Hum Tum - Ich & du, verrückt vor Liebe

on the surface, everyone's condemning it for its 'inspired' storyline. but then, even Shakespeare picked up stories from the common database. i am not comparing it to his work.. you could point a finger at its not so original storyline, but credit is due where it is due. the movie is refreshing in the treatment it gives the girl-guy thing. it incorporates a cartoon strip = animation smoothly. and, not only does the movie manage to stay restrained almost throughout without following the general "second half" drag, it also deals with more than just the "cover story" or theme.

at its base is this endearingly constant bickering and loving relationship between karan and rhea. but go a little deeper and you see the sub plots of the rishi kapoor-rati agnihotri marriage-that-didn't-work, and the lonely kirron kher. kunal kohli deals with the theme of loneliness, and puts his point forward subtly in their stories. no one can live alone. and finding a way to make relationships work - is in our hands after all - as rati says towards the end - god might not give us a second chance, but we have to find it for ourselves.

the movie is realistic enough - contrary to what some of the obtuse commentors have posted already. and definitely a complete whole structure. minor glitches notwithstanding, it's a delightfully entertaining and heartwarming movie.

After seeing Hum Tum here are my opinions on the film. Story: Obviously not original, but the writers have handled the subject well and the result is a refreshing romantic, comedy. Acting: Saif Ali Khan is brilliant, no other actor would have been able to enact the role of Karan Kapoor as well as how Saif has done it. His humor and comic timing is perfect. And with this film he has proved that he can do solo hero films as well. Rani Mukherjee has shown once again that she is one of the finest actresses today, her pairing with Saif is flawless. Kiron Kher is First Rate as Rani's mother, . Rati Agnihotri is adequate and Rishi Kapoor is fine in a small role. Although the screenplay is good in the first half, during the second half and towards the climax the film drags and is very much predictable towards the end. I don't think the cartoon characters helped the proceedings in anyway. The cinematography is awesome, and the music is great, especially the title track, Chak De and Ladki Kyon. And they have been shot well too. On the whole a good film, with wonderful performances and great music. I give it 8.5/10

As in when Harry met Sally Bollywood style. And thank God Karan met Rhea because he was sure to have met something more like GONORRHEA or worse with the way he was girl hopping in this film (a trait that was clearly handed down to him by his dad).

Karan of course is played by the hilariously dashing Saif Ali Khan and Rhea is played by that class-act of an actress called Rani Mukherji. They meet aboard a plane heading to the USA from India and instantly sparks fly, but not the kind you're thinking of. They both irritate each other to the extent that they argue over the slightest things and everything becomes a debate or battle of the sexes. While in Amsterdam, in the heat of an argument, Karan kisses Rhea and when they arrive in NYC, she is soon to find out that they are going there to meet the same person, her college best-friend who happens to also be Karan's girlfriend. Karan gets the punishment he rightfully deserves and as years pass by he returns to India one day to find out that his mum, a wedding planner by profession is planning a wedding for none other than Rhea, whom he becomes reacquainted with. He realises during the course of her engagement and marriage that he is in love with her but can do nothing to stop it.

Oh and let me also add that there are cartoons included in between many scenes, hence the title Hum Tum with the cartoon characters on the cover. Hum Tum (You and I or Yours and Mine in Hindi) are Karan's characters from a column he does for India Times newspaper which is a big hit for him and in fact, the film starts off with him giving a speech at a press conference for a book about the cartoon characters which he has just written and is a best-seller. Abhishek Bachchan who appears briefly in the film seems to have carved out a niche for himself with these sort of silly, blink and you'll miss it cameo roles he loves to play (see his roles in Salaam Namaste, and Rakht) nowadays. But then again he's Jr. B so he can pretty much do whatever the heck he wants.

The premise of a philandering husband who deserts his wife and after 17 years he returns and she accepts him back is barbaric to say the least! Did the writer's expect the audience to side with or feel sorry for Karan's dad? That was a weak point within the film. Sob sub-plots like that (and I've seen many in a lot of Hindi films) make Hindustani men look bad.

The producers not only stole from the Hollywood classic When Harry Met Sally, for the cartoon characters, there was a scene in which they not only stole the "flying scene" from Titanic, they also stole the "My heart will go on" melody. Very shameless people, those folks at Yash Raj films! Anywho, I loved the music and backdrop for this film, Rani and Saif not only had great chemistry, they also acted well and in fact did double duty as playback singers for some songs in the film as well (Well done guys! you rock!), I however detracted a few points because the film was unnecessarily long. I detected up to 10 instances where the film could have ended and left to the audience to decide what would have happened next and let me just say that 10 endings is plenty too many!

