abbott32 Reviews

Pal Joey (1957)

Snuffy Deserved More Lines and Better Billing

[7/10 · 24 July 2022]

Being an animal lover, Snuffy was my favorite character. I gave this film a luke warm 7 and probably deserved less because Snuffy was a mere prop who did not get decent billing or time on the screen.

Not only that, he was seriously neglected by everyone, was not seen eating real dog food and I never saw water around for him. I also did not like how he was bought just to impress a girl and, like most dogs, gave tons more than he received in every respect.

I hope that he had a good life and was treated better in real life than he was in this film.

Bandish Bandits (2020– )

Would have been better without all the F-Bombs

[8/10 · 20 January 2022]

I know that we are in 2022 and this is Netflix but were all the F-Bombs really necessary, especially in the first episode? After all these years, it is still hard to get used to Indian films and TV shows that use the F-bomb with impunity, especially when it does nothing to enhance the story. There has to be a better way to convey the difference between the pop and classical cultures. That is the only reason I gave the series an 8 instead of a 9.

Several times during the first episode, I wondered if I wanted to go beyond the most recent F-Bomb barrage. I am glad that I stuck with it because the series was a pleasant surprise

Have to admit that I have never been that crazy about Indian Classical Music but this series made it very interesting and informative along with almost being another character that enhances the plot. Acting and story line was top notch in every respect.

Tumbbad (2018)

Youth Sexuality Keeps Film From Being a 10

[8/10 · 13 July 2021]

Not completely sure if this is considered a Spoiler but I was amazed that no one seemed bothered with the sexual initiation of what seemed like a 10-12 year old boy. Makes me wonder what is acceptable these days. Very sad state of affairs.

While the film did not show any sex acts with the child, just the dialog and the scenes relating to his sexual awakening were very disturbing and completely unnecessary to the plot. The film would have flowed much better without it. Was the child sex reference and visit to a brothel just an excuse to lighten the mood and have some lively music?

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards (2011 TV Special)

The Academy Listened

[8/10 · 28 February 2011]

After panning last years Academy Awards program, I was quite pleased with this year's efforts on a number of levels. Hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco were a refreshing duo after last years debacle. I felt that it was a mistake last year to have co-hosts but Anne and James gave it their best and succeeded in every respect. I guess you have to have the right co-hosts. The writing was also crisper and there were no lame insulting jokes which, last year, only made the audience and viewers cringe and feel uncomfortable and left a bitter aftertaste. I apologize for comparing this year to last year's but can't help it because this year's show let's us all know how enjoyable and fun the program can be in the right hands. It appears as if The Academy listened to the critics from last year's program and made several changes which only enhanced this year's program.

The Memorial was especially touching and respectful this year and I was pleased to see that a perfect song was added and that, for the first time, the audience showed respect by not clapping at familiar names. I would love to know if, during the break or in written communications, the audience was told to not applaud or if they held the applause because Celine Dion was singing. In any event, it was about time. I agree with other reviewers that a few notable names were omitted.

I liked the tasteful homage to some of the old films, performers and hosts. Think that should be a staple of the Oscars. Good form to have Sandra Bullock, the highlight of last year's show, present the Best Actor award. I am also glad that the program did not try to do something weird with the best film scores and just showed how they sounded in and impacted the films.

I gave this year's Academy Awards an "8" and would have given it a higher rating except the sound mixing was messed up on the music, at least on my home theater system - not sure if that was due to editing a certain comment earlier. I also missed the thumbnail descriptions of the documentaries and international films. Can't recall if they were included last year.

All in all, though, this year's program was a noble effort and breezy show which only tended to enhance the suspense of the awards presentation.

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards (2010 TV Special)

What Were They Thinking?

[3/10 · 9 March 2010]

This has to have been the most boring Oscar show that I have ever seen and the least funny hosts that I can recall. It speaks volumes when Sandra Bullock's five minute acceptance speech got more laughs than everything before it. I hope that I am not becoming a stuff shirt but I don't recall finding hardly anything else funny and thought that the Jewish jokes were very poor taste to say the least.

