Friday, February 24, 2012

Movie Review: Jodi Breakers is a partly funny marry-go-round





Director: Ashwini Chaudhary
Cast: Madhavan, Bipasha Basu

Jodi Breakers is set on the premise that relationships have gone fragile in modern times and chemistry between several contemporary couples fail after a point in time. That's what is happening with films as well. Most of them fail to have a connect with the audience and even the ones that do are only partially successful. Like this one!


Sid (Madhavan) is a divorcee and a divorce expert - he helps people seeking divorce, for a fee. With Sonali (Bipasha Basu), he forms a clandestine company of Jodi Breakers who help such incompatible couples go their separate ways, without any legal complications. On one such assignment to Greece, they wrongly split a couple in love (Milind Soman - Dipannita Sharma). Seized with guilt pangs, they subsequently decide to reunite the duo to make up for their mistake. And in process they themselves also expectedly fall in love.

Jodi Breakers derives its basic essence from 2010's surprise hit Band Baaja Baaraat, though ironically while that film was set on the backdrop of wedding planning business; this one has the backdrop of wedding breakup business. But beyond that the basic plot-points in the narrative of both films bear a striking resemblance. Like Sid and Sonali maintain a purely professional relationship until they indulge into an impulsive lovemaking session just before the interval. Thereafter the awkwardness between them and the guy's non-committal outlook is clearly evocative of the Yash Raj film. Moreover, like in that film, the estranged couple consequently comes together only for that one last assignment out of professional compulsions. 

Talking about the chemistry between Madhavan and Bipasha, while it's not bad, it's nothing more than functional. The long-drawn-out kissing sequence or the one-night stand between them works only peripherally. The storytelling is such that it works towards the camaraderie between Sid-Sonali (Madhavan-Bipasha), while they are trying to rebuild the rapport between another couple (Milind Soman - Dipannita Sharma). Shifting between these two couples, the narrative loses focus and you don't know whom to empathize with more.

In the second half, the focus of the film shifts to Sid and Sonali's game plan to get the other alienated couple together. With that being the nucleus of the narrative hereon, one expects the state-of-affairs to be eventful enough. However it never goes beyond the conventional zone and lacks to give the much-needed momentum to the movie. The pace drops and at times the film ventures into super-soggy zone. Even the climax is tame though decent enough within the restricted scope of the story. The dialogues range from the funny to corny lines but the toilet humour was quite avoidable.

Madhavan takes center stage in the film and is cool, confident and convincing. Bipasha Basu is decent enough but, at times, she puts this pretense to sound cute which just doesn't suit her. Omi Vaidya doesn't get much scope beyond a scene where he repeats his 3 Idiots wrong-speech act, but to good effect. Dipannita Sharma plays her part well but is marred by partner Milind Soman who's quite expressionless. Helen is charming in her half-baked role. Mrinalini Sharma tries to play the sexy vamp but gets limited scope.
Don't expect anything path-breaking and Jodi Breakers will keep you happy for a 'couple' of hours.
Verdict: Above average

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