Through the Motions

Padmasree Bharat Dr. Saroj Kumar - A pain in the backside

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:27:00 +0000

X-posting my FK review.

Theatre: Innovative, Bangalore
Show: 10 PM, 14-Jan-2012
Status: House Full (there were a couple of people walking away without getting the tickets, they have no idea how lucky they are!)

The promos looked tacky. Sreenivasan's recent form is pretty bad. I thought even if the movie is boring there would be something to laugh at. The reviews here lowered my expectations further. Even then, I was not prepared for such a crappy film.

It looks like Sreeni wanted to badmouth the stars, especially Mohanlal. I have no qualms at Sreeni doing this if it results in a decent movie and some amount of introspection for the stars and their fans. The problem here is that the movie is pretty much a collection of badly written skits, overacted to perfection by Sreeni. Even Suraj was better in comparison!

The story is about how Saroj Kumar continues to be an ass and how he gets his ass busted by his actions. Unfortunately, the second part happens to the audience. Terrible script by anybody's standard and not just Sreeni. Its Sreeni not the superstars who need to shut shop and go away. They atleast give us a watchable movie or two every year. Direction is sub-par and not a good start to a career. Only time will tell whether its due to the interference of the "super star." Camera, editing etc didn't really make any impact whatsoever. The only portion I liked in the movie was the song Kesu. The songs were pretty good and certainly undeserving of such a stupid film.

Fahad and Vineeth did well, though Vineeth just don't have the kind of look that goes with a young and upcoming star. A big waste of Mamta. Jagathy and Mukesh also didn't have much to do, but some of their dialogues were pretty good.

Looking for positives in this movie is like searching for something in a pile of crap.

TL;DR: Padmasree Bharath Dr. Saroj Kumar is a terrible movie. Stay away unless you have a penchant for masochism.

Rating: Horrifying! (not the good kind!)

Orkut oru Ormakoot - Good start to the year

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:42:00 +0000

Cross-posting my FK review. For more comments and discussions, visit FK.

Theatre - Kripa, Trivandrum
Show - 6:15 PM, 5-Jan-2012
Status - 30% Balcony

Title of the movie, though catchy, is a bit misleading. The writer-director could have used a better name instead of going for a name which was trendy over an year (or more!) ago. The plot does center around the arrival of an online friend, but the online activities are pretty minimal. The movie is more about self-discovery and coming of age.

The main protagonists are five friends living in a flat complex. Typical upper class yuppies who really doesn't care about anybody in their life and likes to goof away for most part of their lives. They enjoy their nightlife and desperately trying to get laid. All of them have issues at home, some serious and others not that much. One of them hooks up with a girl online and she decides to show up changing their lives forever. Rest of the movie centers around the mysterious girl and her journey of self-discovery with the help of the youngsters which in turn affects them as well. I liked the way the movie ended. Quite touching to be honest. Though some of the ends could have been tied up in a better fashion.

The five guys have acted pretty decently. Nothing mind blowing but competent enough for their roles. Rima has done a good job. The role is right up her alley and she does well barring a few sequences towards the end. The casting is pretty good and there are a lot of small characters which add life to the movie. Sreejith Ravi, Siddique, Menaka (though too much of a weepie-do), Kaviyoor Ponnama, and a couple of other young actresses have done pretty well.

Direction is pretty good for a first timer. The first half is quite enjoyable while the second half feels a bit stuffy and some disruptions to the overall flow. Screenplay written by the director is to be blamed since there were far too many tangents in the script. Placement of certain songs in the second half didn't help much either. The film dragged for a good 15 minutes more than what was required. Over all, had script been more lucid, the movie would have been excellent. I liked some small touches by the director like different getups of Kaviyoor Ponnamma in one of the boy's dream sequences.

Upper class cliche is liberally available in the film. Flat neighbours not caring about each other. Parents who doesn't care about kids and vice versa. Usage of certain slang and english words in conversations etc. Same kind of stuff in reverse can be seen in the village scenes. If you can sit through these cliches (which may be true to an extent), the dialogues are pretty fine. I liked the palakkadan slang in the village sequences and some of the dialogues between the boys were quite witty.

Camera work is pretty good and the production values are quite good for a movie with debutants and a dominant female lead. There was some animation work during the titles which could have been avoided. But they do seem to sync with the mood of the initial phase. Editing is crisp during the first half and slightly choppy towards the end. Songs were decent, but there were far too many in the second half.

Orkut oru Ormakoot is a good start in 2012 for Malayalam cinema. The commercial success is a question mark. If Johny Sagariga cannot make this movie a hit, I don't think anybody else can.

TL;DR: Orkut oru Ormakoot is an entertaining film with a good plot, decent execution, and fresh situations.

Rating: Good.

Arabiyum Ottakkavum P.Madhavan Nairum - Not the ideal swan song

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 03:37:00 +0000

Cross-posting my FK review. For more comments and discussions, visit FK.

Theatre: Innovative Multiplex
Show: 19-Dec-2011, 10 PM
Status: 25-30%

An insipid effort from Priyan for a movie touted to be his last comedy film in Malayalam. AOPMN shows the skill of Priyan as a Director. Out of nothingness, he created a tolerable movie with a few laughs along the way. Some of them felt natural, while some of them felt forced. Not the kind of stuff that we expect after a long hiatus from a celebrated film maker.

Script is stitched together from a couple (or more!) Hollywood flicks and scenes from old Priyan movies. Priyan could have chosen a much better script for his return. Had the movie been directed by someone else (and the dialogues) and did not have Mohanlal and Mukesh in it, we could have safely added this to the crap list. Dialogues are quite witty at places and evokes a chuckle or two.

Mohanlal did well as Madhavan Nair. Nice expressions and voice modulation. I would say his character was underwritten and not worthy enough for someone of his caliber. His range remained un-utilised for most part. The romance sequences with Laxmi Rai where cringe-worthy. He looked the part of a near forty year old (the movie says PMN came to gulf 13 years back. I want to assume he came when he was 26/27), but the romance scenes where not fit for someone of his age. Really hope we don't get more of these dished out. The same holds true for the other M as well. Mukesh was good and had a more rounded character. The chemistry between Lal and Mukesh was really good and is a major factor in making the movie rise above itself. Bhavana was good and Lakshmi Rai was her usual dummy self. It was sad to see Mamukkoya, Innocent and co wasted away. Suraj was decent and did not do much harm.

Camera work is good at places, especially the desert sequences are a treat to the eye. Editing is a bit shoddy. I liked the remixed Good, Bad, Ugly BGM. Otherwise, the BGM is a little under par with criminal under use in many places.

All in all, the movie is a disappointing fare and strictly middling. I hope that team that gave so many wonderful films go out on a bang with a good movie backed by a good script than a whimper that is AOPMN.

TL;DR: AOPMN is an average movie that you can watch, just for a few laughs and the magical chemistry between Mohanlal and Mukesh.

Rating: Average

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - Kickass action all the way

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 03:43:00 +0000

Theatre: Prasad IMAX, Hyderabad
Show: 17-Dec-2011, 6 PM
Status: Housefull

I saw the movie in IMAX format (30 minutes shot for IMAX) and it was breathtaking. One of the most surreal moments in a movie theatre I have ever witnessed was the Burj Khalifa sequence in the movie. I felt as if I am hanging from the building and nearly had a vertigo. The movie is filled with such visceral sequences both pleasing to the eye and raises the pulse.

