Reviews
lllHll l t H CAPTIVITY (18) 84min .0
Since she stopped watching the clock as Kim Bauer “124. [:IISlléi Cuthhert has neen typecast on the silver screen as the archetypal damsel in distress. In Capfiwfv she plays the kind of girl that. if she \x/eren't already famous. would he auditioning for Big Brother. She is a top American celebrity who is kidnapped and thrown into a cell and starts to fall apart. The current plight of Paris Hilton lwho appeared in 2005's House of ll/ax with Cuthherti makes you suspect that the heiress' Jail sentence is an elaborate marketing ploy for Captivity. If only the once great director Roland .Joffe i'lhe Kill/rig Fields. The Miss/om and writer Larry Cohen (Bone Black Caesar. O: The l‘/ihgr>d Serpent) hehind Captrvrty could show such imagination.
Blame the St’ll‘.’ franchise for the spate of moVies ithe recently released U/iknoi'xn heing anotheri that put protagonists into cells With no Idea as to why or how they".e been trapped. After a routine opening in which Jennifer tries to escape from the mysterious masked man ‘.‘.’£ll(2lllllg and tormenting her. the movie takes a turn for the better with the appearance of a second inmate Gary iDaniel Gillies). 'lrapped together in a cell they find solace in each other's arms. Naturally. Of minor interest. iKaleem Aftahi I General re/e.'1se from Fri 22’ Jun.
(X )Ml DY DRAMA LUCKY YOU (PG) 123min O.
l' rom The Crnc/hhati Kid to Casino Roi/ale. a game of cards Wllll heaxy emotional stakes can make for high tension cinema. hut auteur Curtis Hanson (IA Confident/at. The limo/let Boys. 8 Mlle. ln Her Shoesi loads the decks far too heaxily in l trcky You. Las Vegas card shark Huck Cheever iEric Rana) is a compulsive gamhler. hut the increased self esteem he gets from his romance with lounge singer Billie iDi‘ew Barrymorei is challenged xix/hen a big game comes up in\.iol\.'ing his poker legend father l (’J Cheever iRol)ert Duvalli.
Hanson's generic versatility looks increasingly like talented hackwork in this carelessly constructed drama. lt's hohhled not only by Bana's tightly wound hut iinsympathetic performance hut also co-star Barrymore playing fi//y and innocent when she should he hardened and cynical. Her presence at least pro‘..':des l-lanson with a dewce to explain the rules of the game. but there's too much father-son sentimentality in l-fric Mun/ch Roth's script for anyone to he left with a '.'.'inning hand. A cynical shrug of a mowe. lEddie Harrisoni I (Se/feral release from Fri 22 Ji Ill.
BOLLYWOOD ROUND-UP
In director R Balki’s Cheeni Kum (PG) 139min 0.. 64-year-old temperamental London chef Bhuddadev (Amitabh Bachchan) falls for 34-year old modern Indian sophisticate Nina (Tabu). Comedy and drama arise from the age difference. Initial comparisons with Nishabd are bound to arise, but are somewhat unfair as the two movies differ wildly in tone, style and themes, here focussing on two world weary, intelligent Ioners who connect through their fear that life/love has passed them by.
Apoorva Lakhia’s Shoot Out at Lokhandwala (12A) 150min .000 factionalises a six hour bloody gun battle between Mumbai’s Anti- Terrorism Squad, led by Khan (Sanjay Dutt) and underworld gangleader Maya (Vivek Oberoi), with able support from Amrita Singh as Maya’s mother (a Bollywood Ma Baker) and Bachchan Snr (again) investigating the aftermath. Underpaid and disillusioned with bureaucracy, the cops adopt a shoot-to-kill policy resulting in a fight to the bitter end with the gang. Combining fast paced action with actual and fictionalised news footage, there’s a Wild West feel to the inevitable carnage in an unrepentant policier that raises more questions than it answers.
Ahmed Khan’s debut Fool’n’FinaI (12A) 144min 0 replicates Guy Ritchie’s Snatch with requisite crimelords, stolen diamonds and hard knuckle fighting, plus all the colour, masala and gloss of Bollywood. Unfortunately the modern innovative style and slick graphics don’t compensate for the inane script and ridiculous juvenile tone — wideboys may be amused.
The Train: Some Lines Should Never Be Crossed (15) 134min 000 is reminiscent of Hollywood thriller Derailed. Ad executive Vishal (Emraan Hashmi) embarks on an illicit affair with fellow commuter Roma (Geeta Basra) only to find himself swept into a maelstrom of violence, blackmail and deception. Bollywood’s previous foray into erotic thrillers (Red, Aetraaz, Fida) often err on the side of uncomfortable titillation, mainly due to strict censorship, but this movie’s explicit eroticism sets it apart. The tone is fairly menacing, but the leads (in particular Hashmi) don’t possess enough charm or grace for us to empathise with the good guy.
Anil Sharma’s melodrama Apne (12A) 138min .0. follows aging ex-boxer Baldev (Dharmendra) as he tries to vilify his tarnished reputation by training sons Karan and Angad (real-life sons Sunny and Bobby Deol). Tragedy ensues and family loyalties are tested in this solidly entertaining drama, which also stars Shilpa Shetty.
Following the brilliantly fun Bunty Aur Bab/i, Shaad Ali wows audiences with Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (pictured) (12A) 131min 00.0 Prim British/Pakistani Alvira (Preity Zinta) falls for Southall Punjabi roughneck Rikki (Abishek Bachchan), despite both having fiancés. The ensuing complications are resolved in a stylish, modern and engaging movie with big musical numbers, amusing comedy and all the emotional theatrics of a big Bollywood spectacle. What more could you want? (Ghazala Butt)
I All films on selected release from Fri 22 Jun.
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