Review: Yennai Arindhaal (2015)

Have you ever heard or come across the term "Reusable modules"? Yennai Arindhaal is just that. Put all of Goutham Menon's scripts into a program and write a code to get the best possible output. Of all the outputs, the one with the greatest error term will be "Yennai Arindhaal".

What a waste of time..I really looked forward to this movie because I like some of GVM's way of storytelling and that coupled with a smart looking actor like Ajith was a perfect combination.

The movie's biggest positive point and the biggest failure is Goutham Menon himself. Too many redundant ideas spoilt the movie. Every scene, every dialogue seemed predictable (because it was inspired). You would have seen it somewhere.

Except for the "Yennai arindhaal" theme, even the background music by HJ was inspired majorly from Metallica and the OST of "Tron: Legacy".

Some solid performances from Ajith, Arun Vijay, Trisha and the small girl were commendable. The "Maya Bazaar" song idea/picturisation was unique for a Goutham film. I loved it. 

The story was simply copy-paste from his earlier scripts. No intelligence whatsoever (as some people think it is). Comparisons don't make sense here at all.

The dialogues were delivered in a very monotonous tone, typical of Goutham Menon breaking tamil sentences into "English" pieces.

Not worth 3 hours at all. Give it a miss or try at your own risk is what I would say.

Rating: 2/5

Yennai Arindhaal: "Re-used Module"

Review: I (2015)

Ever since this movie was announced of making, the expectations were soaring high. This director-actor's previous outing "Anniyan" turned out to be an epic success. They were joined by Kollywood's filthy rich producer. There was also news of Vikram shedding a lot of weight and doing different kinds of roles. When you hear and see all this, obviously, you have set yourself with an expectation. Now, when you reach the theatre, you would definitely not be happy if your expectations are not met. You might end up in this category of movie watchers. There are more kinds....

Another set of people are those who start to feel annoyed the way the first half progresses itself. You end up yawning, you ending hitting your forehead for another song 10 minutes post the previous, albeit with very classy and creative ideas.

Another set are those who are very intrigued by the end of the first half and are scratching their heads thinking, "What would have happened? Why did they show that scene?", etc. And as second half unfolds, they are like, "I hope what I'm watching is not a 200 crore budget movie".

There are, I'm sure, many more sets of people. What am I trying to say? - "I" is definitely a lot of money and effort gone waste, thanks to a wafer-thin and very predictable story line.

From another angle, you feel that "I" is a result of "Big budget announced-Budget gets over at 80% of the movie-Team resorting to complacency-Result: Incomplete!" You can guess this from looking at the title credits. Very simple "Microsoft Word" fonts used.

In the midst of all this, Vikram has done an impeccable job. What a man! The only reason people gave a standing ovation at the end of the movie is this guy. Complete dedication and immersion in the character, Vikram pulls out a stunner. If at all you will wish to watch "I" twice, it would be for him.

Songs were already reached a "divine" stage before the movie released. ARR gave us a very unique and young album this time. His background score is amazing in a lot of places but becomes repetitive too. In some areas, you feel that ARR has resorted to using "preset" tunes in many audio softwares. 

Stunts are way too mediocre. A lot of style statement wantedly enforced but has failed to live up.

Camera work was brilliant in a few places and shabby in others. Too much of unwanted movements, zoom ins.

Acting performances are very unrealistic (except for Vikram of course). Amy Jackson looks piping hot and everyone is sure to go gaga over her. She's done a good job at lip sync too. Some homework can be seen.

The movie is a simple revenge saga taken to an unnecessary high level by the team. 

But for Vikram's amazing efforts and Santhanam's deadly comedy till the last page of the screenplay, "I" is a failure. Period.

In most movies, you would wish the songs be cut out but in "I", song form the only innovative aspect in the movie.

With a lot more edits, faster dialogue delivery coupled with Vikram and Santhanam's existing performance, "I" would have been a much better movie and be likeable by all.

Rating: 2.5/5

I: Incomplete!

Review: Kaththi (2014)

Well, Let me get my thoughts straight on target. I'm a bit disappointed. It might sound weird coming from me, who people know as an ardent Vijay fan but yes, I'm not going to lie.

Kaththi is all about conveying a powerful social message. Let's just put it that if all of Murugadoss's brain cells were on "the same page", then the script and therefore the final output would have been totally different. Somewhere, something went wavering and the final result is somewhat of a let down albeit not totally.

There are some very strong and emotional sequences which make you ponder and even stop a trickle of tear from your eye from people noticing but they are very few. The message lies there bang on target in those scenes. The whole build up to that was somehow, in my opinion, not treated very well. The performances of Vijay(s), Satish and the oldie gang were brilliant, way more than anyone would have expected but, there is always a but...

Kaththi can be heavily boasted to be one of Vijay's best performances till date for years to come. The way he emotes in specific sequences would clearly shut a lot of his critics but certain dance movements, certain expressions could land directly to the meme pages.

