Nozomi's Favorites 2007

Here's a review of my favorite Bollywood films so far. My favorite Bollywood films usually deal with working through the problems of marriage to find stronger love. I also like films that deal with the religious and political conflicts in South Asia. I watch Bollywood films mostly for the music and the picturizations, but I fall in love with the ones that also have a heart-wrenching plot. 99% of the movies I've seen so far are made after 2000.

Nozomi's Favorite Bollywood Films (2007):
1. Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna
2. Vivah (Though it's not a classic, it was the first time I met a classic Bollywood storyline. I love Shahid, the music, and the cute story)
3. Rang De Basanti
4. Fanaa
5. Salaam Namaste

Other favorites: Jab We Met, Saathyia, Kal Ho Na Ho

Films I'm Looking Forward To:
Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic, Kismat Konnection, Milenge Milenge

Favorite Music Directors (modern-classical fusion typified by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy) :
1. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
2. Himesh Reshammiya
3. A.R. Rahman
4. Pritam

Favorite Playback Singers:
1. Shreya Ghoshal
2. Udit Narayan

Favorite Directors:
1. Karan Johar
2. Kunal Kohli

Actors
My Favorite (aka, if he is in them, I will watch it no matter how horrible the story is): Shahid Kapoor
Best Technical Actor: Aamir Khan
Best Emotional Actor: Shahrukh Khan
Most Promising Upcoming Actor: Shahid Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan
Cutest Lead & Best Dancer: Shahid Kapoor

Actresses (Technical Skill)
1. Rani Mukerji, the Queen
2. Kajol

Kabul Express

Starring: John Abraham, Arshad Warsi, Salman Shahid
Story: Kabir Khan
Story: 6.5/10 Music: Soundtrack only, hip techno tracks mixed with vocals

Two reporters go to Afghanistan after 9/11 to get an interview with the Taliban. They get hijacked by a member of the Taliban who forces them to drive towards the Pakistani border. Things aren't as simple as they seem, and enemies might become friends.

John Abraham is a bit of eye candy, and he's a good enough actor. The American actress is a nobody, and it's obvious that she wasn't hired for her acting skills. The guy who plays the Taliban soldier is the best actor in this movie. There were no musical scenes or picturizations in this film, but that's actually better because of the subject and content.

The best thing about this film is it's subject matter--life in Afghanistan after America busted in and screwed up like soldiers playing hero. I absolutely love to see criticism of America from people who live in the region. Basically: The Taliban was supported by Pakistan until America paid Pakistan more money than the Taliban could. Some Pakistani soldiers even fought in the Taliban until Pakistan sold itself out to America. America's foreign policy is based on one thing: MONEY, Paise. American policy makers use their greenbacks to buy bombs, fickle alliances, and oil. Oil is sucked out, coke is poured in. Pas.

I'm American, and I love this movie. I also liked Turtles Can Fly, a 2004 film written and directed by the Kurdish filmmaker from Iran Bahman Ghobadi and the 2001 film Kandahar. These are special because they are films by local directors who want to show the world the state of modern life in the Middle East. If you like these films, I also recommend one of my favorite American movies, Three Kings with George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and Spike Jones.

If you are looking for John Abraham to show his stuff, this is definitely not for you. If you are interested in the state of the Post-Cold War Middle East, then Kabul Express is for you. Recommended.

Dus (2005): The Feature Film that Gave Us a Music Video

Starring: Zayed Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Shetty
Music: Vishal-Shekhar
Story: 4/10 Music: 2/10 (except for the major hit "Dus Bahane")

It's about counter-terrorism. Zayed is really cute and often hot. Abhishek wasn't given a lot to do, and he has done a lot better before. If you really like Bollywood action movies, then you'll probably like this one. Dhoom was way better because it had rocking music. Dus is notable for it's single hit "Dus Bahane" which has absolutely nothing to do with the plot but it does rock. Skip Dus, watch Dhoom and the music video "Dus Bahane".

