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!

Review: The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey (2012)

 

Peter Jackson is a legend! Period.

 

First things first, watching "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" in IMAX was in itself an unexpected journey. Until a few months earlier, IMAX was only present in Hyderabad and Mumbai. Now that PVR cut short the long wait by opening one in Bangalore, it was a treat for a person like me who watches movies mainly for the visuals and the "movie making" style. Today, I was fulfilled of a dream - The IMAX Experience! (But was a little disappointed because we were promised to be shown a special 9 minute preview of the Star Trek sequel.)

 

Coming to the movie, The Hobbit is a 3 hour long movie and no where in these 3 hours do you look at your watch. The screenplay is so engaging that you don't feel like looking away from the screen. Now couple that with a huge screen and IMAX projection + 3D. You are taken into the world of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit!

 

What an experience. Fortunately, the movie was screened in 24fps, the images looked life like and huge. The characters move through you and things happen at your back. An experience not to be missed.

 

Music by Howard Shore is original and in places remind you of LOTR only to remind you further how the movie is connected to its epilogue (read. LOTR).

 

Visuals were simply stunning. Peter Jackson has kept most of his LOTR crew here too and no doubt they do magic on screen when brought together.

 

I don't want to comment on the story for it speaks for itself. The connections that The Hobbit has to LOTR is amazing. I mean I know its a prequel to it but still.

 

Martin Freeman, yes the man who played Watson to Sherlock Holmes in the U.K. TV series "Sherlock" does a fantabulous job in keeping us interested. All the other characters have played their parts well.

 

I'm not an avid book reader, I prefer to watch movies and I shall be eagerly waiting for the next part. Looks very promising.

 

Watch "The Hobbit" simply for its visual magic (only if you don't like the story) and its amazing story telling. You will be in complete awe, I promise.

 

Rating: 4/5

 

The Hobbit-An Unexpected Journey: Highly Impressive!

Review: Talaash (2012)

 

Why did Aamir Khan do a guest appearance in India's longest running Crime serial C.I.D? Obvious, He was promoting his latest movie "Talaash". Why? Because Talaash is not something which will stay in the theatres for long.

 

To start off, Ram Sampath's haunting background score forced the viewer into consuming this as a Thriller movie. Not a bad thing but you start to expect too much.

Then comes the character introductions. Every character is serious. There is no one who fools around.

Aamir Khan plays, Inspector Shekawat, a man who is in pain and is assigned to solve a mystery.

 

The screenplay is too good. It keeps you at the edge of your seat and puts your grey cells into action. Right throughout the movie, I was thinking and looking for clues but I couldn't find any and then when the climax was there, I couldn't digest the answer (which apparently lies within as per the movie tagline).

 

Performances of Rani and Kareena are top class! Rani plays her role perfectly without any fuss. Great to see her like this after "Aiyya". Kareena looks plastic at certain contacts but that kept aside she is deadly with her killer looks and seductive body. (I am not editing the last 2 words).

 

Talaash starts off very realistically and I was blown over by its brilliance but when it came to finishing, it was very unrealistic. It did waver around somewhere in the middle where the focus was lost but just when the viewer grew impatient, the story was back on track only to disappoint.

 

With dialogues by Farhan Akthar and Anurag Kashyap, one would certainly want that department to rock. Barring a few amazing and provoking one-liners, there wasn't much to appreciate.

 

I would say Talaash is over-hyped. But it still is a welcome change from commercial cinema. Despite the fact that it doesn't enthrall you enough, it still is a decent attempt at film making by Reema Kagti. Aamir plays the role so perfectly that you start to see him like any ordinary actor. He gets down to the skin of the role everytime. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is an upcoming legend. He has an amazing actor in him.

 

Watch Talaash if you would like to give a pinch of exercise to your brain otherwise you can just let it go.

After a lot of thinking, I finally found a social message which could have been the aim of the movie. But you never know, it might well not be. Watch out for the dialogues.

 

Oh and No, Rani is not the murderer! (For those active on facebook or twitter)

 

 

Rating: 2.5/5

 

Talaash: Still Searching...

