ApurvBollywood

Agneepath

2012-01-26T08:07:00.000-08:00

Rating : 6/10
Release Date : 26th January, 2012
Time : ~155 minutes
Director : Karan Malhotra; Writers : Karan Malhotra, Illa Dutta Bedi based on the film of the same name by Mukul Anand; Music : Ajay Atul
Starring : Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt, Rishi Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Zarina Wahab, Om Puri, Zarina Wahab, Kanika Tiwari, Arish Bhiwandiwala, Chetan Pandit

The story is built on the simplest of emotions, revenge. A young boy loses his father in the most horrific of circumstances, strung up on the flimsiest of evidence in his own village. For the next fifteen years the boy is driven purely by, focused solely on vengeance. Even at the cost of separation from his young sister & mother, who doesn’t approve of his methods.

I enjoyed parts of this film.

The first half was slick, fast moving. It seemed the hero was not just using brawn but was also playing Machiavillean politics in Mumbai’s gang wars.

I got the stylisation.
The way the grimy city of Mumbai is depicted, replete with art deco slums.
Or the tiny island of Mandwa, with picture perfect views
The way colour is shown to splash during Ganpati. And the entire city is lit up & everyone turns up in their finery during the festival period.

The way Sanjay Dutt is made to look, oozing menace from every bald pore (though found his dialogue caricature-ish).
The way Rishi Kapoor is given the Muslim makeover, hennaed hair, stubble et all.
I liked Priyanka’s brief role, understood in part her relationship with our hero, the man for whom love is always secondary.
I really liked Hrithik. With all his Greek God looks, finely sculpted body, there always does seem to be a little boy somewhere around him. He can be intense in one scene, all anger and bloodshed yet look extremely vulnerable the next, misty eyed and aching for a loving touch.

What I didn’t get was the overall story. The end left me disappointed.
So what was the grand master plan for the revenge, the one he’d been cooking for fifteen years ? The way things panned out, it couldn’t have been how he conceived or wanted it to be ?
What was his relationship with the one honest cop in the system, Om Puri ? Why was he willing to ruin everything to protect him ? And vice versa.
The way he eventually went about things, the entire bit about the gang wars, the part since he had grown up, seemed unnecessary.
And I don’t get how our heroes seem to transform into superheroes. Most men would die or be close to it when they’ve had butcher knives poked in and out, been shot at or been tossed about like rag dolls. Our heroes seem to simply draw strength from such experiences.

Its grim, colourful, larger than life, tragic, touching and brawny at the same time. Watchable. But I guess I was hoping for something more, an extra layer beyond the blood thirst.

PS : slightly shamefully, for someone who confesses to be a hardcore AB fan, I don’t remember much of the original Agneepath. All I can plead in my defense is that its his earlier work that I am more enamoured by and can describe scene by scene. Be that as it may, am unable to compare the two.

Descendants

2012-01-26T08:05:00.000-08:00

Rating : 8/10
Release Date : 26th January, 2012
Time : 115 minutes
Director : Alexander Payne; Writers : Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings; Music : Dondi Bastone
Starring : George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, Mathew Lillard, Patricia Hastie, Beau Bridges, Judy Greer
George Clooney has a lot on his plate. His legal work, which he seems to take very seriously. His wife, who is in coma after a tragic speed boating accident. His younger daughter, who is in trouble at school and with some friends after some inappropriate remarks. His rebellious elder daughter, who’s in rehab, and doesn’t seem to enjoy being with the family. Some friends who turn out to be more his wife’s friends than his. And to top it all, he is a descendant of the Hawaiian royal family, the sole trustee of a large chunk of pristine land worth a fortune, and has to decide what to do with it while cousins with dollar signs in their eyes & the whole of Hawaii hover mercilessly around.

Its slow moving but what unfolds is a simple, touching, heart warming, histrionics free story. Lots to pick up on, if you read between the lines. What kind of upbringing do we want for our kids, what kind of inheritance do we want to leave for them ? How would we cope with betrayal ? Or loss ? How some women always remain daddy’s girl… Moments of humour are provided by the elder daughter’s Neandethral-esque boyfriend and the interactions with George’s father in law. The music is excellent, ethnic and enhances the film’s flavour.

I was transfixed by George Clooney. He seems to do such a wide variety of roles with ease, including being a pin up boy, a classic lead in the conventional sense. Yet he brings none of that to his persona when playing this very ordinary character, beset by ordinary problems. Barring of course the knotty land inheritance issue.

His elder daughter, played by Shailene, gets her part just right, 2 parts rebel, 2 parts concerned daughter and 1 part in need of comforting herself. The younger daughter is also able to cope with her character which needs cuteness, innocence and young adulthood in equal measure.

There is something charming about this film. Its about the common man, who has a shot at being very rich. About a husband who is wracked by guilt and betrayal within the cold embers of a dying marriage. About a father who is worried how he’s going to cope with two daughters. The last frame of the film was deeply reassuring for me. The way I would want it to be.

Good Night; Good Morning

2012-01-21T03:20:00.000-08:00

Rating : 7/10Release Date : 20th January, 2012 Time : 81 minutesDirector : Sudhish Kamath; Writers : Sudhish Kamath & Shilpa Rathnam; Music : Gregory GeneretStarring : Manu Narayan, Seema Rahmani, Vasant J Santosham, Raja SenAn unsuccessful pick up attempt in a New York hotel bar. An eight hour layover between flights. Drinks. Some drugs. New Year Eve. And a phone call that lasts through the night. Its witty, its romantic, its poignant, its rambling, its plagued by all the ills of a long mobile phone conversation (loss of signal, battery dying out) and most of all, it’s a very unusual yet plausible situation.

Manu, after being brushed off at a bar, is sufficiently intrigued to give Seema a call. She is in between flights and sufficiently at loose ends (and not sleepy) to be able to respond to such a call without calling the cops. The ensuing exchange extends to all possible topics, including simple ones like ‘whats your name’, ‘what do you do’, ‘what are your favourite fruits’ to more complicated ones like Bollywood, relationship with parents, girls, guys, past affairs and future prospects.

I liked the way the characters were built. Manu’s liking for melons (and face-saving knowledge of all their varieties), his inability to forget his past, his comfort in being a geek. Seema speaks like a lawyer, is aggressive, cant stand Bollywood stereotypes and is very comfortable talking about sex / nudity. In fact, even teases Manu for being unable to.

Both come across as self assured yet vulnerable. Romantic yet pragmatic. Funny yet empathetic. I liked the way Vasant & Raja provide some comic relief. Or some of the ‘imaginary sequences’ provide some relief to the conversation.

Possibly, there is a romantic inside all of us. A rebelliousness against being single. A desire to find ‘the one’. And, of course, the desire to be happy. Good Night, Good Morning, in part, explores all these aspects & desires and does it well. An interesting debut from Sudhish, look forward to more from him.

Sherlock Holmes : A Game of Shadows

2011-12-30T00:04:00.002-08:00

Rating : 10/10
Release Date : 30th December, 2011
Time : 129 minutes
Director : Guy Ritchie; Writer : Michele & Kieran Mulroney (based on characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle); Music : Hans Zimmer
Starring : Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Jared Harris, Noomi Rapace, Stephen Fry, Rachel Mc Adams, Kelly Reilly

A cracking story, crackling performances, the spirit of Conan Doyle’s memorable characters, a sequel that takes off from the last film left off and takes it forward. In the immortal words of the sleuth, the game is truly afoot…

Unlike most thrillers, here we know who the villain is. We’re just not sure what he’s upto or how. How an assassination in India is linked to a bombing in Strasbourg, to a murder of a renowned doctor in London. This duel between Moriarity and Sherlock is epic, carefully constructed, full of mutual respect and admiration, encompassing several cities and very hard to describe further without giving it away. I simply loved the fact that it stayed true to the ethos, the essence of the characters created by the author and even incorporated a couple of crucial scenes from a particular story.

Mycroft Holmes also makes an appearance. A gypsy woman enthrals. A sharpshooter. A Cossack assassin. An anarchist who seems to have found his higher purpose. Another who feels trapped in a deal with the devil. Mary Watson, who’s planned honeymoon in Brighton, doesn’t quite seem to go as desired.

Most fascinating of all, is the relationship between Holmes and Watson. Giving Watson a spine, a purpose, removing him from Holmes’ shadow and breathing some life into him is perhaps the biggest masterstroke by Guy Ritchie and his merry men. Holmes continuing opposition to Watson’s impending marriage, his attempts to constantly involve him in his investigations is equalled only by Watson’s firm rejection of the former and only semi-reluctant acceptance of the latter. Even Moriarity is not quite sure of what to make of Watson.

Their repartee lights up an otherwise dark film, played out in the shadows (as the title suggests) or at night. Jokes fly thick and fast, whether verbal or written. ‘Come if convenient. If inconvenient, come all the same’ or ‘how many times are you going to kill Gladstone ?’ or the masterpiece ‘Did you just kill my wife ?’; ‘I timed it perfectly’.

Cinematically, the film is a visual delight ! Simple sequences are given an interesting camera perspective. A chase sequence through the woods is slowed down to enhance the thrill. Sparks, the workings of inner mechanisms, the clinking of wheels, gears meshing are all used to accentuate an action and create an optical thrill of something otherwise routine. Tight editing ensures your interest doesn’t flag for even a second. The soundtrack runs through your head hours after you’ve left the hall. And the device used in the previous film, of Holmes forseeing the entire sequence of events before their execution, is used a few times in this film to spectacular effect, yet with enough twists (‘breakfast is served’) to not let it get it repetitive.

Guy Ritchie, I have loved each one of your three previous films (the first one having spawned a thousand imitations) but this one, more than any other. And the last second of this film, the last action, the mere addition of an interjection, says / explains why.

There is a freshness about characters that I have known since childhood. A reinterpretation without taking away their endearing qualities. A modernisation without taking away the period. An idea that is executed in the best way possible, with a cast that is picture perfect. The standing ovation by the audience in the show we attended said it all…

The Dirty Picture

2011-12-04T00:49:00.001-08:00

Rating : 7/10
Release Date : 2nd December, 2011
Time : 144 minutes
Director : Milan Luthria; Writer : Rajat Arora; Music : Vishal-Shekhar
Starring : Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah, Emraan Hashmi, Tusshar Kapoor, Rajesh Sharma, Anju Mahendru

“Hero ho ya villain, har kahani ki vamp sirf main hoon”

The story is quite well known. Vidya Balan wants to be a film actress. At any cost. Gets her chance and grabs it with both hands, pun intended. She encounters the mega star of the era and her childhood crush, Naseeruddin Shah. Goes for him, ensuring her rapid rise to stardom, along the way making a few enemies like Emraan Hashmi, a director who wants to make meaningful cinema and stay clear of item numbers etc. However, after an incident involving Naseer’s wife, she decides to go for his younger brother, the diffident, underconfident Tusshar.

“Public kahin aur khujlana chahti hai aur tu unka dimag khujlane main laga hai”

A mix of booze, arrogance, unprofessionalism, wayward ways, the passage of time, the addition of a few kilos on the waistline and the entry of new girls soon sees the demise of her popularity and we watch her struggle to cope with the new reality in most of the second half.

“Dikh raha hai kitne mazdooron ne kaam kiya hai is khet main”

Its time to pay homage to a few masterstrokes by the film-makers of The Dirty Picture. First is the name itself, adding at least a couple of crores to the box office intake. Next is the casting, brilliant for its choice of unusual suspects – right from Vidya for the lead role of a bare-all vamp, Naseer for the role of a lecherous superstar and Emraan for the role of a director who hates smut. In the film itself, what stands out is the dialogue, which is pithy, punchy, raunchy, laden with double entendre and very funny. And the way the story is told, with enough smattering of South Indian film ethnicity yet being almost universal in its essential outline, is also commendable

“Kya tum ne suna nahi ? Maine 500 ladkiyon ke saath ‘tuning’ ki hui hai !”
“Par kya aapne ek hi ladki ke saath 500 baar ‘tuning’ ki hai ?”

The film was too long. By the time the interval happened, I had genuinely thought that they were (like Dhobi Ghat or Delhi Belly) going to go ahead without a halftime. The end also prolongs, and maybe chopping off 20 minutes could’ve made it a better film. Apart from the sensational ‘Ooh La La, Ooh La La’, the other songs struggle to hold their own, the one with the dance off, in the second half being possibly the worst in terms of musical aesthetics and necessity in storyline.

“Jab devi swayam saamne prakat ho, to mandir ko kya dekhna”

The film is illuminated though by its performances, each of the actors deliver in their roles. Vidya never looked so young (first half) or so carefree (all of the film), doing the matka / jhatkas and short hemlines, low necklines with élan and surprising comfort. Naseer shows once more how he is one of the best chameleons of our time, behaving just as you would expect a superstar to behave. Special mention for Rajesh Sharma, the producer who ‘finds’ and names Vidya, he gives a great performance (as always, as in Khosla Ka Ghosla, NOKJ amongst others).

“Raat ko to 12 baje ki suiyon ki tarah chipke rahte ho, aur din main 6 baje ki tarah, bilkul alag”

Its not all about titillation. There are several interesting comments about the film world. The sycophancy and ‘respect’ accorded to the megastars, the arrogance that success breeds, the illusionary comfort that addictive substances bring when alone (cigarettes, booze etc) and also how success is only temporary and in the bad times the only thing that can tide you over is your behaviour in the good times. There is a story here, an interesting one, one which describes the hypocricy of our wealthy elite well. As Naseer comments in the film ‘jab kapde utarne lagte hain, to sab se zyada maza to sharifon ko hi aata hai’.

“Teri biwi tere bare main theek hi kehti hai, ‘Holi khelne ka shauk hai, par pichkari main dum nahin hai’”

Desi Boyz

2011-11-25T22:22:00.000-08:00

Rating : See Below
Release Date : 25th November, 2011
Time : 125 minutes
Director & Writer : Rohit Dhawan; Music : Pritam
Starring : Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Deepika Padukone, Chitrangdha, Sanjay Dutt, Anupam Kher, Master Veeraj Desai, Omi Vaidya

I’m going to give 5 points just for Chitrangdha. Another 5 for a decent storyline and the crisp one liners which manage to stay on the opposite side of mindlessness, crudity and vulgarity (for a change). Then I’m going to deduct 2 points for making it unnecessarily emotional in parts and another 1 for bringing on Chitrangdha only in the second half.

Recession, a demanding girlfriend with expensive tastes and a fight to retain guardianship of his dead sister’s child force John and Akshay, friends since college and current room mates, to take the extreme step of becoming male escorts for the Desi Boyz service. However, soon the girlfriend (Deepika) and the childs social care worker find out about their ignoble profession and eject John & Akshay from their lives. The second half outlines what happens next…

Interesting cameos further light up the screen space. Sanjay Dutt is great as the larger than life, Crocodile Dundee style, boss of Desi Boyz. Anupam Kher brings that little extra zing to the role of Deepika’s father. Satish Kaushik plays a part in the exact replication of an old and very funny western ad. Omi Vaidya displays his comic talents. And even the mom, in only for the briefest of scenes, manages to make an impression.

The true stars though are the script, which manages to keep it loosely plausible and coherent, and the dialogue, which manages to be goofy without insulting anyone’s sensibilities.

