JHOOM BARABAR JHOOM

Long Haired Amitabh, Abhishek, Bobby- Actually all the main cast have long hair. That is the only thing you will notice in the movie other than some foot tapping songs.

Sure its a light movie meant to be enjoyed in light spirits but then even light films can have better dialogues, fewer songs (or at least those that contribute to the pace at least in some way) and some sweet comedy.

Well, the biggest drawback of the movie is the script!No doubt the movie is high on style but it's the script that matters.

The concept of two strangers meeting on a railway station (Abishek-Preity) and telling stories about their respective fiancés (Lara Dutta-Bobby Deol) is interesting but the execution is not up to the mark.

The music was pretty well done although Shaad Ali managed to drag all life out of the catchy title song since it pops up all over the film. The slow romantic number was also good.

Overall a bad film. You can enjoy it if you are in a party mood and paying only 50% attention to the movie.

LETTERS FROM IWO ZIMA

Director:Clint Eastwood

Cast :Ken Watanabe ,Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Ryo Kase, Shido Nakamura

During World War II, Japanese were characterized in the media as sneaky and fanatical, almost sub-human and many had a hard time adjusting to our being allies after the war. Clint Eastwood's Letters From Iwo Jima seeks to balance the equation. The film takes place in 1944 during the fight for the island that was deemed strategic for both sides, a fight that ended with 21,000 Japanese and 6,000 American casualties. Spoken in Japanese with English subtitles, dramatizes the battle from the Japanese point of view. They are depicted as soldiers who loved their families but were victims of Japanese militarism, forced to adhere to the Bushido code of serving the Emperor by dying honorably rather than preserving one's life.

Throughout the film, the Japanese soldiers write letters home, most of which they know will never reach their destination. The hero of the film is Commander Kuribayashi (Ken Watanabe), an American trained Japanese General who was outnumbered by a ratio of five-to-one yet fought off the US invasion for over a month without air or naval support. He is portrayed as a warrior with dignity and courage who was called an American sympathizer by some officers but who only wanted to give his men a fighting chance.Assisting in the preparations for an expected American invasion, are Baron Nishi (Tsuyoshi Ihara) and Lieutenant Ito (Shido Nakamur). Ito is a fanatical warrior who wears land mines around his shoulders and vows to destroy an American tank by pretending to be a corpse. Kuribayashi, countermanding the order to build trenches on the beach to resist the invasion, orders the soldiers to build underground tunnels in the hard rocks. While knowing the battle is a lost cause because of the American advantage in technology and numbers, he hopes to inflict enough casualties on the American troops that they will lose the will to go on.

We get to know Saigo (Kazunari Ninomiya), a Japanese soldier who left his job as a baker and his pregnant wife to join the military. In a flashback, Saigo learns that he is called to serve and is unwilling to leave his wife and their unborn child, but, encouraged by his neighbors, is forced to surrender to the idea of it being a privilege to fight. He stands out as a soldier who values life more than an outmoded code of honor. After a day of shoveling trenches, he writes to his wife, "Am I digging my own grave?" and wonders why he should die trying to kill Americans.Shown in a faded color palette that is almost black and white, Letters From Iwo Jima is a beautifully executed film, though I did find it a bit overlong and the battle scenes repetitious. Additionally, the film may go a bit too far in its attempt to show fairness to both sides, idealizing Kuribayashi and Nishi and inventing an incident in which American soldiers left in charge of two Japanese soldiers who surrendered, ruthlessly shoot them to death rather than stand guard all night.

Letters From Iwo Jima serves as a powerful reminder of our common humanity and makes clear the insanity of war and how it corrupts everyone involved.

This is probably the most emotionally effecting and powerful movie I've ever seen. Never has a movie effected me like this. Never has a war film shown the horror of war like this before. The music was the same throughout the entire movie but it had a great impact. They had a piano and trumpet version. It sounded like a funeral which fit perfectly because Iwo Jima was lost before it even started. The sound editing is great (won Academy Award). The battle scenes are very well done. The only flaw was that they didn't show a timeline. The Japanese held the island for 36 days but it seems like 5. The only other flaw is that they don't make clear exactly how many men there are.

