Admit one !

A couple of movies I watched this week. Some old, some new, but on the whole, mostly dumb ones.

Two I watched on T.V. One was ‘Anand’, this probably for the third time; such a beautiful movie this. Big B and Rajesh Khanna are simply super. Was on Star Gold, it went on till 1-30am. Snored at work the next day.

Salaam Namaste – a big Salaam and a big Namaste to this dumb movie. Everything about this movie is dumb.

Lakshya – probably watched only the second half. Quite watchable. Although Preity looks more like a mental-hospital run-away girl, it’s a pretty decent movie.

Namaste London – what the hell is with these Namaste movies? Someone told me this was a good movie. It’s the dumbest movie in the list of dumb movies. Of course, Katrina is just “!!!!!”, Akshay acts so cheaply to start off, although he gets a lot more decent second-half, the movie does not.

Jodhaa Akbar – it has it all! From ‘Isse davaa ki nahin, duwaa ki zaroorat hai’ to ‘mein apni suhaag ki bheek maangti hoon’. Is it really Ashutosh Gowariker’s product? What an atrocious make! Apart from a pretty decent-looking war scenario in the beginning, there’s nothing else - the movie is a big bore! Like Rajeev Masand says, “A big thumbs down to this movie” and a rating of 1, not because it deserves it, only because I wasted 3.15 hours to watch a husband-wife ‘loves me, loves me not’ saga.

10,000 BC – almost watched this one, but God remembered my good deeds, and prevented me from wasting ‘my’ hard-earned money. But my friend has already done the wasting, so catch his review at http://www.freewebs.com/pavu56/moviereviews.htm

Ergo, a bad week !

The kite flies high !!

I don't care who the lead actor or actress is. Just tell me who the cinematographer is. And who's the lyricist ? And who's composed the music ? Yeah ... this is the era of Kannada movies, and this is its present trend. Yograj Bhatt, a director who can cast a bunch of not-so-good-looking actors and actresses, a director who doesn't pay much attention to the story-line, yet captures the heart of the audience, simply with his astounding cinematography, location choice, heart rendering music and wonderful songs.

After reading a bad review of Gaalipata in Vijaya Karnataka, cousins and me went to the theater with a not-so-good feeling. We did not want a stupid movie to spoil our otherwise ecstatic mood. Lights off ... A/C on ... and the kite starts flying. 3 spoilt brats. Seems like Dil Chahta Hai. But its way different from it, although ideas seem to have been inspired from DCH. And there is also a lot of 'Mungaaru Male' touches to this movie.

Don't ask me what the story is. Anant Nag and Rangaayana Raghu are just way too awesome. Ganesh's dialogues are probably the best ... every college student would identify with what he says. Diganth ... well, not such a good actor, but he plays the clown's role well, and suits his character. Rajesh is fine, except for his not-needed beard. The actresses are ordinary, except Daisy. But Daisy too, you'll find, to be very reclined and silent. Probably the movie needed that.

But, the important thing is, none of this affects the movie. You'll be blown looking at the picturesque landscapes ... the hills ... the rain ... the mist ... the cliffs ... the mighty Cauvery Falls ... everything is shot to perfection. If Jog stunned you in Mungaaru Male, this probably is gonna give you a stroke. You think you are sitting one instant ... and the next ... you just feel weightless, floating amidst the clouds ... like a kite ...

Few actors ... but good actors ... witty lines ... excellent music by Harikrishna ... Sonu Nigam's voice ... it has it all ...

The movie lacks a story ... that's one area Yograj keeps failing ... yet he covers that up with stunning cinematography ... Baikal Fort, Kodachadri, Bluff (Gaganachukki & Barachukki falls) being the locations ... you can look at these places from such angles you never dreamt of !!

Yeah the wild-boar is way too artificial ... Yeah the movie lacks a story ... Yeah the actors ain't that good looking ... but so what ? If a movie is supposed to entertain you, if a movie is supposed to thrill you, if a movie is supposed to make you laugh, and if you think a movie is a good one if you emerge out of the theater with big smiles ... Gaalipata does fall into the category of a good movie. But if you want to believe the duffer who gave Gaalipata a bad review in Vijaya Karnataka, the very same writer who praised 'Sivaji' as though it was the best movie of the century ... you are losing out on one of a very good Yograj Bhatt product.

Our parents still talk of Rajkumar movies, calling it a golden era of our film industry. Then came a series of such atrocious movies, it was scary to even talk about our movies. This, i think, is yet again, one of those golden era that aged people keep talking about. This will be the era you are gonna mention to your kids and grandkids again and again. Watch Gaalipata ... and fall in love, all over again !!

