Saturday, 9 August 2008
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
Jaane Tu ya Jaane Na(2008) : Review
Friday, 4 July 2008
Vantage Point (2008)
[edit] Rex Brooks' perspectiveThe first perspective is that of television news producer Rex Brooks (Sigourney Weaver) who directs various "GNN" cameramen and news anchors as the President arrives. Just as the mayor of Salamanca finishes his speech and the President steps up to the podium, he is shot twice. An explosion in the distance soon follows, and a few minutes later the podium is destroyed by another explosion, killing GNN's news reporter Angie; she is filmed lying dead until an analyst, Grace, begs Rex to kill the feed.
[edit] Thomas Barnes' and Kent Taylor perspectiveThe second perspective is that of U.S. Secret Service agents Thomas Barnes (Dennis Quaid) and Kent Taylor (Matthew Fox). While the mayor is speaking, Barnes notices a moving curtain in a nearby building. Agents sent to investigate find a fan that they report had been left on. Barnes also spots a man (Forest Whitaker) with a video camera in the crowd. After the President is shot, he tackles a man rushing the podium, who is then dragged off by other agents. Barnes and Taylor run up to the man they saw earlier and Barnes insists on viewing the footage on the video camera. Barnes is fairly sure that he spotted the shooter in one of the windows and the man thinks he might have caught the assassin on film. Taylor announces his intentions to go after the assassin. Barnes wants to come with, but Taylor tells Barnes to stay in order to avoid being blamed for failing to spot the assassin in time. Taylor goes off in pursuit as Barnes continues to review the footage. He sees something that alerts him to a probable bomb under the podium and starts running but is too late to alert anyone. Once the podium is destroyed, Barnes catches sight of a GNN cameraman fleeing the destruction, and heads for their van to get a better idea of what happened. He barges into the mobile production room and orders Brooks to show him their footage. While they are rewinding the film, Barnes talks to Taylor, who reports being in hot pursuit of the suspect and in need of immediate assistance. Barnes attempts to reach the Secret Service temporary command center (with call sign "Control"), but does not get a response. His perspective ends when he catches sight of something shocking on one of the live feeds.
Howard Lewis' perspectiveThe next perspective is that of Howard Lewis (Forest Whitaker), an American tourist who thinks he’s captured the shooter on his video camera while recording the event for his family back home. While waiting for the president to speak, he makes small talk with a man named Sam and is accidentally bumped into by a little girl named Anna, causing her ice cream cone to fall to the ground. He apologizes in Spanish and offers to buy her a new one, but her mother declines. He notices one of the Secret Service agents, Agent Barnes, looking at a window and aims his camera at it before pointing it at the podium again. After the president is shot, he stands and films the pandemonium while the crowd flees. Barnes runs up to him and requests to view the film in Lewis' video camera, they both see a woman throw a bag under the podium, which is what alerted Barnes in his scene. After the bomb explodes, he picks up Anna, who has lost her mother, while chasing Enrique and the pursuing agents. Dropping Anna off with a female Spanish police officer, Lewis continues to run after Enrique. Lewis is standing on the pedestrian overpass when police officers fire in Enrique's direction and Enrique collapses, mortally wounded. A single policeman approaches the fallen Enrique from the other direction and crouches down beside him. Lewis then spies Anna, who has run away from the police officer, standing at the edge of the very busy road that runs under the overpass. She sees her mother on the other side and starts to run toward her, much to Lewis' horror. As an ambulance is seconds away from running Anna over, Lewis runs out on to the street to save her, ending his perspective.
President Ashton's perspective The scene moves on to the perspective of the real President Ashton. Unknown to the public and GNN, and initially to the film audience, it is a body double of the president that has been shot. Having been informed of a credible assassination threat, he had actually returned to his hotel and was awaiting his body double giving his speech. During this transition to the hotel, the president's advisor Phil McCullough is advocating an attack on a supposedly related terrorist camp in Morocco. Watching on television, Ashton watches his double walk to his seat and says comically "He doesn't even look like me." Ashton is upset when he sees that Tom Barnes, who had previously saved him from another assassination is being put out front to test his recovery. Shortly after, the body double is shot, much to the surprise of the president and his advisors. The immediate reaction of his advisor is to coordinate with the Joint Chiefs of Staff to authorize the camp attack. The president refuses this, citing the fact that he is supposed to be "dead" at that moment, as well as how America can harness the sympathy of the world given the circumstances. At that moment, the explosion in the distance heard before is revealed to be a suicide bomber in the lobby of his hotel. Seconds later, a masked assailant bursts into the room and kills his guards and advisors, ending the president's scene.
