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Reviews
Crash (2004)
A movie about racism that doesn't point an accusing finger at anyone.
Top notch storytelling, direction and acting make this a movie that will leave you wanting more movies like this in the future. The movie is set against the vibrant yet sinister backdrop of Los Angeles where people of every possible race pit their lives against each other in the pursuit of a living. The film deals with the complex and completely believable relationships between a host of credible and finely crafted characters and manages to paint a canvas larger than the sum of its parts. In the end the film leaves you to make your own conclusions and makes you realise that racism is just one facet of the complex lives of its characters. There is simply no simple answer to a problem that is mindbogglingly difficult to understand. Bravo!
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
Not quite Gladiator
I had been looking forward to the historical Ridley Scott would choose to make after the spectacular 'Gladiator'. Perhaps comparing this latest offering with its Oscar winning predecessor leaves this movie with too much to live up to....
This movie is bland and populated by one dimensional characters and cookie-cutter dialogue. The plot is rather unimaginative and the occasionally superb direction just can't hold this rickety house of cards together.
Orlando Bloom makes me sorely miss Russel Crowe who carried Gladiator on his broad shoulders. His attempts to make an awe-inspiring, applause worthy pre-battle speech is hopeless, you wish they's gotten Vin Diesel to do it.("I am Maximus and I shall have my vengeance" still makes me want to cheer and whistle).
The good guys (there are lots in this movie) seem to be picked right out of the UN assembly, mouthing long diatribes on peace, justice and religious tolerance (hello! we're on a Crusade remember?. The bad guys just plain act badly. Notwithstanding the tiresome machinations of the plot, Ridley gets to show off his epic making skills in more than a few bloody battle scenes.
Visually though, the film is stunning. It manages to convey the poverty and desperation of medieval Europe well. Locations and periods are faithfully and believably recreated. The final battle feels good to watch, but seems too much like the siege of Isengard from Lord of the Rings. Discreetly hidden beheadings and gore spattering and gushing at random intervals almost convince us of the brutality of the battles showcased in this movie.Many of the inexplicably weird events in the movie ultimately end up supplying dialogue-fodder for the unfulfilling end of the movie.
The movie is vapidly disappointing after the sheer grandeur of Gladiator. Leaving out a withered Bloom and more accurately portraying the bloody hatred and brutality of the Crusades would have been an acceptable patch job for this otherwise torrid tale.
Thakshak (1999)
I love the music
I do have a vague recollection of seeing this movie years ago - nothing special but nonetheless more sensible and entertaining than the usual Hindi potboiler.
What I really do appreciate about this movie is the music - 2 songs, the zippy " RANG DE " and the dreamy " KHAMOSH RAAT " - the latter is a particularly beautiful song and I still enjoy this song as much as the first time I heard it.
This was one of the few mainstream Hindi movies Rahul Bose has done - surprisingly as a villain. I hope to see Mr and Mrs Iyer soon, heard he is terrific in it. Also missed Maqbool for Tabu but she shines in Chandni bar. As for Devgan and Nihlani, their body of work is so big it doesn't matter if their next 4-5 movies make it at the BO or not!