Mission "AFAD" - April 2011

With 24 films, this month ranges 2nd in this year's record - 7 films less than January. Though I did cheat a little bit by watching 2 short films, just to increase my film list for this month.
Some of my achievements include "breaking in" to a new film industry by watching a South Korean film, going to the theatre three times (and it were three different theaters), watching my second Telugu film and also checking out some Parallel Hindi Cinema films.
This is also the first month that I've seen more non-Indian films than Indian ones, for this year. And, if you're following me on twitter you already know: I bought the highest amount of DVDs at once, that I've ever bought. I think it were about 40 DVDs.

24 films... and I know, these are only 22, because there were no posters for the short films

Bheja Fry (2007) Sagar Ballary
India, Hinglish - First view
I reviewed this film in my "Introduction to Hindi Parallel Cinema", a post that I worked on for a rather long time, and that I thought (and still think) is my best post until now, though sadly, I gained very little response for it. Okay, I didn't receive any kind of response for it. But never mind, I'll get over that.
Shortly: A good film. Earned three Lime Stars.


Mixed Doubles (2006) Rajat Kapoor
India, Hinglish - First view
And this is the second film, that was featured in the article. I think I made some kind of Parallel Cinema evening at the start of the month. It earned four Lime Stars, and I think it's a particularly well-done film of the newer Hindi Parallel Cinema.


Bommarillu (2006) Bhaskar
India, Telugu - First view
I chose "Bomarillu" to be my second Telugu film, for I had initially planned to start my career as a Telugu-watcher with Siddhart-films, because I already know him. But, as you all know, a certain "Arundhati" interfered that plan. Contraire to "Arundhati", "Bomarillu" is completely blood-free, and there's even just a very tiny, small, little dishoom-scene. The film also saved my personal Siddhart, meaning, well, we had some trouble after "Striker" because I didn't like his looks in that one, but he's back again, all mine. I found his character in this one a bit too daddyrules-like, but he still did a good job as an actor. Genelia was also sweet. Maybe the film was a tad too long, but it was still enjoyable and funny.


The Wild Bunch (1969) Sam Peckinpah
USA, English - First view
After Jack L. wrote about Sam Peckinpah (he even watched his entire filmography - I think I should do that with some classic Indian directors, too...), I recognized I had not seen any films of this famous director, so I instantly decided to watch his most known one: The Wild Bunch. It is a very classic western film, also very calm in a way (yes, despite the frequent bloodshed), so you have to be prepared for what you're going to watch. If you are, you will hopefully enjoy this film, because it is a great study on male friendship, men getting old (or should I say: cowboys)... and some other things.


Almanya (2011) Yasemin Samdereli
GER, German/ Turkish - First view (theatre)
While I was in Hamburg for my internship, I watched almost no films - and it was a 2-week-internship. The phrase "I can count them on one hand" (don't know if it exists in English), is very fitting for this matter: I did watch 5 films, only. Three of them in a theatre - actually, in three different theaters. Oh, how I love exploring new cities, and new theaters - as a matter of fact, exploring various theaters in a new town is a great way of getting to know the town.
The film is about Turkish immigrants in Germany, and is narrated in a very light and funny way, reminding me of my forever-favorite TV-series "Türkisch für Anfänger".


Så Som I Himmelen (As It Is in Heaven) (2004) Kay Pollak
Sweden, Swedish - First view
While I was on vacation in Sweden last summer, with my mother, sister, best friend, and best friend's mum, we watched the start of this, but found it very strange and turned it off again.
Indeed, it is a film not particularly appropriate for a DVD-night, or even for watching with many people at all. I watched it by myself, and I must say... Well, it's a typical Swedish film. Very philosophic, rough at times, but also with a great sense of humour to it.
The search for perfectness in art is something that has always intrigued me. I'm a perfectionist myself, even though I can be chaotic in certain situations, and I find that films dealing with this subject are exceptionally interesting. The last time I saw this, was in "Black Swan", and in this one it was a little different, because it's about music. But not only that: while in "Black Swan", the un-perfect happens to be perfect, this is not what we see in "As It Is in Heaven".
I can recommend this film to those who like to explore the topic I mentioned, and who are into films that are... well, a bit different (though, since I've seen "Harold & Maude", I haven't really been actually surprised by any film).


Ek Hasina Thi (2004) Siram Raghavan
India, Hindi - First view
I even did a real review on this film. If you want my opinion, you can read it.


Hanyeo (The Housemaid) (2010) Im Sang-soo
South Korea, Korean - First view (theatre)
And here we have the mentioned Korean film. As I said, it was my very first one to see. I watched the trailer in another theatre, and in that moment I decided: I want to watch that film. I have to.
Artistically, it is an incredibly precious film. Furthermore, it is great for those who are curious for new film industries. But when I had just watched it, I felt a bit disappointed. I felt that the makers focussed so much on the artistic perfection, that they forgot to drag the audience into the film.
Now, about two weeks after watching the film, I've had much time to think about it, and I've come to the conclusion, that this is just what the makers wanted. They wanted the audience to really feel that coldness of the Korean upper class. And it is real upper class. Not what you see in, well, old Jane Austen films, or "Match Point". No, this is modern, modern, really modern and incredibly rich, snobby upper class. And it's fascinating. It's like another world, so scary, so cold. So... intriguing in a way.
This is one of the most interesting, and thought-provoking films I've seen for a long time. Already, I have spent much time on thinking about it, and I can still go on. It's one of those films that will follow you forever, I think.


