Queen: Perhaps the sleeper hit of 2014...

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File:QueenMoviePoster7thMarch.jpg

It was worth the wait...Wait for my son's board exams to get over. There were quite a few in the pipeline to watch and decided to give Queen the priority over Highway, the other movie on the card to see.

First things first, people have been talking of Kangana  and her role. Yes she is right there on the top for a role cut out for her. But there are few things I thought that stood right up there, making this movie the first must see of 2014. Surprise Surprise! It is Lisa Haydon! In a role truly cut out for her, this dusky lass showed spunk, attitude and everything else in between to essay this wonderful character, Vijaylakshmi. She was in her elements all through the first half and what made the character stood out, Lisa seemed to be enjoying in the shoes of the character she played. For the first few minutes of her appearance, it was simply hard to realise, it was she. Authentic French accent, perfect costumes and body language. Sorry Kangana! We have to give it to Lisa, every time you shared screen with her. We wish to see more of Lisa!

The second part is the ensemble cast of the foreign characters. Each playing their bit superbly. Understated, nuanced and always in their elements. The Italian or the Russian or the Japanese or the French. Each one of them stood out and provide great support to Kangana. One of the reasons why her character manages to stand out so strongly.

The third has to be, Vikas Bahl for conceptualising and planning this wonderful piece of art. Kudos to the man, his vision and the team at Phantom, who are now almost synonymous to good meaningful cinema.

Moments that stand out in the film, there are many. The first has to be, when Rani's (Kangana's fiancée breaks the news of break up and her reactions, the moments spent with Lisa at the night club and the impromptu dance number, the attempted bag snatching moment in the dark alley of Paris, the first kiss and there are so many... The dialogues are spot on, comic timing are superb and the three cities Delhi, Paris and Amsterdam play a perfect backdrop to the moments. Never at any point in time the Director has tried to force the cities into the realm and the they perhaps play the silent witness to the proceedings. The Eiffel Tower and it's hated-ness factor perhaps never comes out so starkly had it not been for a fantastic conceptualisation of it.

At the end, however, there were many a moments were we wished the plot would have dwelled more into the moment. The drunk confessions of Rani to Vijaylakshmi, the first kiss of Rani, the last rock concert and the coming off age Rani were classic moments where the moment has to stay on, yet seemed to hasten.

Music is spot on with Amity Trivedi never loosing the sight of the moment and the mood.

Go watch it, if you haven't as I prepare to complete the bucket list of movies, in the pipeline. Queen will though, remain right at the top.
  

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