Yes, Kaththi has Vijay in dual roles, and of course, the difference between the 2 characters is simple, one has a clean shave and other has a stubble. Can't expect more from him either.

Samantha, herself has agreed through her twitter handle, that she's finally given a commercial hit and needs to concentrate on good roles. I definitely agree to it. Most of the scenes in Kaththi shows Samantha as a mere mannequin with the same expression.

The villain, Neil Nitin Mukesh, who I thought dubbed his own voice from the trailer let me down. He definitely hasn't dubbed for himself. The other villain, I don't even know the name goes missing all of a sudden.

To me, if at all there should be one person who carried the movie throughout and made it watchable, would be, Not Vijay...Not Murugadoss. Yes, Anirudh. Whatte wow of a BGM! Take a Bow, Anirudh! Although, most of the BGMs sounded like inspirations but their tactical use and giving them a new "ring to it" make it amazing.

After all this, you would want to know if you could watch the movie or not. I'm coming to that....

Yes, Kaththi is definitely a must watch movie. If you do have the patience to sit through some illogical and unnecessary scenes coupled with some screenplay slips, you have an amazing ending in store. At the end of the movie, you tend to forget all the bullshit in the starting and applaud and emote yourself. I do agree that movies can't be bang on target. They do need build ups but strong ones not as weak as Kaththi. 

Kudos to Murugadoss in bringing to light a disturbing yet unsolved currently existing situation. Some of his ideas are really great.

Watch it and enjoy it. It is a very different Vijay movie, trust me. No intro song, no intro fight, no typical Vijay songs either. I was really surprised and heaved a sigh of relief when "Paalam" song was not part of the movie. If that was added, it would have led to further disappointment.

After reading through all this, you would be keen in knowing my final verdict...

Rating: 3/5

Kaththi - Definitely some more sharpening required!

P.S. You would totally disagree with my final rating after all the initial build up but all the points go to Anirudh, Vijay and the message, respectively!

Review: Jigarthanda (2014)

"Why this title for such a movie?" - You'll keep thinking throughout the movie until the climax and then you experience something which the namesake drink will not give you.

Karthik Subbaraj, a director who made Pizza and having immense experience from making short films, you would expect his next to be similar and probably fail but "Jigarthanda" could be easily called the better film because it not only entertains "the eccentric movie watcher" but also every other person in the theatre.

Lots of comedy and wit in dialogue, with scenes evolving straight out of the satirical mind, Jigarthanda is a complete film. It is long but it doesn't bore you a minute.

Siddharth has played one of his tamil career's best characters till date and he does so in style. Karunakaran, the budding comedian, I can't call him that, has given us his best yet again.

The movie is new, the screenplay is creative (not innovative) and the music is out of the world. Another feather in the cap for Santhosh Narayanan. More than actors, he is one guy who chooses his films very carefully as each of them strikes gold and wins hearts.

All in all, Jigarthanda is one awesome movie. Some may call it a Tarantino styled flick - the director accepts that and gives us a movie which follows a typical Tarantino screenplay but has put in his mind and heart into a story which is sure to entertain all.

Rating: 3.5/5

Jigarthanda: Better than the drink!

Review: Velai Illa Pattathari (2014)

The trailer of Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar" shows us earth some time in the future and says "We did not run out of engineers..We ran out of food". You might be wondering why I'm quoting that dialogue in this post. Actually, that had something to do with Velai Illa Pattathai (VIP). There are so many engineers that India creates every year and a major chunk of them do not have a job. VIP rests and builds on this premise.

While VIP's major portion is of commercial nature, there is this small portion where the director has subtly put a thought provoking social message.The protagonist says that we have so many engineering colleges and yet very few end up with paid jobs, leave high paying jobs. Most of the people study something in their college and go work in some other totally irrelevant field.

The first half of Dhanush's 25th film is full of comedy and drama brilliantly carried out by Dhanush. We can see him singing in more than one song. Good part is that most of the songs get over in the first half and go with the flow of the movie. The second half on the other hand is full of action and revenge and a game of cat and mouse. I wouldn't call it a letdown but there was nothing much to appreciate about.

Anirudh's songs and score was just too brilliant and we can see a big man in the making. Cinematography was too good, the way certain slow motion scenes are captured are just amazing. The dialogues are witty and funny. It also marks the comeback of Vivek as a part-time comedian. His presence is felt. Amala is as beautiful as ever. Saranya's pulls out another emotional and strong character in the story. Director Samuthirakani (after his Nimirnthu Nil debacle) has played his part well.

All in all, Dhanush's 25th is a winner and certain to entertain you. Watch it as soon as possible and I promise a treat is awaiting you.

Rating: 2.5/5

VIP: Very Interesting Picture! 

Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

Dawn of the planet of the apes is a fitting sequel to "Rise of the planet of the apes" which released 3 years back. There is a very small chunk of movies whose sequels have been made better and also have performed better. Dawn.. is most likely to fall into that chunk. I mean how often do you see directors/writers screw up sequels (primary reason for screw ups is the awesomeness of the prequel itself).

So what is so nice about this movie?

