Reviews

A contemporary "remake" of Devdas called "Dev.D" (get the joke??)?

Throw in a continually fornicating Devdas, Paro, and westernized Leni/Chandramukhi teen prostitute (never mind the extremely shallow "westerners = overly sexualized" stereotype for now) and add a few topical references to make the audience feel like the story is "really contemporary"…..

Mix in boring acting and silly dialogues (check out the "art" in this line: "You're right, I am a sl*t.")

And forget about a director actually wasting his (or her) time trying to write (or film) an ending. Who needs one anyway?

What remains?

At least there were some very cool and authentic car and truck horns on the sound effects track.

Is this really the kind of shallow and utterly stereotyped "art" film-making that we have to look forward to from multiplex-obsessed "New Hindi Cinema" filmmakers (and I do not mean SRK or AK)?

Thanks but no thanks.

Wow. What an intoxicating film-going experience.....Just got back from seeing this film and it may very well become the first truly postmodern Hindi cult classic of the new millennium. What seems at first blush to be a rather mundane story focusing on unrequited love is, instead, a super-charged and extended philosophical essay that challenges the very form of Indian (and Western) popular cinema.

Bhansali and cinematographer Ravi Chandran demonstrate total mastery of filmic form with ravishing visuals that force viewers to question the very nature of the narrative before their eyes. The environment is totally plastic, synthetic, beautiful; the story is set anywhere....nowhere; it is now, then, will be.... As in "Devdas" and "Pyassa," the hero has a thirst that he is desperate to quench. But in truly avant garde fashion, Bhansali refuses to follow the rules; instead he inverts the very conventions of the narrative form in order to tap new filmic possibilities. The narrative arc and ending aren't the main stories here....it's the journey that matters: the cross, the Mona Lisa, Mughal-e-Azam, windmills, EID, God. And the postmodern visual motif is paralleled beautifully by Monty's haunting musical score. This is definitely a film to experience on a big screen in surround sound.

Overall, SLB and crew go way beyond expectations in delivering a film that audiences are either going to love or hate -- and as it is with true art, there will be no middle ground.

Rushed out to see this when I heard it would be showing in Pittsburgh on opening day (a rarity in our city for Hindi films these days, unfortunately)....and I can't say I was disappointed.

The film draws its storyline from both "Kaho Naa....Pyaar Hai" and "Madumati" and features exquisite art direction and cinematography, with Shah Rukh Khan playing both himself and a Hrithik Roshan-style character and Deepika Padukone reviving (pardon the pun) Vyjayanthimala's role in the Roy/Ghatak classic. All of the actors do a fine job, and SRK has some very funny moments in the film (particularly in the first half). The mise-en-scene of the studio-within-the-movie scenes was reminiscent of Guru Dutt's "Kagaaz Ke Phool," and the visual design by director Farah Khan and cinematographer V. Manikandan is exquisite and richly detailed. The pacing isn't quite as tight as in FK's directorial debut "Main Hoon Na," but seems to fit the narrative.

OSO is also loaded with all sorts of "inside" references to Hindi (and American) films, past and present, which made this a most enjoyable viewing experience. The "Filmfare award" scene and song "Deewangi Deewangi," coming right after the interval, were a blast -- I'll need to see the movie again to catch all of the Hindi stars crammed into those fifteen minutes (the scene also gains a few additional laughs by lampooning the recent stage musical "Bombay Dreams"). As was done for the cover design of the Beatles'"Sgt. Pepper" album, someone ought to run a contest to see who can identify everyone in these two scenes! Vishal and Shekhar's soundtrack is very fresh; they do an excellent job hinting at various Indo-pop musical styles from the 60s and 70s. I only wish that the opening title version of "Om Shanti Om" would have been included on the CD as well....will just have to wait for the DVD release, I guess.

Now time to head out and see SLB's "Saawariya," which also seems to be playing in Pittsburgh on opening night. The world is definitely changing!

Having heard that this film won at Toronto, I was anxious to see it. Although it has not yet been widely released, I was fortunate to attend at a recent sneak preview and found it to be incredibly refreshing and subtly powerful. Stylistically, newcomer director Alejandro Monteverde does a superb job pacing the story -- combining just the right amounts of character, humor, and mystery into a package that satisfies on multiple levels -- intellectually, visually, emotionally, symbolically, etc. The photography -- shot in and around the streets of Manhattan and Long Island -- is top notch, reminding me of James Crabe's amazing cinematography along the streets of Philadelphia in Rocky (1977)....and the editing, relying heavily on jump cuts, keeps the story moving along in multiple time frames to great effect.