Review: Life Of Pi (2012)

 

A Visual miracle!

 

I call it so for stunning and breathtaking special effects. You feel furthermore ecstatic when you come to know that it was all VFX. Everything!

 

The movie opens up to a melodious tamil song with a carnatic touch (rendered by Bombay Jayashree). When you hear it, you are assured that you are in for something divine.

 

Life of Pi is best consumed when watched in 3D. The starting titles and the visuals are magical. The narrative is beautiful inspite of no gripping plot because you know the ending right from the start.

 

The journey of Pi is adventurous and at one point of time, you start questioning - Is it really true? But then it is a fantasy movie so there is no questioning the truth! Simple.

 

The story is a story inside a story. The main character narrates his unbelievable adventure to a novelist and his childhood is exciting. I say this because there are a lot of questions raised about spirituality and the answers are amazing.

 

The music by Mychael Danna is soulful and equally magical.

 

Coming to the plot, if you actually liked reading the book, you might love the movie but for a direct movie watcher like me, I just wasn't baffled enough to quote it as one of the best movies ever made or seen. For me, Life of Pi is nothing but a visual miracle where in you see HD version of "Man vs. Wild", "Animal Safari" and "How to survive" tagged with great music.

 

The best visuals are during the ship wreck and something which deserves a replay (a million times). What power of Ang Lee to actually visualize something so magical yet it feels real. (Take a Bow)

 

At the end of the movie, you are satisfied but still you think "What was missing?" and it only leads you to deeper thinking...

I'm caught in that abyss..but I would still say that it is a spectacle that is not to be missed for its breathtaking special effects.
 

 

Rating: 3/5

 

Life of Pi: Stunning!

 

P.S. Please don't compare it with Avatar. Nothing is close/common between them.

Review: Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012)

 

 

Whoa! This Diwali seems to be a time to pay tribute to our Nation's terrestrial heroes - The Indian Army. We have Thuppaki from Kollywood and Jab Tak Hai Jaan as the Bollywood affair.

 

The King of Romance, late Yash Chopra gives us, one last time, his contribution to Indian Cinema. Most of his movies had Romance as the main stream and so does Jab Tak Hai Jaan which promised to be another poetic tale of a couple in Love.

 

At a runtime of over 3 hours (which is not new to Yash Chopra), Jab Tak Hai Jaan is literally a "never ending" tale of Samar and Mira. The movie never seems to end. The viewer gets so bored that the whole essence of the movie is lost. It takes time for the user to put things in place and finish the puzzle and finally understand why the movie was made.

 

Jab Tak Hai Jaan is not a bad attempt but a slow one (not steady either). No one is expecting a fast paced love story but there are ample number of places where the movie could have been cut short. (read. the draggy songs)

 

The movie starts off normally with character introductions and that is when Anushka lands herself in a rock in the middle of a lake wherein she's unable to get herself out. (How did she get to the rock in the first place?). And then our hero helps her out and leaves his diary with her for no reason and just walks off from that place. This is where the story starts.

 

From here, the movie reel movies centimetre by centimetre and by the time the projector cries for help, the intermission sign pops up and the viewer is relieved.

The first half contains interesting interactions between SRK and Katrina. The story could have been told faster. 1 hour into the movie and you aren't sure of what the movie is about. Somewhere close to the interval, the movie tells you why you are actually watching it.

 

Yash Chopra's movies are always abundant of the "Emotional Quotient" and that never seems to go from him. Even his demise has left us very emotional.

 

ARR's music is pathetic to say the least with the only hummable tune being that of "Challa" by Rabbi Shergill and in his usual style he plays this song as the background music in all the interesting/important scenes of the movie. Some of the tunes remind you of "Veer Zaara" and "Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna".

 

Katrina proves that she is a goddess in the song "Saans.." and you start watching her more closely.

 

Both Katrina and Anushka show off throughout the movie. (And by show off I mean the literal "SHOW OFF....")
Anushka comes up with a fabulous performance and scores more than Katrina who is not far from "acting" either. Anushka's character dwelves into you and you will adore her Jab Tak Hai Jaan.

