pratzab-37762
This movie is strictly for SRK fans. I am rating this movie as a neutral cinema lover, as all SRK fans rated it 10. First of all, this is SRK's best performance since Don 2. There are many plot holes if you apply minimal logic and script was also very weak. Nawaz as inspector and SRK as Raees saved this movie. Mahira Khan's role could have been played by any Bollywood actress. Nothing felt special about her performance.
Arun George
Rahul Dholakia's SRK starrer is a letdown, in many ways. It wastes an eager SRK who's looking to break away from his stereotyped image; it wastes an extremely talented Nawazuddin Siddiqui (to a trifling side-character who doesn't have much to do, so much so that his role in Bajrangi Bhaijaan looked better ugh!); it reduces the heroine to a mere prop who has a smile pasted on her face (almost 99% of the movie except for the end bits) and appears mostly just to adore the hero and dance with him; it fails to capitalize on an engaging bootlegger plot- line. The music and BGM are also ho hum. The twists are instantly forgettable.The synopsis is something as ancient as the history of gangster films. Raees' childhood portions resemble the initial sequences of Kamal Hassan's Nayagan but carries none of the zest of the latter. There is no coming-of-age portion as such, a slight relief in a way (saves the viewer from further boredom). A few not-so-exciting action set pieces (one at a butcher shop and one a badly-done parkour set-piece!) keep the viewer from completely snoozing away. The movie does amp up its pace a bit in with the entry of Nawazuddin's Majmudar character but the viewer soon realizes that the director is only interested in following the tried n' tested template of the ruthless bootlegger outsmarting the cop on several occasions.You do expect things to take a turn in the second half but again the yawns just keep piling on. The political angle and the forced insertion of a few non-fictional events are all done in underwhelming fashion. I did like Zeeshan Ayub's character of Sadiq but there is very little exploration done into any of the character psyches other than Raees' (that too for a film that runs close to 142 minutes).SRK smirks, seethes, brawls and dances his way to glory in a role that requires him to maintain his charismatic screen-presence all throughout. He does succeed in doing so, partially, with the right set of expressions, his appearance and costumes quite on-point. Mahira Khan's role is unfortunately a forgettable one. Nawaz's one- liners make the viewer occasionally let out a chuckle but his character too is underwritten.Overall, 'Raees' will most likely not be regarded as a winner in SRK's filmography but I still appreciate his boldness in trying to break away from his Dilwale/Happy New Year mode. Give it a watch on DVD later in the comfort of your home or when it airs on television!
namashi_1
'Raees' Directed by Rahul Dholakia is a well-shot, well-directed film, that sadly, doesn't have a strong enough Screenplay to be called an all-rounder Winner. Despite Potential In Its Setting, The Narrative Isn't Arresting Enough, because then Writing doesn't hold beyond a point. 'Raees' Synopsis: Criticizing the prohibition of alcohol, prostitution and illegal drugs in Gujarat, this film unfolds the story of a cruel and clever bootlegger Raees (Shahrukh Khan), whose business is challenged by a tough cop (Nawazuddin Siddiqui).'Raees' is an uneven saga of a bad-ass. Raees is a fascinating leading man, who's tryst going against the law, has moments of power. And while the first-hour still works, in which Raees goes from being a nobody to the ultimate King in the world of illegal smuggling of Alcohol, despite being pitted against a tough cop who gets on his trial. The first-hour has a rustic, realistic feel to it & the confrontations between Raees & the Cop, are super.Unfortunately, in its second-hour, 'Raees' goes haywire. The protagonist turns into a Robin-Hood for his people & his character suddenly comes across more as a Hero, than bad-ass who defies the law. And hence, the film falters. 'Raees' isn't a villain for sure, but to make him a messiah & take away his mean streak for the sake of a heroic end, looks forced & rather unconvincing. Also, the narrative get bloated up & the over-stuffing leads to underwhelming results. In short, 'Raees' has a good first-hour, but a really unconvincing second-hour. Dholakia, Harit Mehta, Ashish Vashi & Niraj Shukla's Screenplay is half-baked. What starts off as a story of an anti-hero, suddenly turns into a heroic story, with very less feeling or depth. The Writing needed to be stronger, for sure. The Dialogue, however, are excellent. Dholakia's Direction is good. How one wishes if his Writing was as good! Cinematography captures the rustic feel, skillfully. Editing isn't sharp enough. The second-hour is overlong & needed some trimming. Ram Sampath's Score is well-done. Action-Sequences are ordinary. Art & Costume Design are fair.Performance-Wise: Shahrukh Khan as Raees, looks the part & even gives his best. But he shines only in the first-hour. Post-Interval, just like his character, his performance doesn't arrest your attention. But its Nawazuddin Siddiqui who steals the show. As the tough cop who'd stop at nothing to get Raees behind bars, Nawaz chews on the scenery & delivers a flat-out brilliant performance from start to end. Also, his introduction sequence, where he disguises as the Late/Great Michael Jackson, is simply terrific. The confrontations between Shahrukh & Nawaz, as mentioned before, are the high-point of the enterprise.On the whole, 'Raees' works in parts, not entirely.
