Mujhse Dosti Karoge! @ IMDb

Watching this movie I had one of those ah-hah moments, that moment when the pieces of a puzzle fall into place. I finally saw what Mira Nair sought to accomplish with Vanity Fair (and only partly attained). A beautiful dream-like world lit by a thousand lights. Colors, glass, and water creating a an entirely self-contained world wherein the story unfolds. Sanjay Leela Bhansali can’t quite make the individual pieces of this world fit together, but what he does create is still astonishing.

Shah Ruhk Khan chews the scenery as the titular Devdas, Aishwarya Rai is given very little to do (but does it well), and Madhuri Dixit steals the show.

Devdas @ IMDb

There are some serius eighties influences in this movie. The clothes (oh god the clothes are awful), the haircuts, the soft focus closeups, the choreography (including one bit straight out of the Vogue music video). Heck, the plot would make a good Lethal Weapon movie. Fun (mostly), but not really that good.

Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai @ IMDb

I think this movie must have been sponsored by the repatriation comittee of the Indian government. Big shot NASA scientist (actually filmed at NASA too!) goes home, learns that despite the problems he sees, he loves India (and the village teacher). He goes back to the US, but his heart is in India, and so he returns. Of course, if India is as beautiful as the director and cinematographer make them out to be, you can understand why Mohan would have a hard time leaving. Shah Rukh Khan did a great job, as did Gayatri Joshi. I though Khan was pretty dull in Asoka, but he’s a blast to watch here.

As a side note, I have to wonder how this film was received in India. Some parts of it are quite critical of Indian culture and tradition.

Swades @ IMDb

Somehow I was thinking this was based on Pride & Prejudice, it’s actually based on Sense & Sensibility. Still, that makes two indian Jane Austen movies this week (and two Aishwarya Rai movies).

I enjoyed the movie, but had a hell of a time understanding what was going on. The subtitles are awful. Wacky grammar, lousy timing, omitted lines, and most were only on the screen for a second or two. Still, the plot isn’t hard to follow, and the reactions tell you a lot of what you need to know when the subtitles leave you hanging. I didn’t feel like the musical numbers worked as well as they could have, but they weren’t awful.

Kandukondain Kandukondain @ IMDb

Gurinder Chadha has a good feel for romantic comedy (see Bend it Like Beckham), but not so much for musicals. The english language songs are awful, and the choreography looks silly more than anything else. There a few decent musical bits, Ashanti’s cameo in particular, but I think she would have been better off incorporating music the way that Mira Nair did in Monsoon Wedding rather than attempting to make a Bollywood-style movie.

Good

• Aishwarya Rai
• Martin Henderson
• Comedy (the cobra dance!)
• Jane Austen

Bad

• Lyrics
• Choreography

Bride & Prejudice @ IMDb

Annoying Plot Things

Are all the vampire elders dead? Is this how Parker Posy got to be in charge? Wouldn’t the anti-vampire virus be useless? It kills too fast — there’s no oppurtunity to infect new victims. Haven’t they just wasted their only supply?

Blade: Trinity @ IMDb

It’s odd that we’ve made it to the seventies before having trouble getting ahold of the DVDs we’re supposed to watch, but Netflix seems to have some gaps in its collection of Oscar winners from the era.

I first watched The Godfather trilogy my freshman year in college, as I was avoiding anything resembling studying for finals. I was impressed by parts I and II, but I found part II to be quite lousy. I think I like part II the best, as part I moves a little slowly at times. That said, it’s still a wonderful movie.

What did I like about the movie? The music, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Marlon Brando, the epic scope (man am I a sucker for an epic), and the dialogue. What don’t I like? Diane Keaton. I also found it really hard to keep all the characters straight, particularly the Corleone family liutenants.

The Godfather @ IMDb

What struck me the most about this movie? That it was odd to see Roy Scheider and Gene Hackman looking so young — almost distractingly so.

I’m having trouble thinking of anything to write, it’s been a few weeks since we watched this movie. Nothing much about it has really stuck out in my mind, except that it feels really dated compared to modern police dramas and that this is another movie that just screams out that it was made in the seventies. It was decent, but clearly didn’t make much of a lasting impression.

The French Connection @ IMDb

Good, not great. Never painfully obnoxious. Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughan work well together.

Wedding Crashers @ IMDb