Friday, August 31, 2012

5 Films: You Must Watch Al Pacino In

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)


"I am robbing a bank because they got money here. That's why I'm robbing it." Sonny 


Pacino is painfully real as Sonny, a smart yet self-destructive ex-marine whose plan to rob the local bank to fund his male lover's sex change goes absurdly wrong. Accompanied only by his doltish accomplice, Sal, Sonny resorts to kidnapping a handful of bank employees when he realises that all the money had been removed before his arrival.

As the lengthy August day drags on, Sonny and hordes of local police, led by Sergeant Moretti make little progress, and finally Sonny's wife and lover are brought to the scene. The crowd's sympathy is immediately captured by the charismatic Sonny, whose antagonism with the police is played out before an audience of millions, leading to an inevitably tragic finish. Balancing suspense, violence, and humour, the film's depiction of a grand-scale media event craftily dives from the political to the personal, evoking a sharp portrait of a man and his devastating downward tumble as seen through the media circus that Lumet made a career of chronicling.


The Godfather I, II, III (1972, '74, '90)



"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in," Michael Corleone


The more you talk about this classic, the bigger it gets every time. The Godfather is one of the biggest films in history and has inspired the generations that followed. Although Marlon Brando's Don Vito Corleone rules the day in the large part of the first film, it is Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino, who demands respect that is born out of sheer fear for the power the man exudes. The tragedy of a man, who tries to keep away from the family business but keeps getting pulled back into it, is portrayed effortlessly. In fact, the performance is so moving that you almost get conditioned to picture him when the words don or Godfather are uttered in any context.


Scent Of A Woman (1992)


"There are two kinds of people in this world, Charlie -- t
he first group is the people who face the music; the second group are those who run for cover. Cover is better," Lt Col Frank Slade 



Charlie Simms, a young student at an exclusive prep school in New Hampshire who agrees to look after Frank, a blind retired army officer, to earn extra money over the holidays. Frank is a bad-tempered and skeptical bully who completely surprises Charlie with his plans for their weekend. 

Before Charlie realises what he has gotten into, he is accompanying the colonel around Manhattan as they begin their wild and eye-opening adventures that include a fast-paced test drive in a Ferrari and a tango with a beautiful woman. Frank's passion is women; he grows lyrically on their bodies, scent, and sensuality, and gradually Charlie becomes aware of the sentimental romantic buried deep within the lonely man's heart. Charlie and Frank's growing relationship is the core of the film; Frank teaches Charlie how to see, and Charlie teaches Frank how to feel in this heart-wrenching and heartwarming comedy. Al Pacino is simply stunning as Frank, relying on his vocal power and strong physicality to carry across a complex range of emotions. In this Academy Award winning role, he balances between being unbearable to being adorable.


Scarface (1983)



"I always tell the truth. Even when I lie," Tony Montana 

Al Pacino stars as Tony Montana, whose intelligence, guts, and ambition help him skyrocket from dishwasher to the top of a criminal empire but whose eventual paranoia and incestuous desire for his kid sister prove his undoing. Oliver Stone wrote the expletive-packed screenplay, based on Howard Hawks 1932 version--which was ostensibly about Al Capone and starred Paul Muni and George Raft. 

The synth-heavy Giorgio Moroder score expertly evokes the drug-fueled decadence of 1980s Miami, and De Palma provides several of his elaborate set pieces, including a horrific showstopper in a motel room with a chain saw. Brian De Palma's blood-and-sun-drenched saga of a Cuban deportees rise to the top of Miami's cocaine business has become something of a popular classic since its release; it's been referenced in rap songs and subsequent gangster movies and quoted the world over.


And Justice For All (1979)


"You are out of order! You're out of order! The whole trial is out of order! They're out of order," Arthur Kirkland 


Here, Al Pacino plays Arthur Kirkland, an incorruptible attorney and a hothead who attempts to initiate reforms in the Maryland justice system. Haunted by the fates of two past clients, one of whom committed suicide in jail; the other is still alive but is locked up for being the namesake to a murderer. 

