Reviews - Movies & Music

August 1st , 2007

Starting this edition, we bring you reviews on the latest movies and music, industry gossip, parties and more. Bollywood & Hollywood. Keep visiting us here to read on more.

This edition SHAIL from The IMI Critics Panel brings you reviews on : -

Hollywood - I Now Pronounce You CHUCK AND LARRY (click to read on)

Bollywood - NAQAAB (click to read on)

I Now Pronounce You CHUCK AND LARRY

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In the movie, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, Kevin James plays a firefighter named Larry Valentine, who, because of a bureaucratic “situation”, is unable to change his pension-plan beneficiary from his deceased wife to his two surviving children. Larry persuades his best friend, a serial womanizer named Chuck Levine (played by Adam Sandler), to travel with him to Canada and marry him, so that the two of them can claim domestic-partnership benefits and Chuck can automatically become Larry's beneficiary. They do this because Larry is concerned that his children won’t receive life insurance if he dies in a fire.

The pension department assigns an investigator (Steve Buscemi) to the guy’s case, after suspicions arise about the legitimacy of their marriage. This forces them to move into the same house and sleep on the same bed. This also forces them to hire Alex McDonough (Jessica Biel) to help them defend their case.

The down side first -

Hahahahahah…

No its not chuck and Larry. The movie didn’t make me laugh and its supposed to be a comedy or atleast it claims to be one going by the trailers.

A good comedy movie (And I am talking good not great) should have great comic timing by the actors, good chemistry between them and good dialogues or situation for the actors to excel. This movie has none of the above-mentioned factors going for it.

Script -
The script partly written by Oscar-winning screenwriters Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, who proved their skill with"Sideways" is a complete mess.

My guess is that it could be because they are credited with partly writing the script.So toast the guys who wrote the other parts.

There are a couple of scenes that seem to bear Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor’s stamp, particularly an argument in which the pair snap at each other in terms that any long-married couple will recognize.

Acting -
Dan Aykroyd energizes his scenes as the fire chief, Rob Schneider plays an Asian wedding chapel owner with eye-slanting makeup and a weird accent.

hahahahaha….nope its not his accent, Larry's son is presented as a tap-dancing theater queen in training, and Nick Swardson plays Alex's gay brother, who expresses his sexuality by dressing in a fairy costume. Ving Rhames shines as a tough-guy firefighter who sings "I'm Every Woman" in the shower. hehehhaha…ok that was funny.

Adam Sandler does his usual stuff (yawn) and Kevin James is strictly ok.

Jessica Biel.Hmmm.Jessica Biel.

Well..Well!!! she is the only saving grace to the movie.. So hang on till I get there as below.

Direction -
The problem with the movie is the director Dennis Dugan wants to have it both the ways.
It has an endless stream of gay jokes while its trying to satirize the rampant homophobia of the main characters' friends and colleagues, but in many of the film's scenes, the director, Dennis Dugan, just exults in the homophobia and stereotypes.

While watching a comedy movie all we need is a good laugh. Nobody pays attention to camera angles, technique and editing.

Well editing would have helped. Just edit the whole movie…. hheehaha…Well the movie didn’t have any jokes so I was trying to make one of my own. I guess it didn’t work.

Usually while watching an Adam Sandler movie you should leave your brains outside the theater. Even that didn’t work. Perhaps I am reading too much into this Adam Sandler comedy who has a fan base programmed to laugh at a scene such as the one in which Chuck and Larry rescue an obese bed bound man during fire (The massive fellow rolls on top of them and farts). I bet this movie will have a great opening as well but…. anyway…

Now the best part of the job, The Flip Side and guess what…it does not have any…kidding.

Besides, Ving Rhames and some couple of jokes the best part of the movie was Jessica Biel stripping to show off her gym toned body and the glory of her real breast. She stresses the real part in the movie. This is it for the flip side. So, if Jessica Biel and a couple of jokes is your thing go ahead and watch the movie and good luck with the rest of the movie.

Director: Dennis Dugan
Stars: Adam Sandler, Kevin James and Jessica Biel.
Rating: C- (*1/2)

IMI Critics Panel (click to know SHAIL)

NAQAAB

Good news!! Good News!! Naqaab is better than 36 China Town (The Egg that Director Duo Abbas Mastan laid in 2006). Bad news! Its not as good as their earlier films like Humraaz, Baazigar, Ajnabee or even Soldier.

Naqaab- The most shocking thriller of the year. Either I don’t know the meaning of thriller or the directors have illusion's about their product. This movie is hardly a thriller. A thriller should have haunting background score, it should have that “edge of the seat” factor going for it. There should be some scenes which should send a chill down your spine. This movie has none of these factors. Though the climax somewhat does catches you by surprise but the rest of the movie does not hold your attention.

Abbas Mastan must have a very good collection of Hollywood DVDs because this film is a copy of or should I say “inspired” by "Do The I".

NAQAAB tells the story of Sophie [Urvashi Sharma], a young girl who works at Burger King in Dubai. She is engaged to millionaire Karan [Bobby Deol]. When she meets Vicky [Akshaye Khanna], at her engagement party, she dances with him, gets attracted to him and problems begin to surface.

Naqaab begins on a good note. The chemistry between Akshaye and Urvashi is commendable. Although the picturization of the song Ek Din teri raho main could have been better. Akshaye looks weird dancing salsa or rumba or whatever he is dancing.
Naqaab holds your interest for a while but the past of the characters, the motive of one of the character is not at all convincing. The story behind the scar on Urvashi’s wrist is so amateurish, its like (what?? Is this the best explanation you can come up with?) . In the second half when the story begins to unfold it does’nt takes you by surprise. Through out the movie you are made to believe that the character has some hidden agenda but come revelation time and it does not hits you like a bolt of lightning.

You know you have made a good thriller when at the end of the movie the audience is left with a feeling “how could I have missed that” or “how could’nt I see that coming”.
Over all Naqaab is an ok movie.

Direction -

This may not be Abbas Mustan’s best film to date but I have to give it to them for atleast trying to make something different. The movie is stylishly shot and it bears the distinctive quality of Abbas Mustan’s style. In each frame, Dubai looks like a paradise.

Story and Screenplay: Shiraz Ahmed's screenplay could have been tighter. Some interesting scenes could have been incorporated in movie.

Dialogues: Anuraag Prapanna’s dialogues is ok. I still don’t believe that someone is still writing dialogues such as “marne ke baad log sitara ban jate hai” I mean come on!! Give us some imaginative dialogues.

Music -

Music by Preetam is alright. “Ek din” is the only song that everyone will like.

Editing -

By Hussain Burmawala is good. Although, it would have helped the screenplay with a more sharper editing.

Acting -

Akshaye delivers a top notch performance. It’s a pleasure to watch him with his various expressions. All he needs, is to work on his dancing abilities. Bobby Deol is ok throughout the movie but is exceptional in the climax. Urvashi is quite confident for a newcomer. She makes the most of the great launch pad she got and looks quite beautiful.
Her scenes with Akshaye is the high point. Vikas Kalantri and Vishal Malhotra are annoying. Rai Zutshi is there for 2-3 scenes.

Naqaab
Director Duo: Abbas Mastan
Actors: Bobby Deol, Akshaye Khanna and Urvashi Sharma.
Rating: C (**)

IMI Critics Panel (click to know SHAIL)

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