Game

5/10??? You have to be kidding me.

I don't write many reviews here, but I have to write this one. This movie is incredibly underrated. Maybe it's because the Indian audience doesn't appreciate this type of whodunit story? I guess this is the reason for this poor rating.

Because the movie has a nice cinematography and direction, good actors and a very good screenplay.

Someone here wrote that "It looks pale, boring and even funny in front of today's TV Crime thrillers such as C.S.I". This had me rolling my eyes heavenward.

"Game" is an Agatha Christie type of mystery, and in this particular genre it is a REAL success. Of course, if you expect something like CSI, you won't like Game, but that's *your* fault, and not the movie's.

I really hate it when some people don't understand a movie and then write that it's crap. Argh!!

'Game' is slick and stylish. The visuals are unusual (Greece, Turkey et al) and cinematography impressive. The only problem is it tries too hard and doesn't have the goods to back up its efforts.

The biggest shock is the character of Boman Irani- is he the prime ministerial candidate of, did I hear it correctly, Thailand? And that too with a shady past? The tone of the movie is one of seriousness- if that is the case then people would expect you to get such little details right.

Another problem is poor casting. Abhishek Bachchan sleepwalks throughout the movie. There is a difference between acting cool and being lazy. He needs to work much, much harder. Sarah Jane Dias is simply horribly cast- one needed a bewitching persona to excel in such a role. Kangna Ranaut would have been better in Sarah's role- and ironically, vice versa is also true!

The director and scriptwriter fail on multiple fronts. There is little surprise and only a handful of suspense for the viewer. The CID series does a better job of maintaining suspense and entertaining the audience, even if at a basic level.

Overall, a case of promising big, deliver small- and this when I watched it on DVD!

Abhinay Deo's 'Game' is just another one of those pathetic attempts at creating a 'stylish' whodunnit. Even though the stupid twists and turns are not as absurd as in the usual Bollywood whodunnits, it's still quite bad. Not surprisingly, it's full of clichés.All the characters are lacking in depth. 'Game' tries to be slick but the pacing is dreadful. There are so many scenes that just drag on and the slow motion, well, Bollywood movies should stop using that altogether. The flashbacks are repetitive and the background score is awful. The songs range from abysmal to forgettable. Abhishek Bachchan delivers yet another horrendous performance. His attempt to play cool, smart and charming is laughable. Kangana Ranaut is just as bad. She's mostly just doing the smell-the-fart act with her lips pursed. Shahana Goswami looks hot but she is wasted as is Jimmy Shergill. Boman Irani is loud and annoying as usual. On the plus side, 'Game' does capture the beauty of the locations it was shot in. Obviously, a lot of money has been thrown into this. Istanbul definitely looks appealing. So Turkey could use this movie to attract tourists.

It has become a practice with some of our so-called movie "critics" to pick holes in every movie they watch and critique. This could be a way of justifying what they do to earn their daily bread but sometimes it's for the sake of being "critical". So negative reviews by "critics" have been very irritating because I saw most people in the audience enjoying the movie.

I am not suggesting GAME is fabulous but I will say it's fun to watch. For one thing it is slick. The frames, the locales, the settings-- all are glossy and very urban (which is why this film cannot be a huge nation wide hit). Abhishek looks very good. I think Gauhar Khan deserves a mention here. She acted well. Kangana needs diction lessons.

I liked the film because it ran well. I wasn't thrilled by the music (Shankar et al have been churning out lackadaisical music for a while now) but I enjoyed watching stuff that was so un -Dabangg like. I am getting tired of watching that Eastern UP rustic tripe-- a bandwagon that every film maker now wants to climb on, post Dabangg.

I wish Farhan Akhtar had tweaked the script a little more to make it tighter with no sags. But, no problems. Chalta hai. This is Bollywood and not every film is aspiring to go to the Oscars!

The makers have ensured "Game" has all the ingredients a suspense thriller should encompass - style, sleek and surprises. Sadly there are not in palatable proportions, therefore as the plot thickens the content starts to give away the weight. The premise perhaps is an interesting read but translating it to a nail-biting viewing experience requires smart directorial sensibilities and precisely here Abhinay Deo spills the beans of a newcomer leading to an amateur end product. Additionally the end hardly makes you jump out of the seat as the breadcrumbs are so prominently highlighted in the narrative that the audience is denied of playing guessing game.

ᴥ Junior B:: Suave & confident with some great tongue-in-cheek lines.

ᴥ Sarah Jane Dias:: Her character though central to the premise hardly leaves an impact owing to the soul-less performance.

ᴥ Kangana:: Attempt clearly inspired by Lara Croft which sadly falls flat. Her body language and expressions don't really pull off the feat. Bipasha perhaps?

ᴥ Anupam Kher & Boman Irani:: Reliable as usual.

ᴥ Jimmy Shergill, Shahana Goswami & Gauhar Khan:: Hardly any meat in the role.

Songs hardly register. The inflated production costs are owing to the unwarranted foreign locales. The best thing about "Game" is the editing which has ensured the length is no more than audience staging a walkout.

"Race" is an ideal benchmark on how a suspense thriller should be delivered.

PS: Under the watchful supervision of Mr. Perfectionist it wouldn't be a surprise if Abhinay reclaims lost ground in his next outing (Delhi- Belly).