OMG 2

Masturbation may seen an odd topic for a Bollywood movie, however "OMG 2" makes it a focal point.  It is very hard not to laugh while it makes its points.  A plea for sex education

It starts with a relatively innocent boy curious about gossip and ideas he has stumbled on.  In his case it leads to a video about masturbation that is carried on the inter net.  The high class school he attends is disgusted  The father, Kanti is flabbergasted, but decides to defend his son.

India produced the Kama Sutra and other writings regarding sex.  They also produced explicit and erotic sculptures.  But in their modern schools sex is a non topic.

A very sharp lawyer Kamini defends against his suing the school for lack of proper education.  She is used to turning the table on her opposition, but Kanti has been well prepared.

For further comic relief the script has provided a spiritual guide.  Kanti, a Hindu is devoted to Lord Shiva.  Originally the writer wanted a side commentator to be Lord Shiva, but thought too offensive and changed to a messenger from Lord Shiva.

A sex worker is called to testify.  She has a son at the expensive school and needs her profession and needs to protect her son.  Nonetheless Kanti is able to expose some hypocrisy.

Explicit drawings of male and female anatomy were displayed catching me off guard.

His son had tried a variety of sex aids, but found they were all misleading.  He didn't know who to believe and thus was (as were many others) vulnerable.

Near the end the wealthy school raised legal obstacles and bribed their opposition to stop trial.  Kanti accepts an out of court settlement that he soon regrets.  Lord Shiva's messenger shows how his acceptance is distorted.  Will justice prevail?  Will sex education be accepted? 

I recognize no court would operate like in the film.  Pity.

Laughs come easily while still making some important points.  It takes a good cast and crew to pull it off.  Here are some of them. 

Amit Rai was the writer/director.  He has 4 credits  including "Road to Sangam" (2009).

Mangesh Dhakde was a composer.  He has  64 credits including "Article 15" (2019), "Lipstick Under my Burka" (2015), "Thappad" (2020), "Anek" 2022) and"Bheed" (2023).  He started composing with his father at a very early age and had been expposed to jazz, classical, Brazilian as well as well as Indian classical music.  ,http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/09/article-15.html

Amalendu Chaudhary was the cinematographer.  He has 32 film credits including "Harishchandrachi Factory" (2009), "Stree" (2018) and "Chhichhore" (2019).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/03/chhichhore-is-for-losers-ie-most-of-us.html

The editor was Suvir Nath.  He has 9 credits including "Road to Sangam (2009).

Pankaj Tripathi played Kanti the father who took to court to defend his son.  Son of a priest he took an interest in theatre.  After getting an education in hotel management he worked a night shift and started acting in theatre plays. He has appeared in 88 films including "Gangs of Wasseypur" (2012), "Newton" (2017),"Stree" (2018), "Super 30" (2020), "Gunjan Saxena:  The Kargil Girl" (2020) and "Mimi" (2021).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/07/mimi-story-about-surogacy.html

Yami Gautam plays Kamini the very sharp lawyer who is very conservative regarding sex.  Yami studied law and later did many commercials and appeared on fashion magazine covers.  She has performed in Kannada, Punjabi, Telegu, Malayalam and Tamil films.  Her film credits include "Vicky Donor" (2012), "Badlapur" (2015), "Kaabil" (2017), "Uri:  The Surgical Strike" (2019) and "Bala" (2019). "A Thursday" (2022) and "Dasvi" (2022). http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/02/the-message-is-spoiler.html

Akshay Kumar in an atyical role plays Lord Shiva's messenger, but he is very versatile and is also co-producer.  Asked if this film was suitable for children, he replied that it was made for kids, but the censor board  restricted it to 18 years and above.  As a box office attraction Akshay could choose more commercial films, but feels obligated to do some films with a social message.  He was once a waiter, in Bangkok took up martial arts, asked to model and jumped into movies where he is a top box office star.   Has Canadian citizenship (actually campaigned with Stephen Harper.)   Akshay is a non smoker and participant in anti smoking campaigns, but is seen heavily smoking in "Good Newwz" (2019) to illustrate the harmful effects regarding fertility.  For the last decade he has been one of the most bookable Bollywood stars.  My attitude towards him has become much more respectful with such movies as "OMG  Oh My God!" (2012) "Special 26" (2013), "Airlift" (2016), "Rustom," (2016). "Toilet, A Love Story" (2017), "Pad Man" (2018), and "Gold" (2018).  Check:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/02/good-newwz.html

This is very likely to be among my top ten for the year.

Sex is a dirty thing.  Some parents are happy the schools do it, while others are furious.  Check:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/05/sex-in-classroom.html

Available on Netflix subtitled  The audio is in Hindi, but with lots of English which is thought to prove that one is an educated person.

Films I have seen are bolded for the first mention.

GOOD NEWWZ

"Good Newwz" is a funny movie, hard not to laugh through most of it.   Second highest Bollywood gross in the U.S. for 2019.  But it has deeper repercussions.

The premise is two families named Batra are motivated to try invitro fertilization, but the sperm of the two men are injected into the other man's wife.  One couple (Akshay and Kareena) are quite upset and frown upon the other couple (Diljit and Kiara) as being offensively uncouth.  After accepting their situation they (Akshay and Kareena) are reluctant to have any type of contact with the others but it breaks down and at the end they are all involved with each other.

Reminds me of three other films that dealt with similar themes:

"Born in Absurdistan" (1999) an Austrian film where the sons of  Austrian and Turkish couples get mixed up and is not discovered until after the Turkish family has been deported.  The Austrian couple track down the Turkish family.  At first there is distrust with the Austrians looking down on the Turks,  but the Turks are very suspicious.  Plans are made to check blood back in Austria which would require smuggling deportees back.  As I recall several years later in the end the couples reconcile and decide to join together and raise both sons. 

