Slumdog Millionaire

Lock In Your Final Answer!

Deep down inside, I personally believe some game shows are rigged to a certain degree. After all, organizers do try to profile you through a questionnaire which also contain clauses such as telling-nothing-but-the-truth-or-you-risk-forfeiting-any-prizes-won. So you're presenting yourself on a silver platter for opportunities to exploit both your strengths, if they choose to make you a hero, or your weaknesses, should you so be deemed as being there for entertainment value. This of course does not apply to some situations where obvious hints are provided so that you're given an idiot-proof situation to make away with some cash, should the sponsors be generous.

Game shows are mathematical and probability at its best, and of course one that can be programmed such that the house can win all, or choose to let you go for a little bit of laughter at the side. You can be asked questions that you know or to do something that you're comfortable with, from the profile you built, or when the stakes are too high and the house's appetite for risk is somehow subdued, in comes the real challenge to see if you'd buckle under pressure, or can overcome your fears. For Jamal, (Dev Patel), he's one question away in India's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, hosted by Prem Kumar (played by Anil Kapoor, and in real life hosted by Amitabh Bachchan who gets some mention here), to winning 20,000,000 (count the zeroes, man) rupees, given that he's answered seemingly random questions correctly, but on the show's logical break, get arrested on suspicion of fraud and tortured during interrogation to spill the beans.

Based on the novel "Q&A" by Vikas Swarup, this Danny Boyle-Loveleen Tandan co-directed film brings us on an incredible journey through the chapters in Jamal's life, where each episode of his tremendously rich tale of survival had Destiny place every nugget of required information toward those million dollar rupees. Hailing from the slums of Mumbai, we see how Jamal and his brother Salim carve a living out of exploiting their street smarts, even at one point being little artful dodgers themselves in a Charles Dickens tale. It boggles everyone that someone without a formal education could nab those random questions correctly, a tea boy working in a call centre, beating participants like lawyers and doctors. He captured the imagination of the entire nation, that sometimes the wildest of dreams can come true.

You'll find yourself rooting for Jamal, because here's a character crafted so earnestly by the storytellers that it's hard not to root for the underdog. And his story as told to the police inspector (played by Irrfan Khan), especially in his early life, set the stage thanks to the two adorable boys playing Jamal (Ayush Mahesh Khedekar) and Salim (Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail) who arrest your attention in a solid tale of two brothers growing up who eventually set foot on very different paths - one unassuming, while the other ambitious. And nothing better to drive the wedge between them than a girl Latika (Rubiana Ali) they knew by chance, and grew up with.

One of my favourite films of Danny Boyle's was Millions, where a cute little boy with tremendous imagination, held court when a bag full of cash come literally crashing down on his play house. Boyle seems to hold court again with a tale of the little ones overcoming impossible odds of survival through the honing of their street-smarts and instincts, and again shows his eclecticism in direction with some dizzying cinematography by Anthony Dod Mantle. And providing the score and music to punctuate the movie is none other than the Mozart of Mumbai A.R. Rahman, whom I hope gets his due recognition with non-Indian film fans, and even though I felt that his work here might not have been the best I've heard, it's still a great introductory platform to everyone caught up in the buzz for this movie.

For a story with events firmly written in the stars, and had plenty of coincidence and luck playing a part, it never for one moment felt forced nor contrived. Everything seemed possible, which makes it magical with Destiny having a big say, but one primary fact here is that Jamal had entered the gameshow not to win money beyond his wildest dreams, but to try and reconnect and search for a love that is lost, through a media platform. It's not that far fetched an idea, because I do know from personal experience that this type of scenarios do happen, with differing success results of course.

Slumdog Millionaire is up against very strong contenders for the Best Picture Oscar, but it firmly has my support as one of the best this year so far, and I'm rooting for it to take home the statuette. It's a magical film with Destiny playing a huge part in changing the lives of underdogs, where hope and belief are made chic themes again.

Valkyrie

We're Busted

Since it's based on a true event, unless you have your head buried in the sand, you'll know the outcome, or at least the end result, of Operation Valkyrie, an ambitious plan put into the hands of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) together with his entourage of high ranking officers and political officials in a coup-de-tat to bring down the Fuhrer, disrupt his chain of command, and assume control of Berlin, thanks to quite a contingency strategy that Hitler had. If it had been successful, history would turn out rather different, but we are where we are now. So what makes it still a compelling story to sit through?

The pace at which Bryan Singer puts this film through that's what, at breakneck speed rarely slowing down to take a breather. And that's quite the winning formula actually, keeping things tight and moving with clockwork military precision. For those who may want to take this as a loose reference for research into unsuccessful attempts at Adolf Hitler's life (this one being the last before the Allies came knocking), it compacted in two hours the entire recruitment to execution stage, where treason is the order of the day, not knowing who to trust, and to what degree.

As explained, with any military operation, nothing goes according to plan. Recruiting is a dangerous exercise, because in a regime where everyone swears an oath of loyalty to one person, it perhaps provided the magical formula on defining loyalties, which is strangely curious yet effective. Decisions on who to believe and who to side, especially when facts become muddled and with the lack of information, it left many wondering and questioning their personal beliefs, whether to stick to the status quo, or jump on the bandwagon in the hopes of effecting change, while putting your neck on the chopping block.

Providence too played a huge role in the film, with changing of key locations and the ease with which certain key elements of the plan get arranged and completed. However, any plans which involve large underground group members each having their own say, or if pass the point of no return they waiver and are not resolute in seeing things through, it puts everything up for grabs. Improvisation without hesitation in execution, especially without thorough, objective and robust planning devoid of emotion, becomes an Achilles heel, with wanting to strike fast an overbearing condition in the plan proving to add complexity for everyone. As with the adage of too many cooks spoiling the broth, plans that rely on inch perfect precision execution, given too many variables on the table, are formulas for disaster.

And what's this about the accent you say? Kate Winslet did a German-accented character to perfection in The Reader, and hence the awards she garnered for that. Bryan Singer may have opted for the cast to not need to put on a fake front (given after all quite a method employed to transition from German to common English), and I felt that given the strong performances all round, it was whether to invest the time to instill that kind of discipline to speak with an accent, which may result in only marginal incremental in authenticity, or choose to forgo it since it's not going to drastically affect the narrative. So accent or not, it's a small issue really.

The cast is a mouth watering one, which could also account for the appeal I suppose. Tom Cruise leads the ensemble cast, even if I found his physical defect of the lack of a hand and missing fingers somewhat distracting, because I always tend to stare at it, in wicked anticipation that the sleeve was cut too short, or if the CG guys left a tell-tale mark. And as mentioned, the cast is nothing but spectacular on paper - Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Terence Stamp (who seems to be in almost every supporting role these days), Eddie Izzard, Jamie Parker who played excellently the loyal Lieutenant under Cruise's von Stauffenberg, and with what I deem as cameos by Kenneth Branagh, as well as the grossly underused Carice van Houten who was also in another WWII-set film in Paul Verhoeven's Black Book.

I suppose fans of Downfall would probably be interested to take a look at a key even that took place within Hitler's chain of command, that likely had sowed additional seeds of suspicion to the dictator leading to the final days of WWII. Save for the initial one-sided battle at the African front in the first few mintues of the film, the rest became a battle of the minds and resolve of its participants in a fierce power struggle. Definitely recommended for WWII buffs.

Billu

Hail The Barber!

Billu Barber had already courted some controversy because some hairstylists protested that the term "Barber" was offensive. I don't understand it, but this meant the word has been dropped, and it's now known simply as "Billu", still after its titular character. A remake of the Malayalam film "Katha Parayumpol", Billu is one of those films that work because of its spot-on capturing of the ugliness and greed of man.

It opens quite matter of factly with Billu, played by Irrfan Khan, a poor barber in s small village, being down to his last rupee, seeking help from an official knowing that he has to offer a bribe for a loan. Naturally he gets thrown out because of his frankness, and we slowly learn of Billu's immediate challenges - his barber business is down because the state of his shop is run-down, there's a trendier salon opened opposite his, electricity to his small house got cut because of his inability to pay, and the school principal is threatening to throw his kids out of school because the school fees are not forthcoming.

And little does he know that his problems will multiply with the coming of a Bollywood film crew for a shoot in their village, turning his entire world as he knows topsy turvy just because he is a friend of India's mega-star, Sahir Khan (incidentally, like the credits say, played by Shah Rukh Khan). This premise puts an interesting dilemma on Billu, because while he is a nobody and a would-be bankrupt, suddenly the village folk start to pay homage to him, from neighbours to rivals to the town's rich miser, because their degree of separation to Sahir Khan is now 2, provided they think, that they had better try and "bribe" Billu by doing favours and giving charity to him, from provision of food, to an overhaul of his shop, so that they can get an opportunity to meet the mega-star up close and personal.

