Filmi Freaks

The Dark Knight

2008-07-20T11:49:00.001-07:00

First of all let me just say that, the IMAX Experience, for this movie is a must.
I was just browsing through WIRED magazine one day, unaware that I had actually subscribed to it. While reading through it, I came across a picture of Christopher Nolan. Now, he being my favorite director, I naturally started reading the article and I found out that he was making The Dark Knight and that he had previously made Batman Begins.
Now I am not a Batman fan, and in fact I don't like superhero movies. It's so like, bad guy does something bad, in comes the good superhero, who has all these powers and he subdues the villain and his henchmen and la, there ends the movie. I get enough of that in Indian movies. So, I was never too excited about Batman Begins. But after reading about it online, I realized it was more than just a superhero movie. First it's not a superhero movire per se. Batman has no super powers. And second, it's more of a drama, as the name suggests, how and why Bruce Wayne became Batman.
So, a film by my favorite director and the above points in mind, I watched it and loved it. And it was but natural that I was going to watch The Dark Knight. An added bonus, the film was partly shot in IMAX. So, it was like a documentary-ised thing. It was going to be different from watching butterflies and birds on the 8-storey screen. Rather an action packed film, with car chases and explosions and a painted face.

With extreme anticipation, I saw The Dark Knight last night at an IMAX theatre and the exprience was awesome. The film, if seen on a normal screen would have been great too, but IMAX made it special. The film is well made, good story, great action sequences (thanks also to the IMAX cameras) and super acting.
Action, yes, the main character may not be the villain, but he is the main character the people love. The film, and especially the Joker was extremely hyped up and he lives up to the hype. This is a scary clown... or rather, a scary, clown person. I want to use them as adjectives. Scary, because he is, he scares the hell out sometimes with his weird deep voice, and his antics. Clown, because he has those moments when he actually is a clown, not the fake red-nosed one, but a clown with a painted face and a female nurse's uniform, walking as if his legs were tied together. People laugh as some of his dialogues, but the humor is subtle and does not affect the dark tone of the movie.

Heath Ledger has done a magnificent job, and everyone else, even Christian Bale, are happy to let him take center stage. I don't think the fact that Ledger passed away earlier this year has brought his performance (sympathetic) praises. If he were alive, they would have just handed him the Oscar right away. Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne and Batman is really good. He carries over from where he left in Batman Begins. He hasn't fully evolved yet. He is still unsure about his work as Batman and is ready to hand over the baton to one Harvey Dent. In comes Aaron Eckhart, who I think is good as Harvey Dent, but then when he transforms into the villain Two-Face, brings down his performance. I thought that the Two-Face scenes were just not good enough. Maybe because you have seen the Joker, you feel Two-face should b as good. But he isn't No offense to Eckhart. I think he gave his best to the role, but Ledger just gave more. Another weakpoint is the character Rachel Dawes. It feels so unnecessary sometimes, but she does become and integral part of the plot. There could have been something else, but the romantic angle seems to work a bit. Maggie Gyllenhaal is as bland as Katie Holmes was in Batman Begins. Other characters played by Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman do justice to their roles.

Overall the film is great. Barring the scenes with Two-Face, that seem dull (as compared to The Joker and Batman scenes), the film is an entertainer. Action sequences filmed in IMAX are worth the IMAX experience. The truck sequence is one of the best I have ever seen inmy life. I was awed by some of the sequences and even clapped for some of them. They were that good. You never know what the Joker is upto and it keeps he suspense building. You try to second guess sometimes, and you are even sure what's going to happen, but then ujust the opposite thing happens. That is Nolan style. And it makes for a great film. I would recommend it and recommend it on IMAX more than anything, it won't disappoint.

My rating, 4.7/5.0 (0.3 cut for Two-Face).

Hot Fuzz

2007-10-23T09:19:00.001-07:00

Let me tell you this. I am a fan of British comedies. Hell, I love them from Four Weddings and a Funeral to the Carry On... series, and from Yes, Minister to the Benny Hill show. But this movie here, it's just not there. I mean where I need something to make me laugh. And many can assure you that isn't really tough. Why, I still laugh at Friends episodes I may have seen 10 times before.

But this movie fails to achieve that. Well, there are a few instances where it has its humorous side, but then which movie doesn't. I have to say most action movies made are funny. There is always that one character who is the 'funny guy'. They have him here, in the shape of Nick Frost. But then, he isn't that funny guy. Simon Pegg tries to act all-intense-super-serious-extreme cop. He does that well. And I think that us it for the movie.

OK. It's a suspense story. A whodunit. And it does well in that department. The mystery is quite well formed and then solved. I even almost gasped at the revelation. But that had to be the end. What followed after the revelation was just downright foolish, a farce. And I have been told that that's what it is supposed to be. A parody, a farce. But then begin and continue with it. They make the film a bit gripping with a light comical side. They make it mysterious and then the climax is absolutely ridiculous.

