The Bluff Movie Review: Hollow Formulated Entertainment
Let me begin with an honest confession; any movie backed by the Russo Brothers comes with a great trailer but ultimately leaves you with hollowness (except ofcourse the MCU projects). The Bluff, directed by Frank E. Flowers and starring Karl Urban and our very own Priyanka Chopra, promised to be an intense action thriller from the minute the trailer dropped. But did it actually deliver what it promised? Let me decode it for you.
In Short
- Karl Urban and Priyanka Chopra shine in their performances.
- The Action Scenes are well-designed.
- Crisp and to the point.
- But lacks depth and fails to leave a mark.
What’s it About?
Priyanka Chopra stars as the main protagonist named Ercell. She leads a peaceful life on a small island with her son and sister-in-law while her husband, Captain T.H. Bodden, is out on a voyage. One day, a rogue buccaneer of the British East India Company, Captain Connor (Karl Urban), raids her homeland and family in search of a treasure stolen from him. But Ercell refuses to give up and ignites a long-lost personality.
What Works?
Performances
The film stands firmly on the performances of the two leading actors – Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Karl Urban. They have delivered a truly paisa vasool performance. Their roles were not written in great depth, and they were very limited in what they could do. But both of them pulled it off with finesse. Priyanka Chopra shone especially in the action scenes, and I am really looking forward to seeing her in S. S. Rajamouli’s next Varanasi.
Action Scenes
The Bluff is backed by the Russo brothers. The OG creators of action spectacles. So, it goes without saying that this film is packed with Action scenes. From the very beginning, the film follows the formulated approach of beginning with a spectacular action scene. It will definitely remind you of Pirates of the Caribbean. It follows a raid sequence at Ercell’s residence, which is the most hyped action scene, as per me. Guaranteed to keep you hooked on the screens.
Cinematography
The film is backed by an elite list of producers and has a high production value. It is shot in amazing scenic locations, which again falls under the age-old formula for a pirate film. But the way the scenes are shot, along with the locations, makes them look stunning and pleasing.
Crisp and To The Point
The films have a run time of around 1 hour and 43 minutes and are designed to be crisp, short, and to the point. Well, this pleases the viewing behavior of today’s crowd, who are too hard to keep glued. But this actually takes out the fun of detailing.
For example, if you follow films like A History of Violence or Leo, you will find that the protagonist tries to give in to the demands of the goons and lets it settle down peacefully. They only get into violence when they are pushed to their limits. Here we can see that from the initial moment, Ercell starts taking out the goons with her impeccable fighting skills. A proper build-up would have impressed me more.
Bad, sadly, these are the good things that I can say about this film.
What Doesn’t Work?
Story
The film is made in a formulated way designed to give high entertainment value to the viewers at designated intervals. It sadly lacks any drama or emotional depth for the characters, which are required as filler moments between the action scenes. The story is wafer-thin, and when you start watching, you can guess the climax from the very beginning. It is designed to be watched casually, like a second viewing while you are completing your chores.
There are moments like the South Indian movies where the supporting characters are hyping the protagonist, but ultimately, there’s no big reveal. We are shown about the glorified, so-called dangerous past of Priyanka Chopra’s character in very brief moments. I am still not sure why the film is titled “The Bluff” and what was so scary about PC’s character.
Waste of Side Characters
The film had some promising side characters. Like the pastor who also had a history of violence, Mr. Lee and others. But they were not given any attention by the makers, and despite promising to be fireworks at first went to waste.
Underwhelming Climax
The climax promised to be a roller coaster ride. It started well, but ultimately it felt really flat. The character of Karl Urban was hyped and shown as a strong antagonist, but his end was very easily done. Not at all impressive.
Russo Brothers have produced and directed various web films like Extraction, The Gray Man, and even the Citadel series. Despite being masala action entertainers, they all lacked cinematic brilliance. I just hope that they deliver the most hyped film of the year, Avengers: Doomsday. Fingers crossed.
Final Words
Rating:
If you are looking for an entertaining watch this weekend with your entire family without needing to use a lot of your grey matter, then The Bluff should be on your watchlist. It had its highs, but despite all of this, there are a lot of things missing.
Avik
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