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Coffee Bloom
The story of a man-child torn between remorse and wounded love is a complex one to tell. This was perhaps the one natural environment that needed some indulgence, an atmospheric sensual aspect that could have atoned for awkward storytelling.
Mar 2015
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Bewakoofiyaan
This is the kind of middling film that one doesn't know what to make of. It looks clean, simple and doesn't boast of any highs or lows. Everything, including the change of heart(s), is predictable.
Mar 2014
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Dolly Ki Doli
...liberties would be acceptable if this was a mischievous Disney fairytale. Or if this didn't actually boast of a stellar supporting cast.
Jan 2015
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Gang of Ghosts
I wouldn't go as far as declaring this imitation to be the best form of flattery, but Gang Of Ghosts does arouse enough curiosity to make you want to watch the real deal. Excuse me while I procure a DVD.
Mar 2014
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Barefoot To Goa
I understand the aspiration for meditative storytelling in order to soak in its innocence, but the silence is deafening.
Apr 2015
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Shamitabh
...ultimately morphs into the film equivalent of medical marijuana. It aims for a necessary high, the concept is barely legal, but once the plot is lost it becomes a moody epidemic of inopportune giggles.
Feb 2015
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Youngistaan
...a skewered immature tale that caters to the lowest common denominator of hope.
Mar 2014
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Identity Card
...the filmmaker makes the fatal mistake of feeling too much for his subject, and fails to draw the line while trying to make an impassioned statement.
Aug 2014
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Yeh Hai Bakrapur
There is no excuse for lazy storytelling, especially when the setup is potentially ahead of a Peepli Live.
May 2014
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Gunday
...leaving you mildly enraged with the hope of what could have been, especially given the inexhaustible resources at hand.
Feb 2014
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Mary Kom
...an inconsistent narrative that seems too hurried to strike the right balance between her personal life and career, and ends up biting off more than it can chew.
Sep 2014
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Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami
...with set pieces that crack you up and manipulate you-but invariably has you pulling out your hair in frustration. Such fine actors, but an opportunity lost.
Oct 2014
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Ek Villain
There is no doubting that Suri's vision is clear in its own space-evident from the usual heady cocktail of lilting tunes and brooding antagonists - but his storytelling leaves much to be desired.
Jun 2014
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Tevar
...there's not a moment that isn't formula-driven, which is why Sharma fails to stamp any kind of storytelling authority.
Jan 2015
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The Xpose
Intentional or not, this film gets away with it the same way Om Shanti Om does-not designed as biopics (Heroine) but as unwaveringly cringe worthy stories mirroring the era they represent...
May 2014
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Darr @The Mall
Within the confines of this stumbling genre, director Kirpalani does a decent job with a predictable script. There is only so much originality left to operate with; even the ghosts have begun to look alike.
Feb 2014
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Ungli
...takes a chestthumping, crowd-pleasing concept and turns it into a preachy mess that might discourage future attempts at this genre.
Nov 2014
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Jal
...is constructed as the kind of expansive cinema that begged to be shot on pure film. Rather unfortunate, because Jal ends up as the kind of film that begged to be pure unadulterated cinema.
Apr 2014
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Jai Ho! Democracy
The only thing dark about this parody is the way it spirals out of control after a promising start...
Apr 2015
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Gabbar Is Back
...by the time the same plot is passed through four commercial factory machines, nothing is decipherable. Gabbar is the end of it hopefully, with nothing left to squeeze out.
May 2015
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May 2014
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Total Siyapaa
...definitely lives up to its title, but not in a good way. This is a bad kind of chaos-the sort Joker creates in Gotham-despite a cast oozing with potential.
Mar 2014
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Ab Tak Chhappan 2
This sequel will only dilute memories of the original. Unless you're looking for 56 shades of dull, dated and contrived grey.
Feb 2015
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Apr 2014
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Balwinder Singh... Famous Ho Gaya
Brainless comedies can be fun to watch, what with the infinite characters, goofy plots and toilet humour. But the buck stops with lazy filmmaking—a crime that can ruin the best of punch lines.
Sep 2014
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Dirty Politics
I feel sorry for the crew that works hard on these goodwill efforts, for they're at the mercy of unprogressive creative minds.
Mar 2015
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Heartless
...lacks any sort of pulse and does much harm to Suman's television legacy, something that he must conserve wholeheartedly.
Feb 2014
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Chal Bhaag
...may have looked like a screwball crime comedy on paper, but you'd be hard pressed to come across a more awfully-executed production this year.
Jun 2014
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6-5=2
The first rule is that these films should be scary and the actors, naturalistic. Their deaths should invoke horror, not glee and relief that they're finally being bumped off.
Nov 2014