I know some people who like the movie and the 'farce', but it was too much for me to take. I just cannot handle a movie made this way. I like parodies, Scary Movies is great, but that's what it is from start to finish. Not this movie. I would never recommend it. So my rating, 2/5.

Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story

2007-10-12T06:39:00.000-07:00

Let me first say that if you have no idea who Stewie Griffin is. then reading this review is a waste. And then, if you are the kind that does not like Family Guy, then it's a waste too. For this movie is for the Family Guy fan, and that's me. I haven't been watching this show for long, but I have come to love it now and this movie is just what was needed. It was like the time they made a movie of the The Da Vinci Code.

Stewie Griffin is by far the most entertaining 'baby' I have seen on TV and now a movie about him is something great. He is superintelligent, and has Machiavellian ambitions, including goals of world domination. This is from the Wikipedia info about Stewie. But that is the truth. He has a upper English accent and has the most outrageous lines. He hates his mother, calls his father 'the fat man'.

In this movie, he enters into a swimming contest and then tries to kill the contest winner, only to survive a near death experience. This changes him and he tries to be a 'good boy', but fails. Then he gets drunk (a few scenes which are just awesome). The after a terrible hangover he finds out that he has a father in San Fransisco and Peter is not his father. He and Brian go on to search for his father and the story goes on, from once nonsensical idea to another. He finally finds out something about himself and returns back to his home.

Not much to write about the movie, but that's the whole essence of Family Guy. It goes from scene to scene, not actually doing anything great. But a true fan will tell you that, that is what captures your mind. And then there is Stewie who will crack you up every time. The best dialogue is when Peter asks him if he wants to learn to swim. And Stewie, who is getting a tan, says, "Go away, Fat Man" in the most awesome fashion.

Anyways, have a look at this film if you like Family Guy, coz you have missed something great. My rating, 4/5.

Vertigo

2007-09-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

Old Classic. Alfred Hitchcock's best. Spectacular Thriller.

Just a few of the reviews I read and heard from people about this Hitchcock Classic. Now let me be honest. Alfred Hitchcock must have been a great director and may have made all those scary and mystery movies. But I hate those old movies. The screenplay is so slow and so unexciting. Dial M for Murder was a good suspense movie, but that too was very slow. I guess I am used to the fast paced movies of today, but believe me, even the romantic films of today are pretty fast.
And so here I am, writing about Vertigo. And from what I have said till now, you must have guessed how I felt about this movie. Looking at the image, I would say, 2% suspense, 0% excitement and 2000% emotion. Call it a romantic saga, not a thriller. A thriller showld be defined for films like The Prestige or Memento. It is slower than even the slowest Soap Opera. It takes so much time for something to happen, that you are waiting for it to end. You might even be tempted to stop the movie halfway and watch Hum Aapke Hai kaun.
I didn't understand what the suspense was till more than halfway through the movie. And by that I mean nothing actually happens in the movie till then. It's just a romantic classic till that time. And then the turning point comes, but you are already frustrated with the pace, you don't even feel you need to know who did that. But if you are a avid movie fan, you will figure out the whole suspense in minutes. Even the director lets you in on the secret moments after the 'suspense-making scene' takes place. And then what is left is how the characters react to what happens. But that's the whole point. You could finish this whole movie in 30 minutes, but it stretches out for more than 2 hours just torturing you to your very end. And to top it all, you might think that the name of the movie might be something of a turning point, or the main catch, or something on those lines. It is, to an extent. But as I said, it takes too much time to get there and by that time, you want to rip your hair out.
All in all, it made me stay away from any old movie, so I don't think you can get a review from me about any of them. My rating, 1.5/5

Rules of Engagement

2007-07-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

I know this is an old movie...well, 2000. But anyways, as I am watching movies from any year, I might as well go ahead with the one I most recently saw.

Rules of Engagement stars Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson in the lead with Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley, Anne Archer among others. The movie is about U.S. Marines. During the Vietnam War, Jackson saved Jones' life. They built up a strong friendship over the years. Jones was hurt during that mission and so until he recovered, he studied law at Georgetown. 28 years later, Jones has retired and Jackson has been sent on a mission to Yemen commandeering a platoon to evacuate the American Embassy as it is facing a deadly protest and it may turn ugly. During the rescue, the crowd attacks the Marines and kills some of them. Jackson orders his platoon to fire into the crowd and kill all, even if the crowd had women and children.
Now there are 83 people dead in Yemen, and to avoid a major diplomatic issue, the NSA decides the make Jackson the scapegoat. He is charged with murder and not following the Rules Of Engagement.
Jackson asks Jones to defend him. After a lot of thought and then a trip to Yemen, Jones puts up a fight and finally gets a positive result. In this process, the Ambassador to Yemen had to lie and the State Department had to destroy evidence which would have exonerated Jackson.
All in all, a good film. But my recommendation, watch A Few Good Men instead. And if you have already watched it, then watch it again and again and again. Coz that's a really great military-courtroom drama. The director tried to make a film like that, but just failed. And in my honest opinion, Samuel L. Jackson, as good as an actor he may be, is not the right choice. I sense a kind of discontinuity when he acts, he fails to remain in the flow of the movie thereby making it worse than it should be. I saw a similar case in The Negotiator. I agree that is a good film, but Jackson cannot really keep with the flow as Kevin Spacey can. Tommy Lee Jones is a really good actor and he shows, but I can tell you, this film is a waste for him. He tries to make it good but just cannot help it. The direction is really not up to the mark. And actors like Ben Kingsley are wasted too. I cannot believe he would do a film like this.
My final word, if you really have nothing better to do, you can watch this film. But I believe you have better things to do. My rating is a 3/5

