Lahore

Last Friday, I went for a movie (nothing path breaking, I know). The best part was that I normally avoid watching unconventional movies at cineplex, as there is so much of risk in loosing 200 bucks, just to watch some one’s cinematic liberty. Never mind this time I took the risk and booked the tickets for a low-budget LAHORE. Normally I would love to watch these kind of movies on laptop, but some how the very fact that the movie is based on kick-boxing dragged me to movie hall (no, no I am not a kick boxer ). It was a late night show, with usual crowd of 30-40 odd people.

Movie starts of with a scene where one of the actor is preparing for an upcoming tournament (which initially looks confusing). Coming straight to the point. There is one guy who is a professional kick boxer (a nice role portrayed by Sushant Singh), who defeats one of the national champion in the tournament. In the match itself the coach gets a glimpse of his emerging champion and is quick to identify the skills of the winner.

Meanwhile a parallel track runs as well. Younger brother of the kickboxer is a top-level cricketer (who is always in best of the forms ). Things take an ugly turn when the Asian championship takes place and the Indian kick boxer gets killed by his Pakistani counterpart (yes that’s one of the shock of the movie ) and rest is history. Younger brother of the dead guy leaves cricket, becomes a kick boxer and blah blah. Now again the tournament happens but this time in Pakistan. So the younger bhai goes all the way to Paki to have a match with his rival. Now you must be expecting that he will kill the Paki, or India will defeat Paki team and stuff  like that, but hold your judgements, none of these happens.

it’s a 5 match series in which the last match is the decider and when the time comes to win the chota bhai of dead kick boxer leaves the killer kick boxer of his bada bhai and gives concedes defeat to Paki team. It was actually a bit unusual for me but some how I liked it.

Now the million dollar question, that why the hell I am writing about this movie. Actually I just wanted to tell that, this movie is one of the finest sports movies ever churned out by apna bollywood. The action sequences during the match are top-notch (so much so that entire crowd broke to clapping on so many occasions). The fight sequence some how makes sure that you are sitting on the edge. Star cast is bland, no latkas and jhatkas nothing. Few sequences between the movie do tend to create a bit of boredom, but then it’s acceptable.

If you are looking for something fresh, and different then go for this movie. Or your kid is a boxer then do take him for this movie. Over all a nice movie. Finally Indian film makers are coming off the age and churning out something worth watching. Kudos! 

View This Poll

trends

[Via http://itsrahul.wordpress.com]

Keep The Cameras Rolling {LSD: Love Sex aur Dhokha}

I had read an interview recently of the actor Peter Greenaway in The Guardian, where he states that every religion is concerned with death, while art is concerned with life – which is essentially all about sex. How far you agree with him, need not matter here….but Dibakar Banerjee’s LSD (2010) does have sex at its central theme. And some other truths about life.

When I use the word truth, I use it in the sense, that the director or storywriter, would like to present his/her observations of the world around us through their story. It brings to my mind the ever present debate of cinema being an escape from reality or as Slavoj Zizek says, being even more real than reality itself and representing the ultimate truth about life. Think of the most unreal Bollywood film, or television soap..and it will still show you the truth…culturally and socially relevant themes, positive or regressive, made intentionally or unintentionally by the filmmakers.

But is truth stranger than fiction? And how far is the ‘reality’ shown on television really real? That is the underlying message for me in LSD. Cameras are rolling all the time, be it for a student filmmaker (his institute has a very sardonic name that I can’t recall right now), a Hindi TV news sting journalist or a CCTV camera follower in a supermarket. And we in the audience watch their camera footage, through the director’s camera.

True to his style, each one of Banerjee’s characters are so very well etched and rooted. His actors anonymity lends even more credibility to the story. Equally, it is socially relevant to our times, our vouyeristic age of technology coupled with mass media outlets, and their eventual corruption and lies. It is relevant to our social setup, wherein, a father is ready to let his daughter act in a film where she runs away to marry whom she chooses to….but his role as the patriach doesn’t budge outside in the reality away from the film sets. The women are strong, but are duped by their male counterparts be it in a family, a supermarket or a casting couch. The only woman who calls the shots here is the one at the head of a television news channel! It is gritty, funny, sardonic and sad….

For the only two people in this story who apparently love each other, face the worst of what reality can do.

