Filmi Geek

Filmi Geek's 2012 in review

I missed too many well-regarded releases this year to produce a meaningful "Best of 2012" type list.  Without Gangs of Wasseypur, Vicky Donor, and other acclaimed new films, what business do I have making such assertions?

But all Hindi movies, new or old, are new to me.  And so anything I saw this past year can be part of my own personal best of 2012.  And I have had a very good year indeed for Hindi movies. I am fortunate to have the filtering lens of history and the very good sense of many friends to guide my movie choices. So it is quite rare that I see movies I really hate, and about a quarter of all the Hindi movies I have ever seen make it into my Favorites category. Even so, there are a few films that stand out as my best filmi experiences of the year.  Here they are, with links to my reviews of them.

• Kahaani (2012).  A movie that  makes many a best of 2012 list, I'm sure.  This was the first movie I saw after returning from India, and it made me want to march right back to the airport and get on a plane to Calcutta.  Kahaani had another effect on me as well - about halfway through, while Vidya Balan and her pregnant waddle filled the screen with irresistible presence, a thought struck me like a brick to the head:  "I am in love with this woman."  I was late to hop on the Vidya train, I know, but this is the movie that did it.

• Tere ghar ke samne (1963).  My viewing experience in 2012 was shaped and colored by my first trip to India, which came very early in the year.  I watched this film on the way home, hoping to extend the mood of my trip just a little longer, and was rewarded with its marvelous use of Qutub Minar in the brilliant song "Dil ka bhanwar kare pukar."  This is also the movie that made me realize that Vijay Anand is quite possibly my favorite director of Hindi movies.  There is not a flaw to be found in this beautiful piece of cinematic entertainment - I love everything about it. 

• Kaala patthar (1979).  The first "why did I wait so long to watch this" movie of my year.  Of course I did not know at the time that this year would be Yash Chopra's last.  When he died, I remembered him in the taut perfection of this movie and how it delivers everything that makes me love Hindi movies in one riveting package. 

• Band baaja baaraat (2010).  Part of 2012 for me was catching up on recent releases I'd missed while being occupied with other projects.  So here on my best of 2012 list is a movie that made many best of 2010 lists.  I will allow that my gushing over this movie may have been a little out of proportion to its eventual place in history.  However, I have watched it three or four times this year and I have to say it still stands up.  It's one I'll show to newcomers, as well. 

• Ek Saal (1957), Mahal (1949), Kismet (1943).  This is cheating a little, as none of these is really all the way to a favorite movie.  But one of the themes of my 2012 viewing has been growing respect and love for Ashok Kumar, who has risen to become one of my all-time favorite actors.  These aren't the only movies of his I saw this year - I also got to see his delightful avuncular avatar in movies like Chhoti si baat and Aradhana - but they are early, stardom-defining turns of his, that gave me a lot of insight into the man and his enduring appeal.

• Chhoti si baat (1975). Such a delightful confection that lands me squarely on the Amol Palekar train (in case there was any doubt after Golmaal).

• The Dirty Picture (2011).  If Kahaani made me fall in love with Vidya Balan, what do I really need to say about The Dirty Picture?  In that respect, the review speaks for itself.

• Delhi-6 (2009).  This movie closed the feedback loop between my visit to India and my experience of Indian movies.  As I said in the review, "watching Hindi movies has made India a fascination for me of limitless depth and life, and seeing India inperson has made Hindi movies breathe with a new vivacity."

• English Vinglish (2012). Another movie that makes many best of the year lists.  There isn't much I can add to the mostly ebullient discourse about this touching, delightful movie, except that I can't wait to show it to my mother.

• Naya daur (1957).  This movie did not exactly make a Dilip Kumar fan out of me, but there is much to love in it all the same.  A clear antecedent of one of my all-time favorites, Lagaan, Naya daur offers grand allegorical themes, vibrant characters, and absolutely wonderful songs.   A classic I have not seen many discuss, I am very glad to have learned about it in 2012.

• 7 khoon maaf (2011).  This bizarre, intriguing movie snuck up on me, and by the time it was done I couldn't wait to watch it again.  An unexpected keeper.

Honorable Mention:  Tere naal love ho gaya (2012).  Cute and harmless, this not a memorable movie by any objective standard.  But I saw this movie in a cinema hall in Jaipur - the first and to date the only movie I've seen in a theater in India, and so it ranks easily among my best filmi experiences of 2012 and it will always be close to my heart.  And to be fair to this little movie, I rewatched it recently (for mindless viewing while suffering a stomach flu) and found it held up to the rewatch - still cute and adequately entertaining, with more than a few legitimate laughs.

