vrbass-1 Reviews

Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)

complete waste of time

[3/10 · 5 September 2007]

This film is one of the worst melodramas I have ever seen. The plot is witless and contrived, the songs are boring and the acting is wooden. Just when you think it couldn't get any worse, some ridiculous plot twist comes flying in from the clouds.

I am no fan of Salman Khan and while I am still willing to give Ash a chance, this film is the sort of junk that gave her a bad reputation in the first place.

I will say, however, that the photography and sound were good, so it wasn't completely painful to watch. It's only bad when you pay attention to the actors or the script.

You have better things to do with your time, believe me.

Grand Prix (1966)

Spectacular!

[9/10 · 14 May 2007]

What a film! This one will grab your attention from the opening frames and keep you riveted to your seat for three hours of excitement.

Even to a modern viewer, who is accustomed to watching today's auto racing from tiny wireless cockpit cameras, the visual style of this movie is fresh and stunningly exciting. The camera work is astounding and the editing is still avant garde. In fact, except for a brief, cheesy party scene and some skinny ties, the film still looks totally modern. It is what we would call a docudrama today, though John Frankenheimer basically invented a melange of actors driving actual race cars at racing speeds, mixed with footage of the professionals driving the same courses in real races the next day. The result is electrifying.

The romantic subplots are probably the weak link, but they are certainly handled well enough to make you care about the characters. The central relationships, of course, are between the drivers, who compete sometimes to the death during the day, then socialize at night like college buddies. "Grand Prix" captures international auto racing at the peak of its development, when it was still dangerous, individualistic and romantic.

The restoration of the film is flawless - clean, brilliantly saturated visuals with fabulous sound. The bonus material on the DVD is fascinating and insightful, featuring interviews with not only the director and many of the actors, but some of the F1 racing luminaries of the time, too.

If I could give it a 9.5, I would do so. Except for the thinness of a couple of the romantic complications, I would call this a perfect film.

Sangam (2004)

bittersweet, with a twist

[9/10 · 15 July 2006]

A modest little film about two Indians in America, one whose family immigrated when he was a small child, the other only two weeks in the US. The first has only vague memories and his mother's stories about his former homeland; they are dreams of a place where you can bathe in the holy rivers. The other has only vague notions of the freedoms that are possible in America; he attempts to escape the oppression of home in the "land of the free". A chance meeting on the New York subway connects them, with talk of film songs and favorite foods. The surprise twist and conflict towards the end forces both men to quietly contemplate where they are and where they have been.

Pinjar (2003)

very well-made, and difficult to watch

[9/10 · 1 June 2006]

This is a extremely well-made film. The acting, script and camera-work are all first-rate. The music is good, too, though it is mostly early in the film, when things are still relatively cheery. There are no really superstars in the cast, though several faces will be familiar. The entire cast does an excellent job with the script.

But it is hard to watch, because there is no good end to a situation like the one presented. It is now fashionable to blame the British for setting Hindus and Muslims against each other, and then cruelly separating them into two countries. There is some merit in this view, but it's also true that no one forced Hindus and Muslims in the region to mistreat each other as they did around the time of partition. It seems more likely that the British simply saw the tensions between the religions and were clever enough to exploit them to their own ends.

The result is that there is much cruelty and inhumanity in the situation and this is very unpleasant to remember and to see on the screen. But it is never painted as a black-and-white case. There is baseness and nobility on both sides, and also the hope for change in the younger generation.

There is redemption of a sort, in the end, when Puro has to make a hard choice between a man who has ruined her life, but also truly loved her, and her family which has disowned her, then later come looking for her. But by that point, she has no option that is without great pain for her.

This film carries the message that both Muslims and Hindus have their grave faults, and also that both can be dignified and caring people. The reality of partition makes that realisation all the more wrenching, since there can never be real reconciliation across the India/Pakistan border. In that sense, it is similar to "Mr & Mrs Iyer".

In the end, we were glad to have seen the film, even though the resolution was heartbreaking. If the UK and US could deal with their own histories of racism with this kind of frankness, they would certainly be better off.

My Dinner with Jimi (2003)

Lightweight entertainment

[6/10 · 29 March 2006]

Here's an entertaining little film with one small point to make (maybe one and a half). But it does it in a pleasant way, evoking a nostalgic image of '60s hippies trying to make music, have fun and find a new way in the world. The acting is competent, directing likewise, script is middling but everyone does a good job with it. It's too bad the actors who could portray the '60s attitude are too old for the parts - there's a lot of stereotyping and far-out mugging in attempting to convey the mood of the time. It just doesn't work very well, in my opinion.

I had to go to a bit of trouble to find this on DVD, but finally managed to get it from Germany. If you have a collection of music films from or about the 1960s, this one should definitely be in your collection. If you stumble across a copy, by all means get it. If you're just casually interested, I am not sure a great effort will seem worthwhile, however.

The soundtrack is, of course, completely groovy!

Parineeta (2005)

One of the best

[10/10 · 26 February 2006]

This has to be one of the best (perhaps the very best?) Hindi romance film. The plot is a venerable old yarn from the 1950s, many elements of which are now clichés in these romances. But this remake gives them new life, with fabulous photography, great songs and terrific acting.

The chemistry between Vidya Balan and Saif Ali Kahn is tender and touching. Saif's long road to choosing between loyalty to his demanding father and to the woman he loves it skillfully portrayed. And the final sequence will have you laughing and cheering and crying with joy.

There is not one thing to pick at as the "weak point". This one is shorter than usual for a Hindi film, just over two hours, but that's precisely what is called for to make the story unfold, no more or less. (That would make it a good first Hindi film for those who aren't excited about sitting for three or four hours.) In short, it's just brilliant.