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dangermousieI just got back from it and I am in love! Definitely my favorite Bollywood movie this year.
First off, saw a preview for Paheli which looks gorgeous and lovely and I can't wait, Munnabhai sequel (just the minute that they showed made me giggle and feel better) and Yagna teaser which looks period, looks serious, is VVC movie (and I love him) and the cast: AB, Saif, Vidya, Sunjay etc is to die for. Saif is certainly picking great projects lately. There isn't a single movie of his lined up that I don't think can be really really great. No wonder he and Abhishek vie for a second place (SRK is always first) on m favorite Bolly actors list. OK, on to the movie.
Plot: In 1962 Calcutta, Lolita (Vidya Balan) and Shekhar (Saif Ali Khan) are best friends who grew up together. The arrival on the scene of Girish (Sunjay Dutt) who falls in love with Lolita makes them realize their feelings for each other, but misunderstandings threaten to drive them apart.
I loved the sepia, slightly tinted look of this movie. I have to say, this might simply be the most elegant BW movie I've ever seen. If it was a Hollywood production, it'd be a shoo-in for art design. I loved Bhansali's Devdas and its opulence, but this manages to be gorgeously restrained. I also loved the clothes. A BW movie where I didn't dislike a single item of clothing is a rarity indeed. In fact, the 60s clothes and atmpsphere are a delight.
I liked the story. Simple but with a focus on the characters. In fact, I wanted to movie to be longer, as I was enjoying the angst.
Saif was excellent. He was really good as this flawed, jealous man who you can't help but like anyway. I think it was his best performance to date. It had some light-hearted, laid-back moments that his characters are usually known for (DCH, KHNH) but it is a much more complicated, developed, and darker character than he is in those movies. He is spoiled, boyishly charming, angsty and messed up, and I loved every second of it. I love his voice and his arms weren't bad either....*hyperventilates*
Did you like the reasoned write-up above? Too bad, because as of now, I am starting to fangirl.
Saif. Saif SAIF!!!!!!! Those arms. Those freaking hot arms. And that charm and that angst and did I mention THOSE ARMS? From the opening intro when he is in his wedding coat, all severe black, and you can tell he is deeply unhappy, and steeling himself, I was having thoughts in the vicinity of NC-17.
I adored Vidya. I think it's the best debut in quite awhile. Comparing recent debuts, she is better than Sneha (though I liked her), as she can portray a nuanced, mature woman, and she is better than Gayatri in Swades because she projects warmth. When a character is supposed to be loveable and warm, and everyone sings her praises, it's easy to be irritated by her, but I fell a little in love with Lolita myself. She and Saif have lovely chemistry. I saw a teaser for Yagna, and it seems she and Saif are going to be in another Vinod Chopra film together. I hope they play a couple in that one as well.
Sunjay: he was very good at projecting his trademark rumpled warmth, but his role is somewhat smaller than that of SAK and VB. He also had lovely chemistry with Lolita.
The supporting cast was likewise excellent. I especially liked Dia Mirza as Koel. I want her for my sister.
I liked the songs. My favorite was the opening one that the auntie sings at the wedding. It's very apropos in view of the story (bride who won't open the door till she sees the money) and I loved the wedding night one, and Saif on the train one. I am not in love with the album, but I think it will grow on me. OK, details and SEVERE SPOILERS follow.
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I liked the flashback structure. That one flashback he had to their wedding night, phew!
Saif's father was utterly horrible. I wonder what's going to happen after the movie ends: his whole family rebelled against him, but he is still head of family. I loved it when Saif stood up to him (the theater applauded) and that the filmmakers didn't have a cop-out "he reforms" at the end.
Favorite Scenes:
1. Shekhar and Lolita's wedding has to be the most romantic wedding I've ever seen in BW movie. Starting with his jealousy and her crying explanation and her "you always yell at me" and his repeated "sorry" (they are so young) to her putting the chain on him and vice-versa. This is why I love Bollywood: pure emotional jolt you can get nowhere else. And then their love-making scene. It was (and I hestitate to use this word, because there was nothing shown that you might not see on ABC at 5pm) erotic in a way no porn movie could ever be. Because of the colors and emotion and the story....wow! All you see is his bare back and his untying the back of her garment and sliding it off her shoulders and a bit in the front while they are horizontal and his kissing her face, but damn, that was HOT (and realively long, yay!) The both were pretty happy afterwards :D
2. Saif in the car with his father when his father is driving a wedge between him and Lolita, basically telling him that she thinks he is a good-for-nothing, impotent, useless sucker. It's a claustrophobic scene because they are in this small space, and you can feel Saif's complete panic and hurt and confusion. The whole sequence where he tries to find out about the wedding and ends up slapping Lolita is heart-breaking.