The ability of power and money to distort the pursuit of justice becomes all too clear as Kirkland finds out how deeply the rot has spread. He finally retaliates by representing a repulsive judge accused of rape. Pacino's performance are intense and powerful. The character of an angry almost helpless man, who sees what is wrong and cannot digest it, is almost second skin to Pacino. The film itself has a dark humor and bends towards social and political satire, which is considered by many as a deep comment on the times in which it was made.


Other Pacino Classics


  • 88 Minutes (2007)
  • The Panic In Needle Park (1971)
  • Serpico (1973)
  • Devil's Advocate (1997)
  • Frankie and Johnny (1991)


Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on August 31, 2012 

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Bored in Bralaland

A light-hearted, mature love story is what one expects to see in Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi, but the film fails to deliver and disappoints on multiple levels. The naïve handling and mediocre treatment and execution have resulted in the death of a good idea. The love story of two people in their 40s serves up a canvas on which beautiful pictures can be painted, but what you end up watching is a superficial sequence of events in the dull life of two uninteresting characters.

Farhad Parsakia, a lingerie salesman at a local store, lives with his over-protective mother and his old grandmother. After several failed attempts at arranged marriage, Farhad finally finds true love in Shirin Phuggawala – a secretary at the Parsi trust. But, they face opposition from his mother, for Shirin is responsible for the forced removal of a water tank in their home. A water tank she feels is her late husband’s aakhri nishaani, save for her son. The plot, however, is completely uninteresting. The events that alter the course of the story are vague and shallow. The romance between the two protagonists is tedious and the intimacy and cautiousness of a mature romance are missing. And thanks to the very poor scene construction, these gaps seem amplified.



Boman Irani portrays a 45-year-old Parsi man and this, ironically, is perhaps his least convincing role till date, owing to the casual performance. Farah Khan is just plain awkward in front of camera, and with the screen time that she has in the film, it becomes more and more apparent and unpleasant. This, put together with her over emphasised dialogue delivery and vague hand movements, remind you of a fat girl in a shabby school play. The rest of the cast is an ensemble of almost all the known Parsi faces in the film industry, but it isn’t a good amalgamation like we saw in Little Zizou.

A sweet idea that snowballs into a lousy story and turns into a film that can be so easily nullified; Bela Bhansali Sehgal’s Shirin Farhad is a film one won’t mind not seeing. At the end of two hours, you have learnt nothing, felt nothing and seen nothing new. Add to that, you are two hours older.

Rating: 0.5 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on August 25, 2012

Friday, August 24, 2012

5 Films: That You Must Watch Before You Are 12

Toy Story 1 & 2, 1995/1997



Animation is the process of putting life into inanimate objects. But Toy Story takes this definition a level ahead. It creates a world of inanimate objects and then, tells a story of the toys of that world. It dwells in the realm of every child's dream of having toys that talk among themselves when nobody is watching. Woody the cowboy, Jesse the cowgirl, Buzz Lightyear and others are characters who make a place for themselves in your heart. There are a few timeless moments in the film, like every Pixar film, which touch a chord no matter when one is watching it. For instance, you hear the lament of Jesse, through "When She Loved Me" - a heartbreaking number. The child in you will be at the edge of his seat while watching the intriguing action scenes and the drama, interspersed with a genuine portrayal of human emotions.


Mr India, 1987



A simple man thrust into a life altering role, a megalomaniac, a device of invisibility and a gang of little brats - the ingredients for a great children's film are all there. Arun Verma, an orphan himself, rents a big house and runs an orphanage. One day, he gets a mysterious letter stating his late father had created a device to make a man invisible. The letter directs him to a laboratory where he finds out that the device actually exists and better still, works. Arun then takes up the alter ego of Mr India and fights petty as well as large crimes. The exaggerated reality of it all appeals to kids and witnessing perhaps India's greatest super villain is a treat. The humour, drama and the thrill makes it a must watch.


ET, 1982



Befriending an alien is a concept lost on adults. We have seen way too many sci-fi action thrillers to think of those eerie creatures from outer space as friends. But this Spielberg classic is a clutter breaking idea that plays with your heart. A ten year old boy, Elliot, finds an alien seeking refuge and makes friends with him. They form a bond which, thanks to the alien, is on a psychic level. The alien mixes with Elliot and his friends and becomes a part of their lives. But Elliot and ET (as they call him) are separated for the risk the higher ups feel he poses to the child. Elliot is disappointed and lonely again. A defining moment in the film is when those withered flowers in the vase come back to life, confirming that little ET is, against all odds, doing precisely the same. Acclaimed by critics as a timeless story of friendship, ET must be a part of every kid's childhood.