Never Let Me Go (2010/11) Mark Romanek
UK, English - First view (theatre)
After hearing that the novel I'd just read had just been made a film of, I was very happy, and very curious. Because it was starring Keira Knightley (and Carey Mulligan, but that wasn't what interested me most). And because the book was incredible.
Then, after the abroad release, I read some mediocre reviews, and began to get worried. But when it finally released in Germany, I still went to the theatre, and the old excitement came back up to the surface. I might also mention, that it was my first time to ever watch a Digital Cinema film, which is basically a film that "comes out of the screen", meaning there's no projector, but the film is somehow digitally saved somewhere. While the quality of the film was excellent, I still have some doubts about this new "project", because I think that it will make film piracy much more accessible.
The film itself did not disappoint me. It was my first Carey Mulligan film, and she was great in it - "An Education" is calling "watch me!". Keira Knightley was fabulous as ever, and Andrew Garfield made a good contrast to his breakthrough role in "The Social Network".
However, even though it was a great film (you really need some warm, romantic, true-love films once in a while - especially after watching "The Housemaid" the day before), I found it much more prude than the book. Don't get me wrong: the film did involve some open-minded sex scenes - but only between Andrew and Keira. The leading character, which was played by Carey, did not have sex until she was about 30 years old (at least it seemed to be that way). In the book, she has sex with various boys when she's about 18, in "The Cottages", but in the film, we only see her listening to Tommy and Ruth having sex, or sometimes listening to music so that she would not hear them. I think including those scenes from the book would have given the film a bit more credibility and open-minded-ness.
Nevertheless, it's definitely one of the good films that are based on books. You can also watch it, if you haven't read the book - but make sure you do read it afterwards.


Ek Chalis Ki Last Local (2007) Sanjay Khanduri
India, Hindi - First view
Read my review here.
A weird film that I did not complete, though Abhay was cute as ever.


Action Replayy (2010) Vipul Shah
India, Hindi - First view
Read my review here.
Didn't expect I'd like it - but I did.


How I Met Your Mother - Season 2 (2006/7) Carter Bays/ Craig Thomas
USA, English - First view
Maybe you know that I love HIMYM - or maybe you don't. Well, you know now. I watch all the episodes chronologically. But I don't rush myself - what'll happen, when I'm done? No, I'll rather take it calmly.


Anari (1959) Hrishikesh Mukherjee
India, Hindi - First view
Read my review here.
Lovely Raj-Kapoor classic.


Sønnen fra Vingården (1975) Morten Korch
Denmark, Danish - First view
Danish classics are another thing I love. Especially the kitschy Morten Korch ones. That's what I call high quality mainstream entertainment. How come mainstream films were so much better back in time?


Faded Secrets of Yesterday (2008) Bahaish Kapoor (short)
India, Hindi - First view
I don't usually watch many short films, but I felt like doing so this month. They're an important part of the film industry, and, well, short, which is great. This one was cute, but a bit too old-school. A bit trying-too-hard.


The Mexican (2001) Gore Verbinski
USA, English/ Spanish - First view
Let me first tell you: Mexico is not always exactly how it's portrayed in the films. Firstly, it can be incredibly dense, and not as dry as many think. Secondly, Mexicans can be really nice and friendly. Many of them are.
Otherwise, I really enjoyed this thriller-comedy. I never knew that Brad and Julia made a film together. They're cute as a couple. I don't know if this film would have worked without them, the way it did (it was planned to be a Indie-film without stars).


Qivitoq - Fjeldgængeren (1956) Erik Balling
Denmark, Danish/ Inuuit - First view
Ah... there's a big story behind this one. It was shot in the home village of my Danish guest mother, who is actually a Greenlander. But, in some way, they are Danish, right? However, her parents are in this film, and her mother is pregnant with her. That's funny to see. There are many other people in it, who she knows. Not to forget the biggest star of old Danish films: Poul Reichhardt. Isn't it funny, that the film was shot in exact that village? By the way, I'm going to Greenland for a month in... 7 weeks, and we're going to visit the village. We'll stay there for two weeks, I think.
The film was nominated for an Academy Award and a Palme d'Or.
Oh, and it's a very good film.


The International (2009) Tom Tywker
UK/ USA/ GER, English - First view (only start)
Boring. Incredibly boring. It thought Tom Tywker was a good director - he's known to be one of the good German directors who made it in Hollywood. But... it was boring. That's why I turned it off after 20 minutes.


Wild Target (2010) Jonathan Lynn
UK, English - First view
... Just to tune into this amazing British comedy with some of my favorite British actors. I think I'm really falling for the English humour and films! It's hard to describe, why this film is so good, because it's a comedy, and just like a joke, you can't explain a comedy.
Oh well, just watch it. You won't regret.


The Lovely Bones (2009) Peter Jackson
USA, English - First view
My mother and I were very excited for this one, when we saw the trailer in the theatre, but she went watching it and told me it wasn't that good. So that's why I didn't watch it back then.
I'm so glad I watched it now, because I liked it very much. Peter Jackson is one of those names that can almost guarantee for a good experience, and Saoirse Ronan is one of the child/teen actors that I find the most promising at the time. The "between"-scenes are beautifully made, and make you think about death - and also life. Also the screenplay is very well-made, and the search for revenge never gets boring, even though you know who the murderer is, from the start. There are some really stress-filled scenes, like the one with the diary, and I'm always in awe of a director, who can manage to transform a film-viewing-experience into a sports.


Ahista Ahista (2006) Shivam Nair
India, Hindi - First view
The only Indian film I watched and didn't review this month. Abhay Deol was - how often can I say this - cute as ever, and he had a good chemistry with Soha Ali Khan, who I haven't seen for a long time. The story was light and easy... I was sick of heavy dramas this month. But the end wasn't good... Crying...