Hum Tum follows the encounters of two people who run into each other on several occasions under circumstances ranging from friendly to hostile to loving. Along many years and countless run-ins, the two despise each other, befriend each other, and fall in love with each other.

The storyline is a bit formulaic and quite predictable, and it drag on and on in some parts. And the jumping "three years later" "six years later" is a bit much, it's also quite plausible that they meet at different places, after a long time and at right time like that.

The acting is fantastic; Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukhurjee did a solid job in the lead roles, they brought both energy and charisma in their performance. They portray the different lifes their characters find themselves in a convincing manner. The supporting characters are okay, Kirron Kher did a good as the goofy but supportive mother of Rhea, Rishi Kapoor as the somewhat estranged father is well-acted but I'm not a fan of the character, there's something off about him and I find him somewhat unlikable.

The soundtrack is amazing, very catchy songs, especially the one with the film's title - Hum Tum. the production design is top-notch, some exotic locations and beautiful sceneries, some rain and snow here and there to add more dramatic effect.

The cinematography is excellent; some good camera angles and panning during tense or emotional moments like the scene where after they fight in the bar, the camera tilts downward and slowly moves back as she walks out of his life, and creating distance between them, both figuratively and literally.

The animation that comes in unannounced at times is frustrating, and I'm not sure why they even spent money on it. The character design is awful, they look like something straight out of Ben 10. I'd have preferred if they left it out but still it was fun.

All in all, Hum Tum is a beautiful, emotional charged love story, with some likable performances and good production value. I had a good time watching it.

Hum Tum is an extremely modern and lighthearted romantic comedy. It is very well directed, beautifully shot, and is interesting and entertaining. Kunal Kohli makes a very good job in depicting the world of young Indians who travel the world and live their individual lives with passion and independence. The portrayal of relationships between the characters in the film, particularly that of the main lead, Karan and Riya, is handled with a mind-blowing mix of comedy and emotional drama. The film moves at a steady pace, the animated characters of 'Hum' and 'Tum' are really fun, the music is suitably racy, the cinematography and editing are excellent, and the entire concept of following the hate-to-love relationship of two young people for a period of several years across many different countries, is refreshing and convincingly done.

Having mentioned its light mood and refreshing tone, Hum Tum, above all, has true heart and soul, and there's actual depth beneath its comic tone and pretty visuals. It's not a fluffy rom-com which is just enjoyable, it is actually an affecting human story. Part of what makes it so good is the freshness of the narrative, which is mostly conversational. The conversations between the two leads are first quite confrontational but later become interestingly philosophical and intellectual and, in time, emotional. As the story develops, you find yourself increasingly engrossed in the proceedings and familiar with the characters, liking them and wishing for a good resolution to their story. Karan, the male lead, is a particularly interesting character of a spoiled man who is always well-meaning and has his heart in the right place, but actually grows as a person throughout the film.

The film leans on a truly electrifying chemistry between the two leads, Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukherjee. Mukherjee is very appealing and natural and performs brilliantly throughout the film, but it is Saif Ali Khan who steals the show big time. Playing a trendy, humorous, carefree yet gracious womaniser, Khan seems to be tailor-made for the role of Karan, which gives him ample scope to showcase his superb comic-timing but also capture the human beneath the mischief and register his personal growth. He completely inhabits the part, performing with natural ease, infusing it with the right amount of depth, wit and energy, and consistently appearing so real and effortless that it can be rightly concluded that no one else would have been able to do it as well as he did. This is an exceptional, unforgettable performance and, indeed, one of the greatest comic-dramatic acts I can think of.

In support, Rishi Kapoor is very enjoyable in one of his finest and funniest performances. Kirron Kher is outstanding and simply hilarious in an all-out comic part as the loud and loving mother. Rati Agnihotri is as beautiful as ever in a smaller part, and Jimmy Shergill and Isha Koppitar provide great support. The soundtrack, as already mentioned, perfectly suits the film's mood; the title song is particularly beautiful in both melody and screen visualisation. Please note, Hum Tum is definitely not a rip-off of When Harry Met Sally, as some people have suggested. There are some tiny similarities in the general concept but nothing more than just that, and it has pretty much a story of its own. Finally, Hum Tum is a lovely and memorable film. It is both very funny and moving, and is overall a heartwarming picture which can always be a great watch for the entire family.