Lion King, 1994



Simba, the underdog, is a little cub whose father has been dethroned by the evil lion Scar. He is also tricked into thinking that he is the reason behind his father's death and forced into a guilt ridden exile. The film traces his journey from being the son of a king to an exiled orphan and his return to become the king. While in exile, Simba makes new friends, learns to have a little fun. Timon and Pumba - the meerkat and the warthog, are the personification of the Hakuna-Matata - a philosophy of living carefree. Simba also meets Nala, and falls in love with her. The film gives hope and a fighting spirit and is an account of the victory of good over evil - something that kids should believe in while growing up.


Halo, 1996



An epitome of incorruptibility, this Santosh Sivan film is a reminder for all of us as to how it is like to be a child. Halo is a story of a seven-year-old girl - Sasha, who has lost her mother and tends to remain aloof and lonely. Her servant fabricates a story to cheer her up, stating that a miracle would happen in the form of a halo - and a puppy comes into her life. She names the puppy Halo and it becomes the center of her life. She eats, plays and is happy now. But one day, the dog is lost. Here on, the director tells an intricately woven simple tale of a little girl who is looking for her dog in a big city. She comes across various imposing people and also a gang of street kids who decide to help her. Halo is a film of innocence and a reminder of what we give up in order to grow up.


Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on August 24, 2012

Thursday, August 23, 2012

5 Films: That Football Fans Must Watch

Goal! The Dream Begins (2005)



Goal is a story of a small town boy Santiago Munez who gets scouted to play in the English Premier League side Newcastle United. The movie traces, through his journey from America to Europe, a voyage of hopes, dreams and desires. The movie sheds light on the little things that make a huge difference in the life of a professional footballer. Also, as the movie was made with support from FIFA, authentic club names and players, Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Sven Goran Erikson, Rafael Benitez, can be seen in cameo roles throughout the film.

United (2011)



One won't find a single football fan who hasn't heard of the 1958 Munich air disaster. Of all the plane crashes in the history of the world, if there's one that can match the popularity of the plane that crashed into the World Trade Center on September 11, it is this. Why? Because the entire squad of Manchester United was on board this flight. The 'Busby Babes', as they were fondly referred to by their fans, got a severe blow after eight of their players lost their lives in the crash. United, is a story of a tragedy told from the point of view of hope. It is a tale of football's triumph over life. You will love it if you are a Manchester United fan and if you are not, well, you will still love it.

Looking for Eric (2009)



Eric Bishop is a postman and a Manchester United fanatic whose life is going in a downward direction. He has to take care of his granddaughter which means he has to see his ex-wife. And his step son is a teenager who gets involved with carrying arms and dealing drugs. Owing to this, Eric considers suicide. But he decides against it and borrows a little cannabis from his neighbour; thus, inducing the hallucination that Eric Cantona, arguably Manchester United's greatest number 7, is talking to him. The film revolves around how Cantona, a well-known philosopher, aids Eric's comeback from a rut of a life that he is living. While Bishop is looking Cantona to provide him with a solution to his problems, he realises that the Eric he was looking for, lies within. The film has blurred the thin line that divides life and football.

Victory (1981)



Popularly known as Escape to Victory, the film is about Allied POWs who are made to play a match against the German national team in order to be freed from prison. Sounds familiar, no? Yes, it's Hollywood's Lagaan. But Lagaan didn't have real cricketers. The film's cast has several world renowned footballers like Pele, Bobby Moore and Osvaldo Ardilles. Sir Michael Caine, who plays Captain John Colby, puts together a competent team to face the Germans and convinces Sylvester Stallone (Robert Hatch) to play. But when they realise that they will not be released after the game, they try to escape from custody. Torn between wanting to run away and finishing the game by winning it, the Allies decide to play. Whether they win, whether they escape; you'll just have to watch to find out.