Dawn... is Hollywood's example to show the world the advancement in movie making technology. Seeing a one minute sequence of 100 apes together wow us but just imagine how much work goes into making each one of them real, showing expression on their face. Each frame of Dawn.. consists of such imagery.

It is just not technology. There is emotion, there is drama and there is a lot of intelligence. You laugh and you cry with them. The advancement is story writing too has reached an all new level. 

Watch Dawn... to experience one of the coolest movies YTD and for the months to come.

Rating: 3.5/5

Dawn of the planet of the apes: Super cool!

Review: Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Watching a movie alone is something which has become very common nowadays. I used to be called "crazy" back then when I was doing it very frequently. Today, I wanted to do that again but this time I traveled almost 20kms (one way) to watch this movie in IMAX. And was it worth it? Yes, every paisa!

Edge of Tomorrow is a video game with a story only that you're asked to watch how the game is to be completed. 

For people who've watched Groundhog day, you would have got to know what this movie is based on right from the trailer. For those who don't know about that movie and for those who haven't watched the movie, the director sets takes some time to make you understand what's happening.

Want to keep this post very very short so here it is:

Edge of Tomorrow is brilliant, adrenaline pumping and has good elements of humor. This one line will make you feel that I've watched an Indian commercial movie but no! Tom Cruise plays a brilliant character and shows us why he's still in the business. Emily Blunt plays this stylish and suave soldier and does so in her own way. Surprisingly and thankfully there wasn't much of romance or love, there was more of an emotional bonding showed in a very good way.

Watch Edge of Tomorrow (don't know why that name was chosen) for all the adrenaline rush and some intelligent action with a racy narrative and good eye for detail.

Edge of Darkness: Awesome!

Rating: 3.5/5

Review: Kochadaiyaan (2014)

Watching Kochadaiyaan was an experience. Not the movie, the way I reached the theatre. Zooming past peak Bangalore traffic is a thrill in itself and more so if you want to watch a Rajini movie. If a Rajini movie is to be watched in Bangalore, it has to be in Urvashi Theatre and nowhere else. What an electrifying atmosphere. Even people watching the IPL final in the stadium would make so much noise. That's the experience I'm talking about,.

I'm sure that by now most of the reviews would have come out. Or people would be negligent towards reading any for spoilers sake. Anyways, I don't give out the story/plot in my reviews.

I so wished Kochadaiyaan was shot real-time. I'm damn sure it would have turned out to be one amazing movie. More so if a person like Shankar would have directed it.

But you've got to give it to the whole team for trying out something new. Bringing motion capture to Tamil cinema is indeed a welcome effort. But again, so much time and so much money was spent. Was it worth it? Simply put, No!

The animation is so below par that you feel that you're watching cartoon network. But (a lot of "buts" used till now), the very presence of Thalaivar (read. Rajini) is enough to keep you awake. What amazing rendering of dialogues! (far better rendering than the VFX technology used in the movie) His voice is so awesome that it gives you goosebumps. Kudos to the sound engineer for keeping Rajini's voice in tact.

It's a 2 hour movie and all the 7 songs get featured in it. Just imagine. "Medhuvaagathaan" was the only worthy motion capture song in the movie. Some of them could have played in the background instead of computer generated "Robots" dancing.

Overall, the Superstar and the background music from ARR save the day and make "Kochadaiyaan" a watchable fare. If not for them it would have been a disaster. The VFX was never in place. Either the detailing was too good that made you feel there was animation within animation or the background seemed like a picture making you feel like a 1st grade kid. No consistency in the work and the editing could have been improved a lot. The lip sync was never in sync, especially in the song. But (the last one), you can always watch it for the SUPERSTAR!

Rating: 2/5

Kochadaiyaan - An expected "EPIC" fail!

Review: Queen (2014)

Well, I know I'm late. This movie released 2 weeks back. I got to watch it just now and to put it simply, I loved it. 

Queen is another journey which invited me and it amazed me as to how maturely and differently people can think when they make cinema. Cinema was all about entertainment years back, now it still is but people expect more from it. They want to get attached to it and want to feel moved by it. Queen is such a movie. It entertains you, it pains you when it makes you step into the protagonist's shoes and let you think about living it. 

Having expectations is not always a great thing, furthermore having expectations about specific people could lead problems your way. Kangana is one such person whom you'd expect to not "act" but she lets you down for you thought and makes you go "Wow" at her after the movie. Such incredible performance, she's pulled off a very tough role. I mean, how can one act so innocent and yet be so genuine.

Hats off to the director and writer Vikas Bahl. With editing support from Anurag Kashyap, this movie lures you to think and makes you happy with the way it progresses and concludes. Amit Trivedi's music is as captivating as ever. Doesn't let you down at all.

Watch the movie and live it. Queen is definitely something which you shouldn't miss.

Rating: 3.5/5

Queen: Celebrate her womanhood!

Review: Highway (2014)

If you came out of highway and said this movie has a lot of flaws, then you'd be dumb. Not because there aren't any, only because the movie hasn't hit the right side of your head!

