Friday, January 27, 2012

My Friend Pinto - Movie Review

 Promo looked interesting but the movie was not half as interesting. As the title gives it away, it is about Pinto - friend of the world, (has to be Mumbai or Goa, leaning to Goa, yes, you are right!). Pinto is a guy who lives in Goa with his mother and upon the demise of his mother is sent to meet his hen pecked friend in Mumbai for some reason best known to the Father (church Father type). Anyway Pinto quotes extensively from his mother's teachings, most of which are taught by all mothers, but Pinto takes these usually to-be-taken-with-a-pinch-of-salt teachings very seriously and looks like that is about the only education he has ever had. Anyway Pinto is a cross between Forrest Gump and Charlie Chaplin and some others surely, and the movie is a cross between Kabhi Haan KabhI Naa, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron and so many long titled movies and we stumble along with him, hoping that somewhere the punch line will drop in. But the movie sails by and the punch line sails by too and we are all looking amusedly, waiting to be amused, when the movie ends.

Pinto 'is played by Pratiek Babbar with a wide eyed, wondrous look in his eyes of someone who understands nothing of how this world functions it seems. The movie begins with this Pinto coming to Mumbai, meeting his friend, messing up his marital peace, friend and wife getting stuck in traffic jam where they sort of their marital discord and do almost everything except have babies. Meanwhile Pinto lands in a neighbour's house, meets two warring lovers, befriends a Don, makes friends with Don's girlfriend, gives gyaan to a taxi driver's gambling nephew and does all sorts of stuff. There is a dead body, two dumb and dumber types with glasses and all, a woman who is saved from being sold off to the bad bad world, a grand dance at New Year and all ends well.

Not soon enough for me though. It kind of made me sick because it just had no energy going forward, just one cute scene to another, one cliched theme to another. Highly avoidable even on the reduced rates on satellite television. Catch up on sleep or meditate. Or even better start working on your Income Tax papers. Way more interesting.

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