Aftermath (2008) Bahaish Kapoor (short)
India, Hinglish - First view
Heard a lot about this. Was okay. But I've seen better.


All About Steve (2009) Phil Traill
USA, English - First view
This month was also a month for comedy. After finishing the second season of HIMYM, and after "The Mexican" and "Wild Target", I decided to try this little known comedy. Mainly because the story sounded funny, and because I adore Sandra Bullock - Bradley Cooper's not bad, too. I was actually surprised by how funny it turned out to be. I didn't even expect a real comedy, I thought it would be a normal, decent rom-com. But I forgot, that Sandra Bullock never makes a "normal" film - she's contributed something new to every genre she played in.
The idea itself (a funny, "unnormal" person is in love with someone and follows him/ her) maybe wasn't completely new, but the director added some fresh air to it, also with the quirky side characters.
This is a throughout born-and-bred feel-good-film. Why? Because you feel good while, and after, watching it. Recommended.


Wimbledon (2004) Richard Loncraine
UK, English - First view
After last months' "Match Point", already one of my favorites, I once again watched a British film about tennis. You're right: "Match Point" isn't really a film about tennis. But there's a lot of tennis in it.
We thought we should watch a British film on the day of the royal wedding in London... Just kidding: the television channel thought they should broadcast a British film on the day of the royal wedding.
But not even this is really a film about tennis: it's more what "All About Steve" wasn't - a rom-com. A good one, I'd say. Predictable end, but funny moments, and entertaining sports sequences with some thrill.

Crocodile Dundee (1986) Peter Faiman
Australia, English
I told you: this was my comedy month (at least the last two weeks). I'm almost entirely sure about having seen this classic before, when I was much younger, but I didn't remember most of it.
I must say that this is a real good old-school comedy film. It's probably been copied many times, and that's why the plot seems so familiar: adventurous wild-life-man falls in love with city girl and tries to live in... hey! That's "Tarzan", isn't it? Wow, honestly: that thought never crossed my mind until just now. Interesting.

---------------------------------------------

I also found out during my internship, that I do not want to work in the fashion industry - at all. And that I don't want to do something that has to do with crafts (which is almost the same, right?). Not that I'm not good at it - everyone praised my work - but it's just not me. I need more thinking logically and abstract, and more... don't know. Travel, other people. Okay, I know that this is what many people think the fashion industry is all about. But it's not. And it's not me. 

The thing I'm best at is school... However, I'm considering pilot as an option at the moment...

That would be cool, don't you think?

Different people, other cultures, travels - and the flying itself!

That's more likely to be me.

I'm sorry - somehow I tend to ramble a lot in the AFAD-posts.

The Good, The Weird, The Awesome - Triple Mini-Review

ACTION REPLAYY - EK CHALIS KI LAST LOCAL - ANARI

That I would end up writing about these three films in particular, in one single post, was nothing I had had in mind when watching them. They were just coincidental views, films that I bought because I was curious and had heard about them. It's funny that Ek Chalis Ki Last Local was the only one I had been wanting to buy for a long time, the only one I watched even though it wasn't the first one of my new films, alphabetically - and the only one I ended up not liking, plus being disappointed by.

Anari and Ek Chalis Ki Last Local have currently received the exact same rating at the IMDB: 7.3/10. Both are Parallel Indian Cinema, Anari was a Superhit with superstars, directed by disinguished Hrishikesh Mukherjee - Ek Chalis Ki Last Local was a Flop with "normal" actors and directed by debuting director Sanjay M. Khaduri. Now, Action Replayy is something in between, starring two big Indian stars, but receiving a Below Average rating from the box-office, a 3.9/10 rating at IMDB and being directed by a unsuccessful but commonly known director (Vipul A. Shah). 

Differently from my other mini-reviews, I won't divide this one into the different films, but into categories and compare the films this way.

Who's who?

Just to clear this at the very beginning - without revealing my deepest thoughts, which I will do at the end only; 

The Good: Action Replayy (2010)

The Weird: Ek Chalis Ki Last Local (2007)

The Awesome: Anari (1959)

Story

Many people pointed out, that the main idea of Action Replayy seemed to be stolen from all-time-classic Back to the Future, which in some ways is true, but the story actually is very different. Still, this does not make it more original; I haven't heard or read anyone mentioning this before, but the plot is very similar to 2007 German tv-production Küss mich, Genosse! (IMDB). I don't appreciate story stealing at all, so in this category, AR does worst. One of the problems about Ek Chalis Ki Last Local is, that there doesn't seem to be any story at all. A guy misses his train at night, has to spend two hours in a village and meets a girl. Boring, and hard to make a good screenplay of (which I also don't think they did). 

The sad-funny story of a poor young gold-hearted man, who doesn't seem to have much luck by his side is typically Raj-Kapoor and 50's Indian cinema - so it's not hard to decide, who wins in this section.

Screenplay

As already said, ECKLL's screenplay doesn't count to the best ones made. The love story is minimally interesting, but all other plot lines didn't catch my attention at all, which is also why I turned off the DVD player after almost 2 hours. Off course, I could have stayed through the last 30 minutes, but I really couldn't stand it any longer. 

AR takes us on a bubbly, coulourful 70s-trip and manages to never let boringness slip through any giant screenplay-holes. How nice.

Everything in Anari can be classified as either interesting, amusing, or entertaining - in one word: as Raj Kapoor. Therefore, as in every other category, Anari wins.

