tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post1420537901733747643..comments2023-11-10T08:26:51.182-06:00Comments on Beth Loves Bollywood: a few quick thoughts on Agent VinodBeth Loves Bollywoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05540154833326987567noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-43459761026528985882012-07-03T08:56:48.401-05:002012-07-03T08:56:48.401-05:00Saif Ali Khan has a squintSaif Ali Khan has a squintMadhulatanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-91656856824761087092012-04-26T14:20:20.135-05:002012-04-26T14:20:20.135-05:00Agent Vinod is really fabulous ...Agent Vinod is really fabulous ...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17805843358325168233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-79174742242371791392012-04-25T14:04:34.450-05:002012-04-25T14:04:34.450-05:00best movie i love saifbest movie i love saifpriya mehrahttp://bollyemasala.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-38713469275708071502012-04-21T15:33:54.351-05:002012-04-21T15:33:54.351-05:00Excellent information however I’d like to let you ...Excellent information however I’d like to let you know that I think there is problem with your RSS feeds as they seem to not be working for me. May be just me but I thought overall I would cite it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-86124879985996685782012-04-16T22:57:07.276-05:002012-04-16T22:57:07.276-05:00Great post, I admire the writing style :) A little...Great post, I admire the writing style :) A little off topic here but what theme are you using? Looks pretty cool.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-12157732298038995612012-04-03T09:09:07.118-05:002012-04-03T09:09:07.118-05:00Housefull 2? That I can miss! But if you do see ...Housefull 2? That I can miss! But if you do see it, I am sure I will enjoy your review more than I would have enjoyed the movie itself so you go!Magpie Imahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09567892262171400521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-27909302234230435472012-04-03T07:52:36.151-05:002012-04-03T07:52:36.151-05:00Really great piece of info, well, i'm big fan ...Really great piece of info, well, i'm big fan of saif and kareena loved their acting as well as looks... simply superb movie.Rashihttp://www.kreatingcharakters.in/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-20148163589322369472012-04-02T23:34:45.993-05:002012-04-02T23:34:45.993-05:00M. I. - I'm with you - if something comes to t...M. I. - I'm with you - if something comes to town, I see it. I MIGHT EVEN SEE HOUSEFULL 2 if it shows up, apparently not having learned my lesson after loathing the first one. :) Anyway, yeah, I really loved AV and am glad to hear it fit together pretty well for you (I will admit to not paying particular attention to some of the logic-type concerns - and I never think Bond movies make a whole lot of actual sense anyway). I feel you on the Kareena part - WTF.Beth Loves Bollywoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05540154833326987567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-10750392267226659262012-04-02T22:33:55.189-05:002012-04-02T22:33:55.189-05:00Nice to see a positive review. I had low expectati...Nice to see a positive review. I had low expectations going in but we get so few Hindi movies here that I don't pass up much. I was very pleasantly surprised and want to see it again. The music, the color, the locations, the Saif.....it was very well done. I usually lose the plot in these kinds of movies--Don 2 totally lost my and I love me some SRK--but this made sense almost all the way through. Except for the ending--the Kareena part of the ending--can't believe that was really the ending. The Teen and I had a lively argument about that ending all the way home.Magpie Imahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09567892262171400521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-28879068676841452582012-04-01T11:02:02.452-05:002012-04-01T11:02:02.452-05:00Jenny - Did you end up seeing it? I wasn't abl...Jenny - Did you end up seeing it? I wasn't able to get to Don 2 and still haven't seen it, but I'm setting my bar lower and lower with each person I talk to. <br /><br />Mansi - I loved all of it except the end, which was such a mess. I did see Ek Hasina Thi, actually just a few hours before seeing Agent Vinod. I liked it and definitely appreciated that it's a less typical type of Hindi film.Beth Loves Bollywoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05540154833326987567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-34997325359660878412012-04-01T00:54:28.917-05:002012-04-01T00:54:28.917-05:00I liked Agent Vinod, and I still don't underst...I liked Agent Vinod, and I still don't understand why critics are bashing it up all so much.