Ritu's Reviews

Deepa Mehta continues with her showcase of elements. From Fire, to Earth, and now Water we see another beautiful expression of art through her storytelling. This time the talented director has bagged John Abraham to really catch even the commercial, Bollywood cinemagoers eyes. In the process, John Abraham lucks out with his first international feature. Lets see how much of our attention they’re able to grab.

Deepa Mehta films are not just viewed by South Asians alone; they have a very strong global audience. Water succeeds in meeting international standards. It proves itself to be a true Indian Canadian production combining the best of talents and resources from both worlds.
Set in the 1930’s, colonial India, Water deals with the renunciation of widows who are outcast from society and live in chagrin. Once again Mehta tackles a difficult subject and uncovers injustice that has been practiced over time. While her films are always liberating, they maintain a dark undertone full of sorrow, till the end reveals a bright light.
Deepa Mehta earns credit for solid direction. One can easily see the flow of how ties develop and strengthen between the characters. If there is an area that lacks, it is the pace. Unfortunately the pace can be slow, making the viewer restless, wondering where and when the film will go.
As for the characters, John brings a more upbeat element in to the film, naturally being associated with a more energetic avenue of cinema. For this reason he faces the challenge of convincing his niche audiences of his portrayal. However on the whole to new eyes, appears apt. Lisa Ray, is very efficient in her role. Enacting her character with true vulnerability, it would be hard for anyone to associate her with the spicy character she played in Mehta’s previous film Bollywood Hollywood. Another actor who excels in any performance is Seema Biswas. In Water she is extremely powerful and substantial. A true jewel is Sarala, the young Sri Lankan child artist, who is crucial to the film’s command.
Canadian composer Mychael Dana along with AR Rahman and Sukhwinder Singh create an appropriate soundtrack.
Water is a film for premiere audiences, winning the hearts of those that want an insight on socially relevant issues and enjoy seeing poetry on canvas. It’s a work of art that enlightens and awakens earning 3 ½ stars on Ritu’s Reviews.

Mehta still has one more element to complete…Air. Being that her other ventures have been applauded, I hope she doesn’t just end with this trilogy, but comes to a full circle.

Posted by Ritu at 09:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hum Ko Deewana Kar Gaye

Raj Kanwar, he’s the director that last gave us Aandaz with two pretty ladies, Priyanka and Lara, and this time he gives us Katrina and Bipasha in Hum Ko Deewana Kar Gaye. Of course Akshay Kumar remains the constant. The film’s tagline reads, “one life…one moment…one coincidence…changed their lives forever”. Its conviction is that love connects, no matter when, where, or how. Let’s see if the film succeeds in making you a believer of its theory.

Leaving its nuts and bolts behind the film takes off with the speed of a race car. Roping the viewer in with its light-hearted, humorous start, the film shows promise. Not only does it appear to have a bright beginning, but the leading artists are attractive visual delights that make the watch more interesting.
A man who has Bipasha on one end and Katrina on the other is bound to go crazy! But where eyes can become fixated on physical beauty, the heart searches for another connection. Akshay Kumar is left dazzled, when he feels drawn with a compelling connection towards a female other than his beloved fiance Bipasha. Likewise, Katrina feels the same and from this mutual magnetic attraction springs trouble. A good concept for a romantic storyline, Hum Ko Deewana Kar Gaye, has the right the idea, but the magic is missing. Moments in the film that are highlights are just bits and pieces taken from a mix of successful Hollywood and Bollywood films. Even if you chose to ignore the borrowed sequences, there remains a missing spark. It is mainly in the communication between the characters played by Katrina and Akshay. While some chemistry may be there, the fluidity in exchange of dialogues, doesn’t surge. Although both play their characters well, it’s the fragmented story that fails them. In an effort to zip thru; introducing the characters, forming a relation, reaching to the climax, Raj Kanwar undermines the film's cability to succeed. However thanks to excellent cinematography and the on-screen appeal of Katrina and Akshay the viewer actuallywants to watch the film.
Katrina has improved in leaps and bounds in her performance. For the scope of her role she’s done surprisingly well. Thanks to her dubbing artist, even her voice seems in accordance. Akshay cake walks through his role. Having done so many similar characters, he neither adds nor detracts. Bipasha has been under utilized. She may look great, but is not given more than 5 scenes! Even the side artists have more scope than her! Of the character artists, Bhagyshree and Helen takes center-stage. Although not needed their presence is endearing. A surprise element, Anil Kapoor, makes a strong entrance and fares decently, irrespective of a defective character sketch.
Anu Malik’s musical scores are pleasurable, but far too many. By popular demand it will be Himmesh Reshamiya’s composition that is bound to be a chart-topper.
Had the editor done his job well, there would be haf as many songs in the film and rather than a nusuance, they would have been complimentary. Vancouver looks no less than Europe thanks to a solid job by the director of photograpy.
Humko Deewana Kar Gaye has its share of fallouts, but on average is a decent watch. Easy going music, a couple of laughs, passable acting, cute moments, and gorgeous faces make it a bearable watch, measuring up to Ritu's
2 ½ stars.