To make things worse, Billu's motor-mouth kids and a wife who thought she could now impress the neighbours, start to craft stories of their association, and as we all know, word always get around in a misconstrued manner, thus something innocently said, becomes blown out of proportion. While sometimes the intent is based on perceived noble terms, like accepting the school's bursary in exchange for the star's presence in an anniversary celebration, making false promises puts a question mark on integrity, and worse, the effects are felt by Billu himself, for something that he did not boast about, or craft.

My growing list of character actors I admire had included Irrfan Khan ever since I watched his role in The Namesake, and I felt he always had this regal presence, even for short roles such as that in The Darjeeling Limited and Slumdog Millionaire. Here, he brought out the down-to-earthness portrayal of a small village barber trying his best to etch a living and provide for his family, and feeling very out of place with all the unwanted attention showered upon him. We feel his dilemma instantly, as his worries come from it being a very long time since he and Sahir had met, and the unassuming man that he is, believes that he shouldn't impose himself on a friend from the past, in fear of having his friend think that he's clinging onto the coattails of his fame, or worse, to want to ask for favours, which many in the village expect him to do.

Much of the film plays around the dilemma, of how people often impose their wishes onto you just because you have the facility to possibly grant their wishes, and rebuttals are often unheeded because people only want to hear what they want to hear, and worse, when assumptions are made. Suddenly you find enemies and casual acquaintances proclaiming themselves to be your new best friends, because of the benefit they can gain from such lip service. And nothing could be worse if these impositions turn out to be from family members - the kids want to meet their idol, and so does the wife (played by Lara Dutta). How can one turn these requests down, when one takes on the role as provider?

Shah Rukh Khan looked like he had a field day playing a parody of himself, the film star who happened to share the exact same filmography as himself at that too. Although in a support role, his Sahir comes across as direct and no-nonsense, and having hordes of security and minders around him, makes one wonder who Billu, a man amongst thousands in a crowd, could somehow get him to notice, if it's true he is a friend in the first place! But the role here offers the inevitable opportunity for some staple song-and-dance, and the filmmakers don't let up the chance to pair up SRK some of his more memorable co-stars such as Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, and Deepika Padukone, with whom he bursts onto the scene in a futuristic setting for the song Love Mera Hit Hit, the start of Sahir's new movie which ironically is based on an alien's search for his long lost brother in a village.

Billu turns out to be a superb balance between fun and an examination of a key negative human condition. I was pretty much entertained throughout, and thanks to the all round fine performances from the cast, Billu is very much enjoyable, and puts itself into the shortlist of one of the fine movies of the year thus far.


Love Mera Hit Hit

The Olive Depression

The Olive Depression, a film in 8 parts, was originally scheduled to take its bow during last year's Singapore International Film Festival. Out of the blue it got yanked from the schedule of the inaugural festival section called the Singapore Panorama, and going by the synopsis alone, many had wondered if it was the critique contained within that made the powers that be frown upon what could possibly be an attack on an entrenched institution and rite of passage to turn local boys into men. It would have been an interesting addition to the repetoire of local films, because any big-bang action movie involving our armed forces would be somewhat far off, and we only have the comedy Army Daze, based upon the popular play by Michael Chiang, to show for any cinematic effort focused on our army.

Perhaps comedy is the only allowed genre involving our forces, and centered around the 3 months Basic Military Training, which is supposedly the most gruelling because you're the scum at the bottom of the food chain trying to survive a change in culture. The Olive Depression takes one step back and examines a boy's life two weeks before he enlists, and for all male Singaporeans, this inevitably will bring back some memories of our own D-day. For me, D-Day was a tour of Singapore, where I had to report to a nearby community centre, before going on a bus ride to a logistics base to collect equipment, then to the Central Manpower Base for the Oath, before travelling to Commando Jetty for a lunch, 30 bucks in cash, and a one way ride on the rough seas toward Pulau Tekong for 2 solid weeks of physical training. Like the character Trevor, my failing of the Napfa test meant an earlier enlistment, and missing out on my prom. Anyway that's my story, one amongst thousands who had gone before and after me.

Joshua Lim's story and direction seemed to pull back the punches, though they aren't strong enough to begin with. Like how he opened the film in a General Paper examination setting, most of his pointed arguments automatically came with counter arguments to provide balance, be it from church members, older peers who had been there and done that, best friends and parents, and in a bizzare twist of irony, the story conforms eventually to a resignation to fate and what it started out opposing, rather than to stay the course in challenging the norms that it began with, proving to a certain extent that it is futile to resist, and assimilation being the order of the day.

However it does get a little tedious in trying to buy the audience into some of the arguments spelt out. Lines of dialogue felt very heavy handed when it became a preachy platform, and you have obscure moments talking about conflict and competition, how the state can effect true control by affecting the minds of its people, terribly sweeping statements that felt like weak potshots against conscription, right down to complaining about cinema ratings and comments about living in Singapore Inc. Character faces are usually gloomy, but never fail to light up when, in colloquial terms, talking cock. Perhaps this boiled down to a relatively inexperienced cast regurgitating with lack of confidence and expression, the lines from a script rather than being made to feel these are actual sayings you and I will talk about.

It became somewhat of a chore to sit through a talkie-film when statements made were wafer thin and came across as a complaint in 88 minutes, although there were one or two gems with regards made to the state of the system here, where everything's just a formality because they're all spelt out to you for compliance purposes. Ooi Jy's Johnny seldom smiles, because he chose not to, covering up his innate fear of enlistment with some false bravado of being nonchalant and spiteful of practically almost anything. Not surprising of course that his crush told him to lay off her and just be friends. It's not an appealing character to associate or identify with, and somehow was quite a turn off with his pissy attitude. If that's the reaction sought to elicit from the audience, that goal got achieved.

Perhaps it wanted to mirror how many perceive life here, that you're given ample opportunity and various platforms to air your piece, but ultimately you are co-opted into what has been decided and established, and the only choice left is whether you'd want to look on the brighter side of things, or dwell miserably on the negatives that you have little power to overcome on your own. Like how the mother character puts it, you can have your own opinion, but keep it to yourself.

The Olive Depression anchors itself as one of the rare military-themed films of Singapore. If only the delivery had been a little more slick and refined - at times the audio was muffled - and arguments felt less like mouthpieces from atop a soapbox, but after all this is a first feature film, and it's good to know that Joshua Lim has another film in the works called The Seminarian. I guess the only way to go from here is up.

The Oliver Depression is now showing at Sinema Old School. Check their website here for scheduling and ticketing details.

Spoilers for those curious to what those 8 parts are, they're entitled
- Turning 18, Good Attitudes, Like-Minded Companion, Home, Girls, Preparation, The Day Before Enlistment and Separation.

Outlander

So, What Happened In The Other Movie?

If Jesus were to be put in an action-adventure flick, would this be it? James Cavizel's role in The Passion of the Christ would instantly make one fondly recall that role should any subsequent ones have an inkling of him being the lone, unstoppable hero who descended from the skies. An alien lifeform who looks human, he gets sent down to Earth in an accident, and sharing the same vessel is a beast known as a Moorwen, looking very much like a Predator-Alien hybrid.

Being a Science Fiction cum Viking action adventure, it is actually two distinct portions of the movie glued together, and the end result is unfortunately quite laughable. Unintentional comedy came from bad lines, and the cheesy ones will just make you roll your eyes. Characters look and feel like those from The Lord of the Rings (Gandalf? Eowyn?) and there are so many more moments in the film that seem like a deja-vu from elsewhere, you're likely to find it fun identifying each and every one of those movies.

The special effects were quite appalling to begin with too, but thankfully it improved as the film wore on, especially in the area of creature design and the harnessing of technology to give it a more refined and menacing look. But alas, whatever transpired in between culminating in that monster hunt, was something right out of generic Viking movies and even Beowulf too, making it a rather ordinary narrative from start to end, with little to excite.

You can read my review of Outlander at movieXclusive.com by clicking on the logo below.

Let The Right One In (Låt Den Rätte Komma In)

You're In

The cinematic vampires I've seen to date in cinemas recently have usually been the ramped up sexy versions, where it's either black leather on lithe female frames, or dreamy hunks to whom teenage girls would sacrifice their necks to in order to live with their lover boy forever.

While the release of Twilight had made a lot of noise in the commercial theatres last year and raking in an obscene amount of money sending fan-girls into a frenzy, one vampire movie has been making its rounds very successfully in the film festival circuit, and the accolades garnered thus far have been nothing less than stellar. Come next week, you too will know why, as Let The Right One In (LTROI) gets its deserved commercial release here.

LTROI is pared down to the very basics, and that in itself is a refreshing take thanks to John Ajvide Lindqvist's story and Tomas Alfredson's assured direction, both confident that there's absolutely no need for artificial spices to spruce up the film. We have the need for plasma for survival, the human type and not cherry ade from animals and tomatoes. Sunlight kills immediately and fiercely, not to introduce some industrial light and magic moments to glitter with sparkle dust. And their condition forces them to be in isolation, because killing sprees bring unwanted attention, but weakness from dawn to dusk means a caretaker is never far. Find out too what the title means, as I believe it's probably a step boldly taken to define certain consequences.

