Blog | Amodini's Movie Reviews - Part 67Amodini's Movie Reviews | Movie Reviews by Year, Genre and Rating

Movie Review : Break ke baad

Posted on November 25, 2010 by amodini

Rating : Below Average (2.8/5)
Genre : Romance
Year : 2010
Running time : 2 hours
Director : Danish Aslam
Cast : Deepika Padukone, Imran Khan, Sharmila Tagore, Lilette Dubey, Navin Nischol
Kid rating : PG

BREAK KE BAAD : LACKS SPARKLE!

There are things in life which are like fine wine; they only get better with time. Unfortunately Kunal Kohli’s films are not like that. His work, although it isn’t regressing, isn’t getting better either. His productions are still stuck in a time warp where characters speak in pithy, punchy dialogue (every time they open their mouths !), and are lost forever in a cloud of self-angst and deep-sounding psycho-babble. Where’s a shrink when you need one ?

Anyway, “Break ke baad” is about a guy, Abhay Gulati (Imran Khan) and a girl Aaliya (Deepika Padukone), both seemingly in love with each other. But trouble is near, because the girl wants to get away, and take a break from the relationship. He, of course, isn’t ready to let go . . .

Aliya is a rebel without a cause, a very privileged rebel I night add. She is supposedly scarred by memories of a bad Daddy, and lives with her beautiful mom Ayesha (Sharmila Tagore). Deepika as Aaliya overdoes it with the harrumping expressions and the over-arching impatience. Imran plays Abhay, an annoyingly cloying boyfriend, who’s apparently more mature than the flighty Miss Aaliya. He, however, can’t seem to emote.

Aaliya wants to explore, and spread her wings. Abhay, on the other hand, is cautious, can’t seem to find his passion or breakout of his Dad’s business. Now, while you’d think that the differing personalities would make for an interesting film, you’d be wrong. Yes, the characters are interesting, but are so inconsistently developed, that I could not feel much sympathy for either one of them. Then there is the mother figure for the motherless Abhay, a bua (father’s sister) played by the charming Lilette Dubey, spouting words of wisdom about love and life. And there’s the lovely Sharmila Tagore, as the mother who only wants the best for her thoughtless daughter.

While Aslam’s direction was adequate, the story was weak – more of an exercise in been there-done that nothingness. The film had very little “masala” and lots of inane dialogue. The film did get a little better after the interval, but really it was 2 hours of he said-she said, and then they said some more. The lead pair didn’t seem to sparkle, or inspire any dewy-eyed moments. The good : the music is great; I liked almost all of the songs. Also, (whew !) there were no cheesy cartoon characters in this film.

The film is shot in Delhi, and Australia, where apparently beach-side cabins come cheap, and are rented out by quirky owners with hearts of gold. Also, this beachy shack where Abhay and Aaliya hole up, seemed rather familiar – was it the same one that Saif and Preiti stay in in Salaam-Namaste (is Australia really that small or has Bollywood leased the place for the next decade?) ?

This film tries to be the next, big, new age romance. But in it’s trying to be hot and happening, and edgily thoughtful at the same time, it loses it’s way, becoming instead a war of words between two under-developed characters. It was 2 hours long, but felt much longer.

Kidwise – The film is free of cheap innuendo but has many references to adult situations/sex/getting laid. Every second word is “sexy”.

Posted in 2010, bollywood, rating-PG, romance, watchable | 5 Comments

Upcoming Films : November, December 2010

Posted on November 23, 2010 by amodini

Lots of big names at the end of the year! On Thanksgiving eve Kunal Kohli productions releases another new age romance “Break ke baad” (great soundtrack, btw), and I’m hoping that it will be the silver lining to this cloudy year. Farah Khan is in the fray with her total masala film “Tees Maar Khan”, as is Farhan Akhtar with his much awaited sequel to Don.And the trailers of “Band Baaja Baraat” promise at least an adequate (and family-friendly) entertainer.

