Dangal - Disney Aamir & Nitesh hit bull's eye with the Gals.

Dangal is about one man, Mahavir Singh Phogat's obsession/passion/dream to win a gold for his country in Wrestling and for himself, something which he could not do during his primes, reasons being lack of support, and hence has to give it a go with his children. He is so convinced that only boys can wrestle and win gold, he goes to the extreme of taking advice from villagers on how to "MAKE IT A BOY" and following superstitious beliefs like feeding black cows at 5 AM.

As this rat-a-tat goes on, he fails. All 4 of his tries result in girls, which not only makes him a laughing stock among his villagers, also his family. One day, as we all saw in the trailer, a family comes complaining that their girls beat up their two boys. Then he gets convinced that his girls can fulfill his dream and sets his sights on making them professional wrestlers.

He wakes them up the next day at 5 AM, gives them the pleasure of Golgappa one last time and then puts them to train. The girls get so exhausted with the training, which we are told through a very witty Haanikarak Bappu penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya, they complain to their Mother (a very beautiful and poignant Sakshi Tanwar), who drops a deaf ears and says they have to go through it till their dad says, complains to their dad about Lice in their hair (which Mahavir orders to be scissored off) and even shares their frustration with their friend at her Sangeet. Even we start to pity for them and just when our pity turns to anger at Mahavir, the Haanikarak Bapu is redeemed, through the girls' distraught friend who tells her dad doesn't even bother about her and is only focussed on getting her married off, they should be happy they have a Father who wants them to do something in their lives. The girls realize their mistake.

Aamir Khan as the no non sense Mahavir whose immaculate clarity in thoughts is brilliant even as his wife keeps telling him, she doesn't understand what his actions mean. Rather, Mahavir comes across as a man who lets his actions speak than he speaks of his actions. As so humorously put by his nephew (played by Riwik Sahore, who gets the best lines) in the movie during his narration of this epic, fairy tale journey, the suspense Mahavir generates till the end of his every action is unbearable. He methodical and sorted in his thoughts and ways to handle all the villagers' criticism, complaints from his family and of course, ways to win a wrestling match.

But its the girls who steal the limelight. The narration's limelight is on Geeta Phogat, the elder one and the two girls live up to it and how! Among the two, its the younger Geeta who steals the show with her childish yet Tashan-filled character, former comes to the front while in house and the latter when she is on the field competing against the boys who are stronger and older than her. We do feel sorry for Babita who is shown as more dedicated to her father's teachings and a staunch believer of his ways, yet grapples for screen space. But in whatever share of time she gets, both Babitas shine.

But the film is not about them, its about wrestling. Somehow Writer-Director Nitesh Tiwari (Chillar Party, Bhoothnath Returns) ensures we get the good dose of emotions, drama and with some magic cinematography by Sethu Sriram, great wrestling. Add to that the pitch perfect BGM by Pritam, the movie is complete.

Despite a tepid climax, in which the bollywood formula is invoked, we are left with sea of good thoughts, pride and another movie that comes across as a tribute to struggling sports persons, breaks the patriarchal society's notions and leaves us spell bound with another Aamir Khan perfection.

4.5 stars out of 5.

Be Afraid of the Dark, when the Lights Go Out!

I'm one of those movie freaks who cuddles up and cajoles a valiant effort especially from new filmmakers. David Sandberg is one of them. When I came across this movie and got to know that there was a short film already on that I immediately watched it. And I knew the world should welcome this talented filmmaker with open hands. I lived what James Wan did with insidious and conjuring series. And he should be appreciated for realizing the potential of Sandberg and he doesn't fail to live up to it.

I will get right to the point just like David.

Lights out has wonderful casting. Teresa Palmer probably has the role of her lifetime. Not only effortlessly pulling off gorgeous looks, she does also while being this tender, caring sista and daughter with a tormented past. Bateman though keeps a same expression whenever he sees the ghost and while being terrified. But he is apt. Maria Bello with those dark circles underneath eyes as psychologically influenced mother of two again with a troubled past soars above rest in whatever screen time she gets. DiePersia as Bret again keeps company with Palmer in a blink and you miss moments role. He gives the much needed comic relief throughout. And finally as Diane, the light fearing demon, played by Alicia Vela-Bailey (a stunt actress), is athletic to say the least if not as intimidating while looking in light than when lights are out.

