This is carla's Typepad Profile.
Join Typepad and start following carla's activity
carla
Geek. Dilettante. Over-analyzer of Hindi movies. World music addict & DJ. Anthropologist of enthusiasms. Other stuff.
Interests: At the moment: India and Hindi films, languages and linguistics, world music, world history, health and fitness
Recent Activity
Thanks! I appreciate this comment. Every time I see a new comment has come up on this post I brace myself for a comment like the one immediately above yours. ЁЯШВ I generally like Mani Ratnam very much (with a few notable exceptions, like Yuva) and I'll be interested to see the film you suggest.
Anand (1971)
рдЖрдирдВрдж This is one of the most difficult reviews to write of any since I started this blog. I usually get a perverse kind of pleasure from writing about films I didn't enjoy, but this has not been the case with Anand ("joy," as well as the lead character's name), which I watched months ago and ...
Hey Shiv, thanks for the note. I'm sorry I've been AWOL for so long. I got caught up in another project and my brain just doesn't have the bandwidth for two obsessions at once. So I haven't written about Indian movies in a long while. I did watch Dangal (though not Bahubali 2). I'm sure I'll be back eventually, but I cannot promise it will be any time soon. Take care!
Dear Zindagi (2016)
Dir. Gauri Shinde Dear Zindagi's central social theme is fine. It's an important idea - that regular people can benefit from psychotherapy for regular-people problems - and maybe there is an audience for the film who is not already comfortable with that idea. Its treatment of the sessions bet...
Aw, I'm afraid I don't know off the top of my head, but I'm pretty sure there's information about the animals in the opening credits of the movie, isn't there?
Haathi mere saathi (1971)
рд╣рд╛рдереА рдореЗрд░реЗ рд╕рд╛рдереАDir. M.A. Thirumugham There is a vanishingly small number of Hindi movie stars that I actively dislike. A few are neither here nor there, but one of the great joys of Hindi films for me is that most of the stars are so generously appealing. Despite that, though, I have never be...
I'm afraid at this point (all of three months later, but I'm old) I don't remember enough specifics now to tell you what was said or when. All I have now is a general recollection of some heavy-handed, story-interrupting preaching. Sorry.
Kahaani 2 (2016)
Dir. Sujoy Ghosh For Sujoy Ghosh to call this film Kahaani 2 inevitably sets certain expectations, and Kahaani 2 inevitably fails to meet them. It is a competent and entertaining thriller in its own right, but it lacks the freshness and riveting energy of Kahaani, lacks the vibrant sense of pl...
Thanks very much. In fact, the comment you're replying to is 4 years old, and I have since listened to an audiobook of Life of Pi! It was probably not that long after posting that comment, now that I think about it. That statement, "I read a lot less than I would like" includes audiobooks - which I listen to more than almost anyone I know. It's always nice to find someone else who enjoys them too. :)
Life of Pi (2012)
Dir. Ang Lee The long-standing convention in the movies is that the camera is a truthful, omniscient, unbiased observer. What we see on the screen is what really happens within the movie's canonical universe. Every once in a while, though, a movie challenges this idea, offering the audience the...
Thanks so much for this great comment. I love your analysis and agree that Billy Wilder would have enjoyed the film. And you have me interested in tracking down Bundal Baaz. :-) I hope you'll stick around and comment more!
Manoranjan (1974)
рдордиреЛрд░рдВрдЬрди Dir. Shammi Kapoor I was just thinking that it had been a while since I watched an instant favorite - one of those movies that I know on first watch will be one I return to again and again, one that I gush about in a breathless review. Manoranjan, it turns out, is one of those movies....
I agree. I think it's an underappreciated movie.
Shanghai (2012)
Dir. Dibakar Banerjee The events of Shanghai unfold in the fictional city of Bharatnagar, India City, a city that is any city in India, a microcosm of India. In Bharatnagar, political rallies halt traffic daily, working people's homes are bulldozed to make way for shiny commercial development...
Pooja, you said it much more concisely than I did!
Mohenjo Daro (2016)
Dir. Ashutosh Gowariker First, a disclaimer: I only lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes, roughly halfway, into Ashutosh Gowariker's new film before I just couldn't take another minute. I walked out. So I can't really call what follows a review; it's not entirely fair to the film to judge i...
