Policegiri

Directed by: K. S. Ravikumar

Starring: Sanjay Dutt, Prachi Desai, Prakash Raj

Released: 2013

Verdict: destroy every copy ? horrible ? bad ? whatever ? flawed but enjoyable - good ? great ? amazing

This film is just absurd.

I am not even going to try to describe the story, because Vigil Idiot has done that in his absolutely hilarious and painfully honest way HERE.

Yes, Sanjay Dutt is a kind of a man who looks convincing as a macho policeman with ability to beat the goondas on his own and not even break into a sweat while doing it. However I?ve had enough of films with Dabangg hang-over and the presentation of the main character in this is completely boring, in spite of unending explosions and dramatic shots to show us that SANJU IZ DA SUPAHMAAAAN. Like geez! Move on, we get it!!! Not only he is unstoppable and un-destroyable, but even his bloody CAR doesn?t get a scratch when it crashes down an iron gate.... Hell yeah! Watta ride!!!! Except The whole character of DCP Rudra made no sense. A policeman who lets the criminals do whatever they want "as long as they don?t harass or harm public"? WTF? Does not every crime harass or harm someone?

At the same time we are given a Sanjay Dutt breaking into a dream-sequence song while trying to pull off some Shahrukh-ness with some unconvincing CGI projection of mountains and waterfalls in the background and with voice that is painfully apparently not his. And lovely to watch, but annoying to listen to Prachi Desai (I would say "who deserves better", but every actress would deserve better than this) being head over heels with him. A word has not yet been invented to describe how incredibly they look together. At times it feels pedophilic. Either they should have abandoned the "romantic" part altogether and make Prachi his sister (if making her his daughter would make him look "old") or they should have searched for some actress closer to his age and desperate enough to be a part of this rubbish.

Excuse me while I go and throw up.

Prakash Raj has lost his touch it would seem. He has become a caricature of himself on the screen. That his villain is at the same time trying for some comic relief makes it all the more confusing and difficult to imagine he might actually be dangerous. The whole comic side-track thing (with Prachi?s potential beau) is really something that cinema has moved on from and while it belongs to the films of the past, it feels extremely regressive today. Not to mention - it is not funny.

All there is to dialogues are several un-endingly repeated punch lines that are not punchy, rest of the time the characters are threatening each other. Blah blah blah blah..... it?s like listening to a broken record. Villain to hero, hero to villain, they just repeat the same things to one another. I really hope that script writer asked for just half the cash, because he obviously did just half the work. And frankly for a pearl like ?You have the voice like Osama, I have the power like Obama? they didn?t deserve two rotis even..... The only good line from the whole film, one that actually had me laughing, was uttered at the beginning. "Beauty is in the eye of a beer holder!" Goes down to my book of favourite quotes. Question is: is it original?

I just hope that while in jail Sanjay Dutt will have enough time to think of his terrible film choices and when he comes out he will be back to making classics like Munnabhai or at least films that would be bearable.

Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai

Directed by: Milan Luthria

Starring: Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Kangana Ranaut, Prachi Desai, Randeep Hooda

Released: 2010

My rating: destroy every copy ? horrible ? bad ? whatever ? flawed but enjoyable - good ? great ? amazing

What can a director responsible for overhyped Dirty Picture do with a bunch of actors I would rank from ?not interested? to ?dislike? do? Surprisingly a film I really enjoyed. I have been ignoring this one for quite some time (Why? Read the first line!) but as a person who always insists on watching original before a remake and prequel before a sequel I finally sat down and hit the play button. I knew the film was quite acclaimed, but public opinion rarely sounds in tune with my own sentiments.

From time to time there is nothing better than a good Bollywood gangster flick and Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai has ticked every bracket needed to be good. Dark, but never gruelsome or lingering too much on the nasty effects of criminal activity, OUTIM is more or less a masala with a heart, in spite of being a gangster tale, and set in very attractively presented setting of 70s and 80s, thus evoking bit of that nostalgy everybody likes too.

