A well written story of a gay man who's life is turned inside out when life changing events unfold. Can't really give the story away. The chemistry between the main cast was good and the acting wasn't too bad either. Whilst there were some cheesy moments, the movie on the whole worked well. All I will say is keep a box of tissues handy. A good weekend movie to watch.
Reviews
22 Reviews
Feel Good Movie- but not without its flaws.
17 August 2020
This is a feel good movie throughout. The script has been written to pull at the heart strings and it does just that in certain scenes, however its not without its flaws, hence the 7 stars. There has been a huge anti nepotism backlash and the film has received mostly poor reviews. It would rate much higher if public sentiments were brushed aside. Firstly the Direction and supporting cast are very good. Pankaj Tripati does a brilliant job as the dad. The Major weak point is Jahnvi, who is inconsistent. She shines in certain scenes and then you think what happened in others. There is the scene where she tells her father that she isn't going to let him down where she looks like she is following instructions and not adding anything extra to the scene which could have been much better. I enjoyed the action sequences and the story on the whole is inspiring. A more experienced actress would have turned this into gold. The film struggles to engage in a few scenes. A tighter script and sharper editing would have helped here. A good movie on the whole but could have been much better.
Ram Teri Ganga Maili
(1985)
A grand epic - Raj Kapoor style.....
23 November 2012
Warning: Spoilers
What looks like a standard rich boy, poor girl love story with the basic formula of boy meets girl, they fall in love and have to face several hurdles before being reunited is actually much much more. The movie itself contains an important social message about faith, hypocrisy and the distortion of religion for personal gains. Bold for its time. Raj Kapoor introduces newcomer Mandakini in an extremely powerful heroine oriented role, causing controversy with the now infamous waterfall scene where her breasts were visible, through a flimsy white sari.
The story follows the journey of Ganga, a girl from Gangotri (the source of the Ganges),who starts out as pure as the Ganges itself, and as the events unfold She follows the course of the Ganges and reaches Calcutta tainted just like the sacred Ganges. The performances on the whole are excellent. Raj Kapoor extracts some fine acting from all the star cast, even his son Rajiv who shines despite his limitation.
The way the dramatic scenes are executed are sheer brilliance, and you are kept almost at the edge of your seat. Raza Murad stands out as the most memorable character and plays his part with utter conviction.
The soundtrack is also worth mentioning as the beautiful music by Ravidra Jain, with voice's of the legendary Lata Mangeshkar and Suresh Wadkar is simply sublime with its mix of classical and modern film music. The cinematography for a Hindi film of its time really stands out (especially the songs) in and era where films were rather technically poor in India.
The only low I would have to say is the ending. We reach the pivotal climax beautifully executed. What follows is a quick lets get over with this and finish the film with the usual commotion, fighting and over dramatisation. The ending is rather abrupt and you are left with a feeling that the story has not been fully resolved.
What stops this film from being one the greatest stories ever told is the inclusion of certain unnecessary scenes which make the first half less gripping than it could have been.. Certain plot lines such as the Murder of Ganga's brother are left uncompleted. The fight scene where Ganaga is accused of theft is not necessary and just seems to prolong the story.
All in all a great film that could have possibly been even greater. do watch it if you can get hold of it on DVD.
The story follows the journey of Ganga, a girl from Gangotri (the source of the Ganges),who starts out as pure as the Ganges itself, and as the events unfold She follows the course of the Ganges and reaches Calcutta tainted just like the sacred Ganges. The performances on the whole are excellent. Raj Kapoor extracts some fine acting from all the star cast, even his son Rajiv who shines despite his limitation.
The way the dramatic scenes are executed are sheer brilliance, and you are kept almost at the edge of your seat. Raza Murad stands out as the most memorable character and plays his part with utter conviction.
The soundtrack is also worth mentioning as the beautiful music by Ravidra Jain, with voice's of the legendary Lata Mangeshkar and Suresh Wadkar is simply sublime with its mix of classical and modern film music. The cinematography for a Hindi film of its time really stands out (especially the songs) in and era where films were rather technically poor in India.
The only low I would have to say is the ending. We reach the pivotal climax beautifully executed. What follows is a quick lets get over with this and finish the film with the usual commotion, fighting and over dramatisation. The ending is rather abrupt and you are left with a feeling that the story has not been fully resolved.
What stops this film from being one the greatest stories ever told is the inclusion of certain unnecessary scenes which make the first half less gripping than it could have been.. Certain plot lines such as the Murder of Ganga's brother are left uncompleted. The fight scene where Ganaga is accused of theft is not necessary and just seems to prolong the story.