"Like Father like Son," (2013) directed and written by Hirokazu Koreeda presents a similar dilemma (of switched babies), except all participants are Japanese and the two boys are 6 years old.  One father is a successful workaholic and the other father is relatively poor with other children.  At one stage the two boys play together while the successful father is upset that the son he has been raising is not of his blood.   The poorer one offers to raise both boys.  His wife is very attached to the son she has raised, but the husband is obsessed with blood lines.  Eventually although feeling very superior the one father realizes he is not as good a father.  The end is emotional as the one father realize his life has not been as meaningful as he had assumed.

"Dombey and Son" (1983) recently seen, but had read the Charles Dickens novel many years ago.  The story line is of a successful man whose wife dies after a son is born.  He finds his earlier born daughter of little interest, although she is very devoted to him.  He tries grooming his very young son, but he dies.  There is a lot of intrigue around him and eventually his business crashes.  Eventually he realizes his daughter is the one that stands by him.  Over a century ago, but in some ways we still have a long way to go.

 "Good Newwz" takes the plot to an even more intimate level, but more than the others uses humor to make its point.   With the first couple (Kareena and Akshay) we are shown efforts to get pregnant with the wife being more determined.  Ovulation is monitored and the husband is required to drop what he is doing.  The most humorous incident might be on an airplane when they realize the most practical timing and end up in the airline toilet.  When the two couples meet there is a lot of antagonism, but it is demonstrated with a lot of misunderstandings.

Akshay is upset that his wife's baby is not his, but has no concern about the baby he impregnated.  The other couple looks at both babies as being connected to them.  Akshay thinks an abortion is the solution even though his wife may not be able to get pregnant again.  Kareena is reluctantly convinced to have an abortion, but when she is shown a ultra sound screen changes her mind. 

There is much resistance, but it breaks down.  Akshay's sister and brother in law are both lawyers and although they are the ones who suggested the fertility doctor they advise to do a contract.  The other couple, Diljit and Kaira have another contract that is opposite in some regards. Kareena and Akshay want no contact after birth while Diljit and Kiara want to set healthy standards of raising the other's child.  Kareena is concerned about the medical history of the sperm inside her and is told the information is confidential, but she should get to know the other couple.  Eventually they become emotionally involved with each other and when an unexpected crisis occurs all four are deeply engaged and this leads to a happy ending.

The common theme of the four movies covered is that although blood is important so is humanity.  We bring many cultural hangups that too often get in the way.  Children need loving parents and parents need to look at each child as special.

The cast and crew below have been involved with some of my all time favorites. 

Karan Johar, the King of Romance is the key producer. Some of his notable films as director and/or producer include "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai," (1998), "Kal ho naa ho." (2003) "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham," --with Kareena Kapoor, (2001) "The Lunchbox" (2013) and "My Name is Khan" (2010).

Raj Mehta, the director with his first feature after years of second unit, associate directing, acting, writing and directing/producing shorts.  Also contributed dialogue.

Jyoti Kapoor, writer with his first feature screenplay, but has contributed story ideas, including for a big hit, "Badhaii Ho" (2018) with an interesting theme involving parental sex.

The actors are listed left to right as in the photo cover above.

Kareena Kapoor Khan--has been in several memorable movies, but has also played a lot of vapid women.  I would say she is one of the better dancers and does show a little bit in this film.   Comes from a well known family in Bollywood.  Married Saif Ali Khan and has had one child.
Favorite movies of hers include "Jab we Met," (2007)  "3 Idiots," (2009) and "Talaash" (2012).

Akshay Kumar was a waiter, in Bangkok took up martial arts, asked to model and jumped into movies where he is a top box office star.   Has Canadian citizenship (actually campaigned with Stephen Harper.)   Akshay is a non smoker and participant in anti smoking campaigns, but is seen heavily smoking--to illustrate the harmful effects regarding fertility.  For the last decade he has been one of the most bookable Bollywood stars.  My attitude towards him has become much more respectful with such movies as "Special 26" (2013), "Airlift" (2016), "Rustom," (2016). "Toilet, A Love Story" (2017), "Pad Man" (2018), and "Gold" (2018).

Diljit Dosanjh started in Punjabi cinema, popular in comic roles, but has been in some serious Bollywood films such as "Soorma" (2018),  "Phillauri" (2017)  and "Uta Punjab" (2016--with Kareena Kapoor).

Kiara Advani starred in the big hit "Kabir Singh" (2019) and "M.S. Shoni:  The Untold Story" (2016).  Check:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/09/arjun-reddy-and-kabir-singh.html  

Adil Hussain, played the fertility doctor.  "English Vinglish (2012), Life of Pi (2012) and "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" (2012) "Tigers"   "What will people say" (Norway 2017), and "Kabir Singh" (2019).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/09/arjun-reddy-and-kabir-singh.html

Tisca Chopra "Rayhasa" (2015) "Qissa:  Tale of a Lonely Ghost" (2013) "Like Stars on Earth" (2007).

My earlier views on Bollywood comedies are here:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/04/chalo-dilli-deals-with-snobbery.html

CHALO DILLI DEALS WITH SNOBBERY

The reaction encountered most often when mentioning that I like Bollywood films is that there must be something wrong with me.  Of course this is just a perception, but it is felt.  At one time I shared this attitude but it became even more relevantt  as I still looked at Bollywood comedies as beneath me.  I enjoyed some humour in more serious movies and in romantic comedies.  I even enjoyed bits of Bollywood comedies, but found too much "over the top."

