July 22, 2003
Congratulations and Thanks...
...to all of my fellow Poop Shoot colleagues for making it past the one-year mark. Big ups to Mr. Smith, Mr. Chen, and particularly Mr. Ryall for showing such incredible patience with me, particularly in recent months. And, of course, many thanks to those of you who've managed to stick around with me and my ranting...
BAD-Asses
Just about any concrete cinematic complaint can be leveled against BAD BOYS II. The script is a mess; the movie is horribly long and atrociously over-directed--and that's just for a start. But damn it if the film doesn't work as what it's supposed to be: a big, brainless blast o' boom at the box office.
Eight long years have passed since the first BAD BOYS film, and there's a certain meta-viewing appeal to the sequel in how it reflects the changes that have taken place in the near-decade. While both bad boys of the title, Martin Lawrence and Will Smith, have successfully made the transition from TV sitcom stardom to big screen box office glory, second-billed Smith has leap-frogged over Lawrence to become one of the most popular stars in the world as an action hero. Accordingly, while still top-billed (no doubt a stipulation built into his contract), Lawrence and the broad comic schtick that dominated the first film takes a back seat to Smith's both-barrels-blazing badassitude. But that switch is completely in line with director Michael Bay's now-familiar style; since his feature debut with BAD BOYS, his name has become synonymous with loud, hyper-edited, flamboyantly bombastic screen mayhem.
Bay's acute awareness of that shallow reputation can be felt all over BAD BOYS II. After the (deserved) beating he took for his last film, the would-be Oscar bait epic PEARL HARBOR, BBII plays like one huge "fuck you" to his critics by giving them all that they expect from him to the nth degree. Flashy visuals? From the first frames, set in a drug lab, Bay doesn't skimp on the quick cuts, ridiculously overwrought camera moves or slow motion--all bathed, of course, in the glow of blue light, as in all of producer Jerry Bruckheimer's films. Loud, over-the-top action? Barely a ten-minute stretch goes by without either something exploding or someone getting shot--in the most overblown (and, in the latter respect, bloodiest and most sadistic) fashion possible. The jokes? Silly and, wherever possible, raunchy. The story? Barely enough to qualify as even a "plot." "Importance" and or cinematic nutritional value? Are you kidding?
But when one buys a ticket for BAD BOYS II, that's what one pays to see. Even with Ron Shelton's name appearing in the writing credits this time, there's even less of a narrative than the formulaic identity-switch scenario of the first film: basically, Miami cops Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) are out to nab a Cuban drug smuggler (Jordi Molla). Somehow a Russian club owner (Peter Stormare) ties in, as well as Marcus's DEA agent sister/Mike's secret love interest (Gabrielle Union)--but how exactly they all fit in isn't worth trying to figure out, for Bay and company haven't bothered to. It's all only one big excuse to string together over two hours' worth of preposterous but undeniably exciting action sequences, including an explosive gunfight that evolves into a massive highway chase/smash-up; another car chase that somehow involves a truckload of cadavers (!); and one maximum-firepower assault on and in a mansion. Some set pieces don't work as well as others, namely a close-quarters shootout during which Bay annoyingly refuses to keep the camera still; and a destructive chase through a hillside shanty town that too closely compares (and very unfavorably at that) to the opening sequence of Jackie Chan's POLICE STORY.
Whenever the action lets up, however, Bay takes a breather and just lets Smith and Lawrence play off of each other, and the eight years and varying career and life tracks hasn't diminished their chemistry in the slightest. The comedy scenarios are obvious and often strained--a big Marcus-on-Ecstasy bit seems to be there only to give Lawrence a moment to call his own; a Mr. Furley-ish bit with Marcus and Mike giving double-entendre-heavy confessionals in an electronic store that stops the story dead--but the two stars' magnetism and comic chops earn the laughs that may not have otherwise been elicited in lesser hands. The ever-reliable Joe Pantoliano is also good for some choice comic moments as the boys' ever-frazzled captain, but his return appearance mostly amounts to an extended cameo--another reflection of the time between movies, as the now-ubiquitous Pantoliano's availability was more than likely limited. Also limited in her screen time is another returnee, Theresa Randle, who has nothing to do this time around as Marcus's wife. (Seeing her alongside Union also brings to mind the passage of time, for the now-little-seen Randle was, like Union is now, the omnipresent up-and-comer in the mid-'90s period during which BAD BOYS was released.)
All of these elements may sound very loosely thrown together, and it wouldn't be off-base at all to say that they are. But such is par for the Bruckheimer course (hello, welding/stripping/ballet in FLASHDANCE; deep core oil drillers, asteroids and outer space in ARMAGEDDON?); the question is not if the pieces come together in a coherent fashion, but an entertaining one. BAD BOYS II is indeed one bloated, loud, frenetic slice of all-around excess, but it's all in good summertime fun.
Likably BLONDE Un-ambition
Unlike T3 (full review on that coming next time, due to space constraints), LEGALLY BLONDE 2: RED, WHITE & BLONDE doesn't have a lofty legacy to live up to; if it delivers a decently diverting serving of no-brainer laughs like its predecessor, then the film will have done its job. With Reese Witherspoon back as bubbly, blonde, Harvard-trained legal eagle Elle Woods, such modest requirements and expectations are easily met. After discovering the mother of her beloved dog Bruiser is a test subject at a cosmetics testing facility, Elle packs up to D.C. to push a bill outlawing animal testing. And so the stage is set for the expected culture/personality clash gags, with Elle's sprightly, spunky joie de vivre and equally loud fashion sense challenging the staid politicos on Capitol Hill, but Witherspoon's Swiss-clock timing and spirited delivery is able to sell the material, however unsurprising and cloyingly cutesy each joke may be. The returning supporting players, namely Luke Wilson (as Elle's fiancée) and Jennifer Coolidge (as her beautician buddy), aren't given a whole lot to do this time around--nor, for that matter, are franchise newcomers Sally Field and Regina King as Elle's D.C. mentor and rival, respectively--but like the all-Reese-all-the-time posters for last fall's inexplicable smash SWEET HOME ALABAMA, this is the star/producer's show all the way, and as in the first film, she handily carries the film on her back--or, should I say, in her ever-fashionable pink purse.
Fallen ANGELS
As much as the recent news of the imminent TV-movie revival of the '80s sci-fi miniseries saga (we'll kindly ignore the short-lived weekly series) V brings out my most extreme fanboy instincts--*cough*WOOHOO!*cough*--part of me cannot help but be more than a little disappointed that Warner Bros. didn't go the route of so many other vintage television concepts and develop V as a big screen property. After all, the concept screams "big screen." Reptilian aliens under humanoid disguise coming to earth to steal its water and harvest humans as food? Talk about a creative gold mine.
