May 28, 2010 12:49 PM
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(Updated May 28, 2010 12:57 PM)
What do you say of a movie which has a successful producer with a string of hits behind him, a rather new age director at the helm of it, a Bollywood star who is so enviably good-looking and a well publicized Latino hottie? Did you say - A recipe for a great movie?? Well then you have hit bulls eye – Kites is indeed a breathtaking movie. A far cry from the regular soppy movies that Bollywood churns out so so regularly. It is also distinctly different from the latest thread of movies trotting about in multiplexes; all claiming to be different, far away from the clichés and formula ridden fare and supposedly meant for the intelligentsia.
Kites instead is a refreshing movie, a simple tale, well told in a manner which is reminiscent of Hollywood movies. The story races back and forth as it delineates the story of two ill-fated lovers escaping the clutches of a ruthless, spurned lover.
Now what sets it apart?
The lead pair:
Hrithik; what do I write about a man who with his unbelievable good looks leaves you perennially deluged in a pool of drool, with your knees that are so weak that you need help to hoist yourself. He looks like some ethereal, bronzed god. His stunning looks alternate between being some Greek god to an amorous Mexican to an Italian charmer. Simply a visual treat! In terms of looks the man is galaxies ahead of the Bollywood heroes. Perfectly sculpted and chiseled it’s almost criminal to look so good.
And all this with dollops of innocence and believable love and longing brimming in the pools of his limpid seaweed yellowish-green eyes.
His acting does in a few scenes meander towards being a wee bit too earnest however we can forgive him because he more than makes up for all possible acting flaws with the final scene. The final scene with his unruly, curled locks and beard, the chapped lips, eyes stung with pain - he looks every bit the wronged man, the unlucky lover. He looks beautiful beyond imagination. The hurt, the pain, the pathos he captures it all with his eyes and face. Your heart screams in pain with him as he hurls himself; a lifeless soul into the depths of the ocean which had consumed his lady love earlier. The scene is heart-wrenching, easily one of the most soul stirring scenes in recent times.
The opening dance sequence is a spectacle worthy of being a movie by itself, his fluid moves makes you wonder whatever cartilages and ligaments make his body they are surely not what we lesser mortals are made of. His body is like a pliant molten glass making some reality defying moves which can enthrall you and leave you in a state of shocked stupor.
You almost need to rush out to gulp some fresh air, shake your head and enter the hall again to believe what you just saw was a man dancing! Immortal!
Barbara; hmmm, let’s see... what could possibly be an adequate description of her, Got it, she is like champagne supernova! A star which bursts and becomes luminous in the process – bubbling with effervescence. Barbara has been filmed more erotically and sensuously; proof of which are her abundant number of pictures floating on the net. But in this movie she looks like a natural burst of sunshine which you want to own and treasure. She does not look anything like some of our plastic, pan caked actresses; instead she exudes a clean, natural and freshly scrubbed look. Innocence and froth packed in that mischievous Mediterranean-sea colored eyes topped with a twinkle. Her smile is so precious with those perfect pearlie whites. Her gait and slender body too is effusive of an adventurous spirit in a gay gambol.
Despite these descriptions, she does not make your heart race in a testosterone driven manner for she really does not look like a scorcher or give any come-hither looks. She just seems angelic. Her supposed lack of a very screen scorching type of beauty is made up with her effortless acting. Pure bliss in these days to watch actresses act so stupendously well. It seems to be clearly a male domain when it comes to good acting. But Ms. Mori reposes your faith in the acting prowess of women.
Their Chemistry: it’s not a set-the-screen-afire kind of a chemistry which threatens to reduce everything to cinders and strip you to your bare minimum. It’s not carnal, its classic .. it’s pure love-untainted, a longing and inexplicable desire. In that sense the power of their love as depicted in the movie literally burns the screen down with its purity and the unmatched manner in which it’s etched. It’s real too, whether it’s the shadow dance or the small card tricks or the fork-pricked-bread-roll dance. Truly, these are the ways in which real, regular people express their fondness, their love, infuse some good cheer and spirit in their love. It’s real and not outrageous like how they usually show in movies. Splendiferous depiction!
Usually such pulchritudinous stars run the risk of being exploited with languorous shots of their body or sometimes these ridiculous clowns of movies stars do a blatant exhibition of their suddenly spruced and dusted physiques. The director here steers clear of any such antics. There is just one scene of Hrithik’s bronzed body and some barely there scenes of Barbara’s skin, ample cleavage and bust excluded.
The thrills: the action sequences are very well shot, the car chases are very Hollywoodesque- Beautifully shot. The landscape, the barren, arid areas; the plush, swankier than swank Las Vegas casinos all are beautifully captured.The movie is ably supported by Nicholas brown as the menacing villain - the bane of our lovely, lead pair’s life. Exuding the right amount of menace without going overboard, his rich playboy act seeking revenge is entirely convincing.
Yuri Suri essaying the role of Jamal the sidekick of the villain who does empathize with the lead pair also acts brilliant with his eyes giving away the empathy he feels for the star-crossed lovers.