One of the examples of over the top seemed to be Anupam Kher, until I got to appreciate him in serious movies. He has had a lot of supporting roles in English speaking movies ("Silver Linings Playbook," "The Big Sick" "Bend it Like Beckham" etc).  You can read my blog on him and see a little of my earlier attitude, http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2014/05/anupam-kher-actor-i-now-respect.html

The big breakthrough for me was a movie called "Kal Ho Naa Ho"   It had a great buildup and I had developed a liking for Shah Rukh Khan.  When I put it through the library checkout the checker commented that it was a very sad movie.  When I started watching, my first experience was that it was pretty juvenile--corny jokes until the second half when the mood changed dramatically and I have since felt that I was being set up.  In the end I found it to be very sad, profoundly moving and I almost felt ashamed for feeling the main character Shah Rukh Khan was so shallow. The stereotypical  humour made the contrast so much more stark.  I became a fan and accepted that along with the dramatic a little corny humour serves a purpose.   Successful theatre caters to what Shakespeare students called "the peanut gallery." Shah Rukh Khan is my favorite actor and you can read about it at:http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2016/06/shah-rukh-khan-worlds-most-famous-actor.html

Early on it was explained that going to movies in India was a family affair.  Young children, parents and the grandparents would go together--entertainment had to offer somethings for the kids (or they would become unruly), something for the adults  and something for older women.  The situation has changed with couples dating at movies or groups of students socializing.

"Chalo Dilli" was seen mainly as a time killer, not profound or artistic.  It followed a familiar pattern with a relatively sophisticated person paired with someone more crude and unaware of how they are perceived.  After a series of incidents the plot leads to them appreciating one another as relatively equal humans.  The initial contrast was pretty stark with a sophisticated Lara Dutta and Vinay Pathak playing the role of a crude bumpkin.  There was a twist at the end that made it more poignant.  Despite many almost slapstick moments the change in the characters was well done.

The best remembered comedies have some sort of social meaning and this is no exception. The two main characters are constantly running into problems--missed flight, car breakdown, gangster intimidation, stolen money.   The Vinay character breaks it down in steps to "it's no big deal"--while each event seems catastrophic.  Lara's character undergoes a few changes, but often only temporarily.  Vinay is crude (not vulgar) and that alone makes it difficult to accept.--at one point Vinay says that instead of crying he laughs.

Vinay Pathak was one I associated with crude comedies, but looking over his movie list I have enjoyed a number of his efforts.  In his first movie, "Fire," he had a very minor role in a movie directed by Canada's Deepa Mehta.  It was very controversial in India as it portrayed a lesbian relationship.  He later had roles in two other Mehta pictures, "Water" and Midnight's Children."  I watched him in "Dasvidaniya," where he played a man wanting to do a simple bucket list as he knew he was dying.  He had a strong supporting role in "Manoram Six Feet Under" a murder thriller.   He played another strong supporting role with Shah Rukh Khan in "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi."  In " Bhejja 2" boisterous clumsy--tying up a tax inspector with a tax evader has comic potential.

"Bheja Fry" in 2007 earned him a best actor in comedy role.  (India breaks down acting awards to include both comedy and negative roles)  Beja Fry stands for "fried brain."  A sequel, "Bheja Fry2" did not get as good reviews, but set in motion for the upcoming "Bheja Fry3"

His starring roles have mostly been comedic.  He is nothing like a leading romancer,  Instead he is more ordinary, but as an actor he is versatile.

Lara Dutta a former Miss Universe who also happened to claim the highest intelligence of contestants.   In the movie she plays a beautiful, sophisticated, somewhat arrogant executive, but she does gradually modify her attitudes.   She is listed as a producer along with her husband.

Akshay Kumar has a bit role, but done well  Plays husband of Lara Dutta and is very understanding.  I am gradually warming up to him as he has taken on a number of socially relevant roles while still maintaining leading man status.

Arshad Sayed, the writer worked on "Davidaniya," "Hum Tum aur Ghost" and also on some prolific tv series.

Shashant Shah, the director has also worked on "Davidaniya" which he also produced

An enjoyable comedy I had seen just before was "Phas Gaye re Obama" with Rajat Kapoor, a frequent co-star with Vinay  (you can also see him the background of the Bheja Fry poster). It had some clever plotting and a social message.  It was about kidnapping rich people, but in this case Rajat had returned to sell some property to cover his overwhelming indebtedness.  Still he was able to con a series of kidnappers  "I have an idea" repeated after each setback .

Actors like Vinay Pathak and Anupam Kher have to be versatile and especially in their early careers accept any reasonable role they can latch onto.  As time goes by other opportunities will open up.

Many times I feel the world is absurd.  Why not laugh?

2017 A GREAT YEAR FOR MOVIES

In truth, many movies are time fillers and a few seem like a total waste of time.  To appreciate quality you have to endure something less than high quality.  A good percentage of the over 300 movies I watched were enjoyable.  Those of you with different tastes may find something worth your while.

"Our Brand is Crisis," gives a back door look at how decisions are manipulated.  Sandra Bullock making a statement as she wanted to do it, not just for the money or contract obligation.  She plays a difficult to like person, but very well working for a Latin American election.

"Trumbo" http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/01/trumbo-and-black-list.html  told about the blacklisting era in Hollywood.  It is humorous in parts, but on a very serious topic  Later in year watched "Spartacus" where the actual Trumbo was once able to use his name.   Also watched "He ran all the way" another movie where Dalton used a front man, but wrote the script.

"Spartacus" reviewed after over 50 years after first watching, and again after"Trumbo" and learning this was one of his breakthroughs.  A great movie--well written.  all star cast Laurence Olivier, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov.

"Lion" was an inspiring story about tracing what would have been untraceable a decade or so ago.   2 Bollywood stars in very small roles.  Some of the scenery was filmed in Tasmania.  Dev Patel, the main character also appeared in "The Man Who Knew Infinity" another enjoyable movie.

"Hell or High Water" contained a lot of violence, but underneath it was a well written story of a family trying to stick together against human weakness and greed



"The Zookeeper's Wife" another excellent movie with Jessica Chastain.  She contributes to the movie's excellence, but she makes good choices.

"Arrival" directed by Quebecker Denis Villaneuve is told in an inventive style.  Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner perform well in a thought provoking science fiction drama.  What common grounds will we find with aliens.



"Split" acting tour de force with a few twists.  James McAvoy plays a man with over 20 personalities who kidnaps three young women.  Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
 

"The Girl on the Train" after reading the book my expectations were high.  Emily Blunt didn't let me down and it must be admitted it was suspenseful and layered.  But to read the book is to get much more depth.  Ever the complaint of those who read the book first and feel compelled to see the movie.

