Barfi!

Barfi is that gem which has the capacity of making blood in your heart rush just like children rush through the school gates at the ring of bell. All you have to do is to open yourself and let it do the magic.

It offers everything that is there to take from a pure cinematic experience: real characters, genuine relationships, a simple yet poignant story and a soulful score. It offers much more th an this if you can indulge yourself into it a little more. It has acting that connects you straight with the characters and makes you feel for/with them; each frame is a lyrical composition not only by the presence of colors but through their absence as well, the screenplay is such that it either allows the emotions to be overwhelming or would take you out of the scene (completely depends on the viewer).

I can only wish to visit the Darjeeling of 70's as portrayed in the movie and I am sure Basu would not have had any problems filming the Kolkata part of the movie as it is the only city which has majority of its elements from that period still intact (No pun intended). Basu has always been good at using earthly elements in his scenes and he reinforces that here too. The manner in which rain, texture of clouds, stones, bright sun have been used to complement various moods in scenes is just exemplary.

What makes this movie a winner is the unending list of scenes which will make you laugh, cry and sometimes do both at the same time. Dialogue through expression and enactment has been integrated so beautifully in the movie that you sometimes forget that you are watching a movie where two of the protagonists are incapable of communicating conventionally. It's a movie which celebrates one of the most prized feelings of each human being: the joy of being loved, through a story of people who could have easily decided not to embrace it. Priyanka is at her uninhibited best and Ileana plays her bit to the tee. Needless to say that no other present day actor could have done justice to the role of Barf!

Visit http://imnotafilmcritic.blogspot.in/ for more filmy experiences!

Barfi - CATCH IT (A-) Barfi, an unlikely love triangle of a normal girl, mute boy and autism girl. This is an unlikely combination, which Doesn't seems like to work in Indian Cinema but things have been changed and great success of Barfi proves that even if the hero and heroine are not stereotypical a good story can lead to utmost success. Barfi is not a perfect movie, it was too long and becomes complicated as we travel back and forth between 1976, 1979 and 2012. Besides that life being so easy and cheerful for a mute boy and autism girl is hard to accept, there is a time they live alone for 6 months in big Calcutta city, he can't talk and she doesn't understand but apparently they are happier than ever, how they communicate with world is not explained. Anyways I know it's a movie and i should not go onto that much dept. So, kudos to Anurag Basu for making and attempting a brave subject matter. Ranbir Kapoor is great as always, though his performance is almost the same as in a movie "Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani" with Katrina Kaif "where he tries to get her affection". This time he was only mute. Priyanka Chopra did a fine job and looked the part. Ileana D'Cruz is a fresh faced beautiful girl. Standing next to too famous young actors and still getting noticed is a huge achievement. In the end, Barfi maybe long but it's fresh, beautiful and heartening.

India's official entry to the Oscars - Barfi! might as well have been an acronym for: Breathtaking (cinematography), Astounding (acting), Ruthless (breaking of stereotypes about the disabled), Fantastic (music), and Invigorating (feeling in your heart as you leave the theater).

This is essentially a love triangle between Barfi (played endearingly by Ranbir Kapoor), a hearing and speech impaired son of a poor chauffeur, Jhilmil (played brilliantly by Priyanka Chopra), an autistic girl almost abandoned by her rich parents, and Shruti the narrator of the tale of love (played convincingly by debutante Illeana De Cruz), the soon to be married tourist visiting Darjeeling along with her parents.

The writer and director - Anurag Basu uses non linear storytelling to traverse between 1972, 1978, and 2012 Darjeeling, Calcutta, and little known places of Bengal as they three protagonists try and grapple with Love and its various heart rendering implications to their lives. For a film with hardly any dialogs, 'Barfi!' amazingly manages to say a lot, using a combination of sign language, facial expressions, first person narration, and sometimes simply stunning silences to convey a gamut of emotions.

Several sequences stand out for their sheer brilliance, be it Barfi's reaction at Shruti's choice of her fiancé (Jishu Sengupta in a small but significant role), Shruti and her mother's (played beautifully by the veteran Roopa Ganguly) exchanges on certain choices in Love, Barfi and Jhilmil's night in the forest illuminated by fireflies, Barfi's cutting off of the lamp posts to test the loyalty of his friends, Jhilmil's fantasy about getting married as she watches a 'Chau Dance' in a village, Daju's (Haradhan in a superb supporting role) tear stricken face as he finally accepts Jhilmil's fate and let's her go, the unfolding of the photograph's at Shruti's house to finally reveal the truth about her entire life, and lastly, the finale. All these, and many more, are sure to be etched as a memory, not in your mind, but rather in your heart.

