Posted by: vijay on: November 5, 2009
Cast : Ajay Devgan, Salman Khan
Director : Vipul Shah
Running Time : 2 Hours 20 minutes
Rating : 2 out of 4
Release Date : October 30, 2009
Two best friends, Arjun and Manu. Arjun ends up in London, chasing his dreams (so the title London Dreams), while Mannu stays back in his Punjab village and is pretty much responsible for every girl in the village becoming a woman. Well, Mannu really does not have a career plan in place, Arjun does. He wants to become a pop start equivalent to Michael Jackson, and goes about it with complete focus. He grabs attention of music producers, gives auditions, builds a band and eventually he is on the brink of reaching his goal (to perform at Wembley Stadium).
However, his best friend, who is air-lifted to London, suddenly pole vaults to the position of a rock star, something which Arjun always wanted to be. This pisses off Arjun big time. I mean, Mannu just bypassed the whole system and reached the top, like that! The dilemma for Arjun is, Mannu is his best friend, but he is in his way to his dreams. What does he do? Answer : Personal goals are more important than friendship. Sabotage.
If the movie was just about how Arjun handles the situation, this would have been a fantastic movie. However, an excellent story is ruined forever by the addition of Priya (Asin Thottumkal). Since, every Bollywood movie needs a love story, a love triangle is forced into the script. This means, every now and then the story picks up pace, you have to bear some faltu romantic, drama scenes with songs, which have nothing to do with the main theme of the movie. I promise you, if you just edit out all the scenes with Priya in it or the scenes which reference is made to her, it will just make this movie that much better. Also, Ajay and Salman give good performances, but please. This is a movie about rock stars. Both the leads are in good shape, but that won’t stop them from looking in their 40s. I read somewhere that, this movie was written keeping Hrithik Roshan and Abhishek Bachan in mind. Now, that would have been much, much better.
All said and done, I loved the second half. Arjun’s dilemma and his helplessness at the situation makes you go back to school/college where you had your close friend who was much better than you, and how you would burn in jealousy and can’t do anything about it. Fantastic acting by Salman and Ajay.
Oh! another thing. Arjun keeps asking God, why is Mannu so much better than him, even though it was he who worked hard all his life. I think the answer is simple. Mannu has a ‘free’ lifestyle, where as Arjun is probably a virgin. Guess, that explains why he is not as good as Mannu.
Posted by: vijay on: November 5, 2009
Cast : Diganth, Aindrita Ray.
Director : Yograj Bhat.
Running Time : 2 hours 20 minutes
Rating : 4 out of 4
Release Date : 25 October 2009
Manasaare is less of a love story and more of a social commentary on how the society (filled with a majority population which is ‘normal’, apparently) treats individuals and groups who are different and unique in their own way as pure dirt. In the movie, the society calls them Huccharu (meaning they have gone nuts and need to be in a asylum).
Manohar (Diganth) is one such huccha. He is unemployed, does not take life seriously and did not finish college. He is not without talent though. He and his friend ( the cable guy) manage build a electric generator! Yep. However nobody has the ‘patience’ or ‘time’ to find what he can do, with a bit of support and encouragement. Which in spite of his genius, he is just another loser.
This makes Manahor wonder, why the heck is the world like this? He spends time thinking why is everybody running in the same track. A person is born, he goes to school then to college, grabs a job, gets married and eventually has a family and dies. Manohar keeps wishing that every person should take their own route. As if god heard his plea, a mishap on the highway, causes him to be mistakenly picked up by a asylum vehicle, and he ends up in asylum and then the story unfolds. I would rather not say what happens after this.
The movie itself has very good production values. Yograj Bhat, I must say, is a gift to Sandalwood. The songs, though not as good as Gaalipata or Mungaaru Male, are better than most other movies out there. The amount of characters that are filled in the asylum is just awesome. There is this character called dollar, who is a foreign return software engineer who is keeps planning his escape, gets caught but never gives up. Another character is ‘cured’ but comes up with schemes to stay within the asylum because the outside world is just too boring. There is also Devika who is genuinely ill, and the asylum never cures her but gets cured in a unconvential way. While most characters (each of them too many to mention too unique and too funny in their own way) are used for comedic effect, Devika as portrayed Aindrita Ray gives the movie the serious side.
Frankly, I walked into the theatre expecting a humor filled love story (which is what all the posters and marketing for the movie led me to believe) and I am glad that it is not a love story (we got enough of it already). The movie also sends out a clear message. If someone is different, he is not a nut, but is gifted. Treat him as a person. Also, I agree with the director. Why is everyone bent on following the same path of being born, school then college then job and family and death?
Posted by: vijay on: November 5, 2009
Cast : Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Lara Dutta, Zayed Khan
Director : Anthony D’Souza
Running Time : 2 hours and 20 minutes
Rating : -1 out of 4.
Release Date : October 16, 2009
It is for movies such as these, people like me write reviews. The movies has bad casting, unneccessary hype, absurd settings, plot holes so big that no amount of belief suspension can make it look small and ‘Inspired by Hollywood’ to boot. This is going to be one long review. Before I begin, let me give some easy to remember names for the characters in the movie.