"Snowden" is a traitor or a whistle blower- or maybe misguided.  I found him very observant and conscientious with a message we need to pay attention to.

"Free State of Jones" presented a mostly forgotten bit of Civil War history including a different perspective than was taught to me in school. http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/09/free-state-of-jones.html

"Hidden Figures" was viewed as the Charlotesville Riots were happening.  It is a shame that too many whites feel threatened by blacks.  This movie, based on true events depicts blacks overcoming ignorance to the benefit of all.  Their capabilities might actually make blacks seem more threatening to some, but at the same time take away the notion that they are inferior.  Well produced.

"A Monster Calls" is not a movie for young children.  Deals with an impending death and is very well done.

"Lady MacBeth" seen at the Hamilton BMO International Film Festival and bears little resemblance to Shakespeare's play, but is a worthy movie.

"Miss Sloane" probably suffered at the box office for being too close to how lobbyists actually operate. A great combination of politics and a twist ending. http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/09/miss-sloan-under-rated-movie.html

"The Crucible"  by Arthur Miller was inspired by the hysteria of Joseph McCarthy.  Demonstrates injustice when mobs take over.

With "Frida" I enjoyed the biography, acting of Salma Hayek and Alfred Molina and music (done by husband of director and given his own commentary on the DVD).  Later read that Salma Hayek was pressured by the infamous Harvey Weinstein during the filming.  This was a project very dear to her heart and she persisted and resisted to make it an outstanding movie and a tribute to Frida Kahlo.

"The Normal Heart" depicts the beginnings of the Aids epidemic when no one knew what it was or how it was spread.  It was associated with gays, most of them in the closet, but the epidemic proved  a big factor in Gay Liberation.  A little too explicit in parts, but realistic.  Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bonner and Juliet Roberts played historical figures.

Just before Christmas I watched "Dunkirk" on a Air New Zealand small screen, but admittedly this one deserves the big screen.  The story is an old one, but not appreciated this far down the road in history.  The Germans had forced their European opposition into a corner.  There were over 400,000 allied soldiers barely holding on in Dunkirk and it looked like Britain was finished.  The movie depicted the strategic choices made, but also the individual battles on land, sea and air that allowed this most historic retreat to give Britain and the whole "free world" another chance to overcome tyranny.  Very well done.

"Maudie" was about a famous folk artist in Nova Scotia.  My daughter went to school in Nova Scotia and we became aware of Maudie.  Well played by Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke.

From New Zealand, "The Dark Horse" based on a story of a man from mental institutions who helps poor Maori youth develop a focus on chess.  Mental illness plays a very big role.

Documentaries get right down to the facts, but of course one has to consider how creditable they are and how relevant.  In some cases they are just as dramatic as fictional movies, but mostly they are sobering.  The ones listed below and in foreign categories all seem relevant and creditable.  Imagination is great, but facts are critical.

"Elian"  was a documentary to cover Cuban/American relations.  At the time events were manipulated for political purposes.  Lots of details I never knew or had forgotten.  It was very emotional at the time with many Americans not respecting international family law.

"Freedom's Furies" was about the reaction of the Hungarian water polo team to Soviet repression during the Hungarian Revolution.  It had two personal connections--Hungarian refugees did cross my life in several ways plus I had in interest in water polo through my daughter.

"Red Army"  would appeal to hockey fans, Canadians and Russians and most sports lovers.  The Russians were very good for the game of hockey. http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/09/the-red-army.html

Zero Days (2016) is frightening.  Stuxnet attacks have been hidden, but apparently Israel and United States developed a cyber weapon strategy and Israel jumped the gun to attack Iran.  It stunned Iran, but they recouped and now have a similar ability as now does Russia and North Korea.  It is terrifying because it is subtle and difficult to detect.

"An Inconvenient Truth Sequel" is a reminder that in many ways the climate crisis has gotten more serious despite increased efforts to deal with it.  The vested interests have used their resources to resist.  More at:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/11/an-inconvenient-sequel-truth-to-power.html

"Score " was devoted to the men and women who write the music in the background.  Lots of movies have catchy melodies, but this documentary reveals a more important role in capturing the mood and enhancing action.  This helped start blog on movie music:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/02/music-and-movies-part-one.html

"Red Lines"  trying to sort out the mess that is Syria..  Two activists were frustrated that they were unable to get any foreign help.    Truly frightening to see so many dead bodies, many of which were children.  Mistrust was everywhere.  Obama was portrayed as indecisive, but I feel the movie did not do justice to the Congressional mess.

SUBTITLED MOVIES

If you really like movies you owe it to yourself to take a closer look at what the rest of the world has to contribute.  There are a lot more subtitled movies to read about in this blog, but that is mostly due to the fact there are a lot more to watch and I find many of them well worth an extra effort.  Perhaps I am a bit preachy, but here is my pitch: http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/09/do-subtitles-scare-you-who-knows-what.html

Bollywood, is one of my obsessions, but it turns out there is much more to films coming from India.   "Sairat,"the best film of the year, with the cover photo at top.   It was produced in the Marathi language and is beautiful in music and cinematography.  The story seems stereotypical in the beginning, but the second half the story turns grim in a very realistic manner.

Widening my scope I saw a number of movies from India with different languages.  'Interrogation,' 'Thithli', "Nila," were each excellent and available on Netflix.  "OK Kanani" was the original Tamil version that was copied by Bollywood, but after seeing the two of them, the Tamil version is much superior.  Another highly rated movie, "Wrong Side Raju" is the first Gujarati film for me and was very impressive for plot, music, cinematography.  read more at:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/01/regional-films-from-india.html

"Dangal" had an odd subject for a blockbuster movie, but the public has taken to the story of the daughters of a wrestler.  Very popular in China.  Anything Aamir Khan is involved is guaranteed to have quality.  The story is very well told and the actors at all levels are very good.

