Despite all the bad reviews (or maybe because of them) regarding What's your rashee a few friends and I were curious to see the movie - we bullied our respective spouses into agreeing to watch the flick - Blue being their choice clearly (not sure that Blue is a better movie but that is another review). And boy did we regret it!! 3 hours of my life that I am not going to get back (and it was 3 hours only because we watched all the songs and some of the scenes in fast forward mode).
The movie starts with an astrologer predicting that the younger son of a Gujrati family will get married by the 20th of that month. The older son has borrowed money from a few shady characters and is in over his head when the family hears that their wealthy grandfather will turn over his entire property to the younger son upon his wedding. This is a further impetus for the family to pressurize their son to come to India and opt for an arranged marriage. The boy (played by Harman Baweja) agrees to meet 12 different girls (all played by Priyanka) but from each sign of the zodiac and choose his life partner from among one of them. The story then progresses with Priyanka Chopra essaying each of the 12 different roles. The biggest letdown is the completely weak storyline and non-existent script. That is then compounded by all the background noise in the form of unnecessary background stories of how much in debt the older brother is, the matchmaker uncle who is also cheating on his wife and the million songs. While the songs are certainly very pleasant and hummable there are just way too many of them thereby prolonging a very weak and flimsy plot.
I wonder if Ashutosh realized in the middle of making this movie just how bad it was going to be and had no other option but to finish it despite his misgivings. I cannot believe that this was made by the same director who gave us Lagaan and Swades. The portrayals of the 12 different zodiacs is very cliched and some of the characters are reduced to downright caricatures. Harman is okay. The good thing is that he no longer seems to be trying to ape Hrithik Roshan (a la Love Story 2050). Must say, the future is not looking too bright for Mr. Baweja. Priyanka is okay as well. I remember watching an interview with her where they were talking about how she has still not come across the role of a lifetime - similar to what Pakeezah was for Meena Kumari or Umrao Jaan was for Rekha - and sadly if she was pinning her hopes on this movie, this is definitely not it.
So the verdict (if it is not already crystal clear from the paragraphs up above), give this movie a miss unless you really have nothing else to do with 4 hours of your time.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Happy Diwali
Today's post has nothing to do with TV - but just wanted to wish all my readers a very very Happy Diwali. For those who have never heard of it, Diwali (or Deepavali) is the age-old Indian festival of lights (also known as deep) - it signifies the triumph of good over evil. Indians celebrate this festival by a few rounds of Diwali cleaning leading up to the day (where one's home is cleaned from top to bottom in preparation of this auspicious day), buying new clothes, performing Lakshmi puja (Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth), bursting firecrackers with friends and family and making and sharing sweets and other mouth-watering delicacies.
I was chatting with one of my friends this afternoon about Diwalis of the past - we were reminiscing about some of our age-old traditions such as wearing new dresses and visiting friends' and neighbours' homes exchanging sweets and savouries. Those were the good old days when we would wake up at the crack of dawn, have an oil bath and get ready to burst some firecrackers with friends and family. This was usually followed by a visit to the temple - followed by a long line of deliveries of homemade sweets to neighbours' homes - as kids it was usually our task to carry a tray laden with food to our neighbours' homes and wish them and wait while they unloaded our food and filled it with food made at their place and this continued pretty much all morning until we had made the rounds of all close family friends. This was followed by a bout of phone calls to wish people far away. I waited eagerly for this festival because we would have a break from school with no exams to worry about and Diwali usually fell around November which meant my birthday was only a few days away - so it was always good!! Going shopping for Diwali was always a great bonus.
Cut to the US and during my days in Houston, Diwali would come and go and we really wouldn't do much out there. That has changed for the better here in California since we are surrounded by a huge Indian community (not that the Houston Indian community is any less but for some reason I was less involved in it) and friends who would make it a point to meet up and enjoy some of the local programs put up by the local Indian community at the nearby temples and community centers. This Diwali brings with it a host of nostalgic memories and hope and optimism for the future. Happy Diwali to us all!!
I was chatting with one of my friends this afternoon about Diwalis of the past - we were reminiscing about some of our age-old traditions such as wearing new dresses and visiting friends' and neighbours' homes exchanging sweets and savouries. Those were the good old days when we would wake up at the crack of dawn, have an oil bath and get ready to burst some firecrackers with friends and family. This was usually followed by a visit to the temple - followed by a long line of deliveries of homemade sweets to neighbours' homes - as kids it was usually our task to carry a tray laden with food to our neighbours' homes and wish them and wait while they unloaded our food and filled it with food made at their place and this continued pretty much all morning until we had made the rounds of all close family friends. This was followed by a bout of phone calls to wish people far away. I waited eagerly for this festival because we would have a break from school with no exams to worry about and Diwali usually fell around November which meant my birthday was only a few days away - so it was always good!! Going shopping for Diwali was always a great bonus.
