Halalabad Blues (2002) User Reviews

Mini-Bollywood rip-off but great music

[thniels · 4/10 · 9 December 2002]

The main plot of this movie is good and the idea timely, although hardly novel. This said, the movie is really not very well implemented. The acting is sporadically good but mostly uninspired bordering the amateurish. One character, the male lead Cengiz, is well established but the remaining characters are never explained or even cared for thus leaving them utterly uninteresting.

What is so central to Bollywood productions and grandiose if you like that sort of thing is almost a parody here. Dance scenes are used to reflect emotions but with only a handful of dancers and almost no variation in choreography across the entire movie makes it a boring attempt. A great idea, though, had it only worked.

A fun fact to note, by the way, is that Peter Perski is Swedish having Ali Kazim dubbing his voice in not quite broken Danish.

I watched it, and I live with it

[zarodina · 1/10 · 17 September 2006]

Probably one of the worst Danish films I've ever had to watch. There is no other saying of it. It stinks/bites/sucks/blows e.c..

The plot is irritating and unreal.

The characters are irritating and unreal.

The script is't a script.

The songs are something out of a Bollywood movie about transvestites. If a had the choice of watching that film again(or a possible sequel) or inflicting some horrible pain upon myself via instruments, I would probably go for the latter. But, OK, my readers, don't take my word for it. Watch it and judge for yourselves. I did, and that's just something I have to live with.

Bizarre but interesting mix

[endymionng · 7/10 · 5 June 2006]

Closely related with "East is East"(1999) but without the comedy.

Bollywood meets danish social realism in this modern romantic drama. Archetypal danish liberated female photographer in her middle thirties falls in love with hot-blooded Turkish guy who runs a convenience store in Copenhagen for his uncle - He also lives with his uncle and their family since his wife is back in turkey taking care of HIS father who is ill!

Apart from the obvious cultural differences we get some VERY candid comments to the danish integration debate which is even more relevant after the Mohammed-drawing debacle. These comments take the form of alcohol induced social gatherings with her friends and plenty of male chauvinistic side-remarks from his friends (said in Turkish, so the Danes don't understand). This is by far the best part of the movie.

However the movie is marred by bad dubbing (probably not so big a problem in countries where this is usual) and the apparent necessity of dubbing all of the Turkish hunks danish lines. Another problem is the forced acting from the 2 leads that sometimes is a bit to much - the supporting actors on both sides are excellent.

A funny choice is to have 5 of the romantic/sexy scenes interrupted by typical color full Bollywood dance numbers, that are quite good in its own way - one of them even a bit provocative.

Uneven but definitely worth a watch 6-7/10

A splendid collage-picture of cultural problems in Denmark

[tfduckman · 10/10 · 22 July 2007]

Don't believe this is a Bollywood story. Don't believe that it's a love-story or a comic melodrama ! This is a story written by someone I know has a firsthand knowledge of both Muslim immigrants milieu and typical ethnic Danes - she describes sides of life we not are accustomed to see in traditional films (like a man peeing in the sink in "Koks i kulissen") and her social realism is never boring.

Helle Ryslinge shows with this movie that the so-called "impossible" objective point EXISTS ! In the end You feel sorry for both sides and You realize this cultural conflict between Muslims and Christians/westerners will continue.

Danish politicians have tried to restrict immigration and control integration, but the success is only on the danish hands ! A land like Sweden - where criticizing immigrants is law-forbidden - has increasing neonazism and neonazi-demonstrations. In Denmark the freedom of speech has won over both left-wing-extremists lullabies (except when they constantly refrain from paying rent for a YouthHouse !) and neonazists antisemitic feelings.

There is not much success on the immigrants hands yet and though this picture is 5 years old it still reflects the problem is not integration BUT dis-integration ...

A colony with cultural superstitions blocked by religious fear is thrown into a cyberspace-ready world and these colonists has to acclimatize to the new country - or be looked upon as intruders, if not invaders.

Quite a challenge for newcomers, but every step towards a modern mind free of hate, religion and conquest-tradition; will benefit those who seek refuge in the northern Europe.