The emotions of their two leads were relied on heavily to bring the narrative forward in what essentially is a very quiet film until feasting time. Eli (Lina Leandersson) arrives in a small town with her minder Hakan (Per Ragnar), who provides for a number moments filled with dark humour no thanks to the unfortunate situations he finds himself stuck in while preparing meals. Their neighbour is a timid boy Oskar (Kare Hedebrant), who has school playground politics problems because of the constant taunting from schoolmates, thus coasting through his existence imagining himself fighting back for some respect, but afraid to translate his bravado for real with that knife he carries around.

Children are such that, with a certain degree of confidence, putting two-two together, you're likely to see a friendship being struck with little or no prejudice. Coming from lonely backgrounds, both strike an almost immediate friendship, despite Eli being able to come out only at night, and some very obvious hints of her nocturnal prowess. To Oskar, Eli is his first real friend who through love, gives him the courage and encouragement to face up to his demons. It's a tender love story between the two even after Oskar's discovery of the true identity of his best friend. But like best friends, such are secrets between themselves, and nothing in the world is going to change that.

It's kinda terrifying knowing that the Oskar in a way condones the killings that Eli commits, and the direction here to show that is unflinching. Given the atmospherically quiet moments, it magnifies every point when the hunter snacks on its prey, with the patches of warm blood staining the pale white face of a child, thanks also to some nifty make up, and special effects where it mattered. The noisy violence is in stark contrast to its more touching moments (the best of which being the still I used), especially if one thinks that Hakan's life is a suggestion to what Oskar's would eventually be if he so decides to follow down the same slippery slope. The toning down of pedophilia, as does Eli's sexual ambiguity, allows for this thought to fester.

I hate to do a comparison here between a truely great genre film and one that aspired to reach its heights, but I guess since many would be familiar with Twilight, allow me to indulge then why LTROI makes Twilight eat sparkle dust. For starters, the latter is your typical Hollywood blockbuster treatment where everything has to be explicitly shown and in verbatim. LTROI leaves it to the greatest tool you possess - your imaginative mind, and that in itself accentuates the level of horror that goes unseen, and giving that all round creepy feeling to it too.

Twilight had a teenage angst romance that was quite childish. LTROI shows how the innocence of love could be miles more mature, with its tender moments here making Bella Swan and Edward Cullen look like adults with bored sex lives. Gone too are (what I deem now as) nonsensical pop and rock tunes peppering the aural track, and the clever use of silence (i.e. knowing when to shut up) served only to highlight genuine tension and impending doom. Yes LTROI is less showy, but miles more effective in its storytelling craft and technique.

For a genuinely satisfying vampire movie, Let The Right One In nails it and deserves being Highly Recommended.

P.S. Hollywood now wants to remake this. Now that's a truly terrifying thought!

Raaz: The Mystery Continues

New Fodder

The first Raaz starring Bipasha Basu has nothing to do with this film. The mystery indeed continues here in name only, just like how the Thai horror franchise The Art of the Devil 2 having no relation to Part 1. It's a totally different story altogether with no return of characters from the first film, so this rose could be called any other name, and would it smell as sweet? There's a certain formula followed here and comes with the obligatory "logical" explanation, but the story could have been nipped and tucked a little to help in the pacing.

Fashion model Nandita (Kangana Ranaut who seems stuck in such roles, the last of which was the recent Fashion) and her fiance Yash (Adhyayan Suman) seem to hit all the right notes as a successful yuppie couple. At first we're told the relationship is on the rocks, but then a quick reconciliation over an awards ceremony meant happy days for both. For her, she's at the height of her career, and for him, being the successful producer-director of a long running reality television series called Superstition, which explores the many myths and beliefs in Indian culture, and goes about deconstructing and debunking them. So of course, things start to go bump in the night, but seemingly affecting Nandita more, to the point of insanity.

We get introduced to an artist Prithvi (Emraan Hashmi), who falls into a drunken trance with a few swigs, and ends up painting masterpieces of people he doesn't know, only to find that the impressions of his paintings are predictions of future occurences. Recognizing that his drawings lately have resembled the high profile model, he takes it upon himself to explain things, and this sets everything up for a romantic triangle, where his brooding demeanour doesn't put him in the good books of flamboyant Yash.

Things with Nandita start to get worst, and just as you wonder if there would be any inkling of Hollywood come smacking in the face of the film, there had to be some homage paid to movies like Ghostbusters (Kangana's rendition of the Gatekeeper, anyone?) and The Devil's Advocate, but this being Bollywood meant it's a clothes on affair in the display of deep-rooted scars in front of a church altar. Shades from Asian horror like The Ring also gets overused here. Songs have to be worked in, and this was done fairly smartly in having to set it in pubs, private serenading and a much unwanted dream-like fantasy of Prithvi lusting after Nandita (well, it did seem that way).

Director Mohit Suri employed every trick in the scare book in order to work up some boo-moments, some of which still get effectively delivered, while others dallied on the anticipation too long and backfired. From mirror images to shaky doorknobs, from copious amounts of blood stained walls to deserted underground car parks, sound effects in the theatre were maxed out to give that sense-surround creepy feeling, with whispers and creaky doors used to great effect. Alas the narrative failed to exploit the technical brilliance at the film's disposal, and investigations by both Prithvi and Nandita (the character of Yash does get forgotten for a while) take their toil as they take just too darn long to get to where they should (about 40 minutes!).

Unfortunately we don't get to see a lot of footage of superstition which could've been milked for various scenes. Instead, it becomes a rather bland X-Files episode where the superstitious and the non-believers go head on toward unravelling the mystery of the worshippers and rites of a remote town, with some environmental concerns thrown right in just because it's the in thing. The link that binds the characters together were too weak to say the least, becoming too trying especially in its final revelation with a last ditch attempt.

If it had tightened its pace and felt no need to explain everything in verbatim, this could clock way below 2 hours, and a tighter thriller could result. Not a bad experience for my first Hindi thriller, but it had room to be much better.

[DVD] Jodhaa Akbar (2008)

We're Letterboxed

It's been almost a year since I caught Jodhaa Akbar on screen, and in my review I had mentioned that I will get the DVD because I had enjoyed the movie tremendously, and want to watch it again. You can read my review of Jodhaa Akbar here.

For all the grandeur captured in the cinematic release, the rich sets, beautiful costumes, the epic scale, extras of thousands, and a film many years in the making, the DVD release, a 3-disc version at that, is utterly disappointing. I do not have qualms about the film being split into two-discs given its running time of almost 213 minutes, but for a 3-disc set, the extras in the last disc were found to be wanting, and definitely not befitting a film of this scale. Perhaps the most unforgiving technical aspect of it is that the film had been transferred on a matted letterbox format instead of an anamorphic widescreen one, and the transfer wasn't as pristine to say the least. One wonders why such corners were cut for a film that's pretty amazing in scale and story.

The 3 Disc DVD edition by BIG Music and Home Entertainment comes nicely packaged, and as mentioned, the movie is split into Discs 1 and 2. Subtitles are available for the movie discs only and in English. Audio too comes only in Dolby Digital Stereo, and the visual transfer of the film is in the unfortunate matted letterbox format.

Disc 1 contains the first two hours of the film, and scene selection is available over 27 chapters plus an intermission. The Song section in Disc 1 are those that appeared here, with 4 songs available for separate viewing (as they are presented in the film) with a play all option - Mann Mohanaa (2:22), Khwaja Mere Khwaja (6:51), Mann Mohanaa (3:35) and Jashn-E-Bahaaraa (2:29). Disc 2 continues with the remainder of the film with scene selection available over 22 chapters, and the separate Song section in this disc contains that for the iconic Azeem-O-Shaan Shahehshah (7:46) and In Lamhon (7:27).

Disc 3 should have been a lot more, perhaps because of expectations toward a Making Of documentary, or a commentary of sorts to allow the audience to sneak a peek at the production process behind the scenes and to listen in to director Ashutosh Gowariker's thoughts and explanation of the happenings in the filmmaking process.

Instead, we have plenty of text based stuff and very cursory extras that are woefully left unbefitting of a gorgeous movie like this one is. For starters, there's the text based Historical References which includes a Disclaimer and a list of Literary References in both English and Hindi text. The Director's Interview (11:52) is a short one, and we are told recorded one week before the release of the film, conducted by Rajeev Masand for CNN IBN in Mumbai. Presented in English and in 4x3 full frame format (made of TV after all), Ashutosh Gowariker is pretty chatty as he talks about making an historical drama, which he invested 2 years for scripting, 1 year for pre-production and 1 year to shoot it. He also addressed the controversy of the story and some quarters' concerns with the historical accuracy of it, and naturally talks about the length of his movies. The audio of the interviewer was pretty bad, and Masand perhaps need to restraint himself from butting in each time it was obvious Gowariker hasn't finished and still has more to say. Call it interviewer's etiquette if you wish.