All in all a great film that could have possibly been even greater. do watch it if you can get hold of it on DVD.
Quantum of Solace
(2008)
Another Brilliant Daniel Craig Bond.........
13 November 2008
Fast Cars! Non stop action and plenty of globe trotting with Daniel Craig as bond! what could be better? I hadn't read any reviews or heard the theme song etc. before the movie so I went in with an open and unbiased mind and thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Though some bond fans may differ! The story is very fast paced for a bond and gadgets are not really existent apart from the Sony phones, computers etc. I've never seen bond with so many cuts and bruises!!!(very realistic!). This movie does loose out on getting a perfect 10 due to the lack of certain bond trademarks. 1- The famous gun barrel intro was pushed to the end of the movie. 2- No formal introduction "My name is Bond, James Bond" But then again. this film is more about the making of James Bond(his turning into the Jame Bond we know and love so much, The Man of Wine, Women and Wonder. A good film, but we still want to see the classic Bond trademarks.
Jodhaa Akbar
(2008)
Jhodaa Akhbar...... Were do we start...
23 March 2008
The movie we are told is based on a marriage of alliance between the Mughals and Rajputs. This so called(historically disputed by many) arranged marriage is turned into into a grand epic by the one and only Ashutosh Gowarikar. The main flaw in this film is the fact that there isn't really a story to tell. Most of the story is made up and bears hardly any relation to the real history(people looking for a historical treat be-aware). Now we come to the choice of actors. Hrithik Roshan & Aishwariya Rai. Hrithik.s rendition of Akbar would have been a pleasant one if he didn't look so uncomfortable throughout the film. His awful grin(three hours+)does little justice to a Great Mughal Emperor. On the other hand Aishwariya's Jhodha was much better and possibly her best performance to date(she finally acted for once). The cinematography is brilliant and so are the sets and costumes. The soundtrack is largely forgettable and not as good as it could be. If you don't care much for real history and facts you might just enjoy this movie. Though if you are after a little more substance expect to be hugely disappointed.
Life in a Metro
(2007)
Finally a mature and realistic Hindi film...
18 August 2007
After long Hindi cinema has finally taken the jump and started dealing with more in depth emotional subjects. We get intelligent dialogue that looks and comes across naturally. Real issues faced by the modern Indians of today brought to life in this brilliant thought provoking films. that leaves you questioning several aspects of the movie. Shilpa's acting is the best I have seen out of all her movies. Konkona, Kangana, Irfan, Shiny, Kay Kay and Sharman have all acted brilliantly. the scenes between Shilpa and Shiny have been done brilliantly as have the scenes between Dharmendra and Shivani. The film starts of interestingly and engrosses you further, as the story unfolds. the soundtrack lends itself beautifully to the surroundings and you get a sense of a modern vibrant moving city with real people leading real lives (not your usual song and dance sequences around the world) This film portrays a deeper unexplored side of human nature that is very rarely addressed in Hindi films. Brilliantly shot and acted. A must see film.
The Queen
(2006)
Poor disappointment.
16 May 2007
After hearing the rave reviews and hype surrounding this movie, I hired it from my local video store only to be hugely disappointed. This was a film that was meant to by about Queen Elizbeth, but ends out being a film all about the death of Princess Diana. The film is full of news clips and TV footage surrounding Diana's fatal crash, and the Queens reaction. Helen Mirrens rendition of the Queen is not bad, but definitely not worthy of the Oscar she received. The rest of the cast were simply dire. Made for TV drama's on the BBC and ITV have better acting than this. Prince Charles is made to look like a weak geeky mummy's boy with no credibility while Prince Philip fares no better, As for Tony Blair's character a TV comedian could have done a better job blind eyed. There's more to the real Queen than the death of Princess Diana. Its a shame we didn't get to see it. This film could have been more aptly named "Diana A Royal Tragedy" not worth your money and the Oscar
The Pursuit of Happyness
(2006)
Heartwarming and hugely uplifting
16 May 2007
We in our lives always think we have it bad, credit card bills and lack of money, but then seeing this movie made me think really hard at my situation in life and in general my friends and family. It just makes you think that there's people in a lot worse than what you are. Being grateful for what you have is just the beginning. Beleiving in yourself, and going out there and not accepting defeat in the pursuit of happiness is the real story. Will Smith acted brilliantly as the single father trying to keep what he had left of himself and his son together. You get a real sense of the pain and the determination, and you somehow really want him to succeed in some ways even more than him. This is definitely one film that left a huge impact on my mind. A thoroughly enjoyable movie. A must see for everyone who's down in the dumps.
