August 2006 Archives

Runtime: 128 mins
UK Rated: PG
Tagline: In search of Mr. Right.

Synopsis:
Anu (Priyanka Chopra) spiritedly boards an airplane to destination love. The guise is to attend her step-sister Shiranis (Amisha Patel) wedding to the suave Kunal (Suneil Shetty). But the truth is that Anu wants to hook her elusive dream man and ex-partner Danny (Dino Morea) forever. To aid her in this mission, her finest ammunition assumes the form of the cocky & wise, cool & dandy Aman (Akshaye Khanna). She has her guarded reasons for taking him along and he has his open reasons for agreeing to do so. Together, the two have a game-plan. They reach their destination soon enough, but her mission is far from being accomplished. For things are more complicated more ambiguous than they seem.

Amidst the pomp & splendour of Shiranis wedding, dark secrets, questionable happenings & entwined relationships reveal themselves, leading to laughter, tears, songs, dance & all that shabang that we love in Bollywood.. well it'd be a bit pointless just feeding you the climax of the film now, wouldn't it?

Review:
First up I'd like to say though they haven't mentioned it, this film is inspired by the Hollywood flick The Wedding Date to which the plot was: "Single-girl anxiety causes girl to hire a male escort to pose as her boyfriend at her sister's wedding. Her plan, an attempt to dupe her ex-fiancé, who dumped her a couple years prior." Now you may be wondering when I say inspired if I mean it as its meant or in fact do I mean someone sat and watched the Wedding Date making notes threw it in the indianising machine and went 'Tada' .. unfortunately it appears the latter, quite a lot of scene by scene comparisons can be made.

Having said this, no disrespect to the folks in Hollywood but I recall watching the Wedding Date thinking, hmmm am I watching a Hindi film?, it seems to have a small portion of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and a massive portion of Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha amongst other Hindi Flicks thrown in here.

So, what I'm getting at is that the idea of the Wedding Date seemed like a First Draft for a Bollywood flick in the 1st place & so seeing the Indianised 2nd draft is not such a bad thing, (a shame it feels no way near a Final Draft) even though it is blatant plaigarism. Putting this aside now, I'll add my expectations were almost zero for this film, I had seen the trailer when I went to see KANK & it looked bad, i mean REALLY bad, I only went along because the songs are pleasant, Akshaye Khanna I rate as an intense & sincere actor and Priyanka Chopra is simply gorgeous :) At this point I hadn't thought to hype myself on the basis of it being a Dharmesh Darshan film for though he has Raja Hindustani & Dhadkan up his sleeve he also has had his share of so-so films like Mela & Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya.

Thankfully the result came as a surprise, although I had seen this story portrayed before, it was definitely refreshing to see this adaptation. The film can like most other Hindi films be broken down in two sections. The first hour focuses on light moments and can't be faulted, it has plenty of laugh out loud moments, a gradual development of each of the characters through humour and the growing chemistry between Anu and Aman is sincerely portrayed. On the flip-side the post-interval portions try to highlight the misunderstandings that encircle the characters and this also is handled maturely, The dialogue throughout is superb, witty and sharp. The letdown lies in the climax that isn't handled with the sincerity deserved. The climax is predictable and a complete downer. The reason is they've stuck too much to that Wedding Date script, it seems the writer didn't do too well with the Indianising part either. It felt as though they tried too hard to keep Dino's character as white & nice as possible.

Music:
A decent enoough soundtrack though it is not the best of either Himesh Reshammiya (Music) or director Dhamesh Darshan. The opening credits pumping away the remixed title song soon followed by the proper title song are a pleasure to see, though you'd think they'd space them out a bit. "Tu Hai Kamaal" with the entire main cast is a good upbeat song, displaying the ongoings of the characters feelings a little confusingly, but clarified soon after as the pennies are dropped. "Meethi Meethi Batan" was strictly okay and not necessarily needed to forward the story, "I Love You For What You Are" could easily be omitted. "Keh Dona" in the pre-climax was situational and though probably not one that'll be loved and remembered, it fit in unlike the previously mentioned.

