Vallinam Reviews from NowRunning!

All Sports in India is ruined by the power of capitalist and political interference. Very few privileged people get the opportunity to represent their country. Sport depicts struggle of each sportsman in their respective sports and hardly get recgnised anytime and some don't even get an opportunity, this also highlights the discrimination between sports and sportsmen and shows how a certain sport like cricket has been glorified, Although it might not be as powerfully engaging as Bollywood movie "Chak De! India", the film has the spirit to celebrate sportsmanship.

Director Arivazhagan's second directorial "Vallinam", which while addressing the aforementioned points. It turns out with an accident basket-ball player Krishna(forces) in an inter-collegiate basketball tournament, this leads to quit playing the game for good and relocate to another city. In short he moves from Trichy to Chennai, hoping to forget the past incident and exercise himself to perfect life. But call it destiny or fate; he's forced to play again, but this time to stop his college management from destroying their basketball court to make way for the extension of the cricket ground for the upcoming national level cricket championship, to be hosted by the college.

The tension that's accentuated through these moments is testimonial to the fact that the film has succeeded in entertaining the audience. But what's worrisome is whether the film will be embraced by all, irrespective of the fact that it has a college campus as backdrop and it's quite natural to assume it's made for college students. You can find inspiration from films such as "Lagaan", "Chak De! India" and several sports-based dramas of the recent past in "Vallinam", but it manages to maintain some originality in the execution. It might not be a great film, but considering the fact that we don't have many sports-based films in Tamil, this is a great effort. Even with a jagged screenplay that only gains momentum in the second half, the film manage keeps you hooked for the most part of the running time.

In this process, it gets little preachy at regular intervals with dialogues that are purposely written for commercial reasons, but it is understandable from the point of a view of catering to the masses. "Vallinam" never tries to convince us that basketball is a better game than cricket. It reminds us that cricket is not the only sport that deserves to be celebrated in a country where we have other equally popular sports as well. You root for the film when you realize that the actors took the effort to get trained in basketball, portraying the commitment with which they have prepared. Some of the best moments of the film unfold in the court, in between the game and when the ball spins in slow motion on the rim of the basket.

For a change, Thaman's music doesn't make you cringe in your seats. His background score syncs well with the second half, while Bhaskaran's celluloid captures the best shots during the basketball games. Nakul gives his career's best performance. He proves himselfs to hero can step out of the commercial zone and take up roles that can still be liked by audience. Debutant Mrudhula will shine with proper guidance while the rest of the cast members are good in their respective roles.

Overall, "Vallinam" attempts to galore the classifiation of one sport from another in our country.

Rating:***

Bewakoofiyan Review from Now Running!

It's Delhi's noveau riche Gurgaon world bathed in cosmetic conceit. Sonam Kapoor and Ayushmann Khurrana blend into this gleaming kingdom's excesses effortlessly. The two of them are so good as a couple, imagining them apart for even a portion of the bitterness that bites into the narrative during the second-half becomes unbearable.

Debutant director Nupur Asthana's film is a bright scrambled world of wealth, luxury and the yuppy club's unstated desperation to move up the corporate ladder. It is also, by its very definition, a ridiculously self-important delusional world.
There is an interestingly crafted fight scene between the film's lead pair where Mayera reminds Mohit that she has not bought a new pair of shoes during the last two months because of his job loss. That she doesn't realize how ridiculous she sounds to Mohit is a measure of the underlining irony that the narrative scrapes out of these characters while portraying the exacerbated materialism of the go-getting generation.

Ayushmann looks like the guy next-door who wouldn't mind pulling a few strings to float higher than the level allotted to him by fate. He brings a suave arrogance to his role and creates a cohesive graph for his character. He is an actor to watch.

Habib Faisal's writing is smart and amiable, crowded with quaint colloquialisms culled from the capital youngster's language. The writing also surprises itself by becoming inwardly-drawn and introspective at the most unexpected moments. That the screenplay has got Ayushmann to play the cool guy whose perfectly laid-out plans fall apart, is a stroke of luck for this likeable film.

Ayushmann looks like the guy next-door who wouldn't mind pulling a few strings to float higher than the level allotted to him by fate. He brings a suave arrogance to his role and creates a cohesive graph for his character. He is an actor to watch.

Habib Faisal's writing is smart and amiable, crowded with quaint colloquialisms culled from the capital youngster's language. The writing also surprises itself by becoming inwardly-drawn and introspective at the most unexpected moments. That the screenplay has got Ayushmann to play the cool guy whose perfectly laid-out plans fall apart, is a stroke of luck for this likeable film.

