Cubussoli Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Candida It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

boxieblue There is a moment in the film where the two lead characters find themselves utterly broke, with barely enough money to feed themselves. They are also in possession of an artifact which, if they are found with, might lead to a considerable amount of jail time. As they sit with each other, crying and consoling each other, the background score changes to a song that roughly translates into "You're the reason I smile. You're the reason I sing." This, at a moment when neither of the characters is doing either of these things. The scene then cuts to one of the most non-passionate love making scenes I've seen in cinema.That, more or less, is what happens in the entire movie. It simply runs through scenes meant to evoke various emotions - anger, grief, humor. All the scenes, however, leave you devoid of any emotion. At no point do you connect with or sympathize with any of the characters in the movie. You don't feel angry at the bad guys, you don't feel sad when the good guys lose. When the characters cry in grief at their misfortune, you only wish they would hurry on with the story already. And when the movie ends on a positive note (surprise?), you couldn't care less.I am not sure why that is. The story itself is pretty good. Two simpletons move into a city in search of a fortune, and soon learn the unforgiving ways of urban life. The reason none of it works might be attributed to a few things. One, the direction. The movie cuts through some of the best moments too quickly. Most of the times, you will wonder whether it really happened. And by the time you figure out that, yes, it did indeed happen, you would have moved past caring. Two, the acting. None of the actors are really convincing. In parts, they overdramatize the scene which again snaps you out of the film and makes you realize you're only watching filmed footage. Three, the background score. It doesn't matter what kind of a scene it is - love making, shooting, desperation - they all have the same romantic score (mentioned earlier) in the background.The film was founded on a good idea. It is a shame it ended up so emotionless.

dushyant chaturvedi 4/5 Insanely brilliant. Extremely poignant. True to life. These expressions spring up in my mind as I begin to write this review. You see, I am still recovering from the emotional, thrilling and dramatic sledgehammer which is Citylights. To put it plainly, this is the most consistently brilliant Hindi movie I have watched in all of 2014. I was hooked from the first frame and loved the unpredictable turns the script took. The worst and the best of human nature are vividly portrayed throughout the length of Citylights and it makes for some heart rendering and some truly uncomfortable moments. It casts light on the plight of the rural migrant who comes to the city with high hopes. The contrast between the humane behavior of the so called vulgar elements of the society and the coldness, aloofness and predatory nature of the venerated high society is masterfully displayed.The acting is as good as it gets. Raj Kumar is easily the best new actor in Hindi industry. He gives a superlative follow up performance to his class act in Shahid. The debutante Patralekha matches him and even manages to outshine him in some scenes. This has the best kind of music, which propels the story forward rather than acting as an impediment to the story telling. Hansal Mehta, the director, deserves the highest praise for acting on his vision and making his second path breaking film (after Shahid) in two years. This is one of those films which helped me reaffirm my faith in the present of Hindi cinema. I loved it.

braddugg Definitely not a bad film, watch it for the acting by everyone. This is a film of the downtrodden families and the helplessness of the people living that life. There are lot many compulsions and obligations they shall be having. Mostly, they are in forced circumstances making them go for desperate measures to improve their life style. The protagonist Deepak Singh is one such poor should who is driven to take desperate steps to improve the living of his family.Rajkumar Yadav becomes Deepak Singh literally. From the Rajasthani accent to the demeanor, to the attire and even body language, everything is pitch perfect with him. Its good to find a new-age actor who becomes the characters rather than just playing the part. Rajkumar Yadav has gone way beyond many of his contemporaries. The next best part was of Manav Kaul who played the tight security guard "Vishnu". Manav was damn good in his role, just refreshing to see a new face play a character with such conviction. Also, the heroine of the film Patralekha was commendable. While others did their job well. So this film was a lot about acting above all else.This is an official remake of the British-Filipino film "Metro Manila". It's heartening to see a lot of credit being given to the original film. Never saw the original film, but this film was weak at places while it was brilliant at some places. Deepak comes back drunk and asks his wife, (who takes up the job of a bar dancer) to dance for him. That was a brilliantly performed scene I felt. Coming to the weakness, it lies in the writing that defies logic. It's a film that tries hard to be as real as possible. Real locations, realistic characters and more-so the scenes that could have possibly happened. But, there are a few things that did not satisfy my logic. So I was a bit disappointed by what was offered by this team of "Shahid" which I think was a brilliant film.Hansal Mehta did great job in extracting acting, but he stuck to the script so tightly, that he might have forgot to ask a few questions to the writers and producers. So thus, he had presented some flaws unintentionally. The editing should have been more precise. The film though 2 hours in length seems long with not much happening. The intimate scenes of the main leads could have been trimmed down is what I strongly felt.It's a good film still, but not a thoroughly satisfying venture to me as a viewer. A 3/5 for a film that's good and could have been so better.

silvan-desouza When Bhatts and Hansal Mehta who won laurels for SHAHID(2013) come together, we expect a brilliant film CITYLIGHTS is simply brilliant, The film is an official remake from Vishesh Films, of a widely acclaimed gem titled METRO MANILA directed by Sean Ellis (made in Tagalog language) in the year 2013. The best part is it's realistic handling. It starts with Rajkumar Rao and his wife coming to Mumbai from Rajasthan in search of a better lifestyle, there are left homeless,all their problems are identifiable, They get cheated on the quest of getting them a house, then again he has to find a job, His wife starts working in a bar.etc There are several moving scenes like his wife's breakdown after his drunk act, The scenes with Manav Kaul who plays his friend who also makes use of him and the brilliant finale.The film does get slow paced but it's required to be narrated slowly, such films cant be rushed.Direction by Hansal Mehta is brilliant Music is good, Arijit's song Muskurane Ki Wajah is splendid while other songs too are good.Rajkumar Rao is simply brilliant, in fact he conveys so much through his eyes that it's difficult to assume that anyone else could play his part Patralekha as his wife is superb, Manav Kaul is terrific, Khushboo Upadhyay as the bar girl is superb, rest are all good