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2011-10-25T21:43:00.001-07:00

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2011-10-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

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Ajith's Mangatha [Movie Posters] &[Teaser]

2010-09-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

Mangatha:

It’s good news for all over Ajith fans. Even before its proposal the film has created much hype among the fans and movie buffs as Ajith is getting back to film industry after a long gap. Ajith has faced the camera quite after long gap and has participated in a photo shoot of ‘Mangatha’ traditional movie launch pooja held yesterday evening at AVM Studios.The event was attended by director Venkat Prabhu, music director Yuvan Shankar Raja, cinematographer Sakthi Saravanan etc. The regular shooting of the film would kick start from September.

Mangatha is produced by Dayanidhi Azhagiri of Cloud Nine Productions. It is heard from the sources that the producers are in plans to screen first look teasers of ‘Mangatha’ during the break of Karthi’s forthcoming release ‘Naan Mahan Alla’ as both the films are produced under the same banner.

After many speculations about the lead lady pairing opposite Ajith, it is said that both Neetu Chandra and Lakshmi Rai will be part of this project but it has to be confirmed further about the Ajith pair. Stay tuned for more details about the film.

Teaser:

Trisha Krishnan

2010-09-20T06:40:00.000-07:00

Trisha:

Actress Trisha Krishnan is one of the most well-known names in the Tamil and Telugu film industry.

Basics on Trisha:

Trisha Krishnan was born on 4th May 1983 in Palakkad, Kerala, India. Her parents are Krishnan and Uma, who are Tamil Iyer. She completed schooling from Sacred Heart Church Park School and later joined Ethiraj College in Chennai.

Trisha took up modeling. She participated and won many contests like Miss Salem 1999, Miss Chennai 1999 and she was also voted Miss Beautiful Smile at the Miss India contest in 2001.

She was also seen in commercials for Josco Jewellers, Fair & Lovely and a popular music video by Falguni Pathak called Meri Chunnar Ud Ud Jaye. Other names that Trisha is associated with are Fanta, Scooty Pep and Cadbury’s Perk.

Trisha Krishnan’s Movies:

Trisha Krishnan got her first break in movies with a small part in a Tamil movie Jodi (1999). However it was Priyadarshan’s Laysa Laysa (2002) that got her noticed. Maunam Pesiyadhe (2002) in which she starred with Surya won her the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award (Tamil). It was a high grosser at the box office.

She has acted with some of the most successful actors in the South like Madhavan, Prabhas, Surya, Siddharth, Dhanush, Arya and Vikram.

She delivered several hits with Saamy (2003), Ghilli (2004), Varsham (2004), Aayitha Ezhuthu (2004) and Nuvvostanante Nenoddantan (2005). Both Varsham and Nuvvostanante Nenoddantan fetched her many awards including the Filmfare Best Actress Award (Telugu).

Some of her movies failed to do well like Ji (2005), Aathi (2006), Pournami (2006) and Sainikudu (2006). But she continued to hold her place as one of the top actresses with movies like Something Something Unnakum Ennakum (2006), Kireedeem (2007) and Krishna (2008).

Most of Trisha’s releases in 2009 are Tamil like Sarvam, Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya, Aadu Kalam and Chennayil Oru Mazhaikalam.

Videos:

Madharasapattinam Video Songs-HQ

2010-09-20T00:22:00.000-07:00

Review:

Banner: AGS Entertainment, Red Giant Movies
Production: Kalpathy S Agoram
Direction: A.L. Vijay
Star-casts: Aarya, Amy Jackson, Nasser, V.M.C. Haneefa, Bala Singh, M.S. Bhaskar, Omar, Periya Karuppu Devar, Balaji
Music: G.V. Prakash
Cinematography: Nirav Shah
Editing: Anthony
Art: V. Selvakumar

The eminent filmmaker Priyadarshan was well known for his versatile style of making period films. Of course, his films – 'Sirai Chaalai' (Kalapani) and 'Kanchivaram' were intensively substantial. These masterpieces carried top notching elements over technical aspects and narrative panoramas. Having assisted this genius, Vijay has attempted to make a similar period film that has pre-independence backdrop. Nonetheless, the film turns to be a displeasing movie as it lacks everything on narrative aspects. But to mention the best part, it's the technical realms that make the next 2.5hrs quite occupied for the audiences.

The film opens at the present-age in London, where an old woman nearing her last stage of life wants to visit India. Just as she travels along to Chennai, the story shifts to the flashback of 1947, as she arrives in Madharasapattinam (ancient Madras) as Amy (Amy Jackson), and beautiful daughter of British Governor. On her reaching, she falls in love with an Indian Dhobi Ilamparithi (Aarya), who's a wrestler as well. Rest of the film is about their love story narrated with the present and flashback cuts from Old Amy’s point of view with a shocking climax, though predictable.

The first thing that comes to your mind soon after the title credits is all that reminds about James Cameron's 'Titanic'. The old lady glimpsing back on her past with a 'Thali' in her hand is something so emotionally bonding. But as the flashback goes on, the complete first hour lacks proper substance and even the second half except the penultimate sequences is so boring.

Aarya's performance as a Dhobi and wrestler is great as he emotes stunningly towards certain sequence. British girl Amy is as doubtful before the lens as she looks unconfident during more sequences. She looks beautiful as a Barbie doll and there's nothing much we get to appreciate her. Late actor Haneefa has done a good job while other actors like M.S. Bhaskar, the British cop and others haven't got much to score.

The story travels much similar to Titanic as the girl is engaged to a baddie and falls in love with another man and they face the oppositions. The reason for a British Governor's daughter falling in love with an ordinary Dhobi is not convincing. There should have been at least a single solid reason to support it. Is that a crush, lust or love – it's really doubtful to make the exact point… Very few scenes really do entertain and the audiences across villages and suburban regions may not find this film to be really good. Most of the English oriented dialogues maybe puzzling although provided with Tamil subtitles.

Kudos to the technicians – both cinematographer Nirav Shah and Art director Selvakumar have done a great job. Their earnest efforts of presenting the best visuals are commendable while editing is okay. G.V. Prakash's background is average and none of the songs sustain in your senses.

Being set in backdrops of pre-independence era, Vijay has sidelined them thereby focusing on love story of this duo. Vijay should have come up with an impressive story with brilliant narration rather this one looks so unskilled on script, screenplay and direction.

Verdict: Vijay's amateurish attempt

Pookal Pookum:

Aaruyire:

Kaatrile:

Meghame:

Vaama Duraiamma:

Naan Mahan Alla[Video Songs]

2010-09-20T00:02:00.000-07:00

Review:
Director Susindran was pretty overconfident that Naan Mahan Alla would be an exceptional flick focalizing on rapid rise of crime rates in Chennai. But, what should have been a crime thriller turns into sluggish drama with predictable narration. Hero’s act of seeking vengeances and settling scores with baddies has been the most common stories in Kollywood. In all likelihood, Naan Mahan Alla carries such hackneyed plot and offers nothing special to the audiences.

Buzz up!The film revolves around Jeeva (Karthi), a freewheeling guy with no worries in life. His family members and friends keep him invigorated over the times. Jeeva comes across the gorgeous Priya (Kajal Aggarwal) and falls in love at first sight and indeed impresses her. When everything is set to go on paths of happiness, Jeeva’s life is turned upside down when his father (Jayaprakash) is stabbed to death by group of strangers. What follows next is Jeeva’s mission of trapping the goons, who were responsible not alone for his father’s death, but are serial killers.

The complete first hour (80mins) has nothing to do with the journey as Susindran established the conflict merely at the point of intermission. It looks like the filmmaker wanted to keep the first half with fun, frolic and romance and the latter half with complete contrast. For sure, audiences would feel like watching two different movies due to lack of relevance. The major drawback of the film is Susindran’s amateur way of handling certain sequences. Chennai’s most raucous roughneck and his henchmen killed by youngsters are unbelievable. Maybe, they’re serial killers, but that doesn’t mean they can bump off the most dangerous hooligans just like that.