Deepika, Chitrangdha, John manage to bring the right amount of seriousness and craziness in their roles, but after a long time, Akshay gets his balance right, delivering his lines with the élan he was once known for

I went in expecting the worst and was pleasantly surprised. I still think the emotional parts could’ve been reduced, the songs executed better (lyrics & voices), the movie made crisper. But overall, it manages to entertain without irritating. And maybe my standards have lowered but that’s worth the price of a ticket…

Twilight : Breaking Dawn Part 1

2011-11-25T22:06:00.000-08:00

Rating : 3/10
Release Date : 25th November, 2011
Time : 117 minutes
Director : Bill Condon; Writers : Melissa Rosenberg, Stephenie Meyer; Music : Carter Burwell
Starring : Kirsten Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner

This is a fifteen minute storyline stretched out unbearably to almost two hours. Its the first film I’ve seen of this series, had seen a 5 minute clip of one of the previous ones, but even that was more exciting than what happened here

The entire movie seems to be happening in slow motion. The actors (cant even say people) look perpetually worried, scowling either at each other or just generally moping around. Smiles are rare even though there is a wedding and a prolonged honeymoon and an even more prolonged pregnancy. There is the promise of action but it never materialises.

I cant say more for fear of giving the story away but there was barely enough material for a 30 minute Tv episode here and instead a full-blown movie was forced upon us. Some nice locales are the only relief in this otherwise extremely dull movie.

Rockstar

2011-11-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

Rating : 8/10
Release Date : 11th November, 2011
Time : 155 minutes
Director : Imtiaz Ali; Writers : Imtiaz Ali, M Beg; Music : A R Rahman
Starring : Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri, Aditi Rao, Piyush Mishra, Kumud Mishra, Shernaz Patel, Shammi Kapoor

Despite its length, numerous logical and other flaws, what kept me hooked was the scintillating music, Ranbir’s performance and the crazy, goofy, improbable love between the ‘hi fi', 'neat & clean’ Nargis Fakhri and the Jat boy from Pitampura who wants to be a musician

The love begins as an unlikely friendship. She is the poster girl of the college, coveted by all in a very physical sense. He is more often than not the butt of jokes, spends most of his time in the canteen. However, the soon-to-be-married Nargis strikes a deal with this cartoonish lad to fulfil a few of her baser desires (no, its not what you think). Ranbir goes along for the ride. And we find through the movie that the ride never quite stops….

Ranbir’s growth as a musician juxtaposes with the different emotions he goes through. Expulsion and numerous thrashings by his family. Life as an unwanted wasterel in a dargah. Separation from Nargis. A trip to Prague, where she is now settled after marriage. Meeting her again. Then again. And his rising star in the music world, along with the growing sense of being incomplete without her.

Its hard to imagine any other actor of the younger lot being able to carry this role out. Ranbir manages to look good in just about anything (though full credit to Aki Narula for his threads). His locks & looks change length and character as frequently as he is forced to. From the bumbling, innocent kid to the friend for life to the castaway wastrel to the assured musician to the angry young man who has it all. From looking goofy to innocent to angry to cool, sometimes in a matter of minutes. I also liked the realism of the Delhi University setting, the terms used (palangtod, jannat hai yahan etc), the different characters, the foggy mornings and the idea of college being a place more for extra curriculars than for studies (I think we saw the inside of a classroom for all of 2 seconds).

And rising above all this, almost linking it together is AR Rahman’s near mystical music, haunting, enthralling, with a life of its own. From the divine ‘Kun Faaya Kun’ to the angst driven ‘Naadan Parindey’ to the self doubting ‘Jo Bhi Main’ to the funny ‘Katiya Kahun’ to the rousing, angry, anthem like ‘Sadda Haq’. Excellent lyrics by Irshad Kamil. And kudos to Imtiaz / ARR for keeping Mohit Chauhan’s voice constant for Ranbir. It helps build the character, make it more real.

It did get repetitive towards the end. You wished the two would make up their mind. The illness angle was possibly not desired, though I loved the stupidly romantic notion of a relationship where you feel so incomplete without the other that you fall physically sick and all the wealth / fame in the world doesnt seem enough. You wished it was edited better, a few jerks & jumps and also the length, with the film seeming longer than its actual running time. All the fun moments are concentrated in the first half, with the second mostly running on raw music & emotion.

It worked for me. I didnt want to miss a single frame, or its stunning locales, or the expressions or the musical notes (listen to the shehnai piece, in the background in the movie, from the CD, its just amazing). It works partly because its Ranbir. But sure its not for everyone.

Immortals

2011-11-10T23:27:00.001-08:00

Rating : 6/10
Release Date : 11th November, 2011
Time : 110 minutes
Director : Tarsem Dhandwar Singh; Writers :Charley & Vlas Parlapanides, Vlas; Music : Trevor Morris
Starring : Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Stephen Dorff, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans, John Hurt, Isabel Lucas, Joseph Morgan, Greg Bryk, Daniel Sharman

I’m biased because of I’m a huge fan of Greek mythology (grew up identifying with the Illiad as closely as the Mahabharat) and also of the visual delights that Tarsem has consistently offered in all his films. That said, apart from a few breathtaking sequences and the overall storyline, the movie does disappoint in its details, leaving not much to take away home.

The movie is as much about a battle between humans, with Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) & his savage army battling Theseus (Henry Cavill), the peasant and his small band of followers as it is between humans and the Gods. Both Theseus and Hyperion have reasons to hate the Gods, or not believe in them. Add to this a virgin oracle, Phaedra (Freida Pinto) and her disturbing visions, the dilemma of Zeus (Luke Evans) on whether to interfere or not, the Epirus bow, which is the only way to awaken the Titans and then defeat the Gods and we have all the ingredients for a rip roaring adventure.

While this story works at a macro level, where it fails is the details, unable to provide enough intrigue or suspense in every frame to be able to sustain interest, beyond the overall story. We also don’t relate to the characters, neither Theseus or Hyperion, engaging us enough to really care what happens to them. However, what does work, beyond doubt are the stunningly choreographed fight sequences and the equally stunning backdrops, visual imagery which is Tarsem’s forte.

I haven’t seen 300 but this seems to be on similar lines, valour, honour, rousing speeches and one finely sculpted torso decapitating another in bloody battle. At the end, all that remains as you walk out is one fight sequence after another, with all its goriness and grittiness highlighted in 3D. But surely with a backdrop as rich as Greek mythology and visuals as stunning as Tarsem’s, there should have been more in terms of the characters and storyline that stayed with you as you walked out of the hall.

Tintin : The Secret of the Unicorn

2011-11-09T22:58:00.000-08:00

Rating : 9/10
Release Date : 11th November, 2011
Time : 107 minutes
Director : Steven Spielberg; Writers : Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, based on the comic series by Herge; Music : John Williams
Starring : (voices of) : Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, Kim Stengel

The movie has plenty of ‘blistering barnacles’ and ‘thundering typhoons’ while setting a blistering pace from frame one and thundering its way to an exciting climax. Plenty of snappy one liners, goofy moments, an intriguing plot, great animation and some fantastic moments with Snowy and Cap’n Haddock ensure that this is the adventure movie of the year.

Tintin buys a model ship, ‘The Unicorn’, from a street vendor. Almost as soon as he has handed over the money, two different people walk up and try to buy it from him. Tintin being Tintin, refuses the generous offers, takes it home, then goes to a library to try and figure out the ships history. When he returns, the model ship is gone, stolen from his home. Add to this a man who dies on his doorstep, a gloved pickpocket, the irrepressible Thompson twins, a never found sunken treasure and the ominous Marlinspike hall and you have a perfect setting for the adventure that follows.

A few things struck me about the film. Despite being an animation, it was real almost to the point where I was giving the lead characters points for performance. The camera angles were brilliant, really innovative, again belying the fact that this was an animation. The film is crisply edited, doesn’t stray from its narrative for even an instant, so there is no back story (who is Tintin is sorted out in a few frames on his wall), there are no parents, and almost blasphemously for our films, there is no romantic angle (in fact I think there were all of two women for about 2 minutes in the entire film).

Captain Haddock steals the show, as in the comic. You cannot help but love this man, who is soaked in whisky most of the time and is useless when sober, but is up for a fight or adventure anytime. Snowy is almost a hero unto himself, finding clues, sensing danger and bravely coming to the aid of the hero on more than once occasion. And Tintin, well, he is the kind of boy most Indian mom’s would want to get their daughter married to. Sweet, earnest, curious, reputed, risk taking. An adventurer to the core. They don’t make them like him anymore.

As a kid, I’ve not been much of a fan of Tintin, preferring the more bawdy, in-your-face humour of Asterix instead. But this film, despite staying completely true to the comic, manages to infuse new life into the characters, making them more fun, endearing and human at the same time. Cant wait for the next instalment.

Ra-One

2011-10-27T22:59:00.000-07:00

Rating : 5/10
Release Date : 26th October, 2011
Time : 156 minutes
Director & Writer : Anubhav Sinha; Music : Vishal, Shekhar
Starring : Shahrukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Armaan, Arjun Rampal, Dalip Tahil, Shahana, Satish Shah

Ra-One is a very ordinarily scripted film which has some stand out moments (only a few of which don’t feature the lovely–in-red Kareena). Instead of focusing on its core, interesting premise, a villain who steps into the real world combated by a father –son duo, it chooses to delve into silly subplots, irrelevant characters & songs which detract from the film. And its much hyped special effects were also a let down. Nothing we’ve not seen before, either in Hollywood or locally (Robot, for example).

Geeky, Tam-Brahm SRK is a game programmer who, inspired by his bratty son (Armaan), creates a game with a super-cool villain Ra-One, more powerful than the hero, G-One. Unfortunately, due to the artificial intelligence of the villain, he picks up a few tricks that weren’t in the script and decides to seek vengeance when Armaan leaves a game incomplete. Most of the rest of the film deals with Ra-One’s search for Armaan and G-One’s attempts to thwart him.

I found it sad that instead of ‘changing the rules of the game’ in Bollywood by making a slick, crisply edited superhero film that doesn’t deviate from its main storyline, SRK chose to add every masala element conceivable and take the easier, more appeasing route. So the scientist is a tam-brahm, complete with all the ‘ayyo’s and an accent that is thick at times but changes to SRKs more familiar baritone when reciting shayari. There are unnecessary cameo’s by Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Priyanka Chopra and Rajni. Irrelevant characters (Dalip Tahil, Shahana, Satish Shah, the Chinese mom). Rehashed jokes (‘I don’t know how to make idli’) and buffoonery moments (none more cringeworthy than the MJ one). And preachy dialogue (esp between the father son) when something more snappy would’ve been more representative of todays generation.

What works are some of the moments when G-One attempts to adjust to the human world (the airport scanner) and with SRKs household (Kareena as SRKs wife gets it just right for her role). Some of the fight sequences. The haunting ‘Bhare Naina’ song, which, thankfully, plays in the background during a key sequence in the film.

In its current form, this works primarily for pre-teens and for SRK’s adoring fans. Logic is given a miss, it takes until halftime for the film to really warm up and even then it drifts a little.

Its tough to ignore all the hype and focus just on the film with this one, especially with promos, songs, PR and the smiling visage of the main protagonist hounding you on every screen (big, small and the internet).

Most superhero films seem to take their time to find their feet. I find the original Batman films (Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer) almost unwatchable now with their cardboard heroes and over the top villains. The new ones, with Christian Bale as the angst ridden hero and more real life villains, are superb ! I hope that this is the case with Ra-One. That the next one, which is set up well right at the end of this one, doesn’t try to be cheesy, glitzy but really about the black & white battle of good vs evil and all the greys that lie in between.

PS : This project wasnt conceived in 3D and it shows when you watch the 3D version

Force

2011-09-30T01:09:00.000-07:00

Rating : 6/10
Release Date : 30th September, 2011
Time : 137 minutes
Director : Nishikant Kamat; Writer : Ritesh Shah (inspired by the Tamil film ‘Kaakha Kaakha’); Music : Harris Jayaraj
Starring : John Abraham, Genelia D’Souza, Vidyut Jamwal, Mohnish Bahl, Sandhya Mridul

I cant remember the last lead pair where both had dimples. It added a touch of cuteness and this along with some light hearted moments distract us from the fact that the story has large gaping holes, some flaws that only movies can permit. Yet, there is enough going on in terms of the action, romance and sheer hunkiness to keep you engrossed and ignore some of the silliness

Beefy, action oriented Narcotics officer, John Abraham & his special squad bust four drug gangs across India. However, a new player, led by the ruthless Vidyut is happy then to takeover and rake in the moolah. Things get personal when his brother is killed by John’s team, Vidyut being of the ‘eent ka jawab pathar’ ilk. In the midst of all this, the shy, quiet, soft to hardly spoken loner, John, meets Genelia. Effervescent, sweet, a member of the ‘have mouth, will talk’ club, she is making rapid inroads in John’s life. At a time when he would rather have no one to care for, no attachment or relationship that can be exploited by the people he chases.

The tiny package, Genelia steals almost steals the show here, amidst the biceps and finely ribbed abs around her. Comparisons between John’s biceps and her waist size would not entirely be out of order. Yet the couple comes across well, John’s reticence and her natural bubbliness looking natural and unrehearsed. John is good as the man on a mission, balancing raw action with anger and calm on different occasions. Vidyut is a find. And the directors made him fight, move in a certain elastic way, which makes you go ‘wow’ when you first see it. It’s the kind of thought that was put in to make Tarzan ‘skateboard’ on trees in the Disney feature and definitely adds an extra dimension.

In a film about muscles, guns and a touch of romance, should we be looking for logic ? It’s a formula that’s worked in India and Hollywood for many years without it. Its normal possibly, therefore, for cops to have a clear shot but take out the henchman instead of the gangleader. Normal for cops, even though there are four of them, not to chase a guy who fired shots in a mall but only the two people who they were tailing. For a cop to land up for a key confrontation with just one gun and one magazine round. And in the face of a real, tangible threat, when denied any protection by the police, not to agree to cover each others back, finding a safe house for their family. However, while they have happened many times before in reel life, I doubt they would in real life.

I loved Kaakha Kaakha. And I enjoyed this film. Raw power and a subtle romance. Its one of those that has certain moments and certain dialogue which stays with you.

Johnny English Reborn

2011-09-24T12:21:00.001-07:00

Rating : 6/10
Release Date : 23rd September, 2011 (India)
Time : 118 minutes
Director : Oliver Parker; Writer : Hamish McColl, William Davies; Music : Ilan Eshkeri
Starring : Rowan Atkinson, Rosamund Pike, Dominic West, Gillian Anderson, Daniel Kaluuya, Richard Schiff, Tim McInnerny

It uses every cliché in the world, lots of slapstick, mixed with some interesting situations, begs us to suspend our thinking cap completely with a plot that is rudimentary and has more holes than my favourite twelve year old vest. And yet, it connects, makes us care for the hero and most importantly, makes us laugh several times.

