I know its quite late to review Little Zizou but heck ,there are no movies releasing these days because of the producers' tiff with the cinema halls.
Its a very simple and sweet movie set around the parsi community. There are no central characters in the movie, rather everyone is equally important, which actually does the trick for the movie. Honeslty speaking, there is nothing special that i found in the movie but its not bad either. Its like a collage or rather a sequence of events and there is nothing intellectual about it (in a positive way). Its not the kinda movie where in you come out of the hall with a thought or a new perspective. Its more like a short story rather than a classic novel. But ya, you do fall in love with the characters be it the Jahan (little zizou), Imaad Shah, Shernaz Patel or Boman Irani.
Although i have a strange smile on my face when the movie ends but may be being a punjabi i have not been able to identify with the bawas and bawis. I know, this is like a confused review but i dont really know if i love the movie or dont. Its somewhere in the middle. But ya, one time watch, definitely it is.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Barah Aana
Well, I don’t know whats wrong but may be these 'multiplex' movies are just bombarding the cinema screens with no sense of direction or purpose. Its more of a financial proposition rather than anything to do with movie making per se.
They are like 'Big Bazaar' sale. They cost less, Recover cost quickly because of one or two actors and provide some decent amount of profit for the producers. That’s it. I sometimes feel may be the phenomenon is nothing more than Mithun movies releasing every 15 days about 5 years back which cost less, had mithun as a crowd puller and made decent money. They are like the moving assembly line of Bollywood. But atleast, they provide platform to new age 'actors' (not stars mind you!!) to show case their talent.
Anyways, Coming back to the point, As far as the movie is concerned, Despite presence of actors like Naseeruddin Shah and Vijay Raaz, the movie is pretty ordinary. It talks about the constant struggle for people belonging to the lower income strata of society and how every day angst keeps getting accumulated and then burst like a volcano in the end. Movie simply puts one very straight forward point: There is a limit to every thing and EVERYONE has one's self respect.
Performance wise Naseeruddin Shah is good in his restrained performance. Due credit should go to him especially since he has almost no dialogues in the first half. Vijay Raaj also does justice to the role. Casting wise he is the obvious choice given his command over the UPish accent that he has and he delivers to the core. But isnt that expected from him and high calibered actors like Naseer???
May be since my expectations were too high and the movie just about matched it, so i wasnt too impressed. Its a good movie but i think takes too much time to establish characters and their struggles. Its too simple a tale to actually specially go and spend your money on it. Given the recession, Might as well buy (even better, Rent) the DVD (that too pirated) and save on the popcorn atleast (which sometimes cost more than the tickets!!!). Save money for the better days.
They are like 'Big Bazaar' sale. They cost less, Recover cost quickly because of one or two actors and provide some decent amount of profit for the producers. That’s it. I sometimes feel may be the phenomenon is nothing more than Mithun movies releasing every 15 days about 5 years back which cost less, had mithun as a crowd puller and made decent money. They are like the moving assembly line of Bollywood. But atleast, they provide platform to new age 'actors' (not stars mind you!!) to show case their talent.
Anyways, Coming back to the point, As far as the movie is concerned, Despite presence of actors like Naseeruddin Shah and Vijay Raaz, the movie is pretty ordinary. It talks about the constant struggle for people belonging to the lower income strata of society and how every day angst keeps getting accumulated and then burst like a volcano in the end. Movie simply puts one very straight forward point: There is a limit to every thing and EVERYONE has one's self respect.
Performance wise Naseeruddin Shah is good in his restrained performance. Due credit should go to him especially since he has almost no dialogues in the first half. Vijay Raaj also does justice to the role. Casting wise he is the obvious choice given his command over the UPish accent that he has and he delivers to the core. But isnt that expected from him and high calibered actors like Naseer???
May be since my expectations were too high and the movie just about matched it, so i wasnt too impressed. Its a good movie but i think takes too much time to establish characters and their struggles. Its too simple a tale to actually specially go and spend your money on it. Given the recession, Might as well buy (even better, Rent) the DVD (that too pirated) and save on the popcorn atleast (which sometimes cost more than the tickets!!!). Save money for the better days.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Gulaal: Colored me Red
Okay.. Describing this movie in a paragraph or two and doing justice to it is a daunting task in itself and then using the correct words for the description is even more difficult. After watching Dev D i thought Anurag Kashyap has given his best and then as most filmmakers he might not be able to top it up. But i was proved wrong and that too so soon.
