The IMDB Tops: 10 thoughts on... The Shawshank Redemption

Dir. Frank Darabont | USA

★ Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bon Gunton

    

Current IMDB rank - rating - votes

1. Who would have thought that the currently most popular film would be such a softie? I'm not a frequent cineweeper, but the final sequence touched something very deep down - as corny as that sounds.

It was nothing I had expected, not even a few seconds before the tears started falling. It was like somebody had suddenly turned on some magnificent music that you hadn't heard before, but that still sounded familiar (sounds corny again).

2. Speaking of familiar, The Shawshank Redemption is a very good film, but there was something familiar, well-known about each and every scene. It was like all the good "mainstream" films put together, which shouldn't come as a surprise considering its cinematic position. 

Watching this film, I feel, has helped me understand cinema and cinematic taste more, and how hard it is to hit the right notes for the audience in fusion with your own artistic standards... and what an example of that can look like.

Raavan (2010) - A Wet Experience

I've made some changes to the reviews, just some slight ones, but I like them more now. I also checked, if there were some "faults" in the old posts, like pictures that aren't showing.

Raavan (2010) रावन

Director: Mani Ratnam

Authors: Mani Ratnam, Vijay Krishna Acharya

Starring: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan, Govinda, Vikram

Plot: When a new police inspector comes to "their" village, the people living in the woods kidnap his wife, their leader being the animal-like Beera. However, Beera is not able to kill Ragini, the wife, and takes her to the home of the wood-people, where he finds himself falling in love with her.

Hidden Plot: Mani Ratnam tries to interpretate the Ramayana in a revolutionary way, discovering the good side of Raavan/ Beera.

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I'd been wanting so watch Raavan for such a long time now, and it has (as always) been wonderful to be satisfied by a film that you've had high expectations to. After reading some reviews, I had feared a Saawariya-vu, but no, my Mani didn't let me down - he never does. 

The film starts out perfectly already, with the genial "Beera", which was the only track I listened to before watching the film. Nothing unusual - I often can't relate to a soundtrack without having seen the film, even if the music is Rahman. Funnily, I'd say the soundtrack is one of the best 2010-BW-soundtracks, after having seen the movie now... I've listened to it the whole day. Every song is magical in its own way, the only one I don't like that much is "Kata Kata".

Wet, more wet, Raavan... Almost felt like a two-hour-shower.

Moreover, almost everything about Raavan is magical - which obviously is quite beneficial for a film inspired by an old religious tale. Never does anything definitely magical happen, but the interaction of Santosh Sivan & Manikandan's camera work, Rahmans music and Ratnam's concise but playful direction creates a sensation of mystery that captives the viewer.

Abhishek Bachchan said that he lost confidence after Raavan flopped, and criticized the editing on twitter, as soon as it was clear that the film was a flop. To me, the flaws are not to be found in the very fitting editing, but in Abhishek's performance, which admittedly was bumpy in parts. He did gain the sympathies of the audience, but on the other side, many of his reactions are hard to relate to, for example him being unable to kill Ragini, or the sudden love that he develops towards her. Of course, this is written in the screenplay - and I actually like these rather un-realistic reactions, as it is supposed to be some kind of a dark fairy tale, or at least a mythology-inspired film, but Abhishek fails in portraying this in the right way - at least sometimes. After hearing a lot of praise on Vikram (who plays the inspector in this one) 's portrayal of Beera in the Tamil version Raavanan, I'm eager to watch that one.

Yes, it was also raining in that scene... or something else... at least there was water...

Aishwarya Rai (yes, I know: Rai-Bachchan, but there's no melody in that), however, does not have these problems, being perfectly cast for the role of the bewitching, fearless-seaming Ragini. I think it was a good choice to cast her in the Tamil version as well. Even though there's not much room for real romance, the on-screen chemistry between Aishwarya and Abhishek is very nice, even though many people don't think so and find they shouldn't continue doing films together, "just because they're married". I also cannot imagine Mani Ratnam would cast two actors in the same film just because they're married. 

As in every other Mani Ratnam film, everything seems to be thought-out to the smallest details, and the best is just good enough. For example, Aishwarya's costumes were designed by sophisticated designer Sabyasachi, which indeed added to the magic of the film, and the film was shot at various outdoor locations all over the country. 

Only little frustration was the lack of depth in the characters - we never really get to know them or their backgrounds, so it's hard to relate and build a bond to the main characters.