Bend It Like Beckham (2002) 



Bend It is a story of a Punjabi girl who lives in England and is a huge David Beckham fan. She also plays football for a local club. The film focuses on her dilemma of wanting to be a professional footballer and pursuing her impossible dream of playing alongside Beckham; and her family life. Her father (Anupam Kher) staunchly opposes the idea of his daughter wearing shorts and playing a sport for the British. Jess is torn between the two worlds. But when the day comes, and she has to choose between playing in an important match and attending her sister's wedding, what she does will determine her life. The film has Gurinder Chadha at her best. And to top it all off, yes, we do see a glimpse of David Beckham.

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on June 21, 2012

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

International Film Festival of India, Goa 2011 - A Compilation of Reviews


The Flying Machine  



Directors: Martin Clapp, Dorota Kobeila, Geoff Lindsay  

 Country: Poland, China, UK  


The flying machine is a 3D animation feature film made in commemoration of the bi-centenary of Chopin. The film treads through various etudes of Poland’s most famous musician on three different narrative levels. The first level is the reality where a family of three, a working woman and her two children, have come to attend a concert where by famous pianist Lang Lang. The second level is the animation titled “The Magic Piano”, which plays at the theatre during Lang Lang’s performance. And the third level where the woman and her kids and Lang himself, live “The Magic Piano” and enter the world of Chopin.

The entire film comes across as a journey that not only the characters but even the audiences embark upon. The initial reluctance to pay attention to the music in the primary level of narrative and then coming across the various etudes of Chopin in the “Magic Piano” and then finding out about Chopin through the little boy and girl who travel across the world to find an answer. The excellent use of visual motifs and metaphors makes this 3D film a visual treat. And being an educational film, the makers have made it a point that the motifs and the symbolism is received by the audience and understood. The use of the piano itself as a vehicle that transports people into Chopin’s world is appreciable.

In a way, the little boy is shown to represent the mischievousness and innocence and all in all the spirit of Chopin.  To summarize, the film does very well in achieving its main aim of making an educational film that is attractive. The graphics are a little primitive but some visual effects do sweep you off your feet. Overall, ‘The flying Machine’ leaves you with a sense of happiness and a sense of belonging. Not to forget, it gives you a peek into the maestro that Chopin really was.  


18 Days  



Directors: Sherif Arafa, Kamla Abu Zikry, Marwan Hamed, Mohamed Ali, Sherif El Bendary, Khaled Marei, Mariam, Abou Ouf, Ahmad Abdallah, Yousri Nasrallah, Ahmed Ala   Country: Egypt  


It is always amazing to watch a feature film. But what is more amazing is to sit in a cinema hall for 2 hours and come out watching a feature film which actually told you more than just one story. We all know how much we loved Inglorious Basterds, or Paris: Je T’aime. 18 Days belongs to the same genre, but the mood is completely different. The purpose is completely different. And the production level is completely different.





If the brief given in the catalogue is to be believed, this film is a joint effort of 10 directors, 20 odd actors and a few other technicians who volunteered to make short films based on the happenings in Egypt, between 25th January 2011 and 11th February 2011 (18 days). Each director has made one short film roughly 10-15 minutes each. And every short film tells us the same set of events but from a different perspective.

Retention is a story of a bunch of Egyptians who are under medical care for having anti-government stands. The story revolves around their captivity in a small room and their reactions to the various activities that happened in those 18 days- The speech of President Mubarak, his resignation announcement and the jubilation on the streets afterwards. Another story God’s Creation talks about the dilemma of a young Egyptian girl who feels that she might have to go to hell for having coloured her hair.



On the other hand, she wonders whether god would forgive this sin of hers were she to die a martyr in the ongoing revolution. 19-19 is a tale of an innocent man held and tortured by the insecure blindfolded officials who refuse to see reason. When the Flood Hits You is a story of the poorer sections of the urban Egypt. It dwells over monetary conflicts of a local flag salesman who sells souvenirs and postcards to the protestors be it pro government or anti government. On the contrary, it shows a Khalifa who is first upset about Mubarak’s departure but then participates in the celebration as the tide turns.