Gaalipata

Gaalipata review coming soon !!
Watch this space........................

Welcome to Welcome

What the hell made me watch this movie ? Free movie tickets, and pop-corn of course !! For the first time, I went to watch a movie without checking if I had any green bills left in my pocket. Its similar to how a girl goes to watch a movie ... put on some jeans, a touch-up of some fairness cream ... and she's ready ... she can go empty-handed, and yet come back with a heavy stomach. So, in that way, my sponsor Pavan, must have felt like repaying my kindness (as I let him free with all his so called girlfriends without becoming a kebab-mein-haddi).

And, for the first time, I never knew the cast of the movie. As I looked up at the poster, I was dumbstruck. Katrina and Mallika, with Malaika Arora in a guest-appearance. "Mom, all your daughter-in-laws are right here in this poster". Ok, lets talk about the movie.

Supposed to be a fun-riot ... the riot was there ... the fun, in bits and pieces. The first-half, I must say, was pretty good. Paresh Rawal continued to play the 'clown' to perfection. Nana Patekar, was at his usual best. Anil Kapoor was outstandingly stylish and flamboyant. Asrani kept making appearances now and then. Akshay was fun too ... but talk about Katrina ... she finished me off. One moment I was safe on the seat, enter Katrina, and I slumped to the floor; onlookers must have thought I suffered a stroke ... I might have ... my heart beat like our school band on Sports Day. Every time she smiled, I pictured myself doing a 'Dard-e-Disco' song with her. She looked so picture perfect ... I'm sure you'll find her pic beneath millions of pillows all around the world (not mine ... I dont have a pillow, I live in extreme penurious conditions ... please donate money).

The first half smoothly sailed by ... the girls bought us pop-corn ... and I munched greedily, lest they changed their mind, and took it back. The second half, was gone with the wind. The momentum was lost, and trying to find a story, would be like searching for an eye lens in KR Market. Mallika Sherawat badly over-acts ... and I am sure Johnny Lever is more sexier than her. She is an unwanted liability to every movie ... and needs to be dubbed as an outcast. But Katrina ... the only thing that stays put is her smile ... she smiles, and I am ready to bring a piece of the moon-rock for her. Akshay Kumar is pretty ok ... nothing extra-ordinary ... but he never over-acts in this movie ... thats cool. Oh I forgot the villain boss ... Feroz Khan ... typical villain ... white bald head ... he's ok, atleast he looks better than his son.

A time-pass movie ... watch it if you have fought with your wife, and looking for a cheap way to set things right ... take your girlfriend to the movie, and she'll forgive you for forgetting her birthday ... but don't look for sense in this movie ... it lacks it ... completely !!

My rating: * * 1/2

Stars are here.....

In today's world ... working smart is more important than working hard. This is the latest 'mantra' i have adopted. Why bother writing reviews for movies ... I gave a good review for Om Shanti Om ... and had to face the inferno of curses from all my friends and relatives. No taking such chances again ... this review is written by my little brother whom we shall call Sumanthu (as it is his name named by his biological parents). Sumanthu and another cousin ... the chocolate hero Vikki accompanied me to this movie, which is about stars crashing into the earth, and causing eternal destruction, but love rejuvenates a withering planet. Ok, you better hear the review from Sumanthu's own words (but proof-read by me)...

The movie revolves around childhood, specially about those children, who are a little different, and have to fight to get adjusted in this so called normal world. It teaches us, that children have their own world, and we should not ruin it, because of our (the parents') over-expectations. The movie is about a special child who fights his way through lots of hurdles. The pace of the movie is pretty slow.

Being Aamir Khan's directorial debut, the movie revolves around Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Safary), who is a fun-loving child. He lives in his own world (as most children do), but is a little different as he finds it hard to match his imagination with children of his own age-group. His parents find it difficult to handle him, and finally send him to a boarding school. There he faces his worst nightmare, as being away from parents, he loses his self-confidence. Ram Shankar Nikumbh, i.e. Aamir Khan, a temporary art teacher at school, who has his own unique way of teaching children, finds that apart from Ishaan, every other child responds enthusiastically to his style. The more and more he studies Ishaan, the more and more he realizes that, he is not just seeing Ishaan, but actually a mirror-image of himself. Ishaan is a drowning boat, and Ram Shankar Nikumbh is the last straw of hope.

The subject of the movie is simple, predictive story-line and slow. The silence in the movie, though very meaningful, at times puts the audience in a restive mood. But bottomline, Aamir has succeeded in giving us a respectable movie to watch and talk about. Dyslexia never means that the child cannot lead a normal life. Although the flow is predictable, you shall immediately connect with the child, and his every emotion runs analogous with the emotions of the audience. This movie explains a part of life which many parents overlook, but is very mandatory to understand.