"Madaari" was still another film about political corruption.  Corruption is not personal, it is part of the structure.  The protagonist says he is an ideal voter; too busy to study who to vote for.  Irrfan Khan starred.  See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/02/madaari-open-movie-about-government.html

"Hindi Medium" with Irrfan Khan again  this time focusing on education in India.  The private schools favors the rich.

"Newton" was nominated for India's entry for the 2018 Oscar foreign film award.  About an election worker in a hostile territory raising concerns for anyone wanting to promote democracy this gives food for thought.

"Toilet, Ek Prem Katha" has an odd premise, a man's new wife leaves him when she learns they do not have a toilet.  The Indian government has a major campaign to put more toilets available (\http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2014/11/world-toilet-day.html, but getting the toilets built is only part of the problem.  Cultural resistance has made modernization difficult.  This movie deals with it in a very entertaining way.  Another one for Akshay Kumar, a friend to the Harpers.  Bhumi Pedneker was good as the female lead.

"Mom" was a different kind of movie for Srivedi.  A revenge movie with a few twists.  Sridevi plays a step mother who is not accepted by her step daughter who gets gang raped.  Not able to find justice in the courts she with the aid of a private detective takes revenge.  There is a police officer (who does not play by the rules either) is on to her and later one of the targets is as well.  She is excellent and well supported by the other actors.

I watched my favorite actor, Shah Ruk Khan in three movies.  "Raees" with a Pakistanni leading lady and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.  "Dear Zindagi" had Shah Rukh Khan playing a psychologist with Alia Bhatt as a patient.  Gauri Shinde ("English Vinglish") was involved as writer.  A good role for Shah Rukh transitioning from leading male lover to an advisor for young women   On the other hand I also saw "Jab Harry met Segal" where he romanced the younger Anushka Sharma.  Shah Rukh Khan is always charming, but he needs to get roles more suitable for his age   He is still my favorite and most enjoyable actor to watch.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/02/madaari-open-movie-about-government.html

"Rangoon" was enjoyed by me more than most critics.  Interesting subject; Indian freedom seekers allied with Japanese during World War II.   Good acting, music, cinematography.

"Jolly LLB 2" had a very interesting script.  Akshay Kumar  is becoming the most certain box office success bet.

"Kaabil" with Hrithik Roshan is a very light hearted romance at beginning then a brutal revenge story with a blind man outsmarting his enemies.  Unfortunately Yami Gautam is killed off to make way for the revenge plot.

"Kahaani2' was a bit of a disappointment, but only because the original "Kahaani" had one of the best twists ever.  "Kahaani 2" was an above average suspense movie, just not as unique as the original.  No continuation from the first except Vidya Balan starred.

"Kanoon" (1960) a mystery, but with a strong plea to abolish capital punishment

"The Ghazi Attack" first submarine movie for Bollywood.  An opportunity to create tension.  Based on real events it is like a chess game, but with lots of stress.

"Trapped" has been compared to"Castaway," but with a twist.  The protagonist was a vegetarian trapped in an empty apartment.  Very ingenious how he survives.

"Poorna" watched without the benefit of sub titles.  Well worth it--maybe 20% of the words were in English and I am sure I missed some subtleties.  Raul Bose was the force behind it.  Proves the value of education and motivation.  Poorna was a 13 year old who was the youngest girl to climb Mount Everest.   Excellent cinematography and background music.  Very inspiring.  Had a positive impact on social welfare.  Even some singing from Arijit Singh.

"Phillauri" is a romance, in fact, two parallel romances, one with fantasy elements.  Second producing film for Anushka Sharma and enjoyable.

"The Salesman" won foreign Academy award directed and written by Asghar Farhadi--pleased to learn he is working on a Spanish production with Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz and Ricardo Darin that I look forward to in 2018.  All three actors are among the world's most impressive in my opinion.

From the Japanese I was glad to watch "Our Little Sister' by writer/director Kore-eda Hirakazu who did  another great family drama, "Like Father, Like Son."

From Sweden "The Emigrants" (1971) and "the New Land' (1972)  in succession was quite the endurance test, but very memorable. Read more http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/01/the-emigrants-in-new-land.html

"A Man Called Ove" cautions us not to judge people.  We see a grumpy old man nitpicking, but as the movie progresses we see a different man.  Rolf Lassgard played a key role in my favourite movie, "After The Wedding." http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/07/a-man-called-ove.html

A fourth Swedish movie, "The Last Sentence" (with low ratings from IMDB) is a very interesting movie.  It is biographical on Torgy Segerstedt who was a journalist adamantly opposed to Hitler.  Sweden was neutral while it had seen its neighbors Norway invaded by the Germans and Finland by the Russians.  The behind the scenes feature narrated by Jan Troell's daughter was very revealing in her description of the pursuit of perfect details that might not appear in the finished project.  Jesper Christensen was Danish and language was a big concern, but Troeel considered him the ideal choice for the lead role.  New history (for me) plus an open adulterous relationship to demonstrate Torgy was very human and I am left with his quote, "No human can withstand close scrutiny."
 



Italian,  "The Leopard"  Burt Lancaster dubbed--Garibaldi; "Twice Born" between Italy and Bosnia--surprised to learn that Penelope Cruz had learned Italian in order to act in previous film--fluent in special feature  "Paisan" (1946)

Dutch:  "Antonia's Line" was a most unusual film--a variety of characters and circumstances--lots of philosophical views--importance of friendship, love and sex (multiple couples to music)  Read more at http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/02/antonias-line.html  Later saw "Within the Whirlwind" by the same director.

The Hispanic film world gave me opportunities to watch good movies on several fronts.

"The Mystery of Happiness"  interesting about business partners who were very close on the job and enjoying some activities, but never mixed up family life--one disappears prompting the wife of the missing partner to get involved with the business and searching for her husband--where do you find happiness.   The lead appeared in the Argentine version of "Corazon de Leon."

Spain  "Julieta" (2016) directed and written by Pedro Almodovar, but inspired by three stories of Canadian writer Alice Munro.