Story starts when IMF breaks Hunt out of a Russian prison. Hunt accepts his first mission post jail-break and all hell breaks lose. The US President invokes the Ghost Protocol, which essentially defangs Hunt and his team. Rest of the movie captures how Hunt and his team saves the world from the apocalypse while kicking ass across countries.

Tom Cruise eases back into the role of Ethan Hunt as if the last MI (I haven't bothered to watch 3, so I am talking about 2 here) was yesterday. The looks, charisma, and physique remain the same. Jeremy Renner also did well as Hunt's sidekick. I was a little disappointed that he didn't get more screen space that he truly deserves. Other actors fit into the jigsaw perfectly. Anil Kapoor had a decent cameo, but I was expecting a bit more of him.

Script is well written and tight enough for a blockbuster action movie. The pacing is excellent and the movie leaves you craving for more action. The last MI film I watched certainly didn't leave me with that feeling. Direction is top notch. The Burj Khalifa sequence is probably one of the best shots I have seen in a very long time. Couple of goofups though. The Mumbai cars had "MH" at the end of their number. In the climax scenes (supposedly in Mumbai), some of the doors have Kannada or Telugu written on them instead of Hindi. Cinematography is brilliant aided by a wonderful VFX team. You could feel and smell the outlandish action sequences. They felt that real. Sound editing was good and BGM followed the usual MI path.

Watching a no-nonsense action flick is getting rarer these days and MI gives us exactly that.

TL;DR: MI: Ghost Protocol is essentially a big screen watch. Watch and blow your minds off.

Rating: Terrific!

Beautiful - The title sums it up!

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 09:40:00 +0000

Cross-posting my FK review. Visit FK for more discussions.

Theatre: Innovative Multiplex
Show: 8 PM, 11-Dec-2011
Status: Nearly a full house.

This year has been a good year for our cinema. A handful of good flicks a class apart from the usual fare dished out by our filmmakers over the last few years. Beautiful ends the year on a really high note just like what Traffic did in the beginning of this year.

Beautiful can be summed up as a writers movie. Anoop Menon has a done a great job in the screenplay and more importantly, the dialogues. Refreshing and natural are the two words that come into my mind. The language spoken by an average, educated Malayali. The kind of conversations that I would have with a friend. The kind of jokes that we would crack in our midst. Special props for the Aishwarya Rai sequence. We used to play the same prank on our friends in a more sadistic manner. He could have done better towards the end as the flow seems to disrupt a bit. But you can take nothing away from the man. Full marks for his penmanship. Love the way he puts in Mohanlal references in his scripts (Cocktail and now this). I hope we get a movie with Lal written by Anoop Menon on a subject several notches lighter than Pakalnakshathrangal.

VKP has often given us exciting frames but not a good movie as a whole. This is definitely his best work. Rain scenes were sheer poetry.

Jayasuriya has done well as Stephen. A great performance from probably the most improved actor of this generation. Anoop Menon was good and Meghna looked delectable. Nandu provided with good laughs and other cast members did justice to their roles.

Beautiful shows that a movie shot and released in a limited a span of time at an extremely low budget can probably be one of the best in terms of aesthetics and entertainment.

Do yourself a favour and go watch the movie at the theatre. Else you miss out one of the best films this year and lose your license to lament about the lack of quality films in Malayalam.

TL;DR: Beautiful is a beautiful film with enough smiles and laughs to entertain you for several days.

Rating: Brilliant

Puss in Boots - Puss passes with a good grade

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 09:37:00 +0000

Cross-posting my FK review. Visit FK for more discussions.

Theatre: Rex, Bangalore
Show: 10:55 AM, 4-Dec-2011
Status: 10-15 people in stall

I found Puss in Boots to be the most endearing character in the Shrek universe apart from the original cast. A big factor would be Antonio Banderas and the fact that the character is cute, tabby cat. Puss in Boots looks into the life and times of the kittie outside the Shrek univerese. The origin of the Puss and his boots and of course his adventures.

The movie is shouldered by Antonio Banderas and to be frank his remarkable and earnest voicing as Puss practically saves the movie from mediocrity. He excels as the suave "swordscat". The animation is top class and follows the artwork from the Shrek universe. There are a couple of beautiful moments in the film like hitching up the beanstalk (from Jack and Jill) and the dance fight between Puss and Kitty Softpaws (voiced by Salma Hayek).

The story is pretty mediocre to be frank and follows the typical Hollywood animation formula. What makes the movie pleasing is the motley crew of characters like Jack and Jill, Golden Goose, and Humpty Dumpty! The script is stitched to fit the regular convention and the BGM is good.

In hindsight, I was expecting Puss in Boots to have a little more meat. Still its a pretty good watch.

TL;DR: Puss in Boots is a good timepass, especially for those who like the twisted fairy tale characters ala Shrek.

Rating: Good

The Adventures of Tintin - Fun ride all along

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:32:00 +0000

X-posting my FK review. Visit FK for further discussions.

Theatre: Lakshmi Theatre, Thaverekere
Show: 1:15 PM, 12-Sep-2011
Status: Balcony around 40%, very low in FC

Tintin makes me nostalgic. My childhood vacations where either spent playing cricket or in the bed with a book in hand. I managed to read all the Tintin books that I could lay my hands upon. I wanted all dogs that I see to be snowy. Be Tintin and travel the world on adventures. From the moon to the deep abyss of the sea. Herge had created an engaging world and pitted in a set of delightful characters.

Fast forward to mid-2000s. News breaks out about a new Tintin movie spearheaded by Spielberg and Peter Jackson. Animation and not live action. I had been waiting for this movie ever since then.

First of all, the viewing experience I had was shoddy at best. I saw Mankatha in Lakshmi Theatre and was pretty ok with it. Tintin was a colossal let down. The sound system turned out to be way too crappy. Dialogues were barely audible let alone understandable.

Moving on to the movie. Spielberg sticks to the original material. May be a little too much. Its almost like watching the Tintin cartoons that used to air on TV a few years back with some awesome tech blended in. The movie does stay more like that book and Spielberg is successful in maintaining some aspects which delighted like that comic. The pickpocket scene comes to mind immediately. Similarly, the chase scene in the Emir's palace was breathtaking. Immensely rich visuals packed with a shot of adrenaline and the stamp of Herge humour all over it. Snowy's actions in certain scenes are a delight to watch. Follow the pooch closely and you will be rewarded!

Voice actors have done a good job (I think!). Tintin was perfectly voiced and Andy Serkis as Haddok, took some time to get used to, but he does deliver some striking stuff in the flashback scenes. Thomson and Thompson were a perfect fit and so was Castiafiora. The singing scene was sensational.

The story is derived from three Tintin books and they have been seamlessly merged creating a single, strong narrative. I really wish they create at least 2 more movies based on the books.

3D technology was really good to see in certain places and the animation is top notch. Tintin and Haddock feels strangely real. Snowy is beautifully done. The animators deserve a huge applause just for snowy. Captures the essence completely from the book.

