Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire, as the name implies is a rags-to-riches story of a boy named Jamaal who goes from being a slumdog to becoming a millionaire through a TV show. The storyline may seem ingenuous, but the way the story is told is ingenious. We've seen many rags-to-riches stories, but this one is special in terms of its simplicity, credibility and the effect it has on the viewer. Adapted from a book, Q & A by Vikas Swarup, the movie is a joint venture by Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandon.

Most of the movie weaves between the hero sitting on the "Who wants to be a millionaire" show and flashback scenes that show his journey to the seat. It is this interweaving that makes the story engrossing in the first half. The events portrayed in the childhood of Jamaal leave a lasting impression. The life in the slums and in Mumbai in general are shown very convincingly. The child actors(The three musketeers) have done a thoroughly commendable job.



The transition from childhood to adoloscence is brilliant, with a touch of Bollywood, in the scene where the hero and his brother are pushed off a train and after rolling on the ground for a few seconds, they get up as teenagers. The teenage Jamaal is played by the kid who played Ishaan's friend Rajan in Taare Zameen Par. He does a good job in the Taj Mahal scene where he becomes a guide, yarning bizarre stories about how the Taj Mahal was built. In this phase of the film, the focus is more on how the kids evolve and what they evolve into. You see Jamaal's brother Salim becoming a gangster and Jamaal himself becoming a chaiwala in a call-centre. The screenplay lags a bit in this part and you somehow feel the pace of the movie is lost. The movie tries to convey that young Jamaal would go to any extent to get what he wants(if he could do THAT for getting the autograph of Big B, he would do anything to get the love of his life). But due to the poor chemistry between the lead couple, it's hard to really sense that feeling of love. Just that Latika(played by Freida Pinto) is the most beautiful woman in the eyes of Jamaal is not reason enough to believe in the effect of love. With better actors perhaps, better chemistry could have been created. Dev Patel fails miserably in this regard.


The "Who wants to be a millionaire" scenes are really well-made, the set being that of Kaun Banega Crorepati, and Anil Kapoor playing Big B. He does a good job pretty much in the mould of Big B. The build-up to the show and its huge following are certainly justified as one can't forget that the show did create a similar wave in India. The music is simply out of the world, which is no wonder when it is by A.R.Rahman. The background pieces add great value to the scenes, be it Latika's theme or "Paper planes" by M.I.A or even the "Ringa Ringa" in the brothel scene. A definite contender for the OST award in the Oscars. Dialogue in the movie is more Indianized naturally, but as it is a Hollywood movie and as it has to reach a global audience, most of the dialogue is in English. It is pretty irritating to see local Indians(constables and young kids) speaking in English in Mumbai and leaves you wishing all the dialogue was in Hindi(which would have been more realistic and which would have meant the movie was directed by an Indian).

That is the thought I am left with after watching the movie. The resignation that Indian movie-makers haven't reached this level of sophistication yet. Never has a simple rags-to-riches story based in India been told so effectively by an Indian director. The spirit of Mumbai conveyed so beautifully by a Hollywood movie. Though there is the contribution of an Indian co-director, the major credits go to Danny Boyle. We can certainly expect this movie to bag a few Oscars and Golden Globes.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Vaaranam Aayiram

Much-awaited Vaaranam Aayiram from Gautham Vasudev Menon turns out to be a class movie, very different from his earlier works, yet maintaining many of his trademarks. The plot revolves around the life of Surya(that's the character's name as well), his relationship with his father Krishnan(played by Surya himself). It's quite hard to see the father and son as two different entities, as young Surya is almost totally in his father's mould, character-wise. Appearance-wise, Surya has blended into the characters of different ages(from 16 to 60) quite well.

