All Guzarish movie review here - Page 11

• the little Ethan with his mom and the coin shaking....this made me cry b/c it was so cute and then ethan's dialouge after the flashback is over and how he talks about his mom's smile
• when ethan for the 1st time admits his feelings for sofia...i love the my wife and the love of my life line!! and then sofia breaking into full on tears for the 1st time and the longing in her eyes finally ended at that particular moment...and her walking up to him as his wife and the whole interaction at the end
• the rain drop scene...i was literally crying for him....at that moment i understood his pain...he couldn't even more from that position...and then the end scene where sofia's hubby comes and starts beating sofia in front of ethan and he can't get up and bash the guy, even though he wants to so badly...at that point i realized how painful his life is
• when ethan's mama takes the stand and her dialouges on life are so impactful
• love all the scenes with ethan and his mama....beautiful and def made me cry, especially the one where he starts singing a wonderful life
• the scene where we find out how and why he became the way he did...truly sad
• when ethan tries discussing his decision with sofia and sofia's stubbornness, anger, and sarcastic remarks are so amazing
• love all the flirtatious things ethan says to all his women....and the funniest scene is the moaning scene
• the 30 sec in box is also very impactful
• the kiss and face holding between HA
• all the interactions between sofia and omar and omar and ethan
• the last scene that i absolutely adore is when the doc comes and tells ethan his reports don't look good and ethan doesn't give a damn and he's super depressed...and when doc mentions sofia...he lifts his head and his eyes say it all..he misses her and his eyes light up with just her name being mentioned!!!

Audience' feedback on Guzaarish

The Hrithik Roshan-Aishwarya Rai starrer released in India on Friday. PHOTO: PUBLICITY

LAHORE: Pakistani fans of Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan managed to watch the duo in action in their latest film, Guzaarish, two days before their Indian counterparts did.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish became the first Indian film which was released in Pakistan before its release in India. The movie was set to release on November 19 in both countries, however cinema owners released the film in Pakistan on Eidul Azha (November 17). Industry insiders told The Express Tribune that the film was set to release on November 12 in both countries but was delayed for a week. Exhibitors in Pakistan, however, had obtained prints of the films and decided to release it on Eid.

An exhibitor, who didn't want to be named, said that as per law it wasn't right to release an Indian film in Pakistan before its release in India but as cinemas didn't have any new films to screen on Eid, they decided to go ahead and screen Guzaarish.

The film met the expectations of cinema owners and distributors and remained the highest grosser in almost all cinemas in Lahore on Eid. An official of Cine Star cinema told The Express Tribunethat the two shows of the film were sold out even on the second day of Eid. "We didn't do bookings in advance but even then the response was overwhelming. This film did excellent business on Eid," he said. He added that other films including Toy Story,Golmaal 3 and Action Replayy were also screened on Eid but could not match Guzaarish's takings.

Lahore's DHA Cinema also screened three shows of Guzaarish on the holiday and it did excellent business there as well. Two Pakistani films, Ilyasa Gujjar and Nambardari, were released in selective cinemas but did not do so well.

Theatres rake in business on Eid

All commercial theatres in Lahore staged new plays on Eid. "The hall remained full and the play managed to cover costs (Rs1.8 million) in the first two days of Eid," said the stage manager of Alfalah Theatre. Other theatres including Alhamra, Tamaseel, Naz and Mehfil also did excellent business during the holiday.

"All the theatres performed new plays on Eid. It is risky to show new productions on Eid but it paid off well. A lot of people showed up and producers are happy that they managed to generate business during the holiday," said Commercial Theatre Producers Association Chairman Chaudhary Zulfiqar.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2010.

Agreed the film is about Hrithik Roshan who's a paraplegic. Also agreed the film reminds you of Whose Life Is It Anyway and The Sea Inside. But what you take away from this masterpiece is that this film is about the unspoken, untold love story between a patient and his nurse.

