Wake Up Sid
After watching the endearing Wake Up Sid on netflix instant at almost exactly the same time (and tweeting about it as well), Filmi Girl, Bollyspice editor Stacey Yount, and I continued the internet-y nature of our viewing with a post-film chat. You can read an edited version of our conversation in our joint review at Bollyspice here. And by "edited" I mean "I deleted most of the 'squeeeeee!' and detours about why Akshaye's dolphin song in Dil Chahta Hai is so lame or whether Neil Nitin Mukesh is cut out for real masala."
Comments
I live in Mumbai myself, and the house that Aisha rents - no way she could do that on the strength of an interview and not even a fixed job. Keep in mind Mumbai has real estate prices that rival NYC and Tokyo!
I guess what bugged me is that I see myself and many people around me trying to find their feet in terms of career, and this movie really trivialized that search.
- The dolphin song is lame because it looks like the middle-school-aged daughter on a cheezoid US "family-friendly" sitcom designed it and then let all her like-minded friends add their two cents. In other words, not only is it cheesy, it does not suit the character. However, it does mean that both Akshaye and his dad have love songs with bubbles in them, and that pleases me greatly. Now if only Rahul Khanna had one....
- I have only seen NNM in one film (Johnny Gadddar and based on that, my answer is "maybe"; Filmi Girl's opinion was decidedly "no."
Sal - First, I love the title of your blog! Second, I agree that this is a great example of that type - and that it should indeed be a genre!
Dee - I can see that. I have been similarly annoyed at US tv shows and movies that have this same basic story, I suspect because I understand the flaws in those characters' supposed realities much more fluently than I do those of characters set in Mumbai. This film does gloss the profession/career/function society aspect of what lots of 20somethings deal with; I think it was much stronger and more moving in the personal aspects.
I have zero interest in Jail but it's probably the type of vehicle he's better suited for. The boy can't dance, cry on command, or exude the roguish charm of the Masala Hero.
:-D
Shalini - I'm actually going to give you originality points because I haven't heard anyone else say that and I'm very glad to know I'm not the only one not going SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZOMGCUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE about Ranbir all the time. I think he was adorable as Sid but he does nothing for me in still images or in Saawariya. Every time I look at him, I think of Neetu in drag. Usually being reminded of Neetu is a good thing, but not so much if you're the hero, probably. I was also looking at an article that had a picture of him next to one of Kareena and I kept thinking how much more Kapoory she looks.
Aaaand now that I re-read your comment, I realize you are not necessarily talking about looks alone, though that was my assumption :) Whoops! Talent-wise, I think he has no grounds for complaint :)
Never really made me feel the problems, and solved them too easily towards the end.
Perhaps the director will say that was his very intention, but sorry.. he failed to convince me.
As far as Ranbir goes. He is the next best thing for our Cinema. Period!
Thanks