To sum it all up, "Letters from Iwo Jima" is one of the greatest war films ever made, and is easily does the best job of depicting war as something that harms all involved that I have ever seen. Clint Eastwood has, with this achievement, engraved his name as one of the greatest American directors in film history

THE DEPARTED

The Cast :Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon,Jack Nicholson,Mark Wahlberg,Martin Sheen,Alec Baldwin

The screenplay: Fantastic

The performances: Stars competing among themselves who is best

The music: perfect with the theme

The Directing: Martin Scorsese at his finest and he delivers that

This film meets or exceeds the expectations of its audience in nearly every way. There are moments of incredible tension, violence, and drama, moments where characters reveal their vulnerabilities and weakness. Comedic moments and moments of sadness and through it all a multi layered .

This film is Scorsese's finest work , but it is not simply about Martin Scorsese or the amazing screen play by William Monahan, it is more than an amazing score, and great cinematography. While many of the accolades for this film belong to those behind the scenes people who envisioned and directed this film. One would be remiss to not point out the great performances of an all-star cast, many of whom deliver the finest performances of long and storied careers. Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon deliver incredible performances. However the performance that stood out for me was Wahlberg, Mark Wahlberg's Sgt. Dignam stole every scene he was in, and he shared screen time with each of the afore mentioned actors. He gets to deliver some of the best lines, and with every scene he leaves the audience wanting more, and anticipating his next scene.Anyone out there who previously disregarded Leo DiCaprio as an actor will be totally converted as he delivered an astounding performance and showed a gritty side to his character. In fact, he was so good that Mr Nicholson didn't act him off the screen when they shared screen time together.

The Departed is a fast moving, intense action thriller with great usage of smart humor, fantastic acting (as stated above), good character development, and the brutal Scorsese violence his fans love. Definitely one of the best films of the 00's.

The Departed is nothing short of spectacular. Funnier that most comedies, Scorsese is still able to amplify the bloodshed and meticulously deliver a stunning cinematic achievement

SPIDERMAN 3

Warning - This is not the best Spiderman Film!!!

This film is flawed in certain ways. It's much more convoluted than its predecessors, and nowhere near as cohesive. It seems like Sam has tried to fit too much into the film. Three villains as well as Peter's own inner demons, tension with MJ, problems at the Bugle...how much can one superhero handle? The film somewhere misses out to touch the heart.

Sure, everyone has their own part to play...but introducing all those new characters, and having their individual arcs play out to a satisfying extent - it's a big job, and one that doesn't quite pay off - or, at least, pays off at the expense of smooth narrative flow. We end up with some terribly clunky lines of expository dialogue – such as Eddie Brock's line to Chief Stacy, which goes something like 'I'm the new photographer at the Bugle...oh, and I'm dating your daughter' - that will make you spit goo in annoyance . Some of the scenes are really inspired by bollywood movies, like dialogues when Harry dies (remember Amitabh & Dharmendra in Sholay).

The many mental/emotional shifts Harry (poor, poor Harry) goes through are handled in a pretty ham-fisted way, too. There are also a couple of very 'sequelly' bits, which seem a little inconsistent with the other films. I'm not talking about the whole 'Flint-Marko-killed-Uncle-Ben' thing – that was actually handled surprisingly well. The most memorable example of what I mean is Bernard's little word in Harry's ear concerning Norman's cause of death. Umm...so, why couldn't he have mentioned it EARLIER?!

It is the darkest, the most action-packed, and by far the FUNNIEST Spider-Man yet. This, I suppose, is the upshot of Sam Raimi himself writing the screenplay . The sequence in which Peter turns into the lamest bad-boy in history is a total crack-up. The looks on the faces of the 'laydeez' as he struts along the street like a nerdy are absolutely priceless.The chase/fight sequence between Peter and Gobby Jr. is brilliant. We fly and fall through the air, not knowing which way is up half the time. Only Sam Raimi could disorient an audience to that extent while still allowing us to keep up with what's going on - AND manage to inject the scene with such style, humour and gravity, all at the same time.Both Sandman and Venom are great to watch. Yes, the special effects are awesome, but it mainly comes down to the fact that both characters are so well cast .The cast are all as good as ever, and have now grown nicely into their roles.

