It's hot out and I'm feeling both lazy AND cranky and have felt that way since I got up this morning. In a sour mood, the last thing I felt like was a sparkly Rishi Kapoor in masala-fest Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin, which has been sitting and waiting for me to watch it all week. I watched about 15 minutes and knew I wasn't in the right mood to enjoy things like a belt stuffed full of diamonds and a henchman with a beard who is not Mac Mohan. So, instead, I remembered Mr. and Mrs. Iyer sitting in a pile of DVDs borrowed from dangermousie and put it in expecting nothing - just something slow moving for my slow moving brain.

Wow.

( Plot synopsis! )

Mr. and Mrs. Iyer is slow-moving, for sure, but in an enjoyable way. The film is built of little moments. The opening act that takes place on the bus was so well done. Everything unfolds in a leisurely way making sure that we familiarized ourselves with the characters so that we would care about what happened to them. The little moments of quiet when Raja would go out and take pictures were also nice. And, of course, the growing relationship between Konkona and Rahul captured in small bits - the stories they make up for themselves told to strangers and then retold to each other.

While most of what I'd read about the film before seeing it focused on Mrs. Iyer learning that Muslims are People Too (TM), which is one of the reasons I wasn't too anxious to watch as that theme has been done and done again, I was surprised at the growth in Rahul's character. We see Raja go from a bachelor who finds babies and women a bother to a man who willingly and genuinely acts as a husband and goes out of his way to care for Mrs. Iyer and her son. There is one scene in particular where ( Spoiler )

So, while Mrs. Iyer does, in fact, learn that You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover (TM), what interested me more was her love story - and no, not just because she had great chemistry with Rahul. We learn enough backstory to assume that her match with Mr. Iyer was not a love match. She finished her degree and her parents got her married and now she lives with her in-laws. She has a son, but not much love in her life. Maybe she thought love was not for people like her or that it was only something in the movies (I feel like this, too - life, please send me Rahul Bose. Thank you.) To watch her blossom with passion and love is really remarkable and I don't have to tell you that Konkona Sen Sharma has big, expressive eyes and uses them to great effect here.

( At the end, spoilers.... )



I wish I had more screencaps to share, but I was too lazy (IT'S SO HOT) to go back and take them.

I was thinking a bit more on my favorite songs of 2007 and this was one of them. The song on it's own isn't anything special, but I love the picturization with Rani and Konkona Sen as the world's tiniest sisters. At least when Rani acts with Konkona, she doesn't have to wear the mega heels she straps on later for a hilarious song with Abhi in Switzerland in which she appears to be one piece of strudel away from teetering over head first.

In short, the cute picturization and lyrics make this one of my favorite songs of 2007 - even if it wasn't one of the best songs of 2007.

Yay! I finished my Arabic exam (A, of course.)

While bored at the desk today, I discovered these two hilarious interviews:

One with Salman Khan and one with Akshaye Khanna.

******
( Sallu speaks )
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( Akshaye - I must burn Taal from my memory )
And the best thing I read all day - Konkona Sen sobers up some drunk girls!

Konkona Sen was at the China House just the other evening.

And she found two girls who were as drunk as Keshto Mukherjee (the lord bless him) sprawling all over the restroom. One of them had even fallen asleep. Wonder, what did Konkona do?

She picked up both the girls (she can be stronger than Ranvir Shorey!) and ensured that they sobered up a bit.. and packed them off. Really, that is nice. But then, such is life dearie.



Konkona in Page 3

Last weekend, I went to see Laaga Chunari Mein Daag with dangermousie and tatterpunk. They were kind enough not to complain that my gentleman friend of the day had invited himself along, as well. Hee hee!

So, LCMD has been killed at the box office by Bhool Bhulaiya, the horror/slapstick comedy billed as starring Akshay Kumar, despite the fact that he doesn't make an appearance until just before the interval. Apparently, LCMD is a 'women's movie' and a weepy one at that and families want to see something hilarious during Eid.

( movie spoilers )

I didn't connect as much with Rani's character as I would have liked, but I did enjoy the movie quite a bit. Rani and Abhi have great chemistry (although Abhi was looking a little puffy) and Jaya Bachchan was surprisingly not annoying as the mother. I hated the self-sacrificing mother in Kal Ho Na Ho, but we really get a sense here of a woman at her wit's end. Anupam's father is beyond useless and contributes nothing to the family, so Jaya has been having to hold it together for years. Konkona is wonderful as the little sister who comes to terms with the sacrifices that have been made on her behalf, and makes some of her own for her family. So sweet!

Konkona and Kunal :



Konkona and Rani :