Bullets are being sprayed recklessly in a swish suburban villa in Miami by a gun-toting bunch of undercover agents who are out to kill the leading pair of the film, but you will find yourself wincing at the sight of the swanky sofa and the carefully arranged cushions in the living room being shot to smithereens.
That’s when you realise that Sidharth Malhotra’s genre-blending action-romance A Gentlemen: Sundar, Susheel, Risky, by directors Raj and DK, isn’t working.
All that concern being directed to an inanimate, but splendid Pottery Barn set is worrisome.
Shouldn’t we be worried about the gorgeous leading man (Malhotra) and his annoyingly squeaky girlfriend Kavya (Jacqueline Fernandez), whose lives are at risk?
In the film Malhtora plays an undercover agent and assassin who yearns to lead a crime-free, ordinary life.
His definition of happiness is living in a suburban utopia studded with a stable nine-to-five job, a minivan that can house his future brood and a palatial home that’s straight out of a furniture catalogue.
But escaping your violent and gory past isn’t always easy and A Gentleman makes it its mission to remind us of that as we get hurtled into a world of slick, dandy criminals, stretched-out explosion sequences and lengthy hand-to-hand combat in this cross-country adventure.
These undercover assassins, who are a part of a secret spy group called Unit X, in India, are trained to kill in tuxedos and leather jackets.
They obliterate civilians who pose a threat to their survival and their crime history is more complicated than the multiple tattoos on their bodies.
Leading the group is insipid, rusty actor Suniel Shetty, who mouths archaic dialogues and demands absolute allegiance from his “boys”. All hell breaks loose when one of his own, Malhotra, attempts to escape the crime-filled circle. The movie then morphs into a thriller where there’s subterfuge, identity theft and a stolen hard disk that endangers Unit X’s survival.
While the plot isn’t particularly riveting, the moments where some witty lines are delivered in a dead-pan manner by the lead hero are enjoyable.
While Malhotra and his supreme attractiveness carry the glossy movie forward with some heft, Fernandez is given a glorified ditsy brunette role. She’s a young, entitled woman who over-speeds in Miami and then threatens to sue the cops for racism.
It’s supposed to be cute and eccentric, but comes across as brattish behaviour.
There’s no unnecessary melodrama and that’s one of the redeeming qualities of A Gentleman. However, the songs that are inserted in between explosive action sequences serve no particular purpose.
While it’s charming to watch Fernandez’ flexibility on a pole, the attempt to mix action and romance isn’t always successful here.
Villains, played by actor Darshan Kumar and Shetty, are unwittingly cartoonish and are weighed down by corny dialogues. The film relies heavily on Malhotra’s brooding good-looks to do the heavy lifting.
Barring a few well-executed action sequences and witty exchange between Malhotra and his mate at work, the film leaves you unmoved.
Watch this film if you are looking for voyeuristic delight featuring two attractive people spar and fight the world for a stupid cause.
THE DETAILS
Film: A Gentleman: Sundar, Susheel, Risky.
Director: Raj and DK
Running time: 2 hours and 15 minutes
Stars: Sidharth Malhotra and Jacqueline Fernandez.
Rating: PG15
Stars: 2 out of 5