The Last King of Scotland
(2006)
Interesting fictional chiller...
16 May 2007
This taught thriller Verges on a Horror Movie at times... and chills. The evil Adi Amin is brilliantly portrayed by the magnificent Forest Whittaker. You get a true sense of being in Uganda in the 1970's. the scenery reminded me of my childhood in Kenya, though Jame's Mcevoys doctor character was a little too hippie for my liking at times, and his stupidity at times baffling. This is definitely Forrest's film and he steals the show, though we could have gone a little further and explored Idi's evil side as there was definitely more than was displayed in the movie. The story nevertheless is quite interesting and really picks up pace towards the end leaving you at the edge of you seat at times. Most of the major events during Amin's reign are shown and historically apart from the fictional doctor character the film is fairly correct. A definitely good film to watch.
Krrish
(2006)
Superboy enters the Matrix....
10 May 2007
Introduction - Hritik and Rehkha once again. Living in some remote village away from public eyes. Hritik discovers his super powers and is soon leaping of horses and swinging of trees like some sort of modern day tarzan. He meets pryianka who is with a whole load of annoying college kids on some sort of camping trip and you are left with a boy meets girl inclusive of silly pranks type story. And its not until mosty of the film has passed that you get to see some serious action. Enter the villain of the story. and a whole Matrix style plot evolves. Pryanka's acting is average and annoying at times. Hritik is fairly OK and Rekha is the only one that really shines out. Nasserudin's villain is a bit too comical at times and could have been done better no where near the frightening mogambo of Mr India (played by the great Amrish Puri) All in all not bad but nothing to shout about average sequel.
The Mistress of Spices
(2005)
ahhhh the spices.......... (ancient sitar music in the background)
17 August 2006
Aishwaria rai is the mistress of spices. sent to America to help people with her knowledge of spices and her somewhat telepathic connection with them. They actually speak to her now do they? Should have been renamed spice shop round the corner. wouldn't have made much of a difference. The story revolves around a set of bland Asian character stereotypes. The movie does have its funny moments and its rather flat moments and its rather plain lifelessly dull moments. ahhh the spices......... One is bound by the spices........ You must never leave the spices.......... (ooooh i'm scared!!!) The star of the show is Aishwaria and it shows as the male lead in this mostly forgettable film fails to leave any lasting impact and the rest of the cast is simply forgettable. Sadly the idea of a psychic spice mistress is a little too far fetched as is her devotion to the spices, leaving many questions unanswered with all her constraints how did she manage to get to were she was? Being couped up in a spice unable to step outside for fear of letting the spices down... I cannot get worse but it does. as the spices extract their revenge... freaky? I don't think so ooops oh no the Cinnamon its angry!!! the cumin seeds not the cumin seeds.............. Entertaining as it is this film is ultimately forgettable and will leave no memories and you will be struggling to remember what you saw last night in-front of the telly.. sadly Aishwaria and a couple of jar fulls of spices don't make a good movie.
Neal 'n' Nikki
(2005)
Skin, flesh, Barbie dolls and whole load of daft antics in Canada..
30 July 2006
Wow!!!! we are supposed to believe that this is the coolest movie ever!!! The streets are lurking with perfect Barbie dolls dressed in next to nothing and daft boys looking to score. In this case the extremely annoying Uday Chopra and the equally if not more annoying Tanisha. Thank god this movie is not your usual three hours long and runs like a B-grade run of the mile romantic comedy. Hollywood's full of them. Saying that this movie is quite entertaining, and you can get a good laugh but for all the wrong reasons. You may not laugh at the jokes but the silly and likely probability of half the things the two get to in this movie. And finally some decent kissing in a bollywood movie. Which I gather was to lots of attract audiences but then again the two stars just don't seem to gel. there isn't any of that overly deep and emotional love we have become accustomed to. There's no tears no deep eye contact nothing? In fact very flat in places. on the plus the photography is nice and the songs bearable. Okay movie nothing to really shout about.
Fanaa
(2006)
watch out everyone Kajol is back!
