The Dirty Picture (2011)
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Critic Reviews for The Dirty Picture
All Critics (4) | Fresh (4) | Rotten (0)
This film offers big laughs, fantastic spectacle, big emotions, and a powerhouse performance from a brave and exciting actress.
Like its subject, the tone of Luthria's movie is slightly over-the top and tends to caricaturize certain characters, but the lead performance is so all-encompassing that you don't mind these flaws.
Vidya Balan attacks the role with the same ferocity her character nakedly (in more ways than one) pursues fame at any cost, commanding and compelling when Silk is at her most vain, heartbreaking when she falls into increasingly desperate self-destruction.
Balana captures the conflicted life...of a young woman unprepared for the realities of her dreams. Had Luthria's film fully committed to the painful truth as much as its leading lady, it may have honoured Smitha's memory far more substantially.
Audience Reviews for The Dirty Picture
"Filmein sirf teen cheezoh ki wajah se chalti hain: entertainment, entertainment aur entertainment." [Films need only three things to sell: entertainment, entertainment and entertainment.] The above-mentioned dialogue has been included in the promotional trailer and it has earned its share of popularity. Ironically, that's what the screenplay here is lacking for most of the part. The story of rise and fall of a star is quite a familiar plot; this one hardly has anything to add to it. And if you're going to offer so lengthy a movie, you can't afford to lose grip in the screenplay this often. But this one does. And does it all in the name of the entertainment. As if that weren't enough, the writer adds a cliched romantic plot (supposed to be seen as a twist) in the last half hour. Had it not been for the performances and dialogues, it would have been quite a task to sit through it. The movie ends tragically as one expects, but one might not have predicted that it'd be a sort of tragedy to sit through it itself. All said and done, its performances and dialogues do deserve 1 star.
Super Reviewer
When is the last time you saw the herione's name flashing first in a Bollywood mainstream film? or a Bollywood film set entirely in Tamilnadu? or an Indian film for which the leading lady gained weight? The Dirty Picture is unique in many ways. It portrays South Indian sex symbol Silk Smitha's rise and fall. The film does well in analysing her complex character, but falters is in trying to simplify it. The best thing about the film is undeniably Vidya Balan. She oozes oomph all over the place as Silk, but most importantly, handles the edgy character with gritty perfection. Even though the story leaves a lot to be desired, its a fairly well written film. There are lots of kick ass lines. The film has awesome stuff like a script recital session with Naseeruddin Shah's superstar character, and then there are weird things like Silk's dance duel with Shakila! Its a decent attempt at a character study, nevertheless. Oh, and the Ooh La La number is awesome.
Super Reviewer
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