The first half of the movie is vibrant and entertaining. The first song(Mundhinam) shows the elder Surya in his youth, wooing Simran(Malini) and marrying her. "Ivlo azhagai yaarum paathurukkamaattan" seems a little too much for the aged Simran. Then the movie goes on to show the early years of Surya and how his character develops gradually. The young Surya takes inspiration from his father, who is portrayed as a true role model(the movie itself is a dedication to Vasudev Menon). The father sentiment is conveyed in the right degree, neither overplayed nor underplayed. Surya steals the show as a youngster, having toned down his body for the school and college student appearances. The romance in the first half between Surya and Meghna(Sameera) is engrossing, though not exceptional. What Madhavan did to adolescent girls through his first film, Surya is still able to do the same after 20-odd films, which is quite an achievement. Talking about Sameera, she is a lot less revealing in this movie, but does look pretty(Gautham has an extra-ordinary knack of making ordinary heroines look appealing). They say there is no comedy in the movie. I beg to disagree. What do you call it when Sameera(seeing her in a movie after Race) utters a dialogue "Exam puttukka chancey illa. I'm a university topper. 99% ku keela vaangavey maaten". This line generated the most laughter in the audience. Why, even Sameera was grinning when she said that, and Surya even more. Gautham should not think the audience is so gullible(maybe he has a fascination for ultra-intelligent girls, but things such as this add unintended humor to the movie(remember Jothika being an IIT-Madras maths graduate(Surya couldn't suppress his grin back then too)))

Returning to a serious note, Surya's acting is quite impressive in the movie, especially in the drug rehab (cold turkey) scenes. I don't remember any other Tamil movie portraying the harmful effects of drugs more effectively. Inspiration seems to be drawn from Shantaram(I could actually see the book in the background in one of the shots). Perhaps if one takes a screenshot of that still, we could find out many of his inspirations for this movie. The transition Surya undergoes in the second half(after the obvious tragedy) is interesting, something which perhaps those who have gone through such hardships would understand the most(I'm not saying I have, but the effect of the movie would be more pronounced on such people). But the impact is not all that great(not comparable to other movies like 7G, Kaadhal or Parutthi Veeran), it is lost somewhere in the plot in the second half. The movie is more like a personal diary or an autobiography(that's where the effect is lost). The screenplay could have been done a lot better. Divya's role in the second half as a gap-filler is questionable, but as it's a personal diary, we can't have any complaints.

Music, a definite plus to the movie. Harris Jeyaraj is magical when it comes to Gautham's movies. Every song is hummable. Mundhinam and Adiyae Kolludhe being my favourites. Shruthi Haasan's voice in the latter deserves special mention. The background score is also good, but not as impressive as Kaakha Kaakha or Minnale.

Overall, the movie deserves to be appreciated, not trashed as done by many of the reviews online. It may not have commercial aspects to it, but commercialism is not the only thing in cinema, and audiences should become more sensible to embrace movies such as this and elevate the quality of tamil cinema. I was happy to hear appreciative clapping from one portion of the FDFS audience at Abirami theatre, but disgusted by the voice that shouted "Padam kandippaa odaadhu" minutes before the climax. This reflects the general scene in Kollywood these days. It is that voice that is still ruling the roost, and not the claps, which are easily overshadowed, what with negative reviews from the media as well.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Batman : The Dark Knight


Nolan does it again. He's directed a movie you cannot understand fully the first time you watch it and you want to appreciate the finer aspects of the movie by watching it again and again. And when it's a Batman movie which is so complex, you know what a great job it is. IMDB no.1 within 4 days of its release is no mean feat. Though it is no true reflection of a movie's greatness, what is surprising is that with more than 140000 votes the movie's rating has become more or less stable at 9.4. Now it can simply not go below Godfather, theoretically speaking.

So is the movie really that great, after all? It sure is. No doubt. Be it late Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker, or the flawless direction of Christopher Nolan, or the breathtaking visuals and action sequences, everything makes the movie a thorough entertainer. Though I haven't watched all the Batman movies, I am sure I am right when I say the movie captures the essence of Batman like no other movie prior to this has. What is most appealing is that the film resembles a regular crime movie, with the superhero element underplayed to such an extent that nothing seems unbelievable in the movie.