Cast

You (and I) already know that no one can beat Raj Kapoor, but as I'm not the most versed person concerning actors from the 50s, I'll tell you what I thought about my first meeting with Nutan. I was very pleased by her performance, her wittiness and beauty, which reminded me strongly of Kate Winslet. Along with Raj Kapoor and Lalita Pawar, she is the person that makes Anari shine. -- If you've been following this year's Deol Dhamakka, you've most certainly read my (only) contribution to that event (if not, read it here). In that post, among other things, I tried to express my love to Abhay Deol, which thankfully is still untouched after watching this film. He was lovely as ever in ECKLL - thank god. An item song in Heyy Babyy was all that I'd seen of Neha Dhupia until ECKLL (and Action Replayy, for that matter), but she does look promising, even though I think there's much more she can, than what I've seen yet. 

Aishwarya Rai, I don't think you're the Queen of Bollywood, like Western media often tries to call you, but nevertheless what you are is: definitely already one of the finest actresses of this decade, one of the best dancers after Madhubala and Madhuri Dixit, and one of the most beautiful women I've seen. Akshay Kumar is... well, I think he's one of the most sympathetic actors I know, and also he can make the worst movies and still not loose me as his fan. He can also look incredibly ugly in films, and incredibly 70s-fashion-victimy - never will my affection for him die.

I think we can agree that all of these films could mention some worthy names in their credits, and that all of them did a good job.

Music

One of the reasons, and also the most important one, that I wanted to watch ECKLL, was not Abhay Deol, funnily. Around the releasing time in 2007, I had one of those periods where I listen to all of the latest Bollywood soundtracks, and immediately fell in love with this one - three years before I even watched my first Abhay-film. Laree Choote features a wonderful singer and is very intense, Ekka Chauka is funny and fast, Akh Ladiye is a great example for a disco-background/underground-track - shortly: I love the soundtrack.

Also Anari  was discovered by me through its music, namely when I listened to some of the songs that won a Filmfare Award for Best Singer. The song I'm talking about ("Sab Kuchh Seekha Humne") really is one of the best ones I know, combining satirical lyrics with the awesome singing talent of Mukesh and an interesting melody. But also the other tracks are fabulous and will stay on my mind (and iPod).

Though I listened to the music of AR before, I only really liked it in the film. The best tracks are Zor Ka Chhatka and Nakhre, while Baaki Main Phool Gayi can only be described with 9 letters: h-i-l-a-r-i-o-u-s, believe me. However, this soundtrack is the weakest, compared to the other two.

Title

Ek Chalis Ki Last Local = The Local Train That Went at 1:40.

Unusual title, but in the end just as totally meaningless as the film itself.

Action Replayy = Action Replay 

Fits the story, but the second "y" is just as annoying as stolen from Heyy Babyy (2007).

Anari = Idiot/ simpleton

Brilliant title, brilliantly used in the film.

Camera (Cinematography)

After all those camera-experimental films, filled with 1-second-shots, dizzy-making rotations and shaky hand cameras, a 1959 classic black-white motion picture can feel like a supreme vacation (inlcuding virgin pina colada). Long, clear-shot scenes, no distracting eastman colour, grainy quality... I am sighing with relief. One may notice, that ECKLL is also shot in a rather quiet and non-distracting way, but a little more bang-bang would have been nice due to the boring screenplay. I'd like to mention the kiss scene though, which was not only well-performed but also beautifully captured.

The poster of Action Replayy already says that the film is shot "IN EASTMAN COLOUR", and that's also what you NOTICE when looking at the poster. 70s slam-tam-bamboo-banga eastman colour, that's what this film is made of. Sometimes the camera setting is very mainstream-music-video like, for example in the song Zor Ka Jhatka, but otherwise very fitting and a good contrary to category-winner Anari.

In a nutshell... (Lucky-Nut)

Action Replayy: 

I expected a long-drawn, exaggerating, very below average film with some good songs.

I saw a never-boring, exaggerating, very entertaining personal-hit (with some good songs).

Ek Chalis Ki Last Local:

I expected a satirical, unusual, surprising film with a cute Abhay and a great soundtrack.

I saw a boring, art-housy-bad, uninteresting and weird film with a cute Abhay and a great soundtrack.

Anari:

I expected a Raj-Kapoor-film.

I saw a Raj-Kapoor-film.

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Let's end this post with a little smile:

"Marriage, now? We've only just sung a duet song!"

(Akshay Kumar in Action Replayy)

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.

My Cinematic Alphabet - Indian Edition

Perhaps you've seen this on some other film blogs already - it's a recent movement/ trend inside the film-blogosphere, and basically, all you have to do is write your favorite films, one for each letter of the alphabet. Me blogging means the nice woman where I live in Hamburg does have internet, but it doesn't mean you should expect more posts for the next 1,5 week(s); the internship and this big city is on my mind most of the time. Anyways, here it is, the Indian Edition of My Cinematic Alphabet (I'll do a World Edition as well, later on):

A is for Asoka (Hindi)

B is for Bumbai (Tamil)

C is for Chalte Chalte (Hindi)

D is for Dil Se... (Hindi)

E is for 1947: Earth (Hindi/ English)

F is for Fanaa (Hindi)

G is for Guru (Hindi)

H is for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (Hindi)

I is for 3 Idiots (Hindi)

J is for Jodhaa-Akbar (Hindi/ Urdu)

K is for my one and only favorite film ever Kal Ho Naa Ho (Hindi)

L is for Luck By Chance (Hindi)

M is for Main Hoon Na (Hindi)

N is for Nishabd (Hindi)

O is for Om Shanti Om (Hindi)

P is for Parineeta (Hindi)

Q is for... SYSTEM ERROR... NOT FOUND...