Highway is a journey you'd never want to end. You are so immersed in it that you totally hate the projector when the movie is about to end. It carries you in this wonderful path that makes you feel like the protagonist. 

Alia's performance in "Student of the year" left her hopeless in acting but she strikes hard in Highway, so hard that it touches your heart and rebounds leaving you awestruck. One of the performance she'll be remembered in the future. Her co-star Randeep Hooda comes back with a totally different role from where we saw him in Bombay Talkies. Alia wins hands down over anybody in the movie, acting wise.

Highway is a technically brilliant movie. With music from AR Rahman and sound engineering by Resul Pookutty, these two make sure that live sounds of the environment are captured and brought to our ears to make us feel as part of the movie itself. Cinematography is brilliant.

You might find Highway boring (if you like movies like R..Rajkumar and Gunday - just 2 random examples), but my respect is high for Imtiaz Ali for making this dark yet cheerful film which touched my heart and brought out tears. Hats off!

Rating: 3.5/5

Highway: Why did it have to end....

Review: Veeram & Jilla (2014)

The only reason why the title of this post and the images are in that order is that I watched these movies in the same order and not because the first one is better than the second. (Giving it away right here!)

People say these actors and their films shouldn't be compared. I say they should. Why? Not because there was an image on facebook which showed "Veeram and Jilla" similarities (of which of course most of them were not true). It is because both these movies fall in the same genre. Which one? - "Films made purely for monetary purposes"

I know its harsh. I really don't know what made Ajith choose a script like Veeram especially after a series of movies which were more modern and Vijay choose Jilla especially after a series of "right decisions". (Wait for it - I haven't said which is better)

People often have this misconception that if a person likes an actor, his/her viewing angle of the "so-called" opponent is biased. I don't feel so. I'm a Vijay fan forever and I don't hate Ajith. In fact, I don't see them as competition too because I know what each of them is capable of. 

So, starting with Veeram, Ajith chose to do an out and out commercial film which I personally feel is one big mistake. The film's first half rides high and purely because of Santhanam. If it wasn't for him, Ajith's screen presence would not have created this big an impact. The second half is "supposedly" racy but to me I felt like I was watching a telugu flick. There was not one bit of proof for it to have come from a Tamilian's stable. The music director constantly proved my previous line. His background music throughout the movie was lifted directly from his telugu movie scores. In fact, each of his songs in this movie were utter non-sense. If we were to talk about the movie's major negatives, Mr. DSP will be right at the top.

Next comes the editing department - very sloppy indeed. Basically the entire technical department has failed the movie. It looks like the budget was very less - Ajith seems to change his clothes only during the songs to show more of his dancing belly. Overall, I'd give Veeram a miss. The fans term Veeram as the clear winner over Jilla. I don't seem to understand why. Veeram's second half gave me a bad headache. One of my friends (who doesn't favor any side) slept off during some important scene. Such is the treatment.

Jilla, on the other side, clearly is a lot better than what Veeram is. The technical team is the main strength of the movie unlike Veeram. The BGM, editing, stunts and camera work are far far better. (Note the point that I'm only making a comparison here, I'm not terming Jilla to be some world class movie). 30 mins in to the movie and I was like "What the hell! What is wrong with these guys?" and then the story takes shape. (Note: the genres are same but Jilla has a better story. Again, I use the word better). Vijay has done a decent job in all departments - be it action, comedy, singing, dancing. He always carries the movie along with him. Even though his movies have been pretty similar in the past, his performance has always stood out. There is no mainstream comedian required when Vijay is there. He just needs an upcoming sidekick like Soori to help him. Soori has done an awesome job. Mohan Lal's screen presence is bulky because that is how he looks. He speaks tamil in his usual mallu accent and has done a fairly nice job. The star cast is pretty huge. Lots of great artists used in small small places. Good job Neason (Yeah, that's the spelling). Only if the movie was short and the songs were cut, this would have been a great entertainer.

So, here is the bottom line - Jilla is original, Veeram is not! 

Ajith fans might term Veeram the winner.

Vijay fans might think Jilla is 100 times better than Veeram.

Neutral folks will say Jilla is slightly better than Veeram.

Me as a Vijay fan says - "Jilla is good. Veeram is not within comparable range. Basically, I mean Veeram is bad!"

Me as a critic says - Both movies are crap! It is all a conspiracy. It has all happened in the behind to make such bad movies and to win equally.

Jilla's plot had some twists and was engaging, Veeram's plot was blank!

Veeram's director, "Siruthai" Siva has a lot of Tollywood influence. His first movie was a remake. Jilla's director Neason is original and with Jilla he remains original. Although he tries to work in the same genre, the plot was different, the treatment was different. Watch it to believe it!

Both movies are made from the same base formula. Veeram is the answer paper to a TN State Board exam and Jilla is for CBSE!

Rating:

Veeram - 1.5/5 | Jilla - 2.5/5

My Pick for you: Jilla it is...

