Watched the movie yesterday - couldn't miss a King Khan-focused movie for anything, after all.
Though I was apprehensive, since I haven't been particularly impressed by his string of movies in recent years. I liked Fan, I thought Raees was passable. Dilwale? Please no. Plus, my dad taunted me with reviews of how poorly the movie was made.
But! I got loyalty, boi. I wasn't gonna pass a judgement on the movie before actually watching it myself. So, I did - and I wasn't really disappointed.
Anushka Sharma and Shah Rukh Khan have a lot of onscreen chemistry (hah! With the king of romance, who doesn't... Sorry, I'll stop fangirling now). Did it all come out in the movie? Not quite, no.
At first I thought, why the heck would someone name the movie so similarly to a prior superhit and one of my faves, Jab We Met? And as I watched the movie, I realized... why would the director even include themes so similar to Jab We Met? And later I was awakened to the (apparently common knowledge) fact that they have the same director. So... Imtiaz Ali, you played yourself? On purpose, it seems? Oh well. I would have ranted more about that had the directors been different because of the seeming cheap imitation attempt made. Now I know that there was some attempt to reawaken former romance film glory. Anyways, on to the review.
Okay, so the film starts off with SRK in a stylish outfit looking slick and chic - a surprisingly athletic and buff tour guide with a very edgy chest tattoo. I loved it. But, as the film progressed, I wanted to pull my buddy (and number one idol since childhood *sigh*) and chat with him about how he is not a slapstick humor guy. When he does humor, it's suave, it's sassy, (it's sexy) - but never just silliness.
Do you know who can pull that serious but slapstick act off easily? Akshay Kumar. But unlike Dilwale and Happy New Year, Shah Rukh Khan did stray from the very few attempts at slapstick humor, and I had a few good laughs from his interactions with Anushka Sharma.
It's a typical "travel, escape, be free and find love" that was present in Jab We Met, but executed a lot less interestingly. There was a bit of suspense regarding Harry's past which was never addressed - the hype was there, the delivery was disappointing.
Also, can I be honest? Unless your movie is literally Room - about two people in a goddamn room, why did these two actors get 99.99% of the screen time? This movie could definitely have benefited from the presence of a couple of supporting actors (anyone, I'll be honest) that helped establish that line drawn between reality and the dream world that the two characters were straddling at times.
Regardless, the movie had some sass, some crazy (though not as believable or well-crafted as Jab We Met). The characters did not feel real enough for the movie to be "good". I blame the script and the lack of thought put into crafting a meaning. The attempt was present and implied, but it was not fleshed out enough. The themes most present were those of the freedom that Sejal was experiencing away from the direct influence of her parents and fiance.
The conclusion we got to was - you should know who you are and what you want, and follow that. At least I got that. Also one of the main lines in the movie was "If you look for something hard enough, you'll find it", which needed a bit more oomph. Were the characters physically looking for something? Clearly. Emotionally? That was a little less present, but there nonetheless. I think those scenes lacked a little of the seriousness they warranted. Khan's gaze was plenty serious to make the romance scenes very nice, especially if you enjoy romance plots like I do.
Then, perhaps the problem was that this movie lacked the seriousness that made Jab We Met, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and others truly strike its audiences. The romance was believable, however, which was more than can be said for most onscreen chemistry attempts in film. Sometimes I wish Bollywood didn't shun its older actresses. Then perhaps SRK could have amazing onscreen chemistry without looking like a creepy uncle (please, Bollywood, wake up).
At certain points in the movie I was a little bored because of how slow things were progressing. I grew to kind of like Harry, Sejal was never serious enough, and she never matured, beyond maybe her sexual desire for Harry. That being said, Anushka Sharma did a phenomenal job portraying the Gujurati character and her values and her decisions (however random they were), and I think she nailed her role more than Shah Rukh did (I keep coming back to the slapstick) - but which was also partially a problem with how much the actors were convinced with their roles, probably. I dislike the "save me" trope of tough, broken men and sweet non-slut women, but I suppose that's exactly what this was. Why SRK was broken? I will really never know. It was all pushed onto Harry being "lonely"... I don't buy it. His behavior warrants a darker past (SPOILER: seriously, who randomly breaks down and starts talking to/consoling themselves while crying and hugging a pillar? SRK, sure, but only when he's got cancer [Kal Ho Naa Ho]).
