The Rainmaker

Raavanan - Review

2010-06-19T00:06:00.003+05:30

Movie: Raavanan
Language : Tamil
Date : 18th June, 2010

Review
-----------
'Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder' is an old saying but that holds true for the master director Mani Rathnam's new movie 'Raavanan'. Its a 3 way saga which depicts the faith and love of a lady torn between the honesty of a villain and destiny of the unbecoming of a hero. If one is able to see this saga beyond the hype and the hooplah then you will find this one beautiful. Imagine this 3 way tale set against the breath taking backdrop you could possibly imagine and you get the delicately poised 'Raavanan'.

Raavanan - The thought
---------------------------------
A Women in captivation who to death believes that her husband is equal to god. Her beleif that he is true, honest and would never succumb his values to anyone. The Captivator who is a 'villain' she hates from the stories she has heard of him. She isn't able to even look at him without hatred. The Captivator who has never before seen fearlessness in the eyes of his prey at the point of death, falls for her when she fearlessly jumps of a cliff rather than dying at his gun point. The Captivator who later understands the lady's relentless belief and love for her husband and that he could never become like him eventhough how hard he tried. He wishes to get her love but sadly understands that he can't be match to her 'god'. And the third angle, the Brave Husband who is out to tame and capture a menacing villain and reclaim his love.
The point when the women stands at the relaisation of her beliefs and who the real hero is, becomes the high point of 'Raavanan'.

Who is ultimatley the real hero? One who compromises her trust to meet his goals or the one who even at death point would still think of her happiness.
'Raavanan' is the battle of good and evil in the canvas of love and faith.

Mani Rathnam - Master @ Work
-------------------------------------------
Mani Rathnam is in superb form as usual. If 'Guru' was biographic, 'Raavanan' has 3 strong characters. He builds their tryst slowly against the breath taking canvas of Forests and Waterfalls. Until the interval, the pace is a bit on the slower side but never boring. Interval arrives actually out of no where and in the second half he actually reaps in all that we have been waiting for. Character sketches reach its full clarity in the second half and the 3 way story tussle becomes interesting. For setting such a thought,for the backdrop, for the shots, for the amazing performances from the lead actors and for creating his own brand of cinema, Mani Rathnam deserves all the applauds and more. Hope that people have eyes to recognise this.

Performances
--------------------
Vikram as 'Veera' is the best role because it has everything packed in to it. From the helplessness of a villain who is in love with a lady who beleives that his enemy is god-like, to sounding and behaving completely crazy and maniac, to the heart broken lover, Vikram is powerful as only he can do. Aishwarya Rai as 'Ragini' is the central piece of the 3 way tussle and is the audience's consciousness. It is through her that the other 2 characters are discovered. She has put in so much effort in to the character that she needs applause for the same. Finally, Prithviraj as 'Dev' is strongly impressive. With superb screen presence and a performance that matches 'Veera' in terms of the tension on screen, Prithviraj puts in a solid performance. Its a 3 way story and all 3 are really superb. Karthik,Priyamani,Prabhu and Munna also chip in with competant performances.

Technical Aspects
-------------------------
Santhosh Sivan's camera is amazing and its the life and soulf of the movie. A R Rahman's re-recording lights up the scenes with apt emotions. The tracks are not that well used especially the 'Kaattu Sirukki' track. Usire Pokuthe, Title track, Kalvare are nice on screen.Art Direction needs special mention.

Negatives
--------------
The special effects in some could have been better especially Aishwarya's fall. The first half needs some better pacing.Also, Priyamani's episode comes in a tad late in the proceedings. Its emotions do not set properly in to the audience.Second half looks better than the first. There is a gradual gradient for the 3 way plot and the characters. Hope the audience has the maturity to understand the underlying layers.
In short, 'Raavanan' will require all hype and hooplah to be put behind and to be seen with an open mind to understand the nuances behind the thought and soul of the movie. Its canvas should not act as a distraction but should be an enabler. 'Raavanan' is way way beyond the craps we see each week day in and day out. For the poignant thought, the unforgetable backdrop and the amazing lead performances, 'Raavanan' deserves its rightful place - The rightful place of a hero!

Verdict - 4/5 and 'Watch it with an open mind' as an opinion

Raavanan - One of its Kind

Rajneeti - Review

2010-06-06T18:24:00.004+05:30

Movie: Rajneeti
Language: Hindi
Date : Saturday, 05 June 2010

Review
----------
To hold the attention span of a viewer is very difficult in this age when there are so many distractions at one's finger tips. Many movies struggle to hold viewer's attention for 2 or 2.5 hours. And amidst this is Prakash Jha's new movie 'Rajneeti' which succeeds to hold the interest for almost 90% of the 2 hours and 50 minutes length of the movie. This Sweeping epic full of melodrama is commendable for that one facet among others.
'Rajneeti' is a political melodrama about 2 families who fight in the dirt of Hindi Heartland politics to gain power and supremacy. Close to a Dozen characters are unleased on the screen which may confuse the viewer about their relations and this takes a good time to settle down. Performances are really competant. The youngest actor being the best i.e Ranbir Kapoor. He is the ace strategist and has the maximum screen time. Close on the heels are performances by Arjun Rampal and Katrina Kaif. Manoj Bhajpai also puts in a good villain act. Ajay Devgan is a bit of a disappointment considering his potential. Nana and Naseerudin are present and just that.
One of the major negatives, is the heaviness of the proceedings. Never does it divert to a lighter note. So, you have close to 3 hours of intense drama. A lighter scene never arrives. Prakash Jha had 2 good tracks in 'Bheegi Si' and 'Mora Piya' which are wasted as background passing tracks. The movie could have been shorter by 10 minutes atleast but that doesn't mean that it is boring.
Prakash Jha's Direction is really top notch becasue to have these many characters and not to loose track at any point with them, is commendable. To have 3 hours of unrelenting high voltage poilitical melodrama is a great ability in itself. He never tries to ridicule the system or preach which comes as a relief. Just look at 'Rajneeti' and its just a story, say like Mahabharatha. There is no effort from the director's part to preach or lament.
'Rajneeti' should be taken as serious cinema and its been a long time since we had such a high voltage drama on Bollywood screens. There is never a dull moment.

Verdict - 3.5/5 and 'Engaging Drama' as an opinion.

'Rajneeti' - Sweeping Epic ...Political Melodrama.

Kites - Review

2010-05-21T11:23:00.001+05:30

Movie: Kites
Language: Universal
Date: 20th May, 2010 - Paid Preview

Review
----------
In one of the pivotal scenes from Hrithik Roshan's latest movie 'Kites', a Mexican born Linda (Barbera Mori) returns across the amber landscape of the Bryce Canyon, to tell her Indian origin lover Jai (Hrithik) that she doesn't choose to move away to safety leaving him alone in the chase they were involved till then. Linda says she would choose to live or die with Jai rather than escape alone. It can be a scene straight out of Bollywood love stories but the characters, setting and context in 'Kites' makes it UNIQUE. There are no two ways to it, 'Kites' is nothing like what you have seen on Indian Screen before. It is for sure - Unique.

Plot and Screenplay
---------------------------
The story of 'Kites' is a no-brainer. It is exactly what you expect before you enter to see the movie. It is the age old romantic story between two of the most unlikely people. Heroine in a 'caged' situation. Hero and Heroine on the run along a gorgeous countryside. 'Kites' at its heart is a ‘pakka’ bollywood film. It has so many of its clichés. Customary scene for the villain to show of his villa nary. The rich father and the spoilt son as the villain. Breaking to a song and dance to show the romance. You name it and its all there. Yet what sets 'Kites' apart are 2 beautiful characters essayed by Hrithik and Barbera and the landscape of the movie.

Hrithik and Barbera
----------------------------
Hrithik is awesome to say the least as the Indian origin 'Jai' who does false marriages to make money. Try placing someone else in this role and then you will for once understand how effortlessly Hrithik has done this. From the dance floor to the stunts to the emotional breakdown at the end, Hrithik moves effortlessly slightly reminding us of the Big B himself in his hay days. Such is his command and screen presence. The only negatives are his self conscious torso display scenes.
Barbera is the surprise package of 'Kites'. She is warm, bubbly, effervescent yet quite unpredictable (may be her adventures make us think if she can cheat him). Barbera is quite natural as the Mexican girl hence initially you feel difficult to accept her. But slowly as the movie progresses, Barbera emerges as the perfect foil for Hrithik.

Direction and the Climax
----------------------------------
Anurag Basu has a liking for tragedies. We have seen that in 'Gangster'. 'Kites' is a tragic love story. And for once not sure whether to pat Anurag or criticize him. The tragic end doesn't seem to be forced upon but it leaves 'Kites' as a pain in your heart. On the one hand you wish to praise the team for the guts they have shown with the ending. And especially to Hrithik, who is a big superstar and when he releases a movie after 2 years, he chooses such a 'unique' movie like 'Kites' and such a tragic ending. May it has a lesson for the Mammottys and Mohanlals, who dare not still churn out 6-7 formula movies a year for the fear of failure. Anurag does a decent job with the movie and has extracted commendable performances from the lead. The Las Vegas setting gives the movie the edgy feeling and the Arizona, New Mexico trail a beautiful canvas.

Technical Aspects
-------------------------
Stunts are well choreographed. Cinematography is well done. Music is also a high point in the film with 'Zindagi', 'Dil Kyun' standing out. The 'Fire' Dance is a treat to watch with Hrithik's super moves.

Negatives
--------------
Almost 50% of the movie, one keeps asking oneself of how these 2 people can fall in love without even knowing the common language. But for once, the scene mentioned in the opening of this review changes all that.
The Spanish dialogues of Barbera have been well subtitled but missing in some portions.
The re-recording is a major disappointment with the background scores missing the main tracks. Looks disconnected.
Its always a 2 character play hence can be a bit boring.
And the biggest dampener (if it can be called that) is a tragic ending. Though looking not forced upon will still leave the audience disturbed and not sure how many will have the patience to appreciate it.

In short, 'Kites' is nothing like you have seen on Indian screen before. May be it is India's true Universal Cinema. With a spirited performance by Hrithik and Barbera, if you have the patience to appreciate a unique love story that is tragic, then go for it.

Verdict - 3.5/5 and UNIQUE as an Opinion

'Kites' - Flying a Unique Trail.

Kadha Thudarunnu- Review

2010-05-16T16:36:00.005+05:30

Movie: Kadha Thudarunnu
Date: 15th, May 2010.
Language: Malayalam

Review
-----------
Simplicity and Honesty are 2 of the most attractive traits of any story. Malayalam Commercial Cinema's Ace Director Satyan Anthikad's new movie 'Kadha Thudarunnu' has oodles of simplicity and honesty. After few contrived efforts, Satyan is back in form to a great extent and makes 'Kadha Thudarunnu' one of the better movies of the year.

Plot and Direction
------------------------
The story of 'Kadha Thudarunnu' moves at a very lovable pace. It neither has those speedy cuts or gimmicks and it is never too slow to make you squirm in your seats.From the word go the movie and the characters look very simple which endears you to the movie. Not made out simple but naturally simple.
Satyan has kept the direction really under control. His famous squandering in the second half doesn't happen this time. Satyan usually contrives his plot in the second half and makes it illogical, atleast in the last 2-3 outings but this time he is in better form. He has also extracted commendable performances from 3 of his 'non-team' members namely, Mamta, the baby girl, Anikha and Asif Ali. Satyan's usual team is in its good form as well (namely KPAC Lalitha, Innocent etc).
Many scenes are really touching espeically when Mamta is shocked and goes to Asif's house. The way it has been handled shows experience. Mamta's escape from Jayaram initially,Jayaram's camping outside the school etc are all good scenes. As the interval arrives, you are sure that this is one of the better movies of the year but the famous Satyan second half miss keeps you concerned. But thankfully this time around, Satyan does better.

Performances
-------------------
The movie belongs to two people. Mamta Mohandas as 'Vidyalekshmi' - a young widow and a single parent left alone at the crossroads of life. Mamta is subtle, bold, helpless and vulnerable as the situation demands. She lives through the best role of her life till date.A confident performance which will change the way people think about her as an actress. If her performance in 'Passenger' was an indicator, 'Vidyalekshmi' confirms her potential as an actress.
The second person to whom the movie belongs to is Baby Anikha. She brings so much warmth on the screen that she keeps many screens alive. She is a perfect foil to fill up the scenes which could have felt a bit empty and illogical otherwise. Mamta and Anikha put in winning performances. Natural and Endearing.
Jayaram has nothing much to do but is competant. Asif puts in a good performance. Lakshimi Priya as Malli is also commendable.

Music
--------
'Kadha Thudarunnu' has 2 of the better tunes from Satyan- Raja combo in 'Aaro' and 'Mazhamegham'. 'Aaro' has been used well in the re-recording.

Negatives
-------------
Some sequences have issues with logic. Why Mamta decides to go the park and stay there (what was the thought behind such a decision) or her move to the platform all seems a bit difficult to digest. Mamta rejoining the Medical College reminds you of 'Vinodayatra' but soon Satyan changes that to a community support for her education and salvages it. But Anikha and Mamta's performances make you forget all these.
Also, the climax which appears to be a sudden twist and a bit forced upon gives you a feeling that it arrived soon out of no where. Its not cliched and usual which is a plus but the end kind of fizzles out a bit.
In short, 'Kadha Thudarunnu' is a good movie. It could have been even better with an ending that was better handled but all said and done, it shows that Satyan has matured as a script writer and has left his usual tendency to contrive things. That for sure is a welcome change.

Verdict - 3.5/5 and 'Simply Good' as Opinion

'Kadha Thudarunnu' - Simple and Honest!

Pokkri Raja - Review

2010-05-10T12:23:00.001+05:30

Movie: Pokkri Raja
Language: Malayalam
Date: Saturday, May 8, 2010

Review
----------
Around 10 years back, Malayalees used to call Tamil films as 'Paandi' (which had a derogatory touch to it). It meant over expressive emotional scenes, over the top action scenes, over the moon heroism and Logic defying hero worship. Today, times have changed. Tamil movies are no longer 'Paandi' (in that sense of the word). Yes, some movies in Tamil still come out with the age old formula of hero worship but the industry as such is now known for independent cinema made by talented directors who not only produce brilliant movies on low budget but also make them super hits. But in Malayalam the trend is now reversed. Its now our turn to be called 'Paandi'.

'Pokkriraja' is a final nail in the coffin of proclaiming and christening Malayalam movies as the so called 'Paandi'. If you felt that, over the years, it was the feel, takes etc that were inspired in Malayalam from Tamil but some sort of ‘Malayalitham’ was retained. Its all gone with this. Watch 'Pokkriraja' in most parts and you will think for sure that its a typical Tamil Masala movie. The only saving grace is once you have compromised that much, then it doesn't irritate or torture you to death.

The Story
--------------
There is not much of a story involved. There has to be a village and then a 'Uthsavam'. There has to be 2 warring families for conducting the same, enmity and murder etc. 2 brothers have to part ways - customary. Thankfully both become Pokkris (Goons). At least, an interesting formula (since the whole movie is so formulaic) was that one could become a police and other the goon. There would have been some tension and interest. Even that is avoided. Its so formulaic that it will make you cringe at points.
Factor this, in true 80s Hindi movies style, when 2 brothers meet after so many years, they both say dialogues which one has said in the childhood to recognize each other. Sigh! Sigh!. Thanks that the director avoids an old family song to join the brothers (aka 'Yaadon Ki Baraat'). Also, as in hero worshipping Tamil movies, an old lady praises the hero as 'Singam' and ' Messiah of the Poor’ before the hero arrives. Pointless!!

Performances
---------------------
Mammotty and Prithviraj are saving graces of the Movie to say the least. With some good screen presence, they save the movie from falling in to the death trap of becoming a complete bore. Prithviraj shines in the first half and has a virtual side kick role in the second. Mammotty has been hero worshipped so much that it makes you choke. I think some sanity should reign on his thoughts. May be its high time he had his famous 3 Ss - Sense, Sensibility and Sensitivity. He plays to the galleries and his fans. He tries hard to flounder English (the initial attempts are so foolish because actually he is good at English personally). Nevertheless, both the stars have enough to hold the interest of the viewers.

+ves and -ves
--------------------
The positives include a pretty fact screenplay. Slick presentation and some action scenes which are bound to go well with the masses. The -ves include completely clichéd story, over the top situations and hero worship that almost makes you throw up. Songs are ordinary. 'Manikinavin' is never shown while a Tamil style song is shown. Shreya is wasted in a role that could have been done by anyone.

In short, if you soon come to terms with the fact that 'Pookriraja' crosses the line and is probably the first mainstream Malayalam - Tamil Masala movie made on highest dose of hero worship and clichéd situations, then you may probably end up watching this movie as a one time, time-pass movie. If you are the creative and subtle types, then you are in for a rude shock.

Verdict - 2.5/5 and 'Just Average'.

Pokkri Raja - Finally, Malayalam Cinema has now officially been 'Paandified' .

Janakan - My Review

2010-04-09T10:23:00.001+05:30

Movie: Janakan
Date : 09-04-2010
Language : Malayalam

Review
----------
Being Predictable is boring and not even trying to move away from that is even more, in these times. 'Janakan' is exactly what you expect. It begins where the last year's movie 'Vairam' ended and then tells the story in flash back. Finally, you eagerly wait for that 'difference' which is how the advocate would save the father (who has taken the revenge for his daughter's murder) and you wait for that grand climax which never happens and fizzles out to a great extent.Never quite still understand what a 'Brain Bank Story', caption of this story means. It is a story which you can watch leaving your Brain ‘Blank’.

'Janakan' is a late movie. Both the story and the narration take Malayalam Cinema a good 10 years backwards. The theme suddenly has been given a social message in the second half and is predictable to the core. Direction is fare during the first half but as the movie proceeds; you loose interest as you very well know what will unfurl. The predictable flashback should have ended at least by the interval and post interval dedicated to how the advocate saves them (which was expected to be the new portions of the predictable story) but that doesn't happen. Director and Script writer have let the flashback linger on up to 90% of the movie making it a boring affair.

Suresh Gopi is good in glimpses but mostly taxed and tired. He looks foolish at times in the act of trying to seem innocent. Jyothirmayi is passé. Kaveri is wasted. The new girl has nothing much to do as well. The only interesting thing in all of 'Janakan' is Mohanlal as Adv. Surya. He keeps you interested whenever he is on screen. He is the story listener and a representative of the audience. Its not a guest role by any means and the second lead actor in the whole movie. But as we anticipate an intelligent climax to save the protagonists it never happens.

Camera is so-so. The sole song 'Olichirunne' is fine. BGM lifts the movie in certain scenes but mostly jars for no reason.

In short, 'Janakan' is predictable to the core and with only saving grace being Mohanlal as Adv. Surya.

Verdict - 2/5 and 'Predictable and Outdated' as an opinion.

Janakan - The Brain Blank Story.

Paiyaa - Review Capsule

2010-04-04T16:00:00.002+05:30

Movie: Paiyaa
Language : Tamil
Date : 02-04-10
Theatre : Cinemax, Kochi, Screen 1 (Opening Day)

Capsule Review
---------------------
Last year saw a commercial action entertainer in Surya's 'Ayan'. Though not a path breaking cinema by any means, 'Ayan' was an entertainer for the time it lasted. This time around we have Karthi (Surya's brother) trying something similar in Lingusamy's 'Paiyaa'. And 'Paiyaa' succeeds to a great extent in what 'Ayan' did i.e to entertain the audience.

'Paiyaa' starts of as a road movie and director keeps it engaging with some crisp pace, beautiful foot tapping songs and a fresh performance by Karthi. Tamanna is engaging as well. As the movie starts after interval, we see Lingusamy going back to his forte. One man against a goonda gang world which he has used successfully in movies like 'Run' and 'Sandakozhi'. It looks a bit cliched but nevertheless engaging. He falls in to many traps like the hero and heroine land up in a forest as an escape and we soon see the customary song and dance. As we start to feel that the movie may be loosing it with too many unnecessary plots and songs, Lingusamy ushers in the grand climax.

At the end of it, you feel entertained. Not as to the level of 'Ayan' but quite close to that. Technically, direction is neat and crisp except in portions of second half. Action scenes are well choreographed.Its just a car and 2 people during the majority of the movie, hence the camera is also used well as its kept engaging all the while. Karthi is almost the life of the movie. Fresh and charming he uknowingly resembles mannerisms of Surya, many a times. He is a lot of promise. Tamanna is good to watch but not as good a performance as 'Ayan'. The chemistry looks lacking. Songs are really cool and well shot. 'Thuli Thuli', 'Poongatre' and 'En Kadal Solla' are soothing tracks by Yuvan.
All in all, as an entertainer 'Paiyaa' is the brother of 'Ayan', no two ways about that.

Verdict - 3/5 and 'Entertainer' as Ratings

In Ghost House Inn - Review

2010-03-26T11:44:00.002+05:30

Movie: In Ghost House Inn
Language: Malayalam
Date: 25th March, 2010

Review
-----------
'In Ghost House Inn' has the by now Lal formula in place. A first half that tries to be comical. A second half which turns serious and delves deeper in to the premises of the story. A pre-climax conundrum and finally the grand twisted climax. The only differences this time around are that the foursome from 'Harihar Nagar series' are not chasing girls but they are chasing (or being chased by) ghosts. The premise is horror. Playing with Nostalgia which was a major part in the previous edition is completely non existent. So does the formula work this time around? Yes, to some extent.

The backdrop - Horror
--------------------------------
'Horror' is always an interesting backdrop to have for a comical movie and Lal has presented the setting well. As the first half begins with the story explaining the 'Ghost House the mood is perfectly set. Then begins the jokes and gags which are not that great but you still feel the fun because its quite creepy setting to say the least. The proceedings move at a smooth pace and as the interval arrives the feeling is about not a great movie but still engaging watch. Second half is when Lal last time caught the viewer in surprise with the pace. This time around things start to take creepy edges. Pre-climax conundrum is where Lal almost looses the game but salvages it with a wonderfully executed twist and end credits.

Director's Game
-----------------------
'In Ghost House Inn' is whatever it is only because of one man and that is Lal. Like a master chess player and a captain tightly holding his ship against raging seas, Lal manages to engage the viewer and keep him hooked for most parts of the movie. A good director is always a good story teller and Lal uses such tools, techniques and takings to move the story forward, that its impressive to say the least. The kind of scenes designed to give the horror backdrop and presentation is worth mentioning. Lal will have a tough time breaking away from the formula he has set especially the famous 'twist' in his forthcoming movies. His amazing story telling ways should be applauded big time.

