I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS: The Film Babble Blog Review
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Raging Bull
Thursday, 20 January, 2011 
Raging Bull (1980) dir. Martin Scoresese
Starring: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Frank Vincent,
Raging Bull (1980) dir. Martin ScoreseseStarring: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Frank Vincent,
****
By Alan Bacchus
I won’t pretend that Raging Bull is my favourite film, not even my favourite Martin Scorsese film, not the Best film of the decade as some critics proclaimed, and not even the best film of its particularly year (anyone seen David Lynch’s Elephant Man lately?). My slight hesitation is caused by Robert de Niro's thoroughly unlikeable yet effective portrayal as Jake La Motta as a beast with mood swings as scary as any horror film. But that's where my critique ends, the rest is unbridled penance for Martin Scorsese's masterpiece.
Raging Bull is a tough film, emotionally draining yet cinematically and stylistically exhilarating. It was a project started by Robert De Niro, and pitched to Martin Scorsese to direct and Robert Chartoff/Irwin Winkler to producer. As it’s man character, Jake La Motta, a middleweight from the 1940’s, nicknamed the Bronx Bull for his tenacity and brutish style of fighting. Sadly there wasn’t much dividing the ring from his personal life. In Scorsese’s unglamorous streetwise fashion he depicts the abusive relationships, briefly with his first wife whom he divorced after shamelessly courting the local 15 year old neighbourhood girl, and then this same girl Vickie who eventually became his wife.
Vicki's relationship is characterized as the caveman-cavegirl type, one of physical and emotional dominance and submission. As a character study La Motta is both horrific and fascinating. De Niro depicts La Motta as a bi-polar psychopath living in his own world, twisted and grotesque. Perhaps he’s a product of his environment though, as Scorsese is clear to depict this type of aggression everywhere, visible in the streets and clubs and audible through the open windows of the tenement apartments.
The violence and depraved behaviour of La Motta goes to such extremes at times it switches to humour. Scorsese’s treatment of this is razor sharp, constantly walking a delicate line between devastating emotional abuse and jet black dark comedy. La Motta’s obscenely violent mood swings, for instance. In his fight with his first wife the argument starts with an overcooked steak and proceeds toward physical violence. After the harrowing scene La Motta calls ‘a truce’, a throwaway word used when distracted by his brother Joey. And later in that scene La Motta is depicted talking quietly and with sincerity with his brother.
The relationship with Joey is the key relationship in the film however, two brothers so closely tied together, yet something which La Motta destroys after accusing him of sleeping with his wife. This moment represents the last straw in his psychological deterioration. The arc in this relationship is closed in the devastating finale when La Motta, years after that heated argument, approaches Joey on the street and physically embraces him with pure love.
Stylistically the film is still deservedly celebrated for its expressionistic fight sequences. Scorsese is clear not to shoot La Motta’s fights as realistic but what it may have looked and sounded like from La Motta’s skewed point of view.
This was 1980 and here he just about perfected his cinema language, both inside and outside the ring. His slow motion shots used in key moments of focus from La Motta's point of view; his overlapping sound tails which bridge and connect scenes, tails longer than most other films, long enough for us to notice and thus pay attention to; the amplified ambient sounds of the street which put the environment as close to the fore as the actions of the characters; Thelma Schoonmaker’s superlative editing; and of course Scorsese’s pitch perfect use of music, in particular La Cavalleria Rusticana which contrasts the hard edged visuals with graceful melancholy.
The dichotomy of beauty and beast exists in every frame of Raging Bull.
Raging Bull is available on Blu-Ray from 20th Century Fox/MGM Home Entertainment
RABBIT HOLE: The Film Babble Blog Review
RABBIT HOLE (Dir. John Cameron Mitchell, 2010)
Married couple Aaron Eckhart and Nicole Kidman are shuffling through the motions of daily life. It's been 8 months since their son was killed - hit by a car - and the lingering pain has yet to recede.
Eckhart thinks group therapy will help with their grief, but Kidman hates what she calls the "God people" in their sessions. Such overly religious folks like the sobbing parent who says of her deceased daughter "God had to take her. He needed another angel."
Kidman dryly can't help but respond: "Why didn't he just make one? I mean, another angel? He's God after all...why didn't he just make another angel?"
Kidman leaves the group after this, but Eckhart returns and makes friends with Sandra Oh as a seemingly more stable group member who has been attending for almost a decade.
Meanwhile Kidman has to contend with a pregnant sister (the acerbic Tammy Blanchard), and their haggard yet still spunky mother (Diane Wiest) who had lost her son to a drug overdose - a comparison to Kidman's loss that she hates her mother to make.
Driving one day, Kidman spots a schoolbus and sees a teenage student that triggers recognition in her. She follows it and sees the student (Miles Teller) get off and enter his suburban home.
Stalking the student becomes a routine until the boy confronts her and we learn that he was the driver of the automobile that killed her son.
Also haunted by the death, Teller is apologetic and shows Kidman a comic book he's working on entitled RABBIT HOLE about parallel universes, time-holes, and alternate realities.
So Eckhart and Kidman don't cheat on each other, but they reach for others for support instead of each other and the film's unforced manner makes it easy to empathize.
It's one of Kidman's sharpest and most piercing performances with Eckhart matching her with some of his most nuanced acting to date. No predictions here, but I expect their names won't be left out in awards season.
Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play by David Lindsay-Abaire, the inescapable sense of pain is palpable in RABBIT HOLE, but it's not a depressing film.
Director Mitchell's (best known as Hedwig in the cult favorite HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH) naturalistic style and compassion for these characters creates an extremely well constructed and moving film.
More later...
FASTER: The Film Babble Blog Review
FASTER (Dir. George Tillman, Jr., 2010)
Apparently after a slew of kid's movies and commercial comedies, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has decided to put his goofy grin up on the shelf and get back to basics in a big dumb action shoot 'em up.
On the day of his release from a 10 year prison sentence "The Rock", who a title tells us is "Driver", sits down in front of a sympathetic Warden (Tom Berenger). Berenger in a one scene cameo goes on about rehabilitation and offers a helping hand. "Any questions?" the Warden asks.
The Rock: "Where's the exit?"
This is our protagonist's first and only line for a bit into FASTER, which follows the extremely stoical ex con as he follows a list of those involved in the bank robbery that landed him in jail and who murdered his brother.
One informant after another is treated to a bullet to the brain. Meanwhile, a sleazy Billy Bob Thornton, only identified as "Cop", is trailing "Driver" and there's Oliver Jackson-Cohen as a slick high tech assassin labeled only as "Killer" who is also caught up in the chase.
Working from the inside loop with a strong willed police detective (Carla Gugino), Thornton is a divorced druggie - unfortunately a scene devised to enforce his character's messed up mindset is set to the First Edition's "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" which can't help but recall THE BIG LEBOWSKI (Dude! Don't steal from "The Dude"!)
Admiring The Rock's confidence and skills, Jackson-Cohen tells his girlfriend (Maggie Grace from "Lost") that his new worthy adversary is "faster" than he is, in case you were wondering about the film's title.
FASTER is ultra-formulaic and it takes itself way too seriously with only a few feeble attempts at humor to give us much relief.
The Rock puts in a refined and solid performance, but it's not a very interesting character. We don't learn anything about him except his single minded mission and the heavily implied love for his brother.
And because he's as unbeatable as always - there's no edge of danger present.
Thornton steals the scenes he's in - he and the brash Jackson-Cohen appear to be having fun with their roles which is good because The Rock sure isn't.
As for the mechanics of the plot there is a bit of a mystery about who pulled the strings in the botched bank job set-up with flashbacks and images on a videotape, but I seriously doubt the target audience for this film will care or be very shocked when the reveal comes. They'll probably just be waiting for the next kill like the preview crowd at the advance screening I saw this at who ate every bit of it up.
I will give credit to the fact that there were no explosions in this movie. For an action movie of this ilk that certainly can be seen as major restraint.
This is a movie for The Rock fans plain and simple. Those who want brains instead of blockbuster bloodlust may want to sit this one out.
More later...
Jodhaa Akbar – An epic tale
Just lliked this article so that to share it with you all, as it’s of one of the blogger have written in AOL India Blogs about the movie Jodhaa Akbar in a very classy way:
To borrow the famous words of Mel Brooks,”The Legend had it coming”. At least it deserved a perspective from one of our best film makers.
Another two weeks before the might of the Mughal Empire unleashes on a Cinema screen near you.
And for the majority who is apt to get confused at the whole premise of AKBAR the GREAT and this Rajput Princess “thingy”, better ruffle through those old history textbook pages once again, if you can find them, that is.
It shouldn’t matter anyways.
For the rest who scream from the nearest fort ramparts about how Ashutosh Gowariker is shortchanging history and manipulating facts to his own interests, I say, please give him a break.
He has proved to be a great story teller, and a fine craftsman of the Silverscreen and if he wants to tell you a story in his own terms, let him do it.
Knowing Ashutosh Gowariker and his portfolio of fine craftsmanship, JODHA-AKBAR wouldn’t be disappointing. I am hoping that my wait was worth it. AR Rahman’s music that seems to be flowing at you from every second FM station these days doesn’t seem to disappoint you. Though as far as Ashutosh’s handful of movies are considered, the music played its part in the entire movie and then kept quiet. The stress was on the wholesome movie and not on the “item” numbers which usually are marketed as by-products of the main movie.
For those who came into the history classes late, or have never ever attended it once, arguably(after all, it wouldn’t be history if we didn’t, get it.) Jodha Bhai was the daughter of King Bharmal who gives away her daughter in marriage to young Jalaluddin, who makes his valiant presence felt in the battlefield, and is soon to be crowned and be known as Akbar the Great.
In keeping with the traditions based on the social customs and conditions of those times, marriages were more political alliances than “suitable”matches, and they kept the entire machinery of the Hindustan’s splintered royalty chugging on smoothly.
Seen as a prequel to Mughal-e-Azam, everything that has been done to Jodha-Akbar has been done in a grand scale or maybe, in Ashutosh Gowariker’s way of translating opulence. I always shiver at the prospect of those period drams that graced our silverscreen in recent times, and the apprehensions are still there, restless, but they have been unceremoniously banished to the back of my mind.
The last one that came in during Diwali(not exactly of the epic variety,but the marketing mandarins were adamant!), in an arresting blue afterglow, and spelling out opulence in big, large, cringing NEON from its every set, had me fleeing the Cinema. And that from another acclaimed Director.
For Hrithik Roshan, this is an “epic role”of a lifetime(though I am wondering what would best describe his role as Gautam Buddha for Shyam Benegal’s next project).
This also happens to be Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan’s first release post wedding, so it gains all the more gravitas as it naturally attains the grand inertia of the the First Family of Bollywood. Mme Rai’s last foray into an epic was to say the least “scathing”.
Maybe its just the beginning of epic roles for Hrithik.
Source: Bollywood |Bollywood Blogs
Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal
Movie Story
Southall United Football Club is facing its deepest crisis ever. Bankrupt, with no stars, no coach, no sponsors, no takers, no spectators and most importantly no owner.
After the city council sends an eviction notice, it’s the last chance to save the ground, the club and their honor. Now, Southall United must win the Combined Counties Football League in their otherwise last season.
One man’s dream takes the team on a remarkable journey in this football-themed drama. Shaan (Arshad Warsi) takes up the challenge to save the club from extinction.
After a dishonored ex-player, Tony Singh (Boman Irani), joins them as the coach, in spite of being sniggered and laughed at, he and Shaan work to put together a team. It’s hard work as they approach their first game.
Sunny Bhasin (John Abraham) dreams to play for England. But his dream crashes after his club drops him because of the color of his skin. Ironically, Sunny himself had always laughed at his own community and Southall United.
Sunny and Shaan could not agree on many things. Adding to their personal chaos is Shaan’s cousin sister Rumana (Bipasha Basu) who is in love with Sunny.
Tony manages to convince Sunny to play for Southall United. It takes a while before Shaan and the team warms up to Sunny. With Sunny joining Southall United, the team gradually starts climbing the points tally. The city council is worried.
The only goal that the pragmatic Sunny has is winning, with all of the material perks and fame that he can acquire. He is more interested in being noticed himself, than Southall United winning the cup.
Johny Bakshi (Dalip Tahil), a commentator and a frontman of the council, plans to lure Sunny away from Southall United.
