Friday, October 8, 2010 Crook -- Movie Review by Ankit Posted by Bollystorys at 8:59 AM

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'Crook' (thankfully) stays away from turning into a serious affair,  'My Name Is Khan' which again dealt with racial abuse. Religion was the point of contention in the Shah Rukh Khan drama whereas it is difference in nationality which is the core of 'Crook'. Also, the film refrains from being frivolous by turning it's lead protagonist into an overnight hero. He arrives in Australia as a common man, stays on to be the one and exudes good enough vibes to stay on as one as well.

For the young character played by Emraan Hashmi, life isn't pretty much defined on a set path. Now quite sure about tomorrow, he arrives in Australia for a better life. As he comes in touch with a 'desi' student (Neha Sharma) and builds a relationship of convenience, he has his first brush with racism. However, he stays away from the mess and doesn't have any intention of getting involved into the proceedings. Things take an ugly turn though as a battle rages between Neha's brother (Arjan Bajwa), a self proclaimed protector of Indians in Australia and some local goons, hence leading to blood spilling over the roads. For Emraan, it's a matter of making a decision - Sit at the fence and let it all continue or take a stand and make his own little contribution to dilute the tension.

This is the reason why it is a pleasant surprise to see Emraan Hashmi, who so far has revelled in playing a man with grey/evil shades, pick up a different persona for 'Crook'. He may be a little naughty and also a liar when it comes to smaller issues. In fact he doesn't even become a moral crusader even as the city is burning with protests around racism. However, when it comes to stepping ahead on sheer humanitarian grounds for the ones close to him, he does take his first step forward.

What impresses most is the fact that there is no Australia bashing here. In fact the film asks Indians to first look into themselves, check their acts and hold on a little before drawing battle line with Australians. It's the subtle conveying of 'let there be peace' rather than any slogan shouting which makes 'Crook' totally different from what one was otherwise perceiving about the film.

With the core of 'Crook' being pretty impressive, what takes the film back are two factors - 1) The title and 2) An ordinary first half. Really, for a film like this, a different title would have helped the film. 'Crook' gives an impression of this being a quintessential Emraan Hashmi affair with the character not giving two hoots to anything.

However, that is far from true. Also, a quite some time goes into building the base for 'Crook'. There are a few light moments and couple of catchy songs here but still, one pines for the drama to begin. There are on and off moments that do fit into the scheme of the film's narrative but then the actual story kick starts only in the second half.

Thankfully, once the drama picks up there is no stopping with the penultimate 20-25 minutes taking the film to a high. There is a distinct Mahesh Bhatt touch to the narrative here as Emraan finally realises the gravity of the situation and doesn't hold himself back any more. No doubt, 'Crook' stands out as yet another consistent and good performance from one of the most reliable actors that Bollywood boasts of today.

Arjan is good as a menacing paradoxical character who doesn't mind killing his own folks when it comes to preserving the rights of a bigger group. After 'Fashion' and 'Guru', this is yet another confident performance from him. Neha makes a fine debut as she has a far better and lengthier role than what one would have imagined from a girl making her debut in a Bhatt film.

She looks good and shows a decent range within her role boundaries. 'Crook' could well be one of the most honest effort coming from the house of Bhatts. For a production house that has revelled in picking up newspaper headlines and presenting to audience some of the most topical issues of our times, Vishesh Films springs a pleasant surprise by actually sharing a point of view which is different from what one would have expected from 'Crook'. Though the film has at its heart there theme of racial discrimination and abuse, the question it asks the audience is - 'If we look within our own self, are we any less racial?'

Rating By Ankit = 

Movie-3*/5*

Music-3.5*/5*

Friday, October 1, 2010 Anjaana Anjaani - Movie Review by Ankit Posted by Bollystorys at 12:29 PM

Movie Story --

Akash (Randeer Kapoor) and Kiara (Priyanka Chopra) meet on a bridge in Manhatten under unfavourable circumstances. They both are trying to throw themselves down in a suicidal bid, being unable to cope with the hurdles of life any longer. But jump, they can't, and end up together in a pact which sees them spending twenty days together before they take the final plunge. So what happens in those twenty days? A road trip to Vegas, followed by loads of wish fulfilment.... More importantly, are they able to carry off the suicide pact? Keep guessing. 

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Movie Review -- 

They meet as strangers in the night.... The possibilities are immense. Is director Siddharth Anand able to leverage this great opportunity and tell an engaging story about two people who find life and love on the threshold of death? Errr, umm, well, he does, but partially so.

Let t's get things straight. By and large, we have no complaints with that critical quotient called chemistry. The new pairing of Ranbir and Priyanka manages to create some wild and whacky moments on screen as they romance each other with the archetypal yuppie attitude. The relationship begins on an antagonistic note and then shifts into a whole new terrain of quirky need. The two need each other to help each other die! So you have a handful of delightful scenes where the duo fumble and falter in their bid to asphyxiate each other by tying plastic tape on each other's faces. Doesn't work; so they decide to defer the death plan by a few weeks and fill the rest of their days with crazy stuff.... Like swimming in the middle of the Atlantic in sub zero conditions or finding a suitable partner for Ranbir who is desperate to officially come of age, before curtain call. In between all this fun, there's a bit of the crying game too, as the duo recall their sob stories that actually precipitated the suicidal frame of mind. Predictable stuff: Priyanka's heartbroken, Ranbir's recession struck. Never mind that too, because the twosome actually manage to look good, feel good and spar good, together.

We also have no problems with the performances. Ranbir's Akash and Priyanka's Kiara are recognisable, urbane, upcountry characters who interestingly follow alternate rhythms in the film. While the first half sees Priyanka play the funster with reckless aplomb to a moony Ranbir, the second half has Ranbir trying to spread good cheer in a going-downhill Priyanka. Both the actors pitch in a vibrant, spontaneous and a finely nuanced performance as the NRI chokras who get sozzled in Manhattan and party hard in Vegas, with nothing to lose but their cares.

So where's the problem yaar? It's in the script and the narrative. The director chooses to use the format of a road movie to weave his romantic story. Only, the road seems to be a bit long and too straight. There aren't too many twists and turns in this cross-country cruise; and the ones that are there, are quite-quite predictable. You know them all, because you've seen them all umpteen times, post DDLJ's Euro rail cruise. So, despite the fire and crackle of the lead characters, Anjaana -Anjaani doesn't actually set the screen on flames. All it promises is some fun moments, a peppy music score by Vishal-Shekhar, alluring performances by Ranbir and Priyanka.

Don't go looking for something new. And you will enjoy it. 

Rating by Ankit :- 
Movie :- 3.5*/5*
Music :- 4*/5*