The terrorist plan The final perspective is that of the terrorists orchestrating the attack. The assassination attempt on the double is revealed to be an elaborate ruse, done by remote control via an automated rifle. The rifle is then retrieved by Secret Service agent Taylor, who is then spotted on the live feed by Barnes as he was leaving the scene in a Spanish policeman's uniform, clearly lying to Barnes who he was talking to on his cellphone. Meanwhile, Javier (Edgar Ramirez), the assassin who has made his way into President Ashton's room (and who is working for the terrorists only because his brother is being held hostage), leads Ashton to the elevator, where Ashton is knocked unconscious and quietly loaded onto an ambulance. Javier joins Taylor, with both followed by Barnes.
At the underpass, Enrique confronts Javier and Taylor, only to be shot by the Secret Service agents pursuing him. Javier is in turn shot by Barnes, and finished off by Taylor after being coldly informed of his brother's murder. Taylor crashes his car while attempting to escape from Barnes, and is fatally injured. At the same time, Ashton awakens in the ambulance and tries to take out his captors by hitting Veronica in the head with a pole, distracting them as the little girl walks in front of the ambulance. The driver swerves and flips the ambulance just as Lewis gets the girl out of harms way. Veronica is killed instantly in the crash and the terrorist who survived the crash tries to shoot them, but Barnes kills him. Ashton is then rescued by Barnes.
The film concludes with Lewis talking on the phone with his wife and kids and the audience finds out that the public was unaware about the elaborate plot that is never revealed to the public, according to a news report shown at the end of the movie who the reporter has been told that a lone assassin was shot and killed.
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
National Film Awards 2006 announced
It thus became the first Hindi film sequel to repeat the feat of winning the award as "Munnabhai MBBS" had bagged similar honour in 2003.
Veteran Bengali film actor Soumitra Chatterjee won the best actor award for the Bengali film "Podokkhep", while Tamil actress Priyamani won the best actress award for the film "Paruthi Veeran".
Madhur Bhandarkar won the best director award for his film 'Traffic Signal', while 'Khosla Ka Ghosla' won the award for the best Hindi film.
Malayalam film 'Pulijanmam' directed by Priyanandanan, won the honours for the best feature film. "Kabul Express" directed by Kabir Khan shared the honours with Madhu Kaithapuram's Malayalam film 'Ekantham', for the Indira Gandhi award for the best first film of a director.
There has been no announcement on the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for outstanding contribution to Indian Cinema.
Announcing the winners of the 54th National Film Awards 2006, chairman of the jury for feature films, Budhhadeb Dasgupta told reporters here that 'Lagey Raho Munnabhai' won awards for other categories like best lyrics (Swanand Kirkire), best screenplay (Rajkumar Hirani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Abhijat Joshi), and best supporting actor (Dilip Prabhavalkar, who portrayed Mahatma Gandhi in the film).
Incidentally it was a double bonanza for Prabhavalkar, who also won the award for best supporting actor award for Marathi film 'Shevri'. He had played a benign middle class clerk in Shevri and the award was given to him for portraying two diverse and equally challenging characters. PTI
Monday, 9 June 2008
Katrina sexiest in the world :Poll
It's said that if angels had a language, it would definitely be sweet music. Its not that we disagree, it's just that we would want to enhance the same by saying 'If Angels had a face, then, it would resemble the sensuously angelic beauty, Katrina Kaif'.
And to gauge her beauty in terms of the 'Beauty-meter' would be questioning God's most beautiful creation. However, FHM India, the leading men's magazine, went ahead and did a poll all across to find out the 100 Sexiest Women in the World! And yes, the Katrina Kaif bagged the highest number of votes. She is the Sexiest Woman Alive!