<br /><br />But yeah, I would have actually loved it if they had removed a few fights, and maybe at least one sequence...I mean, there are only so many cities you can go to when you are chasing a nuclear bomb - case in point MI-4 (or maybe any MI movie, but I remember the part 4 because I saw it recently)...they could have reduced at least 15-20 min if they took out the sequence in Pakistan which doesn't add anythign to the narrative except for a 2-woman mujra.Aparnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17465535925292456208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-36102914491274843092012-03-28T02:57:38.234-05:002012-03-28T02:57:38.234-05:00I kinda agree with your thoughts about agent vinod...I kinda agree with your thoughts about agent vinod. The first half was awesome. But when the second half doesn't live up to all the hype built up in the first, it's disappointing. <br /><br />The film became the victim of its success, if I can put it that way. Also, bloggers, including me, went into making comparisons. Sriram Raghavan has delivered better. Ek Hasina Thi. u seen it?<br /><br />Cheers!<br />Mansieatpraylovemovieshttp://eatpraylovemovies.blogspot.in/2012/03/agent-vinod-2012.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-47278280097727327922012-03-26T13:16:28.550-05:002012-03-26T13:16:28.550-05:00Hmmm...now you've gotten me to rethink my Agen...Hmmm...now you've gotten me to rethink my Agent Vinod boycott. I don't usually like Bondesque films, and Don 2 didn't give me much hope for this one, but perhaps you did! I ended up seeing Kahaani again, just to gaze into Nawazuddin Siddiqui's eyes once more. He's a pint-sized package of Omar Sharifness. Love it.<br /><br />In India for a month? For fun or blogging? Have you posted about the trip yet? I am so jealous.<br /><br />Jenny K<br />Filmigoris.netAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-58202350178875237052012-03-26T08:06:21.520-05:002012-03-26T08:06:21.520-05:00Kiran - me too! :) We will have to work out a Saif...Kiran - me too! :) We will have to work out a Saif-sharing strategy.<br /><br />Carla - I am going to leave my responses on YOUR blog post! :)<br /><br />Katherine - I too love this genre, though I don't consider myself knowledgable or up-to-date about the current standards (I've only seen the first of the Borne films, for example). Many of the criticisms of AV seem to talk about its pacing, and I'm beginning to wonder if I am too jetlagged to notice pauses? :) Actually, if I could see it again, I would pay special attention to that and wonder if any kind of cyclical pacing is partly a response to the masala formula and the kinds of different episodes that often happen in mainstream Hindi movies. But that's just an idea that I cannot back up at the moment. :) And I'm with you - SEQUEL PLEASE and with a kickass woman!<br /><br />Liz - Yay! I am so with you on the white shirt I can hardly type it. Remember the horse bit in Race? Eee. And I'm really glad you liked the sound and music too. That Chaplin bit was hilarious (and maybe a little WTF), especially with the line about stealing the hog and then then motorcycle roaring off! The Delhi bits were SO GOOD! I loved the old songs in...was it in the Riga hotel? I can't remember, but it added such a nice nod to vintage without literally re-doing scenes or lines.<br /><br />Robespierre - First, I have to tell you, my mom is an 18th and 19th century French historian so your name cracks me up :) Second, yeah, I don't know what in the world happened with the endings. There were too many, yet none of them was any good. Sorry you missed the subs! AFter having seen Kahaani and London Paris New York without them, I was very grateful for them in AV. But you're right, you didn't miss a ton - for example, there were not as many one-liners as Bond tends to get. <br /><br />Kim - I hope you can excuse this last absence since I was in India for almost a month! :) But my pace in the last year or so has really slowed and I'm hoping to correct that. My outlets are here, the WSJ, my twitter (bethlovesbolly), and the also "not often updated" podcast I do called Masala Zindabad (there's a link in my sidebar). <br /><br />Hope you get to see AV! How close is your nearest cinema? <br /><br />movietrends - You might be spam, but in the off chance you are not, thank you. :)Beth Loves Bollywoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05540154833326987567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-83607557863737067152012-03-26T07:54:25.520-05:002012-03-26T07:54:25.520-05:00REally good piece of information, I had come to kn...REally good piece of information, I had come to know about your site from my friend shubodh, kolkatta,i have read at least nine posts of yours by now, and let me tell you, your site gives the best and the most interesting information. This is just the kind of information that I had been looking for, I’m already your rss reader now and I would regularly watch out for the new posts, once again hats off to you! Thanks a lot once again, Regards, <a href="http://movieztrends.blogspot.in/" rel="nofollow"> <br />pawan kalyan's gabbar singh </a>movieztrends.blogspot.inhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09652554893439328467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-47961829050728844112012-03-26T06:58:53.527-05:002012-03-26T06:58:53.527-05:00I wish you posted more often, Beth! Your *positiv...I wish you posted more often, Beth! Your *positive* take is very refreshing and a definite change of pace from other bloggers. I see you publish through the WSJ, what other news outlets do you write for?