Dil Se

Starring: Shahrukh Khan, Manisha Koirala
Music: A.R. Rahman
Story: 8/10 Music: 8/10 Picturizations: 9/10

Dil Se is subliminal. While watching it, I wanted to keep taking huge breaths but the air was stopped in my throat. Wonderful! The picturizations are shockingly beautiful and weird. The music is classic, too. The picturization of "Satrangi Re" is my number one favorite in this movie followed by the music of "Chaiyya Chaiyya". The story of Dil Se asks the question "who is a terrorist and especially why?" Does Meghna love to kill or will she die for love? Recommended.

Bunty Aur Babli

Starring: Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan
Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Story: 7.5/10 Music: 9/10

This film is really great fun, and the music is amazing. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy always give a fun and beautiful soundtrack. The picturizations and camera work is great, too. The whole thing turned out to be so much more interesting and fun than I thought it was going to be. Recommended!

Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam

Starring: Aishwarya Rai, Salman Khan, Ajay Devgan
Story: 4/10 Music: 6/10

Many people love this movie because of it's support of traditional values and beautiful presentation. Rai plays a character who doesn't seem to know what she wants--she's madly in love with her lover and then she traipses around the world with her husband who she feels nothing for and is suddenly like, "oops, I think I love you instead." It's good to be able to fall in love after you get married in an arranged marriage, but this whole thing just seems so haphazard and fickle. But maybe that's love, he?

The one area where this film excels in the art and art direction. This movie is classically beautiful. I get the feeling that it is old royal style or an even more modern DDLJ. The camera angles, colors, and costumes are real art.

Saathiya

Starring: Rani and Vivek Oberoi (Rani won the 2002 Filmfare Best Actress Award)
Music: A.R. Rahman
Story: 8/10 Music: 6.5/10 Picturizations: 8.5/10

If you like movies like KANK, Salaam Namaste, Vivah, and Chalte Chalte, you'll like this one too. The story is about what people do for love when traditions are blocking their love. After infatuation and marriage, will they be able to discover true love?
The songs are a lot of fun, and some of the scenes are gorgeous. I sighed so much when I was watching it. Rani is exquisite as always, and Vivek is cute sometimes. Recommended.

Fanaa

Starring: Aamir Khan, Kajol
Music: Jatin-Lalit
Story: 9/10 Music: 8.5/10 Picturizations: 9.5/10
Legendary Picturization: "Mere Haath Mein"

Fanaa rocks!! It's one of my favorites. The music and especially the scenery is great. Aamir Khan is wonderful again--he is the best actor in Bollywood. SRK is good, but I think he's good because he knows when to overact in just the right places (it works on me, too). The twists and turns and moral dilemmas make me want to scream and cheer and cry and shout all at once. Also, the snow and scenery in Fanaa are so beautiful. Of the music videos/picturizations I've seen in my life, "Mere Haath Mein" is in the top five. Watch it and feel your heart melt and burn at the same time. Nozomi highly recommends Fanaa!

Aap Ka Suroor

Movie: Aap Ka Suroor (2007)
Starring: Himesh Reshammiya, Hansika Motwani
Music: Himesh Reshammiya
Favorite Songs: Tanhaiyaan, Assalam Vaalekum, Ya Ali (Dil Lagi), Mehbooba
Favorite Music Video: None, but the music is totally awesome. Boys, I believe Mehboobha will be to your liking.
Story: 2 out of 10 Music: 8 out of 10

Plot: Himesh plays himself as Himesh, a singer who is popular all over the world (still wishful thinking, HR!). He and Ria fall in love, but the fast lawyer chick is obsessed with Himesh. His lawyer (Mallika Sherawat) wants to do anything she can for him, including at night. And she is a skilled backup dancer. I think the director was thinking, "the boys love her, so how do we get her in this movie without just sticking her in there?" The answer was: "make her his lawyer!"So anyway, somebody frames Himesh. The motive could be to prevent him from marrying Ria or it could be something totally different. Is it tanhaiyaan for Himesh in jail or will he clear himself of suspicions and finally be able to marry his true love?