In the acting department, Heath Ledger stands out undoubtedly. The images of The Joker are what remain perfectly clear in your mind after watching the movie. He delivers his lines with such clarity and precision that makes his character all the more impressive. In fact, the reason one would want to watch the movie a second time would be to appreciate the finer details of the movie, apart from The Joker's portrayal. Such is the level of performance Heath Ledger has delivered. Christian Bale fits the bill perfectly and is more impressive than he was in Batman Begins. The Batman voice is a tad annoying though. Aaron Eckhart as Two-face Dent is the other important character in the film. His coin-flipping antics get a little boring(Being an Indian, one can't help wondering if Two-Face was inspired by Sholay or vice-versa) though it is one of the important concepts of the Batman comics - "The world is cruel, and the only morality in a cruel world is chance. Unbiased. Unprejudiced. Fair".

Talking about concepts, the movie also presents several issues related to philosophy/psychology, but the way they are dealt with may not be said to be really awesome or anything. There have been better attempts. However, being a Batman movie, there's less scope for it anyway. All said, it's 2 1/2 hours of pure entertainment. Though Dark Knight can't be called the best movie ever made, it certainly is and will be the best superhero movie ever made.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall


Forgetting Sarah Marshall - as the name implies, this is a movie ideal for those guys out there who're just out of a relationship. Well even those just into a relationship would appreciate it. Not to say that happy and single guys won't have a good laugh watching the movie. I just did.

Starring Jason Segel(who has also done the writing credits), Kristen Bell as the titular character, and Mila Kunis, the movie is about the journey the hero goes through after a break-up with the leading lady and if he eventually overcomes the hangover. Humour is the highlight of the movie, but it's not one of those typical rom-coms. There is no overdose of emotion. Everything is light-hearted. The director, Nicholas Stoller deserves credit for making good use of humor in many parts of the movie. Jason Segel has a body language that suits the style of comedy very well. Russell Brand delivers a great performance as a European pop artist Aldous Snow. Some of his lines are truly hilarious for the timing with which they're delivered and the effect they produce. Mila Kunis is totally ravishing as Rachel the receptionist and will certainly make any guy forget any Sarah Marshall.

Most of the film is shot in Hawaii and this sets a light tone for the movie visually too. Parental advisory: There are quite a few explicit scenes in the movie, even full-frontal nudity. Now guys, don't jump and download the movie immediately. It is male full-frontal nudity. But its use in the movie is just in a humorous manner, which makes it acceptable. Overall, this movie's certainly recommended for anyone looking for a good laugh with one of the movies that released this year.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Dasavatharam


When a movie of this magnitude releases, and that too after a million delays, it is bound to carry along with it a lot of hype. The hype could have proved detrimental to the success of the movie, but no, Dasavatharam has proved it wrong in grand style. No wonder K.S.Ravikumar is called a master director. It was a wise thing Kamalhassan didn't direct this high-budget venture. Though a lot of the ideas and concepts in the movie were his(or someone else's), it required someone like K.S.Ravikumar to focus more on the commercial aspect and dumb down the intellectual aspects of the movie to ensure proper reach among all classes. If Kamal had been the director, the converse would have happened and the resultant disaster would have been simply irrecoverable.

Moving away from being judgmental about Kamal's directorial prowess, Kamal as an actor has indeed taken performance to new heights. He has transformed into each of the 10 roles he plays with such ease and professionalism that few others can even attempt to match. What's interesting the first time you watch the movie is how you need to keep a tab on how many Kamals have so far appeared in the movie, what with the added confusion of whether a particular character is really Kamal or not(kudos to the make-up artist Westmore). Each of the 10 avatars in the movie has a significant part to play, except obviously the American President Mr. George W. Bush, who has been parodied brilliantly. Humour plays a very important role in the movie, lightening up the mood at regular intervals. The character of Balram Naidu deserves special mention for evoking laughter through body language itself, notwithstanding the ingenious humour in the dialogues. In the rest of the acting department, Asin has justified her selection for her role as a talkative, annoying, hyperactive heroine. The other actors also fit very well into their roles. Most notable are Napoleon and M.S.Bhaskar. What about Mallika Sherawat, you ask. There couldn't have been a better choice.

Plotwise, Chaos theory which forms the central theme of the movie is not explained explicitly and is left to the viewer to interpret, which is the most interesting aspect of the film, especially as it involves ten different characters each of whom has a role to play in all the chaos. How the 12th century events would relate to the present day events was a question everyone must have had even before the movie released and it's a question whose answer is central to the climax of the movie and the theological discussion/argument that happens between Kamal and Asin in the end.

