BUS 657 aka Heist

The title of the movie makes you think, ‘here comes another Hollywood action flick’. It is the Hollywood counterpart of the Tamil masala film, sometimes enjoyable, sometimes downright predictable. So, you need reasons to go watch such a movie. Robert De Niro is a good enough reason to go watch any movie, and that’s why most people came too, judging by the claps and whistles in theatre when he was introduced on screen.

The opening couple of minutes of the film tell us that this is very much a routine action flick, with a gang of masked guys hijacking a bus, and then we flashback to ‘one week earlier’! It was as if the writers had no better ideas to give the movie an interesting start. The plot is as clichéd as it can get for a Hollywood flick. Casino, lots of money, snubbed employee, seasoned criminals, and then the heist. You can see it coming miles ahead. Of course, there are reasons why one guy is joining the heist and you figure that the script will find a way to return to that reason before the end.

But, as the title tells you, the movie is not about the heist itself, but the bus that somehow gets

involved in the heist. Whether the involvement of the bus was planned or not is a cloudy area that is not answered clearly enough in the film. The heist happens very early, and much to our disappointment, it happens far too easily, without much planning at all. That is the biggest let down of Bus 657. The main act looks pretty bland and that spoils a lot of the fun that we thought we would have.

Cut to the bus and the hostage situation that ensues, we have very little surprises. It’s the same story told once again, the kind that we have seen in many movies before. But, there is one surprise, and that is the best surprise that the movie has up its sleeve, and that is the only reason Bus 657 has any identity among the sea of hostage dramas in Hollywood. But that apart, there is the usual band of cops going after the bus, trying to save the hostages, complying with the hijacker’s demands, negotiating, etc. The same drill.

The emotional content in the movie comes in the form of one of the hijacker’s family, which is why he is in this. So, naturally, he has to win the sympathies of the audiences. Jeffrey Dean Morgan does a neat job of that with his earnest expressions. There is one more thread of emotional content that is pushed in which involves Rober De Niro and his estranged daughter, which is supposed to explain some weird changes in him towards the end. But anyone who has watched films like this before knows what is coming. Dave Bautista, we are getting to see him quite regularly on screen nowadays, gets to play a control freak criminal who can’t think straight when the going gets tough. His loud ways only lead us to think that he going to land everybody in trouble. The only other person who makes a mark on screen is Gina Carano, as the cop who sees a silver lining of good in one of the hijackers.

But, we are all in it to watch Rober De Niro right? So, what’s he got to do? Precious little, and very

little where he can stamp his class. There is really nothing interesting in it for an actor of his accomplishments, but he chose to do it.

Bus 657, released as Heist in America, is as generic a con movie as it can get. Watch it if you have absolutely nothing else to do. If you like De Niro, go back and watch any of his classics, if you like good heists, go watch any of the Ocean films.

Too run of the mill to be interesting!

1.5/5

The Tickets of the Week - Choose your movie!

Three releases from Hollywood this week. All have pretty well known stars and so the choice is a bit tough because it surely is not easy catching all three in theaters. So, here is a peek at what is in store.

1. Sex Tape.

Marquee Name: Camerone Diaz.

The ‘Charlie’s Angel’ was last seen in a major release in Bad Teacher. Well, is she a marquee name in India? Not always. But, with a movie named ‘Sex Tape’, the interest is definitely increased. But, this one is more of a comedy/drama, with very little of the ‘title’ element. Expect to have a laugh riot, if the movie delivers what it promises.

2. The Judge

Marquee Name: Robert Downey Jr.

Well, the name Robert Downey Jr. might not bring people into theaters, but if you say the words Iron Man, the barometer jumps a few inches. Robert Downey Jr. is hugely popular as Iron Man/Tony Stark and to a lesser extent as Sherlock Holmes. It would be very interesting to see him on screen after a long time as something that is not Iron Man or Holmes. This is far removed from the action and thrills; The Judge is a family drama, with a bit of courtroom stuff. Interesting premise. And you have Robert Duvall and Billy Bob Thornton for company. Definitely an inviting option.