Verdict: Rocking!!! Sweeet! I love Himesh's music! He gives us eight (yeah eight!!) totally different songs in this one movie. This makes sense because the movie is basically a showcase of his music. I love it! But the music videos are really not special because they are mostly Himesh walking (yuck-walking) through the scenes and getting quite a bit of screen time. Expect nothing much from this film except excellent beats, and he's delivering that 100%. At least 4 of the songs created for this film were hits. Really all you're gonna get if you decide to watch the whole movie and not just the music videos is creative, soaring background orchestral beats based on the main numbers. It is easy to tell that Himesh's musical mind contributed a lot to the production. It is so funny when Himesh hears the Gayatri mantra when he sees his true love. Oh god! That's great.

It's funny to watch Himesh try to act. He says every line like it's his last with as much emotion as he can. This turns out to be the same emotion every time, and it gets boring pretty fast. This is where SRK is king. He's got a large range of admittedly the same stuff, but it is large and he is an expert at timing and recognizing opportune moments. Well, since Aap Ka Suroor did well there is news of a forthcoming Aap Ka Suroor 2. I'll be waiting more good music from the rising Himesh, but I think next time around I'll just skip the cheap plot wrapped around his awesome songs.

Hum Tum, हम तुम

Movie: Hum Tum, हम तुम (2004)
Starring: Saif Ali Khan & Rani Mukerji
Music: Jatin-Lalit
Favorite songs:Chak de, Ladki kyon, U 'n' I. The whole soundtrack is good with sweet dance beats.
Favorite Music Video: Hum Tum (because it's more classic)
Story: 6 out of 10 Music: 7.5 out of 10

Plot: So what makes men and women different? Why don't they get along? Just read Hum Tum-Karan's (Saif Ali Khan) comic-to find out. His and Rani's characters are very different, but he likes her anyway. Things keep getting in the way or she keeps trying to ditch him, but he meets her by chance every three years for about nine years. Will it work out between them or will fate not give them all the chances they need?

Verdict: It's funny sometimes but it's just a medium level comedy-drama. If there is really one cool thing that came out of this production, it's the rocking soundtrack.

Salaam Namaste, सलाम नमस्त

Movie: Salaam Namaste, सलाम नमस्त (2005)
Starring: Saif Ali Khan & Preity Zinta
Music: Vishal-Shekhar
Favorite songs (all of them!!): Tu Jahaan, Salaam Namaste
Favorite Music Video: Tu Jahaan-there are no words that I know to describe the lyrical beauty of this song
Story: 9 out of 10 Music: 8 out of 10

Plot: Nick (Saif) thinks he loves Amber (Zinta), but he also sees the problems of getting married too fast. So he proposes to live together with her for a year. It seems alright at first but complications arise. This is not your grandmother's bollywood, and while I love the older plots, this different approach is heart-wrenching and wonderful. The Indian who acts like Crocodile Dundee is a scream, and the doctor is pretty funny too. The dialog is really good and the scenes are well-planned to make you want to throw pillows, laugh so hard you cry, and melt because the emotions are so consuming like a cold fire. I can't explain it, so just go and watch it! Well done! Highly recommended!

Verdict: From the DVD cover with the main characters practically wearing nothing on the beach, I thought this was gonna be a spring break beach movie. I was so very wrong. And I can't tell you how happy I am that it is much, much more. There is humor, there is good conflict, there is a wake up call to some of life's harsh realities--there is so much that makes this movie wonderful. Preity Zinta showcases true acting skill here and is not just the cheery pretty face. Saif Ali Khan is also way above his average. They use all they've got to show us that real relationships aren't "see-hug-kiss-love-marriage-partners forever". This movie an honest look at the truth that relationships that last take work. Each partner is probably not going to be ready for the same things and they are not always going to want the same things. Yeah, it's work. And if you try hard enough, it just might be beautiful.