I think LSD is a very important film for Hindi cinema…not just because it is termed as radical (that it talks about sex and is graphic, or uses digital techniques, does away with famous actors etc.) but because it is clever in sending across a message through humour, that what you see is not what you always get. The third eye here or the camera – reveals reality…which can be hyperreal as in the case of reality TV….or it can be an escape from a reality which is essentially cruel to its characters….or there is the reality….of Dibakar Banerjee’s camera itself.

I digress but I can’t help but end with a quote from Michael Haneke: “Film is 24 lies per second at the service of truth, or at the service of the attempt to find the truth.”

[Via http://picturestarts.wordpress.com]

3 idiots

Sebelumnya, tidak pernah saya benar – benar tertarik dengan film India. 90% dari film India yang pernah kutonton, selalu penuh dengan cerita yang berlebihan, derai air mata dan tarian.

Lalu kesan itu mulai berubah, setelah Slumdog Millionaire. Tapi… itu kan produksi Hollywood juga ya. Jadi adakah… film produk India asli yang benar – benar bagus kualitasnya? Yap. Judulnya, 3 idiots.

Sebuah judul dan poster yang membuatku mengangkat sebelah alis. Karena penasaran, ini tentang apa y. Sekilas seperti beberapa film Indonesia, dengan judul yang kurang pintar ( dan ternyata isinya juga demikian).

3 idiots berbeda. Inilah film India terbaik yang pernah kutonton sampai sekarang. Sebenarnya temanya cukup umum, yaitu tentang dunia pendidikan dan sistemnya. Tapi juga mencakup kehidupan sosial, budaya, dan ekonomi yang secara tidak langsung mempunyai hubungan erat.

3 mahasiswa, Rancho, Raju Rastogi, dan Farhan Qureshi, kuliah di universitas terbaik di India, dengan mimpi mereka masing – masing. Seperti universitas  lainnya, mahasiswa di tempat ini pun harus menghadapi seorang rektor “killer” Viru Sahastrabudhee yang dijuluki VIRUS, juga mahasiswa menyebalkan aka kia su ( takut kalah) sekaligus penjilat, Chatur Ramalingam alias Silencer.

Chatur Silencer, yang sempat beberapa kali dipermalukan oleh Rancho menantang 3 orang tersebut, bahwa dalam 10 tahun kemudian, dia akan lebih sukses dibanding ketiganya. Sebuah tantangan yang sebenarnya tidak pernah diiyakan oleh 3 orang tersebut, tapi sepertinya Chatur sangat menganggap serius hal ini.

Ya memang, 10 tahun kemudian Chatur sepertinya lebih sukses dibanding dengan Raju dan Farhan ( paling tidak, itulah menurutnya). Bagaimana dengan Rancho? Kemana dia menghilang setelah hari wisudanya?

Sang sutradara, Rajkumar Hirani, berhasil membuat sebuah cerita sederhana menjadi sangat sangat menarik, lucu, sekaligus mengharukan. Apakah memang seorang murid sudah pintar jika dia bisa menghapal semua yang ada dalam buku pelajarannya? Apakah sistem pendidikan yang keras, benar – benar akan membuat mahasiswa tersebut menjadi lebih giat… atau putus asa? Benarkah sukses hanya bisa dinilai dengan kekayaan, istri yang cantik, dan jabatan tinggi? Kita pun jadi berpikir lagi.

Satu hal yang cukup mengagetkan saya, Aamir Khan ( Rancho) sudah berumur 44 tahun. Dan hal ini sama sekali tidak terlihat dalam film. Aktingnya sangat memukau dan terlihat alami. Begitu juga akting dari pemain lain pun sangat mendukung film ini menjadi lebih berkesan.

Seperti film India lainnya, dalam 3 idiots pun terdapat adegan nyanyi dan menari -nari. Tapi dalam porsi yang cukup dan tidak terasa mengganggu.

8.9/10

(MVP Pictures)

Pemain:

Aamir Khan as Rancho

Kareena Kapoor as Pia Sahastrabudhhe

R. Madhavan as Farhan Qureshi

Sharman Joshi as Raju Rastogi

Boman Irani as Viru Sahastrabudhhe (ViruS)

Omi Vaidya as Chatur Ramalingam (Silencer)

Javed Jaffrey as Ranchoddas Shamaldas Chanchad

Rahul Kumar as Millemetre (MM)

Cerita dan Skenario: Rajkumar Hirani/ Chetan Bhagat

Sutradara: Rajkumar Hirani

[Via http://sabbathnami.wordpress.com]

Junglee Starts, Tame Endings!!