Ek Saal Baad...

2007-06-19T19:07:00.000-07:00

After one year exactly...someone is back with something on this blog. I tend to continue with this blog...hopefully with the help of others...!!!!!

Phir Hera Pheri : A Review

2006-06-16T06:11:00.000-07:00

Six years ago, there was a new trend that started out in Bollywood. Comedy. So many comedies were made in the last six years and the credit for this ‘revolution’ goes to Hera Pheri. The Priyadarshan film created waves, and a star was born. Not that he was anyone before, but he became a favourite in every household. That man is Paresh Rawal.
After six years, and the trio of Raju (Akhsay Kumar), Shyam (Sunil Shetty) and Baburao Ganpatrao Apte (Paresh Rawal) return. A sequel to the original Hera Pheri, it starts off where it left us. These 3 are now rich, living in a huge bungalow with all the ‘aish-o-aaram’. But Raju seems to have a craving for more money.
The story has many complications best not to be discussed here. It’s absolutely tough. There is a lot of ‘hera pheri’ that leads to a final chase-that-guy-who-tricked-you routine. The movie is not difficult to understand and the way all the complications have been handled is great. Every character has played his/her part well. Raju is the same greedy fellow who falls in love with Anjali (Rimmi Sen) who is the sister of Pappu (Rajpal Yadav) who in turn had invested the money with Raju and was duped. The money belonged to Tiwari (Sharath Saxena) who is mad to have lost the money and tells the trio to return it. This was part of the money they had invested with Anuradha (Bipasha Basu) who runs away with it.
Raju overhears Munna (Johnny Lever) and his accomplices planning to rob Nanjibhai (Milind Gunaji) off crores and drugs. Raju makes his own plan with Baburao and Shyam to steal the money from Munna and return the owed money to Tiwari. But Munna only gets hold of the drugs and takes it back to his place. The trio steal this from him and are devastated to find that it’s drugs. Raju knows a ‘bhangarwala’ Kachra Seth (Manoj Joshi) who buys drugs for a large sum. Raju approaches him who in turn tries to sell it to Nanjibhai. Nanjibhai is irate and Kachra Seth tells him that Raju stole it from him. Nanjibhai wants the drugs back. Meanwhile, Munna finds the drugs with the trio and steals them again, and Anjali and Anuradha are abducted by Tiwari and kept until the three pay up the money. And so the trio are forced to give Nanjibhai bogus drugs. Nanjibhai in turn gives fake money to them. These three now give this fake money to Tiwari. Another event is taking place where Pappu steals the vehicle from Munna that has the drugs because it also has antique guns which he had planned to steal earlier but was beaten to it by Raju. He brings this vehicle to Tiwari where Shyam recognizes the real drugs and tells everyone present. After a lot of chasing, police finally arrive and arrest the guilty party.
Seems confusing eh? Well it is not that confusing when you see the movie. And there is a lot of comedy that goes on till the end. Characters are given special traits.
Akshay Kumar does well as Raju. Sunil Shetty is good, but I hate the way he delivers his dialogues. Paresh Rawal steals the show again, and his performance is very good. Rimmi Sen and Bipasha Basu do affect the plot but have very few scenes, but both look quite hot. Acting is another story. Other actors like Sharath Saxena, Johnny Lever and Co. do their job quite well. Unlike the last one, there are very few irritating songs in between and the film is rapped up in less than 2:30 hrs. Overall an entertainer and a good sequel.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

The CODE uncovered!!!

2006-05-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

I know none of the films based on books completely follow the book. It's hard to show all the details that a book can so easily hold. John Grisham's THE FIRM starring Tom Cruise even had its climax different from that in the book. But The Da Vinci Code does quite well in 'going by the book'.

But there are some things that are different, a whole lot different. Still that doesn't make the film boring. I have to agree that if you have read the book then you won't appreciate the film as much as it should be. I can tell you from the review from people who haven't read the book, that the film was well made, especially the climax. It was so theatrical I was totally awed. And many of them said that they will now read the book for sure.