The finalists included the likes of Hollywood superstars Angelina Jolie and Scarlett Johansson, singers Rihanna and Madonna, Bollywood superstars like Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Bipasha Basu, supermodels like Adriana Lima and Gisele Bundchen, amongst several other sexy and successful women in the world. The Global Winner was Transformers star Megan Fox who came second in the poll, while the vivacious Kareena Kapoor was third closely followed by the beautiful Deepika Padukone and sexy Bipasha Basu in the fourth and fifth slot.
"I think it's a nice thing that people have taken the time out to vote for me as FHM's Sexiest Woman in the World, and that's what makes this really special to me," said Katrina Kaif. "This poll is something you have to smile about - it's fun, it's sweet - and I'm really happy to have won this."
Indeed, she is the Sexiest Woman alive!
Abhi-Ash offer cold shoulder to new boy Harman at IIFA
Says a source, "Harman and ladylove Priyanka Chopra signing a prestigious film like Ashutosh Gowariker's What's Your Raashee? hasn't gone down well with several industry folk. They are trying to find out how Harman clinched the deal. They want to know if his dad Harry Baweja had anything to do with it."
Adds the source, "It is learnt that even Abhishek is upset. After Jodhaa Akbar, Ash was hoping to sign Ashutosh's next. On the Miami sets of Karan Johar's Dostana, Abhishek, Ash and Priyanka were together but there was no bonding between the Bachchan couple and Priyanka, who incidentally, was given the name Piggy Chops by Abhishek!"
Continues the insider, "Though several stars including Miss Thailand Khun Farung Yuthithum and others walked the ramp at the IIFA 2008 fashion extravaganza on Friday, the night ended on a sour note due to the childish behaviour of the Bachchans."
Priyanka and Harman were show stoppers for Rohit Bal and walked in their Love Story 2050 costumes. "The moment Harman and Priyanka walked on stage Abhishek whispered something to Ash which triggered off a bout of giggles from her.
Ash and Abhi kept laughing, giggling whispering and pointing to the Love Story 2050 couple. The senior Bachchans were seated ahead. Hearing their giggles, Jaya had to turn around and ask what was so funny. Both Jaya and Amitabh realised that Priyanka was feeling uncomfortable," says the insider. A source close to Harman says, "Both Priyanka and Harman couldn't figure out what was so funny. They are very upset about Abhishek and Aishwarya laughing at them."
IIFA Awards
Shahrukh Khan - Chak De India
Best Actress
Kareena Kapoor- Jab We Met
Best Film
Chak De India
Best Director
Shimit Amin - Chak De India
Performance in a Supporting Role (Male)
Irrfan Khan - Life In A... Metro
Performance in a Supporting Role (Female)
Konkona Sen Sharma - Life In A... Metro
Performance in a Comic Role
Govinda - Partner
Performance in a Negative Role
Vivek Oberoi - Shootout At Lokhandwala
Music Director
A.R. Rahman - Barso Re Barso Re (Guru)
Best Story
Jaideep Sahni - Chak De India
Lyrics
Javed Akhtar - Main Agar Kahoon (Om Shanti Om)
Playback Singer (Male)
Shaan - Jabse Tere Naina (Saawariya)
Playback Singer (Female)
Shreya Ghoshal - Barso Re (Guru)
IIFA SPECIAL AWARDS
Shyam Benegal won the special honours Mumtaz, a popular star of the yesteryears, was also named for the IIFA special honour Akshay Kumar bagged the special award from the host country, Thailand.
STYLE IDEA AWARDS
Abhishek Bachchan, Katrina Kaif and Neil Nitin Mukesh were also awarded special awards
Saturday, 7 June 2008
Photos : Dasavatharam Music Launch
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
Borat
Borat Sagdiyev (played by Sacha Baron Cohen), a popular Kazakh television personality, leaves his homeland for the "Greatest Country in the World," the "US and A" to make a documentary film at the behest of the fictitious Kazakh Ministry of Information. He leaves behind his mother, his wife, Oxana, and the town rapist, and brings along his producer Azamat Bagatov (played by Ken Davitian), and his pet chicken, Buh-Kaw. Much of the movie features unscripted vignettes of Borat interviewing and interacting with Americans, who believe he is a foreigner with no understanding of American customs.