TL;DR: The Adventures of Tintin is a delightful movie blessed with top notch animation and captures the essence of the original material.

Rating: Excellent.

In Time - In sync with these times

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:31:00 +0000

X-posting my FK review. Visit FK for further discussions.

Theatre: Fame Cinemas, Bangalore
Show: 7:45 PM, 5-Nov-2011
Status: House Full

In Time has a very interesting premise. A future where time is literally money and humans are immortals. There is a catch though. Your clock starts ticking at the age of 25. You have 1 more year on the clock that you can spend or live. You need to work hard for the entire life and earn time to stay alive. The land is divided into time zones where the rich and powerful stay in the upper echelons in comfort and the poor struggle to sustain their life in ghetto like time zones.

The protagonist played by Justin Timberlake lives in a ghetto with her mother. He is 27 and his mother is in her 25th anniversary of turning 25. They literally live minute to minute. His life turns upside down one day when a man arrives in the ghetto with over 100 years on his clock. What follows form the core of the movie.

The movie alludes to the current situation in our world economy. The economic powerhouses built on top of debt or paper money which has no intrinsic value. Everything driven by the greed of a few powerful corporations. Humanity treated secondary to profit. I could really connect to the movie in its allegory, %with the occupywallstreet protests and debates on 99% taking place in the USA.

Justin Timberlake is good as the hero. Other actors were pretty decent. Amanda Seinfried is stunning and played a good part as the rich, rebellious girl.

The styling of the movie is good. Realistic future blended with a retro style. Absence of cell phones is the main thing I notice. Could be deliberate. The screenplay tends to get generic and move away from the powerful underlying thought in the thread. Will not bore you for sure. Direction is good. BGM and camera work are pretty standard and engaging enough. Visually, the movie does not offer any excesses and relies on the normal, realistic setting.

At the end of the day, you do get the feeling that the movie could have offered a lot more with the kind of thread it has. But it does entertain you and is a good watch.

TL;DR: In Time is a good scifi thriller with a powerful allegory relevant to our times.

Rating: Good

Velayudham - Just for the mass!

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:30:00 +0000

X-posting my FK review. Visit FK for more discussion.

Theatre: Innovative Multiplex, Bangalore
Show: 10 PM, 29-Oct-2011
Status: 80-90%

After getting torn by 7aam Arivu and Ra.One and blowing 500 Rs, I was reluctant to go for Velayudham. Picked up my pieces and went to the movie thanks to peer pressure. The movie does not disappoint. It offers what you expect from a Vijay movie. Gravity defying stunts, quite a few comedy numbers, larger than life hero, and luscious women, all tied into a neat package.

Vijay does what he does best and is entertaining. Thanks to KPN, I have watched most of the bad films from Vijay 5-6 times and this is a welcome relief. Hansika is gorgeous and I got my money's worth from just watching her prance around the screen. Genelia is subdued and a decent role for her. Saranya was good as Vijay's sister. Santhanam was quite funny without going overboard. The baddies fit the bill neatly. Thumbs up for casting Abhimanyu Singh. Downright menacing.

Direction is pretty good. Cinematography and editing adequate to keep with the pace of the movie. Screenplay is tailor made for larger than life heroism and succeeds in that respect. Velayudham costume could have been better without the obvious Assassins Creed inspiration.

At the end of the day, you get what you pay for. 2-3 hours of mindless entertainment. Switch off your brains and enjoy the ride.

TL;DR: Velayudham is a fairly enjoyable Tamil masala flick which does not stray away from a successful formula.

Rating: Decent masala flick.

Ra.One : Dumb Film. Brilliant Technology

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:28:00 +0000

X-posting my FK review. Visit FK more discussions.

Show: 9:45 PM, 28-Oct-2011
Theatre: Rex, Bangalore
Status: Barely 30% in FC, 80% in Balcony (FC has a lot more seats)

The only redeeming factor about this movie is the technical brilliance. Visual effects were spot on. Near perfection in most of scenes. VFX team, take a bow!

Story is as dumb as it comes. Dumbness follows one after the other. International technology demo in Hindi where most delegates are foreigners! Video game which has 3(!) levels and require you to do somersaults if you want to win! As an avid follower of games, this is appalling to say the least and as dumb as it can get. Kid in 2011 who is a fan of Michael Jackson! He listens to metal for god sakes! Make him a fan of Lamb of God or Maiden! But no, we need SRK to show off his MJ impersonation! Dead guy getting a christian burial and some Hindu ash dispersing! It goes on and on. The funny part is, these things can be forgiven if the plot made even a little sense.

Movie relies on stereotypes for comic relief. South Indians, fat kids, Chinese guys. Not even mildly funny. Insufferable to be frank. SRK would have been better off letting his kids write the screenplay and story. They would have done a better job.

SRK is not too good as the Tamilian dude. G.One doesn't have much to do in terms of acting. Flashes of brilliance in the household scenes as G.One. Arjun Rampal is pretty decent. Looks ominous enough to scare 3 year olds. Kareena looks okay. The kid is pretty good. Chinese guy was nice as well.

Direction is pretty average. Cinematography, editing, sounds, VFX were top notch. The technical part actually makes you sit and watch the movie. I watched 3D and its pretty good when compared to usual 3D stuff.

Northie guys and gals were giggling in a lot of scenes. So, I guess it does appeal to a section of the audience. Will it be enough to save this trainwreck?

TL;DR: Ra.One is a dumb film undeserving of the breathtaking VFX.

Rating: Avoid (Unless the ticket is dirt cheap)

7aam Arivu - Seventh Sense is nonsense!

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 06:04:00 +0000

Theatre: Fame Cinemas
Show: 10.45 A.M, 26-Oct-2011
Status: Housefull

I decided to watch 7aam Arivu because of Surya and the amount of hype that surrounded the movie. I had a major reservation with the movie ever since Murugadoss made statements about Tamilian culture, heritage and all. Reeked of jingoism to exploit the average Tamilian. And why would he need to do that? The answer stared right from the screen. In simple terms, the movie sucks.

The only thing I liked in the movie was Surya. Holds his head high from a heap of ruins. The Bodhidharman act was really good and he was charming self as the modern day Arvind. His performance in stunts showed how much commitment he had made for the movie. Circus tricks, kung fu fights, dances...he could pretty much do nothing wrong. Shruthi Hasan was ok as the love interest. You could barely blame for an overwritten character. Villain is good. He can kick ass but no opportunity to act.

Technically, the movie is frustrating. Brilliant camera shots followed by some shoddy work. Hollywooditis at its peak at certain points. Note to the makers, a shaky camera is considered as a negative in recent Hollywood blockbusters. Its not something that gives your movie credit. Editing is also shoddy at places.

By far, the biggest or rather the only culprit is Murugadoss. You claimed that Hollywood would be queuing to remake this movie (or something like that!). When you make such loaded statements, back your ass. Else you will fall flat like this. Terrible screenplay and a bad story made from a very promising thread. Direction is shoddy. Lets forget about the science part in the movie. Everybody makes concessions so that movie becomes enjoyable to the masses. But even if you consider the watered down logic (or lack of it) in Tamil, the stuff you see in this movie is downright laughable.