Having shot the complete film in Chennai, Susindran should have made sure there are continuities between locations in the same sequences. Watch out for the scene where Karthi chases one of the culprits. The chase starts across the lanes of housing boards near Chetpet Railway Station and ends at Perambur Railway Station (The station name can be spotted). Often showing Karthi smiling at kids is unwanted. Director Susindran established the protagonist’s kind-heartedness of buying chocolates for loan borrowers’ kid. This was more than enough to delineate him.

Looks like Karthi is slightly getting out of his Paruthiveeran effects as he tries to emote in a different style when compared to his previous films. The actor showcases an overpowering performance during the second half. On pars, he gets along well with comical sequences. Kajal Aggarwal’s characterization doesn’t boast of specialties as she plays the usual girl-to-next-door roles. Her onscreen chemistry with Karthi is extraordinary. The actress can try for some challenging roles as she possesses the talent to perform them. Jayaprakash as Karthi’s father does an excellent job. The 4 youngsters enacting the role of baddies have done a marvelous job.

Technically, the background score by Yuvan Shankar Raja is magnificent and the song ‘Iragai Pole’ is a foot-tapping number. Mathi’s cinematography is okay as he doesn’t try for innovative placements. His picturing style of songs and climax fight sequence is over the top. Editing by Kasi Viswanathan is perfect.

Basically, if you’re expecting Naan Mahan Alla to be a serious movie with a strong storyline, you’re sure to get disappointed. It’s a time worn of script of hero putting an end to villains. The film can be watched once and it’s just an average show with few violence sequences harshly shown.

When compared to his previous films Paruthiveeran and Aayirathil Oruvan, the actor fails to get himself over the top. Karthi has to keep himself cognizant over choosing some good scripts. Having delivered a commendable showpiece Vennila Kabadi Kulu, Susindran bashes down our hopes with a flimsy tale.

Verdict: Passable film. Can be watched once.

Banner: Studio Green Films, Cloud Nine Productions
Production: K.E. Gnyanavel Raja, Dayanidhi Azhagiri
Direction: Susindran
Actors: Karthi, Kajal Aggarwal, Jaya Prakash and others.
Dialogues: Bhaskar Sakthi
Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja
Camera: Mathi
Editing: Kasi Viswanathan
Lyrics: Na. Muthukumar, Yuga Bharathy, Francis
Stunt: Anal Arasu
Art: Rajeevan
Choreography: Sabeena Khan, Baba Bhaskar
Rating: 2.5/5

Vaa Vaa

Iragai Poley

Aayirathil Oruvan[Tamil]-All In One

2010-02-12T20:21:00.000-08:00

Movie Review

Film: Aayirathil Oruvan
Director: Selvaraghavan
Cast: Karthi, Parthiban, Reema Sen, Andrea, Azhagam Perumal, and Prathap Pothan
Music: G.V. Prakash Kumar

Director Selvaraghavan's long-awaited "Aayirathil Oruvan", which has been touted as his dream project, is a brave attempt at seeking novelty in the world of Tamil cinema. Breaking away from the shackles of the stereotypes, the director transports us to a whole new world...and we are dumbstruck by the visuals, the packaging and his unique way of storytelling.

The jet-paced first half offers comedy, action, eye-catching songs, stunning visuals and grandeur. However, the film fails to impress as a whole, as it gets diluted in the second half due to the over-ambitious and illogical approach of the director.
In the movie, the government appoints a secret team led by archaeologist Anitha Pandian (Reema) and a military officer Ravi (Azhagamperumal) to track down the missing links after an archaeologist (Pratap Pothen) vanishes into thin air during his mission to discover the lost Chola civilization!

To reach the lost city, Lavanya, the missing archaeologist's daughter is roped into the mission. A group of labourers led by Muthu (Karthi) helps the team carry their luggage and wade through the tough and inhospitable terrain and face hidden dangers and nature's fury.

After a tedious expedition, they stumble on the lost Chola king (Parthiban) and his people and find hitherto unheard of and unexplained links between them and the world's earliest cultures. What follows is a series of bizarre happenings that try to disentangle the whole mystery.

The fight sequence with the tribal folk and the arduous journey through thousands of snakes are some of the best scenes the film has to offer. The minus points are the length of the movie and the grave flaws in the screenplay.
Some questions are bound to come to mind - If the team suffers due to the mystique powers of the Chola dynasty, why couldn't the kingdom save itself from extinction using the same powers?

The inexplicable 'avatar' of Reema as the heir of the Pandian dynasty leaves much to be desired. The three rulers in south India - the Cheras, the Cholas and the Pandyas - are said to have led a civilized life unlike the way depicted by Selvarghavan, who shows them as cannibals. That is a bit too much to digest!

The fantasy element has been stretched too far...the director takes everything for granted in his pursuit to present a 'stunning' film.

The cinematography by Ramji is brilliant and G.V. Prakash's background score and music are good. "Un Mela Aasadhan" sung by Selva's younger brother and actor Dhanush, Aishwarya Dhanush and Andrea is a rocker.
Reema brings an uninhibited tempo to her role and the director has extracted a fine performance from her. Andrea is likeable and seems to have enjoyed her role. Karthi is lovable and humorous. His MGR-like punch-lines get thunderous applause.

Selvaraghavan is trying to widen the frontiers of commercial cinema and he deserves to be applauded for this. But he has failed to keep up the viewers' interest in the second half, which goes wayward.
"Aayirathil Oruvan" is undoubtedly a different attempt but the second half lets the film down.

Watch Online
PART-1:

DivxTamil.Com Aayirathil Oruvan Part 1 from DivxTamilENt on Vimeo.

PART-2:

DivxTamil.Com Aayirathil Oruvan Part 2 from DivxTamil on Vimeo.

PART-3:

DivxTamil.Com Aayirathil Oruvan Part 3 from DivxTamil on Vimeo.

PART-4:

DivxTamil.Com Aayirathil Oruvan Part 4 from DivxTamilENt on Vimeo.

PART1:

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PART5:

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Troy[Tamil]

2010-02-12T18:41:00.001-08:00

Review

With an epic-sized budget and featuring some serious eye candy, “Troy” hits theaters with a lot of expectations to live up to, not the least of which is whether or not today’s audience will relate to the story. That issue - the relevance of Homer’s “The Iliad” in today’s world - is addressed pretty much immediately. Boiled down to its basics, “Troy” is a love story immersed in a world of burly men battling to restore their King’s wounded pride while capturing more land for their country to rule, set in a time when the world was run by men who worshiped mythic Gods such as Apollo and Zeus. That’s an easy enough story for contemporary moviegoers to get into. So fear not, if you can’t recall which Greek God is which, you won’t feel lost in the world of “Troy.”
Orlando Bloom and Eric Bana star as Paris and Hector, Princes of Troy. Hector’s older, wiser, and grounded. Paris is a wild playboy who acts without thinking. After a dinner celebrating peace between Sparta and Troy, Paris steals away with Helen (Diane Kruger), the most beautiful woman in the world and wife to Sparta’s King Menelaus (Brendan Gleeson). Honor dictates Menelaus must fight to get Helen back. Menelaus turns to his brother, Agamemnon, King of the Mycenaeans (Brian Cox), for support. The formidable armies controlled by Agamemnon are rallied to pursue Paris and Helen to Troy. Ruled by King Priam (Peter O’Toole), Troy has always been successfully defended from invading forces and is the one kingdom Agamemnon still longs to control. For love, lust, revenge, honor, pride - and greed - thousands will die and a city will be destroyed.

