Entertainment entanglement

quiz whiz

Movie buffs, music aficionados, television enthusiasts … how much do you know about the world of entertainment? Test your showbiz knowledge with our nifty little quiz.

Movies

1. Which film won the first ever Best Picture award at the 1st Academy Awards in 1929?
A. Gone with the Wind
B. Ben-Hur
C. Wings
D. The Broadway Melody

2. In The Avengers series, what is J.A.R.V.I.S. the acronym of?
A. Just A Really Valuable Integrated System
B. Just A Realistically Voiced Integrated System
C. Just A Robust Veracious Intelligent System
D. Just A Rather Very Intelligent System

3. Since the studio’s inception in 1986, how many animated feature films has Pixar released?
A. 9
B. 19
C. 29
D. 39

Music

4. Who is the best-selling music artist of all time?
A. The Beatles
B. Elvis Presley
C. Michael Jackson
D. Taylor Swift

5. Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s ‘Despacito’ is the most viewed video on YouTube. But what does ‘Despacito’ actually mean?
A. Desperately
B. Slowly
C. Gently
D. Despairingly

6. What was the first song played on the moon?
A. ‘Walking on the Moon’ by The Police
B. ‘Everyone’s Gone to the Moon’ by Jonathan King
C. ‘Moon in the Mirror’ by Joni Mitchell
D. ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ by Frank Sinatra

Television

7. Before Bryan Cranston was cast as Walter White in Breaking Bad, which actor was offered the role but turned it down?
A. Jon Hamm
B. Alec Baldwin
C. John Cusack
D. Matthew Broderick

8. The main cast members of which show are the highest paid actors and actresses in television history, making more than $2 million each per episode?
A. Game of Thrones
B. The Big Bang Theory
C. Two and a Half Men
D. Friends

9. Around how many episodes have aired of the long-running animated series The Simpsons?
A. 200
B. 400
C. 600
D. 800

Local
 
10. In what year was ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ released?
A. 1985
B. 1987
C. 1989
D. 1991

11. Which singer featured on a song by British-Norwegian boy band A1 in 2012?
A. Hadiqa Kiani
B. Annie Khalid
C. Fariha Pervez
D. Zebunnisa Bangash

12. What is the highest grossing Pakistani film series?
A. Maula Jatt
B. 3 Bahadur
C. Karachi Lahore
D. Na Maloom Afraad

*****

Answers:

1. C
1927’s silent war film Wings, starring Clara Bow and Charles Rogers and directed by William A. Wellman, was the first recipient of the Best Picture award; the category was titled Outstanding Picture in 1929.
The musical The Broadway Melody (1929) won the award in 1930 at the 2nd Academy Awards ceremony, while Gone with the Wind (1939) and Ben-Hur (1959) won the trophy in 1940 (12th Academy Awards) and 1960 (32nd Academy Awards) respectively.

2. D
The acronym for the artificial intelligence personality J.A.R.V.I.S. in The Avengers universe stands for Just A (alternatively: Another) Rather Very Intelligent System and is adapted from the name of the Stark family butler, Edwin Jarvis.

3. B
Pixar has released 19 feature films so far: Toy Story (1995), A Bug’s Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), Cars (2006), Ratatouille (2007), WALL-E (2008), Up (2009), Toy Story 3 (2010), Cars 2 (2011), Brave (2012), Monsters University (2013), Inside Out (2015), The Good Dinosaur (2015), Finding Dory (2016), Cars 3 (2017), and Coco (2017).

4. A
The Beatles are considered the highest-selling artists of all time, with sales of 271.1 million total available certified units and estimated sales of as many as 500 to 600 million records.
Elvis (212.4 million certified, 500 to 600 million estimated) and MJ (184.6 million, 300 to 350 million estimated) are considered the second and third best-selling artists respectively. Taylor Swift (181.6 million certified) hasn’t cracked the top ten yet and is even trailing behind Rihanna (229.4 million certified).

5. B
“Despacito” is Spanish for “slowly”.

6. D
Originally titled ‘In Other Words’, ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ was written by Bart Howard and recorded by Kaye Ballard in 1954. The 1964 cover of the track by Sinatra became closely associated with the Apollo missions to the Moon; a recording of the song was played on the 1969 Apollo 10 mission which orbited the Moon, and the track was then played on the Moon on a portable cassette player by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin after he stepped onto the lunar surface in 1969.