Otherwise, Raavan included all I had expected: art, magic, great music, entertainment and new-wave-flair. Thumbs up.

7.5/ 10

Thank you for reading,

Mette M. K.

There's a Macbeth in everyone - Review: "Ek Hasina Thi"

EK HASINA THI (2004) एक हसीना थी

Title-Translation: "Once, there was a beautiful girl/ woman"
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Authors: Sriram Raghavan, Pooja Ladha Surti
Starring: Urmila Matondkar, Saif Ali Khan, Seema Biswas

Plot: Sarika works at a travel-agency, and when one of her customers, Karan, asks her for lunch, she doesn't agree to begin with. However, the man seems to be crazy about her and finally she gives in. They're dating for a couple of weeks, and everything seems to be wonderful, though Karan is traveling a lot for his job. One day, a friend of Karan visits Sarika and leaves a suitcase in her apartment. After he's been out for a while, Sarika sees his face in the news: He's a wanted gangster and has just been murdered. The police finds Sarika's address with him, and thinks she's his mistress, so they arrest her...



Written the 17th of April 2011

The revenge of women that have been treated badly – this plot is enough to make a film be all right, if it is horrible (think of 1998's Rani-starrer Mehndi). What happens, when the film itself is good as well? In that case, the films turns out to be a very good film. 
Most surprising is the performance of Urmila Matondkar, an actress whose films have never crossed my way before, and to whom my expectations weren't high. Off course, when expectations aren't high, it's easy to cross them, but it's not just that easy to convince someone of your incredible acting skills - which Urmila definitely is in possession of. She is the center of attention in this film, also because I believe that the transformation of her character is the actual main subject of it.

The well-known pink glasses of love...

In the beginning, she's scared of many things, she doesn't know what she wants – she's a very dry and empty character one could say. Then, after having been to jail and facing those  problems and fighting for herself, she discovers an unknown side of herself; as one of the characters says, there's a lion hidden in the very inside of everyone. There is a scene, where Sarika embraces Karan in jail, after he told her that he'll do everything to free her, and there is that look in Sarika's eyes – pure, revenge-seeking hate. Not that Sarika is dull in the first half of the film, she does seem to be a nice girl and friend, but the perfectness is only achieved, when in the second half she imitates this nice side, and also the audience at some point doesn't know what's fake and what's real.
There was no chance that Saif Ali Khan would be able to be an equal to Urmila in this film, whether his character nor his performance. Luckily, he doesn't even give it a try by over-acting or so, he simply fills his part entirely and there was one scene at the end, where I was dangerously near to feel pity for him. But only for a split second. 
Is Ek Hasina Thi a film noir? It has been called one by some people, but I'm not sure if I agree. In some ways, it does resemble a film noir, containing cynical attitudes and the feeling that there's nothing good in our world. However, if I'd have to call it a film noir, then a very modern one, because there's a thing in particular missing: stylishness. Ek Hasina Thi really isn't stylish; it's brute, raw, dirty, and most importantly very Ram-Gopal-Verma (adj.), but not stylish.

Life in jail is not what I'd call "pink"...

The peak of brutality and dirtiness was in my opinion reached, when I was witness to the most realistic (and maybe even first?) fistfight between two females in Hindi cinema. Ram Gopal Verma proved, that you're able to dare something and still be successful at the box-office (EHT was a big hit). Daring might also be called, by some people, the lack of an actual soundtrack; there was only one single song, which is mostly a musical version of the film title. The film title, Ek Hasina Thi, means “There once was a beautiful girl/ woman” - and isn't it a brilliant title? Not only does it confirm my thought that Sarika's transformation is really what the film is about, but it also indicates that she was a beauty before – and now she's even more [rhyme]. She's still beautiful, but not only that. It is the story of a woman that found her strength, her power. At the end I couldn't help but wonder, how she could go on living with the guilt of blood-shed, if she would go back to her old life or whatever she'd do and feel. The film left me feel guilty, because I was on the seek for revenge, and I wanted that blood to flow, that heartbeat to stop – but when “I” (Sarika in that case) committed the “sin”, I didn't know if I (or Sarika) could live with it. Which reminds me of The Tragedy of Macbeth, that deals with the same problem and the drastic transformation of a character.
With this, I put an end to my review and officially declare Ek Hasina Thi recommended. 

Rating: 7.8

Thank you for reading,

Mette M. K.