Cut to the US and during my days in Houston, Diwali would come and go and we really wouldn't do much out there. That has changed for the better here in California since we are surrounded by a huge Indian community (not that the Houston Indian community is any less but for some reason I was less involved in it) and friends who would make it a point to meet up and enjoy some of the local programs put up by the local Indian community at the nearby temples and community centers. This Diwali brings with it a host of nostalgic memories and hope and optimism for the future. Happy Diwali to us all!!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Fall TV picks
My choices from this fall's TV lineup... drum roll please... The Good Wife and Eastwick. I hope both these shows stick around for a while. I'm getting used to seeing these fabulous ladies light up the screen every Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.
The Good Wife (CBS, Tuesday nights at 10 pm), starring Juliana Margulies last seen in ER, is about the wife of a politician who has to re-start her career in law because her husband is in jail following a very public sex and corruption scandal. Her old friend gives her a job as an associate in his law firm and she soon finds herself competing against a 20-something yuppie lawyer for a coveted spot in the firm. Serene is the word that comes to mind when you see Juliana tackling this role. She plays the character with admirable restraint while at the same time, very effectively, portraying the betrayed wife with anger and resentment simmering under the surface. It has a solid supporting cast with Archie Panjabi (from Bend It Like Beckham) as the investigator, Matt Czuchry (from Gilmore Girls) and Christine Baranski. I've watched 3-4 episodes so far and I am impressed with the storyline including the individual cases that come her way and her unique manner of resolving each and everyone of those. I recommend this - 2 thumbs up.
My second favourite show this fall is Eastwick (ABC, Wednesday 10 pm) - it's somewhat similar to Charmed in that the show is about 3 women that live in the witchy town of Eastwick and discover each other and their fledgling powers with the arrival of a mysterious stranger in town. The cast includes Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price, Jaime Ray Newman and Paul Gross (who I first saw in this teeny-tiny show, called 'Due South', about a Canadian Mounty and his loyal wolf who end up in the US). I had a big crush on the guy so I was pleasantly surprised to see him back on the small screen after all these years. Darryl Van Horne, the mysterious stranger in town brings together 3 women in town who, on the surface, appear to be your average late 20-somthing, 30-something women from different walks of life - one is a nurse, the second a journalist and the third a hippy sculptress. Strange events start occurring in their lives making them aware of their own powers. There is something sinister however, about Mr. Van Horne, as one of the ladies discovers that a businessman with his identical face was killed a few decades ago. The plot thickens... I am slightly less enthused about this show than the former for some reason. But at the same time, I think its one of the better shows on TV.
Another show I've heard good things about is Glee - but since I have not watched it myself, I cannot endorse it. The third show I added to my lineup is Cougar Town and the only reason I am watching this is because of Courteney Cox and my loyalty to her other show Friends. The acting is over the top and comes across as trying too hard. I'm hoping it gets better - Courteney is a fabulous actor - if only she could attempt her hand at some of the restraint from The Good Wife.
The Good Wife (CBS, Tuesday nights at 10 pm), starring Juliana Margulies last seen in ER, is about the wife of a politician who has to re-start her career in law because her husband is in jail following a very public sex and corruption scandal. Her old friend gives her a job as an associate in his law firm and she soon finds herself competing against a 20-something yuppie lawyer for a coveted spot in the firm. Serene is the word that comes to mind when you see Juliana tackling this role. She plays the character with admirable restraint while at the same time, very effectively, portraying the betrayed wife with anger and resentment simmering under the surface. It has a solid supporting cast with Archie Panjabi (from Bend It Like Beckham) as the investigator, Matt Czuchry (from Gilmore Girls) and Christine Baranski. I've watched 3-4 episodes so far and I am impressed with the storyline including the individual cases that come her way and her unique manner of resolving each and everyone of those. I recommend this - 2 thumbs up.