3. Saif's father telling Lolita she is whore. Ugh. Ugh. UGH. And Lolita remaining quietly dignified throughout.
4. Girish and Lolita's first meeting and the way Girish pretends to be the electrician and makes her smile.
5. All the jealous Saif scenes (seeing her help Sunjay during the pot thingy, spying on them going to nightclub etc etc). I love me some Saif angst.
6. Saif and his father confronting each other at the end. When his hitting Lolita and his rejection of her on the stairs flashes through his mind and he tells his father that he hit his wife and starts hitting his hand on the books and the table as if to punish himself.
7. Lolita and Koel and the cake-baking. So light-hearted and lovely.
8. Shekhar's friend trying to borrow a penny from a beggar because he has no money for the ride home.
9. Shekhar not being able to stop imagining Lolita and Girish's wedding night and playing the same note on the piano over and over and over until the glass of water falls. I have to say his father really deserves a beating. When you come into your son's room in the middle of the night because he is banging on the piano until glasses fall off, is drenched with sweat and looks like he is having a nervous breakdown, you don't go: "You've agreed to marry the girl, yay!" Ugh.
10. It's part of the above scene, but I have to list it anyway. When he plays a little piece after his parents leave the room and the child-Lolita of his memory asks him if he wrote it and he responds out loud that "it was Tagore, stupid," shoulders shaking and starts sobbing......aaaaawwwww!
11. Nightclub number. Rekha who performs it looks like a mummy but I liked the lighthearted fun of it all.
12. Shekhar and Lolita reunited at the end. Though if I was her, I'd make him grovel.
OK, I really do have more to say, but it's late and I am tired.
First off, saw a preview for Paheli which looks gorgeous and lovely and I can't wait, Munnabhai sequel (just the minute that they showed made me giggle and feel better) and Yagna teaser which looks period, looks serious, is VVC movie (and I love him) and the cast: AB, Saif, Vidya, Sunjay etc is to die for. Saif is certainly picking great projects lately. There isn't a single movie of his lined up that I don't think can be really really great. No wonder he and Abhishek vie for a second place (SRK is always first) on m favorite Bolly actors list. OK, on to the movie.
Plot: In 1962 Calcutta, Lolita (Vidya Balan) and Shekhar (Saif Ali Khan) are best friends who grew up together. The arrival on the scene of Girish (Sunjay Dutt) who falls in love with Lolita makes them realize their feelings for each other, but misunderstandings threaten to drive them apart.
I loved the sepia, slightly tinted look of this movie. I have to say, this might simply be the most elegant BW movie I've ever seen. If it was a Hollywood production, it'd be a shoo-in for art design. I loved Bhansali's Devdas and its opulence, but this manages to be gorgeously restrained. I also loved the clothes. A BW movie where I didn't dislike a single item of clothing is a rarity indeed. In fact, the 60s clothes and atmpsphere are a delight.
I liked the story. Simple but with a focus on the characters. In fact, I wanted to movie to be longer, as I was enjoying the angst.
Saif was excellent. He was really good as this flawed, jealous man who you can't help but like anyway. I think it was his best performance to date. It had some light-hearted, laid-back moments that his characters are usually known for (DCH, KHNH) but it is a much more complicated, developed, and darker character than he is in those movies. He is spoiled, boyishly charming, angsty and messed up, and I loved every second of it. I love his voice and his arms weren't bad either....*hyperventilates*
Did you like the reasoned write-up above? Too bad, because as of now, I am starting to fangirl.
Saif. Saif SAIF!!!!!!! Those arms. Those freaking hot arms. And that charm and that angst and did I mention THOSE ARMS? From the opening intro when he is in his wedding coat, all severe black, and you can tell he is deeply unhappy, and steeling himself, I was having thoughts in the vicinity of NC-17.