"Corazon de Leon"  Heart of a Lion) seen on Netflix from Colombia--really likeable characters, a black divorced lawyer and a short divorced architect--prejudice (short people, blacks and deaf)--pleasant music--it took a bit of research to learn that Marlon Moreno is over 6 feet tall and had been miniaturized to be 4'6" for the movie.   An outstanding performance by Maria Nela Sinisterra who was very charming, but also demonstrated a range of emotions.  Shah Rukh Khan is to be in a movie as a dwarf next year, but I think with a different plot.

Another one from Colombia was "Maria Full of Grace."  stunning talented lead actress.  Song by favorite, Julieta Venegas.
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From Chile, "The Club"  was a very blunt movie about abusive clergy--the words may be difficult to stomach.  The same director as for "No"

A documentary from Chile, "Nostalgia for the Light" forged a philosophical insight by juxtaposing a renown telescope site in the Atacama Desert with women sifting through the sand looking for remains of their loved ones that had been murdered and dumped in the desert.

From Korea-"The Handmaiden" with clever plot (borrowed from English tv series) well executed, beautiful cinematography capturing some gorgeous scenery, beautiful acting--a bit too sexual for many, but part of the plot.   Really beautiful music

"Sunny" is about a rejected wife who chases her husband who has been sent with the Korean army to Vietnam.
Another touching movie was "My 11th Mother."

"Okja" a joint project between the U.S. and Korea with elements of fantasy.  Produced by Netflix

I watched a lot of Russian movies and recalled a number of masterpieces from past years.  One that prompted this project that made an impression was "Battleship Potemkin" made in 1925, obviously without sound and in black and white  Amazing what was done with the resources available  Also enjoyed "Sibiriade," a massive movie about settling Siberia and "Solaris" which presented the real essence of science fiction.  Read more at:
http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/08/russian-movies.html

French Canadian, "La Derniere Fugue"  grimly realistic--life and death decisions guilt--piano themes from Bach--regrets--marital tensions see more:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/03/la-derniere-fugue.html

"Laurence Anyways" about a transgender transition--told from the man who always wanted to be a woman and his female lover who felt betrayed.

German:  'Labyrinthe of Lies" set in 1958 with most Germans, denying links to Nazis.
"Toni Erdman" If you are bothered by male and female full frontal nudity you might want to skip this, but you would be missing a movie that will make you laugh and cry (sometimes at the same time).  Really well done.  A fair amount of English dialogue.

French--thought of as a filler--"Rebellion" originally "L'ordre et la morale" is set in New Caledonia in 1988 when a few Kanak natives rebelled and took French soldiers hostage.  It was just before a French election and it was deemed critical to end the crisis as soon as possible.  The director played the key role of a man who wanted to negotiate recognizing the natives wanted independence.  A little bit of action, but mainly dealing with political pressures and how they could undermine negotiation.
Normally I avoid movies with low ratings from IMDB, but picked up from library.  "The Mark of Angels" with Gerard Depardieu and Joey Star--violent in parts, but an interesting plot, believable acting well put together.  One of the contenders for most undeserved low rating.

Over the years I have enjoyed watching a number of mini series.  They have the power to go into more depth than a two hour movie, but they don't have to drag on.  This past year I enjoyed "Shetland" and "River."  "The Crown," and "Line of Duty.:"  "13 reasons." " Broadchurch" (with David Tennant) and "Doctor Foster."

My selection of photos and of links does indicate some difficult preferences, but does not necessarily reflect what would interest you the most.  As with most lists it just helps make you aware of some works of art that might be of interest.  You have to sort through them and your resources.  There are plenty of good and enjoyable movies I will never see, but I enjoy the search.

Check out my year end movie review from last year:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2016/12/film-memories-from-2016.html

Anushka Sharma, actress on the rise

Anushka Sharma has gotten my attention as a bubbly attractive female, but lately has expanded and really drawn my admiration.  Born in 1988 in Bangalore to an army officer father.  Anushka was more interested in modelling than acting, but of course a few models do end up acting, usually picked for their looks and personality.

Her first film was "Rab de Bana Di Jodi" in 2008 directed and written by Aditya Chopra,  starring Shah Rukh Khan.  The movie set up a contrast between a drab husband and a younger active girl--of course we know Shah Rukh is no drab guy and creates an alter ego to win the love of his wife by luring her into being a dance partner for a contest although she does not recognize him.  Basically she played an attractive bubbly great dancer who felt a conflict between her dance partner and her husband which of course was happily resolved.  A bit about her first leading man:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2016/06/shah-rukh-khan-worlds-most-famous-actor.html

"Badmaa$h Company" followed in 2010 where she was paired off with Shahid Kapoor and both were con artists with shady business practices.  A little expansion in acting requirements displaying the confidence that defines a con artist and a little conflict with her lover.

"Wedding Planners"came next  in the same year with a bigger role.  As the star Anushka given a wider range of emotions to display.  Ranveer Singh debuted opposite her and this was a very popular pairing with what critics like to call chemistry.  Both of them made a breakthrough with this popular movie and for awhile were a couple in real life.

In fact in 2011 with one movie in between "Ladies vs Ricky Bahl" paired the two again.  The first part sets up Ranveer as a con man taking advantage of vulnerable women.  Parineeti Chopra makes her debut and has gone onto bigger roles (and is one my favorites).  Anushka makes her first appearance an hour into the movie and shows she can take advantage of the lady killer.  It won't surprise you that she humbles him, but it should impress you how she does it.

"Patiala House" released a little earlier in 2011 paired Anushka with Akshay Kumar, set in London England.  Anushka played a mixed race woman getting involved in a family feud.  Apparently one of Akshay's better movies.

In "Jab Tak Hai Jaan," released in 2012 she played in movie where Shah Rukh Khan made his first on lip kiss, but not with her.  She played a meddling bubbly reporter.  Not many actresses enjoy playing the second lead, but this was the first time for her and gave her a chance to be a part of Yash Chopra's last movie as a director.