Cast
------
The foursome have nothing much to do. Its Nedumudi Venu who takes the cake with the best role of the movie. Followed by Radhika who is somewhat competent with a not so easy role. Execution could definitely have been better though. The four leading ladies also are passé.

Negatives
--------------
None of the four characters actually have a growth in 'In Ghost House Inn'. They remain where they were after the 2nd part. None of them have a proper sketch neither they play a major part or role in the movie. It is the horror setting and the Ghost house which is the main character followed by Nedumudi. This aspect may leave the foursome's fans tad disappointed.

The pre-climax portion is very loud and over the top. Could have been better executed seeing the way Lal has command over rest of the movie. This is the only time the audience feel like giving it all up and the only time when the director who
is a master story teller looses his grip on the audience. Screeching and Screaming with gory scenes and stunts. Nothing looks good, subtle or deft here.

Technically the movie is good. You may wonder whether some such horror scenes have ever been done in Malayalam before. But the music is pathetic to say the least. Tracks have been forced in. Looks completely formulaic and out of place.Background score is better.

Finally, 'In Ghost House Inn' is not a good or great cinema. You can watch it once because its engaging. Its like 2 hours spent in some fake haunted house ride. It will keep you hooked when it lasts and once you are out of it you will soon forget it as well. That is kind of ok in these transient and fast times. Isn't it?

Verdict - 3/5 as Rating
'Engaging' as an Opinion

'In Ghost House Inn' - A Director's Game Plan

Thaanthonni - Review

2010-03-20T10:29:00.006+05:30

Movie: Thaanthonni
Language: Malayalam
Date 19, March, 2010

Review
----------
Imagine a movie in which the script writer is hell bound at telling all the stories in the world within that one single movie, combined with a director who has no control where the movie is heading to. Looks like a Combustible Combination in over drive. Right? This is exactly what T.A Shahid and George Varghese do in the latest Prithviraj movie 'Thaanthonni'. There are not one, but three 'Thaanthonnis' (Disobidient ones) in the movie. T.A Shahid, George Varghese and Prithviraj. And what results is ‘movie mayhem’!

The Story - Over Written
---------------------------------
TA Shahid believes in over writing this story to the point that no one cares beyond a point. The first one hour is the saving grace in the movie. Its watchable.The antics of Prithviraj as 'Kochukunju' are kind of bearable and the first flash back arrives. You still feel that though everything happening is formulaic, its all as expected. But soon the interval scene arrives and what is clearly inspired from 'Puthiya Mugham' goes all sour in a poorly written and executed scene.After the interval, all hell breaks loose and its a downward spiral from then on. To a point, when it becomes a torture chamber where you are forced to watch the second flashback story, Prithviraj's 'Sagar Alias Jackey' act, tear-jerker family scenes and reunion of the old couples. Oh my God, they can use this one for the Guantanamo Torture Chambers, if they still have them open.

Directon - Lack of One
------------------------------
George Varghese has no clue where the movie is going for once. He completely has given the reigns over to TA Shahid's story and script which keeps on over running. Most of the scenes are so poorly executed that from the word go, you get the idea that this new director lacks vision of his kind of cinema. A story has to be told in its sincerity and trueness. Everything of that sort is missing here. It seems director thinks that too many flashbacks means a great story or at least the scriptwriter has impressed that point on him. We surely do not need poor clones of Joshy. The original one is still alive and kicking.
Scene after scene you understand that not even chopping off 30-45 minutes of the movie can save it. Its was never destined to be a sane movie. At a running time of 2 hours and 30 minutes, 'Thaanthooni' is torture.

The Rebel Hero
----------------------
No Mincing words here. Prithviraj is below par in 'Thaanthooni'. He has charm in many portions, agreed but it cannot be called even as a good performance in a bad movie.
His scenes in the first half as a drunkard, poorly ape Mohanlal. Its almost as if you can see Lal performing in all his drunakrd mannerisms. And he commits criminal
mistakes in the kind of scenes that he has agreed to do. He is over stylish and loads of reels are wasted to show him as some 'super power'. Horrendous!
Finally, all the good will which 'Puthiya Mugham' and 'Robinhood' (to certain extent) had created has been vanished. No longer one can believe that the young star has a sane head on his shoulders. The script selection , the director, everything is shoddy. 'Puthiya Mugham' was sincere, precise, to the point and a performance well delivered in a commercial set up. 'Thaanthonni' takes him a few years backwards. He delivers 4-5 minutes long dialogues trying to be like Mammotty and Lal in One man hero movies, but haven't we seen that all with them. This is not the change that we are looking for. We thought the new generation star would think like the new generation and have better sensibilities. This is like back to square one.

Rest of the Bits and Pieces
-----------------------------------
Ambika in a tear jerker mother role is filling up the screen space - literally. Loads and loads of characters but none leaves an impression. Poor old Suraj cracks some
one liners and scores. Jagathy is funny in a short role. Heroine is wasted for a song and few scenes. Cinematography is amateurish. Gopi Sundar does a decent job and
is one of the positive points of this movie. Tej Mervin's poor tunes remind us of Deepav Dev's valuable contribution in the success of Puthiya Mugham.

Finally, 'Thaanthonni' has neither soul or sincerity nor purpose. Its like those 'B' grade movies wrapped in to a family tearjerker. No one expected a master piece. Frankly, even an average movie would have been a positive surprise. But even with such low expectations, 'Thaanthonni' fails miserably. Sorry, to say the young super star, you have a long way to go in choosing scripts and getting them executed.

Verdict - 1.5 / 5 as Rating
'Torture' as Opinion

'Thaanthonni' - Get ready to be Tortured.

Vinnaithaandi Veruvaaya - Review

2010-03-09T13:48:00.004+05:30

Movie: Vinnaithaandi Veruvaaya.
Language: Tamil
Date: 06th Mar, 2010

Review
----------
Good Love stories are like rain in the summer. Heart warming and Refreshing. And it makes you feel that it has been a long summer all the while.Goutham Menon's New Movie 'Vinnaithaandi Veruvaaya' is special because probably its a pure romantic movie after a long long time. A perfect two character play in all its complexities, the movie takes itself very seriously when it comes to telling a true love story.And for that one factor, it rises above being just good.

A Lasting Love Story
-------------------------------
The tale of Karthik (Chimbu) and Jessie (Trisha) is a love story that is not only true and realistic but also creates a lasting impression. Karthik is the quintessential next door boy. Young, Lacklustre and without much of an aim in life except for his love of cinema. Karthik is not different from many other heroes that you have often seen in movies. He is daring when it comes to love and ready to go the extra mile to make things happen. The twist comes in the second portion of this 2 way tale.
And that is Jessie. Completely unsure of what she wants for her, fearful of her father, she is that modern day girl who tries to be different when she is outside home. She is ever afraid to show her love or even accept it. Confused between whether to commit or reject even though she loves Karthik. As she tosses up Karthik's life and plays around with it, Jessie creates a beautiful character out of herself.

VTV is memorable because of the love story between these 2 well defined characters. Kudos to Goutham for writing such beautiful characters.

Director - All about Trust
----------------------------------
Goutham believes strongly in the movie and the theme that he has made. Its visible in how genuine and true he has been to the subject. VTV is not an action - romance or a romantic comedy or anything else but it is a pure romantic movie. Goutham takes his time building his characters and as an audience you get to know their various untold facets which reveal slowly. You grow with these characters as an audience. For the sheer sincerity with which the subject has been treated, I rate it at par with his best movies till date.

Jessie - Drives you Crazy
--------------------------------
For me, VTV belongs to Jessie. Trisha's career best role till date, is a revelation. She is so perfectly cast that she lives through the role. Looks simple and gorgeous as Jessie. She looks completely deceptive when seeing Karthik's love. Charming and lovable when she accepts Karthik's love. Helpless and Restless in love when her father rejects Karthik. Calm, composed and mature towards the end. All rolled in to one, the movie is interesting beyond a point only due to the spice which Jessie adds to it. Chimbu has put in perhaps his career best role and taking nothing away from him, he also stands his space and holds on. Chimbu's Karthik is almost a routine role done well but 's Trisha's Jessie is special.

Music that makes your heart skip a beat
-----------------------------------------------------
The soul of any love story is probably the songs and the music and for me this is the best album (in terms of the number of good tracks) for atleast 2 years now. In an era when each movie has hardly one or two good tracks, VTV boasts of 5-6 really beautiful tracks. AR Rehman is stupendous and his compositions are breaking the barriers of culture and fusion. Hats off to Goutham for extracting such an awesome album from him. The rerecording is mint cool especially the 'Jessie drives me crazy' bit.

Cinematography is good and Editing could have been tighter at some instances but movie has a nice pace of its own.

Negatives
-------------
The interval scene and dialogues could have been handled way better. It quite looks silly and abrupt in a poetic movie. Same is the case with the sudden love interest from Karthik's Cinema Colleague. Songs are soulful but 3 of them (Omana Penne, Hossanna and Kannukkul Kannai) have been picturised in the very same way (road dancers). Some more imagination, thought and effort could easily have been applied to make these songs have different identity. May be Goutham can learn it from Shanker or Mani Ratnam. He has done proper justice only to 3 songs (Aromale, Mannipaya and Anbil Avan). Some dialogues are completely silly and Trisha's dubbing inaudible at times.

'Vinnaithaandi Veruvaaya' is not devoid of shortcomings but the sheer sincerity of the movie, truthfulness to the subject, interesting character sketches, superb performances and breath taking music leaves an impression for some time ahead. After all when did we see the last genuine love story?

Verdict - 4/5 as Rating. 'A Treat for your Heart' as an opinion.

Vinnathaandi Veruvaaya - ' Crossing the realms of Love'

My Name Is Khan - Review

2010-02-13T15:08:00.004+05:30

Movie: My Name is Khan
Language: Hindi
Date: 12-02-2010

Review
----------
We live in an era of where entertainment with a message is perhaps the need of the times. Bollywood's one of the most celebrated directors of recent times, Karan Johar, has come up with latest offering 'My Name is Khan', which has a message to the entire world. MNIK is promising for the message that it delivers but falls short of being a uplifting cinematic experience.

The Journey
------------------
MNIK is about the journey of a man with Aspergers syndrome through the landscape of post 9/11 American mainland, trying to proclaim that all Muslims are not terrorists. His strong belief is that men are only of 2 kinds - good or bad. MNIK is a worth watching movie in the first half. Though not a rollicking entertainer, but the character Rizwan keeps you hooked. He is 'awkward' and 'limited' in true sense of the words but the first half is lifted by a completely contrasting ‘Mandira’ played by Kajol. The contrast and the tale just carries you through the first half with ease and you break at the interval with some proud thoughts about KJo, SRK and Kajol.

The Pit falls
----------------
Where MNIK begins to loosen its grip is when each and every scene is planned and composed to proclaim a part of the umpteen numbers of sub messages fitted in to 2.40 hrs of MNIK. Hence, there is an African American township episode, detention episode, Burkha, American - Indian kids love-hate and so on. Alright, the message in the movie is noble and superbly mounted on a good platform but when every scene becomes a mode to keep saying that, then MNIK looses the charm of storytelling in a movie but becomes almost like a corporate presentation deck where each slide has a well planned agenda and message. And slow paced, filmy and preachy it becomes in the second half that, by the end of it we start wishing that the American President somehow appears so that the movie can end.

Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol
-------------------------------------
MNIK is one of the better movies of SRK but he looks and sounds more 'robotic' than 'autistic'. The kind of perfection expected from such a life changing or path breaking character is lacking. SRK does much better than hamming away as expected but the kind of mind blowing perfection is missing. 'Chak De India' was much more clinical and more justice to that character but Rizwan is more complex a character than in Chak De India for sure. He is very good in some of the scenes like the proposal scene, speech in the church and 'Khan' corrections.
Kajol as 'Mandira' is stupendous and natural as ever as long as she is the thick of it. The breakdown scene is one of the best for a lead actress for some time now. She is so natural in her reactions and a perfect foil for the controlled and limited Rizwan. Perhaps no one else could have brought so much to this role as her.

The Surprise
------------------
The surprise of the whole package though is Karan Johar to a great extent. From the days of 'KKHH', 'K3G', 'KANK' Karan has come a long way. But perhaps he has some more way to go and reach the destination that he is headed to. Why does the hero need to have an Aspergers Syndrome in the first place and why not the story of a common man? Why is the story need to be mounted in the US when Indian is equally affected by Terrorism? Can't a global statement be made if the story is placed in India? Even if all these are ignored the filmy clichés of 'Georgia episode' makes you cringe. Rizwan travels all the way to Georgia from LA on a bus much before any help arrives there. He almost forgets his fear for sound or limitations as he helps the people out. Filmy!
Camera by Ravi Chandran is Superb. Music by Shankar trio is a big let down with not even a single outstanding track. Sharbani Bhatija commits the same errors as in 'Fanah'.
In short, MNIK is a many steps forward for Karan Johar, a better work of Shah Rukh, a reaffirmation about the stupendous Kajol and a movie which has a touching message but could have been better in being less preachy , less filmy and more entertaining.

Verdict - Rating - 3/5
Opinion - Watch it once for the Message.

MNIK - 'My Name is Karan' and 'I have few more miles to go'.

Happy Husbands - Review

2010-01-27T15:01:00.004+05:30

Movie: Happy Husbands
Language: Malayalam
Date: 26th Jan 2010

Review
----------
'Happy Husbands' brings to Malayalam the kind of comedy that has been ruling the roost in Bollywood since a few years now. Try watching some Bollywood movies
like 'Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya', 'Golmaal', 'Golmaal Returns' and one will get a better idea of the kind of comedy presented in 'Happy Husbands'. The prime characters in these comedies are young, either bachelors or just recently married. The major ingredients are hep costumes, bright colors, lovely locations, below the belt kind of humor and some confusion. Most of these comedies show 'marriage' or 'commitment' in negative humorous way. From over the top expressions to contrived situations to the sound that comes when a character commits a conversational goof-up, you can trace all this down to these kind of comedy films mentioned above.

And icing on the cake is that content wise, 'Happy Husbands' is a near scene by scene copy of the Bollywood comedy 'No Entry' which was inspired 'xth' version of a Tamil movie 'Charlie Chaplin' (duly acknowledged in the title by the makers here).

The only novelty - All these 'comedy effects' look quite new in Malayalam and the actors carry the movie well.

Script and Direction
------------------------
As its been copied, there is nothing much to say about the story or script. Screenplay and Direction has been neatly handled by this promising guy, Saji Surendran. He is a promise for the future of Malayalam Commercial Cinema. He exactly knows what he is doing and holds the movie tightly together, scene after scene. For those who have watched 'No Entry', it can turn to be a bit boring as each sequence can be fore told. For others, it should be a fair time pass.

Cast
------
Of the cast, the most impressive in terms of a surprise is undoubtedly 'Indrajith'. He is cool as the handsome hunk who is a big time flirt. That is a difficult role only considering the way heroes are in Malayalam. But Indrajith impresses. As the hero of the movie, in terms of pure screen space, its Jayaram who leaves an impression but spoils it many a times with his over the top expressions and acting. Jayasurya shows why Malayalam actors are far ahead of the usual brigade in Bollywood. A forgetful character by Fardeen Khan in 'No Entry' rises above the because of Jayasurya's comic timing.

Of the ladies, its Bhavana who impresses. Samvratha and Vandana are so-so. Rima Kallingal tries too hard but fails to do the Seductress Bipasha act.

Music is average. The 'Happy Husbands...' title track is unexpectedly good as used in the movie and it comes up whenever there is a goof up. (aka the bollywood
comedy movies). The 'Take it Easy...' track is irritating to say the least.

On the whole, Saji Surendran avoids the serial tear jerker model this time which he used to spoil the second half in 'Ivar Vivahitarayal'. He does justice to the concept,
genre and sequences but sorry that there is neither logic or creativity.

Verdict - 3/5 as Rating and 'Time pass Entertainer' as an opinion.

'Happy Husbands' - ' A logic less time pass movie'

Ividam Swargamanu - Review

2010-01-15T14:02:00.003+05:30

Movie: Ividam Swargamanu
Language: Malayalam
Date: Jan 14, 2010

Review
----------
It’s a delight to see an actor do something that you have always liked doing him. And Mohanlal as 'Mathews' in the movie 'Ividam Swargamanu', does the same.
For those who have loved seeing him as a simpleton, a common man and someone who has taken a different route in life, this movie would surely be a lovable watch.
'Ividam Swargamanu' needs applause for the subject that it has chosen and the study that has gone behind it. Its no way near being the best cinema that you might have seen this year but ends up being a just about good movie.

+ Ves
--------
The subject about a simple man who chose to become a farmer instead of taking a 'white collar' job. His fight against the system that is trying to snatch away his land
and efforts. Finally, how he defeats the evil forces using his 'grey cells' (not with muscles, for a change) is something delightful.

The effort put behind the study incase of the land deals and how the land mafia works is worth a watch for sure. Jagathy's character is delightful and his 'methods' are an eye opener to all the innocent people in this world who trust blindly. James Albert needs to be applauded for this effort.

Mohanlal as Mathews is superb to watch. He is so natural and his scenes with Priyanka, Lalu Alex, Shanker were a treat to watch. It was almost as if it was the return of Mohanlal of old times. What makes 'Ividam Swargamanu' convincing is the way Mohanlal has played 'Mathews'. The movie was supposedly based on the farm but when you come out what you remember is 'Mathews' and not the farm. That’s the victory of Mohanlal.

Priyanka acted natural with some mint cool confidence. She needs to get better roles. Thilakan, Shanker, Kaviyoor Ponnamma were as usual. Jagathy was superb. Lalu Alex was at times good and at times didn't create much impact. But this one is one of his better roles.

-Ves
-------
The level which Lal Jose could raise James Albert's 'Classmates' to, Roshan fails to do the same with 'Ividam Swargamanu'. Sometimes the movie goes too much in to details and starts dragging towards the pre-climax portion.

The farm never captures much of your imagination. What probably does is the character Mathews's effort behind it and his choice to become a farmer even though he was talented in studies. The farm could have been better presented which could have emotionally held the audience when land mafia tries to grab it. Especially as ‘Land Grabbing’ is the subject and with the title of the movie, the farm should have stayed our hearts but it doesn't much do that. Perhaps, cue can be taken from still alive memories of the farm from 'Nammakku Paarkkan Munthiri Thoppukal'.

The interval arrives at probably the most unimaginative place. That could have been better handled in the narrative. Even as the end credits roll, the scenes go on.
Perhaps Writer James Albert wrote way too much and Director Roshan clearly looks unaware at times what to have on screen and what not. But what Roshan successfully
does is extract good performances from Lal and most of the crew. Also, he never makes the movie look like a damp squib. That’s to his credit.

Lekshmi Rai puts in quite the worst performance of the movie. Lekshmi Gopalswami is tad better.

Lack of songs is something the creators should have worked upon. A subject like this deserves one. Gopi Sunder tries to be too smart with the BGM sometimes and flounders but at times does good work as well.

In the end, 'Ividam Swargamanu' just about manages to be a good movie basically because of the theme, script and superb performance by Mohanlal

Verdict :- 3.5 / 5 and 'Just about Good' as Opinion.

Ividam Swargamanu - Mathews inte Lokam.

3 Idiots - Review

2010-01-01T18:29:00.004+05:30

Movie: 3 Idiots
Language: Hindi
Date: 31st Dec

Dairy Notes
----------------
'Save the best for the last' is something we always have heard over time. As the new year of 2010, closed in and as I watched the second show on 31st of Dec, 2009, perhaps I felt that 2009 had saved me its best movie towards its very end. Yes, '3 Idiots' is the best entertainer I have seen this year.

'3 Idiots' is nothing extra ordinary. Its not earth shattering message about the flaws in Indian Educational System. Its not hard hitting as say a 'Taare Zameen Par' or 'Rang De Basanti', yet in its own simple way, it throws light on choosing a profession that you love to, about coming of age and realizing one's own wish, of standing up for your friends and giving your life for them. All this told in the most entertaining screenplay is delightful.

'3 Idiots' will make you laugh out loud. After a long time, I did that honestly at a Hindi movie. And it can make your eyes moist as well.

The ultimate winner in the entire fare is Raju Hirani. Though inspired from Chetan Bhagat's 'Five Point Someone', it has been well changed and adapted as a movie. Only a few basic aspects have been adapted.Both the book and the movie are good in their respective places. Personally, I like the movie better.

Aamir Khan is awesome once again. His ability to convince me each time with a role is superb. Its a treat to watch him as a young college goer who is different from the pack and thinks independently is beautifully written. The way he stands for his friends and makes men out of them is heart pleasingly realistic.

Madhavan and Sharman are realistic in their roles. Boman Irani wins accolades with the second best performancein the movie after Aamir. Kareena is routine stuff but fine.

Scenes and Sequences are delightful. Ragging Scene, Farhan Nitrate Scene, Chamatkar Scene, Sharman's home scenes,..One can go on and on.... '3 Idiots' is delightful.

The biggest negative one may find with '3 Idiots' is that it gets too filmy at few scenes. The delivery of the baby done by the 3 friends and the baby coming to life with 'All is Well' was somewhat well handled but filmy. The reason why Rancho avoids everyone and leaves after college is never known though we can link it to his real roots.

But all said and done, I am convinced that I had the best time I could have had with '3 Idiots'. I laughed out loud most of the time and many a scenes were thought provoking and made us think. And it also gets one moist eyed.

I am rating '3 Idiots' as 4/5 and calling it ' The Best Entertainer of the Year'.

Thanks Raju and Aamir, we are laughing our way in to 2010.

Chattambi Nadu - Review

2009-12-29T09:50:00.001+05:30

Movie: Chattambi Nadu
Language: Malayalam
Date: 24th, Dec

Review
---------
Originality and New Theme are the last things that you expect in a commercial festival movie like 'Chattambi Nadu' and that is exactly what it renders. Shafi who has made some better commercial movies like 'Kalyanaraman', 'Chocolate' and 'Mayavi' this time ends up with a rehash of some previous Malayalam movies. At strict 2 hours of length, 'Chattambi Nadu' won't bore you to death but neither will impress you much.