CHEENI KUM

Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Tabu, Paresh Rawal, Zohra Sehgal, Swini Khara

Directed by R. Balki

Cheeni Kum is probably the sauciest, sassiest, slickest, smoothest and most scrumptious romantic comedy you'll see in the Hindi language in a long time.She's in London for a holiday. He is a cantankerous sarcastic chef who can't take a snub even when it's served up on a platter.

Cheeni Kam makes you forget there's a difference of 30 years between the girl and, ahem ahem, the boy. That's the magic of pure acting. The magic of two of the finest actors at work as they create an ebullient alchemy. On the menu in this mellow ode to love's luminous largesse are an 85 -year old mom (Zohra Sehgal) living life king-sized, a 7-year old terminally-ill girl (Swini Khara, the most prized discovery of the year) who watches claims the chef as her very intimate friend and watches all the adult DVDs he gets her, since she won't get a chance to do so later. Then there's heroine's Gandhian father who can't stop reminding his damaad-to-be of his autumnal age. And last but certainly not the least in this feisty feast, there's the churlish chef's kitchen staff comprising some of the most sparkling cameo-actors you've seen. Mr. Balki just sweeps that age thing under the carpet.

Yes, the dialogues make pointed barbed references to what it's like for two such generation-challenged people to come together and laugh at each other's foibles.It's hard to decide in which capacity Balki scores higher marks… as director or dialogue writer. Caustic and crisp, mordant and modern, pithy and passionate….the words weave a minty magic across this intelligent yet spontaneous comedy of romantic errors.Shakespeare meets Gulzar in this evocative and funny love story.The flavour of the exchanges between the wry surly chef in London and the serene Indian girl from Delhi who makes the cardinal mistake of criticizing the arrogant chef's Hyderabadi biryani, is so distinctly pungent and peppery you wonder which came first in the writer-director's range of vision: the mix-matched couple or the words that they exchange to bring each other closer to that feeling which we sometimes call love, sometimes don't even recognize it for what it is.

In the first -half cinematographer P.C Sreeram captures an unexplored side of London. As the relationship between the couple grows, you sense undercurrents of feisty defiant and mischievous feelings trickling out of the verbal banter that you until now thought existed only in the range of the unspoken. But then Mr Bachchan and Tabu are that kind of actors. They imbue every encounter on the rain-slickened streets of London into an occasion to celebrate the life force.Tabu is a natural-born scene-stealer. She more than meets her match in her co-star.Is there no end to the surprises Mr Bachchan springs on us periodically? To imagine Cheeni Kum without Bachchan(God he looks gorgeous in those suits) is to imagine that pivotal Hyderabadi biryani that brings the couple together, without the saffron..or any other flavour for that matter. This intimate, amusing warm and utterly beguiling intimate character-study of love and its sudden appearance in lives that have accepted its non-presence, derives considerable energy from the supporting cast. Not Paresh Rawail who as Mr Bachchan's outraged father-in-law –to-be is surprisingly bland, but Zohra Sehgal as Mr Bachchan's spunky mother and more specially, little Swini Khara as Mr Bachchan's nextdoor neighbour who in her terminal illness provides the narrative with the gift of life….grab the lapels of your heart and sweep you into a world of love's most satirical fears and foibles.There are moments in this quirky captivating and curvaceous cinema that touch the highest notes of drama without getting hysterical.What makes Cheeni Kum so unique? Is it the amazingly laidback chemistry between the lead pair? Is it the combination of satire and romance, mixed stirred and served up in a tall frothy glass? It is Balki's word-spin that takes the romance into areas of absolutely seductive brightness? Is it the the way London (mellow, supple, sensuous) and Delhi (heated grimy and spiced up) have ben captured by Sreeram's calmly articulate cinematography? Or is it Ilayaraja's talcum-fresh melodies trickling emotions in austere motions?What makes Cheeni Kum so special in spite of a far-from-flawless second-half?Could it be just the magic between Amitabh Bachchan and Tabu who seem to look into each other's eyes and souls with such warmth and affection you forget their age difference completely. Nah! It's more. Cheeni Kum is a film where the words so match the thoughts and feelings of the characters that you forget someone else wrote the dialogues for the unlikely lovers. This movie is a novelty for India, a movie comprising mostly of intelligent, dialogue based humour rather than on situations or slapstick. Undoubtedly it has got the best dialogues among recent movies.

