Reviews

Review of "Don't Say a Word" : (5/10)
-Jan 11, 02
This is a crime thriller without any freshness to it. The story and screenplay is very predictable and hardly keeps you interested. The performances are good and gives you some reason to keep watching the movie. Skip it and wait for the TV telecast.

Review of "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham" : (7/10)
- Jan 02, 02
K3G is the first movie I saw in the new year but I could not find much of freshness in it. It has a story which has been told umpteen times so far only difference might be that the male protagonists do not hesitate to jerk tears here rather they give sollid competiton for their female counterparts! I guess this is the "difference in the treatment" of the story, director was lauding about in his pre-release interviews. The movie has staggering production values and at times I felt the director has gone overboard on spending when it was not needed. On positive side, all the performances are excellent and they do justice to their characters. Jaya Bachchan, Hrithik and AB rise above all, SRK has kept his ham acting to minimum but undoubtably it is there. Kajol is refreshingly good and Kareena annoys at times.

Music is weak and some songs are simply unbearable and could be cut to reduce the extra length of the movie. Also, the producers have patched in some elements to lure NRI audience which is very noticeable, that too adds to the length of the movie.

Bottom line - If you like tear jerker movies, you are gonna loooove this one else skip it or wait for VDO.

Review of Monsoon Wedding (9/10):
-Dec 8 '01
This is how you make a simple yet classy and entertaining movie!!!
Mira Nair has done it, she made a movie which is seamless and does not insult the intellegence of the audience. The movie is about a marriage in a typical punjabi family in Delhi. There are several subplots which unfold during the preparation for the marriage and leave some sweet and sour taste. Naseer plays the loving father who wants to make sure that his only daughter's marriage takes place witout any hassles and is on a grand scale. All the relatives attend from every part of the world and there is a big gathering full of happiness and warmth. Mira Nair does a great job capturing the closeness of the family members in very natural way and even small nuances are depicted with great care. There are other love strories running parallel with the main story of the to be bride and groom and they make the movie even more interesting. Naseer as usual is brilliant and well supported by the other cast members. All characters are well etched but I especially liked the role of PK Dubey- the "event manager"!!
The movie has some old hit songs perfectly placed to enhance the effect of certain scenes, some innovative and some cliched. The movie is mainly shot by handheld cameras to give more authentic feel and you almost feel as if you are watching a video recording of a real marriage.

P.S. This is the first movie I watched in a Mumbai multiplex and was surprized to see how well it was replicated to the ones in US.

Review of Asoka (5/10):
-Nov 11 '01
I had made up my mind to not see this movie after listening to the reports of my friends who had seen the movie. But after reading several lauding review of Khaled Mohaammed and Shobha Dey, I thought may be this movie desrves a dhekkho and went to see the movie, but trust me my friends it does not, it simply does not!

Shahrukh Khan did his usual ham acting and it bothers more this time since he is playing a diginified character of our history. In fact he seems to not even try to do anything different from his previous roles, he had chance to prove that he can do something different from his usual self if the role demanded for it but he either failed or chose not to go for it altogether. He is the weakest link in the movie and since he plays the central character, the movie falls flat on it's face. The other big weakness is the dull and dragging screenplay which emphasised on romantic aspect (I seriously doubt it's authenticity) of Ashoka's life. Thus ultimaltely movie was reduced to any mediocre costume drama love story. Kareena did a better job than I had expected of her and other character roles are simply not etched well.

Anu Malik's music is sounds good to eara but is nothing special. Santosh Sivan's cinematography is far better than his direction until he gets very basic and needlessly sticks to hand held camera shots. But I must say the last fifteen minutes are the saving grace for the movie.


Botom line: SRK does NOT have the enough (any?) grace and talent needed to play Ashoka the great!

Review of Ajnabee (6/10):
-Oct 02, 01
With Ajnabee the director duo Abbas-Mustan is back to their time tested formula of musical-thriller and they do pretty good job. The movie has a trivial suspense and it doesn't get into any complex story telling. There are some ridiculous nuances about the jobs abroad and NRI life style. However the movie has brisk pace and unusually bold story (inspired from "Consenting Adults") with some Indian culture justifications to it.

All actors are OK, Akshay Kumar has a challengingly "different" role and he does it well. Most of the movie is shot in Swiss Alps and the locales are very scenic. The music is nothing special and has some catchy numbers.

Bottom line: Watch it if you have three hours to kill and nothing else to do.