Theme
----------
The theme is oft repeated. The hero returning to village with which he has a past. Two warring groups and families in the village and the hero stealing the show. 'Rajamanikyam' is still fresh in all our memories hence the similarity is so obvious. Even 'Aaram Thampuran' and so many other movies have had this kind of a story in which a hero with a past returns to his village and so on. Even though expected, theme wise, 'Chattambi Nadu' is a major disappointment. Shafi is capable of bringing out some interesting themes within the commercial format like say in 'Chocolate'. Nothing of that sort happens here.

Mammotty and the Rest
--------------------------------
The saving grace of the whole affair is Mammotty who is once again superb in using diction and dialect to perfection. Even though the 'RajaManikyam' hangover is obvious, Mammotty lifts an ordinary role to a notable one with his use of the diction and flexibility in presentation. The rest of the cast is ho-hum except for Suraj and Salim Kumar. Suraj's antics are worth a few chuckles and Salim Kumar though looks jaded, manages to hold on with some one liners.

Direction is below par except for the handling of Mammootty's character. Lekshmi Rai and Maithili are wasted while Vinu Mohan tries hard to replace Rehman in the
RajaManikyam format. Music doesn't have much to write about either.

Verdict - 2.5/5 and 'Strictly Average'

Chattambi Nadu - The Usual Routine

Review - Paa

2009-12-08T14:17:00.004+05:30

Movie: Paa
Language: Hindi
Date: 5-12-09

Review
-----------
When the main protagonist is suffering from a rare illness in the movie, what you expect is the movie to capitalize on the sympathy generated around that. So, when you see such a movie and the above factor is never exploited but the character is built as smart, witty and lovable, then it comes across as a surprise. That’s exactly what the Balki's movie 'Paa' succeeds in. 'Paa's main protagonist 'Auro' (played superbly by Amitabh) is developed as a lovable, smart and witty 13 year old, that you will really fall in love with, even though he looks unconventional and almost close to being imagined as may be an 'alien'.

Entertaining Movie
-----------------------
'Paa' in way is a sober, serious movie. It’s actually funny for the most parts of it. And that is because of the way the movie has been written. Up until the interval, the movie is a complete joy ride through the life of Auro. As the second half starts off, many a scenes are lengthy and may look a bit tedious but the honesty and sincerity is evident. Also, by the second half you are in love with Auro and you are really interested in hearing his crackling one liners, which he has ample in stock for each situation. The script smoothly connects incidents up until the last 30 minutes when the emotional part sets in. Also, the length of 2.5 hours looks much appropriate rather than a 3 hour movie.

Performances
-----------------
There are some beautiful performances by an ensemble cast in 'Paa'. Vidya Balan as Auro's mother is one of her best performances since ‘Parineeta’. She is confidant and looks convincing as the mother of a 13 year old and also an abandoned mother. Abhishek Bachan not only essays the role of a father but also that of an honest young politician who is ambitious about his goals for the country. His character doesn't look like a father role alone. It has a definite dimension and sketch.
Arundhati Nag as 'Bum' - Auro's grand mother is so delightfully natural in her acting.
She is superb. And then there is Auro's friend - Ganesh (not sure of the child actor's name). He is a treat to watch on screen.
Finally, the movie belongs to the original superstar of Bollywood. Vintage, Classic and like no one else can do it, Amitabh puts in the most superlative performance after 'Black' as 'Auro' in 'Paa'. Auro doesn't go along 'Paa' by dying, he just lives through it and resurrects the movie along with him. Try acting with a mask on your face and then you would appreciate what Amitabh has done. Words are less to mark this superbly studied performance.

Music and Direction
------------------------
Illayaraja is a maestro but may be the whole of India still doesn't know him. 'Paa' may change that a bit more because its his best tunes for a long time in Bollywood. The tunes may not look that great individually but try seeing the movie and then you will realize its impact. Well mixed and used as background score, 'Paa' has uplifting tunes including 'Mudi Ittefaq Se', 'Gum Sum' and 'Paa'. Balki is an intelligent director and he has proved that with 'Cheeni Kum'. He just reinforces that with 'Paa'. Smart writing, dialogues, screen play and direction make 'Paa' the movie it is. Balki is special and 'Paa' just is a statement to that.

Negatives
------------
The only negatives I felt is Auro's height which looks a bit unconvincing. His dialogues may not be that audible for everyone all the time. Some scenes like Media Retaliation episode by Abhishek which look a bit extended.

Verdict: - 3.75/5 as a Rating. 'Very Good' as an Opinion.

Paa - Smart, Cute and Moving.

Neelathamara - Review

2009-11-28T11:24:00.005+05:30

Movie : Neelathamara
Language : Malayalam
Date: Nov, 27, 2009

Review
------ ---
Do you remember the bed time stories during childhood, which your grandma used to tell you? Simple, down to earth stories. These did not have any complexities and had the flavor of human beliefs. It did not need too much imagination nor knowledge but only a clean mind which can be like a clean sheet of canvas ready to be painted by the various colors of such stories. Lal Jose's latest movie 'Neelathamara' is one such story. Simple to the core, 'Neelathamara' will appeal to you provided you have a mind for the same.

Delicious Simplicity
--------------------------
'Neelathamara' has the story of a servant girl who believes in the folklore that God will answer ones questions with an unusual Blue Lotus that would blossom in the temple pond. The usual love story between the son of the house and the servant girl, the miseries of the girl and so on, 'Neelathamara' has much that you have seen before but it has the simplicity and truth to its characters which are rarely seen in the movies nowadays. The audience almost expects something that challenges their mind each time they see a movie nowadays but 'Neelathamara' is nothing challenging. It’s not intended to be. It’s all about the simplicity of a story told at its own lovable pace.

True to Life Characters
-------------------------------
'Neelathamara' has characters that really pulled out of real life. Hence, if the love story between Kunjimalu and Das never seems touching, that’s because it’s exactly meant to be that, as its always the love story of Kunjimalu only and not the other way around. Hence, Kunjimalu is never melodramatic. Through crisis she is always subtle. And hence, Das is always the guy who wants to take advantage of a girl. So he invites Kunjimalu to his room the first time he talks to her. Its clear that he was never the good hearted hero. And hence, Ratnam always knows that Das as the life gifted to him by her father. So she is bold enough to thrash him on hearing his stint with Kunjimalu. Though Ratnam is angry with Kunjimalu as any wife would be but she hence understands her plight being a woman.

We can go on and on but its without a doubt that most characters of 'Neelathamara' are real, honest and not fake. Kudos to MT Vasudevan Nair for yet another collection of beautifully written characters.

Performances
-------------------
Archana as 'Kunjimalu' is the show stealer in the movie. She is simple and slowly by the end of the movie, she would have stolen your hearts. Samvratha Sunil as 'Ratnam' packs impact in a smaller yet bold role. Kailash as 'Das' never much looks the good boy which he was never meant to be. He is above average with a good voice. Reema is somewhat irritating and wasted in the usual walks from the pond to back home.

Technical Crew
--------------------
Lal Jose has done justice to the script written perhaps a bit too much as well. His handling of the sequences is true with the pace of the story. He has been able to extract creditable performances from the cast especially new comers. Cinematography is superb and one of the best reasons to watch the movie. Lighting is superbly done in night sequences. It looks poetic. Music is lilting with 'Anuraga' being one of the best melodies of the year. The Ghazal during the sad sequences is aesthetically shot. There is no injection of unwanted comedy, drama to increase the length. Its sharp as much as the script demands. 1 hour and 45 odd minutes.

Negatives
-------------
Lal Jose looks too much in awe of MT, so much so that he spoils the end. In whatever way you want to see, the end looks abrupt and not well done. Its this aspect that possibly makes a bravely (due to its simplicity) 'Good' movie to stay at an 'above average' level because the end of the movie is always one of the key points in the whole scheme of things. Lal Jose leaves it as if straight out of a novel or a literary ending. Forget a cinematic conclusion; 'Neelathamara' never gets a satisfying end which is a dampener. The director doesn't rise above the story or the script to end it and may have lost the holistic picture by doing that.

All in all, imagine a movie completely shot only in a traditional Kerala home with probably the room in the first floor, the wooden stairs leading to it, being major location spots. The temple pond, the Blue lotus being major factors in the story. Probably its too difficult to even imagine something as simple as that in the modern world. That is simply the beauty of 'Neelathamara'.

Verdict - Rating - 3.25/5, Opinion - Above Average

'Neelathamara'- Simple Poetry.

Kurbaan - Review

2009-11-21T11:05:00.003+05:30

Movie : Kurbaan
Language : Hindi
Date : 21,Nov. 2009

Review
----------
Some movies try to be so serious on the theme that it leaves you wanting for some entertainment by the end of it. Renzil Di Silva's directorial debut 'Kurbaan' is one such movie. It addresses the issue of terrorism, revenge, punishing the innocents in the name of 'Jihad' and about the American Invasion of the Muslim world. All these issues are addressed without shying away but the way it has been shown leaves you wanting for some fresh air and entertainment.

Sparkling Moments - Few and far in-between
-------------------------------------------------------
'Kurbaan' has some sparking moments on screen. Though you expect it to happen, the chilling sequence when Khalid aka Ehsaan (Saif Ali Khan) reveals his identity to Avantika (Kareena) after she sees their crime, is a wonderfully handled sequence. Also, the classroom session by Ehsaan in to which Riyaz (Vivek) walks in for a debate. The explosions involving flight and subways etc have been convincingly shown.

Kareena - Saif - Vivek
------------------------------
Kareena puts in a strong performance as Avantika. From a girl who tries to explore the world of criminals to a lover haplessly admitting her being cheated, Kareena excels in the best role of the movie. Though her character goes in to a dip at certain portions of the movie, hers is easily the performance of the movie.
Saif puts in a performance with lots of restrain but looks aged in the initial portions. Saif's performance at best can be termed as above average. Vivek also is good in some sequences and average in others. Especially his forced accent sounds plastic.

Negatives
-------------
Renzil has been able to produce a fairly engaging fare up until the intermission but after that its a down hill graph with some interesting moments here and there. Perhaps better direction could have saved the movie.
From the moment Vivek tries to explore the terrorists by joining their gang, the movie goes in to unwanted territory. And with such a serious theme at hand, such escapades make viewers loose interest. As every character in the movie starts turning out to be a terrorist, one is looking else where for some fresh air and entertainment. By the end of it, who cares what happens to the mission or these characters.
Music is not importantly handled. 'Shukran' is the only track that leaves an impression. Even the seductive song by Kareena seems forced upon.

In short, 'Kurbaan' is an average fare becasue of being too serious about its subject. Its not boring to death but one doesn't feel interested beyond a point.

Verdict - 2.5/5 as Rating
Average as Opinion.

Kurbaan - Some movies are written so seriously, one just desires for some fresh air.

Kerala Cafe - Review

2009-10-30T09:56:00.002+05:30

Movie: Kerala Cafe
Language: Malayalam
Theatre: Savitha
Date: Oct 30, 2009. 9:30 pm

Review
----------
As a different occasion demands a different look, the most different Malayalam Cinema of recent times also demands a different format for review.Stories have always enthralled us, be it the bed time stories from childhood, to books , novels and cinema. Director, Producer Ranjith's new movie 'Keala Cafe', is an analogy of 10 Short stories.

The 10 stories have been rated below purely on the basis of how much the reviewer has liked each.

The Best Ones
1. ‘Bridge’ by Anwar Rasheed - The most heart warming of all the stories is 'Bridge', the journey of discovering company at the point of being abandoned. It’s not because its unpredictable but because of its sheer presentation that this story wins hands down. With awesome camera and performances (Shantadevi, Salimkumar,Kalpana to the little boy) 'Bridge' reigns down in your hearts as the first rain after the summer.

2. ‘Island Express’ by Shankar Ramakrishnan - Personally, I liked the way this story unfurled. There is this tinge of surprise element and as the missing pieces
fall in place, the journey of common suffering after a disaster is a touching tale. Prithviraj's voice is apt during the scenes and Jayasurya's modulation notable.
Raju, Sukumari, Rehman throw in passing but competent glimpses.

The Good Ones
The first 3 in this lot were too close to call, but here it goes...
3. ‘Nostalgia’ by Padmakumar - The most sarcastic of all the stories, 'Nostalgia' is about all the Malayalees who live in nostalgia when they are abroad but shun the same when they reach their motherland. Brilliantly cheesy and sarcastic, 'Nostalgia' throws our falsifications out in the open. Dileep puts is a good one.

4. ‘Puram Kazhchakal’ by Lal Jose - Simple, unassuming yet with a chilling climax is Lal Jose's contribution, about the passengers in a journey who never know what the other is going through. Srinivasan is competent and Mammotty fits the role to perfection. The closing shot is one of the best story climaxes you will see in the movie. Lal Jose is moneys worth, most of the time.

5. ‘Happy Journey’ by Anjali Menon - Journey that takes twists to unchartered territories; 'Happy Journey' is a wonderful take on a short trip. Nithya Menon shines as the star of the show. Jagathy is classic as usual. Anjali Menon sure knows what she is doing with this two way conversational trip.

6. ‘Makal’ by Revathy – ‘Makal’ is nothing surprising but has a well known social message portrayed in a convincing manner. The actress playing the mother excels in her performance and her desperation and helplessness moves you. ‘Makal’ is for social enlightening.

The Ones That Went Sore
7. ‘Aviramam’ by B.Unni - A normal story of a struggling man in the midst of a financial crisis, 'Aviramam' is pretty much ordinary stuff apart from the warmth between the leading characters. An expected effort by the director.
8. ‘Season’ by Shyamaprasad - A story that tries to be hep, funny, humanitarian but reaches no where and ends up as passing fare. Shyamaprasad fails to leave an impact in the minds of the audience.
9. ‘Lalitham Hiranmayam’ by Shaji Kailas - The bizarre close up shots and the incessant rains proclaim the arrival of Shaji Kailas with a story which has unconvincing sequences and dialogues. Nothing better was expected from this anyways.
10. ‘Mrityunjayam’ by Uday - The story which disappoints as a horror, mythical tale looks like one out for the 'Darna Mana Hai' lot. With CBI and investigators thrown in, it’s easy to be shunned away.

Directors
-------------
Of the directors, the most impressive are Anwar Rasheed, Anjali Menon, Padmakumar and Lal Jose. Most of the cast has put in superb glimpes of their talent. Camera in some stories like ‘Bridge’ and ‘Puram Kazhchakal’ is superb. Renjith needs kudos for bringing this together.

The Link. Does it work?
-------------------------------
The main challenge of any analogy of short stories on screen is whether the link between them works. Here the link is the cafe which they take their breaks during the journeys.The 'Cafe' element seems forced in most of the stories as they progress but as the climax unfurls, it has been more or less convincingly depicted. This should impress the link well in the minds of the audience.

Verdict - 3.5/5 as a Rating
'Good Experiment for a Different Movie' as an Opinion.

Kerala Cafe - Bold and Beautiful

Pazhassiraja - Review

2009-10-21T10:25:00.006+05:30

Movie: Pazhassi Raja
Language: Malayalam
Date: Oct 20, 2009

Review
-----------
At the end of a film, when the lights come on and the curtains fall, what ultimately matters is how much the movie has affected you at heart. Especially, if the movie is a piece of history, then the characters live in your memories decades later (The same director's OVVG is a perfect example), if the movie manages to pull your heart strings. Hariharan's latest epic 'Pazhassiraja' is grand piece of history, but how much the movie manages to affect you at heart is the most vital question, as the end credits roll. The Grandeur, effort and the intention is unquestionably there but what is questionable is the soul.

Grand Piece of History
------------------------------
The movie is a depiction of history in the era of 1790s and undoubtedly the portrayal is grand and on a massive scale. Hundreds of cast in the battle scenes, pieces of tribal villages’ recreated, full strength English Army, guerilla kind of warfare in the forest, 'Pazhassiraja' leaves no stone unturned in setting the backdrop for the epic piece to unfurl. Though the publicized budget seems completely imaginary, still this would go down as one of the costliest productions ever made in this Industry.

Technical Wizardry
--------------------------
‘Pazhassiraja’ is also a landmark in terms of the techniques used in Malayalam films. The cinematography enhances many a scenes. The radiant forests when Kerala Varma's stallion takes a dip in the stream, looks a beautiful shot. Battle scenes, fort sequences all have been shot well. Another huge positive is the color tone chosen. It becomes every evident in the outdoor scene. The Color tone gives the historic feel to the movie.

The lighting is perfect in many scenes especially one of the starting scenes when English Army invades Kerala Varma's palace. ‘Pazhassiraja’ is also enhanced with use of sound. Academy award Winner Resul Pookkotty shows how sound effects can raise a movie to a better level. Such use of sound in Malayalam is a unique first.

Hariharan as a director gets many things right but that’s about just it. Even though the movie is 3 hours and 20 minutes, it never gets hopelessly boring which should definitely be given as a credit to the director. His vision is strong and the execution succeeds to a point, in terms of scale. Where Hariharan falters is to build characters and to put heart and soul in to them. Script by the legendary MT Vasudevan Nair holds on, but not anywhere close to his previous master pieces.

Ensemble Cast
--------------------
‘PazhassiRaja’ has a competent performance by an ensemble cast. Sarath Kumar impresses most just because his is the only character which has been developed with proper character traits. A loyal friend, a faithful lieutenant, a fearsome fighter, a noble heart, ‘Edachena Kunkan’ is a treat to watch on screen. When he bravely ends his life rather than being hanged, your heart goes out to his loyalty.
Padmapriya as ‘Neeli’ is somewhat equally impressive as the ferocious fighter tribal lady. She is completely upright and lives the part to good extent. Manoj K jayan as the ‘Thalakkal Chandu’ acts out one of the most moving scenes in the movie when he is hanged to death.
Mammotty as ‘Keralavarma Pazhassi’ is a walk in the park of the legendary actor. He seems completely laid back and taking it easy until the last one hour. He comes in to his own in the climax. In the last one hour he raises his performance a few notches to add fire to the character. If ‘Pazassiraja’ as a character will be remembered a few years down the line, it would only be because this legendary actor.

Negatives
--------------
Firstly, the movie and its characters do not pull at your heart strings, for most part of it. The moment which the movie really touches you for the first time, arrives well over 2 hours in to the movie when ‘Thalakkal Chandu’ is publicly hanged in the rain. From there on the movie takes a different graph, emotionally speaking. Till then it’s all business as usual. Characters are never built properly. The only ones that touch you somewhat are ‘Edachena Kunkan’ and ‘Kerala Varma’. Character traits are never exposed or it seems no one has time for it though that excuse seems lame as the movie is 3 hrs 20 mins long. OVVG had 3 beautifully developed characters in Chandu, Archa and Aromal.

Secondly, lots of things seems forced upon during the movie. The treaty is signed and then broken without properly establishing events which led to the same. Kanika is shown undergoing a traumatic tragedy and minutes later she is all happy and in romantic scenes with the hero. 'KeralaVarma' abruptly decides that its been long since he has had a duel and does a casual duel with 'Edachena Kunkan'. Plastic. The English lady, ‘Dora’ meets ‘Keralavarma’ in the forest and she is so impressed (aka Lagaan) that she keeps fighting for him with her husband. It’s so plastic and unreal. A hanging scene is created for her to enter in a Pallakku wail and then leave. And when she leaves to England the last word she screams out is to give regards to the King. Completely forced upon and unreal. Even the length of 3 hours and 20 minutes seems forced upon. The interval sequence arrives out of no where.

Thirdly, important characters just disappear. Thilakan who is shown fighting with ‘Keralavarma’ for the throne, is presented as a major challenger to him. But after 2 scenes, he just completely disappears from the picture. Neeli who is the single most impressive female character in the whole movie, is shown putting up a brave fight against the English Army as the King escapes. After that what happens to her is never shown. Probably it needs to be assumed that she went down fighting with the army.

Fourthly, there is some terrible English cast chosen in the movie. Most of them act terribly or over act. The character ‘Dora’ and her husband (who plays the collector) are ultimate symbols of the casting goof ups done in terms of the English actors. They never much evoke any hatred. All they evoke is sympathy for poor acting.

Music is nothing impressive. Kanika is completely wasted in a souless role. The wired jump sequences look unreal and tacky which is a downer.

In conclusion, 'Pazhassiraja' is a piece of history presented on a grand scale and just that. The characters never become heart warming because they are left under developed. What is shown is their bravery and virility only. In terms of being heartless the movie has a striking resemblance to Aamir Khan's 'Mangal Pandey' but is definitely notches above that.
It’s a sure one time watch for the scale, grandeur, sound and techniques used in presenting it.

Verdict - 3.25/ 5 as a Rating.
'Fine One Time Watch' as an opinion.

‘Pazhassi Raja’ - Its Grand but how we wish it had more heart and soul in it.

Wake Up Sid - Review

2009-10-07T15:45:00.007+05:30

Movie: Wake Up Sid
Language: Hindi
Date: 07-Oct-2009

Review
During an actor’s life span some times he/she may come across roles which really do not require much imagination in terms of acting skills. These roles would require them to behave or react as what they are, both in terms of their real personality and physique. Ayan Mukerji’s directorial debut ‘Wake Up Sid’ sees B-Town’s newest star prodigee Ranbir Kapoor in one such role as the lazy kid-man ‘Siddharth’ aka Sid.

2 actors who live their roles
One of the wholesome positives of ‘Wake Up Sid’ is that its 2 lead actors suit their roles to the T, so much so that they seem like living it and not really acting.
Ranbir Kapoor is so much at élan and natural as the rich, careless, aimless, ambitionless youth, who feels it as a natural thing to say that what he wants to do in future, is to keep spending his father’s wealth.3 films old Ranbir, delivers his best performance to date in the movie. Ranbir as ‘Sid’ is young, charming and has wonderful screen presence. Ranbir doesn’t have to put much imagination in to the acting, which is evident from the last scene where he is sitting at the window and it starts raining. For the first time in the movie, he falters to bring in the right emotions when some imagination is called for. It almost shows that he was living through the rest of the entire movie.

Konkana as ‘Ayisha’, the ambitious yet cautious, uncompromising ‘new girl in the city’ of Mumbai, seems like a perfect cast. She is the mature calming presence who loves freedom and independence. Its through her eyes that Sid tries to at least get the first glimpse of what independence means and how it needs to be valued. Konkana may not have the spunk which other B-Town leading ladies have, but she delivers a fairly strong performance. On the flip side, ‘Wake Up Sid’ comes soon after ‘Luck By Chance’.The roles and the ambience are pretty similar which may be a spoiler for the fortunate few who have seen previous performance.

