R. Rajkumar – Hindi movie review

Just saw R... Rajkumar. It delivers everything you expect it to deliver from the previews.  Shahid is adorable and wonderful. Sonakshi is wonderful and beautiful and fierce. And Sonu Sood is a) incredibly handsome and b) too handsome and beautifully handsome to be the evil villain he plays. He does a great job, but his handsomeness was a bit distracting for me.

Dancing

This movie is written, directed and choreographed by Prabhu Deva, so the dancing is amazing and technical. If you are a dancer, watch this movie. Seriously. Some of the stuff Shahid was doing is nothing short of amazing and of course Prabhu has a cameo in one of the songs (Gandi Beat).  It was nice to see that Prabhu is capable of dialing it back when he needs to as the “we both just realized we are in love fantasy dance sequence” was low key, and beautiful without all the complex technical moves of the other numbers.

Action

Speaking of choreography, this is an action flick. And some of the fight sequences are beautifully choreographed as well. Most of them are jump cut so the flow doesn’t allow you to see extended sequences and they could very easily just film individual action shots and cut them together. But there is a fight scene in the middle of the movie where Shahid is fighting 60 guys (again, Hindi Masala action flick – accept it for what it is), and we get a long sequence of uncut moves that are really well done.

The final battle between Shahid and Sonu is in sepia tone – to give it more gravitas. It’s hokey, but it also works. They may have chosen that to hide flaws in Shahid’s make up because at this point his character had been stabbed twice, beat up and buried alive before heading into the final battle, so... he had a lot of fake blood on him and it might not have looked right in regular color. Anyway, the sepia is a nice effect. The battle itself reminded me a bit of the final battle in the 3rd Musashi movie except without the swords. They rush at each other. Fight a bit. Rush at each other and eventually, Shahid, after nearly dying 3 times in the battle manages to land a punch to the throat and they just stand there. For a long while. And no – I’m not giving anything away – obviously Shahid was going to win this battle – duh. Anyway, I thought it was a nice touch and used the main elements that everyone remembers from the final Musashi battle well.

Technical Details

As for what I didn’t really like. Some of the editing was really odd and distracting. One of the first expository scenes is jump cut with odd angles of the faces talking, ending with extreme close ups. It didn’t really add to the emotions of the scene and I found it really distracting. It was like reading a comic book actually and that might have been what they were going for, but I found it distracting and annoying, especially since I was trying to read subtitles.

The other odd choice was that just before the final battle where our two antagonists are sizing each other up and talking tough, there was a jiggling earthquake effect on the film. They had done this earlier for comic effect and that worked. But here, again, it was distracting and didn’t really add to the scene. Those were the only two moments where the editing was distracted. The rest of the movie was well done.
The love story was ok – I have mixed feelings about the first half since it involved Shahid stalking Sonakshi and having been a victim of a stalking, it didn’t sit well with me. And yes, I realize that is an element of Indian courtship, but I don’t normally get that sort of reaction from other movies where this “following” happens. Normally, I think – ahhh. But I did react badly here so I think they missed the mark. It wasn’t romantic to me. Even with Shahid’s adorableness, it was upsetting. Once the girl falls in love, I was ok – but up until that point, it was a bit creepy to me. Although, you know she is going to eventually figure it out that Shahid is the guy that rescued her at the beginning of the movie, what he was doing, wasn’t ok.

Sonu Sood is really handsome

My conclusion

If you like rough action masala – this movie is great. If you like amazing dancing. This movie is really great. Love story? Meh.  Really handsome actor – Oh YEAH!  Sonu!!!!  Music – fun.  Worth seeing? Probably.

5 Favorite Bollywood Remakes

Bollywood has done some tremendous remakes of western classics. Here are 5 to get you going.