The true brilliance of the movie lies in the life / spark infused in even the simplest of situations or the simplest of characters. Whether it's the interaction amongst the chef's in the restaurant, the waiter hilariously nicknamed Colgate because of his protruding teeth and the jokes at their expense ('Iske Liye Dimaag Ki Zaroorat Hai, Daant Ki Nahin', he is gently admonished on one occasion), the Sardarji pharmacist and Amitabh's interactions with him, Amitabh's mom's fascination with the gym in the face of her sons obvious reluctance to go anywhere near it, his acerbic comments on his mom's cooking ('yeh Tihar Jail Waali Dal ?'), Paresh Rawal's love of cricket and Gandhism. It goes on and on. I was in near-hysterical splits on no less than 10 occasions. The movie also captures amazingly well the highs and lows of falling in love.

The only negative point of the movie is its pace.

LIFE IN A METRO

Starring: Shilpa Shetty, Shiney Ahuja, Kay Kay Menon, Konkona Sen Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Sharman Joshi, Kangana Ranaut, Dharmendra and Nafisa Ali

Director: Anurag Basu

Music & songs are integral part of hindi movie. It makes a movie complete with relief, joy and to increase viewership. Music is made as per the movies.

BUT Metro... is different. It is a movie made for songs. Songs are so much integral part of the movie. Songs play the " Sutradhar". The way the songs describe the situation is what has been unseen in Bollywood movies. Here no actor or actress sings the songs- songs are played in the backdrop of the events by "Band Metro" like a music video. Kudos to Anurag Basu for this effort ( maybe he was inspired by - There's something about mary).

In a city, each individual is constantly on the move. While it may seem robotic, each person has an objective and a story to tell. On face-value each person seems to be in their own little world. However, even amongst the chaos of a city, it’s quite a small world, and this is exactly the note on which Life in a…Metro takes off.

It follows the lives of nine people in a city and delves deep into the gut of their souls to project a panorama of emotions that are scattered around metro life. With Anurag Basu (Murder, Gangster) at the helm, UTV as producer, and Pritam as a music director, does Life in a…Metro land safely? To an extent, yes, with major blemishes along the way.

Shikha (Shilpa Shetty) is an educated and well-brought up woman, married to Ranjit (Kay Kay Menon). After marriage, she gave up working to have a child, despite the fact that she would be able to make more money than her husband. However, in the midst of her mundane lifestyle, she realises that work might not be the only thing she sacrificed. While she and Ranjit struggled to buy a house, it seems they have lost the will to make it a home. When Akash, a struggling actor, emerges into the picture, Shikha’s cloaked desires begin to capture her body, mind and soul, until she is left with a gamut of emotions and a terribly important decision to make. Shilpa Shetty adds another feather to her cap after Phir Milenge. She will surely win accolades for her portrayal of Shikha’s vulnerability, desires and longing. Shiney Ahuja suffers from a weak characterization and tries his best to uplift a bland character. Still, the impact is minimal.Meanwhile, her husband Ranjit is no saint himself.

Without much interest in his wife, he has been having an affair solely based on sex with a co-worker named Neha (Kangana Ranaut) for the past two years. As the head of a call centre, he works his magic by promoting Neha at every chance possible while she fulfills his sexual needs. Unfortunately, all relationships, no matter how seemingly simple, come with strings attached and Neha begins to feel the urge for real love. Kay Kay Menon is brilliantly wicked as Ranjit, and manages to make you itch with anger. Kangana Ranaut disappoints this time around. She’s good with her facial expressions, but the minute she talks, you cringe. She desperately needs to work on her pitiful dialogue delivery. It must be noted that her new look is fantastic and she looks every bit the part.Also working at the call centre is Rahul (Sharman Joshi), a man who knows what he wants and will do anything to get it. By renting out his flat to his boss, Ranjit, he continues to climb up the corporate ladder. Love seems to captivate him as well, as he constantly pursues Neha, not knowing that she is busy with his boss in his very own flat. Sharman Joshi is endearing but gets lost in the crowd.

