Wednesday, February 02, 2005

Reviews

For those who have already seen the movie.Here's a review of Bhumika the movie.I hit upon some of the sub text of the movie that I had missed while watching it. This is how a review is to be written.Something that makes the reader think and wonder.
But we have to appease ourselves by the piece of s%^& that the Jitesh Pillais and the Nikhat Kazmi’s of the world churn out for us. Not to mention about the moron called Khalid Mohamed who thinks he knows it all but have a look at his movies and I think K.C.Bokadia makes better films than him. Mayank Shekhar in Mid-day has this aura of I am gonna run down any movie coming my way so you better watch out. But out of all these bunch of clowns I find him making a bit of sense.

Now if you are going to argue that there are no longer any movies like Bhumika to find the sub texts and present it to you gift wrapped, then I’d say go read the reviews of Maqbool, Choker Bali,Company,
Chandini Bar,Lagaan,Swades.

They are written just like they would write about a Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gam and similar other awful movies. Same criteria of judging. No reading between the lines. No emphasis on nuances and a zero credence given to the art of layering.

You can find another good review of Umrao Jaan by our blogger friend The Letterhead who has really given an honest account of her reactions which make you ponder.

5 Comments:

Blogger Tipsy Topsy said...

Hmmm....different people different opinions. Just depends who ur taste matches with.
btw, are some of the reviews bought? seems like that occasionaly.

February 02, 2005 6:52 AM

 
Blogger Mystic Bard said...

Hey there Saira, I think that reviews are not meant to just judge the movie and give a verdict as good or bad. They have a far more evolved job in hand. They have to convey the finer nuances of the movie if any or come up with constructive criticism based on deep understanding of the medium and its technicalities. If it was just the question of trashing a movie or eulogizing it even you and me could do that, then what are these guys doing there anyways.

Of course personal opinions will differ from person to person. We should acknowledge that and respect it too. But this platform that these so called reviewers and critics are getting is not to expostulate their personal opinions, I mean who is interested in knowing what the heck does a Jitesh Pillai think about a particular movie. Who cares? Tell me something I don’t know. Right?

Hi Tipsy Topsy, I always doubted it but after Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham got a 4 star rating in the Times and got away with it I started believing in it.

February 02, 2005 12:07 PM

 
Blogger Interlocutor said...

You've hit on my favourite bugbear, the lack of a decent film-reviewing tradition in India. Khalid Mohammad's reviews can be funny in small doses but post-Tehzeeb, I can no longer take anything he says seriously.
The Iowa Univ website is one of my favourites, by the way. It made me pay a lot more attention to the mirrors in Bhumika, among other things.

February 03, 2005 7:16 AM

 
Blogger Interlocutor said...

Oh, and I remember the ToI gave Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham the full five stars; Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai got four.

February 03, 2005 7:18 AM

 
Blogger Braveheart said...

TOI is not a newspaper,its a product.
For authentic reviews, one must read Rediff reviews. They are pretty good.

Though, I have to say that I have no respect for popularity and have no concern for it. Great works of Art are always above the mediocrity of popularity. Its very rarely that the blend of popular elements with art is so well done that it gets the deserved respect. The best example is SHOLAY!
Else, popularity essentially depends on mediocrity for its livelihood.

Reviews are never meant for people. They come out of a critic, one who tries to get submerged into the adventure of the artist and tries to revisit it. But even every critic is not like that. So the mediocrity creeps in there too.

Those who worship what sells and care for the pedestian mercantile theories would never rise above the trap mediocrity throws at them.

Akshaya

February 18, 2005 6:14 AM

 

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