02 April,2011 06:28 AM IST | | Tushar Joshi
Game
U/A; Action
Dir: Abhinay Deo
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Kangna Ranaut, Sarah Jane Dias, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani
Rating: '1/2
What's it about: Early on in the movie we are introduced to four different characters coming from four corners of the world - England (Shahana), India (Jimmy), Thailand (Boman) and Turkey (Abhishek). Anupam Kher lives off a Greek island wanting to avenge the murder of his daughter (Sarah Jane). With the help of his assistant (Gauhar Khan) he plans to interrogate and punish the four invitees on his island. Through out the film there are flashbacks that stagnate rather than take the plot forward. Kangna plays the head of an investigating agency who's deputed to solve the murder case. Just before the climax there's a shocking twist that's meant to add thrill to the proceedings. But it's a case of too little, too late.
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What's hot: Abhinay Deo knows how to light up a frame beautifully. He does a stellar job of capturing some eye candy locations and using the camera masterfully in the action scenes. Production values are grandoise and it shows in the multiple locations film is shot.
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What's not: Forget the killer, the bigger villain in the film is it's snail-paced speed. We keep waiting for the story to take flight, but unfortunately it struggles to get a decent take off. The suspense, thriller genre requires the ability to grab your attention right at the beginning. Deo wastes too much time giving introductions to the four lead characters. We expect something to happen once they reach the island, but instead of a witty twist, everything gets mundane and boring. Trapped in a board room, Kher lectures them, telling them they are murderers, criminals, all sorts of adjectives are hurled at each other, but the effect is far than dramatic. Performances are sedated. Even though they are dressed up in designer suits and wear the season's latest offering, there's very little depth to their personalities. Bachchan tries his best to look interested, but the only time he looks excited is when conversation veers towards a Chelsea match! Kangna twiddles a pen, raises her neatly trimmed eyebrows and shows off her much improved dialect when given a chance. Shergill and Irani have a who hams better competition, with the latter taking the prize hands down. Songs are immensely forgettable and none of the action/chase scenes stand out. If only attention was paid to making the story interesting, things would be different. Dias is utterly wasted in a debut where she echoes the producers sentiments in a line she keeps repeatingu00a0-- "Stay with me!"
What's that: Kangna must be mourning. She gets to wear just one single uniform throughout the film. A Mumbai film magazine named Scandal gets breaking news on its cover even before the actor confesses his crime!
What to do: Game dissapoints because it promised to be a stylish thriller with a fresh ensemble. Watch it if you want to see some breathtakingly beautiful locations, otherwise give this one a skip.