Sunny will need to sacrifice everything he believed in for something which he never believed. His love for Rumana, his relationship with his father and his life are at stake.
‘Goal’ is a contemporary story of the Asian community in UK told through the dynamic prism of professional sports. Competitive football only provides the action-packed backdrop, as the story takes an intimate look at a cross-section of Indians, Pakistanis and other Asians living in England.
‘Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal’ is presented by UTV and has music by Pritam chakraborty.
The film is produced by Ronnie Screwvala and directed by Vivek Agnihotri .
The film is set to hit the theatres on November 23.
Cast and their Roles:
John Abraham as Sunny
Sunny is the ace striker whose ambition is to play for the English National team. But he comes in for a rude shock when he is not selected due to the color of his skin. After he joins Southall United he is forced to reconsider his plans. His future as a footballer, his relationship with his father and his girlfriend are at stake and he needs to decide what he must do.
Arshad Warsi as Shaan
The captain of Southall United, he faces conflict with the coach after Sunny is included in the team. Shaan cannot see eye-to-eye with Sunny. He eventually is injured in a game and is replaced. But he tries to make a comeback later on.
Bipasha Basu as Rumana
Shaan’s cousin and a doctor, Rumana is taken on as the team’s physiotherapist. Sunny and Rumana fall in love, complicating things for Shaan. It is her maturity the way she keeps the club’s interest above everything else.
Boman Irani as Tony
He is the coach of the Southall United Football club. He is a traditional coach and considers the team and its players under his rule. An ex player, he was forced out of the game after threats due to extreme racism. As he resurrects the team, he has to fight his own demons.
“Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal” My Movie Page
“Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal” official site
Enjoy!!!
View the original article here
Southall United Football Club is facing its deepest crisis ever. Bankrupt, with no stars, no coach, no sponsors, no takers, no spectators and most importantly no owner.
After the city council sends an eviction notice, it’s the last chance to save the ground, the club and their honor. Now, Southall United must win the Combined Counties Football League in their otherwise last season.
One man’s dream takes the team on a remarkable journey in this football-themed drama. Shaan (Arshad Warsi) takes up the challenge to save the club from extinction.
After a dishonored ex-player, Tony Singh (Boman Irani), joins them as the coach, in spite of being sniggered and laughed at, he and Shaan work to put together a team. It’s hard work as they approach their first game.
Sunny Bhasin (John Abraham) dreams to play for England. But his dream crashes after his club drops him because of the color of his skin. Ironically, Sunny himself had always laughed at his own community and Southall United.
Sunny and Shaan could not agree on many things. Adding to their personal chaos is Shaan’s cousin sister Rumana (Bipasha Basu) who is in love with Sunny.
Tony manages to convince Sunny to play for Southall United. It takes a while before Shaan and the team warms up to Sunny. With Sunny joining Southall United, the team gradually starts climbing the points tally. The city council is worried.
The only goal that the pragmatic Sunny has is winning, with all of the material perks and fame that he can acquire. He is more interested in being noticed himself, than Southall United winning the cup.
Johny Bakshi (Dalip Tahil), a commentator and a frontman of the council, plans to lure Sunny away from Southall United.
Sunny will need to sacrifice everything he believed in for something which he never believed. His love for Rumana, his relationship with his father and his life are at stake.
‘Goal’ is a contemporary story of the Asian community in UK told through the dynamic prism of professional sports. Competitive football only provides the action-packed backdrop, as the story takes an intimate look at a cross-section of Indians, Pakistanis and other Asians living in England.
‘Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal’ is presented by UTV and has music by Pritam chakraborty.
The film is produced by Ronnie Screwvala and directed by Vivek Agnihotri .
The film is set to hit the theatres on November 23.
Cast and their Roles:
John Abraham as Sunny
Sunny is the ace striker whose ambition is to play for the English National team. But he comes in for a rude shock when he is not selected due to the color of his skin. After he joins Southall United he is forced to reconsider his plans. His future as a footballer, his relationship with his father and his girlfriend are at stake and he needs to decide what he must do.
Arshad Warsi as Shaan
The captain of Southall United, he faces conflict with the coach after Sunny is included in the team. Shaan cannot see eye-to-eye with Sunny. He eventually is injured in a game and is replaced. But he tries to make a comeback later on.
Bipasha Basu as Rumana
Shaan’s cousin and a doctor, Rumana is taken on as the team’s physiotherapist. Sunny and Rumana fall in love, complicating things for Shaan. It is her maturity the way she keeps the club’s interest above everything else.
Boman Irani as Tony
He is the coach of the Southall United Football club. He is a traditional coach and considers the team and its players under his rule. An ex player, he was forced out of the game after threats due to extreme racism. As he resurrects the team, he has to fight his own demons.
“Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal” My Movie Page
“Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal” official site
Enjoy!!!
View the original article here
Om Shanti Om Music Review
Om Shanti Om Music Review
Shah Rukh Khan’s most awaited and much hyped home production ‘Om Shanti Om’ is one of the magnanimous projects of this year. This mega budget entertainer is slated for Diwali release along with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s hi-profile costume drama ‘Saawariya’.
This Farah Khan directed film is the story about reincarnation and is based on the glossy lifestyles of celebrities of Hindi cinema world. Supermodel Deepika Padukone will be making her first solo appearance in this film opposite Shah Rukh, who plays double role.
The film also stars Arjun Rampal, Shreyas Talpade, Kiran Kher, Malaika Arora and Javed Sheikh in supporting roles. The major attraction is the presence of thirty plus noted Bollywood celebrities in the soundtrack “Deewangi Deewangi”. Eminent music duo Vishal-Shekhar gets the opportunity of their lifetime to deliver their most prolific work after the super musical success of ‘Cash’.
The music of ‘Om Shanti Om’ is expected to one of the biggest grossers of this year and has already been making news in talent shows and radio channels. ‘Om Shanti Om’ delivers twelve original soundtracks with blend of sentimental and hip-shaking musical madness in its musical packaging. The songs of ‘Om Shanti Om’ can be heard on T-Series music cassettes and CD’s.
AJAB SI: KK’s voice has always been major feature in Pritam’s albums but this time he delivers a real smoothening soulful experience in mushy lovable soundtrack “Ajab Si”. It’s undoubtedly one of finest soft rock ballads of this year and a befitting tribute to romanticism by Vishal-Shekhar in their career. Vishal Dadlani’s penetrative wordings are real delight to ears and its amicable balancing in mellifluously refined arrangements makes it chartbusting material. Vishal-Shekhar’s soft malleable orchestration comprises supple piano, violin notes that form brilliant chemistry with woodwinds and keyboards notes to produce magical impact. ‘Ajab Si’ will be making big entry on charts and is likely to be promising aspect in film’s narration with positive saleable results.
DARD-E-DISCO: Shah Rukh Khan’s biggest make-over of acquiring six-pack-abs made considerable news and soundtrack “Dard-e-Disco” was its launching vehicle. Sukhwinder Singh delivers this high-profile dancing track that is heavily loaded with Persian-Arabian style of work embellished in trendy disco beat culture. It’s already been a big rage in promos and with Farah Khan’s slick choreography and lavish sets, it’s likely to a big on-screen exhibit.
Caralisa, Marianne D’Cruz and Nisha Mascarenhas’ sensuous background vocals deliver sufficient oomph factor to make it eye-grabbing material for viewers. Sukhwinder gets the first major hit of the year and its second major work after ‘Chhayya Chhayya’ (‘Dil Se’) where he has formed outstanding chemistry with both Khans (Shah Rukh and Farah) to deliver potential results.
DJ Aqueel gets into 80's style of disco-station antics in remixing this number with typical “club” remixes ethics and the end result is simply fabulous. “Dard-e-Disco (remix)” will be an encouraging factor in album sales as it will be urbane listener friendly for delivering frolicking substance for dancing floors.
DEEWANGI DEEWANGI: “Deewangi Deewangi”, a frivolously packed celebrity-bonding soundtrack, brings out zany signature tune of the film with spirited vocal performances by leading singers of musical fraternity. It’s great experience to hear Udit Narayan, Shaan and Rahul Saxena (Indian Idol contestants) showing great zeal in emanating male-bonding impact. On the contrary, Sunidhi Chauhan along with Shreya Ghoshal complements amicably for feminine counterparts to give it a momentous outlook. This soundtrack will be featuring thirty plus celebrities ranging from Subhash Ghai to Govinda in flashy surroundings of concert-looking extravagance.
Musical madness gets on to extra volumes in “Deewangi Deewangi (Rainbow Mix)” with imposing disco sensations getting itself embellished into “qawwali” and “bhangra” dancing moods. DJ Kiran along with DJ G delivers a rollicking remix stuff that brings back “retro” feel of 70's and 80's in a pulsating hot-shot disco beat culture musical stuff.
MAIN AGAR KAHOON: If KK’s mesmerizing voice in “Ajab Si” was a delightful experience then gifted Sonu Nigam delivers added moments of ecstasy and elation in his soft squashy voice in “Main Aggar Kahoon”. Vishal-Shekhar amalgamates the suppleness of Indian classical instrumental works with synchronized violin and piano notes in its impressive musical display. The soundtrack has mushy tingling signature tuneful experiences that bring memories of Shankar Jaikishan’s 60's magical charm. Shreya Ghoshal’s shimmering vocal impact brings extra mushy flavors that create an aura of serenity in the track. Javed Akhtar’s poetic prowess is the main highlight that gives it narrative edges in its tranquil flow.
JAG SOONA SOONA LAGE: Vishal-Shekhar maintains the decorum of “retro” feel where unconventional voices make imposing impact in sad and morose romantic soundtrack “Jag Soona Soona Lage”. This soundtrack brings memories of successful but different sounding tracks like “Lambi Judai” (Subhash Ghai’s ‘Karz’) and “Beshak Mandir Masjid Todo” (Raj Kapoor’s ‘Bobby’) to senses for its peculiar vocal renditions and lyrical flows. Pakistani Sufi sensation Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s voice packs melancholically resounding moments of lost-paradise in his excruciating loud pitched rendition. Richa Sharma’s harsh folksy voice has another notable offering in this track where her vocals set the tempo for the proceeding of the track. It will be of great significance in the climax of the film for its enriched melodramatic display but might not be as chartbusting as earlier tracks.
DHOOM TANA: If tracks of ‘Om Shanti Om’ promise vintage feel then it even boasts yesteryear’s talents like Pyarelal (of Laxmikant-Pyarelal fame) in main musical frames with blend of 60's, 70's and 80's retro feel in dancing soundtrack “Dhoom Tana”. This hi-voltage pulsating dancing number has Pyarelal’s orchestration that primarily comprises 40-45 different drums, ranging from ‘tabla’ and ‘dhol’ to ‘dhapli’, harmonized expertly with 40 plus violins and 22 woodwinds, amongst other percussive instruments. Abhijeet, an SRK favorite in late 90's along with melodious Shreya Ghoshal, cherishes Bollywood’s golden era as the mood swivels from 50's to 80's in its high-pitched interludes. Vishal-Shekhar’s arrangements are finely tuned with Pyarelal’s orchestration in making it crowd-appealing number on the silver screen.
DASTAAN-E-OM SHANTI OM: The soul of reincarnation vendetta saga erupts on with typical theatrical singing modes as affable Shaan’s vocals croon out emotions of ‘Om Shanti Om’ in sentimental number “Daastan-e-Om Shanti Om”. It strikes chord with “Ek Hasina Thi” (Subhash Ghai’s ‘Karz’) in its musical presentation where protagonist narrates his painful nostalgic moments through well narrated phrases and verses. This may not be the finest of Shaan’s works of this year but attracts eyeballs for its peculiar heart-throbbing theme and substance. Vishal-Shekhar’s energizing synchronized orchestration delivers shades of emotions that deserve to be applauded for its enriched harmonic affluence.
“Daastan-e-Om Shanti Om (The Dark Side Mix)” by DJ Nikhil Chinnapa, Zoheb and DJ Naved is stylized conceived promotional track that can well be catalyzed in promos and teasers of the film. It has darker side of human emotions in its daunting impulse with snazzy DJ claps and scratches making it perfect club remix track.
