November 30, 2006

FILM

Take the Lead is based on the life of Pierre Dulaine, a New York dance teacher whose ballroom classes programme has been adopted by hundreds of schools across America. Antonio Banderas plays Dulaine and he’s well cast as a dedicated individual intent on transforming the lives of his students through the power of ballroom dancing.

We’ve seen this type of film before a number of times: dedicated teacher takes over a classroom of inner city and troubled children and after meeting with initial distrust and non-cooperation manages to turn the lives of his (or her) students around. The Blackboard Jungle, To Sir With Love, Dangerous Minds, and Music Of The Heart were all similar movies. So if you’ve seen any of those films before you pretty much know what to expect with Take the Lead.

That said this Antonio Bandera-starrer is a pleasant enough way to pass the time so if you’ve got nothing better then there’s worse you could do than checking this one out. You’ll be able to see how great ballroom dancing can be –– a particular highlight being the scene where Dulaine brings one of his star dance students to the classroom and she proceeds to show us how “hot” the tango is. Dulaine, as played by Banderas, also shows us how “cool” good manners are (you’ll see what I mean when you see the movie) –– good manners being something in danger of becoming extinct in this present day.—Khusro Mumtaz

OR

I wouldn’t really recommend the animated film Monster House to the very young ‘uns because it can get a little creepy and a little scary for them but for the rest of us it’s a fairly enjoyable outing. It takes a classic children’s tale plot device –– only the children know what’s going on and the adults are too wrapped up in their grown-up world to believe them –– and turns it into a fairly funny and reasonably exciting film.

Young DJ (voice of Mitchel Musso) lives across from a house where strange things happen and objects tend to disappear. When the house’s owner Mr Nebbercracker (Steve Buscemi) takes ill the house becomes nastier still and anybody that steps on Mr Nebbercracker’s property just isn’t safe. DJ, along with his friends Chowder (Sam Lerner) and Jenny (Spencer Locke), is determined to solve the mystery of the house. But once they go inside will they be able to survive?

The movie works best before the children enter the haunted house. Once they do the film’s action sequences start to get a little tedious as these run on a bit too long. But the animation is pretty good –– the motion capture technique used here may end up putting actors out of business in the future –– and the characters are fun. I especially enjoyed Zee, the babysitter employed by DJ’s parents, as voiced by Maggie Gyllenhaal.—K.M.

OR

Khosla Ka Ghosla may sound like one of those over-the-top comedies which are all the rage across the border these days but it actually harkens back to the `70s and the films of Basu Chatterjee. Khosla (Anupam Kher) is a middle-class guy, close to retirement, who buys a new plot in a more upscale neighbourhood where he hopes to build his dream house in which he will live with his family. But one son (Ranvir Shorey) is a good-hearted wastrel and the other (Parvin Dabas) dreams of taking up a job in the United States. Worse, an unscrupulous land-mafia don Kishan Khurana (Boman Irani) has his eye on Khosla’s property.

The movie is well-scripted (Jaideep Sahni) and directed (debutante Dibaker Banerjee), providing good laughs as well as some neat suspense as Khosla and his family take on Kurana and his goons. Helping the Khoslas are friends and neighbours, played by Tara Sharma, Navin Nischol (nice to see him in an extended role), and Vinay Pathak among others. This gentle comedy with a lot of heart is a modest little gem which you would do well to look up.—K.M.

SINGLE

Most people know Avril Lavigne as the anti-Britney, uber-talented, precocious teen from Canada who won the hearts of fans of all ages with her 2002 debut album Let Go and especially her infectious first single Complicated.

What many people don’t know is the depths of her songwriting talent. For example, not only does she write most of her own music, but she wrote Breakaway, the single that truly transformed Kelly Clarkson from a peppy American Idol into a respected, award-winning bona fide star.

Lavigne’s latest single is the ballad Keep Holding On, which she wrote especially for the new Fox film Eragon which stars Jeremy Irons and John Malkovich.

Keep Holding On was recorded with Dr Luke (the guitarist in the Saturday Night Live band) and is a sentimental track in which she promises strength and support. She sings, You're not alone/Together we stand/I'll be by your side/You know I'll take your hand/When it gets cold/And it feels like the end/There's no place to go/You know I won't give in/No, I won't give in.

The combination of Lavigne’s youthful vocals and inspired orchestral arrangment with the anthemic chorus underscores that the artist still has her magic.

In addition to appearing on the Eragon OST, the single is also expected to be featured on Lavigne’s yet untitled third album due in April 2007.—T.U.Dawood

ALBUM

According to Wikipedia, Tupac Amaru Shakur was “an American rap artist, actor, activist, and poet” who was known by many aliases including 2Pac, Makaveli and Pac. He is recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's top-selling rapper because he has sold over 73 million albums worldwide. To many of his fans, Tupac is simply the greatest rapper ever.

Since the tragic murder of the artist in 1996, in a drive-by shooting incident, 2Pac’s music has been released posthumously.

First, there was 2002’s Better Dayz which did have its special moments. In 2004, it was followed by Loyal to the Game, which was chiefly produced by Eminem but was already losing steam. Now, two more years later, Pac’s Life has been released.

Although there is a timeless appeal to 2Pac’s style and sound, there is a limit to the amount of material he recorded prior to his death and thus these posthumous discs are struggling to sound fresh and cutting-edge. In fact, they are failing.

The title track may have Ashanti providing the hook but it is far from her or Tupac’s best work. It certainly doesn’t sound anywhere near the quality of anything that would pass his approval were he still alive today. Similarly, the Untouchables remix is no California Love.

He is brilliant, unforgettable and irreplaceable. However, 2Pac is also no longer with us and perhaps it is time we celebrate the work he made while he was alive instead of recycling and remixing his work every few years for a few bucks. May he rest in peace. — T.U.D.
 

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