7. C and D
Both John Cusack and Matthew Broderick turned down the part (and thank heavens for that!) before Cranston was cast in the by-now-iconic role.

8. A
The primary cast of HBO’s fantasy drama Game of Thrones – Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, and Kit Harington – are reportedly making £2,000,000 per episode for the show’s 2017 to 2018 run.
The cast of Friends made $1 million per episode from 2002 to 2004; several cast members of The Big Bang Theory are getting $900,000 per episode (2017 – 2019); while Charlie Sheen earned $1.8 million per episode for his final season of Two and a Half Men (2010 – 2011).

9. C
There have been 629 episodes over 29 seasons of The Simpsons, the longest-running sitcom and animated program in American television history. Created by Matt Groening, the series stared in 1989 and has been renewed for a thirtieth season, extending the show to 2019.

10. B
Pop band Vital Signs’ patriotic song ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ was released in 1987 before appearing on the group’s debut album, Vital Signs 1, in 1989.

11. B
English-Pakistani singer Annie Khalid featured on A1’s single ‘Just 3 Words’ in 2012. The song served as the first single from the band’s fifth album, Rediscovered (2012).

12. D
Based on estimates, comedy thrillers Na Maloom Afraad (2014) and Na Maloom Afraad 2 (2017) are thought to have grossed around PKR34 crore collectively; road comedies Karachi Se Lahore (2015) and Lahore Se Aagey (2016) have made around PKR 31.9 crore; and animated children’s movies 3 Bahadur (2015) and 3 Bahadur: The Revenge of Baba Balaam (2016) have earned nearly PKR13.4 crore.

- S.A.

Us Magazine, The News - 26th January, 2018 

Paddington 2 - silly, zany, and utterly delightful

movie review

Paddington 2

Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Brendan Gleeson, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, Hugh Grant, and Ben Whishaw
Directed by: Paul King
Tagline: Small bear. Big trouble.

It has been over half a century – 61 years to be precise – since Michael Bond found a lone teddy bear on a shelf in a store near Paddington Station on Christmas Eve in 1956. The lovable stuffed toy went on to inspire one of the most celebrated children’s book series of all time (starting with a volume in 1958 and ending in 2017 with the author’s death). His stories have now led to a delightful film series that proves Paddington’s adventures remain as relevant as ever.

The latest big screen instalment in the series, Paddington 2 – the sequel to 2014’s Paddington – finds the marmalade-loving bear from darkest Peru in yet another pickle.

Since the events of the previous film, Paddington (voiced with gentle elegance by Ben Whishaw) has settled down with the Brown family in London and become a popular member of the diverse community, beloved by everyone except the grumpy Mr. Curry (Peter Capaldi) who’d rather the bear not reside in his neighbourhood.

With his Aunt Lucy’s (voiced by Imelda Staunton) 100th birthday looming, Paddington sets out to find and send her a present. When he chances upon a popup book about London – the city his aunt always dreamed of seeing but never got a chance to visit – he decides it would be the perfect gift for her.

But to buy the pricey antique, the little bear must get a job and save money … hence presenting the filmmakers an opportunity to delve into a series of amusing visual gags.

Things take a more sinister turn, however, when the popup book is stolen and Paddington is wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for the crime.

It is then up to the Browns – a very enthusiastic Mary (Sally Hawkins) and a much more reluctant Henry (Hugh Bonneville) as well as their children Judy (Madeleine Harris) and Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) and their housekeeper Mrs. Bird (Julie Walters) – to find the real culprit and clear Paddington’s name.

It is all silly and zany and utterly delightful. Paddington 2 is a masterclass in filmmaking for children, and a brilliant example of what filmmakers can achieve with relative simplicity without overloading the viewers’ senses with gaudy outfits and excessive visual effects (a la Disney’s upcoming fantasy projects).

The moral lessons and messages of embracing diversity may be front and centre in the film, but despite being clearly stated and often repeated, they never feel like they’re being shoehorned into the proceedings or forced upon the viewers. There is a quiet beauty in Paddington’s gentleness, and director Paul King and his team have put together the perfect escapade around this beloved character that highlights his lessons of kindness while being consistently entertaining.