Vishal-Shekhar delivers their most pompous musical work of lifetime in ‘Om Shanti Om’ and predictably a potential winner in terms of commercial success. The album is expected to be one of the biggest grosser of 2007 and all credits to fine blend of Indian and western musical works by singers, lyricists, arrangers and composers. Soundtracks like “Deewangi Dewangi”, “Dard-e-Disco”, “Dhoom Tana”, “Main Agar Kahoon” and “Ajab Si” are sure shot chartbusting success while the rest of the numbers fits intro situation with great ease. It’s likely to be a big musical event for all ardent Bollywood musical fans and biggest musical success for talented and deserving Vishal-Shekhar.
View the original article here
Shah Rukh Khan’s most awaited and much hyped home production ‘Om Shanti Om’ is one of the magnanimous projects of this year. This mega budget entertainer is slated for Diwali release along with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s hi-profile costume drama ‘Saawariya’.
This Farah Khan directed film is the story about reincarnation and is based on the glossy lifestyles of celebrities of Hindi cinema world. Supermodel Deepika Padukone will be making her first solo appearance in this film opposite Shah Rukh, who plays double role.
The film also stars Arjun Rampal, Shreyas Talpade, Kiran Kher, Malaika Arora and Javed Sheikh in supporting roles. The major attraction is the presence of thirty plus noted Bollywood celebrities in the soundtrack “Deewangi Deewangi”. Eminent music duo Vishal-Shekhar gets the opportunity of their lifetime to deliver their most prolific work after the super musical success of ‘Cash’.
The music of ‘Om Shanti Om’ is expected to one of the biggest grossers of this year and has already been making news in talent shows and radio channels. ‘Om Shanti Om’ delivers twelve original soundtracks with blend of sentimental and hip-shaking musical madness in its musical packaging. The songs of ‘Om Shanti Om’ can be heard on T-Series music cassettes and CD’s.
AJAB SI: KK’s voice has always been major feature in Pritam’s albums but this time he delivers a real smoothening soulful experience in mushy lovable soundtrack “Ajab Si”. It’s undoubtedly one of finest soft rock ballads of this year and a befitting tribute to romanticism by Vishal-Shekhar in their career. Vishal Dadlani’s penetrative wordings are real delight to ears and its amicable balancing in mellifluously refined arrangements makes it chartbusting material. Vishal-Shekhar’s soft malleable orchestration comprises supple piano, violin notes that form brilliant chemistry with woodwinds and keyboards notes to produce magical impact. ‘Ajab Si’ will be making big entry on charts and is likely to be promising aspect in film’s narration with positive saleable results.
DARD-E-DISCO: Shah Rukh Khan’s biggest make-over of acquiring six-pack-abs made considerable news and soundtrack “Dard-e-Disco” was its launching vehicle. Sukhwinder Singh delivers this high-profile dancing track that is heavily loaded with Persian-Arabian style of work embellished in trendy disco beat culture. It’s already been a big rage in promos and with Farah Khan’s slick choreography and lavish sets, it’s likely to a big on-screen exhibit.
Caralisa, Marianne D’Cruz and Nisha Mascarenhas’ sensuous background vocals deliver sufficient oomph factor to make it eye-grabbing material for viewers. Sukhwinder gets the first major hit of the year and its second major work after ‘Chhayya Chhayya’ (‘Dil Se’) where he has formed outstanding chemistry with both Khans (Shah Rukh and Farah) to deliver potential results.
DJ Aqueel gets into 80's style of disco-station antics in remixing this number with typical “club” remixes ethics and the end result is simply fabulous. “Dard-e-Disco (remix)” will be an encouraging factor in album sales as it will be urbane listener friendly for delivering frolicking substance for dancing floors.
DEEWANGI DEEWANGI: “Deewangi Deewangi”, a frivolously packed celebrity-bonding soundtrack, brings out zany signature tune of the film with spirited vocal performances by leading singers of musical fraternity. It’s great experience to hear Udit Narayan, Shaan and Rahul Saxena (Indian Idol contestants) showing great zeal in emanating male-bonding impact. On the contrary, Sunidhi Chauhan along with Shreya Ghoshal complements amicably for feminine counterparts to give it a momentous outlook. This soundtrack will be featuring thirty plus celebrities ranging from Subhash Ghai to Govinda in flashy surroundings of concert-looking extravagance.
Musical madness gets on to extra volumes in “Deewangi Deewangi (Rainbow Mix)” with imposing disco sensations getting itself embellished into “qawwali” and “bhangra” dancing moods. DJ Kiran along with DJ G delivers a rollicking remix stuff that brings back “retro” feel of 70's and 80's in a pulsating hot-shot disco beat culture musical stuff.
MAIN AGAR KAHOON: If KK’s mesmerizing voice in “Ajab Si” was a delightful experience then gifted Sonu Nigam delivers added moments of ecstasy and elation in his soft squashy voice in “Main Aggar Kahoon”. Vishal-Shekhar amalgamates the suppleness of Indian classical instrumental works with synchronized violin and piano notes in its impressive musical display. The soundtrack has mushy tingling signature tuneful experiences that bring memories of Shankar Jaikishan’s 60's magical charm. Shreya Ghoshal’s shimmering vocal impact brings extra mushy flavors that create an aura of serenity in the track. Javed Akhtar’s poetic prowess is the main highlight that gives it narrative edges in its tranquil flow.
JAG SOONA SOONA LAGE: Vishal-Shekhar maintains the decorum of “retro” feel where unconventional voices make imposing impact in sad and morose romantic soundtrack “Jag Soona Soona Lage”. This soundtrack brings memories of successful but different sounding tracks like “Lambi Judai” (Subhash Ghai’s ‘Karz’) and “Beshak Mandir Masjid Todo” (Raj Kapoor’s ‘Bobby’) to senses for its peculiar vocal renditions and lyrical flows. Pakistani Sufi sensation Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s voice packs melancholically resounding moments of lost-paradise in his excruciating loud pitched rendition. Richa Sharma’s harsh folksy voice has another notable offering in this track where her vocals set the tempo for the proceeding of the track. It will be of great significance in the climax of the film for its enriched melodramatic display but might not be as chartbusting as earlier tracks.
DHOOM TANA: If tracks of ‘Om Shanti Om’ promise vintage feel then it even boasts yesteryear’s talents like Pyarelal (of Laxmikant-Pyarelal fame) in main musical frames with blend of 60's, 70's and 80's retro feel in dancing soundtrack “Dhoom Tana”. This hi-voltage pulsating dancing number has Pyarelal’s orchestration that primarily comprises 40-45 different drums, ranging from ‘tabla’ and ‘dhol’ to ‘dhapli’, harmonized expertly with 40 plus violins and 22 woodwinds, amongst other percussive instruments. Abhijeet, an SRK favorite in late 90's along with melodious Shreya Ghoshal, cherishes Bollywood’s golden era as the mood swivels from 50's to 80's in its high-pitched interludes. Vishal-Shekhar’s arrangements are finely tuned with Pyarelal’s orchestration in making it crowd-appealing number on the silver screen.
DASTAAN-E-OM SHANTI OM: The soul of reincarnation vendetta saga erupts on with typical theatrical singing modes as affable Shaan’s vocals croon out emotions of ‘Om Shanti Om’ in sentimental number “Daastan-e-Om Shanti Om”. It strikes chord with “Ek Hasina Thi” (Subhash Ghai’s ‘Karz’) in its musical presentation where protagonist narrates his painful nostalgic moments through well narrated phrases and verses. This may not be the finest of Shaan’s works of this year but attracts eyeballs for its peculiar heart-throbbing theme and substance. Vishal-Shekhar’s energizing synchronized orchestration delivers shades of emotions that deserve to be applauded for its enriched harmonic affluence.
“Daastan-e-Om Shanti Om (The Dark Side Mix)” by DJ Nikhil Chinnapa, Zoheb and DJ Naved is stylized conceived promotional track that can well be catalyzed in promos and teasers of the film. It has darker side of human emotions in its daunting impulse with snazzy DJ claps and scratches making it perfect club remix track.
Vishal-Shekhar delivers their most pompous musical work of lifetime in ‘Om Shanti Om’ and predictably a potential winner in terms of commercial success. The album is expected to be one of the biggest grosser of 2007 and all credits to fine blend of Indian and western musical works by singers, lyricists, arrangers and composers. Soundtracks like “Deewangi Dewangi”, “Dard-e-Disco”, “Dhoom Tana”, “Main Agar Kahoon” and “Ajab Si” are sure shot chartbusting success while the rest of the numbers fits intro situation with great ease. It’s likely to be a big musical event for all ardent Bollywood musical fans and biggest musical success for talented and deserving Vishal-Shekhar.
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Jab We Met – Movie Review
Jab We Met – Movie Review
Starring Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Dara Singh, Kiran Juneja
Music by Pritam
Produced by Dhillin Mehta
Written and Directed by Imtiaz Ali
Jab We Met, is a Bollywood film directed by Imtiaz Ali, who earlier directed Socha Na Tha starring Ayesha Takia and Abhay Deol.
The film stars Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in their fifth film together and will be produced by Dhillin Mehta under Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd. The film’s score and soundtrack is composed by Pritam with lyrics by Irshad Kamil and is scheduled for a release in October.
It is the story of industrialist Aditya (Shahid Kapur) who feels defeated as the girl he loves is getting married. He drifts out of the gathering, and finds himself on a train, speeding away into the night.
A young girl Geeta (Kareena Kapoor), who is leaving Mumbai to elope with her boyfriend, meets Aditya. She irritates him to the point of leaving the train. They are stranded on a desolate station, without luggage or money.
They reach Ambala, her house, through highs and lows, only to be mistaken as lovers by the family. Geet then plans to run away to Manali to meet the man of her dreams.
By Manali, he has begun to see her in a different way. To realize later that her boyfriend had not accepted her. And she was missing. Her family traces him to get her back.
It is up to her to tell her family the truth. Only that she realizes that the misconception was the truth.. And they are meant to be together, always.
Go Watch the movie today. Read more on Jab We Met here.
Listen to the most famous songs from the movie here: Movie Songs
Posted in Blogroll, bollywood, jab we met, kareena, kareena kapoor, movies, shahid, shahid kapoor | Tagged bollywood, jab we met, jab we met songs, kareena, kareena kapoor, movie lyrics, shahid, shahid kapoor, tumse hi, yeh ishq hai | Leave a Comment
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Starring Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Dara Singh, Kiran Juneja
Music by Pritam
Produced by Dhillin Mehta
Written and Directed by Imtiaz Ali
Jab We Met, is a Bollywood film directed by Imtiaz Ali, who earlier directed Socha Na Tha starring Ayesha Takia and Abhay Deol.
The film stars Shahid Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in their fifth film together and will be produced by Dhillin Mehta under Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd. The film’s score and soundtrack is composed by Pritam with lyrics by Irshad Kamil and is scheduled for a release in October.
It is the story of industrialist Aditya (Shahid Kapur) who feels defeated as the girl he loves is getting married. He drifts out of the gathering, and finds himself on a train, speeding away into the night.
A young girl Geeta (Kareena Kapoor), who is leaving Mumbai to elope with her boyfriend, meets Aditya. She irritates him to the point of leaving the train. They are stranded on a desolate station, without luggage or money.
They reach Ambala, her house, through highs and lows, only to be mistaken as lovers by the family. Geet then plans to run away to Manali to meet the man of her dreams.
By Manali, he has begun to see her in a different way. To realize later that her boyfriend had not accepted her. And she was missing. Her family traces him to get her back.
It is up to her to tell her family the truth. Only that she realizes that the misconception was the truth.. And they are meant to be together, always.
Go Watch the movie today. Read more on Jab We Met here.
Listen to the most famous songs from the movie here: Movie Songs
Posted in Blogroll, bollywood, jab we met, kareena, kareena kapoor, movies, shahid, shahid kapoor | Tagged bollywood, jab we met, jab we met songs, kareena, kareena kapoor, movie lyrics, shahid, shahid kapoor, tumse hi, yeh ishq hai | Leave a Comment
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Sarkar Raj – Movie
Sarkar Raj is the much awaited sequel to the acclaimed hit film Sarkar by Ram Gopal Varma. Sarkar was inspired by Francis Ford Coppola’s film The Godfather, but the sequel will be completely original.
Both the films have been claimed to be loosely based on the family of Balasaheb Thackeray, Sarkar Raj being adapted from the Enron issue. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for the first time in a film post Aishwarya and Abhishek’s marriage.