The film starts off as the book does. But some of the more passive parts in the book are rightly omitted. Some important parts of the book have been modified a lot. The film runs for around 2 hours and I have to admit, I was bored at after 3/4ths of the film was completed as it just wouldn't go any further. It seemed like it was stuck there for eternity.

The story is narrated well. All important aspects in the film are present, and if you miss part of a scene you may not get the idea. Some of the characters were not well potrayed, or maybe my interpretation of the characters was different when I read the book. The whole discussion on the Holy Grail at Teabing's place is cut short with only the most important aspects presented. But the ones not covered are really very interesting. I don't think people will understand the whole thing in one go if they haven't read the book. But maybe that will make them see it again; like The Matrix. The flashbacks have been nicely fitted in and the whole making is super. They even recreate the past like the Pope and the Church and the riots so well. Special effects rule in this film.

The performances are superb. Tom Hanks is a gifted actor and he does his part as Robert Langdon justice. Audrey Tauaou as Sophia is good, but she could have done better. Ian McKellen as the crazy Teabing is a masterful actor. Jean Reno does well as Capt. Fache. Silas played by Paul Bettany is awesome and people literally gasp when he hits himself with the ropes. Ron Howard is now in a class of his own. After Beautiful Mind, he has made a really good film. Interpreting the book is tough, but he has done well. It is almost like the work of an Oscar-winning director. I say almost as it could have been better. But the bottom line remains that the film is a must see for those who haven't yet read the book and even those who have.

Rating - 4.0/5.0

Shaadi Se Pehle - A torture!

2006-04-17T21:59:00.000-07:00

Shaadi Se Pehle (SSP); well coming from the showman's stable meant that many expectations were attached to this movie. But the crude truth is that you are in for a torture.

The story revolves around a guy called Ashish, played by Akshaye Khanna who is suspicious of everything around him and how this habit of his gets him in all sorts of trouble. He comes to know that he is suffering from cancer and hence decides to have a fling to try to persuade his fiance (Ayesha Takia) to leave him. Ms. Sania (Mallika Sherawat) helps him achieve his motive. Here comes Anna(Sunil Shetty) as the weirdo underworld don who is Sania's brother and many crazy things happen as a result. Finally Ashish comes to know that he does not have cancer, and then the story moves towards the torturous end.

Well, the story is stupid enough, the actual screenplay is even more stupid. Insane situations, insanely over-the-top performances and even more insane dialogues ensure that even dozing off to sleep is very difficult. Dialogues like 'Mera naam hai Anna, choubis-ghante choukanna' and 'Ak-47 ke maathe pe RDX ka tikka' remind us of the great-old dialogues of the great Mithun himself.

When anyone goes to see a Mallika movie, frankly no one is interested in all of the above. All he wants to see is Mallika herself. This movie falls short in that aspect too. She looks hideous in some of the costumes she has worn and the double-meaning kind of dialogues given to her make her look even more cheap. Mallika disappoints in this one!

Satish Kaushik seriously needs a break from movie-making and Subash Ghai has come up with a shocker after Iqbal. Finally, i would like to end by reiterating what Anupam Kher repeatedly says throughout the movie...'What the hell!'....only to complete this sentence; "What the hell was everyone thinking about while shooting this movie!"

A guy called Himesh!

2006-02-06T00:38:00.000-08:00

The unlikely star in the entertainment world nowadays is Himesh Reshammiya...(ohhh my God!). Well, this was my reaction when i realised that this weird-sounding guy was actually churning out today's chartbusters consistently. You may probably recognise him as he has started to appear in his videos nowadays. Also, he is seen in Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa fighting with his colleagues (music directors) who are called as 'mentors' on this show. Considering the way they fight with eachother, i doubt what kind of mentoring they are doing to young singers.
Anyways, Himesh started off as a TV serial producer who also used to compose the music for the title song of his serials. Then he forayed into films and so began his success story. Though initially his friendship with Salman Khan was seen as a factor in getting him films, he slowly started to get out of that shadow and now he has established himself as a successful music director.
This year however, everyone saw a new Himesh Reshammiya! With this year's biggest hit 'Aashiq Banaya Aapne', he has showcased his singing talent to the world. His queer voice probably makes him work, coz people want to hear different stuff these days. His sort of sufi-style of singing and catchy tunes have made him into a star overnight.
The only regret i have is that he is always seen singing sad songs..which make him look like a loser! Songs where always there is some regret about not having the girl of his dreams! Also, the crying in the videos looks silly to say the least.
Though, i must admit that he is one of the smartest guys around. he himself has admitted that nowadays, the music which appeals to the 12-25 age group sells! So, he is more than happy in catering to this target audience!
Some of his songs like 'Just Chill', songs from Tere Naam have been amongst my favourites too! I thought the full 'Tere Naam' album rocked. Melody along with catchy tunes is his forte! Though my personal favourite will be 'Dil Keh raha hai' from Salman's latest movie Kyon Ki. The song lingers on even after it is over. I simply love that song. Himesh probably rules when it comes to songs where the pain-in-love aspect comes into play!
No matter whether he has a queer voice, no matter he fights like a kid on the TV show, no matter he cries like a fool in his videos, the bottomline is that his music is appealing and it sells like hot-cakes! What more does he want!......

