First off, consider it admitted by me that romantic comedies
are not very high on my list of favourite genres. Now, if I can be so bold as to throw a little
confusion into the mix, I should state that well done romantic comedies are
very high on my list of favourite movies.
I have in the past likened rom-coms with horror movies, in that there are a lot made, they
usually are quite poorly written and stick to well over-used tropes, and good
ones come along very rarely. A good
romantic comedy entertains, but also has the ability to remind the audience of
why love is such a powerful emotion.
Jab We Met is a
2007 Bollywood romantic comedy which is one of the rare movies that hangs on the
formula and clichés and is still a delight to watch. The lead actors fit their roles in a very
sincere way, making their characters very believable and intriguing at the same
time. As well, the film had a definite
charm and personality to it. When
aspects such as those are present, who cares if it relies on a formula because
it is a treat nonetheless.
The movie follows the story of Aditya (Shahid Kapoor), a
rich business executive whose life is in turmoil after the passing of his
father, an affair from his mother, and the woman he loves is tying the knot
with another gent. Depressed, he wanders
aimlessly and boards a train, destination unknown. On the train he meets the ever so chatty Geet
(Kareena Kapoor) who pesters him with verbiage, thus beginning their
miss-adventures together. It is not the
typical ‘loath at first sight’, but it is darn close.
The performances by the leads is the strongest aspect of
this film. Geet is a girl who is
annoyingly chatty, yet innocent and disarming at the same time, contrasting
traits that seem very opposite and they are integrated seamlessly in Kareena Kapoor’s
performance. Shahid Kapoor portrays an
emotionally distressed vessel extremely well, and as the film progresses he
competently shows some very powerful emotions.
As I had admitted in the opening that I am not one who
rapidly seeks out romantic comedies, I need also admit that song and dance not
only confuse my being, but also lead to anger and disdain. If I am facing complex circumstances, if
life’s got me down and I am ‘oh so glum’, or if I am just feelin’ ‘top of the
world’ kind of good, I do not ever have the urge to express or work through
said issues through the mediums of song or dance. I cannot understand why anyone would, and
therefore do not understand the very foundation of musicals. However, I did have a great time during the
musical numbers in Jab We Met, mostly
due to the locations and the vibrant colours of the dancer’s outfits. I cannot tell you any of the lyrics to the
songs because my eyes were glued on the visual candy of the scenery and were
unable to track the subtitles, very high praise from a tone-deaf humbug such as
myself.
It was not without its faults, however, which lead to a less
than inspiring third act. Unfortunately
after having me absolutely hooked for the first hour and a half, Jab We Met turned to a cliché that is
never salvageable, and that is the sit-com standby of having easily corrected
miscommunication which serves as a vehicle for the plot. The writing really did take a down turn as
the situations were turning into ones that someone with a simple grasp of
phrasing or comprehension of at least two multi-syllabic words could handily
avoid. It left me feeling quite
disconnected to the film for a solid forty minutes or so, something that a
little more script polishing could have taken care of.
That aside, the movie was a treat. I had never witnessed a Bollywood movie
before, and this was a great introduction to it. It was charming, hilarious, and even though
it had a bit of a bed pooping, it ended with some solid emotional impact. I cannot praise the actors enough, as they
took a by the numbers comedy and gave it heart and substance.
Rating - 3 out of 4 stars
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