Film Review : SKYFALL

Cast poster

DETAILS

Director                     Sam Mendes

Cast                           Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Bérénice Lim Marlohe,

                                  Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris

Music                         Thomas Newman

___________________________________________________________________

That Sam Mendes has proved himself as a quality filmmaker is in absolutely no doubt. With titles like Road to Perdition and the Academy Award-winning American Beauty, he has carved himself a solid brand recognition without being splashily famous like Christopher Nolan or James Cameron. So when he was announced as the director of the (then untitled) Bond project, everyone was up in the air. An Academy Award winner would definitely turn around the franchise after the faltering step that was Quantum of Solace. Right?

With every passing day, the expectations jumped as reports of increased character performances, followed by more prominent reports highlighting the action sequences, came out in the media. Every bit of news was scrutinized, from MGM's bankruptcy to beer replacing the signature shaken-not-stirred martini. Every trailer, promo and poster increased the value and supposed quality of the film. This just had to be the best Bond film till date. Right?

So is this what Bond fans have been waiting for? Is this the best Bond we have ever seen? Is this the crowning glory of one of the most prominent franchises in filmdom?

Well... actually, no. At this juncture, I would like to give a fair warning that going by the professional reviews can let you down in this case. I will also refrain from any sort of synopsis; if you wish to read the story, please visit Wikipedia's Skyfall article.

The story moves a bit sluggishly at the beginning, but picks up pace after the explosion at MI6 and Bond's (forged) return to active duty; there onwards, the sailing is generally smooth. The script is intriguing, though not the most original. Its biggest weakness is that it isn't really sharp and tight at places where it should have been (though the editing team manages to make up for that to an extent). The action sequences, especially the crashing of the London Underground and the amazing climax, are fabulously done. Mendes does a very good job weaving characters and action together with classic Bond elements to make this an old-and-yet-new addition to the series; unfortunately, his direction is bowed down by an occasionally inadequate screenplay.

The casting of Skyfall was a piece of sheer genius. Daniel Craig, undeniably one of the best Bonds till date, carries on his legacy to perfection, portraying an aged, wrecked and yet humorous 007 to the hilt (though his dialogue delivery at the very end made me cringe). Judi Dench was brilliant as the targeted and yet headstrong M, and shows exactly why she still gets so much work even at her age. Bérénice had a surprisingly small part to play, but she does it very well, giving the character an exotic, dangerous and yet highly vulnerable quality that is rare nowadays. As a Bond villain, Bardem is easily one of the greatest, playing a former MI6 agent (and M ex-faourite) like a pro and oozing a remarkably dangerous aura, despite his obvious emotional connection to the principal characters. Ralph Fiennes did not have too much to do, but acted the part of a cool, controlled and yet concerned Government executive with excellence. Naomie Harris was a bit of a disappointment, though she was adequate and also did not have major screen time.

(I would also like to ask readers to not go too deeply into the reports of a The Dark Knight-style Joker villain being used in Skyfall; while there are some parallels, the two characters are not synonymous.)

Two things that truly stand out are the cinematography and the music. Roger Deakins deserves a standing ovation and lots of awards for his stunning, captivating work behind the lens for this film (which is not the first time he has worked with Mendes). He captures a generally-plain London with a cerebral air, and the vistas of Scotland and Istanbul were simply too good to be true. The Chinese segment, however, takes the cake (no points for guessing why). In addition, Thomas Newman has composed an excellent score for Skyfall, but his biggest contribution is (obviously) the addition of Adéle to the soundtrack - her heavy semi-operatic voice singing "Let the Skyfall" is sure to ring in the ears of the audiences for a long time to come, and the song easily rubs shoulders with the best Bond themes to date.

It goes without saying that Skyfall is much better than Quantum of Solace. Its just that the film is not all that it is being made out to be. For one, the opening action scene has received unbelievable praise, which I find very strange indeed since the sequence had a semi-flat effect on me. It was undeniably well-executed, but it certainly wasn't the heart-pumping, edge-of-your-seat thrill that I expected. But that's just a minor squabble in the grand scheme of things.

But what really shocked me was the chorus of reviewers who were mechanically claiming Skyfall to be "the best Bond film till date". Have they forgotten Casino Royale? There may be debate on several aspects of Skyfall, but one thing is clear :- Skyfall is not better than Casino Royale. Take my word for it, and keep your expectations with that in mind.

FINAL VERDICT

While Skyfall is a very good (and welcome) addition to the Bond franchise, and more than succeeds in removing any after-tastes of Quantum of Solace, it is over-hyped to an extent. And it will take more than the falling sky to oust Casino Royale as the numero uno film of the Bond series.