Cast & Crew contains more text based listing of their biographies and notable filmographies to date, and The Cast & Crew Speak On Jodhaa Akbar (21:41) contains interviews with Ashutosh Gowariker, producer Ronnie Screwvala, executive producer Sunita A. Gowariker, script writer Hyder Ali, lyricist Javed Akthar, and lead cast Hrithink Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, as they talk about the production process, their characters and the music of course, it's A.R. Rahman!

There are a total of 10 Deleted Scenes that comes rather finished, and with optional English subtitles presented in matted letterbox format. The Director's Introduction (1:40) sees Ashutosh Gowariker explaining the need to remove scenes from the movie for flow purposes, and unfortunately there isn't any commentary to go along with each deleted scene to explain just why it was decided that it be left at the editing room floor. The deleted scenes are (Spoilers Ahead): The Kings of Rajputana (1:27), Jodhaa & Prince Ratan Singh (2:50), Farewell to Jodhaa (1:50), Brother Against Brother (0:50), How Many Birds In My Kingdom? (4:49) which involves a hunting trip and a supporting character seen in the last deleted scene, Jodhaa Comforts Akbar (2:36), Sujamal's Dilemma (2:22), The Death of Maham Anga (2:50), A Prayer For Three Lives (2:41), and the last and my favourite of the deleted scenes which I thought should be left intact, Mahesh Das Also Known As... ? (a whopping 9:10) which address corruption and contains a brain teaser of an intelligence test.

To pay tribute to A.R. Rahman's score and songs, and to lyricist Javed Akthar, there's a section called Sing Along With The Lyrics for all the karaoke kings and queens out there. All the songs - Mann Mohanaa, Khwaja Mere Khwaja, Jashn-e Bahaaraa, Azeem-O-Shaan Shahehshah and In Lamhon Ke are presented in sing along fashion, where each click on the title brings up the hindi lyrics (and their Anglicized version) for you to see to as the music for that segment of the song plays in the background. For non-Hindi speakers, you can opt for the translated text which replaces the Anglicized Hindi wordings with English.

The scant extras round off with the Theatrical Trailer (4:19 with optional English subtitles), and a couple of Television Promotions such as 2 Dialogue Promos running 0:15 each, a Teaser (0:20), a Song Promo with Supers Azeem-O-Shaan Shahehshah (0:30) and Song Promo with Supers Khwaja Mere Khwaja (0:30).

I hope some day I could double dip into a better version, probably an extended one which restores all the deleted scenes, and of course presented in an anamorphic widescreen format with pristine visual transfer, and at least a 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack. One can only hope I guess, otherwise for fans, you're stuck with a DVD edition that doesn't exactly do justice to an epic movie.

Defiance

Moses

My first thoughts about the film, was of Ken Loach's The Wind That Shakes The Barley, the Palme d'Or winner in 2006. Similarly, Defiance has brothers leading a rag-tag group of Jewish refugees in guerrilla warfare and a quest for survival, where being alive everyday means a middle finger to the Third Reich during WWII, and organizing themselves to become a tightly knitted community where, like their Russian neighbours, everyone has an equal role to play to get rewarded with equal food. And with two lion-hearted brothers at the helm, sooner or later the sibling rivalry will rear its ugly head, and differing political ideals will see them part ways.

Dramatized from a true story, you can sense the kind of films that Edward Zwick selects. From Glory to the much maligned Siege, from The Last Samurai to Blood Diamond, it's almost always the battle against an oppressive regime, where the underdogs hold out to tell their tale another day. It's a battle within oneself to do what one perceives as the right thing, nevermind about the extremely limited resources, or the weather coming to wreck havoc, and the challenge to hold a community of strangers together working toward a common goal.

Set in Belarus during the German invasion of WWII, David Craig plays Tuvia Bielski, who is akin to the Moses of the day by the community he shields and looks after, because they move in exodus from point to point within the forest to escape detection and get out of harm's way. The religious metaphors here are inevitably strong, and plays a major part given that God's chosen people are questioning their persecution, one point even praying to denounce that birthright so that they could no longer need to suffer under the hands of man, and the weather. Craig's role here is 10 times better than his Bland Bond from Quantum of Solace, and has more personality here to showcase his acting chops.

Liev Schreiber holds his own as the brother Zus Bielski, who subscribes to the mantra of an eye for an eye, preferring the rough and tumble of being an aggressor rather than to cower, believing that the best defense is still an offense, wanting to bring the war back to the Nazis. He also prefers not to accept anymore refugees that they can handle, as their group get sought out by hundreds on sheer reputation alone. So herein they clash, and he throws his weight behind their Russian neighbours in their resistance effort. Schreiber here has a more action-oriented role, but has enough screen presence to not get overshadowed by Craig's star power.

And rounding up the brothers is Jamie Bell's Asael Bielski, and if Tuvia's the Moses, then here's Joshua, the young man who shows his mettle during a critical scene in a flight for survival. Supporting the brothers' screen presence are a whole host of characters ranging from their individual lady love (yes, there's always time for a morale boosting wedding), and the bantering of two intellectuals played by Allan Corduner and Mark Feuerstein over chess games, allowing fleeting discussions into whether support from the Russians is the lesser of two evils. There's also time given to community politics, and the selfishness of man, always trying to snook established practices for self-benefit at the detriment of the community, especially one whose members are weak to fend for themselves.

There aren't many uplifting moments in the movie, as there's always more problems they encounter before any semblance of light at the end of their tunnel. Production values are excellent, and unlike the much talked about lack of accents in Bryan Singer's Valkyrie, this one does have everyone speaking in their East European accent in order to maintain some level of authenticity. You'd know what to expect from an Edward Zwick film, and this one doesn't stray too much from that established expectation. For WWII war-movie junkies, this film should also be in your shortlist of must-watchs.

Look for a Star (游龍戲鳳 / Yau Lung Hei Fung)

Sugar Daddy

You know Valentine's Day is just around the corner when the screens begin to fill with movies designed specifically to commemorate the day. You got to salute the filmmakers of Look For A Star for keeping faith with a formula that doesn't seem to tire, and I guess it has legs to travel especially when you have the charismatic and still youthful looking Andy Lau (he doesn't look like he's pushing 50) romancing Shu Qi in a rather fantasy like premise, and still keep it rather appealing because love is in the air.

The obscenely rich man falling for the poor girl isn't anything new to begin with, just one of the many combinations to have your lead protagonists background set for an opposites attract. Like what Hollywood had with Pretty Woman, and what Bollywood recently had in Ghajini starring Aamir Khan. In fact, the love story here does have parallels with the latter, since the rich man, through a series of assumptions, managed to hide his identity from his lady love, one of the reasons being it makes perfect sense to test if that somebody falls for you because of who you are, and not the size of your bank account.

So Andy Lau plays Sam Ching, a billionaire developer with his sights firmly set with projects in Macau, one of which happens to be the MGM Grand. While wondering the casino tables, he chances upon Shu Qi's Milan, a sassy (what else?) cabaret dancer cum part-time dealer at the gambling table, who catches his eye because she seems to dispense good advice to gamblers to avoid borrowing or even gambling, which means lesser profits for the company of course. For her, it's the assumption that he's one of the many poor souls who chain themselves to the gambling table, and helps out the complete stranger by sending him to the pier in order to leave Macau.

Directed by Andew Lau, better know for many a crime thriller flick and who last helmed a romance flick Sausalito some 9 years ago, this story would have sagged a bit if not for its intelligent fusing of 2 more sets of lovers. Cindy Tang and James Yuen's story had attempted to be an ensemble off love stories of sorts, and having 3 here is more than a handful to handle, which was pulled off quite effortlessly by Andrew Lau. It's a romantic movie with the central one being that of Sam and Milan, and the other two stemmed from Sam's trusted assistants, company secretary Jo (Denise Ho) and personal chauffer Tim (Lam Ka Wah).

While Sam Ching the character may pass off as rather hard to read initially, when together with Tim and Jo the trio share the same problem in their love life, which generalizes that the busy and the well to do, have some vastly different concerns when thinking of getting hitched. In fact, this would have alienated the average joe folks in the audience I felt, if not for all their heartfelt performances. Denise Ho brought out some vivid alpha-female tendencies while being pursued by a lowly maintenance guy Lin Jiu (Zhang Hanyu), in an arc which I thought was the most touching of the lot, while Tim's dalliances with a divorced woman (Shannon Fok) whom he met on a blind date set up by Sam, happened to be the most cliched and given the shortest screen time.

It's an examination into how love can transcend status only if you allow it to, without giving two hoots about what others want to think and read into things, and the set romantic pieces being smartly engineered to well the heart and the eyes with tears at the appropriate moments. Such opportunities get exploited when Sam's status gets revealed, which turns the movie into a more interesting direction. However, the only jarring bit, which you can experience from the audience's very audible quizzing, was why the need to introduce the dominating mom and ex-wives complication, which doesn't exactly get addressed properly, throwing up more questions about the character of Sam, and at certain moments do confirm his rather chauvinistic ways.

