Game Review: Misses the thrilling element

“Magic of thrillers will return with film Game," claimed the debutant director Abhinay Deo. Lets analyse if the magic is back.

When we think about suspense thrillers there are few things that viewers want to see in the film. First and foremost is holding on to the audience interest till the last moment of the film. The identity of the killer should come out as a shock to the viewers and finally the logic behind each action should be convincing enough for the audience to believe in the script. But, unfortunately, Game misses on the main elements of a whodunit.

Game is a story of four strangers- Neil Menin (Abhishek Bachchan), O.P. Ramsay (Boman Irani), Tisha Khanna (Sahana Goswami) and Vikram Kapoor (Jimmy Shergil), who are invited by a billionaire Kabir Malhotra (Anupam Kher) to his private island of Samos, Greece.

While, Neil is a businessman with several legal and illegal investments. Ramsay is a politician from Thailand. Vikran is a well known Bollywood superstar and Tisha is a crime journalist. All the four of them including the owner of the island are strangers to each other. The very next morning all the four will wish they had never come to that island.

The second half of the film leaves you bewildered and struggling to get the connections between each actions occurring in the film. In fact, Game has a direct resemblance from the 1960s and 1970s cinema, which doesn't go with today's mindset.

Abhinay Deo fails to narrate the story. Game lacks the flow in the storytelling and fails to convince the viewers. Even the screenplay written by Althea Delmas Kaushal goes for a toss after the very first hour of the film. The first hour of the film manages to hold your attention with its little twist and turns, the second half however, tests your patience. It leaves you irritated and puzzled.

It is difficult to believe that Farhan Akhtar is behind the very existence of the film, Javed Akhtar had written the lyrics of Game and Shankar Ehsaan Loy has composed music for the film. Even after having such big names attached to Game, the story and even the music fails to touch the audience. Neither of the songs are striking enough to seep into your subconscious mind, not even the item song performed by Sara Jane Dias.

Though Game fails to make an impact, Abhishek Bachchan gets a lot of scope to prove his acting skills. He has given a fine performance, but even a mind blowing performance of an actor can't manage to hide the loopholes in the script. Kangana as usual was good at her acting. Though the efforts taken by her in her dialogue delivery is seen though the film, she still has to go a long way to get the correct English diction.

Sara Jane Dias, gave a decent debut. She looks gorgeous and stylish in the film. Anupam Kher is wasted in the script, while Boman Irani is over the top this time. Jimmy Shergil has a minute role. Even Sahana Goswami is wasted in the film. Gauhar Khan is alright. Mohan Kapur is first-rate. Benjamin Gilani is adequate.