Rang De Basanti : A Review

2006-01-28T23:55:00.000-08:00

An inspiration, a motivation and a superb concept. I never believed a film like this could be made in Bollywood. The trend of comedies, sex flicks and romances had me thinking there is no room for a change. But I was wrong.

Opening with Bhagat Singh’s immortal quotes, the film introduces us to a sensitive subject. It addresses the issue of today’s youth changing the face of the country. A group of friends who are so uncaring about their country live their own life in a way they feel is right. None of them thinks seriously about doing something for the country. Some can’t even fathom the idea of a 23-year old Bhagat Singh giving his life for the cause of freedom. But then something happens that makes them do the same the young revolutionary did, awaken the people.

Sue (Alice Patten) is a London-based director who wants to make a documentary on Indian revolutionaries during the Independence struggle. She has the diary of her grandfather who was a policeman during that time and was witness to Bhagat Singh and others’ hanging. She is inspired from what she reads and wants to make a film. But her firm doesn’t support it and so she leaves for India to do it on her own. She has a contact in India, Sonia (Soha Ali Khan), who tries to help her get actors for the roles in the film. After a futile set of auditions (this part is fun), she almost gives up hope until she meets Sonia’s ‘classroom’ pals. She gets introduced to DJ (Aamir Khan), Sukhi (Sharman Joshi), Karan (Siddharth) and Aslam (Kunal Kapoor). Watching them she feels she has her actors and pictures them in the revolutionaries role. DJ falls for Sue and she also starts liking him. After a bit of convincing she gets them to rehearse the parts and get into the characters. Pandey (Atul Kulkarni) is a man of principles, who is against the westernization of India. But he is glad to see a foreigner make a film on Indian revolutionaries and wants to join in. But he has a problem with Aslam, a Muslim and sometimes they have their tiffs. With DJ backing Aslam, he and Pandey get into a big fight where Sue decides that she doesn’t want to make the film as here people look for a reason to kill each other and this would hurt someone. But DJ and the others convince her to stay and continue and patch up with Pandey.

Ajay (R. Madhavan) comes into the picture as Sonia’s boyfriend. He is an Air-Force pilot, who is idealistic and want to do a lot for the country and is doing. He has his arguments with the others about the current situation of India and how the youth should change things. Things change when Ajay’s MiG-21 crashes and he is killed. During a mourning the police take violent measures to disrupt the protest against the Defense Minister who shakes off all responsibility. This event stirs up a hatred in the group, and they plan to take revenge. The last 45 minutes of the film are really good. Here is where the film is different.

The film not just wants to tell a story, it wants to teach us a lesson. Us is Indian youth. And the film accomplishes that. A new concept is born and I admire the director’s bravery to handle such a topic. He has done a good job. And he is well supported by the cast of the film. It’s rare to see all the actors in a film perform so well. Aamir is as usual, great. He doesn’t have that lion’s share of the film, but he surely makes his mark, shown as a 25 year old who doesn’t want to get out into the real world because of a fear. Kunal Kapoor does extremely well as a Muslim who is against the Hindu-Muslim fight. Sharman Joshi sees a fantastic job of the funny guy. He is a joker, and a character that brings a chuckle anytime he is on the screen in the film. Soha Ali Khan is surprisingly good. She may not be the best out there, but she does her role justice and I think I can safely say that she looks quite good in the film. Atul Kulkarni is always good. His role suits him perfectly and he has really mastered it well. Alice Patten is not the kind of firangis one sees in Indian films. I am talking about Rachel Stevens (Lagaan), Brande Roderick (Out of Control), not the good looking or hot types. But I must say she is sweet and does her job well. She even speaks Hindi well, though I am not sure how much she would understand. But this cute girl has acted well, and she is Aamir’s love in the film. But the most surprising performances comes from Siddharth. This guy is too good, and has a role as big as Aamir. He has been given importance in the film and rightly so, does everything perfectly. And he even adds a slight twist to the film in the end.

The film transitions between the past and the present showing how the revolutionaries fought and what things they did. It feels different and certainly not odd. And the music; Aamir said in an interview that Rehman has outdone himself this time. And I could think so too. The songs are fantastic, and the good thing about them is that they flow with the film. None of the songs are separate from the film. And the comedy, there is a nice touch of humor to the film. Touch is an understatement maybe. The film’s first half is quite funny, with Sukhi and DJ being the funniest.

All in all, a film worth watching. It was my first film in America and I was glad I saw this one. A film that entertains you as well as lakes you think a little. ‘Something different’, ‘Great concept’ are some of the short reviews you will here from people who have seen it. And if you haven’t, I suggest you do that as soon as possible. This one gets a 4.5/5.0 from me.