Release Date	Film Title	Genre	Director	Actors
Nov 5	Golmaal 3	Comedy	Rohit Shetty	Ajay Devgun, Kareena Kapoor, Tushar Kapoor, Kunal Khemu, Arshad Warsi, Shreyas Talpade
Nov 5	Action Replayy	Romance	Vipul Amrutlal Shah	Aishwarya Rai, Akshay Kumar
Nov 19	Guzaarish	Drama	Sanjay Leela Bhansali	Aishwarya Rai, Hrithik Roshan
Nov 24	Break ke baad	Romance	Danish Aslam	Deepika Padukone, Imran Khan
Nov 26	Allah Ke Banday	Drama	Faruk Kabir	Vikram Gokhale, Sharman Joshi, Zakir Hussain
Nov 26	Phas Gaye Re Obama	Comedy	Subhash Kapoor	Rajat Kapoor, Neha Dhupia, Amol Gupte
Dec 03	Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se	Drama	Ashutosh Gowariker	Abhishek Bachchan,Deepika Padukone, Visakha Singh, Sikander Kher
Dec 10	No Problem	Comedy	Anees Bazmee	Sunil Shetty, Kanagana Ranaut, Paresh Rawal, Akshaye Khanna, Sushmita Sen
Dec 10	Band Baaja Baraat	All-in-one	Maneesh Sharma	Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma, Manmeet Singh
Dec 17	Toonpur Ka Superr Hero	Comedy	Kireet Khurana	Ajay Devgan, Kajol
Dec 23	Don 2	Action	Farhan Akhtar	Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Om Puri, Arjun Rampal
Dec 24	Tees Maar Khan	Comedy	Farah Khan	Akshay Kumar, Akshaye Khanna, Katrina Kaif

Posted in 2010, bollywood, Previews | Tagged upcoming | 1 Comment

Movie Review : Bread and Tulips (Pane e tulipani)

Posted on November 13, 2010 by amodini

Rating : 8.5/10
Language : Italian
Year : 2000

As I’ve said before, owing to Netflix, I am now watching films I wouldn’t have ordinarily picked out in a retail movie store. I’m not looking to read subtitles, although do have the propensity to watch “good” films from other languages (as a kid, spent many afternoons watching regional Indian films on Doordarshan). Still, have never ever walked into a local movie store and walked out with a foreign film, have you ?

Anyway, looking through the “streaming” films the other day, came across two that I thought would be interesting, and one I watched – the Italian “Pane e tulipani” or “Bread and Tulips”. Not a very romantic title, but it is a romantic film, with nice, comforting doses of humor.

Rosalba Barletta, a put-upon late-30ish housewife is on a vacation with her family. When she is delayed in the rest-room at a particular tour-bus stop, her family and the bus leaves without her. Miffed at the fact that her family has not missed her at all, Rosalba nevertheless answers her husband’s (Antonio Catania) phone 2 hours later, and agrees to wait for them at the stop. However she decides to hitch-hike back home, with a friendly woman, and later with a driver who is on his way to Venice. On the spur of the moment Rosalba goes to Venice with him, and there, seeks out lodging and food. When the next day, Rosalba misses the train which is to take her back home, she is not too upset. She thinks she might stay a little while longer . . .

This was such a wonderful film – well-directed and beautifully acted. The major attraction in this film is its heroine, Rosalba. Luminously played by Licia Magilietti (who looks a like a mix of Annette Bening and Marissa Tomei). Rosalba has an endearing personality, a mostly positive outlook and a friendly, helpful demeanor. In her hurt and bewilderment at being so totally taken for granted by her family, you totally get her. And you sympathize with her and root for her as she acts out her indignation. The other characters are also wonderfully sketched; there is the morose yet dignified waiter of the Italianian eatery, Fernando (Bruno Ganz) with his flowery, round-a-bout way of saying things, the friendly bindi-clad masseuse Grazie (Marina Massironi), the grouchy florist Fermo (Felice Andreasi) and the plumber/detective Constantino (Giuseppe Battiston).

“Bread and tulips” succeeds because it has a kind way about it. It is story told with humor, quirkiness and hinges upon the hope and unbidden desires which you did not know you had. Silvio Soldini delivers a gentle crowd-pleaser.