Its all about Rowan Atkinson and his marvellous acting skills. After a fiasco a few years ago, Johnny is coming to grips with it in the only place secret agents and superheroes seem to find appealing, Tibet, amongst the monks. When he returns at MI7’s behest, our hero with balls of steel (you’ll realize how true this phrase is after watching the film), finds an agency that has changed, has a sponsor and is definitely not so secretive anymore (they actually have check in procedures). There is a plot to assassinate the Chinese premier when he is due to meet the English PM. And Johnny English is the only person who the informant will speak to.

After many accidents (the gardening done with the helicopter), fiasco’s (the revolving chair sticks to the mind as does his beating the mom), chases (especially the Chinese man in Hongkong) and moments of buffoonery (the dance towards the end & the lipstick were both memorable), it finally draws to a rousing close

There is something about Rowan that enables him to pull something like this off. Genial, amiable, with a childlike curiosity, you like him. You therefore cringe when he goofs up and cheer when he, almost despite himself, manages to pull something off. No one amongst the supporting cast really sticks out here and given its weak plot and being almost a one man show ensures this isn’t a classic

Its an expensive film though, no expense spared in terms of sets or locales (like the first one) and despite there being no A list star, it still goes ahead and spends over $40 mn. Wonder when we’ll be able to do the same in India ?

Crazy Stupid Love

2011-09-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

Rating : 8/10
Release Date : 29th July, 2011 (USA)
Time : 118 minutes
Director & Co-writer : Glen Ficarra, John Requa; Writer : Dan Fogelman; Music : Christophe Beck, Nick Urata
Starring : Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei, Kevin Bacon, Analeigh Lipton, Jonah Bobo, Liza Lapira, Joey King, John Carroll Lynch, Josh Groban

“The war between the sexes is over. We won the second women started doing pole dancing for exercise”

What is amazing about this film are the surprises you get at every turn, every corner. Just when you think its getting predictable, you anticipate a certain move, ‘BAM’, it’ll surprise you. And in a very natural, realistic way, without seeming to be trying to do so, without it ever getting over the top.

“Demi Moore is 15 years older than Ashton Kutcher. They seem happy together.”

Right from Ryan Goslings first pick up attempt, the whole ‘it could’ve been cancer’ and subsequent applause for Steve in his office, the slaps & how surprisingly it does get evened out later, the jumping out of a car while its moving, the babysitter’s crush, the cologne gift, the entering of the room without knocking (by the babysitter) and what she witnesses, the ‘valium’ boyfriend, the googling of ‘moms crying in bed’, the raising of the chair by Robbie for the conversation in office, the unexpected meeting with the 8th grade teacher by the parents, the conversation with the hairdresser, the protectiveness of fathers towards their daughters & the need for them to be role models for their sons. The ending is possibly one of the best I’ve seen in recent times, totally unexpected like the rest of the film.

“I don't know whether to help you or euthanize you”

Steve Carell and Julianne Moore are married for 25 years. Have lovely kids. And now seem to have a crisis in their relationship. Steve meets someone at a bar (Ryan Gosling) who attempts to change his personality. The kids have issues of their own. Julianne Moore cant make up her mind. And it all comes beautifully together at the end.

“You're life is so PG-13”

Both situationally and dialogue-wise, this is a great script. To be able to constantly spring a surprise through the film, to do it without losing the thread of the story & different subplots or making the characters seem non-manipulated is impressive. The background music is fantastic, accentuating every mood and emotion effortlessly. The acting is uniformly brilliant, right from Marisa’s cameo, Jonah’s anguished thirteen year old, Liza Lapira as the best friend who knows whats wrong, Analeigh as the babysitter trapped between crushes, John as the henpecked husband & possessive father and the leads – each one of them just pefect. And the jokes aren’t bad too…

“The bags under your eyes looks like Hugh Hefner's ball sack”

As pointed out by my friend who saw it with me, the movie achieves a fantastic impact without having to try too hard in terms of fancy camera work, weird camera angles or too many locations (3 homes, 1 school and 1 bar is pretty much all we see).

“I'm going to help you rediscover your manhood. Do you have any idea where you could have lost it?”

There is a lesson in this film for our industry. On how to be original without fear. I don’t think we’ve got the talent or the balls to be able to do something similar right now

Friends With Benefits

2011-09-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

Rating : 6/10
Release Date : 22nd July, 2011 (USA)
Time : 109 minutes
Director & Co-writer : Will Gluck; Writer : Keith Merryman, David A Newman; Music : Halli Cauthery
Starring : Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis, Patricia Clarkson, Jenna Elfman, Nolan Gould, Richard Jenkins, Woody Harrelson, Shaun White

“You know, why don't they ever a make a movie about what happens after they kiss?”
”They do. It's called porn.”
There is a 25-30 minute period when the movie doesn’t really make sense, gets sentimental, uses clichés and becomes boringly predictable. This period includes the end, which is definitely not a high point. For most of the rest of it, its got great dialogues, funny one liners, some good character sketches (Sam, the magician & Woody Harrelson stood out) and Mila Kunis is so hot ! (God, I’m such a sucker for good eye candy !)

“I could put up a video of me mixing cake batter with my boobs. And it will get eight million hits.”
Pretty much along the lines of No Strings Attached and Love & Other Drugs (to name two recent similar films), this follows a couple mating, and trying to do so without adding the status of a relationship to it. Its just about sex. But then, as cinematic and most people’s relationship history will testify, its unlikely to remain that way.

“Why do women think the only way to get a man to do what they want, is to manipulate them?”
”History. Personal experience. Romantic comedies.”
So much of a romantic comedy relies on the looks, charm and chemistry between the lead pair. I thought Justin played his part well, within his limitations, slightly stiff, in line with his character. Its Mila Kunis though, after her star turn in Black Swan, who shatters the thermometer here again. Hot, feisty, vulnerable, lovely eyes, fits the character extremely naturally and with aplomb.

“Why can it not be like that? It's a physical act. Like playing tennis. Two people should be able to have sex like they're playing tennis.”

I thought the whole thing about Alzheimers was unnecessary. And I didn’t see the point of Woody’s character while enjoying the way he plays it. The music is nothing to write home about.

“Do you know how hard it is to pee with a hard on?”
”No, actually.”
”It's like two lines of traffic merging into one. It takes time.”

The sad part about watching it in an Indian theatre is that you lose out on the sex and nudity. The fact that I still enjoyed the film shows that the dialogue is good and that the lead pair really work. A predictable chick flick but good fun…

“But you said I was your soulmate”
“I did ? When ?”
“When we were at the bed & breakfast having sex”
“But that doesn’t really….”
“Count ?” (hits him)

“So, no?”
”No! Not having sex with you.”
”Is it your special time? They have an App for that. No, wait!
[he moves his cell phone close to her waving it over her body]
Nope. You're good to go.”

Mere Brother Ki Dulhan

2011-09-11T06:36:00.000-07:00

Rating : 7/10
Release Date : 9th September, 2011
Time : 145 minutes
Director & Writer : Ali Abbas Zafar ; Music : Sohail Sen
Starring : Imran Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ali Zafar, Tara D’Souza, Parikshit Sahni, Kanwaljit, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, Arfeen Khan

You pretty much know the story, given the title and the promos. While there are a few twists and turns, they are of the minor, storm in a teacup rather than shake the world variety. However, to their credit, the journey is fun, light hearted, enjoyable and despite your knowing the destination + some weak acting by Imran, we’re in a pretty good state by the time we get to the end credits.

Imran, a sorted type, is entrusted by big brother Ali Zafar (completely mixed up, based in London type) to find a good Indian bride for him. Katrina, a rebel, rock star in her earlier years (when her and Imran’s paths had crossed), now seems like the perfect choice. Except that Imran falls for her.

Fizzy moments include Katrina’s internet interview of Ali Zafar, with the final question having the maximum impact on the audience and the interviewee. Imran’s best friends (Rohit / Shumit), who lighten up the scene with remarks like ‘Bhabhi badi frank hain’ or even ‘oye angrez ki aulad, main tera bachpan ka dost hoon.’ when Imran protests a bit too violently on being discovered (the final bit here about a ‘missing you’ card in the VIIth took the remark to another level). Rohit, after a lot of digging, I've realised is played by the multi-talented Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, who also played the title accused in NOKJ. Its sad though, that in our star obsessed reporting, such a fine character actors name doesnt even get a mention...

Katrina continues to silence detractors with her assured performances. Ali Zafar continues to show immense promise. Imran was weak here, especially in terms of facial expressions. Missed the natural acting of a Delhi Belly, which I think was his most competent performance so far. And while Tara D’Souza does well, I think she was miscast a bit for this part, needed someone with a little more oomph.

Some surprises, including a couple at the end make it more interesting. I like the way they kept it light, non-sentimental (would’ve been very easy to go the other way in some scenes). The peppy songs, which rip off a lot of recent hits in their picturisation, help. Its quite a taboo topic in India, took some guts to make it and in this era of moral policing, worth a watch just on those grounds alone.

That Girl in Yellow Boots

2011-09-11T06:20:00.000-07:00

Rating : 5/10
Release Date : 2nd September, 2011
Time : 109 minutes
Director & Co-Writer : Anurag Kashyap ; Co-writer : Kalki Koechlin; Music : Naren Chandavarkar
Starring : Kalki Koechlin, Prashant Prakash, Naseeruddin Shah, Gulshan Devaiah, Puja Sarup, Divya Jagdale

If it were not for the receptionist (Puja) and the Kannada villain with the heart of gold (Gulshan), this story of a gori girl from UK, coming to India to find her father, would’ve faltered. Its been told before. But not this way. She speaks Hindi quite fluently, works in Aaspaas Spa, has a seedy life, a junkie boyfriend, no photo of her father, just a name & a letter, has issues getting her visa renewed, has a run in with the gangster from Bangalore and earns money by making sure her massages have ‘happy endings’ for her clients.

While her story, her journey is interesting, told quite realistically, warts & all, its jerky, a bit slow in parts and maybe some of the characters came across as too weird (the boyfriend being a prime example), almost as if they’re put in there by the film-maker just to make a point.

It’s a side of life that’s rarely seen by most Indians, the kind of harassment faced by those with a fair skin, the clumsy visa renewal & police verification process, the lustful, lecherous looks given by every passerby. Its not to say there are no nice people. The gentle Naseer, with his blessings, is a breath of fresh air, but one that Kalki, too absorbed in her quest is unable to really appreciate.
Kalki shines in this role. Impassive for most parts, letting her eyes do the talking, apart from a few moments when she lets her anger rip. The stars of the show though, are the talkative receptionist – she talks non stop about every topic under the sun and also shows a softer side (seems to genuinely care about Kalki) plus a hard as nails part (zyada mat ghoorna, ankhein noch longi) when called for. Gulshan, as the sentimental, smiling villain is the piece de resistance. His attempts at switching off the TV. The respectful way he speaks to those around him. His smiling ‘we already know’ when Kalki informs him that her boyfriend isn’t there nor does she have cash. Simply brilliant.

It’s a perspective which is put forward. One that doesn’t necessarily make sense. Am not sure a middle class English girl would go through what Kalki goes through. And, separately, that by itself doesn’t make it watchable. Just because there are all sorts of loonies, kooks and perverts out there, doesn’t mean their story should be told

Bodyguard

2011-08-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

Rating : 3/10
Release Date : 31st August, 2011
Time : 150 minutes
Director & Writer : Siddique ; Music : Himesh Reshammiya, Pritam
Starring : Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Raj Babbar, Mahesh Manjrekar, Aditya Pancholi, Rajat Rawail, Asrani, Reema Debnath, Rose Dawn
Its sometimes a fine line between being idiotic and being funny. Being a clever spoof or a film trying too hard to be cool. Pushing the edge a bit or being just plain crass. Bodyguard, in each of the above choices, manages to find the lower, worse path with unerring accuracy.

There is nothing more to the story, no depth, beyond what we’ve seen in the promos. Salman Khan is a bodyguard to Kareena, daughter of his benefactor, Raj Babbar. Kareena, as a game, and partly out of irritation at Salman, pretends to be in love with him, without revealing her identity, despite her friend, Rose, warning her not to do so. The bad guys, Mahesh & Aditya, make sporadic, half hearted attempts without any clear motivation or finesse / brains to do so. Salman keeps beating them up. The end is bizarre, silly, idiotic. Pretty much like the rest of the movie…

I would give credit points to Salman’s bicep move and Kareena’s looks. I would deduct major points for weak characters, a love story without sizzle, showpiece songs that don’t fit, a slow pace that drags, jokes that are crude & tasteless, a villain who’s either plain dumb or well, dumber for his inability to strike, fight scenes that are overdone (too many aerial kicks & flips & somersaults). And nothing really seems to make sense. Special mention of bad acting and tastelessness in general of Rajat Rawail...

This is a movie that had great potential but decided to go the masala route, appease the single screen audience. In its current form, it falls kind of in no mans land, in between genres, audiences and stories.

Aarakshan

2011-08-11T11:12:00.000-07:00

Rating : 4/10
Release Date : 12th August, 2011
Time : 113 minutes
Director & Co-writer : Prakash Jha; Co-Writer : Anjum Rajaballi; Music : Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy
Starring : Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Prateik, Manoj Bajpai, Yashpal Sharma, Tanvi Azmi, Mukesh Tiwari, Chetan Pandit, Darshan Jariwala, Saurabh Shukla

Imagine a film that doesn’t even mention its title subject matter in a longish second half. Aarakshan, raises the issue of reservation in the first and then harps on the malaise of private tuitions, the commercialisation of education in the second. It does so in an extremely melodramatic style, through ill-etched, unreal characters and complicates things with sub plots that don’t need to exist. Needless to say, its predictable ending (I predicted it 10 minutes into the film) arrives far too late and the film overall fails to enthral.

Amitabh is head of a college, the best in Bhopal and has been for several years (different numbers are bandied about as to how long he’s been with the college : 35, 32 even though a board in his office suggests its only 25). He has now reached venerable Guru ji status in the field of education, is well respected, bows to no one, runs the place as per his strict principles & teaches kids who need remedial coaching for free in his house. He’s very fond of Saif, (Dalit honours student, seeking to do his PhD in USA and is currently employed as Asst Professor in the college) who in turn reciprocates by being very fond of his daughter (Deepika) who returns the affection whole-heartedly. Prateik is a mutual college friend and is also the son of a rich trustee of the college.

The villains of the piece are the rich trustees who don’t like the way Amitabh overrules or scoffs at their suggestions (including admission requests), a home minister who’s used to having his way and their man in the college, Manoj Bajpai, who runs a lucrative coaching centre (in violation of the college norms) and is promoted to Vice Principal, setting off a power struggle of sorts.

Against this background, when the sceptre of reservation comes up (as the Supreme Court declares that further to the 27% existing reservation for SC/ST, another 22% is to be sanctioned for OBC’s), battlelines are drawn quickly, and nothing is ever the same

All the characters seem permanently emotionally overcharged, launching into dialogue baazi & ultimatums at the slightest provocation, changing allegiances & years of friendship or tutorship with scarcely a reason. Saif (lapses into Dalit champion mode too easily), Pratiek (what was his character about ? what was that between deepika and him ?), SM Zaheer & his family (who were they ? why were eminent, rich people there at his funeral ? why did his family backstab the one person who was helping them ?) and last but not least, Amitabh, (he didn’t know that one of his professor’s wasn’t taking any classes for 3 weeks ? couldn’t he get another job when things got rough ?)

