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June 3, 2004
EIGHT DAYS A WEEK
FILM
Considering the relatively unknown cast (better known for TV work) and low profile of the movie, I wasn’t expecting much. But Shaadi Ka Ladoo turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Sanjay Suri plays a hen-pecked husband suffering from the classic seven-year itch. When he arrives in London on a business trip his hormones take over and he’s all ready to indulge in a casual (or perhaps not-so casual) fling. He sets his sight on painter Mandira Bedi while also attempting to help good friend Aashish Chowdhary in finding a bride (though constantly advising against marriage at the same time). The movie is chuckle-worthy in quite a few spots (most of which are thanks to Divya Dutta who is brilliantly funny in the role of Suri’s wife) and the storyline isn’t as predictable as one would think. The songs are quite hummable too though not entirely memorable. All in all, much superior to the similarly themed Masti — but guess which one is the box-office hit? Sometimes there’s no justice in the world. Shadi Ka Ladoo is directed by Raj Kaushal who is also Mandira Bedi’s real-life hubby. — Khusro Mumtaz
OR
Two astounding performances anchor Monster, the true-life story of prostitute and convicted serial killer Aileen Wuornos who was found guilty of murdering seven men. Charlize Theron, as Aileen, is startlingly good and not just because of the physical transformation that she underwent for the role that took her from a svelte, beautiful star to an overweight, freckle-faced, buck-toothed, stringy haired woman beaten down by fate and circumstance and a string of bad choices. She also expresses Wuornos’ internal rage through her darting eyes and semi-swaggering walk and nervous tics and flailing limbs. Deservedly, Theron won the Best Actress Oscar this year.
However, Christina Ricci as Selby Wall, Wuornos’ lover, is the ideal foil for Theron. It’s a very sly performance and Ricci shows us not only Wall’s confusion about her emerging sexuality and her need for love (which matches Wuornos’) but also her selfishness and willing blindness to her parnter’s murder spree without overplaying her part. The movie doesn’t lesson the horror of it all nor does it ask for sympathy for Wuornos but it does shed light on her actions. Monster, written and directed by Patty Jenkins, is a grim commentary on a life that was seemingly doomed from the start. — K.M.
CLASSIC FILM
Chinatown (1974), director Roman Polanski’s tour-de-force, had the misfortune to come out in the same year as The Godfather II. Any other year and it would have swept the Oscars. As it turned out, the movie while nominated in 11 categories, won only one Academy Award, Best Original Screenplay. Writer Robert Towne script easily evokes the works of Dashiel Hammet and Raymond Chandler and the film-noir classics that their novels inspired (Hammet’s The Maltese Falcon and Chandler’s The Big Sleep) and stands proudly alongside them. Chinatown is particularly reminiscent of Chandler’s works — the moody, atmospheric American “hardboiled” detective story set in a brash new city (pre- and post-World War II Los Angeles) that is like an overly-made up whore being fought over by rich men looking for new conquests and featuring a moral hero caught in an immoral (or should that be amoral?) world.
Jack Nicholson plays Jake Gittes, a private detective in 1930s Los Angeles who is hired by a woman who thinks that her husband is cheating on her. But the case turns out to be more than one of simple adultery — Gittes soons finds himself in a maze of lies, deception, murder, and corruption on a huge scale but remains determined to uncover the truth despite the dangers involved. Some of the situations and characters should strike a chord in Pakistani viewers. At one point, Gittes asks a corrupt millionaire: “How much better can you eat? What can you buy that you can’t already afford?” Later the same millionaire replies: “Of course I’m respectable. I’m old. Politicians, ugly buildings and whores all get respectable if they last long enough.” — K.M.
SINGLE
As frontman for The Smiths, Steven Patrick Morrissey was a leader in the genre of desolate-danceable New Wave. When the lead singer went solo, he spawned a following of his own with the critically acclaimed Suedehead single and the Viva Hate album and soon became the archetypal anti-hero. Now, with the release of You are the Quarry, his first new disc in seven years, Morrissey proves his crown as chief crooning critic is still firmly in place. Controversial album opener America Is Not The World quickly gets your attention on a couple of fronts. First, it’s unexpected to discover the Pope of Mope opening his album with a hip-hop breakbeat and second, the content of the single is too dismissible. It lacks the quintessential Morrissey “punch.” Morrissey’s fans expect to be shocked by his lyrics but the words to America Is Not The World are simply banal and forgettable. Even the Beastie Boys bit harder when they attacked US foreign policy. Unfortunately, this trite Morrissey single focuses more on how overweight Americans are than on anything insightful or powerful. He mentions that Bush’s policies may not be altruistic but does so with minimal effectiveness. Maybe seven years was too soon for the King of Croon to attempt his comeback. —T.U. Dawood
ALBUM
It’s always a pity when the title of an album is actually better than the content but this is unfortunately the case with Alanis Morissette’s latest CD So-Called Chaos. From a girl who single-handedly made chick-hard-rock appeal to men and women alike and become the hottest genre of them all with the release of her Jagged Little Pill disc and it’s lead single the in-your-face You Outta Know, So-Called Choas is more than a disappointment. It’s a no-impact. The songs bounce off the listener with about as much ability to attract interest as an Ally McBeal rerun.
Sounding suspiciously like the soundtrack to Vanity Fair or even Bridget Jones’ Diary, Morrissette’s lyrics are social commentary declaring “poor me, I’m a girl” at a time when it’s no longer fashionable for women to feel sorry for themselves. Singles like Eight Easy Steps and The Grudge may rock out, but they are so been there, done that from an artist who is gifted enough to be able to be a pioneer. Madonna, who owns Morrissette’s label Maverick, is continually reinventing herself and progressing the times. It’s a shame she hasn’t shared some of that wisdom with the younger artist. — T. U. D
WEBSITE
Many household problems are things we can take care of ourselves, as long as we have a little guidance. Visit
www.repair-home.com where you will find useful information on routine maintenance and simple home repairs you can do by yourself. This site walks you through some of the most common problems that occur around the house, from opening a stopped up sink to making repairs to your roof, even fixing some typical problems with your dishwasher. The main menu contains categories reflecting the most common home repairs including the ‘Plumbing’ section where you can find the solutions to the most everyday situations. The ‘electrical systems’ section will help you in understanding and repairing some of your common electrical dilemmas. The ‘Household Appliances’ section provides you guideline in repairing some common domestic-use equipments. The ‘Household Emergencies’ section is helpful and gives you awareness in any emergency caused by fire, electricity, plumbing, gas leaks, etc. The ‘How To’ section provides a quick view of the do-it-yourself jobs. So log onto it and prevent small problems from becoming serious. — S.M.Aamir
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