Sriviews

Endhiran

2010-10-03T05:57:00.000-07:00

At a theatre in Paris, French nationals who’ve just finished watching some movie are walking out of the earlier show and stare incomprehensibly at the Indian (predominantly Tamil) crowds thronging impatiently to enter the cinema hall. They walk away with an amused smile or a bewildered look at the raucous scenes. If only they knew a little about the man behind all this mania, they wouldn’t be surprised. Rajni Rajni everywhere!

Endhiran was pre-declared a superhit even before the release, going by the trailer. So expectations naturally were high, and the crowd ever-so exuberant. The title credits rolled with Pudhiya Manidha in the background, and the movie took no time whatsoever in introducing “Chitti” - the robot, the soul of the movie. The brilliance of the animation effects used in the movie was evident from the very beginning. A humanoid robot that can walk, talk and do the shtyles like “The Superstar”. Absolute treat to the eyes. The dialogues in the first half were quite humorous and the robot’s timely line delivery in all the scenes was impeccable. Rajni’s control over comedy was enough to carry forward the film for quite some time. The story developed quite neatly throughout the first half and had you accept the fact that Shankar has thought through the details and conceived the ideas very well. Even the “villain” Danny Denzongpa didn’t appear too out of place. In fact some of his actions seemed justifiable and logical in the beginning. Of course there are some places in the movie where you have to accept this is a Superstar movie and considering it’s a Rajni robot, it doesn’t give a hoot to Asimov’s laws(which is clarified by Thalaivar also).

Aishwarya Rai, still looking quite a doll for her age has played whatever minimal role she has with perfection. Some of the dance steps will bowl you over. The crowd was whistling as vigorously for Ash as it was for Rajni, in some of the songs. That shows some performance, indeed. Or maybe guys never change.

I’d not give too much detail about the second half – consider it enough to say that a Rajni fan would delight in the indulgence in “Rajni”isms. Alex Pandiyanesque style in the 2nd half, combined with the laughter is just brilliant. One can find other references too to movies like Ejaman, Padayappa, maybe even Netrikan. Those detractors who said Rajni doesn’t act any more would be silenced.

Technology is the second biggest plus to this movie after Rajni. Animatronics on par with the Hollywood biggies is indeed an achievement to be proud about for Shankar and the Indian film industry itself. The stunts by Yuen Woo Ping(who's also worked on The Matrix, Crouching Tiger, etc) are amazing, especially the train scene. The visual effects at the end, made at Stan Winston Studios are so mindboggling you will be wowed continuously. Many of Rajni’s movies used to have a snake featured(was rumoured to be for luck). In this movie, the giant snake made up of Rajni robots is quite a spectacle to watch.

A.R.Rahman’s songs have already topped the charts, but visually “Irumbile oru” and “Arima Arima” are the best. The BGM was a tad disappointing though, especially the “2.0 2.0” thing. What were they thinking, seriously! Art direction by Sabu Cyril is splendid, needless to say, as always in Shankar movies. Cinematography by R.Ratnavelu is impressive, though not award-material.

Finally, to sum up, the movie is a very different Shankar movie and also a unique Rajni film as you will find out once you watch it. Credit should be given to both the director and Thalaivar for experimenting and pulling it off rather quite well. The message about the war between man and machine, though clichéd, is new to the Indian film industry and has been rendered effectively. Overall, a thorough entertainer, this one!! Just hope Rajni has more in store in the future. Can’t even imagine the void in cinema once he quits.

Inception - A flick with a kick!

2010-07-19T08:16:00.000-07:00

So much hype for an English movie has never been generated ever before, what with an initial 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating, and near 9.6 IMDB rating. Christopher Nolan's Inception seemed to be a deja vu of The Dark Knight(which too had reached No.1 within days of its release). So much hype that when the movie released in Lucknow, and in English, I couldn't resist booking tickets and go to the first show I could go to, despite having an exam the next day. Who cares! Christopher Nolan, and I had to watch this movie before other opinions would come out. The movie was an experience that reminded me instantaneously of The Matrix, which I saw 11 years ago. Friends with blank expressions looking at each other during the movie. It was evident after the first 10 minutes that Nolan is going to take you through a big conundrum of a movie, and make sure you watch it again. This is Nolan's biggest box-office strategy(to confuse viewers to such an extent that they don't mind paying once more to watch the movie again).

Complex concept, brilliant imagination, an "open to your interpretation" climax - all hallmarks of a Nolan film. Inception is mindblowing on two levels(I don't mean the levels in the movie) - conceptualization and post-movie impact. Such movies are hard to come by, those that make you want to keep discussing about the movie and finding out new possibilities every time you discuss it. By not making it all clear to the viewer, Nolan lets your mind flow freely, trying to find answers to those unexplained questions or supposedly loose ends. If you are someone who dreams a lot and remembers stuff you dreamed about, this movie is definitely bound to be one of your favorites ever. After the movie, I really have got started on lucid dreaming and reading up on it. There's a lot of psychology and dream-lingo in the movie, but if you take some effort to understand all of it, you'll realise that he's done justice and portrayed the concepts quite well. Even the action sequences go in tandem with the screenplay, rather than being used just for the Wow factor. However, some sequences do get repetitive and feel unwarranted, which could have been improved upon. The screenplay is too pacy perhaps and more time could have been spent on a little character development, as you never ever feel attached to any character all along the movie. It might seem like nitpicking, but hey it's Nolan - we expect the best from him.

