Rockstar – A review
Watching a 160 hour movie at 9:30 in the night isn't something I was particularly looking forward towards. But it was "Rockstar", and there is NO WAY a Hindi movie with such a cool title can suck! I wish I can say that after entering the cinema hall one fine night, and leaving it the next day.
Rockstar is that kind of a movie. It could've been much more than what it ended up being. I would love to say "spoilers ahead", but there is not much of a story to spoil. Ranbir Kapoor as Janardan Jakhar is a college guy, passionate about music but clueless as to how to make it big. He lazes around the college canteen, where its owner tells him - how can you be a great artist when you haven't suffered in life? He then goes on to quote a list of great artists, the ones posted in JJ's wall. JJ relents, decides he has to first fall in love, break up, feel the pain in order to become a better musician. Then the age old tale of falling for the girl, but only it isn't real the first time.
The initial 45 minutes are delightful in introducing the characters and how JJ tries to get close to girl just to fall in love. The neat and clean girl turns out to be a "junglee jawani" and they end up having fun watching cheap flicks in shady cinemas, boozing on cheap alcohol and what not, all before the girl's marriage. After the girl is gone, he is thrown out of his house and spends a few years playing and singing in Mosques, parties, Temples and all. Then he is slowly transformed into a bad-ass rocker Jordan - who shouts, screams, and in general is the black swan of JJ.
The second half of the movie is a drag - clichéd dialogs, repetitive scenes, grinding one's patience. Instead of a complete review which you can read on numerous sites online, here is:
What I liked
1) Fun filled 45 minutes at the beginning
2) Shades of Grey in the rockstar's life - having an affair with someone who is married and his sometimes forceful need to get physical
3) Decent performance by Ranbir
4) A mixture of different genres in the soundtrack. The Sufi song is great!
And what I didn't
1) Second half of the movie completely clueless!
2) Last 30 minutes a curse! Too many clichéd dialogs, scenes (including the class "Its a medical miracle!"), generally direction-less story telling
3) Did I say the movie is 160 minutes long? Let me say that again - 2 hours and 40 minutes.
4) Where is the soul of the rockstar? Pain is portrayed, but what about the process of how he writes lyrics, makes music. Even artists need preparation, you know.
5) People love an angry rockstar, but there should be another face too. Ranbir puts up his "I hate everything in the world" face for a better part of the movie, and it gets a bit too monotonous and boring
6) The crowd thronging him everywhere, girls falling heads over heels for him, everyone wanting a piece of him, etc seems a bit overdone. Doesn't happen the way its portrayed in India (and definitely not the way shown in the movie "Boys")
7) And the biggest letdown was that the movie was a letdown! I had high hopes, especially after enjoying the initial half of the movie. Too bad the team couldn't finish it off slickly as well.
Verdict
Rockstar - doesn't rock much. Enjoyable first half, avoidable second half. Great promise, poor execution. 6/10