Exclusive First Look: Oh La La! – The Dirty Picture
We have been teased with the posters and the trailer but finally we get to see Vidya in all her gorgeous Silk Smitha glory in the song that has been the talk of the town even before its release! We are talking about sizzling song ‘Oh La La’ from the upcoming The Dirty Picture. Composed by Vishal Shekhar, legend Bappi Lahiri is the man behind this destined to be hit song along with the always fabulous Shreya Ghosal!
Check out the gorgeousness of this picturization!
Directed by Milan Luthri, The Dirty Picture stars Vidya Balan, Emraan Hashmi, Tusshar Kapoor, and Nasseeruddin Shah.
Imagine a make-up girl who became an extra and then the most wanted heroine of the early 80s.
Chronicling the meteoric rise and steep fall of the erstwhile screen sensation, The Dirty Picture is set against the colorful and entertaining backdrop of the fierce male-dominated South-Indian film industry of the 80s.
The quintessential siren, Silk, knew her audiences, and it didn’t seem like anything would stop the ambitious starlet, till it did, in the form of unrequited love.
To the world, she was the queen of sensuality. But at heart, she was just another woman yearning for love in a ruthless world.
Balaji and Milan Luthria team up again after their smash hit, Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai, to create a humorous yet poignant entertainer, which is already in the news for being the most keenly anticipated musical drama of the year! The Dirty Picture is set to release on December 2nd!
The Dirty Picture is the upcoming biopic of sensual 80s screen siren, Silk Smitha, starring Vidya Balan, Emraan Hashmi, Naseeruddin Shah and Tusshar Kapoor.
When a film is called “The Dirty Picture” and is set in the 1980s, a decade not entirely reknowned in Bollywood for films filled with good taste and high artistic aspirations - you know there are going to be certain expectations of the soundtrack.
It was the era of Disco Dancer and Ilzaam, a decade when Bappi Lahiri’s infectiously cheesy disco anthems ruled the airwaves; an era (like now) when Bollywood also often looked South for inspiration, resulting in surprisingly saucy, glitz laden epic dance numbers in films like Himmatwala.
With The Dirty Picture soundtrack Vishal-Shekhar have essentially created a time-machine to transport the listener back to the full-on filmi glory of the early Eighties.
The track that captured everyone’s attention with the trailer, Ooh La La, kickstarts the album. Combining both cheesy disco pop and vaguely Southern inflected beats, Ooh La La firmly cements a retro Eighties feel with its cute oldskool disco synth effects that kick in halfway through the song. The persistent percussion – handclaps, a variety of drums, is infectious, and vocals from Shreya Ghoshal and Bappi Lahiri add a touch of authenticity – plus as they trade verses they sound like they are having an absolute blast singing! But if there’s one thing you’ll remember from this song, it’s Shreya’s delivery of the lyrics – at one point gradually becoming more and more sensually breathless until she’s actually panting. Dirty Picture indeed!
An alternate mix of the song Ooh La La (Dhol Mix) is included on the album – presumably for those wanting a dancefloor friendly version. The original is pretty dancefloor ready as it is, but the Dhol Mix (as the name suggests) amps up the bhangra factor a little bit, kicking up the dhol in the mix, and modernises the synth effects to make them a little more Noughties, a little less Eighties.
Ishq Sufiyana is exactly what the title suggests: a Sufi inflected love ballad. The arrangement, characterised by driving percussion and luscious, soaring strings, is kept fairly simple to allow focus on the gorgeous, confident voice of vocalist Kamal Khan. The melody is absolutely lovely. I think this one is a slow burner of a track that will get under your skin the more you hear it. An alternate version of the track,Ishq Sufiyana (female), voiced by Sunidhi Chauhan (who shows off her vocal range and flexibility!) also appears on the album.
Honeymoon Ki Raat sounds like a song picturised in a cheesy 80s nightclub or hotel room – and it has all the cheesy pun lyrics and synth effects to go with it: e.g “kamadev ka sutra”. It’s not a terrible song, but it’s almost over the top in how cheesy and in your face it is – almost going for an 80s disco James Bond vibe - and that won’t be to everyone’s liking. It’s definitely a successful recreation of a certain kind of 80s film song – the kind that depends heavily on the picturisation for context and success. Sunidhi Chauhan proves she’s a chameleon in her vocal delivery – her vocals here are a touch husky at points, a touch breathy, delivered like a nightclub vixen.
