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June 29, 2006
Eight days a week
No matter if it’s a dull Friday evening, lazy Sunday afternoon or blues-ridden Monday morning, we have chalked out the happenings that will keep boredom out and you in the ‘in’ scene. So whether you are a movie buff or an art connoisseur, here are your reasons to look forward to the week ahead
FILM
The animated Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
suffers from the dreaded disease known as sequelitis. The first Ice Age was a very funny film with the right amount of sentiment and action mixed in. The animation was top-notch, too. The sequel has the main characters from the first movie back ––– namely Manny, the woolly mammoth (voice of Ray Romano), Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo) and Diego, the sabre-toothed tiger (Dennis Leary) ––– as they continue to stay together as a very odd herd in a melting world. Unfortunately, while the characters have returned the magic has mainly disappeared.
Part of this could be attributed to the absence of Chris Wedge, the first movie’s co-director (though he’s still around as executive producer and to provide the voice of Scrat, the prehistoric squirrel/rat who is forever in pursuit of an acorn). This time the direction is solely in the hands of Carlos Saldanha (the other co-director of the original film) and the results aren’t quite the same. While the minimal plot doesn’t help, the movie’s pacing is off and too many scenes of our heroes in danger and rescuing each other become repetitive. The animation doesn’t have quite the same dazzle either.
Still, the addition of new characters like Ellie (Queen Latifah), the female woolly mammoth who thinks she’s a possum and her possum “brothers”, Crash (Seann William Scott) and Eddie (Josh Peck) does provide some solid laughs. A pre-historic shark and a pre-historic crocodile are also appropriately menacing villains. So, in the ultimate analysis, you can check out the movie ––– especially if you liked the first one.—Khusro Mumtaz
FILM
There are many intricately plotted thrillers which hold your interest for a good long while and then just fall apart at the end because the plot turns out to have just too many holes in it and doesn’t hold up under closer scrutiny.
Inside Man, however, turns out to be something of an anomaly.
Yes, the interesting and twisting plot revolving around a bank heist doesn’t hold up (in fact, it has numerous holes in it) but it does hold your attention. More importantly, the movie’s many interesting characters ––– fleshed out by some top acting by the cast which includes Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, and Christopher Plummer ––– and director Spike Lee’s capturing of the energy and melting pot nature of New York City (where the movie is set) help to overcome the movie’s weaknesses.
Lee’s touch can be particularly felt in the scenes where the movie touches upon the shifting nature of racism in present-day New York (and the United States, as a whole). Look, for instance, for a great little scene where a Sikh bank-teller is mistakenly identified as an Arab terrorist but a black cop (Washington) jokingly comments that at least he –– the Sikh –– can catch a cab in the city. The cat-and-mouse game between Washington and bank robber Owen is also fascinating.
So, I would say that the way to enjoy this movie would be to relish its tasty individual bits and ignore the grander scheme. This is very much a case of the parts ending up being greater than the sum.—K.M.
SINGLE
The reteaming of hip hop couple Beyonce and Jay-Z has been highly anticipated all summer. While cynics have been cheekily calling the Hip Hop Mogul’s latest protégée Rihanna ‘Beyonce’s mini-me’, there is nothing quite like the crazy in love pairing of the original duo.
Well, the wait is over. The aptly titled Beyonce-Jay-Z duet Déjà Vu was recently leaked online and then digitally placed on radio on June 13, in time to be the true summer anthem of 2006.
Perhaps this reunion does not have the upbeat fire of the lovers’ 2003 blockbuster Crazy In Love but there are enough funky jam beats and original horn blasts on Déjà Vu to grow on you. Jay-Z’s two-verse rap is also quite superfluous and essentially self-indulgent rather than related to the track, but ultimately that does not affect the overall success of the single.
In fact, although the title suggests this duet is a sequel to the earlier single, lyrically this jam is actually more in the spirit of Usher’s classic You Remind Me with the former Destiny Child ruing, I ain’t trying to make you mad, But I got it bad/I don’t know what to do, I’m confused/When you’re holding me, I feel his touch/And when you’re kissin me, Damn it’s just too much!
Beyonce may be feeling déjà vu but it’s not with her singing partner. This time, musically at least Beyonce is simply not crazy in love with the J-man.—T. U. Dawood
ALBUM
Once upon a time, Smokey Robinson was officially a miracle. His band in the `60s was titled Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and was revered for their classic hits such as Shop Around and Tears of a Clown, and Robinson himself also excelled as a songwriter for other great acts with his most notable creations including My Guy for Mary Wells and Get Ready for the Temptations.
After going solo in the early `70s and then more recently recording gospel music, Robinson strayed from his traditional sound for many years. His most recent album
Timeless Love, returns the artiste once again to the pop brand of his early success.
Robinson for the first time records an album comprising solely of covers. At 67, his voice is as strong and flexible as ever and in some ways ‘sexier’. Wisely, he has chosen to record the tracks live in the studio with a jazz feel, allowing an organic song-creating process rather than simply singing over beloved melodies. The result is some pretty powerful music in its own right.
There is also some unusual and unexpected material as well. Sammy Cahn’s Time After Time, for example, is melded into a melody with Cyndi Lauper’s very different ballad of the same name resulting in a track that is almost seductive rather than melancholy.
While it would have been exciting to hear some original material by such a gifted songwriter, it was impressive hearing his original takes on some favourite numbers as well as knowing his beautiful voice is as extraordinary as ever.—T. U. D
TALK
Lecture and discussion on
Socialism by Taimur Rahman will take place at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) Social Science Department, Lahore, today (Thursday) at 7:70pm.
Courtesy www.danka.com.pk
THEATRE
Lahore Arts Council is staging an English play
You Only Marry Twice in Hall 1, Alhamra (The Mall), today (Thursday) at 8:30pm. The play will go on till July 9.
Courtesy www.danka.com.pk
FILM
Befreite Zone (Liberated Zone)
is being shown at the Goethe-Institut on June 29 at 6pm. When African player Ade Banjo joins the team, the local football club of the small village Sasslen in former GDR is suddenly propelled to the Premier League, which causes mayhem amongst the citizens, as everyone seeks to profit from the unexpected rush of attention. A satire about the perils of sudden fame.—A.S.
TV
Sitcom
Kill Kill Klinic by Tanveer Jamal features two protagonists - Firdous Jamal as a doctor, and Zeba Shehnaz as a patient. In every episode Shehnaz takes on the role of a new patient and Jamal comes up with remedies for her problems. On HUM TV every Wednesday at 7:30 pm.
READING
Bertold Brecht's work and two poems will be read out along with its Urdu translation. Afaq Sami will also present his short story
"Dhund me lipti hui sham" in Urdu. The programme will take place on 30th June at 6pm at the Goethe-Institut.
SUMMER CAMP
To promote the indigenous music of the subcontinent, Arts Council, Karachi and Mauseqaar are jointly conducting the
2nd Music Summer Camp from July 1 to August 5. Interested students between the ages of 8 to 18 can participate in the camp. Contact Mohd. Naseer: 5850021, Aneeq Ahmed: 9213095.—A.S.
OR
Children from 4-12 years can take part in the summer camp arranged by Sheraton from 1st July for a month. Swimming, tennis, arts and crafts, cooking, flower arrangement, needlework and other activities have been arranged.
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