1) An Affair to Remember  - The Bollywood version of this is Mann starring Aamir Khan and Manisha Koirala. The story is told a bit differently, and we get more of a back story on the character played by Aamir/Grant – which is really welcome. His transformation from playboy to lover is more moving as a result. The scene where they meet the grandmother on the island is so faithfully recreated you will think they are on the same exact set. On the other hand, the penultimate scene where Aamir/Grant realizes why Manisha/Kerr didn’t show up as planned is less intense in the Indian version. But, because it’s a Hindi film, we do get a wedding scene and the movie wraps up better. If you are a fan of this movie – see the Hindi version.

2) Sabrina  - The Bollywood version of this is called Yeh Dillagi and stars Akshay as Linus, Kajol as Sabrina and Said Ali Khan as the younger brother (except their names are all Hindi names – don’t ask me what they are). This movie translates very well into Bollywood. Because of the added time (Western movies are about 1 ½ hours long – Bollywood closer to 3 hours long), we get to explore these characters motivations more. Akshay’s character has a fabulous “I just realized I’m in love fantasy dance sequence” that is seriously one of my all-time favorite fantasy dance sequences. He’s beautiful to watch. The tension surrounding both men’s desire to marry not only the same girl but a girl of lower class/caste really works well in Indian cinema because even today couples are killed when they do this. Akshay and Kajol are brilliant and Said does a great job in his supporting role.


3) Romeo and Juliet  - probably the best remake of this in India is Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (QSQT) starring Aamir Khan and Juli Chawla (both in their first roles).  Again, because we have added time, we get more of a backstory about why these two families are feuding so that when our young lovers do fall in love and run away together, we understand better why the families care enough to hunt them down. Additionally, there is a caste problem and this is a love marriage. The story works very well as an Indian movie and even in his first role, Aamir is a star.

4) The Shop Around the Corner/You’ve Got Mail – This is one of my favorite stories in all its forms (including the delightful musical She Loves Me). The Indian version of this is Na Tum Jaano Na Hum and stars Hrithik Roshan and Esha Deol. This is a very odd movie, but I still enjoyed it. First, the things I liked. I think the addition of the love triangle was brilliant (the odd man out is Said Ali Khan).  The best moment of the movie is when Hrithik realizes that the girl he arranged for his friend to marry is the girl he is in love with through the letters. It was poignant and beautiful and I was crying. Now for the problems. From that point, they change the story and they really shouldn’t have. I think if they had resolved this movie the way the original stories do, this would have worked brilliantly. Second, the artistic choices made by the director of this movie are a bit ... odd. First, you have Hrithik, one of the best dancers in THE WORLD, and they don’t have him dance. At all. He is relegated to posing pensively. It’s a waste. There is a lot of dancing in this movie. It’s just really strange dancing, with bizarre patent leather costumes and fire with fantasy metaphors that are impossible to work out. And don’t get me started on the choice of playback singer who sounds nothing like Hrithik. It’s jarring. I still recommend this movie because even with its flaws it’s still Shop Around the Corner and I still love it.

5) Stepmom starring Ed Harris, Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon in the west was remade as We are Family in India starring Kareena Kapoor (as the Julia Robert’s character), Kajol (as the Susan Sarandon character) and Arjun Rampal (in Ed Harris’ role).  I realize this is not a remake of a classic movie, but I loved Stepmom and I loved We are Family even more. This is a tearjerker (I am welling up just thinking about the ending) and Kajol and Kareena carry this movie together wonderfully. This is a movie where the women rule and your heart burst with love. Worth watching.

10 Silly but still wondefully enjoyable Bollywood movies.

Having just published a list of 10 great Bollywood movies. I thought I should also publish a list of 10 Silly but still wonderful Bollywood films. My feeling on films is that they are first and foremost entertainment. If I am entertained, the movie was good. So here is my list. (Note: technically, these are not all Bollywood movies. (There are Telegu and Tamil language movies in this list).

10 Silly But Still Worth Watching Movies

1) Rowdy Rathore – low brow kick ass movie starring Akshay – he’s brilliant. This is a self-aware comedy that is beautifully done with a tad bit of sadism at the end that makes it not kid friendly – but it’s necessary for plot development so deal with it.