The actors all shine in their roles, particularly Mexican superstar Eduardo Verástegui and Tammy Blanchard, who portray their particularly complex relationship -- between a cook and a waitress in a Mexican restaurant -- with finesse. Additionally, the filmmakers do an excellent job presenting Hispanic culture in a manner that shatters the ridiculous stereotypes that are often presented in mainstream television and film. The scenes taking place at the cook's Hispanic parents' house are particularly funny, charming, and poignant. Also, the film portrays some very powerful emotional moments that have tremendous staying power long after leaving the theater.

In short, this is subtly powerful film that everyone should see.

After a long wait, J.P. Dutta's remake of Umrao Jaan is finally out and it's definitely worth the wait. Beautiful cinematography, exquisitely choreographed mujras (dances), and wonderful performances highlight this excellent film. In particular, Aishwarya Rai gives an amazing performance as Umrao -- she's back in true form with a character that allows her to show off her wide acting range. Shabana Azmi, Sunil Shetty, Abhishek Bachchan, and all the other actors shine in their characterizations. Anu Malik's music is superb and perfectly fits with the dance sequences. Overall, I thought the film really did justice to the classic 1981 version -- updating it and adding terrific song and dance sequences. Both versions tell a powerful story. It also reminded me a lot of Pakeezah (1971) and Devdas (2002) in theme, storyline, and visual design. Kudos to all involved.

Just had a chance to see this year's Academy Award winner for Best Documentary -- Born into Brothels -- and it is absolutely phenomenal. A British-New Yorker photographer befriends a group of children born to prostitutes in the slums of Calcutta and teaches them photography. The documentary follows the children as they use the photographs to document their wretched -- yet very human -- living conditions, which inspires them to dream of one day getting an education to improve their lives.

After witnessing some of the tripe that has been passed off as "documentary" in the past few years, this film has restored my faith in the power of the genre to educate, promote human dignity, and advocate social reform. Highly recommended.

Having been a fan of the novel, George Pal film, and Orson Welles radio drama for years, I waited with eager anticipation for the release of this version on DVD (having missed the theatrical release). Overall, I found Spielberg's rendition to be brilliantly visualized and gripping. While remaining true to the spirit (and some of the technical details) of the novel and subsequent versions, he and his writers have managed to highlight some of the horrific aspects of the story that are underplayed in previous versions.

The result is a suspenseful journey through a rapidly alienizing territory, beset by terror and tragedy, but also offering hope.

While paying appropriate homage to the lineage of this powerful story, the filmmakers weave together a visually stunning and humanistic narrative that comments upon major events of our day.

Great flick that was a blast from start to finish! When the "Red Chillies Entertainment" logo came up at the start, I had no idea this film was going to be such a celluloid party! Farah Khan delivers one mega punch after another. The song "Chale Jaise Hawaien" is priceless -- reminiscent of K2H2 -- but her choice to shoot the song in two long-take sequence shots was phenomenal --> exhibiting some of the best human and camera choreography since Welles's classic opening to Touch of Evil. All the songs shine in the film, but the qawaali "Tumse Milke Dilka Jo Haal" -- coming right after the interval -- is an absolute showstopper; the choreography, set design, and costuming come as close to Hindi cinema perfection as any mere mortal can get! Shah Rukh kicks as an action hero, and ALL the actors play their characters with conviction and just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek! And the comic punch of this film is brilliant --> when Satish Shah first appears on the screen (no spoiler here), I laughed so hard I had tears streaming down my face (appropriate, I guess....). There are also some absolutely amazing digital effects shots, particularly during some of the Shah Rukh-Sunil Shetty fight scenes (I don't think anyone has ever had so much fun lampooning The Matrix [thanks, Farah!]). Finally, Anu Malik delivers what I think must be his absolutely finest pop-Indian soundtrack. The songs are totally addictive and immensely hummable. I am looking forward to snatching up the DVD when it's released so I can hear the songs in a proper surround-sound mix.

Overall, this is an incredibly entertaining mix of all that is wonderful in contemporary Hindi films -- great story (inspired by the Ramayana), terrific choreography and acting, rib-splitting comedy, just the right amount of pathos, stunning cinematography, catchy songs, and dynamite directing. Both thumbs up!

