Movie Review – The Intouchables

A Time pass Brom Com

What I thought to be just another movie made for the sake of highlighting black people ended up to a disappointment of another kind. The posters gave me a feel as if it’s one of those movies released to get Oscar nomination just because it showcased black people and their filmy struggle but this movie was actually what came as Thozha in Tamil which is a decent guilty pleasure movie. Thozha works in various levels, the actors charm, Tamannaah’s looks and a decent plot line. It had its moments, moments which were not there in Intouchables but the problem with Thozha is it never took itself as a serious film so ended up being just another time pass movie with various twists and turns and of course songs.

What’s good here in Intouchables is that, it considers itself a serious film and the film is given a more humane approach. And the actors are terrific. It’s easier to do the role of Driss (Omar Sy) but to excel as Philippe (Francois Cluzet) it’s really difficult but Cluzet achieves it with élan. Such a fine actor. The only thing he can do is smile and look how genuinely he does it.

Almost the entire movie takes back in flashback mode. The opening scenes were done well. For the first few minutes we don’t know that Philippe is paralyzed but we are given a slight clue when Driss wipes his mouth off with a tissue. Going back to the start we see Driss, his family and his daily life, something to not look up to and he goes for the audition just to get a sign in the forum but luckily ends up in the job.

The beautiful thing about Driss or about how well his character has been written is that there is absolutely no sympathy by him on Philippe. Of course that’s why he gets recruited at first place but to write it perfectly in the way and to act it out deserves a special mention. I especially loved the scene where Philippe gets kind of panic attack at night and Driss comforts him. The beauty is, Driss doesn’t get scared of the situation. May be due to the hard way in which he was brought up.

My favorite scene of the movie would be the one where he’s asked to leave the job and Driss and his brother spot their mom coming from a railway station. The long shot of her would break any heart. There is not much dialogue post it too, Driss just takes the bag and proceeds.

Few other things I loved is, how Driss discovers that Philippe hasn’t sent the real photo to his pen friend and the scene where he gets to know that Magalie (Audrey Fleurot) is a lesbian. The first one was such an organic development to the screenplay for the final twist and the second scene was really funny even though I felt pity on Driss. Above all the one thing that topped is Philippe’s smile. How beautiful.

I can understand the people are going to like the movie but the way it reaped profits I don’t know why. I’m not saying that a feel good film shouldn’t get such high collections. I’m saying that this film looks like just another feel good film. If it’s a movie like ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, then I’d have sweared by the movie and be happy of winning every single accolade, getting every single ticket sold, because that is positivity. Here I was just like meh…

Everything is convenient in the movie. Of course if he had not been rich it’d wouldn’t have been that way but the richness attributes a great deal here. He claims that if money is everything he’d be the happiest man but the point is we feel happy for Driss that he’s enjoying so much benefits rather than feeling sad for Philippe who couldn’t enjoy anything in spite of having so much money. That I feel is the failure of the film.

Movie Review – Fidaa

Proof that a Charming Women could make a movie watchable in spite of a poker faced hunk hero

Sai Pallavi, the sole reason to watch the movie. May be ‘Vachinde’ too. But again it had Sai Pallavi, brimming with energy. I would have been happy that if I had been disproved of it anytime while watching the movie but I was proved to be right. With ‘Geetha Govindam’ the case was different. Even if ‘Inkem Inkem’ lured me into watching the film, I was soon taken over by the leads chemistry and some clever digs of society in the screenplay while watching it. That’s what failed to happen in this movie.

In the opening song we see a family of three in US getting introduced in an intro song in a hopeless way. It was clearly evident that the director wanted to pass time while he puts credits. I think the best family opening song would be ‘Columbus Columbus’ from jeans. The lead to it is superb. Nasser says that no matter what, they won’t work on weekends. And then comes a terrific song. Here in Fidaa it was just a sag.

So once the hero gets introduced, they go to check for a groom in India. Why, what happened before, who’s the kid, we know nothing. We don’t even know why the elder brother was not interested in marriage till then. In most of the films, audience excitement would increase when the location shifts to foreign but for a change the movie becomes interesting once the location goes to India.

Bhanu (Sai Pallavi) is such a charmer, she effortlessly makes you like her and like the movie. She’s not that Genelia types but still bubbly and effervescent. She’s one of the dream girls you’d want to meet when you go uninterestedly to a village on your parent’s compulsion. The surprise factor here is her sister who fits the role to tee. I in fact like the scene where Renuka (Saranya Pradeep) and Raju (Raja Chembolu) talk before getting engaged. The cigarette was like a puff of fresh air.

Outside I liked the effortless bonding of Bhanu with Bujji, especially when he asks about making out. I was thinking that Bujji was Raju’s son (thanks to the horrible subs) and I loved the whole marriage angle in that aspect. How no information about his first marriage was given, what made Bhanu’s family say ‘yes’ for a married guy etc. but when I got to know that it’s the first marriage, everything went blank. Nevertheless Raju and Renuka still make a good couple. I especially liked the calm demeanor of Renuka and her shift in dressing from village to the US.

The first half moves effortless even though it’s an age old story. Every time Varun Tej’s blank expression irritates you Sai Pallavi’s charm woos you into the film. As the film tag line reads love – hate – love relationship, there is no suspense that there would be some misunderstanding in the middle. The train scene where Bhanu misunderstands Varun was plain boring. It should have been rather mentioned as Sai Pallavi – Varun Tej – Sai Pallavi.

But the welcome relief is that when we think the next thirty minutes would be a tear jerker, it was a relief to know that it was handled in a funny manner. I loved the scenes where Sai Pallavi retaliates Varun by sending poster of slipper and a selfie with next street guy. Even when they come to her home to make a proposal there was no drama. Instead she funnily says whether talking a selfie would make a person ask for one’s hand. She was effortless in those scenes.

The one scene that I hated the most is the one where Bhanu goes to write exam in her saree and guys there touch her mole. It was pure blasphemy. Just for the sake of introducing a fight, the insertion of such scene was done. I didn’t like it otherwise too. What’s worse is Bhanu starts liking Varun more so than ever post that. Seriously?

The films second half goes in a well-trodden path with Varun’s poker face turning more pokerish and Sai Pallavi coming out of comfort zone (read as saree) and looking stunning in western wear too (especially the LBD) and trying to hold the film together. She slips into her comfort zone even before she leaves the US, and Varun back to square one. Like expected they both get married and settle in Village, don’t know what happened to that poor guy with whom she took selfie, don’t know what made Varun to decide to settle in the village. We don’t know a lot of things but we do know the one reason which still made the movie watchable, in fact even interesting. Do I need to name it again?