Game

Once again poor treatment ruined this movie which had a very good script. Everything else was very poor.Normally Kangana and Jimmy Shergill put in brilliant performances irrespective of the quality of the films in which they are acting, but even they were terrible in this movie. Anupam Kher and Abhishek were average while the balance of the cast were very poor. Once again unwanted songs along with very very poor direction reduced the quality of the picture tremendously. At best I would give it 5/10

It has become a practice with some of our so-called movie "critics" to pick holes in every movie they watch and critique. This could be a way of justifying what they do to earn their daily bread but sometimes it's for the sake of being "critical". So negative reviews by "critics" have been very irritating because I saw most people in the audience enjoying the movie.

I am not suggesting GAME is fabulous but I will say it's fun to watch. For one thing it is slick. The frames, the locales, the settings-- all are glossy and very urban (which is why this film cannot be a huge nation wide hit). Abhishek looks very good. I think Gauhar Khan deserves a mention here. She acted well. Kangana needs diction lessons.

I liked the film because it ran well. I wasn't thrilled by the music (Shankar et al have been churning out lackadaisical music for a while now) but I enjoyed watching stuff that was so un -Dabangg like. I am getting tired of watching that Eastern UP rustic tripe-- a bandwagon that every film maker now wants to climb on, post Dabangg.

I wish Farhan Akhtar had tweaked the script a little more to make it tighter with no sags. But, no problems. Chalta hai. This is Bollywood and not every film is aspiring to go to the Oscars!

'Game' is A Decent Thriller! It doesn't leave you awe-struck, but its a good one-time watch, that has some engrossing moments & impressive performances working for it.

'Game' Synopsis: A wealthy man invites four people to his private island to blame three of them for his daughter's sudden death. The next morning, the wealthy man is found murdered. The mystery begins...

'Game' has an awesome first-hour, which despite being slightly slow-paced, has the power to engage you aptly. Sadly, the second-hour is not entirely impressive. The finale, in particular, doesn't work. The motive behind the villain's deeds, appears bland. How one wishes if the second-hour was as well-done as the first-hour!

Althea Delmas Kaushal's Screenplay is power-packed in parts, but unimpressive other-wise. Abhinay Deo's Direction is top-class. Cinematography captures the foreign locales, stunningly. Editing is razor-sharp. Art & Costume Design are super. Action-Sequences are average.

Performance-Wise: Abhishek Bachchan is in good form. He enacts the central protagonist with ease. Kangna Ranaut is perfect. Sarah-Jane Dias looks gorgeous & delivers a fair performance. Jimmy Shergill gets limited scope, but he's remarkable in his bit, as always. Boman Irani hams. Shahana Goswami is okay. Anupam Kher is striking, while Gauhar Khan leaves a mark.

On the whole, 'Game' isn't perfection, but absorbing in parts nevertheless.

'Game' is slick and stylish. The visuals are unusual (Greece, Turkey et al) and cinematography impressive. The only problem is it tries too hard and doesn't have the goods to back up its efforts.

The biggest shock is the character of Boman Irani- is he the prime ministerial candidate of, did I hear it correctly, Thailand? And that too with a shady past? The tone of the movie is one of seriousness- if that is the case then people would expect you to get such little details right.

Another problem is poor casting. Abhishek Bachchan sleepwalks throughout the movie. There is a difference between acting cool and being lazy. He needs to work much, much harder. Sarah Jane Dias is simply horribly cast- one needed a bewitching persona to excel in such a role. Kangna Ranaut would have been better in Sarah's role- and ironically, vice versa is also true!

The director and scriptwriter fail on multiple fronts. There is little surprise and only a handful of suspense for the viewer. The CID series does a better job of maintaining suspense and entertaining the audience, even if at a basic level.

Overall, a case of promising big, deliver small- and this when I watched it on DVD!

The makers have ensured "Game" has all the ingredients a suspense thriller should encompass - style, sleek and surprises. Sadly there are not in palatable proportions, therefore as the plot thickens the content starts to give away the weight. The premise perhaps is an interesting read but translating it to a nail-biting viewing experience requires smart directorial sensibilities and precisely here Abhinay Deo spills the beans of a newcomer leading to an amateur end product. Additionally the end hardly makes you jump out of the seat as the breadcrumbs are so prominently highlighted in the narrative that the audience is denied of playing guessing game.

ᴥ Junior B:: Suave & confident with some great tongue-in-cheek lines.

ᴥ Sarah Jane Dias:: Her character though central to the premise hardly leaves an impact owing to the soul-less performance.

ᴥ Kangana:: Attempt clearly inspired by Lara Croft which sadly falls flat. Her body language and expressions don't really pull off the feat. Bipasha perhaps?

ᴥ Anupam Kher & Boman Irani:: Reliable as usual.

ᴥ Jimmy Shergill, Shahana Goswami & Gauhar Khan:: Hardly any meat in the role.

Songs hardly register. The inflated production costs are owing to the unwarranted foreign locales. The best thing about "Game" is the editing which has ensured the length is no more than audience staging a walkout.

"Race" is an ideal benchmark on how a suspense thriller should be delivered.

PS: Under the watchful supervision of Mr. Perfectionist it wouldn't be a surprise if Abhinay reclaims lost ground in his next outing (Delhi- Belly).