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Reviews
The Killer (2023)
More like "The mind of the killer"
The movie is a journey into the mind of a killer - mechanical, unemotional, ruthless, disciplined and focused. Do not expect a dramatic sequence or a plot twist to surprise you; rather expect a smooth ride into how "the killer" thinks and goes about doing things meticulously.
David Fincher brings his dark detailed style into the forefront with this movie. Michael Fassbender adds a cold facade to this darkness with a stoic portrayal of a man demonstrating that success is a lot of hard work and logistical preparation.
The movie will feel gripping if you enjoy the process of achieving an outcome and are not an outcome binger. On the other hand, the movie will feel spectacularly bland if you want an endless sequence of an event leading to the other and so on.
Give it a try irrespective of bad reviews. Patience with this movie is well rewarded with a final admiration for being, I repeat "mechanical, unemotional, ruthless, disciplined and focused".
Johnny Gaddaar (2007)
Shock and Awe - Slick, Brutal and Pummelling Promethean...
It's the retro age - Recently i saw this Tarantino film (must admit I'm a huge fan of his!!) on the Grindhouse backdrop and it amazed me because of the recreated era - sublimely yet effectively treated and brought on screen. I kept wondering whether I will ever lay my eyes on any such film in the Hindi Film Industry.
Sriram Raghavan (of "Ek Hasina Thi" fame) has much the same treatment for us - Shock and Awe. Yes!! It is a complete disappointment for the people' who can predict every twist and turn while watching a Thriller - because the film is genuinely UNPREDICTABLE, right till the credits flash across your gaping faces. (I'm sure you will be staring in sheer disbelief at the audacity of the Director) It is the treatment that blows you off - and the director is not even shy to reveal his "inspirations" for he surpasses them! The plot is about a supposedly well planned and organized barter of things gone wrong - "The Gang" of Five wants to get hold of something which requires a payment of 2.5 crores, an investment which shall get doubled with time. But someone among them betrays. You get to know about who the betrayer is, but not the other four in the gang. It sets off a chain of events that involves five underhand dealers, their families, a cop has a perfect denouement. It is almost like a short story - leaves you yearning for more, just as you thought you knew it whole! Fast and slick - right from the credits which is sexy and suave, through the images - that of Johny's transition from warmth exuding from the eyes to that cold glimpse which petrifies, from Pune to Goa and back again, the bars, the "in-built" and "in-sync" songs, the promises made only to be broken, the message is clear - Evil begets Evil and consumes Evil too.
The actors are brilliant (except for Neil who does a good job, but somehow he seemed to be emulating rather than delivering originality). Be it VInay Pathak, Dharmendra or Zakir Husaain, their characters have been sketched to perfection. Watch out for the ironies and the metaphors that have sublimely been blended into the film (say for instance, Why the name "Johny Gaddar" ?)...
The camera work has to be seen to be believed. The editing is absolutely A-class. The soundtrack is a perfect foil to the hectic pace of the film. Yes it might have its share of flaws (a particular thread which has no "suitable" ending), but they are an iota to the grandiose treat that I'm sure you shall relish for years to come...
I might just add - Watch it on the Big Screen. It's a perfect fit. Hats off to you Mr. Raghavan!!
Don (2006)
Slick, Tech-savvy, Entertainining, Gripping...
Shahrukh Khan wanted a piece of James Bond and voilà!! Has a pie instead. Right from the first scene, when he utters "Don" to the climax, he reigns supreme.
The script is taut-all loose ends having been tied (for those who have watched the previous version). And with the new twists added, the script breathes fresh air. Style and savvy-ness seems tailor made for the movie, which the director claims to be "a tribute to the previous one". The breathtaking action sequences are very new to the eyes of Hindi Film Industry and adds to the heavily loaded USP's of the film.
Shahrukh is well mannered (doesn't indulge much in his typical mannerisms)and shows why he is the only one fleetingly good enough to play the lead character. His looks and attitude makes the new "Don" very metro sexual, though Vijay (his double part) staggers through. Arjun Rampal is good, Boman Irani fits into the role again as a duck takes to water. Priyanka Chopra is marvelous as Roma. Glamorous and sexy, she does rev up the screen. Kareena in her cameo is "curves"-incarnate, rather than being seducive. However she does put up a good show.
But the film is all about Farhan Akhtar in every frame. His vision in remaking the film, with the fresh turns does pay off really well.The locales are just fabulous. So are the clothes that the characters don in "Don". In a way it is a more "complete" film than the previous version.