Mind Controlling villain. I can digest that. But a mind controlling villain who is able to teach multiple people kungfu within 10 seconds and make the cars and bikes fly? The usual turncoat Indian who is paid 300 crores(!) as lumpsum with nearly zero motives who begins lecturing about the evil plans of the evil Chinese in intricate details like a study class. If you can digest that and a lot more you may be able to tolerate the movie.

Songs are forgettable. Ringa Ringa song though good to hear is not shot very well. Rest of the songs look really good but has a forgettable rhythm. BGM is downright terrible at some places. When did high pitched shreeking became a trademark of the Chinese?

SFX were decent to good. But in many places you could feel the artificiality. Value for the amount of money spent? Decide for yourself.

What really pisses me off is the amount of time this movie took in pre-production. Looks like while Surya was doing his jig, others were out partying hard. Screenplay looks like its been written in a week and the frames look like they been hastily put together. The amount of Tamil jingoism in the movie is irritating to say the least. Multiply the kind of philosophy that Shankar pushes out in his movies by 20.

At the end of the day, you feel bad for Surya. The man gave a lot for the movie. The movie could be a hit in TN thanks to Surya, but Murugadoss should hang his head in shame.

TL;DR: 7aam Arivu is a terrible disappointment laced with a non-existent screenplay and lacklustre direction.

Rating: Avoid.

Indian Rupee - Bang for the Buck

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:04:00 +0000

Cross-posting my review in FK.

Show: 10 PM, 7-Oct
Theatre: Innovative Multiplex, Bangalore
Status: Housefull (Houseful note was put up by the time we reached at 9:40. Great to see a full house despite poor reservation earlier in the day)

Hats off to Ranjith. Brilliant movie. For the third time in a row he has managed to pull off a great movie. Its often easy to be a victim of your own success but Ranjith has managed to stay true to his work. Armed with a good script, his direction has made this movie a delight for the viewer. Apart from poor picturisation of an awesome song (what were you smoking?), you could hardly find any glaring (or otherwise) fault. Terrific dialogues. The little verbal spars and one liners are really enjoyable.

Not getting into the story details. Better to see it unfold in the screen. Movie basically discusses the urge of today's generation to make a quick buck with little regard to everything else.

Prithviraj did well. Possibly his best performance since Vasthavam. No signs of stiffness that had crept into his acting in the recent flicks. His performance as JP would be remembered. A very good performance throughout barring the scene where he runs away from home during his sister's pennukaanal. He was able to portray the emotions of JP to perfection. You could easily accept JP as a "9th pass". A little smattering of humour works really well for the character. He should try doing more of these rather than trying a hand at slapstick which does not suit him at this stage.

Thilakan has shown how we miss him as an actor. A dialogue from Prithviraj, "Ningalithu evide aayirunnu ithrem naal!", sums it up. Brilliant performance. The best in the movie by far.

I thought Reema did quite well. She was charming and did well as the supporting yet strong romantic interest. The chemistry between Reema and Prithvi worked really well for me.

Jagathy as usual was terrific. Played the character to perfection. Tini Tom has played a good role. The movie should do him a lot of good. All the others were also aptly selected and did a good job. Special note to the girl who played JPs sister. Fantastic brother-sister chemistry. A welcome relief from the usual cliched kunjupengal.

Technical side was quite adequate. Good frames. Terrific BGM. Shahbaz Aman is seriously good. Ee puzhayum song was brilliant barring the terrible picturisation.

Its great to see that Malayalam cinema has marched ahead this year with some good movies. Indian Rupee certainly ranks high in my list among the best movies this year.

TL;DR: Indian Rupee is a delightful movie that handles a good theme backed by good performances in front and behind the camera.

Rating: Excellent!

Sneha Veedu - A cliched feel good movie

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:02:00 +0000

As usual cross-posting my FK review. Delayed by two weeks I guess! :-)

Theatre: Innovative Multiplex, Bangalore
Show: 10 PM, 30-Sep-2011
Status: 90%+ in balcony, first class status unsure. Quite healthy I think.

A beautiful village with all the village clichés set in place. The hero nostalgic about the village. A mother who has raised her son against all the odds. Lovely human beings all around. Typical Sathyan fare yet again. This setting, though unreal, is good to watch. If a typical city brat like me got tickled with the feeling of nostalgia, then it would be a rush for Sathyan's target audience. But the usual problem haunts yet again. Lack of credible writing.

The first half is quite enjoyable. A terrific performance from Mohanlal. A good performance from Sheela where she does not go too loud. Most of the comedies work out quite well. Not the kind of comedy where you laugh out loud and hurt your belly, but the ones which induce a smile and an occassional chuckle.

Cometh second half and cometh the devil. Sathyan has no idea how to go about the business. The story cruises along aimlessly and eventually runs out of gas. A better writer would have been able make the movie interesting with the same story line. The ending and second half should appeal to a family audience, but not for others.

The biggest positive by far in the movie is Mohanlal. His comic timing is impeccable. Self-referential humour was a riot. The exercise sequence with Biju Menon was hilarious.

Songs were a let down. Most of all them sounded alike. Sathyan should have got rid of Ilayaraja and got somebody new. Camera was adequate, but frames could have looked better.

Still, the movie is pretty harmless unlike other comic capers we are subjected to. Clichéd to be sure, but it never makes you want to hit the exit.

TL;DR: Snehaveedu is a typical family movie pulled down by weak writing and propped by a good performance from Mohanlal.

Rating: Decent to Good.

Pranayam - Poetry in Motion

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:13:00 +0000

Cross-posting my review in Forumkeralam. Visit FK for reactions and comments.
Theatre: Sreekumar
Show: 31-Aug-2011, 2 PM
Status: Balcony - Full, First Class- Not many (where are the bloody fans who fill out multiple theatres on the first day? Shame on you!)

I am still under the spell of the movie. Personally, the best movie I have seen this year and possibly for an even longer period of time. Hats off to Blessy for terrific writing and direction. Pranayam is not a love story, rather a life story. A movie that has a lot of value for someone who wants to lead a happy life. Blessy has penned some of the best lines I have ever heard in a film. Life is an extension of happiness...Imo, the best film from Blessy (taking nothing away from Kazhcha).

This is one of those performances that every fan crave. To show off your favourite actor with pride. Look! This is the man I am talking about! To say Mohanlal is brilliant would be an understatement. He shows his immense screen presence and brilliant performance with limited scenes and even more limited mobility. I strongly believe nobody could have matched him or even come close to what he has done here. Blessy once again deserves kudos for writing such a masterclass character for him.

Anupam Kher can be proud of his work in Pranayam. As the character that drives the movie he exudes an aura of freshness and performs with perfection. Lip sync was a slight irritant in the beginning, but later on I was mesmerized with his performance that I never even noticed it again. Truly awesome! Blessy deserves another pat on the back for such a brilliant casting idea.

Jayaprada was truly a revelation. Brilliant performance. A strong feminine character without the cliched underpinnings. Felt just like a strong woman in real life who loves to live a happy life. Her character was pivotal to the plot and she did a fantastic job. I wanted Sumalatha in the role when the news about this film came. More for the Thoovanathumpikal nostalgia more than anything. I am glad Blessy didnt think like me!

