Siddity In The City

MOVIES!!

That was the best title I could think up. Anyway, about two-and-a-half years ago, when I was living in the Boston area, I used to go to this little indie video rental place in Brookline that had really great movies. I don't remember the name offhand, but it was the video store I would go to for great foreign films. Which was how I got to see Gurinder Chadha's Bend it Like Beckham and Steven Chow's Shaolin Soccer months before either film did well enough on its home turf and elsewhere to generate enough buzz for US theater release. I loved both movies tremendously. And so did the rest of the country, apparently, because both Chadha and Chow have managed to get their follow-up films on US screens. (Thank god. I haven't found any NYC equivalent to that video store, yet, and Netflix is good, but it ain't that good. I should also point out that both of them had plenty of other directing credits under their belts before they hit big stateside, like Chadha's Bhaji On the Beach and What's Cooking and Chow's, er, you probably haven't seen any of his other films unless you're big into Cantonese kung fu comedies.) So tonight I hauled my ass to two different theaters a whopping 20 blocks apart to see Chadha's Bride and Prejudice and Chow's Kung Fu Hustle. I saw KFH first. I'd give you a blow-by-blow, but I was frequently distracted by the guy sitting next to me who snored and mumbled throughout the film, so I think I may have missed some good bits rolling my eyes and thinking "SHUTTHEFUCKUP!" to myself. (That's not a reflection on the movie, though. He was awake.) I liked Shaolin better, but KFH was definitely very cool. There were lots of the same elements (er, not least of which was the writer-director-star Steven Chow)--bullies, mystical kung-fu six-packs of whup-ass, a weirdo love-interest, comedy, and a fat guy. It was fun. You should go. Then I checked out Bride and Prejudice, which has gotten some pretty bad reviews here. Eh. Fuck the critics. I liked it. Aside from the preternatural pretty that is Ash (look out, Angelina Jolie. You got some competition for that prettiest lady spot, and she's already been named Miss World.), it featured the line: "Chill, Papa, I have to fix my dupatta." Rock. Naveen Andrews was fun, as ever, the choreography was super-high energy, and Anupam Kher was in it, once again being one of my favorite celluloid dads (he was Mr. Bhamra in Beckham and Mr. Malhotra in my favorite romantic comedy, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai). Good times, man, good times. I don't think Martin Henderson as Darcy was great, and there really wasn't any chemistry between him and Ash. At all. None. But I still liked the movie. Other highlights of my ridiculous film-hopping: Previews. I can't wait to see Korean revenge flick OldBoy and the new Hitchhiker's Guide, which is sure to beat the BBC version, if only for the presence of Mos Def as Ford Prefect and the marked improvement in special effects budget. I still cannot for the life of me figure out what the holy hell Domino is about. Every time I see the preview I think, "Oh look, there's that scrunch-faced Knightley girl with short hair again. What the hell is she babbling on about? Someone should tell her smoking doesn't make her look cool. It only makes Helena Bonham Carter look cool. Oh look, now she's doing an impression of Hilary Swank in The Next Karate Kid!" Although I must say, I think she looks the best she ever has with this haircut, because she looks neatly punk. I'm sure I'll end up seeing this. Lows: Remembering the trailer I saw for Skeleton Key before Sin City. Who thought a voodoo flick featuring golden (haired) girl Kate Hudson and golden (years) girl Gena Rowlands was a good idea? Also, seeing the advertisements for Pelosi Medical Center, a cosmetic gynecology place that--what's that? What's cosmetic gynecology? I was getting to it! They, er, "enhance intimacy" with lasers, according to the ad. I understand movie theaters have to make money. (Actually, I don't, considering they charge $11 for a ticket these days, but anyway.) I just think there should be guidelines as to what is an acceptable pre-film advertisement. Coke, Fandango.com, shut-off-your-cell-reminders, yes. Cars and funny SUV safety ads, maybe. Lasers to the chooch? No. Nuh-uh. Not cool. Tomorrow, Amitabh Bachchan. Or maybe not. I might be all filumed out.

posted by Sid @ 4/10/2005 12:02:00 AM