Inspired by real events (at least I found it described like) the film revolves around an idea that criminals and their crimes are of different nature depending on what they have in heart and mind. A willful, ambitious kid that has a secure home grows up to be a selfish and self-loving individual hungry for power, while the one whose attention and approval he seeks came literally out of nothing and while he managed to become the ?king? of the Mumbai underworld his actions are dictated by his selflessness and love for common folk. One is a smuggler, the other is a killer. The interaction and play-off between larger-than-life yet level-headed Sultan (Ajay Devgn) and impulsive, as well as somehow childish, immature Shoaib is the backbone of the film, which in the end gets broken and leaves you a bit numb for a while.

The film has a nice, tight screenplay, that is not weighted down even by two romantic sub-tracks, which bring further understanding of what men the main protagonists actually are. The relationship between Sultan and a Bollywood star played by Kangana Ranaut (I suppose a character created to remind us of notorious Mandakini) is based on caring and love, Shoaib?s selfishness and possessiveness has the upper hand in his love life. His girlfriend (Prachi Desai) is more or less seen as his property, bending to his wishes even when she doesn?t like them or are simply unacceptable to her own mindset.

The film?s strengths are above all good script and performance by Ajay Devgn. Dressed in white, he embodies a towering figure in the game of power, and has an aura of invincibility. He carries the film on his shoulders and charisma and doesn?t make a false step. Emraan Hashmi, whom I just cannot like for whatever reason, is good enough, mostly because he IS supposed to be unlikeable. Kangana and Prachi both play their roles convincingly, even though Kangana?s dialogue delivery and voice will always be a problem. Special mention goes to special cameo by Randeep Hooda, another guy I don?t really care for in general, but like him here.

Once Upon a Time in Mumbai has its share of flaws and illogical moments (why in the world would you need to deconstruct a railway track just so a lorry can ride over it?), and it is not the most exciting gangster movie out there either. But it works, has solid performances and superb music, as well as that already mentioned pleasant vintage touch.

Policegiri

Directed by: K. S. Ravikumar

Starring: Sanjay Dutt, Prachi Desai, Prakash Raj

Released: 2013

Verdict: destroy every copy ? horrible ? bad ? whatever ? flawed but enjoyable - good ? great ? amazing

This film is just absurd.

I am not even going to try to describe the story, because Vigil Idiot has done that in his absolutely hilarious and painfully honest way HERE.

Yes, Sanjay Dutt is a kind of a man who looks convincing as a macho policeman with ability to beat the goondas on his own and not even break into a sweat while doing it. However I?ve had enough of films with Dabangg hang-over and the presentation of the main character in this is completely boring, in spite of unending explosions and dramatic shots to show us that SANJU IZ DA SUPAHMAAAAN. Like geez! Move on, we get it!!! Not only he is unstoppable and un-destroyable, but even his bloody CAR doesn?t get a scratch when it crashes down an iron gate.... Hell yeah! Watta ride!!!! Except The whole character of DCP Rudra made no sense. A policeman who lets the criminals do whatever they want "as long as they don?t harass or harm public"? WTF? Does not every crime harass or harm someone?

At the same time we are given a Sanjay Dutt breaking into a dream-sequence song while trying to pull off some Shahrukh-ness with some unconvincing CGI projection of mountains and waterfalls in the background and with voice that is painfully apparently not his. And lovely to watch, but annoying to listen to Prachi Desai (I would say "who deserves better", but every actress would deserve better than this) being head over heels with him. A word has not yet been invented to describe how incredibly they look together. At times it feels pedophilic. Either they should have abandoned the "romantic" part altogether and make Prachi his sister (if making her his daughter would make him look "old") or they should have searched for some actress closer to his age and desperate enough to be a part of this rubbish.

Excuse me while I go and throw up.

