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Commented on harjeet_rakhra's review

Bollywood Thrillers Coming of Age with RACE !!!
Race

I'm shocked beyond beleif that such tripe has 100% recommendation rate on MS at this time.Its lifted straight from Goodbye Lover which in turn was a satiric spin on the classic noir film Double Indemnity.Symptomatically of Abbas Mustan the storyline is stretched too thinly, with many unlikely and im...properly motivated reversals extending it beyond its natural life. It is busy but never inventive,and not even as remotely as gripping as it hopes, with ultimately little meat to flesh out over two hours of screen time. Plus the giddy vacuum of morality that pervades over the film---most of the fun is derived from and vindicated by nihilist anti-humanist tendencies-- is derived from the kind of media created dandyish glamorous life where life and such glamour become not just interfaces but interchangeable and indistinguishable.This is perfectly described IMO as a PISSING contest--.It urges me to see the success of such films as a preciptous societal fall... None of the performances stuck for me--Why does Anil Kapoor keep doing such trash over and over again is beyond me?!?.. Saif Ali Khan obviously thinks that wearing a gruff look will pass for laconic machismo,Akshaye Khanna's lopsided grins and mannerisms get the better of him again,and about the actresses the less said the better.. Read More

Commented on indian1969's article

Formula 1 2008 Season

Whats this? "As of now Kimi Raikonnen stands in No 1 position, with Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso tagging him in No 2" Whats this?

Commented on own review

Of shades and colours
Black And White

Hi Shubh_2, Thanks for the rating.I read you review,but I think this film is certainly better than Yaadein and Kisna,but thats not saying much is it? @Ips Thanks for the rating and the comment.

Followed pri20

pri20

Commented on own review

Of shades and colours
Black And White

Hi Paul, I wouldnt say Ghai failed altogether,but some of the scenes werent convincing enough at all,say,for instance the scene where the grandfathe is gifted a sherwani--you cant have a more manipulative scene than that--I dont see why such a scene would find its place in the film...

Commented on own review

Of shades and colours
Black And White

I didnt like the promos too much either--They gave too much away.The poster makes it obvious--the theme that is.. I am not against naming the title in English,but the use of English in films such as Black,Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi and Parzania did put me off a little... This film isnt in Englis...h though.. My Rating the film b/w 1 and 2 --BE WARNED!! I am known to have strange tastes :P(I didnt like Chak de India and Taare Zameen par)Read More

Reviewed Black And White

Of shades and colours

If there is one scene in ’showman’ Subhash Ghai’s Black and White that underlines his ulterior motive, then that scene, I think, comes just before the excruciatingly long climax–We see Numair Qazi(debutante Anurag Sinha) and Rajen Mathur(played with great understanding and restraint by Anil Kapo...Read more

Like 13

Comments 9

Commented on own review

Bloody Musical
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Movie

@Pri20 Thanks a ton.The seamier underbelly of life is a good way to put it.This one is closest to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,if you were to relate it to his previous films.

Commented on own review

Bloody Musical
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Movie

@Coolwater I'd say he's just as good if no better than in Scissorhands....Thanks for reading and rating. @Ips No,I havent seen the play.Burton has the perfect vehicle in Depp to cover such terrains. Perhaps the editing could have been better.I found the sound editing,awfully choppy to be hon...est.Thanks for rating. Read More

Reviewed Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Movie

Bloody Musical

'Sweeney Todd:The Demon Barber of Fleet Street' immediately introduces its hero in a breathless credit sequence: I mean Blood-Blood trickling through the damp streets of London, flowing freely between the wheels as it smothers everything in its thick shades . In Dante Ferretti's created world th...Read more

Like 5

Comments 8

Commented on mritunjaymk's review

Nice effort
Mithya

You tend to assume an awful lot while writing.Do you understand how snobbish this sounds--- 'selling intelligence to the stupid audience gussied up with humour'? Screenplay lousy in the first half?Really?