Still, an able performance and a side of him we haven’t been exposed to before.Shikha’s younger sister, and Neha’s roommate, Shruti (Konkona Sen Sharma), is in a dilemma. She’s twenty-eight, nearing the big three-zero, and she’s still a virgin. It seems as if love finds everyone around her, but continues to evade her life. Looking for a suitable match, she meets Monty (Irrfan Khan) on an Internet portal. However, once meeting him, she quickly dismisses him, attributing her rejection to his quirky and almost frightening behaviour. As she tries to pursue another relationship, she eventually bumps back into Monty and feelings she refuses to admit to spurt from her heart. Konkona Sen Sharma is an absolute delight to watch with a flawless performance. Shruti’s character is among Konkona’s lighter roles, and she passes with flying colours. Is there anything this actress cannot do? Irrfan Khan compliments her beautifully and makes you chuckle quite a few times. Their chemistry is magical.

Last but not least, Shivani (Nafisa Ali). Now an old woman, a love from her past, Amol (Dharmendra), enters her life after years of separation and re-kindles the romance they once had. All the while, both know that life could leave them at any given moment; yet, they seize the day and indulge in affairs of the heart. Dharmendra is lovable and still looks good despite his age. Nafisa Ali isn’t bad, but nor does she stand out.Greed, jealousy, determination, vulnerability, passion, desperation, love, regret—these are a sample of the emotions that come along with living in a city. These emotions are what director Anurag Basu tries to portray. Though his storyline his fantastic, the execution is a large let-down.Though the characters seem well-defined, there comes a point where you realise you don’t know much about them beyond their relationships.

It would have been far more interesting if the characters were fleshed out better. For example, the character of Akash played by Shiney Ahuja was completely half-baked. Ditto for Neha. At the same time, Shikha, Ranjit and Shruti are written beautifully and you can’t help but feel like you know them. Each protagonist is flawed in some way, and this is what works in Life in a…Metro. The characters are real, the stories are interesting and nothing is sugar-coated, which is an absolute breath of fresh air.What is so disappointing about the film is that the subject matter is so innovative and strong that there was potential for a path-breaking film. If the script was better, the film would have been outstanding. While the screenplay is efficient, the dialogues by Sanjib Datta drag the film down. In some pivotal scenes, the dialogues are so jarring that you are thrown off, thereby decreasing the impact. For example, Shikha mouthing the lines “I feel like a slut” to Akash registers no impact whatsoever, and rather, sabotages a wonderful scene. In addition, Akiv Ali’s editing needed more work. Particularly the film’s ending, which is completely abrupt and deserved better closure.Still, one cannot say that Life in a…Metro is a disaster of any sort. Yes, like many other 2007 films, it contains multiple characters and showcases different facets of their lives.

At the same time, it charters new terrain because each of the characters are connected and in this aspect, Basu deserves applause. Not to mention, he extracts some beautiful performances from the principal cast, and creates some magical movie moments. Shikha and Akash’s intimate encounter is aesthetically shot and places amongst the finest parts of the film. Each moment between Shruti and Monty is a delight to watch, whether it’s their introduction or their scenes during the climax. The scene between Ranjit and Shikha where each confesses to their actions is equally as fantastic.

Pritam has formulated a brilliant soundtrack that gels well with the mood of the film, Anurag’s tactic of bringing Band Metro on-screen during each song does work. Yes, it’s innovative. Bobby Singh’s cinematography is pristine for the most part, but it is obvious during a scene or two that the background outside the cars is not real.Life in a…Metro succeeds in mapping the emotions of a panorama of characters bound by the harsh realities of a metro, in this case Mumbai. From this point of view, it works, as it captures the essence of Mumbai strikingly and better yet, realistically. However, the dialogues and editing leave much to be desired and dampen the spirits of what could have been one of the best films of 2007. Still, Basu’s stamp is apparent and the spirited and nuanced performances uplift the film.By the end of the film, you are satisfied. Yet, there is something missing. It is this something that leaves you wishing Life in a…Metro offered something more. Either way, it’s worth watching a film that explores the depths of jealousy, the impact of vulnerability, the power of greed and ultimately, the sensation of love amidst a chaotic, insensitive and alluring city—one exactly like those that millions around the world call home.

SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA

SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA

"WOW" is what you think when Vivek Oberoi Says " Maaayaaa" . Its Jhaakas.

A very well made movie however the gangsters (Vivek Oberoi, Tushar kapoor, Rohit Roy, Aditya lakhia & Shabbir Ahluwalia) overshadows the police team (Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Shetty, Arbaaz Khan & Abhisek Bachchan-in guest appearance) in screen presence.

Technically it is fantastic - Visual & background score is fantastic.

2 Mujra songs were avoidable but "ganpat" & "Akhri alvida" was nice.

In the climax hand to hand action scenes should had been avoided (its too bollywoodish)Performance wise - Vivek Oberoi steals the show with grace, screen presence and panache. Sanjay dutt as usual was fantastic. Amitabh was very good. Tushar Kapoor - Boy u need to grow up for negative roles, Sunil & Arbaz was really good. Other cast was good.

Amrita Singh was fantastic, Diya mirza was good, Aarti Chabria was Ok but Neha Dhupia was avoidable.

Some scenes are really well captured - starting from the first scene where the the bullets and blood strains are cleaned to the end where all the deadbodies of the gangsters are loaded in police van. When Aditya Lakhia is killed by Sanjay Dutt or when Vivek Oberoi talks with Bhai (Intended to be Mr. D) saying that he will not loose is respect or when the shootout starts the psychological condition of the gangsters - All leaves an impression.

Try to watch the movie in Big screen.

A good time pass for 1hr 58mins.

Good job Mr Apporva lakhia - keep it up.

SHOLAY

SHOLAY - BAAP OF ALL BOLLYWOOD MOVIES
Why Sholay ???
A Bollywood Movie forum without a review of Sholay is incomplete.
I always dreamt of writing the review of SHOLAY but never got the platform. So this is to fulfill my dream and it is an honour to review Sholay
.....ummmmmmm.... where to start ....
The opening credits - the music still afresh in my ears. RD at his best.
Thakur( sanjeev kumar )- " yeh Hath nahi phasi ka phanda hai"
Jai ( Amitabh) - " Saala Nautanki"
Veeru (Dharmendra) - " Mausi Chakki Pissing and Pissing"
Basanti (hema malini) - " yunki..."
Imaam saab (AK Hangal) - " Itna Sannata kyun hai Bhai"J
ailor (asrani) - " Mein angrezo kin zamane ki jailor hu... Haha"
Surma Bhopali (Jagdeep) -"Kay riya tha.."
Kaalia (Biju Khote) - " sarkar maine apka namak khaya hai"
Saamba (Mac mohan) - " Poore pachas hazar"
Dhanno --- sorry no dialogueA
ND LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST
GABBAR (Amjad Khan) - " kitne Aadmi the " or " Jo dar gaya woh mar gaya " and numerous others.
Hats off to Salim-Javed for Dialogues & Script & Story
Goods train ramming the pile of logs or Dakus on horses pursuing the goods train - Fantastic cinematography ( remember it was 1975).jai dying in veeru's arms or Radha's silent painful eyes or jai's mouthorgan tune in night - some vocal/some silent yet done masterfully.each and every character be it Jai/ Veeru or it is ramlal - each name reaches your mind.
each scene is remembered.
the music is weak but still who can forget " Yeh Dosti" & " mehbooba mehbooba" sung by three maestros - kishore, Manna & RD Himself.
Who can forget Dhanno even though she was a horse. no one can forget jai's coin trick or kesto mukherjee is informer to the jailor.Gabbar singh changed the look of Indian Villainism. Jai Veeru - wrote a new chapter of friendship. Thakur takes revenge in panache.
Ramesh Sippy - Why haven't you ever been able to recreate the Sholay magic ?? Because as great Late Satyajit Ray said - IT IS THE PERFECT MAINSTREAM CINEMA.
THANK YOU GOD FOR MAKING ME INDIAN.