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AE DIL HAI MUSHKIL (OH MY DEAR HEART, IT’S TOUGH) HINDI: ENGLISH SUBTITLES

If you survive the first hour wallowing in the abyss of silliness, manufactured mimicry, saccharine sophism, entertainment blossoms with the astounding radiance of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, in  this predictable, weepy scenario. Rambir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma star as a two-sum: “Ayan” (Kapoor) wants more than friendship from “Alizeh” (Sharma) who is satisfied with a “huggy”, platonic relationship; their song and ... Read More »

UPDATE FROM THE CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

There has never been a better Festival in the history of “Festdom”.  In the last three days I have visited eleven films, a myriad of countries, and on a five-star rating, the lowest star bestowed was a four.  Here are a few, that presented with the opportunity, should be seen:   “SWEET DREAMS”; ITALY/FRANCE. A mesmerizing, enchanting story of  devastating ... Read More »

M.S. DHONI: THE UNTOLD STORY (HINDI: ENGLISH SUBTITLES)

Director Neeraj Pandey (“A Wednesday”) has made an incredible bio-pic of the inimitable cricket player Mahendra Singh Dhoni (born, 1981); actor Sushant Singh Rajput nails to perfection the player that Time magazine hailed as one of the most influential people in the world. Being a Westerner, the game of cricket and all its “wickets” is a fug of unfathomability; but ... Read More »

BOLLYWOOD DOUBLE HEADER: “RUSTOM” &” MOHENJO DARO” (HINDI: ENGLISH SUBTITLES)

Two Bollywood megastars in an Olympic box office competition. Tough decision as to who wins the gold, Akshay Kumar for “Rustom” or Hrithik Roshan for “Mohenjo Daro”. “Rustom” is a fictionalized version of the 1959 Nanavati Case; a scandalous, sensational affair, where a naval officer supposedly murders his wife’s lover; Akshay Kumar, absolutely devastating in his white uniform, gives a ... Read More »

SULTAN (HINDI: ENGLISH SUBTITLES)

The first time I saw Salman Khan (“Marigold”) I was overwhelmed by his stunning beauty, a luminous countenance worthy of launching a thousand films; it mattered little that the film was awful, looking at him justified the price of admission. Now, almost ten years later, gone is the beauty, replaced by burgeoning brawn and surprisingly honed acting acuity. He is ... Read More »

UDTA PUNJAB (HINDI: ENGLISH SUBTITLES)

India is cursed with its drug chaos, a ubiquitous issue plaguing nations worldwide. “Udta Punjab” is a serious, if at times sensational, depiction of the epidemic, its victims, perpetrators and the pervasiveness of this evil  “weapon of mass destruction”. Director Abhishek Chaubey has culled a superior cast to portray fictional characters in a realistic setting: Shahid Kapoor is “Tommy Singh”,  ... Read More »

FAN (HINDI: ENGLISH SUBTITLES)

An original take on a used and abused theme: a star whose “stalker” becomes a menacing, obsessive, destructive force. Loosely based on 1981’s “The Fan” starring Lauren Becall and James Garner and 1996’s imitation starring Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes; Bollywood heartthrob, Shah Rukh Khan, pulls out all the stops and plays both the “stalker” and the “star”. At ... Read More »

KAPOOR AND SONS (HINDI: ENGLISH SUBTITLES)

It is rare when a Bollywood film lingers in Western theatres for more than a week; surprisingly, but more than worthy, “Kapoor and Sons” survived the seventh day elimination; blurring the lines between east and west the movie focuses on three generations of the “Kapoor” family, confronting issues pervasive in all cultures: love, rivalries, indiscretions, subterfuge; a family torn asunder, ... Read More »

OSCAR WRAP-UP

Chris Rock soared as the host of one of the most controversial award ceremonies to date; his barbs were delivered with aplomb, levity and fairness; humorous aphorisms eliminated the “sting” of elimination. Possibly too repetitious but universally tempered with a benign sensitivity and awareness that never again will the Academy Awards be as colorless as the 88th! The two major ... Read More »

Peneflix Annual Academy Awards Contest Results

Thanks for participating in the Peneflix Oscar contest.  There were no winners this year as no one selected all the categories correctly.  Better luck next year! Recap of the awards show to follow soon on Peneflix.com. Read More »

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