mehta-nishank Reviews

Bunty Aur Babli (2005)

True Bollywood style.....

[8/10 · 1 August 2006]

Bunty aur Babli has all the ingredients of a blockbuster - impressive starcast, novel story, mind-blowing music, sizzling on-screen chemistry and to top it all, an item song that is well set to be a nation's new anthem.

After a successful debut with Vivek Oberoi-Rani Mukherjee starrer Saathiya, Shaad Ali is back with yet another great movie. Of course, it may disappoint all those craving for Hollywood-like cinema (Black, Page 3 , etc.) - Bunty aur Babli is 100% Indian - textbook Bollywood style. So, you have Abhishek Bachan and Rani Mukherjee playing two ambitious, fortune-seeking small-town youngsters, who run away from their families to make it big in bad Mumbai. The duo turn into formidable con-pair thus inviting upon themselves the wrath of a UP-bhaiyya type cop (Amitabh Bachan). The film's initial half is much like a roller-coaster ride while it is the later half that involves the Big B chasing the masquerading duo. Finally, the product is a movie providing wholesome family entertainment in typical Bollywood flavour. The ending may appear a bit damp, but all-in-all its a movie worth seeing.

ACTING: Abhishek Bachan is fast growing out of his illustrious father's shadow and carving a niche for himself. AB is fantastic in the film as the trickster Bunty. Rani Mukherjee on the other hand is fast rising to be the next 'actress of an era' after Madhuri Dixit. she is turning out to be the industry's biggest goldminer with a string of 5 recent successes already to her name. After a serious role in Black, Rani enthralls all by another great performance in a contrary role. The Big B as usual stamps the film with his quality and it is quite useless to praise him here. And last but far from the least is Aishwarya Rai.............it can only be Ash who can floor the audience and leave her mark on a film featuring three of Bollywood's biggest names in a role comprising just of a 7-minute item song. The gorgeous body, the heaving breasts, the backless choli, the tempting face ,the hypnotising eyes and of course the drooling dance moves - Ash is at her irresistible best in Kajra Re.

Special mention for Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's fabulous music, delivering what should be the best musical blockbuster of the year. Each song of the soundtrack is innovative and is destined to be a hit.

Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006)

Good comedy - at last!

[7/10 · 31 July 2006]

After a string of pathetic comedy films in 2006 (Tom,Dick and Harry , Malamaal Weekly, ChupChupke, Pyare-Mohan, etc.), Golmaal comes as a pleasant surprise. Golmaal is essentially a laughter riot, driven by an outrageous but rib-tickling plot. Howver, it is not the storyline that clinches it for the film - it is the amazing chemistry that the four male lead actors (Devgan, Kapoor, Warsi and Sharman Joshi) share that gives the film the requisite 'kick'. The film naturally has its share of flaws - negligible part of heroine, wastage of a stalwart like Paresh Rawal, a damp ending, but all in all, the film is a humorous treat.

Ajay Devgan discovers new acting horizons with this role, while Arshad Warsi and Sharman Joshi cement their identities as comedy-specialists. In the end you just hope that the director has showed a better casting acumen by casting someone other than the hapless Tusshar Kapoor (needs to revisit the acting school) , as the mute prankster.

Vishal-Shekhar's music is trendy . Watch out for the the black-n-white track featuring Paresh Rawal and his on-screen wife that has a 1940's feel to it.

The Matrix Reloaded (2003)

A revolution in filming

[8/10 · 31 July 2006]

Agreed - The Matrix films are meant only for people with a certain intellectual capacity. However, for those lucky brainies,

it signifies a revolution in filming. Never-seen-before action sequences, witty dialogues, smart acting, neo-modern concepts

• it is the next big thing to sci-fi movie genre after Star Wars. The Matrix Reloaded is a must-see for all those who saw the Matrix. Neo, Trinity and Morpheous are back in action to save the

human race from extermination by 'intelligent' machines. The film is shot for the major part in Zion - the last outpost of 'rebel' humans. Agent Smith gives a new dimension to villainry with his power-packed role. Then you have a host of other interesting characters like the Merovingian, The Keymaker, Commander Lock, councilor Harmann, Captain Niobe, and other. the plot is of course ridiculously complex and the last part featuring the Architect requires every bit of concentration.

