The musical is fluffy, predictable and borderline chick-flick. The cynical view would be to dismiss it a silly exercise in stringing together hits of ABBA around the barest of plots.
However, once you get past the initial 20-30 minutes dominated by cheesy teeny-bopper exuberance and awkward chemistry among the three leading men, the movie lifts itself [...]
Kyun ………….Khoye Khoye Chand Ki Firak Mein Talash Mein Udas Hai Dil
Kyun………..Anpne Aap Se Khafa Khafa, Zara Zara Sa Naraaz Hai Dil
(full lyrics)
….asks the Man [1] in a moment of nirvanic clarity that (to my drunken mind) could possibly be achievable only under the influence of (1) one dry sapphire [...]
Chak De India employs quite a few movie cliches - the underdog, woefully unmatched sports team winning in the end, individualism versus unity, (borderline) ethnic and gender stereotypes - but still manages to be exciting. The trick is pulled off because, as Jai Arjun notes, the filmmakers resist the urge to overdo the [...]
Finally got around to watching this Oscar-winning documentary, which essentially features former US Vice-President Al Gore presenting a powerpoint on Global Warming - its causes, effects and possible cures. However, it is not just a dour lecture - interspersed within the data presentation are moments of droll humor and short segues into the personal life [...]
Honeymoon Travels
The ensemble comedy about five newly-wed couples on a bus trip to Goa for their honeymoon is actually enjoyable and entertaining in a Friday night chill-out kind of a way. The couples are expectedly represented through diverse groups (in more ways than on simple ethnic lines) - stereotypes abound, but I thought were used [...]
So weekend before last, we were watching Dhoom2. Normally I would not undertake such an ordeal, but the movie garnered so much negative reviews, I wondered if it might entertain in the ’so bad - that it’s good’ kind of way. Plus, I was drunk, with friends, and posters suggested gratuitous displays [...]
After a brief shift in style for the compelling drama of Match Point, Woody Allen returns to his recognizable avatar of the confused-stammering-hands flaying-self-deprecating-semi-neurotic but kind-hearted self. In Scoop, he dons the role of a small time, low-brow American magician, Sid Walterman (stage name: Splendini), who gets entangled in a murder investigation with Sondra Pransky [...]
In keeping with my tradition of watching high-profile movies long after their initial release (and long after all the hoopla has died down), I finally got to watch the Farhan Akhtar remade Don (The Chase Begins Again). Overall, I have to say I was impressed by the relatively slick production and the few twists added [...]
Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Funny…….but not rolling on the floor with laughter funny; so a bit disappointed.
Some of the humor is extremely crude and unfortunately, the best jokes have been already shown in trailers. Also, I was hoping it would be even more irreverent - some of the [...]
Watching (and subsequently reviewing) the latest work of a cinematic legend like Martin Scorsese, one is faced with a dilemma; does one view the work in absolute terms, perhaps simply comparing against the genre and the contemporary films, or should it be judged against the high standards of the artist’s oeuvre? My personal take [...]
The Worlds Fastest Indian (2005)
"……You live more in five minutes on a bike like this going flat out than some people live in a lifetime.."
That was Burt Munro, the real person whose life is depicted in [...]
Short comments on some films seen recently (meaning two weeks ago).
The Da Vinci Code: I initially had reservations about Tom Hanks essaying the role of Robert Langdon, but I needn’t have worried. Hanks is a master performer and I thought he played the role to perfection. Unfortunately, that’s the only postive thing I have to [...]
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