The cast is absolutely terrific. From Whishaw’s tender voice to Hawkins’ all-round effervescence, the performers are perfect in their respective parts. And there’s a wonderful list of some great British actors – including Brendan Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Jessica Hynes, Ben Miller, Richard Ayoade, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal, and the aforementioned Capaldi – who make enjoyable appearances in smaller roles.

But the thespian who clearly steals the show is the remarkable Hugh Grant as Phoenix Buchanan, a down-on-his-luck actor who is the film’s primary antagonist. Paddington 2 serves as a sturdy vehicle for displaying Grant’s comedic skills in all his many guises throughout the movie, and if there’s any justice in the world, the role should earn the actor a few Best Supporting Actor trophies in the coming weeks.

All in all, Paddington’s second adventure is a fantastic cinematic offering that gives you a brief reprieve from reality as you escape into a world where kindness and marmalade fixes everything.
The gags and humour are bound to keep children entertained, and its messages of love and inclusivity will resonate with viewers both young and old. Best of all, Paddington 2 will make you actually feel things, and you are likely to leave the cinema with a big smile on your face while simultaneously dabbing a few tears from your eyes.

If you are a movie buff and appreciate well made films, then make sure you don’t miss this one.

Oh and do yourself a favour and buy a jar of marmalade before you watch the movie. Trust me, you are going to need it!

Rating: 5 out of 5

- Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune Blogs - 20th January, 2018 *

Haroon returns with another animated adventure

interview

After the massive international success of the animated series Burka Avenger, singer Haroon Rashid recently launched another animated show, Teetoo and Tania. Aimed at children, the new series showcases some of Pakistan’s most prominent personalities and highlights social messages along the way.

We chatted with the artist – who is the founder and CEO of Unicorn Black, the production company behind these animated programs – about his latest venture.

Instep: Tell us about your new animated television series, Teetoo and Tania.
Haroon: I am very excited about this new show.  The quality of animation is on par with top international animation productions, and the episodes themselves are highly entertaining and have strong, positive social messages.
The premise is a lot of fun. Teetoo is an alien bureaucrat that works for the Galactic Council. The Council has identified Earthlings as a threat to the very existence of the Universe due to their penchant for aggression and war. Teetoo surveys planet Earth and determines that it should be exterminated. Pakistan is the only country left to survey. He crash lands in the backyard of Tania, a 16 year old Pakistan girl, who rushes out to help him. Touched by her kindness, he advises her to leave Earth.
Tania is shocked and takes it upon herself to change Teetoo’s mind. And so begins Tania’s stories. In each episode, Tania tells Teetoo about a different Pakistani hero or role model. As Teetoo listens to these stories, he is forced to reconsider his assessment of planet Earth.

Instep: What inspired you to create this show?

Haroon: With Burka Avenger I was highlighting a fictional role model.  I thought it would be great to do a show about real life Pakistani heroes and role models.
At a time where there is much negativity about Pakistan in the media and press, this show aims to highlight Pakistani heroes and role models to inspire the youth of Pakistan. Furthermore, the series projects a positive image of Pakistan to the world. The show highlights heroes such as Edhi, who is considered one of the world’s greatest humanitarians, and Aitzaz Hasan, a school boy who sacrificed his life to prevent a suicide bomber attacking a school. Other well-known heroes include Muniba Mazari, Mushtaq Chappra (founder TCF), and many others.

Instep: Could you please tell us about the making of the show?
Haroon: The show was made at Unicorn Black, the animation production company I founded in 2012. The team had a lot of fun working on the show. Ali Safina was the voice of Teetoo, the alien. And Sara Rubab, who voiced Ashu in Burka Avenger, was the voice for Tania.
I have been a fan of Ali Safina’s work for a number of years especially his Milk Sheikh caricature. I wanted someone who can really create a character which sounds and acts from another world and he did that. So grateful for the amazing job he did.
Sara Rubab was also just brilliant as Tania. She is very smart and when we gave her the briefing, she went home and practised overnight and then next day just nailed it.
Animation is a collaborative effort. It takes a huge team to put together such a project. Nida Rehman was our production manager, Maryam Arqem our art director along with Yousuf Ejaz. Arif was our lead animator, and Zeeshan was our editor. Ommer was one of our key scriptwriters. This just a few of the 20 or so talented people that worked on Teetoo and Tania.
The quality of Teetoo and Tania is far superior to Burka Avenger. We set out to do that and we successfully achieved that. We actually animated the first episode twice. We spent a couple of months animating it and then we were like, you know what, we can do way better, let’s not compromise.  And the only way to improve it was for us to build the 3D models of the characters from scratch. So we went and did that. It was a long and arduous journey but one we thoroughly enjoyed.