Thanks for reading.  Here's to a filmi 2013 that is just as satisfying and enduring for me and you as well.

Filmi Geek turns six, and offers a thoroughly self-serving post

This month, Filmi Geek (the blog, not its author) turns 6.  In those six years, I have published well over 200 movie reviews here. 

But not all reviews are created equal. 

Some of the older reviews on this blog truly make me cringe - if I had time I would rewatch the first 50 or 75 Hindi movies I ever saw and rewrite every last review in the light of what I know now, both about movies and about writing about movies. 

In contrast, every once in a while I write a review that I'm actually rather proud of - one that captures what I felt while watching, or that explores an interesting idea.  My favorite reviews have a cohesive narrative structure of their own, something more than a paragraph-separated recounting of highlights and lowlights.  The best reviews, I think, tell you as much about me as they do about the movie. 

In honor of Filmi Geek's 6th birthday, I offer this thoroughly self-serving post, in which I browse my own archives and compile for you a selection of what I think of as Filmi Geek's very best.  These are not necessarily reviews of my favorite movies - those can be found, for better and worse, in the GOAT's Favorites category. Rather, these are the reviews that come closest to achieving what I strive for every time I sit down to write:  my experience of a movie and my thoughts about it, presented (I hope) in a way that is interesting for you. 

So, without further nattering, here is what I think is the best of Filmi Geek so far.  Thank you very much for reading.  Here's to six more years.

 Band baaja baaraat (2010)

This is a rather gushing review, and gushing reviews aren't always my favorites.  After all, there are only so many superlatives one can trot out.  But in my gushing about this sweet movie, I went out on a limb and made some bold proclamations about the future of its stars.  I am already fairly certain those predictions will prove false.  But I am still pleased with the review, for taking that chance.

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Caravan (1971)

Another gushing review that injects a small amount of substance.  The review does pause to acknowledge some problems with the movie, before waving them away to revel in the delicious sweetness of the movie and the intoxicating sway of Aruna Irani's hips.

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Chokher Bali (2003)

  

Writing about movies I hate is even more satisfying than writing about movies I love.  Here, I tear apart a movie that is simply a horrid example of filmmaking craft gone wrong. 

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Deewaar (1975)

Although this is another gushing review, I feel it captures better than some exactly why I love the movie so much.  It's a solid discussion of the movie's themes and devices, and offers a bit more substance than a mere rattling of superlatives.  

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Delhi-6 (2009)

This was one of the first movies I saw after returning from my first trip to India, and the experiences of that  visit shaped my experience of the movie.  This review explains the feedback loop by which my visit to India colors what I see in the movies, and vice versa.  It also discusses the vitality of location  in a film.

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Devdas (2002)

Another example of shredding a movie I despise.  This is a fairly old review, and it's the first movie I really attacked with glee and with the gloves off.  My language in this review may have waxed somewhat purple. It's very tempting to get hyperbolic when tearing apart an awful movie.  Since this movie is itself so hyperbolic, I don't feel too guilty about going over the top myself.

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The Dirty Picture (2011)

I ventured outside my usual review format for this recent review.  It is a dialogue between my serious, nerdy side - the one who usually reviews movies here - and the side of me that is just plain turned on by Vidya Balan.  The result is not everything I hoped it would be, but I think it makes an entertaining read.

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Garm Hava (1973)

This gorgeous movie inspired some of my better turns of phrase, as I worked to capture some of its lyricism in my review.  As a bonus, there is an interesting discussion in the comments with someone who criticized me for being excessively sympathetic to Muslims. 

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Godmother (1999)

This is one of my all-time favorite Shabana Azmi movies.  I like this review, one of my older ones, because of its discussion of the film's rich substance.

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Howrah Bridge (1958)

This movie's use of Calcutta as an exotic backdrop for its story allows my review to cover two of my favorite themes:  Location as a character in its own right, and the use of exoticism in storytelling. 

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Jab jab phool khile (1965)

In this relatively early review I struggle with the problem of bringing an outsider's point of to view to criticism of the substance of Indian films.  Kaise bhool jaaun ki main Hindustani nahin?  I don't always get the balance right, but I was pleased with the way this review expresses my attempts to think about it.

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Mahal (1949)

Though my friends are often kind enough to vouch for my wit and humor, for whatever reason these qualities - to the extent I have them - don't show up here on the blog very often.  But this weird movie brought my sense of humor out to play, and resulting in that rarest of creatures:  A funny Filmi Geek review.

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Ra.One (2011)

More gleeful evisceration of a dire and dreadful movie.  This one is almost unfair, because the movie is so horrid that a vituperous and snarky review practically writes itself.   Trashing a movie like this is the film critic's equivalent of popping bubble wrap - it's not terribly challenging, yet it's immensely satisfying.  I include the review because I did manage some substantive criticism in the midst of all that joyous venom.  