Music that Wakes You Up
Shanker-Ehsan and Loy have delivered at least 3 good tracks in this movie. The cool and soothing ‘IkTara’, the full of life ‘Life is Crazy’ and the title track ‘Wake Up Sid’. The music lifts the movie at some parts for sure.

Negatives
‘Wake Up Sid’ is slow by any standards. Its 2 hours and 15 minutes in length but feels like a full 3 hour movie. Ayan spends a lot of time building moments and the twists in the story fail to create impact, as the whole narration is in a breezy manner. This could easily have been a 1 hour 30 minutes movie.
And then, the script is weak. There are some sparkling moments thrown here and there but surely the script needs more mettle to hold viewer interest.
Director is so much involved with the breezy pace of the movie that viewers would soon loose interest. The only thing that would keep you hooked are Ranbir and Konkana as Sid and ‘Ayisha’.

Unlike as ‘Geet’ and ‘Aditya’ who traveled across the terrific landscape of the script of ‘Jab We Met’ and hence created a movie that was a treat to watch, ‘Sid’ and ‘Ayisha’ remain good performances alone, because the script that tells their story is not rich enough and the pace is slackening.

In short, ‘Wake Up Sid’ is a harmless one time watch for a little patient ones.

Verdict – 2.75 /5 as a Rating
Just Above Average as an Opinion

‘Sid just about manages to Wake Up’ – Thanks to Ranbir!

Robinhood - Review

2009-09-25T10:00:00.004+05:30

Movie : Robinnhood
Language : Malayalam
Theater : Padma
Date : 24th Sep, 2009 - Thursday

Review
Youthful energy has always been captivating and energizing and when it happens in Malluwood, where it has been always lacking in the recent years, it can be refreshing as well.
Joshiy's new movie 'Robinnhood' (thats how it spells in the title) tries to ride the wave of youth on the back of an interesting ATM Robbery scam. 'Robinnhood' tries to be what you call in quintessential terms a 'youthful time pass flick' and mix high tech robbery to it. The percentage to which the movie has succeeded, lies in the territory of being debatable.

Youth Trio Gone Sour
During the first 15-20 minutes of 'Robinnhood', you feel that its almost like the 3 pronged clash that you famously loved in Joshiy's last 20-20. And it makes you feel happy because Joshiy is quite good at that and these youthful stars were missing anyways from the previous version. But sadly it doesn't last for long. Jayasurya is sidelined in a role which is a police officer who comes and goes once in a while. Its not a worthwhile role for him. The movie is a two way story between Prithviraj and Naren for most parts. We can safely say that 'Jayasurya is wasted' in this role.
The movie cannot boast of one decisive superlative lead actor performance. Prithviraj is good and has amazing screen presence. He is the hero of the movie but he doesn't run away with it as in 'Puthiya Mugham'.Naren is having almost an equal footing as Prithviraj puts in a unexpectedly competent performance but he neither is the clincher performance as well. They both relish amidst each other and as longs as they are chasing each other, the movie interests you.

A Good First Half
'Robinnhood' promises a lot in the first half. Its a logically well explained ATM Robbery story with technology part of it shown beautifully. Joshiy needs pat on the back for the depiction of the technical robbery. Until the interval, Prithviraj and Naren are hunting for each other and the movie keeps you glued to your seats. The interval point though not a high point is also fine.

Average Second Half
As the movie unfurls after the interval, things start to go downhill. The script takes the predictable route to justify the robbery done by the protagonist, with a much clichéd 'PAST' episode. And soon, twists become predictable. Movie completely moves in to its lowest points when Naren no longer hunts Prithviraj but starts saving him for the 'friendship'. So, it turns in to the usual one villain bashing end but the climax episode is cleverly planned and shown on screen, to say the least.

The Saviour
There is only one Saviour for 'Robinnhood' and thats undoubtedly Joshiy. He keeps you hooked for at least 70% of the movie and needs applause for the same. The way he has portrayed the technical portions of the robbery needs praise. The two character play and behind the back hunt between Prithviraj and Naren also needs applause. To be a veteran and yet to be up to date with a techno savvy movie, deserves kudos.

Music - The Downer
But how you would wish that Joshiy had some better music sense. From the moment you see 'M.Jayachandran' for the music credits in the opening, you smell foul. In such a hep youthful theme that is the last thing you would want to do. And that is what exactly happens. None of the 3 tracks are even average. The Caribbean Salsa party song (Sa Mosa) is the worst you would have heard of that kind.
Deepak Dev showed you how good music can lift an average movie with 'Puthiya Mugham'. Watch 'Robinnhood' to understand the reverse. There is not even a decent signature tune for the 'Prince of Thieves'. Youthful hep techno movie with no good music, now thats what you call a 'downer'!

Of the rest of the cast, Bhavana is for eye candy. Samvratha does the second heroine as usual. Biju Menon is his usual self. Jayasurya would have been fine not doing this one.

To Sum it all up, 'Robinnhood' has an impressive first half and an average second half. As long as the hunt lasts, its interesting but soon the 'justification from the past' arrives in the most clichéd set up.Climax is well arranged.

Verdict - 3.25 / 5 as a RATING
'ABOVE AVERAGE ENTERTAINER' as an opinion

Robinnhood - 'The Prince of Thieves who couldn't steal the hearts'.

Loud Speaker - Review

2009-09-23T10:25:00.005+05:30

Movie: Loud Speaker
Language : Malayalam
Date : 22-Sep-09, Tuesday

Review

Nostalgia, Camaraderie, Innocence, Simplicity and Humility are good emotions of the human heart. Director Jayaraj plays wonderfully with these good emotions of the human heart to portray an endearing tale of friendship between an organ donor, Mike (played by Mammotty) and his patient recipient, Menon (played by Sasikumar). Jayaraj tries to strike a poignant balance between the ease at which he wants his story to unfurl and the commercial aspects of entertainment. The director succeeds to a great extent in striking this balance. 'Loud Speaker' and its characters leave the mark of an intelligent director who wants to try a middle path of story telling, within the realms of art house and mainstream cinema.

'Mike' is Marvelous

This year we already have seen a fascinating manifestation of innocence by Mohanlal as Shivankutty in Blessy's 'Bharamaram'. This time its Mammotty's turn to deliver a stellar of a performance as the simpleton, 'Mike Philippose'. 'Mike' is what they call 'The Son of the Soil'. He is natural, simple and mostly naive in the world of modern fast paced city life. But in each one of us, living in today's times, there lies traces of 'Mike', wherein lies the success of the character. We know at the bottom of our hearts that the inexplicable display of emotions which he shows for the people around, is the right way to live but we shudder at the thought that if we do the same, we would also be regarded as a misfits in today's society, just as 'Mike' in this movie is.

From being the odd man out in the city life to being caring and selfless to others, from being 'senseless' in being loud to the self shattering love for his friend, Mammotty makes each moment of Mike a pleasure to watch.
When you watch him as 'Mike' you would not feel it as an extraordinary performance. The reason is that he does it with so much ease that it looks so simple. Its easily Mammotty's best role and performance for some time now.

Jayaraj - Just Worth It !

The story of 'Loud Speaker' is so simple that there is nothing much to go ga-ga about but the script and screenplay has saved the day for Jayaraj. The way he has created characters like 'Mike' and 'Menon' and other characters in the flat where they stay, is the clincher for this movie. Also, his play with nostalgia and human goodness surely deserves a pat on the back. Music also has been well used. The sequences seem carefully planned, songs well picturised especially the 'Alliyambal' one. Cinematography has been used to enhance the mood many a times.

Other Positives

Songs are befitting the situations. Mammotty singing in 2 of the songs may look a bit amateurish voice but when you consider it as 'Mike' singing it, it looks realistic. 'Alliyambal' is superb and memorably rendered by Vijay Yesudas. Its hard not have a lump in your throat while watching this song on screen. Looks and sounds beautiful. Bijibal's background score is good in parts.Cinematography is really good. Supporting cast and characters have been put in a notable show. Janardhanan, Jagathy, Salim Kumar, Suraj all do competent jobs. Gracy Singh has the same set of expressions as 'Munnabhai MBBS' and is over expressive at times.

Negatives

Now to the negatives. 'Loud Speaker' is not a boring film by any stretch of the imagination. Comedy scenes involving Mike in the first half and in the second are good but at a few instances the comedy looks like forced upon. It goes over the top. Jagathy getting bashed by kids in the Play School, Jagathy's dog bite sequence, Jagathy - Suraj counselling etc are examples where the comedy goes over the top and seems like forced upon. But it never reaches the point of unbearable and most of the gags involving Mike are funny.

Secondly, 'Menon' has an almost equally important screen space as 'Mike'. Considering this, Sasikumar puts in an average performance. Its not a revetting performance as Mammotty's. If it was a top notchperformance by the actor who played 'Menon', then the movie would have rose few notches high. When his past unfurls(which has been unduly delayed as well) one does not empathize with him. Its always with 'Mike's' character that the audience is. Hence the love story of 'Menon' and his return to home look a bit disconnected for the audience. The saving grace is that Mammotty has many a times covered it with his performance.

Thirdly, even at 2 hours and 15 minutes, 'Loud Speaker' feels its length especially towards the later part of second half. A bit intelligent audience may ask questions like 'What is the logic behind the donor being made to stay in a flat for so long without the operation happening?'. Even the date of the operation is shown as getting fixed only in the second half. Once the past of 'Menon' unfurls, the move goes in to a lethargic pace. The portions where he visits his home and then the post operation portions take its own time to unfurl. One would need some patience to sit through these portions. A good 10 minutes can be edited out of the movie.

Fourthly, the sync sound has not come forth effectively. Many dialogues in the first half go inaudible. Audience also needs some time to adjust themselves to this Sync Sound. Lack of clarity has affected many sequences.

Finally, to sum it all up, 'Mike' and 'Loud Speaker' talk of goodness of the human heart which are rare these days. It pulls at your heart strings and if you can have some patience, can be endearing as well.

Its one of the better Malaylalam movies of recent times but the vital question is in this age of ultra fast life, how many would have the patience to value this goodness?

Verdict - 3.5/5 as a RATING
GOOD in terms of Opinion

'Loud Speaker' - All about the good things!

Kaanakanmani - Review

2009-09-06T14:14:00.004+05:30

Movie : Kaanakanmani
Language : Malayalam
Theatre : Savitha
Date : Sep 06, 2009. Saturday

Review

When you expect a vegeterian meal for a marriage sadhya, you would be surprised to be served with Chinese instead. This is exactly what the family and general audiences watching Akku Akbar's latest movie 'Kaanakanmani' also are bound to feel. You may be expecting a family drama but about 40 minutes in to the movie, you would be surprised to be watching a horror movie instead.

Surprise! Surprise
The above genre shift is surprise which can be taken as a positive. Once you have come to terms with the fact that you are in for a horror movie, the next best thing is to judge 'Kaanakanmani' for what it is. A family based horror movie. You can be a best critique by judging the movie only based on its content and entertainment value, instead of the above genre shift.

A Novel Theme
The theme of abortion and the pain,suffering of the unborn child is a new theme in Malayalam. The way it has been presented in certain portions of the movie is noteworthy. Especially in the second half, after the initial song,the next 10-15 minutes which shows how the couple arrive at the decision of abortion and how the doctor explains the inhumanity involved is very much relatable and handled well.

Direction, or lack of it?
'Kaanakanmani' is a very good example of how a novel theme can be presented in an irritating manner. Director seems to have the above theme about which he is very passionate, alright, but the antics shown to drive home the point, make you squirm in your seats. The girl child (played notably by Niveditha) keeps switching between herself and the ghost of the unborn, without any provocative situation. This looks tacky. May be the director should see movies like 'Manichitrathazhu' more carefully, where a complex theme is presented so beautifully.

After 30 mins in the second half, all hell breaks looks and the movie becomes a directionless horror flick. There are some genuine scares but then again most of it seems cliche and oft repeated.By the end you do not care what the theme is of what happens to the family. Its difficult to sit through.

Performances
Niveditha as 'Anagha' is good but she is not outstanding. Her efforts to understand the character needs to lauded at such young age. Jayaram is nothing special as is Padmapriya who needs to seriously look at her colour sense in costumes. Biju Menon is wasted. Vijayaraghavan and Suraj are good releif.
Music has nothing to cheer. Camera is competant. Special effects not up to the mark.
The whole idea of horror being planned and created at an isolated home sans to impress and is very recent in the movie 'Winter' with the same hero. The same theme could have been presented in a much better way in a natural setting like say 'Bhooth'.
Apart from the novel theme and some moments here and there 'Kaanamanmani' is a painful watch.

Verdict - 2/5 as rating and 'BELOW AVERAGE' as opinion

'Kaanakanmani' - Mishandled novelty!

Daddy Cool - Review

2009-09-01T10:39:00.003+05:30

Movie : Daddy Cool
Language : Malayalam
Date : Aug 30th, Sunday
Show : 11:30 am

Review
Sometimes good on screen chemistry is what brings a smile on to your face. And this is somewhat the saving grace of Mammotty's new movie 'Daddy Cool'. The actor who has had the history of sharing legendary on screen chemistry with child actors like Baby Shalini, this time around comes back with another version of Daddy - Child Chemistry, with 'Aadhi' notably potrayed by the new child artiste Dhananjay.

Fairly Entertaining
'Daddy Cool' is not a great movie by any means but is a somewhat fair entertainer. It won't hurt you or make you go mad for seeing it. The story is nothing new.But the looks and styling of the movie are contemporary and chick. With production values which are quite alien to the usual Malluwood movies, 'Daddy Cool' presents some freshness in terms of meare viewing splendour.

Music
Music is a decent effort. 'Kadhayoru' shot in Hong Kong looks and sounds cool. The end credits disco song 'Daddy Cool' is also fine and shot well in a much bollywood style. But for the best song was 'Daddy My Daddy'. Dhananjay was awesome in that song and Mammotty looked superb. His 007 take was also really cool.

-Ves
The casting mismatch is the first goofup. Richa Pallod as Mammotty's wife is untolerable in many portions. She could have been easily replaced by someone else.Biju Menon also could have been replaced by a younger face to compliment Radhika.
Second issue is with the script and direction in the second half. The focus on action scenes and the over exaggeration in presentation of these scenes should have been avoided. Each movie and theme has a colour and may be a feel good family movie was turning in to a full blown action movie. This looked a mismatch.
And at the end of it, 'Daddy Cool' has only freshness in terms of looks and an on screen chemistry to offer. Nothing new in what it has to say.

Performances
Mammotty delivers a stylish mint cool performance. He is at ease and looks good. Its one of his better movies in the last 2 years (the rest of them have been that pathetic).He rocks the screen in 007 avatar. He is convincing as the super cool daddy and the lazy cop who keeps boasting about his 'adventures'.Dhananjay as 'Aadhi' is very good and he is one of the sole reasons you may not dislike the movie. He shares some better on screen moments with Mammotty.
Direction is good in parts and average otherwise. Cinematography is breezy and gives a stylish feel to the movie. The opening credits were innovative.

All in all, 'Daddy Cool' has nothing new to say but its visually fresh and showcases good on screen chemistry between the lead cast (Mammotty and Dhananjay).
Verdict - 2.75/5 in terms of Rating
'Fairly Entertaining' as an Opinion
'Daddy Cool' - Good Chemistry works any day!

Ritu - Review

2009-08-21T10:26:00.005+05:30

Movie: Ritu
Language: Malayalam
Date: 21- Aug -2009 Show: 9:00 pm

Review
A story teller who tries to touch upon too many ideas, themes and issues and looses the focus on the central theme. This for me is a one line gist of what the new Shyama Prasad movie 'Ritu' is.
'Ritu' is the story of Friendship and how it changes according to the times. In terms of the kind of youth oriented themes made in Malayalam, "Ritu' is definitely the kind of change one is looking for.It could easily have been the second 'Passenger' of the year but falls short terribly.

Life Changing Friendships
Many of us may have friendships that changed our lives for ever. That for once is a hugely relatable theme. 3 friends who have a 'hideout'. In this case it’s a stunning lake side with a dilapidated hanger near by. They share their best moments there. Their dreams, ambitions, love, hatred and despair. Even though the initial portions of the movie are affected by some below par acting by the new comers and issues related to dubbing, still we can over look these being their debut. Hence, as the friendship tale is shown, the first 45 minutes of the movie are quite enjoyable.

Lost Focus
Where the script and the director loose it is towards the end of the first half. The narrative meanders in to subjects like failed communists (Sharat's father and brother), people affected by land acquisition for IT parks and so on. Some of the scenes are so unimaginatively written that you would end up laughing. The sudden collapse of Sharat's father in the hospital and the message conveyed by the nurse, the rescue act by the doctors, everything is so shabby that it evokes laughter instead of the desired shock.

The interval point is somewhat fine and after that the movie again keeps moving in to unwanted territories. An over ambitious lady CEO who compromised on family life to get success. Her suffering husband and so on. Communist brother of Sharat and his friends boozing the night away. All this while the friendship theme takes a back seat.

The Single Friend
Ritu's friendship involves 3 people. Sharat, Varsha and Sunny but where 'Ritu' falls short is that it’s only the story of Sharat. Mostly Varsha and Sunny are shown only from the angle of what Sharat sees. Varsha and Sunny's characters are left underdeveloped. This for me is the major miss for Ritu’s script. Hence, when the friendship suffers, we empathize for Sharat and not for the other characters because they were never developed in our minds.

Music - Under utilized
‘Ritu’ has at least 3 superb tracks but Shyama Prasad commits the crime of wasting most of these. 'Venal Kattil' is lost in between sequences (though these are funny ones). 'Chanjalam' is again shown only partly as a passing affair. And finally when tracks are shown in focus, 'Pularumo' and ' Ku Ku Ku' come back to back within a gap of 2-3 minutes. The director doesn't know how to use a good soundtrack and commits hara-kiri with it. For me, who am an avid music fan, this is a major disappointment. Rahul Raj, though deserves kudos for the good tracks.

+Ves
The IT industry is shown in much better reality than in the movies like ‘Minnaminnikkottam’. And for once a youth oriented movie looks somewhat real. Performances are not breath taking but somewhat competent.
Nishan, as Sharat, the central character of the movie, delivers in places and falters in others. Rima as Varsha is a talent to look out for if she works on her dubbing. Asif as Sunny is also pretty much convincing.

Conclusion
'Ritu' will impress you in parts and will make you loose your interest for major parts. How we wish that Shyama Prasad has developed Varsha's and Sunny's characters and had kept focusing on friendship instead of other things. For once, there is a meaningful climax and for those who have had life changing friendships, the last scene may moist your eyes.

‘Ritu’ could have been a turning point for Malluwood and had everything going for it but what it remains is a hugely lost opportunity.

Verdict - Rating - 2/5
Opinion - Very Average.

‘Ritu’ - Of what could have been a wonder!!

Kaminey - Review

2009-08-16T10:48:00.009+05:30

Movie: Kaminey
Language : Hindi
Date : 15th Aug, 2009

Review
How far can a director compromise on the theme, presentation, script and screenplay of a movie to accommodate more span of the viewer population? Watching the movie 'Kaminey', you understand that Vishal has a somewhat clear answer to the above question. 'Kaminey' is a dark tale about the life, aspirations and misadventures of two distinctly unique characters who happen to be twins as well. The theme on the outset looks like a tried and tested formula in bollywood but Vishal makes a compelling depiction out of an oft repeated theme.

A Dark Thriller
'Kaminey' takes you on a ride along the thrilling lives of a gangster named 'Charlie' and an aspiring NGO activist named 'Guddu' whose follies make them encounter bigger goons, gangsters, dons and politicians. Their paths entwine in an interesting journey of mistaken identity, deceit, brotherhood and their past, along with the host of baddies breathing down their necks. What lacks in this ride, is that at many portions it takes its own sweet pace, which may irk you.

Performances
Shahid is stupendous as ‘Charlie’ and ‘Guddu’. His lisping and stammering takes on the twins, leave you in awe of this actor at a relatively young phase in his career. The mean, emotionless, dark and ambitious 'Charile' who pronounces every ‘S’ as ‘F’ is in stark contrast to the methodically aspiring, reserved, cute and romantic ‘Guddu’ who stammers. Shahid gets lot of help from the script which boasts of possibly the best conceived twins in recent times on screen. The characters have been sketched so distinctly that by the end, when the 2 characters come face to face, we almost feel that 2 actors are doing these roles. Shahid successfully negotiates the high adrenaline rush of Charile and the romantic scenes of Guddu.

Priyanka Chopra as ‘Sweety’ is loud and adds a lot of spunk, when she is on screen but frankly she has not much to do relatively.
The supporting cast has put in a good show with Amol Gupte being the pick of the lot.

Music Camera and Action
The cinematography is apt for a brooding gangster movie. Music goes well with the movie. The 'Dhan ta nan' song and the tune has been used well. The slow 'Pehli baar Mohabbat' is also nice but most of the tracks are ok for one time hear during the movie, as they flow well with the mood of it. Action scenes are shot well with a hollywoodisque touch.

Negatives
The major negative of 'Kaminey' is that it many times falters in pace. The proceedings till the interval look much better than what happens after it. The interval is a high point, though expected, but its a downward slope after that. Kaminey needs fair amount of patience to sit through. For majority of the commercial movie lovers, 'Kaminey' would not go down well with them. But from Vishal's point of view, he is just trying to tell the story in his own sweet time. But the question is does the majority of the audience think alike. Perhaps for a thriller, at many points a faster take was required.
Finally, 'Kaminey' is a good watch if you can keep aside your masala movie instincts and show some patience to take the ride along with the director, who wouldn't budge for many compromises.

Verdict : On a scale of 5, I would rate 'Kaminey' at 3.

My Opinion is "Good for the ones with Patience'.

Kaminey - A gut'f'y take!