Above Palmer, who is there right throughout the movie, Sandberg manages to tell a metaphysical demon's story and the family it troubles and scares the living daylights out of them in a most frightening and shortest way possible without compromising on any of the commercial elements required to relax the audience. For me the greatest joy was watching the movie in theater with an audience who shrieks, shouts, gasps and haunted by the ghost and its activities and applauds and shouts out to the smartness displayed by the cast, especially in the second half. Credit goes to Sandberg again for engaging with the audience and keeping them on the edge of their seats. Despite taking inspiration from The Babadook, Mama and Hollow Man, Sandberg's story feels very original and the plot as intriguing as it should be for a horror movie. No wonder the makers of Annebelle 2 have entrusted him to be at the helm. With Eric Heisserer who himself has an impressive CV with the likes of The Thing and A Nightmare on Elm Street to his writing credits and an excellent cast (that probably trusted the director, a rarity) Lights Out does the act that is lost with horror genre, a self sustaining drum roll finish to an excellent prelude. 

A blip or a downfall, I could point out is the demon itself. Biggest plus for the movie is its biggest minus. Blame it on the make up or the utter negligence, Diana looks yuck while watching under lights. Without it, she is something else. However, David treads the line carefully by just showing her in the shadows and let our minds conjure up the image. Which brings me to the technical aspect of the film. Marc Spicer cradling the camera shows obvious experience after working with Wan in Furoius 7 (Wan has really lent his everything to this movie). Benjamin Wallfisch providing the most important aspect to horror movies, the background music. It is just where it is required. I really loved the BGM when Rebecca (Palmer) encounters Diane under the neon lights in her room. Small things like these go a long way in making a movie that really depends on technical and directorial skills and cast performance and not much on backstory and explanation.

I would give a solid 8/10 to Sandberg's first full fledged movie and while expecting similar goose bump and jump from seat ride. 

After Lights Out I'm more intrigued to watch Sandberg other short films (Attic Panic, Closet Space)and only wish there will be production houses will come out with grander versions of it, with him at the helm only.

Udta Punjab - Over Dramatic, Context-less and Histrionic.

With such admirable cast and a technical team that has proved itself over the years and a production house known for dishing out brilliance in film making, Udta Punjab is a massive let down. Perhaps by the sheer weight of the names involved and the controversy surrounded before its release. 

Treading the path of drugs can be risky. Traffic (2000), which was made along the same genre and Requiem For A Dream (2000) were gems as they showed the effects of drug overuse among teens and elders alike and what catastrophic can be the outcome for such acts. They didn't preach. Udta Punjab too doesn't preach, while it pays substantial homage to these two movies. But it does't kill your heart either, which Traffic and RFAD did and there are no Knockout moments. While the music and BGM were quite good keep the audience engaged, it was quite clear that the direction went haywire with script.

With over usage of Punjabi and vulgarities spewed right through the length of the running time, the movie already had its bearings removed to reach a wider audience. Add to that, the ones who can watch the movie may not be fully aware whether such a situation actually prevails like the way it is shown. With constant references to Punjab turning into a Mexico and Drugs being thrown to Indian side from Pakistan, Abhishek Chaubey tries to bring out a context of International Drug trade into the picture. The effort stops there. Where the film loses the plot completely is when a doctor and ASI (played by Kareena and Diljit) makes a dash to expose the drug trade at political level. At one point Diljit even says Drug trade is Politics and that is how elections are won. The chemistry between these two is contrived and forced. I liked the Alia-Shahid's quirky extreme conversation in a ruined house, perhaps the best sequence in the movie, much more than Kareena-Diljit's full length melodrama.

Apart from showing the Cops, Politicians and the Youth of Punjab in poor light at their respective stables taking advantage of the addiction or getting addicted to it, Udta Punjab doesn't do anything much to cash in on the situation to make more realistic attempt to showcase the issue. It rather takes a bland version of glossy pop star's (a cocky Shahid Kapoor) redemption, a hockey player's (a rather dark and brilliant Alia Bhatt) foolhardy move to make some quick bucks and a cop and a doctor on a mission.

Udta Punjab: Wish it had more flight. **/5

Eye in the Sky - Tense, Gripping and Thoughtful

A brilliantly constructed drama-thriller on drone attack and an equally great casting makes Eye in the Sky a must watch. 

