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April 13, 2006
Eight Days a week
FILM
What a come down. After making two excellent films with Deepa Mehta (Water, Bollywood/Hollywood) and acquitting herself fairly creditably in both, Lisa Ray now makes the gawd-awful Ball & Chain and comes across as an amateurish actress at best. Ball & Chain belongs to the burgeoning sub-genre of low-budget films DAMs (Desi American Movies) made by ABCDs (American Born Confused Desis) about ABCDs and basically for ABCDs. Most of these films have the same few actors (like Purva Bedi, who is in B&C as well) so that their faces have become recognisable even if their names haven’t. There have also been some decent entries in this sub-genre – American Desi comes to mind - but Ball & Chain seems to be just about the worst that I’ve seen despite the fact that its cast includes the likes of Ray, Kal Penn (of Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle fame) and well-known Mollywood comedian Asrani.
The plot of this so-called romantic comedy goes something like this: Saima (Ray) and Amit (Suneel Malhotra) play two ABCDs who are being forced into an arranged marriage by their parents. Now they somehow have to convince the older generation that the two just aren’t made for one another. Unfortunately, just as the two begin to find each other not too detestable, their plans start to work just a little too well.
Nothing original here but the execution is even worse. The comedy’s too broad. The dialogues are
fairly awful. The plotting is bad.
And the acting is severely wanting. The one possible saving grace
of the movie is the opportunity to catch the delectable Ms. Ray in a bikini.—Khusro Mumtaz
OR
Starring Eric Bana, Daniel Craig (the new James Bond), and Geoffrey Rush, director Steven Spielberg’s Munich is based on George Jonas’ 1984 book Vengeance. It chronicles the activities of a hit squad put together by the Israeli government to avenge the deaths of 11 Israeli athletes that occurred as a result of their kidnappings at the hands of the Palestinian group Black September during the 1972 Munich Olympics.
At one level, the movie plays like a spy thriller, somewhat reminiscent of the works of Len Deighton, Alfred Hitchcock and Robert Ludlum. There are moments of genuine suspense and some dark humour. But Spielberg keeps the movie in a low key and the world of suspect loyalties, hidden motives, and the moral quicksand that his characters find themselves in bring to mind Graham Greene. And remember also that this is no mere work of fiction but has a basis in factual events - it involves the Israeli-Palestinian issue the impact of which reverberates across the world right up to the present day. Spielberg is asking some tough questions here and wondering whether the politics of vengeance, violence and reprisals can ever solve any problem or do they just continue to breed more violence and bloodshed in an endless cycle.
At no time during Munich does Spielberg criticise the existence of Israel. But his mere raising of certain questions has brought the director of Schindler’s List the ire of his fellow Jews who have accused him of betrayal. That’s a pity because his critics (on both sides) fail to see that Spielberg only hopes to broaden the terms of debate. Intransigent stands have only resulted in the mess that the Israelis and Palestinians find themselves in now.
This is a fine film and an important one. Watch it.—K.M.
SINGLE
LL Cool J with his 21-plus-years career is the most enduring rapper of all time. He and his six-pack abs are as popular as ever and his latest single Control Myself featuring Jennifer Lopez is both current and quintessential LL.
While it lacks the killer groove that marked his classics such as Around the Way Girl and Representative Queen, Control Myself has a contemporary vibe and sexual undertones that are very millennium hip-hop.
The pair previously collaborated on the duet All I Have, but on that single J-Lo was the dominant artist. This time around, it’s LL’s gig and Jenny from the Block simply boosts the chorus. While their earlier single was pop-rap based, Control Myself is pure club and very provocative.
LL ponders, How we lust for one another (yeah)/We barely know each other and Lopez sings, You got, you got, you got/What it takes to make me leave my man. Control Myself appears on LL’s twelfth Def Jam album Todd Smith, which is derived from his given name James Todd Smith.
LL’s movie career is steady and his latest film, Last Holiday with Queen Latifah, was released a few months ago. The artist is also a dedicated humanitarian and has recently launched his Todd Smith clothing line during New York’s Fashion Week.
—T.U.Dawood
ALBUM
Sonic Youth has its roots in the punk art gallery scene of late seventies New York, USA. Their eclectic style was a celebration of heady poetic art music. Very experimental, it was hit or miss in those days, but now, almost 25 years later, the band is still hitting plenty of right notes.
The group has now once again released a remastered album of their favourite hits. This time around, the disc is titled Sonic Youth and the mixes are less rock-focused, have fewer lyrics and much less percussion, giving a new spin to their music. There are no consistent rhythms or harmonies or memorable choruses. In fact, some of the tracks have seemingly random mixes of electronic sound bites.
To some extent, this lack of cohesion does result in the band having a smorgasbord of sounds and styles and no definite identity.
More than making up for this aspect of the disc are the stellar live singles that are also included on the album and steal that spotlight. These seven live tracks were recorded in 1981 and have a dark energy to them that is almost palpable. Repetitive notes, moments of tension and haunting narratives all enhance this raw feel. Although the sound quality is not always perfect on these recordings, there is a hunger within these songs that surpasses anything else on the CD and reminds us of the band’s gift for making invigorating, experimental rock. —T.U.D
FESTIVAL
International Mystic Sufi Music Festival and Conference, in cooperation with the Sufi Order International, has organised a Sufi festival at Alhamra and Gadaffi Stadium, Lahore from April 13 to 16.
LECTURE
Lahore Arts Forum has organised a talk on ‘Discourses in science’. Dr Mujahid Kamran will deliver a lecture on Einstein’s
relativity theory at Model Town Library, Lahore, on April 13, 6.00pm.
OR
As part of a ‘Special Lectures Series’ started by The Aga Khan University, artist and writer Salima Hashmi is lecturing on ‘Contribution of Women to Contemporary Art in Pakistan’ on April 13. the programme is
taking place at the AKU auditorium at 4pm. For information contact 4864584.—A.S.
EXHIBITION
Women’s Expo –– a gathering of women from all walks of life –– will be opening on April 13 at the Expo Centre, Karachi. Different activities, such as seminars on education, health clinics, counselling, and home management sessions would comprise the four day event ending on the 16th.—A.S.
BOOK LAUNCH
Oxford University Press and Goethe-Institut are organizing a poster exhibition and launch of the book The Friends of God—Sufi Saints in Islam: Popular Poster Art from Pakistan by Dr Jürgen Wasim Frembgen, on Wednesday, April 19, at 6 pm, at the Goethe-Institut, Karachi.
QAWWALI
A qawwali is being held to celebrate Eid-i-Milad-un-Nabi. Fariq Ayaz Alhusaini will perform the Mehfil-i-Sama. The programme
will take place on April 14 at 8pm arranged by Pearl Continental.
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