I adored Vidya. I think it's the best debut in quite awhile. Comparing recent debuts, she is better than Sneha (though I liked her), as she can portray a nuanced, mature woman, and she is better than Gayatri in Swades because she projects warmth. When a character is supposed to be loveable and warm, and everyone sings her praises, it's easy to be irritated by her, but I fell a little in love with Lolita myself. She and Saif have lovely chemistry. I saw a teaser for Yagna, and it seems she and Saif are going to be in another Vinod Chopra film together. I hope they play a couple in that one as well.
Sunjay: he was very good at projecting his trademark rumpled warmth, but his role is somewhat smaller than that of SAK and VB. He also had lovely chemistry with Lolita.
The supporting cast was likewise excellent. I especially liked Dia Mirza as Koel. I want her for my sister.
I liked the songs. My favorite was the opening one that the auntie sings at the wedding. It's very apropos in view of the story (bride who won't open the door till she sees the money) and I loved the wedding night one, and Saif on the train one. I am not in love with the album, but I think it will grow on me. OK, details and SEVERE SPOILERS follow.
s
p
o
i
l
e
r
s
I liked the flashback structure. That one flashback he had to their wedding night, phew!
Saif's father was utterly horrible. I wonder what's going to happen after the movie ends: his whole family rebelled against him, but he is still head of family. I loved it when Saif stood up to him (the theater applauded) and that the filmmakers didn't have a cop-out "he reforms" at the end.
Favorite Scenes:
1. Shekhar and Lolita's wedding has to be the most romantic wedding I've ever seen in BW movie. Starting with his jealousy and her crying explanation and her "you always yell at me" and his repeated "sorry" (they are so young) to her putting the chain on him and vice-versa. This is why I love Bollywood: pure emotional jolt you can get nowhere else. And then their love-making scene. It was (and I hestitate to use this word, because there was nothing shown that you might not see on ABC at 5pm) erotic in a way no porn movie could ever be. Because of the colors and emotion and the story....wow! All you see is his bare back and his untying the back of her garment and sliding it off her shoulders and a bit in the front while they are horizontal and his kissing her face, but damn, that was HOT (and realively long, yay!) The both were pretty happy afterwards :D
2. Saif in the car with his father when his father is driving a wedge between him and Lolita, basically telling him that she thinks he is a good-for-nothing, impotent, useless sucker. It's a claustrophobic scene because they are in this small space, and you can feel Saif's complete panic and hurt and confusion. The whole sequence where he tries to find out about the wedding and ends up slapping Lolita is heart-breaking.
3. Saif's father telling Lolita she is whore. Ugh. Ugh. UGH. And Lolita remaining quietly dignified throughout.
4. Girish and Lolita's first meeting and the way Girish pretends to be the electrician and makes her smile.
5. All the jealous Saif scenes (seeing her help Sunjay during the pot thingy, spying on them going to nightclub etc etc). I love me some Saif angst.
6. Saif and his father confronting each other at the end. When his hitting Lolita and his rejection of her on the stairs flashes through his mind and he tells his father that he hit his wife and starts hitting his hand on the books and the table as if to punish himself.
7. Lolita and Koel and the cake-baking. So light-hearted and lovely.
8. Shekhar's friend trying to borrow a penny from a beggar because he has no money for the ride home.
9. Shekhar not being able to stop imagining Lolita and Girish's wedding night and playing the same note on the piano over and over and over until the glass of water falls. I have to say his father really deserves a beating. When you come into your son's room in the middle of the night because he is banging on the piano until glasses fall off, is drenched with sweat and looks like he is having a nervous breakdown, you don't go: "You've agreed to marry the girl, yay!" Ugh.
10. It's part of the above scene, but I have to list it anyway. When he plays a little piece after his parents leave the room and the child-Lolita of his memory asks him if he wrote it and he responds out loud that "it was Tagore, stupid," shoulders shaking and starts sobbing......aaaaawwwww!
11. Nightclub number. Rekha who performs it looks like a mummy but I liked the lighthearted fun of it all.
12. Shekhar and Lolita reunited at the end. Though if I was her, I'd make him grovel.
OK, I really do have more to say, but it's late and I am tired.
