Death race - Movie

Movie: ‘Death Race’;

Cast: Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson, Ian McShane, Joan Allen;

Director: Paul W.S. Anderson; Rating: * 

Starring: Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson, Joan Allen, Ian McShane, Natalie Martinez

Some movies manage to be incredibly inferior in some areas and yet manage to deliver wonderfully in others. The action movie ‘Death Race’ is a prime example where the plot and script are laughable but where the action sequences are thrilling. At times it looks too much like a movie which can be enjoyed only by a very niche audience. 

Jensen Ames is an ex-con framed for murder and sent to a prison where the prisoners are forced to compete in a high-speed car race with barely any rules. 

The movie is set in 2012 and it does get a few things right. The economy has collapsed in 2012 and sinister corporations have taken over. The background of the economic collapse eerily echoes the present financial crisis. But pretty much everything else in the movie is other worldly. 

The races are at times spectacularly thrilling, but also verge on becoming monotonous. The action scenes are staged well and it would have to be so since the action is this movie’s saving grace. 

The script is laughable. Statham is not a good actor by any standard and his dialogue is mercifully monosyllabic. The dialogue serves just to intimate us on the proceedings and no attempt is made to flesh out a character. 

There are two very fine actors in the form of Joan Allen and Ian McShane. Allen is an Oscar nominated actress and seems to have a habit of appearing in action movies after having shone in the Bourne series. She has very little to do here and tries to bring a touch of class and sophistication to this at times drab movie. 

Ian McShane impressed in the HBO series ‘Deadwood’ but has not managed to snag the role he deserves. Statham does the requisite grunting, wincing, scowling and gives the intense gaze of a typical action character. 

Since this is an action movie, we can literally tick away the necessary ingredients. There is the cliché eye-candy in the form of Natalie Martinez. There is a hint of background characterisation for her that seems sadly added on for the mere pleasure of being looked at. 

At times the movie is unnecessarily violent and even that seems strategically placed to satiate the testosterone laden male teen. The gore is mostly momentary and thankfully the action emphasis is on explosions during the car race. 

For those looking for a not too demanding viewing with just enough action to be thrilled for a hour and a half, ‘Death Race’ is a good bet.

Dostana - Review

Recall the 'Kantaben' episode in Karan Johar's KAL HO NAA HO. The episode is alive even today, in skits, on stage, amongst friends. That was a mere trailer. Picture abhi baaki hain. DOSTANA takes 'Kantaben' episode to another level altogether.

DOSTANA is no BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. It's not a serious take on homosexuality either. On the contrary, it's a madcap comedy where two straight men pretend to be gays. Although DOSTANA is a mainstream commercial film, it dares to push the envelope in its own way. It brings homosexuality out of the closet, gives it respect and dignity and doesn't treat gays as 'abnormal'.

Love triangle in Hindi movies often centre around two guys falling in love with the same girl, or two girls choosing to love the same guy. But DOSTANA is a first. It's the first Hindi film that, at the core, is a rectangle [three men loving the same woman], but two of them, guys in this case, pretend to be a couple.

Sure, DOSTANA has ample shock-value since what has been witnessed in its promos is barely a fraction of what you'd get to watch in the movie. But more than shock-value, the film offers loads of fun-n-laughter and dollops of entertainment in those 14 reels.

A word of appreciation! It requires courage to fund a project like DOSTANA. Karan Johar, the producer, deserves to be lauded for treading the untrodden path. It requires courage and conviction to swim against the tide in your directorial debut. Tarun Mansukhani, the debutante, deserves a few brownie points extra for not thinking straight. It requires courage for two A-list actors to go all out and risk their professional [and personal] lives. Abhishek and John deserve an ovation for not only agreeing to play these characters, but also infusing life in them, without making a mockery of the gay community.

To cut a long story short, DOSTANA is not to be missed. Dharma Productions, the late Yash Johar and Karan Johar's film production outfit, has produced several significant films in the past. Add DOSTANA to the list!


Miami is the setting for DOSTANA. When Sameer [Abhishek Bachchan] and Kunal [John Abraham] are turned down for an apartment because the landlady [Sushmita Mukherjee] doesn't want two strapping young men to corrupt her young sexy niece Neha [Priyanka Chopra], they hatch a plan: they pretend to be gay to secure the apartment.

