Reviews

Let me preface my comments with this disclaimer, I am a nonIndian. Forgive my obvious ignorance and any misspellings, and proceed at your own risk.

I rented B&B from Netflix because I've seen KHAKEE with Bachchan. the father and Ash Rai, plus KUCH NAA KAHE WITH Bachchan, the son and, again, Ash Rai. The father is obviously an national Indian treasure as a wonderful, serious actor. The son is clearly a gifted comedian and maturing, sensitive actor. Ash Rai? She's one of a kind too, and she clearly knows how to pick 'em in her leading men. By the way, Ajay Devron, her leading man in Straight From the Heart, Raincoat, and as that nefarious terrorist in KHAKEE, is another example of her very good taste in who appears opposite her on screen.

B$B is delightful especially for Bachchan the son, who did great work here in various con man roles and in his interaction with his perky, little costar, Rani Munkerjee. Of course, the whole thing is a bit of fluff from beginning to end, and anyone who expects more, should leave as soon the first energetic musical number hits the screen.

The narration by Bachchan, the father and his eventual, inevitable appearance as the world-weary cop chasing these carefree, con kids is worth the wait. Of course, it is just like every other American cops 'n robber spoof that I've ever seen; nobody really gets hurt.

Now the surprise and joy for me was the so-called 'item number' in the bar with father, son, and their co-star from other recent movies, Ash Rai. The drunken banter (no, I don't speak Hindi and had to rely on the subtitles) and body language was very funny to me despite, or maybe because of, this obvious handicap. Their interactions with Ash prior to the dance number were perfectly timed comedy reactions too. The dance number itself ripped up the place and Ash looked as if she was having a lot of fun "flirting" with two of her favorite men. Now that's entertainment in my book, and in any language.

Go rent B&B, or, even better, buy the DVD and add it to your Bollywood collection. That's what I'm doing right after I finish this review. Thanks to both Bachchans, Ms. Munkerjee and Rai for sharing their talents with all of us.

Bride and Prejudice is as bright as an East Indian color palette, and as precious as the forehead jewels of its lovely stars. The story takes us globe-hopping between a placid Indian farming community with a shining golden temple, to lively London, and then to the "Must-Be-The Money" capital, my dear home, Los Angeles. Take your kids. It's safe, visual stimulation and fun. Most of the songs are in English and, if not, subtitles or characters' comments make it clear what is going on.

If you are not familiar with East Indian films and the whole Bollywood-style of movie-making then permit this film to be your introduction. Watch for the rules. #1—no kissing, #2—family values always win in the end, #3—MGM musicals had it right; boy does meet girl, lose her and finally win her at the finale, and oh yes, my personal favorite, #4—It's OK to break into song-and-dance to express characters' emotions or as a vehicle for advancing the plot.

This serviceable plot is based on the Victorian, Jane Austin novel, Pride and Prejudice. If you're a PBS or BBC viewer then this story of four, lovely but middle-class daughters being married off to the most eligible, economic prospects by their overly energetic mother will be familiar to you. Only the faces, century, and Western culture have been changed, and a pulsating East Indian musical score added.

Speaking of faces, the leading ladies of this film are two of the best examples of beauty on the planet today. Aishwarya Rai who plays the lead is renowned for her incredible blue-green eyes. Even Julia Roberts once acknowledged her as the most beautiful woman in films today and I doubt that you'll disagree with that pretty lady once you've seen Ash (as her fans call her) in Bride. Ash is a former Miss World, and Namatra Shirodokar who plays her big sister is a former Miss Universe runner-up.

Their incredible looks make the plot a bit creditable. You can believe in love at first sight; that a high-powered London lawyer and his college pal, an American hotel magnate (both definite Alpha-males) would fall head- over-saris for these exquisite Alpha-females even if they are simply farmers' daughters. The most glamorous farmer's daughters since Loretta Young in the 1940's movie of the same title !

Believe it or not, Bride is not worth seeing simply for its photogenic stars. No indeed, Ash and the other cast members can sing, dance and act well enough to almost make you forget how your jaw dropped the first time you saw Ash in close-up on the big screen. Like Sophia Loren, and other screen sirens of that caliber, Ash has no bad camera angles. Don't hate her because she's truly beautiful.