Just came back from seeing this film on opening day after waiting four months....and can say it was definitely worth the wait. The acting is top-notch -- Rekha is wonderful as the mother, Hrithik pulls off his character with aplomb, Preity does a splendid job as the new girl in town, and Johnny Lever has never been funnier. Even the super six do a great job! The story reworks elements from the Mahabharata into an ET-/Close Encounters-style science film story. All the production elements are terrific: music score, song-and-dance numbers (including a wonderful homage to Singing in the Rain), camerawork, lighting, and -- yes -- the spaceship special effects. One particularly amazing dance sequence has Hrithik cavorting with his own shadow. An instant classic that we'll be talking about for years to come. Congrats to all involved!

I must admit that after seeing this film the first time a couple of weeks ago I was less than impressed. Bachchan, of course, was excellent, but I felt that movie was missing something, or maybe it was trying to hard to be something else, or perhaps it was Preity Zinta's villainous departure from her previous girl-next-door roles.....I wasn't sure.....

But, upon watching it a second time yesterday, the film's brilliant subtlety exploded on the screen. It was all there: wonderful dialogues and performances from Bachchan, Kapoor, Singh (and -- yes - Zinta: she's a little over-the-top in her performance, but in the end the effect works [the character she creates truly is weird/creepy]); a remarkably restrained and appropriate camera style from Verman (including his interesting use of 180-degree-arc two-shots during key dialogues); outstanding sound recording and perspective matching from Kamte and Dev; brilliant music and choreography (sans the chorus lines); and some excellent writing -- particularly the development of key thematic parallels and negations.

For example, Irani masterfully, yet subtly, contrasts the two dominant child-parent relationships -- Soniya-Gulshan and Akash-Siddharth -- to comment quietly on the impact of western materialism on the values of successful Indians living abroad. The theme is reinforced by the masterfully directed wedding scene -- starkly devoid of the colorful mise-en-scene, music, and traditional practices that are picturized in typical Hindi film weddings -- in essence emphasizing the alien(ated) character of the proposed relationship. The effect is reminiscent of Subhash Ghai's Pardes (1997), but without the grandstanding that dominates the earlier film. Additionally, Irani's selection of neurosurgery as Akash's profession provides an excellent metaphor for the exploration of the film's climatic theme, which --without giving too much away -- involves the resolution of a key moral dilemma.

All-in-all, Irani demonstrates remarkable restraint and deftness in her directorial debut. The film's naturalistic look belies the subtle thematic complexities that inform the storyline. Watch this film more than once -- you might be surprised!

This film -- which I had heard almost nothing about before seeing it -- turned out to be a powerful, moving, and important love story. Rani Mukherjee's performance as Suhani -- the young M.D. and wife struggling to reach out to her husband after they elope -- is top notch and clearly deserving of an Oscar. Likewise, Vivek Oberoi does a wonderful job portraying her husband Aditya as he oscillates between playfulness and workaholism. Ali and Rathnam's story is superb -- combining drama and social commentary in a complex and satisfying tapestry. As always, Anil Mehta does a fabulous job lensing the story -- his cinematography captures a wide range of urban landscapes that subtly adds depth and context to the story (and be on the lookout for an in-joke concerning his name in the film). And, of course, A. R. Rahman's score is terrific -- particularly when pouring out of a theater's surround-sound system! Not to be missed!

With tremendous talents like Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt in the credits, perhaps my expectations were too high upon entering the theater to see this film. Both actors - and most of their co-stars - try their best to wring some emotion and depth out of a rather shallow and contrived story. But the end result leaves quite a bit to be desired. We've seen the plot before: Several partners-in-crime plan a bank heist . . . . something goes wrong . . . . one of them may be a mole . . . . who could it be? . . . . Sound familiar? I guess the "you gonna bark all day or you gonna bite?" homage gives it all away (Reservoir Dogs). And there are homages to Dirty Harry . . . . and Mission Kashmir (catch the musical stab when Sanjay dons the mask) . . . . and on and on. Regrettably, most of the song-and-dance numbers are set in a strip club (Sanjay Leela Bhansali, where are you when we need you?). Bright spots? - a few good laughs . . . . the editor seems to have had a lot of fun playing with AVID motion control and color filter effects . . . . there are tons of jump cuts . . . . and some of Kurt Brabbee's cinematography is fresh and inventive. Overall: drawbacks > bright spots; rating 5.