Over a period of time, Sameer, Kunal and Neha become buddies. When Neha's boss Abhimanyu [Bobby Deol] enters the fray as the third contender for her affections, it gets even hotter…

DOSTANA shocks you all the while and that is its biggest USP. Don't expect stereotypical situations or characters all through this film. Watch Abhishek cook up a romantic story between John and him in Venice. Watch Boman Irani's interaction with Abhishek and John. Watch Kirron Kher's dramatic entry at this point. Howlarious scenes all, they're sure to bring the house down.

If the first hour is laced with crackling chemistry between the guys and terrific humour, things get serious towards the second half since there's one more person vying for Priyanka's attention -- Bobby Deol. There's humour in this hour too, but the focus is mainly on who'd get Priyanka in the end.

The length is a slight deterrent in the second half and the editor could've easily cut the unwanted flab to make the narration in shape. But the film works as a package! Also, the film has a shocking end and people are bound to raise eyebrows. It would have its share of advocates and adversaries. A debatable culmination, for sure!

Director Tarun Mansukhani is here to stay. He deserves kudos for choosing an offbeat story, then making a foolproof screenplay and most importantly, executing it with flourish. DOSTANA merges form and content beautifully, since the film is, technically speaking, sound. Ayananka Bose's cinematography is top notch. The locales of Miami are a feast for your eyes. Costumes and styling are very upmarket.

Vishal-Shekhar's music goes well with the mood of the film. It's young, peppy and energetic. 'Desi Girl' and 'Maa Da Laadla Bigad Gaya' are foot-tapping compositions. The latter is bound to be a rage!

Both Abhishek and John are fantabulous! Abhishek pulls out all the stops and delivers one of the finest performances of his career. His comic timing is superb! John will make guys and girls drool over his amazing physique. But, most importantly, people will sit up and notice how fine an actor John is. Both Abhishek and John compliment each other so well. In fact, had the chemistry and camaraderie been missing, the story would've failed to look convincing. Two thumbs up for these two guys!

Priyanka looks stunning and delivers a first-rate performance. First FASHION, now DOSTANA, Priyanka is back with a bang. Bobby Deol lends the required class to his role. No other actor would've looked so real while underplaying this character.

Boman Irani is sure to bring the house down, the auditorium is sure to resonate with laughter in his sequences. Kirron Kher is superb as the Punjabi mom. Watch her throw a fit when she learns that her son [Abhishek] is gay and much later, when she accepts John as family. She's remarkable! Sushmita Mukherjee, as Priyanka's aunt, is fantastic. She's so, so funny. Shilpa Shetty sizzles in the opening track.

On the whole, DOSTANA is a winner all the way. In terms of content, it might just prove to be a trendsetter. In terms of business, the film holds tremendous appeal for the youth. The 16 to 25 age-group would go into raptures and bonkers over this film. Its business at multiplexes mainly will be amazing. In Overseas too, the film should emerge amongst the biggest draws of 2008. DOSTANA rocks... have a blast!