My second favourite show this fall is Eastwick (ABC, Wednesday 10 pm) - it's somewhat similar to Charmed in that the show is about 3 women that live in the witchy town of Eastwick and discover each other and their fledgling powers with the arrival of a mysterious stranger in town. The cast includes Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price, Jaime Ray Newman and Paul Gross (who I first saw in this teeny-tiny show, called 'Due South', about a Canadian Mounty and his loyal wolf who end up in the US). I had a big crush on the guy so I was pleasantly surprised to see him back on the small screen after all these years. Darryl Van Horne, the mysterious stranger in town brings together 3 women in town who, on the surface, appear to be your average late 20-somthing, 30-something women from different walks of life - one is a nurse, the second a journalist and the third a hippy sculptress. Strange events start occurring in their lives making them aware of their own powers. There is something sinister however, about Mr. Van Horne, as one of the ladies discovers that a businessman with his identical face was killed a few decades ago. The plot thickens... I am slightly less enthused about this show than the former for some reason. But at the same time, I think its one of the better shows on TV.
Another show I've heard good things about is Glee - but since I have not watched it myself, I cannot endorse it. The third show I added to my lineup is Cougar Town and the only reason I am watching this is because of Courteney Cox and my loyalty to her other show Friends. The acting is over the top and comes across as trying too hard. I'm hoping it gets better - Courteney is a fabulous actor - if only she could attempt her hand at some of the restraint from The Good Wife.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
A Tale of 2 movies
And 2 very different movies at that!! The hubby and I clearly have too much time on our hands - we took in 2 movies on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was District 9 and Sunday was Wake Up Sid. Completely different movies and genres but both kind of enjoyable. Wake Up Sid was more enjoyable for me versus District 9 - but let me not get ahead of myself.
We were all set to watch Wake Up Sid on Saturday but we heard mixed reviews so, at the last minute, we decided to switch to District 9 - the hubby has been wanting to see this movie ever since it released so needless to say he was very happy. The movie, we discovered, was running in just 1 theater in the vicinity - in Mountain View - so we get to the Century Cinemas and end up sitting in this row of seats with very very little legroom - and I mean very little - so while I watched the movie, my primary concern was to save my knees from the seat in front of me every time the woman pushed her seat back or stretched. When the movie began, my first thought was that it was very much like 'The Office' - as in the camerawork and mode of shooting were very realistic - like someone was given a video camera and told to go interview a few people. The movie is set in Johannesburg and has a very interesting plot line - it's about aliens stranded here on earth in South Africa, in an area called District 9. Their integration into society is not very smooth and a decision is made to evict them from District 9 and move them into District 10 - away from the city and more confined as such. There are some twists and turns and the person in charge of the eviction ends up empathizing and identifying with the aliens. I'll say no more so as not give away the plot. The movie is clearly an "indie" science fiction movie - it appears to be made on a shoestring budget. I was engaged throughout the movie (while not trying to protect my legs from the afore-mentioned seating situation) and it was a pretty interesting concept - I would recommend it for sci-fi lovers looking for something that is not the run-of-the-mill alien/predator situations.
Come Sunday, we met up with friends for brunch and heard that Wake Up Sid was indeed a decent movie so we decided to check it out for ourselves. The theater was pretty packed (and this is a mainstream theater that predominantly plays western flicks - so it's been very pleasant to note that big desi movies are also making their debut here - we had Kaminey, Love Aaj Kal and What's Your Rashee showing here in recent times) so we were glad we made it in plenty of time to get good seats. The movie was super-enjoyable and a great first-time directorial effort by Aayan Mukherjee - Ranbir Kapoor is yet to make a bad decision as far as movies go after the debacle of Saawariya. The movie belongs to him. Konkona Sen does a great job - am glad the girl is able to showcase her talent in more and more mainstream movies. The movie is about an aimless spoilt brat finding his path in life. While the story-line is not anything new, the treatment of the subject matter is dealt with in a very realistic manner - there are no melodramatic scenes and no over the top acting by anyone in the movie (okay maybe Supriya Pathak's character as the mom and her relationship with Sid was a little too contrived but in the grand scheme of things it can be overlooked). It's refreshing to see new blood in Bollywood that can shoulder a movie and bring it to success - I mean frankly, I was a little tired of seeing the same old faces on the big screen - the Khans and Hrithik are too old to play 20-something 30-something characters so to see this new generation of heroes and heroines making it in the big bad world of Bollywood has been invigorating. The soundtrack is nice - loved iktara especially - good music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy. I would recommend it to people that enjoyed flicks like Dil Chahta Hai, Rock On and Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na.
Now to prepare for my week ahead - as someone once said "Yeh Sunday ke baad Monday kyon hota hai?" (translation for my non-Hindi speaking readers and I'm not sure that I am doing justice to the line and the sentiment it conveys - Why is it that we have a Monday always following Sunday?)