I didn't see her next film with Imran Khan, "Matru ki Bijlee ka Mandola" and she apparently played another exuberant role.  Pankaj Kapur played her father.

"PK" written and directed by Rajkumar Hirani, in 2014  followed and it is as close to a masterpiece as she has been in.  Aamir Khan chose this vehicle for a religious satire and again she was a bubbly reporter, but her comic timing was in full display.  She also shows a short hair cut for the first time that takes a little getting used to.  I enjoyed this movie so much I devoted a post to it.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/03/pk.html

"NH10" released in 2015 (standing for National Highway 10) is what inspired this blog.  This movie turned into an action thriller and she carried the movie.  She was a producer for the first time and perhaps that gave her the opportunity to really demonstrate her range.  She was a more mature married professional woman with a level of sophistication and displayed some romanticism.  Then the movie turned violent, with her first as a victim and then the revenger.  This was a woman centric role, very slickly done. She intends to get involved in producing with a few projects being discussed.

Her next movie is fairly recent and I have not had a chance to see it.  "Bombay Velvet" directed and written by Anurag Kashyap and starring Ranbir Kappor was touted as a block buster, but fizzled at the box office.  It was said that Anurag tried a different narrative style that did not strike a chord with his fan base.

She is working on "Dil Dhadakne Do" directed and written by Zoya Akhtar with a multi star cast and apparently is paired with Ranveer Singh once again, but they are no longer a couple.  She is dating Vir Kohli an Indian cricket star.  It looks like she is the second leading lady with Priyanka Chopra the first female attraction.  This has the markings of a big hit.

Recently announced for a 2016 release "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" with Karan Johar directing and Aishawarya Rai Bachchan continuing her come back.  Anushka will be playing the second lead again.  If an actress can hold her ego in check, playing second fiddle can lead to meaningful movies and roles.

If you are into Bollywood movies you already like her and if you haven't checked out Bollywood, she is a good place to start.

Anupam Kher an actor I have learned to respect.

Anupam Kher epitomizes for me the worst and the best of Bollywood.   I am of two minds on Anupam.  In some films I have been embarrassed thinking his acting reminded me too much of Jerry Lewis at his worst.  I had seen enough of Bollywood to find lots of things to like, but could also see why my North American acquaintances tend to cringe when they think of it.  As an excuse, I can appreciate that to get ahead in a career you do whatever is required--Steve Martin was pretty wild when he hit my attention, but has proved to be pretty good at serious drama, enjoyable comedy and has done some serious writing.  Bollywood has always tried to cater to families (from Grandmother to the kids) and comic relief is important.

On the other hand Anupam has demonstrated his versatility.  We movie goers tend to judge the actors by what we see on the screen.  He has managed to take part in a lot of critically acclaimed films as well as some very popular ones.  Obviously he fits in well with film crews and has proven to be very flexible.  He has worked with a lot of well known directors, producers and other actors in at least five countries.  He is popular as a father figure, but that description covers in his case a wide range of styles.

Over 350 films.  Not usually a leading character, but he still must have juggled a lot to fit it all in  He is busier than ever and seems to like it.  He has also acted as an ambassador for Bollywood and been involved with acting schools.

Anupam started making films in 1982.  His first English speaking movie in 1984 was "Kim" starring Peter O'Toole, but Anupam was uncredited.

He has appeared in some of my very favorite movies such as "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" as Rani Mukerji's father (and Shah Rukh Khan's father in law), but in this one I feel he overdid the comic relief.   On the other hand he played a deft hand in comedy and drama as Shah Rukh Khan's father in the trend setting classic,  "Diwali Dulhania le Jayenge" where he won an award for comedy.  

In "Darr," a scary movie he played comic relief excessively--but perhaps this movie really required comic relief.  In any case he won best supporting actor in a comic role from Filmfare.

Playing the father role in a very professional manner is more normal.  In "Wake up Sid" as father to Ranbir Kapoor he played a tough, but loving father in an excellent coming of age movie.  In "Vivah" he played a father encouraging his son, Shahid Kapoor to get married and was supportive of the prospective bride's family (in some ways from a relatively lower class). In "Dil Bole Hadippa" he was a cricket loving father again to Shahid.  In "Badma$h Company" again played father to Shahid , but as a tough ethical business man disappointed in his son.  In "Pyar Impossible" wearing a wig he played an empathetic father to producer director Uday Chopra in a movie not highly rated, but enjoyable to watch.

In "A Wednesday" he played the Mumbai city police commissioner threatened by bombs from Nasseruddin Shah. A lot of tension in this movie which won a number of awards.

In "Breakaway" Anupam came to Toronto and played the father to Vinay Virmani who wrote the script.  Hockey was the key ingredient linking Sikhs and Canada's national game.  Russell Peters gave it some more Canadian flavour.  Anupam had played a cricket playing father in "Bend it Like Beckham."

In "Silver Lining Playbook" he played a psychiatrist and with the rest of the cast had been nominated for awards as part of an ensemble cast.  

"Bride and Prejudice" saw him as father to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan "in a remake of Pride and Prejudice".  He appeared in an ER episode with his wife Kiron,

In "Veer-Zaara," he played a tough ruthless Pakistani lawyer,  In "Paheli," another favorite movie he was a greedy merchant.  "Rang De Basanti" was another classic movie starring Aamir Khan.

"Lust-Caution!" by Ang Lee (one of the hard to forget movies) set in China with mostly Chinese dialect during World War II.  He played a shady character

"Special 26" can compare itself to "Oceans Eleven" favorably.  Akshay Kumar led the cast, but Anupam played a very clever con man with a large brood of children.  He was excellent.

"Jab Tak Hai Jaan" was the last film for director  Yash Chopra's and was noted for Shah Rukh Khan's first screen kiss.  Anupam played the father of Katrina Kaif.

