White Feather Films has emerged as a production house that rolls out movies full of style and class but not necessarily the most stable scripts. Thus Woodstock Villa comes as a surprise. Directed by Hansal Mehta, who previously directed two of the most disappointing stories of Dus Kahanaiyaan – ‘High on the Highway’ and ‘Rise and Fall’ – we are happy to say that he delivers a much more satisfying cinematic experience this time around. Woodstock Villa is amongst your top of the range thrillers. The Indian Film Industry delivers countless thrillers over the year but only a few leave an impact. Woodstock Villa is amongst those rare few.
Jatin (Arbaaz Khan) and Zara (Neha Oberoi) are a not-so-happily-married couple. One night after a run-of-the-mill argument, Zara walks out on Jatin and doesn’t return home the following day. Zara gets kidnapped that night and as expected the kidnapper (Sikander Kher) asks for a ransom. Jatin makes the usual mistake of informing the police and this mistake gets Zara killed. We can’t say more or else the essence of the movie will be absolutely lost. Although we’ll tell you one thing: Zara’s death is hardly the end of the movie. Go for yourself and see what’s in store. We assure you this is one thriller with an unexpected climax.
The beauty of Woodstock Villa lies in the efficient screenplay. No dilly-dallying and straight to the point. Within 20 minutes of the movie you know what the problem is and whose involved. Now why don’t more makers take up this style of cinema?
With a perfect story and efficient screenplay Woodstock Villa only suffers from one tiny problem. It is the input of the excruciating and unwanted songs. As if the album wasn’t enough of a pain to listen to, you have to watch the songs at times when you’re just dying to know what happens next. That has to be the biggest flaw of the movie and because the movie is so perfect otherwise, it stands out quite a lot.
To back up the perfect script are highly commendable performances. It is hard to believe this was Sikander’s debut film. The actor is so brilliant in his first film that it’s hard to imagine how he will be after ten films! Neha Oberoi also comes out as a big surprise. She was marketed as the skin-show of the flick but we assure you she has much more to offer. The actress excels in her role and proves to be very impressive. In particular her dialogue delivery is admirable. Arbaaz Khan has a limited role but does justice to it. We wonder why we don’t see him more often in supporting roles? Sure he may not have the power to carry a movie on his own shoulder amongst the stars we have today, but he surely is an efficient and effective supporting cast member. Sanjay Dutt has a small, unneeded and unwanted song appearance which is rather annoying.
Some may find the climax of the movie to be rushed or inconclusive. However, when the movie has been so efficient, a dragged out climax absolutely ruins the style. It’s a movie for audiences who have been praying for a good thriller to keep them on the edge of their seats and had to settle for earlier releases such as Race, which now seems like a joke when referred to as a thriller.
It’s hard to say much about Woodstock Villa without divulging into too much detail so all we can say is that it is a movie for those who like more quality and less quantity in their cinema. It may not have the names to get you rushing to the cinemas, but it definitely has the content to keep you in the cinema hall for the duration of the movie. It’s not all about style and class but has a strongly grounded script and performances that leave an impact. It’s a well crafted thriller that doesn’t fail to keep you interested throughout. Go and enjoy a thrilling ride that is sure to impress all serious movie lovers.
