January 22, 2009

KHUSRO’S PICS
 

Mickey Rourke turns in an astonishing performance in director Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler. In the film Rourke doesn’t just play Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson — a wrestling superstar of the ’80s but now washed up and working small shows not only to make a living but also to recapture, even if for only a tiny, fleeting moment, his glory days — he simply is Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson.

That Rourke would find such a connection to his character should come as no surprise to any fan of the movies. After all, he was once a Hollywood superstar with dashing good looks. Now his mashed up face (courtesy a boxing career that he took up when he wanted to leave Tinsel Town) is barely recognisable and his career a shambles (despite roles in films like Sin City). And because of that connection Rourke is able to bring a certain nobility and gentleness and good-naturedness to Randy The Ram — though not for one second do you doubt that Randy was/is just as selfish, arrogant and self-absorbed as his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) tells him he was/is.

The script by Robert D. Siegel and Aronofsky’s direction finds the humanity in Randy through little scenes and touches and Rourke lets us see him (as well as perhaps the real Rourke) in his entirety — strengths, weaknesses, warts and all.

Marisa Tomei is also on hand as an aging stripper trying to hang on to her dignity even as she sheds her clothing. She is also Randy’s only possible connection to a world outside of wrestling though she wants to keep it strictly professional while he wants more of a real relationship. Tomei’s performance is also almost as emotionally naked as Rourke’s.

Siegel’s script isn’t necessarily the most original but Rourke is so good that he elevates the film to another level. This isn’t just a movie about professional wrestling and over-the-hill wrestlers. Rourke (with Aronofsky nudging him along) turns it into an elegy to all the talented but wasted lives that we know. This is powerful, devastating stuff and Rourke deserves all the accolades he’s been receiving for this movie.

 

OR
 

When Chitrangada Singh said goodbye to Mollywood after making such an impact in Sudhir Mishra’s excellent, excellent Hazaron Khawishein Aisi, I considered it a great pity. With her dusky beauty, instinctive emotive style, and striking resemblance to the late Smita Patil, she was a breath of fresh air in the Mumbai leading lady stakes. Unfortunately for cine-fans, she opted for marriage and domesticity after making only two films instead of trying to make a career in the movies.

But, as it turns out, that decision was only temporary. Chitrangada Singh is back — and with the passage of time she appears to have only gotten lovelier. Her natural acting skills remain intact as well as she demonstrates in the likeable (even if a tad unlikely) Sorry Bhai! in which she plays Aliya, the object of affection of two brothers, Harsh (Sanjay Suri) and Siddharth (Sharman Joshi).

Directed by Onir (Bas Eik Pal, My Brother Nikhil), this family drama (with some nice comic touches) is a pleasant enough watch and different enough from ordinary Mollywood fare that it deserves some credit for that alone (and the lovely Mauritius scenery doesn’t hurt either). However, the three main characters remain underdeveloped and the only two people who come across as fully fleshed out are the parents of Harsh and Siddharth played by Boman Irani and Shabana Azmi. The script also needed tightening though the family dynamic works nicely, helped by good acting from the entire cast, and one can believe that this is a family with a history and its own language and little in-jokes and a shorthand for communicating. Overall, if you’re in the mood for something different, you can check this one out. The gorgeousness of Chitrangada Singh helps too. — Khusro Mumtaz

kmumtaz1@hotmail.com

 

SINGLE
 

Michael Jackson may be making a whole lot of headlines for reasons other than his music, but his musical legacy stands and yet another band has cut their own take on the sounds of the King of Pop.

American funk band Fall Out Boy has rocked out Beat It with a bolder beat and a souped-up tempo. Their album, simply titled ****, has recently gone platinum and most of its success is due to the popularity of this track.

Featuring celebrity heartbreaker John Mayer gusting on guitar, this cover is growing in popularity week after week and garnered the boys a nom for Best Rock Video at this year’s 25th Annual MTV VMAs, although they ultimately lost that prize. Their Beat It is an explosive rendition of an incredible song and is getting Fall Out Boy a lot of attention.

