically acclaimed & commercial potboiler, "Indian Rupee", Prithviraj is slowly & steadily winning over his detractors. Will "Masters" provide an added impetus to his efforts???

ASP Sree (Prithviraj) is one of the most daring, young blooded cops in the Kerala force who has landed in quite a number of soups, thanks to his impulsive & no nonsense nature. However, Sree was lucky to have his best buddy, Milan Paul (Sasikumar) by his side who with his journalistic skills have assisted him in many a case. At around this time, Kottayam is rocked by the suicide murder of industrialist & womaniser, Bala Gangadharan (Vijay Raghavan) by Dakshadas (Piaa Bajpai). Sree was entrusted to unravel the motive behind the murder but preliminary investigations revealed no prior connection between the victim & the murderer. Just as he was drawing blanks, yet another murder happens with the modus operandi being exactly the same. So was there was any link between the murders & will there be more such serial suicide murders??? 

After the forgetful "Ee Pattanathil Bhootham", Johny Antony has come up with an engaging thriller both in terms of content & treatment. Jinu Abraham, who is credited with the story & screenplay has come with one of the best investigative thrillers in recent times. The first half of the film builds up the ante with a couple of well crafted murders providing subtle hints to the audience without ever bordering on the incredulous. Even in the latter half, Johny Antony manages to maintain the tempo but he does gets carried away in the climax by dragging it a bit too much with spattering of emotions & lengthy fight sequence. 

Prithviraj was fantastic as the ASP without ever going over the top & likely to win browny points for his performance. Sasikumar has done total justice to his role though I felt he should have been impactful in the latter half. As for the rest of the cast, all of them have done their parts effectively & convincingly no matter how short their screen presence has been be it Salim Kumar, Sai Kumar, Ananya, Piaa or Biju Menon. Another major reason for imparting the thrill to the sequences was the scintillating BGM by Gopi Sunder & priase worthy visuals by Madhu Neelakandan.

Verdict: The film is likely to garner an impressive opening which should in all likelihood continue owing to its impressive content & presentation. It's common knowledge that a section of society are kinda pre-judgemental towards Prithvi's films, but I dont believe such factors would impact this film's run as word of mouth would be in its favour. In short, being one of the best thrillers in recent times it's definitely worth a watch. So dont miss it!!!

Rating: 3.5/5

Regards...Ben

The King and the Commissioner review: "Test of endurance!!!"

Multi-starrers have always been the flavour of the film industry as it more or less ensures a hit owing to the earth shattering initial though at times the script might be absolute crap as in "Chinatown" etc. This week witnessed the release of "The King & the Commissioner",  one of the most anticipated films in recent times. With the coming together of Mammooty & Suresh Gopi, who are two of the best dialogue hurlers that our industry has produced, fireworks are expected to fly. The question is will it be able to replicate the success that "The King" & "The Commissioner" garnered??? 

Shaji Kailas's brand of film making has always dealt with political thrillers & his latest venture also deals with the same. The film unfolds with Pakistan hatching a plot to eliminate the Indian PM & entrusts Major Abul Rana to carry out the mission. However, the Indian Intelligence under Dr. Sudarshan (Nedumudi Venu) was able to intercept this plan, but gets brutally murdered before the authorities could be alerted regarding the impending doom. This coaxs Union Minister GK (Janardhanan) to bring in fire brand bureaucrat, Joseph Alex (Mammooty) to head the investigation with the assistance of Bharath Chandran IPS (Suresh Gopi). With time, it becomes clear that Pakistani militants are aided by Indian money monging traitors such as Chandramoliswara Swami (Saikumar) & kingpin bureaucrat Raman Madhav (Jayan Cherthala). How Joseph Alex & Bharath Chandran saves the day forms the crux of the film.

The film marks the coming together of the dynamic duo of Shaji Kailas & Renji Panicker after 17 years. It wouldnt be wrong to acknowledge the fact they have been instrumental in bringing about the trend of the protagonist blasting bombastic dialogues interspersed with English against a political backdrop. The script doesnt offer anything new as expected & true to his style, Renji's dialogues were powerful evoking applause from the audience. Shaji's time & tested cinematographic routine is brought back to the fore such as fixation for the limbs & dentals of the protagonists, gust of wind, smoking guns etc. The first half of the film plays to the galleries with fantastic intros & dialogues, but the second half turns out to be a painful drag as it becomes tiring to our senses as it runs close to 3 hours 15mins & makes us leave the theatre with a heavy head. As for other aspects, the editing was fine & the BGM does lift the mood of the sequences.

After having reprised their roles from "The King" & "The Commissioner" respectively, both Mammooty & Suresh Gopi have done total justice to their roles. Being part of such iconic & similar films before, I would say it was  a cake walk for them. Saikumar as the antagonist was powerful though he was made to ape many of the actions made legendary by the late Narendra Prasad. After having being the side-kick of the villains in many of the films, Jayan Cherthala does land up with the plum role of one of the prime villians here & performs aptly. As for the rest of the crew, they were more or less sound boards or punching bags for the protagonists.

Verdict: As one would expect, the film will take a thunderous initial which more or less ensures it to be a hit for sure. It's common sense that Shaji Kailas's films arent made for Moral Science classes rather an opportunity for the fans to have a field day & this film ensures that. If at all they had edited the length close to an hour, it would have done wonders. In short, if you have the patience & endurance to sit through 3 hours of constant gun shots & ear piercing dialogues, then this is your cup of tea or else you might walk out half an hour before the end!!!

Rating: 2/5

Regards...Ben