Anoop Menon deserves kudos for a fabulous performance. I really wish he would get meatier roles in future movies. He showed his class and makes one wish he had started out a bit earlier. Other characters were aptly casted with good performances.

Camera work is brilliant. Satish Kurup has done a magnificent job. The lighting and shots were delectable to say the least. Editing, sound, BGM were top class.

Blessy has shown his class once again. After a forgettable outing in Calcutta News and a fragile script in Bhramaram, this is a remarkable comeback (of sorts!).

This movie is a modern classic. There are no two words about it. I would always cherish this movie close to my heart. Once I was confused about what I should do in life. Nothing really made too many sense. I asked a friend: What do you want to be in life? A prompt reply came: Be happy! A moment of truth for me. I feel Pranayam tells the same thing. Live life and be happy. Life is more beautiful than dreams...if you know how to live.

TL;DR: Pranayam is a wonderful experience. A must "feel" movie.

Ratiing: Exquisite!

Delhi Belly - There is a lot of fire in this belly!

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 04:27:00 +0000

Cross-posting my FK review. For comments and discussions visit FK.

Theatre: Inox, Orbit Mall, Siliguri, West Bengal
Status: 20%
Show: 5 PM, 9th July

Off-topic: I had gone for a trip to Sikkim with my friends. We had to spent over 5 hours in New Jalpaiguri waiting for our train to Kolkata on our return. None of us where to keen to spent time in the sickeningly sultry Bengal climate. Luckily, we saw a mall on our way to NJP. Locked all our bags in the railway station and took a 16 KM Auto ride (with 10 of us!) to Siliguri to watch Delhi Belly and enjoy the AC.

On to the review: A rewarding experience for all the pain! The only disappointing fact was that the movie screened there was the dubbed Hindi version and not the English/Hindi original.

The movie captured my imagination from the first frame. Strikingly similar to our place in Bangalore. The songs and BGM gelled exceptionally well with the movie. Dialogues (the hindi ones) were top notch and evoked a lot of laughter. The plot is decent with strong resemblance to Guy Ritchie movies. Script has been executed pretty well with all characters getting ample space and significance. Direction is pretty good and there is an element of freshness in the frames which adds to the richness of the movie. There are lot of funny gags in the movies in the most unexpected places. Most importantly, it takes a lot of balls to mouth oft-used indecencies and show turd on screen. I really loved the way swearing was done in the movie and I wish we could have something like this in Malayalam.

Actors have all done pretty well. Imran Khan though the hero, does not hog the limelight and guys who played his friends gelled perfectly to the role. The villain takes the cake as the serious yet side-splitting big boss.

Delhi Belly is the Bollywood movie I enjoyed the most after Kaminey. Both movies are inspired from Guy Richtie school of making and has done it pretty successfully. You can claim Delhi Belly to be a rip-off (final shooting scene reminded me a lot about True Romance), but I would welcome more such movies if done right like Delhi Belly.

TL;DR: Delhi Belly is rollicking ride filled with lots of side-splitting gags. Must watch.

Rating: Excellent

Adaminte Makan Abu - Simple, subtle yet beautiful

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:48:00 +0000

Cross-posting FK review. For further analysis and comments go to the FK.

Theatre: Innovative Multiplex, Bangalore
Show: 12:30 P.M, 25th June 2011
Status: 15 in Balcony, Must be around the same in First Class

To be frank I had braced myself to expect disappointment when I went to watch the movie. Sometimes arthouse movie critics simply rave about a movie just because of the theme, irrespective of its making. All fears aside, the first thing I noticed was that the director did not sacrifice anything on the technical side. Salim Ahmed deserves kudos for the fact that he did not sacrifice any aspect of the making to reduce the cost. Bold, considering the returns that such movies give to the producer.

Unlike other Malayalam parallel/art movies, ABA has decent pacing. Aside from the first 20 minutes or so, the movie has enough pace so that you don't keep glancing into your watch every now and then. I think most of the general audience would be able to sit through the movie without getting bored. Director has done a great job in keeping things tight. He has kept things simple and gets the audience involved right into the idyllic village and Abu's life. There are those little things that strike you like Aishumma holding a lemon every time she goes in a bus, considering the fact that she spends most of her time at home and rarely travels.

Couple of guffaws aside, the script was also really good. The only gripe I have is with the Usthad-Suraj sub-plot which was not very clear to me. Will Suraj be the next Usthad? I loved the way in which Abu's son's role was handled. Very little mention, but it stays throughout our mind even when the words are unsaid. Terrific writing. Salim Ahmed penned some of the most memorable dialogues in a long time which would wet your eyes immediately and even later when you reminisce. One major guffaw was with taking "8" for a car license. Avoidable mistake.

Camera work has been outstanding. Kudos to Madu Ambatt for providing the perfect lighting. The night shots looked really good. His decision to use digital instead of 16mm has paid of rich dividends as the long shots provide a certain amount of richness to the film. BGM was outstanding to say the least. Engrossing yet unobtrusive. Art direction was also upto the mark with Abu's house gave the feel of a frugal yet devout life.

Salim Kumar has done an outstanding job. A truly great performance in Malayalam in a long time. There was only an old Abu in sight and not the laughter inducing Salim Kumar. The expressions, the body language, the style of movement everything was extra-ordinary. Abu's makeup deserves a special mention here. It never felt like makeup at all. Everything down to the milky eyes looked so genuine. Zareena Wahab did really well as well. She depicted Aishumma perfectly. All the other actors did quite well. Mani and Nedumudi Venu deserves a special kudos. Suraj was good within his limitations and showed what a proper director can make out of him. While most, if not all the characters in ABA are innately good, they don't come across as being too good to be true as most other Malayalam movies that preach "goodness".

The success of a movie lies in the fact is that it makes people across strata to think and talk. ABA for me reiterates the age old belief about living an honest life while sticking to your convictions and being a good human being.

TL;DR: Adaminte Makan Abu is a brilliant movie with great performances and an everlasting story. Must watch.

City of God - Gritty and Daring

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 21:52:00 +0000

Cross-posting FK review. For further analysis and comments go to the FK.

Theatre: Rex, Bangalore
Show: 9:55 PM, April 30, 2011
Status: 20(+unknown in 1st class)

I liked Lijo's previous movie Nayakan as a fresh attempt. Even though the movie had several "inspirations" and deeply flawed, it showed the glimpses of a promising young director. I had expectations from City of God, and Lijo delivered. City of God is a true Director's movie. Refreshing to see the actors rather than the stars.

The story revolves around 2 separate sets of people at different spectra of the society. The narrative is non-linear, but the non-linearity can throw off the audience at the start of the movie. Have patience, watch on without judgement and you will get into the mood.

The movie could have benefited from a better screenplay. Screenplay is decent to good, but better writing could have elevated a lot of issues like pacing, the need of incisive dialogues, and black humour would have been effective. Lijo as a Director deserves kudos for doing a brilliant job. Continuity is of prime importance in a multi-narrative and I couldn't pick out any issues. Camera movements may look jolted, but it provides the gritty feel this movie requires. Lighting is brilliant and the effort is evident from the numerous night shots. By far, one of the best cinematography in recent times.

