When emotions really pull us, crying is not bad. Feeling for others and sharing sorrow is not a sign of weakness. Then, crying for something not so sensitive or emotionally unattached called for pity unless it is trickery. A request to share other’s sorrows where we cannot emotionally connect to them will be called as acting. ’We are family’ fails to make people cry and if they cry it must be because of the boredom. There is not much to laugh and if they laugh, chances are that they may be trying to make some sense out of the nonsense and found it is impossible.
3 Year after marriage, Maya (Kajol) an ex housewife with her 3 children cannot think of the idea that Aman, (Arjun Rampal), the ex husband and father getting interested in another girl. The other girl, Shreya (Kareena Kapoor) is a fashion designer and she is interested in Aman for his ’silent strong nature’. To work out a relation, Aman request Maya to interact with his children. The children do not co operate. With some manipulation (Sandwiches, Noodles and Ice creams), Shreya get hold of the children and suddenly a child miss like God know how and Maya brings the child. This brings the end of Shreya’s adventures with children. Now the term is fixed that if Shreya ever wants to meet the children, she has to take Maya’s permission. While Aman-Shreya relation is in trouble arrives bad news for Maya, she got cervical cancer and have to live moments, not years. Aman rejoins Maya. And, how the step mom arrives? Do watch if interested after reading the review.
The subject is over decade old. Cycled and recycled by many across the world, the subject had potential. We are Family however is proof that even success formulas can be ruined if the connecting cord is not made strong.
The major problem is in the writing. The artificial story is delivered in compartments. The link to connect the compartments and pull it to one direction, the engine was weak or absent. The story compartments distinct from one another and failed to move the audience to any direction as there have no movement for the whole train. The introduction of Shreya to the family was the first compartment, Shreya’s first romancing with children the second, Maya’s retake of children and situation the third, Maya’s disease the 4th and the arrival of step mom the 5th and the epilogue the 6th. Each compartment is well distinct from one another and it was a horror to see how they connect each compartment without giving a scene space. Characters, their thought and attitude changed in a flash. It didn’t help to sink the situation to the audience.
Another major problem for the film was lack of reason or logic. All twists and turnings in the story were accidental. The film does not explain how Shreya fell with the cake - Accidental. On the shifting day, suddenly the photo shoot was delayed and Maya’s phone is switch off. How Aman didn’t know the delay earlier and had to depend on Shreya? Accidental. How Shreya repeats hundred times she is not the mom type but she manages things better than mom. How come? Accidental. The film doesn’t say where the little girl was missing and how Maya find her before others (Unless Maya hide her to win the situation) - Accidental. How Shreya get hold of the children? Imagine a top entry for world class fashion competition struggle to fix the ’bra’ of the top model (after all dressing is finished) and imagine it is short for an inch plus!! No alternative bra is available and the team is about to out of the show. Imagine a kid who are yet to start her schooling, lips the buckle of her mother’s dress in the dressing room and give it to the ’Witch’ she hate to win the competition - Accidental. The smaller child is allergic to peanuts and if she eat it, it may cause death. The caring mother gives this detail in the never ending list of things, but not as a special information. The career woman prepares a fancy cake with peanuts and the mother accidentally finds that too and save the situation in the last second to start a fight to collapse. Accidental! I don’t like noodles and I completely disliked this noodle connections. At the end, when the elder daughter’s marriage is happening and the step mom look into camera, I was expecting the original mom appearing in the balcony just like that, accidental, given that they don’t show the original mom is died or not earlier. Thankfully it didn’t happen but it must be Accidental.
The best of attraction for the film was Kajol who never fails. She impresses in the beginning and in some final part, but disappoints otherwise. In place of worry she expressed jealousy and spread venom of insecurity instead of sympathy of uncertainty. Common Kajol, you could have done it better. May be I had high expectation, but Kajol failed Maya to win the sympathy. Arjun Rampal just played the role as if it is an easy walk for him. Nothing exceptional! Kareena Kapoor on the other hand looks cool and impresses. She too had to concede moments for the script. The little kid is ok, but the elder kids disappoint.
Cinematography is good and pleasant.
Songs and choreography are not up to mark. They failed to make any contribution. They arrive when there is no way the film can move ahead and leave without making any impression.
Costumes are impressive.
The casting director, (oh yes, the film is not only western in its content, looks, and situations but in the making too) worth applauds for selecting the lead 3 despite the fact that the writing and director failed them. I felt the casting of elder children could have been better.
I wish the makers chose for ’Akasadoothu’ (Message from the sky, a Malayalam film from Siby Malayil, 1993) where a widow mother had to assign responsibility of her children to somebody before she dies. The film ’Akasadoothu’ had a real soul and a heart touching story to say where audience with a heart cannot leave the theater without tears when the mother didn’t succeed in the process.
The step mom depends too much on noodles. The Mom needed more needles. I don’t like noodles or needles and no wonder I didn’t like the film. ’We Are Family’ is a gross disappointment.