The film is set to release on June 6, 2008.
Movie Synopsis:
When Anita Rajan, CEO of an international firm, brings a power plant proposal to set up in rural Maharashtra, before the Nagres, the insightful Shankar is quick to realize its benefits. After convincing Sarkar, Shankar along with Anita goes to the villages to mobilize support of the masses. However, things are not what they seem to be. From shady fixers with an eye on multi-million kick-backs to wannnabes who are ready to incite millions of people against the highly controversial project, Shankar’s dream project gradually becomes a political minefield. Evil forces gang up to bring down the regime of Sarkar and obliterate Shankar’s name from the political horizon.
Characters:
1. Subhash Nagre/Sarkar- Patriarch of the Nagre clan who is known as the messiah to the people of his region and comes from the root of the society of Mumbai.
2. Shankar Nagre – Heir of the Nagre clan. Shankar is associated with his father in the services to the people. Shankar is a sophisticated individual with leadership skills in politics and bringing business to the common people.
3. Anita Rajan- An aggressive and highly ambitious business woman from London who is the CEO of Sheppard Power plant. She is instrumental in setting things in motion.
Presenter: Adlabs Films
Producer: K Sera Sera, Z Picture Company
Director: Ram Gopal Varma
Sarkar Raj Movie Trailer
Sarkar Raj Movie Showreel
This First SARKAR RAJ showreel was unveiled at the wedding anniversary of Abhishek Bachchan & Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at Mumbai on 20th April 2008. It now goes on to show that the Bachchan’s with Ramgopal Varma are one lethal combination and present Sarkar Raj onscreen to the audience as the most awaited film of this year. ENJOY IT….its just Superb…and watch out for Ash…
Sarkar Raj is an intense political drama and is essentially a study of power. It explores the politics of development and takes a fresh look at the tradition versus modernity debate.
In Sarkar Raj, ‘Sarkar’ (Amitabh) takes a backseat while his son Shankar Nagre (Abhishek) holds fort. Aishwarya who plays the CEO of Sheppard Power, an international power company, brings a proposal to set up a power plant in rural Maharashtra, before the Nagres.
An insightful Shankar is quick to realize the benefits of the power plant that can bring to the people. After convincing Sarkar (Amitabh) who is against it for various reasons, Shankar undertakes a journey along with Aishwarya to villages of Maharashtra to mobilise support of the masses.
However, things are not what they seem to be. Shankar’s dream project gradually becomes a political minefield. It is in this backdrop that the evil forces mighter than ever, mushroom and gang up to bring down Sarkar’s regime and obliterate Shankar’s name from the political horizon.
Sunday – Music Review
Film: Sunday
Music Composers: Shibani Kashyap, Daler Mehndi, Amar Mohile, Suroor, Sandeep Chowta, Raghav Sachar
Singers: Shibani Kashyap, Daler Mehndi, Sunidhi Chauhan, Clint, Joy, Mohammed Ali, Kamran Bari, Mahua Kamath, Earl Edgar, Suraj
Ratings: ***
Sunday, directed by Rohit Shetty, holds a couple of surprises for its listeners as far as the music goes. Sandeep Chowta returns to Bollywood with this film and the album also includes a composition by Pakistani band Suroor. And while there is Shibani Kashyap composing and rendering a track, Raghav Sachar too contributes.
There seems to be upbeat trend of having multiple composers for a film album and SUNDAY seems to be one such optimistic presentation. Pop diva Shibani Kashyap, “bhangra” sensation Daler Mehndi, upcoming prodigy Raghav Sachar, contemporaries Sandeep Chowta, Amar Mohile and new kids on block from Pakistan – “Surror” are the chosen one to deliver hot “n” spicy stuff. It can be transitory phase but the results in SUNDAY seem to be swashbuckling with tracks like “Missing Sunday”, “Pyar to Hona Hi Tha” and “Manzar” promising chartbusting success.
Sandeep Chowta gains his phenomenal ground in the marquee by pitching out a really hot and sweltering sluggish paced hip-hop and electronica type of “razzmatazz” fervor in feverishly paced title track “Missing Sunday”. Mahua Kamath, an ex-VIVA group vocalist seductive vocal oomph seems to be getting all playful acts together with impressive Suraj energized vocals joining the fun in tandem. Chowta’s upbeat inundation of hip-hop with tantalizing electronic beat rhythmic patterns collages effervescently with snooty Earl Edger emceeing in making it hot-shot hit track. “Missing Sunday (remix” simply adds more zest to the party but this time it’s more of a sluggish “club-house” stylized work where regular paced vocals gets into groove with subtle instrumental flows. Go get it!
JAL, ROXEN and now SURROR! “Pyar to Hona Hi Tha” (album –“Pyar to Hona Hi Tha”) marks the promising introduction of another prodigal Paki rock band “Surror” into Hindi filmdom with great success and all credits to their sonorously soft vocals, combustible orchestration and lucid wordings. Lead vocalists Kamran Bari along with Mohammad Ali leads the energetic bandwagon of spirited percussionist, flashy guitarist and thunderous arranger that really fires the entire energy on floors. Despite its blistering rock-concert feel, filmmakers have mistaken it as syrupy romantic duet but anyway it’s listening delight all the way. Even its flashy “club” mix gets both feet’s together on floors and with echoing DJ claps and scratches mixing well with snazzy disco beat fillers, its really one great party feeling.
If there was any thunder and edginess in “Talwar Re” (CHOODO NA YAAR) then “Loot Liya” seems to be another extension with spirited “Maharastrian Lavani” folksy touches. Daler Mehndi goes full throttle for this raunchy dancing track where gruffly paced Sunidhi Chauhan joins him in tandem to energize all passion. This coarsely composed folksy composition by Daler Mehndi may not be finest in its league but certainly delivers a pertinent festive feel for the desired situation.
“Kashmakash” tries to be another segment in this svelte sultry femme fatale style of seductive track like “Zinda Hoon Main” (ZINDA), but the ire and incineration of enticing listeners is completely missing. Shibani’s messy composition and Virag Mishra’s unimposing wordings seems to have muddled up all the sensuality in the track. The loud crooning and jarring orchestration sounds haywire and overall impact of scorching hot “item song” is strikingly missing. DJ Suketu’s technical skills improvises its prospects where Shibani’s vocals are at accelerated tempo while racy beat juggling and thumping impacts makes mood merrier with its infectious flow.
Raghav Sachar, the multifaceted musical talent who impounded with his prowess in KABUL EXPRESS makes all trendy moves in striking chord with “rock-cum-jazz” style of arrangement work in “Manzar”. It’s all together hip-shaking groovy number where soft rock concert feel gets tangy with “saxophone” stylized of “jazz” romanticism with dash of hip-hop rendition in delivering a rollicking feel on floors. Sachar’s strong affixation of Sufi music gets energized with Aditya Dhar simple wordings and gels together affably to give another pop genre loving track.
Finally there is “Sunday Theme”, by tried and trusted background scorer Amar Mohile, where the frothy and cheerful feel of “Sunday” is tantalized with varying pitched instrumental flows that amalgamates with choral emceeing (Clint and Joy) of the spirited feel of the film. It’s perfectly balanced to be well suited for beginning or end titles and do experience some hilarious moments getting refurbished on silver screen with “bits and parts” of this chirpy instrumental number.
SUNDAY proves to be bankable commercial preposition where assimilation of many multifaceted prodigies delivers ample moments to cherish for both producers as well as for its listeners. The album promises chartbusting hits in tracks like “Missing Sunday” and “Pyar to Hona Hi Hai” while tracks like “Manzar” and “Loot Liya” are expected to be picking up well with film’s success at box office.
In nutshell, its promising musical farewell to year 2007 and confirmatory success for SUNDAY!
Aishwarya ‘Rai’ Bachchan – All the way
Aishwarya Bachchan is all the way in the news after Republic Day… Look at the news that happened…
A college for girls from Bachchan family
The news is from DAULATPUR (BARABANKI), on 27th januray 2008, the foundation of the Shrimati Aishwarya Bachchan Girls’ Degree College was laid by film actor Amitabh Bachchan here on Sunday.
The entire United National Progress Alliance (UNPA) leadership was in attendance. The Bachchan family — Amitabh’s wife Jaya, son Abhishek and his wife Aishwarya — made the day a memorable one for the people of this remote village, about 60 km from Lucknow. A 15,000 strong crowd thronged the venue. The foundation-laying ceremony coincided with the 52nd birthday of Samajwadi Party national general secretary Amar Singh The ceremony was witnessed by the former Chief Ministers Mulayam Singh (Uttar Pradesh); Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh); Farooq Abdullah (Jammu and Kashmir); and Om Prakash Chautala (Haryana).
Mr. Mulayam Singh said not a single girl should remain uneducated and jobless.
The UNPA chairman said that the development witnessed in Uttar Pradesh when he was the Chief Minister would not have been possible without Mr. Amar Singh’s initiative.
Mr. Singh said the development in Uttar Pradesh in the three-and-a half years of the Samajwadi Party rule equalled the achievement during the 40 years preceding it.
Mr. Naidu suggested that Mr. Bachchan should follow the example of Microsoft chief Bill Gates and mobilise money to eradicate poverty.
He assured the film actor that the UNPA would support his efforts.
Mr. Naidu’s suggestion was supported by Mr. Mulayam Singh and Mr. Amar Singh. Mr. Bachchan, however, asked Mr. Naidu to take the lead and said his family would assist him. While Mr. Abdullah described the event as a big step towards education of girls that would ensure them jobs.
Mr. Chautala attacked the UPA Government at the Centre for ignoring the interests of the farmers. Aishwarya Rai said she always dreamt of a girl’s college and “today the dream has been fulfilled.”
The Bachchan “bahu,” clad in a pink Kanjeevaram silk saree, thanked the people of U.P. for the love and affection showered on her. Mr. Amitabh Bachchan announced that he would finance the education of two girls, Anjali (8 years old) and Rimjhim (6 years old), who had been abandoned by their parents.
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On Monday, 28th January 2008, a news from Lucknow came with the name Aishwarya Bachchan… please have a look at it…
Amar Singh names new bungalow ‘Aishwarya’
Besides a proposed girls college in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh’s new home in Lucknow too has been named after Bollywood actress and his friend Amitabh Bachchan’s daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
This came to light when Singh took the Bachchan family to his recently built plush bungalow in the Uttar Pradesh capital’s upmarket Vipul Khand of Gomati Nagar on Saturday night.
Amitabh Bachchan and his entire family were driven from the Lucknow airport straight to Aishwarya, where they had dinner and spent the night.
When a reporter confronted Singh with a query about the name of the house, he shot back, ”Abhishek is like a son to me and Aishwarya my daughter-in-law, so what if I have named my house after her and what if I decide to even gift this house to her?”
He went on to add: ”You should know that Aishwarya is also another name for Goddess Lakshmi.”
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SUNDANCE 2011: Buck
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Sunday, 23 January, 2011
Buck (2011) dir. Cindy Meehl
Documentary
Sunday, 23 January, 2011
Buck (2011) dir. Cindy MeehlDocumentary
***
By Alan Bacchus
Real life horse whisperer is the subject of Meehl’s heart warming crowd pleasing documentary. I mean it’s a film full of pretty horses, shot in stunning Midwest ranches with pristine high definition imagery and a whole lot of soothing southern accents and country charm. Buck is the comfort food antidote to an inordinate number of heavy dramas at this year’s festival.
The Buck in this film is Buck Brannaman, the inspiration for the book and movie, The Horse Whisperer. But, as I suspected, there’s no ‘whispering’ involved in Buck’s work and it certainly doesn’t have the ethereal spirituality of Robert Redford’s film, but it’s no less fascinating to watch Buck magically put even the most feral horses at ease and have them following his every move like he’s been training them for years.
For most of the year Buck travels across the country conducting clinics for ranchers, horse trainers and likely Horse Whisperer fans. Meehl’s cameras follow Buck from place to place with his team which includes his equally talented daughter and devoted wife.
Key to appreciating Buck’s methodology is knowing how horses were traditionally ‘broken’ by ranchers and horse training. Meehl briefly goes back to the torturous, almost medieval practises of old - physical abuse using fear and intimidation to beat horses into submission. Buck himself admits to once using these practices, and we can feel the sadness in his eyes when describes his transition into the whisperer through his mentors.