Review of "Yaadein" (3/10):
-08/19/2001
This is undoubtedly Ghai's worst movie. He has made some bad ones in past but in this he is at his worst. I have this hunch that the script was badly fooled around with after Hrithik's newly found stardom (he was signed before KNPH). Movie has no sense of direction in story and editing is patchy. But the worst is the shameless product placements throughout the movie. Any audience with an average intelligence will find it offensive to be forced to watch an entire sequence only meant as an advertisement for a breath freshener after buying ticket to just watch the movie. The movie is full of such stupid and direct product placements. But even without the help of these product placements the movie would have been a disaster. Ironically, Ghai claims to understand the problems of the NRIs and heavily preaches against the materialistic western world. There is an insipid portrayal of "west bad, east good" message in the movie that didn't work in his earlier movies as well. Actors try to lift the movie but can't rise above the shallow screenplay. The climax is ridiculously melodramatic but then so is the whole movie.

Bottom line: You just read this review of this movie, this is just as much time you should waste on this movie.

Review of "Dil Chahta hai" (9/10):
-08/17/2001
Farhan Akhtar, the progeny of noted writers Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani has made a movie about which I could confidently say that it speaks the language of my generation, one I can understand and relate to. It is fresh and realistic, yet it doesn't rob you of any entertainment either. This defines is a new era in Indian movie making.
There is no traditional story line in the movie, it is about three friends who have just graduated and are putting there first steps into the world. The story goes along the ups and downs they face in the period of a year and their sweet and sour experiences of love, friendship, responsibilities and self-realization. Every performance in the movie is superior and since the movie is dubbed in synch-sound, it makes the scenes sound very real. Music is young, trendy and melodious. Picturisation of "Who ladki hai kahan" ridicules the typical hindi movie songs. Title song and "Kaisi hai ye rut" deserve to be specially mentioned for the innovative choreography.

Akshaye Khanna and Dimple Kapadia's characters are absolute delight to watch. Well done Farhan!!

Review of "The Others" (8/10):
-08/18/2001
This is the spooky suspense thriller movie of the summer and is very well made. I can bet that you will not be able to guess it's surprise ending and will thank me for not revealing anything more than this. A must see!!!

Review of "Rush Hour 2" (7/10):
-08/12/01
This Buddy-cop movie is if not more then just as hilarious as the first one. Chan and Tucker display such great comic timing and especially under the circumstances (no story in the movie) makes their effort no less than brilliant. Tucker does come across as very obnoxious at times but may be that is his style. Full credit goes to Chan's beautifully choreographed fight sequences and fast pace of the movie.

The movie is fun if you want to simply laugh and not looking for classic drama.

Review of "Planet of the Apes" (6/10) :
-08/03/01
This one is a "re-imagining" of the 60's classic movie with the same name. Director Tim Burton reinvents the movie with his unique vision and style. The movie has much bigger budget and hence better make-up and special effects than its predecessor. But the movie is not emotionally potent and has no soul, it is impressive but not effective.

Bottomline: Style never wins over substance.

Review of "Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)" (9/10) :
-07/27/01
A.I. is dark, haunting, cold, fascinating and at times disturbing movie. It is based on a short story and was originally conceptualized by Stanley Kubrick - story of a futuristic Pinocchio. It is a true tribute to Kubrick by Spielberg as one can see the bold psychological style of Kubrick's moviemaking here. Spielberg puts the entire burden of the movie on the small shoulders of Haley Joe Osment and he carries it through so perfectly! The movie has more philosophical facets than a sci-fi thriller, and it is just not the story of inducing feelings to the mechanical robots in the futuristic world, it goes well beyond that. It deals with the eternal questions that haunt us like, who we are? what is love? why do we seek love?. The movie has three distinct parts, introduction of Osment as the kid in the family, his abandonment and his search for the blue fairy, and third and most intoxicating part is he achieving the love and affection of his mother in the "end". I must say that the second part is too long and will disappoint the audiences who are looking for mind-blowing special effects.

Please don't be fooled by it's connection to Pinocchio, the movie is NOT suitable for young kids. And even you all adults out there, be careful, it will plant ideas in your brain that can't easily be shaken loose!!!

Review of "Tum Bin" (6/10) :
-07/22/01
This movie relies completely on the acting prowess of newcomers - others are OK but the male lead, Priyanshu attracts attention. He looks good, acts okay, has good diction and voice and in general seems in control of the situation on his debut. Although the movie has three heroes and one heroine, it still is a love triangle. I specially want to mention the cinematography which is excellent. There are some melodious songs but the movie is weak in script and direction. Watch "Tum Bin" when you are tired of too many violent and loud films. You will not mind it.

Review of "Aks" (4/10):
-07/20/01
The package looked very attractive but I was immensely disappointed after opening it!!! Yes, this movie has the gloss and technical finesse, also has a different theme (for Indian movies) indeed but lacks sensible script or story-line. AB gives his best but fails to lift movie from it's pathetic execution. Some scenes are so badly written and directed that his acting looks ridiculous. Manoj Vajpai overacts.