2) Makkhi - a story about a man who is murdered reincarnating as a fly and taking revenge. Sooooo satisfying. And yes, Masala - the only downside is that Rani dies pretty early on and so we only get one hunky guy soaking wet dance sequence. He is delightful. Stay for the credits where the flies do a bollywood dance number that includes chitta chitta from Rowdy Rathore.

3) Fruit and Nut – Doofus bumbles through an underworld plot to take over the city. Includes a great transvestite dance sequence and an old man evil old guy dance sequence that is really worth watching. It’s so funny. Just give yourself over to it.

4) Chandramukhi –Here’s what you need to know. Rajnikath is investigating a haunted house. That’s pretty much sums it up. Once you watch this you will understand why Rajnikanth is the most popular actor in all of India.

5) Koi Mil Gaya – Hrithiki plays a mentally challenged young man who meets an alien in this Bollywood remake of ET – brilliant and silly and it spawned a series of superhero movie sequels.

6) Baasdhah – Shahrukh in a comedy of errors. Delightful – this is what SRK is good at. To understand Shahrukh’s appeal – you need to see this movie.

7) Oh My God – Akshay as Lord Krishna in a movie about an atheist who sues God – based on a true story (well, not the Lord Krishna part). Delightfully done. Krishna is a Humanist, as it turns out.

8)  Hisss – angry snake god takes on a sexy human form and goes on a rampage.

9) Jajantaram Mamantaram – Bollywood remake of Gulliver’s Travels involving mermaids and giant demons. Delightful. This is a children’s movie.

10) Bodyguard – starring Salman Khan – worth watching for the choreographed dance sequence that consists solely of peck pumping to the music. The whole movie is really fun and really enjoyable. It’s basically a movie where Salman makes fun of the kick ass characters he normally plays.

Again - these are not award winning films. But they are highly enjoyable. So give yourself over to them and enjoy. 

Rowdy Rathore movie review - thoroughly enjoyable

Do you love Bollywood movies? Do you love over the top Bollywood song and dance sequences? Ready for a rowdy romp? Rowdy Rathore is the movie for you!

I have become obsessed with Bollywood movies. I pretty much have lost all interest in western films at this point. I only watch western movies for my son and husband's sake. My preference is to watch Bollywood movies.


I watched Rowdy Rathore the other night straight through, which is saying something because it is 2 hrs and 38 minutes long. It was delightful from start to finish which is amazing because it is an over the top self aware comedy and those rarely deliver so consistently throughout a movie, let alone a 2 1/2 hour movie.

When I say this is a comedy, it is more accurate to say it is a comedy/action/romance/musical/thriller.The characters are delightful and have depth to them that isn't normally found in a comedy or action movie. The choreography was some of the best I've seen. the songs were catchy and fun and seriously, there is nothing not to like in this Bollywood movie.  Which is astonishing because self aware comedies don't always work and certainly not all the time. This one hits all the right notes at all the right times. Seamlessly moving from drama to over the top action to romance and to bawdy romance at that.

I've seen lead actor Ashkay Kumar in other movies, but this is the first time I've really understood what a talent he is. His dancing is amazing. And again, it's unexpected considering how big he is. He seems like he should be more awkward, but he is delightful to see dance and he really stands out against the back up dancers. He's better then all the rest and it is easy to see why he is the lead. He is a joy to watch and he nailed the "Amitabh" signature dance move perfectly during the gratuitous romance in a field near a river dance sequence which was a send up of classic Amitabh dance sequences from movies like Silsila . And again, the self aware comedy adds to the sequence and doesn't detract from it. They got the balance just right.

As for the music. I LOVED it. It was everything you want in a bollywood song or a bollywood dance sequence. They don't allow the videos from this movie to be embedded - so I am linking to Chinta Ta Ta Chita here.