Middle Eastern influences and a breathy spoken word intro give way to a thumpingly hypnotic beat and insane, double entendre-laced lyrics in Twinkle Twinkle. Shreya Ghoshal channels her sauciest side and is joined by Rana Muzumder who livens up the second half of the song all too briefly. Infectious and addictive, this song is over way too soon, and I can’t wait to see how it’s picturised!
Cheesy disco-pop and sly raunchiness combine in The Dirty Picture soundtrack – a short, but supremely evocative Eighties recreation. It’s frothy, it’s fun, and above all, it’s faithful to the era.
What’s Bad: The first 20 minutes and some portions in the second half which are boring; the story, which is about a video game, will not be fully understood by the computer-illiterate older generation.
Verdict:Ra.One has novelty and great visual effects to see it through at the box-office and ensure profits in spite of its very high cost.
Loo break: A few in the first half.
Watch or Not?: Definitely watch Ra.One for the superlative performances and the grand visual effects and the 3D effects.
94 Votes
Eros International and Red Chillies Entertainment’s Ra.One is the story of Shekhar Subramanium (Shah Rukh Khan), who lives in London and who is so clumsy and uncool that his young, school-going son, Pratik (master Armaan Varma), does not consider him as his hero or idol. In fact, he doesn’t even respect his father like a son should.
Shekhar works in a gaming company and he alongwith his colleagues makes a video game, Ra.One, in which the villain, Ra.One, is almost invincible. He makes the villain so powerful because his son tells him that heroes are boring and villains are cool. As luck would have it, Pratik, who plays games under the name of Lucifer, defeats Ra.One upto a level. Ra.One then loses his head and escapes from the computer in search of Lucifer. Soon, he kills Shekhar when he lies to him that his name is Lucifer. Shekhar takes on the blame in a bid to save his son’s life. But Ra.One, who has now taken the identity of Shekhar’s own colleague Akashi (Tom Wu), does not give up his search for Lucifer alias Pratik.
Meanwhile, Pratik goes to his dad’s office and between Jenny (Shahana Goswami) and Pratik, the two decide that G.One or, in other words, the Good One from the game would have to be released from the game to combat Ra.One.
Pratik and his widowed mother, Sonia (Kareena Kapoor), leave London to return to India and are given a hot chase by Ra.One. After a lot of misses, Ra.One finally confronts the mother-son duo but G.One emerges in the form of Shekhar to save them.
Now, G.One, Sonia and Pratik come to India after G.One has almost eliminated Ra.One. However, Ra.One is re-constructed one day and lands in India. What happens next? Does he find Lucifer? Does G.One protect Sonia and Pratik alias Lucifer? If so, how?
Ra.One Review: Script Analysis
The story, penned by Anubhav Sinha, has been liberally borrowed from several Hollywood films but it has been suitably Indianised. The Indianised screenplay, written by Kanika Dhillon, David Benullo, Mushtaq Shiekh and Anubhav Sinha, is fast-paced for a good part, but the first 20 minutes, and some portions in the second half are a bit boring. Perhaps, the most heart-touching Indian sentiment in the drama is when G.One comes to the rescue of Sonia and Pratik for the first time, appearing like Shekhar. There are other emotional moments like when Sonia takes a promise from G.One that he would save Pratik’s life, come what may, and when G.One and Pratik join forces to try and combat Ra.One in the end. Also, how Pratik is made to realise that ultimately, it is the hero who is good, and it is the villain who is evil and that good is what one should pursue, is subtle yet effective. But the emotions are understated and although they touch the heart-strings, they do not draw tears from the audience’s eyes. Had the sentiments been more pronounced, it would’ve been better as the viewers would be moved to tears.
However, where there are less-than-required emotions, there are some sequences which are absolutely brilliant and constitute major highlights of the film. Among such highlight sequences worthy of applause in the cinemas are the one in which Ra.One chases Sonia and Pratik; the one in which G.One appears all of a sudden between Ra.One and the car in which Sonia and Pratik are seated (in this particular scene, there will be deafening applause in the cinemas); the action sequences between G.One and Ra.One; the taxi-stand sequence at Bombay airport; the Rajnikanth sequence; the sequence showing the re-construction of Ra.One first and G.One later; the train sequence, etc. Here, it must be added that although the writers and the director have taken care to explain the technicalities of the video game in a simplified manner, yet, the drama will be more understood by the city and multiplex audience than the audience in the smaller centres and those frequenting single-screen cinemas. Again, since the base of the story is the Ra.One video game, it will not be fully understood by the computer-illiterate older generation. On the other hand, kids and the youth will love the drama for the very reasons the older generation wouldn’t – it has a lot of technical jargon, the drama is more subtle and less over-dramatic; and the experience is absolutely novel for the Indian audiences.