The other stories in the film - Curfew, Revolution Cookies, #Tahrir 2/2, Window, Interior/Exteior, Ashraf Seberto are also captivating.  All the short films are shot on two locations or less. There is a lot of footage of the actual revolution which has been taken from Youtube and at the same time there’s recreated reality where the fiction mixes with the non-fictional footage. The stories give a nice insider/outsider look on the 18 days of socio-political upheaval that a country witnessed and now, it is willing to talk about it and how.   


Mill & The Cross  


Director: Lech Majewski   Country: Poland  


As students of Cinema, we are always told not to classify films as commercial films or art films or experimental films. We are told that there are only two types of films: good films and bad films. But those who saw the Mill and The Cross will agree with me when I say that this, in the truest sense of the word, is an art film. The film is based on Pieter Bruegel’s famous masterpiece The Way to Cavalry. The painting depicts the story of Christ’s passion during the year of 1564 when the Spanish occupied the Flanders. It’s the same year when Bruegel painted the above mentioned masterpiece.

Mill and the Cross focuses on several stories of different families and assembles them as they become a part of the large canvas of Bruegel’s work.  The film is a visual treat. The images are as though Bruegel himself wrote the screenplay. Every frame that you see on the screen is a masterpiece in itself. Also, the regeneration of the colour pigments that Bruegel must have used is commendable. The filmmaker made it a point to let the audiences know that the film took 4 years to complete. Two and a half years of work has been put in just assembling the film in post production. To give the overall effect of the sixteenth century painting style that Bruegel was known for, the images that are seen have been intricately designed. Each frame consists of minimum 40 and maximum 147 layers.

But all said and done, all the effort and time that was put in this film has been delivered on screen. The lighting used for interior scenes gives the shots and the scenes a sense of photographic reality. Mill and the Cross, therefore is an exhibition of photography in itself. At the same time, the sound design was an example of technical perfection. The background score is mostly made of ambient sounds and a little background music which enhances the images which were perfect anyways.

Not much should be said about the story as we all already know it. The film has very few dialogues mostly spoken by the Bruegel’s character. This gives a sense of having attended a masterclass with the master himself.  All in all, Mill and the Cross is a good see for everyone who loves watching nice images. And if you are an art appreciator, watch it and your day will be made.  


What Love May Bring  


Director: Claude Lelouch   Country: France  




It isn’t a film festival, if there isn’t a film from Europe that is set during the World War II. Indeed, the opening film Consul of Bordeaux was also set in the similar time. But ‘What love may bring’ is not a war film. It is the love story of a girl, Ilva, who falls in love too quickly. It is her romantic journey from the start of the war to its end and after, where she falls in love with not one, not two, but 5 men in total.

As a teenager she is in love with a French Jew when she learns that her father has been taken hostage by the Nazis. She goes with a plea to free her father and falls in love with a Nazi officer. Then, when the tides turned on the Germans and France was liberated in 1944, Ilva is summoned regarding her affair with a Nazi. There, she’s saved by 2 American GI’s. She falls for them both and can’t pick whom she wants to marry. This leads to one of them killing the other. She marries the other one, an American Billionaire, but isn’t happy. She wants to get a divorce and files for one. But her husband dies in what could be a murder or a suicide. At last, she gets a lawyer to defend her, and falls in love with him.



But in between this long tale of love, the setting of the war brings to attention the wrath and grief experienced by many.  However, the fractured narrative of the film keeps you guessing who is who. It’s one of those films you wish you had a notepad along with you. The coincidences, the relations, the time period, it’s a mess if you can’t keep up. The music is amazing. It accentuates the drama in the film.  All in all, it is an absurd tale of love, passion and destiny. And you leave the hall with a smile at the irony of what the war that love has brought into the lives of the characters.   


The Artist

  

Director: Michael Hazanavicius   Country: France  




The Artist is a story of a Hollywood superstar of the Silent era. George Valentin is loved by everyone for his tricks and antics on screen. He, along with his pet dog, can enchant anyone. He is a true artist who could be called the personification of the phrase “actions speak louder than words”.  