Instep: Burka Avenger was a huge success and was broadcast locally and internationally.  Has it been difficult or easy to sell Pakistani animated kids shows to channels in Pakistan? Abroad?
Haroon: Burka Avenger won multiple awards and received press accolades worldwide and in Pakistan. The show aired on multiple TV channels in Pakistan and abroad; the show was dubbed into over 10 languages. When the show was released in Indonesia on ANTV last year it was the number one watched show in the 5 to 14 age demographic. For me this is a testament to Pakistani talent that the show was loved by people all over the world.
Teetoo and Tania is a project which is very Pakistani centric because each episode highlights real life Pakistani heroes and role models. However we have subtitled all the episodes in English and are uploading them online. This will give the rest of the world the ability to see all the wonderful work and sacrifices these real life Pakistani heroes have made. Pakistan suffers an image problem and it is up to all of us in our media to show the rest of the world a more balanced picture of Pakistan. The show is airing on PTV and all the episodes are available to view online as well to reach a world-wide audience.
If you have a quality production, then it is always easy to sell your show locally and abroad.

Instep: Unicorn Black is focusing on creating entertainment for children at the moment. Are there any projects – animated or otherwise – aimed at adults that are also in the works?
Haroon: I am very interested in working on projects for an older audience. I am full of ideas and stories for movies. At this point, we have just completed Teetoo and Tania so now we are deciding whether we should plan a full length animated feature film or dive into live action.

Instep: Is there a reason you have gravitated towards television instead of going for the big screen, like Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy has done with her 3 Bahadur series?
Haroon: I think with the success of Burka Avenger, it just made sense to do another animated TV series. It certainly was challenging. I directed and produced 52 episodes of 22 minutes each of Burka Avenger with my team at Unicorn Black. No animated project like this has ever been attempted before in Pakistan. This was over 1,100 minutes of animation. Most animated movies are not longer than 100 minutes.

Instep: You had a great run with Burka Avenger. What does the future hold for that character?
Haroon: I am super excited to announce we are working on a new Burka Avenger related project. No, not the movie. Something else that I am very excited about. I will reveal more details in the coming months.

Instep: What about your music career? Any development on that front?
Haroon: That is the golden question everyone keeps asking me. My music career did take a backseat as I jumped into animation production as well as working to create the Taazi music app. When I pick up my guitar and jam, I realise there is nothing else in the world that brings me as much joy as making music. But 2018 is the year I will release new music.
Last year, for August 14th, I launched a revamped version of my song ‘Dil Say Pakistan’ with Muniba Mazari and Javed Bashir. It received over 7 million views online, much to my shock and pleasant surprise. I thought the Pakistani music scene was dead. It is past the glory days, but there is still a strong demand. Pakistani TV channels and radio unfortunately mainly broadcast Indian and English content, so Pakistani artists have to turn to online avenues.

Instep: Are there any other projects you’re working on at the moment? What can we expect from you in the coming months?
Haroon: I am one of those people who is always working on something. My brain is always ticking along. Some of the crazy ideas will see the light of day; some may not. Hopefully some of them will go on to be successful and others may crash and burn. But the main idea is to passionately keep pursuing my dreams and use creativity, media, entertainment, and art as agent for positive change in this world.

- Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 14th January, 2018 *

Most anticipated albums of 2018 (part II)

music mix

In this concluding chapter, we look at artists across genres, from pop, rock, hip hop, or indie, who have promised new records.

Cardi B

Her meteoric rise last year on the back of the surprise summer hit ‘Bodak Yellow’ turned Belcalis Almanzar – a.k.a. Cardi B – into hip hop’s most prominent newcomer. The rapper will try to prove that her debut single was no fluke and cement her place in the industry with the release of her first album this year. The record’s second single, ‘Bartier Cardi’ (featuring 21 Savage), came out a few weeks ago, with an album set to arrive later this year.

