Change Your Image
zarminae-machupeechu
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Virgin River (2019)
Beautiful British Columbia, typical Hollywood overacting
I watch this because I went to school on a Vancouver island & it's balm for the soul. The story is engaging enough, the make lead is handsome and charismatic, most characters are interesting. However, the female lead... she just makes one roll one's eyes because of the needless cutesy overacting (is it the director telling her to purse her lips and show her dimples, whether required or not?).
If you watch British drama regularly, it's so difficult to get back to predictable Hollywood drivel... and its annoying tropes.
The scatty wife of the traditional fatherly doctor, the body positive best friend, the misunderstood bad boy. Yes, this has it all! It's nice and mindless for when i am sick and don't have the brains to follow one of the British dramas/ mysteries, and just want pretty scenery.
Mughal-E-Azam (1960)
No hype, not overrated- was unexpectedly DAZZLED by this truly glorious classic-for-a-reason
Note: I've marked the spoiler sign- but this is a well known myth so no surprises here (not even the ending- which is also a popular myth where Anarkali comes back as NurJahan).
Prepare to be dazzled. A luscious feast for the senses, the new restored & colorized version allows us to appreciate the fine attention to detail. The colors are breathtaking- and that is when I realized that Sanjay Leela Bhansali- much as I like that director- isn't all that original. K. Asif got there first. Bhansali tried to do the lavish sets, gorgeous costumes, attention to detail, assault of color in Devdas. But K. Asif got there first- and without the digital technology of today.
That is only the film's visual victory over your defenses. When there is silence in a scene- you can only just hear the fountains, and the crystal droplets of the "shama daans" or lamps tinkling in the soft breeze. And then there are the gorgeous, tight, beautifully written dialogs rendered in chaste Urdu (by all actors, regardless of religion- Prithviraj Kapoor's progeny might like to take a feather off his cap, and polish up their enunciation - really there is no reason why the poet Ghalib must be referred to as Gaalib by today's lazy actors). It was a relief to my ears which are usually accosted in even the best Karan Johar entertainer, by an unfortunately politicized and degraded Hindustani.
Then there are the performances. Albeit some performances and dialogs are melodramatic, over-the-top- especially the ones with the mother, Queen Jodha Bai, yet one must understand the requirement of the time, as well as the archetypes that were (and are) close to the heart of the audiences. These often have religious and mythological overtones which most people would immediately have picked up on- the mother, the wife, the beloved.
Technically, so much has been said about the cinematography, especially in the dance scene in the Hall Of Mirrors, and the battle scenes- that I wont repeat them- but I'll just say- pay attention to these and remember these scenes were shot despite the limitations of available technology. Amazing! Finally- the fabulous on screen chemistry of Dilip Kumar and Madhubala. With his nuanced acting and the slightest inflection in tone conveying volumes- Dilip Kumar is simply arresting and with her naughty, flirtatious first dance as Radha, Madhubala conveys the passionate Anarkali. Their scenes together are never vulgar or titillating- just terribly erotic- sensuous- again tactile: Prince Salim brushing a feather against Anarkali's skin...
Really- there's so much more to write- but I'll just say that there is a reason this is a classic. Enough said.
10/10
Salaam Namaste (2005)
Fun, sexy, well made, and a feel good film that had me humming mmmmm
Yes, yes, i have heard that the SECOND half is a copy of 9 Months. Don't know , Don't care. Loved it!
This is not a movie for kids- the subject matter is adult- and parents need to show discretion.
Having said that, Saif was impeccable, his comic timing as well as that of Arshad Warsi was fantastic. Kudos for a brilliant performance (even though he showed a greater emotional range in Parineeta). He was so funny that I've never laughed out loud so many times in an Indian film (after Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro). Classic scene was when he is driving Preity around looking for an ice cream parlour and gets sarcastic and cheeky when none are open.. there are SO many scenes- but this just came to my mind so I am jotting it down.
The love-making/ kissing sequences were HOT... sexy rather than vulgar or embarrassingly slutty. Both actors were so comfortable in their skin, that even I felt comfortable watching them- something that hasn't happened through all the Murders and Jisms, (which were kind of hot too, although uncomfortably so...)
Preity was cute, even sexy! Their on screen chemistry was fantastic. My only issue with her was that because she is so natural in her roles- she perhaps doesn't work too hard. I mean Tabu acting pregnant would have completely changed her body alignment with the fake belly. After all, when have you ever seen a pregnant woman walk with the same posture and centre of gravity as a non-pregnant woman- that was a bit of a let-down and slightly lazy acting I felt. Apart from that, even the dancing sequence while preggers was fine by me.
Spoiler alert:
Kudos to Abhishek in his comic cameo at the end! Two actors I have been rooting for- FOREVER- and they are finally getting there- if they aren't already- Saif and Abhishek.