Highly recommended.

Posted in All Netflix, drama, foreign, recommended | 1 Comment

Movie Review : Hereafter

Posted on November 9, 2010 by amodini

Hereafter, as the title implies, alludes to the world/experience after death. It is three stories which intertwine towards the end of the film. The first is of Marie Zelay (Cecile De France), a French journalist who is caught in the Indian Ocean tsunami. The second is of British twin brothers, Marcus and Jason, children of an alcoholic/druggie mother, who are attempting to keep Child Protective Services at bay. And the third is of American George Lonegan (Matt Damon) a psychic who can “talk to” dead people.

Note that since the story stems from death and thereby loss, it can be a tad depressing to watch, although at the end of it all (and having shed some tears) it did end on a hopeful note. Post-watch describing it, the word which comes immediately to mind, is gentle. It is a gentle, nuanced film, handled very, very delicately. It has a deliberate pace, and takes it’s time wending its way around the many facets which give this film its rhythm. I’m quite in awe that Clint Eastwood, the director of films such as “Gran Torino” crafted this wonderful film, since it is so different from his “regular” genre.

Damon, as the unwilling psychic, is quite delectable; he is slow and dithering here, just as he is the reverse in his overtly “macho” films. France as Zelay, the heavily accented Frenchwoman, who has her life turned around by her near-death experience, is marvelous too. And the young actors, Frankie and George McLaren, are a treat to watch.

Although I have watched films which seem to have unrelated threads run through them, only to have them come together later, in “Hereafter” it was not immediately clear that this was indeed happening. The film seemed to flow of its own accord; there did not seem to be a definite beginning or an end. It is probably the mark of a deft director, one so very sure of his skill, that the film continued engagingly (I was completely absorbed) in spite of its pace, and when it did finish it brought closure, and a sense of comfort and familiarity that I did not know, as a viewer, that I needed.

This film might not be everyone’s cup of tea, since it is not a “commercial” venture. It demands of you, your time and patience, and in return it gives you the opportunity to view a thing of beauty. Highly recommended.

Posted in 2010, drama, english, hollywood, recommended, sci-fi | Tagged damon, usa | Comments Off

Movie Review : Jhootha hi sahi

Posted on November 3, 2010 by amodini

Rating : Below Average (2.5/5)
Genre : Romance / Comedy
Year : 2010
Running time : 2 hours 30 minutes
Director : Abbas Tyrewala
Cast : John Abraham, Pakhi Tyrewala, Manasi Scott, Raghu Ram, Alishka Varde, Abheek Sinha, Anaitha Nair
Kid rating : G

JHOOTHA HI SAHI : FLAT ROMANCE !

Jhootha hi sahi is not a half-bad film, provided you can survive the listless first half. And I mean that nicely. Because really it looks like director Abbas Tyrewala is trying to do good here and go soulful and all, but he confuses subtle with brain-deadening. And it doesn’t have to be that way.

I thought the story was pretty innovative : Siddhaarth (Abraham) is a book-store owner in London (Notting Hill anyone ?). His usually humdrum life is upset when he is besieged with calls from desi people on the verge of suicide (a printing error where his phone number is listed as that of Dost – a suicide hotline). As he is unwillingly volunteered to be on the Dost hotline, he listens and counsels many distraught callers. One among them is a girl called Mishka (Pakhi Tyrewala).

Mishka soon becomes a regular caller, pouring out her troubles to her anonymous friend, whom she calls Fidato, since Sid, as per Dost rules, cannot give her his name. One fine day though, they meet and he realizes who she is. Life gets further complicated as Sid begins to fall for her, and Mishka, unknowing, continues to bare her heart to his alter-ego Fidato . . .