Vivah

Full review coming soon.
Movie: Vivah (2006)
Music: Ravindra Jain

36 China Town

Movie: 36 China Town (2006)
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, introducing Upen Patel
Music: Himesh Reshammiya
Favorite songs (all of them! Yeah Himesh!): Aashiqui Meri, Dil Tumhare Bina, Jab Kabhi, 24x7 I Think of You
Favorite Music Video: Aashiqui Meri (this is my all-time favorite newer music video- Upen Patel should be arrested for spontaneous combustion of the surrounding air, it's by Himesh, and it's in Chinatown. What more could I ask for?)
Story: 3 out of 10 Music: 9 out of 10

Plot: Sonia Chang is murdered. Everyone in this huge cast gets implicated in the crime because they are all trying to cover their own backsides by lying a little. Shahid and Kareena's characters find Sonia Chang's kidnapped son and get involved when they try to collect the huge reward for finding him.

Verdict: All my friends who like method criminal dramas like this one. I don't really care about it except that Shahid has some pretty good music videos. Here again, the music and music videos are the real draw for me.

Fida फ़िदा

Movie: Fida, फ़िदा (2004)
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor,
Music: Anu Malik
Favorite songs: Nazar Nazar, Aja Ve Mahi, Dil mere na...aur intezaar kar Aside: For you boys out there, if you wanna see Kareena giving you fan service, Maine Jisko Chaha.. mil gaya is right up your alley.
Favorite Music Video: Nazar Nazar
Story: 4.5 out of 10 Music: 5 out of 10

Plot: A greedy hacker steals a large sum of money from an underworld don. Jai (Shahid Kaporr) falls madly in love with a girl he sees on a street (Kareena Kapoor). She says she can't love him no matter how much he loves her and so he decides to commit suicide to prove his love for her. (Um, yick!). He tries but fails. She says that she loves him if he tried to do that for her. She tells him that she owes a large sum of money to the underworld, and he tries to steal the money for her. Well, nobody in this movie is who they appear to be except for Jai whose problem is that he is too extreme in whatever he does, whether it be love, hate, or revenge. Shahid's no cutie in this one after intermission. Still, it's good to see that he didn't typecast himself early and is willing to try other roles.

Verdict: Not as good as 36 China Town but definitely better than Fool N Final. The music video cinematography is nothing stunning and the focus is mostly on the actors. In general (not only in reference to this film), Shahid is the kind of sweet geek guy who really cherishes a relationship. That is the main reason I like him by far. It's kind of stunning and unexpected when he takes his jacket off. Anyway, if you can't bear some of the characters in a story dying, then don't watch this one. It took me a while to get around to watching this, but in the end I figured the music videos were worth it.

Chup Chup Ke

Movie: Chup Chup Ke (2006)
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Sunil Shetty, Anupam Kher, Om Puri
Music: Himesh Reshammiya
Favorite song (ALL of them~! Yeah Himesh!): Shabe Firaq (deleted song), Aya Re, Ye Ankhen, Ghoomar Re
Favorite Music Viedo: Aya Re- Shahid is so sexy and sweet
Story: 5 out of 10 Music: 7 out of 10

Plot: Jeetu (Shahid Kapoor) is a well-meaning entrepreneur whose business ideas have always failed. Because of this, he owes a lot of money to a long list of creditors. He tries to commit suicide by jumping into the ocean to allow his family to collect the life insurance money. But he is pulled up in a fishing net and his new life begins. He plays deaf and dumb when he figures out that the two fishermen who pulled him up want to be paid for helping him; on top of that he's really in a jam because they think he is a millionaire. He meets a rich family with a dumb (cant' speak) girl who is engaged to someone who wants her for her money. The gags and cracks start from there.

Verdict: It's better than Fool N Final by a lot but doesn't come close to Vivah or Jab We Met. The music by Himesh and the music videos make it definitely watchable. Don't miss the deleted song, Shabe Firaq, because it has a really great beat and a cute music video. There was a crazy funny scene in the beginning when Jeetu is in the hospital and Gundya and Bandya are trying to mime places in India. I think a lot of the puns are based on linguistic differences between Hindi and Gujarati, which was hard for me to appreciate.

