Movie Review

Desi Boyz

Time for the boys to grow up

TSI Five-O : Less clothes, lesser sense

There was a time when the audience forgave Akshay Kumar of all his fallacies. His loudmouthed sense of humour was hailed as an art and the actor laughed his way to the bank. Yet, as they say, all good things come to an end. And Akshay seems to be on the receiving end of this rather painful realisation. Talking about his latest endeavour, it is not too hard to guess what a movie is going to be like when the teasers carry nothing but two burly men in various stages of undress, posing like they are god’s gift to womankind. Sure enough, Desi Boyz lives up (down?) to the low expectations.

The movie tries to deal with a number of serious subjects – recession, friendship, love and the price of taking the easy way out. What it also tries to do is inject a sense of humour into the proceedings. Frankly speaking, it fails on both counts. The story of Nick (John Abraham), the executive with a well-paying job and a cosy lifestyle, and Jerry (Akshay Kumar), the under-educated vagrant with a heart of gold who falls into hard times, soon turns into a flimsy excuse for the two hunks to show off their torsos.

Anybody who thought that the presence of Chitrangada Singh might add credibility to the proceedings is sure to be hugely disappointed. The immensely talented actor seems intent on proving that she can wear skimpy clothes and act dumb too. One would wish this rare spark of talent doesn’t waste her time with roles that don’t utilise a tenth of her ability. Deepika Padukone is hardly noticed and John Abraham needs to be told firmly that he can’t do comedy. Period. Stick to the Jisms and Dhooms sir. As for the khiladi, he needs to realise that the old routine is just not working anymore. It’s time he tried a different genre.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1

Breaking down expectations...

TSI Five-O: The series continues on its downward spiral

When it comes to Twilight, the usual judgments of good and bad are forsaken; after all we are talking about people without souls here. Shimmering vampires and werewolves with hot chiselled bodies fighting over a dainty, clumsy human girl, not to kill her but to gain her affection – what more can we ask for? We have been treated again and again to a mix of these for the last three episodes and in this one we gallop a lot further: Bella and Edward get married! Bella's father, Charlie Swan still doesn't agree to her marrying Edward and he reminds Edward that he has a gun and knows how to wield it.

Alas! We don't get a lot of guns and fighting, but we are salvaged by a shocking phenomenon: a half-vampire, half-human embryo. Bella is pregnant and she reminds us of it constantly by rubbing her baby bump every few minutes.

Kirsten Stewart as Bella Swan did act well to be honest, in whatever little way she could. Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen has by now totally honed his pained appearance, and remains the quintessential soul-less vampire.

The film is an allegory for the vampires themselves: it has beautiful sceneries and backdrops, it tries to reach the highest branches and yet remains eternally soulless.

Perhaps the last part of Breaking Dawn, releasing next year, remains the only hope for some real answers. If not, Charlie Swan has a gun and he knows how to wield it.