Death Cab for Cutie

“LP9 // 2018,” indie rock icons Death Cab for Cutie announced in a post on Instagram a few months ago, which means the group’s ninth album should be with us sometime soon. This will be the band’s first set without guitarist Chris Walla who announced that he was leaving the group during the production of their previous effort, Kintsugi (2015).

Father John Misty
After receiving critical acclaim for 2017’s Pure Comedy, Josh Tillman has already created its follow-up. Written over a six-week period while he was staying at a hotel and produced by Jonathan Rado, Tillman has described the forthcoming LP as “a heartache album”. Song titles for this new record reportedly include ‘Ouch, I’m Drowning’, ‘Dum Dum Blues’, ‘Mr Tillman, Please Exit The Lobby’, and ‘Well, We’re Only People And There’s Nothing Much We Can Do About It’.

Gorillaz

Fans won’t have to wait seven years this time for a new Gorillaz album. After a much-publicized fall-out led to a long break for the British group, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett eventually reunited their virtual band to create 2017’s Humanz. And now they seem to be making up for lost time, as a follow-up to their comeback record is already in the works and slated for a 2018 release. Details may still be scant, but a “new direction” has been promised by the duo, both sonically and visually.

Nicki Minaj
For a while it seemed like Nicki Minaj could release the follow-up to The Pinkprint (2014) in 2017, especially when she dropped three singles – ‘Changed It’ featuring Lil Wayne, ‘No Frauds’ featuring Wayne and Drake, and ‘Regret In Your Tears’ – on the same day. But the Trinidadian-born American rapper’s much anticipated fourth record has yet to surface. 2018 could finally be the year the album lands in stores, and the best-selling female rapper of all time is promising an epic new era for her fans, claiming that her next record will be her best work yet.

Selena Gomez
2017 was a year of ups and downs for Selena Gomez. While the singer struggled with personal and health issues, the songs she released – ‘Bad Liar’, ‘Fetish’, and ‘Wolves’ – did signal more growth for her as an artist as she experimented with her sound and tried to make some interesting pop music. These singles are expected to lead to an album in 2018, and while there is no release date yet, the singer has confirmed that she will be coming up with more new music this year.

The 1975
Their second album, I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It, was deemed by many to be one of the best releases of 2016. Now The 1975 will hope to continue their impressive streak with their third album, Music for Cars, which will come out this year. Frontman Matt Healy has hinted that the record will include songs titled ‘Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America’, ‘It’s Not Living (If It’s Not with You)’, and ‘I Always Wanna Die, Sometimes’.

- Sameen Amer

Instep Today, The News - 13th January, 2018 *

Most anticipated albums of 2018 (part I)

music mix

Each year brings with it the promise of brand new music from some of the biggest and most celebrated artists in the world, and 2018 is no different. Whether you enjoy pop, rock, hip hop, or indie, this year has something (potentially) exciting in store for you. Here’s a look at some of the bands and singers who are expected to unveil their new records this year.

Arctic Monkeys 

We haven’t heard from the Arctic Monkeys since 2013’s critically acclaimed AM, but the group’s hiatus has now come to a close as the band members – who were busy with side projects – have reunited and are back in the studio to work on their sixth album. While there hasn’t been any official announcement yet, photos have emerged of the English rock band working on their upcoming record in Los Angeles, and new material is expected from them this year.

Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande is planning to once again rule the pop charts when she returns with new music in 2018. The singer is currently working on her fourth album which is likely to land this year. The record will serve as the follow-up to Dangerous Woman (2016), and will be her first new set since she found herself in the middle of a horrific tragedy when her fans were targeted by a suicide bomber after her concert in Manchester last May.

Bruce Springsteen
We’ve been waiting for an album of new material from Bruce Springsteen since 2012’s Wrecking Ball, and we can only hope that 2018 will be the year The Boss decides to drop a new record. The singer – who will continue performing his Springsteen on Broadway show over the next few weeks – has reportedly been working on a solo album, which, according to his manager Jon Landau, is a very “expansive” and “rich” record. We eagerly await its release.