All the actors have done a great job. Indrajith was perfect as the Tamil migrant and Prithviraj was apt as the thug. I guess Om Prakash (Muthoot case) was the inspiration for Prithvi's character and he fits really well. Contrary to popular opinion, I though Rima was a good fit. She played a character, who simply goes through the motions and is defeated by fate. Too much emoting would have hampered the character. The guy who played the rich business man was also good.

The biggest letdown for me was the Tamil song. Crass cacophony to the ears! The other two songs were decent and fits the mood.

Its really hard to see such a movie fail. You can feel the amount of effort put into the movie by the writer and the director. The passion that elevates the film altogether. At the end of the day, you have to applaud the sheer audacity to do such a movie when only the nonsense prevails.

If you do not watch City of God, you should be ashamed when you start to bitch about the lack of innovation in Malayalam cinema.

TL;DR: City of God is a gritty take on the often hidden face of a city complemented by brilliant direction and an excellent cast.

Rating: Excellent!

China Town: Mindless fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:18:00 +0000

Cross-posting my FK review. Visit FK for reactions and comments.
Theatre: Kairali
Show: 15/4/2010. 9:30 PM
Status: Houseful

China Town neither offers a fresh story nor a unique presentation. Story is a blend of comedy, action, revenge, and everything else that Raft and Mecartin could concoct. The movie sticks to a formula which works most of the time. A good blend of three great stars in our industry. Unlike Christian Brothers where all the other actors felt sidelined, China Town has given the others some more space to perform.

I loved the look of senior Mohanlal circa 1986. The "youngster" looked very much out of shape and old to be frank. But the man has given a brilliant performance with lots of energy that lets the audience forget and perhaps forgive the looks. Probably the most energetic performance in a long time. Good action scenes and good comedy scenes wherever he was required. Still not back to his midas comic timing, but adequate. As a Mohanlal fan, I really hope none of his future movies would sport a thirty something character trying to romance twenty somethings. (Casanova is a special exclusion!)

Jayaram sports a horrible wig but otherwise has given a good performance. Dileep drives the comedy section and does a great job. Great to see Captain Raju back. Ladies have nothing much to do. Look Pretty. Dance. Job done. The villains are typical northie villains that you get to see in Malayalam movies. The Sumo wrestler was a good addition. The theatre lit up with laughter when the man was first shown. Surprisingly, Suraj was good throughout and one of his rare roles in recent times that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Direction and script are good in the first half. The second half things go a bit awry. Thanks to the duo, what could have been a brilliant comic caper has been turned into a decent, fun entertainer. Hangover inspired parts were ok for me. Camera work is really good and editing is top notch. Songs sounded good in the theatre.

China Town may be just another multi-star to get the cash registers ringing, but for me its a new path that our film makers need to exploit. May such formulaic movies lead to great movies like Ocean's series and Heat which absolutely require multiple high-caliber actors.

TL;DR: China Town is a fun ride. Lock your brains at home, loosen your tie, and enjoy yourself.

Rating: 7/10

Urumi: A magnificent epic

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 11:42:00 +0000

Cross-posting my FK review. Visit FK for reactions and more discussions on Urumi.
Date: 1st April 2011
Theatre: Innovative Multiplex, Bangalore
Status: Houseful

First of all, I would like to say cheers to Prithviraj and Santhosh Sivan for their belief in Urumi. A huge risk when you consider the reach of Malayalam cinema and its two-faced audience.

Visually, Urumi is stunning. Leaves you breathless at certain instances. I could feel the water running down my face, the grass crunching under my feet, and the fury of battle in my nerves. Santhosh Sivan as a camera man has exceeded himself here. Probably the best visuals I have ever seen from him. I cannot recall better visuals in an Indian movie from whatever limited viewing experience that I have.

While its kudos to the Santhosh Sivan, the camera man; pebbles to Santhosh Sivan, the director. The direction is sub-par, especially in the beginning and many scenes feels too rushed without enough character development. The modern-ancient integration didn't work out properly as well as Vidya Balan's appearance in the ancient era. Not sure if its an issue with the script or direction, but I guess its a combination of the too.

Script is pretty good with some excellent dialogues, especially the ones with sexual innuendo. Some more punch dialogues would have helped raise the audience pulse, but whatever is present now seems adequate to me. Hats off to Shankar Ramakrishnan for a good work.

Prithviraj did well. The role was physically demanding and he delivered. He didn't have much to portray his acting skills. Script should have given more space for his character development. For me, Vasthavam and Vargam remains Prithvi's best works to date. Genelia was an excellent choice. She excelled in a demanding role and was exceptional in the action scenes. Lip sync was an issue and Director should have reduced close-up shots or found different ways to convey the effect of such shots. Prabhudeva was also good and played the sidekick role to perfection. Refreshing to see a full length role from him after a long time. Nithya Menon was good, but her modern role didn't make any sense at all. The script totally let down the sync between the modern and ancient roles. Jagathy was awesome throughout. One of the most amazing performances in recent times. Amol Palekar was also terrific.

Music was good and probably the best songs in Malayalam for quite some time. BGM at places where excellent. Sound design was also pretty good. Editing was slick and visual effects didn't feel artificial. Urumi should be sweeping the technical awards for this year.

I am very curious about the trimmed down international version of the movie. I suspect it would be better without all the songs and some fluff.

Rating: 8.5/10
TL;DR: Urumi is a visual spectacle with an awesome cast and excellent dialgoues. Must watch!

Edit: Personally, I liked Urumi more than Pazhassi Raja!

Christian Brothers: Intoxicating Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:36:00 +0000

Cross-posting the review I wrote in ForumKeralam

Date: 18th March 2011
Theatre: Trivandrum New (11 AM show started at 11:30, not sure if the earlier show was a fan show)
Status: Houseful (I got the tickets in black. Otherwise, there was no chance of getting in)

I did not have that high of an expectation with this movie. I was hoping it would at least compare to Pokkiri Raja so that fans and the entertainment value would make the movie a success. Oh boy, I was in for a treat.

On the outset, the movie practically offers nothing new. Fight between two families. One righteous, other not. A son misunderstood by the family. Dead/distanced siblings. Mashed together by loads of action. Christian Brothers follows all these still becomes distinct by the brilliant performance by the cast and the plethora of punch dialogues.

Hats off to Sibi-Udayan for writing a script which essentially gives all the main characters ample space to perform. Another hat tip for writing so many punches and comebacks through out the script. Joshi has done a fabulous job of making the movie thrilling without boring the audience even for a minute. Commendable task considering the length of the movie. I didnt glance at my watch a single time throughout the screening. Camera is adequate and editing is good. Sound mixing in songs should have been better.

Mohanlal rules the roost as Christi Varghese. The man carries the role with aplomb. His dialogue delivery is terrific. It was truly heartening to see then man back in action with some good old verbal sparring. Action scenes are very good, but nothing out of the world. The only space where I felt a little awkward was during a couple of scenes with Lakshmi Rai where Lal clearly looked out of place. Wonderful return of form for Mohanlal in mass hero roles.

Dileep was brilliant where ever the role demanded. I was a tad disappointed at the length of his role in the first half. The character had a lot of potential and it would have lightened up the situation.