R is for Rang De Basanti (Hindi)

S is for Sholay (Hindi)

T is for Tere Bin Laden (Hindi)

U is for Udaan (Hindi)

V is for Veer Zaara (Hindi)

W is for Wake Up Sid (Hindi)

X is for... SYSTEM ERROR... NOT FOUND...

Y is for Yuva (Hindi)

Z is for Zindaggi Rocks (Hindi)

(due to ... alphabetical problems)

PS: Just filled my supplies of Bollywood DVDs, which I mostly buy in Hamburg. As I'm here for two weeks, it was a perfect opportunity. As a matter of fact, I have never before spent as much money on DVDs at once, as I have today.

Thank you for reading,

Mette M. K.

Introduction to Hindi Parallel Cinema

Including mini-reviews of 

BHEJA FRY (2007) and MIXED DOUBLES (2006)

 

When thinking of Hindi films, your thoughts immediately turn to the films that could be classified as mainstream Bollywood, even though many of them are good films. Mainstream is not a bad label, it is nothing the more intellectual viewer should be afraid of watching or "being caught" watching.

But one should always be aware of the parallel and independent cinema, which also exists as a part of the Hindi film industry, as in every other film industry I'm familiar with. The difference between mainstream and independent Hindi cinema is actually very small; basically, the independent cinema films have a very small budget, and you can sense that they're made for a special audience. Off course, most directors and producers would like to earn money with their films, mainstream or not, but the the mainstream cinema tries to appeal to the biggest audience possible. Meanwhile, independent films know they have a rather narrow amount of viewers, but for them, the most important thing is just a few people liking and thinking about their films.

The Hindi independent cinema has its roots way back in the time of silent black and white, when the well-known director V. Shantaram released his Sawkari Pash in 1925. The film is about a poor peasant, who looses all his money and is therefore forced to try his luck in a big city. (Source). I have not seen this film, as I'm not that familiar with Indian films before the 60s, but it sounds like being worth a watch.

Guru Dutt and Satyajit Ray are remembered as pioneers of Indian independent cinema in the 50s and 60s, especially Satyajit Ray's films are also famous in the Western hemisphere. Guru Dutt's Pyaasa (1957) was featured in the TIME Magazine's 100-movie list of "All Time's Best Movies". Again, I must disappoint you by not having seen the independent works of that era, but I will live up to that as soon as possible. However, it was only in the 70s and 80s, that the Indian Parallel Cinema reached a larger amount of viewers, also in India, and some of the contributors were Gulzar (which most of you probably know as lyricist of many well-known soundtracks, for instance this year's 7 Khoon Maaf), Shyam Benegal (still making critically acclaimed films today) and Mahesh Bhatt, who especially made some famous thrillers like Jism, and is the co-owner of production house Vishesh films.

This was also a time for many new talents to be discovered in Parallel Cinema, like Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi and Om Puri. Rekha and Hema Malini also took a chance to work in some Independent films, which had been rather unusual for popular actresses before. Today, it is a more commonly seen phenomena. 

Meanwhile, the movement (at that point called "Indian New Wave") dispread to various regional film centers, such as the Tamil and Telugu film industries, and the Malayalam film industry even experienced a so called "Golden Age" with its contribution to the Indian New Wave. As I've only watched three regional Indian films, this is obviously not my field of expertise, but my plan is to investigate this era and movement further.

Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1989)

After those years of joy and exhilaration for Art-house, Independent and Parallel Cinema, came the 90s. If you've ever seen a Bollywood 90s film (honestly, who hasn't, except for some of my non-BW-bloggers or readers maybe), you know that this was a time far from experimentation or cinematic independence. The romantic comedy Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, released in 1989, was a guideline the largest part of films released in that decade. It was a blockbuster, and the two main actors Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla became famous over night. The story line was based on stories like Romeo and Juliet, but however, it still brought some fresh air into the mainstream Hindi films. But because of its giant success, film makers orientated themselves by this film, producing thousands of cheesy, overlong, incredibly colourful and fashionably horrible films that overshadowed the independent productions. Off course, this is generalizing, and there were also good and unusual films in the 90s. While Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is not what I'd call Art-house, it's a great film that I could watch over and over again, just like Darr or Baazigar were entertaining thrillers (Darr was a tad better). Speaking about those films, you made have noticed they're all starring Shahrukh - the 90s were the times of his big breakthrough, and he starred in a lot of crappy nonsense, but also in some of my favorite films. One of them was actually what comes very near to Independent Cinema, personally I consider it to be so, and one of my all-time favorites: Dil Se, which if you haven't seen yet, you must see immediately.

Vikram Bhatt's Ghulam, released 1998 and produced by Mukesh Bhatt, is also known for focusing on social aspects and problems, and I would also recommend it - if you can stand the seas of blood, and the fact that Rani's loved, smoky voice was dubbed, for whatever reason. Deepa Mehta also directed to famous pieces of Independent cinema in the 90s, which I have already written about here - the boundary-breaking film about two lesbian sisters-in-law, Fire, and the Indian-independence-investigating acclaimed Earth.

Another reason for the lack of Parallel Cinema in the 90s, was the big influence the Indian mafia had on Bollywood at that time. It was hard to find sponsors for controversial films, because the mafia basically was the sponsor of Bollywood back then.

With the millennium change though, Hindi Parallel Cinema slowly regained its strength and is again recognized as an important part of Bollywood, and I think the future looks bright for these films.

