Any comparison of Goal with Chak De is entirely inevitable and only too just. In fact, watching the two films in concert should be made mandatory for budding scriptwriters to understand how a similar set of cliches can make or break a film depending on how you play around with them. Goal quite blindly follows the graph of Chak De and Iqbal, for that matter any other mainstream sports film. The basic formula is simple: a bunch of underdogs post a win against all odds with help and encouragement from an unlikely coach searching for personal redemption. Here you have a totally out-of-shape team, Southall United, fighting real estate agents from taking over their football ground by proving that they can still be winners.
But does it make for engaging stuff? Most certainly not. Despite being based on such an exciting, adrenaline-rushing sport.
None of the characters are realised well. The film hurries through every person and relationship, never pausing to flesh it out. The background characters remain mere caricatures, completely idiotic ones at that led by an over-the-top sardarji played by a usually tolerable Raj Zutshi. Not just him, even the lead actors seem to be completely out of gear, vying to be more listless than the next. Boman is uninspiring when he needed to be just the opposite, Arshad seems to be sleepwalking through the role and John just gives those dude airs, no expressions. As for Bipasha, her role would give the doormat a bad name.
The inept script tackles the issue of racism without any depth or maturity. With broad brushstrokes every White Brit is turned into a villain, every helpless Indian made an object of sympathy. Surely racism may not have quite vanished from Britain, but does the answer lie in the inverse racism propounded by the film? It would have been interesting to see a debate between the more integrated GenNext nris as opposed to the ghetto ideology of the previous generation. The film ignores that and prefers to remain lopsided and moth-ridden on the issue. For us the only moments of mirth were counting the number of times the vamp of a Brit official said ‘shit’ on seeing Southall win. Go count only if you have nothing better to do.
High Fives
Bollywood
1. Goal
2. Om Shanti Om
3. Jab We Met
4. Saawariya
5. Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Hollywood
1. Enchanted
2. This Christmas
3. Beowulf
4. Hitman
5. Bee Movie
European Singles
1. Apologize (Timbaland ft. One Republic)
2. Don’t Stop the Music (Rihanna)
3. 2 Hearts (Kylie Minogue)
4. No One (Alicia Keys)
5. Rule the World (Take That)
Courtesy: Film Information