Not only that, the small screen revival of V is all the more disappointing since there is a name brand big screen actress who was virtually ready-made to assume the role of deliciously evil alien überbitch Diana (with all due respect to Diana's memorable, original portrayer, Jane Badler): Demi Moore. Watching her spirited comeback role in another small-to-big-screen translation, CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE, just solidified this belief. The years away from the limelight have been obviously been good for Moore, and she dives into the role of "fallen" Angel Madison Lee with aplomb. Sexy, steely and oh-so-dangerous, the role fits Moore's trademark screen persona of self-determination and brazen sexuality like a glove.
Unfortunately, for all the added time and bucks Sony put toward this sequel to 2000's hit--and famously production problem-plagued--adaptation of the campy late-'70s/early '80s foxy female P.I. series, FULL THROTTLE doesn't live up to Moore or its own subtitle. All the proper ingredients seemed to be back in place: Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu as butt-shaking butt-kickers Natalie, Dylan and Alex, respectively; John Forsythe as the voice of Charlie; Luke Wilson and Matt LeBlanc as the token boyfriends for Natalie and Alex; Crispin Glover as silent assassin Thin Man; he of the three letters, McG, back in the director's chair. Even the newer wrinkles hold promise: in addition to Moore, there's Bernie Mac stepping in Bill Murray's shoes as Angel-Charlie liaison Bosley; John Cleese turning up as Alex's uptight dad; and MULHOLLAND DR.'s Justin Theroux offering some over-the-top villainy.
So what went wrong? In short, the film simply isn't as much fun as its predecessor. Think back to the first film's (in)famous Natalie-at-SOUL TRAIN scene, and it's apparent there's nothing in the new movie that lives up to that--not only in terms of laughs, but gleeful, seemingly spontaneous abandon. The first film may not have been a model of narrative coherence, but there were some interesting twists, genuine laughs, entertaining action scenes, and, overall, a fresh spirit. Within the first half hour, hopes of seeing any of those in FULL THROTTLE are dashed, and the strain of trying to duplicate and outdo the first film is all too apparent. The elaborate opening action sequence is marred by some less-than-convincing and downright cheap-looking effects work that keep it from achieving the exhilarating Bond-like lunacy for which McG was obviously striving. The problem continues throughout the film, where big set pieces such as a motocross chase are done in by incomprehensible editing and subpar CGI overkill. An early scene with the girls dancing to MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This" is too obviously calculated a would-be crowd-pleasing moment to really be all that enjoyable; ditto Natalie's token solo dance number, whose polished, straight-faced tone reveals that McG failed to understand that it was Diaz's hilarious yet endearing awkwardness that made the first film's dance scene so memorable. I suppose he and the writers were too busy channelling their "creative" juices toward some weak, pseudo-"hip" TV and movie parodies, particularly an unfunny C.S.I. takeoff and a painfully overextended CAPE FEAR riff, leaving the deserves-better likes of Mac and Glover (who reprises his role for no other reason than to simply serve as another familiar face) stranded with virtually nothing to do.
The wrong moves taken in FULL THROTTLE end up cancelling out whatever potentially interesting ones arise. The martial arts fight sequences are a lot harder this time, featuring less credibility-straining wire-fu and more down-and-dirty brawling; however, there isn't enough fighting, and it takes a good while for the first major set piece to take place. All the hype about Moore is in inverse proportion to her actual screen time; one also wishes that the studio hadn't used her so extensively in its marketing and media campaign, for it makes the big "plot twist"--if it can be called that--about golden gun-toting Madison's true intentions incredibly anticlimactic. Worst of all, though, is seeing the affable trio of stars (quartet, if we including Mac) have their natural spark quashed by the slavishly formula motions. Would-be breezy summer fun hasn't quite felt so labored as it does in CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE.
Buckle Your Swash
When the project was announced, it was all too easy to snicker at the idea of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL. After all, it was the latest example of Disney's newly discovered way of milking existing cash cows--converting theme park attractions into feature films, and the first product spawned from the new formula, last summer's thoroughly bizarro THE COUNTRY BEARS, didn't exactly make one eager to see another Magic Kingdom-to-movie translation. To simply say that the low initial expectations worked to PIRATES' benefit is to not give due credit to its cast and crew, who have made a questionable idea into a viable film and rousing thrill ride in its own right. Not that director Gore Verbinski completely turned his nose away from the popular Disneyland source material; in fact, part of the fun of the film is seeing how closely Verbinski duplicates the aesthetic of the ride: nighttime scenes on the mysterious pirate ship known as The Black Pearl look like they were shot on the actual ride sets; a cannon-firing sequence closely mirrors a familar stretch of the ride; and, in a particularly crowd-pleasing move, one of the attraction's most memorable visuals is lifted verbatim. Just about the only thing missing is a shot of boats full of tourists passing a restaurant in the background.
But obviously this ship can't sail on theme park connections alone, but it very well keeps afloat due to the strength of one person's efforts: those of Johnny Depp. Going into the film, one would think PIRATES would be a NICK OF TIME-ish instance of gimme-a-paycheck slumming, but Depp's highly strange (indeed, even more thoroughly bizarro than anything in THE COUNTRY BEARS), oddly magnetic, and irresistibly entertaining performance energizes the overextended, two-hour-plus proceedings. There is a story here -- involving nasty, gold-coveting pirates (led by an appropriately scenery-chewing Geoffrey Rush, also clearly enjoying himself) and dashing hero (Orlando Bloom, not quite at Legolas-level badassitude here) with a secret known only to a plucky damsel (stunning ex-Amidala decoy Keira Knightley)--and it is engrossing enough to come off as more than a mere clothesline for slick swordfights, booming cannon fire and nifty special effects work. That said, it is Depp's Keith Richards/Pepe LePew-inspired (!) rogue pirate Capt. Jack Sparrow that makes the film more than a serviceable swashbuckler; in a season of programmatic formula entertainers, the ever-eccentric Depp lifts PIRATES with a strong dose of lively personality.
...which is something that DreamWorks' own seafaring yarn, the animated feature SINBAD: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS, could have used plenty of. As far as family targeted fluff goes, the film is harmless enough; to save his best friend Proteus (voiced by Joseph Fiennes), infamous rogue Sinbad (Brad Pitt) must find and return the all-powerful Book of Peace, which has been stolen by sultry goddess of chaos Eris (Michelle Pfeiffer). Along for the journey is Proteus's feisty fiancée Marina (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who finds Sinbad's charms too much to resist. Pfeiffer and Zeta-Jones give spirited voice turns, particularly the former, who really needs to do more vixen roles; but they are the only things remotely noteworthy about this completely average timekiller, which is as routine as many live-action adventure films, right down to the competent but fairly undistinguished art and animation.