Macau itself is a beautiful backdrop for a romantic film, and having been there, I'd dare say this film captured the nice looking side of it, especially with the plenty of postcard perfect pictures of having the brightly lit casinos like the MGM Grand, Venetian, Wynn's and the unmistakably prominent Lisboa peppering the landscape. The Macau Tourism Board should be pleased with his effort. And also pleasing to Hong Kong cinephiles would be the long-time-no-see appearances of Maria Cordero, David Chiang, Rebecca Pan and George Lam taking on supporting roles here.

It's one of those feel good romantic movie that doesn't do no wrong, and clocking in at almost two hours, I felt that the last act involving the game show, was something that came out of fantasy, which on one hand would seem rather implausible, but on the other necessary in order to swiftly wrap up all the loose threads in one fell swoop. As it turned out it's rather enjoyable, and should make for a perfect date movie with that special someone of yours. Just remember to bring along some tissues too.

[SFS] What On Earth Have I Done Wrong? (情非得已之生存之道 / Qing Fei De Yi Zhi Sheng Cun Zhi Dao)

Just What?

What on Earth has Doze Niu done wrong? Well, if this mockumentary is anything to do by, then there are a series of missteps that were aptly documented, ranging from relationship woes to professional difficulties all stemming from a lack of funding.

Doze stars as himself, or at least the satirized version of himself, one who seemed a little overconfident in thinking that his latest mockumentary production about politics and the media circus, could take off without a hitch, given his track record and pioneering the "star idol" dramas on television. As with all productions, the reality of it is to secure funding, and for the most parts, this film tracks this difficult task, where the filmmakers have to pander to rich folks through entertainment, wining, dining, women of course and basically groveling at their feet. Funding trickles, and even government grants too come in installments.

All these take a toil on Doze himself, where existing issues with his live-in girlfriend Ning Ning (Chang Chun-Ning) gets amplified, and the other bulk of this film traces this systematic disintegration of this relationship where counselling is in progress to hold it together, but without the fundamental issues being resolved unfortunately. Which is of course his not-too-subtle transformation into an egoistical, selfish man unable to keep his libido in his pants.

But the film's a little deceptive in its message, and it doesn't seem to come out clear until of course the well-intended break away from the main narrative to pseudo-interviews with a bevy of stars and politicians, and the man on the street when they talk about what happiness meant. And that is the goal which everyone is trying to achieve constantly throughout a lifetime, to seek out a meaningful and happy life, which of course Doze at this stage is unable to grasp because of the negativeness. Not when you have a whiny secretary who comes to you every day with nothing but a continuation of woes that you have absolutely no certain solution to.

It's not all doom and gloom in the film however, and much of the comedy comes from the straight and trash talking characters peppering their dialogue with foul language, cursing at almost everything whether in their sober or drunken state. The Taiwanese Hokkien used here is strong, much stronger than that heard in Cape No. 7, and if I learnt anything new today, that will be GY is the English language equivalent of well, you know what when you read it out loud.

It's an honest look into the Taiwan film industry, and to me that's interesting just as I come at it straight off the heels of the Hindi one in Luck By Chance.

Luck By Chance

I'm A Star!

It's nothing new for a movie to be a critique of the affairs and matters of the industry it belongs to, but the manner whether it is harsh, direct, honest or just plain tongue-in-cheek, would set the agenda. Like in Farah Khan's Om Shanti Om, it's played out in my opinion more light-heartedly, and who can forget that job at sequels, stars and that memorable 9 minute Deewangi Deewangi. Luck By Chance by yet another female director Zoya Akhtar happened to be a more mature examination, with views coming from the bottom up, covers just about almost every angle, and contains a tight 360 degree view in what would be a sharp observation from the inside.

The opening sequence montage is beautifully designed, paying a quiet and dignified homage to the upline and downchain support functions of the entire film industry, like the guards protecting film studios and flim sets, and cashiers at the box office, with the song Yeh Zindagi Bhi as a backdrop. But this serene and muted beginning is in stark contrast to everything else that is going to unfold, where humour is largely used to great effect in cushioning the unflattering commentary on the state of affairs. For example, much has been said about storylines and sets resembling some big budgeted Hollywood counterpart, and you have a director blatantly telling his scriptwriter to adopt everything from his favourite movie. A lot of satire get tossed around, and rewards the viewer paying close attention. There's even an avenue for sight gags, and one of my favourites is the poster entitled "For a Few Rupees More".

The strength of Luck By Chance is in its strong story, characterization and dialogue. It plays on everyone's stereotypes, but yet doesn't turn its main characters to caricatures. It shows the distinct worlds that aspiring wannabe actors have to face, versus those born with luck on their side, being the offspring of famous and established stars in the movie world. It examines the struggles of the dream chasers coming to Mumbai looking for their big break, where it is established that lead roles only go to newcomers when they are soundly rejected by the stars, and the insecurities and threats that established stars constantly face, with the dealing of pressure and success, and maintaining that public icon. For the bevy of star childs as they are known (in my short foray into Indian films I have seen a number of up and coming ones), the mounting expectations that one has to deal from the public.

Luck By Chance has a movie within the movie which the subplots are laid out against, and like all productions, funding is always key, as is the network that one has to find a foothold in because of the tacit understanding that it's about who you know and who you're related to, versus pure talent. Hence the title, where one has to be at the right place at the right time staring at the right opportunity in order to get noticed amongst thousands. Vikram Jaisingh (the director's brother Farhan Akhtar) is one such aspiring actor who moved from Delhi to Mumbai in search of stardom, and lives with 2 other friends and their neighbour Sona (Konkona Sen Sharma) who is the mistress of small time producer Chaudhary (Alyy Khan) of Pinky Productions, waiting for her big break to star in a big budgeted movie with a tailor made role. At the other end of the spectrum, we have the insecure mega-star Zaffar Khan (Hrithik Roshan, whom I think is like a chameleon in being able to shape his physique at the drop of a hat) starring in his new movie with star child Nikki Wallia (Isha Sharvani), the offspring of screen legend Neena (Dimple Kapadia). And adding plenty of colour to the events in and around this movie production, are the producer Romy Rolly (Rishi Kapoor) and his brother, the actor turned director Ranjit Rolly (Sanjay Kapoor) who share the spoils for most of the comedy.

There are plenty of insider jokes spilt at every corner, making fun of commercial and art films, gossip rags and the sensationalizing of news. Upping the fun factor are a slew of cameo appearances with real stars playing themselves, and you can imagine the gasps when Aamir Khan appeared briefly in the beginning, and another Khan (I'm not revealing who amongst the three Kings, your guess) popping out to whistles from the audience for his simple role offering advice about dealing with stardom and what really matters. And to add to that if I may name drop a little, Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukherjee, amongst many others.

We follow the making of the fictional movie from start to end, and even then, there is but only two prominent musical numbers which arise from that fictional movie alone, one of which we get to see Hrithik Roshan showcase his slick moves in a big top number. The second half of the film might have sagged a little as more attention was placed to the three way romance between Vikram, Nikki (check out that seduction scene that seems to have taken a leaf out of Russian Dolls) and Sona, and how success can get into one's head and the transformation from humbleness to jerk. Farhan Akhtar gives an excellent performance as the boy who innocently, then manipulating the system to his selfish advantage toward climbing the ladder of success, and the way it ended strongly in quite an unconventional way for a Bollywood movie, gives this film a certain gravitas in being unflinching in the messages it wants to make about the industry, where the tenacious succeed and there is not much room for sentimentalism.

If you're looking for a jump point into what's on offer from Bollywood this year, then I would humbly suggest that Luck By Chance would be your best bet for an introduction to the wheelings, dealings and politicking behind the scenes by all players involved in getting the production complete, right down to generating buzz upon release, and how with luck, one's chances in life could be changed and transformed. Highly recommended.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

We've Got 13!

When I was born my mom said I looked like an old man. Like everyone else, I turned out to be pretty normal, unlike The Curious Case of Benjamin Button where he's physically developing in the opposite, suffering from common aged ailments like cataracts, hearing, and arthritis first, but mentally developing in proper chronology. One can imagine the challenges of everyone thinking you'll die soon enough, before a miracle actually happens and you're like having drunk some elixir of life, probably a little too much too.

Some would compare David Fincher's movie to Robert Zemeckis' Forrest Gump. Both have charismatic characters living out a dream of a life despite the challenges that life had unfairly laid out for them, one being mentally slow, the other being physically not quite right. Like Gump, Button (Brad Pitt in various astounding make up and effects) lives an extremely fulfilling life, having their tale peppered with significant ground breaking events, some of which they get involved in, others just serving as bookends in a narrative that span lifetimes. These become wonderful stories to tell, like Tim Burton's Big Fish, and actually, quite inspiring too to live a life seizing any opportunities that come your way.

