A fresh coming of age tale with a big heart!

Rating: 8/10 (5 January 2015)

I just finished watching 3 Idiots and was rather glad I gave it a chance! The high rating on IMDb roused my attention to its existence, however the title seemed to suggest some slapstick tale (of which I am also partial too from time to time), though as I read the synopsis I became intrigued with the premise of a comedy/drama/Bollywood/musical set mostly in a college campus. I couldn't think of anything I'd ever seen before falling into all of these categories simultaneously and I also felt I needed to give Bollywood a bit more of a chance as my repertoire is quite slim in this department to date! I won't say much about the plot (my summary is about as much as I'd like to give away), as I watched the movie pretty blind of what was to unfold and I really felt swept away in what at times felt like an epic journey of twists and turns; nothing too ridiculous to prompt a 'WTF?!' response, I felt the pace of the film moved really nicely along with realistic and believable scenarios interjected not for shock value but to aid the storytelling. The characters were well fleshed out and I really came to feel a sort of camaraderie with this not altogether hapless but lovable bunch with the main character Rancho, especially likable despite his bad-boy status with the Director of the college 'Virus'. Sometimes I felt a few scenes played out a little like a spoof, feeling slightly cheesy, however I have a feeling some of this vibe came from the cultural gully you often find with having to rely on subtitles (though as another reviewer said, pidgin English is used throughout the film so sometimes you don't need the subtitles). If musicals make you cringe then I guess you may feel a bit like the scenes with sporadic bursting into song are unnecessary, but you have to not only expect this from Bollywood films but also value it as an important part of the storytelling in its own right; plus, the songs in this film are catchy, well crafted and appropriate for the mood attempting to be set. As a final note, if someone was to ask me 'what makes a great movie?', I'd probably answer something like this; It should make me laugh and maybe cry, then come away thinking more about the film and its underlying meanings. Characters should be well formed enabling me to fall in love with them (or even begin to hate them) so, caring if they live or die; to feel their pain and joy and be able to absorb myself into their adventure as though just one of the gang. The look of a film should make me want to make screen-shots just so I could take a closer look at the subtle fleeting beauty that is a single frame, and together, the mosaic of images creating a flow so appealing to the eye that it lends a resonance to the script and plot without distracting you from the deeper message. With that in mind I'd say '3 Idiots' succeeded on many levels and left me feeling satisfied, unlike many highly praised blockbusters of late which have left me feeling jaded and apathetic. There are a couple of scenes where, should I dare say it, 'The Sound of Music' came to mind, though I won't say why other than perhaps the beautiful scenery and the innocent feel to the actions of the characters in comparison to the overly sassy and promiscuous teenager of many Hollywood films these days. Overall, I think my score of 8 is fair given how the movie made me feel, it's lasting impression on me and the fact that I could easily watch it again- perhaps even adding it to my favorites list. I would recommend others to give it a go, even if you're not partial to musicals or Bollywood, or subtitles- so what?! You can always be surprised and I have a feeling you might be!