My Wife's Murder (2005)

In early 2000sm RGV Factory came out with several films which were out of the box and gave a chance for new directors and several talented people. MWM was one such film, directed by Jijy Philip. The film is awesome and the best part it's identifiable, Anil-Suchitra scenes are terrific, their family isn't a Sooraj Bharjatya type or KJO type happy family or melodramatic but a normal family. The twist is superb, till the interval the film keeps you on the edge, post interval it does slacken and get predictable but the end again is superb. Only flaws are perhaps the director could've avoided Boman's personal story but yet this are minor hiccups.Direction is awesome Background music is good, though at times a bit overdone Camera-work is awesome though RGV"s hangover does showAnil Kapoor gives one of his career best performances, he is simply mindblowing and flawless, the best part being he lives the role to perfection. Suchitra has a small role and she is decent Nandana Sen is decent, Rajesh is okay Boman Irani is terrific as the cop who likes to eat, rest are all decent Master Zain is simply outstanding

I don't usually write reviews for movies, but this movie is one that I loved so much that I had to write a review. When I saw Swades, I thought that was great cinema -- India is finally catching on. Then I saw Black, Parineeta, Sarkar -- and I believed the same for those. However, this movie is beyond good and great cinema, it's excellent. Don't get me wrong, I would say I liked Black and much as Swades as much as Parineeta as much as Sarkar as much as My Wife's Murder. However, this was a little different approach.It isn't your average Indian film where a rich production company hires the best composer, hit director, famous actor and great technical people and says to them, "go make the next thriller. I want people watching the movie 10 times a day. They should be listening to its music more and that, admiring the technical work and praising the actor". So, obviously was the case with several unnamed movies. My Wife's Murder is different, very different. It's one of the Hollywood-type movies which makes you think, but unlike several others, it's story was actually written in Bollywood, fair to say it's not a copy.India has done several great hits, and even though people may think this is another Bollywood movie, they are wrong. The technical work is excellent. Direction possibly even better. Acting superb (even from the policeman to the children to the main character). And what else can I say.It's the story of Ravi, who owns an editing studio. If there is one thing he likes working. He has only one assistant with whom his wife, thinks and believes he is having a love affair with. One day, when they are fighting about this, an accident occurs. You will have to watch the movie to find out the rest. 10/10 for me.

Just a 2 second flash of Anil's face after his wife slaps him was enough to tell me MWM, at the very least, would feature a stunning performance from Anil Kapoor. And right I was. This is the best male performance of the year. Anil's ability to convey so much through subtle changes of his face and body is like watching beautiful art unfold on the screen. There are moments in the movie where he just falls apart....its really something to watch. Ur heart goes out to his character. And this tremendous performance is further enhanced by the overall product MWM is. Well etched characters, excellent background music, technically slick(RGV production after all) and a screenplay so brilliantly written that there isn't a single boring frame in the entire movie. Every scene builds the tension and gets the viewer engrossed into the characters' lives like few movies have. Director Jijy Philip deserves BIG TIME kudos for perfectly executing this realistic thriller and extracting superb performances from the entire cast(even the cute little KIDS rock). Boman Irani continues to amaze me with his ability to BECOME every character he plays. It's hard not to love this guy. The girl who played Rani's younger sister in Black(don't know her name) is very solid as well....and I especially love how her and Anil's relationship is portrayed throughout.Bottomline, MWM is a must-see. A simple story taken to great heights with an award worthy screenplay and spectacular performances from everybody, especially Anil and Boman.

Director Jijy Philip impresses with his debut thriller. People who were expecting a suspense film would be disappointed. The makers from the start said that the film goes into Ravi's mind. It's more psychological then thrilling. It's great to see that movies like these are being made these days. No outdoor shootings, no actors dancing around trees, just simply good film-making and performances. Anil Kapoor is beyond great. He lives Ravi, he breathes Ravi. His facial expressions are amongst the best in Bollywood (Amitabh is good at this too). But this role was made for Anil and only Anil. The climax scene you get to see how great of an actor Anil is. He just shines in the climax, that will certainly bring tears in your eyes. The situation this character was in is just amazing, and that is due to the great screenplay and storyline. Editing and cinematography are ace, while background score is praise-worthy. Suchitra in her short role leaves an impact, while Nandana Sen lives up to her character. Boman shines in his well-written role. The film is gripping throughout, but it's the climax that should be talked about over and over again. I watched the climax scene about 5 times, I just can't get enough of Anil's performance. I would rate this as his second best performance in his career. Eeshwar being first, My Wife's Murder being second, and Pukar being third. Two people who deserve awards are Jijy Philip and Anil Kapoor, if these two go empty handed this year it would be really sad.