I hope that, whoever presents the Oscars next year will make major changes next year, among them getting rid of the writers for this year's show and whoever thought of the improvisational dance and lack of set design that had no relation to the themes that were being played by the orchestra. Another major change would be a return to the solitary host but allow the host to improvise a little, albeit within some basic guidelines so, if the show does drag, at least it will not be as painfully boring. Some of the presenters should also be able to say non-scripted tidbits within the same guidelines. Even if many of the awards would be predictable, at least the element of surprise would be alive in the presentation.

My score - 3 - would have been lower without Sandra Bullock saving the day.

Guru Mahaaguru (2002)

What a Waste of Talent

[4/10 · 1 July 2007]

I purchased and invested two hours of my time and made this film the first Bollywood film to watch in almost two weeks and was thoroughly disappointed. I still have no idea how so many IMDb viewers could give this drivel a 10. It makes me wonder if I am going to have similar experiences with other highly rated IMDb Bollywood films.

As much as I love most of Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah's work, they were really slumming on this one. The rest of the cast was OK. Watch Maqbool if you want to see them in a much better vehicle together. The story was disjointed, predictable, frequently lost it's way and the ending seemed almost tacked on. The comedy attempts were lame and only seemed to drag the film along more. The music was nothing to write home about with the best two songs being rip offs of great songs from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Kureukshetra and not nearly as good. I also cringed every time the cheesy cutesy music came on when a character was unsuccessfully trying to do or say something funny. Car chases were overdone, beyond over the top and completely improbable. The fight/action scenes, and there were many of them, were so bad they were comical although they tended to get boring after a while. They were bad even by Bollywood standards. The actors seemed to just go through the motions and there was little effort to make them seem even a little realistic. It was hard to believe that this film came out in 2001 because everything about it looked so dated. Guess I should have written this review before I voted because a "4" was being very generous.

Anaahat (2003)

Beautiful film that needs a little oomph.

[7/10 · 26 November 2005]

I agree with another comment about Sonali Bendre giving a terrific performance and she was ably supported by the head maid played by Deepli Naval. I was not equally impressed by some of the men who gave somewhat stilted performances. The king annoyed the daylights out of me.

Back to the story, though. At times, I felt that the Viagra plug would come at any moment and it was sooooooo slow and talky and this was a relatively short Indian film that could have been trimmed even more. Everything was repetitive - the dialog, scenes, and music. At times, it reminded me of some of the scenes from Wagner's Ring Cycle. I like most Indian music but Indian Classical Music is pretty much hit or miss for me and I feel that it's use in this film will irritate people not used to it. I wish they would have varied it a little more and had some additional instrumentation.

The last twenty to thirty minutes of Eternity (does the title have anything to do with taking an Eternity to get anywhere?)almost makes up for the first hour or so, especially some of the great dialog between the women and one line in particular. Photography, sets, sound, and costumes were all flawless. It would have been nice to have a song or two in the background, especially as the queen is leaving the palace.

Aavishkar (1974)

Boring - Great for insomniacs.

[4/10 · 12 July 2004]

Aavishkar has done something that no other Bollywood film has ever been able to do -- put me to sleep. I will be totally honest - after forcing myself to watch the first 50 minutes of 90, I could not take it any more and could not care how the film ended. I knew enough that I could not get that 50 minutes back. Rajesh Khanna won a best actor award for this film but I would hate to see the competition. It seemed like he sleep walked through most of it and was literally in bed, half asleep, had headaches and irritable except when he remember how happy he was during the first year of his marriage. This film was supposed to be "artsy." Meybe whoever put it together should have gone back to the drawing board.

Lekin... (1990)

Haunting film but would love to have been able to understand the lyrics.

[9/10 · 2 July 2004]

I was completely mesmerized by Lekin and especially by the castle and Dimple's haunting character who took over the screen whenever she materialized. It brought back memories of Ugetsu, one of my favorite Japanese films. The photography, the music, story, acting was all top notch and I am definitely going to have to see what else Gulzar did. The desert, itself, was as much a character as any of the actors.