Puthiya Mugham - Review

2009-08-07T12:03:00.004+05:30

Movie - Puthiya Mugham
Language - Malayalam
Date - 06th August, 2009, Thursday

Review
Out of shape heroes walking around even heavier villains and delivering lengthy dialogues about their prowess and animosity. Villains being defeated by the hero one by one, based on seniority. The senior most one being defeated at the climax. For many years now, Malayalam commercial action movies have been just these.
Debutant Director Diphan's 'Puthiya Mugham' just brings some difference to this oft repeated saga in recent action flicks in Malluwood. What remains as a disappointment is that, 'Puthiya Mugham' doesn't end up being a superlative action movie which would go down as a defining one in the history of Malluwood. Its a change but not a defining one.

The Plot
The plot has nothing new. It’s the oft repeated turn around, vengeance and revenge. Of the good guy been beaten up by the baddies and then decides to hit back with fire after being down and out.It has been one of the better kinds of plot for commercial action movies especially for young heroes to launch themselves as stars. Diphan has adopted the same and his version is slick to a point.

Prithvi Raj
Prithivi Raj is the soul of whatever 'Puthiya Mugham' is. Finally, it’s good to see a hero with the appropriate physique doing action scenes in Malayalam. In real life, he is battling against a star system in Malluwood and in this version of his reel life; he is seen fighting lots of baddies. Whatever is the reason, Prithvi sure has a lot of vengeance in his eyes and that comes across. But his performance is not a breath taking one.

Prithvi commits many errors. The scenes where he plays Mridangam looks artificial especially the mock act on the desk his first day at college. Also, the scene when he is badly being beaten up the seniors looks below par. Many a times he looks like 'acting' and not natural in that scene.

But his action is cool. Audiences react to him with applause and cheer at the interval scene. Perhaps, there is no other actor at present times in Malayalam who could have made this movie whatever it finally is, apart from him. And there is that little sense of pride when you seem him do those action scenes on screen. Finally, after having seen Ajith,Vijay, Surya and Vikram for ages, we finally have someone our own (even though nowhere near them) to have an appropriate age, physique, looks to do a action role with some conviction.

Of the other performances, Bala is good though he could have worked better on looks. Priya Mani fits the role and is a fair choice. Meera Nandan looks out of place. Sai Kumar, Shammi Thilakan and Nedumudi are as usual.

Technical Departments
Direction sure has some promise but falls short. The action scenes look good and many a times you need to keep saying to yourself that you are watching a Malayalam film.
Diphan believes in having less lengthy dialogues of bravado and more of action unlike his guru Shaji Kailas who almost specializes in that. This for once is a relief in Malluwood. Many a times, the action is in the face and decisive. For once, Villains are not defeated one by one based on seniority. 2-3 of the senior guys are demolished in single blows which come as shocking at that moment on screen.Many a times, I got reminded of the superbly entertaining 'RUN'. But it never rose anywhere close to that.

Screen play is average to good and action scenes well choreographed. Music is good and has some cool tracks. 'Surya Mugham' during the title credits and its use in BGM is a defining one. Prthivi looks like a passionate singer as well. 'Rahasyamaayi' is a foot tapping number rendered by KK and Shilpa Rao. 'Picha Vecha Naal' is also good.

Negatives
Script has many holes. Initially Krishna Kumar (Prithivi) is shown as reluctant to go to college and not interested to learn and then suddenly after being beaten up and being down and out, why is he so motivated and driven to learn? The completely ill, down and out Prithvi returns to college and rises to complete anger in just one moment. Its not a gradual retaliation hence looks a bit unconvincing though one is sure to get carried away by that moments at the interval.
Audience never gets to really like the character of Krishna Kumar though girls are shown falling for him left, right and center. Hence his plight doesn't generate the same kind of empathy when is down. But anyways, the retaliation is presented with so much force that audience is ready to lap it up from there on.

Final Thoughts
‘Puthiya Mugham’ as a movie, even after being considered as a pure commercial masala action flick, deserves only average rating. But for once, it has something which has not happened on Malayalam screen for a long long time. A young hero with an unapologetic physique and fire in his eyes. Some in your face kind of action scenes which are well choreographed. Just for this unique selling points not seen in an aged Malluwood, I am going with a few notches above Average.

Verdict - In terms of Rating 2.5/5.
In terms of opinion ' JUST A TAD ABOVE THE AVERAGE'.

Puthiya Mugham - Its of course a bit new but could have been far more convincing.

Love Aaj Kal - Review

2009-08-01T09:13:00.006+05:30

Movie : Love Aaj Kal
Language : Hindi
Show : 31st July, 2009

Review:
For many years, I have compulsively hated this scene from the super hit romantic movie 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' where a reluctant lover, SRK, lands at Kajol's house just before her wedding to Salman. He weeps and cringes 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai Anjali Tum Nahin Samjogi'. It was the most contrived and hypocritical scene in Bollywood romance for me.
Director Imtiaz Ali's new movie 'Love Aaj Kal' has the very same situation when Saif lands at Deepika's house at her marriage to someone else. But the difference here is that this scene is so well and realistically handled, that all the distaste that I held for years, about the above 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' scene, vanished in no time. A new and sincere take indeed.

A model love story acting as an inspiration to a more casual and contemporary one. While Aditya Chopra struggled to make sense with this theme in 'Mohabatein', Imtiaz revels and excels with the same in 'Love Aaj Kal'. Move over Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar. The New King of Romance in Bollywood has arrived. And no this time, you do not have see romantic movies in the most contrived, soap opera type situations. Imtiaz makes them realistic, contemporary and mature.

Realistic, Contemporary and Mature
'Love Aaj Kal' is a movie which will make you have a smile on your face for most parts of it. Its one of the most mature takes on contemporary relationships in recent times. The 2 protagonists Jai and Meera are mature enough to let them go at various points of the story to gauge their love pangs. Its almost a journey through love. There are no clichéd situations may be except at the climax. I felt that it is may be a tad too mature take as well. The beginning of the movie sets tone for the proceedings to come.

Casting and Performances
Deepika appears really natural as Meera and the casting is perfect in that respect. She completely justifies her selection for the role. Saif is around 50-60% convincing. During the first half it was hard to see him doing this role. He looks aged and the pairing opposite Deepika looks a bit far stretched. But once the second half beings, he really puts in a good performance and covers up. His performance and looks as young Rishi is really good.
The actress who debutes as love interest of young Rishi is very innocent and good looking. She puts in a cute performance. Rishi is competent and Rahul Khanna is ho-hum.

Music
Needless to say that the music by Pritam is top notch. My favorite track was the all encompassing 'Ye Dooriyan'. I really loved its placing in the movie (at the very start) and also the way it shows the entire glimpse of things to come. Cool! 'Main Kya Hoon' is also a nice track. 'Chori Bazari' is fun on the run. 'Twist' was a tad disappointing due to lack of dance sequences. 'Ahun Ahun' was ok as well.

Directors' Delight
The way Imtiaz handles the screenplay is a treat to watch. As the narrative switches between the 2 love stories, old and contemporary the interest is never lost. And at the end, they culminate as one. Its difficult to handle such switching of canvas with such panache. May be in a serious theme like 'Rang De Basanti' its more easier to hold viewer interest, as you switch but Imtiaz does it masterly in a romantic theme. He keeps it simple, realistic and lovable.

Negatives
I feel that the 2 characters are a tad too mature for themselves and even for this age. So the audience may feel a bit disconnected. As the love story is not established in the beginning, the breakup don't empathize you but later the relationship keeps growing on you. Saif's dancing skills need some tuning and he is not fully convincing. The by now clichéd disco number at the end (same as Jab we Met) should have been avoided.

Verdict : 3.5/5 in terms of rating. 'GOOD' in terms of opinion.
Grab a bag of popcorn and hit the movies - You wouldn't wanna miss this one.

Winter - Review

2009-07-22T23:30:00.009+05:30

Movie : Winter
Language : Malayalam
Date : 21 July, 2009.

Review
Horror is one of the classic genres that movies have been made in, since time immemorial. Dipu's directorial debut 'Winter' is a horror flick as well. Having been in the cans for over 3-4 years now, 'Winter' looks a bit back in time but the genuine problems of the movie are not to do with being delayed but with the story telling methods.

Cliche Backdrop
When 'Winter' was in the cans, a superbly impressive movie named 'Yavarum Nalam' came to the screens. It was so impressive because it tried to create horror out of a TV Serial which was so relatable to each and every one of us, yet different. 'Bhooth' also was very impressive because as Ramu said, he deliberately wanted to bring horror to the city and in a flat which is how people live nowadays.What 'Winter' does is try to go back and create a cliché horror backdrop by taking the unconvincing reason of a child's psychopathic problems to shift a family to a horror generating isolated bungalow. What follows is a cooked up setting where each motion of any object is just conspired to create horror.

Gimmicks Galore
From the loud door bell to the scary faced house keeper. You name the horror movie gimmick and its all there in 'Winter'. Gimmicks to create horror are fine to the point that if the audience feels that the director is getting along with the real story as the time passes. But the problem with 'Winter' is that the horror gimmicks do not finish and the story telling reaches no where. Interval point brings in some respite and is a good one as well. Dipu has tried his best at creating horror via sound effects (mainly) and also some weird camera angles. He succeeds to some extent in keeping the audience at tender hooks.

Performances
Jayaram is competent with a natural performance of a family man. Bhavana is irritating sometimes but by and large she is ok. The 2 kids could really have been better in terms or performances. TG Ravi does his horrifying house keeper act to the best.Manoj K Jayan is passé.

Technical Aspects
BGM has tried real hard to create the horror and many a times goes over the top. Cinematography could have been better for a horror flick.There is only 1 song which looks a bit out of place. Better editing could have been done to make the movie crisper. Direction considering that its a debut is notable but it needs thinking to understand how the same person made 'Crazy Gopalan' after this one.

Conclusion
‘Winter’ is no great cinema and could have been way better but it neither is unbearable as well. Dipu has some talent for sure and needs right direction from here on.The biggest plus for ‘Winter’ is that the audience go in with zero expectations and find themselves just about ok at the end.

VERDICT - 2.5/ 5 and an AVERAGE rating for ‘Winter’.

‘Winter’ - A somewhat better debut for Dipu than being ‘Crazy’.!!!

Ee Pattanathil Bhootham - Review

2009-07-10T23:20:00.004+05:30

Movie : Ee Pattanathil Bhootham.
Language : Malayalam
Date: 09/07/09

Review
It is really difficult to write a review when you are mentally drained and exhausted. You do not know what to put in and what to write because it’s not particularly good news that you have to share. That’s exactly what the feeling I am going through now after yesterday's late night show of Mammotty's come back vehicle 'Ee Pattanathil Bhootham'.
What could have been an interesting genre and plot has been really spoiled by the graphics overkill and gimmicks which make you squirm in your seats as you pray for the movie to get over fast.

Confused Genre
Let’s not try to escape saying that EPB belongs to a kid’s movie genre and so adults would not like it. We have enjoyed so many kids’ movies, haven't we?
Be it My Dear Kuttichathan, Mr.India (when we were kids actually) or even the recent movies like Bhoothnath, adults have enjoyed such movies, if they are honest and enjoyable. The plain fact about EPB is that it tries to be a kid’s movie with cheap antics like an Elephant cricket and a hippo in the climax. Grow up; Johny, we live in the age of kids who grow up on Xbox, Playstation and iphones. These are age old gimmicks to attract kids. You should have tried new ones.
It tries to be a kids movie and also play up to the Mammotty fans throwing in a murder in between and sadly reaches no where.

Graphics Over Kill
EPB is a movie which has used as much graphics as may be all Malayalam Movies put together till now because may be our movies do not use graphics too much.
To the movie's credit 75% of these graphics look fine. The emergence of ‘bhootham’ and the way he disappears. The ‘bhootham’ in the bottle and the sea sequence (except for the shark which looks pasted) are fine. But EPB looses it in over doing the graphics and make it look gross and distasteful.
Mammotty's head looks pasted on to someone else's body in so many sequences. In the double role sequences look so distasteful that Johny should take a look at 'Jeans' which may be came almost 10 years back. EPB hasn't even been able to match that in the double role sequences. The scenes when Mammotty rides the horse up side down and all are as gross as special effects can get.

Mammotty - Our heart goes out for you
One of the finest actors this country has and will ever have, is seen 'self torturing' himself in the role of an insipid 'bhootham'. The 'bhootham' is so unimaginative and stupid that he has 2-3 pony tails in his already messed up hair do. A DCH like ‘Goti’ and designer party suits to wear. And if that is not all he speaks in a kiddish voice. The Kid like voice of Mammotty is unbearable. It makes you wish to run to the nearest exit each moment you hear it. And I could not even decipher 20% of the dialogues the 'bhootham was saying. The dubbing was really poor and trashy. The only saving grace are his graphic horns that come up once in while. That looks cute!

Watch the scenes where he acts as 'bhootham'. Many a times, he tries hard. To be comic, to be funny but everything looks like a self-torture. 'Rajamanikyam' , 'Oru Maravathoor Kanavu' were thoroughly enjoyable comic roles of Mammotty but in those he was at so much ease and the characters were raw, uneducated. It looked funny. Here he seems to be trying hard to generate comedy but he could have spared more mercy on himself and the audience.

The Technical Portions
EPB once again proves that 20-20 was a master effort by Joshy becasue Sibi Udyan's script falls flat and this time Jonhy Antony is incapable to save it. As usual, a muder has been thrown in which is he order of the things in most commercial movies in Malayalam now. First half is somewhat bearable but second half is a pain. When Jimmy comes in, he spares you from the torture of bearing the Bhootham. But he is soon back in action and add to that the graphics and gimmicks over kill, you seriously would wish the movie to get over faster.

+Ves
Personally speaking the only positive that I liked from the entire movie was the song 'Maamarangale....". But want to add here that Suraj and Salim Kumar have some good one liners and a bit of a comic relief but haven't we seen umpteen Salim Kumar Buffon police roles and Suraj side kick roles?
And as said, graphics is good in many portions as well.

Whoever, conceptualized the 'bhootham' character seriously needs to think whether he knows what he is doing because Amitabh's Bhooth get up was far far bearable than this.

To cut the long story short, EPB is a pain to watch. For the kids, for the adults but for everyone with a sensible head. The only thing that it is bound to save you, is your kid's request for the visit to the Zoo because this one has an elephant and a Hippo.

Verdict : - 1.5/5 and 'A tad above Pathetic' for 'Ee Pattanathil Bhootham'.

Save it for the CD or TV. At least you and your children will be happier seeing this at home.

Bhramaram - Review

2009-07-02T23:10:00.003+05:30

Movie: Bhramaram
Language : Malayalam
Show : 01/07/09

Review
Some people are punished for their entire life. It’s difficult to relate to for many, but that’s the truth. By fate, by society and by the people, some are punished for the entirety of their lives. Blessy's latest movie, 'Bhramaram' shows the journey of one such person. Brilliantly portrayed by Mohanlal, 'Shivankutty' is one character on which the movie solely depends for everything.Taking the oft repeated revenge sagas as a backdrop, Blessy uses a never before seen approach, canvas, screenplay and technique to present one of the complex characters Lal has ever portrayed.

Mohanlal - Brutally Magnificent
From catharsis to revenge, from suspense to tender display of affection, from action to being eccentric, from the brooding silence to the maverick bordering lunacy, 'Shivankutty' is one character which Mohanlal can sure be proud of. It is a much complex character than may be 'Rameshan Nayar' in Tanmatra (though it was more relatable for the majority) and Mohanlal plays it with the ease and élan few in the world of cinema would have done it. When he suddenly bursts in to the fits of anger you shudder seeing the vengeance in his eyes. When he breaks down at the end, it makes your eyes moist. The ease with which he switches between these sudden changes of emotions is brilliant to watch. If there is one reason for 'Bhramaram' being a must watch its 'Shivankutty'.

Blessy - Brutally Brave
Blessy the most promising director over the last decade pushes the envelope this time with his 'Bhramaram'. Taking the wafer thin story line in to consideration, the screen play and the direction needs to be commended handsomely. Blessy uses a canvas which has seldom been seen on the Malayalam screen. The camera has been used near to perfection. Blessy succeeds to keep the suspense alive for almost 70% of the movie. Sometimes it’s so gripping and interesting that you find yourself leaning forward, all keen eyes. The entire suspense is created by the mystery surrounding the maverick 'Shivankutty'. It’s impossible to decipher what he is going to do next or which path he will take just like the Bee (Bhramaram). ‘Bhramaram’ will haunt you for days after you have seen it.
It takes immense bravado to make such a movie without any compromises. Blessy could have added more lighter moments in the first half and also created a more relatable plane for the audience. But he doesn't compromise a wee bit. So majority may find 'Kazcha' and 'Tanmatra' more relatable and likable but not 'Bhramaram'. May be becauase it was never meant to be so.

Other +ves
Bhramaram has one of the best cinematographic efforts that Malayalam may have seen for a long long time. Its technically a very superior movie apart from a few special effect glitches.Music is very competant for the movie. It goes with the mood. People are sure to hum 'Annarakanna vaa'. 'Kuzhaloothi' is good as well.Performance of Suresh Menon as Unni is competent.
Negatives
I feel that the most prominent negative of 'Bhramaram' is that only a mere 30-40% may be able to relate to it. Kazcha and Tanmatra were ones which majority could relate to. Otherwise you should be able to just hand the reins of your mind to the director and go along the journey which he takes. Don't think of the message or the eventuality at the end.Bhramaram is not meant to be a message driven movie. Its a journey of a curious character which may not be relatable to all. If you see it from that point of view, you will love it. But how many can do so is the vital question.
Bhoomika and the kid who plays Lal's daughter could have been replaced by better people. The movie could have been crisper by 10 minutes minimum.Lalitha's oft seen hue and cry could have been avoided. It looked cliched.

Conclusion
A few years back Sanjay Leela Bansali tested the bollywood audience with a brooding, cathartic journey of a teacher and a student to redemption and named it 'BLACK'. He literally tested the bollywood audience and thank god he succeeded as there was a sizable multiplex thinking audience by that time.Blessy with 'Bhramaram' has now thrown open a similar test for the Malayalam Audience.We need to await the results.
In short, Bhramaram is a treat to watch if you can let your mind follow the journey and not look for a message. After all, the journey is more important than the destination. Isn't it?
VERDICT : - 3.75/5 and ' Brutally GOOD' tag for Blessy's Bhramaram.
Bharamaram - Brutally Haunting!

Ivar Vivahitharayal - Review

2009-06-17T09:22:00.005+05:30

Movie: Ivar Vivahitarayal
Language: Malayalam
Wednesday, 16,June,09.

Review
Vivek 22 yrs old and all newly wed awaits eagerly for his wife for their first night. He expects her to be in Traditional Kerala Sari and with a glass of milk. Kavya, Vivek's newly wedded wife, enters the room in a night gown with no signs of a glass of milk with her and addresses him as 'Vivek' instead of the expected 'Vivek ettan'. Vivek is negatively shocked and shows his displeasure. Kavya asks " Even for the guys of today's generation who wear jeans and are modern, they still expect their wives-to-be to wear Traditional Kerala Sari and bring a glass of milk for them as per tradition".

The above scene is a good reality check for the male chauvinism or hypocrisy that majority of the malayalee population suffer from. Also, a good eye opener for anyone who thinks that marriage is somewhat like the 'staged drama' thats shown in malayalam movies where the wife always bears the brunt.
Director Saji Surendran's new movie 'Ivar Vivahitharayal', throws light at many of such attitude problems related to male chauvanism in our society and misbeliefs about married life among young men. But the sad twist is that Saji almost commits suicide by the weapon he uses.

+Ves
IVA boasts of a commendable first half. The script has a smooth flow and there is humour thrown in aplenty. Suraj is back in form and along with Jayasurya he creates moments that will genuinely bring more than a laugh. Script writer has to be applauded for the same. The proceedings for the first 30 minutes after the interval also seem somewhat fine.Performance wise Jayasurya plays his part. Bhama works in parts. Some scenes she acts fine but in others she leaves much to be desired. Samvratha is good but it seems she is getting typecasted in second heroine roles. Suraj plays a highlight role in the movie.Songs are just about ok with 'Enikku Paadan Oru' being the good one.Cinematography works as much required for such a theme.

-Ves
Now to the -ves. The interval point will definetely remind of you of 'Meenathil Thaalikettu' but one will still be happy because proceedings till then look good. After the interval, for the first 30 mins also the movie looks somewhat ok but after that Saji's serial instincts take over.After that each scene is ripped and torn apart with emotinal upheavels and overtures.

Each look which Bhama makes is accompanied by jarring BGM. Jayasurya and Bhama spend minutes on screen just looking at each other accompanied by the worse BGM in recent times.Bhama's character who till then is a today's girl with a sensible head on her shoulders turns in to the most contrived, cliched wife character doubting and throwing tantrums. Sitting through the last 45 minutes of the movie needs lots of patience and is as painful and dragging as Ravinda Jadeja's 35 ball 20 against England in the T20 World Cup decider!

The friendship between the 5 member gang is shown but not really well established for the audience to feel for them when that becomes an issue in the marriage and dialgoues are made regarding their noble friendship at the end.The movie at 2 hours and 30 minutes or more needs trimming immediately especially in the last portions. Editing leaves much to be desired.

Saji Surendran makes somewhat promising debue in the first half but he should get out of his serial mode. His guest actors except for Navya are veteran Serial actors. His emotional scenes are over the top serial moments.I guess when the movie reached second half and story had to move in to an emotional path, Saji just allowed his serial instincts to take over.

Last but the most annoying factor of IVA is that it looks like a Preachy Sermon towards the end. Its almost like a pre-martial counselling session by Ganesh Kumar. He keeps on lecturing the couple and others in the house. The scene ends we breathe a sigh of relief. Cut the action moves to outside the falt with all the characters in the movie and the lectur continues. It really needs some patience to sit through this.
In Short, IVA promises a lot with its good first half but falls falt in the second with 'high emotion serial type drama' and 'sermons about marriage' at the end. Also, I have a strange feeling that you may like the movie a bit more if you are married than if you are a bachelor.
Verdict - 2.5/5 and 'Average' rating for Ivar Vivahitharayal.
If you have the time and patience to sit thorugh a preachy and emotional second half take a look, you may be pleasently surprised by the first.
IVA - Could have been Good But remains Average.