<br /><br />BTW, I can't wait to see Agent Vinod and if I didn't live in the middle of nowhere Ohio I wouldn't have to wait until DVD!KimThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03753118823251092762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-25671237693864759212012-03-25T22:18:38.753-05:002012-03-25T22:18:38.753-05:00Hooray, a positive review! I loved it too, althoug...Hooray, a positive review! I loved it too, although the ending lost me as well - is it really that hard to have a climactic fight scene and then call it a day? Somehow my local theater had put the film in the wrong aspect ratio, cropping out the subs, and couldn't fix it, but I just collected my refund and sat through the rest of the film anyway. It was entertaining enough even without what I suspect was very utilitarian dialogue.<br /><br />Sad that it's not doing well, because I would love to see a sequel.Robespierrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17653468561859583573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-77483593637242743092012-03-25T11:27:51.729-05:002012-03-25T11:27:51.729-05:00Put me down for "liked it a whole lot", ...Put me down for "liked it a whole lot", and I just want to add a hearty "hear-hear" for the following points you brought up:<br />1) Saif in a white shirt. I'd like to see him cast in a recurring role in Mad Men, just so I could see him in those clothes.<br />2) The music and sound design was so fantastic.The saxophone and Charlie Chaplin music wedding scene (was that still Latvia?) was crazy, but really well done, there were a couple of chase scenes set to old film music, and I especially liked the establishing shots of Delhi with older music, and then it cuts to the Lakshar safe house, where the music is playing on the radio.dustdevil lizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03564737263775943203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-40168371097443381162012-03-25T11:13:14.424-05:002012-03-25T11:13:14.424-05:00You know, although I experienced some mild moments...You know, although I experienced some mild moments of disappointment (especially with the ending(s)), I actually liked the film, and adored bits of it.<br /><br />Carla's point about genre is interesting, because for me, this is a genre I rather like. I suspect that's where my disappointment lies, because I expected and wanted brisker pacing and more adrenaline and just a little more cracktastic. <br /><br />That said -- I'm dying for a sequel. If they can get so much right this time, maybe they can make the rest better next time?Katherinehttp://www.totallyfilmi.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-49142996543294763692012-03-25T10:25:36.358-05:002012-03-25T10:25:36.358-05:00I'm really glad you had a good time!
For me, ...I'm really glad you had a good time!<br /><br />For me, the things it did right just highlighted how much better it could have been overall - I wish it had applied throughout the same sense of humor and wit that went into those best moments. To be fair, though, I really, really don't like fights, gunplay, or car chases, so a movie that makes me sit through so many of those has to offer a lot more in order for me to not hate it. And I didn't hate most of *Agent Vinod*. <br /><br />I think it flagged well before the last 20 minutes though - as weird as that draggy, 3-ending ending was, the entire last quarter had a "get on with it already" sort of feel. No suspense at all; nothing to hold my attention. <br /><br />But, you know, my opinion should probably be discounted, as I probably shouldn't have seen this movie in the first place. Genre-wise it's not the kind of movie I like in any language. <br /><br />-carla (filmi geek)carlahttp://filmigeek.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15977843.post-74644471241577358432012-03-25T09:53:13.003-05:002012-03-25T09:53:13.003-05:00I cannot even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed...I cannot even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this technically great film (minus the morose Kareena)!]<br /><br />Perhaps after my daydreaming spell involving embroidered caftans and ordering around the help in a beautiful Riad in Morrocco, and the Colonel (dishy dishy dishy) and the deliciously metrosexual Saif... I will have recovered enough to write a review. As for now, just leave Saif, the Colonel and me be, and bring us all Martinis stirred, not shaken. Oh and Saif will sing dance to Pungi for me!Another Kiran In NYChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949641865013106368noreply@blogger.com