All these rave reviews are kind of surprising, because ...surprise... it's not such a good movie. Frankly, if you read between the lines, the only reason this movie is receiving so many rave reviews, is because it is thought to be one (or at least a few) of a kind. Because this 'Raaz' is supposed to be a horror movie. This fact alone is kind of sad, because the corrollary is that if Bollywood came up with a flick that featured full nudity, this would also have to be a hit regardless of the story, just because it was one of a kind.
The story is about a married couple, Sanjana and Aditya, on the brink of divorce. To try to mend their marriage they decide to go to the place they got together. But guess what, the house is haunted. By whom? And why? Those are pretty much the two questions it revolves around.
Having seen quite a few Hollywood horror movies and having seen 'What lies beneath' I knew what the story was about before we even reached intermission. *POSSIBLE SPOILER* The entire movie Sanjana is haunted by a ghost who tries to scare her with wind (yes, you read that right, wind), falling spades, closing doors and windows and ofcourse very fake blood. In one sequence the chandelier in the house starts bleading. Naturally, just having blood trickle down the chandelier would have added to the creep factor, so the director decided on a (very fake) blood shower instead. What Hollywood has done to blowing things up, this movie has done to blood.
What I also found quite annoying was the lack of consistency and logical thinking. *VERY BIG SPOILER* At one point the ghost takes possession of a man's body. A man who is dead. When the man is crushed between a tree and a car, the ghost seems to lose consciousness?! How is this possible? If a ghost can possess a dead body, surely it can possess a crushed dead body. And if the ghost can possess a dead body, why doesn't she just take control of her own body which has just been dug up. Or of the unconscious body of the best friend of the lead. Or even of the lead herself. As with all horrors, this one is also rife with inconsistencies.
This all makes it seem that I hated the movie. Well, I didn't. Bipasha Basu is as always extremely fetching. And Dino also delivers quite a performance. Plus you have to admire Bollywood tackling issues like adultery. *SPOILER* Though, the ending of Sanjana taking Aditya back after not only cheating on her but solely being responsible for a ghost trying to whack her, was very weak. It would have been much better if they would have let her dump his ass.
If you wanna be scared out of your wits watching a horror movie, this ain't it. You'll be better off turning to Hollywood for movies like Child's Play, Resident Evil or even What Lies Beneath. If you just wanna enjoy yourself for 2+ hours, this will definitely do the trick.
**/5 stars
The story is about a married couple, Sanjana and Aditya, on the brink of divorce. To try to mend their marriage they decide to go to the place they got together. But guess what, the house is haunted. By whom? And why? Those are pretty much the two questions it revolves around.
Having seen quite a few Hollywood horror movies and having seen 'What lies beneath' I knew what the story was about before we even reached intermission. *POSSIBLE SPOILER* The entire movie Sanjana is haunted by a ghost who tries to scare her with wind (yes, you read that right, wind), falling spades, closing doors and windows and ofcourse very fake blood. In one sequence the chandelier in the house starts bleading. Naturally, just having blood trickle down the chandelier would have added to the creep factor, so the director decided on a (very fake) blood shower instead. What Hollywood has done to blowing things up, this movie has done to blood.
What I also found quite annoying was the lack of consistency and logical thinking. *VERY BIG SPOILER* At one point the ghost takes possession of a man's body. A man who is dead. When the man is crushed between a tree and a car, the ghost seems to lose consciousness?! How is this possible? If a ghost can possess a dead body, surely it can possess a crushed dead body. And if the ghost can possess a dead body, why doesn't she just take control of her own body which has just been dug up. Or of the unconscious body of the best friend of the lead. Or even of the lead herself. As with all horrors, this one is also rife with inconsistencies.
This all makes it seem that I hated the movie. Well, I didn't. Bipasha Basu is as always extremely fetching. And Dino also delivers quite a performance. Plus you have to admire Bollywood tackling issues like adultery. *SPOILER* Though, the ending of Sanjana taking Aditya back after not only cheating on her but solely being responsible for a ghost trying to whack her, was very weak. It would have been much better if they would have let her dump his ass.
If you wanna be scared out of your wits watching a horror movie, this ain't it. You'll be better off turning to Hollywood for movies like Child's Play, Resident Evil or even What Lies Beneath. If you just wanna enjoy yourself for 2+ hours, this will definitely do the trick.
**/5 stars