Performances:
Akshaye Khanna is the one taking the applause of the crowd, if this was a performance contest, he'd win hands down. He plays the charming, energetic, Lokhandwala to the Tee. Priyanka Chopra would hold a close 2nd place, though she appears a little hyper in the initial reels she soon settles into the character comfortably. Dino Morea seems well suited and suave, perhaps a bit too neat and tidy for the part than required but you can't blame him for that. You can see on-screen that they had a good time making this. However Amisha Patel is merely functional & Suniel Shetty seems bored and plain throughout (I can see why he's decided to shift away from films if this is all he is getting offered).

Of the senior actors, Lilette Dubey is more human & less irritating than anything I have seen her in over the last few years. Anupam Kher is a legend re-enacting the role of a lovable father not so different from many he has done in the past, but you couldn't have cast anyone better for the part.

Overall Impressions:
A good light hearted 1st-half, pretty generic-fare chick flick 2nd-half, being just over 2 hours long in total is a plus, though trimming in the latter half (perhaps 2 songs + a scene or two & ammending the interactions of the characters in the climax) would do it a little more justice, putting this aside a pretty well balanced chick flick. The artistes & director can only do so much with a mediocre script and what they've done brings you a good feeling as you leave the screen.

Pleasantly Surprised. Apart from gazing at Priyanka Chopra's immense beauty, also quite entertaining - (6 out of 10)

I'll talk a little about 'Me' (yes again). Through inspiration, desperation or perhaps you'd call it destiny, I've reached this stage where I realise parental units give in eventually to your wants & needs, just like in the movies. The lesson to perhaps learn is that the hard time they give you between stage one & completion of a goal, though not comforting, allows you to realise the difference between what is a short insignificant phase of thought, a small episode from the more important needs, goals, the bigger picture. If you find you persist against all the pressures of stress and their consistent disapproval without doubting yourself, then it strengthens you, making you surer still that you are right. Eventually when they realise that you're stable and sure, even if you don't get that nod of approval, the disapproval disappears, with some parents, thats the best you're going to get, so you accept it.

If in the in between you do have doubts, it may be worth rethinking strategies, if you can't win the family closes to you what chance are you going to have with the rest of the world? ... ram-jaane

Well on that note I think I'll end this with .. I'm off to conquer the world.. See ya on the other side!

Miami Vice' .. Runtime: 132m 33s - UK Rated: 15 - Tagline: No Rules. No Law. No Order.

Plot Outline
Ricardo Tubbs (Jamie Foxx) is urbane and dead smart. He lives with Bronx-born Intel analyst Trudy (Naomie Harris), as they work undercover transporting drug loads into South Florida to identify a group responsible for three murders. Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) is (also undercover) charismatic and flirtatious until he gets romantically entangled with Isabella (Gong Li), the Chinese-Cuban wife of an arms and drugs trafficker. The intensity of the case pushes Crockett and Tubbs out onto the edge where identity and fabrication become blurred, where cop and player become one.

Overall Impressions:
The synopsis had me sold. The trailer looked pretty cool. The background music is spot on. The opening scene & the shootout near the climax are true Micheal Mann reflections of his prior work, top-notch. Unfortunately this is where the praise ends. The story moves at a pretty lethargic pace & lacks intensity. I couldn't empathise for any of the characters & the grey shades in the main pair that were meant to become the crux of this film, still seemed too white to be noticable. The performances were okay, limited to the ongoings, they weren't bad or great, the flaw I think was the script for this one.

A couple of noteworthy scenes, overall pretty average-fare, even that is if being generous (5 out of 10)

A Scanner Darkly' .. Runtime: 100 mins - UK Rated: 15 - Tagline: Everything is not going to be ok.

Plot Outline
The L.A. of a not-too-distant future suffers a surge of drug abuse involving a new ultra-addictive and eventually brain-damaging substance simply named "D". Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves) is an undercover narc leading a double life, dutifully reporting to his superiors while effectively having abandoned whatever normal existence he had for a "D" user/dealer career. But this schizophrenic situation and the drug-induced memory and concentration lapses put Bob under mounting stress, ultimately leading him to the inevitable climax of drug users.

This adaptation of Philip K. Dick's novel written & directed by Richard Linklater seems to remain true to Dick's mental paranoia themed works. In fact he excels in his storytelling. For those who haven't read the book, it's important to know what you're getting into. PK Dick wrote this novel as a way of telling the story of how he and his friends in the early '70s damaged and destroyed themselves with drugs. He tells this story within the framework of a surreal science fiction thriller, but many of the scenes are straight from his own experiences with the unpleasant consequences of people using drugs and disintegrating mentally.