25 June 2006
Hailed as Kajol's comeback movie and first movie with the immensely talented Ammir Khan. This movie just could be the breath of fresh of air that the bollywood film industry was crying out from. A little originality with some decent acting for a change. makes a change from the poorly acted Hollywood remakes. The first half movie starts out as a beautiful love story with Ammir khan and the beautiful and simply stunning Kajol and soon turns into and ingrossing tale about Kashmiri terrorism and covers all angles of the conflict. the mood of the film does change a little too dramatically between the first and the second half but soon comes back into line ties up into an interesting film with gripping climax. a well made movie with lots of deep poetic references. A brilliant move for all to see.
Mr. India
(1987)
Superb classic
6 April 2006
This Classic from the eighties is one of the few sci fi films to be produced in India incidentally it is also one of the best. Directed by shekhar kapur of "Elizabeth" fame Mr India is one of his earlier works. The cinematography may not be great but the rest sure is! An interesting and intelligent story that makes for full on family entertainment. This movie will make you smile laugh and cry and bring out all the other various emotions in you. Sridevi players the bubbly cheerful news reporter and Anil kapoor the Super Hero who upon discovering the invisibility formula sets out to avenge the worlds evils. Aka Mogambo played by the greatest villain ever to grace the Indian screen Amrish puri. His mogambo still strikes terror into the hearts of kids. Anil Kapoor & Sridevi's relationship is more of a homage to the Louis lane Clark Kent type relationship seen in several superhero movies. The rain and wind dance number by sridevi. could easily give the new crop of actresses a run for their money. brilliantly acted and executed her dance with the invisible man is simply unforgettable and who can forget her cheeky "hava hawi" number. you can watch this film time and time again and not get bored. The special effects may be basic but the story and acting are just brilliant. directors and actors of today take a note. Its not just about the visuall appearance. its also about soul that films of today lack which this film is full of. watch it and be truly entertained one of my definite favourites...
Procession of Memories
(1973)
Fantastic 70's action packed flick....
26 August 2005
Dodgy fashions, wacky sets and simply one of the greatest Hindi film soundtracks ever. The film is an acquired taste for some. This isn't your average happy family love flick with everyone dancing around huge larger than life sets. This is more of a gritty dark painful film full of anger and betrayal. This original lost and found formula features some of RD burmans finest work ever as a music director. from the title track to "churalia hai tumnein" and the fiery "lekhar hum diwana dil". all the tracks work brilliantly with the story. The villain in story is just the biggest baddest larger than life villain you just can wait get. Dharmedra plays the role of vengeful man brilliantly. the other two lesser know hero's do a rather fantastic job. Vijay Aurora the dashing young man after sizzling Zeenat Amaan's heart and Tariq the bad ass nightclub singer with the massive 70's shades and shiny flares. Neetu Singh though brilliant in the song "lekhar hum diwana dil" does not have much of a role in the film. the heroines in this film are just the hero's love interests and don't do much else. All in all this film is very entertaining and the scene where the brothers re-unite at the night club is enough to bring anyone to tears. The dialogues are fantastic and witty something which is quite lacking in todays films. A fantastic entertainer for everyone to watch.
Birthday Girl
(2001)
odd yet strangely entertaining film
16 July 2005
This film is definitely an odd love story. Though this film may not be much to shout about, Nicole Kidman carries the film on her own the rest of the cast could quite easily be forgotten, though Ben Chaplin does do quite a good job of Hertfordshire Life with shots of St Albans & Hemel Hempstead town centre depicting the true essence of the area. What starts outlooking like a regular episode of the popular British TV series"Heartbeat" soon turns into a gritty gangster getaway action flick.Nothing truly memorable happens in this simple small film and thus ends-up as fairly decent weekend entertainment. A good one to watch, and if you like the hero john are lonely thirty something you may find something to identify with in his character.
Mughal-E-Azam
(1960)
A love epic on a grand scale...
3 July 2005
When one thinks of great movies they remember the classics such as gone with the wind, Ben hur etc... but let us not forget one of the greatest cinematic triumphs of Hindi Cinema Mughal-e-Azam a film set in the times of the great Moughul Empire. Having seen both the part B/W and Colour and the remastered full colour version I can truly say that the colourised version truly brings out the true glory of this amazing classic putting it in a league way beyond the Classics of today. The dialogue is simply superb and the acting truly amazing modern filmmakers could learn thing or two about acting. The cinematography is simply stunning for a movie of its time. the grandeur and opulence of the sets really comes out in full colour. The story though not very relevant for modern times shows the views and attitudes of India's past. a truly great film to watch...
The soul of star wars returns!!!