Pakhi Tyrewala plays the female lead and does OK acting-wise, but then it’s all relative, since John Abraham is no Al Pacino himself. However Pakhi fails to impress as heroine material, since she appears to be a shorter, older, less pretty version of Juhi Chawla, and has very little screen presence. John as Sid, is a leaner, geekier, more diffident version of himself. Exuding a simple innocence, he seems quite suited to the role, although his acting skills (and I’ve said this before) could take some polishing. And I must mention Alishka as Aaliya, Omar’s unwed, pregnant sister, and Manasi Scott, as Kruttika, for impressive portrayals of their characters.

This story seems to have it all – drama, love, humor, potential heartbreak, and I so wish it was better executed. To be fair, it does seem to come to life post intermission, where it sparkles with the warmth of camaraderie between the many characters. And there is humor, delivered ably by Sid’s buddies, Omar, played by Raghu Ram (of MTV Roadies fame) and Ankur, played by Abheek Sinha. Where the film fails miserably is in the screenplay, which seems to hinge upon some very quiet dialogues and slow, soulful (not very melodious) melodies. Low impact, little action and almost no character development (what is Mishka like really ?) make moi not so happy.

There is a slim silver lining although not quite enough to hold up this film; JHS is clean, NOT teeny-bopper, and has individuals who seem to think like adults (whew! ** wipes sweat off brow**) – not very rational adults, but adults all the same. This strained sentimental story, while it ended reasonably enough (hint : London has the “rising” Tower Bridge) fails to make my heart go pitter-patter or cause heady spasms of romance-well-done-o-mania. “Jhootha hi sahi” is a benign, insipid film; not quite the fire-cracker romance I’d hoped for.

Posted in 2010, bollywood, family-friendly, rating-G | Comments Off

The Road Home

Posted on October 22, 2010 by amodini

The Road Home which is written and directed by Rajiv Gandotra is a short feature, approximately 20 minutes in length. As it’s main character, it has Pico Kapoor (Arrun Harker), a boy of about eight or nine of Indo-British descent. We never do see his parents, since he has been placed in the Woodstock boarding school in Mussoorie, India. As Pico tells us, his father has placed him here because it will help him in getting into the London School of Economics, and then Oxford ! Typical desi parent 🙂 !

Pico has a British accent and considers himself British not Indian, refusing to acknowledge his Indian roots. Faced with antagonistic school boys who deride him for refusing his Indian heritage, Pico runs away from school, and tries to reach New Delhi to fly back to England. In the course of his journey he meets a taxi driver, and a foreign tourist who try to persuade the boy to accept who he is. Does Pico return home (wherever that might be) ?

Now, the topic of this film was very interesting for desis, since we are all of Indian descent, some 1st gen, some second, with American born kids, whom we are striving to inculcate with our heritage (if you make the weekly trip to the local desi culture school, raise your fist and say “Yeah!”). Who we are and where we are from is a difficult question to answer especially in this world of melding physical boundaries. Nevertheless, it is amazingly important to me to have my kids appreciate the Indian way of life and the culture, warts and all (and there are warts, people !), so this is a film I watched with interest.

It is quite a beautiful film, with well-sketched characters. Acting-wise it was not all that, although most of the actors were passable and Harker was pretty good. Wielding the directorial reins, Gandotra does make his point, and does so effectively. The pace and story of the film suited the length, and the film was engaging. If you get the chance, this film is well worth the watch.

Posted in 2010, family-friendly, film festival, recommended | Tagged india, short | Comments Off

Mini reviews : Date Night, Killers & Smart people

Posted on October 17, 2010 by amodini

As you can probably tell I watch a lot of films :-). I can’t always keep up with reviewing each and every film in lengthy detail, so am going with this mini-review idea.

Date Night (2010) : 4/5
This one was a cute, funny film about a couple (Steve Carell and Tina Fey) who caught in the humdrum of kids and middle-class life manage to get out by themselves on what is to be a romantic date-night. Trying to get a table at a talk-of-the-town restaurant, and roundly rebuffed, they “steal” some no-show couple’s reservation. Passing themselves off as people they’re not, they get the table allright, but soon are escorted off by goons who think they actually are the other couple. A whole world of trouble awaits . . .

Fey and Carell are laugh-out-loud funny, and the story veers into unexpected corners, which kept up the interest and the charm.