More importantly, even if someone less than the crown jewel of Bollywood cinema had been in the lead role, Bride would be worthy of a 'look-see'. The film knows itself, and has its tongue firmly planted in its cheek about the musical format; never taking itself too seriously.

Being a lifelong Angelino, my favorite part was when the story shifts to L.A. and you see bartenders shaking margaritas in tempo, and surfers singing at Santa Monica Beach. I'm sure they got our locals to "go Hollywood" very easily. Yes, I love L.A., and I love Bride. I am not ashamed to admit that I've seen Bride numerous times now; first with an audience full of East Indians in Irvine who roared in laughter at the green card-holder, expatriate Mr. Kholi seeking a traditional Indian bride to bring back to his 'crib' in L.A.., and last with a typical L.A. mix of suburbanites who chuckled in all the right places too. Each time was a great time at the movies. Feast your eyes. Go see Bride on the big screen before its vibrancy shrinks onto DVD and HBO.

A note of appreciation to all users who left comments prior to mine. You have reassured me that I'm not losing my musicality after all. Sheryl Crow's killing of "Begin the Beguine" was a complete massacre. It was simply a murder of Crow's own unique design. Changing both the melodyline and the modalities completely stripped this song of its sensuality and raison d'etre.

By the way, for all you naive non-musicians, Kevin Kline is a Julliard graduate and CAN sing very well. Check out his Pirates of Penzance with Linda Rohnstat; probably on video somewhere near you. The fact that he didn't use his vocal gifts is because, big dud here, Cole Porter could NOT sing as witness the credits if you stuck around long enough to hear CP sing one of his own works.

In closing, I cannot recommend "De-Lovely" because that murder of Crow's placed at a crucial point in the storyline just entirely drove me to distraction, tears, and out of the storyline for the remainder of the movie. By the way, I had already heard this disaster on my local radio station. I had hoped that something about Crow's performance in the movie would change my disbelief and dismay over how BAD this Beguine was treated. Alas, it fared worse in the movie when one had to actually witness her lipsyncing and lack of slip beneath her clingy gown. I hope "De-Lovely" disappears from our theaters very soon.

"Catch Me if You Can" reawakened my appreciation of an era that previously I had only experienced as a pre-teen. Thanks to clever choices of scenes in the previews, I had looked forward to "Down With Love" because it promised to revisit the 60's again with affection and sexual playfulness. What a complete disappointment. Is Spielberg the only one in Hollywood who knows how to get the early 60's right?

The main players (except for Hyde-Pierce and Randall) were not up to the demands of the genre. You need a leading man who is drop-dead handsome and intelligent to deliver those rapid-fire dialog lines....wasn't Hugh Jackman available between X-Men commitments? You need a leading lady who can portray innocence mixed with sophistication...weren't either Bridget Fonda or Gweneth Paltrow free? Some GEN-X casting agent obviously thought that just because Ewan and Renee had lucked out and landed musical roles lately that they were perfect for this movie. Wrong. Dead wrong. Zip chemistry. Nada understanding of the real meaning of the word, TANG. They overacted, smirked and generally cloyed their way through this mess.

Most importantly, the writers overstepped the genre's very strict rules of GOOD TASTE in sexual innuendo and went way overboard in those split-screen sequences. It was a blatant attempt to keep the MTV-ers in the audience amused, in the only manner they have been accustomed to, with crude, vulgar references to sexual practices that never really got mentioned in the real 60's comedies. I thought Austin Powers was going to show up on screen any minute. No PG-13 rating was needed on those real sex romps. They were clever enough to use leads who were brimming with sexual tension and smarts. They kept their clothes on and yet they moved the earth when their eyes locked. Think of James Garner with Doris Day, Brain Keith with Maureen O'Hara, or, of course, Tony Curtis with Natalie Wood.

Better yet, go to the video store now, and spend the money you would have wasted on supporting this tripe right there. Rent "Parent Trap", "Sex and the Single Girl", and "Move Over, Darling." and you'll get the real deal. If you are young enough that you missed Rock Hudson then rent "Pillow Talk" too. You'll see how split screen sequences were supposed to be done. "Down With Love" is a big thumbs-down.