This week's release, a rather hyped RACE is the latest from the duo of Abbas-Mastan. Instantly it means two things - firstly, they are a busy duo who have no time for anything original so they grab one of their DVDs from the B grade video store and make it into an A grade Bollywood flick. Secondly, the protoganist of the movie always walks the path so close to your average Bollywood villain...that for Bollywood is 'pushing the envelope''. Sad, indeed.
That is the only reason why even a over cooked script like that of Goodbye Lover ends up on your big screens as one of the biggest promises of 2008. In reality the film is as frustrating an experience that it makes you feel like you just got out of a maths classroom once the credits flash.
Why...sample this ...A related to B, gets C to join in but B together with C decides to kill A. But A goes one up and gets C to kill B instead. However B and C sticks to their plan while D comes in and hatches another plan with A.....yeah, that is how the film goes, and if this keeps you on the edge of your seats, then the RACE is on!!
Certianly I like when a movie throws a surprise or two. The smarter the surprise, the better. However what Abbas Mustan does here is goes to the extreme, gets the film as twisted as possible , with a lot of turns and U turns, and in one word...it ends up as 'much ado about nothing' (now, that was not one word, was it?).
And then again there are some who likes to have things spelt out for them, or else Bollywood would not have survived this long. So here is a more detailed plot getting the A/B/Cs changed to actual characters.
The film starts of with a lengthy introduction of the four main characters in the movie with Anil Kapoor providing the narration. One minute in, you know that the narration is straying and is going haywire. Ranvir Singh (Saif Ali Khan) and Rajeev Singh (Akshaye Khanna) are brothers with a great deal of money on hand. We are told Ranvir looks after the family business with a passion for racing and winning, and a habit of living on the edge. We are told Rajeev , the younger one is an alcoholic with no interest in the business. We also learn of Sonia, an upcoming model that Ranvir has been dating for some time, and of Sophia , the effective secretary of Ranvir's with the hots for her boss. Then we are told that Ranvir has a loyal jockey who is his biggest bet.
Those who arrives late and miss this intro however will not miss much because two minutes later, we witness how this 'loyal' jockey is not so loyal anymore, resulting in Ranvir losing a lot of money. Thus lays path for the rest of the movie for anything we are told is not to be believed, where everything is far more than what meets the eye.
As the story progresses, Ranvir gives up his love Sonia when he realises that Rajeev too has a crush on the bombshell and is ready to give up his alcoholic habits if Sonia comes into his life. The loving older brother gives up his love and plants Sonia into Rajeev's life. He is successful in getting Rajeev married to Sonia. However Rajeev stil remains the alcoholic, and Sonia comes to Rajeev sobbing reminding him how he is guilty of this broken down relationship. The truth is that the whole thing is a plan hatched by Ranvir with Sonia to bump off the older brother and claim the insurance money.
More deceit, more lies, more double crosses later , we have a murder. And that is where Inspector RD (Anil Kapoor) shows up with a bimbo of an assisant (Sameera Reddy). There is nothing fruitful' coming out from here except for bad jokes!
The film is stylishly mounted and gives the certain gloss to the rather lame script. But is the perfect example of how too many twists and turns can spoil the trip.
Even whatever suspense that the first half was building up is ruined by the second half, where Anil Kapoor's silly detective act hampers the impact. Thankfully bringing Johnny Lever for a special appearance was a welcome comic relief from Anil Kapoors' comic track. That is right ...a comic track within a comic track!
Pritam's songs are on the better side however the newly added Saif/ Katrina song sticks out like a sore thumb. Allan Amin has done a good job in the action department and so is the editing and cinematography.
Acting wise Saif Ali Khan looks the brooding part and does a fine job as long as he does not break into songs that goes against his character. Akshaye Khanna with his controlled performance throws in some credibility to the going ons however silly the situation seems to be getting. But again the Humraaz mould. Bipasha puts in a decent show, though Katrina needs to polish her acting skills to justify the big projects she is bagging. Sameera was a bimbo character that just failed to get going and Anil Kapoor was a mixed bag. Good screen presence ruined due to some lousy writing.
So why does the script go totally haywire? When the original was a dark comedy, this one tries to be extremely serious with the going ons only to end up looking silly. While Abbas Mustan and the writers think they are having mind blowing twists on paper, these gimmicks become tad predictable for present day audiences.
To give the film its due, it is pretty entertaining and would make for perfect TV viewing like most of Abbas Mastan thrillers. But with a script that smells 'B flick' all over, it is not the cinematic experience that you expect from such A grade production team and stars. However thanking heavens that it did no go the senseless Cash and Dhoom2 route. So if you want to be entertained by a bunch of people, each of whom who thinks they are the smartest thing on earth, go ahead and check them out. And by the opening it might get, the makers will justify their 'smart' approach.
Meanwhile I cannot even recommend you to the original Goodbye Lover, knowing how average that too was. Then again, you will not get a climax like the ridiculous race atop Al Ain's Jabel Hafeet mountain. What you get though is some steamy stuff from that femme-fatale thriller and not just a heroine pleading 'Touch me, Touch me'!
THE PANEL ROOM
Director duo Abbas-Mustan are in complete command this time around. Everything is so well synchronized that the end result leaves you awe-struck INDIAFM
This is a boringly shot, shabbily edited film, and it's hard to imagine anyone watching it and actually feeling the twists without laughing at them REDIFF
The perfect antidote for a lazy weekend, Race is not a great film but delivers what it promises to deliver. IBN LIVE
The true winner of the film is none other than action director-Allan Amin. He is just terrific and it’s his action and stunts that really justify the title of the film INDIAGLITZ
It is interesting how the panel room critics have found this one. While Taran goes extremely over board with praises and ga-ga, Raja Sen (Rediff) does the complete opposite. And he even goes to the extreme of spilling the beans by revealing the climax right from the word 'go'. Seems like the execs at Tips are not taking care of this chap like they do with Taran. The other two somehow puts a fair picture claiming that the film is pretty good when you take in the fact that there is nothing out there better at the moment. Now waiting for what Khalid saab will have to say at HT....
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