While those of us Stateside spent Christmas weekend looking at action movies like Valkyrie and The Spirit perform disappointingly at the box office (The Spirit was a complete fail, debuting at #9 at the BO) against family movies like Marley & Me and Bedtime Stories, halfway around the world in India, an action film reigns supreme.
Ghajini is a re-imagining of Christopher Nolan's Memento (although its makers refuse to acknowledge this source), about a formerly wealthy CEO who suffers from short-term memory loss after a gang boss attacked him and murdered his girlfriend. Aided by polaroid pictures and tattooed notes, he transforms into a vicious machine of vengeance.
Unlike the unconventional and cerebral structure of Nolan's film, Ghajini is straight-forward and action-packed. It's getting mixed reviews, but it's proving to be a huge hit. Released in 23 countries simultaneously on Christmas day, the film already raked in Rs 900 million worldwide and is expected to break further records. Here's a list of US theaters currently showing it.
Trailer
Worth noting: the film's music is by composer A.R. Rahman, who is being nominated for a Best Score Golden Globe for his work on Slumdog Millionaire.