Performance of the child, Darsheel Safary is stunning, even more commendable than Aamir's performance himself. When Darsheel cries, the audience cries. The connection is that strong.

My rating: * * * 1/2


Suhas: Inspite of the dragging pace of the movie, the little child performs so exuberantly, you'll consider yourself lucky to have watched him act.

Rating: * * *


Pavan: A thought-provoking movie worth wasting every bit of your dad's hard earned fortune

Rating: * * * * 1/2


Vikki: A movie that is fun to watch

Rating: * * *


Ishita: Movie kuch khaas nahin hai, but the little child is really cute

The show goes on...

Few more movies I got to watch this week. Again, as usual, most of them were repeats. The list of those movies I really wanted to watch is still growing ... its almost 2 movies a day now !!

Forrest Gump: I can watch this again and again and again, and yet never stop crying. Its one of those movies, that you'll pay for and get an original DVD, and treasure it. I owe my discovery of Tom Hanks to Forrest Gump. A movie, with no structure, yet keeps you occupied forever.

My ratings: * * * * *

Armageddon: Believe it or not, I hadn't watched this. Its a typical American movie. "Its mass extermination, nothing will survive, not even bacteria !!" and "Houston, we have a problem here" elaborates the amount of exaggeration this movie provides. But its a fun movie, that you'll sit back and enjoy. You will not be thrilled by the American patriotism exhibited, you will not take your hats off at the sacrifice of Bruce, you will not shed a tear in the ocean of sentiments that makes its presence felt in between the story-line, in fact, you'll hold your stomach and laugh, at some of the most serious dialogues. Really fun movie.

My ratings: * * *

Guru: 2nd time. Loved the little B in this movie. And loved Mithunda. In fact, and most surprisingly, I liked Aishwarya Rai in this movie. You've seen my review, probably I liked it more the second time, as it made more sense ... shares, debentures and all

My ratings: * * *

Yet to watch: Pirates of Caribbean 2 & 3, Bourne Ultimatum, Memento, Just my luck and a few more...

Show-time

Watched a couple more 'old' movies this week. Most of them were repeats, but anyway...

Pirates of the Caribbean - Curse of the Black Pearl: First of the 3 movies, interesting, good sound effects (inspite of my ailing home theater), good movie. 3.5 star movie

Bhool Bhulaiya: Inspite of my heroic efforts to watch this movie in a theater, things quite did not work out that way, so I had to settle for watching it on my comp. A flick from 'Aptamitra', or 'Chandramukhi' or what you will. Could not help but compare it to the Kannada version. The surround-sound music effects of the Kannada version (thanks to Gurukiran) is thoroughly lacking here. Few changes in characterizations, but overall, its the same. Akshay Kumar is only half comparable to Vishnuvardhan. Vidya Balan tries her best, but still falls short in comparison to Soundarya. 2.5 star movie

Swades: Watching it for the 3rd time, first time on T.V. Loved it. SRK's performance is really laudable. He appears so decent, dressed so appropriately, talks so maturely, and not once does he give his crazy laughters, or his cry-baby tears. One of my favorite SRK-movie. The movie in itself, is pretty good. 3.5 star movie

Beowulf

In a legendary time of heroes, the mighty warrior Beowulf battles the demon Grendel and incurs the hellish wrath of the beast’s ruthlessly seductive mother. Their epic clash forges the timeless legend of Beowulf.

Groundbreaking director Robert Zemeckis offers a unique vision of the Beowulf saga in a way that it has never been told before. “Beowulf” stars RAY WINSTONE in the title role and ANTHONY HOPKINS as the corrupt King Hrothgar, as well as JOHN MALKOVICH, ROBIN WRIGHT PENN, BRENDAN GLEESON, CRISPIN GLOVER, ALISON LOHMAN and ANGELINA JOLIE as Grendel’s mother. Neil Gaiman (the graphic novel “Mirrormask,” “Sandman”) & Roger Avary (“Pulp Fiction”) have adapted the legend to the screen.

The animation looks so real, I was left wondering whether a few scenes were truly animated, or was it just my imagination. But the movie is worth watching, only if you have 'enough' to afford an Imax or a multiplex. Watch it on a DVD at home, and you'll think the Popeye show was better. The deafening silence in some scenes, and the thunderous clashes between the protagonist and the monster is really a thrill to watch.