Questions, questions…

I found the music atrocious, not fitting the movie in the first half. I found the acting ordinary, not helped by the weak characters. I found the film dragging, heavy and wasteful of the considerable talent at its disposal. It did make me think, asks us the question on where we are on the subject of reservation, but rather than delving into the topic further, makes the second half ‘commerical’ (pun intended).

PS : I think it’s a shame though that the film is being subjected to bans by states & moral policemen. There is nothing objectionable in the film, it provides both sides of the story on its core topic & I’m appalled that despite clearance by the Censor Board, it has to go through all this. Bollywood needs to put its foot down and make the Govt and Police do its job and protect freedom of expression.

The Adjustment Bureau

2011-08-05T00:20:00.000-07:00

Rating : 6/10
Release Date : 4th March, 2011
Time : 106 minutes
Director & Writer : George Nolfi; (based on the short story by Phillip K Dick); Music : Thomas Newman
Starring : Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Harry Mitchell, Anthony Mackie

A delightful, yet far-fetched concept. Imagine a God. Now imagine he has a Bureau which makes sure everything is on track, which maps out who’s doing what, meeting whom, their future & thus the worlds future

Now imagine a person, Matt Damon, from whom great things are expected. A politician running for Senate. And then, due to an error by a bureau staff, he goes off the plan. Starts to fall for someone (Emily) he wasn’t supposed to. And that threatens the great things planned for both of them. The bureau is forced to step in. Reveal themselves to Matt. And now, he has a tough choice to make

His love or his career ? More importantly, the concept of free will or the reality he is faced with of everything being controlled ?

I like Matt Damon, he always seems to act within his skills and comes across as a genuine, likeable person. Emily Blunt is a revelation, looking stunning in her role & bringing a joy to her character that is contagious. Full marks for the concept and some of the conversations Matt has with various people in the Bureau regarding it.

What makes it come down a bit are some glaring loopholes in the way the concept is executed. The error that happens in the Bureau surely could’ve been sorted simply ? What powers do they have exactly ? And there is something about doors, almost akin to Monsters Inc, which is not explained fully.

The movie definitely needs a suspension of disbelief. But to those who enjoy being exposed to new concepts, its worth a watch

Lincoln Lawyer

2011-08-05T00:06:00.000-07:00

Rating : 5/10
Release Date : 18th March, 2011
Time : 118 minutes
Director : Brad Furman; Writer : John Romano, Michael Connelly; Music : Cliff Martinez
Starring : Mathew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillipe, William Macy, John Leguizamo

A rich guy is being framed. He asks for a particular lawyer, a hustler, street smart and full of himself, one who is not used to working with such big shot clients. There is circumstantial evidence against the client but he refuses to do any kind of deals, which, incidentally, is the lawyers speciality.

Twist follows turn as cross follows double-cross. Nothing turns out to be what it seems. Yet there is nothing we have not already seen, especially in this genre. The acting is good, remember enjoying Mathew’s turn as a lawyer in ‘A Time to Kill’ and he’s good to watch here as well, none more so when he is engineering the ‘surprise’ end.

Ryan Phillipe came across as slightly too cocky, full of himself but then maybe that was the character. William Macy, for an actor of his calibre, is strangely underutilised.

Its gripping, slick, fast paced but lacks soul, warmth. You’re cheering for no one, the villain is painted too black with no explanation for the way he is and hence the movie itself blends with the night, nothing staying with us in particular.

Partir

2011-08-04T23:46:00.000-07:00

Rating : 5/10
Release Date : 12th August, 2009
Time : 85 minutes
Director & Co-writer : Catherine Corsini; Co-Writer : Gaelle Mace;
Starring : Kristin Scott Thomas, Sergi Lopez, Yvan Attal

(A French film, also titled 'Leaving')

There is something marvellously tragic about Kristin Scott Thomas that makes her great for understated, sad, sentimental roles. Remember ‘The English Patient’ or even her dry, sarcastic wit-laced turn as the unfulfilled lover in ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ ?

In this role, she is a housewife, mother of two teenage kids, trying to re-start her work (physiotherapy) as an assistant to a doctor, married to a successful, moneyed, powerful, well-connected self obsessed prick, Yvan.

She decides to build a physiotherapy studio in the outhouse, the husband cribs about the cost and so the builder, to cut corners, hires an illegal immigrant from Spain (Sergi) to do the actual work. One thing leads to another and Kristin and Sergi become lovers and later fall in love.

So far so good.

However, at a certain point, and its not understood when or why, he becomes the love of Kristin’s life, she is unable to live without him, tells her insufferable husband about him, agrees never to meet Sergi again and then realises she’s too deeply in love to be able to do so.

The story then takes some unexpected turns, including an end that is slightly unexpected.

The movie is quite French, with love or passion taking precedence over baser needs and hence appearing quite silly to more pragmatic minds. While we are able to follow what Kristin does, we’re not really able to comprehend or understand why ? I mean, its perfectly understandable for her to look out, to seek an affair. But why the builder ? What is it about him that makes him the all-consuming love of her life ?

He is for sure not blessed with Adonis looks, nor is successful or moneyed or witty or articulate. He is just an ordinary guy, with ordinary needs and a very ordinary life. Yet he becomes her love and he reciprocates fully, even when the going, thanks to the husband, becomes very tough.

And maybe that is the point. How love can occur anytime. At the most unlikely stage of your life, in the most unlikely place and with the unlikeliest of persons. Such is love and such is life.

Love & Other Drugs

2011-08-04T23:08:00.000-07:00

Rating : 5/10
Release Date : 24th November, 2010
Time : 112 minutes
Director & Co-writer : Edward Zwick; Co-Writer : Charles Randolph, Marshall Herskovitz (based on the book ‘Hard Sell : The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman’ by Jamie Reidy); Music : James Newton Howard
Starring : Jake Gyllenhall, Anne Hathway, Oliver Platt, Hank Azaria, Josh Gad, Gabriel Macht, Kathryn Winnick, Kate Jennings Grant

He gets into trouble when, while pretending to be an intern, he stares at her naked breast for too long.

Jake, a good looking rake, is at loose ends, not sure of where life is leading him and unsure of what skills he possesses apart from the art of seduction. He finds his way into the drug industry, working as a salesman, discovers his skill-set has its uses even in his new job.

Anne is a bit bohemian, suffering from Parkinsons, steeling herself for what lies ahead but also determined not to miss out on life while she has all her faculties.

The story then follows a typical plot of them agreeing to be friends & lovers, agreeing that they will not fall in love and then later doing precisely that. Interesting subplots include Jake’s relationship with his crazy, geeky ultra rich brother and the launch of Viagra with all its consequences.

Midway through this film I remember wondering how Pfizer agreed to do this film (or did they?) and how miscast the lead pair was for this role. Jake looks the part of a hot guy but seems to lack any depth or ability to emote. Anne doesn’t look reckless enough though puts her heart into the lovemaking scenes.

The movie goes along expected lines and I found it interesting only for its chronicling of the impact Viagra had on the drugs market and the sex lives of Americans.

Unknown

2011-08-04T22:24:00.000-07:00

Rating : 4/10
Release Date : 18th February, 2011
Time : 113 minutes
Director : Jaume Collet-Serra; Writers : Oliver Butcher, Stephen Cornwell (based on the novel ‘Out of My Head’ by Didier Van Cauwelaert); Music : John Ottman, Alexander Rudd
Starring : Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Bruno Ganz, Sebastian Koch, Aidan Quinn, Mido Hamada

This one is intriguing but too farfetched and requires logic to be pushed nearly completely aside.

An American professor in Berlin is almost drowned when his taxi plunges into the river. When he comes to, three days have elapsed and his memory of the past seems hazy. More worryingly, when he does get his memory back, his wife doesn’t recognize him at all and is with another man who has all the ID to prove that actually he is the professor.

The movie moves at a good pace, gathers steam and Liam’s acting is a definite plus. The issues start when you ask yourself ‘Why’ or ‘Couldn’t they have done it another way’ (both the villain & the hero) ? Some endearing, well-etched but stereotypical characters – the old man, ex-Stasi, who is now a private investigator or the pretty Polish immigrant who drives a taxi to earn a living – help us to keep watching till the closing credits.

However, the ending is particularly funny, though unintentionally so. Such an elaborate plot for this ? Surely there was an easier way to have done this ? Reminded me of the adage in Hindi which loosely translated means "dug a mountain to find only a rat"...

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

2011-07-15T17:07:00.000-07:00

Rating : 7/10
Release Date : 15th July, 2011
Time : 135 minutes
Director & Co-writer : Zoya Akhtar; Co-Writer : Reema Kagti; Music : Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy
Starring : Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin, Ariadna Cabrol

Clearly no one in India does mid life crisis, coming of age films better than the Akhtars. This film, about three old friends (Abhay, Hrithik & Farhan) meeting in Spain, to celebrate Abhay’s impending marriage to Kalki, connects on several levels.

I liked that each of the three came in with a certain pre-defined character, each very different, in different stages of wealth, yet connecting comfortably as old friends do.

I liked that there was tension between Hrithik & Farhan, over an old incident. Some wounds do take time to heal.

I liked the way Katrina instantly feels some attraction for the tightly wound-up, ‘I want to make money so that I can retire at 40’ Hrithik. It came across very naturally, even though someone else hits upon her first.

I liked the fact that they chose Spain, still off the major Indian tourist road maps and they made sure the country was captured in all of its beautiful glory, with some outstanding camera work.

I liked a few little touches : their funny way of speaking English (‘Buoy’ instead of ‘Boy’ etc), copied from an old school teacher (haven’t we all had those), the silly pranks they play including one that goes wrong, the replacement phone that Hrithik gets & the circumstances in which he gets it (there have been times we would all have loved to do it).

What I didn’t like is that everything got settled very nicely in the end, a bit too pat. I didn’t like that the music, while quite nice in the background, isn’t really hummable, no song sticks in memory, makes you leave the hall singing the tune. I didn’t like the issue that Abhay faces or the way it gets resolved – seemed like nothing a conversation couldn’t have sorted out. And Farhan’s issue was just too filmy, and again seemed to sort itself too easily. I didn’t like that the end got slightly preachy, sentimental, with the title line being repeated possibly once too often.

Abhay stood out for his acting, came across really nice and natural. Katrina looked great and came across well. The others were good.

This is one of the films that’s very easy watching – beautiful scenery, great eye candy (with more focus on the men for a change), nice plot and some intelligent dialogue coupled with funny moments. While this will easily make the list of good movies to come out of our industry, there is something about it that stops it being great, a classic. I have a feeling that its the characters, who while endearing, nice blokes, are not someone you totally identify or fall in love with. And I'm trying hard not to compare to Dil Chahta Hai...

Chillar Party

2011-07-12T16:59:00.000-07:00

Rating : 5/10
Release Date : 8th July, 2011
Time : 130 minutes
Director & Writer : Nitesh Tiwari, Vikas Bahl; Music : Amit Trivedi
Starring : Irrfan Khan, Sanath Menon, Rohan Grover, Naman Jain, Aarav Khanna, Vishesh Tiwari, Chinmai Chandranshuh, Vedant Desai, Sherya Sharma, Divji Handa

Its fun, its feisty, its funny but its just way too long.

Till about the half way mark you’re not even sure what the film is about. Is it about the kids in Chandan Nagar, the gang known as Chillar Party, and their cricket battle with their oversized neighbourhood kids ? Is it about their battle with the new kid who washes the cars, accompanied by his dog ? Is it about each of them and their individual relationships with their parents ? Or is it to do with the minister, who is promising a terror free Mumbai of a different kind ?

The kids are endearing, some of their jokes funny, the parents come across very nicely & naturally. Amongst the funnier episodes are those involving their nicknames (Akram, Panauti & Jhangiya taking the cake), Panauti’s sudden new found love for milk and the slow tapori-isation of the group, thanks to Phatka.

On the con side, it’s a loose script, even the end meanders, the casting of the villain could’ve been better & the ending itself was intentionally made too soppy. It also lacked the wow moments – the ones that will stand out & bear repeat viewing (as in Home Alone or even Alvin & the Chipmunks). Even Amit Trivedi’s music lacked its usual zing, seemed similar to his earlier efforts

It’s a nice effort, kept light and breezy for the most part. Not sure how kids will react to it but I wish it was at least 20 minutes shorter….

X Men : First Class

2011-07-02T03:10:00.000-07:00

Rating : 7/10
Release Date : 10th June, 2011 (India)
Time : 132 minutes
Director & Co-Writer : Mathew Vaughn; Co-Writers : Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, Jane Goldman; Music : Henry Jackman
Starring : James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Lawrence, Oliver Platt, Rose Byrne, Nicholas Hoult,January Jones, Zoe Kravitz

Even though I haven’t seen or read X Men before, I enjoyed this film, which is noteworthy for its special effects & extremely ‘boys with toys’ storyline. The casting, particularly, Kevin Bacon and James McAvoy helped as well

In the quite eerie start, a young boy when separated from his mother at a concentration camp displays a freakish magnetic power, which is spotted by the camp doctor. The doctor (Bacon) exploits the boy for his own gain, and the boy, when he grows up (Michael Fassbender), becomes a one man army out for vengeance. Along the way, he finds several other people with such special powers and they become collectively known as ‘mutants’ and even become part of a special cell of the US Army. However, they are up against Kevin Bacon who has his own mutant cronies and wants to start World War III.

The other interesting plot involves the relationship between James McAvoy, who is rich, polished and a mutant with mind reading powers, and Michael, who is slowly able to channel his anger to better use. Also, the connect between Jennifer (another mutant and also James’ constant companion since childhood) & Michael has interesting undertones.

It is fascinating as a viewer to watch different, ordinary looking people with these special powers. One can read minds, another can fly and breathe fire. A third can emit fire bombs. Someone can move at a very fast speed while another can change form. Its great viewing as you watch these different folk come together and fight each other.

It reminded me of the time when we were kids and used to harass our parents with unending questions like ‘If Superman had to fight Spiderman, who would win? And Hulk vs Batman ?’. It reminds me of the time when we would all secretly wish we had some special power, that was ours and ours alone. This movie brings back those memories in a flood and manages to marry that with some intelligent dialogue and plot points.

BTW, who do you think would win between Superman and Spiderman ? And Batman ?

Bheja Fry 2

2011-07-02T03:03:00.001-07:00

Rating : 4/10
Release Date : 17th June, 2011
Time : 130 minutes
Director & Co-Writer : Sagar Bellary; Co-Writer :Sharat Katariya; Music : ishQ Bector, Sneha Khanwalkar, Sagar Desai
Starring : Vinay Pathak, Kay Kay Menon, Suresh Menon, Minissha Lamba, Amol Gupte

I find it difficult to laugh at the sight of someone (Vinay Pathak) getting humiliated or some habits of his (speaking in chaste Hindi, being over helpful etc) being made fun of. Neither did I feel any sympathy for the main tormentor, Kay Kay, who is a womanizer, fraud and mean-hearted to boot. Story wise, as well, I found this version inferior to the first and slightly far fetched.