While in
During the cross-country trip, Borat acquires a Baywatch television show booklet at a yard sale, and continues gathering footage for his documentary. He meets gay pride parade participants, politicians (including Alan Keyes and Bob Barr) and African American youths playing cee-lo. He is also interviewed on live television and proceeds to disrupt the weather report. Visiting a rodeo, the reporter, after first exciting the crowd with jingoistic, pro-U.S. remarks, sings a fictional
Borat later attends a private dinner at an eating club in the South, at which he (unintentionally) insults or otherwise offends the other guests, and visits an antique shop with a display of Confederate heritage items, breaking glass and crockery.
The journey is interrupted when Borat, just out of the bathtub, exits the bathroom of his hotel room and sees Azamat masturbating over a picture of Pamela Anderson in the Baywatch book. Borat becomes enraged and reveals that to get Pamela Anderson was his real motive for travelling to
As a result, Azamat abandons Borat, taking his passport, all of their money, and their bear, whose head is later seen inside Azamat's motel refrigerator. Borat begins to hitchhike to
Borat finally comes face-to-face with
Friday, 30 May 2008
Dhoom (2006)
The story starts in the streets of Mumbai, where a gang of high-speed motorcyclists (riding bikes like the Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa) are robbing banks and money-vans and disappearing into thin air - or rather into pizza delivery boys - before anyone can say "thief".
ACP Jai Dixit, (Abhishek Bachchan) a no-nonsense cop is called on the case. He seeks the help of a scatterbrained, clownish downtown racer named Ali (Uday Chopra) and devises a trap to catch the thieves, but fails. Kabir (John Abraham) the leader of the gang, eventually taunts Dixit by saying that he couldn't catch Kabir even if he were right in front of him. He is proved correct and the failure of Dixit seemingly leads to the breakup of his partnership with Ali.
Kabir then lures Ali into his gang to replace Rohit, the gang member who was killed by Jai. Jai is married to Sweety (Rimi Sen). Ali also falls in love with Sheena (Esha Deol), another gang member. The gang later goes to Goa to perform one last big heist before disbanding forever. Kabir now sets his eyes on the biggest casino in all of
Shaurya (2008)
The movie revolves around the court-martial of a Muslim officer, Javed Khan, in the Indian army for shooting his commanding officer and is set against the backdrop of the Kashmir Conflict in
Rang De Basanti (2006)
Cast : Aamir Khan, Atul Kulkarni, Sharmen Joshi,Kunal Kapoor, Sidharth, Madhavan, Soha Ali Khan, Alice Patten,
Based on accounts taken from diary entries of her grandfather (a former officer of the British Army in
The film's release faced stiff resistance from the Indian Defence Ministry and the Animal Welfare Board due to certain portions of the film that depicted the use of MIG-21 airplanes and a banned Indian horse race respectively. The film, which was released globally on 26 January 2006, was
A. R. Rahman's soundtrack, which earned mixed reviews, had two of its tracks considered for the Academy Award nomination. The movie was well-received by critics and audiences for its production values. In
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
Johnny Gaddar (2007)
Director : Sriram Raghavan
Cast : Neil Nitin Mukesh, Rimi Sen, Dharmendra,Vinay Pathak
The plot is a classic crime setup. The story is about a gang which does shady deals. One such deal promises to make the group a lot of money, but one member of the gang has his own secret plans, leading to unforeseen situations for the group. In the opening credits the movie is dedicated to James Hadley Chase (besides Vijay Anand), and while the story is not lifted from any of his novels, it does follow a somewhat similar plot.
Johnny Gaddar keeps up a brisk pace throughout and pulls off a thrilling ending. Director Sriram Raghavan has exercised the same genre as his previous venture Ek Hasina Thi and matured it further.
In the story, five regular partners are going for a deal splitting profit five ways as usual. It is all fine until one of guys, Vikram (played by Neil Mukesh) wants it all for himself and plans to elope with his mistress (played by Rimi Sen). But of course the plan could not be executed without flaws and none of the members of the group is a rookie or push-over. Then onwards the film is a gripping tale with twists and turns.
In the movie, the viewer knows, at the very outset, who the actual gaddaar (traitor) is, but his partners-in-crime don't. The gaddaar finds himself forced to eliminate one member of the group after the other. Just when it seems that he is in the clear, there's yet another twist in the plot.
Here is a teaser which will surely make you sit through the entire movie...