Aamir on the Big Screen again!!!

2006-01-18T14:13:00.000-08:00

If Mangal Pandey impressed you, then you are a tremendous fan of Aamir, coz this film just sucked, and so did Aamir Khan to some level (let me remind all you out there that I am a hardcore Aamir fan, but he disappointed me). So, I am very much skeptical about his forthcoming film, Rang De Basanti. But Aamir, the kind of actor he is, can really turn a bad film into a good one on his performance alone. So, you never know, this could turn out to be another Dil Chahta Hai (boy that was a great film).
The story seems kind of similar to DCH, in terms of characters, college kids of the happy-go-lucky kind, uncaring for the world and living their lives like a game. Until a terrible event makes them look at life more seriously. They start living in the real world, fighting for the common man.
But someone the other day told me that's not quite the story. It’s about an English film-maker who wants to make a movie on the Indian revolutionaries and approached these kids in this matter. But the flatly refuse to help as the say they do not connect with these characters. But something about the film-maker and her motives makes them change their mind.
Now these two stories seem pretty different. And so I have decided not to listen or read about it until I see it for myself. Though I remember a few days ago I had read about this movie being screened specially for the Defense Minister and some others as it involves the MiG-21 crash theme. Now the story TOI had in that article seems the right one but you never know. That can be a marketing strategy. Like Manisha Koirala (remember her???) making news about her nude scenes and double they used in the film Ek Chhotisi Kahani. Apparently the double made more news than the film and Manisha.
Another strategic decision seems to be the postponing of the release to 26th. That sets the film for a National Issue theme. And I think TOI had it right. So what remains to be seen is how the film turns out to be. One thing is for sure that Aamir is going to be as good as he's always been. The songs have already been on the Charts (on my playlist atleast). So, wait for the 26th and a review from one of us.

Black sweeps them all!

2006-01-17T03:13:00.000-08:00

At the recently concluded Star-Screen awards last week, Black swept away all the competition and garnered all the major awards.
No surprise if u ask me. Everyone who had seen the movie knew that it was headed straight for the Oscars! Although, some petty politics ensured that a more so-called 'Indian' film by the name of Paheli was nominated as India's official entry to the Oscars this year. Anyways, it makes no difference now!

Coming back to the awards, the screen awards are the first of the season and are a pretty good indicator of the things to come. So, it seems like a happy awards season for Black. More importantly, the Oscars of the Hindi film industry i.e. the Filmfare awards will be announced soon and Sanjay Leela Bhansali will be keeping his fingers crossed for the Filmfare!
The movie deserves every bit of the appreciation though! It was a bit of a shock for audiences initially as no one had ever expected a movie like Black. The story, screenplay, sets....everything was so enchanting that audiences just could not leave their seats for a second. The emotional bond between a teacher and a student is shown with utmost sincerity and honesty.
The performances are awesome to say the least. Amitabh Bachchan as the freaky teacher who later suffers with schizophrenia has given the best performance of his life and shown the world why he is considered as the ultimate superstar of Bollywood! Rani too is quite stunning to say the least. She does full justice to her author-backed role and excels in her role. The sign-language is portrayed authentically and the emotions of a deaf-blind person have been conveyed with full perfection. Ayesha Kapur as the young Rani is the star of the future. She gives a mind-boggling performance for a kid, which even had the legend Big-B praising her effort. What more can she ask for at such a young age!
Black for me was a revelation of Sanjay Leela Bhansali as a truly world-class director who can bring laurels to himself and India with his endeavors. He has always been considered as one of the best, but with Black he has proved that he is the best at present. The attention to detail is visible in his work and everytime he is able to extract that something special from his actors. These are good signs for the future. Lets hope his future ventures continue to surprise us with even more better work and that elusive 'Oscar' comes finally to India!

Who will win the race of 2005?

2006-01-10T06:45:00.000-08:00

The 5 Best Hindi Films of 2005:

1> Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi:
Set in the era of Emergency,Naxalites and unrest, HKA's three protagonists play their part almost to perfection. Kaykay Menon as the rebel with a cause, Shiny Ahuja as a complex character with somewhat negative shades and Chitragada Singh as the love interest of both shine throughout the film. The film, portrays their story right through college life to the real bad world. Their life evolves and transforms as the story progresses.
The surprise package of the film is Chitragada Singh - a natural and passionate actor. The story sinks in as it unfolds, captivating the viewers. And the music of the film is undoubtedly amazing.