Dear Zindagi (2016)
Dir. Gauri Shinde Dear Zindagi's central social theme is fine. It's an important idea - that regular people can benefit from psychotherapy for regular-people problems - and maybe there is an audience for the film who is not already comfortable... Continue reading
Posted Dec 12, 2016 at Filmi Geek
Comment
4
Do you think Arjun Rampal's acting is particularly good? I find him serviceable at best but not especially engaging. I do think Vidya did a good job with her unusual character (as I wrote about in the post).
Kahaani 2 (2016)
Dir. Sujoy Ghosh For Sujoy Ghosh to call this film Kahaani 2 inevitably sets certain expectations, and Kahaani 2 inevitably fails to meet them. It is a competent and entertaining thriller in its own right, but it lacks the freshness and riveting energy of Kahaani, lacks the vibrant sense of pl...
Oh of course, yes, I read about Love Affair around the same time. I'd bet it was even a hoary device in the 30s.
I think you are fine to wait on Kahaani 2. One thought that occurred to me as I was writing, is that though it was enjoyable, I don't think I'd ever really need to see it again. Whereas Kahaani I enjoy rewatching, even though I know what's coming.
Kahaani 2 (2016)
Dir. Sujoy Ghosh For Sujoy Ghosh to call this film Kahaani 2 inevitably sets certain expectations, and Kahaani 2 inevitably fails to meet them. It is a competent and entertaining thriller in its own right, but it lacks the freshness and riveting energy of Kahaani, lacks the vibrant sense of pl...
Kahaani 2 (2016)
Dir. Sujoy Ghosh For Sujoy Ghosh to call this film Kahaani 2 inevitably sets certain expectations, and Kahaani 2 inevitably fails to meet them. It is a competent and entertaining thriller in its own right, but it lacks the freshness... Continue reading
Posted Dec 5, 2016 at Filmi Geek
Comment
6
Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Maggie - I very much appreciate your reading and adding to the discussion.
You make a great point about Gandhi-style resistance and sacrifice, but I have to say I have a very different reaction to Raj Kapoor than you do. I find nearly all his films self-indulgent and whiny, and his characters do little more than lament how tragic their lives are when really all they are doing is imposing their oversized egos on everyone else. Shree 420 being the only, and a very delightful, exception.
Mother India (1957)
The exquisite sacrifice that is the life of an Indian woman is a common and moving theme upon which many great Hindi films are based, from Amar Prem to Lajja. And the mother of all these films may be Mother India, in which an Indian woman survives an almost unimaginable series of hardships an...
Mohenjo Daro (2016)
Dir. Ashutosh Gowariker First, a disclaimer: I only lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes, roughly halfway, into Ashutosh Gowariker's new film before I just couldn't take another minute. I walked out. So I can't really call what follows a... Continue reading
Posted Aug 14, 2016 at Filmi Geek
Comment
2
I rather agree with you about Bauji's selfishness. I'm not sure I'm ready to read the end as literally as you do, though.
I do appreciate your comments on Seema Pahwa's character. I think (though it's been a while now since I've seen the film) my issue was one of tone, rather than content, of her bitter comments. She became so shrill and loud as to be irritating to listen to. Realistically so? Perhaps, but this is a film, not reality; not irritating your audience is an important par tof storytelling, especially when you want the character to be sympathetic.
I will watch Masaan and Titli both, eventually. Very pressed for time these days and finding it very difficult to write, even when I get a chance to watch things. I'm not in a productive phase just now, it seems. :/
Ankhon Dekhi (2013)
рдЖрдБрдЦреЛрдВ рджреЗрдЦреА Dir. Rajat Kapoor How do you decide what you believe? We live on a continuum that stretches from evidence to inference to faith. Most of us slide freely back and forth along it, never drifting too far toward one end or the other. Some things we believe to be true because we have wit...
That's so funny - I guess Bhansali and his choreographer have a better bead on what young people will like than I do!
I have found the movie gets even better with repeat viewings, but of course, different strokes etc. What were the mixed feelings?
Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013)
рдЧреЛрд▓рд┐рдпреЛрдВ рдХреА рд░рд╛рд╕рд▓реАрд▓рд╛ рд░рд╛рдо-рд▓реАрд▓рд╛ Dir. Sanjay Leela Bhansali Bhansali films have been a mixed bag for me. For instance, while I am very fond of Khamoshi and Bajirao-Mastani, Saawariya hits some terribly wrong notes, and my seething hatred of Devdas is well-documented. Bhansali's aesthetic sense is s...
Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013)
рдЧреЛрд▓рд┐рдпреЛрдВ рдХреА рд░рд╛рд╕рд▓реАрд▓рд╛ рд░рд╛рдо-рд▓реАрд▓рд╛ Dir. Sanjay Leela Bhansali Bhansali films have been a mixed bag for me. For instance, while I am very fond of Khamoshi and Bajirao-Mastani, Saawariya hits some terribly wrong notes, and my seething hatred of Devdas... Continue reading
Posted Jun 4, 2016 at Filmi Geek
Comment
2
Always good to meet another true believer ;)
OK Kanmani (2015)
Dir. Mani Ratnam It's difficult not to compare this movie to Shuddh Desi Romance, as both take on the charged topic of a young couple living together without marriage. The trouble is that it's not at all a fair fight; OK Kanmani bests Shuddh Desi Romance by a wide margin in just about every a...
Thanks so much for the additions. I have seen some of these but not yet written about them - including Do Bigha Zameen, Devi, and Alaipayuthey. I'd like to write about them. Another trade-off for me - rewatch something I've seen before and write about it, or watch something new and expand my knowledge? If only I had three more hours in each day. :D
OK Kanmani (2015)
Dir. Mani Ratnam It's difficult not to compare this movie to Shuddh Desi Romance, as both take on the charged topic of a young couple living together without marriage. The trouble is that it's not at all a fair fight; OK Kanmani bests Shuddh Desi Romance by a wide margin in just about every a...
Shanghai (2012)
Dir. Dibakar Banerjee The events of Shanghai unfold in the fictional city of Bharatnagar, India City, a city that is any city in India, a microcosm of India. In Bharatnagar, political rallies halt traffic daily, working people's homes are bulldozed... Continue reading
Posted May 22, 2016 at Filmi Geek
Comment
3
Hello Ashish, thank you for the kind comment. :) Funny thing about that picture - I wrote this review when the film was just out, and I had trouble finding a still I liked. I found the one you see above, but I had wondered whether it was actually from the film, or maybe from a scene that didn't make the final cut. At any rate I used it, and you have caught me out. ;) Now that DVDs of this film are available I will watch it again someday and then replace the screenshot!
I would love to see all the films you mention. It is not as easy to find Malayalam films with English subtitles as it is Hindi films (much less to find the time to watch any films at all) but I so much appreciate your recommendations and have added them to a spreadsheet I keep of non-Hindi Indian films that have been recommended to me.
OK Kanmani (2015)
Dir. Mani Ratnam It's difficult not to compare this movie to Shuddh Desi Romance, as both take on the charged topic of a young couple living together without marriage. The trouble is that it's not at all a fair fight; OK Kanmani bests Shuddh Desi Romance by a wide margin in just about every a...
Outlook Roundup
In case you missed them, here are my last few columns at Outlook. Quirky Parsis and Drunk Christians - despite the title that my editor gave this piece, it is actually about movies that go beyond these stereotypes when depicting... Continue reading
Posted May 22, 2016 at Filmi Geek
Comment
0
Thanks! I found the film on YouTube with subtitles and will definitely give it a look.
Mere Apne (1971)
рдореЗрд░реЗ рдЕрдкрдиреЗ Dir. Gulzar An old widow moves from her village to the city, is baffled by the coarseness and amorality that she encounters there, and finds her place as a surrogate grandmother to a clutch of antagonistic ruffians, bringing tenderness and compassion back into their jaded lives. Summa...
Arvind, do you think Gulzar is better as a lyricist than a filmmaker? I always enjoy his films. There is a delicacy to the way he tells stories. Mausam is a great example - it's a very filmi story, but he tells it with a deft touch. Aandhi of course is one of my all-time favorites. I picked up a copy of Achanak on the recommendation of several commenters here - I haven't watched it yet but I think I will in the not-too-distant future.
Mere Apne (1971)
рдореЗрд░реЗ рдЕрдкрдиреЗ Dir. Gulzar An old widow moves from her village to the city, is baffled by the coarseness and amorality that she encounters there, and finds her place as a surrogate grandmother to a clutch of antagonistic ruffians, bringing tenderness and compassion back into their jaded lives. Summa...
Thanks Sumeet :) If my knowledge is encyclopedic it is missing quite a few volumes! I answered your question over on Facebook. Hope to see you soon!
Mere Apne (1971)
рдореЗрд░реЗ рдЕрдкрдиреЗ Dir. Gulzar An old widow moves from her village to the city, is baffled by the coarseness and amorality that she encounters there, and finds her place as a surrogate grandmother to a clutch of antagonistic ruffians, bringing tenderness and compassion back into their jaded lives. Summa...
More...
Subscribe to carlaтАЩs Recent Activity