We Are Family Movie Review

Story: Maya (Kajol) is the supermom. Shreya (Kareena Kapoor) is the wannabe stepmom. Aman (Arjun Rampal) is the confused daddy, torn between the two alpha women.

Having been divorced from his first wife, he is all set to marry his mistress. But before he can do that, he must acquaint her with his three kids who are naturally hostile towards her. Trouble is compounded when Shreya turns out to be the careerist, non-mommy types who views kids as `monsters' and Maya ends up shortchanged by life. Can the family stay together despite the odds?

Movie Review: First things first. Thank God, it's all above board and legal. Producer Karan Johar displays a professionalism (and takes care of the legalese) by crediting the film to its original, Chris Columbus' Stepmom (1998) which won hearts with it's countless-wet-hankies emotional saga of Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts fighting for the supermom title. So much so, that once you know that, you don't actually mind the fact that the film is a scene by scene lift of the original, with the actors and the film maker choosing to add nothing more to it.



Herein lies the chink... Wish there was that something 'Extra' to look forward to in We Are Family, specially when the film boasts of two of the most suitable contenders -- Kajol and Kareena -- for the emotional tug of war that spunky Susan Sarandon and svelte Julia Roberts unleashed on screen not so long ago. With two such fine desi actors re-interpreting the cult roles, there was immense scope for originality, chemistry and fireworks. Of course, the two do keep flashing their light eyes at each other and exchanging barbed words when the individual territories are intruded upon. But the fire doesn't burn the screen and the smoke just doesn't hit your eyes.

Also, there is an overriding sense of grief and sobriety that haunts the proceedings, as the family grapples with the threat of tragedy looming round the corner. Unlike Stepmom, which had a lightness of being, despite the impending doom, We Are Family merely has the Jailhouse Rock (Kajol rocks in this sequence) rendition to boast of as dramatic relief, unless you count the noodle war and the water hose splash (cliched!) as family fun and games. End result? You end up squeezing a lot of wet tissues -- specially in the second half -- by the time the movie ends and walk out with a leaden heart.

The film mostly works in the performance department. While Kajol displays her usual charisma, lighting up the screen with an incandescent portrayal of a housewife heroine, Kareena displays a newfound maturity as the glamorous fashion designer who must do the tightrope from carefree girlfriend to responsible mom. She does it well. Arjun Rampal is his usual blend of eye candy and efficient bystander, while teenager Aalia walks away as the eyeball-grabber amongst the kids. Sadly, Shankar-Ehsan-Loy's music score leaves you cold with nothing memorable to carry home, except the Jailhouse Rock ode to Elvis.

Watch it for the all-woman show.

A word about: Peformances: Kajol and Kareena provide heart and soul to a predictable script.

Screenplay: Venita Coelho’s adapted screenplay lacks the verve of the original, Stepmom.

Cinematography: Mohanam does a fairly decent job capturing the closed spaces where a family essentially operates. He creates a warm and vibrant hearth and the home.

Music: Shankar-Ehsan-Loy don’t give you a rocking track, except for Jailhouse Rock, their tribute to Elvis Presley’s cult number.

Styling: Kareena stands out with Manish Malhotra’s insistence on checks and satchels as a working woman’s attire. Inspiration: The film is a desi version of Stepmom and honestly acknowledges it.