Top left: Ye Ankhen Top right:Shahid and Kareena in Aya Re

Fool N Final

Movie: Fool N Final (2007)
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Sunny Deol, Vivek Oberoi, Ayesha Takia
Music: Himesh Reshammiya
Favorite songs: Yeh Dooriyan followed by Ek Kalsa, Tere Layee, and Sigdi (ALL of them!!--I love rap/techo-pop)
Story: 1 out of 10 Music: 7 out of 10

Plot: Moscow Chikna and J.D. are underworld dons who create problems for the other characters in this movie. Shahid plays a robber and Sunny Deol plays Munna, a strong man who owns a garage and fights to get extra money.

Verdict: What the heck is this mess of a movie? It's all over the place, thou the absurdity is funny sometimes. No worries though, the soundtrack is awesome because it is from Himesh, and this time he is doing a lot of rap beats. Shahid sets the house on fire in Yeh Dooriyan. All the other songs are rocking too.

Shikhar, शिखर

Movie: Shikhar, शिखर (2005)
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Ajay Devgan, Amrita Rao, Bipasha Basu
Favorite song: Megha Re Megha followed by Fitna Dil (kyon kisise harana)
Story: 4 out of 10 Music: 4 out of 10

Plot: Shahid plays a rich country boy who is so naive to the city ways that he is in trouble of being used for his money and connections. He gets caught up in the city ways and is distanced from his village that needs him. Will he get savvy or will he be taken down by money and prestige?

Verdict: An okay story that deals with greed, industry, and land rights. Amrita Rao is magical as always.

Dil Maange More

Movie: Dil Maange More (2004)
Director: Anant Mahadevan
Music: Himesh Reshammiya
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Soha Ali Khan, Ayesha Takia
Favorite song: O Makhna Ve followed by Shikwa Bhi Tumse and Aisa Deewana Hua Ye Dil
Story: 3 out of 10 Music: 7 out of 10

Plot: Not memorable. Shahid's character finds himself with three women chasing after him, and he handles the situation with all three of them horribly.

Verdict: This movie is nothing. I was just watching it to see the music videos that Shahid is in. The music is pretty good because it was composed by Himesh. The music videos are captivating and Shahid even does some wire-fu to spice up his moves.

Chalte Chalte, चलते चलत

Movie: Chalte Chalte, चलते चलत (2003)
Director: Aziz Mirza
Music: Jatin Lalit
Starring: Shahrukh Khan & Rani Mukerji
Verdict: I have seen this film before in every other mediocre Hindi film I've seen. The main draw is the powerhouse cast of SRK and Rani. The music by amazing and soulful Jatin and Lalit (whose credits include Diwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Fanaa, Hum Tum, Khamoshi, Ghulam, Sarfarosh, and Mohabbatein) is also very nice.

Basically, it's a story about how the little problems in marriage can get in the way of true love.

Darker than Black 黒の契約者

Anime: Darker Than Black （黒の契約者）
Episodes: 25 +a special on the DVD release
My rating: 3 out of 5
At animenewsnetwork: click here

The premise for this anime sounded really interesting at first, but it turned out not to deliver. Basically, it is about contractors who each have a special power. They must pay a price （対価）for using their powers like smoking cigarettes, eating dandelions, or sucking children's blood. Contractors are supposed to be very logical and cruel. The main character, codename BK201, is known as the Black Reaper (黒の死神), and he is supposed to be the cruelest of them all. However, the Contractors are not all that logical, and BK201 is hardly cruel. There is not very much direction to this anime because it is organized as two-parters. One time they'll be talking about BK201's sister and then completely forget it for the next few episodes. Some short plot lines are completely forgotten when the writers figure out that they only have the space of three episodes left.
I was hoping to see BK201 be really cruel and have a past that earned him the name of the Black Reaper. His power was not all that interesting, either.
The art is really nice though. It's the newer style with the clean lines and softer colors like in the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱). The most promising part was the intro song, "HOWLING" by abingdon boys school (eps 1-14), and the lines in the beginning of that song, "I know I've lost it. I know I can kill. The truth is just beyond the gates."