What Ashkay manages to do acting wise in this movie is really hard to do. He nails every scene. And again, it's self aware comedy. He dances well. And the dancing is over the top silly yet beautiful at the same time. They somehow managed to get that balance right. He sings well. Acts well (comedy, drama and romance were all required in this movie). In short. He is now one of my favorite actors.

The story line and plot are also engaging. I can't go into it here because a) it would spoil the movie and b) it's too convoluted to explain (as most Bollywood movies are). Suffice it to say, the plot is a good one so the comedy isn't just comedy for the sake of comedy, it is leading somewhere.

My only complaint is that the violence and gore was over the top too and it isn't a movie I would want my son to see. The romance part was fine, the comedy was fine. Most of the action sequences are fine. There is just a lot of gore and sadism near the end. Yes, it is needed for the plot, but it's just not appropriate for younger audiences.

If you are looking for a delightful romp that is action packed, bawdily romantic and fun with a tiny bit of a sadistic thriller thrown in for good measure towards the end. You won't go wrong with this film. I'm curious to see what others think about it. So if you've seen this movie, please let me know what you thought of it. I really liked it.

Why I like Indian cinema

I was watching a movie called Break Ke Baad the other day and I realized why I like Bollywood movies. They are infused with a Humanistic sensibility. This is a love story with a traditional guy and a modern girl. The girl doesn't want to follow the traditional marriage route. She wants to live by her own rules.

They attend a wedding and have a discussion about family obligations. She doesn't like the obligations. He talks about how they aren't obligations. They are ways for you to show that you love the other person by taking their feelings into account in your decision making.

Like the girl in this movie - I think obligations for the sake of obligations aren't a good thing. However, I also understand the fact that being responsible to my relationships and the people I love is what not only gives my life meaning, it is what makes life enjoyable.

Keep in mind that no one in this woman's life is asking her to do anything she doesn't want to do.They want her to fulfill her dreams. They are only asking her to take their feelings into consideration. She is at first unable to understand the difference. It is only when she looses the guy she loves because she isn't treating him well that she finally understands.

As a Humanist, I feel very strongly that we must be compassionate with other people in our interpersonal relationships. It is how we strike the balance between our need for autonomy and our need for companionship that dictates how successful we will be in life.

In other words,you fulfill your social obligations are because of love – you don’t do them because you have to. You do them because you care about the impact you have on other people.

Here is a preview of the movie which I definitely enjoyed even though it wasn't a traditional musical. The musical numbers were all montages.

People Will Talk about Humanistic Medicine

 

I saw this movie last night. My mother had recommended it. It was excellent. Classic Cary Grant. But more important to me was the story it told. People Will Talk is a  1951 remake of a German film that came out the year before and the plot is basically Humanism vs. traditionalism. As a Humanist, I loved it.

The basic story is that you have a doctor practicing what we now call Humanistic Medicine who is a) being challenged for unethical conduct by a colleague and b) who falls in love with a pregnant woman, which is obviously scandalous for the time. But what gets people talking is actually his mysterious friend who is like a man servant to him, but who is actually just a very good friend. This friend has his own story that again, highlights the applied humanist ethics of our lead character. And yes, it is very powerful.

Dr. Praetorius, our lead, runs a clinic where patients are considered humans and not inmates. They are real people to be treated with compassion and not just as lumps of flesh to be cured. As much attention is paid to their mental health as it is to their physical health. And if you were wondering why more doctors don't practice medicine this way, you will be glad to know that there is a modern movement to encourage doctors to approach their work with exactly this attitude. It is promoted by the Gold Foundation (for Humanistic Medicine).

Dr. Praetorius' relationship with the woman pregnant out of wedlock and her family is compassionate, ethical, and responsible and ultimately very loving. As is his relationship with his friend Shunderson. Shunderson is a beautifully written character and well acted by Finlay Currie.

This movie covers a variety of difficult topics but ultimately encourages all of us to lead ethical and compassionate lives and to do what is right by others. It doesn't matter that people will talk, as Dr. Praetorius shows, there is joy to be found living life ethically, fully, intentionally and compassionately.

