~~~~Highway reviews ~~~~~

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Nadaanmasakalli

@naadanmasakalli

Master

+ 11

Posted: 11 years ago

#111

Highway A Journey Worth Experiencing with all it's flaws 4/5

Maine bhi toh aana tha isi taraf
Meri bhi toh raahein hain yahin kahin
Uljhano ke do raahe
Raaston ki ye baahein
Aate-jaate poochhti..
Main kahaan...?
Aahein, darr, khushi, raaste
Kachchi baatein, sachche vaaste
Kahin pe in sab mein
Kahan hoon.. main ?

^ i used these lines because they summarize the film for me
First off i had a lot of expectation and reading the reviews i was kind of scared that it might disappoint me but it didn't
when i read what Javed Akhtar tweeted about Alia i got scared and thought that he might be over exaggerating BUT DAMN HE WASN'T. Take a Bow ALIA I AM SUPER PROUD OF YOU
In all honesty I have not seen one performance in recent times that can even come close to alia in highway she's a revelation #highwayis her rebirth
I seriously cannot believe it is the same girl we saw in SOTY I mean how? How can you totally transform yourself as an actor so much.Not even seasoned actresses could've played veera the way alia did and this is totally unbiased opinion.Seeing alia in highway a lot of actresses of current lit should just pack their bags and go home.*cough cough*
Highway is truly career defining for Alia yes she might be lucky to get it in first place but she didn't stop at that. She makes veera her own she gives it all she got to veera you smile at her innocence you feel like hugging her when she talks about her past.I was specifically skeptical about a particular scene and how it'll play out and would alia do justice to it but damn she did it and how. really no words
All those who said alia can't act well go and watch highway and then we'll talk it's a big Tight slap on your faces
Coming to Randeep i strongly believe that he's way underrated in the industry and a fantastic actor. he's good as always his silence speaks louder than words but am sorry alia just stole the film she overshadowed him too.But i think imtiaz didn't do justice to mahabir he kind of slacked when it came to him still randeep did justice to what was given to him.i know a lot of people were like why they casted him well watch the film his acting and you'll know why. he was perfectly casted. you feel the terror when he's pushing and hitting veera in initial stages. you feel for this man when he talks about his past( again not a very good job at that by Imitiaz) his eyes,his smile, they say a lot of things that he wouldn't from his mouth. Beautifully done.
The cinematography and music are the other hidden stars of the film. if for nothing else watch it for the camerawork. the music it's so serene and soothing and not in your face.
i already knew the story so no surprises there minus the Ending which was Excellent BTW.
It's imtiaz's finest film yes it's far from what's considered the usual entertainment but it's oscarworthy than his most commercial LAK to me.also, it's not everyone;s cup of tea it's slow almost like a silent film at times yet the silence speaks volumes.
i think the editing could've been a little more tighter.
special scenes to watch out for,the climax, the last scene where veera just sits int he field and cries and it's mixed feeling of sadness of loss of happiness of freedom BEAUTIFULLY DONE BY HER, the maggi scene (mountain house scene where she becomes the mature one and calms mahabir) the scene with tu kuja where mahbir asks her to leave and she runs in the desert, where she asks mahabir tum rote the & the lullaby story, how she turns into a sherni when __________ Happens towards the end the bus stop scene which was in mahi ve as well when randeep smiles ,
Highway is not flaw free but it's magnificent a beautiful journey that I wouldn't mind going on again 4/5

p.s i want to talk about it plz anyone want to discuss

Edited by nadaanmasakalli - 11 years ago

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pakeezah

@pakeezah

Inactive

Posted: 11 years ago

#112

I was one of those who wrote off Alia Bhatt as a non actor

after SOTY. After watching just the one song of Highway

I changed my mind and said so.

About Highway, from reviews it seems to be a film from

Imtiazs heart like Rockstar. So while some people who

'get where Imtiaz is coming from' will love it, others are

gonna be picky.

I dont think this is the near masterpiece or classic Lootera

is, but i think its gonna be a film with some beautiful

parts. I think i will watch it if just for the songs and their

picturisations. Randeep and Alia are worth it.

As for box office, sadly i dont think this is gonna be a hit.

it will always have its share of loyal fans like Socha na Tha

but the masses mostly will avoid the slow pace and different

non masala storyline.

Hope Imwrong tho.

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pallavi

@behindyou

Sparkler

+ 4

Posted: 11 years ago

#113

hey can i watch it with my family

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Nadaanmasakalli

@naadanmasakalli

Master

+ 11

Posted: 11 years ago

#114

Originally posted by: pallavi_
hey can i watch it with my family

yeah it is i guess except she talks about child molestation and rape twice

Edited by nadaanmasakalli - 11 years ago

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briahna

@briahna

Inactive

+ 4

Posted: 11 years ago

#115

here is mumbair mirror review..pls ignore if already posted.