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Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (2009)

Writing about movies that are good, but could have been great, is of particular interest to me.  I find it quite compelling to analyze precisely where a very promising movie bumps off the rails.  What intrigues me about this review is that my interpretation of what's wrong with this movie isn't universally shared, and may in fact be colored by my perspective as an outsider, a non-Indian viewer of a very Indian film.  Some of that difference of opinion is explored in the comments.

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Sharmilee (1971)

Like Jab jab phool khile, this movie touches on the east-west tension that I find terribly fascinating in movies of this era.  This is a relatively old review, and so its tone is not as delicate as I would like; I didn't know enough, at that point, to know the contours of what I don't understand about the complexities of India.  I would tread more lightly today.  Still, I like the review for its examination of that favorite theme of mine.  

Metapost: A milestone, and a contest

Hello folks!

(Note:  As of 15 April 2012 the contest is closed, and a winner has been drawn.  But please Like or follow Filmi Geek anyhow and tell your friends  :) 

Things are often spotty around here, but lately I've been on a tear of watching and writing.  Agent Vinod was my 195th movie review.  Three more reviews are already in the pipeline.  That means that review #200 is just around the corner - the milestone I mentioned in the title of this post.  And the contest? 

I want one of you to pick my 200th review.  

One of you can make me watch any Indian movie you want - I will review it.  Want to subject me to something you know I'll hate, just to see what I'll do to it?   Think I've neglected the work of your favorite star or director?  Frustrated by my stubborn refusal to venture far outside of the Hindi language center?   This contest is your chance to broaden my horizons.

So, here is how you enter:  Just "Like" Filmi Geek on Facebook (there's a button in the left margin of this page, down below the Recent Comments list), or follow me on Twitter. 

When it is time to watch the movie for that 200th review, I'll draw a name at random from all my Facebook and Twitter followers, and contact the winner to find out what movie he or she wants me to review.   (If you've already "Like"d or followed Filmi Geek, you are already entered.)  And in the meantime, you can connect with me on either network, let me know what you're thinking, what you're watching, what you're listening to, and - most important - what you think I should be watching and listening to. 

I want to connect with all of you.  So please don't miss your chance to direct my viewing:

• Like Filmi Geek on Facebook (use the button on the left)
• Follow carla on Twitter

... and please tell your friends.   I'll keep you posted as the fateful day approaches.

Take care,

carla (filmi geek)

The famous Raj Mandir cinemal hall in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on the night last month when I saw Tere naal love ho gaya there.

Filmi Geek Metapost - quick check-in from India

Hello folks! I didn't have a chance to mention it sooner, but I am currently on my first trip to India! So far I've seen a bit of Delhi, Varanasi, the temples at Khajuraho, the Taj Mahal, and other fantastic Mughal sites around Agra. I am writing this from Jaipur, where tomorrow night I plan to catch a movie at the famous Raj Mandir cinema hall! Next stop is Udaipur, followed by a swing down south to Cochin, before I finish up in Mumbai. I can't really put into words how exciting and fascinating this trip has been for me. It is a tremendous thrill to see first hand so many every day scenes and landscapes that have become familiar to me from the movies, and get some surprises too. And it was long overdue - I've been watching Hindi movies for 7 years and writing about them nearly as long, and it was high time I got my act together to get over here. I'll have more to say when I'm home. I just wanted to let you all know that I finally got myself here after all this time! Thanks for reading.

In Memoriam

Shammi Kapoor, 1931-2011

By now you all know the sad news that Shammi Kapoor passed away last weekend.

As (still) a relative newcomer to Hindi movies and an American, I don't have a lot to add to the many eloquent tributes that have been written and published over the last week.  I will only say this:  the essence of Shammi Kapoor's star persona was joy, love, and vivacity.  His movies brimmed over with energy.  And so, my own remembrance of Shammi Kapoor is a celebration, not a mourning. 

I've been celebrating by listening to and watching some of my favorite Shammi Kapoor songs, including "Meri jaan balle balle" from Kashmir ki kali, "Main gaoon tum so jaao" from Brahmachari, and "Aaja aaja, main hoon pyar tera" from Teesri Manzil. 

I'm celebrating with his movies as well.  I began re-watching An Evening in Paris last night (I wanted to rewatch Teesri Manzil but it turns out that even my rather absurd DVD collection doesn't include it).  I have plans to watch Prince in the near future and maybe catch up on some other of Shammi's movies as well.

