Saturday, August 15, 2009

Stereo....Radio....I'm a superstar...


If u like watching a well-made, engrossing and complex-yet-brilliant movie tht gives ur intelligence the respect it deserves, then stop reading this article rit now and book urself a ticket to the earliest show of arguably (no... make tht unarguably!) the movie of the year!! Move over Dev D, Kaminey rocks Hindi movie-dom Quentin Tarantino style and how!!!

For all others who have ventured this far in the post bcz they arent too keen to watch intelligently made movies and who lik to give thr brain a break when watching movies, get ready for some real insults...I assume u guys r the ones who make trash lik Singh is Kinng and Kambakkht Ishq seem like pieces of art based on thr box office collections...well i have 1 word to describe all u guys - Kaminey!

I gues only some1 very interested in knowing abt Kaminey wud venture this far...so lemme start...Vishal Bharadwaj gives us a heady tale of twins with a rollicking screenplay that lets u fill in more than it tells, and in the process makes u a part of the movie...It wud b sad to giv away any part of the story but i gues the fact tht this is probably the BEST ensemble cast ever shud b good enuf to make u watch it first thing...the only hitch cud b tht by the end of the movie, u dont get enough of all these wonderfully crazy characters....bcz its a film and has to b wrapped up in 2-2.5 hrs...but for once, u wudnt mind if this one went on for 5 hrs, wit more abt each of the zany characters presented on screen...altho every1 pitches in fantastic performances, Amole Gupte deserves special mention for his portrayal of Bhope Bhau who is probably the most memorable "villian" on-screen since the legendary (and very dramatic) Gabbar...Shahid Kapoor is brilliant in both roles and this movie marks significant growth in him as an actor after being stuck in chocolate-boy roles for quite some time now, roles that he did remarkably, but also roles tht did little for his cud-have-been much better career...A superstar, nay a super-actor is well and truly born! Piggy Chops is lovely in a relatively small role and her Marathi accent is sure to give u goosebumps...the actors playing Mikhail and Lele are excellent! Technically, the movie reminds u a lot of Pulp Fiction, and thts saying a lot! Songs have been a rage since the music release so saying anythng abt them wud b redundancy...
Kaminey is for the people who r hungry for intelligent cinema, which, for a change, doesnt preach but just entertains....and in the process, keeps in mind the fact that ur IQ isnt below par!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Love Aaj Kal


I am surprised-pleasantly and otherwise...othrwise bcz a lot of ppl - and i mean a lot - have not liked Love Aaj Kal (in fact quite a few despise it), and pleasantly bcz inspite of the not so good reactions of ppl who hv seen the movie, it has emerged one of the biggest grossers of all times! Now i dont normally care much abt how much a movie makes, but sometimes its good to c well-made and well-meaning cinema make some money too, in times when any kinda trash lik Rab Ne and Singh Is Kinng makes moolah!

Enough of analysing the public perception! On to the movie! Imtiaz Ali springs a pleasant surprise in the form of Love Aaj and Love Kal, with a non-linear, time-sliced narrative style tht enhances the movie considerably...the dialogues deserve special mention as they r very real and so-not-gimmicky! no1s expecting u to laugh at any of the "jokes" bcz lets face it, thr r few in the real world who spout witty, funny lines every minute!! The Love Aaj story is very relatable...its got slices of love stories u see around ths days...mayb even frm ur own! Love Kal story is really sweet and has unforgettable moments lik whn Harleen comes down and unveils Veer's favorite black coffee frm underneath her dupatta! beautiful!! romance at its adorable best! :)

Saif does decently well in both roles....Deepika is lovely and acts fittingly for her role, contrary to popular opinion...for all those who said Kareena wud hv been better for the role, i have the following to say - Main Prem Ki Diwnai Hoon, K3G, Khushi, Kambakkht Ishq and many more!! Rishi Kapoor is as usual dependable while Giselle as Harleen is cute but a poor actress...thankfully she doesnt need to act much :)

The movie is full of subtleties and for all those who r wondering which ones, no wonder u dint like the movie...let me put it this way - u dint undstnd the vein of the movie! On the flipside, the music is poorly utilized...such fantastic songs deserved better screen portrayal...wit the exception of Dooriyan and Chor Bazaari, othr songs r a bit of a letdown, not least Twist, whr u literally Twist in ur seat watching Saif make an ass of himself wit those idiotic dance steps...the slow pace can also get a bit nerve-wracking and it wud hv been a good idea to position the interval better! And finally, Love Aaj Kal is not really enjoyable in the true sense of the word...its good, very good, thought-provoking and real, but when it comes to entertainment, its like watching Sanjay Manjarekar bat! Nevertheless, its a well intentioned and decently made movie...

Looking fwd to somthng more definitive frm Imtiaz Ali next!