Not many films graced the cinema this year, regardless of there being no Bollywood films being screened either. However, the ones that did left quite a mark, be it an ugly scar or a love letter in permanent ink. Here are the five films that were most talked about in 2019, some for all the good reasons and others.. well, let's just say bad publicity counts as well.
1. Laal Kabootar
Rating: 5/5
Produced by Kamil and Hania Chima, music video director Kamal Khan’s debut film Laal Kabootar became the film leading the charge of the ‘nouvelle vague’ (New Wave) of Pakistani film-makers.
Laal Kabootar succeeds because of multiple reasons. And one would be hard-pressed to find a flaw in this masterfully directed film. From the get-go, all our characters are clearly established in the space they occupy. The montage of their belongings, the worn-off wall colour, posters of WWE wrestler Kurt Angle, Raveena Tandon and Rani Mukherjee on the yellow walls, low-key lit rooms – all add to the atmosphere of the film.
Review: ‘Laal Kabootar’ soars beyond the clouds
Stunningly shot by acclaimed cinematographer Mo Azmi, the film shows how camera can play an active ‘character’ in the film as it refuses to let go of its subjects. Laal Kabootar isn’t only an impressive visual experience but its sound and production design further break new ground.
By the end of the film, you understand Laal Kabootar isn’t literally about a blood-red pigeon and is rather used in a symbolic way: A pigeon that yearns to fly ends up bloodied.
2. Heer Maan Ja
Rating: 4/5
PHOTO: HEER MAAN JA OFFICIALHeer Maan Ja is a romantic comedy film, directed by Azfar Jafri. IRK Films introduced us to the world of Heer (Hareem Farooq), a young soon-to-be-married woman on the run from her conservative family. However, along with its entertainment aspect, the movie propelled its viewers to reflect on its hidden message about honour killing.
Heer Maan Ja: And the award for the best Eidul Azha film goes to
To begin with, Hareem, Ali Rehman and Aamina Sheikh delivered noteworthy performances that were thoroughly enjoyable. The robust chemistry between the lead pair, was the core of the film that included quite a lot of comedy and a bit of trouble. Two additional features that made the film worth watching were its choreography and music. All in all, the movie was a crowd-puller and there were no loose ends.
3. Parey Hut Love
Rating: 3/5
PHOTO: PAREY HUT LOVE OFFICIALDirected by Asim Raza and produced by Sheheryar Munawar, Shahbaz Shigri, Mehrunisa Azhar, Shaiban Haq, Parey Hut Love narrates the story of the youth and is visually astounding. A few scenes are beautifully directed with a poetic touch. The story of the movie is a little half-baked, while most filmmakers are advised to chop 15 to 20 minutes off from their films, Parey Hut Love should have been longer so that a few ambiguities in the story could have been clarified.
Parey Hut Love: a spectacular visual treat with a half-baked story
Most of its comedy scenes were a little too loud and seemed forced, which didn’t go with the flow of the film. Glitches in its character buildup were amongst its basic problem. The tense relationship between Sheheryar and his father, between Maya Ali and her fiancé, and the climax where the grand wedding takes a grand turn, are a few aspects which could have made a huge impact if a little detailing was added to them.
4. Superstar
Rating: 2.5/5
PHOTO: SUPERSTAR/INSTAGRAMThe film shows Mahira Khan playing a struggling actor (Noori) from bhaaati gate who runs into her crush and superstar (Sameer Khan) during the shoot of a TV advert. By playing an actor on screen Mahira naturally gets to play a lot of characters within one character and that’s amazing.
'Superstar' review: Another film, another misstep for Mahira Khan
However, the small bits and pieces of Noori’s reel life, particularly the ones towards the second half are good enough. Other units of dramatic action are also largely unmotivated and the romance between Mahira and Bilal unearned, as a result of which, the build-up to increasingly dramatic and orchestral songs towards the end seems quite absurd and unneeded.
Despite some very creative blocking choices, Superstar repeats the same old story, is a film flawed on paper. Don’t confuse it for being a bad story; in fact, it has a semblance of a story which is a big deal by Pakistani standards. However, the film as a whole is unsure about what it wants to be and that is perhaps its curse.
5. Baaji
Rating: 0/5
PHOTO: FILEBaaji suffered from an existential crisis. In a way, it was Pakistan’s response to Rajkumar Hirani’s film Sanju. Granted, Hirani could not have understood the answer. It featured the life of a misunderstood, troubled star, played by Meera, called Shameera, including many real life events from her life. It also included the infamous video clips that went viral and the broken and fake marriages.
Baaji is not a film – it’s a joke
Baaji depicted the film industry, just like Om Shanti Om – except in the cringiest manner possible. The film then showed a Hollywood director, played by Osman Khalid Butt, who casts a heroine on a ‘live’ TV show and to cap it off, the previous directorial venture of Butt’s character was called the ‘Thief of hearts’. Baaji was actually a murder mystery, where a primary character in the film was murdered and someone was framed. There was a disappearance, there a con-man, an antagonist firing guns sidekicks plotting murders and heists.
Baaji proved one thing though: The film’s director Saqib Malik is a very likeable person and has a lot of friends who were willing to work with him. It had cameos but no plot, while being atrociously directed, horribly acted and ridiculously written.
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