Jack White

Jack White has been busy with several projects of late, but it’s been four long years since he released his last solo album. All signs suggest that his next solo effort is just around the corner. The former White Stripes frontman recently uploaded a video titled ‘Servings and Portions from my Boarding House Reach’ on YouTube that featured snippets of songs that will presumably appear on the follow-up to 2014’s Lazaretto. More info, as well as the disc itself, are likely to emerge in the coming weeks/months.

Justin Timberlake

He may currently be receiving flack for wearing black to the Golden Globe just after starring in the new Woody Allen film, but Justin Timberlake will be hoping to make headlines for more positive reasons in the coming months. The former N’SYNC singer is all set to headline the Super Bowl halftime show on 4th February and will release his fifth solo album, Man of the Woods, just two days before his big performance. Timbaland and The Neptunes are the main producers of the set along with the popstar himself. First single, the electro funk tune ‘Filthy’, is already out, and the album will also feature collaborations with Alicia Keys and Chris Stapleton.

Kanye West
Kanye West was missing from the music scene for much of 2017, stepping away from the limelight to take a much-needed break. If the grapevine is to be believed, the rapper will return to the spotlight in 2018. No official announcement yet on when Kanye’s new music will reach our ears or whether his eighth record will still be titled Turbo Grafx 16 (like he stated two years ago, only weeks after the release of The Life of Pablo (2016)), but fans are excited that a refreshed Kanye will make a comeback very soon.

Vampire Weekend
Singer Ezra Koenig has been teasing details about Vampire Weekend’s upcoming fourth album, tentatively titled Mitsubishi Macchiato, since last year, and the record is expected to finally see the light of day in 2018. Producer Ariel Rechtshaid has been involved with the album’s production. And long-term fans will be pleased about the fact that multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, who left the group in 2016, will also appear on some of the tracks.

- Sameen Amer

Instep Today, The News - 12th January, 2018 *

The Greatest Showman fails to put on a show

movie review

The Greatest Showman

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, and Zendaya
Directed by: Michael Gracey

Every once in a while, a project comes along that seems to have several elements that suggest the final piece will be stellar, but then fails to turn its promising individual components  into an impressive whole. The Greatest Showman is one such film.

Based on an intriguing real-life story, starring a terrific leading man, and featuring the musical work of award winning songwriters, the movie theoretically seems like it would be an entertaining home run. But what we find instead is a shallow, hollow musical that ignores the nuances of its actual story in order to create a saccharine, sterile, feel-good tale.

At the movie’s core lies the rags-to-riches story of Phineas Taylor Barnum, a showman who turned his fortunes by creating the Barnum & Bailey Circus. The terrific Hugh Jackman stars in the lead role, with Ellis Rubin portraying the younger version of the character.

The film charts Barnum’s life, from his meagre beginnings to his eventual successes. Driven by the desire to give his childhood-sweetheart-turned-wife Charity (Michelle Williams) – who came from an affluent background – and two daughters the life they deserve, the out-of-job Barnum sets up a circus showcasing “freaks” – including a bearded lady (Keala Settle) and a dwarf (Sam Humphrey) – exaggerating their oddities in order to bring in more visitors. He eventually gets side-tracked after bringing famed Swedish singer Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson) to America before finding his way back and discovering what is really important in life.

It is all a load of drivel, of course. The opportunistic Barnum’s story seems more suited for a darker, grittier movie, not a shiny musical that paints him as a hero. Jackman, always a consummate entertainer, tries his best in the lead role, but there isn’t much he can do when his character simple isn’t very well developed. Michelle Williams is wasted in the role of Barnum’s wife. Zac Efron (who portrays a playwright who becomes Barnum's partner) and Zendaya (who portrays a trapeze artist and Efron’s character’s love interest) seem to have walked straight out of a Disney Channel film and onto The Greatest Showman’s set.

We jump from song to song, never pausing long enough to explore anything deep or meaningful. Part of the blame lies with Michael Gracey’s direction – the movie marks his feature directorial debut – and his inability to create the necessary drama and imbue it with interesting nuance, but clearly he alone isn’t responsible for this mess. There are also problems with the dull writing – Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon were in charge of the script – and busy choreography. The songs, too, fail to stand out, not because they are incompetently composed but mostly because they’ve been over-produced into similar-sounding, unmemorable tunes.