Rating                   7.25/10

MUSIC REVIEW - Jab Tak Hai Jaan

Title poster

SUMMARY

Director                    A. R. Rahman
Lyricist                     Gulzar
__________________________________________________________________________

A. R. Rahman is a curious case. On the one hand, his musical compositions can soar to unbelievable heights, as it did in the superb Dil Se... and the epic Jodhaa Akbar. On the other hand, it can descend to the depths of painful atrocity, as it did in the Oscar-undeserving Slumdog Millionaire or the failed experiment Blue. So I mean no offence when I say that I am not in awe of his music, considering him a tad over-rated. However, Gulzar is arguably one of the greatest lyricists in Bollywood, and his words flow like poetic melodies which are immensely enjoyable even today.

With that said, what does one expect when such people come together with the late Yash Chopra for a film? Its actually hard to say. But the general perception is that brilliant music is in the offing, and the enthusiasm is very infectious. Soon, all of us were waiting with bated breath for what some were calling as "the soundtrack"; expectations were sky-high and nothing less than spectacular would have worked.

And then came Judgement Day. So what's the judgement? Well, suffice it to say that the music of Jab Tak Hai Jaan is not what we expected.

Challa is a Punjabi song vocalized by Rabbi Shergill and picturized on Shahrukh Khan. I was rudely shocked by this song, which can only be described as "awful". For one, the tune is only marginally catchy, except for the ending "Challaaaa..." which was very well-executed. The song also did not grow on me the way other Rahman songs have. And third, Rabbi Shergill for Shahrukh Khan? The vocals do not match the actor in the slightest, giving the video a silly and irritating vibe. It has to be agreed that the guitar is well-used, but Khan is unable to convincingly play it like a true roadside musician.

Saans is the typical Yash Chopra romantic song, vocalized by Shreya Ghoshal and Mohit Chauhan and picturized on Khan and Katrina Kaif. This is easily one of my favourites of this soundtrack, with some wonderful singing (though I should note that some of Ghoshal's high-pitched moments are trilling) and a fabulous background tune, filled with orchestral singing and a large-scale romantic tune. However, Gulzar's lyrics fall short of the gold standard, especially in the beginning. The video boasts of excellent cinematography, but the romance seems a bit forced and the feelings rehearsed, giving it an unnatural feel. The reprise is surprisingly unoriginal, immediately bringing into mind previous Khan and Chopra films. This one can be avoided.

Ishq Shava is a slightly slow dance party number sung by Shilpa Rao and Raghav Mathur, again picturized on Khan and Kaif. This song is also one of my favourites from the soundtrack. Featuring some really good singing by Rao, the song is peppy and refreshing and is also very catchy and hummable. The video deserves a special mention - the choreography, while not terrific, is certainly very good, and the Khan-Kaif chemistry is at its best. Kaif is particularly stunning and shows some great dance moves, which can't be said for Khan who looks good enough but dances rather awkwardly.

Heer is a tragic song sung by Harshdeep Kaur. One of the most beautiful melodies in recent times, its a clear throwback to Veer-Zaara and has Yash Chopra written all over it. The playback singing is first-class, laced with subtle emotion. The lyrics are excellent, soaring and captivating at the same time. The tune itself is perfect; I fell in love with it at the first listen, and the seven-minute length seemed to breeze by. This is, without a doubt, the best song in the album, and a must-listen for music connoisseurs. The video, sadly, is rather average, and Kaif's frustrating lack of expressions is a major letdown.

After so many pleasant songs, we are hurled into Jiya Re, which shares the "distinction" of being the other horrendous song from the soundtrack. Sung by debutante Neeti Mohan, with the rap sequences being executed by Sofia Ashraf, the tune is average and the singing (or rather the voice) is terrible. One wonders how such a song could even be conceived, as it contains practically no redeeming factor, especially after the sort of songs we have heard before. The video is a small saving grace - Anushka Sharma's vivacious antics and Khan's matured but fun body language make the song slightly more bearable.

The title (and end credits) song Jab Tak Hai Jaan is sung by Javed Ali and Shaktishree Gopalan. For me, this song reeks of mediocrity - ordinary lyrics, barely-hummable tune and above average singing. For some reason, the song failed to click in any way, though one cannot write it off completely either. A passable addition to this soundtrack, making no major difference to its quality.

The instrumental Ishq Dance is out-of-place in this soundtrack (though it may have a part of the screenplay). Almost completely tribal in its base, with a number of African and pop influences, this one is pleasing to the ears and (as the name suggests) very danceable, and it also tends to grow on you after a while.

FINAL VERDICT

We expected the highest from this album, and rightfully so, but unfortunately Jab Tak Hai Jaan does not find a place among the best albums of Bollywood. While it contains some good to excellent songs, the poor quality of the others pulls the album down, resulting in a mixed after-taste. You can go for it with an open mind and lower expectations, and you may like it better.

 Rating                      6/10