Vishwaroopam – Movie Review

Whether the current controversy is really required I wouldn’t comment.

Technically the movie is good. There is lot of attention given to detail. Every actor has got a defined role & some ways not ensured that it is Kamal Hassan movie all through. Rahul Bose has a major role in the movie and sometimes his voice is irritating but the explanation does for it.

Pooja, Andrea, Shekar Kapur all have importance. The best part is where a house fly on rife is shown closely, the son of rahul bose identifying the rife & bullets blindfolded, rahul bose son’s innocence, protrayal of emotions even by jihadis, the Afghanistan location.

The movie story is very simple and many times made by the Hollywood. But Kamal has definitely taken Tamil cinema to different length and heights. It would do no justice to compare this movie with “Ek Tha Tiger” or “Thuppaki”. Our brains have been modeled these days to watch movies without class. There are certain shots where the movie has matched Hollywood terms and in some gone beyond.

Usage of pigeons and the explanation to use them is something out of the box.

Kamal’s wife Pooja suspects him & he emoting gay expressions, hires a private investigator to track his movements. While she has an affair with Samrat Chkarabarti. In the course of trailing the investigator gets killed. Movie changes from there and a flashback of tale from Afghanistan. What would happen next is anybody’s guess especially those who watch lot of movies.

“neenga nalla vara keta vara” the past dialogue is repeated again with an answer for once!

All the songs are in the background which is the best part except for the initial part where it is required to exhibit his character as Kathak dancer. Showing the other side of man involved very much into classic form of dance is shown well. Every movement and step is shown well.

The dubbing voice for Pooja is irritant lot of times. Don’t understand why she should speak “konji konji”.  Background music is not heavy to the ears and goes well with the situation. The script is engaging, the dialogues at certain times could have been better, there is mix of humour in the dialogues. At a point when for most it would seem the movie is dragging or getting boring (high influence of kollywood, tollywood & bollywood) I found it interesting and necessary for the story.

Now to wait for part 2 of the movie!

My rating would be 7.5/10.

Read Full Post »

Vettai – Movie Review (Tamil)

Lingusamy movie with the usuals. An ordinary story told in a good narrative and a tight script. The movie gets boring due to excess of songs which could have been avoided. Only disappointment is Sameera Reddy does not get any song or dance except the initial introduction song.
Madhavan and Arya are brothers whose father is found to be dead one fine morning when they are out for a movie. Later on Madhavan the scared elder brother takes the job with Police Department thanks to their dad. While the younger brother Arya works to help his brother at all times.
Madhavan gains respect in his department and also creates fear among the goondas. Till the goondas find out the real hero through a video camera left at hanging at the scene where an earlier fight happens.
Obviously the goondas want revenge. What happens next is the rest of the movie. With sufficient songs one can take a short break inbetween to relieve the pressure.
The dialogues are interspersed with some humour that there is no need for a comedian seperately.
The music is just so-so. Yuvan Shankar Raja could have been better.
Arya marries Amla Paul while Madhavan Sameera and gets her pregnant too.
Overall a good movie to watch. My rating would be 3.5/5. 0.5 less because Sameera Reddy is not found dancing much as expected.

Read Full Post »

Nanban – Movie Review (Tamil)

A remake of the Hindi movie “3 Idiots”, I would have expected a title “3 muttalgal” for the tamil version. But its titled “Nanban” meaning “Friends”.

“All izz well” with the movie especially when Shankar took the task of directing the remake. Shankar has taken care of each details from the original movie and did not leave any loopholes nor screw up the script.

The storyline is well known. Vijay, Shrikanth & Jeeva join Ideal Engineering College and become thick friends soon. And they are roommates too. They play pranks, fix a helicopter for another student who commits suicide, takes up on the principal (Satyaraj). Love happens between Vijay & Ileana (Satyaraj daughter) after the 3friends crash to a wedding.

What all happens is known if one had watched “3Idiots”. If you have not watched “3Idiots” then I wouldnt be a spoilsport.

The songs were typical and pleasant to hear from Harris Jeyaraj. The locations were carefully chosen. All within TamilNadu from Chennai to Ooty to Danushkodi.

Maybe Vijay could have shaven his mustache too. Would he have looked like schoolboy then?

Watch it and enjoy the movie. My rating 3/5.

Read Full Post »

Mayakkam Enna – Tamil (Movie Review)

A simple love story depicting emotions at different times in the relation. From the time relation starts, to develops, to moves further on & then marriage & post marriage.
While the ending need not have been a happy ending as shown in the movie, this is still a must watch movie.
Also inbetween 2nd half the movie rags a bit before director Selvaraghavan brings it back.
Dhanush is a photographer & part of 5member group of friends. Richa is date of one of Dhanush’s friend. Later emotions develop between Dhanush & Richa which ends in marriage.