Mini-Reviews: Devdas & Dev.D

I will now try something new: The mini-reviews, which you probably already know from some of the other Bollywood bloggers. What's great about this method is that you with little effort can delete some of your DVDs from your to-write-list. Somehow reminds me of short films in comparison to feature films...
We'll start with SLBs Blockbuster, Devdas, and the experimental remake Dev.D.

For those who are not familiar with the story of Devdas: Devdas was the name of a Bengali novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, written 1917. It has been picturized many, many times, but the story is always the same: Devdas is a boy from a wealthy family and his best friend is Paro, who belongs to a middle-class family. They both live in the same village. When Devdas returns after 13 years of studying, the two childhood-friends fall in love with each other. But when Paro's family makes the wedding proposal to Devdas family, they are insulted, because Paro doesn't belong to the same caste as Devdas. She's "not worthy". Then, Paro's mother finds an even richer husband for her. Devdas then leaves the village and tells Paro, that they were only friends. However, he changes his mind and tells Paro, he would do anything for saving their love. Paro is now almost married, so she makes only one request to Devdas: He shall return to her, before he dies. While Paro lives the life of a bird in a golden cage, Devdas seeks consolation in alcohol and Chandramukhi, a courtesan, who falls in love with him.

DEVDAS (2002):
Devdas - another great film by SLB. All those dances, the style and production and the dresses and actors, that's already really impressive. But a good movie needs a good story, too. And Devdas has got one. True, I couldn't comprehend to some of it, but it was definetely dramatic! The actors are also superb! I didn't always understand Shahrukh's character, but at any rate, he acted well. Aishwarya was truly beautiful and also the acting was one of her top performances. Madhuri was magical. Both of them also performed some incredible choreographies, especially in the well-known "Dola Re Dola". And as we're already into it, the songs are fantastic. Well, they should be, as the composers needed 2 years to complete the soundtrack. "Silsila Yeh Chaahat Ka" is the first song in the movie, and it's staged very well, with the candle light and that whole choreography. "Maar Daala" is another gem, with Madhuri, who dances delightfully. The whole soundtrack is very romantic, a little bit like the soundtrack of HDDCS, but much better, off course. All songs are implemented very well, it was especially great seeing so many traditional dances. The backdrops are breathtaking, with plenty of gold and silver.
Well, I can't say much more, other than: Watch this movie!!!

Rating: 10.0

DEV.D (2009):
Wow - this movie really blew me away. The story about Devdas, Paro and Chanda (or Chandramukhi) was interpretated in a totally new, modern way. There were even two newcoming actresses: Mahie Gill, who I found very good. She seems very Indian and natural (she's been casted in other movies too, but this was her first big role).  Furthermore Kalki Koechlin, playing Chanda/Leni. I'm not sure of what to think of her. She was quite convincing in this movie, but the question is, if she can also fill out other roles...? The movie was also very gloomy,  a fact that doubtless doesn't stimulates you to watch it very often, but that was also quite fascinating. The music matched the movie perfectly, especially the many versions of "Emosanal Attyachar", but I won't listen to the soundtrack very often, as it's just real film-music.
I can only recommend this movie, particularly to fans of Abhay Deol (includes me) and all those, who also like the "dark" Indian cinema.

Rating: 9.4

All of you who are even more interested in the story of Devdas, I can advise you to watch all the other versions, from which the newest is from 1965 and the oldest from 1928. If I have the time some day, I might do that. But you should really have seen one of those movies, whereas the 2002 version is probably most compatible.

Review: Aisha

AISHA (2010)

 

Director: Rajshree Ojha

Script: Devika Bhagat

Starring: Sonam Kapoor, Abhay Deol, Arunoday Singh, Cyrus Sahukar

Plot: The Indian version of "Emma" is Aisha, a girl of the Indian High Society, who spends most of her time putting her friends together to "perfect" couples. But that can't go well for a long time, especially, when Aisha herself falls in love...