Comedy is enjoyable and entertaining but the film could’ve done with more of it, especially in the pre-interval portion. The visual effects are excellent and so are the 3D effects (for those watching in 3D). Another plus point of the drama is that it is not stretched too much. The climax, in which the young son of Shekhar collaborates with G.One, to fight the evil Ra.One is exciting in a different way – more than a nail-biting and edge-of-the-seat climax (which the chase by Ra.One in the first half is), it has heart-warming sentiments of father and son.
Ra.One Movie Review: Star Performances
Shah Rukh Khan does a splendid job and is the life of the film. He is good as Shekhar and fantastic as G.One. The look of G.One is wonderful. Kareena Kapoor is also lovely. She looks gorgeous and acts with effortless ease. She is brilliant in emotional scenes. Both, Shah Rukh and Kareena’s dances are remarkable. Arjun Rampal makes an effective villain and looks very handsome and formidable. Master Armaan Varma makes a sensational debut. He looks charming and acts with such aplomb that it is difficult to believe, this is his first film. Tom Wu is menacing enough. Dalip Tahhil is stylish as ever. Shahana Goswami is as natural and realistic as can be. Satish Shah and Suresh Menon evoke laughter. Rajnikanth appears in a single scene in special appearance and makes his presence felt with mersmerising effect. Sanjay Dutt and Priyanka Chopra don’t add much in special appearances. Amitabh Bachchan’s voice over in a portion of the film heightens the impact.
Ra.One Review: Direction & Music
Anubhav Sinha’s direction is good. Credit goes to him for giving the Indian audience a supremely novel experience. He has excelled in the visual effects department as well as in extracting good work from the actors. Music (Vishal-Shekhar) could’ve been better. While the Chhammak Chhallo song is extraordinary, the others could’ve and should’ve been better. The Dildaara song is appealing. The other songs range from fair to good. Song picturisations (Ganesh Hegde and Feroz Khan) are very eye-filling. The picturisations ofChhammak Chhallo and Criminal songs (both by Ganesh Hegde) are extraordinary. Background score by Vishal-Shekhar is wonderful. Nicola Pecorini and V. Manikandan’s camerawork is marvellous. The film looks just too beautiful. Visual effects are outstanding. Action scenes, choreographed by Parvez Khan, Spiro Razatos and Firoz Boss, are mind-boggling. Sets (Sabu Cyril and Marcus Wookey) are lovely. The conversion from 2D to 3D (by Prime Focus) is remarkable. Production values are just too grand.
Ra.One Review: Komal Nahta’s Verdict
On the whole, Ra.One has the novelty factor and visual effects as its greatest plus points. It may be lagging in the other departments but these two – novelty and visual effects – will definitely see the high-budgeted film make profits for all concerned. Looking to the almost unprecedented hype and huge craze for the film and its grand opening, it will sail past its safety mark in the first week itself (after considering all the other sources of revenue too) and then go on to yield profits.
Ra.One Trailer
Komal Nahta, the Editor of Koimoi.com, is Bollywood’s most trusted trade analyst & film reviewer. You can follow him on Twitter and check out his Video Blog.
Young penguin Erik (Ava Acres) is taken in by a flying penguin, Sven (Hank Azaria), even as his father, Mumble (Elijah Wood), tries to win the admiration and love of his child. When their rookery is hit with a disaster, Mumble saves the day. Read the review of Happy Feet Two for more.
Happy Feet Two Review
Business rating: 2.5/5 stars
Star cast: Elijah Wood, Ava Acres, Robin Williams, Hank Azaria, P!nk, Sofía Vergara, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon.
What’s Good: The voice acting; the animation; the comedy and emotions in the script; the 3D effects which are excellent.
What’s Bad: The film will appeal only to a section of the Indian audience; the rather lengthy climax; the plethora of songs that will not be liked by everybody in the audience.
Verdict: Happy Feet Two is entertaining fare which will do above average business at the Indian box-office.
Loo break:None at all!