About halfway through “Troy” it suddenly dawned on me what bugged me the most about this epic drama: too many close-ups. “Troy” answers the question other movies never thought of asking: is it possible to show too many close-up shots of the oh-so-handsome faces of Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, or Eric Bana? Before you Bloom, Bana or Pitt fans bombard me with emails claiming there’s no possible way you can ever get too much of any of these hunks, let me tell you that prior to watching this movie I would have been right there with you, sharing your sense of outrage and disbelief at such a statement. But there comes a point not too far into the movie when you just have to say enough already. Enough with the close-ups, the lingering shots of Pitt’s handsome mug, the up close and personal look at Bana’s facial hair, and the extended shots of Bloom’s beautiful eyes. With marvelously crafted sets and intricately staged battle scenes – and with a cast of such high caliber actors - why was it necessary to rely so often on close-ups of the actors to telegraph emotions? It felt as if the director wasn’t confident enough he was evoking the response he wanted from the audience via the dialogue, and the close-ups were his out of control way to elicit the desired audience reaction by pounding home the drama and sense of doom through increasingly annoying close-in shots of his lead actors faces.

Besides the staggering amount of close-ups, I found the accents to be a little distracting. Eric Bana busts out in a full-on Australian accent at one point – and with the others it’s tough to tell what exactly they’re trying to pull off. And the score… I’m of the opinion a good score should be so well integrated into the film that once the experience is over, you’re barely able to separate the music from the film or vice versa. “Troy’s” score is intrusive, bombastic and overbearing. The music actually had the unintended effect of making me wince at one point.

Yet even with all the aggravations, “Troy” is still a decent movie and a film that’s tough to cast aside as just another overblown, big budget studio production. The buffed up Brad Pitt does a respectable job (despite the bad dialogue) of playing the confused mercenary, Achilles. Eric Bana shows he can handle himself physically as well as emotionally on screen in a role that might easily have been phoned in by others, and Orlando Bloom once again oozes animal magnetism. Even while playing the coward, Bloom is compelling and hard to dislike. But truly it’s the old guard who deliver the best performances in “Troy.” Brian Cox, Brendan Gleeson, and Peter O’Toole seem to relish their roles, wrenching every last bit of flesh from the script. And let’s not forget “Troy’s” women. Diane Kruger and Rose Byrne are outstanding as the motivational forces behind Paris and Achilles.

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Mani Ratnam

2010-02-12T05:15:00.000-08:00

Mani Ratnam (Tamil: மணி ரத்னம்) (born 2 June 1956 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India) is an Indian Tamil filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. Directing landmark films such as Mouna Raagam (1986), Nayagan (1987), Anjali (1990), Thalapathi (1991), Iruvar (1997), Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Yuva (2004), Guru (2007), and his "terrorism trilogy" consisting of Roja (1992), Bombay (1995) and Dil Se (1998),[1][2] Ratnam is widely attributed with having revolutionised the Chennai film industry and altering the profile of Indian cinema.[3] Ratnam has won five Filmfare Awards (South), four Filmfare Awards (Hindi), and twelve international film festival awards.[4] His tamil movie Nayagan and Satyajit Ray's Apu triology are the only Indian films to have appeared in Time's top 100 all time best movies.

Personal life and education
Mani Ratnam was born in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India to Tamil Brahmin parents. His actual name is Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam. After graduating with a degree in Commerce from Vivekananda College, University of Madras and an MBA from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, he embarked on a career as a management consultant before becoming a filmmaker.

He got into film direction with the help of his late brother, film producer G. Venkateswaran. Ratnam married actress Suhasini in 1988. They have a son by name Nandhan Mani Ratnam.

Ratnam lives in Alwarpet, Chennai, where he runs his production company Madras Talkies.

Career

1980s

Mani Ratnam's directorial debut was in 1983, through the Anil Kapoor starring Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi. Mani Ratnam made significant headways in his first film, and also managing to persuade acclaimed director and cinematographer Balu Mahendra to serve as cinematography. The film boldly explored the nature of a relationship between young man and an elder woman. Mani's career after that remained on a lowlight as he failed to attain box office success. His following efforts were the Malayalam film Unaru (1984), which starred Mohanlal and then two Tamil films, the first being Pagal Nilavu followed by Idaya Kovil.

Finally in 1986, Mani attained commercial success in Tamil Nadu through the Tamil language romantic drama Mouna Ragam with Revathi and Mohan. The film told the story of friction between a newly-wed couple, and remains famous to date as a relevant and realistic portrayal of romance among urban Tamils. Its score by Ilaiyaraaja became a huge success upon release. Mani's status elevated further a year later writing Nayagan, directing an already versatile actor of Tamil cinema, Kamal Hassan for the film, which went on to become a legendary success in the industry. The film, which tells the story of an orphaned slum dweller and his rise to top of the Mumbai underworld hierarchy, was included in TIME Magazine's All-Time 100 Greatest Movies.[5][6] The story was inspired by the real life story of underworld king Varadarajan Mudaliar.

Early 1990s

With commercial success coming back to back, Ratnam wrote and directed Agni Natchathiram. The film was notable for use of new techniques in terms of camera framework, especially during the shoot of songs in the film. The film had a successful run in the box office. Mani later returned to familiar territory of winning critical acclaim through his next film made in Telugu, named Geethanjali. The film which starred Nagarjuna in the lead role told the story of an ill-fated couple who are both suffering from terminal diseases. Ratnam maintained a momentum of making emotional stories of undeserved people through the Raghuvaran starring Chennai release Anjali in 1990. The film told the story of an autistic child and how she changed the lives of people in colony. Mani later made another underworld-themed Tamil film with Thalapathi in 1991 starring Rajnikanth and Mammooty. With a theme of friendship between a local don and a slum king, Thalapathi earned both critical acclaim and commercial success upon release. Thalapathi is unique in a sense that it is of the rare films with 2 climaxes. The Tamil and Telugu versions end with Mamooty's death where Rajinikanth is considered a matinee-idol. The Malayalam version ends with Rajini's death where Mamootty is based.

With Thalapathi, Mani ended his association with music director Ilaiyaraaja, bringing in debutant music director A. R. Rahman to score his Tamil epic Roja. It turned out to be Mani's greatest findings as Rahman would go on to become a musical legend on his own right in the annals of Indian cinema. Roja, a romantic film, tackled themes of terrorism in the regions of Kashmir. The film – starring Arvind Swamy and Madhoo – was released in 1992 and nominated for the Golden St. George Award at the Moscow International Film Festival and became so popular that it was dubbed into other languages and met similar success in other regions. Mani then took a more light-hearted approach with his next film – Thiruda Thiruda. Scripted by Ram Gopal Varma, the film saw the exploration of comedy action, a departure from the norm for Ratnam, and fared less well at the box office. In 1994, a retrospective of his Tamil films was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. In 1995, Ratnam returned to Tamil language drama. Bombay starring Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala told the story of a Hindu-Muslim couple in the midst of the 1993 religious Bombay riots and bombings. The film was met with controversy and censorship upon release. However Bombay was financially very successful and well appreciated by the critics. It won the Special Award from the Political Film Society, the Wim Van Leer In Spirit of Freedom Award at the Jerusalem International Film Festival and the Gala Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.[7][8]

Late 1990s

Again in 1995, Ratnam co-wrote and co-produced his wife Suhasini Mani Ratnam's directorial debut Indira. The film is a woman-centralized story, with Suhasini's cousin Anu Haasan playing the lead role. But failed to succeed at the box office. Ratnam returned to direction the following year with Iruvar, starring Mohanlal & Prakash Raj, a film that Ratnam himself considers to be his finest effort to date. Inspired by the real life story of iconic Tamil film star and politician MG Ramachandran and also current Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, it was hailed critically as a fine effort in film-making, winning Best Film at the Festival of the Auteur Films in Belgrade.[9]

Ratnam decided to charter new territories in with his next film, making his debut in Hindi language films with Dil Se. The film starred the Mumbai star Shahrukh Khan with Manisha Koirala. Ratnam used the conflict in the north eastern states as a backdrop to tell a love story between an Indian journalist and a north eastern woman. The film was particularly famous for the song Chaiyya Chaiyya which was shot atop a moving train. Ratnam returned to Tamil films after that and directed the romance drama Alaipayuthey (which has been remade in Hindi as "Saathiya") in 2000, starring R. Madhavan and Shalini. Alaipayuthey was a huge success both commercially and critically, as it explored post-marital problems between a young Chennai couple who married beyond their parents' consent, and also returned Ratnam's position as a box office factor.