This film shows how one can find happiness in the small things in life, and how disabilities, be in financial, mental, or physical can never really appear as a handicap to an otherwise soaring spirit that does not know how to give up on life. This film reminds us that falling in Love is natural, while staying in Love a decision that must be taken with the heart, rather than the mind. And finally, this is a film that tries, without trying too hard, to help you understand that the language of Love does not necessarily require the wisdom of words.

One might argue that certain portions of the film are 'inspired' from other films. For example, certain dialogs between Shruti and her mother might remind you of the Notebook, certain mannerisms of Barfi as he tries his best to escape the bungling cop (played aptly by Saurabh Shukla) cause you to recollect sequences from the films of Charlie Chaplin, while the way Barfi tries to entertain Jhilmil & Shruti remind you of Singing in The Rain and Mr Bean. Yet, Barfi manages to stand on its own for the way it interprets these classic scenes and the logicality of their inclusion in the proceedings.

The Hair and Makeup department, however, especially when it tries to show the same actors playing aged characters, is the only one that takes a slight dent. Yet almost everything else manages to come together in unison to more than compensate for this slight glitch. And it does so, at numerous places managing to make you think, smile, cry, and sigh, sometimes all at the same time, and in quick succession.

Watch it for the performances (especially that of Ranbir and Priyanka), the vision of the director Anurag Basu and cinematographer Ravi Varman, the terrific score of the music director Pritam Chakravarty, and last but not the least for the innumerable ways in which Love has been expressed between the characters. Trust me - this is the perfect example of art that can forever stay in your heart.

Love needs expressions not language, it requires feelings no boundaries, it's beyond oceans beyond limits- Free and Beautiful but only few know how to live it. Barfi as its name is sweet, full of aroma, delicious and tasty. This in true sense expresses love without any language, caste, creed or color –Selfless with heart; an impeccable cinema worth watching with your beloved, friends and family.

Barfi ! Essentially is a chapter of life which has numerable good moments to recall, laugh and to love with. Every character is well placed without being dramatic with excellent music, performances, direction and screenplay.

Anurag Basu- the director has done extraordinary work in terms of narrating the story. Like 'Inception' his narrative style takes you in flashback and a flashback within a flashback to narrate a simple story in its most impactful form without creating confusions to audience. Every story has been woven perfectly till climax. Despite the destiny of characters what audience recalls some beautiful moments, cheer, laughs, true love and sacrifice. Each and every prank on screen gives you a bucketful humor and feel good factor whether it's Barfi-cop chase or Barfi's effort to impress Jhilmil and Shruti throughout the movie.

Ranbir Kapoor- Well this guy has redefined himself, and the only commercial cinema star of recent time who knows how to act dances and laugh with perfection. Whether it was 'wake up sid', 'Raajneeti'or 'Rockstar' with every movie he has successfully set benchmark for himself but with this movie he has set benchmark even for so called Khans and Roshans. The beauty of his character is despite being deaf and dump in the movie not a single moment you will realize that he even require to speak. His expressions are heartwarming and simply outstanding.

Priyanka Chopra – Luckily we have a pool of talented actress these days and Priyanka Chopra with this movie will give a tough challenge to her peers. Her expressions as an autism child are natural and clean. Her feelings for Ranbir as a lady could be easily readable and this is undoubtedly one of the best performances of her career.

Ileana D'Cruz – She is one of the best debut of this year. Extremely good looking and charming, she never gives the feeling of a debutant. She does her job perfectly as a narrator and as an actor.

Barfi is a way of life, it has potential to make you laugh without getting dirty, it has power to make you cry without getting dramatic and it has energy to teach you love for all without being a documentary. Barfi is perfect in all sense. And for those who could ask why I have written an inch away from Masterpiece ,well being a critique we always expect more than what we got but as soon as the wedding bells rings in the end it was obvious that Barfi has crossed that inch of perfection… It's a Masterpiece of Indian Cinema.

Thanks & Regards Yours AVA For Complete Review Please VISIT www.thecritiquelab.com Your Views are heartily welcome

i had a lot of expectations from this movie..and it hardly disappointed.... Don't be shocked if you see Ranbir Kapoor becoming one of the best actors of bollywood history in 10-15 years..he can do any kind of roles and do without breaking a drop of sweat.. This was RK's best performance till date..Priyanka Chopra portrayed her part brilliantly but it was pleasantly shocking to see a south girl doing so good..Ileana was the soothing factor amidst the madness of Barfi n Jhilmil!Good to see Saurabh Shukla back.. Pritam comes back with a bang..all his songs are good to the ears n suit the movie as well.. last but not the least we talk about Anurag Basu..after Kites's disaster i thought he might be lost..he just nails this one..

Special mention:Cinematographer Ravi Varman..