Akshay Kumar is ‘Rich Dude’. He is all about making money and having sex with girls who are not of Indian Origin.
Sanjay Dutt is “Fat Guy”. He is all about having a hot wife, and having flash backs which don’t make sense any damn sense.
Lara Dutta is “Hot Wife”. She is actually Fat Guy’s girl friend, but they keep referring how they will get married soon, let us just call her Hot Wife. Also, she has like 20 wardrobes, 19 of them filled with bikini suits and sexy black lingerie. Her life ambition is to open a institute for Marine Research.
Zayed Khan is wannabe “Cool Guy” but is actually a “Moron”. No description for him due to lack of character development in the movie.
There is also Biker Girl and Bad Guy, but again, no character development for them as well.
For a movie with such a huge budget, the one thing they could have done is get the casting right. They almost do, but ruin it all by making ONE BIG MISTAKE. Akshay Kumar and Lara Dutta are in fantastic shape and look great when they slip into beach wear. Zayed Khan looks like a guy who hits the gym now and then. What about Sanjay Dutt? I have nothing about people who are not in shape (hell, I myself am in pretty bad shape) and Dutt is fantastic in Munnabhai series. Here, he is too obese for this role. And the movie makers know it too. The proof is evident if you see any Blue Poster.
All the characters are facing the camera (and flaunting their physique) but any guesses why Sanjay Dutt is showing his back side to you?
Moving on, Director Anthony D’Souza’s favorite hobby seems to be copying action sequences from Hollywood movies. Here is the list
1. Shoot Out scene inspired by “Bad Boys II” (including the dialogue)
2. The title itself from “Into the Blue”
3. A girl pick up scene from “Hitch”
4. A Bike chase scene from “Torque” (I mean, if the people behind Dhoom series can come up with original bike chases, why can’t these guys?)
5. Transporter (Moron, is a bike rider who moonlights as a transporter)
Come on. After hyping this movie as an adventure movie that bollywood has never seen before, you couldn’t come up with a single original action scene. Dude, Main Hoo Na was supposed to be comedy but had better action scenes (even though those scenes were also ‘Inspired by Hollywood’)
Now, about those plot holes. The premise of the movie just sucks. You have a treasure. Fat Guy knows where it is, but he won’t tell due to some non-sense flashback. Rich Dude comes up with a plan to convince Fat Guy to reveal the location of the treasure. The plan is to have Bike Girl meet Moron. Moron falls in love (Why? How? Idli Vada?) and plans to marry her as well. Right. So, we are in the year 2009, and guys just decide to get married when they see a girl who has rings hanging below her lip! Biker Girl introduces Moron to Bad Guy. Bad Guy hires Moron to ‘transport’ a bag. Bad Guy also makes sure Moron loses the bag (which I am sure Moron would have done even if Rich Guy did not plan for it). Then tell Bad Guy to threaten Moron with 50 million dollars in return for his life. So, Moron comes running to his brother, Fat Guy. This means Moron is also a Sissy. Bad Guy tracks down Moron (How? Well, Moron keeps calling Biker Girl and keeps leaving her phone messages with exact details like his Home Address with Phone Number and Zip Code. Or, Rich Dude would have e-mailed the location to Bad Guy). So, now Moron needs 50 million dollars and Rich Dude convinces Fat Guy that, the only way to save Moron’s life is to find that sunken treasure. This plan is more complicated than the plan The Joker had in the movie Dark Knight!
Here are a few things, the movie thinks the characters can do.
1. Rich Guy can punch Sharks (yes, man eating sharks!!!) and scare them away.
2. Fat Guy can box, but only while wearing full tracking suit WITH a full-arm winter jacket, which conveniently hides his tummy.
3. Fat Guy’s Hot Wife is probably 20 but alas, true love. Also, when she is at home she is either wearing a bikini or sexy lingerie.
4. Bullets when fired from a gun leave behind a streak of yellow colored tracking lines, which you can see and duck as well.
5. You have a wall. Bad guys on one side and Fat Guy with Hot Wife on other side. All the 10 Bad Guys fire at the wall; make bullet holes all over the wall but manage not to scratch either Fat Guy or Hot Wife.
6. Scenes which happen during the day, Fat Guy has short hair. Scenes which happen during night (the same night following the day), Fat Guy has long hair.
The most absurd part of the story is, Rich Dude, has had Fat Guy working with for at least 10 years. Fat Guy always knew where the treasure was, and Fat Guy has had his brother all this time as well. The straight conclusion is, it took Rich Dude, 10 years to come up with the plan. I guess, Rich Dude never took time in between all those sex sessions with girls who-are-not-of-IndianOrigin.
Anyway, I came up with a plan in like 10 minutes. It is simple and will pretty much accomplishes the same thing.