2000–present

Ratnam's following effort, Kannathil Muthamittal saw him tackling adoption through the eyes of a Tamil refugee from Sri Lanka searching for her biological mother. The film was a critically lauded commercial success, winning six National Film Awards, Ratnam's second Filmfare Award South for directing, his second In Spirit for Freedom Award at the Jerusalem Film Festival and an award at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. In 2004, Mani made his second Hindi language effort with Yuva. The film, which tells the story of three different youths and how one incident sends their three lives on a collision course, received positive reviews and was a hit in the box office. Ratnam also made the film simultaneously in Tamil as Aayutha Ezhuthu. The film was an average at the Tamil box office, but critics favored the Tamil version to the Hindi version. Ratnam also had his first heart attack during shooting for Yuva.

2007 saw Ratnam direct the Madras Talkies production Guru starring Abhishek Bachchan. It became one of 2007's biggest hits. Currently, Ratnam is working on a bilingual film being made in both Tamil and Hindi. The film has been titled Raavana in Tamil and Raavan in Hindi.
[edit] Filmography

The following is the list of films directed by Mani Ratnam. Many of his films have been dubbed or remade in several languages. For many of his films, Mani Ratnam is also credited for the story, screenplay and producing:

National Film Awards:

* 1990 - National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment - Geethanjali (Telugu)

* 2002 - National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil - Kannathil Muthamittal
* 1990 - National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil - Anjali
* 1986 - National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil - Mouna Raagam

* 1996 - Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration - Bombay
* 1993 - Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration - Roja

Naan Kadavul[Tamil]

2010-02-12T04:57:00.000-08:00

Movie Review:

Naan Kadavul

The most hard-hitting sensation you feel when you step out of the cinema hall after the movie is a queasy and disturbing feeling at the bottom of your tummy. Call it macabre fascination, call it reluctant appreciation for its stark canvas, call it a sadness (so typical of a Bala-film-effect, you say?) at some realities thrown brutally at you. Whatever it is, it is unavoidable and the movie DOES affect you and you WILL remember it in the hours to come. Let’s look at why…

The astrologers said it was bad luck to have his son at home. So, giving in to this superstition, as so many Indians do, a doting father abandons his son at Kasi and only returns after 15 years of guilt at his cruelty and sin drag him back to the holy place to find his boy and take him back home.

What the father finds is not a normal young man, but a wild, shaggy-haired and bushy-bearded man with an insane light shining in his eyes. Rudra (Arya) seems other-worldly, with his ranting and chanting of ancient texts. He seems like a madman, perhaps made so by the strange nature of the Agory swamis’ upbringing – teachings so radically different from what we learn at home and at our schools; being surrounded by corpses burnt or waiting to be burnt at the colossal open-air crematorium and incessant chanting and yogic meditation. All of this, combined with the hallucinogenic effects of unlimited marijuana, of course.

The boy makes his trip from the banks of the Ganges to the heart of Tamilnadu, with none of the return to “sanity” as his family hopes he will have. In fact, Rudra leaves home for a yogic life in a cave, never returning to human bonds like home, parents, family, etc.

Meanwhile, the life of temple beggars is thrown at us in harsh clarity. Those beggars who are not just poor, but blind, handicapped, less-than-able or absolutely unfortunate from birth or made so at the hands of the unspeakably cruel “beggar-runner”, Thandavam. The minutes you spend digesting what you are certain must be rife across the country, are full of sadness, disgust, shock and revulsion at the depths human minds can sink to. As the story weaves along (almost as insanely in places, like the grass Rudra smokes!), it includes the portrayal of the blind beggar girl Hamsavalli (Pooja), she of the sightless eyes and heavenly voice.

Once the characters are introduced, the movie is then about the struggle of these beggars to find positivity in their depressing lives, mirth even; and that of Rudra to impose upon us mere mortals that the search for God sometimes shows you that you ARE God yourself. The strange light shining from Rudra’s eyes now suddenly seems less like a deranged pot-smoker’s and more like someone blessed with some divine powers. Rudra’s violent streak, his swift retribution, his quicksilver mood swings and ultimately, his seemingly psychotic but deeply thought-provoking and wise teachings of life and death make you believe him when he says about himself, Aham Brahmasmi (I am the creator, I am Brahma).

Arya has done a superb job as Rudra. It must have been a difficult task to learn yogic poses and force the manic light out of his eyes amidst all that hair on his face, but he has done it very well. Plus, for a guy who can barely speak Hindi, his fluent switch from language to language is admirable too. His body is perfect for a yogi’s and his light eyes are truly magnetic. Here is a star in the making, for sure. And given Pooja’s great talent, her role of Hamsavalli was also beautifully executed.

The stark and very disturbing portrayal of all the beggar characters – real ones that Bala painstakingly researched and found, complete with the physical and mental disabilities that one usually didn’t get affected so powerfully by until now, during the movie…

The brilliant performance of Thandavam, the villain…

The screen presence of ones as seemingly insignificant, like the kind-hearted eunuch helper and the midget beggar boy who has, despite his woes, loads of attitude and a great sense of humour…

The haunting music throughout the movie…

The controlled violence and ritualistic nature of the fight sequences that leave you swallowing…

The combination of intrigue, suspense, mirth, cruelty, poignancy, shock-value and strangeness that is present for the entire duration…

These are what stay with you in your mind as you leave your seats once the movie is over.

On looking back, there are a few things that could have been righted in the movie. Like a little more of an explanation of why it all happens. It all seems a little too sudden sometimes. The sudden appearance of Rudra. The sudden weaving in of the beggars’ tales. The sudden correlation between them and him. How does he establish himself as someone like a sorcerer, etc., etc. Plus, most of Hindi and Sanksrit words should have had Tamil and/ or English subtitles to keep the audience in the loop of things. There is much violence (cruelly creative, we say!) that leaves you queasy (the scenes where Thandavam unleashes his terrible anger on his hapless beggars and on Hamsavalli). Add to this the freak-show quality of constant streams of differently-abled people shown on screen and the mindless and ruthlessly expressed cruelty of Thandavam and others; and you wonder what audiences is Naan Kadavul really made for – the mass audience, the “hat-ke” parallel cinema lovers or a mixture of both? Well, it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted.

Whatever the answer may be, Naan Kadavul is full of Bala’s signature style of movie-making – the combination of a deeply psychotic side of human nature, an inexplicable godliness in man, and even some mirth in the face of adversity. The flow of the movie is as weird as the concept and story, edited ably by Suresh Urs. The colours of the visuals, thanks to cinematographer Arthur Wilson, are as real as they can get. The music by Maestro Ilayaraja is typically melodious and melancholy. And the overall movie experience, unforgettable.

Galatta’s verdict: Still weighing the points, will decide in a couple of days when the uneasy feeling in the stomach settles!

For Arya, this is his biggest movie awaiting critical acclaim, finally seeing the light of day after 2+ years in the making. And for the work he has done for it, we wish him nothing but the very best.

For the entire production team, our Naan Kadavul special feature in the February 2009 issue of Galatta Cinema is a tribute to off-the-beaten-path filmmaking. Pick up a copy off the stands or subscribe now from.