P.S. There has been a lot of negative reviews flowing in for Jilla. I think that could be one reason which will work in favour of Jilla.

Review: The Wolf of Wall Street (2013 for US, 2014 in India)

Martin Scorcese's The Wolf of Wall Street is a witty and a very "open" take on the life of Jordan Belfort. You can google him up and read up on who he is or probably watch this movie and understand how he shook the US stock market.

Leonardo DiCaprio easily plays out another character with finesse. Amazing portrayal and brilliant acting. 

Jonah Hill accompanies him as his close aide and he doesn't fail either. He too shows the same integrity in playing out his character.

What might work against the movie is its boldness and total narcotic abuse. However, the movie doesn't show it in the positive way, it all ends and leads to a perfect ending of a biography of a man who took his life as a joke.

The print that came to India had a lot of cuts and censored footage but still churned out to be ~3 hours and not a single moment went boring.

Watch the movie for a brilliant piece of art. Trust me this is not one of Scorcese's usuals. Its different!

Rating: 3.5/5

The Wolf of Wall Streets: Testosterone's howling abuse! 

Review: Irandaam Ulagam (2013)

Selvaraghavan's Irandaam Ulagam could have been a path-breaking movie in Kollywood. It did have a great potential to do so. It could have made Hollywood, Bollywood and any other wood turn back at us in awe. It could have proved that innovative film making is possible even in India. It could have made director Selva a legend. 

Enough of could haves, coming to reality, Irandaam Ulagam is a test of patience. Anyone could become restless. The main flaw of the movie is not the pace but the screenplay, not the story but the execution. If you understood all the could haves in the previous paragraph, you would understand why Irandaam Ulagam miserably fails.

It is not a commercial entertainer nor is it a no-brainer, it has immense creativity and this movie would have looked world class on a whiteboard but the way it was shot and the way it was funded has sunk the movie. 

Selvaraghavan is a genius no doubt but he needs someone to teach him "how to make a movie". You can't shoot a movie with a plot straight from a scribble book and expect everyone to like it. Of course, with the current viewing public, all you need to give them is entertainment. With movies grossing in hundreds of crores and new milestones reached, a "different" movie is bound to fail in terms of collections. 

I know many will question my expectations and some self-proclaimed critics will laud the movie for its innovative and bold execution, I would take my own stance. This movie is not worth the treatment. It deserves more. Selva has thought ahead of time, he has imagined something which no one had. Although, he derives a lot of inspiration from Cloud Atlas (in plot) and 300 (in fight sequences), he still has brought a difference. Few months ago, he gave an interview where he lashed upon the current movie makers for succumbing to such poor cinema. He said people look for money rather than making a nice movie. He said he wants to make a movie which others will look up to, His aim is right and he did go in that direction in Irandaam Ulagam but he has failed big time.

Background score by Anirudh was great in the starting but slowly goes back to his "3" hit tune and becomes annoying. Songs by Harris Jeyaraj are nice to hear but are cliched from his own work. (I don't know how long he will survive by repeating the same tunes again and again). The re-recording was abysmal. The graphics, although very amateur, were great for a low budget movie beating Kochadaiyaan by miles (considering its huge budget). The editing is pathetic and the scene-to-scene transitions are abrupt at places.

Irandaam Ulagam is definitely a movie ahead of its times. Too hard for a producer to do justice to the director's amazing imagination. Some learnings from Hollywood can help, George Lucas shot the last 3 parts of Star Wars first because the first 3 demanded resources that were unavailable that time. He waited and made a mark. Irandaam Ulagam is a movie worth an enormous budget. I was imagining this to be shot by James Cameron and this would have won an oscar. Such was the movie's capability.

Usually, I end my review with a line which would help you take a decision on whether to watch a movie or not but with this review I would leave it up to you. Watch it if you want to fund the producer. Spending money here is a lot better than spending it on crappy movies which earn 100+ crores.

If you are looking for entertainment, don't watch this movie. If you are looking for a masterpiece, don't watch this movie. But if you want to appreciate creativity or if you want to test your patience, go watch this movie. Anyone who comes out of this movie without a bit of irritation would have relished the creative and innovative thinking of Selvaraghavan and would be satisfied by that. I was one of them. Were you?

Rating: 2/5 (only for his thought process)

Irandaam Ulagam: Miles short of a masterpiece!

Review: Aarambam (2013)

Probably one of the biggest year end releases in Tamil cinema and with multiple star power Aarambam created sky high hype and to add to it the distributors/theatre owners decided to screen innumerable shows in Chennai. Imagine 91 shows for a movie in just one multiplex. Totally Insane!

Getting straight to the point, as expected, Aarambam did not live up to that hype. The movie had a lot of potential. The first half was very exciting and for a change I thought that I would give a good rating to this movie. But a boring and dull second half left me un-engaged and think of other things during the show.

If I had to point out one best thing in the movie, it would be the cinematography. It was stunning and world class. Om Prakash needs a pat on the back for taking us through some amazing and never before seen visuals and camera angles. Apart from this, if something scored, then it was surely Ajith. He pulls it off with ease and class.