Suresh Gopi did well. He had a lot of good dialogues and he showed he still had his old spark. Sarathkumar was intelligently used and added a new dimension the movie. All the other actors did fine. Saikumar deserves a special mention. Ladies as usual had a limited role in the movie.

Negatives would be the old school story and lackluster music. Couple of songs sounded decent with pictures, but nothing to write home about. BGM also was adequate and nothing unique.

I am sure that the movie would be lapped up by the fans. I suspect this would also sit well with all the other type of audience. With a summer vacation looming, the marketing trick would do wonders.

TL;DR: Christian Brothers is a fun ride. Hop in and enjoy yourselves with some old school action and fiery dialogues. Recommended for all fans of commercial Malayalam cinema.

Rating: 7/10

Best Actor Review: Not the best, still pretty good

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:11:00 +0000

Cross-posting the review I wrote in ForumKeralam.

Theatre: Innovative Multiplex
Show: 11/12/2010, 10 PM
Status: Housefull

I had high expectations when I went to watch the movie after reading the review and preview reports. Slightly disappointed at the outcome. When I thought about it later, the movie did not have any glaring negatives. Only thing that dampened my spirits was the expectation. You cannot really blame anybody for gushing about the movie. Best Actor is probably the most proper Malayalam commercial movie to come out in a long time. A good story, great performances, and enough elements for a wholesome entertainment regardless of whether you are a fan or not.

Not going on to the story since its been repeated more than 50 (or is it 60?) times in FK itself! Martin Prakatt deserves a pat on the back for doing a proper homework and execution with no glitches that first time Directors make. Direction was decent in the first half. Pace was pretty decent considering the fact that nothing much happened for most part of it. I thought the second half was brilliantly executed. It had all the recipes that could make or break the movie and Martin skilfully weathered the storm. Script was also decent, but a better script could have turned the movie into a classier affair.

Kudos to Mammootty for taking a chance with Martin. He looks younger by the day and I suspect that he has turned into a modern Dorian Grey! His performance was top class. The most notable scene is when Srinivasan spurns him in the school. He expresses the emotional turmoil perfectly. His avatar as a Bombay Dada was very good, well aided by his motley crew and the dialogues. Only gripe I felt was in a couple of Hindi dialogues. They seemed to land somewhere in the middle of punchy and comical instead of veering towards the right path.

The other cast members were really good and got decent screen time. Salim Kumar looked good after a long time and Nedumudi Venu was awesome as Aashan. Sreenivasan was adequate fitted the role of a no-nonsense Director perfectly. The heroine was not that great. Granted that she had very little to do, but there was space for a great performance given the limited screen time. It would have fleshed out the movie a bit more. This should have been taken care by the Director/script.

Ajayan Vincent's camera was outstanding. Editing felt choppy in the first half, but Don Max was in his elements in the latter half. Songs were ok and BGM was good.

Martin Prakatt is someone to look forward to in the future. Its great for Malayalam cinema that this year witnessed the emergence of quite a few talented Directors.

TL;DR: Best Actor is a wholesome entertainer for all kinds of audience, packed with great performances and good direction.

Rating: 7/10

Rakhta Charitra - 1 : A History written in blood

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:39:00 +0000

Posting the review I wrote in Forum Keralam.
Theatre: Innovative Multiplex, Bangalore, 24th October, 11:30 AM Show
Status: Balcony - No idea, must be around 80% First Class: 30-40% with 3-4 girls

To be frank, I expected a lot more violence looking at the various reviews. The movie sure has its fair share of it, but nothing revolting. I found it necessary and realistic enough for the topic tackled by the movie. Then again, it depends on the threshold of the viewer. The guy who sat next to often cringed and was hid his face when something gruesome was about to happen.

The film is based on the real life story of Paritala Ravi, a powerful politician in Rayalseema who lived and died by the sword.

Anantpur is place ruled by Narasimha Reddy, a powerful politician. Veer Bhadra is the trusted lieutenant of Reddy, who hails from the lower caste. Naga Reddy, the number two in the party is jealous of Veer Bhadra's relation with Narasimha. Naga Reddy manages to poison Narasimha's mind to turn him against Veer Bhadra which eventually culminates in Veer Bhadra's gruesome murder. This incident triggers of a spate of violence between the two factions led by Veer Bhadra's son Shankar played by Sushant Singh and Naga Reddy's son Bukka Reddy played by Abhimanyu Singh.

Shankar gets murdered and his brother Pratap Ravi played by Vivek Oberoi takes over the helm. The rest of the movie deals with how Pratap Ravi avenges the death of his father and brother, and how he transforms from a guerilla leader to a power politician.

The performances are top notch. You cannot name a single person who has underperformed or hammed in the movie. The best performer by far was Abhimanyu Singh. He plays the brutal Bukka Reddy to perfection. Bukka Reddy enjoys murdering people in the unconventional manner. Bukka kills people for pleasure and kills his own people when he is angry. A rampant womaniser who literally lifts women from the streets and rapes them. Abhimanyu is successful in creating the aura of unpredictability around the character and spite in the minds of the viewers. Vivek Oberoi has performed really well. Probably his best since Company. He is controlled when required and at his smouldering best in certain scenes. The surprise comes in the form of Shatrughan Sinha. Shotgun is left in the cupboard and he acts the smooth Shivaji Rao (probably inspired by NTR) to perfection.

There is a scene which shows how violence is a routine for the people. Bukka Reddy is smashing the pulp out a man's leg with a rifle butt in the front yard of his home. The lady in the house saunters out and asks Bukka whether he wants to come to the temple as if he is sipping tea. Bukka pauses, replies in the negative, and continues his work. The lady without a blink gets into a car and leaves.

The movie is filled with RGV signature shots. The close-up shots, wacky camera work. Fast frames. The director is near top form after a long time. For me, this is one of his better works and the best work in quite some time although the movie is nowhere near Satya or Company. Sound is very loud and felt a bit unnecessary. The BGM is over the top in most places. It felt grating in the beginning, but afterwards it synced with the tempo of the movie. Same holds true for the weird sound of the narrator.

The movie had a satisfactory ending making the viewer crave for more. A short synopsis of what is to be expected in the second part is shown in the end. Surya dominates the section and it sets the tone for the next part. Priyamani is also shown in the montage and probably Sudeep will have a bigger part to play. He was introduced as an intel officer after the first half with no part after that.

TL;DR: Rakhta Charithra is a must watch for the connoisseurs of political-thrillers, provided you can stand the amount of blood and gore.

Rating: 7.5/10

Anwar: Slooow Poison!

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 05:17:00 +0000

Cross-posting from the review I wrote in ForumKeralam.

Theatre: Athulya, Trivandrum, 6 PM show
Status: Full. I was sitting in the box above the balcony.

Amal Neerad has shown once again that he is a one trick pony. Stylish shots with no substance. The problem with Anwar is that the stylish shots does not manage to hold the viewer's attention. Most of the time the movie just meanders along the way in ultra slow motions with nothing much happening. Even if things happen, you just stare at the screen sans emotions. The only time I got excited was the starting of the last sequence were Anwar takes on the bad guys. All the other stunts does not provide much value. Its often left to the viewer's imagination. They should "know" and "feel" the power of Anwar, rather than "see" them on the screen.

