Kill

I had the pleasure of seeing Kill at its world premier during the Toronto International Film Festival, as part of a Midnight Madness screening. Kill represents an impressive change of pace for Indian cinema. Yes, action movies continue to be a mainstay of the genre, but rarely do Indian films feel welcome along their East and Southeast Asian compatriots. If I could best describe this film, think the sincerity and raw emotion of Indian cinema with the quality choreography of The Raid, Oldboy, or any Tony Jaa film.

The Good:

1. The simple storyline. I don't think I've seen an action movie with as pure and straightforward a storyline like this in a while. It's to the film's benefit, because it better highlights the action and makes the film essentially understandable to any audience member (As long as they aren't squeamish). There's also something about Indian cinema, where the stories don't need to be complex, but the emotions - as displayed - can be, and that more than picks up the slack.

2. The performances. I'm surprised to highlight the performances for an action film, but yes, even the non-action performances are FANTASTIC in this movie. Laksh is great, but Raghav Juyal stole the show for me. He plays one of the most purely evil and detestable, yet impossibly likable villains I've seen in a long time, with INCREDIBLE comic timing and screen presence. In fact...

3. The villains. You'd imagine that a movie about bandits on a train, seemingly motivated by nothing but money, would be one-dimensional red shirts. Kill does the exact opposite, giving these goons a real sense of humanity. I can't recall the last time I've seen villains GRIEVE their fallen brothers like they do in this movie. It almost makes you feel bad for them. There's also a great array of what I like to call sub-bosses (those villains who aren't quite the main guy, but have enough screen time and cool moments to be considered a step below), like the giant Siddhi and the conniving Uncle.

4. The self-awareness. There are several moments in this film, towards the beginning, where I wasn't sure if it was deliberately lampooning Bollywood and its overuse of sentimentality and music. The audience was howling, so I'm going to assume yes, which is awesome. The idea of this movie starting like a typical "boy-loves-girl-but-she-can't-love-him-back" and transforming into this bloodbath was hilarious.

5. The action. How could I have forgotten the best part? Kill gives us some truly claustrophobic, intense, gory, exhilarating action sequences. Not for the faint of heart.

The Bad:

• The first act. While I didn't dislike it overall, I think the first act suffers from some pacing issues that took me out of the film. It sorta gets started from the get go and I tend to prefer films that slowly lead us into the narrative.

I heard this sentiment amongst the audience too, but we all agreed...there is a certain point when it's clear the first act is over where...let's just say, the movie gets CONSIDERABLY better. (Also, *that moment* was accompanied by an absolute ROAR from the crowd).

• Tiluka. I know, I know. The love interest isn't the main part of this movie, and while I found her and our hero's relationship sweet for what it was trying to be, I couldn't help but feel her and him were a bit underwritten.

So the selling point for the movie was that this was going to be the most bloodiest goriest Indian film ever. As i started watching I did not notice anything out of the ordinary. Then i realized this film is a lot more violent than what I'm used to seeing in Bollywood films. Bollywood action films have plenty of action and fighting and the hero kills in large numbers, but this dude was doing it with his hands and the blood was pouring from everyone.

Nothing that i never seen before just never from an Indian film. The uniqueness comes from the fact that the whole movie takes place on this train. Just a constant flow of battles happening in the tightest area possible Some surprises really made this picture original to the genre and added to it being one of the best action movies done.

Kill is an absolute cinematic masterpiece that redefines the action genre. From the very first scene to the last, the film grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go, taking you on a thrilling roller-coaster ride of non-stop adrenaline-pumping action and raw emotion.

Dedication to mastering the tactical hand-to-hand combat is evident throughout, adding authenticity and depth to the character.

The film's action choreography is mind-blowing, with brilliantly executed fight sequences that are gritty, realistic, and beautifully shot. The hand-to-hand combat sequences are fast-paced and brutal, elevating the movie to a whole new level of action excellence.

A pair of elite soldiers boards a train that is attacked by a ruthless gang. Combat is at close quarters. Deaths happen in gruesome and extreme ways, including by fire extinguisher. Armed forces, police, and gangs engage in combat against each other.

Director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat experienced a train attack in real life and brings the experience to film audiences around the globe. While the film is shallow and women are treated poorly, there are unexpected twists and turn and it is enthralling for its action sequences. The world premiere in Toronto with the midnight madness crowd was a great deal of fun.

Brutal, bloody and very violent but also in a Bollywood style with constant background music and overly dramatic romance scenes in slow-motion - I kept expecting them to break into song and dance up to a certain plot point. After that point however, it shifts up a gear and becomes shocking, gory and a little perverse at how much punishment is being dealt out on both sides. The setting was used to very good effect and although simple, the plot was good and had some good points to make. It could have been a bit shorter and more consistent in its pacing, but highly entertaining and a little surprising, if unrealistic. Although all subtitled, the language was a mix of English and Hindi with them alternating language mid-conversation, which seemed a bit odd.