The Interpolative Rotoscoping that the film maker used to put the graphical images of this movie together, give it an amazing visual feel all by its own & it doesn't seem out of place - in fact helps this particular theme of film.

This put aside, watching this did become hazy, confusing & this indeed worked for it as I realised as the reels moved on. Without adding any spoilers, even in this hazy state a twist or two are thrown in that managed to catch me off guard & hopeful.

The performances were great (yes even Reeves, the role seemed designed for his perfected 'Woooh' expression), though Robert Downey Jr. probably getting the most memorable screen time of the cast. Woody Harrelson following not so far behind.

Overall Impressions:
I think it is this film falls under a cult classic without a doubt, however I can see it not necessarily faring super-well at the box office because though its certainly is a good mind-bender, if you go to see a simple spoon-fed entertainment film like the majority of viewers, this may not be for you. Having said this you'd still appreciate the spectacular visual style of it.

Yet another 'drugs are bad, mmmmkay' films with added cool factor through novel visual style. (6.5 out of 10)

One must realise that Bollywood produces hundreds of films a year & is ranked as the second largest movie industry in the world. So why is there no real formal marketing done in this industry? Why don't Dharma films or Yash Raj Films or R.K. Films recruit B-school marketing graduates?

I personally believe it is just a matter of time before this happens. The scale and the complexities are increasing at a rate where specialised marketing skills will be a real necessity. Hollywood has already gone far in a variety of marketing initiatives.

Some studios are providing mash-ups (mixed versions of music from the movie using material available on the films' official Web site). These mash-ups can be viewed on a host of portals including Google video and their success can be gauged from the fact that very often disc jockeys use this material at popular discos.

The movie Snakes on a Plane uses a viral marketing technique where users log in and can then send a personalised viral message to someone, spoken by the star of the movie, Samuel Jackson. Imagine getting a call from Shah Rukh Khan wishing you a Happy Birthday, on behalf of a friend!

Yet, Bollywood has come a long way. One is beginning to see movie merchandise become common, and Bollywood stars converted into dolls are flying off store shelves in the UK. - No Joke. Check it out: here

Karan Johar, of course, has really turned up the decibel level in tom-tomming his KANK. It must help that he is himself a young, articulate TV show anchor. It also helps that he has planned out the "making of KANK" with interviews with his stars which make for great feed. It further makes life easy that he has a battalion of mega stars who form the cast of KANK.

One must also keep in mind the fact that cinema is a product as well as a medium. It is a great medium of entertainment. Therefore, cinema the product becomes relatively easier to promote. Every TV channel in the news and entertainment genre is perfectly happy to get generous bits of the movie or the equally entertaining clips of the "making of the movie" and use it as content on their channels. In this way, the "advertising" of the film does not end up as an intrusion or an interruptive device like conventional advertising does. Here, the viewer is happy to see the content, even if it is a commercial message.

KANK had a tie-up with Hewlett Packard which ran a promotion that offered buyers of Compaq Presario laptops a chance to win a range of KANK merchandise and SRK posters. A leading wireless solutions provider offered exclusive content of Karan's film on mobile phones. A leading newspaper offered an exclusive show for its readers. The range of marketing and publicity measures used is impressive. And then, KANK and Karan were all over the TV channels and newspapers.

Source: Hindu Business Line

Harsh Times'
Runtime: 115min 23secs - UK Rated: 15

Plot Outline
An ex-Army Ranger (Christian Bale) who finds himself slipping back into his old life of petty crime after a job offer from the LAPD evaporates. Freddy Rodriguez (the dude from Six Feet Under that worked downstairs in the funeral home) plays his best friend and Eva Longoria (from Desperate Housewives) plays Rodriguez's girlfriend.

It marks the film directing debut for David Ayer who has previously written such box office hits as Training Day and The Fast & the Furious.

Overall Impressions:
Like advertised it has a very Training Day feel about it, It's really intense and disturbing in parts. The pairing of Rodriguez and Bale really works. Bale really pulls off a haunting portrayal of a guy who is really messed up, yet never fails to expose that little shred of humanity that still remains. You can easily empathise with his character throughout. He proves again that he can put on a convincing accent & look the part. It does take a half hour or so to get used to the street crook language (& again, the accent). It was also interesting to see him billed as an executive producer when the credits began rolling. Having said this all, like the bounce of a ball needs a surface to bounce off, a lot of the credit for this one should probably go to Rodriguez, without him being Bale's buddy & conscience, his character wouldn't have worked. Eva Longoria adds a small glamour factor & fits the part but displays no great performance here.