Hire a photgrapher to take pics of Hot Wife. This should not be difficult because Hot Wife is anyway running around in minimal clothes in and around her house. Use Photoshop to modify these pictures so that these pics show her nude. Send these pics to Fat Guy, with a note – “Show me the treasure, or else”. That is it. Fat Guy will show not just this treasure but all the treasures which have not been discovered yet, to save his true love.
Anyway. The movie sucks. Yet, I will go ahead and get the DVD when it comes out for two reasons.
a) The movie is just bad, and I can enjoy every moment of it, by pointing out each of every fault in it (there are at least a 100 more of which I did not point out in this review)
b) Lara Dutta in a bikini.
Posted by: vijay on: November 5, 2009
Cast : Fardeen Khan, Ajay Devgan, Sanjay Dutt, Bipasha Basu, Mugdha Godse.
Director : Rohit Shetty
Running Time : 2 Hours 25 minutes
Rating : 3 out of 4.
Release Date : October 16, 2009
I was pleasantly surprised with this movie. Once again the marketing for the movie kind of mislead me into believing this movie is all Bipasha and Godse’s legs. However, just 10 minutes into the movie, I realized that the movie is all about over the top humor which the entire family can enjoy. So, I just removed my brain, pushed it into my wallet and reclined on the comfortable chairs of the multiplex.
We have like 10 + characters. All of these are in one way are another entangled with the lives of Vir and Prem (Fardeen Khan and Ajay Devgan). Vir is a huge liar. He lies so that his rich brother Dharam (Sanjay Dutt) can keep sending him his daily pocket money. He wants to increase his pocket money. Prem to the rescue, who is the unlimited idea generator. So another lie is generated and implemented. Pocket money increases. However, just like in real life, not everything goes as planned. So, one of the bizarre ideas (by Prem, who else?) leads to a huge disaster and then Vir’s brother decides to come home. So, another lie is generated (by Prem). To cover that another lie is generated (by Prem). Another lie for this lie (by Prem). So, soon we have a mountain of lies being generated for each and every character by the lie-generator and until things go kaboom and the movie kind of ends with one of the most weirdest (and funny) Deus ex machina endings I have ever seen in a Hindi movie. Still, I left the theatre smiling because, a over the top comedy needed a over the top ending and what better than a Deus ex machina ending?
Anyway, it is a decent comedy and is one for the family. My god, I just loved the over the topness. I hope there is a sequel.
Posted by: vijay on: November 5, 2009
Cast : Ranbir Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma
Director : Ayan Mukerji
Running Time : 2 Hours 20 minutes
Rating : 2 out of 4
Release Date : 2 October, 2009
Life during college is awesome, without a doubt. However, like all good things, college life will come to an end, and all of use decide its time to trade in our jeans for cotton trousers and move on with the post-college life filled with equal measures of joy and sorrow. However, there is a minority among us, which find it very difficult to make this transition. This is story of one such guy, Sid (Ranbir Kapoor).
While in college, Sid reads Superman, plays F.E.A.R on his X-Box and renames himself Sid Simpson. He also has a bunch of friends with whom he hangs out and has lots of fun. That is until, his exams show up, which he writes (or not writes anything) and fails. Instead of blaming himself, Sid decides to blame everyone else. He distances himself from pretty much everyone. His close friends, Mom, Dad and may be even from himself. Things reach a climax and he decides to leave home. But where does he go?
The very second he leaves the door of his home, is when the real movie starts. It takes Sid, less than a couple of days to realize he is a big zero without his Dad. Whatever he was because of his Dad, and he himself on his own is a big Zero. The moment he realizes this, he decides to change things and over time he finally manages to get things done and they live happy live ever after.
There are a lots of things to like here. Sid, as a character is pretty much everywhere. You or one of your friends might be like this. Just sleeping there waiting for some one to wake them up. The setting makes a lot of sense too. The transformation also happens in a very realistic way.
I have two complaints about the whole movie though. Which sadly makes this movie very boring. The opening (overhead) shot of Sid shows him pushing aside comics, gaming DVDs and other ‘child’ stuff to make room for his math book (for the exam, the next morning). This pretty much establishes his character. Yet, the director spends the next 60 minutes re-establishing the same character multiple times, almost like re-inventing the wheel. Which means you spend the entire first half, waiting for the real deal (Sid leaving house) to happen. Of course, this is a Bollywood movie, so you got to have lot of padding. Yet the concepts presenting in the movie completely seem to be against Bollywood convention. A guy and girl living together. People taking their own path. Hot aunty. My guess is, the director wanted to have a 1 hour 30 minute slick movie, but his producers force him to pad it with really not needed songs and dramatic scenes.
The second thing to crib about is Aisha (Konkona Sen Sharma). She wants to have her own house, her own job and be a independent, confident woman. However she keeps repeating to every body in the movie that she and Sid are just friends and don’t ‘do’ anything. ‘do’ means sex. Now here is my question. She is the 21st century face of Indian Woman in every way, but has 19th century thoughts when it comes to sex? Seriously, we have got to stop thinking this way!