I would have given Lekin a 10 but, since I do not know Hindi, I have to rely on subtitles and, periodically, the subtitles were a little hard to follow unless you are a speed reader. Also, my biggest gripe with a lot of great Hindi films is that they do not include the subtitles to the songs which was the case on my DVD. I was unable to see for myself why Gulzar won two awards for best lyrics that year. It was also frustrating because, when Dimple's character sang, I am almost certain that knowing the lyrics would have only added to the enjoyment of the film. I still gave Lekin a 9 but if anyone can tell me where I can easily find the lyrics, I would be very grateful.

Trade Offs (2003)

Wish I saw what everyone else saw.

[5/10 · 1 July 2004]

After 20 minutes through the film, I had to stop it, go to the computer, go to IMDB and find out why I bought this dvd. After reading again what everybody said, I decided to see if it would get any better. Trade Offs did get a little better but only because of the great performance of Deypika Singh. Unfortunately she was so good that she made everyone else pale by comparison which was not all that hard to do. The acting was either inconsistent or reminded me of some of the almost laughable stuff that is on late night cable. The story was OK but seemed to be missing something that I could not put my finger on. This film looks and feels low budget. Photography was nothing to write home about and you would hope that the director could have gotten more out of his ensemble unless that is the best he could get. I liked the music which sounds even better on the cd but, at the beginning of the film, the music was so loud that you can barely hear the dialogue and it is not in a night club. Because of all the above, I had to give the film a 5/10 which is one of the lowest scores I have given. Without Deypika Singh, the score would have been a lot lower.

Beta (1992)

Strong dramatic performances weakened by inept comedians(?), over the top writing, and implausable ending.

[7/10 · 24 June 2004]

I totally agree with the reviewer who said that this is Madhuri's film. I only wish she could have had even more scenes, a better script, and been more involved in the climax. Her performance and the performances of all the dramatic stars caused me to give the film a 7 instead of a 5. Anil Kapoor did his best in a thankless role where, at times, he is extremely immature and a big momma's boy. His character was frequently tedious. The comedy(?) was grating and frequently brought the tension and story to a complete halt. Do the masses really like this kind of stuff? INDIRECT SPOILER. The ending was both implausible and unoriginal and left me shaking my head wondering what really happened.

Music and photography were all top notch, especially some great shots of Madhuri by herself and with Anil.

Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993)

Very silly at first but gets better and grows on you.

[7/10 · 14 June 2004]

I was not sure if I would like this film because it was so silly and overacted at first by just about everyone except Aamir Khan. But, the more the film progressed, the more the storyline hooked me and the characters settled into their roles, although it was still a little too silly for my tastes. I could not believe that Filmfare gave HHRPK their best film award and Juhi Chawla the best actress for 1994 because I did not think it was that good unless there was not that much competition that year. I like Juhi's performances in most films and felt she did OK here but, since she was made to overact so much and act so immature, I frequently tired of seeing a grown woman act like a small child.

I hope that I am not being too negative because, if the viewer can handle the first 15-20 minutes, they will be in for a very pleasant ride and a few laughs along the way. It is just not a film for everyone, especially newcomers to Bollywood films.

Hu Tu Tu (1999)

Good film that would have been enhanced if the songs had subtitles.

[7/10 · 13 June 2004]

Hu Tu Tu is definitely worth a watch since it a good story and great acting from the entire ensemble. I was especially impressed with Tabu, Sunil Shetty, Nana Patekar, and Shivali Satham.

The story is about corruption in politics, how it divides families, hurts the little people and runs roughshod over anyone who gets in their way. It also tries to explain how individuals can be driven to horrendous acts and is quite shocking in spots. (INDIRECT SPOILER) One of those shocking acts had to do with the delivery of a message to tell a major politician that her daughter was kidnapped. Because the messenger was an innocent villager, it somewhat contradicted what the kidnappers were trying to accomplish and the message of the person they were trying to save and was one of the reasons for me to only give this film a 7 instead of a 9 which it could have very easily received.

Two other issues also lessened my enjoyment of the film. As much as I like Lata Mangeshkar, I feel that there are some roles where someone else should be the back-up singer and her voice was not even remotely close to Tabu's, especially from an age stand-point. Her voice sounds much older than the character.