Story is threadbare and its difficult to divulge anything without breaking the suspense. The story was something on the lines that I had expected and it was no big surprise at all. Ditto for the 3 who watched the movie with me, one of whom is barely 14 without the burden of having watched countless hollywood flicks. Story is sometimes overrated as Amal once said in an interview. But in those cases, you need a strong script to back you up and great dialogues. Script is absent in Anwar, but dialogues at places are good.

Prithviraj's performance is the only salvageable aspect from the movie apart from the songs. He has matured as an actor with a very controlled performance required from the character. His role did bring back the memory of Stop Violence, where is brooding look worked and not his sound. But in Anwar he has come a full circle where his looks and expressions were great along with perfect sound modulation. Comparison could be because of them the fact that I watched Stop Violence first day in the same place!

Mamtha had nothing much to do. Lal was good as usual. Prakash Raj was good, but didn't have the meaty role the man deserves.

Some people would call the movie technically brilliant. I would disagree and call it rubbish. Using the latest techniques won't make a movie any good. Ultra slo-mos should complement story telling, not take over the entire movie.

Crowd reaction. Cheers for Prithviraj. Majority booing for Mammootty. Lots of boos in some sequences and the loudest boos were reserved after the movie when the outro song ends. Even I booed!
Loudest cheers were for this dialogue.
: Ivinentha kuzhappam? Nalla payyanalle? Pinne kure ahankaram undu.

Prithvi should be careful at this juncture of his career. Couple of bombs could set him back a lot. I am afraid Anwar is one of those.

Rating: 4/10 (I am being very generous here, a brownie point exclusively for Prithvi for improving as an actor.)

Total "Enthira"tainment!

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 14:38:00 +0000

Cross-posting the review I wrote in ForumKeralam.

Theatre: Fame Lido, Forum Value Mall, Bangalore
Show: 2nd October, 4:40 PM
Status: House Full

First things first. I am not a fan of Rajnikanth and seldom hides my disdain for the brand of "style" the man is known for over the years. For me, Rajni films are either tolerable or a pain to watch. I had my apprehensions with the movie and had a constant dread after spending Rs 400 for a ticket. By the end of 15 minutes, my fears started evaporating. Endhiran is the Rajni film I absolutely loved. Hats off to the man himself and Shankar.

The plot is wafer thin as is the case with all Shankar films. Quite welcome that Shankar has made no attempt to steal the story from somewhere. Rajnikanth, a robotics scientist, makes an android capable of superhuman feats and models the look after himself. Things go wrong after the doctor introduces emotion to make the robot better. The robot falls in love with his girlfriend and threatens the world with a little help from the doctor's jealous mentor.

I loved Aishwarya Rai in the movie. Basically, she does her job as an ornament (a delectable one at that!) and does not have anything to act ala Raavanan. After a long time it was refreshing to see a normal intro for a hero, that too from somebody who has a stamp on the intro scenes as Rajnikanth. Director has succeeded in making the scientist Rajnikanth as human as possible. A terrible workaholic, prone to mistakes, jealous...the feelings which are unknown to the "normal" Rajnikanth. Rajni does his part decently to his credit. The robot Rajnikanth was simply mindblowing. I always thought Rajnikanth would make a great villain and he proves it. The Robot in the first half is an emotion less being which reminded me of Arnold in Terminator. In the second half, he turns into an evil monster. Rajni steals the show as the scheming, snarling supervillain. Other actors did not have much to do. Danny Denozgpa is upto the mark as the mentor jealous of his protege's success.

Music from Rahman is pretty average. The only song I really liked was the Endhiran song towards the end. The songs are shot extremely well. Songs oscillate between shot in exotic locales and imaginary locales. Lavish and stylishly shot. Choreography left much to be intended in my opinion. At some places it was really good and in most places it was just average.

Now to the best part. Graphics. I have never seen such perfection and polish regarding graphics in India. In fact, Endhiran would easily match a mainstream Hollywood blockbuster in the graphics part. One aspect I would like to mention is that, you would never see some of these graphics in Hollywood movies specifically because they don't have a compulsion towards songs. Almost all the graphics work in the movie are brilliant or close enough to being brilliant to allude most of the prying eyes.

My reaction to the movie was Holy S**t! My friend, a Rajni fan's reaction was Meh! According to him, the movie does not have anything that a Rajni fan would expect. No punch dialogues, no introduction, nothing to make his pulse race. May be this could work in the favour of the movie since the movie could have an universal appeal beyond Rajni fans.

TL;DR: Endhiran is a landmark movie in Indian cinema. Watch it for the jaw dropping graphics. Entertainment guaranteed!

Rating: 7.5/10

Pranchiyettan and The Saint: Good but disappointing

noreply@blogger.com (Narayan S S) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Cross-posting the review I wrote in ForumKeralam.

Show: 25/9/10, 10 PM
Theatre: Innovative Multiplex, Bangalore
Status: Balcony: Full, First Class: Full (I think!)

Lots of expectation from the Ranjith-Mammootty combo, especially since Renjith has supposedly moved away from making typical movies. Sadly, the movie does not meet the hefty expectation.

The movie started off quite well and established the fun part with the graveyard scene itself. The sequences with the Saint were hilarious and consistent through out the movie. The actor that portrayed the saint was fabulous. I was expecting a little better dubbing from Renjith though, still nothing much to crib about. Mammootty was brilliant was Pranchi. Thrissur accent was almost perfect. Innocent was refreshing after a very long time. Siddique, Khushbu, Pranchi's sidekicks...almost everybody did a neat job. In the acting department, Priyamani had nothing much to do and the child actor was misdirected at certain points. The boy looks like a good actor barring a few awkward scenes where things look forced. I would blame the Director than the kid for such sequences.

Script and Direction was top-class in the first half. Pranchi's trysts with chasing fame were hilarious. Quality comedy makes a return after a long time. Co-incidence that Suraj was missing from arguably the best comedy film of the year? I think not! Unfortunately, the things go wrong in the second half. The movie runs out of steam and meanders towards the climax. Priyamani's entrance and character never syncs with the rest of the movie. Helping the kid pass the examination sequences could have been gold, but looks very hurried. Revelation part in the climax looks good on paper, but ended up being not so good. The three revelations are predictable, dud, and lame respectively. The only parts worth remembering are in the first half where Mammootty rules the roost and the saint.

My major gripe is against Renjith. In his interviews, he hyped the movie saying that its something you never saw before in Malayalam movies. I could find nothing like that. Saint reminded me of Guruvayoorappan in Nandanam. So, it has something even Renjith himself attempted before with a lot of success. Movie was supposed to be a satire. Move along, nothing satirical here. Renjith has gone down a couple of notches since Paleri Manikyam.

All that said, its the best among the ramzan movies, derailed by lacklustre writing and direction in the second half. Its a typical commercial movie and not an experimental movie by any stretch of imagination.

TL;DR: Pranchiyettan and The Saint is very good in some parts, competent if not predictable in the rest. A good watch for its humour, performance of Mammootty, and the saint.

My Rating: 6.5/10