Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

An action-packed slog

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Amol laments about losing 40 years for nothing ... He didn't listen to his heart ... This inspires Shruti ... it clicks ... fair enough ... Both Rahul and Neha calls it quits and unite for good ... Anmol and Shivani do get to spend time together in a 'notebook' style with a slight deviation ... What I found odd was Ranjeet-Shika-Akash trio ... I get to see how people evade responsibility and seek cheap thrills when the marriage is not working out ... I have come a long way in that I don't judge them for their shortcuts anymore but I still feel one must work their way out in or out of marriage ... Ranjeet is an MCP who thrives on his spouse's vulnerability forgetting completely of his scandals ... and he returns to his wife because things didn't work out with his subordinate ... Shika is probably scared of her societal image and chucks Akash ... since I missed out part 5 of the movie, I cannot take a stand on Akash entirely ... this was the sloppy part of the movie ... Of course India cannot deal with the possibility of Shika parting with Ranjeet for Akash ... but I don't feel justified with her choice of Ranjeet (I might miss out an important element of Shika ya Ranjeet ya even Akash from part 5, I couldn't find) ... Assuming the part missed doesn't alter the movie much, what do they want to teach their daughter? Is this the director's message too to the public? Be it Ranjeet-Shika ya Akash-Shika, the story could have brought a bit more dignity to the relationship that worked and didn't but if the message is union sans love (for the sake of other comforts), again it could have been shown in a dignified way ... Given the fact that I missed part 5, I cannot take a stand on Shika ... but why do I feel already disrespectful of Shika? Well, my intuitions might be right or wrong but that's the review for you guys ... Worth watching once for sure. A good cast ...PS. I would be a typical Indian had Akash shown in a new relationship but I like the fact that he is shown to have taken a stand about staying in India for whatever it means ...

Anurag Basu has mastered the art of copying Hollywood movies. He flicks popular Hollywood or world movies/themes and presents them in an Indian context. So in my opinion he is just a smart businessman and not an auteur as he is made out to be. The mainstream media in India is for sale and it's possible to re-paint a cat and call it a Lion. And hence he has a good reputation going for him. Unfortunately due to this hype, people are comparing Anurag Basu to his namesake - Anurag Kashyap - who plays many leagues above him. Other users who like his movies seem to comment based on the entertainment value (some of which should be credited to Mr.Basu as it takes some smarts to be keep his output entertaining) or are totally unaware of the original.I would to distinguish *copying* from *inspiration*. For example, "Dev D" by Anurag Kashyap is inspired by the Novel/movie "Devdas", but it's a thoroughly original take on it. However "Murder" by Basu is almost a scene by scene copy of "Unfailthful" - till the twist-in-the-end gimmick : pretty much like how so many b-movie makers take a hit movie, add a twist but they are pretty much unoriginal. At least most B-movies don't pretend to be original.Similarly, "Life in a metro" is inspired by the Hollywood trend of parallel, nearly disjoint story lines (Magnolia, Playing by Heart (1998) among many others). Here most characters are one dimensional (but that's just my opinion) and unconvincing in their actions. There is no catharsis that a movie of this nature would aim to inflict on the user. In fact at times it seems to go the Madhur Bhandarkar populist way - where by showing something big (a metropolitan city) in a negative light, he tries to win the masses. Yup, so while writing this comment, I found a peer for Anurag Basu - Madhu Bhandarkar. They represent the so called new breed of Bollywood cinema who claim that they'll re-invent the industry. All the will succeed is in re-inventing some beaten story lines. (Okay, Madhur might be slightly more original than Basu but he is uninspiring and populist).

Inspired by Love Actually and that genre of storytelling, "Life in a Metro" is a sometimes insightful and sometimes predictable movie that is well worth a watch for its performances. The narrative featuring Kay Kay and Shilpa Shetty is genuine with many insightful comments -Shilpa Shetty's about the "deafening silences in marriages", the interesting question of which between physical or emotional infidelity is worse. Kay Kay's character of being a loving father who is adored by his daughter was a further dose of realism. Nothing is black and white. Special mention to both Kay Kay and Shilpa Shetty (didn't realise she had it in her) for really pulling it off. Shiny Ahuja is adequate without being special.The other narratives were more predictable. Sharman Joshi and Kangana Raut - which is sort of a take off from "The Apartment" with Jack Lemmon and "For Love or Money" with Michael J Fox. So were Dharmendra and Nafisa Ali as the loving elder couple.The track with Konkona Sen and Irfan is very entertaining. Irfan Khan is outstanding - an adjective one has started to use very often with him. Konkona adequate. However the circumstances make for some genuinely funny moments. Konkona as the 30 year old virgin dying to be with her idea man and Irfan - as about the most unlikely of men she could ever see herself with.While I would not go so far as to herald this movie as either a path-breaking or life-altering Hindi movie (as some of the more dramatic leanings have suggested), I would say it is well worth a watch. It has a good music track - but could have done without the really hairy guy singing, as we changed from one narrative to the other.

Telling parallel stories inter-related to various degrees had been the flavor for some time now in Hindi cinema. Success, however, is almost absent. Anurag Basu had almost pulled it off except for three things - incorrect branding, lack of originality and wannabe rock stars showing up everywhere.The story as such had nothing to do with the city of Mumbai. It could have been set anywhere. Also how the city adds to the plights and joys of the character is not very clear. Rat race, lack of time for family, sexual confusions/frustrations are all a reality today of even mid-range cities, not only metros. This is what I meant by incorrect branding. I think the film should have been promoted as story of the time we live in, irrespective of the city. It would have appealed to a larger audience base.Basu has been liberal in copying the classic 'The Apartment'. You cannot copy a classic just like that. I'm not sure if the makers of 'The Apartment' are at least credited. Originality is the biggest virtue of any art. Then, the rock stars. Pritam and his band were omnipresent throughout the film. The songs are fantastic but they popping up everywhere started to irritate very soon. A more imaginative filming of the songs would have added to the film's value.Inspite of all this, Metro is a very good film to come out in recent times. Though Basu does not go deep into the torments of the characters and just touches them fleetingly, he does manage to capture the essence. Casting is almost precise and all actors do a good job. You get the import of the film that how we are losing ourselves in the maze of the paths laid down for us by everyone except ourselves. It is hard to stand up and reclaim your life. It is difficult to open the car's door and walk out like Kangana does at the end, but probably that's what most of us want to do most of the time.