Comic Art
More than any other comic book adaptation to date, HULK most literally looks like one; leave it to the ever-inventive Ang Lee to find a way to transfer the graphic novel aesthetic to the screen in a literal yet uniquely cinematic way. The frame often fragments into comic book panels, offering varied perspectives on the same action; transitions between scenes and shots are drawn in a fluid manner; any on-screen text appears as hand-drawn lettering. Considering this, it's not a reach to conclude that the controversial CGI incarnation of mild-mannered scientist Bruce Banner's big, green and mean alter ego could have very well been intentionally cartoony-looking.
But also leave it to a visionary like Lee to use such slick yet superficial signifiers of a traditional superhero yarn to dress up a challenging, deliberately paced and gravely serious take on the Marvel Comics character. Many have bemoaned the lack of a supervillain, but it is a brave and wise move to use the first film in a projected franchise to not only introduce but fully explore the crux of the HULK concept: the battle within Bruce Banner (Eric Bana) between his humanity and his literally monstrous rage. Banner's abusive father (Nolte) technically qualifies as a villain, but the root of his antagonism is in keeping with the film's exploration of what molds the so-called superhero into the person who he is--and, in this case, the monster he can become. Tellingly, it's when Banner's father becomes something more traditionally "supervillainous" in the final act does the film unravel; the climax is just a few degrees shy of being downright silly.
En route to the finale, though, the film is intelligent and unusually introspective, reflected in Bana's lead performance. Bana may come off as opaque, but it's an appropriate choice for a man who is unnaturally repressed and icy, not to mention is brings into sharper relief the transformations into the Hulk. Jennifer Connelly plays what is essentially a variant of her Oscar-winning A BEAUTIFUL MIND role as Bruce's supportive love Betty Ross, but the familiarity doesn't make her work any less effective, as she brings the same beguiling gentleness to Betty. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Nolte, whose performance is a feature-length crescendo of overacting that conveniently reaches its climax during that rather lunatic conclusion--or was such a convergence by design?
The convergence I do know to be intentional is that between the mainstream superhero genre and Lee's artier sensibilities. He does deliver some bang-up action sequences and choice moments of mass destruction; a fight with some Hulkdogs comes to mind in the former respect and a rampage through San Francisco in the latter. But being the auteur that he is, Lee leans toward the loftier interests, and that's what makes HULK such an intriguing summer blockbuster--and such a divisive one.
Kelly and (Especially) Justin--Not Matinee Idols
When one of your toplining (and, in this case, title) stars--a green newcomer to the biz, no less--looks absolutely miserable during her on-set interviews during the shoot, you know something's wrong. And "wrong" is one of the most perfect terms to describe FROM JUSTIN TO KELLY--right alongside "inexplicable," "inept," and (let's cut to the chase, shall we?) "shit."
To be fair, this quickie, cheapie movie musical spinoff of Fox's wildly popular AMERICAN IDOL talent competition isn't quite the completely craptacular disaster that one expects, and that's due to two words: Kelly Clarkson. No, the big-voiced original American Idol most surely cannot act (her line readings are flatter than infamous IDOL finalists Carmen Rasmusen and Nikki McKibbin's "singing" combined), but she's naturally likable, which goes a long way in a cast that is otherwise unlikable on top of being bereft of any discernible acting ability. No one best exemplifies those two qualities--and countless other evils--than Clarkson's leading "man," IDOL season one runner-up Justin Guarini. He of the greasy, unruly moptop of curls proves the depths of his untalent here. He arhythmically flails his lanky frame around to the music with the misguided, all-too-apparent conviction of someone who thinks he can dance but is sadly, horribly deluded; Clarkson routinely eats him alive vocally when the film calls for them to passionlessly warble saccharine love duets to each other; and then there's the basic fact that the guy's screen presence is absolutely, positively creepy, his overly pancaked visage a slight few frightening degrees away from being a younger replica of Michael Jackson's. Add to that Guarini's idea of a lovelorn look as being akin to the gaze of a serial killer in the throes of an especially intense bloodlust, and forget THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT or 28 DAYS LATER--that shit right there is truly scary as hell.
However, to knock this film due to its reality TV pedigree, its funny-looking male lead, or its relentless rush from shoot to release (filming wrapped in March) is to take unnecessarily cheap shots, as the film can just as easily be torn to shreds in solid filmic terms. The story by writer Kim Fuller is as flimsy as the lipstick-scrawled paper towel that sets the plot into motion. Clarkson and Guarini's characters--creatively named Kelly and Justin--are in Miami for spring break along with a pair of friends (and, in Clarkson's case, including a shameless clone, in look and voice, of beloved IDOL season one fourth-place finisher Tamyra Gray), and after some junior league lambada on the beach and a meet-not-so-cute in the ladies' room (don't ask), Kelly gives Justin her number; alas, lipstick writing on a paper towel doesn't mix with an inconveniently-placed puddle, and so Justin turns to Kelly's "friend" Alexa (Katherine Bailess) to get the digits. Alas, hopelessly Justin-besotted Alexa has other ideas, and as such begins some oh-so-witchy manipulation by text messaging that could easily be foiled if Justin ever used his cell phone to, you know, actually call Kelly.
But there's no use in making sense of a film that takes place in some weird parallel realm where the only solution to a conflict between two guys is to engage in a weird hovercraft/ball/laundry basket duel; the Internet is still only used by the most socially-impaired geeks; there's a white boy rapper that makes Jamie Kennedy look like a paragon of street cred by comparison; and young women willingly wear skirts made entirely of neckties out in public. Director Robert Iscove appears to have made the film as a movie musical emerging from this alternate reality; somewhere in between helming the respectable ABC remake of RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA and graduating to features with Freddie Prinze Jr. schlock, he appears to have lost all feel for musicals. His static point-and-shoot staging of the song-and-dance sequences (or should I say, given Travis Payne's dreadful choreography, "warble-and-wiggle") all too clearly reflects the film's general detachment from the music. At best, the songs only have tangential relevance to the story, all too obviously showing their origins as random pop tunes that were dug out of a drawer someplace (though one wonders where exactly they found Alexa's bizarrely dissonant, carousel-music-on-downers-with-a-backbeat showcase number, which clangs against the rest of the film's middle-of-the-road bubblegum dance pop), and Iscove doesn't bother to smooth over any disconnect between the dialogue scenes and the musical numbers in the sound mix; the obvious changeover from spoken sync sound to musical lipsynching/overdubbing is quite comical--especially whenever Guarini breaks into song.