The story of The Artist begins when this iconic star of the silent era accidentally stumbles upon a beautiful Peppy Miller, who is struggling to get her name on a neon signboard somewhere in Hollywood. Thanks to her beauty, talent and a little help from George himself, Peppy starts to climb the staircase of stardom and fame. But, ironically, with the coming of sound in cinema, George Valentin falls out of favour with the producers. He is no good now. His actions, which once mesmerized the audiences, start to come across as loud and exaggerated.


Here onwards, the story focuses on George Valentin’s Kaagaz Ke Phool style downfall – he auctions all his possessions, sells his house, starts living in a smaller apartment, becomes a dunk wretch, has no money for food, asks his faithful butler to leave him and so on. On the other hand, Peppy is slowly becoming the apple of everyone’s eye. Everybody loves her. Every film that stars her is a super hit. On hearing what has happened of her mentor/crush, she tries to help him out to the extent of anonymously buying all of his possessions. Meanwhile, George cannot stand his failure and attempts suicide. He is rescued and taken to a hospital from where Peppy takes charge. Brings him home and takes good care of him, tries to get him back into the industry. But George’s self respect won’t permit this. He leaves this time with clear intentions to finish himself, but Peppy stops him and convinces him to work with her. A happy ending follows with a dance sequence for a certain film.  

The film, having been shot in the classic 1:1.33 ratio gives it a period logic which is then extended and amplified by the fact that it’s a silent film with inserted text slides. Visually, the contrast provided by Black & White gives the feel of a classical drama and takes you to the era of the silent films. For those of us, who have witnessed the phenomenon of silent films, The Artist is a trip back in time. And for those of us, the unfortunate many, who were born way after the silent era had ended; The Artist is a refreshing change.


My Australia  


Director: Ami Drozd   Country: Israel/Poland  


My Australia tells an autobiographical tale of the director Ami Drozd’s life set in the 1960s. The film begins in Poland where two brothers are caught prowling with a Polish Anti-Semitic gang of young boys. As fate would have it, they are later informed by their mother, that they themselves are Jews.

The younger of the two, is fascinated by the stories and images he has heard and seen about Australia. His mother, under the pretext of taking him there, puts him on a boat to Israel along with herself and her elder son. Due to the circumstances, she has to let both her sons live on a Kibbutz in Israel. What follows is a series of events that leave a mark on the life of the young boy. The film showcases the journey of the young boy- a journey of self discovery that takes the route of pain and the fear of the unknown.  



The film is simple, sensitive and humorous and does what it should to give the message it wants to. The political comment made by the film is very contemporary although it is set in the sixties. The helplessness and dissociation faced by all post-war refugees, mostly Jewish, always makes a heart wrenching tale. But My Australia is not a tragedy. It is an uncomplicated, straightforward, firsthand account of the hardships and the compromises that the boy faces- compromise that not only exists on the socio-political background, but compromises on a physiological level too.  

The success of this film is in its treatment- in the way it has handled such a complex subject with such ease and simplicity. The performance of the protagonist, Ofir Leibovitz, takes the film to a whole new level. His pedestrian attitude of taking every challenge head on, his screen presence and his confidence in dialogue delivery complimenting the innocence of his baby face. The boy is a real talent.  The recreation of the sixties is very well done both in Poland as well as Israel. The cinematography, screenplay, locations etc. everything is simplistic; which adds to the sensitivity of the film.

It will be appropriate to say that the film brings back memories and the nostalgia of everything one has compromised on. It reminds us of every time we dreamt of our Australia and had to settle for Israel. It is a memoir of a struggle, a reminder of pain and a memento of self acceptance. 


Reviews published in Gomantak Times, Goa in November 2011

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Enter Salman, Exit Logic

The Central Board for Film Certification should have, by now, created a category to fit films like Kabir Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger. The U, U/A, A aren’t enough to tell what to expect from such a film. It requires a WSD rating. Willing Suspension of Disbelief – which hereby notifies the audience to buy the ticket if and only if they are willing to get popcorn into the cinema halls and not their minds.

The film tells the story of Tiger — a super-human James Bond-like spy who works for the secret agency RAW. Having very superficially shown to be a righteous, sincere, hardcore soldier, who hasn’t taken a break for 12 years, Tiger is sent on a mission to Ireland to find out what a nuclear scientist is up to. There, he falls in love with the part-time caretaker, who, as we would later find out, is an enemy agent. But the plot dwells so much in the romance that you forget that the two love birds are in fact spies.