Prakash Raj has lost his touch it would seem. He has become a caricature of himself on the screen. That his villain is at the same time trying for some comic relief makes it all the more confusing and difficult to imagine he might actually be dangerous. The whole comic side-track thing (with Prachi?s potential beau) is really something that cinema has moved on from and while it belongs to the films of the past, it feels extremely regressive today. Not to mention - it is not funny.

All there is to dialogues are several un-endingly repeated punch lines that are not punchy, rest of the time the characters are threatening each other. Blah blah blah blah..... it?s like listening to a broken record. Villain to hero, hero to villain, they just repeat the same things to one another. I really hope that script writer asked for just half the cash, because he obviously did just half the work. And frankly for a pearl like ?You have the voice like Osama, I have the power like Obama? they didn?t deserve two rotis even..... The only good line from the whole film, one that actually had me laughing, was uttered at the beginning. "Beauty is in the eye of a beer holder!" Goes down to my book of favourite quotes. Question is: is it original?

I just hope that while in jail Sanjay Dutt will have enough time to think of his terrible film choices and when he comes out he will be back to making classics like Munnabhai or at least films that would be bearable.

Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai

Directed by: Milan Luthria

Starring: Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Kangana Ranaut, Prachi Desai, Randeep Hooda

Released: 2010

My rating: destroy every copy ? horrible ? bad ? whatever ? flawed but enjoyable - good ? great ? amazing

What can a director responsible for overhyped Dirty Picture do with a bunch of actors I would rank from ?not interested? to ?dislike? do? Surprisingly a film I really enjoyed. I have been ignoring this one for quite some time (Why? Read the first line!) but as a person who always insists on watching original before a remake and prequel before a sequel I finally sat down and hit the play button. I knew the film was quite acclaimed, but public opinion rarely sounds in tune with my own sentiments.

From time to time there is nothing better than a good Bollywood gangster flick and Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai has ticked every bracket needed to be good. Dark, but never gruelsome or lingering too much on the nasty effects of criminal activity, OUTIM is more or less a masala with a heart, in spite of being a gangster tale, and set in very attractively presented setting of 70s and 80s, thus evoking bit of that nostalgy everybody likes too.

Inspired by real events (at least I found it described like) the film revolves around an idea that criminals and their crimes are of different nature depending on what they have in heart and mind. A willful, ambitious kid that has a secure home grows up to be a selfish and self-loving individual hungry for power, while the one whose attention and approval he seeks came literally out of nothing and while he managed to become the ?king? of the Mumbai underworld his actions are dictated by his selflessness and love for common folk. One is a smuggler, the other is a killer. The interaction and play-off between larger-than-life yet level-headed Sultan (Ajay Devgn) and impulsive, as well as somehow childish, immature Shoaib is the backbone of the film, which in the end gets broken and leaves you a bit numb for a while.

The film has a nice, tight screenplay, that is not weighted down even by two romantic sub-tracks, which bring further understanding of what men the main protagonists actually are. The relationship between Sultan and a Bollywood star played by Kangana Ranaut (I suppose a character created to remind us of notorious Mandakini) is based on caring and love, Shoaib?s selfishness and possessiveness has the upper hand in his love life. His girlfriend (Prachi Desai) is more or less seen as his property, bending to his wishes even when she doesn?t like them or are simply unacceptable to her own mindset.

The film?s strengths are above all good script and performance by Ajay Devgn. Dressed in white, he embodies a towering figure in the game of power, and has an aura of invincibility. He carries the film on his shoulders and charisma and doesn?t make a false step. Emraan Hashmi, whom I just cannot like for whatever reason, is good enough, mostly because he IS supposed to be unlikeable. Kangana and Prachi both play their roles convincingly, even though Kangana?s dialogue delivery and voice will always be a problem. Special mention goes to special cameo by Randeep Hooda, another guy I don?t really care for in general, but like him here.

Once Upon a Time in Mumbai has its share of flaws and illogical moments (why in the world would you need to deconstruct a railway track just so a lorry can ride over it?), and it is not the most exciting gangster movie out there either. But it works, has solid performances and superb music, as well as that already mentioned pleasant vintage touch.