 

Cinematography is decent and the colors are pleasant to the eyes.

 
SRK is at his usual best. He plays his character perfectly and being 40+ in real life, he really doesn't look so. Kudos to him and one suggestion..Never ever play a health illness patient. Bohot Ho Gaya!
 

The movie doesn't respond to the phrase "Time-Out" and continues to keep running for its own sweet time. Jab Tak Hai Jaan is a serious No-No for theatre viewing but it will surely make a good watch on Home Entertainment. So wait for it!

 

If not on the emotional factor, watch Jab Tak Hai Jaan for its creator, Yash Chopra, the man who shows us why we will miss him. The man who will never die!

 

Rating: 2.5/5

 

Jab Tak Hai Jaan: Endless....

Review: Thuppaki (2012)

Where do I start?

Ok, first here is me wishing all the readers and their family and friends, A very happy and colorful Diwali. Hope you have/had a safe Diwali today.

 

Now, let the firing begin...

 

Watching a Vijay movie first day first show was my dream and it came true in good time. I was well ahead in time at the theatre, a multiplex in the outskirts of Bangalore City and to my shock there were many like me but then I thought that they would have come for the Bollywood releases. When I was waiting in line to get my internet ticket printed, the counter announces "Thuppaki SOLD OUT" but there were ample tickets available for JTHJ and SoS. (read. Impact of Vijay)

 

I never dreamt that I would ever write the following lines in my review for a Vijay movie. Yes, Thuppaki is a stylish and an intelligent flick. It is a movie where everyone would exit with their chest high and with a dash of smile on their faces.

 

As most of them already know, Thuppaki is about an army man (Capt. Jagdish played by Vijay) who comes to visit his family for vacation after serving the Nation's border. The story is about the chronicles of one such holiday and what it turns out to be.

 

Vijay plays a Bombay Tamizhan with such style and vigor with a tinge of his usual simplicity that you fall for him. His acting is precise and his character does not flaunt like usual. The movie starts off with a small fight and an intro song as usual but the catch here is that the "usual" intro song has an "unusual" message and it conveys the journey and the feelings of an Army Jawan on his way back home. Its touchy.

 

The screenplay-editing combination works well in every frame. And as the director said, you will wish to watch this movie more than once. Yes, you are reading the review of a Vijay movie.

 

By this time, you would definitely get a feel that I'm a true Vijay fanatic and am all praises for my hero (read. God) so please take a break and read the below two reviews:

 

Review of Villu (One of his Worst)

http://defininginfinity.blogspot.in/2009/01/review-villu-2009.html

 

and

 

Review of Nanban (One of his Best)

http://defininginfinity.blogspot.in/2012/01/review-nanban-2012.html

 

Now that I've given you sufficient time for distraction (and understanding me), let's get back to business.

 

Music by Harris Jeyaraj was fine. "Google Google" was a stunning number to hear and is a decent watch on screen. Other songs were great to watch on screen because of the Cinematographer Santosh Sivan who brilliantly captured every pixel in its appropriate colour. Certain songs could've been avoided but they don't hamper the tempo of the movie too much too.

The background score sometimes reminded of the Hindi movie "Race" but by the time it got boring, the score changed to something else. The villain's frames had heavy tunes in the background which could have been avoided.

 

The comic timing worked out really well as per the director's pre-release interviews. Whenever there was something funny, the whole theatre burst into laughter. What more can a Director ask?

Sathyan, Kajal and Jayaram aid Vijay in giving us a good laugh. The scenes involving Vijay, Kajal and Jayaram are the funniest.

Kajal Agarwal plays a very suave and colorful role in the movie and I'm happy that there wasn't any kissing sequence. 
 

The first half is racy and entertaining. At the time of interval, you are in awe. You tend to ask yourself, Is this the right movie?

 

The Dialogues are intelligently written. The characters are clever and the antagonist gives a strong competition to the protagonist in terms of wit.