Three recent movie viewings have left me frustrated and I thought of sharing my opinions with all of you.  There could be a few spoilers ahead regarding the plots of these films…so please read on at your own risk.   The first one was the highly-awaited (at least by me…) “Quick Gun Murugun“.  Shashanka Ghosh’s follow-up to the brilliant “Waisa Bhi Hota Hai – Part II” had all the ingredients that a quirky spoof needed.  And it started with a bang.  Witty dialogues, good soundtrack, bad acting, poor dubbing…I was smiling and nodding my head.  But then, in the second-half..I Say….the movie ran out of steam.  Especially towards the end, when Ghosh didn’t quite know how to end the mayhem.  I was disappointed.  I still liked the movie overall, but as they say…”the ending could have been much better”.   Next in line is “Karthik Calling Karthik“, Farhan Akhtar’s so-called “romantic thriller”.  It started as a thriller, all right.  Director Vijay Lalwani seemed to be playing his cards well…slowly but steadily.  I am one of the few people who actually enjoys slow-paced movies, simply because I hope that the directors are capable enough to tie it all together in the end…and besides…I like it slow.   KCK had Farhan Akhtar once again giving a good performance.  And that background score by Midival Punditz and Karsh Kale!!  Wow!!  I was smiling again….only to watch my smile disappear…slowly….and turn into a heavy sigh.  This ain’t no thriller!!  It turned out to be an average movie about a patient who needed help.  That’s not what thrillers are.  Thrillers are supposed to keep you at the edge of your seats….or have you guessing.  What a letdown, I must say.  There is so much more that Vijay and Farhan could have done with the concept and didn’t.  Tyler Durden anyone??   Last but not the least, comes that latest beauty called “Ishqiya” from the House of Vishal.  Yup, I still call it a beauty because it’s a well-crafted crime caper with all the good intentions.  Intoxicating music, great locales, good dialogues, splendid acting (with the not-so-well-known actors once again towering over the veterans, aka “Kaminey“…) and a strong storyline.  A storyline that starts meandering a bit towards the end, taking the high film to its low finale.  Again, an example of missed opportunities.  I felt that the director held himself back with his climax, instead of letting his imagination go wild.  He ended up with an abrupt, totally filmy and a somewhat compromised finish to something that had an exhilarating start.   The year is still young though.  Dibakar Banerjee’s LSD comes out this coming Friday.  So my hopes are still high.  You see I yearn for and “Wondrous Starts and Qaatil Endings”…Not “Junglee Starts and Tame Endings”.   Mind It!

[Via http://vikd.wordpress.com]

The Usual Suspects:Review

RATING:4.5/5

IMDB RANKING: TOP #21

Not seen ‘The Usual Suspects’ yet? Then don’t waste any time reading this! Rent it, buy it, borrow it, I don’t mind, but watch it before you bother reading any further.

One of the main reasons that ‘The Usual Suspects’ leaves such a long-lasting impression on the viewer is that it takes advantage of the gullibility of the audience. For the first 100 minutes we are delivered an intriguing and complex story to which there seems no easy answer. When the final piece of the puzzle seems to be in place the entire film is turned on its head. This final revelation initially leaves you speechless and then shortly after the audience realises that they have fallen for a brilliantly inspired trick. The second great trick that this film plays on its audience is making us think that by watching it again we’ll be able to understand slightly better what was really going on. The truth is that the more you try to make sense of it, the more confusing it becomes. It’s probably best not to try to look for any concrete answers and just accept that we fell for the filmmaker’s tricks. The success of the film is mainly thanks to the sense of satisfaction the audience is left with at the end of the film. I think that people love the idea of a story when you’re not sure who you can really trust, along with the realisation that the film’s most shady characters are the filmmakers themselves.

The Usual Suspects is more than just a film with a clever ending. It revealed an awful lot about film audiences and showed us that their expectations can be used against them. It is also a film about story telling and the importance of myth. While most mysteries try to shock you too often with twists and even more twists, it turns out to be overkill.

