Weekends are time to relax and unwind, and what better way to do that than with some music and films? Star Arts & Entertainment brings you Our Pick, a selection of films and music albums we believe you will enjoy; something that can brighten up your weekend.
Album: Dukhini Dukkho Korona
Artist: James, Release: 1999This is the album that really pushed the popularity of ‘Nogor Baul’ James through the roof, although he had been on the scene for a while when this came out. There’s a good chance you’ve heard a number of tracks from this album already; “Bibagi”, “Sultana Bibiyana”, “Lutpat Hoye Jaabe” and of course the title track “Dukhini Dukkho Korona” are some of the artiste’s biggest career hits. James’ loud, baritone vocals with the signature husky crack in places, beautifully melodious compositions spaced between energetic, riff-heavy (not a very common phenomenon for pop albums at the time) with flowing but deep lyrics treading a wide range of subject matters makes this 14-year old album a very pleasant — and strongly nostalgic listen. It is one of those rare albums where it’s hard to skip over any tracks; “Guitar Kadte Jaane”, “Ghumao Tumi”, “Ishwar Acchey”, “Tumi Jodi Nodi Hou” and “Jodi Kokhono” are all very nice songs. The recording and mastering quality is understandably not as good as the music of today, but James makes up for it with his feel and delivery.
Film: Real Steel
Director: Shawn Levy
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo, Evangeline Lilly
Release: 2011
Despite being a versatile actor, Hugh Jackman is one of the most known for his tough-guy roles, thanks to the X-Men franchise. He steps out of that image in “Real Steel”, a feel-good film with a pleasantly mild flavour of sci-fi. Set in the near future where robot-boxing is a popular sport, a retired boxer’s ventures into it with his pre-teen son makes for a heartwarming story. It has all the elements of a relaxed weekend watch; a bit of action (no gore, because it’s the robots who engage in the fights), drama, and the bond between a single father and an ambitious young guy who can dream beyond the harshness of reality, and eventually beat the odds stacked against him. The immensely talented Dakota Goyo commands ample attention even when sharing the screen with Jackman, bringing out the ‘humane’ side of his prized little robot, Atom. The music, featuring Eminem, Dave Grohl, The Prodigy and The Crystal Method, also add to the movie greatly.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