The movie has also conveyed many messages in a simple manner instead of overemphasising any particular message. Symbolism can be observed at several places too, for example the fluttering butterfly as an allusion to "The Butterfly Effect", a parallel to Chaos theory. Hollywood inspiration is apparent in many places, as is the norm with Kamal's movies. But his constant effort in trying to produce a Hollywood-style movie needs to be applauded. With this movie, he has just gone several steps closer. Overall, Dasavatharam proves to be a thorough entertainer that reaffirms the status Kamalhassan so deservingly holds - a legendary actor, the Ulaganayagan.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Yaaradi nee mohini...

Dhanush-Nayantara starrer "Yaaradi nee mohini", a remake of a Telugu film, which alarmingly is becoming kind of a norm in Tamil cinema proves to be a watchable entertainer with a good mix of romance, sentiment and comedy.

Dhanush as Vasu(reminds you of Thiruda Thirudi) does fit well the role of a software engineer in Chennai. But Nayantara, project manager? You gotta be kidding. The sequences in the first half involving Dhanush's antics in the software company are totally hilarious(Those who've seen the movie would do well to note the sarcasm here.) How can the answers to "What is multi-threading?" or "What is the difference between while and do-while?" suddenly strike you on seeing the face of Nayantara. Ideally, you will only forget whatever answers you remembered. Another funny scene is when Dhanush works through night to make up for a fault of his, writes essays and theses in Java/C/whatever(the screen scrolls at such a speed you can't even notice) and finally a blue-popup comes on screen reading "Code activated". When almost the entire theatre bursts out laughing on seeing this, one can't help but realise the presence of the software industry in the movie-going crowd. Even Karunas' telephone comedy scene didn't evoke as much laughter as this scene.

Raghuvaran, in what eventually and sadly turned out to be his last movie appearance, has impressed in whatever limited scope he had. It is indeed ironic that in the movie he advises Dhanush not to get addicted to alcohol as it is harmful to health. The tamil cinema industry and the fans alike would have wished Raghuvaran himself had realised this truth earlier in his life.

The second half of the movie is family-centred and though funny at times, only drags on a little too much. The characterisation of Anandavalli a.k.a Pooja, Nayantara's young 15-year old sister is done well. It is refreshing to see a flirtatious character being cute and not annoying, though it could very well be my personal opinion. :-) Karthik(Kanda naal mudhal fame) has played the role of a friend well, but in the second half appears a total dimwit in some scenes, though he does make up for it in the end(well the characterisation is done that way).

Yuvan Shankar Raja has provided a good score for the film(Engeyo paartha and Oru Naalukkul stand out). An additional plus is the dialogue by Selvaraghavan, so evident in some scenes(like the one where Vasu advises Puja after her suicide-attempt). Though the film may not have many merits overall for originality or direction, Dhanush has maintained his image as an entertainer, wisely giving up the unnecessary stress on heroism.

Nepali

Nepali, the latest movie of self-proclaimed "Chinna Thalabathi"(how many Thalabathis do we really need) Barath comes out as a feebly fine attempt by director V.Z.Durai in terms of film-making, which could have been made much better. The movie is a love story in the guise of a thriller. The director has attempted to use non-linear story-telling to make the plot seem more interesting, but has failed miserably in it. The screenplay has three elements to it, one in the present(Nepali Barath's mysterious killings), one in the past(a youthful Barath and Meera Jasmine's love track) and another in the middle(jail sequences where Barath is a jail inmate with a Nepali man). The three tracks are interwoven in so haphazard a manner that you begin to lose interest pretty soon(the music score indicating track-shifting becomes annoying). When such non-linear style is used, the director/editor needs to make sure the element of suspense(if any) is maintained. But in Nepali, the turn of events is very predictable and the mixing pretty messy.

One other thing that's very evident in the movie is that the director has watched several Hollywood movies whose inspiration can be seen at several places. Memento, A Clockwork Orange, Enemy at the gates, to name a few. Even the music director, Srikanth Deva has been heavily inspired by Hollywood and Bollywood alike. Like father, like son.

