A Wednesday (2008) Reviews

• A fascinating high-octane confrontation between two veteran thespians

  geetmaurya2008-09-06

  A Wednesday, are among the best - and bravest - films to come out in 2008. Only one word to describe it: remarkable! A Wednesday tells the story of certain events that take place between 2 and 6 pm on a Wednesday in Mumbai. Events that are not on any record. 'A Wednesday,' questions the injustice done to the common man, when innocents meet their end, following bomb blasts. The story rests on the shoulders of two stalwarts, Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah supported ably by Jimmy Shergill and Aamir Bashir. As the city police commissioner, Anupam lends the role dignity and he has executed it brilliantly. Naseeruddin Shah steals the show with his character. Jimmy Shergill is every inch the cool guy. Aamir Bashir leaves a mark too. Even the characters of the four militants has been portrayed well, especially Kali Prasad Mukherjee, the main terrorist There is a reason that has been kept a closely guarded secret! There is a reason why this case has no written proof! There is a reason ..... for everything!

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• A breathtaking picture that is both relevant, important and entertaining.

  Peter_Young2009-06-12

  What can be said about this film? Like many other films made recently, this one is different from the typical Hindi masala flicks (nothing against them, I think they're wonderful), there are no songs, there is no combination of different genres in one film, it is not a three-hour film. It's a simple, small film of one hour and a half, yet it succeeds to depict an entire world in this limited time. The story begins as an ordinary thriller about a common man who calls the police and informs them about 5 bombs he has allegedly placed all over Mumbai, which he'll get exploded if they don't release four terrorists. The way every scene is carried by the director is very impressive and the dialogues are realistic. The film flows as a great thriller as time passes by, but then unexpectedly becomes into a dramatic story as it unfolds the motives of this common man. The film does not want us to side any party, it wants us to understand the consequences of war, violence and hatred. It wants us to understand how it affects ordinary people. The story is not bigger than life, nor does it intend to be one. The fact that Naseeruddin Shah's character is unnamed only contributes to the universal message of the film. There are many sequences of different people shown in different portions of the film which are just amazing. The one when the officer played by Anupam Kher asks the policeman played by Aamir Bashir about his family status, and his willingness to find the bomb. The guy answers that he's married with a recently born baby girl, yet he'll do anything to find the bomb. Another, when Naseer recalls the young nice guy he met every day in the train, the one who was preparing to marry someone, and gets killed the following day at the 2006 Mumbai train bombings. People must get what happens as a result of terror. The characters in this film are very well defined: a great and respected Police Commissioner, an ambitious journalist, a hot-tempered policeman who takes his job seriously, a common man who feels hurt, and many other policemen who'd give their life for the country. The film depicts national pride and the passion different people have for their work without going to large extents and unnecessary melodrama. It's done in a very realistic manner. The entire cast is wonderful, from leading actors to extras. Naseeruddin Shah does not know how to give a bad performance. He doesn't have to speak a lot or make strange facial expressions to be convincing. He doesn't have to play a grandiose king to make his role bigger than life. His dialogues come from the heart. It is yet another unforgettable performance from Naseer, the one and only. Anupam Kher is restrained and brilliant. The difference between the way he portrays serious yet sensitive men and the way he portrays comic and funny people is thrilling and incredible. Jimmy Shergill is amazing in a small yet pivotal role of a intransigent, hot-tempered, angry, disciplined and serious policeman. So is Aamir Bashir. Deepal Shaw is effective. Well, in conclusion, A Wednesday is an entertaining film with a universal message. Watch it, you'll enjoy it, and you will learn to look at certain things differently.

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• A Must See

  yogesh-kalyankar2008-10-08

  There are a few movies that entertain, there are a few movies that give message and then there are a few movies that you can relate to. A Wednesday is definitely one such movie. The story revolves around an anonymous man (Shah) who calls up the commissioner of police (Kher) and informs him about the bombs that he has placed. Bomb blast is something that I personally am scared of. It had ripped Mumbai in 1993 and then in local train and bus. Only people stood by each other. It followed thru out the country. And what can one common man do? . The story line is fantastic. Its hard to believe that this is Neeraj Pandey's first movie and he has taken a gigantic leap without including any songs. The movie itself is only one and a half hours - half of what Bollywood movies usually are. Then he has not shown the police administration either as corrupt or the bookish kind of honest. He has probably taken the real view of police department And then the cast. Naseerudding Shah is one actor who can crawl under the skin of any character. Be it the coach in Iqbal or the pirate in The League of Extra-ordinary gentlemen. Then there is Anupam Kher whose acting abilities are still not tapped to the best by any director. These two stalwarts make-up this movie. And this movie does not have him in a stereo typical dads role. Aamir Bashir as Jay and Jimmy Shergill as Arif are just outstanding. Nothing in the movie is out of context. Well-acted, well-directed, well-scripted, well-executed.

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• The worst movie of the top 250

  slashstar6662015-02-27

  What makes a good movie? I say a good movie should have good acting, good sound production, good camera work, good plot, be well directed and so on. What makes a "top 250 grade" movie? Wonderful acting, amazing sound production, astonishing camera work, really unique plot and to be directed by someone who has outstanding talent. And this movie isn't even good. Why? The only thing it has is some kind of a "message". Well, having a message is not enough. It doesn't have anything a movie should have. Acting is just awful, especially the fighting scenes. Music sounds out of place and cartoon punching sounds are just ridiculous. Camera work is strange. Plot is average, or slightly above. And i won't even say anything about the director. First of all, this movie looks like a cheap TV drama. And i know it has low budget. But making shots of a cat getting thrown from around the corner or ridiculous fighting scenes with cartoon sounds has nothing to do with money, it's a matter of taste. Those who made the movie just don't have it. Next, CGI. Yes, it does have it. But it would be much better if it didn't. Because showing the audience some strange black silhouettes unnaturally flying out of an explosion doesn't make the movie look more believable, it makes it laughable. Well, CGI costs money. Congratulations to the creators of the movie - they found the worst way to waste it. Because if you don't have enough money to do good special effects, you shouldn't probably do them at all. Also, introducing a superhero-cop character in a movie that is supposed to be an intense moderately realistic thriller with some drama mixed in wasn't such a good idea. So, as a result we have a movie that looks bad, sounds bad and feels bad. However, it's kinda useful - without it i would've never known what a really awful movie actually is. This one makes a great reference. I've never actually written a review before. And what made me do it is the fact that this movie somehow made it to the top 250. Believe me, it doesn't belong there. Just doesn't. It's a shame that some site users do not want to rate movies according to their quality, but rather use the flaws of the rating system to push movies from their country to the top just because they want to.

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• Great Eye Opener

  KarthikStallone2008-09-05

  Great Movie, Good thriller and always maintains the intensity. There is no part in the movie which gets you bored. Its full time Entertainment. The movie is short but up to the point. This is a movie where Naseerudin Shah is like a One Man Army who takes over the whole of Bombay police. I really enjoyed it. We need more movies like this. Very Creative. Technically very correct and the movie has a lot of logic. The Direction is superb. Unlike other movies, there are no songs in the movie. The movie can be viewed by family and even teens and I think its for all type of age groups. The whole movie is like the game of chess. Its a puzzle till the end which bursts out at last releasing a shock wave across the movie theatre.

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