A grim, pretty viloent, disturbing yet 'real' portrayal of what can become of a war veteran, previously portrayed as heroically as'Rambo'. It certainly won't be everyone's cup of tea, but a definite cult classic for those who do. Worth a watch but bear in mind its quite a depressing one. You probablywon't be coming out smiling.
(6.5 out of 10)

Snakes on a Plane' .. Runtime: 105m 13s - UK Rated: 15
Tagline: Sit back. Relax. Enjoy the fright.

Plot Outline
On board a flight over the Pacific Ocean, an assassin, bent on killing a passenger who's a witness in protective custody, lets loose a crate full of deadly snakes. Thankfully he is being protected by Special FBI agent Nelville Flynn (Samuel L Jackson)

Overall Impressions:
A fresh approach to the comical horror genre & the title says it all. I mean we've seen the superheroes, zombies, robots go bad, - snakes on a plane, why the hell not? The title in itself assures you this won't be a serious film & it isn't out to hit those film festivals, its the other end of the scale, its stupid, but is that a bad thing? Absolutely not, it fills in the gap where the highest budgets many a time do not - it entertains.

The action is as good as you can expect from people whooping snakes and vice-versa. It was a good thriller, they kept it moving and didn't slow down, and they kept the tension riding high throughout the film. Its jumpy, probably not for those with a phobia of snakes or those who have troubles with their nerves, but its also funny as hell.

The dialogue is fitting: "You know all those security scenarios we ran? Well I'm smack in the middle of one we didn't think of."
Definitely worth a watch. Great, cheesy, B-movie fun (7 out of 10)

Seems like 'snakes on a plane' has inspired people to describe the whole film in a title:

Trey Parker and Matt Stone, (the genius South Park creators) who brought us the war on terror Team America: World Police in 2004, are returning to the silver screen with two new feature films.

The first is "My All-American and is billed as a high-school comedy. Given that Parker and Stone featured fellatio between two wooden dolls in Team America, My All-American is not likely to be your average jocks-and-geeks fare.

Their second project is called Giant Monsters Attack Japan! and as the title indicates, is a Godzilla-inspired disaster movie which promises to have men wearing rubber suits walking around miniature sets.

Source: Guardian

Eric the Bender claims he's owed 20 quid.

.. & i read in the metro that when Charlie turned 4 (20 years ago) the release of Chris De Burg's classic Lady in Red had hit the no. 1 spot in the charts. So as a dedication to my brother from another mother ... "i'm amazing"

For 59 years now Indians have had their independence from the British & this day each year has been celebrated from back then in 1947. I too am celebrating, in addition I am also celebrating 1 year of finally passing my driving test which made me a little more independant. The ability to make a quick escape when you're quite heavy is made much easier with these fuel-driven engine things. Not much of a comparison to the national bank holiday as not much death was involved in my learning to drive (that I'm willing to admit at least), but non-the-less a season for celebration is in the air to stay (for a while at least).

I am making more progress with my personal aims, getting more & more confident as the path to follow becomes clearer as I approach. Thanks to all the supportive people who make these things easier, but me being me am going to take full credit for it all. "I am the KING" he says as he searches frantically for a sandwich in his "blue" rucksack.

Silent Salutes' + a wink ;-)

So there I was posing in a coffee shop as I do when I have a day off & an old dude taps my table with his index finger & merely through actions requests a cigarette, I fill his request as I am in a good mood. In response he gives me a thumbs up & smokes away, 10 minutes later I have moved to a warmer spot as the window is open, the old dude pops over & sits himself next to me requesting another - I oblige & at this point realise that the guy is a mute. We converse for a while through the little sign language I know, spelling out bits that become unclear, he tells me he is an artist aged 52 and low on work, he is from Cambridge, he has 5 siblings & his father is a Scot, I tell him I like the Scottish accent on females & he confirms (the little doubt I had) that he is deaf too. I finish my coffee at this point & stare blankly at the pretty girl who makes my coffee quite often, she smiles from the counter & I look back at the old dude, he gets ready to leave, thanking me for the smokes & chat. He leaves. a Silent Salute'

Most likely I never see the guy again, but this encounter made me think of how well I communicated with him in sign language. (Yes yes yes, I'm the Best). He was a friendly chap and it was pleasant having a bit of small talk - the kind of conversation we don't tend to have the time for in the hectic lives we lead. It was inspiring.