The parallel of Buck’s lifelong goal links up marvellously to Buck’s own painful past. Going back into Buck’s childhood reveals an obscene life of abuse at the hands of his father who in the 60’s put his Buck into show business as a trick roper at the age of three.
The lifelong journey of Buck from abused victim to champion of humane animal practices has the emotional gravitas most Hollywood couldn’t write, The Horse Whisperer included. Nepotism accusations due to the Sundance/Redford connection can quickly be dismissed as there seems to be no doubt Buck is a deserving front runner for an audience award.
The Academy Awards 2010- The Oscars
cList Of Oscar Nominees And Winners 2010
James Cameron must have never in his wildest nightmare thought that he would have to fight it out with his ex-wife, Kathryn Bigelow in anything other than the court. But here it was… beaten and knocked out by his own ex-wife. Avatar finally managed only 3 Oscar Awards as compared to Kathryn Bigelow’s film, The Hurt Locker, which bagged 6 statuettes in all at The Academy Awards 2010. This was also the first time ever in the history of the Oscars that a woman director walked away with the best director honor. Here’s what she said in her winning speech.
Bigelow said: "I hope I'm the first of many, and of course, I'd love to just think of myself as a filmmaker. And I long for the day when that modifier can be a moot point. But I'm very grateful if I can inspire some young, intrepid, tenacious male or female filmmaker and have them feel that the impossible is possible, and never give up on your dream."
Wee, there were many more nominations and winners on Oscar’s night.
MATT DAMON- INVICTUS WOODY HARRELSON- THE MESSENGER CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER- THE LAST STATION STANLEY TUCCI- THE LOVELY BONES CHRISTOPH WALTZ- INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS [WINNER]
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
PENELOPE CRUZ- NINE VERA FARMIGA- UP IN THE AIR MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL- CRAZY HEART ANNA KENDRICK- UP IN THE AIR MO’NIQUE- PRECIOUS [WINNER]
Best Foreign Language Film
AJAMI- Israel EL SECRETO DE SUS OJOS- Argentina- [WINNER] THE MILK OF SORROW- Peru UN PROPHETE- France 'THE WHITE RIBBON- Germany
Best Film Editing
'Avatar' - Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron 'District 9' - Julian Clarke 'The Hurt Locker- 'Bob Murawski and Chris Innis [WINNER] 'Inglourious Basterds- 'Sally Menke 'Precious' -Joe Klotz
Best Documentary Feature
'Burma VJ' 'The Cove' [WINNER] 'Food, Inc.' 'The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers' 'Which Way Home'
Best Visual Effects
'Avatar'- Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones [WINNER] 'District 9'- Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken 'Star Trek'- Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton
Best Original Score
'Avatar' -James Horner 'Fantastic Mr. Fox'- Alexandre Desplat 'The Hurt Locker'- Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders 'Sherlock Holmes'- Hans Zimmer 'Up'- Michael Giacchino [WINNER]
Best Cinematography
'Avatar'- Mauro Fiore [WINNER] 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'- Bruno Delbonnel 'The Hurt Locker'- Barry Ackroyd 'Inglourious Basterds'- Robert Richardson 'The White Ribbon'- Christian Berger
Best Sound Mixing
'Avatar'- Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson 'The Hurt Locker'- Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett [WINNER] 'Inglourious Basterds'- Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano 'Star Trek'- Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'- Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson
Best Sound Editing
'Avatar'- Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle 'The Hurt Locker'- Paul N.J. Ottosson [WINNER] 'Inglourious Basterds'- Wylie Stateman 'Star Trek'- Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin 'Up'- Michael Silvers and Tom Myers
Best Costume Design
'Bright Star'- Janet Patterson 'Coco Before Chanel'- Catherine Leterrier 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus'- Monique Prudhomme 'Nine'- Colleen Atwood 'The Young Victoria'- Sandy Powell [WINNER]
Best Art Direction
'Avatar'- Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair [WINNER] 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus'- Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith 'Nine'- Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim 'Sherlock Holmes'- Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer 'The Young Victoria'- Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray
Best Adapted Screenplay
Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell- 'District 9' Nick Hornby- 'An Education' Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche- 'In the Loop' Geoffrey Fletcher- 'Precious' [WINNER] Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner- 'Up in the Air'
Best Makeup
'Il Divo'- Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano 'Star Trek'- Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow [WINNER] 'The Young Victoria'- Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore
Best Short Film (Live Action)-
'The Door'- Juanita Wilson and James Flynn 'Instead of Abracadabra'- Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström 'Kavi'- Gregg Helvey 'Miracle Fish'- Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey 'The New Tenants'- Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson [WINNER]
Best Documentary (Short Subject)
‘China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province'- Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill 'The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner'- Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher 'The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant'- Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert 'Music by Prudence'- Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett [WINNER] 'Rabbit a la Berlin'- Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra
Best Short Film (Animated)
'French Roast'- Fabrice O. Joubert 'Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty'- Nicky Phelan and Darragh O'Connell 'The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)'- Javier Recio Gracia 'Logorama'- Nicolas Schmerkin [WINNER] 'A Matter of Loaf and Death'- Nick Park
Best Original Screenplay
Mark Boal- 'The Hurt Locker' [WINNER] Quentin Tarantino- 'Inglourious Basterds' Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman- 'The Messenger' Joel Coen and Ethan Coen- 'A Serious Man' Peter Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy- 'Up'
Best Original Song
'Almost There' from 'The Princess and the Frog'- Music and Lyric by Randy Newman 'Down in New Orleans' from 'The Princess and the Frog'- Music and Lyric by Randy Newman 'Loin de Paname' from 'Paris 36'- Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas 'Take It All' from 'Nine'- Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston 'The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)' from 'Crazy Heart'- Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett [WINNER]
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James Cameron must have never in his wildest nightmare thought that he would have to fight it out with his ex-wife, Kathryn Bigelow in anything other than the court. But here it was… beaten and knocked out by his own ex-wife. Avatar finally managed only 3 Oscar Awards as compared to Kathryn Bigelow’s film, The Hurt Locker, which bagged 6 statuettes in all at The Academy Awards 2010. This was also the first time ever in the history of the Oscars that a woman director walked away with the best director honor. Here’s what she said in her winning speech.
Bigelow said: "I hope I'm the first of many, and of course, I'd love to just think of myself as a filmmaker. And I long for the day when that modifier can be a moot point. But I'm very grateful if I can inspire some young, intrepid, tenacious male or female filmmaker and have them feel that the impossible is possible, and never give up on your dream."
Wee, there were many more nominations and winners on Oscar’s night.
MATT DAMON- INVICTUS WOODY HARRELSON- THE MESSENGER CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER- THE LAST STATION STANLEY TUCCI- THE LOVELY BONES CHRISTOPH WALTZ- INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS [WINNER]
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
PENELOPE CRUZ- NINE VERA FARMIGA- UP IN THE AIR MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL- CRAZY HEART ANNA KENDRICK- UP IN THE AIR MO’NIQUE- PRECIOUS [WINNER]
Best Foreign Language Film
AJAMI- Israel EL SECRETO DE SUS OJOS- Argentina- [WINNER] THE MILK OF SORROW- Peru UN PROPHETE- France 'THE WHITE RIBBON- Germany
Best Film Editing
'Avatar' - Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron 'District 9' - Julian Clarke 'The Hurt Locker- 'Bob Murawski and Chris Innis [WINNER] 'Inglourious Basterds- 'Sally Menke 'Precious' -Joe Klotz
Best Documentary Feature
'Burma VJ' 'The Cove' [WINNER] 'Food, Inc.' 'The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers' 'Which Way Home'
Best Visual Effects
'Avatar'- Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones [WINNER] 'District 9'- Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken 'Star Trek'- Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton
Best Original Score
'Avatar' -James Horner 'Fantastic Mr. Fox'- Alexandre Desplat 'The Hurt Locker'- Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders 'Sherlock Holmes'- Hans Zimmer 'Up'- Michael Giacchino [WINNER]
Best Cinematography
'Avatar'- Mauro Fiore [WINNER] 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'- Bruno Delbonnel 'The Hurt Locker'- Barry Ackroyd 'Inglourious Basterds'- Robert Richardson 'The White Ribbon'- Christian Berger
Best Sound Mixing
'Avatar'- Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson 'The Hurt Locker'- Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett [WINNER] 'Inglourious Basterds'- Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano 'Star Trek'- Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'- Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson
Best Sound Editing
'Avatar'- Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle 'The Hurt Locker'- Paul N.J. Ottosson [WINNER] 'Inglourious Basterds'- Wylie Stateman 'Star Trek'- Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin 'Up'- Michael Silvers and Tom Myers
Best Costume Design
'Bright Star'- Janet Patterson 'Coco Before Chanel'- Catherine Leterrier 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus'- Monique Prudhomme 'Nine'- Colleen Atwood 'The Young Victoria'- Sandy Powell [WINNER]
Best Art Direction
'Avatar'- Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair [WINNER] 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus'- Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith 'Nine'- Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim 'Sherlock Holmes'- Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer 'The Young Victoria'- Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray
Best Adapted Screenplay
Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell- 'District 9' Nick Hornby- 'An Education' Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche- 'In the Loop' Geoffrey Fletcher- 'Precious' [WINNER] Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner- 'Up in the Air'
Best Makeup
'Il Divo'- Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano 'Star Trek'- Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow [WINNER] 'The Young Victoria'- Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore
Best Short Film (Live Action)-
'The Door'- Juanita Wilson and James Flynn 'Instead of Abracadabra'- Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström 'Kavi'- Gregg Helvey 'Miracle Fish'- Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey 'The New Tenants'- Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson [WINNER]
Best Documentary (Short Subject)
‘China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province'- Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill 'The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner'- Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher 'The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant'- Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert 'Music by Prudence'- Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett [WINNER] 'Rabbit a la Berlin'- Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra
Best Short Film (Animated)
'French Roast'- Fabrice O. Joubert 'Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty'- Nicky Phelan and Darragh O'Connell 'The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)'- Javier Recio Gracia 'Logorama'- Nicolas Schmerkin [WINNER] 'A Matter of Loaf and Death'- Nick Park
Best Original Screenplay
Mark Boal- 'The Hurt Locker' [WINNER] Quentin Tarantino- 'Inglourious Basterds' Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman- 'The Messenger' Joel Coen and Ethan Coen- 'A Serious Man' Peter Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy- 'Up'
Best Original Song
'Almost There' from 'The Princess and the Frog'- Music and Lyric by Randy Newman 'Down in New Orleans' from 'The Princess and the Frog'- Music and Lyric by Randy Newman 'Loin de Paname' from 'Paris 36'- Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas 'Take It All' from 'Nine'- Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston 'The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)' from 'Crazy Heart'- Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett [WINNER]
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RESTREPO Now Out On Blu Ray, DVD, And Streaming On Netflix Instant
RESTREPO (Dirs. Tim Hetherington & Sebastian Junger, 2010)
You really feel like you're in the middle of combat in this intense war documentary by Sebastian Junger (author of the book "The Perfect Storm" and British photojournalist Tim Hetherington.
Opening titles tell us: "In May 2007, the men of second platoon, Battle Company, began a 15 month deployment in the Korengal Valley of Eastern Afghanistan." Hetherington and Junger spent a year filming the troop as they build an outpost in the valley which was dubbed "the deadliest place on the planet" by CNN. One of the first casualties shortly after deployment was a well liked medic - Private First Class Juan "Doc" Restrepo.
You really feel like you're in the middle of combat in this intense war documentary by Sebastian Junger (author of the book "The Perfect Storm" and British photojournalist Tim Hetherington.
Opening titles tell us: "In May 2007, the men of second platoon, Battle Company, began a 15 month deployment in the Korengal Valley of Eastern Afghanistan." Hetherington and Junger spent a year filming the troop as they build an outpost in the valley which was dubbed "the deadliest place on the planet" by CNN. One of the first casualties shortly after deployment was a well liked medic - Private First Class Juan "Doc" Restrepo.
Once venturing into the treacherous terrain ("where the road ends is where the Taliban begins" says one soldier) they establish a fire base and named it Restrepo in tribute to their fallen friend.