All I've described sounds sufficiently jaw-dropping, but there's actually plenty more that's being left unaddressed, such as the big mid-film declaration of love duet, which the principals perform without ever once looking at each other (way to build that sizzling screen chemistry...). FROM JUSTIN TO KELLY is just one of those films, a bottomless well of snark fodder that may come and go in theatres but will surely be spun innumerable times on DVD at parties in the years to come.
When Kate Met Luke... No One Cared
"From the director of WHEN HARRY MET SALLY..." This statement is obviously designed to drum up some feelings of warmth and fondness for Rob Reiner's latest romantic comedy, but such a strategy is almost always destined to backfire, and when the product is as thoroughly lackluster as ALEX & EMMA. It's hard to fathom that the same man who made romantic charmers such as HARRY and THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT could start a love story on such a leaden foot: author Alex (Luke Wilson) is threatened by a pair of Cuban mobsters (!) to pay off a big loan within 30 days. Alex's only hope for survival is to finish a manuscript within that time, and his only hope to do that is to hire a stenographer to whom he can dictate his latest literary masterpiece. Enter Emma (Hudson), one of those screen females whom we instantly know to be a no-nonsense type just crying out for some good lovin' due to her dowdy dress sense and dingy dark locks. When Alex and Emma first meet, Alex inexplicably passes out--all too fitting considering the long, drawn-out fizzle that is watching Hudson and Wilson struggle to generate some sort of spark as Alex weaves a thoroughly vapid tale of a love triangle in 1924 New England. Fascination is supposed to come in the form of how Alex's story reflects his own life, but when the fantasy bits are every bit as ho-hum as his drab apartment set and his standard rom-com sparring/snogging with Emma, it's a struggle to keep awake--even when the luminous Sophie Marceau shows up as the exotic third point in the "fictional" triangle.
At the Video Store
Despite largely mixed critical notices, FRIDA (Miramax Home Entertainment) achieved both unexpected success at the box office and the year-end awards derby, garnering two Oscar wins and four other nominations, including a Best Actress nod for producer/star Salma Hayek. Revisiting the film, it is obvious why it struck a nerve with the masses: Hayek and director Julie Taymor's passion for not only the work but the very essence of legendary Mexican artist Frida Kahlo strongly imbues every single shot of this sumptuous sensory feast, even when the script is going through the most conventional of biopic paces. That passion apparently extends to the DVD producers, who have packed the two-disc set with all the supplements one could possibly want--on second thought, make that "most of all the supplements once could possibly want, as there is no running commentary by Hayek (Taymor has her own track, which reveals the sheer depth of her research into her subject; and composer Elliot Goldenthal, who won a Oscar for his score, has commentary on selected scenes); however, she has her ample, insightful and enthusiastic say in a 30-minute "conversation with" interview segment. And that's just the first disc--disc two offers a wealth of additional information on the film, including additional interviews with Taymor; background on the film's design, photography and effects sequences; facts on the real Kahlo; traditional EPK materials; and many featurettes on the film's music, including an entertaining segment showing Hayek recording a cut for the soundtrack album.
GANGS OF NEW YORK (Miramax Home Entertainment), one of the 'Max's long-designated awards juggernauts, had far less luck in the gold derby in the long run, coming out emptyhanded on Oscar night despite earning ten nods and a number of Best Actor critics' plaudits for Daniel Day-Lewis--not to mention Miramax staging a rather aggressive (or desperate, depending on how you look at it) campaign to net director Martin Scorsese his first ever Academy Award. Awards are the farthest thing from Scorsese's mind in the DVD's commentary track, as he instead ruminates on the exhaustive research and struggles (though, it must be noted, not the widely-reported--and denied--haggles over the final edit) that went behind the making of this historical epic. More insightful supplemental material is spread across the DVD edition's two discs, including featurettes on the award-nominated costume and production design; a tour of the film's massive set in Italy; and various documentary segments on the actual Five Points neighborhood in New York.
Heading into the Oscar nominations, ABOUT SCHMIDT (New Line Home Entertainment) appeared to be one of the frontrunners, what with star Jack Nicholson, co-star Kathy Bates and screenwriters Alexander Payne (who also directed) and Jim Taylor practically collecting critics' awards. But the film came away with only two nods, for Nicholson and Bates--a disappointing result that I can only attribute to how well Payne, Taylor and Nicholson so vividly depicted both the hilarious absurdity and the heart-tugging sadness of the title character's search for purpose after retirement and a family tragedy. Unlike the DVDs for his two other films, Payne does not offer running commentary on the DVD, but he leaves his imprint on the disc through his eloquent text introductions to the wide assortment of deleted scenes and five amusing shorts assembled from unused footage of the Woodmen of the World building in Omaha.
Although there is one big missed opportunity--a too-brief face-off between Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen--and some of the wink-wink throwaway humor misses the mark (namely, references to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Charlie Chaplin), SHANGHAI KNIGHTS (Touchstone Home Entertainment) is a far more successful film than the original Chan-Owen Wilson buddy comedy-western SHANGHAI NOON, for one key reason: the intricately choreographed martial arts sequences more recall those of Chan's Hong Kong heyday than any other of his American productions to date, using every prop and bit of set dressing for maximum impact in terms of action and comedy. Chan and director David Dobkin discuss the action staging process in depth in a highly illuminating interview on the DVD, which also includes separate commentary tracks by Dobkin and writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar; and nearly a half-hour's worth of deleted scenes.
After years of hype, Colin Farrell finally made some serious strides toward his predicted Hollywood stardom with a trio of early year releases, two of which are now available in video stores. In January's THE RECRUIT (Touchstone Home Entertainment), Roger Donaldson's mid-level hit thriller in which Farrell's computer hacker is recruited into the CIA by a shady (is there any other type?) Agency vet (Al Pacino). The twists and turns are hardly ever surprising, but the film is still gripping enough, thanks to Farrell and Bridget Moynahan's (as a fellow recruit) charisma and Pacino's histrionics (though, in that latter case, not always gripping for the right reasons). The DVD includes a fairly interesting featurette on the actual CIA training program; running commentary by Donaldson and an excitable Farrell (whose characteristic F-word utterances are oddly bleeped); and four deleted scenes, which can also be viewed with commentary. Farrell proved he could carry a big studio film virtually all by his lonesome in Joel Schumacher's PHONE BOOTH (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment), which finally saw release in April after spending years in the can; the studio's decision to sit and wait until its star reached a certain level of popularity proved to be a wise one, as the film opened at number one at the box office, going on to become a solid mid-level hit. The box office is reflective of the film itself; while the film never quite lives up to the promise of its solid premise--a man (Farrell) held hostage in a phone booth by an unseen sniper, told in real time--Farrell's charisma and talent keeps one interested and involved, even when the story devolves into a predictable "self-absorbed asshole sees the error of his ways" yarn or the film detours into a routine police power struggle subplot. The DVD includes commentary by a low-key Schumacher.
