Originally posted by: khoslakadhokla
Here it is, my full review. After making the post last night, I just fell asleep. But, can you believe it, I kept waking up and thinking of Aryan and Gaurav 😳
FAN Movie Review:
~Contains Spoilers~
Overwhelmed, conflicted, emotional and a dream-like trance; these are some of the major feelings Fan leaves you with in its bitter-sweet saga, so much so that you might even want a second viewing to let things sink in, nitpick at the finer details and come in terms with the ending (especially for SRK's fans) . Whereas, the first half is sweet and entertaining at the most part; Gaurav's antics make you smile and even raise your eyebrow at some occasions. However, the film picks up significantly in the second-half where most of the thrills are packed. Gaurav and Aryan work with this strange tandem of their own action-reaction games and while that occurs, the film just adds on your confusion on who to side with. That conflicted feeling, most likely, won't be resolved because of the impactful climax/ending.
There are flaws in the screenplay definitely, but everything is overpowered by the SRK, the actor. The film could have reduced its length to 2 hours at most to tighten the screenplay. Or, with the current run time, they could have added bits to explore the thought processes of both Aryan and Gaurav for the things they did, maybe that could've helped gain a deeper understanding of the characters, specifically for those who were left very confused by the movie/didn't understand it [Story time: I remember a friend I talked to complained she hated the movie, citing that there was "no story" ...all Gaurav wanted was a selfie with Aryan and the whole movie is based on that...no matter how ridiculous that sounded to me before even watching the movie (since I had gathered from the reviews the movie was much more than that), there is a possibility a lot of people who like a certain kind of genre might have trouble understanding the purpose of the movie] . I liked Manish's direction, some of the shots were very artistic, especially in some scenes where the camera pans above and gives a picture in a frame like view. The supporting cast had their good moments, Gaurav's mom towards the scenes building up to the climax, the one playing Aryan's wife shined when she figures out it was Gaurav and not Aryan in the house as she hugs him (I almost thought she got fooled till the time she frantically searched for the gun). Sayani and Shreya were both consistent in their performances.
Many are saying that SRK the actor is back with this movie, but for me, he was never gone. Shah as an actor has always been there. Yes, in some OTT movies, he took liberties and hammed as well. But, that's his way of playing those characters. When he is given character driven roles, he excels in his craft the most...the effect is like butter smoothly spreading on bread. We have witnessed his superb performances recently too, with him as the brooding Major Samar Anand or, the subtle and gentle Surinder Sahni of RabNe...he left a mark of memory with both. I loved both Gaurav and Aryan, but maybe Gaurav a little more. His eyes are haunting whether they are glistening with tears, filled with menace and hatred, or just smiling as he looks up to his star Aryan while falling off. They are never empty, they carry an emotion each time. Aryan and Gaurav are poles apart in their nature, yet so similar whether its the physical appearance or their actions. I just want to applaud for SRK for playing both of these extremes so beautifully.
I don't like rating such movies, because then you have to be very critical and analyze each aspect, keeping aside the kind of experience the movie leaves you with individually. But if I have to, then the overall rating (keeping it honest) would be: 4/5
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