My least favorite part of the movie was the way it was wrapped up. Not necessarily ambiguous, but lacking any practicality or sustainability in their relationship. Any such relationship displayed in a movie ought to have ended more unconventionally. The two characters getting together was so impossible. And the pressure of others, society, family, was implied, hinted at, but honestly not present. I would once again venture to claim that a personification (by that, I mean a person) of this truth the characters had to return to would have been helpful.
TL;DR, long story short - if you are a rom-com person, go ahead, watch this movie. If you're looking for freshness, you might get some. Hey, it's honestly not a bad rom-com. If you just want to stare into SRK's eyes and wish there were more SRKs in the world, go ahead; this is a good movie for that kind of stuff. If you have never understood Shah Rukh Khan's lover boy image, a) do you even exist? b) don't watch the movie - you'll be disappointed.
I for one, enjoyed it - a decent way to spend 3 hours of my day. Is it worth paying movie theater money for? Nah. Does Shah Rukh Khan still got the ability to make hearts beat rapidly worldwide? Yes, I glimpsed it in this film, in the few lines that made me melt a little. So, SRK, pls, choose a better script for next time, or a better role, or something. Even if you do still do romance, please work with a script that'll enchant us all with your acting. (Heck, my fanfiction scripts are pretty good - can I write you a movie?) I'd rate the movie a 4/10.
Also, is this a good place to rant about SRK's body? Okay, seems like I Khan (HAH I'm hilarious). You work on your body, we get it. Thank GOD there were no unnecessary fighting scenes in this movie, but as has been the trend, while you want to show off your body subtly, it is not the be-all end-all make-or-break aspect of the film. I've been a fan from before you buffed up, and it is kinda cheapening to give up deeper aspects of your films for the sake of showing off your bod. The older ladies out there may be thirsty (I'm 17, so ew), but I think there's a separate category of film-making for that entirely. Or they'll stick to Salman Khan, so please, choose better!
P.S. Do tell me what you thought of the movie and/or the review below!
But! I got loyalty, boi. I wasn't gonna pass a judgement on the movie before actually watching it myself. So, I did - and I wasn't really disappointed.
 |
| Have I ever cried about Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi to you before? Once I start, I never stop; I will cry forever. 💓 |
At first I thought, why the heck would someone name the movie so similarly to a prior superhit and one of my faves, Jab We Met? And as I watched the movie, I realized... why would the director even include themes so similar to Jab We Met? And later I was awakened to the (apparently common knowledge) fact that they have the same director. So... Imtiaz Ali, you played yourself? On purpose, it seems? Oh well. I would have ranted more about that had the directors been different because of the seeming cheap imitation attempt made. Now I know that there was some attempt to reawaken former romance film glory. Anyways, on to the review.
Okay, so the film starts off with SRK in a stylish outfit looking slick and chic - a surprisingly athletic and buff tour guide with a very edgy chest tattoo. I loved it. But, as the film progressed, I wanted to pull my buddy (and number one idol since childhood *sigh*) and chat with him about how he is not a slapstick humor guy. When he does humor, it's suave, it's sassy, (it's sexy) - but never just silliness. Do you know who can pull that serious but slapstick act off easily? Akshay Kumar. But unlike Dilwale and Happy New Year, Shah Rukh Khan did stray from the very few attempts at slapstick humor, and I had a few good laughs from his interactions with Anushka Sharma.
It's a typical "travel, escape, be free and find love" that was present in Jab We Met, but executed a lot less interestingly. There was a bit of suspense regarding Harry's past which was never addressed - the hype was there, the delivery was disappointing.