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Paiya[Songs]

2010-02-12T04:05:00.000-08:00

Songs

1.Thuli Thuli Mazhaiyai Vanthale

2.Poongatre Poongatre Poopozha

3.Adada Mazhaida Adai Mazhaida

4.Suthuthe Suthuthe Boomi Indhu

5.Yen Kadhal Solla Nehram Illaai

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Thuli Thuli Mazhaiyai Vanthale

Poongatre Poongatre Poopozha

Adada Mazhaida Adai Mazhaida

Suthuthe Suthuthe Boomi Indhu

Yen Kadhal Solla Nehram Illaai

Ajith in Simbu Birthday Function - Images

2010-02-12T03:07:00.000-08:00

Ajith in Simbu Birthday Function

Silambarasan recently threw a big party to celebrate his birthday and his 25 years in cinema. He claims this is his 25th year in cinema and since no TV channel came forward to throw a bash for him he decided to throw his own party and appreciate himself. (yenna Koduma Simbu Ithu)

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya[Songs]

2010-02-11T23:20:00.001-08:00

Songs:
1.Anbil Avan Sertha Idhayam

2.Omana Penne Omana Penne

3.Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa

4.Kannukkul Kannai

5.Mannipaya

6.Aaromale Aaromale

7.Hosanna Vazhvittkum

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AnbilAvan
OmanaPenne
Vinnaithaandi
Kannukkul
Mannipaya
Aaromale
Hosanna

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Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya[Songs]-ZIP:

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Anbil Avan Sertha Idhayam
Omana Penne Omana Penne
Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa
Kannukkul Kannai
Mannipaya
Aaromale Aaromale
Hosanna Vazhvittkum

Goal3 Taking on the World

2010-01-22T04:10:00.000-08:00

Review:

When Goal! first came out, it was fantastic. I remember the scene where Santiago Munez jogged along the shores of Newcastle to an Oasis song. Its fantastic scenes drew the best out of the shit-hole that is Newcastle. The action scenes were realistic and well timed and didn’t need the movie magic of a green or blue screen to fill in the images. It had a good solid story of a young man living his dreams and it set the stage and tone to what could have been a memorable trilogy. It left me wanting more.

Goal 2 was horrendous. Hoping to show the world of the pitfalls that surround professional footballers, it showed a little too much enthusiasm for my liking. The writers seemed to have forgotten that there are many football stars that live the good-life without all the parties, sex and booze. Instead, they went all out to ensure David Beckham had a speaking role. If a person is a football fan because of David Beckham then I say that person doesn’t know anything about football. The movie seemed to take forever to finish but when it did, it still managed to provide the next film with an opportunity of a good story. At the end of the movie, Santiago stood up for Gavin Harris saying that he could still make the England World Cup team and Santi also looked to salvage his relationship with Roz who, by the way, is supposedly pregnant.

Enter Goal 3. Santiago plays cameo roles. There is no mention of his efforts to salvage his relationship with Roz besides the reference ‘I messed it up’ in the latter stages of the film. Gavin Harris is gone and replaced with 2 other idiotic characters that in real life would never have played professional football. The story has nothing to do with football and is crammed with highlights from the World Cup. Blue screens are extensively used which shows the poor foresight of the producers to not shoot some of the movie scenes during the actual World Cup and build around there.

To make the movie stink even further, 4 clowns are introduced as fans and they have a mini story within the movie, which is neither relevant nor amusing. The jokes written for them were bad but that was only bettered by the lousy acting of these 4 gentlemen who I believe were only picked for the movie because they look like any typical English bloke; ugly, immature and sexually deprieved.

This could have easily been passed off as a cheap chick-flick movie that squandered most of the production budget on high director wages and paying FIFA for the rights to use the World Cup clips.

What would I have done? Easy. Just as the producers recreated the Champions League to have Real Madrid win it against Arsenal, I would have recreated the World Cup with a fantasy story as well. Where ultimately Mexico would meet England in a match that would see Santiago vs Harris. This doesn’t have to be the final. A second round or quarterfinal game would suffice. England would eventually prevail but only to lose their next game. Leading up to the World Cup, I would have gone with a story of reconciliation between Santiago and Roz as well as Santiago with Glen Foy. But to add a bit of drama, I would have had Santiago get injured and having to face the battle of being fit in time for the World Cup. Doesn’t this sound like a movie you’d watch?

I am scarred so badly by this experience that I want to warn the world; DON’T BOTHER WITH GOAL 3! In fact, avoid ANY movie directed by Andy Morahan AND written by either Mike Jefferies or Piers Ashworth. These guys stink big time and I hope the stench from this movie sticks to them for a long, long time.

I hated this movie. Speaking of trilogies, I think Goal 3 is worse than Matrix 3, Terminator 3, Jaws 3, Rambo 3, Karate Kid 3, Home Alone 3 and Missing in action 3 all combined. I HATE this movie. I hate it so much that I want you to hate it too. That is how much I hate this movie. On a brighter note, there are some pretty hot ladies in this film and Santiago is fat. He reminds me Ronaldo. The Brazillian. Not the Portugese

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The Pursuit of Happyness

2010-01-21T01:06:00.000-08:00

Review:

The Bottom Line

Will Smith has banked a lot of goodwill with moviegoers and he's going to need to cash some in with his starring role in the depressing drama, The Pursuit of Happyness. Pursuit is a movie designed to have you reaching for your tissues, but unfortunately it's so overwrought, heavy-handed and into bashing the audience over the head with its message that the emotional impact is dramatically lessened as each minute of the running time slowly ticks by.

The Story

Based on true events, The Pursuit of Happyness (the incorrect spelling is explained in the film) follows Chris Gardner (Smith) as he struggles to achieve the American dream. Chris has everything going against him. His wife (Thandie Newton) left him and he's raising his 5-year-old son alone, without any real income. Determined to provide for his son Christopher (Jaden Smith) no matter what, Chris enters an unpaid internship program at a brokerage firm in hopes of landing the one paid position available at the end of the training program.

Sleeping in bathrooms, homeless shelters, and shabby hotels when he's got the money to afford a room, Chris never gives up on the idea he can land a job and provide his son with a better life. Will Chris be able to grab the brass ring? Will his son be raised in an environment of love? If you watched the 20/20 special on the real Gardner, you know exactly how this story turns out.

To Sum It Up

If Jaden Christopher Syre Smith didn't turn in such a terrific performance, the cries of nepotism might overwhelm anything else to do with the release of The Pursuit of Happyness. However the younger Smith inherited talent from his parents and so he actually deserved the big break. That said, there are too many scenes in The Pursuit of Happyness that feel as though they're included in the film just to show off the close relationship between dad and son. Anyone arguing the need for an overabundance of scenes between the two because The Pursuit of Happyness is based on real events is assuming the story faithfully follows reality. It doesn't. Chris Gardner's real son was only two at the time of the events portrayed in the film.

If patience isn't a virtue you possess, pass on Pursuit of Happyness. The film takes forever to get going yet once it's underway, it doesn't seem to ever want to stop.

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AR Rahman Live Concert In Sydney 19-01-10

2010-01-20T22:46:00.000-08:00

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Subramaniyapuram[Tamil]

2010-01-20T22:43:00.000-08:00

Review

Can a movie be made in an interesting and crisp format in spite of a boasting of a huge star cast?

Director Sasikumar, who had his tutelage under Bala and Ameer, has proved that a quality entertainer can be made with less-known faces provided the movie has interesting storyline with the right amount of twists.

Designed in a retro classic style, Sasikumar portrays Madurai in a different color and with a new perspective. As the title suggests, the entire movie is set in Subramaniapuram, a hamlet in Madurai.

The story, set in the 80s, takes place in Madurai Subramaniapuram, a suburb of the city. Movies like Palaivana Cholai dwelt around four friends. Perhaps Sasikumar impressed by such classics, has made an attempt of chronicling the life of a group of friends.

They are fun-loving and carefree, who spend most of their time together. Jai, Kanja Karuppu and Sasikumar (the director himself), are typical youths, who do not miss an opportunity to fight when they come across a brawl on the streets. Often arrested, they come out of jail with the help of a neighbor, played by Samudhirakani. The neighbor's elder brother happens to be a former Councilor.