Killers (2010) : 3.5/5

I’d expected better, which is why the rating isn’t 4. Ashton Kutcher(Spencer) and Katherine Heigl (Jen) star as a couple in love. Kutcher is handsome and gun-toting – CIA see ? Of course his wife has no idea, so when he starts to get targeted by some very intent killers (there’s a bounty on his head, apparently), she is quite taken aback. Of course she gets into the swing of things . . .

An entertaining film, although not quite as smart as it could have been. Heigl is her usual simpering self, and her Jen is quite in awe of Spencer’s “physical, godlike perfection”. Spencer is glib and handy with a gun, and the duo must try to run as the most unexpected people come after them.

Smart People (2008) : 4/5

Dennis Quaid is staid, widowed Professor Lawrence Wetherhold with a grown-up son and daughter. His son is kind-of aloof, and he doesn’t quite get his daughter (Ellen Page). Life is trundling along when two new people enter his life. Wetherhold has to go the ER where he meets Dr. Janet Hartigan (Sarah Jessica Parker), a former student of his who is still smarting from the bad grades he gave her. Also his adopted brother Chuck (Thomas Haden Church) decides to move in with him. Things happen.

Yes, this film is kind of predicatable, but it is also soft, sweet and sentimental. The characters here are fragile and developed well. A satisfying watch, I’d seen this on Netflix Streaming, although it doen’t appear to be available for Streaming anymore (some kind of rotating schedule ?).

Posted in 2010, english, hollywood, lists, recommended | Comments Off

A musical month

Posted on October 13, 2010 by amodini

September had both Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar’s birthdays (quite a spate of birthdays, really !). Both accomplished singers, the two sisters celebrated their birthdays on the 8th (Asha – she turns 77) and the 28th (Lata – she turns 81). Here are a few favorite songs which probably wouldn’t have sounded as good in anyone else’s voice. In the first, the fabulous Rekha from the film “Umrao Jaan”, given voice by Asha Bhosle :

And here, a very young Amitabh and Jaya Bhaduri in “Abhimaan”, which was a fantastic film by itself. Lata’s songs only added to the charm.

Posted in 2010, bollywood | Tagged music | 1 Comment

Movie Review : Udaan

Posted on October 8, 2010 by amodini

Rating : Excellent (4.5/5)
Genre : Drama
Year : 2010
Running time : 2 hours 15 minutes
Director : Vikramaditya Motwane
Cast : Rajat Barmecha, Ronit Roy, Ram Kapoor, Ayaan Boradia
Kid rating : PG-15
UDAAN : WELL-DONE COMING-OF-AGE DRAMA

Udaan starts of with a bunch of youngsters sneaking away from their boarding school (Bishop Cotton in Shimla) to go watch a film in the local town. They are caught and expelled, and Rohan (Rajat Barmecha) the hero of this film, returns after eight years to a father he hasn’t seen in a long time. Reaching home to a cold reception, motherless Rohan finds that he now also has a six year old step-brother, Arjun (Boradia) the issue from his father’s second failed marriage.

Rohan’s authoritarian father Bhairav Singh (Ronit Roy), is a cruel task-master and enrolls artistically inclined Rohan into an engineering college, and also makes him work part-time at his factory. The only light in Rohan’s blighted life is his childless Uncle (Ram Kapoor) and Aunt, who attempt to give Rohan and Arjun the parental love their biological father seems devoid of. Deriding and mocked by his father for his dreams of being a writer, which in his book is akin to being a loser/wimp/unmanly, it looks like Rohan is caught in an unending nightmare, his escape blocked by concerns for his little brother. Will he ever have the courage to break out ?

This is a very moving film because it puts out plainly on screen our inner selves and the desire to be appreciated and applauded by our first role-models, our parents. Faced with a cruel parent, and placed in an unsupportive environment, the protagonist must find the courage and the gumption to do the right thing. And really, what a difficult thing it is to even think of defying a parent, that hallowed being whom we are socialized to look upto and obey, especially in the Indian context.