Also, can I be honest? Unless your movie is literally Room - about two people in a goddamn room, why did these two actors get 99.99% of the screen time? This movie could definitely have benefited from the presence of a couple of supporting actors (anyone, I'll be honest) that helped establish that line drawn between reality and the dream world that the two characters were straddling at times.
 |
| "I love translated subtitles" said no one ever. |
The conclusion we got to was - you should know who you are and what you want, and follow that. At least I got that. Also one of the main lines in the movie was "If you look for something hard enough, you'll find it", which needed a bit more oomph. Were the characters physically looking for something? Clearly. Emotionally? That was a little less present, but there nonetheless. I think those scenes lacked a little of the seriousness they warranted. Khan's gaze was plenty serious to make the romance scenes very nice, especially if you enjoy romance plots like I do.
Then, perhaps the problem was that this movie lacked the seriousness that made Jab We Met, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and others truly strike its audiences. The romance was believable, however, which was more than can be said for most onscreen chemistry attempts in film. Sometimes I wish Bollywood didn't shun its older actresses. Then perhaps SRK could have amazing onscreen chemistry without looking like a creepy uncle (please, Bollywood, wake up). At certain points in the movie I was a little bored because of how slow things were progressing. I grew to kind of like Harry, Sejal was never serious enough, and she never matured, beyond maybe her sexual desire for Harry. That being said, Anushka Sharma did a phenomenal job portraying the Gujurati character and her values and her decisions (however random they were), and I think she nailed her role more than Shah Rukh did (I keep coming back to the slapstick) - but which was also partially a problem with how much the actors were convinced with their roles, probably. I dislike the "save me" trope of tough, broken men and sweet non-slut women, but I suppose that's exactly what this was. Why SRK was broken? I will really never know. It was all pushed onto Harry being "lonely"... I don't buy it. His behavior warrants a darker past (SPOILER: seriously, who randomly breaks down and starts talking to/consoling themselves while crying and hugging a pillar? SRK, sure, but only when he's got cancer [Kal Ho Naa Ho]).
My least favorite part of the movie was the way it was wrapped up. Not necessarily ambiguous, but lacking any practicality or sustainability in their relationship. Any such relationship displayed in a movie ought to have ended more unconventionally. The two characters getting together was so impossible. And the pressure of others, society, family, was implied, hinted at, but honestly not present. I would once again venture to claim that a personification (by that, I mean a person) of this truth the characters had to return to would have been helpful.
TL;DR, long story short - if you are a rom-com person, go ahead, watch this movie. If you're looking for freshness, you might get some. Hey, it's honestly not a bad rom-com. If you just want to stare into SRK's eyes and wish there were more SRKs in the world, go ahead; this is a good movie for that kind of stuff. If you have never understood Shah Rukh Khan's lover boy image, a) do you even exist? b) don't watch the movie - you'll be disappointed.
I for one, enjoyed it - a decent way to spend 3 hours of my day. Is it worth paying movie theater money for? Nah. Does Shah Rukh Khan still got the ability to make hearts beat rapidly worldwide? Yes, I glimpsed it in this film, in the few lines that made me melt a little. So, SRK, pls, choose a better script for next time, or a better role, or something. Even if you do still do romance, please work with a script that'll enchant us all with your acting. (Heck, my fanfiction scripts are pretty good - can I write you a movie?) I'd rate the movie a 4/10.
Also, is this a good place to rant about SRK's body? Okay, seems like I Khan (HAH I'm hilarious). You work on your body, we get it. Thank GOD there were no unnecessary fighting scenes in this movie, but as has been the trend, while you want to show off your body subtly, it is not the be-all end-all make-or-break aspect of the film. I've been a fan from before you buffed up, and it is kinda cheapening to give up deeper aspects of your films for the sake of showing off your bod. The older ladies out there may be thirsty (I'm 17, so ew), but I think there's a separate category of film-making for that entirely. Or they'll stick to Salman Khan, so please, choose better!
This chick who wants to be cool like you so bad,
Ritika 💜
P.S. Do tell me what you thought of the movie and/or the review below!
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