In director Shimit Amin's second outing he has proved that he is India's most versatile up and coming director. Mr. Amin's first feature was , Ab Tak Chappan a taught cop drama, that has been called "the best Michael Mann film not directed by Michael Mann." For his second outing Mr. Amin totally changed gears and created a breezy at turns stirring and sweet sports drama.
The story is about a filed hockey player, Shah Ruk Khan, who has found himself disgraced. In a bid to prove himself he takes on coaching a neglected girls field hockey team, through the world cup competition.
Translating the American version of the sports film into an Indian film could only be compared to making two American sports films together. The sports film is part of the genre of a war film, there aren't really individual characters, the team is one character in itself, and the film is about the development of that one character. At over two hours the film never fails to be entertaining. The whole thing moves along at a brisk pace.
If you want a clue to the intelligence of this young director, look into the representation of the press in this film. The Indian film press is this hysterical monster. Like the jealous girl at school who lives off the drama she creates, the Indian film press is a real life gaggle of girls pouncing on any rumor. They are the villain in the story, and their representation in the film echoes the coverage the film received in the Indian Press. That was until they saw the film, and fell all over themselves loving it.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Stardust
What is wrong with this movie? For the life of me, I could not tell you why I did not like this movie.
A youth unaware of his magical princely beginnings goes on a quest to retrieve a fallen star in a gambit to win the heart of his local beauty. The characters , many of them are ironic, with frisky modern sensibilities. Probably not so modern really, just the kind of kitschy thinking people that no one had thought to make characters until lately.
I'm told by a fan of the novel by Neil Gaman, that this film uses as it's source, that there are all sorts of arbitrary changes to the script that make little sense. Like turning the Lightning collector, Robert Deniro's character into a swishy pirate. I guess as some sort of nod to Pirates of the Caribbean, or ploy to resemble it.
It just didn't bake right this one. It needed a scene way upfront that really pulled the tone together. And that whimsical funny tone needed to be more consistently presented to work alongside the overwrought and meant to look rundown production design. The film looks like someone said, lets make it look like a Terry Gilliam movie, but not as expensive. They should have just hired Terry Gilliam. This one doesn't bode well for an adaptation of the Xanth series.
The fact is that Fantasy and humor have gotten along in many a film. The Princess Bride, Time Bandits, Eric the Viking, Jabberwocky, I'm sure their are more. Please sing out and add to the list.
It's not a horrible film, it's watchable. Probably fun on a lonely night on cable. Still, it was like going to versaille (wonderful Cuban restaurant in LA) and getting dried out chicken. Anyway, you go see it and explain to me why it was disappointing.
A youth unaware of his magical princely beginnings goes on a quest to retrieve a fallen star in a gambit to win the heart of his local beauty. The characters , many of them are ironic, with frisky modern sensibilities. Probably not so modern really, just the kind of kitschy thinking people that no one had thought to make characters until lately.
I'm told by a fan of the novel by Neil Gaman, that this film uses as it's source, that there are all sorts of arbitrary changes to the script that make little sense. Like turning the Lightning collector, Robert Deniro's character into a swishy pirate. I guess as some sort of nod to Pirates of the Caribbean, or ploy to resemble it.
It just didn't bake right this one. It needed a scene way upfront that really pulled the tone together. And that whimsical funny tone needed to be more consistently presented to work alongside the overwrought and meant to look rundown production design. The film looks like someone said, lets make it look like a Terry Gilliam movie, but not as expensive. They should have just hired Terry Gilliam. This one doesn't bode well for an adaptation of the Xanth series.
The fact is that Fantasy and humor have gotten along in many a film. The Princess Bride, Time Bandits, Eric the Viking, Jabberwocky, I'm sure their are more. Please sing out and add to the list.
It's not a horrible film, it's watchable. Probably fun on a lonely night on cable. Still, it was like going to versaille (wonderful Cuban restaurant in LA) and getting dried out chicken. Anyway, you go see it and explain to me why it was disappointing.
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