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Just Watched: RA.One
After hearing so many mixed reactions, I finally went and watched the film last evening and I think I understand why the reactions are so varied. This is a pretty enterprising film in many respects but as a movie, there isn’t really much to it. The funny thing is that this is also it’s biggest strength, as you know after a particular point that the mindlessness is an integral part of the proceedings. While the film could have been much better, it isn’t too tough to accept the end-result despite the fact that I, personally, have a lot of complaints.
Shah Rukh Khan plays a double role and while he is pretty good as G.One, the protector from the virtual world and the film’s hero, his role as Shekhar Subramaniam, the game designer has every South Indian stereotype packed in and is hence a little too much to take in. Kareena Kapoor was very good, and I’m not saying this because I’m a big fan of her’s, but because she actually did a decent job, other than looking extremely pretty. A lot more could have been done to develop her character so that there was more depth to it. Armaan Verma, the kid who plays the son to Shah Rukh and Kareena in the film was passable, though he was a little irritating at times. I really don’t understand why Shahana Goswami had no more screen time. There was hardly any point to having her there. Arjun Rampal as the final form of the villain the movie is named after was menacing, and very effective. In fact, the G.One-RA.One clashes were what made most of the film worthwhile.
The cameos made the film interesting, especially the brilliant one by Rajinikanth. That was simply brilliant. Sanjay Dutt was also pretty good in one of the opening scenes of the film. Priyanka Chopra, who is in the same sequence as Dutt, was only eye-candy, but extremely irritating. She should stick to cameos and item-numbers and do only one movie every two years only if it is made by a good director, I don’t think she can act otherwise.
If you look at the main weakness of the film, it would easily be the wanton copying of ideas from Hollywood. I mean, H.A.R.T. was exactly like the arc reactor in the Iron Man films, while the main premise in itself is very similar to TRON: Legacy. There were a number of rip-offs but I don’t think I want to go into them. At least this was better than Krrish, which had completely ticked me off when I’d watched it.
I expected a lot more from the action sequences but they sort of fizzled out, especially the climax, which could have been way better. But then again, two scenes are spectacular – the brilliant car chase involving Kareena Kapoor; and the superb sequence involving the train right before the climax.
Overall, there isn’t much to expect from this film, but going by what it stands for, it deserves applause, not too loud though.
Personal Rating: 6.9/10
Just Watched: Contagion
Over the years, Steven Soderbergh has time and again given us films that are gritty and of extreme social significance, with the exception of the Ocean’s Trilogy (Ocean’s Eleven, Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen). He has, ever since, been come to be known as a thinking man’s director.
It had been quite a while since I had seen any of the man’s films. The last film of his that I happened to see was The Girlfriend Experience, which showed a lot of promise but was, at the end of the day, a very underwhelming story about the life of a high-end escort. In fact, I wouldn’t hesitate to call it a failed attempt at prospective smut.
Contagion looked promising primarily because of the cast. It was the first time in my living memory that three Best Actress Oscar winners from within a decade were doing the same film (Gwyneth Paltrow, Marion Cotillard and Kate Winslet).
The film didn’t let me down at all. In fact, considering that I went in with lowered expectations, I was more than satisfied by it. Contagion is about the outbreak of a deadly disease and how the people affected by it deal with the infection. Told in a very docu-drama format, it goes into how doctors and other health officials handle the delicate situation to how desperate people can get to find a cure.
With a grand ensemble cast, no one gets a lot of time on screen, except for maybe Laurence Fishburne, who is very restrained yet effective in his role. For me, the two actors who performed the best were Marion Cotillard and Matt Damon. Cotillard pitches in a remarkable performance as a World Health Organization (WHO) epidemician sent to track the origin of the virus. With the limited time she has on screen, she excels in each and every frame. Damon, on the other hand, plays a man who has to come to terms with a lot and still be in a position to weigh his reponsibilities.
Kate Winslet was fabulous in her role and Gwyneth Paltrow was very good in what was probably the most important role in the film. Jennifer Ehle was the film’s surprise package for holding her own amongst such seasoned performers. The performance which annoyed me the most was Jude Law’s. I think he should stick to playing the pompous jackass in all his future films. Maybe that was the point of his role, but I was a little too annoyed by him overdoing things.
It was also good to see Bryan Cranston in a major film after having been used to him in Breaking Bad. Demetri Martin being in this film was a pleasant surprise as it was good to see that he can do more than just stand-up comedy.
The final scene of the film that shows us how the infection started is rather chilling and is a very realistic look at how doomsday may come upon us, without all the mind-boggling drama.
Soderbergh, once again, proves that when it comes to showing social behaviour in reaction to an event by cutting across various lines, there is no one better than him. For him, it is a journey that has come full circle — from Sex, Lies, and Videotape and Traffic to Contagion. This film shows that he’s come of age, and is hence highly recommended.
Personal Rating: 8.6/10
