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The PinkVilla Movie Review - All is Well
It wouldn’t be improper to demand an answer from Umesh Shukla, as to why he titled his film ‘All Is Well’. If you relate to our pathos of sitting through the excruciating pain of viewing this film, gang up with us to ask him what is ‘well’ about this contrived, sappy, weak, wobbly, dated, disappointing mess of a movie. An actor of Rishi Kapoor's potential can't be used as a gag-prop, indulging in buffoonery. Someone of Supriya Pathak's stature cannot be playing a character this blank and shabbily written. Abhishek, who probably let emotions manipulate his hand to sign on the dotted line, needs to let his brain take charge of his career. And mostly, coming from someone who helmed Oh My God, this heartbreaking film is an eye sore.
Revisiting Shravan Kumar's story with a modern twist was the perfect recipe for debacle. It feels a zillion years old and Kumar’s plain treatment makes it absolutely sordid. Every nook and hook of the story reeks of familiarity and still even after an hour into its runtime, the film hardly has any newness to gloat about in its narrative. Surely, we can buy the theory that Umesh Shukla intended on making it as comfort cinema, but we aren’t very pleased to report that he has gone very horridly wrong. Stock characters muttering predictable dialogues is definitely not how I had envisioned the film. Cut from the same cloth as Shravan Kumar’s story, Inder who had left home to avoid taking over his father’s defunct business returns to sort out his debt. His warring parents had traumatized him beyond words, pushing him into an eerie sort of commitment phobia that compels him to keep breaking up with the woman he loves (Asin). There is something not right in this entire arrangement. It isn’t as if that they are the worst bunch of actors narrating to us the world’s most unbearable story and yet it would be horridly wrong to even call this film watchable.
Rishi’s Bhalla is persistently, consistently cranky and without reason. Supriya moves around lost, resembling a ghost in her demeanour. She would really consider disappearing from the face of this world after such an inconsequential film. Abhishek is hopelessly valiant is pulling through earnestly till the last frame, despite all the needless loitering around with the guitar (probably to emphasize to us his career choice of becoming a musician). But with little backing from the story, all the afore mentioned bright actors had walked into a lost case. Asin, with her tendency to avoid variety and stock expressions, is again a repeat telecast of her many previous characters.
There is an annoying villain, who could’ve rather called himself a comedian (essayed by Md. Zeeshan), who wants to sell Bhallas’ bakery and the melodramatic garnishing includes modern-day Nirupa Roy’s cureless Alzheimer’s which is fixable only by faking happiness around her. Convenient! While we were taking our mid-movie siesta (since the plot and popcorn both ran out sooner than we thought), the four – Bhalla, Nirupa Roy, Rockstar and smitten kitten are on the run in a swanky Merc. What unfolds on screen is jarring.
Umesh’s story is lazy and clearly no one attempted to pepper the botched tale with a dash or two of inventiveness. The film reduces its excellent actors to caricature characters and the audience to tears for bearing the agony of it.
When you exit from the theatres after this film (a pain we hope no man ever finds out) and are still breathing despite the torment inflicted on you, count yourself lucky. And others, do yourself a favour by avoiding this week’s soiree-spoiler. Spare yourself the trauma.
We rate the film a 40% on the PInkvilla Movie Meter.
