Kaminay Teaser Trailer

I just watched the teaser trailer for Kaminay, starring Shahid and Priyanka. Kaminay is scheduled for release on March 27, 2009. There have been rumors of Shahid changing his image and his physique for this film. I have been skeptical of this move, what he calls "taking off his shirt if a film requires it." Work ethic, riight.

You all know what comes to mind:
Shahrukh in Om Shanti Om. (A grasping attempt to hang on to the under-40 side of the industry with that now infamous flash of sixpack abs in Om Shanti Om. I respect your acting, yaar, but showcase your age with dignity. Like in Paheli or in Kal Ho Naa Ho).
Aamir in Ghajini.
John Abraham in Dostanta.
Hirthik.
Ranbir Kapoor in Sawaariya. (He practically used abs in his debut to get noticed. He was.)

And now, the wonderful, romantic guy next door is bending to the winds of 2008 by making himself look physically stronger. This craze in bollywood has gained the name "abs war," and Shahid has thrown himself into the fray. He's lost by joining in.

Remember this shot in Krrish of Hirthik running faster than his white horse accompanied by closeups of Hirthik's body parts?


Now look:Wow! Four horses. And a full body shot. Shahid, you dolt!
I laughed pretty hard at the absurdity and the media baggage propelling this scene along.
Shahid is always lovable, but...the best part has always been that he isn't like everyone else!! His strong points are that he has shown what counts is on the inside: care, partnership, perceptiveness, respect, humor, sensitivity.

And he doesn't have to show it off for us to know that he's got it. If you've seen Fida, you know what I mean. Understatement is so endearing and attractive.

I can understand Shahid's desire not to get typecast, but with his body makeover in Kaminay, he's given up some part of his endearing side by trying to fit into the trendy mold. The industry's a rat race, I know. But Shahid has never before allowed himself to become one of the rats. He has always been the elegant, playful love bird singing his own tune.

I enjoy seeing Shahid in new roles, but I say that he doesn't have to remake his body to be noticed. He gets notice because of his smile. Because of the way he connects with the co-stars with his eyes and his voice. And because of his rocking dance moves--the way he seems to enjoy dancing so much. I love him because of who he is (on screen at least), not becuase of how his body looks.

Vampire Effect

Film: Vampire Effect, aka The Twins Effect (2003)
World Region: Hong Kong
Rating: 2/10 why: because it's a showpiece for the cantopop duo The Twins and nothing more

I was really watching this because I was thinking that Nic Tse was in it as the main character (or at least had a cameo), but in fact Ekin Cheng had that part. I was really excited at first to see vampires and vampire hunters doing some movie kung fu, but then the crappy special effects turned cool into hilarious. I also was really hoping that the vampire prince would pull some weight, but he certainly failed to deliver. This movie was really a focus on the two main girls who are cantopop stars. I like to see women kick butt in a movie, but I'd much rather see the Vampire Prince kicking ass and taking names. Ekin Cheng as the vampire prince was just a cute face and his most memorable line was, "I guess I suck at being a vampire." Yeah, you do. And you don't do enough sucking as it is, man--blood is in your face and you're like "doo-di-doo, I am weak." I always love the progressive vampire, but old habits usually die hard. And weak vampires die first.

Jackie Chan was is this movie, surprisingly enough. Other than a few of his stunts, the kung fu was horrible and uniteresting. The whole thing is so hack that it's funny. I am a vampire lore afficianado, and this is actually the part of the story that I found seriously lacking. It feels to me that somebody thought "vampires have big teeth, run around in the dark, and are fast and strong." Um, yeah. But they forgot the part about hierarchy and power in Vampire lore. They forgot the part about allure that a vampire prince should have over his people if he so chooses. And most importantly, they forgot the part that a vampire prince does not survive long unless he has true power or exceptional savvy. They forgot that when a vampire prince is hungry and slipping in and out and then he sees blood, he will drink it. But no, he just lays around on the floor multiple times when there is plenty of blood within arm's reach. God, this movie could have been awesome if they had really used what is available to them in Vampire lore. But I can see what happened--this movie is actually just a showpiece for the two girls who are the Cantopop duo called the Twins. So they got what they came for and I came out with nothing but delusions of grandure.

I would really love to see this movie redone with darker overtones, a heartwarming bonechiller by Tsui Hark (without the absurdity, but with his camera angles and reflective style) starring a bad ass Nic Tse who has this amazing ability to be hard-hitting and cute at the same time. Now that would be heaven. Whoo!