My rating 4.5/5

2> No Entry:
It wins hand-down as the best comic film of 2005. Bipasha Basu- the 'No Entry' girl, Salman Khan - the flirt, Anil Kapoor - the patni-vrata, Esha Deol - the pati-vrata, Lara Dutta - the suspicious wife, Fardeen Khan - the reporter in Anil's newspaper and Celina Jaitley - Fardeen's love interest all play their parts well. An extremely complex plot, which if not handled well would have caused the film to fall flat, is handled commendably. The film has rarely - if at all any - uninteresting parts. Good editing, good music and lovely comic timing are some contributor's to the film's status as the biggest hit of 2005

My Rating 4/5

3> Black:
The film, I believe, easily qualifies as one of the landmarks of Indian Film History. It pleasantly deviates from the routine to pure art. Unbelievable performances by Ayesha Kapoor (young Michelle), Amitabh and Rani in that order are truly out-of-this world. The relation between Michelle and her teacher are portrayed to utmost perfection. Superb editing and an applause to Bhansali and his entire team for their superlative work. Irrespective of whether the story is original or not - I sincerely believe that the film was tailor-made to get an Oscar and would have easily got it.Alas! politics is dirty and it spares none.
My gut feeling is that in fair award functions, it will win awards in every category for which it is nominated.

My rating 5/5

4> Page 3:
A serious and brave attempt by Madhur Bhandarkar to depict the empty and sick world of societies' celebrities. Infidelity, paedophile, homo-sexuality, wife-swapping, drugs, this film touches every issue. Konkona Sen Sharma as the 'journalist', who finds it difficult to handle the celeb culture, as always appears at ease playing her strong role. Good actors, a powerful script, able performances, nice music all help in make the genuine attempt to expose the gruesome realities of the glam world.

My rating 4.5/5

5> Iqbal:
Unfotunately, I haven't managed to see it completely yet! However, from whatever part I saw (and the word-of-mouth too), the film is brilliant to say the least.
And I can't rate it :(

Updated according to Anirudh's views abt Iqbal
"Iqbal would definitely be a 4.75/5...an excellent script..and awesome performances by shreyas talpade, nasir and shweta prasad....especially nasir who is simply amazing in his drunken coach role. Iqbal for me is the film after Black as far as ratings go!"

Lets' see who wins!!

Wedding Crashers : A Review

2006-01-07T15:03:00.000-08:00

Wedding Crashers, the name really attracted me to the film. And also Owen Wilson, he’s a funny guy. And Rachel McAdams, man she’s HOT!!!
So, I saw the film and I can come up with this word…OK!!! The film is not a blockbuster; it is funny, but not very funny. It tickles you, but not in a way maybe a good Comedy would. But I can tell you that this is at least a one-time watch. It is funny as I say and that’s true.
The story goes as so, Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn are divorce mediators by profession but they also happen to be wedding crashers. Now those not familiar with this term (I wasn’t before I saw the film), it means that they go to weddings to pick up girls and have a great time. They become instant hits at the parties. The film starts with them planning out to go to wedding, Christian, Jew and even Hindu, they don’t matter. And they pick up girls there. They play their games and draw the women towards them and then basically screw them. Now after countless such weddings they are about to crack onto the ‘Kentucky Derby’ of all weddings, the wedding of the daughter of the Secretary of Treasury played by Christopher Walken. At the wedding they pick their targets, both happen to be the other daughters of the Secretary. But it seems that this time Owen Wilson has fallen for this one (Rachel McAdams). And he tries to get her every way. Vaughn goes for the younger daughter (Isla Fisher) and really hits it off. She confesses her love for him after their first time on the beach and tells him she’s a virgin. That freaks him out and he wants to bolt. Just then Owen Wilson has scored with McAdams and Walken, but finds out that she is already dating some guy (Bradley Cooper). Now he must try and win her. When Fisher offers to take them along to a beach home with her family, Wilson agrees and has Vaughn go with him reluctantly, asking him to bend a few rules of wedding crashing.
Here, Wilson tries playing his magic to win over McAdams. The Crashers meet with the girls’ nutty family getting into mishaps all the way. Meanwhile, Fisher really has Vaughn hooked up playing with him all the time, even at the dining table. Add to that a swearing, old Granny and a gay son of the Secretary and there are laughs all the way until their real identities are revealed.
What’s left to be seen is how Wilson goes into a destructive phase and Vaughn has planned to settle down and how finally everything turns out to be fine. This film is a real treat for Owen Wilson fans. He continues his good comic performance after Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights. Vince Vaughn is also really good. In fact, this guy is really funny. And he has you more than smiling many a times with his fast paced dialogues. Some of his scenes are really good.
All in all, this film can be rated as a 3.5/5. Not very healthy I know, but a 3.5 is a really good rating. Treat yourself to some laughs, but don’t expect to be holding your stomach in pain.

Some of my favourites!

2006-01-04T21:16:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the additions to the list below from my side. These are those films which personally I am crazy about...(not to mention, all seen on numerous occasions). These films are not listed in any particular order as such.

1.> Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar - Starring Aamir Khan,Ayesha Jhulka
This movie is one of my all-time favourites. The perfect school love story combined with a competition in it. One of the most honest performances by Aamir and excellent music by Jatin-Lalit makes this movie amongst the best! The school atmosphere is perfectly created and the innocent love story makes it a winner!