‘The Usual Suspects’ is one of the most innovative and memorable crime thrillers of the nineties

[Via http://moviedirectory.wordpress.com]

al bundy video clips World Cinema:: "Work on the Run (Outsourced)", description "Runaway Work

al bundy video clips

This is – a romantic comedy about the amusing relationship between people of different cultures, telling about title 19 for huntington disease unexpected changes in life as a cheaptrick bands was at marion popcorn festival manager from Seattle, USA, on behalf of Todd Anderson. Unremarkable malcom x actor events of his life suddenly turns the boss a map 4 message ragga muffins festival 2008 that the new thirtysomething actors place of work should soon become a distant Bombay. The horror of what is happening is compounded by resentment watch trailer park boys the big dirty online against unfair accusations against him, he leaves a adult massage hollywood fl strange, incomprehensible world … ron jeremy skyscraper movie What halad festival happens thereafter, makes a hero, along with the audience not just think about the fact that air force senior master sergeant promotion release 12 march we porter williams police award springfield illinois all have a good movie rental new releases idea to know more about the actors homes world, scrubs actor tried to kill girlfriend and that escaped the greek festivals nj work can become for tomy nintendogs trick trainer pup video us the best andrew guy actor possible events where can i watch free streaming video film the fog … map 2

[Via http://marapin.wordpress.com]

Music Monday: Loving Asha Parekh's Songs

I was recently reminded that I love quite a few of the songs that Asha Parekh can be seen in. So here are some of them.

I love this movie (like I do most suspense ones). That said, until recently, I didn’t even know this song existed. Now I love the song.

Never seen this movie. But I think this might be my favorite-est Asha Parekh song ever.

Again, never seen the movie. Again, I don’t care.

From the same movie as above. The thing that always caught me was the Shahsi Kapoor like never moves in the song.

Going way back now, to the day of black-and-white. Again, never seen the movie. But I love the song nonetheless.

That’s obviously not it. There are a couple other great songs in Teesri Manzil (the first song). And a couple good ones in Caravan (not found above). And many more that I’m probably missing. Maybe I’ll need a part 2?

[Via http://shahs86.wordpress.com]

mobile video for suv World Cinema:: "Ghost Sword (Muyeong Geom / Shadowless Sword)", description

mobile video for suv

Studio: Genre: Duration: 1:55 video about trailer indexed porn videos min.

Released: 2005

Director video about actors (s): Actors: video about rating video about hollywood video about video Choi Ji-Woo / Ji-Woo video about release video about title Choi /,

Lee video about trailer video about hollywood Seo video about festival video about title Jin video about rating video about video video about title / Seo-jin Lee video about movie /,

Shin video about film Hyun-Joon / video about hollywood video about awards Hyeon-jun video about festival Shin /,

Lee Yong-Ki / video about awards Ki-yong video about trailers video about actors Lee video about title video about hollywood /,

[Via http://bivalzo.wordpress.com]

motorola hd digital video recorder World Cinema:: Diamonds (Diamonds) ", description" Diamonds

motorola hd digital video recorder

Aging boxing champion video about actors Harry Agenski lives forgotten video about festival by all, most of all afraid to die poor video about hollywood in some nursing video about video home. The unexpected video about actors video about film visit of his son and grandson gives him video about hollywood a chance video about release to eliminate their fears. Harry persuades his guests to take him video about hollywood to Reno, where he long ago video about film hid his fee for the match – video about actors 13 diamonds. Not very clever to believe the stories his grandfather, the company goes on a journey, not video about actors believing what adventures await them in future …

[Via http://fionolthe.wordpress.com]

virgins caught on video free World Cinema:: "Night of the Living geeks (Nacht der lebenden Loser,

virgins caught on video free

The three friends did not enjoy special popularity in school. But one day, returning home after a voodoo rite, they fall into a terrible car accident. After coming already in the morgue, with labels on the legs, the guys realize that turned into a zombie. And so it began to smart, strong and completely impervious to pain. Now friends can enroll in the school rugby team, to reckon with their batterers and win the love of the most beautiful and unreachable girl. But the only way to return to normal life – a magic elixir, which consists of holy water and the blood of virgins …

[Via http://fortbakta.wordpress.com]

my name is Khan - Movie Review

Warning: May contain a few spoilers.

I am perplexed whether to talk about the movie – My name is Khan or the issue – My name is Khan.  I’ve been staring at this blank page for almost 15 minutes now and have written and deleted quite a few introductions to my review coz. I’m still not sure whether to talk about the movie or the issue because the movie is strictly ‘Ok - not bad’ to say the least but the best part about it is it treads into a sensitive and very relevant issue. 