All the other departments failed. Editing was below par, songs were totally unhearable (better to hear just the background music - Young tamizhachi was a good and stylishly shot number but with a straight rip off party prelude), acting by others were passable, graphics were very amateurish.

Arya makes a fun of himself throughout the movie, Nayantara follows his path. Tapasee, on the other hand, was cute in certain areas and her delivery was different from the others. Rana Daggubati was utterly useless. No scope for him.

None of them in the cast knew how to dance. Choreography was like aerobics. 

At a high level, the film looks like a stylish hollywood flick but frequent hiccups in the screenplay, logical fallacies and other minor errors brings down the overall quality of the movie to a level lower than expected.

For a movie of this scale, errors like "using mouse on a non-clicking interface", "tamil dubbing characters starting to talk directly in tamil" and "location errors" should have definitely been avoided. Also, the director could have avoided a lame joke on Ajith's namesake enemy Vijay by not letting a Vijay look-alike come and do some unwanted gimmicks in one of the scenes which involved the character coming out of a theatre playing Rajini's Sivaiji.

To sum it up, I would say Arrambam is not that bad it does have its own ways to work, but the negatives along with a cliched storyline lets down the viewer. After a decent first half, I began to think if this is one of the best Ajith flicks in my list but at the end this thought ends up in the trash.

A swing and a miss is Aarambam but still is definitely better than Billa 2. Watch if you want to have some timepass and definitely watch if you are an Ajith fan.

Rating: 2.5/5

Aarambam: Could have actually made it simple!

Review: Rush & The Lunchbox (2013)

 

It is all about emotions!

 

First, I've been feeling very low about everything around me in recent times. I watched a movie called "Stuck in Love" at home yesterday and couldn't control myself. It was so emotional and touchy.

 

Today, Me and 2 of my roomies decided to watch 2 movies back to back. Both of which we were very sure will turn out to be great entertainers. And we were not mistaken.

 

It started with "Rush", a true story of one of F1 racing's greatest rivalries. The movie was so intense that never did anyone of us felt bored or even looked into the phone (which people usually do). Whatever be the rivalry, there was an emotional connect between the 2 stars. The way they acted was so real. The editing, the music, the cinematography was bang on target. This could easily be one of the year's best movies.

 

Next up was "The Lunchbox" by first timer Ritesh Batra and produced by some heavy weights. The trailer struck a chord with everyone who watched it. Everyone knew that they were going to be treated to some Oscar-worthy cinema. We did get what we expected until the climax. I would agree if it was left open-ended with some vantage point but on the contrary it just ended abruptly. If there is anything that did not please me that would be this thing. There was a lot of scopefor this movie and this could be one of the reasons why "The Lunchbox" is not India's entry to the Foreign Film Category in this year's Academy Awards.

 

The common aspect of both these movies was that both had something to do with human emotions. That is what made them click. That is what made them likeable. While "Rush" was thrilling, "The Lunchbox" was dramatic. Both did not miss out on the smallest details. Both movies would definitely make up anyone's day.

 

Rating: 3.5/5

 

You may think of them as David and Goliath but both won my heart!

 

P.S. This attempt of reviewing is a little different from my usuals. Please let me know your comments.

 

 

Review: Madras Cafe (2013)

Most of the reviews of "Madras Cafe" would start off by saying how this movie is a game changer in bollywood. Yes it is one.

Shoojit Sircar's Madras Cafe is a top notch action thriller that every movie goer should watch. It is so well made that it fails your eyes to catch any flaws. There were some here and there but then I didn't care so much. The intense detail to which the movie conveys the story is one of Shoojit's many plus points. The way he has changed his cards from a movie like "Vicky Donor" to weave Madras Cafe is definitely noteworthy. Prior to Vicky Donor, he also directed "Yahaan" which was again an army based movie but both of them are completely different from each other.

"Madras Cafe" throws light on Rajiv Gandhi's assassination indirectly. One could well connect this to the original happenings. The movie ends logically and throughout the whole of the film there is absolutely no nonsense or any kind of heroism involved. 

Talking about characters, everyone plays an important role and everyone does with brilliance. Shoojit's cast is so relevant to the story that you end up believing that they are the original characters. Siddhartha Basu was a surprise. I mean, his acting was brilliant. His voice is so interesting to the ears (It always was ever since his Mastermind India, a BBC show, days). Nargis Phakri and Rashi Khanna play their parts well. Just wanted to mention their names here. What I also noticed was that most of the characters were taken from tamil movies. This shows how much detail Shoojit wanted on the screen. 

The background score was brilliant. Perhaps, this is one of those very few movies where background score will take special notice as there were no songs at all. Not one bit except till the end when the credits roll out.

Exceptional movie I must say. Please watch it in the theatres. This one is sure to grip you to your seats and captivate your thoughts. I watched it totally with my eye brows forming wrinkles.

Rating: 3.5/5

Madras Cafe: Absolutely Gripping!

