| Quality: |  |
|
|
|
(Out of 5) | |
| Entertainment Value: | |
|
|
(Out of 5) |
Afterthoughts
I was impressed with this movie. It wasn't spectacular by any means, but out of the horror movies from India I've seen, this one is pretty high on the list. The effects were well done, the acting was generally good, and in my opinion it improved on its American counterpart. What I think I liked the most was how the story focused a lot on the relationship between Aditya and Sanjana, and how the supernatural elements affected them. That alone elevated the movie over the usual hack and slash of some of the other horror movies, and made it a little more engaging.
Bipasha Basu (Sanjana) was a pleasant surprise. This was the first movie of hers I've seen, and I enjoyed her very much. She portrays the part of the frustrated wife well, and is also tough and resilient when her claims of ghosts are doubted. She also manages to convey fear and panic very effectively without devolving to a whimpering heap. I look forward to seeing her again soon!
Dino Morea (Aditya) did a fine job. I didn't have a strong reaction to him either way, so I'll just say that he played his part well. I do think that his best scenes were when he was struggling with what to do about Malini and his wife. Out of all of his moments, those were the most effective. So, nice work Mr. Morea.
Ashutosh Rana (Dr. Agni Swaroop) was a mixed bag for me. He was good most of the time, but when he got really excited or really intense, he basically turned it up too high. I guess he was supposed to be eccentric and a little unbalanced, but when he got going he really took it too far. I was just a little disappointed with him since he was so effective in his role in Dushman, and he wasn't in this film. Ah well, there's always next time.
Shruti Ulfat (Priya) was also a pleasant surprise. I liked her character since she was sympathetic and helpful, but she was also well-acted. I've not seen Ms. Ulfat in anything else, but I look forward to doing so soon. She did a great job in this film.
Negatives:
While it wasn't so much a negative when I saw it, it would probably qualify for this for anyone that's seen What Lies Beneath - another heavily plundered American movie used as the basis of this one.
Some of the fight work towards the end with Evil Agni was pretty lame. In particular, the flight Priya takes through the trees when she's tossed away by the neck.
Ashutosh Rana was really chewing the scenery in a few scenes. Any time he was supposed to be intense and excited he came across more like he was psychotic. It didn't lend much credibility to his supposed "expert" status.
Unsupervised college kids are playing Spin the Bottle. *sigh*
Positives:
It was an interesting (albeit borrowed) story. Between the two versions of this plot, I preferred the Bollywood take on the tale.
I really enjoyed the character of Sanjana. She was strong. She stood up for herself most of the time, and was able to fight off and eliminate the spirit that was actively trying to kill her and her husband. She did what she had to do, and I thought that was great.
Generally good acting from everyone. Occasionally Ashutosh Rana would get a little out of control, but other than that they did a good job.
Most of the effects work was quite well done. The one physical stunt was bad, but all of the digital work was nicely done and looked good.
I don't think I need to tell you who this is in the ratings icon. I just thought that she fit the bill perfectly as a crazy person, and that's not as easy to play as you might think! I knocked off a few points for violence and some sketchy stunt work.
Raaz (2001)
| Quality: | |
|
|
|
(Out of 5) | |
| Entertainment Value: | |
|
|
(Out of 5) |
Comments? Agree or disagree? Email the Webmaster!
