It was great meeting some of the bloggers/ followers recently. Some of them mentioned to start a review column on movies that I see/ or have seen. So I am going to try and start a periodic 20 frame review of the movies. Lets make it my 20 FRAME DISSECTION !!!Today's pick is the recent Romeo and Juliet with blazing guns - Ram Leela. I will not go into specific scenes, but only review frames that stayed in my mind.
Frame 1: Opening sequence was good. Created the theme of the two camps and how a simple piss can piss-off someone. The camera showing net with bottles showed that such bottle throwing activities have been common routine in the town. Rivalry setup. Good beginning.
Frame 2: Entry of Ranveer - FANTASTIC !!!! The screen was filled with people, costumes, colors, the loud bang musical entry. Love the song too. Ramji ki chaal dekho. Great move forward
Frame3: Entry of Deepika: Great entry. Cant miss the colors again. Holi. SLB tried to recreate the "ankhon ki gustakhiyan" chemistry - but - the song needed to be a little more powerful number - "Lahu muh lag gayaa" as a song was ok -ok !! Choreography was brilliant with the dandiya steps !!! Deepika rocked !!!
Frame4: Some more enhanced character entries - BAA, NRI dude, Deepika's bhabhi at one end and Ram's brother and their internal relationships etc - SLB trying to set premise of side characters on both sides of the rivalry teams - OK - not bad - now we need to move forward
Frame5: Same to same frame of Romeo Juliet...it is like a poetry written " The moon was at its best and Ram entered Leela's courtyard. The palace was gleaming in reflection of the pond and serenity was flowing all around. Ram jumped and saw Leela up in her tower, courtyard filled with peacocks. Ram looked around and climbed the nearest branch - he had to be with his love and so she dared him...."Frame6: Dishkiyaaoon - loved the "kisi disco main jaayein" style choreography. Passable song. This could have been a highlight song.
Not bad song placement but the next scene - NRI taking photo in dushman area-too cliched - you know someone is going to see it !
Frame7: Ok - some more "mor" and song routine to keep the romance alive. Whats next SLB?Frame8: Scene at the pier - great formation - and culmination - some movement atleast
Frame9: So - 2 principal leads killed of both factions. Should the love story still continue?
Frame 10: Lovers still run away...ok - u both dont want any part of this hate drama understood, dont fight - just take a room in lakeview and show us the passion.
Frame 11: Somehow I felt that SLB really wanted this song to be the highlight - "ang lagaale" but it dint come out the way he was probably expecting. Lets just say - visuals were breathtaking !! But something was amiss in the smoke - something's missing SLB !!!Frame 12: A litle "Shakespear-en" twist !! A misunderstanding - love's gone !!!! Time for a sad song ! "Tujh sang bair lagayaa aisa" - Great song - SLB still stuck with "jhoka hawaa ka aaj bhi.." but great premise for Ranveer to show his drunken acting capabilities (Leeela main jo hain woh - kissime nahin; Anyone - "Baabuje ne kahaa ghar chod dou..Paro ne kahaa...." - yaya we know SLB - you are in love with Devdas !! )
Frame 13: Rajjadiyon ka Nayaa Don, Baa, NRI dude, Ram Ki Leela SMS - hmmm...even after cutting Leela's finger - this needs some more masala SLB
Frame 14: Enter Priyanka "Ram Chaahe Leela" - what a brilliant set? Brilliant purple hues in the background, props, magna, whites, cottons - rope in all the Kala-kind of shops.Great visuals in the song !!!
Frame 15: Bhabhi goes looking for help in middle of night - why? Arre picture abhi baaki hain mere dost.
Well - Tit for tat attitude in camps, revenge games, Ram versus Baa, some misunderstandings - ok - whats next guys?
Another vibrantly choreographed song and sung flawlessly by Shreya Ghosal - "Nagaade sange Dhol Baaje"
By this time the guy in the front row had almost chew-ed his hair and he just did not know how should he express his frustration any more !!! Ek aur gaana???? Hey Ram !!!!!!
Frame 16: Re-enter Shakespeare tale of traitors and dhoka; and now "Leela is Sanido ki nayee Don". SLB - now this is getting too much to watch - why is Razaa Murad around and who are these townpeople dividing the trades? Running out of ideas are we?
Frame 17: SLB - ab end kaise karoge? Arre - Ram Leela has to end in Ram Leela - so lets move towards climax - but too much happening on screen! Audience is confused - What is exactly happening?
Frame 18: Looks like a scene from Rambo - each one vanishing one by one ! C'mon SLB again "jaan ke badle jaan"....now we are bored ! Yeh Aag kab bhujegi? Yeh Ravan kab jalega?
Frame 19: Again Raja Murad is back - why? Pados main Madhubala ki shooting chal rahee thi Meri Jaan ! Oh - ok !! Enter the Rajadion ka chora - aakhri chiraag story and suddenly BAA has melted and killed one of her own? Oh man what a turn of events - ab sab ek ho ke Raawan jalaaeinge YAAAAEWN !! Hey Ram !!!!!!
Frame 20: The end.
Angoor hain haraa, kelaa hain peela, SLB tumne 200 crore ka bhara hain thaila, par - Dude - visuals, props, sets and colors chodke humne too much hain - jhelaaa !!!!
Till next time - stay safe and Stay in Loeve !!!! (Non-Ram Lila Style)
- Pankaj
