Review: Garam Masala

[Baradwaj Rangan]

LAUGH BAKED

Priyadarshan's latest comedy isn't up there with his best, but if
the alternative is 'Shaadi No. 1', this'll do fine, thank you
very much.

By Baradwaj Rangan

(C) The New Sunday Express - November 13, 2005

Thank God for Paresh Rawal. The actor has now reached a point where he
simply has to show up, and our hands are already clutching our sides,
anticipating their inevitable split. Yet he chooses to find newer ways
to amuse himself -- and us. He plays a cook in 'Garam Masala', and
there's this sequence where he's asked to make cheese 'pakodas',
then asked to dump that and prepare 'kadi chawal' instead, so when yet
another someone asks him to prepare yet another something, he throws up
his hands and exasperatedly exclaims, "Haathi ka anda hai. Ubaalke
doon?" It's the perfect release not just for the pressure-cooker
situation his character is in, but also for this comic segment, which
has been building up to this explosion.

It's also a perfect example of timing, something that 'Garam Masala'
displays only occasionally. This is one of those revolving-door farces
-- entire reels consist of A walking out the _exact_ second before B
walks in, only to walk out the _exact_ second before A walks back in
-- hinged on a four-timing Casanova named Mac (Akshay Kumar) and his
sidekick Sam (John Abraham). With Priyadarshan in comic mode -- and
thankfully in much more control of his material than he was with the
funny-for-all-the-wrong-reasons 'Kyon Ki' -- it all sounds like the
kind of movie that requires us to make out our wills before entering
the theatre, because we're about to, you know, _die_ laughing.

But the movie starts off alarmingly off-key, with routines like Sam and
Mac taking a girl out for dinner when they've both forgotten their
wallets. (If Priyadarshan wanted us to find this fresh and funny, he
should have included a time machine along with our tickets -- to take
us back to the 1950s, with no memory of the 17586 times this joke has
since played out in our cinema.) But soon, something strange happens;
the jokes don't exactly improve, but the pace increases, and this
ends up making 'Garam Masala' much more enjoyable. The gags come flying
so fast that you laugh at the ones that work, and if some of them
fizzle, you don't have the time to fret because the next one's
already on its way.

While easily the best among the Diwali releases, 'Garam Masala' still
suffers from what ailed 'Shaadi No. 1' -- an insistence on choosing
stars over side-splitters. Why wasn't the manic Rajpal Yadav (wasted
once again) cast as, say, Sam, instead of John Abraham (who takes his
shirt off a bunch of times presumably to distract at least the ladies
from the fact that there's little else going for him here)? It's
like hiring Zeenat Aman and Sulakshana Pandit for a movie about
mismatched sisters, then outfitting the former in a 'burqa', the latter
in a bikini. Luckily, Akshay Kumar is never too far away. He's good
with the punch lines, he's good with the pratfalls... He shows it's
possible to be a star as well as a side-splitter.

[V S Rawat]

Post by Baradwaj Rangan
LAUGH BAKED
Priyadarshan's latest comedy isn't up there with his best, but
if the alternative is 'Shaadi No. 1', this'll do fine, thank
you very much.

I Concede that.

Both are bad movies, but compared with Shadi No. 1, Garam Masala
is much better.

Post by Baradwaj Rangan
By Baradwaj Rangan
(C) The New Sunday Express - November 13, 2005
Thank God for Paresh Rawal. The actor has now reached a point
where he simply has to show up, and our hands are already
clutching our sides, anticipating their inevitable split. Yet
he chooses to find newer ways to amuse himself -- and us. He
plays a cook in 'Garam Masala', and there's this sequence
where he's asked to make cheese 'pakodas', then asked to dump
that and prepare 'kadi chawal' instead, so when yet another
someone asks him to prepare yet another something, he throws
up his hands and exasperatedly exclaims, "Haathi ka anda hai.
Ubaalke doon?" It's the perfect release not just for the
pressure-cooker situation his character is in, but also for
this comic segment, which has been building up to this
explosion.

As far as Garam Masala is concerned, your rating of Paresh Rawal
in it it too extravagently high. He does just OK. There is no
herapheri nor halchal sort of extempore fun and fun and fun in
his role.

Still, he is quite contained and that is quite a relief compared
to old time's Asrani and Jagdeep sort of comedies which were too
loud and forced.

Incidently Asrani is there in the movie, but in a non-comedy
role.

Paresh Rawal's entry scene is good. The way he comes it appears
that the owner of the house, or some big shot has come. He
presents his long list of what he will cook, when he will cook
and when not, what all he wants (TV, cricket, day off, etc.)
then slowly it dawns that he is a cook.

And then, it takes some realization that he is really acting as
a servant of Akshay Kumar, and not the boss. I would say that he
is extra-serious in this role that spoils the effect.

Paresh Rawal gets by a sleeping girl several times. (Just for
records)

Post by Baradwaj Rangan
It's also a perfect example of timing, something that 'Garam
Masala' displays only occasionally. This is one of those
revolving-door farces -- entire reels consist of A walking out
the exact second before B walks in, only to walk out the exact
second before A walks back in -- hinged on a four-timing
Casanova named Mac (Akshay Kumar)

Actually, it should be spelled Mak, which was from his name
Makrand.

Post by Baradwaj Rangan
and his sidekick Sam (John
Abraham).

from Shyam or shaam.

Post by Baradwaj Rangan
With Priyadarshan in comic mode -- and thankfully in
much more control of his material than he was with the
funny-for-all-the-wrong-reasons 'Kyon Ki' -- it all sounds
like the kind of movie that requires us to make out our wills
before entering the theatre, because we're about to, you know,
die laughing.
But the movie starts off alarmingly off-key, with routines
like Sam and Mac taking a girl out for dinner when they've
both forgotten their wallets.