Those who bemoan the rigid formula of the 40-years-strong James Bond film series will have to wait for the durable franchise to DIE ANOTHER DAY (MGM Home Entertainment), as the twentieth adventure of the suave secret agent (played here for the fourth time by Pierce Brosnan) was the series' most financially successful to date. Okay, so that play on the title was especially lame, to say nothing of tired. MGM's two-disc special edition features some bits that are tired, namely the press junket- and EPK-derived interviews that turn up heavily in the main making-of documentary on disc two. Overall, though, this is hardly a lame package, as Bond afficionado and casual fan alike will revel in all the minutiae offered in commentaries (one with a spliced-together Brosnan and co-star Rosamund Pike, the other with director Lee Tamahori and producer Michael G. Wilson), running trivia track, storyboard comparisons, photo galleries and trailers. However, it's hard to imagine there being anyone who'd savor the music video for Madonna's wretched title tune or the brief behind-the-scenes featurette on its making.
Reggie Rock Bythewood's rather ambitious urban motorcycle racing neo-western BIKER BOYZ (DreamWorks Home Entertainment) failed to make much of a dent in the early year box office--no surprise, as its oater-like countdown to the big confrontation between the elder Smoke (Laurence Fishburne) and the aptly-named up-and-comer Kid (Derek Luke) didn't allow much room to satisfy audiences' cravings for fast and furious race footage. The DVD includes deleted scenes, a standard making-of documentary hosted by co-star Orlando Jones, a photo gallery and production notes.
What exactly is the big deal about Ashton Kutcher? The nearest I could figure is mere heat by association, what with the tabloid- and celeb gossip rag-friendly company he's keeping lately, namely Demi Moore and P. Diddy. After all, for years he's toiled with relatively little fanfare on Fox's THAT '70s SHOW, not to mention his big screen efforts, like his sitcom gig, have been relatively solid performers financially but neither spectacularly stellar in terms of box office take nor (or, rather, especially not) quality--most recent case in point, JUST MARRIED (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment), in which he and now-real-life-ex-flame Brittany Murphy play young newlyweds whose marriage goes quickly awry during a disastrous honeymoon. Given how obviously on the cheap this labored, painfully unfunny farce was made, it couldn't help but be a modest hit in the dead zone of January, filling what had been for years the traditional Freddie Prinze Jr. release slot. The DVD includes commentary by Kutcher, Murphy and director Shawn Levy (whose next assignment is--Lord help us--THE WONDER TWINS); deleted scenes; and a pair of making-of featurettes.
How fickle the YM set is, for as Kutcher ascended to It Boy status, one-time teenybopper It Girl Julia Stiles tanked at the same time earlier this year with her own matrimonial comedy, A GUY THING (MGM Home Entertainment). Then again, it's difficult to imagine anyone being able to salvage this charmless stinker in which a nervous groom-to-be (Jason Lee, who needs better help in picking his lead roles) finds himself falling for his fiancée's (Selma Blair) cousin (Stiles), who just happened to be a tiki girl at his bachelor party. Lee and Stiles fizzle as a couple, but no more than the desperate slapstick situations that have Lee's character mysteriously getting crabs or escaping a second-story bathroom by climbing out of a window and onto a tree. The DVD includes commentary by director Chris Koch on both the feature and deleted scenes.
Not even a last minute, completely meaningless "Wes Craven presents" tag could fool moviegoers into watching THEY (Dimension Home Video), an often laughable and thoroughly unscary and forgettable horror in which a psychology student (Laura Regan) is plagued by childhood night terrors. The DVD features an alternate ending that bears more than a whiff of TWILIGHT ZONE, but at least it's more satisfying than the abrupt conclusion that caps off the release cut.
No vintage animated feature is too classic to be desecrated, and so earlier this year saw the release of THE JUNGLE BOOK 2 (Walt Disney Home Entertainment), which followed the disturbing trend set by last year's RETURN TO NEVER LAND by making a successful theatrical pit stop before hitting video stores. The DVD includes a number of bonus features, including deleted scenes, music videos and, for those children with oddball parents who let them see this film without seeing the first, a recap of the original 1967 JUNGLE BOOK.
Even though it emerged from the studio's less-than-vaunted '70s period, Walt Disney Home Entertainment has given a fairly decent DVD treatment to THE RESCUERS. The disc for this pleasant 1977 adventure where two mice attempt to rescue (hence the title) a young girl from the evil Madame Medusa boasts traditional kiddie DVD features such as a detective game, a sing along song clip and an educational nature documentary on water birds. But there's also some nice features for adult animation fans: a nice selection of production art and other trivia, and the vintage 1952 Silly Symphony short "Three Blind Mouseketeers."
Although no longer using the "Vault Disney" umbrella title, Disney is also still giving some of their vintage live action features deluxe DVD treatments. Everyone's favorite sentient Volkswagen, Herbie, gets an extensive two-disc treatment in the Mouse's special edition of THE LOVE BUG. The loaded package for this goofy 1968 comedy features audio commentary by stars Dean Jones, Michele Lee and Buddy Hackett; numerous behind-the-scenes featurettes; screenplay excerpts; archival photos; deleted scenes; and much more. Even more loaded is Buena Vista's aptly deep two-disc special edition for 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, the effects-laden 1954 adaptation of the Jules Verne adventure epic starring Kirk Douglas and James Mason. Between the audio commentary with director Richard Fleischer and film historian Rudy Behlmer and a making-of "featurette" that runs 88 minutes (!), there's plenty of intriguing behind-the-scenes tidbits to be gleaned, but there's a veritable wealth of additional supplements, highlighting everything from the work of Verne and the career of composer Paul Smith to real-life facts about giant squids (!!) to archival items such as the film's Donald Duck-starring pre-feature animated short "Grand Canyonscope," a vintage promo hosted by Uncle Walt himself, outtake reels, storyboards and production stills.