Rishi's Sehgal is a pompous name-thrower with an inflated sense of self-worth, over-possessive about his only daughter's life and preferences. V.K. Sehgal is a striking image of a man on the verge of erupting into a self-deprecatory laughter, if he only he knew how funny his quirks look from the outside.
Of course it helps Ayushmann that he has Rishi Kapoor to play his girlfriend's hawk-like father. Rishi's character of the IAS officer on the verge of retirement (with a companion from his work place who typically, offers his "humble" advice on every matter) is brilliantly written.

So many of Rishi Kapoor's scenes with Ayushmann stand tall because of the way the two characters meet as adversaries who fortunately love the same girl in different ways. Sonam as the girl torn between an autocratic dad and unreasonable lover is so in-character you wonder whether the role and its fetish for designer labels were written specially for her.

Bewakoofiyaan Pictures   30 Pictures

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Rishi brings to the characters a cornocupia of "cool". Seldom in his any other recent film except "Do Dooni Chaar" has this brilliant actor expressed such pleasure in putting forward his character's point of view.It's no coincidence that film too was written by Faisal.

"Bewakoofiyan" has nothing new to say. And that is its greatest virtue. It is "Meet The Parents" where the father and the prospective son-in-law's roles are better played than the original. Yes, Rishi and Ayushmann are better than Robert de Niro and Ben Stiller were in the Hollywood film about the father of the bride.

The narrative sparkles with a mischievous elegance. The winking homage to the go-getting glam-set of Delhi works mainly because the three protagonists are so immersed in the goings-on they make us forget that we've seen most of these conflicts over and over again in the past. In terms of the fluency with which the cliche about the love birds and the girl's disapproving dad is tackled, "Bewakoofiyaan" is a marked improvement on Yashraj Productions' last two pretentious hammy films "Shudh Desi Romance" and "Gunday".
Miraculously this film with its gleaming polished surfaces neither gasps nor laughs at the ignobility of upward mobility, Ayushmann's performance is oh not so hammy. A pure delight to behold after Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor's over-energized bravado in "Gunday".

Rating:***

Nowrunning Review Page.

Queen Review from Now Running!

Queen is intransitive story very much too similar to English Vinglish with how it has the central character's nervousness on embarking on a journey all by herself and later breaking the shackles of their reservations and reveling in the new found confidence but the two women chart their own journey.

Living a Life's by a book and where it takes this in the life of Rani is which focused on this movie. Rani (Kangana) learns her lesson much too late almost when she got dumped by her fiance Vijay (Rajkummar Rao) just a day before her wedding. Having yearned to witness her D-Day going perfectly, Rani is left shattered as her world comes crashing down. She unshackles herself in her room, hoping to escape the situation and the pain of being dumped. And her escapism only makes her stronger, she decides to go the unthinkable, set off for her honeymoon to Paris and Amsterdam alone. What initially turns out to be a nightmarish idea, turns into a journey of self-discovery as the free spirited Rani tastes independence for the first time.

For a woman laced in the Indian garb, one who's saved herself for her husband and is proud of her virginity, Paris is a culture shock and just the contrast she is looking for to leave behind her life. However, the city turns out to be incomprehensible, ruthless and unaccommodating till she holds on to her reservations and miseries and the moment she lets go of it all, all thanks to her new found friend in Paris Vijaylakshmi (Lisa Haydon), she discovers a whole new life.

Vikas Bahl's Queen is an uplifting, bitter-sweet story that transports you into the film to become one with the author-backed character. The filmmaker doesn't work too much on the story but on the character and her experiences for that forms the backbone of the film. The way Queen simply addresses the stereotyping of women in India and chauvinistic behavior of men and the social pressures is commendable. It's that very innocence of her character that's infectious and strikes a chord with the masses.

Rani stands tall all thanks to the many characters that come along in her story. Right from her family including the likes of her father, mother, younger brother and grandmother, all of whom might just be exactly like your parents to the ebullient, full of life Vijay-lakshmi, all the characters aide Rani towards self-discovery. Lisa Hayden is a complete surprise package who not only looks jaw-dropping gorgeous in her Indo-French role but also plays her part to the T. Rajkumar Rao though in a bit role is spot on. All the other actors who Rani meets on her journey too absolutely flawless.

There's never a dull moment in the film and though the movie treads on the predictable path in few instances it's the actor again that keeps you watching but what's also impressive is where you expect it to go the typical filmy way it beats you and gives an ending that's very befitting the plot.

Queen Pictures   34 Pictures

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 The ace in Vikas Bahl's Queen is the Queen of course. Kangana Ranaut sinks completely to become one with her character. She breathes life into Rani, a character that has the power to make you laugh or cry. Her innocence mixed with the childlike inquisitiveness to try anything new is infectious. There couldn't be a better Rani than Kangana Ranaut who gives a pitch-perfect portrayal.

The music actually plays an important part in the film and refreshingly so, doesn't get used for the sake of it, Music by Amit Trivedi deserves a special mention for composing tracks like London Thumakda, Ranjha and remixing the yesteryear track Hungama Ho Gaya.

