New Bollywood Movies Reviews, Press reviews and Members' reviews - pls share |
New Bollywood Movies Reviews, Press reviews and Members' reviews - pls share |
Sharmila-Sweet |
Nov 19 2009, 12:39 PM
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#1
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Regular Member Group: Members Posts: 915 Joined: 17-October 08 From: India Member No.: 75253 |
Kurbaan Film Review [SPOILERS]
First things first. Kudos to Karan Johar for shifting gears completely and entering into serious territory. Of course, we do love him for his K-class cinema: all his crunchy popcorn films beginning with K, ever since Kuch Kuch Hota Hai redefined mainstream romance. But Kurbaan doesn't need the popcorn at all. It keeps the screen on overboil for most of its screen time with its hard-hitting storyline that dares to venture into undefined territory. Like Khuda Kay Liye, Kurbaan too looks at the other side of Islamic fundamentalism and puts the post 9/11 tumult in perspective. Who are these guys who carry anger in their hearts, revenge in their heads and bombs in their pockets? Why are they hell bent on blasting the world, irrespective of the anguish it spells to all and sundry? Can there be a purpose behind their madness? Is one man's terrorist actually another man's activist? Kurbaan, written by Karan Johar, raises these pertinent - and extremely topical - questions, without glossing over the one undeniable truth: a suicide bomber can never solve the inequities of the world, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, notwithstanding. So we have Ehsan Khan (Saif Ali Khan), the Pakistani who lost his wife and kid to American excesses, seething with a desire to avenge his loss. He isn't the archetypal, skull-capped, bearded fundoo, mouthing soliloquies on jihad and intifada (uprising). On the contrary, he's suave, sophisticated and a charmer, tutoring the world on the misconceptions of Islam in the modern world. Small wonder then he manages to win the heart of college professor Avantika (Kareena Kapoor) and follows her to New York on her stint with NYU. But the domestic idyll is short-lived as Avantika soon discovers it isn't her neighbours (the Afghani extended family, headed by Om Puri) alone who have suspicious antecedents. Husband Ehsan too is an integral part of the plot to bomb America for its excesses against Muslims, the world over. In a classroom sequence, the film tries to put Islamic fundamentalism in perspective by linking the rise of the Muslim terrorist to America's oil-grabbing foreign policy and its questionable attempts at destabilising oil rich countries in order to remain a superpower. Almost every member of the sleeper cell that comprises the Afghan family has a sad story of loss and horror that drove them into becoming fidayeens (suicide bombers). And before you begin to question the filmmakers for going too lenient on terrorism, you find Avantika who remains a non-convert till the very end. Articulating the voice of reason - and non-violence - she questions her husband and oscillates between love and hate for the man who has fathered her child. A prisoner in her own house, her only hope is Riyaaz (Viveik Oberoi), the undercover journalist who has his story of personal loss that pitches him on the other side in this war. He is determined to fight the terrorists and derail their plot of bombing America. Karan Johar's story has gravitas. Renzil D'Silva's narrative keeps you on the edge of the seat, for most of the time. Salim Suleiman's music score has a melodious feel. Hemant Chaturvedi's cinematography serenades both Delhi, where the Saif-Kareena romance blossoms and New York, where it cracks up. And the performances by almost all the lead characters are gritty. If Om Puri paints a chilling picture of the terrorist who masquerades in the garb of the commoner and Kiron Kher makes the myth of a suicide bomber plausible, then Viveik Oberoi lends credibility to the voice of the progressive Muslim. But it is the chemistry between Saif and Kareena that lights up the film as the duo bring to life a picture of passion and restraint as the doomed lovers. We do however wish their relationship had a stronger emotional graph, post the startling revelation. How did the duo contend with the fear, hate and disillusion that crept in after Saif revealed his true identity: a bit more on that? And a bit less in the length of the film which could do with some taut editing in the second half. Also, there are a few inconsistencies that mar the film's realism. Why does the FBI loom large like a know-it-all, do-it-all figure? Not only do the FBI sleuths always be a step ahead of the terrorists and arrest them without actually knowing who they exactly are, they also emerge unscathed in a suicide bombing attacking where almost everybody crumbles. Super Uncle Sam, did we say! But Kurbaan sure does strike a chord and sets you thinking on stuff that needs to be sorted out before the new world order - a more humanitarian, less violent - sets in. Don't miss