One studio DVD label that is thriving is Lions Gate Home Entertainment's Signature Series, which adds three titles to its line. Leading the way is 2000's WHAT'S COOKING?, the warm multi-ethnic portrait of Thanksgiving dinner in Los Angeles from BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM director Gurinder Chadha. Although none of the families shown directly reflects Chadha's Indian heritage--the four clans are African-American, Jewish, Latino and Vietnamese, and the film features a duly eclectic array of acting talent, from Joan Chen and Alfre Woodard to Julianna Margulies and Kyra Sedgwick--the film reflects Indian masala in its flavorful mix and spicy spirit. The DVD includes commentary by Chadha and co-writer Paul Mayeda Berges, cast and crew interviews and tasty recipes. The second of the new Signature releases, SONGCATCHER, also has a fairly timely link to current and future film, as the 2001 release marked the Independent Spirit Award-nominated debut of young actress Emmy Rossum, who was recently cast as the female lead in the long-aborning feature adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Rossum's singing and fresh presence is one of the few highlights of this rather staid period piece in which a musicologist (Janet McTeer) travels to the Appalachians to study their folk music. Writer-director Maggie Greenwald discusses her extensive research--and the historical liberties she took--in her commentary track on the DVD, which, like the WHAT'S COOKING disc, includes cast and crew interviews. Perhaps reflecting its lack of timely links is the disappointing Signature Series edition of Todd Solondz's sometimes sad, sometimes funny, always-subversive ensemble portrait of misery HAPPINESS; this is basically a dressed-up carbon copy of the film's earlier DVD release, right down to the non-anamorphic transfer and lack of extras. A film this fascinating and engrossing--and nearly five years after its theatrical release, it still manages to shock and entertaining--deserves a true deluxe treatment.
Another DVD line alive and well is MGM Home Entertainment's World Cinema label; while the selections bearing that name almost always are fairly barebones releases, the Lion has issued special edition platters for two more popular foreign catalog titles. Making its U.S. DVD premiere is Wim Wenders' beautiful, stream-of-consciousness 1987 tale of angels over Berlin, WINGS OF DESIRE, and MGM has put together an equally lovely platter full of valuable supplements: commentary by Wenders and co-star Peter Falk (who plays his angelic self in the film), deleted scenes, a new making-of documentary, and an interactive map of Berlin. Far less packed is the new special edition for a more popular import, Luc Besson's highly influential 1990 female assassin actioner LA FEMME NIKITA. The disc includes a few new documentary featurettes that incorporate freshly-conducted interviews with stars Anne Parillaud, Tcheky Karyo, Jean-Hugues Anglade and Jean Reno, as well as cinematographer Thierry Arbogast and composer Eric Serra, but all too conspicuously missing from these features--and the disc in general--is the writer-director himself. Besson is also rather tangential to the late-'90s USA Network television series, whose first of five years is collected in LA FEMME NIKITA The Complete First Season (Warner Home Video). Yes, the title character (played here by LXG's Peta Wilson) is a convicted murderer trained to be a super-tough yet ultra-feminine government assassin, but there's one critical adjustment: this incarnation of Nikita is actually not a cold-blooded killer, having been wrongly accused of the crime, which in my opinion makes this not Nikita at all but a more conventional television concept. The six-disc set includes commentary on select episodes by executive consultant Joel Surnow, creative consultant Robert Cochran and director Jon Cassar; deleted scenes; and a behind-the-scenes featurette.
The trend of releasing TV shows on DVD allows studios to do some clever promo for their current and upcoming feature releases. Case in point: the release of S.W.A.T. The Complete First Season (Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment), which probably would not have happened (or at least happen at this particular time) had Sony not have a big screen version of the Aaron Spelling-produced '70s cop show coming out later in the summer. The series, which ran for only two seasons from 1975 to 1976 on ABC, is best known for its rockin' theme song, and that makes sense while watching this set, which reveals the show itself to pretty standard '70s cop/action fare; nothing bad, but certainly nothing great, and the then-controversial level of violence is tame by contemporary standards. Steve Forrest, Robert Urich, Rod Perry, Mark Shera and James Coleman star.
Definitely more distinctive, to put it mildly, is another '70s action series that inspired another of Columbia's big summer tentpoles, now appearing in a five-disc DVD set: CHARLIE'S ANGELS The Complete First Season (Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment). Leave your brain at the door and relax as Jaclyn Smith, Farrah Fawcett-Majors and Kate Jackson toss their hair and jiggle their way through dangerous undercover assignments from a disembodied voice coming from a speaker. This snazzy set includes the series' original pilot and all 22 other episodes in the film's first season as well as the disappointing featurette "Angels Forever," which is focuses more on obsessive fans' fanboy/fangirl reminiscences than actual background on the series itself. If this isn't ANGEL-ic enough for you, Columbia TriStar has also released CHARLIE'S ANGELS Superbit Deluxe, which is basically a reissue of the first DVD edition of the Cameron Diaz-Drew Barrymore-Lucy Liu adventure, with a few exceptions: it consists of two discs, one with the feature and one with the special features; director McG's commentary track is gone; and there's now a useless, hype-happy featurette on CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE. If you must have a copy of this candy-colored camp, stick with the original single-disc edition.
The three above-mentioned sets are but two of the multitude of various box sets and single-disc compilations of television series to hit the DVD marketplace in recent months. Considering how varied the series getting the digital treatment are, it seems that before long just about anyone's favorite show, no matter how obscure, will be occupying shelf space at the video store.
Of course, most of the series getting such a treatment have a certain cult appeal. Case in point, Miss Summers and her Sunnydale Scooby Gang are already on set number four with BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER The Complete Fourth Season (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment). While this season has its characteristic moments of brilliance--the "silent" episode "Hush" comes immediately to mind--Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and the gang's first year in college was a letdown due to the lackluster Adam/Initiative arc and the walking blandness that was the Buffster's first serious post-Angel love interest, Riley Finn (Marc Blucas). But leave it to Fox to not keep fans of the brooding undead guy with a soul hanging, for they have given them their due fix with aptly-timed release of ANGEL Season One, which for my hopelessly sappy money features one of the most wrenching episodes of the entire BUFFY/ANGEL mythos, "I Will Remember You," in which the undead P.I. (David Boreanaz) gets a taste of a blissful human life with his slayer soulmate.
Given how synonymous the series is with "cult following," it's a bit a surprise that only recently has XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS Season One (Anchor Bay Entertainment) been released in a box set--more surprising still when DARK ANGEL The Complete First Season (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment), a more marginal and far less popular grrl power action series, hits stores barely a year after its two-season run was completed. But I suppose that has more to do with the marketability of DARK ANGEL creator James Cameron's name than anything else, for the over-the-top swashbuckling of former outlaw Xena (Lucy Lawless) and her ever-devoted (in many ways) sidekick Gabrielle (Renée O'Connor) is far more fun than Cameron's ponderous tale of a genetically-enhanced soldier on the run from her shady creators--even if said specimen is played by the superhumanly stunning Jessica Alba in a skintight catsuit.