Helen Mirren as the Colonel ready to attack a terrorist group (Al Shabhaha with obvious alias to Boko Haram) safe house in Kenya, Alan Rickman as the head of military waiting to get through with the orders and the familial ordeal of bureaucracy administration and Aaron Paul as the drone guider, form a competitive group to decide fate of a terrorist attack while debating the legalities and the systemic procedure. Movies like these evoke thoughts on whether the modern warfare is indeed a solution or a bane to tackle such situations.

Eye in the Sky derives its strength from being a thriller that is able to sustain the suspense and what next feeling in the viewer without over hyping and histrionics and at the same time throwing the debate of morality of drone warfare and spying wide open.

Gavin Hood's coming of age movie as a director usurps some deep-under the carpet issues out to the open while giving the viewers bang for their bucks.

****/5

Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice - Doesn't deliver all it promised. But requires patience.

After taking Superman to his origins with MoS director Snyder and writer David Ayer begins DoJ from where MoS ended with Chris Nolan reduced to a much meagre role of Exec. Producer after co-writing MoS. The lack of a big name (and brain) lets you down only till the end of title credits as Ayer and Snyder take us through one of the most riveting Superhero movies recently. 

The plate is full with The Dark Knight (Ben Affleck), Man of Steel (again the Gillette Shaved and Brylcream-ed Henry Cavill) and the Wonder Woman and we are hooked right from scene one where we see Bruce Wayne alerting his office to evacuate after seeing Kryptonites take over earth and Superman is introduced to mankind. Their tussle starts from there and goes on to one of the brilliantly played out Superhero confrontations, both the initial and the final (the dialogues here are gonna be etched out for quite some time), culminating with a long drawn out climax (and I don't mean in a negative sense) that will either leave you wanting for more or will make you feel exhaustive and bored. There are a few blips but that is for later.

For long DC Comics has struggled to produce equally famous franchises compared to Marvel, leaving aside Batman (albeit the brain behind its success was Chris Nolan). A bland Watchmen led to series of successful  Superheroes getting reduced to TV series (Arrow, The Flash etc). In between came MoS that made people sit up and take notice Superman seriously, again credit to Nolan for the brilliant screenplay and though the movie was a big let down on several counts it made a mark and finally we got a Superman sans the red brief. DoJ is perhaps, may be finally, DC's answer to Marvel's domination on the Superhero circuit. The biggest plus being a layer by layer unrushed writing that lets you soak up the movie through the first 40 mins and then keeps delivering knockout punches one by one, a quality which Marvel has failed abysmally to extend over its franchises (apart from Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 1, Captain America 1 and more recently, Deadpool)

Casting is important in comic book adaptations. Snyder and co have managed to pull off a casting heist of sorts with Ben Affleck as Batman. Widely criticized during the reveal, Affleck slips into Bale's enormously big shoes with ease initially and makes the Bat Suit his own. However, this change and the screen filled with subplots and more superheroes leads to an identity crisis for the Batman. Between establishing Affleck as Batman and rebooting Batman himself, the character of Batman is lost and is reduced to a mere fighting machine. Massive changes from Nolan era, notably Alfred  Pennyworth, a rather disappointing Bat Mobile and a lot of CGI. Bad CGI. The movie that was in making for 2 years doesn't seem to have someone telling at some point of time what in the name of graphics they did. Henry Cavill does what he did best in MoS. Body. Kudos to him for beefing up for MoS, toning down for U.N.C.L.E. and back to Superman in DoJ. Amy Adams pops up during crucial periods for love and necessity and for being Lois Lane. She seems to have more role in future  Movie has strong base drawing up parallels between the history and loss of both protagonists and lining them up for cause and effect at the climax. With such cast we are spoilt for choice and then comes Jessee Eisenberg. He gets the best lines and how we longed for a mortal villain in comic books spin offs. And villainy we get. Bad ass villainy that brings Superman on his knees, the scene is one to remember.

Hans Zimmer needs no introduction. Junkie XL made a visually brilliant Fury Road even more ridiculously awesome with Techno sounds that will be spoken for years to come. And they both join hands here. The result: foot tapping and addictive BGM score, inspired more from Zimmers earlier scores from TDK series and MoS. Listen closely for Wonder Woman's intro.

DoJ has  already received lot of flak among critic. Don't mind the critics, for this franchise that has shown promise needs patience from its audience to let itself play out. Watch the colossal battle unwind in DoJ. There's nothing so bad in the movie that will disappoint you big time.