The Hateful Eight

 

     The Eighth film by Quentin Tarantino. Since the film was announced, I was looking up for big and small news and updates that came out. With all my enthusiasm I looked up for the shows on 25th December 2015, only to know that I have to wait for 21 days more coz India Release was on 15th Jan 2016. Finally, Yesterday I saw The Hateful Eight. 

     The story was pretty much told in the trailers. A bounty Hunter, John Ruth (Kurt Russel) is bringing in his bounty 3 dead and one alive, Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to a city where she's to be hanged and to collect his bounty. He is one by one accompanied by two more passengers and they halt at 'Minnis Haberdashery' a hotel to avoid storm where they have four more people to share the place and spend time with. Slowly they find old and new connections to each other and with each personality weird and crazy in its own manner, for their respective selfish intentions, deal with each other in their own special Tarantino's alter-ego's style. 

     The performances are pretty much good. The people around the Minni's do remind us of Reservoir Dogs, who are now old. Make up is the best part of the film. And Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Roth and Walton Goggins are impressive. 

     The thing with this film is that there is too much of talking. It seems like we are watching a play that is going to change its set after a certain point. Plus, Tarantino characters maintain their South American Country side accent as the film is placed in an isolated area when Abraham Lincoln was the president of USA. They speak taking their time and pauses. A lot of 'Glorious 70mm Ultra Panavision film meters' are printed with much of reactions, expressions and bodily actions. At a certain point we don't understand if the story really has something to it? 

Character's Die gracefully. 

Every gun-shot is the alarm that brings you out from the half felt creamy dream that you are watching with sound of the dialogues very much low and ambience comparatively louder. 

The good thing is that the dramatic tension that Tarantino creates, the build-up that makes you tell yourself to calm your racing heart down, coz nothing's gonna happen until the writer wants it to happen. 

     The track used in trailer is not there in the film as much as it is needed, and hence you don't get the "Ohh damn Fucked sons of the bitches.." Kick that you get in Inglorious Bastards when the Doormen are killed, or when the whole theater is shot dead and we see the laughing lady in the smoke. Or for that matter the feeling that you get when John Travolta Pushes the antidote needle and Uma Thurman gets up to say "something." Or the Final Quattro gun-pointing in reservoir dogs. And last but not the least when the whole candy land is bombed and burned by Django.

A few action sequences are killer... a little of the twist is good too. The Murders are just the way Tarantino would film them.

All in all...

you need terrible amount of patience to watch a few good things, which are surely there. Still ultimate satisfaction of Tarantino effect on you is missing.

Verdict - 6.5/10

   

Wazir

     Three big names - Amitabh Bachchan, Farhan Akhtar and Vidhu Vinod Chopra were more than enough to tell you the stature of the film. Bejoy Nambiar had churned out the out-&-out Noir-coming of age, outstanding cinema called Shaitaan and had also impressed us with the visual quality of David. He helmed the hat of the director for this project. Plus one of the unconventionally liked actress, who has a strong screen presence and who fits in my Top 5 actresses in Hindi Film Industry right now - Aditi Rao Hydari was the female lead.

All the reasons to NOT miss Wazir.

     Wazir, as the name suggests is the Thriller of which most of the part is reflected on the way the Game of Chess is played and the rules of the game are. An ATS officer Daanish Ali (Farhan Akhtar) who is living in his own guilt is fighting an interpersonal as well as intrapersonal hitch. His beloved wife, Ruhana Ali (Aditi Rao Hydari), is angry on him for the same reason for which he is guilty. And in the midst of everything he finds, a support, a friend and with that, a hope - Omkarnath Dhar aka Pandit ji (Sir Amitabh Bachchan), a person who has once been through a similar crisis as Daneish. And together, just the way a master game of Chess would be won, win the battle with the people much powerful and corrupt.

     The most interesting thing that Bejoy does is that he uses one Hit Retro song in his films. He uses it in a very very justified manner and Wazir too, has one - Aao huzoor tumko.
Music is catchy and good. A different song by a different music director is the Bejoy thing. He has used it well again.

     Farhan and Sir Bachchan have done a flawless performance. As far as Amitabh is concerned we have seen each and every expressions of his all over the years. Farhan's angst and anxiety is well portrayed. Aditi Rao Hydari is beautiful and very expressive. She does not have too many dialogues but she still makes place in your head.

     The film is shot very well. It looks too mature. It is understood that Bejoy is doing a film backed by a big banner this time. Somehow it seems that he made this film with a little less excitement and bit more lethargy. Though Pay-cheque wise he must have been getting more, but to your more expectant mind it feels he is giving out less. Maybe he had to because he has bigger daggers over his head to bow to. Not entirely his fault.

     The Climax and the twist before the climax, is why VVC must be flaunting is OG Story title. However, that's where the Hollywood looking film becomes out and out Bollywood. Especially the video-recorded scene. Either the film should have ended before that with something else or there should have been a bit more after that scene.

Daneish Ali finally wins the chess-game of his life. But Daneish's life is written by VVC and Abhijat Joshi, thus he wins the game in few moves, with quite a solvable problems coming his way. Had his fate been written by Bejoy himself or Neeraj Vora for that matter, it would have been more edge on the seat thrill to watch the game win.

Verdict - 7/10