Appleseed (2005)

Country: Japan
Style: Computer Animation
Rating: 3/10 (story) 6/10 (graphics)

Good graphics, but a bad mishmash of countless other common themes. It's a crash-and-burn mix of movies like Tomb Raider, Ghost in the Shell, and a lackluster apocalyptic flick. If you're looking for something good in this area, go for the stars in this genre--Ghost in the Shell and KARAS.

My Schoolmate, The Barbarian

Time and Tide (2000)

Movie: Time and Tide 順流逆流 (2000)
World Region: Hong Kong
Starring: Nicholas Tse and Wu Bai
Rating: 4.5/10

Plot: I can't really figure it out. Something about a one night stand, bodyguards, lots of money, guys from South America, and babies (being born in the middle of a gun battle!). The best part is Nicholas Tse's existential voiceovers. The first twenty minutes of his witty, perceptive voiceovers were the best part of the movie. The filmography is creative and flavorful. Should you watch it? I don't know...if you like genre mishmash and absurdity then go for it. I've definitely seen better movies.

New Police Story (2004)

Movie: New Police Story 新警察故事 (2004)
World Region: Hong Kong
Starring: Jackie Chan and Nicholas Tse
Rating: 6/10

Plot: Inspector Chan Kwok Wing (Jackie Chan) is weighed down with regret for a mission that he botched at the beginning of the movie. He is suspended for a year and becomes an alcoholic. Frank Cheng (Nicholas Tse), who identifies himself as an inspector, comes along and pulls Cheng back onto his feet. Frank doesn't want to see Cheng waste away under the pain of regret. Nicholas Tse does some great "under"-acting to make Frank the best character in this movie--watch him in the backgrounds 'cause he's always right on. He's smart, rakish-cute, a bit cocky, and pretty damn good when it comes to action scenes.

It's not hard-hitting MA like I was hoping, but the acting and stunts were good. Some scenes were suspenseful and there was a surprising little twist of sunshine about life at the end. You may have to watch it twice because the last few minutes are so illuminating. New Police Story, though nothing special, is a pretty good movie.

Gen-X Cops

Movie: Gen-X Cops (1999)
World Region: Hong Kong
Starring: Nicholas Tse and others
Rating: 5.5/10

Plot: Um....I watched it last night...I should be able to remember....Anyway, there are three guys who are about to get kicked out of the police force for insubordination and for being waay too smart in the wrong way at the academy. They are picked up by a down and out inspector to crack a high-profile case by infiltrating a gang. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether they're police or losers, but that's exactly what they've got going for them. It feels like that movie The Perfect Score (2004) that everybody watched and forgot mixed with something like a weak Kill Zone.

This is a fun film with a bunch of newer guys in Hong Kong entertainment. The best part is the way the team of three undercover cop guys play off of each other. Nicholas Tse does some good acting in this one. Sam Lee as Alien is special in his own way and kinda adorable. Nakamura Toru as Akatora says little but carries himself very well. Sure, there's better out there, but the gags in this one are cute to funny and they are what carries the show.

Parineeta

Starring: Saif Ali Khan, Vidya Balan
Music Director: Shantanu Moitra
Singers: Shreya Ghoshal, Sonu Nigam
Favorite Songs: Hui Main Parineeta, Kasto Mazza, Piyu Bole, Raat Hamari Toh
Story: 7/10 Music: 7/10 Picturizations: 6/10

This is a beautiful film and the plot is frequently gripping. Saif and Vidya both give gripping performances. A rich guy and the girl next door fall in love but face the machinations of the rich guy's money-obsessed businessman father. The music is high-quality too, since it was sung by my favorite singer, Shreya Ghoshal. The picturizations are toned down but still beautiful. My favorite scenes were the Hui Main Parineeta one and the one with Saif talking to his father near the end. Recommended.

Rocky: The Rebel (2006)

Starring: Zayed Khan
Music: Himesh Reshammiya
Favorite Songs: My Love For You, Junoon Junoon
Story: 5/10 Music: 6/10 Picturizations: 4/10

This film was good fun. Some parts were extreme and nearly laughable. I really enjoyed the plot parts about Rocky going up against the mob even though the police and his father are stuck in a corrupt system. I think Zayed is cute and that's pretty much why I decided to watch this film that flopped in the box office. Reccomended only if you really wanna see Zayed or are very interested in busting corrupt systems through individual fire.

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.