The two then embark on a journey to abscond from their respective agencies and live together in peace. But this isn’t acceptable to the higher authorities, and the brightest minds within the agency trace the two protagonists in a pursuit that takes them from Istanbul to Kazakhstan to Cuba. But these bright minds, who apparently have nothing else to do but chase rogue agents, appear to act in the most ridiculous ways. They are hasty, unplanned and indefinite in their motives. But at the end of it all, who cares?


Salman Khan, whose aura is supposed to drive the film from start to end, just about manages to do so. He isn’t able to live up to Wanted or Dabanng, but he definitely outdoes himself from his previous two films. The suaveness of a Yash Raj film creeps in and dilutes Salman’s raw charm. Katrina Kaif is unimpressive as usual, but throws up a few surprises in the action scenes, which are mostly performed by identifiable body doubles. Ranvir Shorey and Girish Karnad play important supporting roles in vain.


The second hero of the film, after Salman, is the action. But after an initial classical Prince of Persia-like fight sequence, it is a gradual journey downhill for those who came expecting an adrenaline rush. The dialogues lack the conceit of Chulbul Pandey and the haughtiness of, “Ek baar jo maine commitment kar di, phir toh mai apne aap ki bhi nahi sunta,” from Wanted. The music isn’t the kind which you’ll keep humming, and the most anticipated song of the film comes only during the end credits.


Although it is a given that once you have entered the movie theatre to watch this film, you have surrendered the weapon of logical reasoning; but even on the scale of outright entertainment, Ek Tha Tiger falls short in places. The middle seems a little too dragged and you might find yourself occasionally drifting into your own world which is outside the dark room. Watch it if you don’t want to miss a Salman Khan film. If not, there’s a lot happening out there that you can do.


Rating: 2 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on August 18, 2012

Friday, August 17, 2012

5 Films: That Will Set You Free

Udaan (2010)


After being expelled from school, a teenager comes home to an abusive father. Udaan is a story of hope that light always breaks through the darkest moment. Poetically crafted and heart touching, Vikramaditya Motwane’s debut film angers you, upsets you but shows you a struggle that is ultimately won.




Freedom Writers (2007) 


A young teacher encourages a class of at-risk school students and makes them internalise tolerance, shows them to play to their strengths and ensures that they pursue further education. Based on a true story, this film tells an intriguing tale of many characters who overcome their predicaments.





Escape to Victory (1981)


Allied prisoners of war prepare for a football match against the German national team in Nazi occupied Paris. While a plan for their escape is being planned, the players decide to stay back and finish the game and win it fair and square. The spirit of the game and the determination make it a must watch. 




Lagaan (2001)


People from a small village in colonised India are faced with an uphill task to beat their occupiers in a game of cricket to evade tax. If they lose, the village will go under irreparable debt. The film tells a fantastic account of victory that is well earned by a village that sets aside its differences and unites to stand up and end oppression.







Shawshank Redemption (1994) 


Two men bond inside a prison over a long time finding solace and at last emancipate themselves through regular courteous acts. It is a story of perseverance, struggle, grief and ultimately of redemption. The only way to know freedom is to know what it is like to be confined.






Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on August 15, 2012

5 Films: That Are Too Bad To Miss

Gunda



The film, when released in 1998, got mixed reactions from the audience. Some found it entertaining, while some found it to be mindlessly violent and explicit. It was even re-released in an edited version which had taken out a few of the objectionable bits. Over the years, the film has gained a cult status, not just among the audience, but even some students and critics. The online debates about this film, where the characters are named Ibu Hatela, Bulla, Pote, Lambu Atta and other unmentionables, have defended, thrashed, glorified and immortalised it. The grotesqueness in portrayal of violence, rapes and even the crass dialogues have made film historic. Love it or hate it, you don’t want to miss it.


