Kill

Brutal, bloody and very violent but also in a Bollywood style with constant background music and overly dramatic romance scenes in slow-motion - I kept expecting them to break into song and dance up to a certain plot point. After that point however, it shifts up a gear and becomes shocking, gory and a little perverse at how much punishment is being dealt out on both sides. The setting was used to very good effect and although simple, the plot was good and had some good points to make. It could have been a bit shorter and more consistent in its pacing, but highly entertaining and a little surprising, if unrealistic. Although all subtitled, the language was a mix of English and Hindi with them alternating language mid-conversation, which seemed a bit odd.

Neither Bruce Lee-style quick action scenes nor violent horror flicks are particularly well-known in Indian cinema. Then arrives "Kill" and answers both of these questions. The gore is there and expertly done in an hour and forty-five minutes, even though it isn't as intense as in some of the Saw flicks.

The fact that the movie wasn't entirely cheerful, in contrast to a conventional Bollywood romance, really caught me off guard. This is not a tale in which the good guys defeat the bad guys and come out on top.

The commando part was expertly performed by Lakshya. Lakshya performed well in the part because of his well-defined figure, which the director highlighted at key points without giving away a full monty, and his passable acting abilities. Using a subtle blend of wickedness and malicious humour, Raghav played his part perfectly. Since I had never seen him appear on film for such a large amount of time, particularly as a villain, I was pleasantly surprised by his ability to carry off this character.

If you appreciate some gore and crave adrenaline-fueled action, "Kill" is a must-watch. I am excited about the prospect of seeing more films of this kind from Bollywood soon!

The story is simple - good guys on a train, bad guys board the train, and what follows is two hours of non-stop smash you brains out gratuitous violence. The characters are enjoyable to watch and chemistry is pretty good. I liked the bad guy even though he reminded me of Pauly Shore.

The story framework is quite simple but the story progresses in unexpected ways. It constantly adds to it so the story doesn't feel flat.

Yes, it has some flaws but doesn't leave you too much time to question anything. Just buy your popcorn and go for it.

I recommend this as great entertainment but you can't be squeamish.

I had the pleasure of seeing Kill at its world premier during the Toronto International Film Festival, as part of a Midnight Madness screening. Kill represents an impressive change of pace for Indian cinema. Yes, action movies continue to be a mainstay of the genre, but rarely do Indian films feel welcome along their East and Southeast Asian compatriots. If I could best describe this film, think the sincerity and raw emotion of Indian cinema with the quality choreography of The Raid, Oldboy, or any Tony Jaa film.

The Good:

1. The simple storyline. I don't think I've seen an action movie with as pure and straightforward a storyline like this in a while. It's to the film's benefit, because it better highlights the action and makes the film essentially understandable to any audience member (As long as they aren't squeamish). There's also something about Indian cinema, where the stories don't need to be complex, but the emotions - as displayed - can be, and that more than picks up the slack.

2. The performances. I'm surprised to highlight the performances for an action film, but yes, even the non-action performances are FANTASTIC in this movie. Laksh is great, but Raghav Juyal stole the show for me. He plays one of the most purely evil and detestable, yet impossibly likable villains I've seen in a long time, with INCREDIBLE comic timing and screen presence. In fact...

3. The villains. You'd imagine that a movie about bandits on a train, seemingly motivated by nothing but money, would be one-dimensional red shirts. Kill does the exact opposite, giving these goons a real sense of humanity. I can't recall the last time I've seen villains GRIEVE their fallen brothers like they do in this movie. It almost makes you feel bad for them. There's also a great array of what I like to call sub-bosses (those villains who aren't quite the main guy, but have enough screen time and cool moments to be considered a step below), like the giant Siddhi and the conniving Uncle.

4. The self-awareness. There are several moments in this film, towards the beginning, where I wasn't sure if it was deliberately lampooning Bollywood and its overuse of sentimentality and music. The audience was howling, so I'm going to assume yes, which is awesome. The idea of this movie starting like a typical "boy-loves-girl-but-she-can't-love-him-back" and transforming into this bloodbath was hilarious.

5. The action. How could I have forgotten the best part? Kill gives us some truly claustrophobic, intense, gory, exhilarating action sequences. Not for the faint of heart.

The Bad:

• The first act. While I didn't dislike it overall, I think the first act suffers from some pacing issues that took me out of the film. It sorta gets started from the get go and I tend to prefer films that slowly lead us into the narrative.

I heard this sentiment amongst the audience too, but we all agreed...there is a certain point when it's clear the first act is over where...let's just say, the movie gets CONSIDERABLY better. (Also, *that moment* was accompanied by an absolute ROAR from the crowd).

• Tiluka. I know, I know. The love interest isn't the main part of this movie, and while I found her and our hero's relationship sweet for what it was trying to be, I couldn't help but feel her and him were a bit underwritten.

Like the fast-moving train, the screenplay also paces itself swiftly without boring the audience. The entire film is about this one episode, and action blocks are lined up in most scenes, coupled with a few montage sequences to elevate the emotions. The action choreography is brilliant and cinematographer Rafey Mehmood executes them seamlessly, and the set pieces deserve special mention.

Kill has the visual narrative of an action video game, with each level becoming more challenging, and promising an interesting episode. The linear screenplay also helps in keeping the audience hooked on the plot. The violence does escalate as the story progresses, staying true to its tagline of being the 'most violent' Indian film. In short, Kill is mostly an entertaining film for fans of the action genre.