ACTING: Kianu Reeves effortlessly plays the role of Neo - The One and redeems himself after a spate of not-so-good movies. Carries Anne-Moss as Trinity, and now Neo's love interest has got a good share of role. Fishborne as Morpheous is acceptable. But kudos to the villain pair of Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) and Merovingian (Lambert Wilson). Be it their imposing screen presence, or their timely delivery of memorable dialogs, they are just perfect in their roles. And of course, you have the mouth-watering Monica Belluci, widely acknowledged to be one of the prettiest women in the world, essaying the role of Persephone and involved in an intimate smooch-scene with Neo.

Go ahead grab your tryst with the Matrix.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

Depp Magic!

[9/10 · 31 July 2006]

The name 'Johnny Depp' spells quality like no-one else in Hollywood.After powering the first of the three Pirates films to Hollywood History, debonair Depp returns to enthrall you with yet another enterprising performance as Captain Jack Sparrow. It wouldn't be exaggeration to say that Depp is the heart and soul of the film. Of course you have the vintage Bill Nighy(Davy Jones), the beautiful Keira Knightley (Elizabeth) and the eunuch-looking Orlando Bloom(Will Turner) - but its Depp who grabs the eyeballs.

The story is in continuation with the first instalment and requires a preliminary knowledge about the first film. Captain Jack Sparrow, retrieving his ship The Black Pearl in the last film, is bound to pay a blood-debt to the legendary Davy-Jones(a grotesque face with dozens of spaghetti like things down his chin) or provide 100 souls in exchange. The plot turns a wee bit complicated when it is found that Sparrow, Turner, Comodore Norrington and Elizabeth are all after the same thing - Davy Jones' heart (hidden in a chest on some secluded island) , but all want it for different reasons.Davy Jones meanwhile unleashes The Kraken (a Balrog+Godzilla+King Kong like creature) on Depp. The film's ending is literally a jolt and ultimately leaves you hoping that Summer 2007 comes earlier.

Swades (2004)

A brave film

[9/10 · 6 June 2006]

When the maker of Lagaan and a superstar like Shah Rukh Khan get together in a film, the expectations are obviously soaring high. Thankfully, Swades lives upto the expectations. Though, Swades is distant from the usual Hindi commercial cinema and might not be targeted towards the masses, it has a flair and an artistic touch to it that makes it a movie worth-seeing. The film, about an NRI Mohan Bhargav, who comes to India and discovers the pathetic conditions that prevail in his country, holds the viewer mesmerised till the end. AR Rehman's musical genius is once again epitomised in Swades. The tracks Yun hi chala (by the way, Makrand Deshpande looks cool!), Yeh tara woh tara, and the self-sung title track are melodious and appluadable.

The film actually wins the hearts of the viewers because of the simplistic touch lent to it. There is something really honest about the way India has been portrayed in the film and Gowariker's choice of cast , as in Lagaan, was perfect as ever. Although the film cant be classified as an entertainer it is one of those rare films that comes straight from the director's heart and reaches till the very depth of the viewer's heart.

In terms of acting, Swades marks a new achievement in SRK's career. Shah Rukh Khan sheds his Chopra-Johar image in Swades and sets the right tone for the film. He is unarguably the heart and soul of the film and speaks his dialogues with divine perfection. Gayatri Joshi is awesome as a newcomer. What is even more commendable about this damsel is that she never appears to be over-rawed by facing the greatest star of our times(SRK) and matches SRK's acting with equally good performance.

Swades, though might not be successful at the box-office, certainly hits home the desired message with ease.

Pyare Mohan (2006)

Pathetic. Awful. Hopeless

[2/10 · 6 June 2006]

Pyare Mohan can be safely included in the blacklist of one of the worst-ever films made by mankind. The film, one of the many handicapped-people flicks that arose after the phenomenal success of Black is makes a mockery of the handicapped fraternity. Vivek Oberoi and Fardeen Khan are mere caricatures of handicapped people. While Black portrayed the poignancy and emotions of a handicapped woman and gave us a glimpse of her world, Pyare Mohan shows two desperado-like monkeys who have no qualms about being handicapped and bash up half of the world to protect their love interests. Anu Malik's music is fair enough. Vivek Oberoi who made a promising start with Saathiya is sadly losing his balls quickly in Hindi cinema. Fardeen Khan was never an acceptable actor and deserves to be banned from the film industry. Amrita Rao and Esha Deol are just pretty damsels in distress having nightmarish times in Thialnd with no one to save them - except for the afore-mentioned desperados. Boman Irani, as the villainous Don Toni, is somewhat acceptable. Avoid the film if possible.