Watch or Not?:Definitely. Happy Feet Two is for kids, young adults and adults.
6 Votes
Kennedy Miller Mitchell and Village Roadshaw Pictures’ Happy Feet Two is a sequel to the animation film, Happy Feet.
Young penguin Erik (voice of Ava Acres) is reluctant to dance as all the other penguins in his rookery do. When Erik’s father, Mumble (voice of Elijah Wood), prompts him to try, Erik fumbles and ends up being the laughing stock of the penguin community. He then leaves the rookery with three young penguin friends, and chances upon another faraway group of penguins led by a flying penguin, Sven (voice of Hank Azaria). Erik is in awe of Sven, in spite of his father telling him that penguins can’t really fly.
On their way back to their home, Mumble saves the life of a giant Elephant Seal, which promises Mumble a favour. Once back, the group of penguins discovers that their home (a huge pit in between snowy mountains) has been blocked by ice from all sides because of an earthquake. No one from their rookery can now get out of there.
Even as Mumble tries to help those stuck inside, including his wife, Gloria (voice of P!nk), Erik leans towards Sven, who arrives with his whole community to help. As the penguins, who are stuck inside, start becoming desperate, and try different ways to escape, Mumble comes up with an innovative idea. Does it work? Is he able to save the penguins? What about young Erik’s idol-worship of Sven? Who is Sven really? All these questions are answered in the rest of the film and the climax.
Happy Feet Two Review: Script Analysis
First of all, it must be said that Happy Feet Two manages to do what few animation sequels have done so far – it is as entertaining, if not more, than the first film of the series. While Happy Feet concentrated on the tumultuous journey of (the then young) Mumble from an outcaste to the savior of his herd, the sequel tells the story of Mumble’s relationship with his impressionable son. But that’s not all. The screenwriters (George Miller, Warren Coleman, Gary Eck and Paul Livingston) have added the elements of adventure, comedy and heartwarming emotions to the script, making Happy Feet Two a complete package.
On the flip side, the many songs in the film, though entertaining and well-composed, will bore a certain section of the Indian audience to whom the film might seem like a musical. Moreover, since the film is an animation film, a genre that still sees comparatively lesser appreciation from the paying public in India, it will have to depend on mainly the city-based Indian audiences (especially kids).
This is not to say that the film is meant only for kids. It has plenty for adults as well. The track of Will the Krill (voice of Brad Pitt) and Bill the Krill (Matt Damon) is such that it will be understood and much appreciated by the young adults and adults only. On the other hand, the kids will enjoy the bumbling ways of young Erik and his friends, the stylish yet funny characterisations of Ramon and Lovelace (both voiced by Robin Williams) and the climactic sequence where all the penguin nations, Elephant Seals and even Krills get together to save the stranded penguins. The climax, which is otherwise entertaining, could have been cut short by a few minutes.
Happy Feet Two Review: Voice Performances
The voice acting is top rate. Elijah Wood betters his act from Happy Feet, making his voice acting a veritable delight. Ava Acres is very good as young Erik’s voice. Robin Williams excels in both his characters. Hank Azaria (as Sven) is impressive. Sofía Vergara (as voice of Carmen) does a fine job. P!nk (as Gloria) is fine. Benjamin Flores Jr. (as Atticus), Common (as Seymour), Hugo Weaving (as Noah the Elder) and others offer very good support. Brad Pitt and Matt Damon are a delight. They have the best dialogues to mouth.
Happy Feet Two Review: Direction & Technical Aspects
George Miller’s direction is very good as he manages to tell the story in an engaging and entertaining manner. He balances the adventure and the emotional elements very well. John Powell’s background score goes with the mood of the film. The choreography (by Wade Robson, Dein Perry, Kate Wormald and Savion Glover) is very good. David Peers’ cinematography is very good. The animation (animation director: Rob Coleman) is of a very superior quality. The film is a delight to watch in 3D because of several action scenes that use 3D effects to the maximum.
Happy Feet Two Review: The Last Word
On the whole, Happy Feet Two is an entertaining fare which works for both, the kids and the adults. However, it will primarily find appreciation among a section of the multiplex audience in Indian cities.
A dam, built by corrupt people, is about to explode. Many lives, intertwined in various ways are in the danger of perishing in the aftermath. What next? Read the review of Dam 999 for more.
What’s Bad: The hackneyed and confusing script; below average performances; the lack of any entertaining moments at all.