My rating: *** 1/2

Movie-week

Me saw a few movies this week. Don't ask me reviews, coz they are age old movies. Those movies you enjoyed in a theater, whereas me contemplated for two years whether or not I must watch it, after which I spent another month searching for a DVD (free of cost, downloaded P2P or some other pirated version) ... the DVD spends another 6 months catching dust, after which I finally watch the movie.

Scary Movie 1 & 2: I have watched them earlier, and believe me, these are movies you gotta make your mom and dad watch. Do that, and you shall understand the concept of self-reliance, if you know what I mean. Vulgar to the core, it made me wanna puke on the TV screen. I stopped myself after realizing that the characters in the movie were doing just that - unabashedly throwing up on each other. This movie gets a 'yucky' rating of nothing.

Scary Movie 3: A more civilized version of the Scary movie series ... more funny ... more senseless ... scenes picked from Sixth Sense, The Ring, Matrix Reloaded, and a whole lot more. It gets a smooth 4 stars. Waiting to watch the fourth and final version too.

Transformers: I almost watched it in a theater, but could not due to technical reasons (which I cannot disclose due to technical difficulties) ... a 'not so good' movie ... may sound good in a theater ... but the concept is pretty amateurish ... and pretty stupid ... a complete lack of coherence ... worth only two and a half stars.

Jab We Met: Oh so cool movie ! First time I realized I can actually like Kareena Kapoor ... she over-acts badly certain times ... but is fine ... Shahid looks mature ... dialogues are what makes the movie worth your money ... very quick-witted ... the last 30 minutes or so were very impractical ... a sorry ending for an otherwise excellent movie ... my three and a half stars belong to this movie

Happy Feet: The DVD was bad ... the lip synchrony was badly missing ... somebody please gimme this DVD

Coming up: Lots of movies I need to catch up on ... Terminator series (wanna watch 'em a second time) ... Matrix series (second time) ... Click (third time) ... Devil wears Prada ... Just my luck ... Mission Impossible series ... Ufff ... feels like I belong to the stone-age !!

The magic of OSO

Saturday 17th Nov: TOEFL Exam
Thursday 15th Nov: Om Shanti Om tix in my hands.......

What the hell am I doing here, when I got to be studying ? That too for a Farah Khan movie (Main Hoon Naa still gives me nightmares) ? A movie which has SRK ? A movie which has Deepika ....... Aaaaah !!!! Now I know why i'm here .... i'm here for her .... I bring along mom and dad to introduce them to their to-be daughter-in-law !!

Sssshhh ! The movie begins. Lets retrograde. Enter, the set-up of a 1970 movie production unit. It looks so dreamy ... so flashy ... so unreal. Discard those jeans ... to hell with your sun-glasses ... tear away your t-shirt ... coz the past is here again !! Farah takes you on a ride back to history ... weird hairstyles ... weirder dress sense ... weirdest dance moves ... it makes you want to go back home, take the dust off those 1970 era video cassettes, and drown in the sea of music. 'Om' a junior artist in love with 'Shanti', the dreamy Bollywood girl, sounds too unrealistic, sounds too filmi.

I found myself biting my nails in the 7-minute interval ... waiting for the magic to begin. Enter SRK ... enter 6-packs ... and crappy acting. First half, I was ready to shed my repugnance of SRK forever ... second half, the over-actor is back. And where the hell is Shanti ? It takes a while for the movie to fall on track again ... but it does ... and the intense melodrama starts off again ... places here and there that drag ... scenes that you wished weren't there ... but once again, the stage is set for a magnanimous ending ... some things happen that you never expected ... the magic fills the atmosphere ... and the curtains are drawn ... !!

Songs are lovely ... Sonu melts your heart with his voice ... music is beautiful ... leave all logic at home ... and you'll love this one ... my review is really ambiguous as it is meant to be ... an incoherent one ... watch it ... if not for Deepika ... atleast watch it for the 'magic' ... coz thats' what a Bollywood movie is all about ...

My rating: * * * 1/2

Krishna

Its been a while since I have written movie reviews ... the reason behind this I discovered after much speculation ... and discussion with the professors at the science institute ... was because its been a while since I have watched any movie

My little brother Sumanthu ... watched one yesterday ... Krishna ... I've seen the shooting of this movie when I had been to Lumbini gardens ... met Ganesh there too ... its the same couple from Mungaru Male ... Ganesh and Pooja Gandhi ... so Sumanth writes this review ... hear this review from him ... and thanks Sumanth ... you made my job easier ... and its a wonderfully written review

Ganesh plays his real life role of a television anchor in the film. Like in his real life, he plays the role of an anchor of a comedy show. Krishna (Ganesh) is a chatter box. Even his friend Rama (Sharan) is also like that. Both are working in 'R Music', a chat show of the satellite television channel. He is widely appreciated and is the darling of the masses. His body language as a television anchor and as a casual worker, much earlier in the film is perfect. But the music is pale in comparison to all three previous films. The choreographers could have done a better job.

