yahaan

movie review: saw yahaan, a film by shoojit sircar, last night. was a very touching film. not a typical bollywood film. best one i've seen since chameli. the cinematography was very interesting. was shot in almost black and white with very sparing use of color. i really wish i had seen it on the big screen as opposed to my crusty laptop. i hadn't realized how long its been since i've seen so many images of kashmir. its a shame kashmir has suffered so much these past 10+ years. the story of hope through love is a compelling one. for a more synopsis-y type review, see: this link. i think she was a little harsh though. i thought the pace of the film was fine - i had no problems moving between the various movements. i also thought the action scenes were well done - and with the exception of the ending, not overly so as many b/h ollywood films tend to be. something that struck me was how difficult this film would be for an american to make now. in the 40s, no problem. now, we're so jaded in our 'love' stories, atleast on the artsy side of the film spectrum, that honest love as simple is this would be too foreign for its audience. it would certainly require raw sexuality, or something twisted, and less first sight type warmth. on the whole, i give it 3 and 1/2 stars. i'd have given it a 4 if it wasn't for the slightly overly 'action-y' ending. still a definite should see.