Review - Sunday: Subtlety - whither art thou?

Why is subtlety so underrated? Sunday could have been so much more had it been a little less zealous about showing itself off - by misusing the music, giving the colors an extra-shine, and the overall video-album like tone of the movie.

The basic premise is not bad at all, and the writers manage to squeeze in a social message too. However, the 'whodunit' script can't escape the usual suspects - the never-ending chase, the ill-placed songs, and the stretch-till-after-it-breaks rubber-band climax. Keep in mind that I am trying my best to overlook the improbable situations, the continuity lapses, and the glaring loopholes. After all, it’s a senseless comedy which is at least making an attempt at sense. Got to give credit where it's due.

What makes Sunday worth a lazy Sunday afternoon watch is its sense of humor. It ranges from mundane to tongue-in-cheek to witty to hilarious. And the lines are carried off well by the cast - from the top (Ajay Devgan) to the supporting cast (Vrajesh Hirjee). Most of the characters have individual characteristics which help the audience identify them. This is in contrast to characters from other such movies where any character could be replaced by the other.

It’s the other technical aspects which pull down the movie to very low levels. The background score is truly overwhelming and at times completely taking on the workload of all the action - the comedy, the drama, the fight sequences. In all likelihood this was a purposeful decision, but I think the humor would have been better supported if the background music stayed in the background, instead of being in the face and making sure you notice how many songs from yesteryears the makers know.

The camera angles were all over the place and the cuts too many - which can be called stylish if you are watching a 5-minute song on MTV, but not so if it is a 2+ hour movie and you are watching it on the big screen. Also, the decisions of when to use black-and-white and when to bleach the reel seemed rather random. However, some of the transitions were interesting and creatively executed.

One thing that can be surely said about the songs when you have two item numbers is that they are going to be arbitrarily placed. And Tusshar Kapoor for an item number - now that's what I call creative! Music and lyrics are something that you wouldn't remember a couple of minutes after they are over.

I see Sunday as something that could have been much better. Especially, considering it had decent dialogues - an essential for comedies - and an adequate cast to pull it off.