Commented on srininet1's review

Why, Ashutosh, Why??
Jodhaa Akbar

'I have a feeling that Ashutosh became self-indulgent and made the movie according to his own tastes, just like how VVC made Eklavya. Ask VVC and he will tell you how intricately he designed the sets, etc...but the message or effect didn’t get conveyed to the audience. Same applies here.' I disag...ree with that.Eklavya was a FAR FAR better film than Jodha Akbar.Just the fact that it was laboriously paced and that everything besides Dharma was so implicit,made it difficult for a normal audience to grasp.There were multiple themes running through the film,and everything was staged with greater vigour than JA,BUT...Eklavya never really gripped me.VVC's narrative was very uninspring.Read More

Commented on CoolWater's review

How Jalaludin becomes Akbar and gets his Girl
Jodhaa Akbar

Hi Again, If you havent seen Spartacus please do.It elicits numbed awe there is something about the monumentality of vast, ancient buildings, heroic edifices to past glories dwarfing the petty decadence of the humans below; the intricate set-designs that meld impressively with actual locations; t...he sheer energy of vast, REAL crowds and soldiers, that all the CGI technology in the world cannot replicate. Its actually a transposed Western as opposed to a western,Jodha Akbar is a bona-fide Western(correction for my prev comment). And I was bored to death by Veer Zaara.people suffused with more goodness than a truckload of missionaries,tears,pride,tears,promise,tears,sacrifice,tears,values...Did I mention tears? and thats what you call a love story?you know I thought charm,mischief,defiance and chemistry was what romantics were all about.Oh well. ;)-Read More

Commented on indian1969's article

The Oscars-2008

Hi I found the Best Actress a bit of a surprise.Marion Cotillard over Ellen Page??? DDL was bound to win.Havent seen No Country for old men yet,so I wouldnt know,how good it was.But to be honest it is very flattering to put There Will Be Blood in the Best film nominee.Atonement,Juno and The Divin...g Bell are in a different league altogether.Read More

Commented on own review

Ranveer,Vinay aur Kaun?
Mithya

@Spike- Thank you Sir. @Coolwater Oh,I loved The Blue Umbrella.Easily one of the best films from the year gone by. Mithya was certainly not an attempt at anything cliched,and thank God for that.

Commented on own review

Ranveer,Vinay aur Kaun?
Mithya

@ Ips, Yeah I would have loved a Director's cut on No Smoking.Maybe its because it was Anurag Kashyap behind it(and not because of what No Smoking was). I was really intrigued by the figures K and Baba Bengali were.You know,K--charming and cocky,anarchist,with hidden terrors and emptiness.Simila...rly Baba Bengali-half satanic,anti-democrat. Plus,the machination of Kolkata Karpets was brilliant.I would have loved to know what was the thought behind it,also for many of the metaphoric devices used in the film.But all you get in the DVD is Kumar Mangat eating your head off. @Vivek I will try certainly.Thanks.Read More

Commented on CoolWater's review

How Jalaludin becomes Akbar and gets his Girl
Jodhaa Akbar

Coolwater, Ah,yes there might not be any such thing as a 'perfect film'.Historicals are always difficult to make.The only one that has ever worked for me was Kubrick's Spartacus(and perhaps it was because he followed the format of the Western instead of the usual 'epic' format). I guess its the ...law of averages here.The team didnt get their due for Swades is now being evened up here.Read More

Commented on vivek_chaturvedi's review

Much Above Average, Too Short Of Greatness!
Mithya

Yeah,it is certainly better written and realised than normal Bolly fare.

Commented on own review

Ranveer,Vinay aur Kaun?
Mithya

Hi Ips yeah,I know we cant blame the producers alone.Part of the blame lies with the audiences,but atleast they shouldnt give up on the film like they did with No Smoking. I loved Hazaaron too,and thats why I wanted its DVD,but havent been able to locate one so far.Thanks,again.

Commented on vivek_chaturvedi's review

Much Above Average, Too Short Of Greatness!
Mithya

No Smoking--Brash and conceited?? I dont really think so.Uneven and long yes,conceited No ways. I liked Mithya more than you.The emotional heft of the climax really sucked me in(and to be honest I was blown away already)