By Rahul Desai

Film: Highway
Cast:Alia Bhatt, Randeep Hooda
Director: Imtiaz Ali
Rating: ****
Highway is Imtiaz Ali's fifth film and, I suspect, his first film too. His previous efforts seem like milestones on a modern highway, designed to bring him closer to the movie he really wanted to make. The signs were visible: road trips, eloping couples, destructive alpha males, epiphanies around snowcapped Kashmiri peaks, meditative montage sequences. As exemplary as his filmography has been, the focus has always been on a couple, on relationships, hence making it easier for his work to be flawed. In cinema, there is no right way to portray fictional characters; there are only good or bad ways.

This is where Highway excels. It is a film about nature and travel; about a meandering journey without a definite destination. It doesn't try hard to make a statement. It is purely incidental that two interesting characters find themselves while traversing this ever-changing array of bewitching landscapes. It is also precisely why this couple is even more visible, more relatable and less contrived, despite their unlikely circumstances. The focus is not entirely on them, they just happen to be there.

The story is nothing we haven't heard of: A spoilt Delhi girl named Veera (Bhatt) gets kidnapped just before her wedding by thugs led by the oppressive Mahabir (Hooda). Mahabir's internal rage is defined by one of his own lines- 'A bullet takes two lives; the person shot and the person that shoots'. Veera cannot be defined. What can you do with a kidnapped girl that has always fantasized about running away? Predictably, love blossoms.

Sound design plays a major role in making this film a mini-vacation, a calming experience for its viewers. The background score is minimal; moments are not punctuated with annoying cues, instead letting the performances do the talking (or no talking). Rahman's music keeps the pace in check, combining well with Anil Mehta's serene cinematography. There are no real inconsistencies in the storytelling because Veera and Mahabir eventually realize they have no plan; like us, they are just going with the flow. Mukesh Chabbra's casting once again that steals the show. It must take considerable vision to make inconsequential roles (Veera's family, Mahabir's gang) seem like they are intrinsically moulding the leads' perspectives.

Alia Bhatt is perfectly aware of her reputation- too young, too protected, too adorable etc. As Veera, she uses all this and more to her advantage, creating a captivating persona of a girl breaking free in the most unusual manner. She naturally channels a cultivated edge into a role that seems tailor-made for someone like Sonam Kapoor. She displays the starry-eyed naivety of a girl who believes she can easily have her way after a point. Her body language is remarkable; there is immaturity even in her displays of affection. Hooda handles himself grumpily enough to justify his doggoned life. He always comes across as an intense actor that rarely affords himself a smile, a characteristic that, ironically, forms a crucial change of tide in this film.

Highway makes for the kind of cinema we need, perhaps not something we entirely deserve. Even if you aren't moved by its unhurried simplicity, or do not agree with this review, I challenge you to resist an overwhelming urge to rush out after dark hoping to get kidnapped (or simpler, just take off) to the foothills of the Himalayas. In that itself, is the battle won by a film that strives for little more.

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/entertainment/bollywood/Film-review-Highway/articleshow/30730395.cms

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WinterAesthetics

@DanceUntilWeDie

Stunner

+ 4

Posted: 11 years ago

#116

Hey I saw da episode of Highway in the rishtey series on YouTube yesterday ...it also directed by imtiaz n the movie is based on dat episode. .
it was beautiful. ..starring Aditya srivastav as the kidnapper n kartika rane of hum pardesi ho gaye as the kidnapped girl...

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710387

Suspended

Posted: 11 years ago

#117

Highway' review: It will tire you out well before it's over

Rajeev Masand,CNN-IBN
Feb 22, 2014 at 10:49am IST

#now showing #masand's verdict #alia bhatt #randeep hooda #imtiaz ali #highway

1816

Star Cast: Alia Bhatt, Randeep Hooda

Director: Imtiaz Ali

At one point in writer-director Imtiaz Ali's Highway, Alia Bhatt's character Veera, who has been kidnapped and taken hostage in the back of a truck, pops in an English music CD and begins gyrating to a tune in the middle of an empty road. Like us in the audience, her kidnapper Mahabir (Randeep Hooda) is dumbstruck. He stares at her in disbelief.

Veera, after all, is unusually cheerful for a rich brat who has been whisked off at gunpoint, slapped around by louts, and transported far away from her home. She's also developed feelings for Mahabir. It's a classic case of Stockholm syndrome, but the message of the movie is especially disturbing in a society grappling with women's safety. Think about it.

Taking a clean break from the glossy romantic comedies he's had great success with, Ali expands the road-trip motif that has run through most of his films into a full-fledged premise in Highway. Days before her wedding, while on a late night drive with her fiance, Veera witnesses a shootout at a gas station, and within minutes she's abducted by a gang of thugs. The gang's leader, Mahabir, in an attempt to escape the clutches of the law, takes off with her on a seemingly never-ending trek across North India...from Delhi to Haryana, to the deserts of Rajasthan, then to Punjab and all the way up to the mountains in Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir.