2.> Coolie No. 1 - Starring Govinda,Karisma,Kader Khan
This is one of the craziest and funniest movies I have seen. After watching it umpteen no. of times, i still wanna see it again. The Govinda-Kader Khan combo is at its best in this one. An excellent stress-buster, this one is to be watched with your brains at home!

3.>Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam - Starring Aishwarya Rai, Ajay Devgan, Salman Khan
This movie although may get a bit boring in some parts, is an excellent one overall. Ash has never looked so divine ever. Ajay Devgan for me is a revelation in HDDCS, his eyes do all the talking in this one, one of his best performances to date......I simply love the way his character has been portrayed. Salman too is tolerable for a change.

4.>Black - Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukherji
This one actually stunned me.....I just wasn't ready for such a film to come in Bollywood. You just have to see it to believe it.Amitabh has given the performance of a lifetime......no one can even imagine to come even close to his performance in this movie. Here, he showcases all the emotions of joy, sorrow and anger to perfection. Perfectly matched by the awesome rani, This one's a winner all the way!

5.>Golmaal - Starring Amol Palekar, Utpal Dutt
One of the all-time great comedies of Indian Cinema, Golmaal needs no introduction. A wacky Utpal Dutt gets under the skin of the character &delivers a memorable performance. Amol Palekar is at his comic best. Not to be missed this one!..Also The song "Golmaal hai bhai sab Golmaal hai" lingers in one's memory whenever u think about the movie!

6.> Sholay - Starring Amitabh,Dharmendra,Sanjeev kumar,Amjad Khan,Hema Malini, Jaya bhaduri
No list can be complete without the mention of Sholay. All the characters of this film have attained legendary status...be it Jai, Veeru,Thakur,Basanti, Mausiji or for that matter even Dhanno. Amjad Khan as Gabbar redefines the role of a villain with a performance of a lifetime....That laugh of his is still inimitable! All in all a true classic is what Sholay is!

7.>Chupke Chupke - Starring Amitabh,Dharmendra,Sharmila, Jaya,Omprakash
I have always been a fan of Hrishikesh Mukherji's films. His movies are so simple, yet entertaining and also manage to strike a chord with one's heartbeat. Chupke-Chupke symbolises all of the above. Omprakash as the 'Genius Jijaji' is harassed all the way by the naughty biology professor-turned driver Dharmendra. Their antics are amusing to say the least and combined with Amitabh the movie makes you laugh all the way!......."G-o gooo kyun nahi hota"?

8.>Anand -Starring Rajesh Khanna,Amitabh
This is one of the most endearing stories told in Indian Cinema. Excellent performances from both the lead actors and a heart-wrenching story are the pillars of this classic. The dying, yet so cheerful Anand played by Khanna, teaches a lesson in life to everyone around....Life life to the fullest!....The climax scene is simply captivating with Anand's recorded voice lingering away even as he lies dead on the bed!

9.>Jhankaar Beats- Starring Sanjay Suri, Juhi Chawla, Rahul Bose ,Shayan Munshi
This one may be a surprise addition to many, but i feel this movie broke new ground in Bollywood. The ease of dialogue delivery, the realistic portrayal of characters and the awesome music make this unconventional story of a wannabe band of boys a must watch!...Also Shayan Munshi's character somewhat reminds me of myself!

10,>Swades - Starring Shahrukh Khan,Gayatri Joshi
To finish off this list, Swades was a perfect choice. Not only coz I am a SRK loyalist, but also the fact that he proved to everyone that he could think outside the box and come up with a restrained, yet mind blowing performance. Mohan Bhargav was played with utmost sincerity and one could see that in the movie. Gayatri Joshi too was commendable in her debut film.

So, here is a small list of movies which i like and can watch any no. of times. There are many more which could make the list, but somethings should beleft for later!

All-Time-Most-Watched List

2006-01-04T04:51:00.000-08:00

The List of top 10 films based purely on the number of times I have seen them.....

1> Rehnaa Hai Tere Dil Mein - Starring Madhavan,Saif Ali Khan and Diya Mirza

2> Andaz Apna Apna - Starring Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Paresh Rawal and others

3> Maine Pyaar Kiya - Starring Salman Khan, Bhagyashree

4> Karz - Starring Rishi Kapoor,Simi Garewal,Pran

5> Agneepath - Starring Amitabh Bachhan, Mithun,Danny

6> Karan Arjun - Starring Salman Khan,Shahrukh Khan,Rakhee

7> Lawaaris - Starring Amitabh Bacchan, Amjad Khan and Zeenat Aman

8> Hero - Starring Jackie Shroff, Meenakshi Sheshadri

9> Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge - Starring Shahrukh Khan,Kajol

10> Nayak - Starring Anil Kapoor, Rani Mukherjee

PS: Only Films that have been viewed more than 50 times were eligible... Wish I had the time and energy to list the Top 20!!