My second issue and major pet peeve with Eros DVDs is that most of the DVDs, Hu Tu Tu included, do not include subtitles with the songs. It seems as if they feel that the lyrics are not important to the song or the film. In Hu Tu Tu, though, I feel that the lyrics and songs probably moved the story along, especially the songs with Nana Patekar. You could tell by what was going on in the song, that it was important but, without the subtitles, you can only guess. It is very frustrating and each time this happens, I wonder what the company who added the subtitles were thinking if they were thinking at all.

Danav (2003)

Interesting film that is fascinating yet disturbing.

[7/10 · 16 May 2004]

Danav is an interesting story about a rajah who buys a 7 year old girl when he is in his 20s so that she can become his lover when she becomes of age. Danav was a difficult film to watch and like because of my distaste of everything the rajah stood for - he really had no redeeming qualities other than giving the girl his orchard and land, although that, too, was to endear her to him. He would blind workers who looked at Lakhsmi, killed people with impunity, and kept Lakshmi a virtual prisoner on his land. INDIRECT SPOILER The rajah buys a strange, wild, strong man (Danav) to entertain Lakhsmi which eventually proves to be the undoing of Danav, himself, and Lakhsmi.

This film was considered for the Cannes Film Festival but was withdrawn by the director because it was shot in 16mm and he felt it did not transfer well to 35mm. The film also did not transfer well to DVD. There were frequent spots where it was blurry and grainy and I had to double check to see that Danav really came out in 2003 because the film quality was so inferior to most films that have come out in the last 10 years.

The acting was good by everyone but the rajah's court jesters started to get stale after a while. Sonali Kulkarni as the 16 year old Lakhsmi gave an award calibre performance and is the most redeeming part of the film. She lights up every frame she is in, has a terrific range, and is the primary reason I gave the film a 7 instead of lower rating.

Kaalapani (1996)

Skip the DVD - Watch in the theatre.

[7/10 · 8 May 2004]

I wish that I could agree with the viewers below about the cinematography, sound, and overall quality of the film but the Eros DVD completely failed to capture any of that. The picture quality was somewhat grainy like an old 70s film and, halfway through the film, I had to reduce the sound substantially because of all the static and distortion. Finally, I had to spend close to 45 minutes to finish the last chapter since it kept stopping and, at times, had to see it frame by frame.

Aside from the technical aspects, I felt that the acting by the British actors was either stilted, poorly acted or over acted. I also wish that the two main actors did not look so much alike -- same moustache and body type. In one scene, when they were fighting, it was frequently difficult to tell them apart. Had the same problem with some of the leads in LA Confidential. Teen Deewarein was much better at giving three very distinct characters in every way. I also wished that the director would not have borrowed a scene from Schindler's List -- where all the prisoner's are registering on the island. For anyone who has seen Schindler's List, this scene lessens the impact of the film from then on since, in the back of your mind, you start to wonder what else has been taken from what movies and how much of the overall film can really be believed.

Despite all my misgivings above, I felt the story was well-written and all the Indian actors performed exceptionally well. I only wish that I had seen the same film that everyone else saw.

Dillagi (1999)

Good story, great songs and dances, and terrific acting but...

[8/10 · 29 April 2004]

I thoroughly enjoyed Dillagi because all the actors are in great form, the songs and dances go perfectly with the story and is very well produced, photography and locations were top notch, and the story is interesting. My problem was the drawn out climax and anti-climax which went on way too long and was somewhat predictable.

I also had a major problem with the Eros DVD which was very skimpy on the sub-titles, almost to say that, if you don't know Hindi, that's your tough luck. It appears as if subtitles were used when someone felt the viewer had a need to know because there were several extended spots where no subtitles were available at all. None of the songs had subtitles which really hurt since, when you view the Making of Dillagi, Sunny Deol kept saying how all the songs were integral to the film in that they moved the storyline along.

Despite my reservations, I waver between a 7 and 8 because the overall production was so well done, especially the great songs -- 10 -- which all had great locations and choreography.

Tada (2003)

OK story about underworld and family ties.

[6/10 · 24 April 2004]

I couldn't understand why a new film with Dharmendra in the lead did not have at least one review anywhere. His performance was top notch and he commanded the screen whenever he was present. Was also impressed with the acting of Sharad Kapoor and all the other actors did a pretty decent job. Songs and choreography is pretty decent and the story is interesting throughout.