However, the "cult" designation doesn't always go with sci-fi/fantasy series such as Showtime's Roland Emmerich spinoff, which is already on its third box with STARGATE SG-1 Season 3 (MGM Home Entertainment); or the USA Network's hit Stephen King-inspired series, which is following up an earlier single-disc release of its pilot with the four-disc THE DEAD ZONE: The Complete First Season (Lions Gate Home Entertainment). One series that deserved to have its audience expand beyond its small but devoted core following was Matt Groening's witty and winning FUTURAMA, which Fox never gave a truly fair shot at building an audience, consigning it to the deadly, delay-prone post-NFL Sunday slot when it would've more naturally fit following Groening's (and the network's) flagship series, THE SIMPSONS. With the release of the three-disc set FUTURAMA Volume One (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment), which collects all 13 episodes of the first season and a number of cool extras, hopefully the 31st-century misadventures of time-displaced pizza delivery guy Fry, drunkard robot Bender and one-eyed alien Leela will earn the mainstream attention it never received in its barely-noticed network run. Another animated series that got similarly shabby treatment by Fox is Seth MacFarlane's FAMILY GUY, which despite notoriously inconsistent scheduling developed a fiercely loyal cult--a following that no doubt had something to do with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment's release of the four-disc set FAMILY GUY Volume One--Seasons 1 & 2. Some call MacFarlane's warped and highly surreal series centered on the dysfunctional Griffin family (which includes a sarcastic, talking dog and Stewie, a one-year old with designs on world domination) brilliant, others (including our esteemed publisher and editor-in-chief) call it awful; me, I simply find the wild tangent-prone show more bizarre than anything else, alternately in good and bad ways. Inexplicably surviving (at least to this observer's eyes) far longer than either of these series on the fourth network is Mike Judge's KING OF THE HILL. Revisiting the show's first 13 episodes in the KING OF THE HILL The Complete First Season (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) box set, I have to say the charms and humor of the Texas redneck Hill family is still lost on me. Fans, however, can savor the many extras provided in set, from commentary by various series creators (though, notably, not Judge) and characters to animatics and deleted scenes to TV promo spots.
DVD collections aren't confined to the more niche programming, however--at least not anymore, as more mainstream entries are joining the Mulders and Scullys on the store shelves. Series don't come more populist than the Must See TV juggernaut that is FRIENDS, which is on its sixth set (including a pair of "best of" collections) with FRIENDS The Complete Fourth Season (Warner Home Video). The four-disc set is more notable for the episodes and storylines themselves (namely, the Ross's romance and wedding to Emily; Chandler stealing Joey's girlfriend; Phoebe becoming surrogate mom for her brother's triplets; Monica and Rachel switching apartments with Chandler and Joey; Chandler and Monica hooking up in London) than the now-predictable array of supplements: namely, a trivia game and clip montages devoted to notable guest stars and the season's developments with the core sextet. However, there is one new feature this time out (undoubtedly because the first three season box sets exhausted all of the key locations for interactive maps): a brief but cute featurette on the voice casts who dub the series for foreign markets. Only slightly more distinguished in the supplement department are Paramount's inaugural sets for FRIENDS' Thursday night forerunners: CHEERS The Complete First Season and FRASIER The Complete First Season. The latter is slightly better, offering a rather insightful, recently-assembled documentary on the creation of the CHEERS spinoff, in addition to running commentary on the pilot episode by two of the series' creators, Peter Casey and David Lee. The parent series' set's one useful extra is an interesting recent sit-down with star Ted Danson; a trivia quiz and clip montages round out the not-so-special "special features" section. But a sitcom doesn't have to be a smashing, top-of-the-Nielsens success to earn the DVD treatment, as Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment is releasing a compilation platter of one of The WB's long-running demographic hits: The Best of THE STEVE HARVEY SHOW Volume 1 (Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment), which is undoubtedly seeing release in part to promote Harvey's upcoming WB talk-variety series and cash in on the popularity of series co-star (and fellow King of Comedy) Cedric the Entertainer.
Last, and certainly not least, there's BAYWATCH: HAWAIIAN WEDDING (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment). While Fox's revival of the worldwide television phenomenon didn't earn ratings close to reflecting its past syndicated glory, this was a delicious throwback to the series' creative prime of its early-to-mid-'90s heyday--and, no, that's not a joke. The story, which could've just been a flimsy thread on which to hang a lot of slow-mo running by bodacious babes on the beach, actually made creative use of the long-running series' history. Lifeguard/Superman Lt. Mitch Buchannon (David Hasselhoff)--his fiery demise during the series' BAYWATCH HAWAII incarnation gone strangely unaddressed, let alone explained--is getting married to a dead ringer (Alexandra Paul) for the long-dead love of his life, Lt. Stephanie Holden (who was played by Paul in the series), and out to ruin the blessed event is a returning baddie (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) with a grudge dating way back to the series' second season. Meanwhile, lifeguards past and present from the various cast incarnations assemble, and they are just as we remember them--or, rather, remember loving them; for instance, Mitch's ex-wife Neely (Gena Lee Nolin) is back to her scheming ways after the disastrous and wholly inexplicable character-neutering that took place in season eight. But, of course, all of the "substance" takes a back seat to seeing babes like Nolin, Carmen Electra and--of course--Pamela Anderson cavort in slow motion while in skimpy swimwear, and there's definitely no shortage of these trademark BAYWATCH moments. The ratings underachievement of BAYWATCH: HAWAIIAN WEDDING makes another return to the beach sadly unlikely, but at least we can relive this primo wheel o' cheese for posterity on DVD. Bring on the season box sets!
Access Bollywood
I was beginning to think that my interest in Bollywood film was unusual for someone in the West--particularly in the notoriously B'wood-ignorant U.S.--until last month, when TIME's Richard Corliss wrote a huge valentine to his own obsession with commercial Indian cinema. Now far be it for me to be a slave to the Time Warner conglomerate's supposed trendsetting, but that did give me a little nudge of encouragement that maybe this particular column feature had a purpose and general appeal beyond my own self-indulgence. Further encouragement came in the form of recent Bollywood film festivals on the mainstream premium cable networks Turner Classic Movies and the Sundance Channel.
But the real clincher came, as it always does in this industry, with hard box office figures: namely the #16 North American box office finish of MAIN PREM KI DIWANI HOON (I Will Love Him Till the End of Time) on its opening the weekend of June 27-29, earning over $670,000 on only 60 screens. But like its Hollywood blockbuster counterparts, business more than tumbled by half in its second weekend--not terribly surprising, in light of the mixed reaction of the capacity opening night crowd at my trusty local "Bollyplex," as I call it (the wonderful Naz 8 Cinemas in Lakewood, California). Even at 201 minutes long (since cut down to 177 minutes, but more on that later), this romance--hyped before its release as B'wood's big summer blockbuster--isn't exactly too much longer than the famously lengthy Bollywood norm, but the palpable restlessness of the audience by the film's final stretch was merited, as the film failed to generate much of interest to sustain such a running time.