Better stay away from this movie.

Review of "Lucas" - Video '86 (8/10):
-07/22/01
I loved this movie, it is about a nerdy teenage kid named Lucas who is bullied and is a complete misfit in the school. The story is about how he meets his dream-girl and his coming of age while trying to impress her. I have never seen the boy who plays Lucas but he has done great job of rising above the corny image of nerd and bringing out the finer points of the character. The only recognizable faces in the movie are Charlie Sheen and Wynona Ryder. A must see…

Review of "The Score" (7/10) :
- 07/17/01
The score is a typical and predictable heist movie, but I enjoyed it and there are some excellent performances. Both Bobby DeNiro and Ed Norton have played their roles to perfection, should I mention "as expected". The movie is based in scenic Montreal, Canada and has a simple narrative. I liked the subtle background score in the movie which enhances it's quality. There is a "surprise" ending and I will be surprised if you didn't see it coming.

Bottom line: Guys gonna like this movie more than the gals... it's not a date movie, my friends!

Review of "Bas itna sa khwab hai" (5/10):
-07/15/01
Barring some well executed scenes this is a very unoriginal movie, "inspired" by Raju ban gaya gentleman, Sri 420 and from Hollywood's Devil's Advocate. Abhishek Bachchan shows some improvement in his acting but needs to work on his persona. Rani Mukherjee looks pretty and is good in a small role. Movie lacks an interesting and coherent script and few good scenes don't account for a good movie. However, for incentive there are a couple of brilliantly picturised songs.

Review of "Love ke liye kuchh bhi karega" (6/10):
-07/14/01
LKLKBK is youthful and slick movie made by E. Nivas who made impressibe debut with hardhitting "Shool" earlier. The plot is "inspired" by the Hollywood indi movie "Fargo" but has been twisted with comedy. Since the presentation is different, the movie keeps you interested although there is no novelty in the story. The movie reminded me of last years "Hera-Pheri" but is pale in comparison, there is no Paresh Rawal to lift the movie above mediocrity. Few songs are good but are badly placed and break the narrative of the story.
I can't end without mentioning the most interesting character of the movie (alas he has got hardly anything to do with the main plot) - Aslam Bhai enatcted by our comic genius Johny Lever. He has brought this character of a local "Bhai" to life and I could swear that I have met such people in Mumbai, it is very real. The movie could be worth watching just for this character.

Review of "Gadar - Ek prem katha" (6/10):
- 07/06/01
Gadar is a classic example of inflated curiosity under compelling circumstances. In content or technique, Gadar is not worthy of the attention it has been generating. The controversy has quite clearly taken over the merit of the subject. However, it is not a bad movie but has too much melodrama and exploits the patriotic sentiments of public beyond noble limits.
Movie deserves kudos for it's realistic and authentic art direction. The makers took special care while re-creating the partition era in sets and costumes. The train station sequence in the start is mind-blowing. Amisha Patel did a wonderful job and proves that she could act, Sunny Deol is good but he could have underplayed his He-Man image. The music does justice to it's subject and doesn't hinder the pace of the movie.

Review of "Lagaan" (9/10):
- 06/17/01
Ok then, I saw Lagaan yesterday.. it was after a year I went to see a Hindi movie in theatre with the whole gang(last being Hera Pheri) and I am glad to inform you that I wasn't disappointed. It is an honest effort by the creators of the movie to make a good entertainer and take the pains of writing the script with strong characterization. It's only due to their hard work on script that they were successfully able to link the serious topic of Lagaan system to the entertaining world of Cricket. Music as you know is very good and does full justice to the era and backdrop of the movie. Songs are well placed and deftly choreographed and executed.
All the performances are at par with the production value of the movie which is grand and realistic. However the movie is full of it's due cliches but it is most definitely worth seeing. And yes, those who hate cricket might find the 1 hrs 20 min long cricket match a bit overwhelming but I am sure they will find the rest of the movie well compensating for it. Atlast, Ashutosh Gowarikar gives a winner (after his previous debacles - Pehla Nasha and Baazi, which were not that bad either)

ON THE CONTRARY TO SOME GENARAL PERCEPTION, IT IS NOT A SERIOUS POIGNANT MOVIE, RATHER IT IS A FAIRY TALE WITH A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE OF IT'S AGE IN IT'S BACKDROP...HAVE FUN!!!

Review of "Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai" (6/10):
- 06/02/01
MKKH is a light fun movie with good songs and dances... Obviously, it is a launch vehicle for Jumping Jack Jeetendra's son Tusshar and he passes with respectable score. All the three leads are newcomers, Kareena, Tusshar and Rinki and they all did justice to their characters which are not very complicated to start with. A big credit goes to the director Satish Kaushik to keep the melodrama to it