|
|
|
May 19, 2005
Eight days a week
FILM
Reportedly, Clive Cussler, the author of the novel on which Sahara is based has sued Paramount Pictures, so unhappy is he with the adaptation. Not having read the original book or, indeed, any of Cussler’s novels, I can’t really say whether the novelist has any actual grounds for his suit, but, dear lord, is this movie a mess! On that basis alone, Cussler has my sympathies.
Sahara is a movie cast from the same mould as Raiders Of The Lost Ark or The Mummy ––- a rip-roaring adventure with a dashing hero; a hunt for a hidden treasure; a beautiful and feisty heroine for our hero to verbally spar with as well as romance; chases along land, sea and air; a funny and faithful sidekick for the hero to again verbally spar with and look better against, and so on. Movies of this sort aren’t supposed to be Shakespeare.
But whereas Raiders and Mummy pulled off the difficult trick of balancing the action (which in the case of Raiders, particularly, is thrilling in many places) with the humour and giving us some likeable characters in the bargain, Sahara has just about the silliest of plots, the least exciting action scenes, villains even dumber than usual, and dialogue that is not only as clichéd as they come but actually atrocious in places.
Matthew McConaughey, as adventurer Dirk Pitt, may look the part as do Penelope Cruz and Steve Zahn as the spirited romantic interest and the wacky sidekick respectively but they have a terrible script to work with and director Breck Eisner (son of Disney’s head honcho Michael Eisner) does not have the ability either to infuse the goings-on with some much needed momentum or choreograph the action scenes with any kind of flair. Sahara is a complete waste of time.
OR
While not as bad as many critics have made it out to be, director Oliver Stone’s Alexander is pretty much a misfire. Despite –– or, perhaps, because of –– its three-hour length the movie lacks focus and Colin Farrell turns out to be completely the wrong choice for playing the boy-king who built the largest empire the world had ever seen by the time of his death at age 32. Granted, Stone scripts Alexander as a Hamlet-like figure, plagued with doubts and Freudian complexes yet Farrell still needed to have a commanding presence on-screen to convince us that he could have led men halfway across the world in a conquering spree.
Farrell never even comes close to approaching that kind of grandeur. The other performances are equally erratic and while it may be fun to watch Val Kilmer as Alexander’s father, Philip fun chewing up the scenery Angelina Jolie’s unintentionally camp turn as Olympias, Alexander’s mother, is highly distracting.
The movie looks good and the battle scenes aren’t too bad but Oliver Stone also ends up “telling” us (through his narrator Ptolemy played by Anthony Hopkings) about Alexander’s greatness rather than “showing” us. Certain events which needed to be expounded on are glossed over and unnecessary time is spent on Alexander’s bi-sexuality. You can give this movie a look but be warned that this Alexander is hardly great.
CLASSIC MOVIE
Akira Kurosawa’s exploration of the relativity of truth, Rashomon (1951) is one of the true landmarks of world cinema. The same story is told from three different points of view ––– those of the three people involved -–– and each has an element of truth. Then a fourth person also admits to having witnessed the events described and his story too casts doubts on each of the earlier versions to the story. Then even the integrity of the final narrator is brought into question by yet another revelation. Finally, when, in the absence of objective truth, all seems hopeless and nihilistic, Kurosawa gives us a ray of hope in the sudden discovery of a little child and the subsequent chance for redemption for some of the characters.
The acting is expressionistic -–– one of the main roles in the movie is essayed by Kurosawa’s frequent collaborator, Toshiro Mifune –– but heightens the surrealistic feel of the movie. Kurosawa and his cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa create an almost claustrophobic atmosphere with their scenes in the forest and the rain-drenched framing sequences. The shadow-laden shots also give the characters and locales a fairytale-like quality. Rashomon won many international awards, including the Oscar for Best Foreign Film and the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion for Best Film, and brought cinema from the non-American, non-European parts of the world centre stage. In Japanese with English subtitles. Available on DVD in Pakistan.
SINGLE
Shakira has been a musical icon throughout Latin America for years but it was not until the release of her first English album Laundry Service in 2001 that she conquered the rest of the world. With runaway singles like Whenever, Wherever and Underneath Your Clothes, she charmed fans with her sassy lyrics and rock edge. Now she returns with two new albums: the Spanish Fijacion Oral 1 (due out June 7) and an English album Oral Fixation 2 (scheduled release November 2005) with completely different songs. To whet the appetite of fans, however, she has just released lead single La Tortura with a very sexy video in which she shows off her fabulous figure and trades in the Whenever, Wherever “mud” look for black grease paint!
Featuring Alejandro Sanz, the harmonious single is a combination of rock-Latino style and even folk! Their two voices complement one another and the two Latin heartthrobs certainly have chemistry. Despite the language barrier (La Tortura is in Spanish), the rhythmic single is an enjoyable listen and is already gathering a fan base. Shakira has certainly not lost her renowned dancing ability or her musical touch.
ALBUM
The much anticipated Ali Azmat solo album Social Circus is out and many fans have been hoping it will make up for the flop of Junoon’s last album Deewar.
The tongue-in-cheek title Social Circus reflects Azmat’s witty sense of humour and suggests a promising disc. A staple part of the social scene, Azmat seems to enjoy being the observant insider as is reflected in the impressive and insightful lyrics.
The album musically, however, does not quite live up to expectations. First single Deewana is
rather disappointing and is accompanied by a clichéd video. The
rest of the CD is inconsistent with tracks like Dil Ki Sira and the unoriginal Main never quite taking off and actually weakening the rest of the disc.
The album does have some incredible highlights, though, including the brilliant Mangagun and Yaar Merey Yaar. The former features Azmat at his best vocally and revealing a side to him and style that we never saw in Junoon. The latter is a harder rock tune on which Azmat really gives his all. Another gem is the intense Teri Perchaiaan. A perfect choice for an album closer, this track would be an ideal candidate for second release.
TALK SHOW
Hum key mehmaan is a celebrity talk show. The interviews take place in the homes of the celebrities and in the presence of their spouses.
Subjects discussed are their children, lows and highs and aspirations, which give the viewers a glimpse into the personal lives of these people. Guests include Nadeem and Samina Peerzada and sports icons such as Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Asif Iqbal and Zaheer Abbas.
Directed by Sultana Siddiqui, the hosts of the programme vary and include Mehtab Akbar Rashdi and Shehnaz Sheikh. On HUM TV every Wednesday at 10 pm.
SHOW
Anwar Maqsood and Moin Akhtar perform ‘Loose Talk’ along with a dance recital by Nighat Chaudry and live music performances by singers in a show Shaam-e-Bahar, which is taking place on May 20-21 at Marriot. The fund-raiser is being presented by Rotary Club of Karachi to provide water to a village.—A.S.
|
|
|
|