Similarly, Ben Button has a strong mother character to take care of him, and here's where Taraji P. Henson's Queenie gets her supporting Oscar nod. Working in the home for the aged, Ben's father Thomas (Jason Flemyng) abandons the odd looking infant at the footsteps of the home, only for Queenie to show extreme compassion, and to bring up the infant like her own, full of love, blind to the fact that he is physically very different from everyone else. And Love is something Ben isn't falling short of, having to meet and love the very captivating Daisy (Cate Blanchett), where their initial encounter being very much frowned upon, like a dirty old man trying to take advantage of a sweet young thing.

It is this love that anchors the bulk of the second act, which makes it touching yet sad as you know of the collision course where this love is heading toward. I recall a scene in another movie, and you may have heard variations of this tale, where a woman asks her husband whom he preferred to meet their Maker first. The man says for his wife to kick the bucket before he does, only so because he wouldn't want her to suffer from a broken heart before her time, and to let him be punished that way instead. It is this nagging feeling that the characters experience, and both Blanchett and Pitt's performances allow the audience to empathize.

David Fincher is best known for his darker movies like Panic Room, Fight Glub, Se7en, and Zodiac, and I thought The Curious Case of Benjamin Button continues this trend, in that it's draped in melancholy through and through. There's always a sad tinge to the events in Ben's life, because growing up with older people around you would mean that you experience death a lot more than growing up with peers. But that's not to say it's always doom and gloom. There are certain lighthearted moments thrown in to break the heaviness, and those lightning stories will certainly be fondly remembered way after the end credits roll. Fincher too displays some deft storytelling techniques here in keeping the narrative from turning stale, and one extremely well executed scene involved plenty of What-Ifs that lays out what Fate would have decided for anyone.

To some, Benjamin Button may seem boring, but they are totally missing the point. The 166 minutes here were paced fabulously, never wasting any time, and yet providing enough breathing space to pause and appreciate the story, the characters, the art direction, and to soak in the wonderful cinematography. And not forgetting an ensemble supporting cast to prop and pad the central relationship between Ben and Daisy, from parents to friends, to everyone else that pops in and out offering life's lessons through fated encounters.

The people that one meets define your life in a certain sense I believe. Through Fate we know each other, and little episodes spice your life up in ways that you cannot imagine, until you look back and wonder just how much had gone by, and how much one had experienced. The latest Facebook meme on 25 Random Things had made me recall some wonderful moments shared with people who have entered my life at various points, and to those who think their lives are not rich, I encourage them to dig deep, and find certain joy in recalling those moments. Here, we journey with Jula Ormond's Caroline as she reads through a diary and co-narrates the story of Benjamin Button, in little episodes that grab your attention throughout.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a delightfully fine film, with an engaging story about life in itself, and deserves every single one of its 13 nominations in this year's Academy Awards. It's up against some stiff competition, but I'm fairly confident it will hold its own and not return empty handed. Definitely highly recommended, and easily an early contender as best film of the year thus far.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

I'm Not Kate

I guess the question on everyone's mind is, can Rhona Mitra step into the shoes of Kate Beckinsale? Yes and no actually. Rhona's got the looks that resemble Kate's, given the pasty white skin, the ocean blue eyes and the slightly protruding upper lip due to the vampire dentures. She too gets into forbidden love with a Lycan (Michael Sheen) that gets set to doom all those involved, with yet another Romeo and Juliet love story cruising at breakneck speed toward an inevitable finale. The first movie had mentioned Kate's Selene having some resemblance to the daughter of Viktor (Bill Nighy), so there's no escaping from the resemblance, which worked.

But while Selene had two movies to show off her slick action moves, Rhona's Sonia actually pales in comparison, with lacklustre action sequences crafted for her character, mostly atop horses wielding a long sword. She doesn't have much chance to demonstrate her fighting prowess, and the all-night time scenes, coupled with frenetic too close a shot and dark blue, grey and black hues all set to frustrate more. Whatever happened to the good ol' action choreography that ensured everything's seen in good time? I guess given director Patrick Tatopoulos' strength in creature design instead, we have quite impressive Lycan transformations, but nothing not already seen before.

Being an origin story going way back in time, we discover how the feud between Lycan and Vampires actually started, and to think that it's nothing more than slaves rebelling against their oppressive masters. There's nothing extraordinary about the plot here, about having a leader inspire his compatriots to the promised land, all this while suffering at the hands of pained love that translates to plenty of physical torture. You get to see a lot of gore here, which makes this installment more barbaric compared to the smooth elegance of the very first Underworld back in 2003.

Rhona Mitra does an adequate job here, but still, I'd prefer Kate Beckinsale as lead vampire. Could we have her back, please?

You can read my review of Underworld: Rise of the Lycans at movieXclusive.com by clicking on the logo below.

[DVD] Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)

Gotham's Protector

Like The Animatrix which bought some time in between the Matrix movies, this is a project in the same vein having some top notch Japanese anime companies take on this American comic book icon, and give it their own visual spin on the mythos told by writers such as Brian Azzarello and David Goyer, amongst others. It reportedly addresses some of the gap between the timelines of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, but after watching it, there's really nothing missed even if you haven't watched this.

But do so for the quality of the animation alone, where top notch production houses such as Studio 4°C and Madhouse were engaged to provide their renditions of Batman. And for all fans of the Batman's animated series over the years, having Kevin Conroy voice this is also something of a smart move to ensure proper continuity, given that after all he's been at it for some 15 years, and have proven to be the definitive voice of Bruce Wayne/Batman in the numerous animated films as well.

So what's there to expect? Here's the breakdown:

1. Have I Got a Story for You (Studio 4°C)
This is similar to an episode of the Batman Animated Series (which is also included here) where a bunch of teenage skateboarders recollect their various experiences with Batman, and naturally their interpretation of the icon range from frightening liquid oil-like being, to an expected winged beast, and even a suit of armour like Iron Man. This is by Studio 4°C , so you'd come to expect some really energetic visuals here.

2. Crossfire (Production I.G.)
The running theme here is how Batman is perceived by different quarters, and here's a story that's coming from the POV of 2 GCPD detectives, one of whom you'll also see carrying on to The Dark Knight movie. Being part of the Major Crimes Unit that Jim Gordon assembles, one's the skeptical cop questioning Gordon's alliance and tolerance for a vigilante, while the other's pretty much sitting on the fence. Their views will change of course when they're literally caught in the middle of a gang war, and there's a major action sequence here propagating the myth that he may not be totally human.

3. Field Test (Bee Train, Inc.)
I didn't like the Bruce Wayne depicted here as he looks a little too effeminate looking, so I had to focus really closely on the manly Kevin Conroy voice to convince me that he's the real deal. This is Lucius Fox's segment being the Q to Batman by designing some pretty nifty high tech tools that could be weaponized either for offensive or defensive purposes. Here a new device is crafted, and while it seemed like an extremely good idea, the field test highlighted certain moral dangers to using it, giving it a short life unfortunately. Would have been cool though, especially if brought over to The Dark Knight too.

4. In Darkness Dwells (Madhouse)
I am a fan of Madhouse's visual eye and flair, and this is one of my favourite segments visually, and also for its frenetic set action pieces. Written by David Goyer, we see the return of the two detectives from the earlier segment, and two familiar villains from the Rogues Gallery featured, with a very brutal looking Killer Croc, as well as the Scarecrow which looks a little more sinister. It's basically an action piece, and everything works here. Probably the tightest story that integrates the other stories subtly here.

5. Working Through Pain (Studio 4°C)
This is Studio 4°C's second contribution to the film, and it opens with quite a bloody start. We take a step back into Bruce Wayne's training which took him around the world, and here he journeys to India in the hope of getting the fakirs to teach him pain management, in a continuation from In Darkness Dwells. At first I thought it was going to be an introduction to Lady Shiva as well, but here it's somewhat of an essential training module that Bruce masters by the end of it. I cheer for the familiar looking Batmobile too, but more importantly, this reminded us of a very crucial role that Alfred plays in supporting Batman, one being there to address his wounds each time he gets banged up. Look out for the very cool metaphor at the end too.

6. Deadshot (Madhouse)
And Alfred's crucial role continues in this short as well, being the guiding voice from behind the consoles in the Batcave. Being Madhouse's second contribution to this last short, this is also a very gorgeous piece of animation that I've come to enjoy, and a very energetic action piece involving Deadshot (check out that character intro that looks straight out of Wanted) and a plot to take out Jim Gordon who puts his life on the line to flush out this villain. We also see Batman's glider used a lot here as well, which of course we'll also see it put to good use in The Dark Knight.

This Two-Disc Special Edition Code 3 DVD by Warner Home Video comes with a menu background in Disc 1 which randomly changes using stills from the film. Disc 1 autoplays with the trailers for 10,000 BC and Appleseed Ex Machina. The feature film is presented in an anamorphic widescreen format, with language tracks and subtitles available in English, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese and Thai. Scene selection is available over 6 logical chapters according to the shorts, and 1 end credits.