Not that MPKDH (as it is popularly abbreviated) boasts a plot any less thin as or more familiar than many other Bollywood films. Sanjana (Kareena Kapoor) is a free-spirited type who, fresh out of college, wants to live her life by her own terms; her parents, of course, have more traditional plans in mind--namely, marrying her off to the most appropriate suitor. Appearing to fit the bill to Sanjana's family is a friend of her sister's by the name of Prem (Hrithik Roshan), whose outgoing, thrill-seeking belies his status as a big-time businessman--and for a very good reason: it turns out that this Prem, Prem Kishen, is actually an underling of the proper Prem, Prem Kumar (Abhishek Bachchan, refreshingly understated in overblown surroundings), who couldn't arrive on time due to business commitments. But, of course, by the time Prem Kumar does arrive, Sanjana has already been won over by Prem Kishen.
Sounds like a typical romantic triangle out of B'wood, and it follows the flamboyant masala formula to the letter. The more lighthearted first half of the film focuses on Prem Kishen's efforts to win over Sanjana while things turn more serious post-intermission with the arrival of Prem Kumar and the formation of the key triangle; dollops of broad humor are spread throughout the film; and there are many buoyant song and dance numbers sprinkled along the way. But director Sooraj Barjatya and his two main stars, Kapoor and Roshan, don't quite grasp that a certain moderation is called for even in a genre characterized by excess; there's a fine line between excess and simply too much. Bollywood humor is generally silly, but Barjatya really tests audiences' patience and suspension of disbelief with his two big "enhancements"--a dog whose head suddenly morphs from live action to animation (!) when angry; and, even worse, an annoying CGI talking parrot (!!) with a penchant for quoting movie titles (!!!). Kapoor's ongoing high-profile career continues to be confounding with her thoroughly unimpressive performance. She still confuses overwrought mugging with acting, whether comic or dramatic (that her most convincing scene is when she cries on her bed--while face down--says it all); and she continues to prove to be one of the most rhythm-challenged dancers in Bollywood. That last statement cannot, of course, be applied to Roshan, who is a terrific dancer--and, when he wants to be, can be an effective actor. Alas, MPKDH is one project where he chooses to overact (perhaps to keep up with his leading lady?), and Barjatya makes the curious decision to not give him one big number where he can really cut loose and show what he can do.
And, in a rather strange move, the one musical number in which Roshan is given the most to do has since been cut from the film. After complaints about the film's length during the opening week, the producers made the curious move to order exhibitors to remove an entire reel from the film. While the sequence in question, taking place during a Valentine's Day party, did drag on and can theoretically be removed fairly cleanly, the film makes very little narrative sense without it. Not only does it mark the crucial turning point where Prem Kishen finally wins over Sanjana and introduces an element that pays off at the climax, the now-excised sequence features the centerpiece musical number that introduces the song--the annoying yet impossibly catchy "Sanjana I Love You"--that becomes the film's central musical theme for the rest of the film. But I guess such a hasty and sloppy decision is reflective of the overall haphazard line of creative thinking that went into MAIN PREM KI DIWANI HOON.
Far more satisfying is the season's other highly-touted Bollywood romance, CHALTE CHALTE (Walk Along) (Eros Entertainment), starring reigning B'wood king Shahrukh Khan and Rani Mukerji, a superstar in her own right. Like many Bollywood films, the mid-film interval in CHALTE CHALTE marks not just a time disconnect, but a tonal one; however, in this case, the shift is rather fascinating and effective. The film's first half plays like a jaunty romantic comedy in which salt-of-the-earth truck driver Raj (Khan) woos chic fashion designer Priya (Mukerji) while traveling around Greece. These opposites' attraction progresses in typical rom-com fashion in any language, but the overwhelming charm of and palpable chemistry between the leads brings the formulaic material to a higher level. When Raj, barely suppressing tears, delivers a big goodbye monologue to Priya, the moment is undoubtedly manipulative as hell, but only the most stone hearts won't be moved by Khan's conviction and the silent, soulful eloquence of Mukerji's eyes as she looks on.
While the first half works as its own self-contained romantic comedy, the second half plays as if it were that film's more straight-faced sequel. Imagine, for instance, SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE picking up after Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan met and truly got to know one another--and the hard realities that come with that--and you get an idea of what CHALTE CHALTE evolves into after intermission. The way in which now-married Raj and Priya find out that life isn't exactly happily ever after more than recalls Mukerji's acclaimed hit drama of last December, SAATHIYA, but the stars' likability and dramatic chops sell the emotion. The sugarcoated conclusion isn't nearly as convincing nor as complex as the performances, but on the whole director Aziz Mirza succeeds in doing what most B'wood projects strive to do: offer romance, laughs, drama, tears, song, dance and real stars in one nicely wrapped package.
The reigning queen of Bollywood and the one Indian film actor on the cusp of global mainstream stardom, Khan's DEVDAS co-star Aishwarya Rai, doesn't enter the summer box office race until August. In the meantime, though, one hopes it will turn out better than her last film, the January release DIL KA RISHTA (Relationships of the Heart) (Tips Films). This romantic drama marked Rai's debut as a producer, and accordingly she gave herself a juicy dramatic role spanning marriage, motherhood, tragedy, strength, fragility, romantic yearning and even amnesia--this on top of the usual dancing/lipsynching duties. If this sounds like a soap opera character arc, that wouldn't be entirely wrong. After a first half that plays like the Bollywood triangle norm--engaged teacher Tia (Rai) fends off the advances of rich guy Jai (George Clooney-resembling Arjun Rampal)--a tragic twist of fate sets the story and characters in a new direction, with Tia becoming romantic pursuer of a reluctant, guilt-ridden Jai. But unlike a soap, writer Vrinda Rai and director Naresh Malholtra don't have months worth of airtime to work out the mountain of melodrama they build up; even with a typically long Bollywood running time, the resolution feels remarkably rushed and overly tidy--though that problem could have been remedied had the filmmakers devoted more than ony the last five minutes to tie everything up. But even in a less than ideal context, Rai's considerable talents shine through. Even with all the radical twists Tia endures, Rai makes each of those turns believable; in the dance sequences, she leaves no question as to who is leading the troupe; and she is simply just blessed with that intangible something known as screen presence. If her in-progress crossover to Western film doesn't work out, Rai should easily be able to hold onto her lofty perch in the Bollywood industry.
Special thanks to the Naz 8 Cinemas, Eros Entertainment and Tips Films.
Looking Ahead to Next Time...
...more reviews. As usual, check out my home site, the soon-to-be relaunched Mr. Brown's Movie Site, for my longer takes on older releases.
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