To sum it up, Queen is one of the finest films this year that with all its simplicity strikes a chord with the mass. The movie deserves not one but repeated watch

Rating:****

http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/11351/bollywood.hindi/queen/4591/review.htm

Lakshmi Review from Now Running!!

Filmmaker Nagesh Kukkunoor who is best known for films like Hyderabad Blues, Iqbal and Dor had his luck running flat on box-office and as well as with critics. Not only were his movies like Aashayein, Mod etc. taking in audiences at the theaters but were also being criticized for the poor execution. However, this time he is back with the best in Lakshmi.

The Storyline  mostly revolves around with the harsh realities of human trafficking and child prostitution, the movie overviews the life about a  13 year old girl Lakshmi (Monali Thakur) who is abducted and sabotaged into prostitution. Thrown into brothell, Lakshmi gets raped, then again repeatedly brutally battered by same men and pimp China (Nagesh). But the most grisly conditions don't break her will to retaliate and after repeated attempts for redemption, she finally makes her way out for a better life.

The story moves based on true events. There's hardly any subtle play in Lakshmi. Nagesh, who brings to fore the plaguing issues of child prostitution and illegal human trafficking that yet are to be eradicated from the rural heartlands of India, relies heavily on shock value to leave the audience with a gut-wrenching experience, assumedly with a hope to bring a change. 

Moreover, it's the crudity of the language, mannerisms of the actors and situation that Nagesh shows his prowess in, however, the rest of the portions get amateurishly handled. One expects nail-biting courtroom drama but owing to lackadaisical dialogues it loses the punch.Most of the gruesome scenes are very in-your-face but you wonder after a point whether such graphical representation is actually required? Couldn't the audience be left to imagine the worst?

Singer turned actress Monali Thakur is spot on in her debut film. Her childlike face brilliantly juxtaposes with the crudity of the brothels and viciousness of men. Lakshmi works best not just for its shocking story of depraved and immoral humans but also for its casting and acting.

Satish Kaushik's portrayal of the brothel owner is absolutely brilliant and so is the case with Nagesh who maliciously plays a pimp. While the debutant actress impresses, you have to watch the seasoned actors like Satish Kaushik and Shefali Shah performances.

To sum it up, Lakshmi is a story that's disturbing, shocking but a courageous effort. Watch this movie for stellar performances. and very good time to releases this movie at March 8, which is moreover a good day to encourage woman.

Rating:**1/2

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Ragini MMS 2 Reviews from Now Running!

Despite a half-baked script with cliched masala, Ragini MMS 2 is worth a watch purely for Sunny Leone's performance.  

Horror genre's fascination for children continues so while even in the West you have movies like Mama, The Conjuring, Insidious etc. using children as medium for chills and frights, Bollywood too has shown its fascination for kids in its horror movies. Similar is the case of the Ragini MMS 2 who uses a mother child bond as the back story of its horror plot and gives it a commercial twist by turning it into horrex (horror + sex).

So you have Sunny Leone, who actually plays a porn star turned actress (basically herself) actually faking an orgasm in one of the scenes. Needless to mention, with the boldness taking such blatant levels in Hindi cinema, a movie review doesn't really remain of any use, the ones who want to watch "all that" will do anyway.

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A movie based on a movie, quite a smart move by Bhushan Patel, Ragini MMS 2 actually revolves around the story of its prequel. A renowned filmmaker decides to make a movie on the story of Ragini (protagonist of the first part) who now is in mental asylum. He ropes in porn star turned actress Sunny played by Sunny Leone (coincidence much?) to play Ragini in the film and taking the writer Satya's (Saahil) suggestion decides to shoot the film in the very same bungalow where the actual incident happened. Things go awry when the crew reaches the bungalow and the vengeful spirit starts haunting them all.

Filmmaker Bhushan Patel doesn't give two hoots about traditional mindsets and delivers what he promised all throughout the promos. There's skin show, lip locks, double meaning dialogues and more in a film that's also supposed to scare but fails to deliver that. In a bid to titillate the mass, the maker reduces the horror quotient which actually was substantial in the first part.

The movie takes the hackneyed route for the horror portions and you have a doctor deciding to chant mantras to ward off the spirit or the usage of witchcraft etc.

Ragini MMS 2 works only because of Sunny Leone. Finally in her comfort zone this time around, Sunny outshines everyone and is brilliant not just in the steamy scenes but also in the scary portions towards the end. The rest of the cast including the experienced actors like Parvin Dabbas, Sandhya Mridul and Divya Dutta get wasted in the film.

Despite a half-baked script with cliched masala, Ragini MMS 2 is worth a watch purely for Sunny Leone's performance.

Rating:**1/2

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Queen Review from BollyWood Hungama!!!