Passenger - Review

2009-05-06T09:46:00.003+05:30

Movie : Passenger
Language : Malayalam.
Date : 05 May 2009

Review
A director or script writer who can read the minds of the audience is an asset to any movie. Debutant director Ranjith Shankar's 'Passenger' can sure boast of this asset. There is a scene in the first half of the movie, when the do-gooder Good Samaritan SathyaNathan (Srinivasan) takes a taxi to reach Dileep and Mamta's home at Ernakulam. While this scene was progressing, my friend who was watching the movie, turned to me and said " Evanentha Pranthundo?" attributing to the selflessness of Srini's character. Minutes later the taxi driver played by Nedumudi Venu asks Srini the same question "Ethokke cheyyan Ningalkentha Pranthundo'. For me that’s a winning stroke by a script writer who can read the audience's mind.

A tight script
Passenger is engaging for almost 80% of its length. Soon after the interval, as the 'suspense plan' is exposed, there is nothing much left which you can't predict after that. But still the movie is fairly gripping even after that. Needless to say that the first half is really superb with its suspense and flow of narrative. Towards the end you may know how the movie may end but watch closely for the different layers which Renjith throws in his script, its really well told.
Minutes after the opening scenes, at the North Railway Station, Srini walks past Dileep and the 2 strangers cross in slow motion, unknowing the events which will entwine them in the near future. Strangers whom we walk past can be linked to our lives in an unknown way. One such moment from a well written script.

Philosophy and Ethics
Renjith seems to be an upright man with lots of hard hitting righteous views. At least that’s what his central characters speak in the movie.So Srini is an ordinary man who still believes that the rotten system can be changed if we keep trying. Mamta and Dileep are fighters for the rightful. An ordinary man can still remain who he is and do extraordinary things. Thats what Renjith wants to convey and he does well in that.Hope he keeps the fire in his belly going.

A Director for the future
A director who doesn't compromise in an entertaining movie is someone who holds promise. In the second half of the movie, Srini stops the train to help Dileep. The co-passengers ask him the reason for stopping the train and he explains and asks for their help to save Dileep. In a compromised movie, the co-passengers would have jumped with Srini to help Dileep out but in a realistic situation that wouldn't happen. That’s what happens here. They try to gang up against Srini for stopping their journey. Now that’s uncompromising.

Also, Renjith doesn't want to have the Good Samaritan glorified at the end (not even by his unrecognizing family). Now that could have been a cliché again but he doesn't compromise here as well. It’s a very promising directorial debut and a director to watch out for the future.

Performances
Srini is the central character through which the director speaks. Upright, honest, selfless and yet an ordinary man to the core, Sathyanathan's character is really well developed. In a surprising move, Mamta Mohandas has a good character as a challenging TV reporter.She does it well and has almost equal footing as Dileep in the movie. Dileep does his part well and should be applauded for making the choice to act in this movie. The performances from all in the cast including Jagathy, Sona Nair should also be attributed to the director’s fine talent in extracting these.
Negatives
The message which Renjith wants to convey was subtle at most places except one which is the last dialogue by Dileep.It was pathetically preachy and may surely get booed by the audience. It was completely not required. Dileep was really over the top in the last scene. The message could have been left to be Subtle.Everything in this world needn't be mouthed. The unsaid is even more precious. The audience could have understood the message by themselves.
Also, some people may question the logical viability of the 'suspense plan'.Technically, the animation work for the 'suspense plan' could have been better. Lighting in the day sequences in the train and the lighting in general could have been more realistic. Frame looks too bright at many places.
To cut the long story short, Renjith Shankar makes an impressive debut. The movie is well made and a good experience. A new age realistic movie and a small step towards better Malayalam contemporary cinema.
My Verdict - 3.75 / 5 and a 'VERY GOOD' rating for this thriller.
Passenger - Inspiring the Ordinary to be ExtraOrdinary!!!!!

Bhagyadevatha - Review

2009-04-25T11:14:00.003+05:30

Movie: Bhagyadevatha
Language : Malayalam
Date : 24/04/09

Review:
Thirty minutes in to the second half of the movie, Bhagyadevatha Satyan commits the very same mistake which he has been commiting in all his recent scripts be it RTM,VY or ICV. Till then the story and premises look usual but the script and screenplay are interesting. The predictable twist at the interval also seems mouth watering to some extent. But once it reaches half way mark in the second half he commits the usual folly, he forgets the characters and their justifications, forgets the side actors, forgets everything and moves towards a hugely predicatble cliched, compromised end. There in lies the folly of the script and the movie Bhagyadevatha.

Story and the First Half:
The story is nothing new but still the first half is good and promising. For once you start to feel that the old Satyan is back with the days of MN and AA. Even the predictable twist at interval makes you feel interested about what may come after the interval.

Performances:
Nothing very special. Jayaram is usual. Kanikha could have had a better role provided the characters had taken normal route in second half and heroine should have had the upper hand but that doesn't happen. So she ends up with an average role. Side characters as usual Lalitha is fine along with the grand mother.Naren is blink and miss.

What it could have been :
No sane wife is going to readily accept a character like Jayaram back without any sweet revenge on him. He is a solely money minded Male Chauvanist and once luck is kind on her, he takes a complete U turn to coax her. She readily agrees to provide for his sister's marriage. All looks contrived in the second half. It would have been interesting if Kanikha had put forward some conditions and then make him understand the value of woman hood. This never happens.
Alas the movie just remains a good first half and an oppurtunity lost to say the least.Then there are movies like say IG which have a usual story but rise above average due to inspired performance of the lead (here Suresh gopi). In Bhagyadevatha, there is no such telling performance as well.
Verdict : I will go with 3/5 and Average to Above Average Rating for Bhagyadevatha.
Considering recent Satyan movies (RTM,VY,ICV) this is above average but if taken as a Malayalam movie seperately, then its just Average.
Bhagyadevatha - A lost oppurtunity of what could have been

2HariHar Nagar - Review

2009-04-15T10:21:00.003+05:30

Movie: 2 Harihar Nagar
Language : Malayalam
Date : 15th April, 2009

Review
Good Memories are probably like our favorite dish that our Moms made back at home. Firstly, just as we would love to have that dish all over again, the same way we cherish to relive the good memories. And secondly, just as that favorite dish would even today have a instant liking in our mind even before we start having it, the same way the good memories would have an instant liking in our mind even before we start reliving them.
This longing to relive the good times and the instant liking are the two factors which the director Lal utilizes to the hilt and comes up with one of the most well directed commercial cinemas in recent times - 2 Harihar Nagar.

Return of the Good Comedy
'2Hariharnagar' starts off when the 4 friends reunite at their den for one of their engagements. What follows is a laugh riot to say the least! The situational comedy is worked out well and the dialogues leave you in splits. For years, we have been suffering with seeing the 'comedy for the sake of comedy' stuff but the true daddies of good comedy are back and how. The first few gags in the airport involving Jagadish and Atlas Ramachandran may seem crass but soon the comedy machine catches speed and what follows up until the interval is complete pure entertainment. I really was trying to recall when was the last time in recent past that I laughed so much in a theatre. Frankly, I have no recent memory!!

The Sweet Formula in Right Mix
In the second half, there is a scene when Mukesh and Siddique break in to fight and for an instance the whole friendship breaks over an important issue. At that poignant moment, I realised that it was the 90s Sidiqque - Lal formula that was being used in the entire movie and it wasn't even being noticed. They used to have a rollicking first half full of pure comedy, building the premises for the second half which concentrated on the story movement completely.They usually used to have the street fight between brothers (God Father) or break up between friends (Kabooliwala) somewhere in the second half as a sentimental moment. And here it was! The perfected formula is repeated all over again with great skill and expertise and you never notice.

The Real Hero
The Real hero of the movie is none other than the director Lal. There is no two ways to that. The opening credits showing the first editions scenes will make u smile for sure.From setting up interesting gags and situational comedy to witty dialogues.From adding a prelude to the famous friendship from the childhood, to one of the best twisted climax, he is in awesome form. From getting competant performances from his aging actors to the palpabale pace of the proceedings in the second half, his single directorial debut is so impressive that it you wouldn't have seen such a debue for a long time.

Performances
I believe that even in the first part, Mukesh's and Jagadish's character are the best developed ones and Ashokan's and Sidiqque's the lesser developed ones. Ashokan though got mileage in first part due to the dialogoue 'Thomaskutty......'.That better development for Jagadish and Mukesh stays almost the same here too. Jagadish and Mukesh put in the best performances in that order.
We need to accept that these 4 actors have aged. For the first 30 minutes, many of Mukesh's reactions look plastic to say the least and Jagadish looks excessive in expressions. But soon they fall in to groove. Ashokan gets mileage for stuff that can't be discussed here. And Siddique is perhaps the least worn out of them all. He looks younger of the lot and perhaps the actor who has grown most of the 4 in last 20 years. He does well of what is given to him. Lakshmi Rai looks good and acts ok.

Negatives : But who cares?
The negatives which one can easily overlook are firstly the plastic reaction of the 3 (except Siddique) at many instances. The lack of well conceptualized side characters. The first part had Filomina, Baharathan, Ponnama, Suresh Gopi, and so on. Here its only Appa Hajah and Salim Kumar. The music though looks sound and feels good in the theater somehow looks below standard when you listen independently. I was wondering during the movie that are these the same songs that I hated while listening before? And also some gags (starting ones) are of the crass type.

Must Watch
3 kinds of people who shud watch this for sure.1. Sibi Udayan, Thaha, Shafi and many others who made crass comedy the in thing in Malayalam Cinema. They shud see it to understand what we all love - Pure Good Comedy.2. Amal Neerad - For once to understand that movies are not all about Visuals and Audio but about script.3. Anyone who has good friends and always is longing to relive those moments.

Verdict - 4/5 and 'VERY GOOD' for '2Harihar Nagar'.
'2HariHar Nagar' - Relive the good times!!

IG Review

2009-04-04T11:24:00.002+05:30

Movie : IG.
Language : Malayalam
Date : 3rd April,2009.

Review
Some Actors adorn certain roles the best. And for Suresh Gopi as police officer the same holds absolutely true. You give him a decent script and premises. Provide him with adequate supporting cast. Also add a noteworthy climax twist to a murder mystery. Include some contemporary issues. Some fiery dialogues. And with all the above in place, if Suresh Gopi has a police officer's role, he will carry it with such gumption, élan and precision that it can end up raising an ordinary movie to an engaging one.The above in nut shell is B.Unnikrishnan'and Suresh Gopi's latest outing - IG.

The Joshy Style
I truly believe that Joshy is one of the best directors in malluwood who has shown us how to navigate or present a script well especially for a action/thriller genre. His movies have a special connect with the audiences of kerala. 20-20 was the latest example for the same. In 'IG' B.Unni replicates this style to a good amount of success.The script is well written for most parts and will keep you engaged. Especially during the first half, there is never a boring moment. The second half may not be up to the mark with some lags but still its not seriously boring.There is a Thanks to Joshi mentioned in the starting Titles and I hope that it may be for adopting quite a bit of his style of doing an action movie.

The Director
I think B Unni has done a above decent job directing IG. He has left his impact on many scenes, actor's performances and well shaped roles. He never allows Gopi to get carried away. The supporting cast like for example Rajan P Dev as the CM does a good take on Achumama. Similarly Suresh Gopi's brother (Adayalangal). He is a new guy but has good acting skills. Also the SS Music / Chak De India Girl does decent job. I think the characterizations of many of these roles have been done well. The proceedings are kept with a good pace and a level headed director is always in charge. You get that feeling all the time. What B.Unni needs to get over is his brother sentiments. He keeps repeating that in all his movies.

The Macho Man
Suresh Gopi is cool and suave as Durgaprasad the IG. Even though he can sleep walk through this role but he never gives that feeling. He has put his heart and head in to the role given to him. He looks a bit aged and bulky in some frames with an excessive dye on his mush but he plays his part with such heart and gumption that you feel cheering for him. I think IG will go down as one of his better police movies.

The Climax Twist
I think now we almost have a jounre in thrillers when a twist is in place during the climax. IG is more in lines with Tiger. I cud guess the climax well in to the second half but I am sure that it has been well and convincingly presented. A good one but if the same thing twist in the climax is repeated, it can get to a boring point soon coz you will always expect and know that the twist is coming.The -ves for the movie are that when you walk out of the theatre, you may feel that you didn't see anything new. Its all been there and done that. Its terrorism mixed with a murder mystery and climax twist. But you don't have long speeches on what is good Islam and all that. This in itself is a relief. Dialogues are well written in many parts.The second half wavers a bit but soon is back on track.I feel that its a better effort than many Suresh Gopi police movies. I for once rate it better than his comeback movie 'Bharath Chandran IPS'. But no way close to what we saw in ‘Commisioner ‘and ‘Ekalavyan’.
Someone who should watch IG is Amal Neerad. Not that he should change his style (each director has his own) but it will make him understand how a script needs to be better navigated. A typical mallu audience will like IG better than SAJ, any day, given the choice to rate both.

Verdict - 3/5 and a title 'COMPETANT' for IG.
Above Average Engaging stuff for an evening watch.

Snippet: I think we are witnessing one of the best seasons of Malayalam Cinema after a long time. SAJ, IG being ok one time watch and 2HHN being good, crowds are out in huge huge numbers. Time to rejoice !!

Sagar Alias Jackey Reloaded - Review

2009-03-27T16:01:00.002+05:30

Movie: Sagar Alias Jackey Reloaded
Language : Malayalam
Date: 26-3-2009

Review

Cinema is a Visual Medium. When this Visual aspect of cinema is exploited to add richness, style and grandeur, it can create right ambience for a scene and leave remarkable impact. Amal Neerad's much awaited and celebrated 'Sagar Alias Jackey' succeeds in exploiting this visual aspect to a good extent but falters to be a better director.As always I am not going to divulge the story details here. I am directly going in to the +ves and -ves of the movie.
The Positives:

Eye Pleasing Visual Treat
Amal Neerad for sure is an excellent Cinematographer and there is no ways to that. There are elaborately rich back drops. From sky scrapers and clear blue skies of Dubai to the beaches of Goa, from the mountains of Ladakh to the resort locations in Kerala, the camera is eye pleasingly rich. The slick cuts, the slow motions, the motion freezes. U name it and its all there. Technically and visually it can give any bollywood movie a run for its money.

Heart Racing Style Quotient
Like me, while watching DON, Billa or the corporate looks of Ghajini (both Tamil and Hindi) if you have wondered whether such styling will ever come to Malayalam Cinema, then your answer is here. SAJ oozes style in each frame. SAJ rides a cool Black Hummer and a Red Ferrari. He flies a plush private Jet. And carries Versache and Armani with elan. The suit look. The ruggid jeans look. The Malayali Mundu. Its all there. For me this is the best Malayalam cinema has done in terms of styling. I felt proud to see that happening on screen.

Lively Music
I have liked all the 4 tracks of SAJ on audio and the 3 of them on screen have been picturised well. Jyotirmayi sizzles on the beach in 'O sama'. 'Vennilave' is foot thumping. The Final SAJ title song is nice watch during end credits. The background music is almost well done especially the use of the signature tune throughout the movie. It jars in some scenes when the BGM 'Sagar Sagar' is repeated in hollow sound.

The Ultimate Cool Dude
Lal rocks as SAJ. As the pillar stone around which the movie revolves, he carries the role with elan. He looks comfortable looking the stylish DON. The role doesn't demand much of his acting skills but he does complete justice and looks great!!. Only looks wooden during the ‘Vennilave’ song. The Action scenes have been convincingly done. But he looks bulky in the intro scene walk. Undoubtedly, a style icon performance.
Other notable performances are from Shobhana and Bhavana. Sampath Kumar is the best among Villains.

The Negatives:
Too much for the Camera
Amal is so much in love with the camera that by the time he finishes his slow mo in many scenes, he fails to carry the audience with him. This guy needs some lesson that a slow mo adds to the mood of the scene and its not for killing the interest of the viewer. Take for example the scene straight after the interval. Lights come on. Suman (the Villain) is walking in to meet Lal to negotiate some deal. He does a Slow Mo walk before the scene starts. A simple plain scene right after the interval begins with a slow mo intro! I guess thats too much. This was just for an example.

Nothing Novel with the story
If you are looking for anything new in the story, then its not there. Its almost an ‘EN’ rehash. With the journalist girl friend, Chief Minister’s son and twisted friendship all right in place here as well. And for the same reason it may not have its heart in its right place. SAJ is never challenged. He always reigns supreme. The audience may not experience the raciness and gripping edge of the seat action.

Lack of a Tighter Screenplay
Screenplay falters at many portions mainly due to the Camera which seems to be having its on life. The Audience has to wait for the camera to finish its antics and the real scene to be started. Many a times u are ready for action but the camera has still not finished its antics. A tighter screen play which could have overcome these faults with the director could have made the movie racy.
Finally to conclude, SAJ is a almost fine for a one time watch. It won't hurt you or make you feel completely sorry for having seen it. Its no racy, edge of the seat action either. And if you like Style, Rich Locations, the SAJ songs or even Lal, then you may have scope for a second watch also.

My Verdict : 3/5 and an 'ABOVE AVERAGE' rating for 'Sagar Alias Jackey Reloaded'.
'Sagar Alias Jackey Reloaded' - Stylish Razzmatazz!

Yaavarum Nalam - Review

2009-03-11T11:11:00.001+05:30

Movie : Yaavarum Nalam
Language : Tamil
Date : 11th March, 2009.

Review:
There was this scene towards the end of the Movie 'Yaavarum Nalam' (YN) when Madhavan rushes through some old news paper cuttings and puts together the missing pieces from the old murder mystery. During that scene the director shows many 'indicators' which he had cleverly left during the first half in many scenes.Amid even the horror, suspense there were a few in the audience who clapped for those subtle indicators. Those claps for me were the winning moment of YN.

YN is a well worked out blend of 2 of the most famous jounres of cinematic story telling. Murder Mystery and Horror. I do not wish to divulge the story here. The merit lies in the fact that YN exploits both the jounres to a point which makes each of those completely engaging. As the movie starts off you may feel a 'Bhooth' hangover with the lift rising in the shaft and the under ground car parking scenes etc. But the similarity soon ends. YN establishes itself and moves way ahead of 'Bhooth' in many aspects especially a more convincing climax. The 'who done it' part is really well covered with very less loop holes.

The various tools of the movie work in an endearing manner. The background music is like a character in itself. I have not heard such a complimenting BGM score for a long time. I was hugely wishing that they turn the volume down as it was spooking me off. The BGM is truly horror invoking. There is not much attempts to bring the usual surprise jerks in a typical horror movie like ‘Bhooth’. Those are few but the horror is mainly handled via the situation, the BGM and the camera. The Camera is a tweaky jerk to it. It wavers, it shivers and all adds to the spook fest.

The story is convincing for once because its in a premises so close to your life. It can't get more personal than the TV and the flat. Trust me if its giving you a 'Bhooth' hangover already, this is quite different.

The whole of the cast looks competant with Madhavan leading the pack.
I felt that at certain portions the movie tries to take itself too seriously. Like for example after the interval Madhavan says that they need to continue staying at the same flat so that they keep seeing the TV show and get to know what is in store for the future. Someone sane wouldn't do that after he himself has understood that everything becomes normal to him once he is out of the flat (the dog scene).
Certain scenes need better editing and could have been shorter. Especially the 2 songs could have been avoided even though they are not shown in full length. The movie cud have been shorter by minimum 10-15 minutes.

But apart from all of that, the director (Vikram Kumar) deserves a lot of applause. The way he has carried the movie is endearing. He is a talent to look forward to having done Story, Script, Screenplay and Direction.

Verdict - 3.5/5 and a 'VERY GOOD' rating for Vikram Kumar's super movie 'Yaavarum Naalam'.
Go and have 'fun' at the spook fest!

Red Chellis - Review

2009-02-17T12:25:00.005+05:30

Movie : Red Chellis
Language : Malayalam
Date : 17th Feb, 2009

Review : Shaji Kailas has come up with good so called hero worship movies (Narasimham, The King) and taut thrillers (Tiger, Chintamani). Red Chilleis tries to be both of these jounres reaches no where in doing so.
Usually you say while reviewing a movie that 'script has some gaping holes'. But well in to second half, you understand that RC's script has so many holes that it looks like a completely torn cloth for that matter.
First half progresses with some suspense along with some dialogues and situations that are really 'funny' to say the least. Factor the ones below:
* OMR (Mohanlal) arrives at a massage parlor in Singapore to meet his killer. The blonde women massaging the villain gasps after seeing Mohanlal and says "Welcome back, My dear Brad Pitt".!! (edited after confirmation)
* The police reach some village in Tamil Nadu searching for the Red Chillies gang. There is an inhaler that was dropped by one of the girls during the run. I thought that the predictability of that inhaler being taken as trace would stop there. But Sorry, it goes one step ahead. The police finds a bubble gum on the ground nearby and he goes " Ee pattikaattil aara bubble gum thinnunne. It has to be Anna Bella from Red Chillies". !!!
*Red Chellis trying to escape after a hit and run. They reach their 'head mistress'. She says asking them to escape quickly - "Police Eastilekku pokumbol, Red Chillies Westilekku pokanam". !!!

I was laughing for a good portion of the first half because the silliness of the script, dialogues made me do that.

Mohanlal has nothing to do in the first half. He keeps making calls from Singapore. Roaming around in some expensive cars and walking around with Chinese body guards who fill up the screen in large numbers with black shades on.
Yet there is some amount of suspense in the first half to be frank.

The second half descends and all hell breaks loose. It turns in to a super human, super hero tale where OMR takes the lead and he does everything from there on. He is the advocate out to save the girls (aka LK in Chintamani). The police quartet who were chasing the case on a break neck speed in the first half, are no where to be seen.
OMR is presented as God. People worship him in their prayer rooms at home. He carries a blank visiting card. Is he Osho or is he something else? He is the unknown. The space. More and beyond. (Oh My God!!!!!!)

And if you thought that you have seen all the flashbacks from hero's past lives, you are wrong. OMR has one instore for you. Lal and Shaji return to some different Mana (Tharavadu) this time and show a troubled past for the hero. Betrayed father who was a ISRO scientist (Just that they show a microscope on screen when they mention a telescope!!!!! ).

Finally, there is a twist in the tale. But let me tell you. I completely lost interest in the movie by the time the twist arrived. ‘Who damn cares what happens to the movie’ was my thinking by the time the twist came.

There are so many questions left unanswered.1. Headmistress gets arrested in the first half by police. She is shown as free and in OMR's company when the second half starts.2. OMR asks the girls to be put behind bars at the court. What happens to them after that? They completely vanish from the scheme of things and are shown only in flashbacks.