The irony is that Jai falls in love with the Councilor's daughter. When the councilor is ditched by a member of an opposite gang, the trio step in and bump off the man. Unfortunately Samudhirakani doesn't help them this time and the three are remanded for murder. However, they manage to come out themselves.

They then vow to settle scores with Samudhirakani and the Councilor. The revenge plot has enough twists and turns.

A movie is loaded with fun and suspense all through and is pleasant to watch coming across as a whiff of fresh air amidst commercial clichés. Sasikumar and Jai impress. Their body language and diction of the Madurai Tamil are noteworthy.

Due credit should be given to music composer James Vasanthan, a television anchor-turned-music director. He has reminded everyone of Ilayaraja during his heydays, James Vasanthan's background score is scintillating.

Sasikumar is a welcome addition to the list of talented directors taking centre stage in Tamil cinema in recent days.

’Subramaniapuram’ is a must-watch movie for those who love realism in Tamil Cinema.

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Eeram[Tamil]

2010-01-20T22:22:00.000-08:00

Review:

The producer in director Shankar is known for spotting the right talent. In ‘Eeram’, he has brought out the filmmaker in his former-associate Arivazhagan. S Pictures, which has made a name for churning out movies on different genre, has dared to deliver an eerie thriller, which is a rarity in Tamil cinema.

Arivazhagan, quiet like his mentor, has come out with a movie that has gripping screenplay coupled with good use of technology. What starts as a crime thriller takes twists and turns to end up as a horror show.

The debutant director has been assisted by a young brigade of technicians and lesser known star cast. ‘Eeram’ lives up to its theme- all is wet and watery in the film from the first frame till the last.

Making a seat-edge thriller on super-natural elements is no easy task. It has to be logical. The young filmmaker takes the responsibility on his shoulder and lives up to the reputation entrusted on him by his mentor.

The movie revolves around Ramya (Sindhu Menon). She is found dead in a bathtub at her posh apartment. Vasu (Aadhi), a top cop takes the responsibility of investigating the death. He suspects foul play in the incident.

He enquires Bala (Nandaa), Ramya’s husband and several other neighbours. However, he is yet to make progress in the case. An interesting flashback reveals that Vasu and Ramya were lovers in Trichy.

They estrange after Ramya’s father (Rajasekar) refuses for their marriage. Meanwhile, four murders take place in the apartment complex where Ramya lived. Vasu gets the shock of his life during the investigation. Revealing more on the story would take away the suspense element. Watch the movie to know what happened next.

Aadhi, who played a rustic youth in ‘Mirugam’, plays a suave cop. With the image makeover, he fits the bill well. Reminding a blend of Suriya of ‘Kaakha Kaakha’ and Vikram in ‘Sami’, Aadhi promises a lot.

Sindhu Menon plays a timid wife. She lends credibility to her role with expressive eyes and neat portrayal. Nandaa, who hitherto played a romantic youth, dons a different role. He deserves appreciation for taking the guts to do it.

The rest of the cast including actor-director Srinath, Saranya Mohan and Lakshmi Ramakrishnan have performed well. The young music composer Thaman (introduced as an actor in Shankar’s ‘Boys’), has come up with soul-stirring music. Visual effects are the USP in the film and it manages to create an element of suspense among the audience.

The scene-stealer however is cinematographer Manoj Paramahamsa, who does his lens do all the talking. He has captured the whole movie on a different colour tone as water finds a place in almost all the sequences, quiet appropriate to the title.

Arivazhagan seems to have begun a journey which would go long and long. However, the second-half seems to be a bit draggy needing immediate chopping of few scenes. Shankar has once again proved that all hopes are not lost in Tamil cinema. Cheers to ‘Eeram’ team.

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Kung fu hustle[Tamil]

2010-01-20T22:07:00.000-08:00

Review:

When the villains of Kung Fu Hustle introduce themselves with a swishy line dance, you know you’re in for something special. No it’s not the latest Baz Luhrman musical; it’s the new Hong Kong film from actor/writer/director Stephen Chow.

The well choreographed bad guys are “The Axe Gang”, and they’ve just finished killing off their gangland competition. They call the city’s ineffective cops out of hiding to pick up the bodies, and go back to celebrating. It’s 1940’s Shanghai and they have the run of the town. Enter Sing (Stephen Chow), a wannabe gangster and two bit crook. In the poor neighborhood of “Pig Sty Alley” he attempts to con a barber out of some cash. He botches everything and suddenly the whole Axe Gang is declaring war on the residents of “Pig Sty”, with the mewling, prat-fall prone Sing stuck somewhere around the edges.

Sing is unlucky to say the least, and his ineffectual attempts at gangdom keep landing him in wacky trouble. Chow has an amazing knack for comic timing and physical comedy, and it’s on full display in Sing. With the film wildly over the top, he mixes crazy CGI with his own abilities to create vicious and unexpected site gags. The movie just keeps escalating, one-upping each impossible over-the-top moment with something even more hilarious and even more ridiculous. When the Axe Gang attacks, the residents of Pig Sty are defended by the likes of a noodle-maker and an effeminate tailor. The fat, chain-smoking landlady even gets in the act, accompanied into battle by her deceptively sluggish, pajama wearing husband.

Chow doesn’t stop with topping himself with big moment after moment. He packs his film with little details and running gags that’ll keep you laughing in between the intentionally outlandish battles. The local barber sports an Elvis haircut and likes to keep his pants down (Perhaps for ventilation?) and in moments of death, characters consistently forget they speak Chinese. Unexpected little gags like that keep the movie balanced, saving it from drowning in a sea of huge battles and crazy Kung Fu powered old men.

It’s like Chow has thrown Bugs Bunny and Jackie Chan in a blender and then had the resulting film directed by Quentin Tarantino. The movie is packed with energy and never stops moving, even if the characters do. Chow’s previous film, Shaolin Soccer showed flashes of this, but never quite reached the heights this one does, with its killer blending of slapstick comedy and Kill Bill style Kung Fu. It’s cartoony and full of life, Chow has hit his stride in a way few other Asian filmmakers have managed to. The film is a visual feast. Sure it uses a lot of obvious CGI but it works in the context of what Kung Fu Hustle is, in fact for this experience looking cartoony is a plus.

The performances are all around fantastic. Chow as mentioned has a wicked sense of physical wit, but the other castmembers prove every bit his equal. Wah Yuen and and Qiu Yuen easily still the show as the Landlord and Landlady respectively. Kwok Kuen Chan wins points as the silly dancing yet stylish Axe Gang leader, and Sri Lung Leung is wonderful as the flip flop wearing Beast.

If there’s any criticism to be leveled at it, it’s that Sing disappears about midway through the film to make room for Pokemon style gang battles, battles in which the powers of the combatants keep escalating until they’re ready to bring Sing back in to become a parody version of Neo. Of course when we think parody, we think obvious hack jokes. We think the Wayans brothers. Kung Fu Hustle works on a much more subtle, creative level to parody all sorts of things without beating you over the head with them. The disappearance of Sing is a bit odd narratively, though the battles that take place while he’s off camera are hilarious and wonderful. It just makes it a little hard to latch onto him as a main character, when he’s spending so much time off camera.

Kung Fu Hustle is inspired lunacy by design, the sort of movie best served with a hearty pitcher of beer and a big group of drunken friends. It crosses whatever cultural boundaries might normally separate American audiences from more serious Asian movies like Hero to create a universally fun viewing experience. You don’t need to “get” Asian cinema to laugh at the jokes, or giggle at the intentionally zany moves. Chow misses only a falling anvil to make Hustle a worthy, R-rated successor to “Looney Tunes”. This is a filmmaker who clearly loves making entertaining movies, and that joy translates into his absurdly delightful, screwball film.