Basically, Tada is a story about an honest man (Dharmendra) who turns to crime to avenge his father's death, ends up as the Don in Mumbai and has to fight both enemies and former allies and a corrupt police officer to save himself and his family. He has one brother who is a high ranking police officer and refuses to talk to him and a younger brother who is loyal to him.

Although I liked the film, it suffered in comparison to Satya and Vaastav. The love story between the youngest brother and his girlfriend seemed tacked on and did not flow well with the rest of the film. The background music was constant and frequently irritating when,in several spots, no music would have been more effective. Quite a few of the fight scenes, shoot-outs, and special effects were way over the top and reminded me of inferior Hong Kong productions. Tada also had the look and feel of a late 80s film than one that just came out in 2003. The female lead, Monika Bedi, was OK as window dressing but never really stood out or had a chance to. This was, after all, the guy's flic.

Dharam Veer (1977)

Good story and acting hampered by cheesy stunts and special effects.

[7/10 · 22 April 2004]

Dharam-Veer takes place in a mythical kingdom, tells the tale of twin brothers separated at birth who still become best friends not knowing they are real brothers. It also tells about their adventures, loves, court intrigues, and has a host of terrific villains. One of the main characters is a beautiful talented hawk who steals every scene he(she) is in. The acting, writing, music, and choreography are all top-notch.

Despite all the above, I had to give the film a 7 since the fight and battle scenes were poorly executed, unrealistic, and, at times, looked more like people running around, pretending to get killed or injured, and/or doing a series of acrobatic falls, jumps, etc. There were also times, such as when a horse jumps, where it looked like another piece of film had been inserted.

I had some concerns which might be unique to me but which others might share. I watched Dharam-Veer on a Sky DVD where the sound quality was so bad that I came close to chucking the whole thing but, either the story got better or the sound quality improved -- still not sure which. I also had a problem with the Samurai hunter at the beginning of the film -- the actor's voice, physique, looks did not even come close to fitting the role. Luckily, he was not in the film all the much and, as he aged in the film, he fit more into the role.

CAUTION: INDIRECT SPOILER.

Finally, I wish the writer(s) had decided against taking a page out of Turandot because that is the major weak spot in the script. As in Turandot, the hero falls for a princess who is cruel, tortures people and puts some to death for trifles. In Dharam-Veer, she also sends a good number of her soldiers to death in an effort to catch the hero. She even has him tortured yet it does nothing to dampen his ardor. I could never understand why the hero in Dharam-Veer or Turandot were so smitten and, when the princess changed, it did not seem to match her previous personality deficits.

In spite of all my reservations, the film was quite entertaining and, if the viewers can handle the flaws, the film will not be a waste of time.

Ghatak: Lethal (1996)

Best Indian action movie to date

[8/10 · 20 April 2004]

Of all the Indian action films I have seen recently, including Sholay, China Gate, and Bichoo, I would have to place Ghattak at the top. There may be others but I have yet to see them. The action and fight scenes are very well done and realistic which shows that considerable effort went into making them just right. Too often, we see ultra special effects try to make up for sloppy editing and slip-shod action. Nothing looked fakey in Ghattak which enhanced the overall effect and proved that Bollywood can make decent action flics after all. Ghattak was also not marred by feeble comedy attempts and the songs blended well with the action so that nothing slowed the pace of the film.

Mitr: My Friend (2002)

Sophomoric acting by co-stars detracts from Shobana'a great performance.

[6/10 · 14 April 2004]

Mitr has a pretty good concept, interesting story, and a dynamic performance by Shobana who illuminates the screen whenever she is there which, luckily, is most of the movie. Nasir Abdullah, who plays her husband is OK but everyone else in the film seemed like they got their acting chops from Grade D late night cable TV. The daughter, friends, neighbors, -- everyone else -- gave stilted performances as if they were reading their lines. Fortunately, the daughter's performance got better towards the end of the film but the director should have elicited better performances from everyone unless that was their best and the casting crew would have to take the blame for not finding better actors. I would have preferred the over-acting of a lot of Hindi actors than some of the drivel and inane delivery that permeated this film.

