Varun's Word

Jason Bourne dives from the top of a building and gets shot before splashing into the river below. We get to know from a news report that the body was not recovered. Just then Bourne’s girlfriend smiles and then Moby’s orignial sound track is set into motion with movie credits rolling up. This extremely thrilling trilogy came to an end way back in 2007. Cut to chase to 2012 and the franchise comes up with a fourth movie to cash in on the legacy that Jason Bourne had created.

“Brisk action sequences shot using hand held cameras, hyper bike chases, romancing with syringes and incision scissors, outsmarting US Drones and CCTVs, multiple passports, never-ending chases, creating fake passports, disguises, smart lies, presence of mind…” This movie promises all the trademark “bourne-ness”.  But has it lived upto its trilogy standards ? To some extent yes, however we are left craving for more.

The credit should go to Tony Gilroy who co-wrote the screenplay and also directed this movie. Although its not totally based on the Bourne Legacy novel, it does transform into a compelling watch but gets over too soon.

Jeremy Renner gets the stamp of a full fledged action hero. He fights not only against the bitter cold in Alaska, but also wolves and US Army drones. He does break a few fists and necks of human beings. Like a lizard he slips into the cracks in buildings and basements. He is fast and he is fit. Suits the role perfectly. If Universal studios ever considered cashing in on Bourne’s popularity on television series, Jeremy could fit in perfectly. They could name it “The Bourne Chronicles”.

Rachel Weisz on the other hand plays the role of a mature but nervous PhD doctor. When she escapes in the car with Jeremy Renner, one gets reminded of Marie in Bourne Identity.

In this movie, Jeremy Renner does not take on the secret service. Maybe that part comes in a sequel later. Producer Frank Marshall leaked out that there might be a movie after this where Matt Damon and Jeremy Renner might come together. May be they are saving energy for this sequel. Which makes this movie not so epic as the earlier three movies in the Bourne trilogy. Although technically this movie looks solid and might go on to win some technical Academy awards too.

Assasin Aaron Cross, you thought of medicines, but like your predecessor you need to play a larger part of going after your betrayers who are shutting down the operation as if they are doing pest control. Why dint you think of this ?

–Varun Mannava Gowtham.

Probably by now, hundreds of reviews are being posted on the internet, newspapers and Magazines. Facebook status updates and tweets across the globe praising the quality and class of the Dark Knight trilogy. This poses a tough question for someone like me who is strongly bent on how to write a review and try to be critical of the movie at least to some extent.

I will stick to Logic and trust me the sub-titles made my life so easy. Sub-titles are a critics’ best friend since we tend to be clear on the finer details as well as the larger picture.

The movie starts off spectacularly exhibiting the strength and motivations of Ra’s Al Gul’s faithful follower. Since Bane is wearing a mask, Nolan thought that the fear factor needs to be his voice. However Bane’s voice is being criticized for lack of clarity on low pitch dialogue delivery. It spooks you out, no second thoughts on that though.

Bane’s actions continue to provide some meat for critics like me to thrive on. Bane’s crew reaches NYSE to upload highly speculative futures trades on behalf of Bruce Wayne. Agreed. This can be done. They take hostage of the building. This can be done too. What can’t be done is escape from the building in bikes. How did those bikes come into the building in the first place? Unless I am missing something, bikes can’t be taken into the buildings. New Yorkers could correct me if I am wrong here.

The additional grey area is – Why is Bane wearing the mask, the movie does not explain it to us. One could browse wikipedia to know the reason. But still in vain. The Bane in comic characters does not have a breathing problem. That’s it stop right there dummies, these two are the only shortcomings of the film. Batman hardcore fans can pitch in here to help resolve my curious mind.

Now coming to the awesomeness side of the movie. One could watch the movie again and again in IMAX screen just to see the Bat mobile (bike) changing directions. The Bat flight makes quite an impression too and the climax is impossible without an ultra-speed jet! Everyone clicks in the performance department! From wannabe Robin to Sassy Catwoman. Desperate times require desperate measures even for the Batman. He looks upon to his friends for help when the city is turned into a war zone.

Bruce, why do we fall? This is the famous question that keeps haunting us in the first part of Batman trilogy. Nolan is famous for inspiring his viewers to the extreme. This movie also has its fair share of inspiring punch dialogues. “Fear of Death makes you perform better”. “Not Everything, not yet.”  “Peace has made you weaker.”

There couldn’t have been a better ending to the Dark Knight legend. Batman’s prison episode makes not only Bruce Wayne’s soul stronger, but also the viewers’ soul. The sweet twists in the end only make the Batman experience more better. The twists are as smooth as the bat mobile (bike) switches lanes. Despite some shortcomings in the logic, I would still go with a 4.5 on 5 rating.

–Varun Mannava Gowtham

We have seen quite a few political thrillers in the past. While Ram Gopal Varma concentrated on the evil mind a lot more and Mani Ratnam concentrated on the path and youth’s entry into politics, Dibakar Banerjee is the king of details.

The thumbs-up symbol has a reverse meaning in Indian bureaucracy. If too many people are saying you have done a good job, especially your superiors, then it means they are going to crush your self respect and take a decision in favour of their personal benefit. Dibakar Banerjee shows exactly this. From a slew of chapraasis to help the bureaucrats to personal assistants standing ready with the water bottle in the gyms, to assistants handing over tooth prcik to the officer so that he could clean his teeth! God save Mother India from these practises. Thank GOD, the economy opened up in 1992 and the Americans taught us how to value human labour.