Shot remarkably by Anil Mehta, whose camera captures not only the astonishing beauty of India's landscapes, but also knows exactly when to stay on a moment - like that bit in which Veera, perched on a rock by a gushing stream, breaks into unbridled, involuntary laughter then into tears just as unexpectedly - the film looks and feels sharply textured and authentic. We get the bustle of roadside dhaabas and markets, the raspy-voiced tunes of folk singers dotting the open roads, and the sight of clouds wafting in the skies above one's head. The film's dreamy visuals are perfectly complemented by AR Rahman's terrific tracks, and a minimal background score that's never intrusive.

Swept away by emotion, seduced by these sights and sounds, and relieved to be out of her claustrophobic home in the city, Veera's quick transformation from helpless victim to enthusiastic co-traveler is nevertheless unconvincing. Equally clunky is the catalyst that draws this unlikely pair closer. As it turns out, both Veera and Mahabir are haunted by deep dark secrets from their childhood, and unburdening their hearts proves cathartic. But a scene in which Mahabir flashbacks to a happy place in his memory is giggle-inducing.

It's here, in the film's inert second half, that it all comes undone. Ironically, even as the journey continues, there's virtually no plot movement to keep you engaged. A few moments of humor aside, Highway becomes a slog. Blame it on the undercooked script, or the fact that Ali stretches the film's overarching theme so thin that it's reduced to an empty clich.

But even when the material fails him, his leading lady seldom does. Bhatt, in only her second film role, is refreshingly natural as she skillfully nails the vulnerability and the tenacity of her character. Hooda, meanwhile, fills out the part of the brooding thug as if he were born to play it. There's a simmering intensity to his performance that nicely balances out Alia's fragility.

The film - a brave experiment on Ali's part, who uses long stretches of silence, improv dialogues, and characters over plot to drive the narrative - doesn't necessarily work. It's meandering and indulgent in many parts, tiring you out well before it's over.

I'm going with two out of five for Highway. A beautiful mess, but a mess nonetheless.

Rating: 2 / 5

@bold :Muaaah proud of u Aloo ❤️

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khoslakadhokla

@khoslakadhokla

Inactive

+ 2

Posted: 11 years ago

#118

Is the ending sad? or even those bitter sweet kinds? 😒

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Nadaanmasakalli

@naadanmasakalli

Master

+ 11

Posted: 11 years ago

#119

Originally posted by: khoslakadhokla
Is the ending sad? or even those bitter sweet kinds? 😒

bitter sweet kinds:-))

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710387

Suspended

Posted: 11 years ago

#120

Movie review by Anupama Chopra:

Highway is a problematic film. Elements in it have great beauty " starting with Anil Mehta's cinematography. The film was shot and improvised as the cast and crew drove across six states. Mehta's camera caresses the changing terrain so that we can almost taste the bleached salt pans of Rajasthan and the crisp air of Kashmir.

There is AR Rahman's soulful music " especially Patakha Guddi " and above all, Alia Bhatt's performance. There are two scenes " one a long monologue " in which she lays bare her soul and becomes utterly broken. It's deeply moving. Her honesty and courage, both as actor and character, is exhilarating.

And yet, I left the theatre deeply dissatisfied. Writer-director Imtiaz Ali is one of Bollywood's most original and interesting storytellers. Here he courageously goes off the formulaic star-driven, song-driven path and returns to his favourite genre - the road movie.

Imtiaz gives us a portrait of two damaged souls who, through a journey across north India, help to heal each other. So Veera Tripathi, an affluent Delhi princess who lives in a mansion with a Rolls-Royce, ultimately finds peace in the arms of Mahabir Bhatti, a rough Gujjar criminal, played by Randeep Hooda. The idea of a victim falling in love with her kidnapper isn't new - the Stockholm Syndrome in which the hostage forms an emotional bond with the abuser has often been cinematic fodder, especially in Hollywood.

But here, it is both uncomfortable and unconvincing. Veera becomes relaxed around her kidnappers fairly quickly. Early in the film, she says to them: Yahan aake aacha lag raha hai so thank you. After her initial horror, she behaves like a friend, chatting and laughing. Later in the film, she tells Mahabir: Kafi cute lagne lage ho tum. This to a man who, at regular intervals, threatens to sell her to a brothel.

The film posits kidnapping as therapy. It tells us: So what if you've been abducted, heal yourself as you travel the undiscovered countryside. Given the horror inherent in the situation, this just feels false and fundamentally wrong.

Imtiaz skillfully creates moments that are at once, tender, funny and fragile. But my problem was that I simply didn't buy into the story.And yet, both Veera and Mahabir stayed with me. They are compelling, intriguing characters. Randeep is extremely effective as the brutalised and brutal Mahabir. I just wish they had met under different circumstances.

- See more at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/reviews/anupama-chopra-s-review-highway/article1-1186909.aspx#sthash.AQYjBAgc.dpuf

Edited by AquaBlue. - 11 years ago