36 China Town (2006)

Poorly made, good acting, hopeless plot

[5/10 · 5 June 2006]

36 China Town is promoted as a 'Whodunnit' kinda thriller film with suspects lined up and the stage set for a master detective to enter and unravel a suspense mystery..........my advice to the promoters is : GO TO HELL.

The film passes off as acceptable merely on the basis of some good acting and Reshammiya's Midas Touch over Hindi music. The film hardly thrills and is more of a brainless comedy than a potboiler. The climax sucks to the core and there is no intelligent unraveling of mysteries. Bollywood is still in the infant stage in the arena of suspense-thrillers and a few good ones that have been made so far , like Samay (Sushmita Sen,2003) never got an encouraging response.

ACTING: The only good thing that can be said about 36,China Town is the above average acting. Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor, though still young in Hindi cinema, act with maturity and share impressive on-screen chemistry (the couple are known love-birds off-screen too!). Debutant Upen Patel is pure eye-candy but still needs to brush up his acting. Yet another down-point of the film is that Upen's voice has been dubbed and the lip-sync is imperfect. Paresh Rawal and Johny Lever do gross injustice to their comic talent; though as an afterthought, there are certain hilarious scenes in the film. Akshaye Khanna once again delivers a great performance. Its sad that after some damn good performances like Dil Chahta Hai, Border, Humraaz and this one, the actor is still not sure of his place in Hindi cinema. Payal Rohatgi and Tanaaz Lal complete the acting cast. Payal would be better off displaying her wares at some cheap dance bar because the absence of ANY acting talent in her is conspicuous in the film. Tanaaz Lal looks refreshing and looks a part of the film.

MUSIC: Himesh Reshammiya comes out on top again with the track- Aashiqui mein teri.....

Koi... Mil Gaya (2003)

WARNING : Only for children under 6

[3/10 · 5 June 2006]

Koi Mil Haya is supposed to launch Bollywood in the hi-flying arena of sci-fi films. Instead it comes out as a film that is an insult to human intelligence. Yes, there is an alien in the film- Jadoo they call it. Rumoured to have been designed by Australian animation specialists, Jaoo looks more like a screwed-up Star Wars pygmie. Rajesh Roshan's sound-tracks (all stolen from somewhere or the other) are comical. Everything ranging from cinematography to script is bad, really really bad. For those who believe this to be path-breaking cinema, fine go boil your heads over this stupid so-called sci-fi flick.

Hrithik Roshan needs a counseller. Being a gifted actor and an amazing dancer that he is, does he have to do such awful roles just for his untalented father. Grow up, man - and do some serious cinema. Preity Zinta sadly has nothing much to do in the film and would rather have not signed it at all. The rogue 'super-sixers' stink like hell. Johny Lever comes p with some silly comedy, hardly laughable. In fact, what is intended to be serious sci-fi action is more comical than Lever's camaraderie.

Better avoid this one, if you want to preserve your senses.

Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003)

fantastic cinema.

[8/10 · 5 June 2006]

Fantastic cinema - thats what truly describes Kal Ho Naa Ho. The film probably signals the arrival of Nikhil Advani, a new member of direction fraternity. The film is a well-balanced blend of typical Karan Johar bonhomie and the modern hip-hop culture and the result is a delightful treat-to-watch.

The USP of KHNH is its brilliant star-cast and trendy music. Thats where the film signs off in style. The film is good enough to go down as one of the best ever ( probably the 6th in SRK's kitty)

ACTING: SRK (shah rukh Khan) shows that he is getting better with age. After delivering some of Bollywood's biggest blockbusters like DDLJ, KKHH, DTPH and Baazigar, King Khan makes another significant contribution with KHNH. His portrayal of Aman, is poignantly done and weighs romance, style and flair on an equal footing. If SRK is the king of the film ,Preity Zinta is the undisputed queen. The dimpled darling's increasing demand in Bollywood is natural after she delivers such good performances. Her role as the central character in the story- Neha Katherine Kapoor, is strong and likable. Zinta shows all the variants of acting - from poignancy during death hours to rocking vibes in the song Its the time to Disco. Saif too has a great role in the film as compliments the King Khan beautifully.

MUSIC : Rocking, youthful and yet melodious. Watch out for the moving title track.

A must see , specially for all SRK-Preity fans

Troy (2004)

A true classic.

[9/10 · 5 June 2006]

I won't be exaggerating if I say that Troy is one of the best films made is the past 10 years. The film is destined to go down in history of Hollywood as a classic and I don;t see any reason why it shouldn't do so.

