Double Whammy

Fanaa: Three reasons to watch Fanaa are Kajol, Kajol and Kajol. Whew!!! She has taken it up from where she left off. The bubbly smile takes you back to those impish laughter in KKKG, or the shy wishing-at-the-sight-of-a-meteor girl in KKHH. Her dance is as graceful as it ever was, and the emotions flow like a river in spate...its so tangible...Apart from that, there's Aamir, one guy who is never content with one look. He looks a bit aged, though. And has a telling paunch in the rain scenes. His other looks are good though, loved the one in which he moves around with a laptop. And the shaayaris at the drop of a hat....dear me!!! And of course, Kashmir is outsourced to Poland. And its sooo beautiful. Its the only beautiful thing in the film which stands up in comparison to Kajol, but just falls short. Allright, I over-did it a bit now. The songs are hummable, and are picturised well, too.

But there are a few nuances too. Serendipity is one. Kajol's parents seem a tad over-enthusiastic about their daughter. It's as though they want their daughter to fall in love with the next person who crosses the street. It all seems too easy. The film is a wee bit lengthy. They have taken the concept of a 3 hour film a bit too seriously, because it does stretch that long. A couple of quick cuts, and some crisp editing could have made the movie slick and pacy. Also, there are many little inconsistencies, which do not fit in the scheme of things.

In any case, the absence of any other big banner movies, and the controversy, I think it will just make enough money to be stamped a HIT.

Da Vinci Code: For those who have NOT read the book, in one word, I can say the movie is gripping. For those who have, the word is "diluted". If you haven't read the book, it has you on the edge of your seat, wondering what might come up next. The pace is good, yet it runs to over two and a half hours. Look out for the scenes where Sophie drives the car in reverse, Silas punishing himself before the Christ and the explanation how a CRYPTEX works.

Now, for those who have read the book, the movie has done quite some justice to it, but again, it all seems too easy. He unscrambles the codes in a matter of minutes, whereas you enjoy the vivid five-page descriptions in the book. Same is the case where they go to the Zurich Bank. They put in the account number, as if it were the most natural thing to do. The book scores over the movie in scenes like these. By and large, the movie is good, and holds your attention throughout. The way the letters shine out individually reminds one of Ron Howard's earlier movie A Beautiful Mind.

Reports show that it opened to a good audience, but X-Men did better.

Another review of Fanaa here.