Disc 1 contains an Audio Commentary by Gregory Novak, Dennis O'Neil and Kevin Conroy who provides the voice of Batman/Bruce Wayne. It isn't your standard commentary which specifically talks about the shorts per se, given that they're largely done by creative teams in Japan, but like a chat session where they share their various experiences working on the project, as well as talk about Batman in more general terms when the visuals on screen hit certain anecdotes which offer discussion points. Only Conroy was able to provide some direct input on the process, which was to voice act after the animation was done, compared to his experienced involvement in the other animation series spanning 15 years, where they do the story first like a radio play before the animation was done. Quite an informative track for the Bat fans, especially since the definitive voice of Conroy is involved here.

DC's largest heroes are the Trinity of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. While the first two have made their jump to the big screen, Wonder Woman however has only made her foray to the goggle box, and a big screen translation is still very much in development hell. No mater, because we have a Wonder Women Sneak Peek (10:29, matted letterbox) into the animated film coming up (Spring 2009), which is an origin story, and introduced by the likes of Paul Levitz, Dan Didio and Bruce Timm who talk us through the evolution of the character since its 1941 creation, and discussed by the voice casting of Keri Russell in the title role, supported by Nathan Fillion, Rosario Dawson, Alfred Mollina and Virginia Madsen. I'm sold already!

Rounding up the extras on Disc 1 are some Trailers for The Dark Knight "Coming To Theatres" (2:08, matted letterbox), Journey to the Center of the Earth (2:07), Lego Batman the Videogame (1:14, matted letterbox) which is really cute, and Popeye the Sailor 1938-1940 Vol 2 (1:39, matted letterbox, black and white).

Disc 2 is the Special Features disc which is presented in anamorphic widescreen, with subtitles available only in Japanese and Thai.

A Mirror for the Bat: The Evil Denizens of Gotham City (35:45) is an excellent examination into the enemies of the Batman. To have a hero, you must begin with something required, which is the villain. For those who are curious about the immense popularity of Batman, who is without super powers but yet being able to endure through the ages, for some 70 years already. The secret of that appeal no doubt lies in his rogues gallery, which to me is the best ever out there for a comic book character. They draw from the darkest human emotions, and constantly thread the grey and dark areas.

This documentary ropes in the expert opinions of those who have been involved with Batman in one form or another, such as Brian Azzarello, Greg Rucka, Paul Levitz, Dan Didio, Michael Uslan, Dennis O'Neil, Paul Dini, Andy Mangels etc, to talk about a slew of villains such as Killer Croc, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Clayface, Mr Freeze, and the more recognizable A-listers such as The Riddler, Scarecrow, Ra's Al Ghul, The Penguin, Catwoman, Two-Face and of course, The Joker.

Fused with clips from the animated series, this film and countless of panels from classic comic books, they collectively trace the history and inspiration for these memorable villainous characters, and how they shift and evolve over the years under a constant stream of new writers, while yet keeping true to their core. Definitely not to be missed for those who are new to the Batman mythos and want to learn more about what makes the Dark Knight tick.

For those who wish to know more about the creator of Batman, then look no further than Batman and Me, A Devotion to Destiny: The Bob Kane Story (38:25), which to my surprise didn't shy away from painting some of the negative aspects to Kane and his debonair lifestyle, which similar to Ian Fleming's, he too inspired to lead a life like his creation. While he can't be Batman, he certainly could try to live it up a little like Bruce Wayne, given that unlike the creators of Superman, Kane's dad did get a lawyer for him during the early days for legal representation for his deal with DC, so he did get better than expected returns on his creation.

Based on old interviews, we get to hear how Bob Kane created the pop culture icon which lifted him from poverty, and what I thought was a surprise to have learnt that Vicki Vale was fashioned after Marilyn Monroe. Some have talked about his super ego and being a ladies man which served him well, and these are also documented here alongside interviews with his biographer Tom Andrae (Batman and Me), collaborator Jerry Robinson, Mark Hamill, Kane's wife Elizabeth, as well as industry players like Paul Levitz, Michael Uslan and Stan Lee who recounted their friendly rivalry.

Wrapping up this disc is Bruce Timm Presents: Bonus Episodes from Batman The Animated Series presented in 4x3 fullscreen with an option to play all the 4 episodes chosen. I'm sure fans of the series would already recall the details of these episodes, and these were chosen from hundreds because of their depth of representation. We have 1. Legends of the Dark Knight (20:17) which sums up the spirit of Gotham Knight, and having to bring us through the different tellings and interpretations of Batman, from the 50s Dick Sprang style of character art, storyline and dialogues, to Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns treatment, and a sly reference to Joel Schumacher's Batmobile from Batman Forever. 2. Heart of Ice (22:24) is an introduction to Mr Freeze, and an example of how much pathos an episode from this acclaimed series could contain, as well as a showcase of the richness and depth of characters from Batman's Rogues Gallery. 3. Over the Edge (21:33) shows the expanded Batman family with Tim Drake's Robin, Nightwing and Barbara Gordon as Batgirl, and the villain Bane, in what was an alternate what-if like tale. 4. I Am The Night (22:15) features Leslie Thompson, and is an emotional piece dwelling on Batman's constant battle with guilt, and the weight he shoulders every night when out there battling criminals.

All in all, this collection would be keeping every Bat-fan engaged for at least half a day. I know I was.

[DVD] Krrish (2006)

I'd dare say that this is perhaps the movie which prodded me into exploring contemporary Indian cinema a little more, and to date I can only admit I barely scratch the surface of it. Shot partly in Singapore, or at least when Hrithik Roshan dons the costume and becomes the superhero Krrish, it has a Bollywood actor attempting Kung-Fu and wirework long before Akshay Kumar went from Chandni Chowk to China to do the same.

Despite some of the sci-fi parts which were lifted from John Woo's Paycheck (down to the exact same set designs), Krrish is actually a sequel to director Rakesh Roshan's earlier film Kol Mil Gaya. And if production news are correct, we should be seeing Krrish 2 in production sometime soon. Meanwhile, you can read my review of Krrish the film over here.

The 2-discs collector's edition by Adlabs Home Entertainment comes with some gorgeously designed 3D menus. Disc 1 is presented in anamorphic widescreen format, with audio available in either Dolby Digital 2.0 or 5.1 in its original Hindi language track. Subtitles are available in English, Arabic, Dutch, French, Hebrew, Italian, Portuguese, Malay, Spanish, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. Scene selection is available over 25 chapters, and the only extras here are the Songs section where you can head direct to either of these tracks: Chori Chori, Pyaar Ki Ek Kahani, Dil Na Diya, and Koi Tumba Nahin.

Disc 2 is presented in a 4x3 aspect ration, and is the Special Features disc. Unfortunately it doesn't come with subtitles, so unless you understand Hindi, you'll be left scratching your head trying to decipher what is being said, otherwise you'll only be enlightened when the speakers switch to English.

It starts with a 21 minute interview talk show Hrithik's Journey: Koi Mil Gaya To Krrish hosted by Maaninee Misshra, who chats with Hrithik on his roles in the original film, and in Krrish the sequel, and fortunately, Hrithik responds in English, where he recounts the development process of both characters, and his performing of his own stunts where he had actually met with an incident on set where one of the cables broke and miraculously managed to land on top of a canopy, which was erected because it was raining.

You don't get to see any footage on that though, even in the next feature Action Cuts (24:00) where the same incident was mentioned. This segment is presented mainly in English, which begins with an interview with Tony Ching who had summoned Hrithik Roshan to Hong Kong for 25 days of Wushu training to get him up to speed on martial arts. Hrithik is a fast learner, and the clips here shown from the training sessions backs that claim up, where he works relentlessly to get himself shaped for action, and become a convincing practitioner. The rest were some behind the scenes look at how the dances were choreographed and rehearsed before the cameras rolled, and I was laughing when they introduced the Singapore segment by a montage of "fine" notices (welcome to Singapore!).

Making of the Music (21:44) contained clips from the earlier film Koi Mil Gaya, and chats with the director Rakesh Roshan, the music director (and his brother) Rajesh Roshan, as well as Hrithik who spoke in English. Singer Shreya Ghoshal was also on hand to talk about her songs which get picturized on Priyanka Chopra, and this feature ended off with talking about the quality of the visuals used to match the song, from the mountains in India to the city skyline of Singapore.

The Red Carpet (21:34) feature has scenes at the red carpet at London and Dubai, where we get to see the reception of Krrish at these cities, complete with press conference clips, interviews with the fans and with the cast and director as well. Some behind the scenes clips showing the making of the film are also included in this feature. And Krrish related extras are rounded up by the Theatrical Trailor (sic) segment which has 2 trailers running a total of 1:42.

The rest of the features in this disc aren't related to the movie, such as the section Forthcoming (with a play all option, total of 5:45 without subs) which is a list of movie trailers for Anthony Kaun Hai, Woh Lamhe, Apna Sapna Money Money and Dil Apna Punjabi. Outnow (with a play all option, total of 4:24, and also without subs) also contains movie trailers, such as The Killer, which stars Irrfan Khan looks very curiously like Collateral, 36 China Town which I had watched on a flight some two years ago but failed to write about it, and Gangster. Wrapping things up are a Star Plus Showreel (4:25) to advertise the cable channel, and a featurette entitled Stop The Hatred (1:50), where prominent stars come and speak out against race/religious incited violence.