There are various labels for these films nowadays, as the border between Mainstream and Parallel Cinema is also beginning to smudge. Yuva, Omkara, Bas Ek Pal, Dev.D and also last year's Tere Bin Laden are examples for films that had success and are often described as "Off-Beat Films". Within the 2000's, another new label/ genre has evolved in Bollywood: Mumbai Noir. The term has already been used in the late 1990's, known as films that revolve around the Indian mafia based in the underworld of Mumbai. Pioneer of this genre is known to be Raj Kapoor, who already in the 50s made films concerning this particular subject. Nowadays, it is Ram Gopal Verma who seems be a leader in this genre, though some of his newer films turned out to be more or less disasters. However, his latest project, Rakht Charitra, which has been filmed in two parts, has gained much success and also good critical response. I've seen the first part only, and I think that RGV is back in his best shape, which is delighting. But Mumbai Noir is today also used as a label for urban-set films that deal with social problems in the city of Mumbai, such as this year's Dhobi Ghat - Mumbai Diaries by Kiran Rao, which I'm dying to see. Another trend inside Hindi Parallel Cinema is films spoken in Indian English, which might be useful for attracting an international audience. Deepa Mehta was one of the first ones to take advantage from this, in 1996's Fire. Also, like in various Independent cinemas all over the world, Hindi parallel cinema is often based on literature, western or Indian. Omkara, for instance, was based on Shakespeare's Othello. 

Independent and critical Coming-of-Age films are also up-and-coming, last year's Udaan being a good example. It was even nominated, and won, several Indian awards, which is actually uncommon, as the awards tend to focus on Blockbusters and big names (not what awards are supposed to be about, I think).

I'd like to finish this article off with my mini-reviews of two often discussed Independent Cinema films, which by the way can be viewed free and legally on bigflix.com - though I'm sad to tell you, that only Bheja Fry has English subtitles. Bigflix seems to offer various films of Hindi Parallel Cinema, which is something I really appreciate, and will definitely take advantage of in the future. 

BHEJA FRY (2007) Sagar Ballary

Plot: Rich music producer Ranjeet and his friends meet every friday for a special dinner, where everyone has to bring at least one "idiot", which they all find quite amusing. For one of those dinners, Ranjeet plans on bringing Bharat Bhushan, a tax-office-worker, who thinks he's the best singer in the world. When Ranjeet invites Bharat to come to his house before the dinner, the madness begins...

According to Wikipedia, "Bheja Fry"-director Sagar Ballary is planning to produce a sequel of the film this year, this time with a larger budget and an international setting (Malaysia). Therefore, it was high time for me, to watch the original film. 

You immediately notice, that "Bheja Fry" is a low-budget-production, but in a positive way. The makers wanted to produce an independent and unusual film (even though it's based on the French "Le Diner de Cons"). Especially the 1,5 hours of play time are almost revolutionary (even though there are films as short as this one, it's still not very common). If you're used to films with at least 2 hours of play time (normal is 2,5), this shortness can be quite refreshing. I don't mean to say, that long films are bad, but a equation of longer and shorter films would be desirable. With shorter films, however, the danger of being amusing only, is very big, and "Bheja Fry" does suffer from this at times. It's also a little disappointing, that even though one smiles almost end-to-end, there's no way we're talking about real hysterics or grand joviality. For that, the jokes are just to foreseeable and half-baked, though in a charming kind of way. Rajat Kapoor is an actor, from whom I haven't heard or seen to much until now, but also nothing negative yet. He plays the role of the rich anti-hero very well, though maybe a little bit too understated. Vinay Pathak, who's supposed to portray the "idiot", seems very familiar to me, and one gaze at his filmography tells me why, but funnily, I cannot remember a single one of his roles. In this film, however, he delivers a brilliant performance and masters the difficult tightrope walk between slapstick and good humour. 

I don't know anything about the director, Sagar Ballary, except for my little pearl "Mixed Doubles", in which he was Associate Director. But I'm excited for a sequel, even though a little skeptical because of the increased budget and "international setting". 

Rating: 6.7

MIXED DOUBLES (2006) Rajat Kapoor

Plot: To heaten up his 10 year old marriage, shy office-worker Ranvir asks his wife Malti to take part in a thing called "wife-swapping", where they'd swap their partners for one night. After a couple of discussions and fights, Malti finally agrees, without being really sure about this decision...

The name of my latest obsession is: Rajat Kapoor. After seeing "Bheja Fry", I discovered his work as a director in "Mixed Doubles", which I had only heard about in an interview with Konkona Sen Sharma, and a couple of reviews.

The film is a low-budget and independent-production, just like "Bheja Fry", but in contrary to last one, it was not at all successful at the box-office ("Bheja Fry" turned out as a surprise-hit). All the same, I find "Mixed Doubles" a lot better than the hit, because it's not only more recondite, but de facto even funnier. It is that subtile humour, which is not only caused by Rajat Kapoor, but also the rest of the cast (except for Koel Purie, she was good, but not that funny).

The second actor that I had already noticed in "Bheja Fry" (negatively), is Ranvir Shorey. He truly demonstrates talent in his portrayal of the shy, but at the same time nagging and somehow sweet husband. Most of you might know, that I admire Konkona Sen Sharma. She's not only one of the best actresses of India, but of the entire current film world (and I'm not overdrawing). By the way, I was very disappointed by her 3-minute role in 7 Khoon Maaf. She deserves so much better.

What I especially liked about the first half was, that everything seemed so incredibly realistic: the interplay between the young, but long-married couple, the small apartment, that every-day-life, which seems so familiar, even though it's actually unknown (I hope you know what I mean). 

Perhaps this was also due to the fact that there were no parents-in-law living in the apartment, which is otherwise very common even for Indian middle class and rich families.