Vinay Pathak is an Income Tax sleuth who doesn’t seem to have to work too hard and spends his time auditioning for singing shows and game shows. He wins one and is invited to a cruise. Kay Kay Menon, is a businessman doing dodgy things, is under investigation and also a friend of the show organizer, and decides to come for the cruise. He and Vinay don’t get along from moment one, especially as Minissha Lamba, the cute game show executive whom Kay Kay has the hots for, has eyes only for the demure Vinay. As fate would have it, one of Kay Kays schemes to get rid of Vinay backfires and both he and Vinay end up being stranded on an island for some time.

Sounds a bit stretched ? It is. Especially with most other characters hardly getting a look see and therefore seeming like caricatures, like Amol Gupte, who comes across as a buffoon or Kay Kays wife who comes across as cold or Suresh, Vinay’s colleague, who seems cartoonish, or even Kay Kays assistant who doesn’t take long to change colours.

On the positive side, something does keep happening throughout, the acting is solid from the lead pair, both male and female, and there are a few (very few) good moments of fun.

There are few redeeming features otherwise in the film and am hoping rumours of a third are unfounded

Delhi Belly

2011-07-01T22:08:00.000-07:00

Rating : 8/10
Release Date : 1st July, 2011
Time : 102 minutes
Director : Abhinay Deo; Writer : Akshat Verma; Music : Ram Sampath
Starring : Imran Khan, Vir Das, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Shenaz Treasurywala, Poorna Jagannathan, Vijay Raaz

“Once, from a man who's crotch was itchy,
Kunaal had a masala chicken tandoori.
His rumblings abdominal,
then became truly phenomenal,
And smelly to the highest degree !"

Irreverent, spicy, fast paced and very, very funny

Imran, Kunaal and Vir are room mates. They try not to do the domestic chores for which its their turn. Water scarcity, filth and unwashed clothes & bodies abound in their abode. They’re quite different to each other but seem to get along quite well.

Imran is one of the serious types, into good, investigative journalism and a conscientious worker as proven by the different situations in which he takes a work phone call. His new, attractive colleague (Poorna) feels he should loosen up and an untimely erection suggests she may be right. His girlfriend (Shenaz), one of the self-obsessed, vacuous types, feels they should get married soon and her parents gift him a new car which is described as “what comes out when a donkey fucks a cycle rickshaw” by the irrepressible Kunaal .

“Did they shave your head before they tried to hang you ?”

Kunaal, a photo-journalist, works with Imran & is also into blackmail, eating out and is the reason behind the films title. Not averse to the simpler pleasures of life, he is also the reason why Vir can never drink orange juice again.

“Can you make the banana a little more sad ? By 7%”

Vir, a cartoonist, is happily going out with his girlfriend, Ritu, or so he thinks. His song of angst, ‘Jaa Chudail’ is a classic. He’s not happy at work, his voice undergoes a major change towards the end of the film but soon that’s going to be the least of his worries

The movie itself revolves around a package delivery which is treated extremely casually by Shenaz and the three room mates. In the end, a wrong one gets delivered, and the very angry recipient, Vijay Raaz, lets the four of them feel his wrath. Subplots involving a blackmail gone wrong and a kathak dancer only add to the fun and mayhem.

“And because I’m a 21st century man, I too have given your daughter oral pleasure”

A fantastic background score, superb dialogue, a zany sense of urban, tongue in cheek humour ensure that the viewing experience is great. The decision to run it without an interval deserves applause as it ensures the pace never flags. I liked the fact that screen time was shared quite equally between the room mates and just because he is the hero, Imran didn’t get treated differently.

I felt Aamir’s much talked about item number was unnecessary, didn’t work for me. The film is clearly inspired by the Guy Ritchie school of film-making (and at least one scene is a direct lift from one of his).

"Your ass is like a solar eclipse”

In a country where mindless films are also called comedies, this is an example of what the genre could and should really be about. Several laugh out loud moments are guaranteed, this one is going to bear repeated viewing !

Shaitan

2011-06-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

Rating : 5/10
Release Date : 10th June, 2011
Time : ~130 minutes
Director & Co-Writer : Bejoy Nambiar; Co-Writer : Megha Ramaswamy; Music : Prashant Pillai, Ranjit Barot, Amar Mohile, Anupam Roy
Starring : Rajeev Khandelwal, Kalki Koechlin, Rajit Kapoor, Pawan Malhotra, Shiv Pandit, Neil Bhoopalam, Kirti Kulhari, Gulshan Devaiya, Nikhil Chinnapa

Great styling. Interesting plot. Good cast. Weak characters.

A group of friends, high on various substances, are zipping around the streets of Mumbai (Marine Drive, where else) in their fancy yellow Hummer, when they hit & kill someone. They decide to rush home, try and cover up the traces and lie low but are found by an intrepid cop. Who asks for an exorbitant amount (ie the kind they cant take out of their pocket money) to hush it up. While implementing a particularly hare-brained scheme to try and get the money, they go deeper and deeper in the mire. And soon another cop, Rajeev Khandelwal, an angry, no holds barred, tough talking type, is on their trail.

I think it’s a fatal flaw, in terms of building a connect, if the cop interests you more than the errant friends. We never understand the personality of the individuals or what makes them bond or what demons they confront (as per the title of the film). I thought Shallow Grave did a much better job of all of the above, in terms of showing the friendship and how each of them react differently under pressure.

There is some lovely camera work, nice styling and an exceptional rendition (and video) of the classic ‘Khoya Khoya Chand’ as part of the background score on the positive side (you will really struggle to get the tune out of your head). I also liked the way the director remained true to his vision (had heard his script narration before and he has managed to bring it to life). Everyone acts well, none more so than Rajeev.

Something different. Wish it could’ve scaled greater heights…

Hangover II

2011-06-25T08:12:00.000-07:00

Rating : 5/10
Release Date : 27 May, 2011 (India)
Time : 102 minutes
Director & Co-Writer : Todd Phillips; Co-writers : Scott Armstrong, Craig Maizin; Music : Christophe Beck
Starring : Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, Paul Giamatti, Jamie Chung, Sasha Baresse

This time the venue is Bangkok, its Stu’s wedding and they manage to ‘misplace’ his wife’s kid brother (who also happens to be a Grade A student and the apple of his domineering father-in-laws eye).

The rest of the story follows a familiar pattern, this time the animal is a monkey, they again wake up in an unfamiliar surrounding, they have to retrace their steps of the previous night of which they again have no recollection and other characters include a villainous Paul Giametti, a monk who has taken a vow of silence and Chow, the bad guy from the previous film.

The film made me laugh in quite a few places but it wasn’t as spontaneous nor as loud as the first one. It seems to be following a format, which seems to have restricted its inherent plot creativity somewhat. Also, the characters all seemed eccentric, one-off types, especially Zach, and repeated exposure to them isn’t that much fun, they’re not fleshed out to that degree.

I’m hoping there isn’t a third one planned or if there is, it rests with a completely new set of writers, who decide to look at the characters in a new light.

Ready

2011-06-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

Rating : 4/10
Release Date : 3rd June, 2011
Time : 140 minutes
Director : Anees Bazmee; Writer : Salim Khan; Music : Pritam, Devi Shri Prasad
Starring : Salman Khan. Special Appearances by the rest of the cast, including Asin, Arya Babbar, Paresh Rawal, Mahesh Manjrekar, Puneet Issar, Manoj Joshi, Manoj Pahwa, Anooradha Patel, Akhilendra Mishra

This is several notches below Dabangg & about par with the crass, loud stuff that passes in the name of comedy today. It could almost be called the Salman show as he plays to the gallery, beats the baddies and loves the ladies.

The plot, for what its worth, has Salman as the spoilt brat, with his entire (wealthy) family wants to now get married in the vain hope that he will settle down. The guru maharaj suggests someone, Asin opportunistically arrives in her place (as she’s fleeing some baddies) and proceeds to win over the entire family. Salman soon finds out that she’s an impostor but by then its too late as he’s also fallen for her. The afore mentioned baddies arrive, some of whom get beaten and the rest cajoled just in time for the happy ending.

Salman wisecracks, removes his shirt, talks to the camera, does some fancy stunts, drives very fancy cars and behaves like someone on a high, in both reel and real life. Asin may have inveigled herself back into Bollywood with some of her dresses. The rest of the family tries to make up for their limited screen time (there are quite a few of them) by going for higher decibels.

Most of the audience laughed in all the right places for most of the film. Their sense of humour and mine clearly don’t match.

Blue Valentine

2011-05-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

Rating : 7/10
Release Date : December, 2010
Time : 112 minutes
Director, Co-writer : Derek Cianfrance ; Co-Writers Cami Delavignie, Joey Curtis; Music Supervisor : Joe Rudge
Starring : Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams, Faith Wladyka

Never seen a film which captures the desolation leading up to a break up as well as this one. A couple which falls in love and gets married now finds themselves growing apart even though he is a good father and faithful husband and she is a caring wife.

He is unambitious. She works for a doctor and dreams of a better life. She is crushed by the logistics of day to day life, the everyday burdens we all seem to carry heavily upon our shoulders, especially when money is an issue. He is happy being a father, a husband and cannot fathom what is going wrong.
Things are brought to a head when he plans a romantic weekend, just with his wife, their child left with grandparents. Will they find true love again ?

The movie is remarkable for its lack of histrionics, brilliant acting, screenplay and realistic portrayals. There is all the drama of a couple drifting apart due to no clear reason, not one big thing but hundreds of tiny little things which are laughable by themselves. There is the drama of one being content and the other restless. The anguish of one still in love and the other just carrying on, visibly so.

Love is a strange bird. I find more and more couples today struggle to remember what it was that made them fall in love, to remember the good and hold it in their heart vs all the tiny irritations of day to day life. This movie is a good reminder of what could be.

The Mechanic

2011-05-13T21:53:00.000-07:00

Rating : 5/10
Release Date : 28th January, 2011
Time : 93 minutes
Director : Simon West ; Writer : Richard Wenk, Lewis John Carlino; Music : Mark Isham
Starring : Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Donald Sutherland, Tony Goldwyn, Jeff Chase, Mini Anden
There is probably nothing in this film that you’ve not seen before. Its about an assassin who trains the son of his mentor to become one, after killing the mentor. What makes the movie watchable is Jason Statham who displays all the skills which I’ve admired in him right from the days of Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels….

The film has portions which are unbelievable as is the case with most action films – shootings in the middle of the town, a secret hideout that doesn’t really seem very hard to find, bomb blasts but no sign of cops and sending a replacement killer for an important job without prior agreement etc.

The key to enjoying this film is to watch Jason shed his ‘action / Brit’ image and try his hand at something a bit more. Silent, introspective, thoughtful, the assassin he portrays is happy to do the bidding of his boss but not ready to be made a fool of. The relationship with Ben Foster is well brought out, as we see a wastrel gradually become an admirer and then a convert to Jason’s methods. In performance terms though I found Ben a bit cold and that’s why never cared for what becomes of him.

Its an enjoyable film if you know what to look for and what to ignore

Another Year

2011-05-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

Rating : 7/10
Release Date : November, 2010
Time : 129 minutes
Director & Writer : Mike Leigh; Music : Gary Yershon
Starring : Jim Broadbent, Ruth Sheen, Lesley Manville, Oliver Maltman, Peter Wight, David Bradley, Martin Savage, Karina Fernandez, Imelda Staunton
A beautiful film showing the different ways we humans seek unhappiness or refuse to confront our problems head on.

We meet a woman who just wants to sleep, wants sleeping tablets but is unwilling to confront the issues which are making her insomniac. In a telling moment, when asked to remember the happiest moment of her life she can think of nothing

We meet Mary, who just wants a man and to be liked, though not necessarily in that order. Bright, vacuous (her car purchase telling us all we need to know about her ‘upstairs’ control room) and vivacious, fighting hard against age, desperate to find a man to the extent that she will hit upon almost anyone. Is a secretary but hates being called that.

We meet Ken. Unfit. Drinks more than your friendly neighbourhood fish. Smokes. Bemoans the change around him. How the friendly pubs have all become bars and lounges (its so true in UK, BTW, know several which have done so). How the young are noisy and intolerant of the elders. And he would love to have a companion.

We meet Joe. Bright. Helpful. Happy. But all the time being asked whether he’s found someone yet. And he just may have a surprise or two in store there.

And, most of all, we meet Tom and Gerri. The couple through whom we meet everyone else. The couple who are very relaxed, comfortable with each other, perfect companions, enjoying the different stages of life together. Who don’t really understand why people struggle so hard for happiness.

Its an interesting contrast provided – the happy couple vs the individuals and their issues. We see it all over the course of a year, with different seasons showcasing different chapters and introducing new characters. The contrast between Tom and his helpless elder brother was also nicely shown, underlining once again the importance of keeping pace with the times and the perils of over dependency (in this case on his wife).

It’s a slow, gentle movie. Barring a few minutes, there aren’t even any raised voices. Its all about characters, building sketches for us of different people. And I found it very interesting…

Luv Ka The End

2011-05-06T23:39:00.000-07:00

Rating : 7/10
Release Date : 6th May, 2011
Time : ~120 minutes
Director : Bumpy ; Writer : Ashish Patil; Music : Ram Sampath
Starring : Shraddha Kapoor, Taaha Shah, Jannat Zubair Rahmani

After a long time saw a youth film which got its lingo, tonality just right. It didn’t sound wannabe, the characters were endearing, it was fresh, peppy, touched on taboo topics and will possibly appeal to those who either belong to the well heeled youth or aspire to.

Rhea (Shraddha Kapoor) finds out that her boyfriend, Luv (Taaha), the man she was about to entrust her virginity to on her 18th birthday, is a total Casanova. She now wants to get even. Joining her in her admirable quest are her best friends, the well rounded, spunky Jugs and the vacuous, looks obsessed Sonia and an unlikely ally, the nerdy Kartikeyan. Helping Luv in his quest are his friends, the plump, women obsessed, Gollu, who’s throwing a party where only women wearing mini skirts will be allowed and Timmy, who’s so much into his looks / exercise that he talks to his biceps.

Other interesting characters include Karthikeyan’s brother, who’s choice of password will linger in memory for long. Rhea’s Dadi, who’s choice of language lingers in Rhea’s parents memory for longer. The precocious Minty, Rhea’s younger sister, who’s negotiation skills will put bankers to shame. And Sonia’s mom, who’s trying desperately to be with it.

The entire film spans a period of less than 24 hours, keeps it very tight, has some interesting twists and doesn’t have a dull moment. The girl’s attempt to buy drinks, the BBC concept, the conceptualisation of Rhea’s revenge, the diva’s (Natasha & her gang) vs the ordinary (Rhea & her gang), all provide great entertainment.

The background score, the bright colours, the jokes (Jugs has some of the best lines), the banter, the well etched characters, the songs, the slickness…all combine to give us an interesting viewing experience. The acting is very good as well. Shraddha, while not being the hottest thing on legs, manages to look convincing as the vulnerable girl next door. Taaha looks every inch the slick charmer. Each one fits the bill as if they were made for this part.

Kudo’s to Y Films in being able to pull this off. Its not easy to get it just right, its quite a fine line. They made us laugh, they made us cheer, they made us care. Its said ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’. Basis this film, it seems safe to say ‘Hell Hath no fury like a woman who’s been two timed’ !