Review: Thalaivaa (2013)

Riding high on the success of Nanban and Thuppaki, Vijay and Director Vijay would have expected their latest venture Thalaivaa to do well too but unfortunately, it is yet to see a release in TN and Puducherry with some miscreants playing spoilsport 2 days before the release. However, the movie released elsewhere (rest of India and worldwide) and that gave way to a pirated version circulated over the internet. So now we know that the pirated copies are made outside TN only. 

I obviously had access to the pirated version but I decided to drive to Gurgaon to watch it during my Holiday at Delhi. 

I must say that overall I was disappointed with the movie. There wasn't much to go "Wow" over. The movie started with some comedy sequences and then slowly turning serious and then going the revolutionary way. The plot was simple and the ending could be predicted as the second half started. There wasn't much for the director to take credit except for few brilliantly lit shots with the help of the cinematographer.

Coming to the acting department, Sathyaraj and a lot of his closely connected characters had to underplay from what we'd seen of them. They had done pretty well. Especially Manobala whose dialogues peak the equalizer. The villain and lot of Mumbaikars spoke in tamil with a north Indian touch (which seemed natural because of the plot setup). Santhanam's comedy was good. It brought some smiles often (though not always) and some were scripted totally to make fun of Vijay. It was good of Vijay to have accepted such a comedy track. Vijay was at his usual best. A total freak out character in the first half and a direct opposite type of a character in the second half. The transformation was good. Amala Paul dubbed herself and she did a pretty good job. She looks good too. The character sketch of a lot of artistes kept losing its path midway. 

Music by GV Prakash was great and his background score played well with the pixels too. The intro song choreography was good. Melody "Yaar indha saalai oram" was well thought of while capturing the video and did not require travel to any ice capped mountains or a green garden. The song and dance teams score full marks in this movie.

A lot of technical glitches coupled with a poor storyline and some weak character sketches make "Thalaivaa" an "Arrow missing the bull's eye by a mile". Watch it for Vijay, Santhanam and the songs but watch it in the theatre as the team has already lost a lot of money (It hasn't got released yet + the pirated version is out).

Rating: 2.5/5

Thalaivaa: A Swing and a Miss!

Review: Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Star Trek (2009) was one of my favourite movies that year. I loved it so much that I was waiting every day for its sequel to release. May 10 saw the release of a film that quickly got added to my all time best list. Star Trek Into Darkness is one hell of a ride...

J.J. Abrams. I don't have enough words to appreciate him. I never knew that character bonding could be a strong point to a movie of such huge stature. Star Trek Into Darkness could very well be termed as the epitome of an emotional/dramatic/action packed adventure.

Right from the first frame, there is action and there is hope for something better in the next frame. Never is a scene that disappoints. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are 2 such artistes who bare the weight of the movie. Every character is so well etched into the storyline that you love them all. Benedict Cumberbatch, the infamous Sherlock, plays anti-hero. If you'd watched his Sherlock, you would not have liked the fact that he was going to be the villain of this movie. But as you get in, he takes you on a totally different ride altogether.

Music by Michael Giacchino adds further value into the frame. His legendary Star Trek tune is what I'm humming while writing this review. I would love to watch the movie once again.

Some movies are solely made for IMAX 3D viewing and Star Trek is one of them. Watch it in the best possible quality available and you are sure to love it.

As a famous RJ says, it was an awesomatic of the movie experience. Will never forget this ride.

Rating: 4/5

Star Trek Into Darkness: Ultimate!

Review: Bombay Talkies (2013)

 

Before I get to writing about the movie, I have something for you to read.
It's been long since I've blogged. I don't have any particular reason as to why there was such a gap. My last post was 3 months back. Something kept me away from writing and I sincerely apologize for people who waited for my review for so many movies (in vain). This post is something special. What was I waiting for my 100th blog post? To tell you my experience of watching a tribute to 100 years of Indian Cinema...

The poster above the first paragraph has 3 big names. I haven't counted it wrongly. Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee and Anurag Kashyap need no introduction. They are the industry's finest and most established. Amit Trivedi and Zoya Akthar are budding artistes. While the former's music is out of the world, the latter's direction sees naturality.

Bombay Talkies is about 4 different stories told one after another without any thematic or character connections between them.

Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh
Directed by Karan Johar

The movie opens with this segment. Probably this is the director's portrayal of "his" own life. Karan Johar, who lately lost his image after Student of the year, tells us a bold story. A story which brings Rani Mukherji (the yesteryear budding actor), Randeep Hooda (the next Emraan Hashmi, both in terms of serial kissing and a hearthrob among women) and Saqib Saleem (the actor from Mere dad ki Maruti and Mujhse Fraandship Karoge) together. Just by reading Karan Johar with 3 characters, one might feel that this would be the usual love triangle. It is...but with a twist. Great acting by all 3 of them. Rani fits the character so well that her body succumbs to the character.
Bold scenes and double meaning dialogues with still cameras makes this segment set the base for more emotions...