The second half is slightly different, as most of it takes place in the apartment of that other couple and also in a situation, that most of us are not familiar with (especially not teens like me). 

But still, one can relate to the characters, and the second half is really fun.

Actually, I could imagine what was going to happen at the end, but it was still nice to see my thought confirmed.

With its 1,5 hours play time like "Bheja Fry", "Mixed Doubles" serves airy and entertaining reflectiveness off the beaten track, and all that without side-effects.

Rating: 8.0

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I don't yet know, if I'm going to have internet or even time to write during my internship, so this might be the last post for the next two weeks. I hope you enjoyed reading, at least I had writing, and please wish me luck (and maybe watch some Hindi Parallel Cinema while I'm gone). 

Thank you for reading,

Mette M. K.

Mission "AFAD" - March 2011

In a way, it's funny that the amount of films I watch each month has grown smaller in every post I've done until now. On the other hand, it's not that funny, because off course, I'd like to fulfill my mission, which would make about 31 films per month. 21 out of 31... It's okay, but not perfect.

21 fillums....

But you know, I was on a class trip this month, and I had to write an important book project for school as well. So that might be an excuse.

I also made a little improvement on this project, namely I'll cut writing the date, when I watched the film.

The films will still be in the order of when I watched them, but I don't think you're interested in the exact date - also, it's a bit irritating when reading, at least that's my opinion.

Striker (2010) India, Hindi

First view. It's striking (haha), that I didn't watch this film before, as it's available on youtube for free (legally, I mean), and the youtube-release even was parallel to the cinema release. The film, however, turned out to be one of those films you want to like, and you know many people are going to like, but you just don't. 

Siddhart performed as fantastic as in RDB, but I liked his look in the last one much better; he was a little less muscular there, and his hair was shorter. Almost falling asleep during the (frequent) carrom-scenes, wasn't helping me like it either. I mean, it's a great idea and "special offer", the camera was really good... But nothing for me. I don't even really remember the second half.

Terminator Salvation (2009) USA & more, English

First view. Spent a weekend with my Danish guest family to celebrate my birthday, and as always, we ended up watching an action flick - entertaining, (often) exciting and not too complicated. I don't know, how many terminator films they've actually made, I know I've seen one with Arnie... Whatever. Well, you know what you can expect, and if you know that, this film is actually action-flicky satisfying. 

Not that I'd have watched it otherwise... But did I mention I really like Sam Worthington? Like, in action flicks? An action flick with him never fails - he's some kind of new Arnie. Just a bit different.

Black Friday (2004, but was released several years later in India) India, Hindi

First view. Good camera, good plot... But boringly made. You knew what was going to happen, because you saw it in the beginning already, also too many side plots.

I did like the idea, and also the braveness of the director for making a film about this, though.

Babettes Gæstebud ("Babette's Feast") (1985) Denmark, Danish & Swedish

First view. Oh, how I love Danish films. And old films. And old Danish films. If you've ever seen a Danish classic, you know what I mean (at least I think so - I don't really know, what "outsiders" meaning not Danish people think about their film industry). The Danish director Susanne Bier just won an Oscar for "Hævnen" - which I absolutely must see - and when I walked around the Danish library of Sydslesvig (district where I live, which has shifted being Danish and German in history), this film popped up in front of me. I only read "Oscar", and had to rent it, then. It's a rather quiet film, but with this awesome sense of humour, that I love about Denmark and the Danes, and with a story so heartwarming, that you almost have to wipe a tear of your eye after finishing it.

Arundhati (2009) India, Telugu

First view. What I think has already been expressed deeply in my review, so if you have a few more minutes, I recommend reading it. In a nutshell: Good film.

Match Point (2005) UK, English

First view. What a film - what a film! (I know, F. Scott Fitzgerald told us to "cut those exclamation marks", but I couldn't help it). "Match Point" was only the second work of hyped director Woody Allen I watched, and in contrary to "Vicky Christina Barcelona", this indeed is a master piece of cinema. By the way, I forgot how hard it is to write about incredibly great films. Music and picture are combined in a way I haven't seen before, the story exposes human desires in a yet subtle way and don't let me start about the actors. 

Chokher Bali (2003) India, Bengali

First View. Good that the DVD had subtitles - I just realized it was filmed in Bengali. That would explain, why I didn't understand everything. Actually, I did think it had a Bengali-cinema-touch to it... off course I knew, that it was based on a Bengali novel, though. Hm, seems like Bengali is very similar to Hindi, as I did understand a lot... Interesting. The film itself is, well, very Bengali; slow-paced, quiet and very, very subtle. Personally, I liked it. Aishwarya Rai and Raima Sen are to fantastic actresses, and Rituparno Ghosh is also one of the directors I admire (though this was only my second film of his, first one was Raincoat). If you like the style I mentioned, you should give this film a try.

Milk (2009) USA, English

First view. If you'd ask me, why I watched this film, I could imagine so many intelligent answers, but I must admit that the only reason I rented it (from the Danish library), was James Franco. So, starting with him: his hair cut wasn't the cutest, but he assured me that he's a good actor, and not only a cutie I met by incident, just because he starred in a Danny Boyle-Rahman film. Only thing that frightens me a little is, that his performance of a gay person was really convincing. But also the film itself is good, very good. 

My Name Is Khan (2010) India, Hindi

Second view. Why do those DVDs I get as a present or buy myself, always lay in my shelf for at least one month? I got MNIK as a christmas present, and only now, I managed to watch it - together with my Mum and sister. It was also the first time I watched the director's cut, but I think I like the cinema version a little more. It was less filmy. 

