4 short reviews

While I do watch a lot of movies, as all bloggers realize, posting a full on review for each one isn't feasible- there are way too many movie you just cant get into! I do like to document them at least, so here they are, the unfortunates, listed from my best to worst:
Good
Title: Ek Paheli (A Riddle)/Hindi
Year: 1971
Cast: Firoz Khan, Tanuja, Sanjeev Kumar
Firoz comes back to India from the UK when his dad passes away, and decides to settle in Goa, where the family's property is. He does up his house, and one of his purchases is a vintage piano. And he meets an enigmatic young woman, Tanuja. Tanuja intrigues him, to the extent that he falls in love with her, but she continues to speak in riddles and only meets him in out-of-the way churchyards and such. Suddenly, people he is associated with begin to die out, and the local police, headed by Sanjeev, become suspicious. Feroz is hell-bent on proving himself innocent and loving Tanuja, but there are some things that we cannot control...

Good:

• Feroz, and a very young and charming Sanjeev.

Bad:

• Tanuja is badly used, and just doesnt live up to her potential.
• I just cant deal with the way this ends. Firoz deserves better.
  

Enh
Title: Varsham/ Telegu
Year: 2004
Cast: Prabhas, Trisha, Prakash Raj, Gopichand.

The story is the same, with barely a variant on what we have seen a million times before: Prabhas and Trisha are in love. Her greedy dad Prakash Raj separates them. When Gopichand kidnaps her, then Prabhas goes after her with his friends to get her back and win her love. What will happen???? Is that even a question?

Good:

• Prabhas (Thanks for the ID Dustdevil Liz!) is extremely charismatic. I was a little smitten.
• Trisha, Prakash and Gopi are all really good, playing their parts perfectly.
• Great cinematography that makes the regular scenes look good, and the good scenes look great. But a viewer cannot live on cinematography alone...

Bad:
The story

Enh

Title: Madrasapattinam (Madras Town)/ Tamil
Year: 2010
Cast: Arya, Amy Jackson, Alex O'Neil

This was a huge hit, so I'm guessing I'll be getting lots of people who disagree with me on this one. Its a period movie, set in the per-independence era, where British Amy comes to India and falls in love with Arya. Amy is the daughter of the governor while Arya is a local peasant, so this doesnt go down at all well with the ruling Brits. The lovers flee, but are caught and torn apart. Amy is packed back to the UK while Arya is left in India. And then she comes back, much, much later.
Good:

• Great cinematography, and an attention to detail to period architecture and costumes that should be used as a teaching guide to film-makers attempting the genre.
• Arya, Amy, Alex all do really well, and are perfect naturals. The lady playing the older Amy has a brief but well-acted role.

Bad:

• Bits of script from Lagaan, The Titanic, Kisna and Mangal Pandey were simply lifted and added to the film. Which was ABSOLUTELY NOT needed. Put me off, and made the movie "enh" for me.

Hilarious Rubbish

Title: Help

Year: 2010

Cast: Bolly Deol, Shreyas Talpade, Mugdha Godse


Before you begin throwing things at me for watching this, know that I did it for Shreyas. I like the guy; he does well at almost everything- almost, because Shryas couldn't save this- nobody could.
Bobby and Mugdha go back to her home in Mauritius for a bit, since her dad is sick and needs care. Mugdha has a sad past- her twin sister drowned when they were five, followed by her mom going to a mental asylum and killing herself there. So clearly, Mugdha isn't happy to be home in the midst of all thsoe memories. Then weird things begin to happen, her best friend dies, and professor Shreyas (!) shows up to help out. What follows is a mishmash of scenes from Ringu, Mirrors and Unborn, punctuated by the loving, hamming pair and a misplaced Shreyas.

Good:
What?
Bad:
All