Review of Kurbaan (2009) by Alexandria D — 21 Jul 2011

First of all, let it be known that this is not a Bollywood film - which so many seem to think is the only kind of movie that can be done by India (Wikipedia included). Secondly, note that there are really only so many ways to pull off a movie on Terrorism in order to keep it super original these days, so you really just have to dig the storyline or not. I however liked Kurbaan's approach to Terrorists vs. America - as here we see how different cultures are affected by acts of both parties, the length terrorists go to in order to pull off their goals, and a somewhat deeper view as to why suicide bombers choose their path - now, note I said "somewhat" as I have seen deeper perspectives, but since this is not the average "hey I hate you America..die" kind of deal, it gets a nod for effort. The cast's acting is also something to note, as they did a rather fine job - although you can see that not much effort was done in filling the roles of non essential characters (the American cops, the students in the university, Airport personnel..etc). There is also a lot of tension in this film, too much, because it kind of makes everything obvious from day one and leaves very little space for suspicions and surprises. The movie's biggest downfall is that the story was overly drawn out and fluffed with insignificant fluff, so much so that I can understand why others would label it boring.

Now, while Kareena did a decent job of acting, her character was a snooze and not very smart. So if you're looking for a really strong female lead, this may not be first pick. The characters to stand out the most belong to Saif and Vivek, and a few of the guys in the terrorist cell. Both are packed with emotions and are intent on fulfilling their own purposes; yet, I must say that even they are lacking.

Yes, there is action in Kurbaan, but it mostly comes in the last quarter - and its still not something very riveting: there is a car chase, and some standoff moments at a train station which include some bombs, gun butts, and unarmed combat.

This is an okay movie. Didn't exactly hold my attention for its almost 2 hours since everything was so darn obvious, but its worth a watch.