The first word that comes to my mind is AMAZING. The whole thought which starts from a simple song by sahir ludhyanvi and then coming out with such a tight script is just a genius' work. And the layers in the movie where parallel lines are being simultaneously being portrayed in the constant struggle of the characters which coincide in the last part of the movie.
Most people (even those who have already seen the movie) think its about college politics or the struggle for a separate rajputana state and has a 70s struggling flavour to it. But in the end you realize that all those things are sub-plots and the movie is about a simple need of recognition as legitimate children for a brother-sister pair. They need that recognition and WILL get it at whatever cost possible.
And THATs the bottom line.
Technically by far among some of the best that i have witnessed, the sets, the colors used in the background from dark greens to yellows to bright reds are a part of the storyline itself. The usage of lights to accentuate sequences is just out of the world.
On the performance front, EVERYONE delivers. Be it kinda character roles by Abhimanyu Shekhar Singh (Rananjay), Deepak Dobriyal (Bhatti) or Piyush Mishra(Prithvi Singh) or the leading actors like Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastava, Ayesha Mohan, Raj Singh Chaudhary.
Characterwise, Ayesha Mohan's character stands out. The layers that are shown both in terms of characterisation and portrayal is just awesome. The pain that is reflected by tears in her eyes in the last scene describe the struggle that she has grown up with every moment of her life.
I can go on and on and on.. The movie is just plain brilliant.. Period..
If you havent seen it. You have definitely missed out something.. Go grab a look before some new 'brilliant' commercial flick like Aa Dekhen Zara replaces it from the cinemas.. ;-)
The first word that comes to my mind is AMAZING. The whole thought which starts from a simple song by sahir ludhyanvi and then coming out with such a tight script is just a genius' work. And the layers in the movie where parallel lines are being simultaneously being portrayed in the constant struggle of the characters which coincide in the last part of the movie.
Most people (even those who have already seen the movie) think its about college politics or the struggle for a separate rajputana state and has a 70s struggling flavour to it. But in the end you realize that all those things are sub-plots and the movie is about a simple need of recognition as legitimate children for a brother-sister pair. They need that recognition and WILL get it at whatever cost possible.
And THATs the bottom line.
Technically by far among some of the best that i have witnessed, the sets, the colors used in the background from dark greens to yellows to bright reds are a part of the storyline itself. The usage of lights to accentuate sequences is just out of the world.
On the performance front, EVERYONE delivers. Be it kinda character roles by Abhimanyu Shekhar Singh (Rananjay), Deepak Dobriyal (Bhatti) or Piyush Mishra(Prithvi Singh) or the leading actors like Kay Kay Menon, Aditya Srivastava, Ayesha Mohan, Raj Singh Chaudhary.
Characterwise, Ayesha Mohan's character stands out. The layers that are shown both in terms of characterisation and portrayal is just awesome. The pain that is reflected by tears in her eyes in the last scene describe the struggle that she has grown up with every moment of her life.
I can go on and on and on.. The movie is just plain brilliant.. Period..
If you havent seen it. You have definitely missed out something.. Go grab a look before some new 'brilliant' commercial flick like Aa Dekhen Zara replaces it from the cinemas.. ;-)
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Anywhere but Home
I generally like romantic comedies but this one just dint click for me. There is no comedy and absolutely no romance. Every romantic comedy has two very special ingredients 1. The Chemistry between the leading pair and 2. The presence of sweet incidents which stay with you after you come out of the theatre. The movie dint have either.
Reese and Vince just dont look like a couple. It appears as if they have been imported from different movies and have been placed in this one. Vince looks atleast 15 years older to Reese and is almost 1 and a half feet taller than her. It seems like the oddest couple imaginable.
It tries every trick in the book to tickle your funny bone. From Sexual encounters to Slapstick but nothing works. You come out of the hall minus the smile that is THE absolute necessity for every romantic comedy. There is a difference between being funny and being stupid. Absolute Rubbish..
DO NOT watch it. Rather Go have a coffee with your boy/girl friend.If you are a woman and single, Give me a call ;-)
Reese and Vince just dont look like a couple. It appears as if they have been imported from different movies and have been placed in this one. Vince looks atleast 15 years older to Reese and is almost 1 and a half feet taller than her. It seems like the oddest couple imaginable.
It tries every trick in the book to tickle your funny bone. From Sexual encounters to Slapstick but nothing works. You come out of the hall minus the smile that is THE absolute necessity for every romantic comedy. There is a difference between being funny and being stupid. Absolute Rubbish..
DO NOT watch it. Rather Go have a coffee with your boy/girl friend.If you are a woman and single, Give me a call ;-)
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