To be fair, the film is visually stylish, and its message of celebrating our differences is noble, but the vehicle that delivers this idea is too lacklustre to actually make an impact. Perhaps if the film had been telling the story of a different person and maybe just aimed at a younger audience, its cheesiness would have seemed less cloying. But Barnum’s tale deserves significantly more shades of grey in its telling and a project that is willing to be braver and take more chances instead of simply trying to appease the masses with forced inspirational fluff.

In different hands, and perhaps with a different tone, The Greatest Showman could have been much more intriguing. As it stands, however, the film, unfortunately, amounts to less than the sum of its parts.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

- Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune Blogs - 11th January, 2018 *

Can Disney live up to its own fantasy standards with The Nutcracker and the Four Realms?

trailer review

Over the decades, Disney has mastered the art of recycling popular stories and fairy tales and turning them into either animated or live-action cinematic adventures that charm audiences while ruling the box office. Their latest foray into fantasy adaptations is The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, a live-action reimagining of a Christmas classic.

Directed by Swedish filmmaker Lasse Hallström, the movie is based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by way of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s immensely popular ballet The Nutcracker. The trailer promises that Disney will put its own spin on the celebrated ballet by exploring a “dark side” to the Christmastime tale.

Mackenzie Foy (best known for portraying Renesmee Cullen in The Twilight Saga) stars as the protagonist, Clara, a young girl who finds herself on an adventure in a mysterious parallel world.

Keira Knightley looks as lovely as ever in her elaborate costume as the Sugar Plum Fairy. Plus we have Morgan Freeman wearing an eyepatch in the guise of Clara’s godfather, Drosselmeyer. Helen Mirren and ballerina Misty Copeland also appear in supporting roles.

But not much is revealed about the story in this preview; nor do we see enough of any of the principle actors to find out how well-cast they are in their respective roles.

Aesthetically though, the film seems gorgeous. There are beautiful outfits and colourful sets which suggest that Disney’s next holiday feature will be a visual treat. Plus the soaring score – James Newton Howard and Gustavo Dudamel are in charge of the music – promises to be very impactful.

On the other hand, it all just seems a little too akin to Alice in Wonderland and The Chronicles of Narnia, a comparison that befalls several epic fantasy adventures.

The film does have many of the elements that could potentially make it entertaining, but we still have a very long wait to find out how well all these elements will fit together. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms comes out in November later this year.

- Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune Blogs - 8th January 2018 *

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again - how can we resist it?

trailer review

Meryl Streep – widely regarded as one of the best actresses in the world – has starred in some terrific films. And – presumably to balance things out – she has also starred in Mamma Mia!, a shoddy jukebox musical that was basically little more than an attempt to cash in on the nostalgic draw of the popular ‘70s Swedish band ABBA.

Based on the stage musical of the same name, the 2008 movie had a flimsy storyline, uneven direction, and a cast that couldn’t even carry a tune … and yet it brought us so much campy, nonsensical joy that despite its many (many) flaws we had to admit it was a lot of fun. It didn’t come as a surprise that the romcom became a massive financial hit, and it comes as even less of a surprise that the film is now getting an inevitable sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, which comes out in July this year.

A trailer for the upcoming film reveals its basic storyline – a pregnant Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) hears the story of how her mother (Streep) made something of her life all on her own – but also leaves us with so many questions.

First of all, where is Donna? Or, more precisely, where is Meryl Streep? Lily James portrays the younger version of the character in flashbacks (and, based on the trailer, seems very well cast in the role), but Streep seems absent in the present-day storyline. Is Donna – like some fans are suggesting – dead? Or is this just a red herring?

Secondly, how is Cher (who is 71) playing Streep’s (68) mother?

And finally, will they let Pierce Brosnan sing again? Please don’t let Pierce Brosnan sing again.

All signs suggest that just like the original, the sequel will also be an elaborate excuse to revisit old ABBA tunes. Familiar faces will return and familiar songs will be sung as we bask in the warmth of all the nostalgia. And even though we don’t expect Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again to be a masterpiece, how can we possibly resist it?

- Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune Blogs - 3rd January, 2018 *