Fast & Furious 5

2011-05-05T22:02:00.000-07:00

Rating : 6/10
Release Date : 6th May, 2011 (India)
Time : 130 minutes
Director : Justin Lin ; Writer : Chris Morgan, Gary Scott Thompson; Music : Brian Tyler
Starring : Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Matt Schulze, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Joaquim De Almeida, Elsa Pataky

A classic ‘Boys with Toys’ movie, with nary a dull moment, high levels of testosterone, bulging biceps and beautiful babes and a plot that is so full of loopholes, requiring a suspension of disbelief so huge, it could hold up the Worli Sea Link and its proposed extension.

Set in sunny Rio, it involves Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and a motley crew taking on the biggest druglord of the city because they have a chip containing vital information about where his money is stashed. Why this chip is in existence or in the location it was discovered is never explained but then we don’t get any time to ponder over such questions. Fists fly, cars crash, guns gorge bullets and people generally strut around stiffly. A heist along the lines of 'The Italian Job' is planned. To add to the chaos, the US Govt sends their best guy, Dwayne Johnson to track Vin Diesel and his merry men and he certainly does his best to add to the beefy biceps quotient.

The story is not important. The attempt throughout the film is to make you go ‘oooohhhh’. To make you see stunts that you’d never seen before. And in this they succeed. You spend most of the film wondering what lies ahead, what outrageous feat is going to be attempted next. Special mentions for the outstanding background score which makes the heart pulsate throughout the film and for Gal Gadot who achieves the same effect in a different way.

Most of what they show would have even Bond or Tom Cruise of MI questioning rationality or sanity but then this film is not for the faint-hearted. Its one mind boggling stunt after another, held together only in the loosest sense by a simplistic storyline. And its fun. Crazy, but fun.

Chalo Dilli

2011-05-05T13:11:00.000-07:00

Rating : 3/10
Release Date : 29th April, 2011
Time : 116 minutes
Director : Shashant Shah ; Writer : Arshad Syed ; Music : Various
Starring : Vinay Pathak, Lara Dutta
Take every stereotype in the book. The Bong family that has to be carrying rasagullas. The Rajasthani goon who wears cool shades but also carry paan. The Delhi-ite who belches, farts, chomps noisily and eats gluttonously but has a heart of gold. And the Mumbai Miss Hoity Toity who runs a multi crore business, is strong / self dependent but eeks and shrieks at the sign of a cockroach. Now put it together in a road movie with a weak plot, stale jokes and clichéd situations. And you have a film that goes on and on and on before mercifully drawing to a close about 30-40 minutes too late.

Lara misses her flight to Delhi, has to catch one in cattle class which is diverted to Jaipur due to airport issues, and then when she hires a car to drive down to the capital, encounters a sleep-starved uncouth driver. In steps Vinay Pathak. Her co-passenger on the flight. Possibly the reason for her missing the earlier one. Surely the reason for her having to resort to music / headphones during the flight due to his loud chatter. And definitely the person who drives her up the wall as their journey encompasses an Ambassador, a bicycle, a camel cart, shared auto, a jeep and a train. Will they reach Delhi and what awaits them there is what is supposed to engross us through the film

An interesting premise is put to the sword here. A very weak script, a very poor dialogue writer (really cringe worthy, old jokes) and extremely amateurish production quality ensure that you see a film that feels like its been made on a budget. Acting by the lead pair is average but you feel for neither of them. Acting by everyone else is below average. The songs are very ordinary and the ‘Laila’ remix is downright awful, especially the crass video with Yana.

A piece of elastic can only be stretched so much and the film here tries to set a new record for doing so. Midway in the film you’re praying for the unlikely couple to actually reach their destination to relieve us. Or for them to be airlifted. Or for someone to come to their rescue. Anything but the amateurish sub plots that you see, all of which have been seen before.

Dum Maro Dum

2011-04-24T02:04:00.000-07:00

Rating : 5/10
Release Date : 22nd April, 2011
Time : 130 minutes
Director : Rohan Sippy ; Writer : Shridhar Raghavan, Charudutt Acharya ; Music : Pritam
Starring : Abhishek Bachchan, Rana Duggabati, Bipasha Basu, Prateik Babbar, Aditya Pancholi, Govind Namdeo, Gantois Gomes

Another slickly shot film that lacks soul. Interesting camera work, editing techniques, lighting and post production are unable to compensate for ordinary acting, uni-dimensional characters and a drugs drama that lacks high points or lethal twists.

Abhishek is a corrupt cop gone straight after his family is killed in a car accident with a drug-high driver. He now is given a licence to clean up Goa, which seems more like a United Nations convention given the various nationalities in the state with their fingers in the lucrative drugs trade. Along the way he meets the good guys, Rana (a singer who wants to help clean up the state for reason or reasons unknown), Prateik (a bright student who agrees to be a carrier only to make enough to be able to pay his US college tuition fee) and Bipasha (Rana’s girlfriend who agreed to be a carrier so that she could get a job as a flight attendant).

The baddies include Aditya Pancholi (with a ridiculous screen name), who is the guy controlling most of the drugs trade and Michael Barbosa, who seemingly controls Aditya. Abhishek’s squad includes a junior cop (not 100% sure but I think its Gantois Gomes, bringing in the Goan flavour and some of the funniest lines (‘it’s a shit job’) and Govind Namdeo, a veteran, who brings sarcastic one liners and an intricate knowledge of the drugs trade to the posse.

The storyline doesn’t hang together coherently enough but cant get into more details for fear of giving the story away. There is a pall of darkness over the film, a sense of tragedy that the sporadic attempts at humour are not strong enough to lift. You sense a little bit of ‘Usual Suspects’ in here but it didn’t manage to build characters as intricate or relatable as in that film. The soundtrack is average, the main love track sung by Papon being the one which will get replayed very often. The title track didn’t work for me but then I’m fully aware that I’m not the target audience for this version.

I liked Rana. He seems to have something about him that promises better in the future, carries himself well. Abhishek is good without ever seeming to be able to bring the intensity or angst to his role, that, for example, his father was able to bring almost effortlessly in several films (Zanjeer, Trishul or even the same production house's Shakti). Bipasha, Prateik, Aditya have roles that don’t demand too much. What really drives the film is its styling – innovative angles, clothing, some very good post production / colouring techniques, locations.

You can sense what was being attempted here and that thought needs to be supported in an era where a lot of films are being made for ‘timepass’. However, unfortunately the thought didn’t really set the screen on fire, flickering more like a candle than a roaring flame. It’s a rocket ship that takes off but then doesn’t really manage to get past the Earth’s atmosphere.

Just Go With It

2011-04-24T01:49:00.000-07:00

Rating : 7/10
Release Date : 8th April, 2011 (India)
Time : 117 minutes
Director : Dennis Dugan ; Writer : Allan Loeb, Timothy Dowling (based on the play & the movie ‘Cactus Flower’); Music : Rupert Gregson-Williams
Starring : Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Brooklyn Decker, Griffin Gluck, Bailee Madison, Nicole Kidman, Nick Swardson, Dave Mathews

Walked in with zero expectations and walked out with a broad smile.

While the storyline is a derivative of the brilliant ‘Cactus Flower’, about a man who pretends to be married (and in this case says horrible things about his wife to garner sympathy) so that he never has to commit to anyone, there are several twists added to keep you interested.

So, Adam Sandler, who accidentally discovers the power of the wedding ring, is doing all great till a chance encounter with the very young and oomphalicious Brooklyn Decker makes him want to commit. However, she doesn’t want to break up a home, wants to meet his wife and then his kids. One thing leads to another and soon they are holidaying in Hawaii together.

Funny subplots include how he persuades his assistant, Jennifer Aniston, to become the pretend wife and her kids (she is a single parent) to become his pretend kids (one of the most funny negotiation meetings ever !). Or the whole thing about Devlin, Jennifer’s college bete noire. Or the man who is Jennifer’s pretend boyfriend and his funny accent. The shopping sequence at Jimmy Choo (‘why are these shoes so expensive, are they made with panda fur? Do the rolling stones come out and perform me’). Or the sheep fight club – possibly the funniest moment of the film.

Jennifer Aniston continues to amaze me, feel she is very under rated as an actress. Able to emote very easily, extremely comfortable during humour scenes, with sarcasm being her forte. And yet, she is able to exude a vulnerability, a natural sensitivity that makes you want to side with her. The fact that she looks stunning helps as well. Brooklyn does what she is hired to do – look young, bouncy (pun intended) and good in a bikini. Adam Sandler am not that quite sure of. He was good here but am not so certain someone else wouldn’t have been better. The kids deserve a very special mention, Bailee with her fake British accent and desire for acting classes and Griffin with his Mafiosi air and deep rooted desire to swim with the dolphins despite not knowing swimming. Nicole Kidman is charming in her special role as well which rounds up a nice cinematic experience.

The beauty of this film was that despite my being intimately familiar with the original storyline, I was constantly surprised. And was made to laugh very loudly on several occasions. Not all of it is plausible, but it's great fun!

Rango

2011-04-24T01:34:00.000-07:00

Rating : 4/10
Release Date : 4th March, 2011
Time : 107 minutes
Director, Co-writer : Gore Verbinski ; Co-Writers : John Logan, James Ward Byrkit ; Music : Hans Zimmer
Starring (voices of) : Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Harry Dean Stanton, Timothy Olyphant, Ray Winstone
This film couldn’t quite decide whether to be a classic western or a spoof of one and so falls in the in-between land where the sun never really shines that brightly. Also, it seriously needed a funnier screenplay (pun intended).

In a story inspired by ‘Chinatown’, Rango is suddenly thrust into the cruel desert and lands up in the town of Dirt where people struggle for water, the most precious resource, which is stored in their bank. The town is under the control of their Mayor, who is stealthily buying up all nearby land which is worthless without the water which is slowly drying up. Rango, in quite funny circumstances, is appointed Sheriff. And then the fun was supposed to begin but instead it gets very serious.

The Mariachi birds, who provide a running singing commentary of the events unfolding, provide some of the funniest moments along with Rango’s running battle with the kite (the bird). The love interest doesn’t really work, neither does the villain, who is too obvious yet doesn’t seem to evoke any resentment / fear from the town folk. The twists don’t curve enough, the jokes don’t go far enough and the music doesn’t stir enough.

So, there you have it. A half baked film, that is neither here nor there. Will definitely not appeal to kids and loses quite a few of the adults too.

Game

2011-04-14T21:24:00.001-07:00

Rating : 4/10
Release Date : 1st April, 2011
Time : ~140 minutes
Director : Abhinay Deo ; Writer : Althea Delmas Kaushal ; Music : Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy
Starring : Abhishek Bachchan, Kangna Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Sarah Jane Dias, Jimmy Shergill, Boman Irani, Gauhar Khan, Shahana Goswami

All the cool threads, exotic locations, expensive yachts, slick photography and interesting camera angles cannot mask the lack of soul in this film. A convoluted plot, with twists & turns thrown in almost as if to fulfil a quota, actors who sleepwalk, terrible music and a feeling of déjà vu, of having seen bits and pieces of this film in several other films, ensure that you are applauding for the wrong reasons by the time this film ends.

Four people are brought from different locations under different pretexts to his Greek island by billionaire, Anupam Kher. He has evidence of wrong doing on three of them. There is a murder. The chief investigating officer, Kangna Ranaut is determined to catch the killer, even against the wishes of her boss. Her chief suspect gives her the slip. Some predictable, some unbelievable twists and a couple of hours later, will she get her man ?

The actors possibly took themselves too seriously. The smile, the flair, which are key ingredients to make a thinly plotted film enjoyable, are conspicuous by their absence. The locales are stunning, the styling & clothes amazing. I found issues with the make-up and lighting in some scenes but am possibly being over critical. However, there is very little to like in what we see. Everything is just too pat, falls in place too neatly as it can only in films.

Disappointed that this is the first real turkey I’ve seen from this production house and wondering if this is a case of style overshadowing all substance so dramatically that the entire thing falls flat ?

Rio

2011-04-14T07:33:00.000-07:00

Rating : 8/10
Release Date : 8th April, 2011
Time : 96 minutes
Director, Co-writer : Carlos Saldhana; Writer : Don Rhymer; Music : John Powell
Starring : (Voices of) Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathway, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, Jemaine Clement, Jamie Foxx, Will.i.am, George Lopez, Tracy Morgan, Jeffrey Garcia, Davi Vieira

I had no idea about blue macaw’s prior to this film. Didn’t know they were so funny.

Blu, an originally named blue macaw, is completely domesticated and inseparable from his owner, Linda, who in turn is unabashedly attached to her pet. They live in Minnesota and share a very cozy existence. All that is thrown in turmoil when they find, through Tulio, a bird conservationist, that the species is in danger of extinction and the only hope for proliferating is for Blu to mate with Jewel, a female blue macaw. The only catch is she is based in Rio. And its not only the conservationists who have their eye on the last pair of macaws…

A key strength of Carlos Saldhana, the director of Ice Age, is to create endearing characters. This trait is in full evidence here with Blu, Jewel, Linda, Tulio, Pedro, Nico, Luiz, Rafael and even the ‘baddie’, Nigel, creating a place in our hearts. And setting the film in his hometown ensures some stunning backdrops to the action unfolding on the screen.

Funny situations, witty dialogue abound and lead to several great laugh out loud moments. Blu, for example doesn’t fly & keeps trying to justify this quoting other birds which are flightless. The urge to samba permeates all Brazilian creatures (humans and other animals inclusive) and its only fitting that the climax is during Carneval. And Lionel Ritchie apparently emits the king of mating calls. The music, though, while being nice, is not as brilliant or long lasting as the rest of the film.

Rio, the place always evokes good memories. Don’t think any movie set in this magnificent city can be anything but nice, peppy & cheerful. Right from the classic Blame it On Rio and Dhoom2, everything seems to acquire a happier, rosy hue in keeping with the warm Brazilian spirit. Rio, the film, is no exception. Get ready for bird watching of a different kind….

Thank You

2011-04-14T07:20:00.000-07:00

Rating : 4/10
Release Date : 8th April, 2011
Time : 140 minutes
Director, Co-writer : Anees Bazmee; Writer : Rajiv Kaul, Rajan Agarwal, Ikram Akhtar, ; Music : Pritam
Starring : Akshay Kumar, Irrfan Khan, Bobby Deol, Suneil Shetty, Sonam Kapoor, Rimi, Celina Jaitley

A film which purportedly has an anti-infidelity message but uses that an excuse for skin show, crass sexist jokes, lewd songs and is only occasionally brought to life by some funny lines by Irrfan, this is yet another example of a mindless film that passes off as entertainment

Suneil Shetty, Bobby Deol and Irrfan are compulsively unfaithful and also happen to be colleagues. Their wives, Celina, Sonam and Rimi are either unaware or gullibly fall for their hubby’s silly excuses or gang up to make their hubby pay for his sins. They also hire an investigator, Akshay, to help them nail their errant spouses and he turns out to have an agenda of his own…

I liked the fact that it stuck to its storyline and apart from one silly subplot about a ‘King’, didn’t deviate from its main plot point. I liked that Irrfan and Rimi genuinely were funny, he in his deadpan way and she in her over the top, garrulous way

The rest is eminently forgettable including some terrible songs, very uninspired acting (specially Akshay and Sonam), stale jokes and generally poor taste. Even the background score seems inspired by the Mask and in one case, the ever reliable Mission Impossible theme tune.

