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June 17, 2004
EIGHT DAYS A WEEK
FILM
It’s amazing how fine an actor Saif Ali Khan has become. When he first entered the industry about a decade ago I would never have thought that he had it in him. But after his award-winning role in Dil Chahta Hai which was a revelation in itself he’s just gone from strength to strength. He isn’t just good at the romantic comedy stuff (Kal Ho Na Ho) but he’s also shown his range with his bad guy-action hero turn in Eik Hasina Thi. And now with Hum Tum he seems to be firmly on his way to being the next big Khan on the block and shows that he can easily carry a movie on his own. The movie itself borrows heavily from When Harry Met Sally as Saif and Rani Mukherjee go through an evolving relationship over a number of years. But despite being “inspired” the movie still works because of its dialogues, the naturalistic acting by the leads as well as by the supporting cast (Kiron Kher, Rati Agnihotri, Rishi Kapoor, Jimmy Shergill), and the tight direction by Kunal Kohli (who also wrote the script). And though the music by Jatin-Lalit is not great it does the job. Overall, I found this romantic comedy very cute and very enjoyable and I hope it’s a hit at the box-office. Produced by Yash and Aditya Chopra, the people who brought you Dil Tau Pagal Hai and Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. — Khusro Mumtaz
OR
Young Adam is based on the 1957 novel of the same name by Scottish Beat writer, Alexander Trocchi. Trocchi ended up a heroin addict, his early writings and brilliant literary output (he was the publisher of the influential Merlin magazine in Paris in the 1950s) forgotten and reputation obliterated because of the latter half of his life which encapsulated drug addictions, writing porn for quick cash and generally chaotic existences in New York and London during which, though fairly well-known as a counter-cultural figure, he was unable to write or create anything of real value. In that sense, Young Adam was both an unflinching look at his own amoral life because there is much of Trocchi in Joe, the protagonist of the novel, as well as being prophetic in the way it shows a life led just outside of the law and a life of abandoned dreams (there is a telling scene in the movie where Joe — a would-be writer —throws his typewriter into the sea). But while Trocchi was addicted to heroin, Joe (Ewan McGregor) is addicted to sex. The force of his desires manages to make most women he comes across (Tilda Swinton, Emily Mortimer, Therese Braddley, Pauline Turner) submit to him almost unbidden. One of Joe’s encounters results in a tragedy but does Joe have it in him to do the right thing afterwards? Director David Mackenzie does a decent job in adapting Trocchi’s novel and he captures the look and feel of dreary, economically depressed 1950s Scotland, but the deliberate pacing of the movie might not be to everybody’s taste. Be warned — there is plenty of sex and nudity in this movie. However, Mackenzie deliberately makes it completely unerotic. Here sex is not so much an act of love but more an attempt to wipe out one’s own unhappy existence — even if temporarily. — K. M.
CLASSIC FILM
West Side Story (1961) won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise), Best Supporting Actor (George Chakiris), and Best Supporting Actress (Rita Moreno). Based on Shakespeare’s Romeo And Juliet, it has Natalie Wood and Richrad Beymer playing the star-crossed lovers. But their love falls victim to the rivalry between two gangs (the Jets are white and the Sharks are Puerto Rican) as they each try and gain control of a neighbourhood in Manhattan’s Upper West Side. When the movie focuses on the love story it becomes maudlin and predictable, not helped by the uncharismatic lead pair and uninspired dialogue. But the movie comes alive when Jerome Robbins’ choreography is on display — a highly inventive and energetic combination of jazz, modern dance, athleticsim and ballet. The finger-snapping opening sequence is worth the price of rental alone and the choreographed knife-fight (a dance in itself) between the gangs can be admired endlessly. Chakiris, Moreno and Russ Tamblyn (as the leader of the Jets) are brilliant in their roles. And coupled with some songs by Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim that have become standards (“I feel pretty”, “Maria”), it’s easy to see why West Side Story is a much beloved musical. Available in Pakistan on DVD. — K.M.
SINGLE
The title track of Shibani’s third album Nagmagee is already making an impact. The disc is filled with true Indi-pop and some old-time folk music, but it’s this single that illuminates an earthier side to the artist’s talent. The purer feel to the track is especially noteworthy considering two other funkier singles on the disc Sajnaa and Na Jaane feature vocoder vocalizing (a technique Cher made famous a few years back on her chart-topping hit Believe) and heavy producing, while Nagmagee has a fresh, earth-folk, unadulterated sound.
Shibani became famous years ago with her single Ho Gayi Hai Mohabbat with Chennai-based singer Aslam. The decadent video and the catchy tune of that track ensured the singer instant success. While it’s unlikely Nagmagee is going to outshine that earlier single, this latest offering is definitely one of the best of Shibani’s career and well worth checking out. — T. U. Dawood
ALBUM
There are very few news events that have caused as much speculation and SMS frenzy as Jennifer Lopez’s recent surprise wedding to Latino singer Marc Anthony, just four days after his divorce came through. However, if you check out his latest CD Amar Sin Mentiras in hopes of some hidden information in the footnotes or song lyrics, you will be disappointed. Despite his friend Rosie O’Donnell’s declaration that all the songs Anthony has written since he first fell in love with Lopez in 1999 have been inspired by the femme fetale, nothing on Amar Sin Mentiras supports this claim. There is, however, a duet with the diva entitled Escapemonos, which does at least allow you to check out if they have any musical synergy.
Aside from that talked-about duet, the all-Spanish album is full of soulful ballads and is noteworthy for its distinct departure from the artist’s signature Salsa sound. However, although the tracks are romantic like most Spanish music, overall the disc is adequate at best and there is nothing particularly striking or memorable about this songs. The better efforts are Ahora Quien, Se Esjuma Tu Amor and Valio a Pena, but even those aren’t much to talk about. On this CD, there is none of Shakira’s sass, Enrique Iglesias’s heat or even Anthony’s own proven charm with the rhythms of the music. Sadly, the artist’s latest music is far less interesting than his love life. — T. U. D
WEBSITE
If you’re looking to expand your knowledge on a host of topics, then visit www.howstuffworks.com This site offers information on computers, electronics, science, home, entertainment, health, money, travel, and auto-related queries. And this is just to name a few. In different sections there are numerous categories that grab your attention. If you are interested in studying art, just click the link and you’ll find a detailed list including history, art today, elements, concept, media, style and so forth. The section on computers, electronics and science has answers to questions like: how the internet really works? How can webpages be emailed to and from your computer? How robots and space craft works? And there’s more. If you are interested in exploring
the world on web, then this site is the perfect choice where you’ll find a lot of material under different headings. Nayyier Masood
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