Verdict: Dam 999 will prove to be a disaster.
Loo break: Several!
Watch or Not?: Watch Dam 999 at your own risk!
46 Votes
Biztv Network’s Dam 999 is the story of a set of people who are faced with their own personal tragedies till disaster strikes in the form of a new dam breaking apart, taking many lives in the aftermath.
Vinay (Vinay Rai), a mariner, goes to his native place in Kerala with his diabetic son, Sam (Jineet Rath). Because Vinay hasn’t been home in many years, his father, Shankaran (Rajit Kapur), an ayurvedic practitioner and astrologer, is very happy to see his son and grandson. Meera (Vimala Raman), Vinay’s childhood friend, who helps Shankaran in treating patients, is confused but happy to see her love of yesteryear come back home. As Vinay’s estranged wife, Sandra (Linda Arsenio), is a very busy reporter, he starts thinking of making a new beginning with Meera.
Vinay has an Anglo-Indian friend, Captain Fredrick Brown (Joshua Fredric Smith), who is also a mariner. Freddy’s late father was the mayor of the town. After Freddy’s father was murdered, Durai (Ashish Vidyarthi), his confidante and son-in-law, became the mayor riding on a sympathy wave. In reality, however, Durai is a tyrant, interested in making money through corrupt practices. He tortures his handicapped wife, Maria (Jaala Pickering), at home and murders people at will in order to make his pet project, a new dam on the local river, come alive. Freddy and his wife, Raziya (Megha Burman), know this but do little about it.
Things come to an inflection point when Sandra comes to meet Vinay and expresses interest in staying with him. Meera and Vinay and Shankaran’s relationships become strained. On the other hand, Vinay, Sandra and Freddy rescue Maria from Durai’s house, leaving the latter fuming. The new dam, which is to be inaugurated one day later, develops a few fatal cracks, a news story that Sandra covers. She spreads the news that if the dam breaks because of faulty construction, due to the corrupt moves of Durai, almost 2.5 million people in the vicinity might perish in a catastrophe. What happens then?
Dam 999 Review: Script Analysis
The story of Dam 999, written by Rob Tobin and Sohan Roy, tries to talk about too many things at once. A complicated love story, a mariner’s life, a local conflict, a broken home, corruption, etc. However, it just confuses the audience, especially since the screenplay, also penned by Tobin and Roy, makes such a hodgepodge of the whole story that the audience is left bored and supremely disinterested.
Even if you forget for a moment that all the characters in the movie are stereotypical; that the script actually seems to justify superstition, that the writers have cared little about logic or the audience’s intelligence, the fact that narrative is so scattered and literal is sure to get one’s goat. The dialogues are literal and border on the inane. The sense of time or continuity is given a miss as several scenes are randomly interspersed with beautiful but irrelevant visuals from the Kerala countryside. The audience cannot relate to any of the characters at all; it does not even feel for the handicapped woman, or the diabetic boy, because the drama comes across as farcical.
Of course, the viewer is bound to laugh at moments when the film ends up being unintentionally funny – like in the scene where Vinay, Sandra and Freddy go to rescue Freddy’s sisters, dressed like the a SWAT team, complete with sophisticated equipment, etc., only to enter into another room! In another scene, reeking of a 70s’ Bollywood hangover, Durai tries to intimidate his handicapped wife by holding a cobra in his hand – and all of this in 3D! All in all, the script can be best described as amateurish and poor.
Dam 999 Review: Star Performances
The performances are nothing to talk about. Vinay Rai is expressionless most of the time; he’s supposed to look depressed but just ends up looking plain bad. Jineet Rath, as the young boy, is natural but irritating. Rajit Kapur, as the old superstitious man, tries hard but he is pulled down by the other aspects of the film. Vimala Raman is genuine in her attempt but cannot do much. She is not heroine material. Linda Arsenio performs average at best. Joshua Fredric Smith’s acting looks forced. Ashish Vidyarthi is the only saving grace as far as performances are concerned. He is villainous as is required of him. Jaala Pickering, Megha Burman, Gary Richardson and others offer poor support.
Dam 999 Review: Direction & Technical Aspects
Sohan Roy’s direction is horrifyingly pathetic. He mounts the film of an above average scale and makes sure he has got the right locations, but pays no heed to the demands of his botched script or narration. There are at least half a dozen songs in the film which pop up at the most unworldly of times. Ousephachan’s music is alright but Tamil and Hindi songs in an otherwise English movie make no sense at all. The action sequences in the climax are poorly conceived and executed. The 3D adds no value. Ajayan Vincent’s cinematography is good. Editing, by Suresh Pai, could have been much better.