Billu Barber (2009) India, Hindi

First view. After thinking this thought I mentioned, when watching MNIK, I pushed myself a little and watched the three DVDs I bought for a gift card from my uncle and aunt - Billu Barber, Dostana and Salaam-E-Ishq. This one was a good take on how to combine regional setting and conflict/ story with some filmyness and also making it a mainstream-film, actually. I liked it, not because of SRK (not his best performance), but because of Irrfan (for non-BW-ers: the cop from "Slumdog Millionaire").

Azaad (2000) India, Hindi

First view.  I'm warning you: Do not watch this film. If you see it on a flee market, walk by. Don't buy it. If you still do so, you're probably just as Bollywood (and film) addicted, as I am. The DVD even looked really bad, I think the only reason I bought it was Shilpa Shetty. She's not even in the film for a long time. Well, no more details, just don't watch this boring, 3 1/2 hours old chewing gum.

The Truman Show (1998) USA, English

I only watched the end, but my mother told me what it's about and I really need to see the whole of it.

Dostana (2008) India, Hindi

First view. Putting this in the DVD-player, I was awaiting some nice flowing-by entertainment for about 2 hours, so I'd never thought it was that hilarious. John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan really are the Jodi No. 1 in Bollywood - and by the way, this is the first time I noticed this side of Abhishek. He was the most convincing of the two.

Mehndi (1998) India, Hindi

First view. A new mission of mine is, to watch a film of my favorite directors/ actors etc. whenever it's their birthday, and I started with Rani. As I've already seen her latest motion picture, I wanted to check out her debut "Biyer Phool", but apparently, it has somehow "vanished". Next one was also unfindable, I already knew "Ghulam" and KKHH, so that left "Mehndi" for me. If you want some of that rocking-Rani, just younger, less experienced and in a not-so-good production, watch it. The story is actually rather interesting, and at least full of Girl-Power. I wouldn't watch it another time, though.

Inside Man (2006) USA, English

First view. My submission for the LAMBS in the Director's Chair-event featuring Spike Lee. Read my review here. 

Salaam-E-Ishq (2007) India, Hindi

First view. I liked it better than I thought I would, many people not liking it, though off course, it never came near the f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s "Kal Ho Naa Ho". Biggest fault was the length. And Sohail Khan.

Raja Hindustani (1996) India, Hindi

First view. E-Bay is such a nice invention. You can buy DVDs for 1,40 EUR. Okay: Aamir Khan was the star of this film, and I wouldn't have liked it without him. But he's in it, and Karishma Kapoor was also all right, so I could really indulge in a heavenly demonstration of 90's Bollywood, including horrible fashion, loud and shrill songs / Karishma-voices, dishoom dishoom and Switzerland. Oh no, I mean Palankhet.

7 Khoon Maaf (2011) India, Hindi

First view. Did I write somewhere, that NOKJ was the best of 2011's Bollywood until now? I changed my mind now, "7 Khoon Maaf" takes the lead for incredible usage of daaaaark humour.

Priyanka gets better and better every time I see her (this month I even watched three films starring her), and when I watched "Krrish" about 4 years ago, I never pictured her in a film like this (though I was only 12 then, I did think about stuff like this). And who does not catch him/herself singing "Daaaaarrrling" during the first Russian-Indian song-mix I've heard until now? 

"Daaaarling, dadadam, dadadam dadadam...".

The Last Song (2010) USA, English

First view. I have a sister. Who... is very interested in Disney films and those stars and you know... She has a big collection of all those movies, and I can tell you: High School Musical outshines its sequels by far, though the second one was ok as well. Zac became to muscular in the third film, so that's why...

Okay, you're probably not interested in that. However, I think that Miley Cyrus is a good actress objectively (and that has nothing to do with me watching "Hannah Montana" when I was smaller - by the way, don't you think the series is not as good as it was once?...). (Clearing throat). Where was I? Yeah, the film is very sad, and maybe a little predictable, but so many movies are predictable. Is that always wrong? Everyone knew the Titanic was going to sink, so basically, it's the way that matters. And "The Last Song" is not as bad as it sounds, starring Miley Cyrus and being based on a Nicolas Sparks novel (haven't read any of his books).

Saudagar (1991) India, Hindi

First view. I'm planning on writing a big article/ kind of love-hate letter about 90's Bollywood, which is partly why I watched "Saudagar". The other two reasons: 1) It's Manisha Koirala's Bollywood debut film (and I miss her...), 2) It's available on bigflix.com - free and legally. And 2 1/2) It's by Subhash Ghai. Not my favorite director, but he did make "Taal".

Anyways, even if you love Dilip Kumar or Raaj Kumar, this is not the biggest must-see. It's actually rather boring and long-drawn. But it's also very 90's, so... love-hate.

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PS: I'm going to Hamburg on Sunday for a 2-week internship at a hat maker, and I'm really excited. We have to do an internship from school, and I think it's a great idea. Not only is the hat maker situated in a beautiful old mall (see picture above), and also an interesting craft, but also: Hamburg is the 7th largest city in the EU, the 2nd largest in Germany, really beautiful (and big, I love big cities), and also full of shopping possibilities, cinemas (where they show more than just the mainstream flicks at our cinema) and Indian shops (YEAH). Meaning I can walk around in a beautiful city (maybe with a Starbucks in my hand, just really cool [we don't have a Starbucks where I live]), maybe buy some beautiful clothes and off course buy some (or many) Indian DVDs. 

I'm also a little scared, but never mind. And maybe hysterical. I... won't bother you any more with these thoughts and my personal life.

Thank you for reading,

Mette M. K.