All audience reviews of Cocktail

Cocktail delivers exactly what it promises. It's a standard romantic comedy. There are times when it becomes a bad one, but it mostly remains a good one (sometimes becoming a very good one). A film like Cocktail is what I call, a hype/expectation film. The vehement marketing makes everyone expect the treasure chest to burst open and make all of us rich with the greatest film ever made. Inevitably, the swords are drawn out and the entire nation plays the critic. Bad word of mouth is bound to be generated, whatever the box office result or the actual film may be. Cocktail is not the best romantic comedy but it's an unconventional one, and largely a successful one.

We are introduced to Gautam (Saif) and Meera (Diana). Then starts a fun credit sequence with Angreji Beat blaring on the soundtrack. Veronica (Deepika) and Meera move in together and soon become best friends. Gautam and Veronica begin a relationship, which is centered on casual sex. Gautams mother shows up at the flat, which makes up for a hilarious scene. Soon, Meera is put forth as his girlfriend to stall Mummy Ji. The parts after this are smooth sailing with some great laughs (Mummy ji says menopause casually and later performs CPR). But lo and behold! Meera and Gautam end up falling in movie love! I mean, true love.

Cocktail has a few minuses. We never see the characters at their workplace much. I don't remember seeing Gautams house. Gautam is the flirt, Meera is the good Indian girl, Veronica is the modern NRI girl. You dont have to be Einstein to know these are blatant stereotypes. At some point I even felt how regressive it was for the characters to think being Indian is being wife material. In turn, being wife material is knowing how to cook, wear Indian clothing and pray to a Hindu idol. And boys, after you find true love, you automatically stop screwing around. Then there is the most obnoxious one: The good old plot device, when you don't know where the story is going, trying killing a character!

Albeit, Cocktail works. The characters learn how to strike a balance. They learn how to not cry over spilled milk and make amends. Nobody acts the saint, they even tell each other they aren't. They learn how to blend in with each other, like a Cocktail mixes different forms of alcohol. The film becomes a very good one due to its honest dialogues. For every predictable dramatic scenario, there are conversations and situations, which reveal unexpected novelty. There are awkward moments that dont seem like usual Bollywood material. The silences are used to brilliant effect. The songs are appropriately used. From the borrowed songs like Angreji Beat and Jugni, to the original ones: Tumhi Ho Bandhu and Yaariyaan.

The prime reason why the film works is Veronica, who is surprisingly human. She tries to act chilled out, fails, becomes a bitch and in time, realizes her mistake. She is the only one with a character arc and her actions are perfectly plausible. Deepika Padukone has been seen in Love Aaj Kal and Break Ke Baad doing her funny drunk-girl routine. Although, this time the drunk words become sober thoughts. She is not happy-high this time. The club scene where she has brief moments of feeling alone is remarkable. Deepika could have easily done the role of Diana Penty, the heroine who ends up with the hero. But she didn't. In fact, I'm glad she didn't.

Mind you, I thoroughly enjoyed films like Jab We Met, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, Love Aaj Kal, Wake Up Sid, Band Baaja Baarat, I Hate Luv Storys, Break Ke Baad and Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu. Some films are better than the others but the relationships these films deal with are decidedly urban. The problems of these characters may be juvenile but they are more true to life than a Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. This is the kind of mess the younguns get into. I genuinely also believe Bollywood has been making better romantic comedies than Hollywood has in the past few years. For example, Something Borrowed (2011) - this film has a plot which matches Cocktail's almost exactly but it is not the better film. I count myself as the target audience for a film like Cocktail and I did not come out thinking I saw a bad film. Didn't care much for Meera and Gautam's romance but cared for Veronica.

I don't associate the word masterpiece with the genre of romantic comedy anyway. It will never offer great films and never has. Cocktail is like a fun night. If you drink responsibly, you can have fun and not have a hangover tthe next day. Nobody wants to puke but everybody wants to drink like a fish. Thats where the expectation film suffers. This film isnt the most fun you will ever have, but its a regular fun. Im okay with that. I dont expect every party to be the greatest party in history. Glass half full or half empty, you decide. less

Cocktil is a movie about Love,friendship,relationships. The movie has a new and fresh story and an amazing performance by Deepika.though the movie after interval becomes boring but the songs and decent performances of the cast do not let you to leave your seat.Overall this movie is a perfect watch for this weekend.Enjoy your Cocktail.