Victory

Trying Hard

Unfortunately I'm not much of a cricket fan, and whatever knowledge I have of the game, how it's played, the rules and regulations and such, is thanks to Ashutosh Gowariker's Lagaan starring Aamir Khan, a movie which had the game explained in layman terms to a group of villagers assembling a rag-tag team to challenge their oppressive British occupiers with tax breaks on the line. Victory however is a sports theme movie through and through, adopting the very standard formula (which was also applied to Fashion) where it's focused on the protagonist's meteoric rise to stardom, an equally hard downfall, and ultimate redemption.

Harman Baweja's debut in Bollywood hasn't been rosy with the box-office disaster Love Story 2050 (which I've yet to watch), which was an expensive special effects laden science fiction movie involving some time travel. And I thought to a certain extent, Victory doesn't buy him much favours too because his Vijay Shikhawat at his introduction, gets passed off as a very arrogant whiner. Arrogant because of his given talent of being the complete cricket player and a powerful batsman, but a whiner as he constantly complains to his friends and family of rued chances. Not because he's a fault though, but because he's a small town boy who got overlooked by scouting talent due to corruption and cronyism of the scouts.

But as luck would have it, the National Team goes to his hometown for practice sessions, and determined to get just one shot to impress (erm, he did whine first of course), he turns up and wows everyone with an impressive display against the Team India players, and with a professional match in which he shone in, becomes Team India's latest secret weapon against powerhouse countries like Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the likes.

Ajit Pal Mangat's story then follows the beaten path with plenty of films out there where the small town boy gets led astray and seduced by the bright lights in the big cities, affecting his play and sowing the seeds of his downfall naturally. Values like hard work, modesty and humility, no thanks to his money-making sports agent Andy Singh (Gulshan Grover) milking his new client for millions of dollars of endorsement, get exchanged for hard cash, fast women, and hard liquor, before what all sportsmen fear, a career-threatening injury coming their way. Not to mention the cardinal sin for single-handedly failing against an arch-rival team too.

While Goal! was the definitive movie on football, Victory tried to be the same for cricket and adopted the same technique of having real players feature in the film. And credit to the filmmakers here, they got getting players from the various countries involved to participate, and not just digitally adding the actors in it, but to have real and meaningful interaction, which I felt it triumphed over Goal! in this aspect. For fans of cricket, I'd bet this is something of a real treat.

However, the film's quite focused too on the father-son relationship between Vijay and his dad Ram (Anupam Kher), who had pinned his cricket hopes on his son, and finally witnessing him realize both their dreams, only to be disappointed when he had forgotten his roots, and his drive to be world class. There's an interesting parallel here involving the father figure here between Ram and Andy Singh, one who has brought up the boy to become the talent that he is, and the other who pushed the talent to fulfill his commercial potential and downfall. I felt that this portion was glossed over, and could have made an even greater emotional impact when Vijay realizes his grave mistake. Not to mention the resolution of this subplot too, which was deep in melodrama, vastly hurried and lacking that emotional punch when it came.

Romance was also glossed over, even though Amrita Rao's Nandini was there from the onset and we all know of her unspoken love for Vijay. Again the tried and tested was followed to a T, but love got severely reduced to just 1 song summarizing Vijay's realization of her unwavering support and their subsequent courtship, before junking love aside to focus wholeheartedly on the game at hand. I felt that this lack of emotional depth in the film especially between Vijay and his loved ones, somehow provided that disconnect the audience has for the protagonist.

Victory doesn't steer away from expectations of a sports movie, but had unrealized potential which was traded for the familiar. The games too get played out to expectations (and provided some comedic moments in the after-game newsreels), so they became rather textbook with little fancy maneuvers. Perhaps it wanted to play a little safer, but in doing so it became just another genre movie without breaking any new ground.

Are You The Right One?

Lighthouse Pictures, The Singapore distributor of Yasmin Ahmad's Muallaf is releasing the vampire film "LET THE RIGHT ONE IN" very soon.

WIN A PAIR OF INVITES TO THE PRESS/ MEDIA SCREENING OF "LET THE RIGHT ONE IN" - NC16

Singapore Release Official Website
http://www.LTROI.com

How to win?
1. Join this facebook group as a member. (a must!)

2. Email: facebook@LHP.com.sg with your name as in NRIC/ FaceBook, mobile phone number, NRIC number & most importantly, an email address for us to email you an invite should you win.

3. Answer this question: Where & When is "LET THE RIGHT ONE IN" opening in Singapore.

This is open to residents in The Republic of Singapore only.

You and your guest have to be 16 years old and above to join or attend the screening. ID will be checked at usher point.

Date of special press screening is Tuesday, 10 Feb 2009 at 7pm sharp!

Venue will be revealed to the winners only but it will be a Cathay Cineplex venue.

Invites are valid only on day/date/time/venue and cannot be exchanged for cash or kind.

Winners will be notified by email on Sunday 8 Feb 2009 before 9pm. Judge's decision is final.


So what are you waiting for?

The Wrestler

A Great Triumph

All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. For one who lived his known life on the stage, or in this case, the ring, providing mass sporting entertainment to thousands live and through video re-runs, being at the pinnacle of his sport, rigged and staged or perhaps otherwise, nothing would be a fate more worse off, than to be fading into obscurity. For one so used to attention, love and accolades showered, to be cheered and encouraged, to be handing out high-fives, autographs and pose for photographs, it takes a lot to readjust life back to normalcy, if at all. Such is the fickleness of fame.

The Wrestler is deceptively simple, about one man's struggle to repair himself after every bout, who cannot connect back to the real world of disappointments. Being aged, injuries don't seem to shake off easily, and outside of the ring, Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke) is a nobody. His real life is in shambles, and he's still bumming around trying to heal and mend his life outside the fading limelight. His body is broken, with countless of scars, a busted ear and a weakened heart. Relationships are non-existent, and has to rely on spending money to buy time with a stripper (Marisa Tomei) to whom he pours his heart out to, and has affection for. Not only has he to heal his physical self, but on the emotional front he tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood).

It's about age and how cruel time can be to everyone of us. Old stuff fade away, new guys enter the scene, and life just goes on, whether you like it or not.

For those who think that they're watching WWE in The Wrestler, you cannot be more wrong on that count. It does though provide some glimpses on what goes on behind the scenes and flashing lightbulbs, song and spectacle, and for those not in the big leagues, the more independent circuit where fights are arranged and choreographed amongst the lower league players. The documentary-style cinematography adopted by Maryse Alberti also helped in pushing this aspect of the story telling, and at times blurred fact with fiction, thinking that Rourke was indeed and perhaps a real pro-wrestler whom we're tailing from behind. We do get to witness some interesting no-holds barred fights, as well as time being slowed down, and extreme closeups to reaffirm that these are professional entertainers (surely you don't think it's real, do you?) who have to look out for personal safety too.

But what Darren Aronofsky really packed it in, was some excellent dramatic moments for the characters. For starters, you sympathize and empathize with them. I was a wrestling fan in my teens. Was, because I outgrew it. For the curious, I belong to the Randy Savage to the Bret Hart era of WWF (back then when it was known as), having to see champions come and go, and a chord was struck, wondering if my ex-heroes had suffered the same fate as The Ram, having to try and survive hawking wares of their former glories, and reduced to nothing but a pale shadow of their glorious self. Not to say that Aronofsky doesn't have anything for wrestling fans or to artificially craft a sob-story. But instead of the cursory yeah, this is something I've seen before, he strikes right to your heart and makes all of us question how our once heroes would have faded.

Mickey Rourke owns this film, and has a better screen presence than his recent Marv role in Sin City, which was obscured by graphical bells and whistles. He chews up the scenery, and I can't think of any other actor who could pull this off more convincingly than Rourke. He plays The Ram with plenty of conviction and has pain, and fight, written all over his face. If Pulp Fiction was John Travolta's calling card to return to greatness, The Wrestler is Rourke's equivalent.

Marisa Tomei also did an excellent job as Pam Cassidy the stripper whom Randy shares an emotional attachment to. Similarly, her character parallels how age has been unkind to their respective professions. She's constantly struggling to get customers with competition from younger and hotter colleagues, and even when she does, unlike Randy who still gets adulation from appreciative fans, all she has is to suffer derogatory remarks, in order to make a living. If anything, Aronofsky does make you feel compassionate to these walking wounded characters, except probably for Evan Rachel Wood's Stephanie, who given the extremely limited screen time, wasn't given enough room for expression and got crowded out by the two veterans.

So now if you please, I'll go find out what had happened to my past heroes whom I had once spent my teenage years watching on the goggle box. The Wrestler opens 2009 here with a bang, and it's really highly recommended, especially for those unfamiliar with Darren Aronofsky's work.