Monday, March 28, 2016
Rocky Handsome
Vanity Man
This is a vanity project for John Abraham—he gets to show off his sculpted body, thrash and slash baddies, not have to emote and get to be nicknamed ‘Handsome’ because he is the co-producer.
Remaking of Korean film The Man From Nowhere, director Nishikant Kamat copies faithfully and still can’t get it quite right. Worse, he casts himself as the main villain amidst a veritable rogue’s gallery of drug dealers, organ traders, human traffickers, and deranged killers, so there’s more vanity on display.
John Abraham plays Kabir Ahlawat aka Rocky 'Handsome', a dour pawn broker with a dark past. Anyone who has seen the thousands of action films made with the same template would know that he used to a trained assassin, lost his wife (Shruti Haasan) and unborn child and ended up in Goa. The formula also dictates that he just needs a push to let his seething violence uncoil and hit the unsuspecting villains.
Mysteriously solitary Rocky is befriended by the chatty kid next door, Naomi (Diya Chalwad), whose junkie mother (Nathalia Kaur) neglects her. The eight-year-old brat is brave enough not be put off by his scowl, and has the nerve to paint a smiley on his nail.
When Naomi is abducted by a brutal gang, in search for their stolen stuff, Rocky goes on an ugly rampage; the gangsters don’t have a chance, as the man’s blood lust is even more unquenchable than theirs. (You’ve messed with a lion, a character says, rather needlessly.)
It is well shot (Shanker Raman) and Goa has never looked so gloomy and grimy—sunny beaches don’t fit into this ultra violent revenge actioner.
Rocky Handsome is meant for fans of the action genre, who would appreciate it. For regular entertainment seekers, so much gore is unpleasant to watch.
Labels: Cinemaah