The men constantly get fired upon by insurgents in the hills which we never see, but that's completely understandable under such dangerous circumstances. It's amazing enough what we do see particularly one scene in which a cameraman captures from inside a army humvee when it runs over an IED and explodes.
In another harrowing sequence following the Company into what's called "Operation Rock Avalanche" we see a soldier emotionally break down after another death.
Addressing his men, Capt. Dan Kearney tells them "to mourn then get over it and get back to work."
Interviews conducted later with principle platoon members help the narrative thrust, most in extreme close-up, and are full of painful memories yet a stirring proudness still remains. Much of the footage is grainy and shaky (the sunlit scenes fare the best aesthetically of course) but this obviously could never be a polished portrait - the reality of its penetrating rawness is precisely the point.
Like many other recent war documentaries RESTREPO will likely be ignored by the populace. Most folks like to look away from such harsh and devastating non-fiction.
However those who pony up to watch it will find it impossible to ignore.
Three PDVD Rip - Latest Telugu Movie with Subtitle
Download Three PDVD Rip - Latest Telugu Movie with Subtitle
Banner: Raj India Entertainments
Cast: Rishi, Rajiv Kanakala, Urwasi Sharma, Santhichandra, Ravali, Ranganath, Harshavardhan, Benarji, Giridhar, Chaitanya, Kowshal, C.V.L.Narsimha Rao, Allu Ramesh
Direction: Shekhar Suri
Production: Phani Raj, G.S.Babu
Music: Vijay Kurakula
Download Link
Part01 - Part02 - Part03 - Part04
Alternate Download Link 1
Part01 - Part02 - Part03 - Part04
Alternate Download Link 2
Part01 - Part02 - Part03 - Part04
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CONVICTION: The Film Babble Blog Review
CONVICTION (Dir. Tony Goldwyn, 2010)
It's that time of year - time for a piece of Hilary Swank Oscar bait.
Last year Swank's performance as Amelia Earhart failed to get a nomination so she's back playing another real person - Betty Anne Waters - a working class mother fighting the legal system in this earnest yet fiercely mediocre melodrama.
Full of the kind of spunk that Lou Grant would definitely hate, Waters put herself through law school just so she could represent her brother, who was wrongfully convicted of murder in Massacusetts.
Sam Rockwell plays the brother, spending the bulk of his role in prison scenes with Swank. The film flashes back to the early '80s when the crime was committed with Rockwell being arrested by Melissa Leo as an obviously corrupt cop.
In a courtroom sequence Rockwell's ex-wife (Clea DuVall) and ex-girlfriend (Juliette Lewis) testify against the accused while Swank steams on the sidelines.
Over the next 16 years Swank struggles to earn her GED, a college diploma and a law degree while working as a bartender all the while investigating her brother's case.
Swank befriends a sassy Minnie Driver as a fellow student and spurned on by the prospect of new DNA evidence hooks up with the Innocence Project - an organization that overturns wrongful convictions led by Barry Scheck (a sauve but wooden Peter Galagher).
With a bad Boston accent and a strained expression for most of the movie, Swank sure doesn't deserve a nomination for this one. Rockwell fares better, but there's not really much to his character.
We see that he's a white trash ruffian always in trouble with the law - the kind who will start a barfight one minute then do a cheered-on semi-striptease to a redneck anthem on the jukebox the next.
We're supposed to be seduced by his wildness and in turn admire Swank's plucky determination to clear her brother's name, because, well, she's wild inside too.
Driver's accent isn't much better than Swank's, but as a Devil's advocate best friend she has a likable presence. Juliette Lewis makes the most of her short but sweet part - she's completely believable as tawdry trailer-trash with bad teeth.
As it was based on a true story this film is not without merit; it's competently constructed, but its bland TV movie mechanisms and treacly score kept it from getting anywhere near my heart.
Try as it might, CONVICTION isn't very convincing.
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THE FIGHTER: The Film Babble Blog Review
Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale play Boston boxing brothers Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund in this strong drama based on true events.
Set in the early '90s, the film begins documentary style as HBO is filming Bale for a film about his comeback. We see archival video of the real Eklund in the ring with Sugar Ray Leonard.
Wahlberg is following in his half brother's footsteps, being trained by him for an upcoming fight. Their tough talking mother Melissa Leo manages Wahlberg and also has 7 daughters who act as a sort of trashy teased Greek chorus on the sidelines.
A very skinny Bale (well, maybe not as thin as in THE MACHINIST) is unhinged and bug-eyed, yet utterly believable and not over the top in his portrayal. He spends most of his time in a crackhouse when he should be at the gym with Wahlberg.
Wahlberg meets Amy Adams as a bartender and asks her out, but he stands her up because he's embarrassed about losing his latest bout. She confronts him on this and almost immediately they are dating.
Wahlberg is offered a chance to be paid for training year round in Las Vegas for a chance at the title, but his loyalty to his mother and brother gets in the way.
Adams believes he should take the opportunity and this makes her unpopular with Wahlberg's family - especially the 7 sisters who gang up on Adams, but they find that the petite redhead has a bit of the fight in her too.
Trying to hold on Wahlberg, Bale goes to the dark seedy side of addiction and creepy criminal behavior. We find out that the HBO documentary about Bale is actually about crack not his improbable comeback.
Bale lands in prison while Wahlberg signs on for new management. Wahlberg starts winning fights, but he's aware that it's Bale's training that ultimately gets him there.
With it's blue collar background and salt of the earth archetypes, THE FIGHTER doesn't break any new ground and its narrative rambles at times, but it has solid performances and a great grasp on the genre's well worn conventions.
In his third film with director O. Russell, Wahlberg shows off the years of work he's put into the part and delivers some of his most layered acting. Bale may steal every scene he's in (it's nearly impossible to look elsewhere when he's on the screen), but Wahlberg more than holds his own as do Adams and Leo.
The fight scenes are shot digitally so that they resemble how boxing appears on television through bright lighting and resolution lines - an effect that enhances the realism nicely.
O. Russell has had trouble when thinking outside the box in previous work (I HEART HUCKABEES) was an overreaching unfunny mess), but here his indulgences are reigned in - seems here he neatly thinks inside the box (or in the ring) and it pays off.
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SUNDANCE 2011: On the Ice
Saturday, 22 January, 2011 
On the Ice (2011) dir. Andrew Okpeaha MacLean
Starring: Josiah Patkotak, Frank Outuq Irelan, Teddy Kyle Smith, Adamina Kerr, Sierra Jade Sampson
On the Ice (2011) dir. Andrew Okpeaha MacLeanStarring: Josiah Patkotak, Frank Outuq Irelan, Teddy Kyle Smith, Adamina Kerr, Sierra Jade Sampson
**
By Alan Bacchus
Qalli and Aivaaq are a pair of Alaskan homies, though they wear parkas and drive snow machines, they talk like regular kids with the language and lingo of hip hop culture. Maclean paints this cross cultural picture with refreshing colour especially in contrast to the recent Inuit-based features from Canada such as The Fast Runner, or Before Tomorrow.
As his first feature out of the gate, director Andrew Maclean shows us a modern version of Inuit life in Barrow Alaska, a cold dreary place with six months of daylight and an endless perspective of white snow as far as the eye can see.
These young kids can have as much fun as any suburban kid, the opening act injects a kind of hip energy reminding us of Lee Tamahori’s aggressive introductions in Once Were Warriors. After a local house party Qalli and Aivaaq and their friend James decide to go on seal hunter trip on the lake. But when a minor squabble sees James accidentally stabbed and killed, the two friends find themselves making split second life changing decisions. In this moment they decide to hide James’s body and make up a story that he fell threw the ice.
This is the boys’ shallow grave and they just don’t have the emotional capacity to survive the psychological turmoil of hiding their crimes. It’s Qalli’s father that heads the investigation, a conflict oddly Shakespearean in it’s complexity. And so Maclean’s unique slice of life becomes a transplanted thriller with the kids‘ lives and once optimistic futures at stake.
Unfortunately Maclean is let down by his actors, most of whom sadly just don’t have the chops to pull off the emotional complexities of their heavy emotional journies. It's the kiss of death really for a film such as this. Frank Qutuq Irelan as Aivaaq has a unique and innate toughness and edge required for the hotheaded role as the clique leader. But as the more conservative academic-smart Qalli, Josiah Patkotak is just too wooden for us to get invested in his adventure. Most of supporting actors are hit and miss, but mostly misses.
It’s a shame, because On the Ice seemed to be one of the buzz films of the festival, generating long lines well in advance of the screening. Maclean’s previous Sundance Awards for his short films and his participation at the Sundance Lab with this project were signs of promise, but the final effort has the misfortune of failing to live up to these enormous expectations.
Amir Khan
Aamir Khan (/??m?r x??n/; Devanagari: ???? ????? ????, Nastaliq: ???? ???? ???) (born March 14, 1965 as Aamir Hussain Khan) in Mumbai, India, is a highly acclaimed and a prominent National Film Award-winning Indian film actor, producer, director and writer.
Appearing as a child actor in his uncle Nasir Hussain’s film Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Khan’s career started eleven years later with the film, Holi (1984). He received his first commercial success with his cousin Mansoor Khan’s film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988) and won a Filmfare Best Male Debut Award for his performance in the film. After eight previous nominations during the 1980s and 1990s, he received his first Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in Raja Hindustani (1996), his biggest commercial success so far.
He won acclaim for his role in the Academy Award nominated Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001), and received his second Best Actor award at the Filmfare ceremony as well as numerous other awards. Taking a four year break from acting, Khan made his comeback with Ketan Mehta’s The Rising (2005).
Being a part of several commercially successful movies and delivering highly acclaimed performances, he has established himself as one of the top and leading actors of Hindi cinema.
Personal life of Aamir Khan
Khan fell in love and married Reena Dutta, however his parents did not approve either of her or his marriage primarily because she was a non-muslim. As a result, Khan’s marriage stayed a secret both from his parents and the media for a while. Dutta made a brief appearance in the popular song sequence Papa Kehte Hain from Khan’s first film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, despite the fact that she was not a professional actress and was already married to him at that time. The story of Khan’s marriage garnered a lot of public attention when it was first revealed. However, Reena Dutta maintained a very low profile and continued her job working at a travel agency. They had two children (son: Junaid and daughter: Aira) and led a quiet family life away from the public eye. Reena was involved, briefly, in Khan’s career when she worked as a producer for Lagaan. In December 2002, Aamir filed for divorce ending the 15-year marriage. Reena took custody of both the children.
On December 28, 2005, Aamir married Kiran Rao, who had been an assistant to director Ashutosh Gowariker during the filming of Lagaan.
Recently, his brother Faisal caused a media scandal by accusing Khan of mistreating him and forcing him to take medication. Faisal has been said to be mentally unstable. On 31 October, 2007, the Bombay high court granted temporary custody of Faisal to their father, Tahir Hussain. Khan’s family came out in a public statement supporting him on all counts in this matter. The statement was also signed by his former wife and the mother of his children, Reena Dutta.
Khan rarely attends Indian award functions and says that he does not believe in the authenticity of the selection and winning process. He made an exception when he attended the Oscars for the nomination of Lagaan. In 2007, Khan was invited to have a wax imitation of himself put on display at Madame Tussauds in London.
However, Khan politely declined stating that, “It’s not important to me… people will see my films if they want to. Also, I cannot deal with so many things, I have bandwidth only for that much. “
Some words from the Star’s blog: Aamir Khan Blog
My big exception towards Black is the fact that a child with severe difficulties is shown being illtreated instead of being treated with love, care and understanding. I simply cannot come to terms with that no matter what the writer and director say in defence. I thought I was watching a rip off of Taming Of The Shrew!!! I take great exception to this kind of behaviour towards children being glorified and propagated through a popular mass medium as the way to deal with children with or without difficulties. I, without any hesitation, strongly condemn this kind of cinema no matter who is involved with the film, and that includes me if I ever have in the past, present or future made such an error of judgement. My creative differences with Mr Bansali are unimportant. I believe he has the potential to make a good film and I look forward to seeing his latest film SAWARIA.
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Drona
Drona a movie by Abhishekh’s childhood friend Goldie Behl, again featuring Abhishekh Bachchan.
Drona is the much awaited fantasy action adventure film starring Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Jaya Bachchan, and Kay Kay Menon.
Drona has been described as a Harry Potter meets Indiana Jones movie, but with an original story. Drona will display hundreds of top notch special effects shots that were worked on by EyeQube headed by Charles Darby and David Bush.