Reviewed the 12th of November 2010

I’ve now seen all film versions of „Emma“(at least, these are the only ones I know); The American version “Clueless” (1995), the British Version “Emma” (1996) and now, finally, the Indian one, “Aisha” (2010). Without being biased as an official Bollywood-Fan (after all, it’s not about the country, but about the quality of the movie!), I must say: India made the best job! “Emma” stuck really almost exactly to the literary template, what wouldn’t necessarily have been that bad, if there hadn’t been miserable camera and those endlessly long scenes. I found “Clueless” a 100 times better, the movie has humour, irony and it contributes something own, modern to the theme. But since the 90s, a lot of things have changed… And off course, in “Clueless”, you kind of have that Hollywood-feeling – which is not a bad thing – but I think that “Aisha” just hits the point better, nowadays. True, the houses are huge and sparkly, too, as is Daddy’s credit card, but the flick is still, somehow, sweet and sensitive… You can identify with the characters, all of them. The camera setting is calm and clear, the pictures colourful and… the clothes are luscious – this is the kind of stylist Bollywood needed! “Aisha” is the third movie with Sonam Kapoor, that I’ve seen, and she gets better each time. In “Saawariya” I found her pesky and talentless, in “Delhi-6” I had doubts about how she would master a bigger role, but now, all my doubts have been blown away. Aisha is the perfects role for Sonam (whose personal style I also like very much), and the team seems to have been perfect for showing her talent. It’s all about choosing the right role. As most people know, Abhay Deol has been on my favourite-list since “Dev D”… Every time I’m surprised, how unimpressive he seems to be, when you first see him. Off course it’s not the hardest cinematic challenge to portray this modern Indian Mr. Knightley, but he makes a good job. I’d even say that it couldn’t have been done any better. All the other characters (which were many) can only get positive commentaries from me. I can’t remember all the new names, but really, all of the actors were good – I also liked the fact, that, though the script doesn’t let much room for describing the side characters, you still have the feeling of knowing them… They do not vanish in the background. I really appreciate seeing so many talented new faces – as you know, the latest trend in Bollywood was pairing the big (old) star with the new (young) newcomer. That was kind of witty in RNBDJ, but now it sucks. They somehow did it right with “Aisha”. Off course, the story is a little unworldly and isolated, but that’s what the main character is like, and subconsciously it’s almost a little ironic (as were all Emma film versions – and the book).

Finally, the movie is perfect for a nice evening with the girls (or even alone). If the movie is good for men, I can’t tell, but who came through “SATC”, will experience “Aisha” as a salvation: No Botox. Okay, I like “SATC”… But honestly: “Aisha” is just as good, and at least not that embarrassing.

And now, please: Pounce on the DVD-shelves (slash, Online-Shops)! (At least all the feminine creatures here).

Rating: 6.6

Thank you for reading, 
Mette M. K.

Review: 3 Idiots

NB: This was my very first post, so read it with caution.


3 IDIOTS (2009)

Director: Rajkumar Hirani

Screenplay: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani, Abhijat Joshi

Starring: Aamir Khan, Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Kareena Kapoor, Boman Irani

Reviewed 10th of August 2010

In India, "3 Idiots" became not only the biggest Blockbuster ever - it also succeeded in winning (almost) every major movie award of 2010. At the beginning of the movie I found myself asking a simple question: "Why?". What was it about this movie, that amazed the Indians that much? There was one fact, that, for me, spoke rather against the movie: Aamir Khan is TOO OLD! He does (surprisingly) look more handsome than in RDB... And he plays well, as always. But come on, playing a college student while being 44 years old?! I didn't know, what to think of this. However, the movie is funny - even though some of the jokes seem a little like American Pie to me, a movie I do like, but my amusement is always a little overshaded by guilt: I ask myself - Is this actually funny, or is it just stupid?
Main essence of the movie seems to be: Have fun in your life, do what you want to... or so. I translate this to the fact, that we should just forget some of our moral values for a while, and just enjoy the experience of watching "3 Idiots". This was something I realised, when I already had seen half of the movie: Do not take this movie too seriously - it is not supposed to be. Neither the characters, nor their actions and attitudes, nor the rushing shift between joke and melodrama. (Oh, but I have to say, the actors were fantastic!). You must let yourself be lulled by the overexcited "All Izz Well" or the sweet "Zoobi Doobi", and be amused about Ranju's cute black-and-white house. Because, when I accepted all that, I found "3 Idiots" to be a rather succesfully made movie. Not the best Indian Movie ever, not for me, and it does not at all come anywhere near Avatar - but when the credits rolled over the screen, I was truly satisfied by this movie, and I was happy. And isn't that just, what a good movie should make you feel like?

I think, the Indian comedy is on it's right way! (Please (!!!), no more Phir Hera Pheri or Bhagam Bhag)!

PS: Well, Akshay Kumar can't let it be, can he? Just saw the beginning of "Housefull"... I turned it off, when Malaika wouldn't marry him and the Loser-song came up... Never again will I watch a stupid Akshay-Kumar-Comedy. 

Rating: 9.3

      

Thank you for reading my review

Mette M. K.