The movie brings to light lot of things about relations to people
1. Going on date does not mean girlfriend – boyfriend
2. All is never well in a relation. There are up’s & down’s.
3. Atleast one in the relation should be a strong person. Should tide over tough times.
4. Patience is the key in a relation.
5. Men can never forget earlier relation or person with whom they are deeply interested.

There are lots more, needs close watch.
While I would rate it as 4.5/5, the movie is not mass movie.

Read Full Post »

Vaanam – Tamil music review

Forget it Evandee unna paethan is a smash hit. This song is a runaway success. No money no honey is a pukka dabanguthu song, how can a dabanguthu be missed out in Silambarasan’s movie. Who am I, is the rock song that will rock most discos with DJ’s playing it over & over again. This song is very much inspired though.
The rest of the songs don’t make much of an impact.
This album is good listen. Some songs would stay for some time, some would just fly out immediately.

What makes me wonder is where are those “duet” songs, those nice romantic songs? There are no songs for female actor in most movies. Wonder whats wrong??!!

Read Full Post »

Virudhagiri – Movie Review (Tamil)

Captain Vijayakanth’s movie after quite some time is fully loaded in the first half with political overtones. Movie starts with Captain helping Scotland Yard in catching terrorists planning to assassinate British Prime Minister. What a beginning & what a fight. When we are yet to come out of this shock the Scotland Yard is all praise for him. The expectation now increases.
After capturing terrorists from Kashmir to Kanyakumari within India our Captain expands horizons. (well, this is also a dialogue in the movie.
Then he returns to homeland for some sentimental time. Finally his brain works in stopping flesh trade of Aravanis (transgenders). He captures all the culprits including a cop. Then comes a master dialogue addressing Captain, “Neenga arasangathula vela seyyum bodu yelaygaluku help pannareenga, neengale arasu aana evalo pannuveenga”. (Working in Goverment you are doing so much for poor, how much will you do if you are the Goverment).

Having given the build up for Captain’s powers, comes the next part of the movie. This is the rest of the movie. If you have not watched the Hollywood movie TAKEN, dont worry its all here. The rest of the movie is taken from Taken. While in Taken it is his estranged daughter, here it is his foster daughter (though no relation directly).
Every dialogue, setting of scenes, the script is carefully directly lifted from there. Only difference is this movie is set in Australia. And song induced to give the flavour for Indian audience.

For a Captain fan this movie is not a let down. For others, you can go through this torture if with friends and having a gala time.

Read Full Post »

Manmadan Ambu – Movie Review

KamalHassan, Trisha, Madhavan, Sangeetha the main cast of this KSRavikumar movie. The movie revolves around a simple storyline shot on a cruise visiting few locales in Europe. And some in Kodaikannal and Chennai. Madhavan is engaged to Trisha who is an actress. Sangeetha is a divorce and Kamal is a widower. Madhavan suspects his fiancée to be having an affair with another guy and hires Kamal as detective to spy on her.
What happens is rest of the movie.

Kamal should maybe take his hands from writing script for movie. He is a great actor with amazing sense of timing. But his writing sucks. We did see it in Mumbai Xpress and its repeated here. This movie is better than Mumbai Xpress. For 30mins in second half of the movie one will laugh and laugh out. But he cannot recreate what Crazy Mohan can.
One thing to be noted is there are no loose ends. No question marks that arises. He has taken care of all that. The movie tends to drag a bit in beginning with lot of importance given in characterization.

The songs are just so-so. Not inspiring even when watching on big screen. Devi Sri Prasad disappoints a lot.
Another of Kamal’s venture is as lyricist. He has done before but then it doesnt appeal to masses. His singing, he has been doing it for ages.

Watchable once.

Read Full Post »

Sura (Tamil) – Movie Review

Samadhanama poga naan onnum pura illa da sura da.
En mela kai vekarthuku munadi oru vaati yoshiko, aduku appram yosichu veka kai irrukadu.

Thiru Illaya Thalapathy Vijay avargale, ippadiye pesita irrunda appram un padam paarka enda sura vum varadu enda pura vum varadu. Neenga oru quarter appram biriyani vaangi koduthalum yaarum varamataanga. Neenga unga padatha paarkardu unda.
Ungalai paaratanum. 50th movie la I was waiting for 50 punch dialogue’s. If at all you gave 50 punches sorry I missed it.
Eager fans who whistle for you @ the beginning during your introduction stop at the next 10seconds and rest of the time is passed when the movie will get over.
In theaters elsewhere people would have gone out for smoke and would be spending more time there than inside watching the movie. These days with smoking being banned people run outside to grab popcorn or visit the toilets. Why toilets avalo vaandi varudu un punch dialogue ketu ketu.
Infact I started sleeping mid-way thru the movie and luckily intermission came 5mins after that.
Ungaluku ellam manasakchiye illaya. Eppadi ippadi oru padam eduka mudiyudu. Same story, similar punch dialogues, similar music. Is there something new in Sura which we have not seen in other movies of yours truly.
Adu eppadi saar nadu kadal (middle of the sea) lerndu neenji kadarkarai ku vareenga. Sura does not come to land. Either movie title maathunga illa kadaiya maathunga. Ippadi rasigargala torture pannadeenga.
For all that I walked all the way to theater in pouring rain to watch your movie. The signs were obvious that Gods didnt want me to watch your movie but I defied all those. I need compensation from you for undergoing yet another torture.

