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paddy-raghunathan
Reviews
Kismat Konnection (2008)
Good entertaining movie
First Kismat Konnection is what it sounds like: a movie about kismat and chance.
Most reviews on this site criticize this movie on two grounds. The first being that Jab We Met was better, and second being that the movie is all over the place.
In general, they are right. That doesn't mean the movie is badly made. Nor does it mean the movie is not entertaining. It is not a great movie, but certainly one that has the ability to stay in your minds for a while.
I am glad I did not read the criticisms on this site. I am glad I saw it and enjoyed it thoroughly, and I hope that folks who read my review are actually encouraged into watching this movie.
Since I don't really care for SRK's acting, I don't go by the comments that SRK would have done better justice to the role of Raj Malhotra. Shahid Kapoor has done a fine job. His ability to get into a character is in full evidence.
To put a long story short, Vidya Balan's Priya is Raj's lucky charm, and the narration builds it up in the first quarter very well. The second quarter is Raj finding himself falling in love with Priya. The third quarter is about Raj getting the kabab mein haddi out of the way, and the fourth is when he must convince Priya that he loves her more than his Kismat. The denouement is superb, where we find Raj getting Priya, and his new found Kismat remains intact. In fact, Priya's realization that she is very important to Raj's cause, gives her a new meaning to her life.
Where is the script weak? When Priya tells Raj, "Thee na main tumhaare saath. Hone dete jo hota." The truth is she wasn't really with Raj all the way at the time. Getting rid of the Kabab mein haddi, Priya's love interest, is not all that well done. Those are aspects when you feel the film is a bit all over the place.
When is the script at its strongest? When Priya gets in the way of Raj on his important billiard's shot, no doubt.
Vishal Malhotra, as Hiten and Raj's faithful sidekick is simply outstanding. Om Puri is great, and so is Ms Shivpuri.
Give this movie a try: you will not be disappointed.
Cars 2 (2011)
Sorry, the movie didn't work
The original Cars movie was a great story wonderfully built up all the way to the end. There were several subtle themes along the way: Route 66, the old streets connecting the world, and about friendship, faith and courage.
I never watched NASCAR, was never a racing fan, and even I know what "pit stop" means now.
Cars 2, God only knows what it is. A spy caper? Why? And even if it was, at least it could have been built up to a crescendo.
From Tokyo to Paris to Porta Corsa to London, and then on to Radiator Springs, the movie zips along at such a furious pace, without making the pieces glue together as a narrative. Even the moral, to be what you are, is as hollow as it can be.
My son, a huge fan of the Cars movie, wanted to get out within an hour. He is OK with me buying him Cars 2 toys, the Finn McMissiles, but he doesn't want me to buy the DVD at all. That says it all.
Mouna Ragam (1986)
Recently bought the DVD and watched it 5 times already
What kind of a love story would possibly be there in an arranged marriage? And yet, that is what the female protagonist finds out...that she can actually fall in love with a man she has been forced to marry in spite of all her misgivings.
What you will see is a beautiful love story that depicts how men are from Mars, women are from Venus, but in the end they need to communicate. A story that shows no matter how a man and woman meet, no marriage can last if it is not borne out of mutual respect, love, and understanding for each other.
Ilayaraja uses a simple tune in almost every frame (except songs) as the background score, but varies it using different instruments and scales to convey the various moods and passions.
Absolutely Maniratnam's best movie, and Revathy's finest performance. Enjoy again, and again, and again. Everything about this movie is special, and the songs are outstanding as well.
Don (1978)
Well acted, and well directed
By Indian Bollywood standards, a very great movie. I saw it when I was a kid, and have been enamored ever since.
Amitabh plays the role of his life, no doubt. The direction by Chandra Barot is stellar, and his knowledge and use of camera angles is extraordinary.
If someone had told me that Salim Javed believed it to be a "breakfast script," I would not have believed it. However, on closer look, one can see why.
There are many bloopers in the movie that go unnoticed because of the fast pace of the movie...you don't think when you are watching it.
Here are some:
1. The car that Amitabh arrives in before he is accosted by the police is not the one he drives away in. And there is no way the "Herbie" like car can be a police car that he tries to escape in.
2. The police inspector Iftikhar says the diary reveals that the leader is Vardhan, but it does not contain info on the address. However, Pran has no issues finding the address to Vardhan's place later in the movie. In fact Pran's dialog goes, "doosra bekaar sawaal."
3. The police never bother to check on Amitabh the fake Don's claim about the children in St. Teresa Bandra...if they had done so, the fake Don would not be a fugitive during the latter half of the movie.
4. When the prisoners are being transfered from one prison to another, they are not in handcuffs. Why they don't break the door and just run away is anybody's guess, but the fight between Amitabh and Shetty inside the van is well done...kudos to Chandra Barot on the camera work.
However, the above apart, a great, great movie experience. I am not sure why it called a cult movie, because it is universally liked.
The things well done:
1. Amitabh escapes in one dress from the police van and is always wearing that dress...it shows he's a fugitive.
2. The way the real "mole" is hidden is done very well and heightens the suspense.
All I can say is, enjoy the movie, not once but again, and again.
Paddy