bachna ae haseeno

It’s no wonder rapper Snoop Dogg and actor Sylvester Stallone have flocked to Mumbai for cameo rolls in Bollywood’s sleepless cinema factory. The production values are skyrocketing—what with a hop to Capri and a skip to the Swiss Alps. Add to the blank-check budget a fan base well stocked and willing to get their paws on the supplemental paraphernalia beyond the picture, and you’ve got yourself a venerable industry. Bachna Ae Haseeno will not disappoint those who are craving for some loop in their fruit. A playboy yanks the love strings completely from two buxom babes before getting a bad dose of his own medicine when trying to court a third. Despite the sap spewing from this maple, it will delight sweet-tooth auds near and far; even compelling them to fork-up a couple bucks for the soundtrack.
It takes only a few seconds into the titles to begin the first choreographed music spectacular. Our main man Raj (Ranbir Kapoor), a glorified video game creator, sports a glittery fedora while doing a bronco stampede dance with a harem of female backups dressed in fishnet stockings writhing close with extra pelvic thrusts. Their attire changes with the beat from no-mercy getups a la ’80s neon to Las Vegas disco. At one point, Raj is breakdancing, and you think you’re watching a recreation of Ozone in Breakin’. Then the number ends, and it’s into the story we go. Raj stands before a postcard view along the Italian Riviera and narrates in almost a whisper: “I am a killer.” It takes a while before you realize that the word killer is not going to unreel a story about cloak-and-dagger tactics but lady-killing. It’s present time, and our hushed narrator in his white Elvis duds and aviators is a killer because he woos big-chested women with hearts of gold and leaves them dying at the stake for even a last glance.
There’s Mahi (Minissha Lamba), a youth of privilege who’s Euro-tripping with her family on a train. At 18, Raj is doing the same and chasing tail to boot with his three mates. Ultimately, the two make eyes, and after Mahi misses a train, the two are going by moped through the Swiss Alps to catch-up with her family in Zurich. Love blossoms on a bench, and the two lock lips. The downside is Mahi’s already fixed to be married to another. Raj still pursues her by stealing some chocolate truffles and writing a poem on toilet paper. Such the romantic! The montage sequence layered over a catchy tune where the pair are playing in a soccer match and racing in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race all impress the fact that this guy travels far and fast despite his penniless status. Soon enough, the Romeo blows it by bragging lies about their affair and is caught in the act.
No matter. He’s got a chance to crumble another heart years later when he meets his next-door neighbor, this stunner named Radhika (Bipasha Basu), and puts on the charm. Soon enough, the two are intersecting at the mailbox and in the elevator, borrowing sugar for coffee. After Raj’s career gets a leg up, he must move to Sydney, Australia, he’s in a world of hurt to determine how to break it easy to his live-in girlfriend. He tries to do so through conversation, and she instead wants to get married. Cue the toilet flushing and plate-crashing sound effects. (These corny effects are repeated whenever things go south.) All attempts to wiggle out of the relationship backfire. Wedding bells hover and clearly Raj is not the marrying type. In Sydney, the video-game biz is flourishing, but Raj’s romance is floundering. Takes a wisecracking taxi driver, who happens to be a knockout named Gayatri (Deepika Padukone) to trip up the Indian Don Juan. When all his moves are proved tired, Raj goes for the gusto and tries to win over Gayatri.
The take on an old story of love thrice gotten and lost almost as many times is well and good. Raj goes back to appease the victims he ran over with his love cruiser without even glancing the rearview. Now fallen from grace, his conscience has kicked in and he gives a hoot. Raj promises at one point, “I never want to hurt anybody again.” Seeing him grovel and become a love guru so fast is a hard sell. But this is Bollywood, mind you. Fantasy flows through the water supply.
It’s nice to see a lead whose not injecting human growth hormone between takes. His frame is that of a Joe who sips a beer from time to time instead of Creatine. Then again, Raj is just your average video-game techie boasting voluptuous babes pining for his love and affection. The musical acts during montages are eclectic for this fare—a gondola carries lovers through canals, a deserted beach for two lovers, hip clubs where the revealing outfits the girls wear get the Hollywood treatment. It’s all quite flashy and tight.
In the case of this picture, it’s crucial to look at it with a measuring instrument taking into account the humorous elements and lovestruck plot. Yes, the thing can seem a bit hokey. The lead hunk is trying awfully hard to be this man of mystery. In some ways, he pulls it off. Could be his slick dance moves or the notion that there is good chemistry amongst the cast. You allow the extended music-video soap opera to carry on with its bouncy-ball plot without grabbing at it to stay still. It’s a well-balanced sauce with enough frills and not enough cheese to overwhelm the palette. And despite the long length (over two and a half hours) the film moves.
Director Siddharth Anand had a vision for this film and really took patient paces to mold together a witty and jubilant bit of cinema. The musical tracks keep the head bobbing, and the story has a universal theme that’s easy to grasp no matter how fast the subtitles move. It’s as if time stops, and you just get to play along with this ensemble of beautiful people (some perhaps got a little help from the science of silicon) who are trying to get to reach euphoria. The scenario of boy meets girl (in this case three girls) and finds something special, albeit through plying for scruples in each case, is old but happens to get a new coat in this film. Does the guy have this much sway with gals in real life? You have to doubt that. But at least on the big screen, the guy can have it all and smooch every girl he wants, have the cushy job, and however many times he falls, he still finds romance in the end. A film that can deliver this kind of escape deserves praise. And it will get it.