Drona will also feature Indian martial arts such as: Kalaripayat,Chhau,Gatka, and sword fighting. Drona was filmed in exotic locations in Prague, Bikaner, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Namibia. Drona releases worldwide on October 2, 2008.
The trailer might seems like another series of “Mummy ” movies.. but watch it this time it’s Bollywood movie with all the effects…. 
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TRUE GRIT: Another Instant Classic From The Coen Brothers
TRUE GRIT (Dirs. Joel & Ethan Coen, 2010)
An adaptation of the 1968 novel by Charles Portis rather than a remake of the 1969 John Wayne film, TRUE GRIT is in many ways a traditional example of the Western genre. What makes it so much more is its handling of the manner of characters that appear naturalistic yet still exuberantly exaggerated - in a way that long-time followers of the Coens will appreciate royally.
The "Dude" himself, Jeff Bridges, plays U.S. Marshall Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn - an iconic role that is considered one of the most definitive of the Duke's. Bridges owns it here however with a drunken swagger and a grizzled gusto.
The real protagonist of the story is the 14 year old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) who recruits Bridges to help her hunt down her father's murderer (Josh Brolin). For such a young whippersnapper, Steinfeld has a stern delivery confirming her determination and her sometimes harsh words to Bridges have a sting to them that is more than equal to Kim Darby's readings in the 1969 version.
See? It's hard not to compare this film to the original adaptation.
They follow the same plot progressions and the spirit of Western homage is certainly present, but the Coens saw the piece as funnier with less Hollywood sentiment and they deliver a film that lives up to their vision gloriously.
Matt Damon, who was long overdue for a part in a Coens production, has a juicy gruff character of his own in Texas Ranger Le Bouef. Damon is at first just along for the ride with Bridges and Steinfeld, but his jaded face-offs with the Marshall and the foes they encounter along the way have a hilarious bite to them as the tension builds.
As a Western in the classic mold with a body count, I didn't expect TRUE GRIT to be as funny as it is - it's for sure one of the Coen's most laugh-filled films since THE BIG LEBOWSKI - just about every utterance of Bridge's is comic gold and his fellow cast mates (including crusty turns by a deranged Brolin and Barry Pepper as Lucky Ned Pepper funnily enough) hold their own humor-wise as well.
Then there's the magnificent cinematography by Coen Bros. collaborator Roger Deakins that fills the frame with striking shots of the blinding terrain in New Mexico and Texas as well as the extreme jolting actor close-ups that flicker with raw emotion.
Another Coen Bros. co-hort Carter Burwell, who has been with them since BLOOD SIMPLE (1984), provides a score composed of gospel hymns and effectively spare piano accompaniment.
TRUE GRIT is an instant classic. From the Coen Brothers' ace direction to the cast's top notch acting spouting out hilarious dialog line after line and then on to the wondrous look, feel, and heart of the film, I honestly can not think of a negative criticism of it. I can't wait to see it again. If I find anything to dislike about it then - I'll get back to you.
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FAIR GAME: The Film Babble Blog Review
FAIR GAME (Dir. Doug Liman, 2010)
The true story of former CIA operative Valerie Plame and her husband retired diplomat Joesph C. Wilson is told in this thriller/melodrama based on Plame's book "Fair Game: My Life As A Spy, My Betrayal By The White House".
As portrayed by Naomi Watts and Sean Penn (in their third film together) we follow them through the dense details of how their reputations were besmirched by the Bush administration in the early aughts when Wilson reported that "some of the intelligence related to Iraq's nuclear weapons program was twisted to exaggerate the Iraqi threat."
Plame's CIA identity was exposed in the press and Wilson's work for the government is threatened, but the film seems to stress that what was more important is that their marriage was being torn apart.
It begins with Plame recruiting her husband to travel to Africa to investigate reports that Niger has sold 50 tons of "yellowcake" uranium ore to Saddam Hussein. Of course, he finds no trace of yellowcake and files a report to that effect as well as writes an op-ed piece for the New York Times entitled "What I Didn't Find In Africa".
The controversy surrounding the couple, stupidly dubbed "Plamegate", becomes extremely messy as does the movie. Many scenes are too strained and too choppy for the appropriate mood and there's an annoying inconsistent shaki-cam framing which detracts from its possible emotional power.
It's the stateside companion to Paul Greengrass's just as forced film GREEN ZONE in which army officer Matt Damon complains to an excruciating degree about not being able to find Weapons of Mass Destruction anywhere.
Penn and Watts make a convincing couple - their arguments over Plame's reluctance to go public with the facts are initially involving, but their attempts at intensity grow more and more tiresome as the film progresses to its predictable conclusion.
There is a wasted, and fictional, subplot involving an Iraqi doctor (Israeli actress Liraz Charhi) who works with Plame to find out the extent of Iraq's nuclear program. This also concerns the doctor's physicist brother in Baghdad, played by Khaled Nabawy, who Plame promises will be safely re-located if he helps out.
We also get Chief of Staff Scooter Libby (David Andrews) and Senior Advisor Karl Rove (Adam LeFevre) basically just being evil as they plot to discredit the heroic couple. Then there's a cameo by Sam Shepherd as Plame's wise father that's so badly shot that we can barely see it's him until halfway through the scene.
With it's speechifying and constantly interspersed ominous shots of Washington locations (the White House, the Capital, the Pentagon, etc.) FAIR GAME has noble intentions, but its the cinematic equivalent of listening to hours of the liberal radio network Air America.
Hearing the hosts bitching non-stop about how we were lied to in order to justify the Iraq war - even if you agreed with them - was painful and a large part of why that network failed.
And it's the main reason this film fails too.
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Enter the Void
Friday, 21 January, 2011 
Enter the Void (2009) dir. Gaspar Noe
Starring: Nathaniel Brown, Paz de la Huerta, Ed Spear, Cyril Roy
Enter the Void (2009) dir. Gaspar NoeStarring: Nathaniel Brown, Paz de la Huerta, Ed Spear, Cyril Roy
****
By Alan Bacchus
There’s a conscious effort to titillate our senses and provoke extreme reaction to this film. It almost goes without saying though for Gaspar Noe, who has carved out for himself this title as the current l’enfant terrible of cinema. He certainly gives Lars Von Trier a run, and this film seems to be him matching von Trier’s Anti-Christ experience.
Enter the Void is beyond Anti-Christ though. Beneath the salacious sex, anatomical closeups of the genitalia, hardcore drug use and general loopy psychedelic aesthetic is a warm heart, a genuine love for his characters to succeed and survive in a tough uncompromising world.
This heart also exists in Irreversible, Noe’s previous shock fest, a film known more for it’s graphic beating scene and the infamous rape of Monica Belluci’s character. What people rarely discuss is the genuine romance between his characters, which fueled the monumentally excessive dramatic journey of his hero.
Like Dave Bowman's leap into the infinite so is the neon blasted, strobe-lit rollercoaster ride Noe takes us on in Enter The Void. For most of the time we're behind the head of Oscar (Nathaniel Brown), a young American living in Tokyo, presumably a former backpacker who stayed in this electric city and got caught up in the twisted underworld of drug dealing. His estranged sister, Linda (Paz de la Huerta) has just arrived in the city, a reunification completing their lifelong promise to each other after they split up in a complicated and melodramatic backstory. Oscar's criminalistic predilections quickly creep into Linda's life, thereby corrupting her as well. First it's a harmless hit of E, then some pelvic grinding with disreputable douchebags in a club, pretty soon she's stripping in a club and destroying everything that is straight and narrow in her life.
A drug deal gone wrong makes Oscar enemies with some nasty gangsters, which results in his death at the hands of the police. In this moment things get even screwier, when Oscar's DHT hormones kick in giving him the ultimate and final trip, flashing us around through the events of his life.
We're literally behind his head for two thirds of the film, as Noe frames his camera either from his point of view or behind his neck seeing what he's looking at. The camera floats around Oscar as he moves through space and time, with no seemingly no spacial or temporal limits. After Oscar fully dies we're still left with 45mins on the running time whereby Noe's camera becomes part of Linda's point of view and eventually a god-like omniscient viewpoint, perhaps Oscar's again from the afterlife watching where Linda will end up. The camera elegantly glides through inanimate objects connecting these time jumps, and in the most salacious camera moves, manages to fit inside Linda's cervix, through her birth canal and into her uterus wherein we get to see the miracle of life up close and in real time.
This is bold aggressive and hopelessly romantic filmmaking at its best, a filmmaker with all the tools at his disposal to challenge us aesthetically and intellectually, a true cinematic experience incomparable to anything we've seen before.
Enter the Void is available on DVD and Blu-Ray from EOne Home Entertainment in Canada
Lars von Trier's ANTICHRIST Now Out On DVD And Streaming On Netflix Instrant
ANTICHRIST (Dir. Lars von Trier, 2009)
This abstract horror film begins with a vivid black and white sex scene opening in which it looks like Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainesbourg are actually doing the deed. As a married couple copulating, Dafoe and Gainesbourg writhe in slow motion unaware that their baby boy (Storm Acheche Sahlstrøm) has gotten out of bed and is walking around their apartment.
Their son climbs to the ledge of an open window. He falls to his death in the snow below.
From there the film changes into color, but it's not that colorful. Dafoe and Gainesbourg Pale light bathes Dafoe and Gainesbourg's skin with gray tones setting the mournful mood.
Gainesbourg is going out of her skin over her son's death while Dafoe, a therapist, tries to tend to her with his cold and clinical methods. Dafoe decides they should retreat to a cabin in the woods because nothing says horror like a cabin in the woods! I half expected them to find the "Book Of The Dead" there.
Shadows and light move through many gothic shots of the nature surrounding them and yep, strange evil things start to happen such as Gainesbourg calling their surroundings "Satan's garden" and a fox with a voice out of THE EXORCIST saying "choas reigns" to Dafoe.
Many other weird and disturbing things happen to the couple, none of which I feel like relating.
Sexual madness is an overriding theme with excruciating scenes of genital mutilation. Gainesbourg had been working on a thesis about genocide in the same cabin the year before so there's that too.
ANTICHRIST is full of incredibly lucid cinematography and excellent acting by its 2 leads (who are the only people in the film after the son's death), but it's a disgusting and dreadful work that I could not see the point of at all.
Director von Trier has previously made thought provoking and vital films like DANCER IN THE DARK and DOGVILLE, but this is a wretched work that I wouldn't wish upon anyone - even the former co-worker of mine that recommended Paul Haggis's CRASH to me.
However Criterion deemed the film worthy enough to add to their mighty collection, and I see many folks on the internet calling it a masterpiece, but I felt absolutely assaulted by it. To each their own I suppose.
The Criterion Collection edition contains the following special features: an audio commentary by von Trier and professor Murray Smith, interviews with von Trier and the leads, a collection of video pieces delving into the production, a documentary called "Chaos Reigns at the Cannes Film Festival 2009", and a booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Ian Christie.
Or you can watch it with no frills on Netflix Instant. Just don't say you weren't warned.
More later...
THE GREEN HORNET: The Film Babble Blog Review
THE GREEN HORNET (Dir. Michel Gondry, 2011)
A $90 million dollar superhero movie dropping in the middle of January may seem like a bad sign, but "The Green Hornet" isn't terrible - no, it's just so standard issue, formulaic, and only occasionally funny.
Hmm, maybe it is a bad sign.
Seth Rogen, who also co-wrote and co-executive produced is our unlikely hero here. His character Britt Reid is a partying rich 20 something and fairly close to roles he's played before. He's slimmer here, but he's still the same schlubby loser who lives from buzz to buzz.
When Rogen's disapproving newspaper mogul father (Tom Wilkinson) dies from a bee-sting, our slang talking bozo inherits his entire estate including his mechanic/man-servant Kato (Jay Chou) who makes a mean cappucchino.
Chou outfits a black Chrystler Imperial with machine guns and bullet proof glass and what do you know - they've got a crime fighting duo thing a-happenin'!
Christoph Waltz (INGLORIOUS BASTERDS) is the drug kingpin villain who wants to rule Los Angeles with a crew of pimped out thugs and a double-barrelled handgun.
Through the film's fast pace, albeit one with too many montages, we see Rogen and Chou fight attacking foes, getting their gear together, and smashing up their Imperial so much that they need a line of back-up cars.