Moral of the story: Its handy to know how to spell in sign language lol. Extending this further, its handy to have any knowledge about anything & everything. If I'm inspired enough, who knows you might even find me reading the Metro in the near future or more likely subscribing to a news podcast.

Moral of the story 2: Its good to take time off the routined monotomy & go out locally with the intent to do absolutely nothing. Shortening this further, Good to take time off.

On the very outset, whether it be all the publicity, interviews, to some degree even the music (mitwaa in particular), we have been well informed that this film is a love story about 2 people which is set outside the realms of their own marriages & this in itself is a daring stride on the producers part.

How so? You might ask.
Well, partially it burns down to films being a HUGE part of people's lives in the Indian culture. If this is your first experience of Bollywood I should probably point out that in the Indian film industry we have lagged behind the rest of the world, for one reason only that I can put a finger on, and it has nothing to do with the song-and-dance as many may suggest, but it is the fact that they have been aimed specifically at the Indian audience for decades. Perhaps it shouldn't be, but it is considered a benchmark within Indians even to the extent of it being used as a tool by the elder generation to give guidance & set morals in their children, almost like the way many of us from early childhood are taught about God & religion.

Easily done, as the people of India are surrounded by our films far more than they are here in the UK, it is almost frowned upon if you haven't seen the latest Bollywood blockbuster on the weekend of its release. The people are more in touch with the latest & greatest in films than they are in the politics of the country, in fact politics probably comes 3rd place after Films & Cricket. An example is probably if you asked a kid who the Prime Minister of the country was they are less likely to know than who Shah Rukh Khan or Amitabh Bachchan is.

Over the last decade or so, the industry has raced forward in quality & the reason behind this amongst many is that they now realise that their revenue is not only a matter of selling to the locals but the NRI (non-residential Indians) too. The many that live here in the UK or in the US have become a massive factor in their revenue equation. This understanding that the audience they are to aim for is larger means a much wider scope for ideas to be portrayed. Now that this has caused interest in the industry by the film festivals such as Cannes, Toronto, The Oscars and recently BAFTA, hopefully this will only help the progress to aim even higher and try & aim for an even wider world-wide audience.

This pretty much brings us up to date and now I shall promptly move on to the film in focus: Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (abbreviated to KANK, translated 'Never Say Goodbye') - Karan Johar returns after 4 years With 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' and 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham' his directorial accomplishments under his belt, this has set such high standards that as you walk into the screening, you can't help but wonder: Will he manage to surpass his own achievements with KANK or not? Especially since it's the first time that Karan has changed tracks. I mean he has tackled romance and relationships in the past, but KANK goes a step further. It takes a bold look at relationships rather than merely glorifying them and makes a statement about the institution of marriage. Having known the premise of the film you shouldn't expect a typical candyfloss entertainer. In the 22 reels ahead, Karan packs in some moving, real, straight out of life moments.

Plot Summary:
KANK narrates the story of two families. There are the Sarans: Dev, his wife Rhea, their son Arjun - played by Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and child artiste Ahsaas Channa respectively, & there are the Talwars: Rishi, his wife Maya & his father Samarjit (though after watching the film you're more likely to remember him as Sexy Sam) - played by Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukherji & Dr. Amitabh Bachchan respectively. Both marriages are steadily moving forward but clearly unstable from the very moment we meet the characters.

Dev & Maya's paths cross and they find friends in each other when they realise & find a little comfort in sharing thoughts with each other as they are both in the same situation of weak on the verge of breaking marriages. Through many a cup of koffee** and conversation regarding their respective marriages, they find themselves falling for each other. The crux of the story is how the two & their families deal with this (once they admit it to themselves & each other). A simple story, a concept far from novel you might think, & not wrongly, but as the case always is with Karan Johar films (Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham & Kal Ho Naa Ho), its the way he portrays the characters, the way the plots & subplots & climax are unveiled upon the silver screen that makes the film far more than the on paper, simple, straight out of life stories.