3. Left Behind

Marquee Name: Nicholas Cage

Cage ceased to be a big draw after Ghost Rider ran out of steam. Now, going by his last few movies, one has to approach a new one with quite a bit of apprehension. The last few years have damaged his legacy a bit and we hope for our sake and Cage’s that this one stems the rot. Looks like a fantasy action flick with a little bit of sci-fi thrown in. We have had quite a few action movies this year, so this one has to be quite good to catch our attention. Besides, there are many action films yet to release this year. So, the idea of waiting for a bigger better option doesn’t seem that bad.

Bottom Line: In spite of big names like Robert Downey Jr. and Nicholas Cage having releases, it is Cameron Diaz’s Sex Tape that has managed to get more shows in Chennai city than the other movies. Is it Diaz, is it the movie’s title, or is it something to do with how the movie performed globally? Friday has the answers.

Annabelle: Scare me once before the end..please!

‘Before The Conjuring, there was Annabelle’, said the teasers that told us that this movie was coming. It was indeed a smart move to remind the audiences of The Conjuring, which was very well received in Indian cities. But, what the makers may have overlooked is that with the mention of The Conjuring, there would also be expectations; to be spooked, chilled and thrilled in the same way, or maybe in even better ways. Annabelle was the opening note of The Conjuring, and also made a significant impact in one of the story’s turning points, and so it is indeed exciting that an entire movie is focused on the demented doll and its doings in this world. Question is, does it make for a good horror movie?

Let’s get one thing clear, Annabelle is made in much the same way as The Conjuring. Many horror

film buffs had felt that The Conjuring was a bit too underplayed, with too few spooks and chills than normal. They said, it was not exciting enough. But, those who prefer more substance than shrieks and screams had found it very interesting. Annabelle tries to take us down that path. The makers have banked on a solid screenplay built around a good story. There is very little in terms of intentional scary stuff, be it graphic visual representations or curdling sounds. The director does not try to put scary things in your face and make you jump out of your seats or shriek in horror. Yes, there are moments when things come out from behind doors, there are dark corners, flickering lights, rain beating down on the window panes, creaking chairs, a big church with a weird looking statue; all these tell tale signs that something supernatural, or extranatural is lurking about. But, sitting through the 100 minutes of the movie, I never once felt my heart beating faster than it normally would, nor did I gasp. Yes, I did empathise with the young woman and her baby for being caught up in a warp of inhuman presence, but I never felt afraid, which is where perhaps Annabelle fails as a horror flick.

I have a theory about horror flicks. When we go to watch a horror film, we know what we are getting into; so there is no question of being surprised when a ghost appears on screen. The success of a horror film lies in planting the seed of eerie expectations in our mind about what is going to happen. It is about giving us clues about which corner or which door might reveal the supernatural. It is about getting us all wound up and then surprising us just a second before or a second later than we expect. It is that moment of uncertainty in which the horror film comes alive. Annabelle hardly ever comes to life like The Conjuring did. The moments like ‘hide and clap’ and the ‘hanging corpse’ that caught us unawares in The Conjuring are hard to find in Annabelle. I don’t know, maybe we have become familiar with the director’s style as a result of which he is not able to stay a step ahead of us. At least, that is how most of the audience reacted! There wasn’t any nervous shifting, no uneasy screams or an eerie silence in the movie hall, a sign that a horror flick hasn’t caught the audience by the scruff of their neck.We also miss the methodical approach, of exorcism or incantations that we have enjoyed in other horror flicks.

Some might call comparisons with The Conjuring as unfair, but the makers invited it by almost

branding Annabelle as a prequel. Make no mistake, this movie does a good job of narrating the story of the Annabelle doll, has well defined characters and portrays the mental disintegration of the protagonist in a very believable manner. Thanks to these two movies, even the most rational of minds now clearly knows the differences between ghosts and demonic spirits. But all that doesn’t add up into a good horror flick. It fails in its primary objective- which is to scare! Annabelle finally ends up diluting the aura of fear that was built around the Annabelle doll by the cameo in The Conjuring.

Annabelle – Good story, fails to thrill!

1.75/5.