You enjoy a movie even more if it has the unforeseeable factor adjoined to its premise. Thankfully, a number of storytellers in Bollywood are aiming to surprise, shock and charm you with attention-grabbing yarns you haven't witnessed earlier on the Hindi screen. Some get it right, some don't, but what needs to be lauded is the effort to break the mould, to go beyond the stereotype. Vikas Bahl's QUEEN also dares to push the envelope.

The promos of QUEEN bring back memories of TANU WEDS MANU, partly because the protagonist [Rani] seems like a distant cousin of Tanu. But let's get one thing clear: The presence of Kangna Ranaut and North India setting apart, there's no commonality between TANU WEDS MANU and QUEEN. However, one can draw parallels with ENGLISH VINGLISH, since Shashi in ENGLISH VINGLISH and Rani in QUEEN are vulnerable and low on self-esteem, but eventually find their own voice once they resolve to venture out on their own accord.

QUEEN is about a shy and timid girl who travels to Paris and Amsterdam for her honeymoon all alone, when her beau calls off the wedding at the last minute. A quirky concept, yes. But this coming of age story is indeed enjoyable, despite the hiccups.

First, the premise! Rani [Kangna Ranaut] hails from a Punjabi family in Delhi. She has led a sheltered life, having been surrounded by her over-protective, but caring parents, doting grand-mom and younger brother Chintu. Rani is introduced to Vijay [Rajkummar Rao], the son of their family friend. Vijay is attracted to Rani and woos her relentlessly. Eventually, Rani gives in to Vijay's charms.

Vijay and Rani get engaged. Vijay is posted in London, but when he returns to Delhi for the wedding, he's a changed man. He calls off the wedding at the eleventh hour. Rani is heartbroken, her family is shattered as well. Rani resolves to take charge of her life. She decides to go on her honeymoon to Europe. All by herself...

QUEEN starts off as yet another attempt to encapsulate the middle class Punjabi set-up [based in New Delhi yet again!], replete with resplendent song-and-dance spectacle prior to the wedding, but quickly changes lanes as Rani sets out for Paris. Steering away from the conservative route of the woman wallowing in self-pity, Vikas Bahl tells Rani's story with insight and understanding and along with his team of writers [screenplay: Parveez Shaikh, Chaitally Parmar, Vikas Bahl] injects loads of optimism, besides spirited and lively episodes, to portray Rani's emotional rollercoaster journey.

What really works is the way Vikas presents Rani, his lead character. Rani [in her 20s] is no bimbette or abla naari, is stuck somewhere between tradition and modernity, but has a mind of her own. Her experiences outside the comfort zone [on foreign land], the interaction with varied people she encounters in Paris first and Amsterdam later, the atmospherics... the writers unfurl a tale that's utterly believable, besides creating a colorful canvas that's brimming with characters who are *not* cardboard cut-outs. Sure, a couple of episodes may seem quirky, but gel wonderfully in the scheme of things.

Having said that, QUEEN isn't fool-proof either. The bloated run time -- almost 2.30 hours -- acts as a roadblock. Also, the story stagnates in the second half. Besides, there are too many songs, especially in the first hour. As a result, the film feels elongated and also indulgent at times. Thankfully, the film is back on tracks towards the closing stages, when Rani meets Vijay in Delhi. The final act is indeed brilliant!

There seems to be an overdose of songs [Amit Trivedi] here. 'London Thumakda', 'Hungama' and 'O Gujariya' are effervescent compositions, while a couple of tracks only add to the run time. Cinematography deserves special mention. The DoP [Bobby Singh; additional cinematography: Siddharth Diwan] captures the sights and sounds of Paris and Amsterdam wonderfully. Dialogue [Anvita Dutt; additional dialogue: Kangna Ranaut] come across real.

It's hard to take your eyes off Kangna, who captures the nuances of her character spot-on. She's simply outstanding! Even when the goings-on appear stretched, Kangna doesn't miss a beat. The earnestness and sincerity she invests in her performance is for all to see. Additionally, the deglam look and the attire [jeans, kurtas, sweaters, handbag] makes it so believable. It won't be erroneous to state that she turns Rani into the most real woman you've encountered on the Hindi screen lately. Rajkummar Rao sparkles in a role not many actors would've dared to take up, while Lisa Haydon is simply delightful and supremely confident, complimenting Kangna through and through.

Mish Boyko [as Olik], Jeffrey Ho [as Taka], Guitobh Joseph [as Tim] and Marco Canadea [as Marcello] contribute wonderfully to their respective parts. The actors enacting the part of Kangna's parents, especially the grand-mom, are lovely.

On the whole, QUEEN reinvents the genre with its non-formulaic screenplay and skilled direction. A charming little film, this one's made with heart and feeling and it shows. Absolutely recommended! 

Rating:****

http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/criticreview/id/563941