I didn’t really know what to expect from Mumbai Xpress.
I mean, Kamal Haasan has seen better days.
He’s always been one of India’s finest actors, and I was watching his films since way back since my advertising days, when a bunch of us used to rent Tamil/Telegu/Kannada/Malayalam movies on VHS and watch them.
They were un-subtitled, but it didn’t matter because we enjoyed the films so much. I still remember watching Mani Ratnam’s Agninakhsatram and being blown away by his very cool style and song picturization.
Since then, of course, both Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan have made a lot of Hindi films, and these days most multiplexes in Mumbai screen at least one new South Indian film every week. But sometimes I still miss the thrill of ‘discovery’ we shared watching these relatively unknown (to the rest of India) films on VHS on smokey beer-drowsy Sunday afternoons.
Mumbai Xpress definitely isn’t a great film. For that you need to go seek out Kamal Haasan’s earlier movies - there are just too many to even list here. But it’s probably the most fun you can have at the movies this weekend.
I won’t rehash the plot here, and I won’t discount the possibility of it being ripped off from some Hollywood (or even Indian) film, but the thing about MX is that it comes off the screen with a bang, hitting you squarely between the eyes, and giving you a guffaw a second for its entire duration.
In short, it’s a laugh-riot. The acting is super, and I don’t just mean Mr Haasan himself but his trusty group of supporting actors - Vijay Raaz in particular is brilliant as ever. That guy’s a real gem.
The film is shot on digital format which means it looks awful. This has something to do with Kamalhaasan’s financial crisis, I suspect, and it’s sad to see a film maker of his calibre reduced to churning out such a sorry-looking production - in the technical sense only - but the script and terrific content more than make up for it. And that’s saying something coming from a guy whose obsession is visual aesthetics - my secret ambition is to become a cinematographer someday, not a director or a producer or even a scriptwriter, but a cameraman!
Seriously, Mumbai Xpress is a terrific entertainer. Even Manisha Koirala looks great in it, which almost makes up for the horrible digital look of the film - to be fair, digital looks absolutely perfect on the small screen, and since I noticed Sahara One was one of the financiers of the film, I suspect that even Haasan knew that the movie was more likely to be seen on TV rather than on the big screen, which is a shame because it’s actually more fun than almost all the other films released last weekend.
The less said about Khamosh: Khauff ki raat, the better. Let’s just say that it’s a total rip-off of a film named Identity, almost a frame-by-frame remake, except for the item numbers. Having said that, though, it’s not a total wash-out. The ‘copied’ story is still interesting enough to make for a half-hour’s TP. But remember I said ‘half-hour’ not two hours. So, surf in and surf out if you have nothing else to watch, otherwise give this one a full-miss.
(Incidentally, it never ceases to amaze me how ignorant the media is: don’t they notice when a Hindi films is copied from a Hollywood one? Of course they do! Then why do they do ‘mention not’? Simple, yaar: Movie journalism is the life-blood of the media today. You can rip a book apart, ignore an author altogether, shunt serious theatre, classical music, art to the inside pages, but movie gossip is what a journo needs to survive and grow, so the last thing they’ll do is give any new film or producer a negative write-up, unless, of course, they have a common grudge against a producer or star or director, in which case they’ll all gang-up and thrash him/her together, and truth be damned.)
In fact, if you must, go see Zeher again. The film isn’t much better in terms of film making, but it’s at least based on a much more entertaining original: In case you didn’t know it, Zeher is a total rip-off of a very fun crime caper named Out of Time starring Denzel Washington. Although Emraan Hashmi is no Denzel, the Bhatts at least know how to pull off a ‘copy’ passably. And that hit song, Yeh Lamhe, isn’t bad either.
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events is definitely not the ideal title for a movie when you’re trying to do an SMS booking, which is what I do at multiplexes for movies these days. The film’s based on the series of books of the same name, which, frankly, didn’t do much for me.
The real reason I watched the movie was for Jim Carrey. I absolutely dig the guy’s performances. Yes, he gets on your nerves, under your skin, gives you the creeps, whatever - which is exactly the point! That’s why he’s so effective as an actor, because he gets you to feel so strongly about the characters he plays - or, okay, just about the actor playing those characters, which, frankly, is not that different in the kind of TP entertainers he usually makes. I absolutely enjoyed his Liar Liar, Dumb and Dumber, and which was the one with the foul-mouthed wife-stealing dwarf? Terrific stuff.
He’s also a brilliant serious actor. Don’t take my word for it: Go see a movie called Man On The Moon based on a true story. Brilliant performance by Carrey, Oscar-worthy.
(I don’t like him as much in the semi-serious movies like The Truman Show, though he’s watchable even there, because they’re neither here nor there. The whole point of Carrey is excess. Holding him back is okay, but it’s sort of a waste. But then again, his very emotionally withholding role in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was so powerfully moving too - and if you haven’t seen that wonderful film, then run, don’t walk, and get it on DVD now, man, it’s a real winner.)
If you hate Carrey, there’s lots of him to hate in Lemony Snicket. He plays, like, half a dozen roles. And all brilliantly, camping it up totally, with get-ups and costumes and stuff. I mean, he IS the film. Except for that adorable ‘biter’ baby, he walks away with the whole shebang.
It’s also a reasonably entertaining fantasy thriller, but it can be a bit down at times. I mean, the whole “here’s the bad news, and here’s the worse news” style of the storytelling actually succeeds and gets really depressing at times, which is not exactly what you want from a children’s fantasy flick - give me Harry Potter’s emotional realism anyday - but the production is so sumptuous, the tricks and twists and SFX so inventive, you can do worse than pass your afternoon with this cupcake.
Hitch is about what you’d expect from a Hollywood romantic comedy. But for once, I actually liked Will Smith. He pulls off a very genuine, sincere turn in this predictable by-the-numbers, but still-entertaining, chick flick.
Of course, in the end, the fat guy (the Albert Brennerman character played by Kevin James) steals the show. Man, that guy is a hoot!
It’s a movie you’d want to take your boyfriend to, or your girlfriend, depending on what sexual role you’re occupying right now.
:~)