Ra-One was not so good

I was really looking forward to this movie, as I like Shahrukh and I like sci fi. But this just didn't connect with me. I thought some of the special effects were wonderful. the scene in the junk yard was amazing. but over all, the story just lacked the depth that I have come to expect from a good Bollywood movie.

It was cute, it was fun, but the answer was just too pat and so it wasn't very emotionally movie. I suppose it's a sign of refinement that I've finally seen a Bollywood movie that didn't knock me off my feet. But this one didn't. It was just ok. Maybe it was the lack of really good dance numbers. The main sequence was at a party and it was out of character for our lead - totally out of character. The main character isn't even Ra-One - that is the name of the bad guy. So, yeah it just didn't connect. It didn't help that Shahrukh is not the best of dramatic actors.

Now, had the opening sequence been the actual movie - that would have been cool.

Unbelievably Good - Fanaa - Movie Review

Fanaa with Kajol & Aamir Khan

The worst part about Fanaa is that my husband did not see it with me. Which means, I spent the entire next day (today), contemplating it with no one to talk to about it. Aaaaghhh! It also meant that in order to talk to him about it I had to explain the plot. Which is no simple task, this is after all a Bollywood film.

Before I go any further, let me just say, this is a GREAT movie. I gave it 5 stars and definitely recommend it. It is fabulously acted. This is the best role I have seen Kajol in. Ever. Aamir is incredible in it. He goes from romantic comedy song and dance to a deep pathos. He is totally believable and charming and devastating in turn. Very few actors have that sort of range. He does.

Now, as to why I desperately needed to discuss this movie. If you have ever seen a Bollywood movie, you know you basically get two movies for the price of one. The first hour and a half-ish sets up our characters, after the intermission, you get another hour or so that basically takes off where the first movie ends and gives our characters a new situation to deal with. Often, the 2nd half involves a twist. You will also know that if our characters even so much as kiss (even married couples), something bad is going to have to happen to them. And no, they didn't kiss, but they did something else that is definitely a no no and so, I knew something bad was going to happen, but how bad, given that they hadn't kissed, was unclear and things seemed to be going well around intermission time. Knowing all this I was completely unprepared for the second half of this movie!  It was a total departure from the first part. The first half of the movie is a beautiful and fun romantic comedy with singing and dancing. The second half is a lot like Cape Fear. Needless to say, it's a bit of an emotional roller coaster ride. Well worth it though.

At the end, the moral lesson is clear. Morality is not about choosing between good and evil. It is about being prepared to choose between the greater of two goods or the lesser of two evils. 

A Sappy Movie Worth Watching

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is a really sappy movie. REALLY sappy. There is no question in your mind where this movie is going to go, but that doesn't matter. You want it to go there and you need it to go there and are very satisfied when it does. In other words, it is very predictable, but that doesn't matter. It's a great story and lovingly told.

Plus - it stars Shahrukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan as brothers. Hrithik - by the way is one of the most handsome men in the world and he is also one of the greatest dancers in the world consistently compared to Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Michael Jackson. Amitabh Bachchan plays their father and he's wonderful. The female leads are also stellar including Kareena Kapoor and Kajol who plays so incredibly well against Shahrukh.

The dancing and the music are extraordinary and of course, plenty of Hrithik dancing. The best sequence was when Hrithik, Shahrukh and Amitabh all dance together.  Wow!

Anyway - this is a tear jerker of a film and when I say tear jerker - I mean to say I was openly sobbing. I didn't just have a tear trickling down my face, I was moaning and sniffling and openly sobbing. When it was over my eyes felt dry like I didn't have any tears left to keep my eyes properly moistened.  It was a lot of crying. Which is surprising given how predictable this movie was. But again, you want it to end the way it does and it is beautiful. So, if you like crying, lots of bollywood music and dance and an emotionally moving family dynamic story - watch this film.

Here is a trailer, which doesn't do it justice, but still, gives you the essence.

