Game (2011)

The presence of some of my favourite Hindi cinema actors (Anupam Kher, Kangana Ranaut, Shahana Goswami, Boman Irani, Jimmy Shergill & Abhishek Bachchan) will not stop me from calling out this film as a major suck- fest with a flashy budget. So what if they got to shoot on a private Island in Greece, got shuttled around in pricey looking speedboats and private jets and some characters got to ride about in BMW sports cars, none of that improves on the fact that the film was poorly written, averagely acted and woefully directed. Don't get me wrong, the concept of a whodunit set in the middle of a scenic private Island in Europe was brilliant enough. I think the writers then got way ahead of themselves and started all sorts of additional senseless sub-plots, twists and turns that in the long run helped turn a great idea on the page into a ridiculous one on celluloid. The normally on-point Ranaut looked in some scenes like she was ten seconds away from actually scratching her head in confusion. Oh! And the dumb love story between Bachchan's character and newcomer Sarah Jane Dias was forced and unbelievably corny at best. Watch this only if you're a fan of one of the stars and you feel the need to say you've watched everything they've ever starred in.

You will find it difficult to believe that this is from a production house which gave us movies like DCH and Lakshya. This is a whodunit which gets more and more ridiculous as the movie progresses. There is not much of a suspense as the twist in the end is something you guess as soon as the crime happens. Shot well in exotic locations but then that is all about Game offers.You have an Indian who owns a large island in Greece calling over an Indian who is a PM candidate in Thailand and an Indian who owns the largest casino in Turkey and 2 others to Greece and then spilling the dark secrets he has on them out. And the premise that movie starts off on ends there as it suddenly shifts track to a whodunit with a murder and the folks on the island being prime suspects. And after that the movie goes downhill and takes unbelievable short cuts. The guys buzz between different cities in the globe as if they are like 20 minutes away.

If you are an intelligent/open minded person, go watch this movie....it is a stunning movie that will keep you focused on the screen. ( relative to bollywood standard)Do NOT watch this movie if you fulfil one of the following criterias: (1) You have a very low threshold for humor and find dumb comedies like golmaal 3/ready/tees maar khan funny. (2) You find primitive unoriginal movies like dabangg a superhit (3) You go to cinema just to whistle and dance at every move of your favourite actor. (4) You don't like I am kalam & Chillar party and you prefer "bhoot uncle"P.S The problem does not lie with bollywood but with the audience..Bollywood wants to take it to the next level but the audience is stuck in its old era.....

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).