We were all set to watch Wake Up Sid on Saturday but we heard mixed reviews so, at the last minute, we decided to switch to District 9 - the hubby has been wanting to see this movie ever since it released so needless to say he was very happy. The movie, we discovered, was running in just 1 theater in the vicinity - in Mountain View - so we get to the Century Cinemas and end up sitting in this row of seats with very very little legroom - and I mean very little - so while I watched the movie, my primary concern was to save my knees from the seat in front of me every time the woman pushed her seat back or stretched. When the movie began, my first thought was that it was very much like 'The Office' - as in the camerawork and mode of shooting were very realistic - like someone was given a video camera and told to go interview a few people. The movie is set in Johannesburg and has a very interesting plot line - it's about aliens stranded here on earth in South Africa, in an area called District 9. Their integration into society is not very smooth and a decision is made to evict them from District 9 and move them into District 10 - away from the city and more confined as such. There are some twists and turns and the person in charge of the eviction ends up empathizing and identifying with the aliens. I'll say no more so as not give away the plot. The movie is clearly an "indie" science fiction movie - it appears to be made on a shoestring budget. I was engaged throughout the movie (while not trying to protect my legs from the afore-mentioned seating situation) and it was a pretty interesting concept - I would recommend it for sci-fi lovers looking for something that is not the run-of-the-mill alien/predator situations.
Come Sunday, we met up with friends for brunch and heard that Wake Up Sid was indeed a decent movie so we decided to check it out for ourselves. The theater was pretty packed (and this is a mainstream theater that predominantly plays western flicks - so it's been very pleasant to note that big desi movies are also making their debut here - we had Kaminey, Love Aaj Kal and What's Your Rashee showing here in recent times) so we were glad we made it in plenty of time to get good seats. The movie was super-enjoyable and a great first-time directorial effort by Aayan Mukherjee - Ranbir Kapoor is yet to make a bad decision as far as movies go after the debacle of Saawariya. The movie belongs to him. Konkona Sen does a great job - am glad the girl is able to showcase her talent in more and more mainstream movies. The movie is about an aimless spoilt brat finding his path in life. While the story-line is not anything new, the treatment of the subject matter is dealt with in a very realistic manner - there are no melodramatic scenes and no over the top acting by anyone in the movie (okay maybe Supriya Pathak's character as the mom and her relationship with Sid was a little too contrived but in the grand scheme of things it can be overlooked). It's refreshing to see new blood in Bollywood that can shoulder a movie and bring it to success - I mean frankly, I was a little tired of seeing the same old faces on the big screen - the Khans and Hrithik are too old to play 20-something 30-something characters so to see this new generation of heroes and heroines making it in the big bad world of Bollywood has been invigorating. The soundtrack is nice - loved iktara especially - good music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy. I would recommend it to people that enjoyed flicks like Dil Chahta Hai, Rock On and Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na.
Now to prepare for my week ahead - as someone once said "Yeh Sunday ke baad Monday kyon hota hai?" (translation for my non-Hindi speaking readers and I'm not sure that I am doing justice to the line and the sentiment it conveys - Why is it that we have a Monday always following Sunday?)
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
All time faves
I recently met a couple of friends who were out of the movie loop and were wondering if I had any recommendations as far as movies go - as I was listing some recent movies they could watch, I decided to come up with a top 10 movie list.
My Top 10 Hollywood movies in no particular order:
1. Speed (1 not the sequel) - don't ask me why - I watched this flick 10 times - loved the chemistry between Keanu and Sandra Bullock
2. Say Anything - A very precocious movie about opposites attracting
3. When Harry met Sally - love the idea of destiny bringing you to the same person again and again.
4. Terms of Endearment - keep those tissues handy - you will need them.
5. Steel Magnolias - see note about tissues above.
6. Crash - what a unique concept - loved this movie.
7. The Holiday with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz
8. Diary of a mad black woman/Why did I get married - both movies by Tyler Perry - I liked the quirkiness of both movies.
9. Top Gun - fell in love with Tom Cruise - of course this was much much much before the couch jumping antics.
10. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Part I - I watched it on the recommendation of a very good pal/relative and I loved it.
Now that my top 10 Hollywood list is done, I suddenly remember a ton of movies that could have made the list but since I had to limit it to 10 (and I know I cheated by adding 11) I have to at least give these an honorable mention - The Magnificent 7, While you were Sleeping, Juno, The Family Stone, Mr. & Mrs. Smith (for its sass), He's Just not that into you, Pretty Woman, 3 Fugitives (haven't watched this in a long time but I remember it being a very funny flick), Ghost, The Bourne series, Sleepless in Seattle, The Hangover, this tiny movie called Slumdog Millionaire, The Sound of Music (one of the earliest movies I remember watching - this was probably what started my love affair with movies) and the list goes on and on and on.