it. A word about Performances: Saif and Kareena transport their off screen tuning to the big screen. While their passionate encounters are a class in aesthete, their delineation of Ehsan and Avantika is mature, restrained and realistic. Om Puri, Kiron Kher and Viveik Oberoi are in sync too. Music: While Salim-Suleiman have come up with an entire audio track which fits in with the ambience of the film, it is Shukran Allah and the title track, Kurbaan Hua which have lingering notes. More importantly, the songs blend in seamlessly with the story and have not been filmed as your run-of-the-mill song-dance numbers. Dialogue: The conversation amidst the diverse protagonists has a realistic edge and seem straight out of life. It's only when he tries to explain the theoretical basis of Islamic fundamentalism that Anurag Kashyap, dialogue writer, seems to enter the realm of text-book knowledge. The exposition seems a rattling of newspapers headlines. Story: Karan Johar explores new depths with his insightful story on the world's most pressing problem: terrorism. Cinematography: Hemant Chaturvedi uses his camera deftly to create stunning vignettes of Delhi and New York, without losing out on the seriousness of the plot. Styling: Kareena looks svelte in dresses and tights and brings to life a glamorous professor who dons the hijab with equal felicity. Saif is his usual dapper self, making casual seem haute. TOI Don't let someone become a priority in your life,
when you are just an option in their life. |
Sharmila-Sweet |
Oct 7 2011, 10:22 AM
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#2
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Regular Member Group: Members Posts: 915 Joined: 17-October 08 From: India Member No.: 75253 |
Review: Rascals is plain lame!
Last updated on: October 06, 2011 16:38 IST Sukanya Verma feels Rascals fails to entertain. Recycling paper is nice. Recycling movies? Now that's plain lame. But director David Dhawan [ Images ] has never been the discerning sort. He painstakingly built his brand around cheesy, slapstick wit, resolutely steering clear of logic, relying on spontaneity and a cast skilled in comedy to accomplish the shtick to which his coterie of writers like Rumi Jaffrey, Anees Bazmee, Sanjay Chhel, Kader Khan and Yunus Sajawal have contributed immensely. For his latest Rascals, starring Sanjay Dutt [ Images ] and Ajay Devgn [ Images ], Dhawan sponges a bunch of comedies from his own stable and outside to rustle up a series of misadventures that are dumb, dated and dreary. But that's not its only problem. Rascals, with no structure or motive, cannot (rather does not even try to) conceal its desperation to make itself funny. And this insecurity shows in each and every gag. What begins as a mindless laugh raiser with a set of 2D animated opening credits, quickly establishes itself as a tale of two swindlers Chetan (Dutt) and Bhagat (Devgn) (an obvious swipe on the author lacks the punch of Amar Prem), engaging in some vacuous, worn-out tricks, to steal from an unsuspecting Anthony Gonsalves (Arjun Rampal [ Images ] in an indifferent cameo) and win the affections of a doltish heiress (Kangna Ranaut [ Images ]) in Bangkok. This flake of a story, believe me or not, is pretty much the entire plot. Unless making light of poverty, charity, handicap or a sexed-up version of Andaz Apna Apna meets Jodi No 1 meets Deewana Mastana meets Bluffmaster [ Images ] is your idea of a joke, those laugh lines won't budge. Moreover, why on earth would you want to contend with all that screeching for effect, rhyming dialogues to pinch a cackle and constant parade of zero-intellect women with size zero bodies in a wardrobe that's as scant as Rascals' credibility? And haven't enough award functions taken potshots at Sanjay Leela Bhansali's [ Images ] Black and Guzaarish already? Find a new punching bag, Bollywood. Often you crave for a Govinda [ Images ], a Kader Khan or a Johnny Lever [ Images ] to drop in and elevate this drivel to an acceptable level of idiocy. Instead you get a super annoying Chunky Pandey [ Images ] and Satish Kaushik [ Images ], with their false accents and ridiculous get-ups jostling your senses to evoke a titter. Of its actual cast, Devgn is a notch better here than his Golmaal appearances and that's mainly because he stays off body-hugging pink tee-shirts. Dutt is saddled by thankless role that makes him look silly for trying and sillier if he doesn't Far from giving them amusing lines to deliver, Dhawan gets two of Bollywood's worst dancers to shake a leg on Vishal-Shekhar's noise of a soundtrack. Last but not the least; let me draw your attention to the most offensive aspect of Rascals. Its women. Both Kangna and Lisa Haydon [ Images ] are reduced to pea-brained ob-jects of lust with absolutely no self-respect for themselves or their tribe. And so when Dutt equates Kangna's shrill cries to a dog's yelp after someone steps on its tail, you simply nod in agreement. Rediff rating: 1/5 |
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