Review:
From the very beginning as we are introduced to each character:
- Dev winning a crucial football match, leading to him getting a 5 million dollar contract.
- Rhea acing her job interview getting herself a job as a fashion journalist at a top notch magazine company called 'Diva'.*
- Rishi getting blessings from his father as he prepares himself to get married.
- Maya in her bridal dress looking pensively at her mirror. A lot of self-doubt and question.

We gather straight away that the novelty of marriage has grown old with the Saran couple as we see they lead their independent dreams & passions. We have a brief memorable meeting between the Talwar bride & Dev as she has isolated herself outdoors & is having cold feet. Dev convinces her to move along & get married after having a few minutes of advising conversation. As the Talwars marriage proceeds, Dev meets with a car accident & loses the ability to walk properly (& with this his football star career). This whole sequence has been written with much accuracy and precision, it covers the relationships between the couples and their parents with finesse. The editing of the sequence certainly deserves a special mention as it only helps this be conveyed superbly & keeps the pace moving sharply as required.

We move on to their lives 4 years later. We are to some extent reintroduced to the characters but now as couples rather than individuals. Dev has become a bitter self-pitying individual, with a sarcastic sense of humour, he coaches a children's football team & badly at that, he resents his wife's growing success and in the process, ends up turning all his anger towards his loved ones. As you already gather, Rhea is doing well in her job, bringing 'Diva' up in the ranks of fashion magazines in the US single handily, their child Arjun is being brought up primarily by Dev as Rhea tends to be occupied in her work. This is an issue between the couple as Dev tells Rhea to try & buy some time to come watch their son play football. On the other hand, the Talwar couple don't seem to be doing too well either, they don't have any children & their marriage seems to be devoid of any excitement or passion. Maya has become a cleanliness freak in the house and has no interest in the parties that Rishi has to attend due to his PR job. This way the couple are little involved with each others personal lives, reflecting the Saran's from some four years ago.

Dev & Maya bump into each other, a chance encounter involving Maya trying to save Dev's son Arjun from being kidnapped by the Black Beast. Only to find its all a massive misunderstanding. When they realise they are not so different from each other, they befriend each other for advice and ideas to get closer once more to their respective spouses. After a few failed attempts, they find that they themselves drift closer instead. Interweaved within this all is the guidance of Rishi’s young at heart playful father Sam who gets to know about the rift in his son’s marriage and tries his level best, collaborating with Dev’s mother so that the two marriages may be saved.

All of the above is filled with light hearted moments, the humour keeping you interested in the on goings without much strain on your emotional chords. A sudden massive argument between the couples where all that was churning inside them is spilled hits you sharply like a ton of bricks. Here it is the performances more so than the writing the deserve the credit. Dev's jumping the gun, assuming that Rhea has decided to take a promotion abroad, and his instant reaction when corrected to say "if you declined the offer, why tell me? Just to make me feel bad?" seems a real reaction. His reaction to being told he is a failure by his wife stands out. On the other side Rishi confronting Maya for having not having married him at all & simply promising is a scene that sticks with you, as she realises that he is absolutely right.

At intermission point Dev admits his love to Maya at the station & we await the following events to unfold. In the post-interval portions, infidelities occur, betrayals are discovered and the couples' worlds go upside down. I shall stop the in-depth description at this point else I may end up ruining it for you, however a scene worth mention is when Rhea & Rishi join hands to try & fix their respective marriages not so differently as Dev & Maya had done in the first half. They both decide to make the first move by calling their partners, they both get through to voicemail (Yes, you know why).

Music:
The 60's theme "Rock n Roll, Soniye", The EuroVision-like "Where's the party tonight?", or typical mushy variety "Tumhi Dekho Na" the choreography of Farah Khan deserves all the praise it gets as it simply can't be faulted. The above songs I found do take a little getting used to & can sound a tad cheesy but you can't help but tap your feet to them by the end.

A notch above the rest however are definitely the songs "Mitwaa" which actually does convince you that these two (SRK & Rani) are slowly falling for each other, and the title song "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" is simply beautiful, pleasant on the ears & conveys the pain of separation & the time that passes through the change in seasons superbly.

Performances:
With a huge star cast film like this, we expect the best from the best, what we get is not far from it:
Shah Rukh Khan plays the bitter, fragile, restless, flawed Dev to the Tee. His real-life quick witted humour must have only made this performance easier for him. His interactions with Preity in particular show a weak human side to the star. The scene where he is getting jealous of Abhishek at the opera reminds us of his ferocious Rahul from 'DARR', it seems they even stole a dialogue from there: "tum meri ho, sirf meri" (you are mine, only mine). People criticise SRK for playing the superstar he is in real life in his films too, this performance should put those to rest. His chemistry with Rani has only grown more & more believable since their first pairing in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, 8 years back.