There's also Cameron Diaz in a nothing role as Rogen's secretary (at least there's one lady present in this boy's club I suppose), Edward James Olmos as the newspaper's long suffering managing editor, and a slimy David Harbour as the District Attorney who's motives you can see coming from a mile away.
Its a noisy mess of a movie full of destruction displaying very little of the visual style that Gondry has shown in such films as THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP and ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND. The brief instances of Gondry's flair are lost in the slick shuffle - a segment with split screens inside of split screens in yet another montage hints at what could've been.
As much as I like Rogen and have been highly amused at his work - his jokey jargon didn't carry the movie through as amusingly as expected. He's, of course, not an actor that gets lost in a role - he's just Rogen playing dress-up - and that like just about everything else here gets pretty tiresome.
There's some entertaining chemistry between Rogen and Chou, but their dynamic seems a bit off at times. However a fight scene between them after a falling out is one of the stand-out set pieces of the film.
As the only one with grace in the cluttered comic book chaos, Chou is the film's true star. Though underwritten, again like everything else, Chou makes the most of his portrayal of a refined perfectionist who can level an army of gun toting goons.
THE GREEN HORNET is too big, dumb and ho hum to be the major fun its meant to be, but maybe for a mid-January superhero flick it can pass muster.
But just barely.
More later...
Blu Ray Review: THE EXTRA MAN
Now out on Blu ray, DVD, and scheduled to be available streaming on Netflix Instant starting 12/16/2010:
THE EXTRA MAN (Dirs. Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini, 2010)
This film, which I initially thought was too quirky for its own good, grew on me quite a bit. Kevin Kline has been in so few movies lately that it's extremely pleasing to see him sink his teeth into a juicy role, and the role here is a beaut.
As seen through the eyes of Paul Dano as a young aspiring writer with delusions of "Great Gatsby"-ish grandeur, we meet Kline as Henry Harrison - an eccentric failed playwright who lives off of the splendor of rich old ladies as he describes: "A fine meal, vintage champagne...an orchestra perhaps."
You see the scraggily gray haired mustached Kline considers himself an "extra man." He explains:
"You see women outlive men so there's always a need for an extra man at the table. It maintains a proper seating arrangement. Boy-girl, boy-girl."
Dano, who was kicked out of a teaching position at Princeton and came to New York to "find himself", rents a room from Kline and gets a job doing phone sales for an environmental magazine. Dano is fascinated by Kline's philosophies and tricks like how to get into the opera for free.
As a fellow flighty co-worker, Katie Holmes becomes the object of Dano's affection, but there's a little snag in his plans as she has an activist boyfriend and, uh, Dano has a bit of a cross dressing issue.
In one of the most off-kilter performances of his career, John C. Reilly appears in a small part as a grizzly wide-eyed neighbor of Kline's who speaks in falsetto. Reilly's part doesn't really fit in at first, but as the film goes on it becomes an inexactractable piece of the quirky quilt.
Though it's largely Dano's movie, Kline is who keeps it rolling with his witty line readings and chutzpah - a scene in which he teaches Dano how to take a leak while standing between parked cars on the street has more cheeky charm than one could imagine with that description.
What's less successful is the handling of Dano's sexual deviance. Scenes of the droopy sad eyed actor fondling brassieres and trying on women's clothes are cringe-worthy and don't add much to the more interesting material involving the wealthy women Kline is trying to woo.
A subplot involving Celia Weston as a wannabe socialite and somewhat rival of Kline's isn't explored fully, likewise Patti D'Arbanville's skimpy part as a dominatrix that Dano hires.
These flaws aside, THE EXTRA MAN is just amusing enough to be recommended. It's not as essential a film as director Berman and Pulcini's AMERICAN SPLENDOR, but it's fairly agreeable entertainment nonetheless.
Special Features: a commentary with Kevin Kline and author Jonathan Ames ("Bored To Death") who wrote the original novel, a second commentary with the co-directors + crew, a deleted scene, a clip of the voice recording for a cartoon clip, a behind the scene featerette of the musical score, and HDNet: A look at THE EXTRA MAN.
More later...
Noting The MPAA Rating System Denotations
If you've looked closely at a movie poster at the multiplex or read the fine print in, say, the Raleigh News & Observer's film listings, you've probably noticed that how crammed with tiny denotations many ratings boxes are. 
The Motion Picture Association of America used to just tell you what the film's letter rating was, but it seems that sometime after the PG-13 rating was introduced they starting providing content description such as:"Sexual content including several suggestive dance routines, partial nudity, language, and some thematic material" - That's from BURLESQUE which was PG-13 by the way.I was particularly amused by this denotation for last summer's Adam Sandler and Co. comedy GROWN UPS: "Some male rear nudity". Of course they've got to warn parents about violence, but it's funny when they to explain the violence by genre:I've also seen "Sci fi violence. The only thing that I can guess that that means is when there's alien blood.James mentions one of the all time classics of the form: "Rated PG-13 for intense depiction of very bad weather" from TWISTER (1996), and also links to a great list by Zack Tropf on Gunaxin Media of "The Twenty Best MPAA Ratings". Very funny stuff.One that I knew would be on Tropf's list: "Rated R for graphic crude and sexual humor, violent images and strong language - all involving puppets." - TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE (2004).When watching the trailers on the DVD of the excellent documentary WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY I saw the denotation "For historical smoking" on the preview for another Disney doc WALT & EL GRUPO funnily enough.Anybody else seen any good ones they'd like to share? That's what the comments section below is for.
The Motion Picture Association of America used to just tell you what the film's letter rating was, but it seems that sometime after the PG-13 rating was introduced they starting providing content description such as:"Sexual content including several suggestive dance routines, partial nudity, language, and some thematic material" - That's from BURLESQUE which was PG-13 by the way.I was particularly amused by this denotation for last summer's Adam Sandler and Co. comedy GROWN UPS: "Some male rear nudity". Of course they've got to warn parents about violence, but it's funny when they to explain the violence by genre:I've also seen "Sci fi violence. The only thing that I can guess that that means is when there's alien blood.James mentions one of the all time classics of the form: "Rated PG-13 for intense depiction of very bad weather" from TWISTER (1996), and also links to a great list by Zack Tropf on Gunaxin Media of "The Twenty Best MPAA Ratings". Very funny stuff.One that I knew would be on Tropf's list: "Rated R for graphic crude and sexual humor, violent images and strong language - all involving puppets." - TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE (2004).When watching the trailers on the DVD of the excellent documentary WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY I saw the denotation "For historical smoking" on the preview for another Disney doc WALT & EL GRUPO funnily enough.Anybody else seen any good ones they'd like to share? That's what the comments section below is for.
SUNDANCE 2011 - Tyrannosaur
Sunday, 23 January, 2011 
Tyrannosaur (2011) dir. Paddy Considine
Starring: Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman, Eddie Marsan
Tyrannosaur (2011) dir. Paddy ConsidineStarring: Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman, Eddie Marsan
***½
By Alan Bacchus
Joseph (Peter Mullan) is a spoke in the wheel of domestic abuse, which was handed down by his father to himself. We don’t know what exactly happened in the past but by the sad lonely testy life he leads, his mistakes of the past have carved out a mighty big hole in his heart.
As a character study Peter Mullan’s the right man for the job. His coarse face, gravely smoker's voice and rough working class Scottish accent he’s the epitome of a British hooligan. Joseph’s temper gets the better of him in the opening when, after he’s kicked out of a bar, he takes his anger out on his dog, killing him. Yes, this is the kind of kitchen sink movie we’re in when the dog dies in the first five minutes.
This type of abuse is rampant everywhere in Joseph’s life. His neighbours even, a young boy he takes a liking to, is constantly being intimidated by his mother’s fiery boyfriend and his aggressive pitbull. But when he meets a kindly godfearing lady, Hannah, working in a used clothing store, she’s like a beacon of light through the clouds on the perpetually overcast days.
Joseph just can’t turn off his antagonism though, and he even turns away the kindness of Hannah. But she senses his defensiveness and welcomes him back. Considine, who writes and directs, pulls the rug out from under us with a shocking first act turn wherein Hannah finds herself victim of abuse at the hands of her own seemingly put together and successful husband.
Considine rides a wave between a tender romance of two desperate and lonely souls and sinking his characters further into the depression of their working class shithole. We desperately want the romance to work, not necessarily to consummate but escape their previous lives and start anew. But Considine is ruthless with his characters, choreographing a number of gruesome beatings and touchstones of abuse which cause their characters to change.
In terms of actors turned writer/directors Tyrannosaur’s closest cousin would be Gary Oldman’s Nil By Mouth. Like Oldman Considine aggressively wants to push our emotional buttons and shock into submission. And there’s nothing wrong with that, I appreciate a good cinematic beat down if there’s a heart and soul still beating at the end. Under Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman’s superlative performances and mutual chemistry Considine succeeds in making us want to spend 90mins in the lives of these tortured characters.
BLACK SWAN: The Film Babble Blog Review
Last weekend the Carolina Theater in Durham as part of their "Retrofantasma" revival film series presented a double feature of what they dubbed "Prestigious Horror Movies": Brian De Palma's DRESSED TO KILL (1980) and Ed Bianchi's THE FAN (1981).
I predict that one day Darren Aronofsky's BLACK SWAN will be included under that banner - it's an extremely classy psycho sexual piece of prestigious horror if there ever was one.
In his follow-up to THE WRESTLER, Aronofsky focuses on the vastly different world of ballet. He recently told an interviewer: "Wrestling some consider the lowest art - if they would even call it art - and ballet some people consider the highest art. But what was amazing to me was how similar the performers in both of these worlds are. They both make incredible use of their bodies to express themselves."
As a dancer in the New York City Ballet Company, a stressed out Natalie Portman is told by her director (a sharply abrasive Vincent Cassell) that for his stripped down production of "Swan Lake" that she is perfect for the role of the White Swan - not so much for the part of the Black Swan.
Since it's a dual role for one dancer, this is a bit of a dilemma for the beleaguered ballerina.
Cassell: "I knew the White Swan wouldn't be a problem. The real work will be your metamorphosis into her evil twin."
Portman sees a less skilled yet more passionate dancer, Mila Kunis, as competition, but Kunis appears aloof at the prospect and appears to be offering friendship and congratulations when Portman gets the duel lead.
Meanwhile Cassell's former star (and former flame) Winona Ryder is on her way out of the company because of her age and clashes with Portman as she is being made her successor.
Back in their narrow NY apartment Portman's mother - a well cast Barbara Hershey - also a former ballerina, pushes her daughter to work harder to perfect her craft.
Perfection is exactly what Portman craves, but little things like nightmarish hallucinations start getting in the way. Portman gets majorly freaked out by scratches and abrasions on her back which she can't explain and keeps seeing herself in the face of Kunis.
There also seems to always be taunting laughter coming from the shadows or under the surface of the tormented terrain Portman is desperately trying to navigate through.
To her mother's disapproval, Portman goes out for a night of drinks, drugs, and debauchery with Kunis. "Ah, ballerinas. No wonder you two look alike" says one of 2 guys at the club attempting to hit on them.
It's an apt comment that Aronofsky runs with. Portman is constantly tortured by her own visage - obviously because she's becoming her own evil twin just as "Swan Lake" dictates and Kunis is the unknowing recipient of Portman's image.
Except for a number of behind the back of the protagonist's head shots as she approaches a scene, BLACK SWAN bares little resemblance to THE WRESTLER especially as it embraces startling surreality. THE WRESTLER had gritty white trash grounding; "Black Swan" wants to soar in a higher class with a deliriously scary blend of art and life.
Although it has its share of horror or suspense movie clichés including mirror scares and fake-out dream sequences, BLACK SWAN is an incredibly immersive experience.
Aronofsky thoroughly gets inside of Portman's emotional and professional obsession as the actress delivers a career best performance. Kunis puts in some of her finest work as well with a loose uninhibited demeanor that effectively balances with Portman's plague.
It may disturb some audiences, but with its vigor and justified vanity BLACK SWAN is a towering achievement. It may not be the perfection that Portman desires, yet its ambition coupled with its sweeping visual style makes for one of the most intense and intriguing films of the year.
Expect to hear about it over and over during the upcoming awards season.
More later...
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