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Taking of pelham 123[Tamil]

2010-01-20T22:00:00.000-08:00

Review:

The original "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" (1974) starring Robert Shaw and Walter Matthau is a classic. Tony Scott's remake, "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" (2009) is not.

This remake begins with what has become the obtrusive and defining style of Tony Scott's recent pictures.

Frenetic editing, sudden wipes, stuttering frames, rapid focus-pulls, repetitive zooms and ear piercing sound design to punctuate every moment. This style soon becomes sickening and you wish for a moment a shot would simply hold for more than 3 seconds without constant self-conscious cinematic gimmicks.

This arranged marriage of production effects even made me laugh out loud when during a helicopter shot of the New York skyline, the sun disappears behind some sky scrappers and each time it does you get a "whoosh" sound followed by a train "beeep"!

Soon after this nauseous beginning, a simple edit of Denzel Washington sitting at his desk is badly botched when a mid-shot cuts to a close-up and he is looking and sitting in a completely different position!

On top of these shallow post production and in-camera effects, the core of the original has been dumbed down with a profane and ranting script. The joy of the original ending has gone to be replaced by guns, ranting, salutes and machismo.

Gone is the tension and excitement of the original. Gone is the subtlety of performance. Gone is the humour. In fact everything that made the original great has been wiped clean from this horrendous exercise in style over content.

The wife asks for a gallon of milk (a ridiculous scene) and I am sure you would have a better time trying to drink that gallon of milk in one go than suffer this atrocious attempt at film-making.

Tony Scott is less talented than his brother but still showed promise with his early work. If he continues down this route of brain damaged film-making, I will avoid his pictures as I do those of Michael Bay and Ron Howard.

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GLADIATOR[Tamil]

2010-01-20T21:54:00.000-08:00

REVIEW:
Gladiator
Directed by Ridley Scott
Majestic and psychological, Gladiator marks the return of a director and a genre to the big screen. While Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Duelists, Alien) fell into oblivion after more than risky choices (GI Jane, White Squall), and given that the "toga and sandal movie" had become nothing more than the object of amusing kitsch, this time he succeeds with a tour de force. By breathing new life to a deposed genre, he is able to revive the flame of his fiery debut and at the same time create a new movie hero onscreen: a gladiator, and in the flesh: Russell Crowe.

Above all, Gladiator is proof. The film shows that Hollywood can still produce quality films if given the means. In effect, the film that benefits from a colossal budget is of course spectacular and luxurious, but all the same privileged with the psychology of its characters. To give depth to the characters, Scott called for a solid cast with the presence of talented actors, a rare occurrence for a big budget film. Finally, a cinematagraphy rich with artisitc touches does more than gove life to the film; it brings an unexpected aesthetic dimension.

Russell Crowe incarnates a glorious roman general chosen by the dying emperor to succede him. The emperor's son (Joaquin Phoenix) covets the throne, and after getting rid of his father he tries to eliminate his troublesome rival who flees.Maximus falls into the hands of slave merchants and becomes a slave whose only goal is the avenge himself against the emperor responsible for the assassination of his wife and son.

While the script is fairly simple, Scott revisits the "toga and sandle" genre by making direct allusions to the films that marked the era. The film is based largely on Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus as well as Conan the Barbarian. In the image of Spartacus, Maximus uses his hero's stature to rally the gladiators and rebel against the the power in place. Just like Conan, Maximus becomes a slave and gladiator whose only goal is to avenge the assassination of his family. And in the theme of vengeance, motor of the spaghetti western genre, there is also a clear reference to the final duel between Maximus and Commodus as we hear the music take Morriconian accents.

Gladiator is above all a grand spectacle. Thanks to a noteworthy budget, the film is able to reflect the splendors of the epoch through decoration, scenery, costumes, and a pushed attention to detail. The filmaker gratifies us with bloody and grandiose fight scenes with a grand sense of movement and an explosif rage exposing the savage side of said "civilized" society. Yet Ridley Scott does not content himself with just projecting an image of the era. He brings another supplementary dimension with arty cinematography and metaphors. The opening scene of the battle is visually electrifying. The use of ash colored filters contrasting with the lively red of blood as well as an epileptic montage creates an impression of unequal fury going combining with an artistic dimension. A result much more compelling than the overestimated opening shot of Saving Private Ryan. Scott returns to his first love, an aesthetic photography that established his reputation. Certain scenes resemble paintings, even ancient engravings that take him to his first film, Duellists, that established the artistic palette of his camera. Finally, the filmmaker inserts surrealist scenes, metaphors that come to bring a depth to the work (a tendance that seems to apply to epic movies of the moment, judging Luc Besson's The Messenger—notably the scenes in the fields). Knowing the beliefs that were anchored in the epochs renders the preceding even more justified.

Another aspect bringing depth to this film is the attention given to the characters. Between action scenes, Scott establishes a fairly slow rhythm, close to the narration that renders the character more human. Each character is the prey of his or her own demons and not limited to a sole dimension, good or bad. Thanks to dialogue and psychological approach, one understands the mechanisms that push them to act, making the movie more convincing. One also notes that, a rarity for such a film, the female character is not limited to being arm jewelry but also knows how to pull strings. This slow rhythm and this dichotomy of the characters is without a doubt reminiscent of Blade Runner.

In order to render the characters more credible and the scenes more psychological, it was necessary to recruit talanted actors and not just big muscles in togas. Russell Crowe was the perfect choice, since on top of being able to carry the film on his gladiator shoulders, he is one of the most talented actors of his generation. After his excellent acting in The Insider (a film that unfortunately went by unnoticed), it's clear that this film will be the springboard for his career and procure him the recognition his deserves. He passes with ease between despair, introspection, and rage, all of which make the film work. Crowe is supported by a solid cast, with Joaquin Phoenix, always perfect in a role of a deranged and deceitful character; Connie Nielson, who moves between an iron fist and sensitivity; to Oliver Reed in his last role as an old circus lion; Richard Harris as a dying emporer, and finally, and Derek Jacobi as a senator.

The film, more than a quality show is the vehicle for a certain message that the director conceals in a scene between two senators during the fights. These two discuss the discuss the cleverness of the emperor—more likely the sister (Connie Nielson)—in amusing the crowds with "entertainment". In offering them a spectacle in the arenas that are the real heart of Rome, he soothes his people and can in this way gain their favor, influence them, lure them, and manipulate them. It's difficult not to perceive a direct allusion to movie screens, the veritible center of our society, and the power that Hollywood and directors exercise over us. And the fact that reality topples over into fiction like current events and that our decisions or ways of life are sometimes influenced by what we see on the screen further confirms this idea. If the emperor symbolizes the filmmaker and Hollywood and the fights are the cinema, then the gladiatior symbolizes the actor—or the star—whose power captivates our society.

Despite some cliches and a conventional script, Gladiator is simply a success that we'd like to see more of in Hollywood, thanks to Ridley Scott's angle on this story. It's this angle that makes this a spectacle of quality, making it stand out from other low class products that Hollywood tosses at us. And the approaching release of Roland Emmerich's The Patriot oddly plays with the same themes and identical scenes, rendering the contrast between Gladiator and the rest of these foul marketing productions even more obvious.

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STAG NIGHT

2010-01-19T20:01:00.000-08:00

Review:

Stag Night tell the story of four friends celebrating their buddies last nights as a bachelor in NYC. The movie begins, with the four men leaving one strip club to make their way uptown to another bar. There choice of transportation being the subway. Entering the train, run into two strippers from the club they just left. Not wasting time, two of the men proceed to get friendly with girls. One welcomes the advance the other does not. Resulting in her attempt to make her point spraying mace in his face. This results in group forcing the doors of the train open to get air. Unfortunately, doing so at a station long since abandoned. Before they have a chance to realize what they have done the train, pulls away. Leaving the group, trapped in the station. From there the terror ensues, as the group fights to make it out of the subway tunnels alive.

