May 25, 2008
This bloodthirsty Mughal historical directed by Mehboob Khan is replete with bristling mustaches, glaring eyes and more talk of swords, vengeance and honor than you can shake a stick at. The sets and costumes are sumptuous, and the histrionics entertaining, if somewhat theatrical and drawn out at times.
Cecil B DeMille apparently wrote in a letter to Mehboob Khan that this film was “a masterpiece of lighting composition.” It is, it is! And Nargis was only sixteen when she starred in it; it was her third film as an adult.
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Posted in Hindi movies |
20 Comments »
May 25, 2008
Swashbucklers Ashok Kumar and Errol Flynn!
Posted in Hindi movies |
8 Comments »
May 12, 2008
This is a terrific filmi noir murder mystery. The subtitles are excellent! The acting is first-class, the story is interesting and moves along at a good pace, and the characters and relationships draw you in and make you care what happens.
And if you’ve been wanting to see Nirupa Roy as a heroine instead of a mother, here’s your chance!
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Posted in Hindi movies |
14 Comments »
May 6, 2008
I do love a good buddy film. Redford and Newman in The Sting and Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, and James Caan and Billy Dee Williams in Brian’s Song (the most surefire way to get an American man to cry) illuminate those films with friendships that remain vivid long after the lights come back on.
So here are my favorite Hindi movie buddy roles—and brothers are not allowed. So…no Shashitabh here, sorry (Shashitabh probably deserve a post of their own some day).
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Posted in Hindi movies, Memsaab's lists |
29 Comments »
May 4, 2008
I was so f*ing happy to see these words. An alternate title could be When Bad Things Happen To Good People. The denouement has Dilip Kumar stabbing his own eyes out. And up until then it’s nothing but misery, suffering and pain.
I will say that it is a well-crafted film, with superb performances—especially by Dilip Kumar and Ashok Kumar. But for a girl who already worries too much about eight dollar cups of coffee and what the world is coming to it’s unredeemably depressing.
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Posted in Hindi movies |
35 Comments »
November 10, 2007
Despite the DVD cover showing Deb Mukherjee and Alka looking young and beautiful, their romance is only half of the plot. The other half revolves around Ashok Kumar’s character, the principal of a college named Vidyanand. This is not a bad thing! it’s a nice drama about keeping one’s integrity and lofty ideals intact even in the face of injustice. There’s also a rich-vs-poor subtext which starts out strong but doesn’t really go anywhere. The very very best things about the film are the marvelous songs by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, including two Helen numbers, and—Deb Mukherjee! I did not see that coming, I confess.
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Posted in Excellent Use of Helen, Hindi movies |
15 Comments »
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