Movie Review: OSS 117 - Cairo, Nest of Spies

I saw this movie on Netflix the other night and it had me in stitches.  This is a French comedy. Kind of a cross between James Bond and Inspector Clouseau.  It is very very funny. And yes, it is subtitled.

My favorite part was the chicken fight.

This is a send up of spy films, but you need to realize: this guy is a competent fighter, and he is suave and skilled. What makes this funny is how clueless he is about his sexism, cultural differences and more.

Anyway - here is the trailer.  Enjoy.

Chill Out Dude- Chillar Party Review

I've got netflix on the wii. One of the great things about it is that there are a lot of bollywood movies on demand.  The most recent movie I saw was Chillar Party. It was an excellent movie and I rated it as 5 stars.  Here's why.

It is a film about kids and discrimination and love and friendship and loyalty, the plight of orphans and fighting back against people in power who are trying to crush the little guy for political gain. I cried quite a bit during this movie.  However, that's not why I rated it so highly.  For a film about kids, it was REALLY well acted.  I believed every single kid was exactly who they were.  This was a really well told story that was well directed and extremely well acted.  It is a great movie and worth seeing.

The movie also stirred up quite a bit of emotions in me because the kids in this movie have what should be a typical childhood, yet, in America, we have lost that. My kid doesn't have the opportunity to just go out and about unsupervised with a group of neighborhood kids who are friends by virtue of living in the same community. Sure, there are other kids in our neighborhood, but only one parent is willing to let their kids go free range. We happen to really like these free range kids and they treat my son great. However, most of the other parents are very suspicious about them and won't let their kids out to play with them at all. Result, even though we have a great neighborhood for kids to play in, we don't have a gang of kids out and about playing learning how to be kids from other kids.  It's sad really. Because I do think our kids need to unstructured unsupervised time.

I know I'm not the only parent who feels this way. My friend Cheryl just wrote a blog post at A Little Bit Quirky on exactly this topic. Anyway, it's a great movie. The story is wonderful and quite touching and you are so proud of these kids, that maybe, if enough American parents watch it, they may just start allowing their kids to go free range like they should.

Movie Review: Call of Cthulhu

Simply put, if you don't know Lovecraft or Cthulhu, you ain't a geek. That being said - I would give this particular movie 4 stars.  3 for how well the story was told (it was alright - which is not their fault - Lovecraft stories are notorously hard to translate to film) and a 5 for how well they technically put it together, through a process they call Mythoscope, which blends old style black and white silent movie techniques with new style com-positing techniques. The effect is wonderful.

I really enjoyed this movie though I had to explain parts of it to my husband, who, bless him for trying, isn't all that geeky. I love him dearly anyway.

The stop motion of Cthulhu was great as was really all the scenes in R'leyh. The best part of this DVD was watching the extra features afterwards. It is amazing how they put this thing together and made it look so good.  Yes, parts of it are cheesily put together, but that adds to the charm of the Mythoscope technique. There are clips of Young Wilcox in color orating his story (because it's silent and there is no script he was improvising), clips of what the actual sets looked like (yes, the ocean is done with fabric and glitter), and how they com-posited the cult in the forest scenes together.  All in all an enjoyable movie to watch. Hope the HPL Historical Society makes a few more.

Movie Review: Lobsterman From Mars

Got this on a whim from Netflix. LOVED IT!  Low budget, intentionally. It's really a movie within a movie. The only annoying bit is that they keep breaking out of the movie to remind you of that, but that's ok, because you get to enjoy a performance by Tony Curtis.

It was too scary for my son, but my husband and I still enjoyed it. The dialogue is hysterical in places. There is a gumshoe who is in the movie for no good reason and whose monologues keep getting interrupted and he doesn't even have the best lines.

Lobster Man From Mars is high on camp. The monsters are wonderful. You have flying furry bat lobsters (and of course you can see the wires). A gorilla lobster helmeted thing and of course, Lobsterman himself. If you enjoyed The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, and let's face it, who didn't? You will enjoy this movie.