Though neither is consciously aware of it, the feeling is subliminal, feelings they acknowledge only at the very end of the film. Take a bow, Mr Bhansali! Only the genius of Sanjay Leela Bhansali could convey such powerful emotions with such subtlety. And all this in just three scenes. That's why he's such a great filmmaker.

Scene 1: The judge accidentally addresses Aishwarya as Mrs Mascarenhas and there's a sudden glow on her face, then she dances… The look in her eyes and the way she dances tells the world she's thrilled to be addressed as Mrs Mascarenhas.

Scene 2: Hrithik says: "You can call me Ethan.. just Ethan." There's that same glow again, the pride in being given the privilege to call her master "Ethan, just Ethan", not Mr Mascarenhas or Sir.
Scene 3: And, of course, when Hrithik asks Aishwarya to walk like Mrs Mascarenhas.
These three scenes say it all.

Ok, so where does the film fail? We've watched Bhansali's other masterpieces – Khamoshi - The Musical, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas and Black. The thread between these four movies is the strong connect that you make with the protagonist. You feel the pain of a deaf and dumb parent in Khamoshi; you feel Nandini's pain when Sameer is asked to leave the house in HDDCS; you feel the pain of Devdas, Paro and Chandramukhi; and you feel the pain of Michelle and her teacher Devraj Sahai in Black.

This time, you don't feel the pain of the protagonist played by Hrithik Roshan. Bhansali does create a few scenes that are meant to help you connect with the ailing man but they aren't convincing enough. For instance, there was absolutely no need to bring in Makrand Deshpande's character, who whips Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in front of a paralysed and helpless Hrithik Roshan. You tend to pity Hrithik, not empathise with him.

Also the character of Aditya Roy Kapur (his presence and pathetic performance irritates) is completely superfluous. Instead, had Hrithik to teach Aishwarya his magic tricks, there would have been many more magical moments between this magical pair, further enhancing the love angle. There are also a few nagging questions. If Aishwarya has filed for divorce and lives alone, why does she return home every night? Why can't she stay with Hrithik? Also, Hrithik's lawyer initially refuses to file his mercy plea but suddenly agrees, without any explanation.

Regardless of these loopholes, you take home a ray of hope... hope to live... hope to be loved. And the climax is truly enriching and moving. The finale, with Hrithik's final speech, is splendid. The happiness on Hrithik's face while travelling (after ages) from his home to court. The way the songs blend in with the script. Though the film is about mercy killing, it is beautifully handled by Bhansali, with a happy ending. Sounds ironic, even contradictory, but Bhansali makes it believable and delivers a happy ending.

This may not be Bhansali's best product (compared to Khamoshi and Black) but he definitely leaves an impression. And this time, Bhansali also makes a remarkable debut as a music director. Tera zikr hai ya itra hai, Sau gram zindagi, Guzaarish and Udi are the pick of the lot. Cinematography, as in every Bhansali film, is superb.

Performance-wise, the magical combination of Hrithik-Aishwarya is the soul of the film. UNDOUBTEDLY. Hrithik Roshan, though paralysed, uses his eyes to masterfully express his thoughts and feelings. An award-worthy performance from this talented actor, indeed!

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, even in simple attire, looks smashing, getting into the skin of the character and giving off her best. If she gave life to Nandini (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam) and Paro (Devdas), she goes a step further and plays Sofia's character with pure sincerity. A performance to be proud of, for sure.

Shernaz Patel is excellent. Nafisa Ali and Moni Kangana Dutta make their presence felt in small but significant roles. Suhel Seth is very good. Others lend able support.

Verdict: Regardless of some flaws, Guzaarish is definitely an honest attempt. But for the majority of Indian audience, the mass audience specifically, the film has precious little to offer. From a business perspective, Guzaarish should work best in metros, especially in Mumbai. Also, Harry Potter will play spoilsport for Guzaarish at the ticket counter. However, the film's business overseas, mainly the US, and the UK, should be fabulous.