 

The movie is a definite 3-4 timer with Vijay and Murugadoss being the first(s) of the reasons followed by Santosh Sivan's camera, Sreekar Prasad's slick editing and Harris's background score.

 

And of course, no movie comes without negatives. There are a few. For instance, NO intervention of the Mumbai Police except for Sathyan who is an SI, a Jammu-Tawi express specially for jawans (possible but unbelievable) and the climax could have been handled a "little" better. I just think that it got over too easily.

 

Nevertheless, an amazing movie by Murugadoss and what's better is Vijay choosing such a script. When I mean such a script, it is one which talks about the Indian Army and not about a "one man army". A script wherein he makes a fool of himself every now and then and at the same time uses his intelligence to serve the nation. Thuppaki is a tribute to the Indian Army and a treat to every movie watcher and is also Vijay's answer to his critics.

Don't miss watching Thuppaki for it is one of Vijay's stylish and one his best ever. And one of the main reasons for this is Murugadoss who's shown the bright light and the way ahead for the hero.

 

 

Rating: 3.5/5

 

Thuppaki: Bang on Target!

 

Disclaimer:
I'm an ardent fan of Vijay but I will not be biased while reviewing his movies. Movies come first to me and helping you know "how it is" is my only motto. I've collated all my thoughts in this review.
I keep quoting "Vijay's movie" to also attract a certain audience who are repelled by the very name of the Hero.

Review: Skyfall (2012)

Inspite of a literal skyfall over various places on earth, Sam Mendes' Skyfall released to packed houses on the first day and just like the last Bond movie, I was there to catch the first day first show at one of Bangalore's amazing theatres.

 

Many sites/blogs read "Best bond movie ever" and many facebook posts also said "Worst bond movie ever". If I have to take a side I would choose the former. Skyfall started with an intense action sequence and that weaved into a thrilling story unlike other bond movies.

 

The action sequences were well choregraphed and were a delight to watch 'Bond in Action'.

 

The background score was one area which could be called a 'negative' to the movie. There were some places where it pumped up the adrenaline and other places it was just noise.

 

Daniel Craig is probably one Bond who has always been hardcore and has chosen to do more of daredevilry rather than love-making with Bond girls. He continues his charisma. There are people who say that he was never worth of a Bond but for me he shows 'How can a Bond be less cliched?'.

 

Judi Dench as M plays a pivotal role in this movie. M has a strong character in this movie. Watch out for her actions.

 

Javier Bardem plays the antagonist and he has his own style to emote the audience.

 

The movie has all the elements of a Bond flick and it displays a unique style of presenting it. It concentrates less on the hi-tech gadgets and more on the story and screenplay. The scenes leading to the climax are absolutely impressive and a must re-watch.

 

Frankly, Skyfall should never be compared to a usual Bond flick for it is 'different'. Period.

 

Rating: 3.5/5

 

Skyfall: A Tribute!

Review: Cloud Atlas (2012)

 

If you thought Inception was mind boggling, Wachowski brothers have something better in store for you. No more comparing. Cloud Atlas is one of this decade's most ambitious film powered by brilliant imagination which would probably not strike even the intelligent day dreamer.

 

"The Matrix" was another dream of theirs but that was something which they created themselves. This time they bank on David Mitchell's novel of the same name. I haven't read the novel but I guess the movie has done justice to the novel.

 

There are multiple storylines which converge into an epic thereby making Cloud Atlas a mother of all film maker's dreams.

 

Each segment of the movie is a concoction of all the 6 stories weaved together. There have been many other movies which have tried to do this before but Cloud Atlas will beat them by a mile in just the way the screenplay has been written. When you read about the movie in the internet, you will definitely get confused and when you watch the movie, you will have a sigh of relief as the Wachowski brothers have made it look a little simpler and easy to understand. (Conditions Apply - You have to concentrate and keep your eyes glued to the screen)

 

Music is scored by 3 people and they have done a great job especiallly in creating the central theme which is also the symphony of the same name as the movie.

 

The location and the costumes have been designed specifically for the time in which the movie travels and it is interesting to see some animals still alive in the future. (I noticed just one bird in the whole movie).