Motwane directs deftly and manages to portray Rohan and Arjun’s story very poignantly. This is a difficult taIe to tell without appearing to take sides, and Motwane does even out the scales by giving us glimpses into Bhairav Singh’s life and the events that have turned him into what he now is. The film explores an abusive environment, as Rohan’s father goes from appearing “strict” to tipping the scales at cruel. Since we are basically dealing with children in this film (Rohan is 17 on the verge of becoming an adult, while Arjun is only 6), and issues with kids being the tear-jerkers that they are, the director must walk a fine line in portraying emotion without making a it a soppy tear-fest, and appearing to milk the innocence of children, and I am happy to report that Motwane does pass muster. I must also applaud the script and screenplay, since both are of superb quality and help make this film what it is.

A great part of the film of course are it’s actors, and here we have a few accomplished ones. Barmecha, as Rohan, is a fine actor as is Boradia as little Arjun. Ronit Roy returns to the big screen again as bitter Bhairav Singh, and Ram Kapoor plays his supportive chacha’s role to the hilt. The film has Amit Trivedi’s soulful music and some great spoken poetry, all of which contribute to the experience.

I watched this film at the Indian Film Festival of Houston, but this is available via Netflix, through mail, and as of 9/28/2010 to stream. Do not miss Udaan; if there is one Hindi film that you do watch this year, this should be it (and the last time I said this, it was of “Manorama six feet under”).

Kidwise : Not recommended for younger kids, since it has unsuitable language and situations.

Posted in 2010, All Netflix, bollywood, drama, film festival, Hindi movies on Netflix, outstanding, rating-PG15, recommended, social issues | Tagged outstanding, streaming | 7 Comments

Tales from the festival (or at the IFFH 2010)

Posted on October 3, 2010 by amodini

As you all know, the 2nd Indian Film Festival of Houston was held the past weekend. Here’s a short review of what went on.

It was quite interesting attending. I am so glad that they had film screenings on Saturday too, because weekdays are just so impossible. Anyway, thought it well organized although a bit lacking in the marketing/buzz department. The festival had dismal attendance, I thought. The impression of “festivals” is that they screen arty, intellectual stuff unsuited for “normal” people like us, although that is not the case. Granted that if you are a fan of “Partner” or “Singh is Kinng” the festival may not be to your taste, but for decent, quality-based films, we do need to get the word out on events like this.

It would help if folks knew about the films to be screened, and more people were informed. I saw an advertisement in an Indian newspaper, but there wasn’t much news of this via radio/TV. I gather that they are kind of small right now, and a non-profit to boot, so not sure of the funds they have to get on TV and toot their horn. But desi Houston radio would have been a viable option, what with the directors being in Houston – a few interviews would have gotten the buzz going.

I’d intended to see the short on Shahrukh’s life and then Udaan, since you had to buy a package of 2 films. But as it happened films were clubbed together, that is you bought a ticket for 2 films which would play one after another in the same theater. And they wouldn’t allow you to switch theaters, so I ended up watching “The Road home” and “Udaan” (reviews coming soon – watch this space !)
It worked out fairly well, since “The Road home” was a short of 20 minutes, and then we finished up our dinner (this is the Studio Movie Grill) and Udaan started soon after. After Udaan finished, the film’s director Vikramaditya Motwane was at hand to answer a few questions, which was fantastic, since the crowd loved the film.

In reply to the questions coming his way, Motwane said that he’d written the film seven years back, but had only recently received funding to make it. And isn’t that a pity – here’s this talented man with a great script, and he can’t get funding ! The events in the film were based on some of his own life events, as well as inspired by his father and friends’ experiences. Asked about a sequel, Motwane said that he wasn’t immediately interested in making one, although a sequel in a couple of years wasn’t ruled out. When I asked him whether he would be getting into commercial cinema, he said that Udaan was commercial cinema, put Ajay Devgn in the film and it will be commercial. He also said that the poems in the film, which I thought were beautiful, were written by a couple of his friends.

All in all, a pretty well-spent evening, and the food, which was an after-thought for us, wasn’t bad either.