This feels a little like Superman: Red Sun, but with David Lynch being born in the USSR. Anachronistic music, a mystery where the mystery is an afterthought, and a Kafka-esquema protagonist who sort of absentmindedly fell into his fate and can’t leave it? All set to dream-like sequences?
Anyway, I was constantly distracted by the lead looking a little like my 8th grade history teacher.
My first viewing since the start of my curated Indian film odyssey, and even as a non-Bollywood film a lot of this hit me differently. Not better or worse, just more complete: you can definitely see traces of Sholay and Lagaan once you’re looking for him, and I better understand the significance of Rama and the story that’s telling. Dope!
But I’d be lying if any of that meant I was enjoying the naatu naatu sequence or the crazy set pieces or the true love bromance MORE. That love was already sky high.
Ok, it’s dumb. It’s 20 minutes too long. I never understood anyone’s motivation for ANYTHING. It has way too many superfluous characters. It has insane dialogue like, “what I wouldn’t do to be ass-sliding with you right now.”
But you know what? It sort of nails what it’s trying to be: a montage-heavy underdog story with a sick soundtrack and an endless array of BMX tricks. Find me a better scene where two people have a romantic meet-cute by doing a couples trick-off/slow dance at a high school prom.
I’ll wait.
Given how stacked the cast is, i’m a little surprised that the stand out performance for me is Burgess Meredith. Who’d have guessed?
Strong beginning, bonkers finale, but sags in the middle when we turn into a procedural. I could have used more eccentric neighbors, less cops thank you very much.
Still, tons of fun, and we stick the landing.