Despite my misgivings of Mitr, I will still give it a 6 because of Shobana's performance and look forward to seeing her in other projects of better quality. Watching Shobana in action is worth enduring the cringe factor that occurs when watching the other actors.

Zameen (2003)

An OK film that could have been much better.

[7/10 · 10 April 2004]

Zameen has a very interesting story, has some terrific acting by Ajay and Abhishek, great photography, and good music. Unfortunately it also had a lot more that seriously detracted from the film. I generally love the songs and dances in Indian film but felt that at least two of them were out of place and lessened the impact of everything that went before it. The car crashes were completely unnecessary to the plot and looked fakey and unrealistic. Bibasha was mere window dressing and there were times where I felt her affect was inappropriate to a specific scene. She was great in Jism and in a supporting role in Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai but needed better direction here. The propagandizing went a little overboard at times and, for those who do not know what P.O.K. is, it refers to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir since the initials are referred to several times but never spelled out until close to the end of the movie. Despite the negatives, I would still have to give the film 7/10 although, without them, it could have easily received a 9.

Raat (1992)

Way to long to get to the payoff.

[5/10 · 7 March 2004]

Raat was an OK movie but was not all that scary and used music and dream sequences throughout to make it seem scarier than it was. I will have to admit that, for the most part, the music was a great asset to the film. I think that about 3/4 of the film was a lead in to the last quarter which was pretty decent but no more effective than most B Grade movies of the type. There were also way too many red herrings throughout the film and, when the girl acted possessed, it looked like she was acting possessed. The film quality was also only so-so. A much better film of this genre on all counts is Bhoot where Urmila really looks and acts possessed and the chills and story are top notch in every respect.

Dune (2000)

OK but should have a more sci-fi feel than gaudy costumes.

[7/10 · 5 March 2004]

Since I never read the book, it seems like it was much easier to enjoy Dune from a purely theatrical standpoint and, although there were several points where the film was unintentionally laughable, Dune was both an interesting story, well-done, and held my interest enough to keep the DVD rather than trade or sell it. The drawbacks are quite glaring and interfered with my enjoyment of the film. There were several parts in the beginning and a few later that took for granted that the viewer read the book but were confusing to others like myself. The majority of the costumes were laughable at best and I was disappointed that everyone looked like they were cast from 19th century mix between European palace intrigue and Arabian Nights. There were a couple scenes between the emperor and others that reminded me more of Eisenstein's Ivan the Terrible than Star Trek or Star Wars, both of which made a better effort at having inhabitants from other planets look other-worldly.

Indra (2002)

Choreography and songs are great, comedy is abysmal.

[6/10 · 2 March 2004]

The choreography and songs make the film, the story is OK, and the comedy sequences have a high cringe factor since they are so bad and bring the film to a screeching halt. Had it not been for the "comedy" sequences, I would have probably given the film a 7 or 8 instead of a 6. Indra also did not have the look and feel of a film that was made in 2002 since the color and film quality did not have the crispness and vibrance that has been so characteristic of so many quality Indian films within the last four to five years. Chiranjeevi is great in this film, has terrific range, and his performance alone, besides the choreography and songs, is reason to watch this movie. If you fast forward some of the comedy sequences, you will not have missed anything since they add nothing to the rest of the story.

Judaai (1997)

Good film sidelined by over-the-top attempts at comedy.

[6/10 · 5 January 2004]

As much as I would like to, I cannot recommend Judaai to my friends unless they did not mind fast forwarding whenever Johnny Lever shows up. The story line to Judaai is fascinating, production values are top notch, songs are good, and, as always, Sridevi, Anil, and Urmila are at the top of their form. All other serious supporting roles are good. Then there is the comedy if that is what you want to call it. It frequently brought the plot to a screeching halt and, after the first hour of the film, I almost gave up but decided on fast forwarding the rest of the comedy sections which I should have done earlier. I enjoyed the comedy in Dil Chahta Hai and Awara Paagal Deewana and even like the Johnny Lever characters in Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya and Sirf Tum, but cringed every time Johnny Lever et. al showed up in this film. I gave the film a 6 only because the comedy sequences were so irritating and lengthy. Had the film just focused on the drama and inserted comedy about Sridevi's new found wealth, I would have given it a 9.