Krishna always fights with a girl Preethi (Pooja Gandhi). Preethi stays downstairs while Krishna in a rented accommodation on the first floor of the same house. Preethi likes Krishna as an anchor and even participates in many programmes anchored by Ganesh. He has a secret lover who always troubles him via telephone. She is none other than Preethi. After many tiffs with Krishna, Preethi proposes to Krishna. But Krishna reveals his own story. He was in love with a girl 'Anjali' and had even taken care of the problems of her family. But Anjali, on the advice of her parents, decides to marry another rich man. A dejected Krishna comes back to city to become an anchor.

Then he comes across the same Anjali, but who had been cheated by the rich man. Krishna helps Anjali to complete her medical course. Meanwhile, Preethi is still hopeful of marrying Krishna. And then Anjali seeks pardon from Krishna and she wants him to marry her. What happens later forms the climax. That I cant tell you. Will Ganesh deliver a fifth consecutive hit? We have to wait and watch.

Heyy Baby !

Wasn't too sure of watching this movie ... but watched it anyway, thanks to the CD given by a brother of mine ... I was having the main objective of learning how to look after a little baby ... I do have to look after my nephew ... but one thing's for sure ... this is the last movie I'd watch to learn anything ...

Ok the baby's damn cute ... a perfect match for my nephew who's a hunk himself ... and the first fifteen minutes of the movie is kinda fun ... with the trio of Akshay, Fardeen and Reitesh tryin to manage a monster baby who seems to eat eat and eat, and finally leave an evidence of that in the diapers ...

Enter Vidya Balan, and the movie suddenly becomes serious ... I won't bother you with the story ... as it is ... there's hardly any ... but then there's this fight between Vidya Balan and Akshay for the baby ... i was mistaken ... it ain't really supposed to be a comedy ... Boman Irani as usual fun to watch ... the ending too was a bit abrupt ... its a real short movie ... thankfully.

Some have liked this movie ... but they are only being too biased, or too lenient ... direction is really stupid ... Sajid Khan I think is the culprit ... his sister Farah Khan is a little better ... atleast she gets her casting right ... the movie is colourful ... and the 16 heroines featured in the title song ... are a pleasure to watch ... music and songs are fine ... the only positives you can carry.

But the movie ... Naaaaah !!

Rating: * *

Chak De India !!

Just about ok.

SRK’s acting is pretty decent.

The 16 girls of the hockey team are cute, especially the Haryana dribbler Komal Chauthala.

Theme is really old; a million English movies have been made, ranging from football to ice hockey, baseball to basketball.

Exaggeration is at the same level. Unnecessary dramatization could be avoided.

Direction is lacking. Not much attention is paid to individual players. Team building was excellently shown in Lagaan, which is really missing in this movie.

It sells coz its brand SRK, but you can afford to miss this movie.

My rating: * * *

Cheeni Kum

Don’t watch it if you got diabetes, coz it’s a really ‘sweet’ movie.

Experimental, a bit of a dragger at times, but Big B and Tabu are adorable to watch.

Paresh Rawal’s talents are under-utilized.

Don’t compare this movie with Nishabd.

Its two and a half hours of neatly packed entertainment.

Watch it once, if you haven’t already.

My rating: * * * ½

'Guru' the Movie

Time - 9:30am. Venue - Garuda Mall. Presently in the parking lot. What the hell ? 10 bucks to park my fuel-sucking bike...and I just recently watched a movie for 19 bucks on a balcony seat.

Time - 9:35am. Venue - Still the same Garuda Mall. Wow!! Huge place. My first visit. I looked around with eyes wide open, just like how a baby looks at the world around it. People everywhere, mostly college guys and girls.

Girls .... oh so they are all here ... now I realize where all Bangalore girls had vanished ... they are not in R.T.Nagar anymore ... they are all here ... but where the hell is Inox ?? I follow a group of girls ... hey no assumptions ... I'm just hoping they'll lead me to the multiplex ... 1st floor ... 2nd floor ... 3rd floor ... 4th floor ... where the hell am I going ... I hope I won't fall off this scary escalator ... are they going to the terrace ... mass suicide ... love disappointments ? Oh here's Inox ... finally !!

