HOUSEFULL 3 - Movie Review

Housefull 3 is directed by Sajid-Farhad, starring Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Riteish Deshmukh, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nagis Fakhri and Lisa Haydon.

POSITIVES

• To a certain degree, the slapstick comedy genre has been showcased well in leaving the stupidity seem amusing. There were times in the film where the action speaks more than the dialogues. These on-screen scenes entertained as a visual where as the dialogues failed in parts. The slapstick will be the highlight from the movie as it will be the strength to this weak film.
• The story concept was average but the concept was pictured enough in leaving the audience in wanting to know what transpires although the screenplay not being the biggest highlight. It does enough to allow the film to come to a closure and that was praise-able because it seemed at one point that I would struggle to complete it all. 
• What I really liked from the creative aspects of filmmaking, the way the stories of the leads interlinked when they were not together on screen. For example, the introduction scene each love pair’s story was inputted in to the other pair to allow the story vocally to carry on whilst the visuals changed with different actor coming on screen. This was very creative and produced nicely.

NEGATIVES

• The story idea is mediocre but what fails with the screenplay is the acting. I did not feel the actors were utilized to their best, leaving a less imposing mark in comparison to their acting capabilities. Akshay Kumar manages to be the leading man in carrying this film to the finish. Each cast member acted average but not to an amazing level and that disappoints. 
• The dialogues were lackluster, despite a few likeable dialogues, the rest were below par and that tarnished the screen acting in a slapstick form. Only several moments would be picked out as the highlight from the movie, those particular scenes would be the reason in wanting to continue watching, but it does get missed in the latter stages. 
• Performance level, I felt that with such a huge star cast and a disappointing script, the cast were struggling to keep pace with Akshay Kumar who is given majority of the screen dominance out of the rest leads. Hence why he is the savior to the film. The leading ladies are given little dialogue and that tainted their potential, as there was not much of a character development with their presence.

CAST

• AKSHAY KUMAR - Carries the franchise once again on his shoulders. Akshay performed well with his split personality character and it seemed believable and the comic-timings were to the point where it needed to be. Did not seem overly exaggerated, he kept the viewing experience interesting and portrayed the slapstick genre with perfection. Credit goes to him for saving the movie.
• ABHISHEK BACHCHAN - Playing in the shadows of Akshay Kumar was always going to keep him in as the second fiddle, a guy with such presence is not being exploited well enough and for that AB had to deal with chasing behind Akshay. He has his moments with some pleasant comedy moments, but not enough, as he needed to progress further. 
• RITEISH DESHMUKH - Probably had a better role and more involvement in the second film on the franchise. Riteish is an actor who has done superbly in his previous movies especially with the comedy role, but in this film it seemed basic and for that, it is not a performance that would be a major talking point when recalling the cast as Akshay seems to have overtaken his co-stars. 
• JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ - Out of the female leads, she stands above the rest. Also given more dialogues and authority in conversations. Jacqueline was not just the beauty and the face; she also was given importance amongst the sisters. 
• NARGIS FAKHRI - Playing second fiddle to Jacqueline, she was not given enough prominence in showing a variety of her acting credentials. It was plain and that is substandard as she was wasted.
• LISA HAYDON - Not used enough, so not much can be praised or picked out as she was just there playing behind the rest of the females who took the driving seat in the film whilst Lisa remained behind. 

RATING

We give Housefull 3 a rating of 2/5 stars. The third instalment to the Housefull franchise was entertaining in parts but not enough to seal a must watch slapstick comedy. The film was only enjoyable if you watch it in your spare time and not judge it to a film critic perception, This film was a time pass and not somehting that I would watch again. The cast is way too big, but what disappoints the most is that the cast is not being utilised well enough in helping the story to become eye-catching nor does it let the characters develop in the film and letting them have an impact. Watch this film if you can leave your brains at home as you would struggle if you expect a laughing circus as that was missing. It is funny at parts, you are lucky you get to witness the odd few likeable scenes. 

JANUARY 2016 - Movie Of The Month

During the month of January 2016, Airlift was the best film to watch. Airlift is directed by Raja Krishna Menon, starring Akshay Kumar and Nimrat Kaur in the lead roles. This drama thriller is based on true events that transpired during the evacuations of Indians based in Kuwait during the Iraq-Kuwait war.  A strong script, praiseworthy acting and good direction help to take Airlift on to a promising journey.

What stood out for me the most was firstly; a strong script, which ensures a packed movie that, narrates the true story. Whether it comes from the characters emotions and what they are going through, the battle that is taking place, or the consequences the community faces, Airlift touches on every aspect leaving little room for questioning towards portraying a worthy depiction of a true story. Secondly, directional efforts were straight to the scene, not much experimentation was going on with trying to make such scenes seem mesmerizing, this could be due to the type of film that was being portrayed. But the lack of creativity and playing around with shots proves to be a positive, as the film required nothing spectacular. Throughout the film, shots were firm in trying to show realism and as an audience you feel as if you are a part of what is going through the mind of Akshay Kumar. Thirdly, performance was convincing from Akshay, nothing fancy or overly exaggerated, just stuck to his role that compliments the scenario occurring around him. Nimrat Kaur also proves to be a strong presence in pushing the film forward despite starting of slow.

As for the cast, Akshay Kumar packs in a solid leadership figure in being the mastermind behind obtaining the evacuation for the people. He showed emotions, promise and commitment throughout his role that made his character stand out and one that you want to see continuously. From a businessman kind of mentality thinking about himself and his family only, he soon becomes a thinker for others and worries about those around him for once, because unlike what he did in the beginning when it was all about making money, it now was about saving, saving the people and not the money. At times you will feel for his efforts, there be times you will appreciate his assurance as he pledges the safety of the Indians, you just get to witness several sides to Akshay in this film and that leaves him standing and walking tall in the film. As for Nimrat Kaur, at certain points in the film she seemed below par when compared to Akshay Kumar but she soon becomes a prominent figure in making her existence felt. She seems to be side to side with Akshay in the latter parts of the film unlike through the start where she seemed as a shadowing character instead. She has that bit of a upper class persona but soon stoops to the level of Akshay’s mentality towards helping others.

Airlift is a worthy watch as an average film portrays strong details in addressing a true event. But not only does the script and direction seem to be showcased well, credit needs to be heavily given to Akshay Kumar for taking this movie on his shoulders and just airlifting. Without a doubt, whether you like or dislike the story concept, you will witness a solid performance from Akshay, that is something to look out for.