What is the name Amberla for Vadivelu. The comedy in the movie can be passed over. It was just waste of time. None of his jokes tickled me nor others in the theater.
Tamanna, what are you doing in the movie. The front benchers are not happy with your dancing. You didnt add value to the movie. Just because there has to be a heroine in the movie Tamanna is there. Otherwise it would be gayish movie.
What is Riyaz Khan’s role in the movie.
Mani Sharma, your music has not left any impression. Why is there resemblance to “My name is Billa”, “En peru Padayappa”? Nothing to comment on background score.

Since Sura is an animal found in waters, the camera man has to shoot pictures of sun (not to forget Sun pictures) with water in background, foreground.

Sun Pictures, thamizh naatila kalacharam prachanai. Edu kalacharam nu yaarukum theriyala. If Kushboo says her views on pre-marital relation its against culture. If Kamal Hassan names a movie Sandiyar it can spoil culture.
In one song in this movie can how there be four girls dancing behind Tamanna in bikini? Is it allowed since they are foreigners? Either Tamanna could have been cast in bikini or she refused or shes Indian so it could be against our culture or viewers might ignore her and look at others. Why Sir this kind of approach on kalacharam (culture).

It will take sometime for me to get over this movie. This feeling is worse than getting dumped by girlfriend.

Read Full Post »

Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaya (Tamil) – Movie Review

Before the review, lessons learnt from this movie.
1. If you are a guy and like a girl, be dedicated and sincere. Returns would be there.
2. Humour & fun moments fill romance part of life initially. When reality strikes sorrow is definite.
3. Break-up in first love is always a difficult part.
4. Whatever happens where ever you go, memories and butterflies of first love will remain. Sparks fill fly at any given instance.
5. Girls move on after a break-up. They try to adjust to new life.
6. Guys always hope for slim chance that the girl will come back.

A simple love story from Gautham Menon. Simbu as Karthik and Trisha as Jessie fall in love with one another. Karthik is a Hindu while Jessie is Christian. Jessie always has the fear that her dad would be against their love. She even goes to stop her wedding on the day of marriage as she still wants Karthik. Turn of events they seperate and go on different ways. Karthik becomes a director as was his dream. She moves to America. While shooting his movie he meets Jessie again. Whether they join again or not? In typical movie they will join together as Karthik’s movie titled Jessie. But in real life it does not happen is what Gautham Menon goes on to prove. Its not always, alls well that ends well.
They are some dry moments in the second half. Made up by the climax. Just be patient enough.
Background score by AR Rehman is good at few places otherwise nothing much to notice. Songs of course stand out.
Camera work is amazing especially for the song “Omane penne”.

A movie worth watching. Repetitive audience am not sure.

Read Full Post »

Ayirathil Oruvan (Tamil) – Movie Review

First, kids below 10-12yrs of age? Parents, leave them home, don’t take them along to watch the movie. Are you heart patient or pregnant woman, refrain from watching this movie if you are faint hearted.
This movie is not for kids, heart patients & pregnant women. This should have been clearly published at the beginning when one buys the ticket and later at the counter.

A very detailed analysis has gone in before making of this movie. This movie does not have relevance to the incidents that happened centuries ago. Selvaraghavan should be credited for the efforts in making a historical movie combined with todays world, with a touch of romance, emotion, quarrels and glamour.

The Cholas vs Pandians. How Cholas protect a deity and Pandians want to get it from Cholas is a thin storyline. One has to cross 7 hurdles before they reach the Chola village. But how it has been shown to the viewers matters. A brief switch to flashback when the movie starts and then moving over to current state.

An archealogical research into finding the lost empire and what happens next forms rest of the movie.What happens when three people are stuck together in middle of nowhere without food, water & shelter is also shown well.

In current scenario, we are so much stuffed with commercial movies that one would wonder if this movie will go well with audience. It definitely would and there would be repetitive audience. The 2nd half of the movie draws ones attention and need to be watched carefully. If not, the review would definitely be bad.
Do not watch the movie like you would watch 3 Idiots, Kutty. If you are a person expecting movie of that kind then better stay away. This is not for you.

If you can relate the first scene and the last scene and connect it, there could be no sequel. Just going by the ending there could be a sequel. Whatever Selvaraghavan has clearly redefined non-commercial movie making.

Read Full Post »