 

Watching Cloud Atlas is an exercise to your brain and a treat to your eyes. Will make you want to watch it again and notice a few more new things. Truly a lesson for every film maker and a dream for every dreamer - Cloud Atlas joins Inception in the list of amazing motion pictures made in my lifetime.

 

This ~2.5hour movie is must go to. Don't miss it!

 

 

Rating: 4.5/5

 

Cloud Atlas: Whoa!

Review: Chakravyuh (2012)

Prakash Jha, a warrior film-maker so to call him, has always brought reality into his cinema. Reality as in always about the political world. He's made his point in the past with amazing movies like Gangaajal.

 

This time he tries to take a shot at Naxalities and their fight.

 

The first half of the movie is serious and thrilling with one song perfectly gelling with the movie. The pace is slow but still the audience is gripped to their seats. I thought the movie was growing more awesomer even though there was this abrupt "Intermission" title.

 

As the second half started and as the story unfolded, the pace was still the same and the story was taking a good direction but somewhere somehow something was lacking. The audience could clearly smell something going wrong and then they started laughing at the unintentional jokes made by the protagonists and then the movie lost its charm not just because of the audience, there was something visibly ordinary in the way the package was wrapped.

 

Brilliant performance by Abhay Deol as usual. He picks up roles very intelligently and none of his roles are impacted by any foreign material. He's becoming a gem of an actor.

 

Arjun Rampal plays a daring police office and his wife played by Esha Gupta comes in as a strong  support but her acting fails and her lip sync goes haphazard.

 

Somehow all Naxals have nice formal watches in their wrists and each of them shine.

 

The camera captures the actors so beautifully that you can easily see Arjun Rampal's moustache is unevenly shaved. Probably it was intentional we never know. His character was concentrating on killing the villain so much that he was in a hurry maybe.

 

Music is composed by an assortment of composers and they have delivered a perfect concoction of songs which mix with the people of the movie. The background score was pretty decent and kept with the pace of the movie.

 

Overall, Chakravyuh doesn't let you lose your way but it does convey a message. A good attempt at movie making. However, at the end you come to know that the main backbone of the story is about bonding and all that that was shown was just to convey a social message. That is what went in the negative for the viewer.

 

 

Rating: 2.5/5

 

Chakravyuh: Clumsy yet interesting 

Review: Student Of The Year (2012)

 

Karan Johar and 3 new faces. What can you expect? Blah! And yes "Blah!" is delivered.

 

SOTY (keeping it short) "introduces" Siddharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt. What's interesting is that I went to watch this movie with my friend (Siddharth) and before the movie we were just discussing about the prospects of it being a story of our lives but nah..It wasn't. Alia Bhatt interested me when the trailers were out. And after the movie, I have no interest in her.

 

The basic plot as it reads is pretty basic. 3+ friends are in the race for the "SOTY" at St. Teresa's school of the "elderly". Obviously, the movie didn't state that. People going to this school are probably drop-outs ageing 20+ and have come to start school yet again.

 

It's a typical Mohabbatein kinda film, only that the actors playing the okay-ish characters performed well in SOTY. Each one of them had their own persona. I think this was the only 'plus' in the movie.

 

Like any other KJo movie, this does have enough amounts of "Rona..Dhona..Jealousy..and a parent who doesn't love his son".

 

Music by Vishal Shekar is pretty mediocre with some interesting remixes here and there.

Dialogues by Niranjan Iyengar are funny and perfect for the screenplay. I think his work stands next to the actors in SOTY.

 

Talking about acting, Rishi Kapoor plays a Gay dean and he plays it so awesomely. His role is worth mentioning and deserves applause.

 

I heard voices of "Shit".."Uff".."WTF" while the screen showed six packs and certain body angles of the male protagonists and I just thought to myself that every movie has some hot girl dancing to give us the "ooohs and aahs", so why not girls have their time. Its their right to have fun too..

 

SOTY is not that pathetic but to an extent it is..

 

Rating: 2/5

 

SOTY: Better than Expected