Force - Review

If you made a list of things that an ideal action-romance film should have. Force would have checkmarks in all the boxes.

• Good vs. Evil


• Strong action-packed sequences


• Breathers from the action - emotional /comic scene, or in our Hindi parlance a song


• A believable romance


• Functional sidekicks


• A dreaded villain

So on and so forth.

When you consider the overall package, it isn't a film that you HAVE to rush to the theater to. It's a good-looking film which balances the tightrope of narrating a story with simplicity and fulfills its "commercial" obligations. But, it misses out on having that something extra - call it a zing, call it a soul.

As I write these words, to my own eye I come across as a slave-driver who expects the world out of her movies. But, there is something out of place, when I am making a checklist and thinking aloud, "everything is there, then why did it feel so choppy, so functional?"

The generic treatment given to Force is rather clinical. But, there are scenes that work. Some action sequences are grueling enough to make you want them to stop. The romance has a couple of genuine moments, as in you can see why these two are falling in love with each other, the gap that they fill in each other's' lives is clear. The villain is intelligent and not some caricatured, over-stylized "creature". In fact, he is a handsome villain. I don't remember the last time a villain could have passed off as the hero.

Which also means the casting is perfect. And that's not limited to Vidyut Jamwal who plays Vishnu - note the irony - the destroyer of all things good, the villain. John Abraham couldn't have been cast better. He has to play an honest Asst. Commissioner of Police who has no family or friend ties because he wants to focus on his work. So single-minded is he in his work that, he is called sookha jhaad - a dead tree. And if there's anyone in the industry who can play a dead tree, John Abraham is the man! And no, there is no sarcasm here. I say this with utmost sincerity that this was perfect casting. His muscles make him drool-worthy and the grit on his face makes him a great, rigid police officer. Genelia D'Souza passes off as a breath of fresh air that she needs to be in such a sullen environment. But, nothing anyone else couldn't have carried off neither something we haven't seen her do earlier.

That Force is a perfect, typical masala film is both its strength and its weakness. You enjoy it while it lasts, but it doesn't linger on any of your senses. When good people die, you feel bad, but your heart doesn't reach out to them. When evil people die, you are relieved, but you are not that angry at him that you want to see his meat minced. You are engaged in the 2+ hours but you are not involved.

who is dreaded because he is a thinker
Anyway, having talked about the clinical treatment to the film, I want to focus on how enjoyable the particular sequences of the film are.