Having lived in NYC for many years. I have to admit, the premises of the movie is not that far fetched. I have seen and can attest some homeless men, do indeed look like this that live in the tunnels. The shanty town do or at least did exists. The inhabitants of these underground villages have indeed, found ways to get electricity and running water, in certain cases. Yes, the chickens and the dogs are accurate. There are abandoned stations, on all the lines.

Unfortunately, as strong as the premises is and the amount of material the director had to make this into above average horror movie. It just never quite brings it home.

Although, entertaining, with most of the elements of a good horror movie. It still falls short. Leaving you with a moan rather than a scream! The special effects and gore do deliver and are well done. However, the camera work is annoying and distracting. The acting is mediocre. Over all the movie lacks the tension and suspense needed to hold your interest and really get involved. In my opinion the movie Creep, a earlier horror flick set in the London's subway system. Was much more effective in this aspect.
The fact the movie never actually climaxes, it seems stumble along. The end result resembles a big long, "run on sentence"!

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HANGOVER

2010-01-18T23:13:00.000-08:00

REVIEW:

Directed by: Todd Phillips
Written by: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Ken Jeong, Justin Bartha, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike Tyson

Although the summer has become primarily the domain of special effects blockbusters, there will always be high demand for a few solid feel-good comedies as well. While the ones with the biggest stars inevitably tend to get the most attention, this year it may be a different story.
The Hangover does not have an Adam Sandler or Will Ferrell to rely on to bring in the crowds, so instead, it has been forced to build buzz the old fashioned way: by being hilarious. To be fair, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifianakis are not entirely unknown (Ed Helms currently stars in The Office, while Cooper is known for his roles in Alias and movies like Wedding Crashers and Yes Man), but they’re also far from being bankable Hollywood A-list actors (yet). In this case, their relative anonymity is precisely what makes the movie work. None of these guys overshadow the film with their own established personalities, and instead they create a dynamic that is natural and relatable as a group of friends involved in a bachelor party gone wrong in Las Vegas.
The Hangover is, in essence, a creative twist on the “one crazy night” and “road trip” comedy templates. I don’t think it’s necessary to go into much detail as far as the plot is concerned; all you need to know is that a groom and his three groomsmen head out for a night of debauchery, and then wake up in the morning to find that their hotel room has been completely trashed and the groom has vanished. They have no recollection of what happened the night before, but as they try to retrace their steps, things get more and more out of hand.
One of the movie’s greatest strengths is the way in which the story is told; the audience is kept in suspense as the mystery unravels essentially in real-time. The shared state of confusion between the audience and the characters only serves to heighten the hilarity. I can’t think of too many comedies that use this little narrative trick, but it works wonders here. While it could limit the film’s replay value if the humour was too heavily dependent on shocks and surprises, this is not the only thing the movie has going for it.
As I mentioned, the chemistry between the cast is top notch, and much like the show Entourage, it isn’t about brilliant jokes and punchlines so much as it is about that feeling of camaraderie and trash talking among close friends who are stuck in a tense predicament. The script alone isn’t extraordinary (it’s written by the same guys who did Four Christmases, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, and Rebound starring Martin Lawrence), but when combined with the incredulous reactions of the actors and what I assume are some improvised bits, it all becomes that much more infectious. The movie has a great sense of pacing for the most part, and manages to keep upping the ante and increasing the energy level along the way.
Although there isn’t any one actor whose individual performance makes the movie, I have to admit that Zach Galifianakis kind of steals the show. Ed Helms is the responsible square of the group, and Bradley Cooper is the straight man with a frat boy sensibility, but Galifianakis is the wild card. His character is introduced as an outsider to the group, being the brother of the bride, so no one quite knows what to expect from him. Viewers unfamiliar with Galifianakis may anticipate a stereotypical obnoxious fat guy act, but he turns this idea completely on its head with his strange demeanor, soft-spoken delivery and weird, sensitive moments. There’s no question that this is going to be a breakout role for him.
One supporting actor who brings a pretty noteworthy solo performance as well is Ken Jeong (Role Models, Knocked Up). His turn as the quirky Asian gangster Mr. Chow is so out there that you can’t help but laugh, and is certainly going to be another one of the most talked about elements of this film. Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development) also has a few funny moments as the father of the bride, and Heather Graham looks good while breastfeeding (!). Then, of course, there’s Mike Tyson.
Out of all the stuff that had the most potential, I felt that Mike Tyson’s scenes fell a bit flat. Maybe it’s because some of those moments were spoiled in the trailers, and maybe it’s just because Tyson is more funny in real life than in a scripted comedy. It could also be that it felt like they were checking off “ironic celebrity cameo” from their checklist of required elements for a successful comedy (they also have a musical number, full frontal male nudity, and yes, everyone’s favourite buzzword: bromance). There were also a few scenes that felt like they were upping the obscenities in order to inject life into some dull dialogue. All that aside though, the cards are just stacked so much in favour of The Hangover that it’s hard to imagine anyone not having a good time with it.
The movie is even pretty visually impressive for a summer comedy; Todd Phillips (Old School, Starsky and Hutch) knows how to take things to the next level, and cinematographer Lawrence Sher previously shot such indie films as Garden State and The Promotion. I particularly loved the way they put together the gambling sequence that parodies movies like 21 and Rain Man.
The bottom line is that The Hangover is a great movie to watch with a crowd, and by the time it reaches the soon-to-be-legendary end credits, there’s a strong chance you and everyone around you will be rolling in the aisles. How they managed to maintain an R-rating here is beyond me, but it is such a brilliant way to cap off the film that it seems only appropriate.
We’ve still got Year One, Bruno and Funny People to look forward to, but already I think there’s a good chance The Hangover will end up being the biggest comedy of the summer. If not in terms of box office numbers, then at least in terms of lasting impressions. This is one road trip you don’t want to skip. — Sean

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Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

2010-01-18T05:39:00.000-08:00

Jaggi Vasudev

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev is an Indian yogi and mystic. He is the founder of Isha Foundation which administers yoga centers around the world, including India and the United States.

Jagadish Vasudev was born in Mysore, Karnataka. At the age of twenty-five on September 23 1982, he had a deep spiritual experience, and subsequently established Isha Foundation, a non-religious, not-for-profit, public service organization, which addresses all aspects of human wellbeing. The Isha Yoga Center near Coimbatore was founded in 1992, and hosts a series of programs intended to heighten self-awareness through the ancient practice of yoga. These programs are offered to people ranging from the highly educated to the illiterate, from corporate leaders to prisoners.

Sadhguru spoke in four panels at the 2007 World Economic Forum, addressing issues ranging from diplomacy to economic development, education and the environment. In 2006, he addressed the World Economic Forum, the Tällberg Forum in Sweden, and the Australian Leadership Retreat. He has also served as a delegate to the United Nations Millennium Peace Summit and the World Peace Congress. He is the only speaker to have been invited to the World Economic Forum three years in a row.

Sadhguru has had interviews with the BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNNfn, and Newsweek International.

He was a delegate to the United Nations Millennium World Peace Summit , and a participant at the World Economic Forum in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Sadhguru is a practitioner of yogic temple building and consecration, creating the Dhyanalinga yogic temple in 1999. The consecration process employed Prana prathista which is different from the Mantra prathista process prevalent in Kumbabishekam rituals in practiced through the modern times. Ancient Indian alchemical processes were allegedly used extensively in the temple building and consecration. Contrary to science, it is claimed that the presence of solid mercury at room temperature can be observed in the building.

Project GreenHands and initiative to plant 114 million saplings to increase the existing tree cover of Tamil Nadu State by 10 % is spearheaded by Jaggi Vasudev. The project entered the Guinness Book of World Records for planting the maximum number of tree saplings on a single day.

Vasudev was a key participant in the 2006 documentary film ONE: The Movie.

Sadhguru going to consecrate one more temple as Linga Bhyravi a very powerful feminine temple which will be very useful for the spiritual practicer's and spiritual seekers.

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