I didn’t walk into this with great expectations and none were met. There were a few laughs from the sparse audience watching the film so it did connect at some level. It is a lot better than films like CC2C and Kambakkht Ishq, though that is starting at an abysmally low base level…

The King's Speech

2011-03-10T09:24:00.001-08:00

Rating : 8/10
Release Date : 24th December, 2010
Time : 118 minutes
Director : Tom Hooper; Writer : David Seidler; Music : Alexandre Desplat
Starring : Colin Firth, Geoffery Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Timothy Spall, Derek Jacobi

One of the mental tracks running through my head while watching this lovely movie was the pity I would feel for any director / writer who would dare come to an Indian producer to make this film. I could just imagine the producer’s reactions. “What ? A movie about a 40 something old man ? No sex scenes ? No item numbers ? No fights ? All he does is learn to overcome his stutter with a male doctor ? No one will come to see it !!!”

This is a film about the Duke of York (Colin Firth), the second in line to the throne after his elder brother David (Guy Pearce), and his struggle to overcome his speech impediment (his stutter) that he’s had since as long as he can remember. Unfortunately for him, the world seems to be entering the era where the King has to give speeches, broadcast on the wireless, rally the nation etc.

His personal struggle is juxtaposed with events that keep throwing him into prominence. His brother is having an affair. With a woman who’s twice divorced. This, of course, is unacceptable to the Church. His father’s illness. The rise of Hitler, an accomplished demagogue. An upcoming war.

And in the middle of all this, all the Duke can rely upon is the unstinting support of his wife (Helena Bonham Carter), who steadfastly remains on his side, through thick and thin. And the doctor (Geoffery Rush) with weird methods she found on Harley Street, who insists on a relationship of equals. Who goes against the advice of other doctors who advised the king to smoke (as it relaxes the lungs). Or inserted marbles in his mouth. Or, like his father, just urged him to speak it out, get on with it etc

The movie rests on the square, sometime faltering, shoulders of Colin Firth. The fact that he makes us warm to him, despite his temper and impatience. That he makes us will him to success. That he comes across as so human. And his relationship with the doctor. Who is informal, insists on calling Firth, Bertie, a name which so far was only used by family. Who wants to get inside his skin. Find the root cause behind the stutter. And for his troubles receives several tongue lashings from the Duke, unused to being questioned so much…

The underlying British humour makes it fun as well. For example, Firth’s father, trying to explain the role of a king to his son “In the past all a King had to do was look respectable in uniform and not fall off his horse. Now we must invade people's homes and ingratiate ourselves with them. This family is reduced to those lowest, basest of all creatures, we've become actors!”

Or a brief exchange between the Duke and the Doctor on smoking…
Doctor : [as "Bertie" is lighting up a cigarette] Please don't do that.
Bertie : I'm sorry?
Doctor: I believe sucking smoke into your lungs will kill you.
Bertie: My physicians say it relaxes the throat.
Doctor: They're idiots.
Bertie: They've all been knighted.
Doctor: Makes it official then.

I think the measure of a great performance, especially around any disability, is when you cannot imagine the actor being normal. I remember watching Rainman and then rushing out to view a DVD of Dustin Hoffman being normal as I truly believed he was or had been autistic. Colin Firth inspires similar emotions. His wan smile, the long pauses as he struggles with words. His anger at his situation and fate. He truly seems like the man who was born to be a king…

Black Swan

2011-03-07T12:16:00.000-08:00

Rating : 6/10
Release Date : 17th December, 2010
Time : 108 minutes
Director : Darren Aronofsky; Writer : Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, John McLaughlin; Music : Clint Mansell
Starring : Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Winona Ryder, Barbara Hershey

Does each one of us have the ability to have evil co-exist inside us ? To let the colours black and white cohabit internally ?

Black Swan is the story of a ballerina (Natalie Portman), a woman who really wants to be the next diva, a woman who aches for perfection and makes all the sacrifices required to attain it, a lady who is still Mama’s little girl. However, the role that’s up for offer requires her to be a white swan and a black one. To be pristine, pure alongside being lustful and lascivious. To be serene one moment and wildly seductive the next. It’ll mean letting go. It’ll mean not worrying about technique but going with the flow. It’ll mean abandoning the quest for perfection. Can she ?

Vincent Cassel, the imperious, abrasive man who runs the ballet troupe isn’t sure at all. He thinks she’s frigid. She does something to change his mind. But even then he’s not sure. She is fearful, searching for his approval, trying her hardest to relinquish control. And wishes she could be as natural and spontaneous as the new recruit, Lily. Who thinks nothing of downing a cheeseburger (‘make it bloody’), a few drinks and some of the pure stuff in one night, while flirting and fucking the men she meets on a night about town. Can she ?

Natalie is brilliant. No two ways about that. There is a certain innate shyness about her, a certain fragility that is naturally charming. She behaves French, if you know what that means. And communicates the struggle between good and evil beautifully.

There are other layers as well. The loneliness of being at the top. The conspiracy theories that always surround the person who’s reached there. The plots to replace that person. The whispers that surround any woman who over-achieves. Imagine a delicate, shy girl thrust in all of this and you can see what all Natalie’s character has to cope with…

However, the movie itself, am not that sure of. Its an interesting idea, a great concept. But it became a bit too hallucigenic, too disjointed in parts. And definitely too gory in others. And I’m not sure either was really required. I feel the same could’ve as easily been communicated in a more normal way.

This is a movie that has become great and is being watched because of the Oscar. Else, the film itself wouldn’t have caused much of a ripple at the box office. There is a certain sense of tragedy in the film, a darkness that envelops the characters. Even the joy is communicated through tears and not laughter. And as the character metamorphizes, as the mom asks tearfully ‘where is my sweet little girl ?’, the chilling answer is that she’s gone…

PS : When I look at the quality and composition of the Posters / Stills, for example the poster I've used at the top or photo with the red hue, the thought put behind it is just stunning ! Hats off to them...

Tanu Weds Manu

2011-02-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

Rating : 5/10
Release Date : 25th February, 2011
Time : 120 minutes
Director : Aanand Rai; Writer : Himanshu Sharma; Music : Krsna
Starring : Kangana Ranaut, Madhavan, Deepak Dobriyal, Eijaz Khan, Swara Bhaskar, KK Raina, Jimmy Shergill

This is yet another film with a Jekyll & Hyde complex. A very good, funny, quirky first half, completely ruined by a second that descends into melodrama, soppiness and farce. The film is fun, though, due to certain likeable characters, none more so than Tanu (Kangana), her best friend Payal (Swara Bhaskar) and Manu’s (Madhavan’s) two buddies, Pappi (Deepak Dobriyal) and Jassi (Eijaz Khan).

Manu, the good doctor from London, has come to India to get married. The first prospective bride he see’s is Tanu and for him the world stops spinning right there and then. On a trip to Vaishno Devi (a hilarious Jai Mata Di sequence), to celebrate the upcoming union, he however finds out she’s not what he’d expected and they have to call it off. However, fate has other things planned for them …

This film belongs to Kangana. She has never looked better (in a very dhinchak way), is for a change not playing a psycho or drunk and acts with aplomb. The way she says ‘Mishra ji’ you never know whether she is mocking him or actually calling him. She is a rebel, someone who in places like Kanpur is called ‘a fast girl’, does all the things which are considered taboo, including a tattoo (“Teri shaadi main daaru peeke ulti nahin ki to kya kiya”). Deepak Dobriyal (“ab ya to bawal karo ya chup chap train se kat lo”) proves his fine acting credentials once more, as does Eijaz (who enjoys tharki songs and pays the price for his tharki ways before his marriage). And Swara brings a fine touch of Patna in her patois (“bhatakti aatma rahogi tum, kabhi chain nahin milega”).

Madhavan acts well but is loaded with a character who doesn’t appeal to me. I’m sure the weepy, silent man has many takers but I am not one of them. I stopped caring for him well before the second half, have no sympathies for those who make long faces and stand in a corner and pine away while the world passes them by. Goddamn it, man, do something. And if you do decide that she is the one for you, woo her, court her, communicate with her. Don’t stand there, looking mournful with puppy eyes ! Again, its nothing against Madhavan’s acting skills but more on the character he’s had to inhabit…

Its almost as if the director couldn’t decide what genre film he wanted to make. The first half is an enjoyable comedy, the second a weepy melodrama. The first has endearing characters, who amuse you with their wit and behaviour, and in the second a couple of them stifle you with an over-reliance on what used to be known as dialogue baazi. The first half is best exemplified by Mika’s peppy Punjabi number, the second by a funeral-like slow song. I am exaggerating a bit here, but only a bit. There is a scene in the second half (buying a wedding dress), which has shades of Four Weddings and a Funeral, but the way its done here versus the English film, demonstrates the difference in thought / genre.

In Tanu Weds Manu, the small town flavour can be tasted constantly, like a good paan, though, again like paan, after a while (especially the second half) you have no option but to spit it out…

7 Khoon Maaf

2011-02-17T23:52:00.000-08:00

Rating : 4/10
Release Date : 18th February, 2011
Time : 154 minutes
Director, Music & Writer : Vishal Bhardwaj; Co-Writer : Matthew Robbins (based on the story by Ruskin Bond);
Starring : Priyanka Chopra, Vivaan Shah, Neil Nitin Mukesh, John Abraham, Irrfan Khan, Aleksandr Dyachenko, Annu Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Usha Uthup, Shashi Malviya

I really admire the marketing that accompanies certain directors nowadays. It builds up the film to a degree and in a way that it almost makes you feel like you’re a cinematic idiot if you don’t like it. Call me a philistine but I didn’t like it. I didn’t get it. I found it too dark and too long and weird and unreal and unsettling.

Its about Priyanka and her 7 husbands. And yes, she murders them. And she has a loyal entourage (Vivaan Shah, Usha Uthup, Shashi Malviya among others) who accompany her through her travails. I wont tell you anymore about the story, but leave it to you to discover the who’s, the when’s, the how’s and the why’s.

Suffice to say I never understood the why’s. Or the character played by Priyanka. Or her entourage. There were never any conversations between them of any depth (bar one) which tried to make sense of whats happening. I enjoyed looking at her, she looks stunning, acts beautifully but I don’t follow her thoughts or feel any empathy for her, like her or find her coherent. And that’s why the film feels much longer than its two and a half hours.

Since the movie has to go through so many husbands (remember Whats Your Rashee ?), by definition the men have very little time devoted to them and end up being mere caricatures, just getting fattened for the slaughter. Neil and Annu Kapoor stand out though for making their characters come to life a bit more than the others.

Am not sure about the philosophy or thought being propagated by the film as well. Is there one ? Its almost as if murder is the first and only resort and that cannot be ? Its a film rich in music (Darling & the haunting Bekaraan standing out) and lovely atmospherics but again, without characters you like, it doesnt hold you or make it enjoyable. I don’t think every great book will make a great movie. I haven’t read this story but wish this one had been left alone.

No Strings Attached

2011-02-12T21:48:00.000-08:00

Rating : 7/10
Release Date : 21st January, 2011
Time : 108 minutes
Director : Ivan Reitman; Writer : Elizabeth Meriwether; Music : John Debney
Starring : Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Kevin Kline, Greta Gerwig, Lake Bell, Ludacris, Jake M Johnson, Mindy Kaling, Ophelia Lovibond, Ben Lawson, Olivia Thirlby

“Ten years from now you’re going to be having sex with your wife. And its gonna be in the missionary position. And one of you will be asleep”

This film is not about the storyline, which is quite routine, but about the sparkling screenplay, loveable & easily identifiable characters and excellent acting, none more so than the lead pair.

“Remember that when she’s at the hospital, I’ll be right next to her, using big English words and saving lives”

Natalie Portman doesn’t want any relationships. She has no time (is a doctor), doesn’t want complications and doesn’t want to get hurt. There is a guy (Ashton Kutcher) she keeps bumping into. Nice looking, cool, though he seems to be living off and in his famous dad’s (Kevin Kline) shadow. She enjoys having sex with him, decides to proposition him to become her ‘sex friend’, the condition being that they must not fall in love or behave like a couple. Sub plots include her medical roommates, all a bit kooky. His friends, who alternate in giving unwanted advice and attempting to hook themselves up. And his dad, who’s decided to hook up with his ex-girlfriend…

“Are you the guy who had sex with a woman and gave her a balloon?”

I wouldn’t have thought of Natalie and Ashton as a likely couple but they definitely make a good looking pair, a pair you enjoy watching having sex (many times), a pair that seems comfortable together. While having a crush on Natalie since her Star Wars days, for me she really comes into her own here, a romantic leading lady role (am yet to see Black Swan though, a film she’s likely to win an Oscar for). She was really good here. And after this, I will no longer think of Ashton as Demi’s toyboy husband. He’s managed to carve a niche of his own and is beginning to justify having over 5mn Twitter followers.

“But he’s so tall ! Everytime I stand next to him, it looks like a case of kidnapping !”

There are quite a few genuine laugh out loud moments (the period mix, the dinner with Kevin, Ashton & Natalie, even the end of the movie stills), jokes fly thick and fast, the various characters are all crazy yet real enough, the mood light and easy throughout, the dialogue appropriately fizzy and enough unexpected plot twists (including the time Ashton wakes up naked amidst a group of people and cant remember who he had sex with) to keep us amused.

“I think Monogamy goes against our basic biology”

This was the perfect antidote to the weepy manipulative melodrama I was tortured with yesterday. A perfect Valentine’s Day release. One that I’m going to enjoy watching again as I’m not sure I got all the jokes. And I cant say that about many chick flicks…

Patiala House

2011-02-11T06:41:00.000-08:00

Rating : 2/10
Release Date : 11th February, 2011
Time : 147 minutes
Director & Writer : Nikhil Advani; Co-writer : Anvita Dutt; Music : Shankar, Ehsaan Loy
Starring : Akshay Kumar, Anushka, Rishi Kapoor, Dimple, Armaan Kirmani, Prem Chopra, Soni Razdan, Tinu Anand, Hard Kaur, Jeneva Talwar

Tripe, balderdash and poppycock

This is about a promising cricketer (Akshay), an Indian origin British citizen, who is told by his autocratic father (Rishi) that he cannot play for England. This is about him leading the next 17 years with a face as long as a cricket bat, working in a convenience store set up for him by the same father. This is about some ten other assorted characters who are forced by the same father to do what he wants them to do rather than what they wish for, but funnily enough they don’t blame themselves for not standing up but blame Akshay instead. And all this changes once Anushka enters their lives and the England team lies in tatters.

This is a film steeped in melodrama. Violins play in the background at every opportunity. Rivers of glycerine flow at the drop of a hat. Every occasion is filled with pathos, no frame seems complete until someone is not shown to be sad, morose or oppressed.

This is also a film steeped in illogicality. Why, if his Dad is so adamant about him not playing for England, is he not able to play for India ? Or at least the counties ? Many people make a career out of just that. If someone hasn’t played competitively for 17 years and is aged 34, what odds would you offer for him to be selected ? Could you imagine someone playing for the national side and yet keeping it a secret from his father ? And how come papa ka ladla isnt married (at 34) when is father happily goes around fixing other people's marriages ?