Star
Directed by Dibakar Banerjee

This segment is probably the best of Bombay Talkies. An emotional journey in an ordinary man's life who chases his dream of becoming a Star. Nawazuddin Siddiqui brings tears to your eyes. I've told this before but just reiterating the same, he is an upcoming legend. With great finesse, he lives the character. I was in serious awe.
Nawaz steals the show here and you don't expect anything more..

Shiela ki Jawaani
Directed by Zoya Akhtar

A simple story of a middle class family with 2 kids. A boy who dreams of becoming a dancer while his dad forces him to be a "man" and play sports. Story seems simple but the storytelling is compelling. A story which teaches you to go after dreams. One might wonder that this is something which has become common but watch it to realize how to achieve it. As the name suggests, Katrina plays a cameo and here unlike an item song she reveals something that everyone should think about and not just watch her shake and go.
Cute expressions by the kid and a great supporting role by her sister makes this segment give strong competition to the previous one...

Murabba
Directed by Anurag Kashyap

Anurag, to me seemed a guy who makes dark movies. He captures my attention with his execution of this yet another simple story of a guy wanting to meet a superstar (Amitabh Bachchan). Unlike many other characters where they go behind a star to get a chance to act, this one is different. A very emotional and strong tale of a journey beyond troubles. Well played by Vineet Kumar Singh.
Vineet's common man antics gain him more respect..

There is no common theme as such but each story puts your emotions to test and your minds to deep thinking. A brilliant tribute to Indian Cinema, I must say! All the bollywood stars come together at the end for a song that takes you through these 100 years. This song has clips from so many movies with all the legends singing parts of this song. (What great lip sync!) A brilliantly directed piece.

I have a disclaimer though: As I was watching this movie with great interest, a lot of people in front and behind of me did not like the way certain things were shown. I certainly do not want to categorize these people. It is their money and their views at the end of the day. They were booing, they were making "mmch!" sounds and facepalming. I do not care!

My opinion and out of my interest, I would like you to watch this movie not to give tribute to Indian Cinema but to understand what it can do to you!

Rating: 3.5/5

For those who missed me, Sorry to keep you waiting..Will be back with more...Soon...

Review: Vishwaroopam (2013)

Third time lucky! After 2 failed attempts (screening stopped due to court order) to watch Vishwaroopam, I got lucky the third time. And then...

 

Vishwaroopam is a great movie experience. It has its own best and worst sequences with the former overpowering the latter. To start, Vishwaroopam doesn't boast of a brand new story. It is a usual terrorism based film packaged in a fresh manner by the maestro himself.

 

The movie starts off artistically with a brilliantly choreographed classical song marking the entry of the legend himself. Great camera work and I was in total awe. I knew from this very frame that I'm in for an artistic treat.

 

Later, the story takes its own time to weave and it does get boring at times. The editing could have been a bit more sharp to make it a slick entertainer.

 

Despite being a fictional movie, there is a lot of intelligence and humor. Kamal has toyed with the dialogues even in tense moments to bring a smile on your face. His acting needs no comments. He clearly shows why we call him a legend.

 

What amazing execution! Any filmmaker would be in awe after seeing the technical aspects. The sound, the audio clarity, the shadows, the blood, the fight, the gunshots, war scenes, explosions...everything seemed so real. Great work by the visual effects and the props team. Although, there were a few instances where the frames looked computer generated, it still was a good attempt.

 

The editing gets sluggish towards the end just to make some room for a part 2 which is sure to be more interesting the way its been marketed.

 

The acting by co-stars Pooja, Andrea, Rahul Bose and Shekhar Kapur is good but their struggle to pronounce tamil in order to lip sync with their dubbing artistes makes it a little odd to watch. Their pronounciation however cannot be commented on as the story demands them to talk in a particular accent.

 

Cinematic excellence could be a phrase to describe Vishwaroopam concisely. I was very impressed particular in scenes with the New York backdrop.

 

For a person who goes in with huge expectations, you might not be very impressed and even if you did go with no expectations at all, the initial part of the movie raises the bar and sets your expectations so high that you tend to expect more brilliant stuff and in the end you get a little less than that.

 

There is too much of violence. Wondering how it escaped with just a U/A. I thought it should clearly be an A certificate but then if it is classified as A, you can't show it on TV so DTH fails.

 

For Kamal fans (and also a few others), my review might sound a bit negative but my final rating should make up for it. The movie is a fantastic attempt. It is one of Kollywood's commerical best.

 

Again, story wise its similar to any terrorism based flick but what does the trick for Kamal is his Midas touch and inclusion of certain intelligent and creative aspects to story telling.

 

Do not miss Vishwaroopam to witness the living legend in action!

Go with an unbiased mindset and you will definitely be entertained.

 

Note: There is nothing derogatory against Islam. However, there is a lot of Islam in the movie throughout right from the way the title is introduced.

 

Pluses: Kamal, Camera, Sound, Music, Story telling, Dialogues, Stunts

Minuses: Sluggish screenplay, edgy editing

 

 

Rating: 3.5/5

 

Vishwaroopam: Artistic Excellence!