Crew is certainly a joyride, you are welcome to watch it, but there are no takeaways from this one. Do not expect to learn a lesson on morality or honesty here, the lesson here is that whatever you do, have fun while doing it. And that’s what we want to see more, women enjoying their existence, women enjoying female friendships, women enjoying independence, and women enjoying a film made solely for fun!
It’s difficult to imagine a heist movie where 3 women take centerstage. We have either seen women ‘supporting’ the male actors or playing a small role in the grand scheme of things. Here we have 3 women, one in her 30s, one in her 40s, and one in her 50s star as leads in a women-driven film. That in itself is commendable and should be appreciated for what it’s trying to offer. They are not damsels in distress or a victim of patriarchy, they are women who want to write their own stories. It might be funny, embarrassing, over the top, or nonsensical, but it is their narrative.
The movie is not without flaws, it’s certainly not a perfect film, there are numerous moments of cringe, forced humour and unnecessary catwalks, but that’s ok in this genre of film. If we tout this as a quintessential chick-flick then we are game to having some fun.
Tabu, Kareena Kapoor and Kriti Sanon play Geeta, Jasmine and Divya respectively who are air hostesses for an airline company that’s in debt. They haven’t gotten their salaries for 6 months and have individual financial commitments to fulfill. When an opportunity to make some extra money comes their way, they are quickly convinced. What ensues after they have plunged themselves into a side hustle is what forms the plot of the movie. It’s not a nuanced film, it’s on your face and it’s proud to be that. The honesty is endearing, you know that the film is not trying to preach a message or break down the patriarchy, the characters are having fun and so should you.
It’s a simple straightforward film, done well. The designer bags and shoes, the ultra-chic styling, the perfect hair and the on-trend makeup make this film a stylish one. Yes, this film is riding high on glamour than substance, but that doesn’t stop it from being an entertaining watch. It’s an Indian chick flick, and who doesn’t love that genre.
There are not 1 or 2 but dozens of films where we see men be over the top – the crass jokes, the double meaning entendre, the unrealistic action, people call it ‘massy’ and deem its commercial successes.
In plain words, if this movie was made by 3 men, it would be the entertainer of the year. Men, especially in this industry need to do the bare minimum to be applauded and appreciated. This movie is a comedy-heist, one which we haven’t seen done by women in a while.
Women fighting battles, women breaking stereotypes, women breaking the glass ceiling, but movies about women just being ‘fun’ are rather missing from our content library.
Talking about performances, Kareena Kapoor is the star of the film, she is a bonafide star. She lights up every frame that she’s in and it’s effortless. Tabu is not given her due, her character isn’t given much to do, and her 2-dimensional character arc doesn’t do justice to her as a performer. Kriti Sanon plays a character that she has played numerous times before, nothing new there, but she does a good job.
The music, the extended cameos, the subtle jab at Kingfisher Airlines and the punch lines work 90 percent of the time making the film a one-time watch at the least.
Rating- 3/5