9/10 for an evening well spent, and one of the few movies I would see again
Deewaar: Let's Bring Our Heroes Home (2004)
Warmongering's old hat at best, dangerous & irresponsible at worst
Come on! Get over with the Pakistan bashing guys. Bollywood can not only make brilliant movies- but can seriously affect a generation of viewers.
I am a HUGE Bollywood fan- but anti-Pakistan movies just make me wince too much to enjoy screenplay, cinematography, action sequences- everything.
I'm really happy to see that viewers on both sides of the border are rejecting propaganda, and there are movies like Main Hoon Na out there that have done brilliantly not only because they deserved to because of the quality of its Bollywood masala- but also because it tries to say: give peace a chance and shows that there are crazies out there on both sides who do not represent the masses.
The Last Samurai (2003)
good movie- wont do well in USA b/c of questions it raises- like Minority Report
Like Minority Report, which raised political questions that most Americans would like to stay oblivious about- this movie, too, will probably not do as well as it should in front of an audience that does not want to face its past and present in its massacre of traditional people's and the politics of trade and the economics of war (the Americans trying to sell a unilaterally profitable treaty to the Japanese emperor and the aim of selling arms).
Gorgeous movie- and while I have read some of the criticisms (too short character development of the Tom Cruise character; largely humorless; Braveheart-ish) I tend to disagree with each one of these.
1- They may not have shown each second of his character development, but the course of time narrated during the characters time in "captivity" can lead us to conclude that it did not happen in 60 seconds.
2- War is humorless, but an audience fed on scatological humor of the usual feel-good crap churned out by Hollywood EXPECTS it.
3- Most heroes in most stories are all versions of the same archetypal hero.
See it even if it makes you uncomfortable. Truth usually does.
American Desi (2001)
A generally cliche-ridden movie and how difficult is it to do some research on Muslim religious practices BEFORE showing them?
We all want to give good reviews to desi films- but hey... let's be objective rather than just loyal!
This movie was a complete waste of time for the following list of reasons (these are only SOME of them):
1- Character development: cardboard cut-out, one-dimensional cliches
2- Credibility Muslim girl parties, dances, wears mini-skirts and then dresses like a North African Bedouin at the mosque w/ a veil.... some BALANCE please....
3- Lack of research Hello!!! When you have a character playing a Muslim- get some advice from a REAL Muslim, instead of showing your own ill-informed fantasies. *****NO ONE STOPS PRAYING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS. *****YOU CANNOT BOW DOWN IN PRAYER IF SOMEONE IS SITTING IN FRONT OF YOU. (when saleem is praying, the sikh friend is talking to him while sitting in front of him- IMPOSSIBLE!)
4- Story Third-rate, B-movie high school flick with a completely unbelievable character development (chauvinistic Muslim guy changes his entire mind-set after wearing a Burqa (hello?) and ridiculous soppy ending
5- Humour (or lack therof) various gags lifted from other high-school/ college flicks
This movie was almost as bad as "Wings of Hope" and "ABCD". The only half decent desi films out there are"Hollywood Bollywood", "East is East", and "Bend it like Beckham". (And the best of course is "Earth")
Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000)
as a Pakistani- I think we should forget the arms race- India has already conquered us with Hrithik!
I never went through the ardent teeny bopper fan phase even in my teens. But amusingly enough, this is probably the closest I have been to that "ardent fan" title, having seen the movie more than an acceptable number of times, and being a Pakistani- I think we should forget the arms race- India has already conquered us with Hrithik!!!:)
Hrithik is an absolute pleasure to watch. Besides his great looks and The Bod, he is completely comfortable and un-selfconscious on screen, moves like a gazelle, could probably dance rings around Ricky Martin and HEY- he is a good actor too! He has a double role and plays both convincingly. He completely changes his persona from shy and unassuming to a charmer who can walk the walk and talk the talk. I loved the second half of the movie even more. He acts with his whole body. Notice when Raj asks his father for advice about his unrequited love for Sonia, how he uses his shoulders and hands to convey a feeling of frustration and helplessness without the typical histrionics. My only criticism is the lack of chemistry between the two lead actors. Hrithik never really conveys that attraction and passion for his leading lady. Even when singing about HER; the song "Kyun Chalti Hai Hawa" is more about HIM SINGING about her, than about her- if you know what I mean- he doesnt really get into her (eg: Shahrukh and Kajol in "Kuchch Kuchch Hota Hai"; Salman and Aishwarya in "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam") except in one scene when she is tying a bandage on his arm and he is looking at her: Brilliant!
The songs are infinitely hum-able. Ameesha, although occasionally stiff while dancing, and hams a couple of times- but few enough for her first film; has done a great job overall. Specially her hysterical scenes are brilliantly done.
Very entertaining movie. The action scenes are well shot, the cinematography is great (specially with the ship) the dialogues are contemporary, witty and well-written. Rakesh Roshan has taken a typical Bollywood movie and made it with a kind of sincerety that seems like respect for the audience, not just a successful launch for his son.