And then there are other questions I would beg to ask. Why should I, as an Indian, cheer for someone who wants to play in an England shirt ? Even more, why should I, as an audience, feel anything, any sympathy or sense of camaraderie with a person who clearly lived 17 years of his life without a backbone, became the butt of his relatives jokes, lived with drooping shoulders and a face to match ? Why should I care about him ?

Its no surprise then that nothing excites, not the songs (which aren’t that great) nor the cricket (very clichéd coverage) nor any of the side characters. The few moments of fun in the second half come when they’re trying to keep his selection a secret from the Dad, but that lasts barely 5 minutes.

Dimple is wasted. Anushka and Akshay have zero chemistry. Rishi looks the part. The rest are ok

The movie is made with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. It is clichéd in every aspect and lacks body and soul. Found it very difficult to sit through and am going to probably have to watch another one tonight just to get this out of my head.

127 Hours

2011-02-10T06:48:00.000-08:00

Rating : 7/10
Release Date : 28th January, 2011 (India)
Time : 94 minutes
Director & Writer : Danny Boyle; Co-writers : Simon Beaufoy (based on the novel ‘Between a Rock and a Hard Place’ by Aron Ralston); Music : A R Rahman
Starring : Jamie Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn

This film is a masterclass in character development, editing, camera work and of course, direction. It takes considerable skill and craft to be able to sustain interest in a film where you know whats going to happen, how it will end. Danny Boyle manages that with ease, helped by some lovely camera angles, great cinematic techniques and a pulsating soundtrack by our very own Rahman.

Aron Ralston (Jamie Franco), an adventure junkie, avid trekker of the Grand Canyon finds himself trapped in a crevice, suspended almost mid air with one hand crushed / trapped under a big, immoveable rock. It’s a freak accident but he is now stuck, low on food, low on water and no one knows where he is….

The reason the film works is because we very quickly fall in love with Aron. His whackiness, sense of adventure, humour, ability to not take himself seriously, his choice of songs, off key singing and most of all, his indomiatable will to live and the steel that lies within. Further meat is added by becoming privy to his thoughts as he finds himself stuck in this strange predicament.

The cinematic techniques used – the split screens, the surreal dream sequences, the water pouring / drinking shots, the pull outs / helicopter shots which reinforce just how big the place really is, the colours – I can really go on – they add so much to the cinematic viewing pleasure. As does the vibrant music, right from the opening track, Rahman is on the ball here.

The film itself works at several levels. You wonder instantly what you would do if caught in the same situation. You ponder about how tenuous our grip on life really is (how dependent we are on things like food, water) ? How much of our life is actually dictated by random events (what if he had answered his mom’s phone, what if he had brought along his Swiss Army knife ) ? How insignificant humans are when pitted against Mother Nature (the vastness of the canyons, the agelessness and tranquillity of the rocks) ?

I liked the way the ‘gory’ parts were shown but glossed over, the way we were spared melodrama, the focus remaining on the will to survive. At the end it was about a guy being stuck behind a rock. That it’s a fascinating watch, despite the inherent dullness of the subject matter, is a tribute to the team behind it !

Biutiful

2011-02-10T06:40:00.000-08:00

Rating : 7/10
Release Date : 20th Oct, 2010
Time : 148 minutes
Director & Writer : Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu; Co-writers : Nicolas Giacobone, Armando Bo; Music : Gustavo Santaolalla
Starring : Javier Bardem, Marciel Alvarez, Hanaa Bouchaib, Guillermo Estrella, Eduard Fernandez, Cheikh Ndiaye, Diaryatou Daff, Cheng Tai Shen, Lang Sofia Lin

This is a film about death. The slow, torturous kind. The kind that announces its intention a long while before coming. That forces you to put your affairs right. A topic that makes me very uncomfortable, especially when you throw in the kids angle as well. Also, its set in Barcelona, one of my favourite cities, a place I’ve visited over 50 times yet have never seen in this light, its almost as if someone has done a Slumdog version of the Catalan capital.

Javier Bardem is not doing too well financially despite having has his fingers in many pies. He supplies goods made in factories full of illegal Chinese immigrants to illegal African immigrants for peddling on the streets. He also pays off the cops to look the other way. And supplies construction sites with more Chinese immigrants as cheap labour. Personally things aren’t going too well either, he’s still trying to adjust to the divorce with his wife (who has severe split personality & drugs related issues) and having to deal with their two young kids. Further intrigue is added by the fact that Javier also has a gift which connects him to people in the afterlife. And he now finds out he has cancer, the terminal sort and has only a couple of months more left.

Javier’s character is really well portrayed. He does illegal things, is human but is a nice person at heart. Wanting to buy heaters for the cramped cold warehouses where the Chinese sleep, building a relationship with one of the African immigrants (and even fighting with the cops for him). Loving his kids but also snapping at them to discipline them. Helping his wife try to overcome her issues. And making money by using his powers to help the relatives of the deceased.

This film is really slow moving yet compelling to watch. New things get thrown at us constantly, new developments, some of which surprise us. Its quite a sensitive portrayal of the plight of illegal immigrants as well, who tolerate sub-human conditions and the pain of being on the wrong side of the law just to earn a few cents more per day. And Javier Bardem is simply brilliant, handling a complex role with ease, totally believable as a man who doesn’t want to exit but is being forced to.

Its not an easy watch and not an easy topic to digest especially given the number of warnings about our own mortality that stare at us everyday. But there was something about the pain, the humane-ness, the sensitivity in Javier’s eyes that made it possible to watch…

Burn After Reading

2011-02-10T06:17:00.000-08:00

Rating : 7/10
Release Date : September, 2008
Time : 96 minutes
Directors & Writers : Joel & Ethan Coen; Music : Carter Burwell
Starring : John Malkovich, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt, Richard Jenkins, JK Simmons

This is a film that pokes fun at the average American IQ, their mannerisms and obsessions with wit typical of the Coen brothers. It does all this in a subtle way, creating this fantastical story about intelligence spooks and gym instructors but at the end of the day, the scary thought is that it could actually happen in the land that gave us the Iraq War and its fictional WMD

John Malkovich is the CIA’s Balkan’s analyst who is suddenly put to pasture (“Drinking problem ? But you’re a fucking Mormon, next to you everyone has a drinking problem?!!). His agitated response is to quit (“I’m thinking of writing my memoirs”) and this move doesn’t go down well at all with his ball-busting, straight talking wife, Tilda Swinton, who loses no time in seeing a divorce lawyer, one of the smarmy kinds who only specialize in making a bad situation worse, and her lover, George Clooney, for a more permanent arrangement. George, a US Marshall, has only two pastimes. Running. And sleeping with women (including, very occasionally, his wife). Enter two gym instructors, Frances (who only cares about the four cosmetic surgeries she wants but cant afford) and Brad Pitt (hilarious portrayal of classic American toy boy, into exercising, biking, music but with an IQ of sub zero proportions). They discover a copy of John’s memoirs and smell a chance to make money. What follows is a tribute to US Intelligence, both the governmental and the other kind…

The understated humour is what makes this film come alive for me. Whether its Frances trying to get her insurance company to pay for her cosmetic surgery to George Clooney’s food allergies, need to run and feeling that he’s being followed (is he ?), John Malkovich’s angst, and Tilda's changing the locks, its all brilliantly done. When the CIA does get involved, their responses too are classic

The performances are exceptional, Clooney, Malkovich, Frances, Pitt, Swinton, all live and breathe their parts. Malkovich striding out with an axe dressed only in his boxers and bathrobe, Frances in action at the Russian embassy, Clooney making the gagging sounds to illustrate his food reflux, Brad Pitt’s surprise on being hit on the nose, Tilda’s inability to listen beyond the fact that her husband did not buy the cheese…excellent ! Even the cameos were great with JK Simmons (the CIA head honcho) on the learning for his organisation after the episode, the Mexican worker who actually found the memoirs, Richard Jenkins, who heads the gym and wants the entire episode to go away. Everyone gave it their all.

This film has grown on me – I didn’t have such a positive reaction immediately after watching it. I long for such subtlety in our films. However, based on the current crop of films succeeding, its going to be a while before we as an audience are ready for it…

Yeh Saali Zindagi

2011-02-04T07:36:00.000-08:00

Rating : 6/10
Release Date : 4th February, 2011
Time : 130 minutes
Director & Writer : Sudhir Mishra; Music : Nishat Khan, Abhishek Ray (title track bonus version)
Starring : Irrfan Khan, Chitrangda Singh, Arunoday Singh, Aditi Rao Hydari, Yashpal Sharma, Sushant Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Prashant Narayanan, Vipul Gupta, Vipin Sharma

There is a remix version of the title track that has some whacky sounds and beats that seem to do justice to this off beat film. Weird, quirky characters and situations. Equally weird dialogues and sounds. It confuses and captivates, grips you without really making you care. Also, for a change in Hindi films, the second half is better than the first. And then there is Chitrangda (my bias for her well chronicled in my reviews of her earlier films Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi and Sorry Bhai).

The film is about love, unrequited or otherwise. Irrfan is besotted by Chitrangda. She, though, is in love with Vipul Gupta. Both of them are kidnapped by Arunoday, who has just got out of jail and wants to leave it all because he loves his wife (Aditi) and she wants him to give up his way of life. Arunoday is also caught in a gang battle between two brothers, Yashpal Sharma (a golden hearted villain) and Prashant (who seems to swing both ways) and a corrupt cop (Sushant) who swings whichever way the wind blows. Throw in Saurabh Shukla (Irrfan’s boss and hates Chitrangda) and also Shyam’s fiancée (daughter of an influential politician and the real target of the kidnapping) and you begin to get an idea of the tangled web being woven…

The first half is disconcerting. Too many characters, an uneven pace, no clarity on what is happening, who’s who and even the editing (switching between flashback and the present) doesn't help. The second half makes up by making the plot thicken and threading some interesting, unexpected twists and turns in. However, the fundamental flaw is that while we possibly like or dislike some characters, we love or hate none. Either things happen too fast or there are too many questions hanging over their actions. Why does Irrfan love Chitrangda even though she clearly doesnt ? Why does she love Vipul, is she a gold digger ? The Arunoday and Aditi love track is a little clearer but seems far more physical, not the kind that will make either of them change the course of their lives the way it does.

There is a fine ensemble cast here, really good performances. The music is very good, particularly the Sararara song and a soft number, Kaise Kahein Alvida. Even the background music is nice, keeping pace with the mood of the film.

I enjoyed the film but clearly its not for everyone. Slightly dark, gritty, a jerky pace and profanity laced dialogue. However there is wit, humour (situational and otherwise) and enough interest in the storyline to carry us through. And for those who do stay for the ride, you get something different, off the normally safe and well treaded track…

Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji

2011-02-04T07:25:00.000-08:00

Rating : 3/10
Release Date : 28th January, 2011
Time : 143 minutes
Director : Madhur Bhandarkar; Writer : Madhur Bhandarkar, Anil Pandey, Neeraj Udwani; Music : Pritam
Starring : Ajay Devgan, Emraan Hashmi, Omi Vaidya, Shazahn Padamsee, Tisca Chopra, Shruti Hasan, Shraddha Das

This film corroborates Einsten’s theory of relativity by seeming much longer than its 143 minutes length and by making time drag while watching it.

Ajay, Emraan and Omi are room-mates. Ajay is a banker, just going through a divorce. But he’s a nice guy (loves his child, wants to spend more time with her) and is very shy around women. Omi is even more shy, believes in true love, works for an internet matrimonial company, believes in giving clients ‘true advice’ (to the consternation of his boss) and is a budding poet. Emraan Hashmi plays himself ie the same screen persona that he’s always played. Is a serial womaniser, bedding different women every day of the week and offering advice to his shy roommates

Into each of their lives come three different women. Ajay has a young intern join (Shazahn), who makes him want to feel young again. Omi is all gaga over the radio disc jockey (Shraddha) he meets at a poetry competition, doing extravagant gestures for her even though its clear she is only using him / is not interested in him, cause he believes you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. And Emraan may have finally met his match, caught between two women (Tisca and Shruti) and not sure about which way he should go.

What makes the movie drag is the poor quality of dialogue. Out of the 50 attempted jokes only a couple connect and that too barely. The characters are sketchily painted, the situations contrived, the songs lame and Emraan’s pick up lines make you want to gag. The nail in the coffin is the predictability – every single frame is boringly along expected lines. Whether it’s the young woman / older man scenario or the kept toy boy situation, there is nothing we have not seen before.

Shehnaz is the only bright spark in the film, suiting her character. I expected more from the director and the lead actor. Both seem wasted here and seem to be working at half capacity, the film itself seeming like a hastily conceived and put together project, one of the best things about it being its lovely title, which unfortunately is wasted here.

Taken

2011-01-24T12:32:00.000-08:00

Rating : 7/10
Release Date : January, 2008
Time : 93 minutes
Director : Pierre Morel; Writer : Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen; Music : Nathaniel Mechaly
Starring : Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen, Olivier Rabourdin, Gerard Watkins, Arben Bajraktaraj, Xander Berkeley

Bryan : I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.
Marko : [after a long pause] Good luck.

Every fathers worst nightmare comes true when Liam Neeson’s daughter is kidnapped and taken for the flesh trade while she is holidaying with a girlfriend in Paris. Except that Liam is a former spook, who’d quit work just to make sure he remained close to his daughter (Maggie Grace) who lived with his estranged wife (Famke Janssen) and her new husband. Liam goes after the kidnappers and is told he has only 96 hours to find her before she vanishes forever…

The film is one of the most gripping ones I’ve seen recently and it is so purely because of Liam Neeson’s character in the film and his acting. In Commando, Arnold Schwarenegger http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088944/ also has just a few hours to find his daughter in a different situation but then he goes into the overt brawn mode, blowing up battalions, firing bazookas. Liam keeps it just a little more real, just a little more mind you…

Liam is shown as an introverted soft spoken person, very grounded, calling a spade a spade, associating with his friends rarely and clearly, even though he doesn’t see his daughter a lot, his life revolves around her. He is actually conversing with her while she is kidnapped and her instructions to her are chilling yet brutally practical at the same time. His earnestness, desire to overcome all obstacles, clear focus at all times is what makes this movie tick. He communicates forlornness, sadness along with steel and cold competence all at the same time.

Kim : You don't have to worry.
Bryan : That's like telling water not to be wet, sweetie

The movie also doesn’t waste much time with the peripherals, getting to the point and staying there. Its fascinating following the path of the flesh trade. It doesn’t seem too far away from the truth. The action is slick, the camera angles interesting, the relationships and storyline taut. When he does seek help, especially from a French cop / former pal who is now stuck behind a desk job in Paris, there is not much time wasted establishing the relationship or discussing the weather / life but is straight to the point.

When things are going well, we would probably not want fatherhood tips from Liam. But if there is trouble, we would want to be like no one else but him. And that’s the power of the film, it made the whole thing seem plausible …I rarely watch films on TV actually and the irritation I felt with every ad break just reinforced why I don’t enjoy the experience even though I thoroughly enjoyed the film.