a_jana

The movie is so simplistic it seems to have been made for a very naive audience with an one track mind. The director has made no honest attempt to understand the nuances of the arguments he does not like. The entire humor seems to be based on mockery - the laziest form. I expected much more reading the description but got so little. Matt has not really made any obvious arguments except the commercialization of a concept which happens in each and every walk of life - including education. That does not mean we bash education as a necessary societal tool.

I have seen some great documentaries - this one was a really ordinary one.

Weak storytelling and failure to grip marred the expectations which was built up because of the cast. Will have to watch the Japanese original to understand if the adaptation was weak or the original script was. The movie had a stellar cast but neither was a gripping thriller nor a really dark comedy. For example, "Ludo" ticked the dark comedy part exquisitely. All the characters felt unauthentic esp. Rajkumar Rao and Radhika Apte. None of them came across as the characters they were playing which indicates to poor screenplay and direction given their talent as actors. Overall, felt there was too strong a focus on stylizing the movie than focusing on the story.

The movie is not for everyone as evident from the barrage of negative ratings on IMDB. However, if you have always wondered which Indian director would capture the spirit of Wes Anderson and create something magical in the backdrop of a deconstructed storyline and whimsical Indian characters, give it a try. You will probably not be disappointed.