Seems you blinked, Rangan!

They had not forgotten the purses. The person who collides with
them outside the door pickpockets both of them simultaneously.
Then, he is shown in details taking out two purses, taking out
currency from both and throwing away the empty wallets.

How could you miss that?

Post by Baradwaj Rangan
(If Priyadarshan wanted us to
find this fresh and funny, he should have included a time
machine along with our tickets -- to take us back to the
1950s, with no memory of the 17586 times this joke has since
played out in our cinema.)

Absolutely agree with you. And, to make it worse, it was too
long, with first Akshay saying same thing and then John saying
the same thing ditto.

Post by Baradwaj Rangan
But soon, something strange
happens; the jokes don't exactly improve, but the pace
increases, and this ends up making 'Garam Masala' much more
enjoyable. The gags come flying so fast that you laugh at the
ones that work, and if some of them fizzle, you don't have the
time to fret because the next one's already on its way.

Very rightly said.

Post by Baradwaj Rangan
While easily the best among the Diwali releases, 'Garam
Masala' still suffers from what ailed 'Shaadi No. 1' -- an
insistence on choosing stars over side-splitters. Why wasn't
the manic Rajpal Yadav (wasted once again) cast as, say, Sam,
instead of John Abraham (who takes his shirt off a bunch of
times presumably to distract at least the ladies from the fact
that there's little else going for him here)? It's like hiring
Zeenat Aman and Sulakshana Pandit for a movie about mismatched
sisters, then outfitting the former in a 'burqa', the latter
in a bikini. Luckily, Akshay Kumar is never too far away. He's
good with the punch lines, he's good with the pratfalls... He
shows it's possible to be a star as well as a side-splitter.

Actually, I find Akshay quite good in it. Maybe because of John
who was not at all extempore nor natural. It was very clear that
John was TRYING to be funny, whereas Akshay was doing it all as
normal.

I liked Akshay's dialogue when he goes on a long winded
statement trying to remember some relation's name and then
saying "woh jo school le jaata hai, bastaa uthaataa hai." etc.
etc. and then recalling "haa.N. baap." He was trying to remember
what a baap is called. It was good attempt, however it was too
long and was somehow appeared low key, and then quickly merged
to the next thing so that several might have just missed it.

It starts with office when Akshay is boss of John, but after
John is made the boss, the office part is totally done away
with. seemd odd.

End of the film was absolutely unnatural, just forced.

I found the film quite neat and clean, thus not living up to
Garam Masala Title. there were some photography scenes, there
were song scenes, but nothing much the way the film is being
publicised. No suggestive double meaning dialogue etc.

[Gafoor]

Post by Baradwaj Rangan
Thank God for Paresh Rawal. The actor has now reached a point where he
simply has to show up, and our hands are already clutching our sides,
anticipating their inevitable split.

I think I must be the only person who has found Paresh Rawal to be a
pain in each & every movie - I don't recall any movie where I liked him.

[Gafoor]

Post by Gafoor

Post by Baradwaj Rangan
Thank God for Paresh Rawal. The actor has now reached a point where
he simply has to show up, and our hands are already clutching our
sides, anticipating their inevitable split.

I think I must be the only person who has found Paresh Rawal to be a
pain in each & every movie - I don't recall any movie where I liked him.

I am mainly referring to his so called comedy roles. He is good
in serious roles like Satya.

[Champak Bhumiya]

Post by Gafoor

Post by Gafoor

Post by Baradwaj Rangan
Thank God for Paresh Rawal. The actor has now reached a point where
he simply has to show up, and our hands are already clutching our
sides, anticipating their inevitable split.

I think I must be the only person who has found Paresh Rawal to be a
pain in each & every movie - I don't recall any movie where I liked him.

I am mainly referring to his so called comedy roles. He is good
in serious roles like Satya.

I liked him as a comedian in Mohra, Hera Pheri and Chachi 420. In all
other moveis where
he played a comedian, he was irritating.
anyhow the best piece of activing I have sene by Paresh RAwal is as a
villain (or a villian's main sidekick) in some early 90' raddi movie
starring Sunny Deol and Sanjay Dutt. His acting aftr
he gets bitten by german shephards was very good.

Champak

[rkusenet]

Post by Champak Bhumiya
I liked him as a comedian in Mohra, Hera Pheri and Chachi 420. In all
other moveis where
he played a comedian, he was irritating.
anyhow the best piece of activing I have sene by Paresh RAwal is as a
villain (or a villian's main sidekick) in some early 90' raddi movie

Yodha ?

Post by Champak Bhumiya
starring Sunny Deol and Sanjay Dutt. His acting aftr
he gets bitten by german shephards was very good.

[yeskay]

Post by Champak Bhumiya

Post by Gafoor

Post by Gafoor

Post by Baradwaj Rangan
Thank God for Paresh Rawal. The actor has now reached a point where
he simply has to show up, and our hands are already clutching our
sides, anticipating their inevitable split.

I think I must be the only person who has found Paresh Rawal to be a
pain in each & every movie - I don't recall any movie where I liked him.

I am mainly referring to his so called comedy roles. He is good
in serious roles like Satya.

I liked him as a comedian in Mohra, Hera Pheri and Chachi 420. In all
other moveis where
he played a comedian, he was irritating.
anyhow the best piece of activing I have sene by Paresh RAwal is as a
villain (or a villian's main sidekick) in some early 90' raddi movie
starring Sunny Deol and Sanjay Dutt. His acting aftr
he gets bitten by german shephards was very good.
Champak

He was good in some MB movies like Naam, Sir etc. He is OKay in
Priyan's movies, but he is generally irritating in most other
movies esp Awara Pagal Deewana.