Ticket meter-175 rupees less

a good romantic movie with lots of drama, emotions etc. but in many scenes parents might get embarrass in front of their children as there too much nudity and profanity for more details visit http://www.bollywood4family.com less

Well I definitely am hung over with a little overdose of cocktail.

As obvious from the trailers itself the movie is based on a love triangle. Gautam played by Saif is been a cock who was being cocky at any chance given, the character seemed to be in obsessive compulsive need to hit on anything qualifying as female. Veronica played by Deepika is a spoiled brat with infinite source of money and party freak in any way. Flaunting an ultra modern person with more regard to physical needs than emotional but keeping the emotions under a curtain. Meera played by Diana is a traditional girl from India who happens to be an orphan. Circumstances bring together the three of them and thus Triangle is complete. The contrast in character of Deepika and Diana is brought out to such an extent that many a times its overly done, trying to work on the balance with these two girls I feel the concept came out just okay.

Boman Irani, Mama to Gautam is as cocky as his nephew and Dimple his Mom is one character who does not seem too much out of what was needed.Randeep Hooda is more of a filler than a supporting actor. The first half was still keeping audience focused with tits and bits of one liner patent Saif jokes but they actually were beating around the bushes.

The formula in movie is almost same of Love Aaj Kal, Modern fast moving life, distance making them realize importance and bla bla bla ...

The Movie is not offering anything new so here are the pro and cons :

Pro :
If you like to disco some songs are there for you.
Cheesy jokes and one liners.
If you want to see Deepika or Diana ( i am sure ppl are not interested in Saif's Bum ).

Con:
Second half seemed unending toooooo long.
Emotions of characters are placed on a button switch on and off transition is missing.

Overall, did not enjoy it much and would rate it 2/5 less

Cocktail is the best example of the change Bollywood is going through, one one hand fresh new storytelling is raising its head while time tested formula is ready to engulf any flashes of ingenuity. It is this inherent flaw that makes Homi Adjanias second outing as a director a decent film and not a great one.

Circumstances get Veronica, Meera and Gautam to end up living under the same roof. Gautam and Veronica friends with benefits while she and Meera are BFF sorts. Conforming to the classic love triangle clich, Veronica falls for Gautam while he is smitten by Meera.

So whats new? Writer Imtiaz Ali gives each of the three characters delicious vulnerability. His now proven finesse at fleshing out relationships and its nuances is on display again as beyond the commercial glamor and playing to the gallery; Cocktail is a fresh and neat analysis of Bollywoods eternal favorite themes, friendship and love.

A deft script in the hands of a director whose last film was the dark Being Cyrus ensures that for the most part, the film is not the conventional Hindi rom-com. Adjania reigns in the melodrama, keeps the pace crisp and the emotions raw. This, till an on screen accident actually plunges the story into a spiral of predictable sappiness. Both Imtiaz and Adjania seem to have succumbed to the demands of commercial cinema as the films last half hour is so cheesy one wonders if it was the same film one started watching in the first place.

While on one hand the duo sugar coat clichs and provide characters wit rich texture, one is also surprised at how the lead females are pigeonholed into 80s bollywood molds- the easy fast Veronica vs the goody two shoes Meera. Why does the wavy haired one always have to sacrifice and why is a happy ending always necessary? One might never know.

A lot of Cocktail is also enjoyable because of the wonderful performances. Saif reprises his safe tried and tested role- urbane, suave, witty and oojing charm as he himself states in one of the scenes. Diana is commendable considering she brings alive an otherwise lazily written colorless character. The film however belongs to Deepika who goes much beyond her mannequin like stance and good looks. She gets under the skin of Veronica , smoldering hot yet emotionally needy girl, and comes out with flying colors in every scene. She has some of the meatiest lines and portions in the story and makes the most of it. Dimple Kapadia as Gautams loud mother shows why she is a class apart always in the small yet memorable part she has in the film.

In all the foreign locales, good music and designer wear, what one misses here is the edgy Adjania touch that made Being Cyrus such a treat to watch.

While the former was a few steps forward for Indian cinema, Cocktail is a small crawl away from the comfortable security of commercial monotony, trying to tell an old story differently, only to come back to Bollywoodville like a chastised young brat. Perhaps for now, we need to be content with just this much. Perhaps it is not yet time for hindi films to have three broken hearts in the same film. less