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Alita: A significant girl in an insignificant film (Movie Review)
By Subhash K. Jha
Film: Alita Battle Angel; Director: Robert Rodriguez; Starring: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz; Rating: ** ½ (Two and a half stars)
“I am a very insignificant girl,” our petite firebrand, easily the most heart-melting super-hero ever, says when she is surrounded by assorted mean machines, who just want to kill her and be done with it.
If only life in a superhero movie were that simple!
Punk cyborgs infest the world of this James Cameron-produced misfire which aims to give the superhero a new Avatar(pun intended). To be sure. Rosa Salazar with those big expressive eyes and a face that launches a thousand airships, is just the kind of new-age heroine we were looking for. A true wonder-woman, no offence meant.
Because of Salazar’s tender years and fragile personality, the film is artfully (though not cleverly enough) perched between being a big-spectacle super-hero adventure and a teen highschool romance. The mix doesn’t make the narrative squirm in an uneasy blend. But neither is the synthesis of sci-fi and silliness conducive to the kind of screen-ripping spectacle that Cameron’s name is associated with.
In short, the film is not short of meat but abysmally short of spice.
Though the female lead is a fine discovery who makes even the most awkward pauses in the script (and there are many of those here, roll your eyes to your heart’s content) negotiable, the film overall delivers a vapid blow, meant only to tease us. No harm intended.
The scale of the film is impressive. We’ve seen post-apocalyptic cities being created ad nauseam in super-hero films. But here the ruination is ravishing. Every detail makes the topographical flaws seem fabulous. And the 3D(a technique I abhor as much as Indra Kumar’s comedy) is used with more restrain and thought than I’ve seen in any recent film.
The narrative does well for itself when running fast. Where the film fails is in the pauses. Those attempts to humanize Alita’s girl-superhero character by making her go gooey-eyed for the neighbourhood boy-man (Keean Johnson) is at best, a giggle fest. At worst, a laughable nuisance.
Sample this. Alita the cyber-girl, all lovelorn and hopelessly devoted, reaches into her blouse. Lover-boy looks panicky. She reassures him and pulls out…her heart. UA lives!
Christoph Waltz whop lays Alita’s Frankenstein has an incurably mournful look about him. He cannot bring to the screen the mystery of a godlike creator. More than Waltz I was intrigued by the actress who plays his nurse. She hardly speaks, always smiles. Perhaps she knows where this film is taking us, better than we do.
The corny tributes to conventional courtship sit uneasily on the narrative, dragging it down to a sluggish slo-mo when all this swish-and-whoosh actioner really wants to do is get down on the floor to do a dance of death. The action is splendid. Cameron’s crew has spared no expenses to ensure a surplus of stunts that explode on to the screen like chorus dancers doing the cha-cha-cha for a visiting dignitary.
It’s all very eye-catching and impressive. But finally it leaves us with nothing to hold on to. What I carried home was Salazar’s lucid eyes speaking more than the words and the action, looking with dreamy curiosity into the camera, searching into the yonder. What was she looking for? Whatever it was, I hope she found it. Because I didn’t.
–IANS
skj/vin/
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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