MOVIE REVIEW

The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Director: Mira Nair
Stars: Riz Ahmed, Kate Hudson, Liev Schreiber, Kiefer Sutherland, Om Puri
Length:  130 minutes
Strength: Acting; story; direction; very good supporting cast; truly international in breadth and depth
Weakness: More conversations than visuals; one side storytelling of bigotry
Box Office: US$ 2 million (Budget  US$ 15 million)
Showbiz Rating: 4/5

“Is there a Pakistani dream? One that does not involve emigrating?” asks Changez (Riz Ahmed). He is a man who had not only achieved the American dream, but also one who gave it up. Mira Nair's "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" follows Changez Khan, who arrives in the US from Pakistan with great ambitions. 
He narrates his story, seen in flashback, while meeting in the Pak Tea House in Lahore with American journalist Bobby Lincoln (Liev Schreiber). A local American professor has just been kidnapped. Khan, who has long since abandoned his clean-shaven face and business suit, is now suspected to be a leader of a questionable Pakistani activist movement. Lincoln thinks he might have some answers, but Khan insists on telling his own life story first. “You must listen to everything,” says Changez, who moved to the US on a university scholarship. He stumbles into love with sullen artist Erica (Kate Hudson), coping with the loss of her previous boyfriend. He seizes a major corporate job under the stern tutelage of Jim Cross (Kiefer Sutherland), and in time, outshines his colleagues. When Changez is just about to move up the corporate ladder, things change. After the planes hit the World Trade Center, in the days that follow, Khan is humiliated by every type of law enforcement. Customs officials strip search him. Police officers arrest him for being the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time. But Khan's toughest challenge comes from within. He questions his identity. He is a Third World man rising to the heights of an imperialist nation. He does get promoted, and continues his job of making his clients more efficient. Arranging mergers and acquisitions, he drives thousands of people into unemployment, who lash back at him, recalling in a small way insurgents retaliating against occupiers. The beard he has grown doesn't resonate with his colleagues and clients either. He realizes he is unhappy doing what he does, Khan drops everything and heads home.
Riz Ahmed's subtle transformations carry the film. As a newcomer to film, his performance was outstanding. Mira Nair's directorial brilliance shines through. The film revolves around international themes that affect people lives in both the third and first world countries, and for both these worlds, the Reluctant Fundamentalist is a must watch.
Reviewed by Zakir Mushtaque

***

BULLETT RAJA

Director: Tigmanshu Dhulia
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Sonakshi Sinha,  Jimmy Shergill, Gulshan Grover, Raj Babbar
Length:  136 minutes
Strength: Acting; Tigmanshu Dhulia's most 'commercial', mass appealing film so far; an exceptional supporting cast
Weakness: Hiccups? The film stagnates after a brilliant start; not all songs are good; the soundtrack is plain ordinary. 
Budget: INR50 crore (US$7.7 million)
Showbiz Rating: 3/5

BULLETT RAJA narrates the story of Raja Mishra [Saif Ali Khan], a commoner, who gets transformed into a notorious, care-a-damn attitude gangster. A faithful friend and a loyal lover, living life on his own terms, setting his own rules, commanding respect and fearing no one, Raja, in his true inimitable style, takes on the system that creates people like him. BULLETT RAJA takes you back to the cinema of yore. A commoner revolts against the system and sets his own rules, shaking the law makers and entrepreneurs in the process. This is Tigmanshu's take on camaraderie, matters of the heart and sacrifice. 
Tigmanshu's cinema has often existed in the pragmatic zone, besides being entrenched in the heartland/interiors, and BULLETT RAJA is no exception. It's raw, unrefined and harsh, much like Tigmanshu's earlier endeavors. Sure, the protagonist may bring back memories of the characters we've watched over and over again on the big screen, but the fact remains that everything happens for a legitimate, justifiable reason here. Notwithstanding the oft-repeated premise, the screenplay has ample twists and turns and leaves you wondering, what's going to happen next? In fact, the games people play -- not just the politicians -- only envelopes you into the proceedings. The icing on the cake is the twist towards the penultimate moments. 
Saif slips into the unconventional zone without a glitch. The actor delivers an unblemished performance, dominating every scene he appears in. He seems to have worked hard on getting the character right, while his body language is impeccable as well.  Jimmy Sheirgill is admirable, essaying his part with absolute understanding. The bonding between Saif and Jimmy is splendid. Sonakshi Sinha is charismatic and does very well in the required space. 
Reviewed by Broti Rahman

***

C/O SIR

Director: Kaushik Ganguly
Writer: Kaushik Ganguly
Stars: Saswata Chatterjee, Indraneil Sengupta, Raima Sen, Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Sudipta Chakraborty
Length: 125 mins
Strength: Acting, music & cinematography 
Weakness: Unnecessary complexity in storyline
Showbiz Rating: 3/5

PLOT: The story revolves around the life of school teacher Jayabrata Ray who has gone blind due to a sudden retinal disorder. After becoming irritable and helpless due to the situation, he now tries to stop the school from being sold. How he tackles the situation himself as his friends turn to foe becomes the meat of the story.
REVIEW: Strong acting by an ensemble cast keeps the simple story presented in complicated style alive. Director Kaushik Ganguly has been presenting his fans with movies that may go down the history as classics, but 'C/O Sir' is not one of them. It is a thriller with a few drops of romance. The first act of the movie manages to hook the viewers to expect a thriller. As the storyline progresses, the plot thickens. Saswata Chatterjee's character Jayabrata Ray appears with new layers in  each new scene. The character begs sympathy and we slowly begin to root for him. The final act of the movie goes all over the place. Sadly, it becomes too predictable, but Swasta's excellent acting keeps the viewer from turning the film off. Raima Sen brilliantly plays a self-repentant protagonist who carries the messy final act along with Swasta. Sabyasachi Chakraborty, another giant of Kolkata movies plays a character who offers mixed feelings. He offers us with a dilemma; is he a plain-old bad guy or just a man with his hands tied with no other choice? Music and cinematography is stylistic. Shot in picturesque hill-town Kurseong, Nepal, there no short of magical cinematographic excellence complemented by some great music and background songs. 'C/O Sir' may not be Kaushik's best work, but it is surely not a waste of time – thanks to the great acting and presentation.
Reviewed by Zia Nazmul Islam