Rani Mukherji looks stunning and wears the part like a made-to-fit glove - Spot on. Not in any way criticising her performance here as it is perfect for the part, but she should probably be careful not to take up too many similar roles like this as it does seem for the past 3 years or so a major part of her on-screen time is spent weeping. Whether it be Black, Chalte Chalte, Paheli, Veer-Zaara, even Hum Tum to some extent. She's good at it, we get that, but its growing old. Please smile more, we like it when you smile. :)

Abhishek Bachchan plays the 'Bachcha' (child) in the marriage, his outbursts of excitement and stroppy mood swings seems natural and it is good to see him maturing in the last couple of reels. The change is noticable. Preity as the diva from 'Diva' is convincing as a wife that is working hard at trying to fill in the shoes of a father for her child. Her calm reaction once she learns of the infidelity deserves the distinction marks as does her confronting Rani in the climax. These two however do have this annoying scene where they are both convincing each other & themselves that singles rock. Bar this unforgivable teeny splinter, they've done well.

Dr. Amitabh Bachchan is still the supreme star showing the rest of the industry how it's done. The naughty streak that we see in 'Sexy Sam' is one very few could pull off at the age of 65. He displays a inner maturity only when required as we see in the second half, when he realizes that something is amiss. In fact, his expressions at the dinner table as he cracks a joke & his reaction to Rani once the penny has dropped reiterate the respect he has as an icon is well deserved. Kirron Kher excels in a brief but significant role. Arjun Rampal looks perfect for the bit part. Kajol and John Abraham both appear in songs add to the glamour. Child artist Ahsaas looks cute and acts well.

Overall Impressions:
A top notch film from the writing, performance and execution point of view. It is stylish, has substance, has kept the conventional modes of entertainment value for the typical audience in mind (Light hearted moments, Song-n-Dance, Lavish costumes, A-list actors) but at the same time has daringly broken the conventions in content, handling a sensitive subject with élan & total dignity, which will certainly earn it a lot of respect points.

The screenplay balances the two extremes of sweet light moments and sour showers of emotion with a familiar breeze. The relationship between the couples or even those between the parents and children are handled with respect. If there are moments that move you to tears, there are ample moments that bring a smile to your face too. The film is quite talky, but in a smart way. You never feel that the characters are talking to hear their own words or to fill up screen time.

Definitely worth a watch for the overall sweet-n-sour flavour you get from a typical chick flick. From the people that do them best, you can't really go wrong, with a sharp twist, a hidden message passed subtly through the first line in the theatrical trailer and the final line in the film:

Shaadi ki buniyaad sirf beinteha mohabbat honi chahiye, aur kuch nahi, kyun ke agar buniyaad galat ho to rishte toot jaate hai. "The foundation of a marriage should be an unconditional love for your partner & nothing else, for if the foundation is flawed then relationships break"

* * * * * * * - - -
----- 7/10 -----

Snippets of a couple of other reviews that I agreed with:

"Maybe the initial public reaction may be a bit confusing and a little less encouraging, yet Johar should not lose heart. For, with KANK, he shuts the mouth of all those who call his brand of filmmaking as bubblegum-n-candy-floss. Karan Johar is brilliant, and the intensity of KANK sweeps you off to the magical world of yet unexplored emotions. A must watch for all who understand the foreplay of emotions. He has taken a step forward in redefining the paradigm of relationships. And also about the way we look at relationships. But maybe Karan should have curtailed the length of the film as it tends to get too slow at times." ~ IndiaGlitz

"Anil Mehta's cinematography is awesome. The film has been filmed in New York and the lens man captures the various seasons and colours with gusto. The outcome is easily comparable to the best in Hollywood. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is melodious. 'Mitwa', 'Rock N Roll Soniye' and 'Where's The Party Tonite' appeal also due to the vibrant choreography [Farah Khan]. The styling and the production values are topnotch. Editing could be tighter. A bit of trimming, would only sparkle the film further." ~ IndiaFM

* Diva - the dual meaning behind this being the obvious translation you would find in the English dictionary, the other being an Indian word for a small fire lit lamp (like a candle but fuelled with butter). So it was a smart little name for a fashion magazine especially if aimed at Indians (not that there is any mention of this in the film or that it is at all relevant, just a bit of trivia).