It may not have happened on 9/11 as the movie says, but it did happen somewhere near the turn of the century – this religious polarization of the world.  Without getting into the reasons for this happening, one of the results has been that it has become difficult to be a Muslim today.  Celebrating holi, lighting lamps or bursting crackers on Diwali, lining up in temples on Shiv-ratri, wearing a saree or salwar kameez, feasting on a turkey etc. can just be seen as enjoyable traditions or customs but keeping a big beard, praying five times a day, wearing a hijab and celebrating Eid by sacrificing a lamb have become subtle symbols of siding with extremism. 

And if you have Karan Johar – the Lady Gaga of Bollywood, dealing with this extremely sensitive issue, it sure looks like a very bad idea.  Surprisingly though, Karan seems to have finally grown up.  Not that I did not enjoy Kuch Kuch Hota Hai but never thought that he could refrain his cheese when it came to serious subjects. 

On second base, you again had a potential disaster.  Shahrukh Khan, the man who, with every passing day, gets closer to becoming Dev Anand the Second; both of them have two things in common – heart throb status in their 40s and a head that is always at 10 to 6 or 10 past 6.  Give him a condition – Asperger’s syndrome and in all probability, his neck could have disconnected from his body and his head could’ve gone out for a walk, all on its own.  Again, surprise surprise, it didn’t happen.  Actually his condition meant that he could not express emotions and I think that was a neat trick by his director to restrict him.

And then with all the controversy it generated and the initial 5 star reviews which gave the impression that Shahrukh has pulled an Aamir, it was tough to sit and watch the movie without expectations. 

All said and done, the movie is … for want of a better word… ‘Not bad’ and it does try to do justice to the issue it represents.  After a brief ordinary introduction, Shahrukh as Rizwan in the first half is in brilliant form when, he comes to America and starts selling cosmetic products.  There are quite a few similarities with Forrest Gump though, but I didn’t mind it.  After all, don’t all autistic conditions look equally cute on screen.  His expressions of giggling goofily when being confronted with love are indeed special.  Kajol does manage to still look pretty after all these years of being out of action. 

The second half however, I thought, lacked something, I can’t put a finger on it precisely though.  Yes, there are moments where it is difficult to hold back the tears and the lump in the throat just doesn’t go away but still, I feel the portrayal of the issue could have been a lot better.  Kajol, unfortunately seems to have lost the edge.  Her rage at her son’s death when she asks Rizwan to leave, does seem a tad unreal.  It is Shahrukh who excels with his subdued performance as Rizwan.  His speech at the church remembering his son, devoid of any expressions because of his condition, does extract tears and is very hard to watch. 

The problem however, with the movie was that you do feel empathy towards the person Rizwan but there is no empathy generated towards the muslim Rizwan.  I mean, the tears and the hard to watch moments have nothing to do with the issue the movie claims to portray.  The tears flow when he talks of his son but not when he is arrested and tortured in prison.  Actually, his naivety in not comprehending the torture does feel overdone coz. though, he was autistic, he wasn’t dumb.  I guess, this is where the movie could have been a lot better. 

Shankar Ehsan Loy have once again given refreshing music.  Though Sajda is the popular track in this album, I loved the rendition of Noor E Khuda by Shankar and Adnan Sami.  ‘Tere Naina’ is yet another nice and vibrant track.  The music does gel with the movie nicely. 

So I guess, the movie isn’t really SRK’s best performance till date as the 5 star reviews suggest (coz. we still have Swades and Chak De), but it is a fair effort and a reasonably good watch.  Just don’t expect the movie to provide as much entertainment as the controversy it generated and you’ll be fine.

[Via http://rakeshzone.wordpress.com]

gray maine festival World Cinema:: "Just together (Ensemble, cest tout)", description "Just

gray maine festival

Decides to reject his bourgeois origins Camilla has worked as a housemaid. The victim of the harsh upbringing her neighbor Philibert for the same reason, refuses to study history and sells postcards. In his huge family apartment he has sheltered chef Franck, with whom he comes beloved grandmother Paulette. And when the company will complement and Camilla, all residents of the home will need quite a lot of time to realize that it is better to keep them together.

[Via http://nisillcancu.wordpress.com]