Abhay Deol portrays the role of an IAS officer from Tamil Nadu, who listens to Vishnu Sahasranamam on his Laptop, speaks Tamil occasionally, who wears a tie whenever he is performing his duty, who has the ‘I am highly qualified’look on his face, who occasionally removes his spectacles and takes deep breaths to imitate and irritate like a pucca bureaucrat, who works on enquiries very methodically, who threatens his boss but still handles the larger picture well, comes as the clean winner in the movie. For those 2 hours he merges himself into the IAS role like iron binds to globin in human blood.

Emraan Hashmi’s first experiment without his popular act of smooching the leading ladies has indeed come out very well. This is the first movie of his that I paid money to go and watch.

Kalki Koechlin does a fine role. However this role was not as tailor made for her as her roles in movies like Shaitaan, ZNMD. Abhay Deol steals away the limelight from her. She is famous for portraying strong roles, but has compromised being the love interest of a professor who is already married.

Prosenjit plays the role of a professor supposedly from some university in New York. He appears in the movie for the first 15 minutes and is a welcome change.

The only weak link in the movie is the unnecessary drama around Kalki involving her domestic help. It could have been avoided as it seems too much of a co-incidence. May be it was to give more depth to Kalki’s role?

Shanghai glorifies the details in high profile enquiry commissions. Intelligent watch ! As the song goes, we have dengue, we have malaria, but still life goes on and we sing ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’.

–Varun Mannava Gowtham

Entertainment is inversely proportional to logic in Indian movies. If a movie, that is set to entertain crowds of all sorts, can still tie back to logic, I consider it to be top class entertainment.

Remember the bus stop, the isolated stretch of road while going to school or the super-market near your house where you used to frequently get a glimpse of the girl on whom you had a teenage crush? This movie transports you to the magical world of school days. Those days when you thought you would not get caught in rain but you would end up getting drenched. The days when you wanted to dance around in the rain thinking of your blossoming love. Aishwarya Dhanush (Director) can definitely strike a chord with the youngsters when it comes to portraying the first love. Add to that Anirudh Ravichander’s amazing background score, the feeling of watching it on the big screen grows on you.

The director did not submit too much to the image of the leading actor (Dhanush) and controlled herself from doing something illogical. This has been so evident from the fact that the world popular Kolaveri Di song was shot in a simple way on Marina. This proves they have not got carried away with the success of the song.

Dhanush has got a rare combination of entertainment quotient as well as acting depth. He breezes across as the teenager in pursuit of his first love. Comic timing of Shiva Karthikeyan is a plus point during the school days. He emotes heart-break with ease when his lover tells him she is going off to US for higher studies. He sets the standards while acting as a Bipolar disorder patient. Only an actor of his caliber can make sure such a concept sails through to the audiences un-adulterated.

Someone please stop Shruthi Haasan from crying. Can’t stand when she is trying too hard to impress the critics that she can act those emotional scenes. She is cute as the schoolgirl, and shares great chemistry with Dhanush during the intimate scenes. However when it comes to the depth scenes, she just irritates.

Anirudh Ravichander is a bunch of talent. When he takes the piano or the violin or the guitar, he just owns the crowd. Mandolin Seenu for the theme music is a smart application of talent.

For those who are wondering what 3 stands for, since the suspense is already out, I can go ahead reveal that it is Ram (Dhanush), Janani (Shruthi Haasan) and Ram’s other side ! And just like Bipolar Disorder that Ram develops, the movie and the performances excite you too much in the first half and deeply affect you in the intense second half.

–Varun Mannava Gowtham

Be brave! Be a Horse!

A thing of beauty is never permanently owned.  At times auctions are held to decide the owner. Sometimes it is just snatched away. At times it is owned through love and friendship. There have been wars over owning Helen! Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal, but he perished. The Uttar Pradesh Government owns it now.

This warhorse too, a thing of beauty and courage, is owned by several owners at different stages of his life. Some owners give him compassion and love. Others take pride owning the horse. Some just employ him in pulling artillery and torture him! But Joey (the warhorse) keeps looking forward during its struggling phase.

This movie has been rightfully nominated for best cinematography, art direction, original score. The landscapes of England have been wonderfully covered by the cinematographer. The background score generates the emotion in your heart and it ends as a tear in your eye. Emotion is the silent character throughout the movie.

This is one of the masterpiece movies that does not care about box-office. It has its fair share of humor, however it keeps focus on the main protagonist, the Warhorse and his journey. The brilliance of a director like Spielberg reflects during the war scenes. What amazes me is the perfection with which they shot the scene where Joey gets entangled in the barbed wire. Directing excellence, one must say! Watch out for some exceptional dialogues on Bravery! The costumes and the settings transport you back to the war-zone that existed a 100 years ago!

Saving Private Ryan is one of the greatest war movies ever made, this is because of its star-cast! WarHorse does not have a cast to depend on. This in a way becomes its only drawback. Its more like a documentary on the Horse’s life at various stages rather than a movie involving characters. Maybe it was meant to be that way. This leaves a sense of incompleteness in this Spielberg movie.

Miracle horse found in the battle front re-unites with his master.
Bottom-line : Karma can be lenient on Hardworking Horses!

–Varun Mannava Gowtham