Friends haven't come as yet ... I'm scared to touch anything ... everything looks expensive ... even that sweeper who's glaring at me ... ah here come my friends ... now I need to fear nothing ... oh this was supposed to be a movie review right ... Cool screen ... cool seats ... cool ... in fact ... its too cool or rather too cold ... ssshhh the movie's starting ...

A 1950s story ... cool east-man color effect ... nice start ... a villager ... goes to Istanbul to earn money, earns almost enough to start his own business ... the first half of the movie accelerates at good pace ... Abhishek looks good ... Aishwarya Rai (a bit of a setback after Dhoom, but she wasn't looking good in that anyway), decent performance.

But hey, hold on, this Guru bhai is growing at too fast a rate ... last I saw him in a small office, now he owns cars, in an instant he's building a factory, the next instant he's the entrepreneur of Shakti Group of Industries. Too fast, too fast, how the hell did all this happen ... ok lets assume he did a lot of illegal stuff, bribed government officials, did not pay excise duties on imports ... fine i'll buy this explanation, but would have been better if I was shown how Guru became a business tycoon so soon.

Mithun da ... looks good too ... old man, but looks good. Now, whats Vidya Balan doing in a wheel-chair ? Multiple sclerosis ? Hey c'mon, she looks so good, she needs to dance around like a little girl, not sit on a wheel-chair. Make Aishwarya Rai sit on a wheel-chair rather. Ok, summary of first half - Guru bhai, starts off as a villager, and grows to become a big business tycoon, how I'm not sure, Aishwarya is his wife (whom he marries for the sake of dowry), Vidya Balan can't walk, but she adores Guru bhai.

Interval time ... cool urinals ... they emit red lights ... I did a bit of a disco with my body fluids ... had to stop when the guy next to me frowned.

What ?????????????????????????????? Popcorn and coke costs 70 bucks ? Are you crazy man ? Is he importing his pop-corns from Zambia ? I ain't paying anything ... you get it ... I ain't paying anything !!

I get back to my seat ... coke and pop-corn in hand ... with a lighter wallet ... hey the girl next to me keeps kicking me ... get yer feet off me woman ... these are my new trousers ... uff she kicks me again ... I was about to pour my coke inside her nose, when the movie started.

Second half ... I must ask my little brother to watch this movie ... and my dad too ... Second half is a bit of a dragger ... unnecessary songs ... 2-3 songs are pretty good ... Rehman's music ... naaaah doesn't sound like Rehman ... enter Madhavan ... Vidya Balan's life partner ... journalist ... with only one aim ... get Guru bhai down ... Guru's irregularities are slowly exposed ... but Guru fights on ... he faces an enquiry ... talks about 'India shining' for about 5 minutes ... good dialogues ... movie comes to an end ... you can take everything from him ... but not his courage ... b'coz Guru fights on

The cinematography is excellent ... dialogues are good ... I loved Abhishek, he's got this simplicity in him, he ain't handsome, his rugged features and unblemished smile makes you connect with his character immediately, Aishwarya looks less plastic ... Vidya Balan is adorable ... Mithun da is good ... Madhavan ... hmmm ... not too strong ... he needed to be more stronger

But .... yeah ... here's the but ... the movie lacks details ... superficially it looks good ... do a bit of introspection, and you'll get a whole lot of doubts ... some characters are neglected and not given a proper finish ... some songs occur at unnecessary places ... neither his growth is explained properly, how he's caught is not dealt with properly, how he gets out of the noose unblemished I still don't understand ... Vidya Balan is totally wasted ... Madhavan and Mithun never make their appearances during the conclusion ... Rehman's music makes you feel cheated ... on the whole it fails to bring about inspiration ... the viewer is still left confused over which path to take ... I thought I'd emerge out of the theater with so much of 'josh' that I would open an anti-Biocon company right opposite Kiran Mazumdar's office, but I came out of the theater still cursing the pop-corn guy and the parking attendant. I have watched movies that create so much of motivation that I had dreamt of becoming a Nobel Prize winner over-night. This movie creates no such effect, and whatever it did create is way too temporary that lasts only until you walk down the corridor to the restroom.

This movie, had a potential to be directed much better (remember, this is ManiRatnam), so it disappoints you there. But the positives exist too. The shooting is done in Badami, Melkote, Chennai and parts of Turkey, and the cinematography as I said earlier is really good. I haven't so much revealed the story, as I want you to watch this movie. The story has been compared to Dhirubai Ambani's Reliance story ... I don't know how far thats true ... but one needs to understand the difficulties involved in being an entrepreneur ... the movie does no preaching ... it just shows that there are grey shades to every character ... but hard work eventually pays. Watch it once ... its a 'different' movie ... literally

My ratings: * * *

My story isn't over as yet ... I walked over to the food court ... ate some Bhel-puri ... some crazy guy sitting next to us began preaching about going abroad ... and getting true value for our hard-work there ... he also talked about how important it is to think about what we need to give our country right now ... there was truth in what he said ... he also talked about the mall-culture ... yeah talk about it man ... and talk about that pop-corn guy as well ...

