The Pursuit of Happyness, The Holiday and Dhoom 2

The holiday movie that I recommend watching is The Pursuit of Happyness and maybe The Holiday.Dhoom 2 i do not recommend.

Pursuit deals with poverty and hardwork and sheer grit that leads Chris Gardner (Will Smith) and his son Christopher (Jaden Christopher Smith) out of poverty in San Francisco in the 1980's. What was interesting was the representation of a father son relationship within the African American community, where the father did not disappear from the scene, but was actively trying to take care of his child. A review of “The Pursuit of Happyness” by Jeanne Aufmuth here

“You got a dream, you gotta protect it. If you want something, go get it. Period.” Words of wisdom passed from struggling medical supply salesman Chris Gardner (Smith) to his 5-year old son Christopher (real-life son Jaden Christopher Syre Smith). The sentiment bears heavy meaning considering the hardships facing Gardner as a suddenly single parent endeavoring to break off a piece of the American dream by enrolling in a risky unpaid internship program with high-profile stockbroker Dean Witter.

Salon reviews it here.

This is a movie about the state of not having any money, and about how not having money isn't just a bald economic fact but, particularly if you have children, a spongy specter that expands to fill every minute of your day. "The Pursuit of Happyness" isn't a tract about poverty in America, and perhaps partly because it's a mainstream, big-studio movie (and not a grainy indie with junkies and squalling babies), some critics have already complained that it makes homelessness look too clean, too neat and tidy. (I guess we like our movie poor to be easily identifiable by their dirty clothes.)

The Holiday stars Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black and Jude Law and deals with what happens when one changes homes over the holiday.

See a review here

Iris is in love with a man who is about to marry another woman. Across the globe, Amanda realizes the man she lives with has been unfaithful. Two women who have never met and live 6000 miles apart, find themselves in the exact same place. They meet online at a home exchange website and impulsively switch homes for the holiday. Iris moves into Amanda's L.A. house in sunny California as Amanda arrives in the snow covered English countryside. Shortly after arriving at their destinations, both women find the last thing either wants or expects: a new romance. Amanda is charmed by Iris' handsome brother Graham and Iris, with inspiration provided by legendary screenwriter Arthur, mends her heart when she meets film composer Miles.

Iris (Kate Winslet) holds this movie together, it is a light hearted comedy. It is good to go to it with no expectations, and you might be pleasantly surprised.

I did see Dhoom 2 finally and other than it being a slick production with sexy bodies, cool stunts, poor music and a general upbeat feel, it was a disappointment. It lacked a story or any coherence. Bipasha Basu was an Indian girl and then she was suddenly Brazilian. I guess I had no idea what was going on. The chemistry between Hrithik and Aishwarya was strong, more than with any of her other co-stars including Abhishek who seemed to be mumbling through the movie.
Namrata Joshi gives it a kinder review here.