Firstly, for all 'Gladiator' admirers, Troy holds even more. While Gladiator was a one-man story, Troy is an inter-woven story of the lives of several heroes - Achilles (the main, Brad Pitt), Hector (next, Eric Bana), Paris (Orlando Bloom), Agamemmon, Priam and many more. The script, story and screenplay are near flawless and the film has the makings of a true epic. The battle scenes have been picturised at a grand scale and give the feel of an ancient war. What appeals even more is the skillful cinematography of the Greek landscape which provides a suitable canvas for the action to happen. The makers are indeed to be commended.

ACTING: Troy is quite superior as far as acting is concerned. Brad Pitt essays the role of Achilles to perfection and except for the fact that he looks way too sexy for a Greek warrior, Pitt's acting is great. Women will surely love him in the film. Eric Bana puts in an even more commendable performance. As Hector, he does justice to the role and indeed captures the viewer's imagination. Bloom, as Paris, is ordinary, nothing much to write home about. The only mismatch is perhaps Diane Kruger (Helen). I fail to understand why two great kingdoms will wage a war for a woman whose looks are mediocre to the least degree (atleast in the film). The makers should have taken care to sign up someone really breath-taking in beauty (like Penelope Cruz - I would have loved her as Helen) to essay the role of Helen. Lastly, Sean Bean and Brian Cox deserve special mention for their impressive acting and near-perfect dialogue delivery. Some dialogues of the film are great enough to go down in the Hollywood Hall of Fame.

Go and watch it at the first possible instant.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

The best of the four Potter flicks!

[8/10 · 5 June 2006]

Finally we have got a Potter flick that somewhat meets our high expectations! Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire captures the drama of the book and makes for gripping, flashy cinema. While some goof-ups are apparent in the film and some important sections of the story have been omitted, the film , on the whole is quite good to see. With the III instalment of the story been a pain to watch, the IV movie restores back the good quality that must be associated to every Potter flick. As this is the flick where The Dark Lord returns, it is certainly a very eagerly awaited one. I must say that the Dark Lord's resurrection is splendidly shown and does give due respect to JKR's visualization.

In the acting arena, the three lead stars, Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) give damn good performances and have certainly matured as actors. Emma Watson, in particular, impressed me for her admirable acting and breathtaking beauty. In fact, Watson has such a powerful impact on the film that the other two female characters - Cho Chang (Yuck!) and Fleur Delacour(OK, but certainly not Ooh!) are eclipsed. Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort is great and it will be interesting to see how his character develops in the next 3 movies. Finally, a plea to the film-makers, please please please find a suitable actor to play Albus Dumbledore - Michael Gambon is a pain to watch

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

Not up to the mark

[5/10 · 5 June 2006]

Arguably the most-awaited film of this year clearly fell short of my expectations. With the book compiled so pain-stakingly in every detail, the movie is clumsy and good only in patches. To top it all, there are some goof-ups too. Although the main essence of the plot has been captured at large, the finer details which make the story so fabulous are missing. I could very well sense that the movie would be a tough one to digest for a person who has never read the best-seller. Lastly, the movie has been condemned for the controversies it has kicked off. In hindsight, there is nothing repulsive shown in this movie and don't know why there is such a fuss.

ACTING : Ian Mckellen, as always, is a class of his own as Sir Leigh Teabing. He pumps in the requisite energy for that role. Tom Hanks, with all due respect, is merely acceptable at best and fails to capture the magnitude of Langdon's character. Audrey Tautou, as Sophie Neveu, is unfortunately pathetic. Her heavy French accent is a pain to the ears and her childish looks somehow fail to mingle with the film's setup - a clear case of character mismatch. Full kudos to Ron Howard for excellent portrayal of the albino- Silas.

Watch the film without keeping high expectations, for u r likely to be disappointed.

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

Cool film with outstanding special effects

[9/10 · 5 June 2006]

its not that bcoz i am a x-men buff that i say this, but the film is really outstanding on its merit. easily the best of the three movies of the series, the Last Stand is a delightful blend of amazing special effects, tender emotions (read death) and gripping drama. the film's unpredictability grips the viewer till the end. although , there is some cloud surrounding phoenix (previously jean) 's character, the rest of the film is a sight to behold.

Actors as always have performed admirable. Ian mckellen stamps his class on the film and so do halle berry and Hugh Jackman with their power-packed performances.

all-in-all the film is a must-see for all movie enthusiasts.