I had a look around again ... hey who are these people ... whose money are they feasting on ... I need to bring my brother here ... there are school kids here ... if I ask for a heavier wallet, my bro would put stones into it ... anyway not a place you take your girlfriend to ... if Guru brought Aishwarya Rai here, she would reduce his huge group of companies into a foot-path stall ... do you know she bought 11 banaras saris for her marriage ... yeah I've been reading a lot of Times of India these days

Finally I walked out ... had a lot of trouble finding my bike ... such a huge place man ... where did that guy who stole my 10 bucks for parking, hide my bike ... ah there it was ... I sped off towards MG Road ... I hardly felt my wallet now ...

And oh yeah ... remember that girl who kept kicking me throughout the movie ... know what I did to her ... naah I did not pour coke into her nose ... that coke was costly dude ... I threw a pop-corn on her ... she kept searching for whatever that hit her ... I'm a happy guy now ... and oh yeah, the movie, go watch it, its an ok movie, you might like it ... just know what markets, shares, debentures are ... that will help you...

Mungaaru Male ...

This is a movie review ... but I haven't seen the movie ... so I shouldn't really be giving a review ... but I am ... but its wrong ... its imperative that I watch the movie first ... but I haven't ... so where's the point ... actually my little brother Bharath has watched the movie ... so he has the right to give a review ... so this is actually his review ... the words that follow are his ... so here goes ...

"Well, I should tell you this first. I am really impressed by the movie. At least once in a year I could get to see some decent stuff from the Kannada film industry".

The theme, nothing fresh: Boy loves girl who is about to get married. Of course, boy doesn't know that. One thing that you like about this film is that the hero is totally open minded, he tells the heroine that he loves her right at the beginning (quiet different). She happens to be the daughter of his mother's best hubby. His mom takes him to their house for her marriage, but our hero doesn't know that. You might guess what could go on next, as usual.

The story is not that extra-ordinary, but Ganesh was superb. Actually, I expected the least from him. He suited the role wonderfully well - a talkative young man, always smiling, and making friends with whom he likes. The heroine is ok, partly b'coz most of the screen is covered by Ganesh. Anant Nag, Padmaja Rao (of Preethi Illada Mele fame, Raagini) were also good.

But the thing that catches you the most is the background score and the cinematography. There are some scenes shot in Jog - the most brilliant part of the film. You would be at the edge of yours seats - literally. Probably no one had dared to shoot there. They were at the brink of the biggest waterfall in India. Even a slight slip (it was raining too) could have meant a certain death. Kudos to the director and to the lead actors.

You enjoy the movie entire length as there is not a dull moment. Songs after the interval are good. Dialogues are good too.

The Western Ghats look just great. The film is said to be shot in real rain (for a change). Poor Ganesh might have run a high fever after the shooting. But the ending was quite disappointing. I won't tell you the ending as I want you to watch the movie. Its worth the money you spend on the tickets. I hope I have given a boost to the movie. Don't blame me after you see it, and not felt what I felt. Overall, its good.

Bharath's ratings: * * * *

Well ... there you go ... the movie seems to be good ... what sounds great is that there are 2 good Kannada movies worth watching - this one and 'Kallarali Hoovagi', whereas more and more of Hindi movies are finding themselves in the dustbin ... now this is something to be happy about !!

Jothe Jotheyali

I fear giving reviews for Kannada movies ... people hardly watch them ... I don't want to be responsible for chasing those few people away from the theaters. But to say the truth, this movie does not deserve any kind of a review.

The movie is all about saving a dying marriage. Characters are few, but none are worth watching. Ramya fails miserably in her acting skills or the lack of it. She speaks a mix of North Karnataka and Mysorean accent, and adds to a lot of discrepancies in the movie. Prem shouts more than he talks, and is a terrible dancer. The comedy makes the entire audience burst out crying. Terrible direction, the theme seems to have been picked out from a pile of flop movie scripts stuffed in a garbage can. Songs are ordinary, Shreya Ghosal and Chaitra have wasted their voices for a movie that is a good contender for the worst movies ever made competition. There are absolutely no positives in the movie, its badly directed, my rating would be just * (poor)

Don...and the Queen Khan

Have you watched the older version of Don ? Would you like to see Amitabh's role played by a person whose gender is questionable ? Yeah...I'm one of those few who have watched Farhan Akhtar's Don and survived the ordeal. This movie does not deserve a review. The movie tries to enthrall you with one line - "Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin, na mumkin hai". I'd rather make it into "Don ko dekhna mushkil hi nahin, na mumkin hai"!!

