What is the only thing that you don’t want missing in a thriller? Thrill. And that is precisely what is missing in Missing.
For, it does tick all the other boxes. There is an intriguing plot, a far flung location, sharp editing and cinematography, and a trio of the best actors you could have to pull off success in the genre. The whole, however, was no way near the sum of its parts.
A couple Aparna (Tabu) and Sushant (ManojBajpayee) are jolted when their three-year-old daughter goes missing from a Mauritian resort. Aparna especially begins to lose it, while Sushant tries to keep his head together and orchestrate the hunt.
Enter the chief investigating Mauritius police officer (Annu Kapoor), and cops shake up the resort to dig into the mystery. And during this digging on, Aparna and Sushant begin to act in a bizarre fashion, revealing that all is not as it seems – perhaps, for some audiences, revealing much more than they should be at this particular stage of the narration.
There are lies – a string of them, the start and end of which one never quite knows. And the stage is set for intrigue, deceit, oft-misplaced and sometimes unintended comedy – in no particular order.
But what remains missing throughout this psychological mystery thriller, is thrill, mystery – especially if you’ve watched a sufficient number of films from this genre – and proper investment of the ‘little grey cells’ as Hercule Poirot would say, imitating whom in Missing is Annu Kapoor, as Ramkhilawan Buddhu, whose French exclamations are as artificial as the facade over the screenplay. This is despite Kapoor having taken French classes for his role.
Even so, it indeed is Annu Kapoor who prevents Missing from becoming a monotonous, unwatchable, nothing-fest in what he brings to the screen. It might be annoying on multiple occasions, but when one realises that whatever preceded or followed it wasn’t exactly a mountain full of excitement, one gradually begins to appreciate this breather.
Missing is a dockyard-to-hotel sprint that doesn’t take too long – neither in story time, nor screen time. But despite the swift narration, and fast plot, it doesn’t quite keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
This is not to suggest there isn’t suspense. But most of it is dedicated to one wondering where the script would falter next, or what red herring the film would throw next. And even if one really is waiting for the climax, it’s not because one wants to know the solution, but because one really wants the film to end.
Of course, what makes this even more perturbing is the fact that a few fixes here and there and Missing could have been a decent thriller. And with Manoj Bajpayee, Tabu and Annu Kapoor at the helm, that really should have been the starting point for the film’s ambitions.
This is especially true given that neither Bajpayee nor Tabu is exactly at their peak powers in the film. Yes, some of it is owing to the haphazard nature of the script that was handed out to them, but some of it could be because halfway through the film they probably stopped believing in it.
Mukul Abhyankar, as both the director and writer of the movie, would have to take most of the blame here, for not getting nearly as much out of the ingredients at his disposal – most of which he had invented himself.
Missing isn’t exactly the best movie you’ll see this year, or one Bajpayee and Tabu’s best performances. The only way it might be worth your watch, is if you’re new to the genre and don’t pay much attention up until the film’s climax.
For, it does tick all the other boxes. There is an intriguing plot, a far flung location, sharp editing and cinematography, and a trio of the best actors you could have to pull off success in the genre. The whole, however, was no way near the sum of its parts.
A couple Aparna (Tabu) and Sushant (ManojBajpayee) are jolted when their three-year-old daughter goes missing from a Mauritian resort. Aparna especially begins to lose it, while Sushant tries to keep his head together and orchestrate the hunt.
Enter the chief investigating Mauritius police officer (Annu Kapoor), and cops shake up the resort to dig into the mystery. And during this digging on, Aparna and Sushant begin to act in a bizarre fashion, revealing that all is not as it seems – perhaps, for some audiences, revealing much more than they should be at this particular stage of the narration.
There are lies – a string of them, the start and end of which one never quite knows. And the stage is set for intrigue, deceit, oft-misplaced and sometimes unintended comedy – in no particular order.
But what remains missing throughout this psychological mystery thriller, is thrill, mystery – especially if you’ve watched a sufficient number of films from this genre – and proper investment of the ‘little grey cells’ as Hercule Poirot would say, imitating whom in Missing is Annu Kapoor, as Ramkhilawan Buddhu, whose French exclamations are as artificial as the facade over the screenplay. This is despite Kapoor having taken French classes for his role.
Even so, it indeed is Annu Kapoor who prevents Missing from becoming a monotonous, unwatchable, nothing-fest in what he brings to the screen. It might be annoying on multiple occasions, but when one realises that whatever preceded or followed it wasn’t exactly a mountain full of excitement, one gradually begins to appreciate this breather.
Missing is a dockyard-to-hotel sprint that doesn’t take too long – neither in story time, nor screen time. But despite the swift narration, and fast plot, it doesn’t quite keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
This is not to suggest there isn’t suspense. But most of it is dedicated to one wondering where the script would falter next, or what red herring the film would throw next. And even if one really is waiting for the climax, it’s not because one wants to know the solution, but because one really wants the film to end.
Of course, what makes this even more perturbing is the fact that a few fixes here and there and Missing could have been a decent thriller. And with Manoj Bajpayee, Tabu and Annu Kapoor at the helm, that really should have been the starting point for the film’s ambitions.
This is especially true given that neither Bajpayee nor Tabu is exactly at their peak powers in the film. Yes, some of it is owing to the haphazard nature of the script that was handed out to them, but some of it could be because halfway through the film they probably stopped believing in it.
Mukul Abhyankar, as both the director and writer of the movie, would have to take most of the blame here, for not getting nearly as much out of the ingredients at his disposal – most of which he had invented himself.
Missing isn’t exactly the best movie you’ll see this year, or one Bajpayee and Tabu’s best performances. The only way it might be worth your watch, is if you’re new to the genre and don’t pay much attention up until the film’s climax.