So if you read this post, leave me some of your favorite all-time flicks!
My Top 10 Hollywood movies in no particular order:
1. Speed (1 not the sequel) - don't ask me why - I watched this flick 10 times - loved the chemistry between Keanu and Sandra Bullock
2. Say Anything - A very precocious movie about opposites attracting
3. When Harry met Sally - love the idea of destiny bringing you to the same person again and again.
4. Terms of Endearment - keep those tissues handy - you will need them.
5. Steel Magnolias - see note about tissues above.
6. Crash - what a unique concept - loved this movie.
7. The Holiday with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz
8. Diary of a mad black woman/Why did I get married - both movies by Tyler Perry - I liked the quirkiness of both movies.
9. Top Gun - fell in love with Tom Cruise - of course this was much much much before the couch jumping antics.
10. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Part I - I watched it on the recommendation of a very good pal/relative and I loved it.
Now that my top 10 Hollywood list is done, I suddenly remember a ton of movies that could have made the list but since I had to limit it to 10 (and I know I cheated by adding 11) I have to at least give these an honorable mention - The Magnificent 7, While you were Sleeping, Juno, The Family Stone, Mr. & Mrs. Smith (for its sass), He's Just not that into you, Pretty Woman, 3 Fugitives (haven't watched this in a long time but I remember it being a very funny flick), Ghost, The Bourne series, Sleepless in Seattle, The Hangover, this tiny movie called Slumdog Millionaire, The Sound of Music (one of the earliest movies I remember watching - this was probably what started my love affair with movies) and the list goes on and on and on.
So if you read this post, leave me some of your favorite all-time flicks!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Pay It Forward...
I watched the Oprah show today and realized how incredibly lucky I am that I was born where I was and am living the life I am. The show today was all about the power of hope and how every bit we can do will help transform the lives of women around the world.
The show started with the story of Tererai, from Zimbabwe, who basically had nothing but her dreams to egg her on and ultimately managed to pull herself out of stark poverty and earn a Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture, followed by a Master's Degree and in the immediate future, a Ph.D - all this despite a father that did not allow her to go to school, marriage to a wife abuser at the age of 11 and supporting 5 children. Watching this story unfold made me realize how truly inconsequential my problems are. This inspirational story was followed by the introduction of another story where a $5 loan changed a woman's life forever. The show then took us to the women in Congo where unspeakable acts are perpetrated against them by a militant group called the FDLR - it was sad to see the burn-ravaged face of a young woman who was raped and brutalized because the FDLR chief's dog died and he decided to exact vengeance on that particular village. I know - HORRIBLE!! You can review the show here.
By the end of the show I was moved to tears and silently thanked God for all my blessings and resolved to do my little bit to publicize the cause by virtue of this blog. Next stop FB status message. But first, here's a little more information on how we can change the world - one tiny step at a time. For as little as $5 one can provide a midwife with a birthing kit, for as little as $15 one can help a rape victim get hospitalization and medical care - the various tabs give you the different options/causes available to donate.
So many gods, so many creeds,
So many paths that wind and wind,
While just the art of being kind,
Is all this sad world needs.
~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox
The show started with the story of Tererai, from Zimbabwe, who basically had nothing but her dreams to egg her on and ultimately managed to pull herself out of stark poverty and earn a Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture, followed by a Master's Degree and in the immediate future, a Ph.D - all this despite a father that did not allow her to go to school, marriage to a wife abuser at the age of 11 and supporting 5 children. Watching this story unfold made me realize how truly inconsequential my problems are. This inspirational story was followed by the introduction of another story where a $5 loan changed a woman's life forever. The show then took us to the women in Congo where unspeakable acts are perpetrated against them by a militant group called the FDLR - it was sad to see the burn-ravaged face of a young woman who was raped and brutalized because the FDLR chief's dog died and he decided to exact vengeance on that particular village. I know - HORRIBLE!! You can review the show here.
By the end of the show I was moved to tears and silently thanked God for all my blessings and resolved to do my little bit to publicize the cause by virtue of this blog. Next stop FB status message. But first, here's a little more information on how we can change the world - one tiny step at a time. For as little as $5 one can provide a midwife with a birthing kit, for as little as $15 one can help a rape victim get hospitalization and medical care - the various tabs give you the different options/causes available to donate.
So many gods, so many creeds,
So many paths that wind and wind,
While just the art of being kind,
Is all this sad world needs.
~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox
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