Reviews
Rang De Basanti (2006)
Ingenuinely Original !!
Rang De Basanti
..Take a bow Rakesh Mehra, Aamir Khan, A.R. Rahman & Binod Pradhan (in that order!!!) I usually don't write reviews for many films nowadays yet my appetite for cinema is largely intact, especially for ones that doesn't want to stop only at entertaining, but makes you think and aspires to shape opinions, to alter attitudes. Which is why Maqbool will always get the prime spot on my large DVD collection. Which is why I can watch Swades n number of times and not tire. Now, RDB needs to be celebrated and discussed. No two ways about that. The film is a compelling view, superbly shot and conceptualized with outstanding performances from all lead actors, especially Aamir, Atul Kulkarni and Siddharth. You can't hold a candle to geniuses like Aamir Khan or A.R. Rahman. But more importantly, the film makes a genuine, honest attempt at bridging the ever-widening chasm between our glorious but poorly interpreted history and our dramatically altered present. Check out the line by DJ (one leg on the kal (past), one leg on kal (future) and pissing on aaj-today). The sudden cuts between Chandra Shekhar Azad plotting the Brits' ouster and a good for nothing cool guy 'DJ' (Aamir) balancing a bottle of beer over a cool 'amphitheatre' hangout in today's Delhi gave me goose-bumped hands. I don't think I have ever seen such a breathtakingly seamless transition between two eras, brilliant editing pattern that stays with you long after the movie is over. Music has never been used so powerfully for transition and communicating lead actors feelings to viewers (Khoon Chala at India Gate, Rubaroo in the climax
.the list is endless). If we want today's Gen X to show some interest in our rich and proud heritage, clearly RDB is the most potent medium for it, and not dull textbooks and maha-yawn boring history teachers. And certainly not linear, unimaginative, irrelevant cinema like Mangal Pandey or Guddu Dhanoa' Bhagat Singh (Rajkumar Santoshi's was a sincere effort). The violent climax, while being provocative and hard-hitting, makes the viewers feel sad and yearn for the naive and innocent youth who lose control over their actions. As pure cinema, it undoubtedly is a remarkable movie, in genuinely original, one of the greatest films of this decade. Go see it dude, get inspired, get shaken, but please, please don't lose control.
P.S. This film would have been impossible without Aamir, his charisma, star status and exclusivity have ensured a sure shot hit both at the box office and for all awards!! Aamir has once raised his personal bar to new levels, way beyond DCH & Lagaan, despite a minor hiccup in Mangal Pandey. What a performer!
Swades: We, the People (2004)
Take a bow, Ashotosh, Shahrukh and ARR
30 minutes after I had viewed the film on Sat, I was not sure about how I felt about this film. 48 hours hence, I vividly remember most of the scenes and can lucidly state that is truly 'haunting'.
Swades is not colorful; Shahrukh doesn't appear in a GAP or POLO SPORT; there are no introductory shots; there are no romantic scenes and no fields with yellow Tulip flowers; It may be a tad slow and lengthy; But Swades hits you where your heart hurts the most; patriotic and root feelings of an individual with good intentions overcoming societal obstacle. It's brilliant, heartfelt and touching. The 'We, People' film really makes us feel like it's our film. We see in the film what we see everyday, the places as they are. It's very much contemporary and it's our story.
Compared to Veer-Zaara, it's light years ahead. Comparisons with Lagaan are bound to be there, but in some ways it's even better than Lagaan. Primarily, for the authenticity and real-life feel unlike Lagaan which was a finely crafted fairly-tale. Lagaan is all about emerging victorious and fighting against the odds. You enjoy it when you see it. Swades is about the conscience trauma of an Indian, urging him to comeback and do something for his country. It haunts you for long enough after the cinema has ended.
There's a prejudice that the film is about bringing electricity to a small village. It's not. And the most poignant scene in the film, where we see a boy selling water for 25 paisa, hits you hard. Seeing the harsh reality and we'll find it difficult to suppress our tears. It's an answer to the generation of materialistic 'we', who never shy from proclaiming our great culture and tradition, but do nothing for our country.