Dam 999 Review: The Last Word
On the whole, Dam 999 will prove to be a damning disaster, for the audience as well as the producers.
REVIEW: Punk-Rock Pops Doc Other F Word Good With Kids, Less So With Ideas
“You might say hey, maybe punk rock was never meant to grow up — but it did, so too bad. We’re in uncharted territory,” Bad Religion’s Brett Gurewitz, also the owner of Epitaph Records, says early in Andrea Blaugrund’s documentary The Other F Word. Billing itself as a “coming of middle age story,” this earnest and intermittently lovable look into the lives of prominent punk rockers who’ve gone on to become responsible fathers doesn’t break as much ground as it seems to hope and believe.
Punk’s hardly the first counterculture movement to age into less cutting-edge adulthood, though with its roots in the rejection of conformity, of authority and established structures it may be the one most suited to be left to the young, angry and focused on what they don’t want to be rather than what they do. But how these tattooed veterans of mosh pits and countless tours deal with being authority figures in their own families is a question this film treats with great tenderness if little impact — as one bemused punk pop puts it, “How did we go from rebelling against our own parents to becoming parents ourselves?”
Blaugrund pulls together a solid assembly of interviewees for The Other F Word (if ones that stretch past the boundaries of punk) — Gurewitz is joined by Fat Mike from NOFX, Mark Hoppus of Blink-182, Everclear’s Art Alexakis, Lars Frederiksen from Rancid, Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and plenty of others, including skateboarder Tony Hawk and BMXer Rick Thorne to pipe in from outside of the music world. The main arc of the film is built around Jim Lindberg of Pennywise (incidentally the author of a book called Punk Rock Dad: No Rules, Just Real Life) who finds himself exhausted by the endless loop of touring that’s the reality of band life for most these days, a brutal schedule that allows him to support his family but also keeps him away from them for a large part of the year. He’s placed in a situation in which his obligations to his kids come up against those to his bandmates of 20 years, and at the close of the film he makes the difficult decision to quit.
It’s as much the shifting ground in the music industry as the burdens of image and ideology that make life difficult for these mohawked fathers, though it’s this aspect The Other F Word handles least well, touching on complaints about downloads and the reasoning behind putting an album on MySpace that are part of a discussion no one’s even having anymore. But with the idea of making money from record sales gone, touring’s all that’s left, and for a band like Pennywise, that’s no glamorous proposition. We watch Lindberg check into an Econolodge with a suitcase full of antacid and clothes he didn’t have time to toss in the laundry, to at night comb dye into his goatee to hide the gray. The film splashes lyrics across the screen during the lively performance footage, but off stage the interviewees talk of exhaustion with their songs and with the cycle of having to summon enthusiasm each night for each new town.
Punk may be best suited to the young and carefree about consequences (“Sometimes you think, ‘Oh shit, should I have tattooed my forehead?’” muses Frederiksen, whose brow reads “SKUNX”), but it’s of course the scenes of these unlikely dads doing typical dad things that’s where the movie sings, from Flea tearing up talking about his daughter to Alexakis singing “The Wheels on the Bus” to his little girl in the car seat behind him to Fat Mike in a zebra-print bath robe spraying toast with — is that I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!? The idea that these men, many of whom came from rough backgrounds and troubled home lives, find such fulfillment and meaning in being better fathers to their kids than their own fathers were to them is touching, especially given how ill-suited to the role many of them at first considered themselves.
It’s lovely to see these attempts at punk parenting, but there’s really not much “punk” to them beyond appearances.
The heartfelt sincerity of these scenes almost obscures how little there is to The Other F Word beyond them.It’s lovely to see these attempts at punk parenting, but there’s really not much “punk” to them beyond appearances. Even the kids with the liberty spikes have to grow up eventually, or risk being left the oldest guys at the show, hitting on high school girls, developing liver damage and bragging about never selling out while living in their parents’ basement. That this film acts like it’s unexpected to find such paternal dedication amongst these pierced, guitar-playing dudes seems terribly naive. Why would being in a hardcore band preclude you from being a decent dad? You need only flip through the current roster of reality TV to see that far scarier and less-prepared people become parents every day.