Posted by Ritu at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A quaint 90 minute make, Being Cyrus is much like a Hollywood film. The digestible length allows you to absolve its unique style and abstract content.

Director Homi Adajania follows in the creative footsteps of Ram Gopal Varma. Much like Varma's works, Being Cyrus, challenges the usual trend of hindi cinema and offers a contemporary watch. Homi Adajania directs with deftness. The dialouges, primarily in english and some parsi add relic to the humor.
A basic murder mystery with dark comedic flavor is what Being Cyrus is all about.
The actors play a huge role in making this an adventurous watch. Saif Ali Khan proves to be of substance. Simone Singh is highly competent. Booman Irani is incredible. Naseerudhin Shah effective as always. Dimple Kapadia a natural. Honey Chhaya is perfect and Manoj Pahwa hilarious.
The light hearted, smooth paced film will appear odd to most, while its eccentric nature will appeal to others. Regardless, its one step up and to the right of breaking midway between commercial and parallel cinema, receiving Ritu's 2 1/2 stars.

Posted by Ritu at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

You won’t believe what we have in our review today!!! Personally I feel like this is happening after ages! We’re only about 3 months into 2006, and we’ve already landed with the best film the year has to offer. Finally, a film worth filling every seat in the theatres, which it did.
After directing Aks in 2001, now in 2006, director Rakesh Omprakash Mehra presents Rang De Basanti!
An enthusiastic film filled with energy and vigor, it combines the interests of elders and modern day youth. With a name like Rang De Basanti some may chose to shun it as just another patriotic film. But let me clarify, this is not like any other patriotic film. In fact there is a lot more to it than meets the eye. It’s the story about the present; today.
Often its stated, “children are the future of tomorrow”, this story is from the standpoint of the current generation, the hot-blooded, relentless youth.
Beginning with the reminiscent escapade of shaheed Bhagat Singh and his friends, the tone for patriotic fervor is set. It then quickly shifts to a vibrant college ambiance with buoyancy. These two scenarios capture the mood of the film. It has serious substance with a jovial twist. Mehra ensures you aren’t bored or don’t become too serious with the melodrama. The manner the different moods have been dealt with is amazing, cleverly taking it from an amiable to a solemn note, creating a good balance. While the film is fun and you basically have fun with them, you learn with them as well. The tone is such that it molds you along with its movement.
An intelligent script by Kamlesh Pandey, with the screenplay interpretation by Rensil D. DeSilva and Mehra, touches on many points. The main concept that reaches out is best stated in the words of former president JFK, “ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”. This theology has been beautifully stated and explained, all the while entertaining to guarantee audiences are engaged.
Rang De Basanti scores in so many areas; be it the original and unpredictable narrative, strong yet conversational dialogues by Prasoon Joshi and Rensil D. DeSilva, the deft execution, by director Rakesh Omprakash Mehra, ace cinematography by accomplished Binod Pradhan, polished visual effects by Pankaj Khandpur, or a fitting soundtrack by A.R. Rehman with the glistening title track sung by Daler Mehndhi. All aspects are noteworthy. The minor drawbacks as being a bit lengthy, emulating the style of Speilberg’s ‘Schindler’s List’ in flashback sequences, and the debatable climax as something that is practical or not, can be neglected in exchange of all that’s delivers.
A known fact in the industry is that Aamir Khan is not a part of any project less than worthy of recognition. His award is the film, not a statue. Aamir Khan’s selection is like a critic stating the film is a hit, its as good as gold. However, this film is not an ‘Aamir Khan’ film. Its an equal opportunity film. Aamir Khan, Kunal Kapoor, Sharman Joshi, Atul Kulkarni, Siddharth, Alice Patten, and Soha Ali Khan have equivocal roles. This represents another underlying message of teamwork. All the characters uniformly excel in their performances. Aamir Khan’s emotional breakdown scene with Alice Patten is his best yet. Kunal Kapoor shows intensity. Sharman Joshi is promising. Siddharth, a natural. Alice Patten, extremely fitting and competent. Soha Ali Khan proves she’s more than just from the pataudi/tagore lineage, but her own person with immense capability. This is the role and the kind of film she had needed to kick-start her career.
The complimentary cast of Waheeda Rehman and Kiron Kher are highly effective. Mohan Agashe is proper for his small, yet significant role. Only Anupam Kher and Om Puri are not utilized to their full extent, but still perform with adequacy.
This is a film where the pensive, easy-going, and indifferent viewer, collectively come together and walk away having taken something from it. Most likely it will be the spirit! The spirit to live, the spirit to fight, the spirit to enjoy! Rang De Basanti receives a commendable 4 ½ stars.

Rang De Basanti is positively the most revolutionary film of its time. However remember it takes as little as 2 seconds to be inspired, but to keep the fire of that inspiration burning for more than even 2 days is the real challenge. Hopefully the spirit of Rang De Basanti will remain with you longer!

Posted by Ritu at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)