Kareena Kapoor compared with Helen ? No comparisons...Helen is a character, Kareena is a Tata Sumo. Priyanka Chopra looks good...as usual. Isha Koppikar............no, can't compare her with Zeenataman.....no way !!


I happened to go to this movie with a little short-tempered cousin of mine. She now thinks I purposely took her to this movie, because I hate her.

SRK does not have the character, seriousness or the right gender to become a don !! This movie sucks too !!

Dhoom machale...not really !!

The racers are back again. The posters look stunning !! Dump the bond, its time for our power-packs ... its time for Dhoom !!!

My cousin Bharath gave a terrible review to this movie. I decided not to watch it. Then, Bipasha came in my dreams and asked me to watch it.

Evening show, Cauvery theater.

As the movie started off, I realized how wrong my cousin was. This was good stuff. Hrithik looked too good. His body looks so much like mine !! The heists he carried out were exciting to watch. Look more rationally and you'd call it 'crap'; but Hindi movies are not to be watched by those with a rational bent of mind.

Rimi Sen was a wasted character and I was thankful for that. Hey, where are the chicks ? Enter Bipasha, wow !! If police girls were really like this, I would have dumped Biotechnology and become a constable. More heists. This is a digestible movie. Why didn't my cousin like it ? Was he being over-critical ? And where the hell is Aishwarya ?

Enter Aishwarya !! Now the movie starts...or does it really ?

Aishwarya does not look good in the movie...full stop...end of discussion. Bipasha looks much better. Fine...Ash has shed her fat...but she does not look good. Enter Aishwarya and enter boredom. The movie comes to a stand still. No movement. Becomes a mega-serial. Weird things start happening. Location shifts to Brazil. Colorful Brazil. Yet another Bipasha here. Double acting ? But why ? And when is the next heist ? All everyone does is eat, sing and party. Hey, where's the theme ? Who cares....party without reason.

Finally...the last heist. Hey Aishwarya, who's side are you on ? She seems to change sides just like how she changes her boyfriends !! A bit of action...yeah...now we are seeing some good stuff...that's what you think...until you see the stylish charming Hrithik as a cook in a restaurant. What happened to the story ? Well, the director never promised us a story, did he ?

This movie is goofed up. Why are the Mumbai police on vigorous search for a criminal who has stolen antiquities in other countries, and has never entered Indian soil ? How does Hrithik survive ultimately ? The second half is way too horrible. Aishwarya bores us to death, Bipasha is wasted, Uday Chopra offers some compensation (coz of his clown acts), Abhishek looks nothing special, and Hrithik is the only prize you get for watching this movie. He looks good, and he has a unique charm he carries with him. The movie's messed up...and after the interval, you can see everyone in the theater moaning, children crying, adults crying, women scolding their husbands.

Yet another Hindi movie goes down the drain. And oh yeah, my cousin was right, this movie sucks !!

Casino Royale

I guess its too late to give you a review coz you would have already seen the movie. I don't know whether you regretted your decision, but I did not. I am happy I watched the movie because I now know and can say for sure that Daniel Craig does not carry the Bond-flamboyancy in him.

Can we call this a Bond movie if:
1) James Bond looks like Pierce Brosnan's father
2) There are no high-tech gadgets in the movie at all
3) Action scenes are reduced to just three
4) The movie is not too far-fetched

Pierce Brosnan had the charm. He wore a black suit when he drove a tanker across streets of Russia chasing the villain. He was stylish. Sad, Daniel Craig looks too old already. What's an Asten Martin with no missiles fitted in it ? And what's a Bond movie with hardly any action scenes in it. Bond looks a sorry character when he falls in love. He is too realistic. He cannot be James Bond.

The story is supposed to be derived from Ian Fleming's first novel. The accent of Daniel Craig is too bad. Except a couple of scenes, the viewer has just to sit, wait and watch, and expect that something big would happen anytime now. This continues until the viewer realizes the movie is over, and he has to face the big traffic jam just outside the theater now. I expected our own desi Dhoom 2 to be much better. The movie is not only boring, it doesn't excite you at all, the actress Eva Green looks good only on few occasions, and overall, its not a must-see.

My rating: ** 1/2 (average)