The whole timing of sequence (7pm , 12:01) and Red Chillies shown on the road in Thilakan – Jagadish scene when night has fallen is all unrealistic.
There are so many more but one final one. How on earth does a nun become a radio jockey and roam around in designer wear.? Completely defies my sensibilities.

To wrap it up. There are freeze shots. Slick editing and all of that. But who cares.
The only saving grace is a good performance from Thilakan. Note worthy among girls are Renjini.
Finally, its sad. Sad to see a great actor wasted in such rubbish. Shaji is in awe of Lal's stardom and that makes him blind. Its really sad to see recent movies like RC and CG. I was saved from LIS, I guess.

The one +ve thing I thought is that I felt that Thandavam was worse than this. But is that a way to judge a movie? No, I guess.
A disappointed fan of the 3 Ms - Mammotty, Mohanlal and Malayalam Cinema.
Rating - 1/5 Verdict - Exhausting & Lackluster.

Luck By Chance - Review

2009-02-02T12:40:00.003+05:30

Movie : Luck By Chance.
Language : Hindi
Date : 02- Feb, 2009

Spolier alert : Some parts of the story have been used to review the movie.

Zoya - The Director
There is a dialog which Konkana's character tells to Frahaan's towards the end of the movie, Luck By Chance. Farhaan has made a lot of compromises in his life to get success but when he realises that he needs Konkana,he returns back to her and apologises and asks her company for the rest of the life. In 9/10 situations she would have embraced him with a hug and like any other quintessential bollywood movie, we would have seen a happy ending. But here is where Luck By Chance stands out. Konakana gives the most convincing dialogue of the movie in which she unearths the selfishness of Farhaan's.

That truly for me is the moment when Zoya left her eternal stamp in the movie. She could have been easily tempted to close the movie after Farhaan's dialog. It was a convincing apology and sincere. But she dared to give an umcompromising slap on the face of that irresistable temptation with Konkana's follow up.
A bold director and a bold step indeed!!

Movie
About the movie, Luck By Chance is no ordinary movie. It has greatness of a well crafted movie written all over it. Especially the dialogues and the direction. Both are of supreme quality. The screenplay could have been tighter. It has its own sweet pace which can be a taxing one for many.
The performances are supreme and the characterizations top notch. Music had nothing much to take home with you.

Performances
Farhaan just proves why he is the best bet for the 'next superstar with a substance' tag. He acts out a complex role with grey shades in a very convincing way. Watch him sparkle in the scene at the movie premiere, or the scene audition at Isha Sherwani's home, or the night scene when isha comes to his room, his conflict with his friend and his reaction when he sees Konakana at outdoor location as well as the last scene. Its all superb and top notch.
Farhaan's reaction at the movie hall when he sees the first audience reaction to his movie was the only place which was not suitably done. Though not cliched but it doesn't look appropriate.Konkana is superb in his role which pans the entire positiveness in the movie. She shines in a natural and convincing performance which is sure to fetch her laurels.

Of the rest, Rishi Kapoor as Romy Rolly is my favourite. He is remarkable in his scenes.Dimple is also great in her role. Juhi, Farhaan's drama actor friend,Isha Sherwani all are fine.

Stars galore
About the guest appearences. Hats off to Zoya for the finest handling of guest appearences in recent times. Of the lot I best liked SRK's as he has the right lines in which he makes Farhaan realise that he shouldn't forget his roots. Aamir is fine as well.Hrithik has an Ok role. Nothing great but just fine.

Negatives
Now to the -ves. Yes the movie has some. I felt that the movie is very strongly rooted in the hindi film industry.It has a message which says that 'You choose the Success you get' but the generic nature is limited. It will most be enjoyed by people who are very close to the hindi film industry. Even a spot boy to a superstar will love this movie much more than an ordinary cinegoer does. And there in lies the slight disconnection.
Also the pace of the movie is another issue.
Finally, Luck By Chance has a graph of its own. Like Rock On or say Lagaan it doesn't progess slowly upwards to end at a high culmination. Thats not a mistake by any means. Each story and film maker is free to choose individual graphs but there by lacks the impact.
But for daring to make such a movie with such uncompromisng wits. Superb characterizations, Great situations and performances, LucK By Chance needs to be applauded hugely.

Rating : 3.5/ 5 My head says that it deserves a 4 but my heart says 3.5. And I go with that. I place it below Rock On.
Verdict : Good

Makante Achan - Review

2009-01-27T13:12:00.002+05:30

Movie : Makante Achan
Language : Malayalam
Date : 27th Jan, 2009

I have a fairly strong belief that a director like VM Vinu cannot rise in his craft beyond a point. Even though when you walk in to watch his movie, you would want to be pleasantly surprised, you are almost sure that you know the man well from his past outings. I have seen many of his movies like Balettan, Vesham, Bus Conductor and have heard about his movies like Sooryan. Fair and Square, I was not expecting much.
'Makante Achan' is a fairly entertaining movie until the lights come on for the interval. Especially as my expectations were quite low I found myself pleasantly surprised at that time. I was quite unaware that second half could be so disastrous.The high points are some good scenes between Sreenivasan and Vineeth.

Vineeth seems have bettered after 'Cycle' for sure but his performance during the later parts of the movie leaves much to be desired. Sreenivasan is good except the scenes in the reality show where he looks artificial. Suhasini is fine as well.

Ok, now to the defining part which made me believe what I thought about VM Vinu was right. It’s the second half. As the second half takes off, VM Vinu comes in to his own. There is an unnecessarily over stretched episode about Jagathy as Fraud Saint. Along with that his antics with Bindu Panicker and all that. The whole story of father-son and their conflicting ambitions takes a back seat. And when it returns, its a weepy tear jerker. The director completely lost his plot in the second half.

The Climax for me was like almost a comedy show. There was the expected 'daddy u r the greatest' from the son and 'love needs to be expressed and sorry for not doing that' from the daddy. That was all fine but poorly handled things like the hostess of the talent show also weeping along with main characters (even though Ranjini Haridas does it every 2 weeks on Idea Star Singer). It made me laugh to say the least.

I feel that Sreenivasan would have ghost directed the first half coz VM Vinu wouldn't come up even with that kind of a first half. Anyways, I will keep waiting to be pleasantly surprised next time. Hope the day comes!!
Verdict : Below Average
Rating : 2/5

Slumdog Crorepathi - Review

2009-01-25T13:16:00.001+05:30

Movie : Slumdog Crorepathi
Language : Hindi
Date : 25th Jan,2009

Review
The 'Baggage'
First things first, Slumdog Millionaire (SDM) comes with a lot of baggage when you sit to watch the movie.4 golden globes and 10 Oscar nominations. Its really easy to sit back and have the verdict already in mind that its a great movie, even before the movie starts. But I tried my best to keep a clean mind before the start and be as impartial in my judgement as I can.

And when the lights came on as the credits started to roll, all I had in my heart was pure sense of fulfillment.Yes, SDM is worth each minute you watch the movie and how.Its an endearing tale of 3 characters namely, Jamal, Salim and Latika through the times spanning the all kinds of incidents and emotions.

The Journey
There is the slum life of Dharavi,there are riots, the nasty world of child exploitation for begging, the adventurous life on trains, taj mahal, red street, underworld, Call centers and kaun banega crorepathi, U name it and its all there. Through these the 3 characters live through hope, despair, loss, triumph, struggle, hate and love setting a pulsating pace.

Trust me when the end credits roll you will need someone else to tell you that Danny Boyle is not a bollywood director and Simon Buefoy is a foriegner. It cud easily have been written and directed by any good bollywood talents but its just destiny that it happened this way. But it indeed boyle and buefoy need huge applauds for a great cinematic treat and a story may be alien to their world but told so convincingly.
Many scenes are so delightful like the Potty scene (which I was so awkward about watching), rain sequence, jamal's dance at the don's place. The Young Jamal (Khedekar) was superb to watch in all these scenes. The Train sequences were superb. The Taj Mahal sequences, Subway sequence, Latika's escape from red street ...u can go on and on.

Performances are really memorable.
My favourite was Khedekar as youngest Jamal. Dev Patel comes in next with a unusually mature performance as older Jamal. Teenager Salim comes in next and packs a punch. Frieda Pinto was competant as older Latika. Younger Salim was also good. Anil Kapoor and Irfan Khan are good as usual.
AR Rahman's score is superb and lifts the movie to an altogether different level. Jai Ho is uplifting. O Saya and Ringa are nice to hear.Cinematography is brilliant and Editing top notch with a pulsating pace which only drops during the teenage phase of the protagonists.

In short, all of us who keep vociferously fighting for movies like MB,Alibhai, CG etc shud take a break for 1 day and go and watch SDM. Its a typical bollywood movie at heart with all the escapisms right in the place where it shud be. Train sequences to 2 brothers at loggerheards, Childhood lost love to Escape from Red street, u name a typical bollywood sequence and SDM has it but its the spirit of the movie that makes you go WOW!!!!

The main characters of the movie always are underdogs in all the situations but they keep hanging in there and never give up. Whether is love, life or money they keep hanging in there. In an endearing fight it shows the true human spirit which never gives up.

The only -ve I felt was a bit of slow pace during teenager phase.

Escapist Cinema at its best
Please do not go in with the baggages (4 golden globes and 10 Oscar nominations) or expecting a hollywood movie which you think may match the best hollywood movies that you have seen. You are sure to have a great time. There is poverty all right but who is noticing, as the movie is not about it anyways. This is escapist cinema at its best.

As it appears on the screen 'It was written' that Jamal shud be a Millionaire facing questions that were all related to life, perhaps it was also written that such a small budget (7 cr) independant movie shud make it so big.It deserves every bit of it and more.

VERDICT : 'Must Watch for all who love watching Indian movies'.
Rating : 4/5

SDM - A celebration of the Human Spirit and Indian Cinema. A Celebration like no other.

Pakal Nakshatrangal - Review

2008-12-04T13:24:00.003+05:30

Movie : Pakal Nakshatrangal
Language : Malayalam
Date : 04, Dec 2008

Review:
I believe that a review is not only an analysis of the movie but also a faithful recommendation to the readers on whether to watch the same movie or not. And if most of my friends (who are casual movie goers) ask me about PN, I would not recommend the movie to them. There is a strong reason for the same. As mentioned above, most of my friends are normal movie goers who watch it for fun, entertainment and time pass.

PN is not for this bracket of people. But if I stumble upon someone who is a serious movie buff and can be patient enough to challenge his movie watching instincts, then PN is a worth watch.
PN has released during an interesting year. TK, TP, PMT, GM all have been 'serious' cinema with popular leads. Even from that elite list, I would place PN below TK and definitely above TP. TK cud navigate the thin line between art and commercial successfully where as PN is an uncompromising depiction of a philosophical thriller.

PN has an eerie feel to it in many portions. It gives you minor shocks here and there. The narrative is adequately paced in many parts and slow other times. BGM could have been used more effectively. The total running time is 1hr and 50 mins. 1 hr before the interval and 50 mins after. So, if you feel that at places the movie is slow, then its all within this small duration of the movie.

I feel that the strength of PN lies in 2 facts. One is the towering presence of Mohanlal as an actor. I think even if the theme was unrelatable and tad experimental, it was a treat to watch Lal's performance. Watch that scene in which he speaks to the Homeo Doctor after making love and also in the scene that he speaks to her about the mysterious women on the phone. The naughtiness in his expressions and the aura surrounding his personality is exhibited in the best possible way. Lal has single handedly made Siddhan an amazing character on screen and one of the best leading roles this year. Many a times u feel its his most enigmatic role, in terms of acting, since Thanmatra. His character feels a bit incomplete especially his family side else it would have been contender for awards with more range of expressions.

To all Lal Fans: If you can be patient enough to sit through through 1 hr 50 mins, perhaps you can see what magic in the name of acting, can Lal still brings on screen.

The second strength of PN is the thriller design that it has. Anoop searching his father's killer keeps you on tender hooks many a times. Anoop's performance is creditable. It’s amazing to see such a serious and challenging script coming from his young mind. Anoop is a great promise for the future of Malayalam Cinema apart from just acting.

The main -ve of the film is its direction which many a times gives a feel as a deliberate attempt to brand the movie as an ART movie. Unnecessarily slow at many times. Unnecessarily made to look as for the festival crowd at parts.I am sure that the same script in the hands of a master director like Padmarajan would have made a better and more acceptable version of what it is now. Even Blessey could have been tried instead of Rajiv Nath.

Suresh Gopi's character adds to the eerie feel. I felt his many scenes are good if you begin to accept and compromise on the supernatural. Especially his scene after interval with Anoop is good. But the scene in which he sits outside his house speaking to spirits is laughably amateurish.
The concept that all the dead souls have a world of their own and that death itself is a new birth is philosophical. Such themes need to be presented in a more acceptable manner for the general public. I think a master director would have beenrequired to guide the script.

The message I took home was ‘Pakal Nakshatrangal’ in a different sense. Siddhan's wife was omnipresent in his life but he could never value her. She made him understand the same. So as its hinted towards the end by Anoop, such people in our lives are Pakal Nakshatrangal, who give so much to our lives but whom we take for granted each day and ignore as stars in the day.

My rating for Pakal Nakshatrangal is 3/5.
A recommendation of ‘Watch it if you are a serious movie buff'.
Its heartening to see that Malayalam Cinema is attempting to make a come back.

Dostana - Review

2008-11-17T13:47:00.003+05:30

Movie : Dostana
Language : Hindi
Date : 17th Nov, 2008.

Review:
To say that 'Dostana' is a suger coated candy will be an understatement. Its a 4 layer suger coated candy with an extra whiff and gloss.If anyone is looking for the cracking time you had seeing 'Kal Ho Na Ho', then you are sure to be disappointed.I was anyway not expecting a great or path breaking movie but was looking for a movie similar to the hep culture and present time wit and jokes just as KHNK (except that climax mush).

The 'gay' episode in KHNH has been taken and expanded to in to a full blown movie. This angle entertains in the beginning and succeeds to an extent but too much of only this makes one wanting something else also in the movie.In KHNH we had so many other funny moments and gags. Isn't it? But the majority of the funny moments in Dostana are based on this far fetched gay angle. It becomes a bore when its too far fecthed.

But Dostana is high on todays LOOKs. No two words about that. I think look wise you can rate this movie 4/5.Miami's lustful beaches rock as always. Priyanka looks fab. Abhi is cool. John is Rocking and Shilpa sizzles in a cameo. Just as Dhoom2, which was rich on styling and looks, Dostana is high on the today's LOOK quotient.
Dostana many a times takes its viewers for granted. There is no attempt to show the necessity of the moment which pushed John and Abhi to the extreme situation of adopting the gay angle. Thier criticality of getting the apartment at any cost shud have been driven home more convincingly. Also, when Bobby appreciates Priyanka for her good work at Fashion Show, she immediatel falls for him. Thier love angle seems completely difficult to connect to.

In the second half, the wooing becomes an excercise. First Abhi woos Priyanka and I really liked that scene. Then we almost guess that John is goingto do the same. He does it with Kuch Kuch Hota hai which I felt was quite unimaginative.Then its Bobby's turn. Tedious.!!!

But Dostana has its moments of fun. The gay jokes work to a point until we realise that its too much and they don't have anything else in the movie. The three friends angle has been quite uniquely shown with John, Abhi and Piggy Chops.Dats really cool. John and Abhi working to break Bobby and Piggy's affair is fun to watch.

And lastly, My favourite thing in Dostana. The MUSIC. I really loved it. My favourite track is 'Maula Maula (Khabar Nahin)'.But its closely followed by Desi Girl, Jaane Kyu and Shut Up and Bounce. Well picturised songs and ffot tapping music.Way to go Vishal and Shekhar!!
John and Priyanka are the best in the movie looks wise (which is very important aspect of the movie). Abhi and Priyanka are the best Performance wise. Abhi being the clear winner.

With today's Look in place and the music, I feel that the audience would be hooked on to the screen just for that even though there is not much mettle in the movie.
But if you expect anywhere close to KHNH you will have to come back after watching Dostana and see KHNH once again on the DVD to have that fun.
So for me, I think is 2.5/5 - AVERAGE rating for Dostana.
This is just for the MUSIC and the Looks .!!!

Twenty 20 - Review

2008-11-05T13:53:00.003+05:30

Movie : Twenty 20
Language : Malayalam
Date : 05, Nov 2008.

20-20 - Heart Racing, Pulse Pounding Spectacle
20-20 the movie, is so racy that by interval, I was thinking when was I so much excited in the recent past. Pat came my answer. It was either the Rafa-Roger Epic Wimbledon Final this year or the moments when I took the world’s highest rollercoaster at Las Vegas.

Yes, 20-20 is as thrilling an experience as a joyous and dreadful rollercoaster. The pace is palpable at times. Its a great entertainer for the most parts of it. You puff, pant, cheer and move to the edge of your seats for major portions of the movie.

Mam - Lal : The Dream Machine
Just as Roger and Rafa in the Epic Wimbledon Final, Mam and Lal are on exquisite display of talent. Take a bow Malayalam World, here are two of your greatest sons showing off their acting skills. Mam Lal are 'Magic' as they match foot for foot, punch for punch and word for word trying to outplay and outclass each other in one of the most memorable on screen duals that I have ever seen.

I think they live their characters in such a way that they send a very strong message..... to the audience, to the FANS, to Malayalam Cinema and to themselves.

There are no 'super human' situations for Lal. No mustache twirling and slow mo walks. There are no 'forced upon' dance numbers for Mam and flower pattern shirts or dialects.There are just 2 superb well written characters. And both of them ROCK and how!!Thats the message. Give them great characters and not stereotypes and they will ROCK your world.

A word for the FANS of both camps. Just watch Mam Lal in their combination scenes. Neither of them is least intimidated by the presence of the other. Instead both of them thrive on it. They have great chemistry and friendship in real life and that comes on screen. If they can work magic together, the camps shud minimum be able to peacefully co-exist.

The Third Demon
Imagine the Mam Lal explosive mix on over drive and to that you add another a third equally rivetting character. Thats in short, Suresh Gopi as Antony Punnekkadan. I think the most unexpected performance is from Gopi. He truly stands his own in front of the Ms. Chases them, Races them and matches them to the T and shows us why he is still the best bet as a fiery police officer. I admire the way he has stood his ground. Antony Punnakkaden Spits Fire.

There lots of others who leave a mark. Sreenivasan, Salim Kumar, Dileep, Jayaram, Innocent, Bhavana, Manoj K Jayan,Siddique, Shammi Tilakan, Indrajeet, Madhu and so on. It never seems crowded coz the focus is always on the big 3.The first 20 minutes has a comedy track which may seem unnecessary but nevertheless wait increases anticipation for the Big 3.

Technical Crew:
Hats off to Joshy. 70% of the movie is so racy that many a times u will gasp for breath. Till the point Jayaram starts the flash back, its a superlative pace. After that it slackens a bit. The climax is a dampner. But Joshy has shot it in a way only he could have. I mean its a unique feat. The editing is great. Background Score Apt.

Sibi Udayan, take a bow. No one expected this from them and they have come out all guns blazing. The script is water tight for most parts. Its almost IPL kind of excitement. Sachin pitted against Dhoni. Dhoni pitted against Sehwag. It was something Indians never felt till IPL. Its the same sensation. May be they named it '20-20' for the duals as above and also for the 3 hr power packed entertainment.

Negatives:
The biggest negative is the climax. Its so predictable and cooled off. Its the usual climax for any multi starer revenge drama. From ‘Sphodanam’ to ‘Tashan’, All such movies have this climax. All out baddy bashing. There is no surprise element. Such a dampener that the very last line of the movie when everything is over is " Ennal nammaku ini Angottu neengam".!!!! May be they didn't know how to end the movie.

Music is another sour point. 'Hey Diwana' is catchy only coz of Nayan Thaara. She burns the screen. But u might have surely heard better fast numbers. 'O priya' is well shot to Tamil standards but song is nothing great. Credits song for the old malayalam actors is a good idea but that song again is not good.

There are also some gaping holes in the script towards the end.

The building jump is not such a dampner. Its a jump from the 3rd floor, I guess and the situation is electric.The Mam Lal fight is also superb. Of the star introductions I liked Mams but Lal after court scene is supreme. That is Lal's real introduction!!!

All in all, I am going with 3.5/5 and a 'Very Good' Rating for 20-20.

Its the best Entertainer I have seen this year.

And the last word to Mr. Daniel Craig. Sorry Mr. Bond, You are 2 days late. Our BONDs have come and they have created an Explosion. I am so drained off that I have no room for you. Better Luck Next Time.

20-20 - Get Your Seat Belts on.!!!!!!!

Its Heart Racing and Pulse Pounding Spectacle.

Kurushetra - Review

2008-10-10T14:14:00.002+05:30

Movie : Kurukshetra
Language : Malayalam
Date : 10th Oct,2008

Review:
The ‘Mindset’
I have always felt that while watching a war movie, the reviewer should always keep his patriotism aside, till at least the end credits start rolling. Especially, if it’s a war movie involving India, I always make it a point that I keep a control on the patriotic quotient rising inside me and don’t allow that to judge the movie. This is because, after all, every war film is a ‘movie’. And we are here to judge how good the movie is at the end of the day and not the patriotism (which is undoubtedly always good). The patriotism should only act as a supplement while making the final judgment about the movie.This is exactly the same mindset I had when I started to watch ‘Kurushetra’.

The ‘Movie’
Now, on to the movie. ‘Kurushetra’ definitely has its moments. And I truly believe that moments make a war movie (even more important than for a normal movie). Those moments which pack a punch in your hearts. In such movies, you know that these ‘moments’ are being well planned and plotted. For example, when the character Bineesh (Chotta) and his watch come in to reference in the first half, you clearly know that it’s a plot being made for some war ‘moment’ involving him in the second half. Similarly for the soldier who collects ‘Milk Maid’ bottles and the soldier who sends money to build his ‘home’ and so on. But that’s perfectly fine, when something is being done in a good way you tend to give the reigns of your mind to the director and float along on his ways.

