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desipunk80
Reviews
Memory (2006)
not a bad way to spend a weeknight
This is a neat little movie, if you ignore some of the obvious clichés and TV movie pacing. But it is NOT for gore-hounds and ppl turned on by SAW type violence.
Given of course that you don't let logic come in the way...as the plot is convoluted and the 'scientific' theories pretty laughable...plus a somewhat predictable ending...plus the movie is longer than judgment day...we dozed off about 5 diff times Glad we stayed till the end tho. Because what this movie has going for it is a return to an older, more conventional serial killer storyline. With good atmospheric buildup, and thankfully minimal gore, so that you could at least think about watching it with family. Don't know about you, but I'm kinda getting sick and tired of all the SAW and HOSTEL ripoffs.
Don't expect much from the actors. For those who've tracked their careers, Billy Zane and D Hopper have been collecting paychecks for a while now, and they sleepwalk thru their roles here as well. Oldtimer Ann Margret puts in a decent performance, tho the role hardly requires acting ability.
5 out of 10
Yakeen (2005)
a decent whodunit
Timepass. Yakeen is good for 2 hrs of that and nothing else. Esp if you (like me) are tired of all the 'new-age', 'different Hindi movies like Bluffmaster etc., and just want a break. This is an old-style whodunit that works even though the suspense is pretty obvious, because the motives are unclear till the end, and twists and turns are put in at the right intervals.
The story starts on a hospital bed, where Nikhil (Arjun Rampal) is having reconstructive facial surgery after having survived a horrible accident. Surgery is successful, with one catch: he cannot remember anything about his past except a nightmarish glimpse of his car crashing into a cliff. He finds out that he's a successful architect with an awesome bungalow and a loving wife Simar (Priyanka). On the surface, everything seems to be rosy. But something about his unresolved past keeps gnawing at him. Will he be able to resolve his amnesia? What will be the result? That's basically what Yakeen is all about.
Stories like this have been attempted before in Hindi cinema, albeit sporadically. So most of the content remains somewhat predictable, at least until the last 20 minutes. Performances are good all around. Arjun Rampal has got a great voice and he uses it to good effect. This is one actor that seems to have all the right tools, but somehow that star appeal is missing. Priyanka looks sexy and acts reasonably well, although (spoiler) toward the end her role gets to be somewhat of a repeat of Aitraaz. Sudhanshu Pandey is likable in his brief appearance, as is the dependable Saurabh Shukla. Girish Dhamija's direction is tight, and the dialogues are out of real life.
This is one of Himesh's pre Aashiq Banaya Aapne albums, which is a good thing, as the soundtrack is melody focused, with a plethora of soothing romantic tunes, among which 'Meri Aakho mein' and Bhoolna Nahi stand out. All in all, watch this on DVD with low expectations, and you'll be entertained.