Beat It is a song with strong foundations and this rock version highlights its edginess very effectively. Mayer’s guitar is crunchy and occasionally brilliant, truly driving the track, but objectively speaking Eddie Van Halen rocked the joint some in the original version as well.

This single falls short, however, because of lead singer Patrick Stump’s vocals. They are weak and very strained, making the song ultimately sloppy and all over the place. Listening to Stump sing this staccato single reminds us that Michael Jackson was not just a talented performer and songwriter but he has a beautiful, precise voice.

Despite that critical flaw, this cover is catapulting Fall Out Boy to new heights and finally making them known for more than their bass guitarist Pete Wentz’s marriage to Jessica Simpson’s little sis Ashley. — T. U. Dawood

 

ALBUM
 

Falling in love with the ultimate unattainable man — a vampire named Edward Cullen — is the fate of heroine Bella Swan in the film Twilight based on the international best-selling novel by Stephanie Meyers. This highly anticipated movie needed an equally devastating soundtrack to complement its themes of first love, forbidden love and its obstacles.

The resulting Twilight Original Soundtrack lives up to expectations with its haunting songs and bittersweet harmonies.

Particular highlights include the edgy Super-massive black hole by Muse and the beautiful ballad Leave out all the rest by Linkin Park. The headiness of much of Edward’s dialogue is complemented by the lyrics of this latter track: “I dreamed I was missing/You were so scared/But no one would listen/Cuz’ no one else cared.”

Arguably the best song on this soundtrack is the seductive Tremble for my beloved by Collective Soul, which originally appeared on their 1999 album Dosage.

Less original but still fitting to the story are ’80s alternative Decode by Paramore and the ’60s style Full moon by The Black Ghosts.

Robert Pattinson, the actor who plays hero Edward, was eager to write and record the highly anticipated Bella’s Lullaby but in the end his version was replaced by one by Carter Burwell that was more in sync with the rest of the soundtrack. Pattinson does record one track for the OST titled Never think. Clearly sung from the heart, it does pack a punch with its sincerity but isn’t one of the most memorable songs on the disc.

The soundtrack as a whole, however, is both special and successful in the way the songs feel unified and embody the heart of the film.

Not included in the soundtrack but of particular note is the evocative single Red mist by Jim Dooley which is used in the trailer. Its eerie opening chords invite you into Bella and Edward’s world and perfectly capture the agony and ecstasy of their relationship. — T. U. D.

 

DVD
 

For seven seasons, Vic Mackey has kept viewers around the world glued to their television screens. He’s the star of the groundbreaking TV series, The Shield, which breaks the conventional formula of the cop genre. It plays out in a tough, morally ambiguous world in which the line between good and bad is crossed every day.

The series focuses on the tension between a group of corrupt but effective cops and a captain torn between bringing them down and advancing his own political ambitions.

The show stars Michael Chiklis as rogue cop Vic Mackey, leader of the elite Strike Team unit, who is effective at eliminating crime but operates under his own set of rules. Benito Martinez plays Captain David Aceveda, the young precinct head who doesn’t like Mackey’s tactics and wants to bust him off the force. As the plot develops, Aceveda moves towards a political life where he faces his own demons. And the Emmy-nominated, C. C. H (Carol Christine Hilaria) Pounder plays Detective Claudette Wyms, a veteran detective who understands Mackey and knows how to play both sides of the fence. She takes Aceveda’s place as the Captain of the police force in later seasons. Notable film actors who played extended roles on the show included Glenn Close and Anthony Anderson in season four and Forest Whitaker in seasons five and six.

The show made history by becoming the first ad-supported cable series to win the 2003 Golden Globe Award for Best Drama Series. It has gone on to win further acclaim and even become one of the most talked about and watched series of recent times.

All seven seasons are out to own on DVD and are a must watch for viewers who enjoy cop shows. — Khaver Siddiqi