** Koffee spelt with a K for the TV Program hosted by Karan Johar where he interviews movies stars, incidentally he has considered it lucky & all his films start with the letter K, even the ones he doesn't direct (Kaal, Kal Ho Naa Ho) - his other lucky charms with a K are Kajol & King Khan

After attending the cambridge film festival hastily with little preparation to the even, this time going to keep tabs on this one:

The 50th Times BFI London film festival runs October 18 - November 2. (Yes - SRK's Birthday)
Full details of this year's programme will be announced on Thursday September 14. So Keep your eyes open!

The Last King of Scotland, a bizarre and brutal account of the reign of the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, will open the 50th London film festival on October 18th. Last year's opening night film, The Constant Gardener, went on to win awards at the 2006 Bafta and Oscar ceremonies. The Last King of Scotland spins the tale of a young Scottish civil servant who becomes hopelessly embroiled with the regime when he becomes Amin's personal physician. Forest Whitaker stars as Amin, while the physician hero, Nicholas Garrigan is played by James McAvoy & also stars Gillian Anderson of X-Files fame. The film is directed by Kevin Macdonald, who won a Bafta for his 2003 documentary Touching the Void.

The Last King of Scotland is based on the prize-winning novel by the Guardian journalist Giles Foden. "I've been very lucky to have such a good team working on the book, from the producers involved in the development to two brilliant scriptwriters" Foden said today. "And I knew as soon as I met Kevin and we discussed the adaptation that he was the right man for the job." He added: "I saw the film myself a month or two ago and was very impressed. I think they managed to get to the heart of the novel and reproduce its sensibility. It was a real boon, too, that the film was made on location in Uganda, which gives it an added authenticity."

"The Last King of Scotland is a perfect opening night film for us," said festival director Sandra Hebron. "[It is] a compellingly original British feature from an imaginative and talented young director."

Source: Guardian Unlimited

So I finally got round to reading this article sent to me a few days back regarding the company I work for.

In a nutshell: Royalblue’s (RYB) core Fidessa system provides electronic trading software for equities. The company also provides market data terminals and a connectivity network, and last year launched an execution management system for buy-side companies as well as developing a derivatives trading platform that launched during the first half of this year.

The idea is to continue to add asset classes to the system, starting with derivatives. The company announced today its first customer to take both the equities and derivatives trading software, Insinger de Beaufort. Broker Bridgewell says that the shares at this price are not exactly cheap, 'However, the strong top-line growth recurring revenue profile and excellent market position mean we are comfortable with our Overweight stance.' George O'Connor, technology analyst at Shore Capital said: 'While this is a premium rating, we see few companies with a similarly robust business model with gorilla characteristics in their core end markets and where the revenue visibility helps to de-risk forecasts. We retain our Buy recommendation.'

Citywire Verdict:
There is a huge amount of momentum in electronic trading across the globe and Royalblue, having already carved a strong niche in cash equities, looks very well placed to add derivatives and further instruments types. The network will add exponential strength to the whole offer, and while it may be nerve-wracking to buy at the current price, take a longer term view.

This means our price rises. Yea .. wherever I go there is progress - me stud me!Evidence in addition to the above is that the current share price is 808 .. it was 649 when I started!!

Well the first (Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna) of the two Shah Rukh Khan films haven't even hit the cinemas yet but mild promotion for the second begins ... The official website has been kicked off .. Not much there yet but I'm sure it'll grow over the4 next month or so ..

Register just the once for a TypeKey account ... You can use your real email address if you wish as it won't show up on your comments. Check mine out on this post to see what I mean (if you're bothered).

The main advantage of this is then I can add you to a trusted list & your posts will show immediately without me having to verify them. Other advantages like free weapons of mass destruction were false advertising. We don't actually have any *(that we wish to share).

Getting registered is pretty straightforward:
"If you have a TypeKey identity, you can sign in to use it here. " <-- click on the sign in bit & follow the instructions.

The advantage for me is I don't have trawl through so much spam, once you're all done, I think I may just have trusted commenters able to comment & if you want to become one you send me an email with your TypeKey username, but shall see with time.