I haven't seen much of Shammi Kapoor so far, but here are my reviews of a few of his starring roles:

• Brahmachari (1968)
• An Evening in Paris (1967)
• Junglee (1961)
• Kashmir ki kali (1964)
• Teesri manzil (1966)

Godspeed, Shammi ji, and thank you for all the smiles. 

Metapost - Filmi Geek on Masala Zindabad podcast

A while I had the pleasure of recording a long chat with my friends Beth and Amrita for their superb Masala Zindabad podcast.  The first part of the episode is out now, and you can find out all about it here - scroll down to the bottom of that post for download and subscription links. Our subject was "Straddlers" - those remarkable actors who have seemed to make their careers with one foot in parallel cinema and the other planted squarely in the mainstream. 

By the way, you might have noticed that my activity on this blog seems to come and go in six-month cycles - that is because my job has a six-month cycle, and I tend to have more leisure time in the first half of that cycle than in the second half.  I love watching and writing about Hindi films, though, so I will keep working on being consistent.  Thanks for sticking with me through the bursts and the lulls - please let me know what you think, and please tell your friends!

Update:  Part 2 of the podcast is posted!  Once again please scroll down to the bottom of that post for the download and subscription links.

Metapost: In memory of Ravi Baswani

In memory of Ravi Baswani, who passed away earlier this week, I'd like to highlight reviews I wrote a few years ago of two films he starred in:

• Jaane bhi do yaaro
• Chashme buddoor 

Both are wonderful films.  Though my comments on them don't say much in particular about Ravi Baswani, his performances in both films are natural, appealing, and endearingly comical. 

According to IMDB, I have also seen Ravi Baswani in a small role in Bunty aur Babli.  I did not know who he was when I saw that film, so it didn't register.  I will look for him the next time I watch it. 

It's safe to say ...

With five new reviews in the last month, I think it's safe to say that I'm back in the swing of things. 

I can't really offer any excuse for my hiatus; there are just too many enthusiasms competing for my attention, and Hindi films got neglected for the better part of a year. 

I missed them, though, and it's been a priority of mine to figure out a better balance among all the stuff I'd like to spend my time doing.  And so lately I've been watching again, and writing again.  I intend to keep at it. 

Those of you who are still with me, thanks very much for sticking out the long break.  I know I have lost some readers with my inactivity, and I'd love to win them back, because one of my favorite things about running this site is engaging in dialogue with other lovers of Hindi movies.  And so I'd like to ask your help.  Please consider telling your friends and the readers of your own blogs that Filmi Geek is back and writing again.  

In the meantime, stay tuned, because I have a few more reviews in the pipeline.  Up next is Vijay Anand's romantic thriller Blackmail, which I'll try to get written up this weekend.  After that - who knows!  But thanks for sticking around to find out. 

Filmi Geek metapost - Geek of a new trade

I am so sorry for the extended posting hiatus here and at my other two blogs, Geek of all Trades and Sounds Like Power.  The past half-year or so has been trying for me, with lots of soul-searching and thinking and introspection.  I had to let something go, to have the energy for all that, and it was the blogs that suffered.  For you, Filmi Geek readers, that meant I wasn't watching as many Hindi movies, and I wasn't writing about the ones that I did watch. 

The good news is that I have decided to say goodbye to my career as a patent attorney, and in a little over a month I will be starting a new career and a new job as a technical writer. 

I don't know exactly what the future holds, but I miss Hindi films and I miss blogging and I will definitely be back.  So please stay tuned for postings soon, as I turn the page on my professional life and, with any luck, get back some of the energy I used to spend here thinking and writing and communicating with all you folks out there. 

Thanks for reading, and I'm looking forward to getting back in touch with all of you. 

Filmi Geek metapost

Hi folks,

There is some kind of technical problem with the Dor post that is not permitting comments to go through even though comments are supposed to be open on that post.  I have submitted a support ticket to TypePad and will hopefully get it resolved quickly. In the meantime if you feel the urge to comment on Dor you should be able to do so in this post; I think I can move the comments to the Dor post later. UPDATE:  The problem appears to be resolved and I have moved the comments from here to the Dor post.  Please let me know if you still have trouble.

I've not been a conscientious blogger for the past month or so but now that the Dor review is up and I have a few more in the pipeline I hope to be back up to speed soon.  I miss watching Hindi movies and reviewing them, and I miss hearing from you about them as well.  Thanks for reading Filmi Geek!

ETA:  There are worse technical problems than that; apparently all the work I did getting Dor ready for publication last night has been lost, and the review that is published has reverted to a half-finished version of the post.  I have pulled it and am mightily annoyed that I've lost my work.  I'll try to reconstruct it as soon as I can. ETAA:  Fixed!  I knew there was a good reason I subscribed to my own RSS feed.  :p