"Gangster" this ain't!. Review on Kites Movie

The story goes that Rakesh Roshan was much impressed with Anurag Basu's directorial skills in Gangster, and decided he was the one who was going to direct Kites. A story that was going to have Hrithik, a good actor by all means, in the lead. Sounds good, definitely gave me, an Anurag Basu and Hrithik fan, something to look forward to. I think Gangster was an excellent love story...believable and entertaining....those two adjectives fit the actor Hrithik very well too....so is Kites a credible love story...NOT AT ALL!

PLOT:

You must all know the story by now, but in case you dont, Kites is the story of two supposedly star crossed lovers in Las Vegas: hustler/dancer Jay (Hrithik) and a Mexican immigrant out to get a rich husband Natasha/Linda (Barbara Mori). They each happen to be engaged to two loathsome casino owner types...Nick Brown and Kangana Ranaut (dont even remember their screen names...thats how impressive they were!). When the lovers decide to run away together, the odious casino guys and the police (for some strange reason), give them chase all over Vegas, texas, mexico....places that are dry and desert like! Lots of car chases, shoot outs, and two marriages later, the two lovers (in name only by the way) are united..in the spritual way only!

My Take:

The nonsensical plot in itself must tell you why Kites does not live up to its hype.

Terrible, terrible Hrithik Roshan...you dont take three years off movies, and then come back with THIS travesty of a movie...not fair to your fans. I am loath to blame Anurag Basu for this debacle, coz this movie has a strong Rakesh Roshan melodramatic odour to it.

There is so much wrong with this movie that I dont know where to begin. Terrible premise to begin with...a man as gorgeous and charismatic as Jay is , CANNOT possibly be believable as a cold- blooded hustler who marries poor immigrant women for a few hundred dollars....it is obvious to anyone that he could do much better! Then the fact that he does an abrupt turn around and becomes a weepy (oh yes, Hrithik cries copious tears!) besotted lover in a heartbeat is even more unbelievable. I could not identify with Hrithik in the movie at all...if he must cry on screen, it has to be for a better reason than watching his girlfriend of a few days drive away.

Barbara Mori, for some reason, was more believable than Hrithik. She has a lovely impish smile that lights up the screen, and a wonderfully natural screen presence....which just made Hrithik look like he was over acting ALL THE MORE! Having said that though, they did have great chemistry.....which unfortunately gets lost in way too many action sequences.

For all my cribbing about Hrithik, he does look stunning in the movie. Its just that we already know he is a Greek God...but he used to be a Greek God who could act! Hope to have that actor back in his next movie.

I really dont have much else to say about this movie...a disappointing write off in every way for me :(