Major Ravi has succeeded in many of these so called ‘war moments’. He has gone beyond the ‘usual limits’ to pack those punches. These moments come back to you even after the movie. For Example - The corpse of the soldier who sends money to build his house is taken and kept inside his newly finished house before cremation, is truly going ‘beyond the usual limits’ to pack the punch. So even if you expected the ‘plot’ but this breach of limits is a surprise. I frankly thought that this cremation scene would end where the shot of the new house was shown. Ravi went beyond to leave a mark.
The scene where Mahadevn and team bury the Pak corpses with full honor is another impressive scene. They are wrapped in Pak flags and using proper rituals. Again beyond the limits and packing the punch.

The ‘Milestones’
There are 2 milestone moments which are the clinchers for me. First is at the start of the movie and the Second at the very end. I will elaborate on these.As the movie starts, the scenic Kashmir is shown and credits starts rolling in. Everything looks normal and as usual credits go on till the one for the ‘Producer’. The movie goes on after that. The credit for the ‘director’ doesn’t come immediately. A border confrontation with Pak military is shown. An Indian Soldier is shot and as he falls his cap flies in the air. Freeze!. On the screen we have the cap tumbling in the air and the blue sky in the backdrop. And then the director’s credit appears. Wow, that’s a moment for you!!!

The second one is when you feel that war is over and everything is won. Mahadevan calls his commander and says that his team won’t retract back and leave the 17kms which they have caught in the battle. He says that if he is ordered to return that land for which 13 of his soldiers have died then he would himself die that moment. That’s a clincher for me.

With this movie, Ravi has shown us that he is deeply love with the subject that he is filming and also he has improved a director by leaps and bounds.
The fighter jet’s shoot down sequence in the first half and the last 20 minutes of war sequences are top notch.
The cinematography is good but not as impressive as ‘Keerthichakra’.
Music is fine and evokes the right kind of emotions. ‘Jwalamukhi’ is my pick. Background score is competent.

The ‘Minuses’
Ravi has got many things going right but at the same time he has got many things going wrong as well. When many of those soldier stories evoke some sort of compassion they still don’t choke your heart. And some don’t leave an impression.Just read this situation. As corpses are being carried back to the basement during the battle, a lady army doctor awaits to certify each of them as dead. She and her husband (who is also on the battle filed) have been away from each other due to their fight over careers. She has got her posted to the battle field to meet him. Unknowing that he is one among the batch of corpses she opens the file to sign the corpses as dead. Stop!
Impressed? I think you might be. But just see this piece of story in Kurushetra and it has been reduced to tale which doesn’t create the same impact. Mainly because Biju Menon (who plays the above husband) never evokes any compassion in the story. He is just there for the sake. And the worst is the lady who plays the wife. She is so plastic that it will make you shudder in despair. How could the director commit such a casting blunder?
The same goes for the story of Manikuttan and his lover army nurse. First of all, he never has a part that leaves an impression and secondly the lady actor is pathetic.
Also, the audience is not given a picture on the progress of the war. The terrain and strategy is discussed by Mahadevan once in detail. That’s all. Its never brought in to the picture as the war progresses. Like how many posts captured and how much is left etc? Some clever strategy planned etc. None of this happens. The only saving grace is Siddique’s last cunning act using the communal tag.

Also, as the movie beings we are irked to see that everyone in the team is a Mallu. There is only one Punjabi shown and a few North east guys here and there. As Mahadevan speaks to his non mallu superiors (during the war plan sequence) many a times he does it in Malayalam and they seem to be nodding. This language problem keeps irking your senses much throughout the first half.

In the forum, there were some views of it looking as a documentary. I didn’t get this feeling any point in time.
Regarding performances most of them are competent. Also it’s a refreshing change to see some young people instead of the usual Malayalam war movies with heavily pouted middle aged men in the army.

The role is a cake walk for Mohanlal. He is competent but comes to his own in the last scene which I spoke in the beginning. I liked him in that scene and evoked compassion. But his Hindi is poor. I liked his body language better in Keerthichakra.

The ‘Finale’
After a long review, now to the verdict. Kurushetra is a good movie. It impresses in many parts and many things could have been better as well. I feel that its below the first Ravi movie, Keerthichakra. For me it features among the better movies of the year…. TK, KS, PMT, TP, VOB and MB in that order.
For moments that pack a punch and quite a few of them for that matter. For many casting misses and many things that could have been explored like war tactics etc (only Ravi could have done it).

With all this, I have a 3/5 and A Verdict : Good for Kurushetra.
Go and give your heart out to those ‘moments’ which will pack punches in your psyche!!.

Thalappavu - Review

2008-09-28T14:21:00.003+05:30

Movie : Thalappavu
Language : Malayalam
Date : 28th Sep, 2008.

Review
Many Movies are always comparable to others for some reasons. 'Thalappavu' and 'Thirakadha' are movies like that. Not because I saw them back to back but I think even if these 2 movies were released years apart, I guess they would have been compared. I will tell you why. The most obvious reason can be that both movies have Prithviraj but my strong case are other reasons.
1. Both follow a narrative pattern which keeps shifting between different periods in time.
2. Both movies are towards serious in nature.
3. When we begin watching Thirakadha, we feel that its Prithvi's story and by the end of it we know that Malavika stole the show and she keeps haunting you days after the movie. In the very same way, from the start, Thalappavu looks like Lal's story but Prthivi is the guy who comes back to your memories when you first think about Thalappavu, days after you have watched it.

Now to the movie.
Thalappavu is a good work of cinema and it stays just as that. It is 1 hour and 45 minutes in length and the first half is just 45 minutes. The story and the ambience is nice. Photography is good. Direction is good as well considering that Madhupal is a first timer.
As usual, no discussions about story in the review

I have a few things that I have noted about this movie. I think as a viewer, the movie is a bit too serious, almost to the brink of being branded as a so called 'art movie'. In direct contrast, Thirakadha was also serious but it was a more interesting watch even at 2.5 hrs length.
I think the Script could have been better. The reason is that few minutes in to the movie, the whole sequence of events can be guessed and after that there are no surprises except for some power packed scenes by Prithvi and Lal.

But I am not taking anything away from Thalappavu. Its a good movie experience for serious movie lovers. Lal's performance is good and as expected. I expected the same kind of performance from him and thats what I got. The girl who acts as Lal's childhood love is surprisingly good and her transition from teenage to adulthood is nicely potrayed by her.Rohini was loud in some scenes.

The scene stealer for me is Prthivi. He has fire in his eyes and potrays his character well. There are some scenes or shots of Prithvi shown as Memory shots about prithvi which Lal thinks. All those scenes come in detail in the second half. All of the are brillant especially the one in which he extends a hand to Lal to get him up from where he has fallen in a stream. His face shines with light in that scene.Also his smile and attitude are that of a revolutionary who knows what he is doing is right. But his hair do and the wig used needs some bettering.

The references to Jesus Christ are poignantly done. I really liked that. The first scene when the part from bible is being read where Judas betrayes Christ and the person who betrays Prthivi walks out. And Prithvi looking at Jesus's sketch in the market. All those are scenes of substance and director needs applaud. I think he wanted to potray the naxalite as a noble man by showing references like these.Violence part is a totally different issue.

Music is OK for the movie. There is only 1 song but background music is competant.
I think Thalappavu deserves credit but it could have been much better. May be some people would like it this way.But for me, I felt that it could have been more entertaining (not the comedy, song ,dance kind but Thirakada kind of serious entertainment). There is nothing much of a suspense or some events that surprise you as the movie progresses. The appearance of Prthivi as spirit with scar on his face does scare you a bit. That too only for the first time but the moment he (in his spirit avatar) starts making long dialogues on the corruption in today's system, I think even that surprise element is lost.

But I am not going to take anything away from it. Its a good movie and much better than so called masala movies off late in Malayalam.
RATING : I am going with 3/5 and a tag - "STRONGLY RECOMMENDED FOR SERIOUS CINEMA LOVERS" for Madhupal's Thalappavu.

This Onam is truly is the brightest that 'Malaylam cinema' has shone for years !!!

Thirakadha - Review

2008-09-20T16:22:00.002+05:30

Movie : Thirakadha
Language : Malayalam
Date : 20th Sep, 2008

Review:
Initial Thoughts
Long after I had finished watching the movie 'Thirakadha', I had this question in my mind (which was also hotly debated in this forum) about who is the hero of the movie. For a first few seconds, I felt that it was Anoop but my mind refused to rule Prithvi out. Then I felt the opposite that Prithvi is the hero but again my mind could not rule out Anoop. And while all this was going on, I felt that I should reinvent the question. After all is it that necessary to decide who the hero of a movie is?? I don't think so.

For 'Thirakadha' as a story and a film, there are 3 main characters. Akki (Prithvi),Ajayan(Anoop) and Malavika(Priya Mani) and of these 3, two are male and one is a female character. The whole point I am trying to make is, here is a movie which cuts away from the stereotype. Why can't we just live with the fact that here is a movie which has 2 so called 'heroes' and a 'heroine' without a usual triangle.Yes, I think an audience only gets a kind of movie that it deserves. And we should start to show some maturity as an audience to accept that all movies should not necessarily have only 1 final hero and 1 heroine.

Ok now to the movie, Thirakadha. Undoubtedly its the best Malayalam movie I have seen this year. I would rank it way above VOB, PMT and Madambi. I have the reasons for it.

Strengths
The first reason is a refreshing premise for a plot. Secondly the performances. Thirdly the script, screenplay and direction.The story has been widely discussed in the forum so I am not going in to it. The first half is nice and clean. I don't think it’s boring neither is it too good as well. But the second half takes the movie to a different level.The post deterioration images of Malavika are stunning, disturbing and engrossing. The back ground score is haunting and effective throughout the movie.

Director's corner
The script has a nice pace which is required for this movie. Direction is competent. Screenplay is good but i have a suggestion for Renjith. The scene in which Ajayan sees Malavika in the hospital, as he enters the camera should have taken shot of Malavika as seen by Ajayan once and then pan to Ajayan's reaction. Now, the reaction is first shown and Anoop has not done that desirably well. The same reaction has been handled well by Prthivi when he peeks in to Malavika's hospital room in Nagercoil.

Performances
Anoop as Ajayan
About the performances, first about Anoop as Ajayan, my rating as 3rd best performance in this movie. I think i didn't like him in the first half. I felt that they shud have reversed the roles. Prithvi shud have been Ajayan and Anoop shud have been Akki. May be Prithvi wanted to avoid the backlash of him imitating the superstars etc. But by the second half, I guess Anoop manages to ooze confidence. He brings the mannerisms of the 2 Ms in a very suttle manner in some shots which is good but fails at some critical scenes like the shot at the hospital discussed above. Overall good,competant and tad unexpected.

Prithvi as Akki
The 2nd best performance by a very narrow margin to Prithvi as Akki. ‘WOW’ dats the only word I have got to describe him in the movie. His performance as the writer in serach of a story is superb. His best scenes are with Anoop in his caravan and the one which he says to Samvratha that he has become the part of the story that he was seraching for and as its real life he cud not control the script of the same.Prithvi, Are you listening??And now a personal message to Prithvi. When I saw u in Nandanam, I felt that u were just a young boy. When I saw u in vellithira, I hated you. When i saw your interviews, I hated you more. I felt that here was a overconfident man who is out to dethrone my 2 personal prides (the 2 Ms, I like them immensley). But with Classmates, Chocolates and few other movies, you made me sit up and take notice. I always felt that watever it may be, Prithvi can never make the 2Ms to admire something that he has done. It can only be the reverse. But now I feel that I have been proven wrong and how!!!!!. I am happy that you are in the 20s, the same as I am.(I will grow along and see you becoming the superstar). I am happy that you will be the future of Malayalam cinema. With 'Thirakadha', you have not only put in a stupendous performance but has given more to the movie than just mere acting. For giving directors the strength to make such themes, and to stand back and take the role of the writer and not Ajayan. I salute your spirit!!!

PriyaMani as Malavika
Lastly, the best performance of the movie. Charming Seductress to a Haunting image, Priyamani delivers a knock out performance as Malavika. It’s a refreshing change from Meera Jasmine, who is sterotyped in 'Dukhaputri' roles and is screaming and shouting all around (Though I have liked some of her performances). Priyamani does a bit of overacting in some of the first half scenes but that can be granted as potraying the young age of the actress. I really don't find anything much objectionable in the movie. She is bold, vulnerable and admirable all at the same time. Tell me another Malayalam heroine (Nayanthara included) who would have done this role in 'malayalam'(not in tamil). Her dubbing is top notch (Don't know if she has done it herself). She has a haunting smile that stays with you even after the movie. When she appears first time on screen as cancer struck and the old smiling shot of hers is shown, I literally had goose bumps. What a cinematic moment!!!!

Weakness
Negatives - The music is a big letdown. None of the songs are catchy. After a lot of thinking, I guess Alphonse (coz of Big B) or even Jayachandran (coz of Akale) wud have done better for this theme. Even Laptop had better songs than this movie.And I didn't find the first night song objectionable. There are more vulgar songs in Tamil and Hindi movies which are being shown on Tv umpteen times a day. This song has been aesthetically done.And I heard in a TV interview in which Priyamani said that Prithivi had roped her in for the role saying that it’s the role of a lifetime. Prithvi's involvement in the movie much beyond his own role is quite evident in the final movie.

Audience
And finally, the icing on the cake. The audience. They were silently watching throughout the movie. There were no boos or kooval for any silent scenes,. Can you believe that?? And finally the clincher, there were claps from the audience at the end of the show. I literally I couldn’t believe whether I was watching the movie in Kerala. Many guys walking out were telling their friends that they liked it. I felt that finally we are growing out of Alibhais and Annan Thampis.

Rating - So after a long review, 4/5 and 'MUST WATCH FOR SURE' tag for Thirakadha’.

We need a change in Malayalam cinema and we need to be the torch bearers for it. So find some time and go and watch this sincere attempt to change things for the better.Watch it and applaud this effort for a change in Malayalam cinema.Remember -"An Audience only gets that cinema which it deserves". Lets cultivate the culture of better cinema.

Rock On - Review

2008-08-30T16:39:00.001+05:30

Movie : Rock On!!
Language : Hindi
Date : 30th Aug,2008.

Review
If I say that ROCK ON!! Rocks then you may be misguided to think that its a rocking party through out the 2 hrs and 30 mins of the movie. I really do not want to give that perception. So I have found a better word. ROCK ON is like SWEET POISON.

POISON coz it grows on you slowly and takes you over. Story is obviously about a group of friends,their dream about music, their compromises in life and about the magic they create under a band named 'MAGIK'.ROCK ON has a pace thats really on the borderline of being boring and fine. So its up to you have some patience during some parts of the movie. Pace especially slackens in the later portions of the first half.But did I like the movie? Yes, I did.

I am no big fan of Rock music. Probably haven't even heard a rock song in full length. But yet I loved the movie. The common feeling the group has towards music can be related to if you have ever shared good music with any of your friends. Their compromises and trails all are relatable. The music is top class and adequate for the movie. Cinematography is top notch giving the movie an international feel.Direction is superb except for the pace of the movie at some places.

My favourite tracks from the movie - ROCK ON, Tum ho to, Socha Hai, Tumhari Meri Baatein. And I han't heard any of the songs before the show.
The rock concert scenes are truly amazing. You feel that you are actually attending a rock concert. I really loved the rock concert scenes.Performances are top notch. I think bollywood has gone a long way ahead in casting. JTYJN and now ROCK On. Casting has been Spot On.

Farhan Akhtar is the top notch. He lives and breathes the character of Aditya. He is a true rockstar when on stage. Lu kenny as Rob and Purab as KD are superb. Arjun Rampal as Jo is fine but is a wooden in some scenes. Prachi Desai is good as Aditya's wife.

ROCK ON has been compared by other reviewers to Dil Chahta Hai and Jhankar Beats. I don't feel so. ROCK ON is different from DCH coz ROCK ON is more serious cinema. There are very few lighter moments in ROCK ON.Don't expect funny moments as in DCH. You won't find it in Rock On.Rock on is different from Jhankar beats coz its again more serious and rock on is about rock music.

ROCK On elevates Indian cinema to truly international standards. Hollywood's best movies have always been successful in taking different themes and slowly drawing the audience to that theme in the movie.ROCK ON is such a movie.To me its the best movie of the year, till now. I hope you go with an open mind and really fall in love with ROCK ON.

I am going for a 4/5 rating. 1 point is lost for pace of later portions in first half, some scenes of arjun rampal and for not having a bit more comic scenes.

So 4/5 and MUST WATCH tag for ROCK ON.

Watch it to witness Indian cinema rise to the best in business.
Go fall for this Sweet Poison named ROCK ON.

Veruthe Oru Bharya - Review

2008-08-13T16:47:00.002+05:30

Movie : Veruthe Oru Bharya
Language : Malayalam
Date : 13th Aug,2008

Review
Somewhere I had heard that a successful script has something called a 'RASACHARADU'. I am not sure how to translate that in English.I think that would mean a sequence of entertaining events. The main thing with VOB is that sometime after second half, like 20 mins in to it the saw called 'RASACHARADU' breaks and from there on the movie doesn't remain the same as it was till then.

VOB is entertaining especially in the first half. At the end of first half, you may not feel over the top and overjoyed but still its fine.Script is tight and the sequence of events captivating enough. Performances are competent. But after the now famous 'Manji..' song the movie beginsto fall apart.

Direction is good.Akku Akbar has tried and succeeded to bring out the film in to its full form. The script and screen play are good except for the last 30-45 mins. How I wish they had taken a different route in the last 30 mins. Music is good especially the Manjil song. Cinematography is competent for the theme.

Performances:
Jayaram is good. His character is irritating at times. Sometimes it even makes u feel whether its too far fetched like when in the Amusement park. But still he plays it with élan that u leave ur logics with him and the director. But the script has been at fault again. The movie has shown him completely as a chauvinist and at the end when the Psychiatrist describes him as craving for love etc it becomes complete U turn.
Gopika is good. But if you ask me whether its excellent. Then the answer is No. Sangeetha in CVS and Manju Warrier anyday wud better this. Her complete absence after she leaves home leaves a vacuum at much desired portions. But over all she does good.
The actress who has done the daughter's role is also refreshing provided her dialogue delivery.Suraj is cool with his one liners.

About being preachy, its not that much of an issue. The movie indeed has a good message about 'Women being the security of a house'. But I felt irked about the 'internet' portion in Rehman's word of advice to parents. Coz thats not related to the story. Mobile misuse was the only issue there.At that point it looked preachy for a second.

There is no problem in the story getting serious towards the end but the way Jayaram's paranoic behavior is depicted is completely mishandled. There are sequences which may be hair raising for you. The climax is poorly handled. Suddenly you feel that the entertaining, family drama is turning in to a needles phycological and even horror movie.

But let me put this straight, VOB is not one of the best movies that you would watch this year. No where close but for the entertaining first half, theme and presentation it can be summed at best as an AVERAGE fare.I am really sorry to say this. Coz I really wished that this movie was good and entertaining and a classic revival for malayalam cinema and all. But sorry to say that it doesn't happen even with all the grace marks attached.

As someone summed it up during the return journey to home. It was a nice chance which was lost. It could have been superb, good etc but sadly its average.

Its 2.5/5 and AVERAGE rating for VOB.

Its worth a 'dekho' if you have the habit of watching most of the movies that get released.

Madambi - Review

2008-07-24T10:50:00.003+05:30

Movie : Madambi
Language : Malayalam
Date : 24th July
Review:
Small things make a world of a difference - Thats what I felt when I walked out of the hall after seeing Mohanlal's latest outing on Silver Screen named "Madambi'.Let me put it this way. What I felt is that 'Madambi' has subtle freshness throughout the movie. And that subtle freshness keeps growing on you and by the time the movie is over if you ask your genuinely that the reason why you may have liked it.
There is freshness in small things like for example look at the casting. Just imagine the same movie with Kaviyoor Ponnamma as Lal's mother and Saikumar in Sreeraman's role. I bet you wouldn't have liked the movie as much or atleast I wouldn't. Coz haven't we see those combinations umpteen number of times?

I am not going to discuss the story in detail here as I don't wish to be a spolier. But the story is good enough. Holding the brooding secrets of a familyand living a life of hatred within the family is a good theme, I feel.
Now let me come straight to what I wanted to discuss more. Mohanlal as Gopalakrishna Pillai.See, I have hated him in the list of the movies below:Thandavam, Natturajavu, Onnaman, Baba Kalyani, Praja and may be some more clones of these, whose names I have forgotten.But trust me Mohanlal in Madambi is different from the ones in the above list. His character is neatly etched out and moreover his performance is ernest.Let me tell you the scene or shot which changed it all for me.After the fight in which his arm gets bruised mohanlal comes home to an angry mother.The first long dialogue is KPAC lalitha's where she scolds him and says that her younger son is right.Cut and there is a full frontal close up shot of mohanal in which he says that he has been suffering for them.That particular shot just watch his performance. Look at those eyes. I think it says it all. Also, many other scenes like the one which his mother removes her ornaments for reasons I don't want to discuss as a spolier.
Also a small word of appreciation for his costume designer. I don't if its a new guy in this movie but it looks good. For first time in recent times, some of the shirts he wore looked impressive and contemporary.
I think he is genuine and his performance is Ernest. More so I had seen people saying that its like 'Balettan'.I differ here as well. In Balettan he was just suffering through out the movie. It was like pls all of you come and hit me and I will keep mum kind of thing. But I think he lives the character in Madambi than in Balettan. I think its his most Ernest performance after Thanmatra. (I am not trying to compare the movies pls).

Now the rest of the cast. I felt that Ajmal did a fair job but was stiff in parts. I had read someone is FK suggesting Jayasurya for the role.I don't think so. The only other person I felt cud have been casted would be a delicious combo that you would like to hear. Prithvi raj :)
Ajmal's pair is a goner. KPAC Laitha is good. Sreeraman is also adequate. Kavya Madavan is fine. Suraj has some nice one liners.Music is adequate and my favourite is 'Ente Sharike' which Roopa from SSG has sung. It stays with you even after the movie.

Finally I think B.Unni did a good job. For all the subtle frshness, casting winners, script and dialogues, he has done a good job.If you look at it very very critically, Madambi is an 'Above Average' movie but my mind wishes to give it grace marks coz it cud have been easily another Natturajavu or Thandavam.

So its 3/5 and Rating of 'GOOD' for Madambi.
If ICV (which i didn't like much) can do a 75 days, Madambi sure can do a 100.
-ves in the movie : Cliches' that cud have been avoided. Waring families. Girl from the opposite family. band of brothers as villains etc