The asset of the film is Shahrukh Khan, looking ordinary and real but in an extra-ordinary performance. His most real since 'Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa' and his career's best. ARR music is soulful and original. The theme song 'Yeh Jo Des Hai Mera' haunts both in terms of its visuals and wordings.
But above all, it's the good intention and the attention to detail, of director Ashutosh Gowarikar that makes wonders for this truly experimental and moving cinema.
I can and will definitely view this movie once more, to celebrate it feel and spirit. I can't predict its box office outcome, as the masses love fantasies and escapist cinema. But it's definitely a treat for those who want to see moving and believable films on a large scale. Also if we don't embrace different cinema like this or even 'the torturous but different Musafir' for that matter, we'll continue to get more 'Sarson ka Saag', 'Karva Chauths', 'Maahi Ve' filled designer romance fables from the Chopra-Johar clan!
Regardless of the box office outcome, take a bow Ashutosh, Shahrukh and ARR!
Miracle (2004)
Well made sports film
It is very difficult to translate real life sports dramas, to engrossing tales on screen. But "Miracle" manages to exactly do that.
For a sport, not so popular across the globe, the ice-hockey game in the climax does hold the viewer's attention. Kurt Rusell gives a rocking performance as the coach who did all to change American hopes at times of despair for the nation. Overall a good script, straight forward narration and neat direction help this movie sail past most other sports movie.
Thanks
Lakshya (2004)
Clean Unadulterated entertainment, Great performances
Lakshya is a very well made war, coming of age movie, which can compete with anything from the west.
I personally, feel it ends two debates, other than the fact that it establishes Hrithik as the ultra star-great actor mould (la Kamal Hassan),
a) Farhan Akhtar is the talent to watch for, A Mani Ratnam in the making for Hindi Cinema
b) Prabhu Deva can hand over mantel of the best ever dancer on screen to Hrithik Roshan (you have to see to believe what happens on the screen in the song "Main Asia kyun hoon", which Prabhu Deva himself has choreographed).
Just go and enjoy, this wonderful clean entertainer, which has great music and cinematography to complement the performances from the actors, and the skillful direction of Farhan Akhtar
Badri
Maqbool (2003)
Cinematic Poetry
Here is a movie that makes you sit up and take notice of a brilliant director, who entered the film stream as music director. Vishal's progress as a director is astounding!
The film is adapted from Shakeaspere's "Macbeth", using Mumbai underworld as the backdrop. Charecterizations are brillaint, with the witches in Macbeth, being metamorphosed into two corrupt cops.
The screenplay, cinematography, sound design are dialogues are brilliant. The performances from all the 5 key players, Irrfan, Tabu, Pankaj Kapur, and the two cops, Naseer and Om Puri are out of the world. Music is imaginative with captive visualizations.
Credit for the entire movie should go to Vishal, for his outstanding conceptualization and execution. A special word, for cinematographer Hemant Chaturvedi. His final shot of Irrfan falling on the ground in the hospital, with a slow motion of a pigeon, followed by a changing color from normal light to serene green, followed by the fall with a tilted camera is worth going miles for! Bravo!
Virumandi (2004)
Class Act
At a time when cliched tamil/indian movies are being made, one could only Kamal Hassan to come up with something innovative and striking!
What is most exciting is the narrative set-up from two angles, two very different versions of the same story, a crime committed, 24 murders in a village in Tamil Nadu (kamal hassan and pasupathy). The underlying tension throughout this morbid tale is effective. In fact very difficult to make out who is good and evil, till the very end. Fantastic Characterization's.
Excellent photography, background score. Direction by Kamal is first rate, with an interesting screen play.
Regarding performances, pasupathy steals the show, along with Rohini. Abhirami as the main female lead is impressive. Kamal, the actor is not at his best, but makes up enough with his direction.
It falls short of a great movie on account of a poor climax and excessive violence. Not a great movie, but definitely a good one.