Himmatwala



This film could easily be termed as the thesaurus of the 1980s mainstream Hindi cinema. A rich hooligan, a school master who is falsely accused, a son, who will avenge him and a hero’s sister who is vulnerable — this film has it all. There are songs picturised on exotic sets with hundreds of extra dancers dancing while colours explode out of drums and jars and pots. The film is a live example of what was wrong with Indian cinema in the 80s. It is a goblet of crass naive emotions filled to the brim with some spillage. You could take it with a pinch of salt, but that would make it a bit more salty.


Ajooba



Amitabh Bachchan is a crown prince whose father is over thrown by the devil worshipping Vazir. He wears the mask of Zorro, claims a dolphin to be his mother and is an expert in various martial arts. Definitely an ajooba! The film, co-directed by Shashi Kapoor and Gennadi Vasilyev, can be termed as The Thousand and One Nights gone wrong. It comes across as a failed attempt at fantasy, but thanks to Bachchan, has an iconic status. The film, when made, had one of the largest budgets of the period but the graphics and special effects are extremely primitive and hence, it is hard to take the climax, where Vazir’s Faulaadi Shaitan wreaks havoc on the city, seriously. 



Dharam Veer




This Manmohan Desai film was made in the same year as Amar Akbar Anthony, Chacha Bhateeja and Parvarish. The peculiar khoya-paaya theme is omnipresent in all the above films. Dharam Veer, however, crosses the line between implausible and outright bizarre. This Dharmendra-Jeetendra strarrer is a tale of two separated brothers who become friends by chance and later find out that they are blood brothers. The setting is a fabled kingdom where people wear obscure cross cultural costumes and the narrative is driven by loose coincidences. The film was one of the biggest hits of the decade in which it was made but comes across as ridiculous when you watch it today.


Jaani Dushman - Ek Anokhi Kahani



The Icchadhaari Naagin who comes back to avenge the death of her mate is probably one of the most common Indian myths. Jaani Dushman tells a similar tale of Vasundhara (Manisha Koirala), who takes a human form to bring to justice the murderers of her love. The film, intended to be a horror movie, draws laughter at its key moments of intrigue and awe. In a ridiculous wedding night scene, a skeleton more beefed up than Sonu Nigam, who debuted in the film, attacks the couple and kills them. It is as silly as silly gets.



Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on August 17, 2012

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Back in Bourne-Ville

Jeremy Renner takes over the reigns from Matt Damon as director Tony Gilroy’s The Bourne Legacy breaks out of the Robert Ludlum’s Bourne trilogy and enters a new realm. The movie is a good example of the fact the franchise still has a few stories to tell.

Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) finds himself at the edge of termination as the CIA decides to dismantle the Black Ops division. His survival instinct sees him team up with a geneticist, played by Rachel Weisz, who holds the key to his immunity. The plot sees Cross dodge several drone attacks, satellite cameras and CIA agents to find his way from a forest in Virginia to Maryland and finally, Manila in Philippines.
Gilroy brings something fresh to the espionage genre and his obsession with logic and correctness makes the film very believable. But the first half hour feels like an information overload and the presentation is uninteresting. However, things begin to fall into place by the time we’re half-way into the film. The plot becomes clear and so do the allegiances of the audience.



The action sequences are the highlight of the film. There are some things that leave you with a déjà vu feeling, but quite a few scenes – like the motorcycle chase sequence in the climax, throw up a few surprises. Tony Gilroy, who has also edited this film, has done a brilliant job in arranging the scenes so as to keep the pulse high. The editing pattern at the start of the film and in most high-adrenaline sequences is noteworthy.

The characterisation, however, falls short on a few accounts. Jeremy Renner’s Aaron Cross finds it hard to fill Jason Bourne’s shoes. Edward Norton plays Retired Colonel Eric Byer and is a vague reminder of what he usually does on screen. Although the primary antagonist, his role is pretty short and doesn’t get enough screen time. Rachel Weisz’s Marta is just another woman with valuable information, who needs to be saved and is a prize for the hero – the same old story.


For the fans of this franchise, this might be a little difficult to embrace right away. But apart from that, The Bourne Legacy is a decent action thriller which does not disappoint. If the fans are to take any positive, it’s in the fact that they get a chance to re-visit Bourne-ville.


Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Published in DNA After Hrs (Pune) on August 11, 2012