Highway
Directed By: Imtiaz Ali
I very much wanted to watch more International Films and those plans haven’t gone particularly well this year (what plans have?) but the other day the awesome Sophia Ismaa posted about some of her favorite Bollywood films and I thought Highway sounded right up my alley.
Highway is about Veera (Alia Bhatt) whose kidnapped at gunpoint the night before her wedding. They drive her around the country hoping to set up a ransom from her rich family but after awhile Veera begins to feel comfortable with her kidnappers and than she just plain old feels free.
It took a while to get into this movie. In her review Sophia does warn about the Stockholm syndrome element. I think mileage varies on that kind of thing. In the beginning it was bothering me honestly but everything I thought like; oh, that one guy needs to go, I wish we had seen more of her home life they actually do deal with which caused the whole thing to bother me less.
Also I think the director does a good job of connecting her sense of freedom more to the land and the movie is really beautiful. Great cinematography here. I would go in a heartbeat.
The only other thing that kind of bugged me was the actress at times looks so young. I realize she was about 21 at the time of filming and there are times in the film where she looks and comes off like a 20-something woman and other times where’s she’s framed in a way she looks 12. It probably doesn’t help that Randeep Hooda who plays Mahabir, the main kidnapper, looks so much older than her.
I also think the soundtrack and music choices were very good. As this was my first time in Bollywood that was a bit of what I was worried about but even with the subtitles at a certain point you just get into the groove. The music, the scenery and the performances are all nicely combined.
The weird thing is while I watched this subtitled and certainly can’t speak the language… I remember it in English so obviously it mentally translated 🙂
I did like the ending as well. There’s a powerful scene of confrontation that had me tearing up.
Overall I think (hope) this is a really good movie to start. It’s really accessible and it left me excited to try more films. I admit next time I might go for something with more dancing!
Recommend: Yes.
In the states this one is available on Netflix so you can give it a go easily enough!
I often watch more International films these days then English ones. Especially since they are simply very good. I wish more people would take the time to appreciate them and try them out😊 This definitely doesn’t like a bad movie at all. I might go check this one out, when it becomes available here on the other side of the ocean😊 Great review!
Great review! And yay, your first foray into Bollywood! The cinematography is especially beautiful, it’s no wonder that Veera finds her freedom in the high number of scenic routes they take. It’s beautiful when you think about how nature can heal you, but hardly anyone ever thinks to go live in the mountains except for Veera. Even Scarlett has to return to Tara to find solace in nature.
Alia Bhatt looks incredibly young and still does to this day at 27 years old. I do wonder if the whole point was to show her youthfulness and a sort of return to the childhood she never got to experience.
And ooh! I’m quite surprised to hear that the confrontation scene made you cry. That scene was devastating, and Alia’s acting was incredibly powerful. This was just her second film as well!
I’d recommend Yeh Jawaani next, but I have this feeling that you’ll hate Bunny!