Iqbal - The story of following your dreams

Nagesh Kukunoor of Hyderabad Blues fame is getting better with every movie he makes. Iqbal the story of a deaf and dumb village boy who dreams of riding his dream of becoming one of the men in blue. The struggle he goes through against all adversity is the highlight of this movie, along with performances from Shreyas Talpade who play Iqbal and Naseeruddin Shah. Shweta Prasad who plays Iqbal's younger sister is also well played.

All in all a feel good movie to watch if you are an 'underdog' supporter. Besides if you are a fan of Nagesh Kukunoor's brand of movies, this one is pretty slickly made.

My Take - Yeah! ■■■■■

Shuteye Shutoff

Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank are exceptional in the 2002 murder thriller Insomnia. Slickly shot in Alaska where the sun never sets, this crime thriller is
well executed with great perfomances. It's unimaginable that you'll find that Al Pacino and Robin Williams set a wrong foot when it comes to performances, and this one is no exception. Christopher Nolan well known for his crime flicks is one filmmaker to watch when it comes to gripping crime thrillers replete with tight characterizations.

This one needs a rerun because each moment has some tale being told. Needs a keen eye to pick the relationships each of them share and the worlds they live in, and ofcourse how protective they are of their worlds.

My Take - Yeah! ■■■■■

Salaam Namaste - Fresh Breath Energy

The latest from the Yashraj Films stable and it doesn't disappoint you. Salaam Namaste is a refreshing look at the westernised concept of a live in relationship. Adeptly handly by debutante director Siddharth Raj Anand and beautifully potrayed by the ever youthful Saif Ali Khan and the dimple cheeked Preity Zinta. The supporting cast of Arshad Warsi, Javed Jaffery and the rest add comic timing that without fail will get you in splits and also add to your cult dialogs or fun dialogs list. Do try spotting the scion of one of India's premier business houses doing a very special appearence - don't blink lest you miss him. The director does an hitchcockian appearence as well, but I'm told that it was because the primary actor didn't turn up.

The movie has excellently picturized exotic locations in Austrailia that make you go and want to settle there. The music is very refreshing and hummable. All in all a great film to go and watch for everyone who is in love or wants to be in love (aren't we all suckers for that). They could have however done better on the climax than picking it up from Nine Months. Nevertheless, watch it on the big screen for the fresh colors used by the film maker.

Way to go Siddharth for adding your name to the ever growing list of Indian film makers who are making a difference to the film industry.

My Take - Yeah! ■■■■■

Hello, Dolly!

Picked up the DVD of Hello, Dolly!on one of my rare appearences at the local music/video store. A 1969 classic, it has my favourite female singer Barbara Streistand along with Walter Mathau. An elegantly done musical this one also has Louis Armstrong in his last appearence in a movie singing the title song as well. Musicals are a great fun to watch and I would recommend this movie to anyone wanting to get a peek into the world of musicals.

Though not in the same league as the director Gene Kelly's earlier classic Singin in the Rain - this will however keep you entertained with its music. Worth a watch and the title song and dance sequence deserves multiple reruns, what with it being the Satchmo's last appearence on the big screen.

My Take - Hmmm! ■■■■■