22 May 2005
Warning: Spoilers
after the hugely disappointing episode 1 and the slightly better episode 2 here comes a film with soul that the original films had. This epic though not great is far better than the last 2 films. If you thought Star Wars was meant to be fun all round family entertainment, think again... this film follows in the vein of Graphic Manga comics and seizes to be a larger than life space movie, Instead we get bogged down with the complexities of the good & the dark side. What leads one to the dark side, there is certainly a macabre undertone to this movie hence the 12a(Uk)rating which in some cases makes you think if it isn't a tad bit low for this film. ****Possible Spoiler**** Anakin's near death scene with the molten lava is quite chilling if not highly unnerving but at least it answers the question to how Anakin ends up as the crusty powder complexioned man at the end of ROTJ... Yoda is simply stunning in this film... the facial expressions created and movements are very real. we actually get to see real emotion in an animated character. though the film does have its pitfalls.. the technology in the film far surpassed the technology in the original trilogy which makes you think what happens to all that technology? even though sets similar to the originals are slowly blended in with the effects in this movie as a transition to the original "Star Wars A New Hope" The dialogue is not the best in places. and thats where it goes into bad quality kid movie territory. Mace Windu's death is one of the highlights of this film as we get to see how the emperor came into being... Sadly C3-PO does not have much of a role in this movie and is just there to let you know this is a Star Wars film. Well R2-D2 does have some role in this film. all in all not a bad film not great either. (if you like special effects you will like this one!)
I Dreamed of Africa
(2000)
Dull film that lacks epic passion
27 April 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Sadly, such a beautiful title demanded a good film but alas. we didn't dream of Africa.... Kuki's story is meant to move you... fill you with a deep understanding for her Passion for Africa.... As someone who was born and brought up in Kenya, I can understand anyone's passion for The breathtaking beauty of the African landscape.. the films flaws lie in its editing. there is a lot of chopping and changing. We don't get to sense her reason for loving land that is Africa to death even though it takes her husband and her son away from her. What we get is and image of a sad bitter and twisted colonial woman. The cinematography is below average and important scenes such as Paulo's funeral don't have the impact that they should have. Though enjoyable not the best and sadly won't be remembered as a great movie but a disaster that just faded away.....
Supervixens
(1975)
wow!!!! supervixen.............. totally fab!
14 April 2005
Trashy chesty women, an evil cop and a sad idiot.... there you have it!!! shari eubank is absolutely fabulous and ultra sexy!!!! especially as the sweet cheeky supervixen.... Porn for the soul. There are a lot of mixed feelings about super angel's murder... if you can look beyond the gore and cruelty you do kind of see a funny side to it... this was way before Trantino's kill bill gore fest and quite shocking for its time. though loads of comedy sex and silly story lines keep the film rather funny and exciting. the highlight being supervixen and her gas station oasis and dream haven in the middle of nowhere.... but watch out the bad cop's back!!!! the ending is rather silly and totally comic!!! . a load of laughs with one the sexist woman on screen ever!!!!!!! a must for fans of cult trash!!!!
Entertaining yet poorly done.....
14 April 2005
Sadly as entertaining as this film was unfortunately all the hype was far to much to live up to. the original trilogy being so strong. Thought there have been several advances in special effects technology in recent years one can't help but feel that a lot of soul is lost through the excessive use of special effects. The acting is extremely dire and without the effects this would just end up being a forgotten B grade sci-fi film. Even though we see the most memorable feature of star wars in this film "the light sabre" the duels are lacklustre and the joy of the double edged light sabre is lost. Beautifully crafted the sith lord could be classed as the highlight of the movie but gets no where near the dizzy heights of the emperor in the original trilogy. Jar jar binks? what where they thinking??? you might as well have had the sickly cute Ewoks from RTOJ, at least they were more realistic than a computer animated kangaroo lizard with a Rather annoying voice, far too childish and uninspiring. The pod race is definitely the highlight of this move though. The only exciting pulse quickening scene in the film.... All in all not a bad movie not great either.
Pure made for entertainment garbage!
8 January 2005
As entertaining as it is ATHWS is just another run of the mile war film with strong pro India messages! What starts out with a fantastic warship scene soon turns out into a hodgepodge of romantic songs love triangles and bits of violent war scenes. the story has some brilliant elements to it. and on the whole the story is not too bad. made well in parts, with some brilliant cinematography. unfortunately Bobby deol does nothing much to impress as his acting is rather flat. the only thing that saves this film is Amitabh Bacchan who plays a brilliant role and is a delight to watch. Danny Dezongpa does a wonderful job too. Not a bad film on the whole but could be a lot better.
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