Barath and Meera have both done their parts well. But Barath does a Salman Khan too often in the songs, just because he's improved his build. Meera looks ideal for the role, though her character seems foolish at many places in the movie. No one specifically stands out in the rest of the cast, maybe because of very limited roles. The sex-crazy police inspector makes you wanna puke. When movies like Kaakha Kaakha, Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu, Kireedam and perhaps even Marudhamalai(with all due respect to Arjun) are made, it is appalling to see the police department shown in such bad light. Even Prem, as the investigating officer fails to impress really. He could perhaps return to Jodi no. 1 Season 4.

Considering that this is the debut of director V.Z.Durai, his effort should be lauded for producing watchable fare told in good cinematic style. In the line of Ramana, Manmadhan, Anniyan, etc, Nepali is another movie with a good message to unpunished criminals. My only hope is that there is not a sequel called Bhutani.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

A lovely coll(a/e)ge

I walked into the theatre that screened Kalloori only because we didn't get the tickets for Billa on the first day night show. But 10 minutes into the movie, I felt strongly that this was the kind of movie one should pay to watch in a theatre. Sad state of affairs in Indian cinema, or perhaps worldwide cinema itself that such ventures don't get their deserved success.

Balaji Sakthivel, the director whose debut was through Kaadhal, a movie which thankfully and infact so wonderfully paid the best possible tribute to the word "love", has in his second movie paid a better tribute to college life, friendship and love again in so heart-wrenching and heart-warming a manner that even guys who originally went to watch Billa came back very satisfied. One wishes directors like S.S.Stanley watch this movie and realise what kind of trash their movies about college life were. The cast of the movie, all new faces except for the heroine Tamanna have all fit the roles like a glove. Don't read Tamanna doesn't fit the role. I mean she's the only one whose face is not new. The casting director deserves many accolades for having found so many new faces for so many roles. It has to be admitted however that such a movie can only be made with new faces.

The characterisation is so very special, making one identify or empathise with each and every character in the movie. Kayalvili stands out with her relentless support of the myth that guys and girls can be friends. It can be said that the first half of the movie rolls mainly on this theme, of the possibility of friendship between a guy and a girl. No other movie has portrayed the debate so beautifully. Several issues are touched upon - that it's the eye of the society that perceives the intimacy between a guy and a girl to be something other than friendship, that women should be treated as equal to men("oru ponna saga manushiya paakka therinjiko" is the precise line that rings through the ears often), the significance of physical touch in a relationship. It doesn't take too long for "When Harry met Sally" fans like me to understand that our side is going to win the debate in the movie. It is but natural that love blossoms between the hero and the heroine, first one-way and then mutually. The song, "Sariya idhu thavara" adds depth to the whole debate both through lyrics and through the visuals, while "Nee aruge varugaiyil" glorifies the crass term "kadalai" to such a large extent that anybody who argues that there's no real fun in chatting continuosuly with a person of the other sex, will understand why there's so much longing for a girlfriend/boyfriend.


Moving to something other than relationships or atleast non-familial relationships, I must say I haven't seen a more adorable younger sister than the one I saw in Kalloori. The little sister of Muthu, man, she killed me, in Holden Caulfield's words. When such small roles invoke such feelings, one has to believe it is a fantastic movie that you've come to see. The comedy track has two characters whose only lines are "Kaekkaraangalla", "Yaen neenga sollamaateengala", "yaen neenga solradhu" give you a feeling of annoyance initially, but as the movie proceeds, it is but amazing that you find yourself laughing aloud with the whole group at their antics. The concept could have been utilised well in a ragging scene. I tend to feel this thought would certainly have occurred to the director as well, but I guess he might have shunned the idea because in a ragging scene the reaction it would have invoked in the seniors would have been something that could not have been shown uncensored on screen.

Coming to the climax, it seems rather rushed without emphasising much on the true personal tragedy that such an event would have invoked, and the cause seems somewhat lost. All the anger that the director would have ideally wished to convey seem to have been suppressed due to political undertones and repercussions.

To sum it up, lovely is the word. A must-watch for lovers of good cinema and non-believers of the myth(believers as well, of course). One can expect more quality fare from the director whom a commercial masterdirector like Shanker so ingeniously trusted in to deliver a quality movie a second time.