'Coolie No. 1' movie review: A mammoth mishit
What's the story
Broadly speaking, there are three kinds of films- Mindful and fun; mindless fun, and mindless yet unfunny. Coolie No. 1, the remake of the iconic comedy, unfortunately belongs to the third category. The movie, directed by David Dhawan and streaming now on Amazon Prime Video, is a terrible mishit, if only it can be called an attempt in the first place. Here's our review.
Plot
Old 'Coolie No. 1' minus fun= New 'Coolie No. 1'
In this film, a brash coolie named Raju (Varun Dhawan) fakes his persona as a filthy rich man to make Sarah, the daughter of a rich businessman (Sara Ali Khan) fall in love with him. However, when his plan comes apart, he cooks up a story about having a twin brother, which sets into motion a series of crazy events.
Details
The only astonishing aspect here is the lack of imagination
Such is the lack of imagination in this movie that Sara, the actor, is called Sarah in the film too. The jokes in it, if they can be called so, are outlandish and nonsensical to the point of sounding cringe worthy. In fact, there are countless moments that will make you want to run out of this rough deal.
Details
And, it just goes on for ages
And God forbid, that is not the only bad thing about this film. Filled with unnecessary drama, lengthy sequences, song remakes and more song remakes, the movie doesn't seem to come to an end even as it gets tiring to keep eyes open. What's even worse is that despite promising to offer nostalgia, it only ends up ruining the fun of watching the original.
Performances
Varun Dhawan puts an exaggerated and overwhelming performance
There are two onscreen versions of Varun Dhawan. One is Varun Dhawan in his father, director David Dhawan's movies, the other is the actor in other movies. However, the first version reeks of desperation and overacting without fail, every time it shows up on the screen. It takes a great deal of patience to watch this overwhelming performance.
Performances
Sara Ali Khan puts a clumsy act
In Coolie No. 1, Sara Ali Khan gives a performance with zero nuance and the kind of ineptitude that might suit an acting student on her first day at school. However, to be fair to the actors, it should be mentioned that the film's paper-thin and illogical script clearly makes it supremely challenging for them to put a decent act.
Final word
To watch or not to watch?
Coolie No. 1 is a tortuous film, whose tremendous foolishness and indifference make it too difficult to finish the process of watching it. Marred by an outlandish screenplay and strikingly flashy performances, the movie makes for such a regrettable experience that should be avoided in the first place. Watch it only at your own risk. Final rating: 1 out of 5 stars.