"Maine Gandhi ko Nahin Mara" pictured at the top with Urmila Matondkar was the movie that inspired this blog post.  Anupam was a producer and really gave a top notch performance in the difficult role of a man with Alzheimer's.  He paid his dues and will be remembered for this role and dozens of others.  He added value to a number of worthy movies.  When I now see his name I know there must be something good to look forward to.

Mar 1/11 Enjoyed  watching him in "New Amsterdam" disappointed to see him leave, but understand.  Look forward to future endeavours.

Bollywood Movies and Cricket

When I was in elementary school I loved baseball. Other than playing pickup baseball at a neighbourhood level it took the form of collecting baseball cards and poring over seemingly endless statistics. Of course I watched baseball on tv (which had only recently entered my household--that is really a hint of how old I am, not how poor we were).

Over the years my interest in baseball has waned (too many strikes, but also too many other interests). One of those interests has been Bollywood movies.

On the whole I tend to avoid sports movies, but the first Bollywood movie I saw, recommended by my sister Rebecca was "Lagaan." I didn't know what to make of it--subtitles, songs and dances in the middle of plot development, a leading actor, Aamir Khan who I later came to appreciate, but disliked in this portrayal. Despite all that I enjoyed the movie and part of it was the sports angle.

Most popular sports movies are about the under dog beating the champion. Champions tend to be arrogant and nonchalant and lets be honest, most of us are not champions. I like the tension that can be found in many activities, but is most obvious in sports. Cricket was something the oppressive British military colonizers amused themselves with and along with the rest of their culture felt it meant they were superior.

The poor natives in "Lagaan" don't have a clue about cricket, although they do claim a child's game was very similar. As circumstances develop the Indians naively challenge the soldiers in order to lessen a suffocating tax burden. A visiting British lady taking pity on them (and providing a romantic angle) attempts to teach them the rudiments of cricket. As you might expect at the end the natives do overcome the Brits at really the last possible second after many twists in the game.

They do it by uniting. The native side seems to represent a wide range of Indian religions including an untouchable and somehow they reconcile their differences in the face of the hated foreigners.  As I recall the movie cricket was played in an older style. The game stretched over a long period of time and as I gradually caught on there was tension a true sports fan can get addicted to. Not the type of tension you get in baseball with alternating at bats after every three outs, but easy enough to identify with.

A few other Bollywood movies I saw later had cricket scenes or references, but did not focus on the sport. I learned one of my emerging heroes, Shah Rukh Khan owned a cricket team and a few other Bollywood celebrities were also involved

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"Dil Bole Hadippa" did not get great reviews, but had one of my favorite leading ladies, Rani Mukerji. She played a spunky girl who liked to challenge men on her batting ability, but who could not be accepted for a team. She eventually had to disguise herself as a man. That led to the inevitable misunderstandings and comic double entendres. The leading man, Shahid Kapoor was a superior cricketer who was prominent in England and returned to visit his father who desperately wanted to overcome a long losing streak. Naturally the climax involves a long drawn out game with a great deal of tension. This victory required an effort overcoming pain in case you thought cricket was sissy.

"Iqbal" was another cricket movie that actually received favorable reviews. Iqbal is an adolescent who is also a deaf mute. This movie provided the best example of bowling of all the movies discussed here and I admit I was impressed with the motions and effort involved. It also had some coaching strategy not noted in other movies. Iqbal's mother was so intently interested in cricket that she started labour during a cricket celebration. Iqbal's younger sister, very critical to his later success was just as fond of cricket. But, and a big but, his father was not a cricket fan and proved to be another obstacle. This movie also illustrated some of the corruption in cricket.  Loved the background music.

"Patialia House" offered still another disadvantaged cricket player. This time Akshay Kummar has been forbidden to play cricket by his father who was very upset with the English, although he brought his family up in London. At age 34 Akshay going behind his father's back and against a lot of initial resistance by the cricket authorities actually made the English team and fairly quickly establishes himself as a key player. A lot of family dynamics and in the end cricket turns out to be the key unifying force.

What do we look for in sports? For men it might be said sports are an outlet for aggressiveness. For some men and a few women they immensely enjoy the skill involved. For both men and women the uncertainty creates a dramatic tension we love.  Movies try to capture the uncertainty of a sports event, but of course there is never quite as much doubt as there can between really well matched teams in real life.

Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world. It enjoys a strong professional system. For most baseball fans, especially those who have never seen it, cricket is boring, elitist and foreign. If you have never watched it up close with the best players it is very easy to dismiss. I think it is fair to say that it takes great athletic skill to either bowl or bat at the international level. Fielding doesn't seem as prominent, but then the ball is harder, the players have no gloves, and they have more ground to cover. A good fielder can negate spectacular batting and change the course of any game.

Strategy is something I have only a superficial understanding of. Unlike baseball the cricket batsman can get many more opportunities during the course of a game. Unlike baseball when a bowler is taken out of the routine he can be reinserted. This allows coaches to rotate their best bowlers to optimize their performance. Of course fielder placement can be critical. Although every single play can be the game decider, cricket is a game of strategy, decided by bringing many details together.

In the course of writing this post a prominent cricketer, Mansoor Ali Khan died and generated a lot of mourning across India. He was literally royalty, the Nawab of Patudi, but helped breakup some of the royal traditions. At Oxford he was the first Indian captain of their cricket team. As a player he was a high scoring batsman, but made his mark as captain of the Indian national team. The national team was a collection of players with regional loyalties. Perhaps because he was a Muslim (and conscious that many top players had shifted to Pakistan) he encouraged national loyalties. By marrying Sharmila Tagore, a glamorous Bollywood star he glamorized cricket. Two of his children, Saif Ali Khan and Soha Ali Khan are significant Bollywood stars.

The four movies I have talked about are a good introduction to Bollywood for a sports fan. You will meet some of the top stars (Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, Akshay Kumar, Shahid Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Anupam Kher), interesting directors (Ashutush Gowariker, Nagesh Kukunoor, Nikhil Advani) some great music (A R Rahman, Salim-Suleiman, Pritam Chakraborty, and my favorites Shankar Ehsaan Loy) and some stirring sports action.