Sanket's Review: "Game" is only moderately engaging

Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Jimmy Shergill, Shahana Goswami, Boman Irani, Sarah Jane Dias

Director: Abinay Deo

Length: 2.15 hours approximately

One murder, four people and then again a murder and then an investigating officer! In this one line the whole movie is shaded. “Game” starts with introductions in a very familiar manner. Out of so many actors only Abhishek and Kangana gets scope and rest all are just under-used. GAME could have been much more edgy and slicked, if they would have trimmed the length especially in second hour.

Thriller flicks needs some shocking twists in the tale. GAME has the twists but they are not exactly shocking because there is no excitement to know who actually the culprit is. The film looses its grip from very beginning by falling in slow pace and so the excitement to know the conclusion is absent. There are some unexpected twists but they won’t bring any much of impact because the director opens his cards all in sudden at the end. If he would have opened twists at regular intervals, the film would have got more engaging. The climax is best part because you finally come to know who the culprit is.

Gripping script which is must for any thriller is missing here. The screenplay too has nothing in the bag to flaunt. That makes you wonder that the writer just went writing some material and found a way to end it with a respite. The writer does not even bother about logic in a thriller. Because a superstar played by Jimmy Shergill yells a shocking confession and within few minutes it is a main cover of a magazine. We can’t even dream to leave brains at homes while watching a thriller film. Shankar-Ehsaan-Lloy’s music is another deterrent, because no song is good on ears or even listenable once. The songs arrive as speed breaker in an already slow film. And that only test your silence and patience. The first half ordinarily ends with some copious twist here and there. In second half there are few interesting sequences and of course the good ending climax. But the main clutch is that the film works only in minor pieces and thus it becomes a moderate engaging cinema which could have been so easily much more interesting. But yes special mention to cinematographer who puts all the venues in different lights making the film visually stunning.

Nevertheless, GAME is never unwatchable because it has two starry performances. Kangana Ranaut is the biggest surprise who never misses the beat in her smart built role. Abhishek Bachchan is tremendously blessed with some mysterious expressions which he proportionally uses in the right spots. Rest all plays the cameos that have hardly something in this film. Still Anupam Kher is good and Shahana tries to be in sync. Jimmy Shergill and Boman Irani don’t give the right amount of their talent here. Sarah Jane Dias looks wonderful but she hams up when it comes to act.

GAME is interestingly structured but it is let down by sloppy direction. Excellent Cinematography, two very good performances and some twists in end makes GAME just an ordinary fare. Watch it on a day you need to chill out.

Rating- 2/5