Hans Zimmer's score is also undoubtedly one of the high points of the movie, blending well with the screenplay and never seeming odd. A very high likelihood of winning the Oscar unless he comes up with
something better. Cinematography by Wally Pfister(a Nolan regular), and set direction also deserve special mention, as apparently very few computer effects were used for the hotel hallway fight scene, and the special effects were made using a complex set of revolving rings and electric motors and what not. Cast-wise, DiCaprio as Dom Cobb, needless to say is the star of the cast He's at the height of his career, having acted in some of the best movies of late.

Having said all this, Inception's themes are quite similar to those in The Matrix, Dreamscape, A nightmare on Elm Street, etc and the visual imagery(especially the Penrose stairway) used in the movie was inspired by M.C.Escher. Though heavily overlapping with such previous creations, the originality of Inception lies in the screenplay that Nolan has constructed around lucid dreaming. Yet, I can't help but compare it specifically to The Matrix, which dealt with a similarly complex concept about reality and had multiple interpretations made by Internet users even during the pre-IMDB and pre-Facebook era. Nolan himself has admitted being inspired by The Matrix school of thought, but it might be far-fetched to say that the inception of Inception may not have happened if not for The Matrix. However in my opinion, The Matrix as a movie experience was better than Inception. This is not to take away any of the brilliance of Inception, but I guess I'm more of a hardcore Matrix fan.

Toy Story 3

2010-06-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

How in the world can you manage to make adults cry over toys? - Only Pixar can tell! Toy Story 3 - a sequel that so convincingly makes the original fade in comparison. How often do you see that in movies? IMDB no.7 within a week of release. Brilliant movie with 3D animation that looks so real, and a climax that is so heart-warming, even if you were not much of a toy-loving kid. The essence of innocence and childlike nature(that my Hindi teacher once said everybody should have even after growing up) is so beautifully conveyed in the film.

Plot-wise, you need not have watched the previous films in order to watch this film. The character development is good within this film itself, but if you have seen the earlier films, you'll certainly connect more with Woody, Buzz, Mr.Potatohead, Rex, Slinky and the likes. I personally saw Toy Story after Toy Story 3 and wished I could have seen it earlier. The fans of the series(who saw the first film as a kid, and are now in their twenties) would be the happiest of the lot. No one would have expected this movie would meet the expectations created by the hype. But it has exceeded the expectations by miles. The action element is like in most of the Pixar movies - abandonment, capture, rescue operations, etc. But the sequences are really creative this time around too - Usually sequels lose out on this aspect, but not here. Some specific scenes that had me in splits - the one where Woody skids on a roll of toilet paper, the one where factory-mode Buzz calls Jessie a temptress.

The emotions evoked through the last segment of the movie are the most important selling point for the movie, but the build-up to the climax is no less by any means. When the story and animation is this good, you don't need the garb of 3D to pull audiences to theatres, as conveyed in this interview. Stuff matters, and that is where Pixar rules the animation world! Keep rocking!

Quick Gun Murugun - Go watchhit I say!!

2009-08-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

A Channel V cult character, developed into a Hollywood-length Bollywood movie. Not many think it would become a box office hit. It may not, really. But it sure is to become a cult classic. The humour is not the typical Bollywood masala humor one is so bugged of these days. It is a genre totally new to Indian cinema, I say. An Indo-"western" spoof that has stood the test.

Though the USP of the movie is its Hinglish dialogues spoken in Tamil and Telugu, which were amazing throughout the movie, I was even more majorly impressed by the creativity in introducing humor into the scenes. Wild PJs(mokkai in Tamil), Hollywood movie spoofs, Monty Python style wacky writings in the background, the effective use of background tracks(esp the "Good Bad Ugly" ones and echoes), flying and reloading bullits. What not!

The plot is not all that bad too, for a superhero movie(spoof). Rajendra Prasad has certainly justified his selection for the role. Great expressions and style. Family sentiment is also used effectively(when QG shouts Anna, his body language was so MGR). It was already humorous, but those who know he is imitating MGR would laugh harder at that. And the locket bit(with Lola kutty) is also quite well made. Nasser as Rice Plate Reddy, Rambha as Mango Doll(perfect candidate for the love-lady of a superhero spoof) and Raju Sundaram as Rowdy MBA are the major supporting characters that rock the screen. The MBA soundtrack was awesome(gonna make it my ringtone).

Music and Lyrics (hyphen) wow, I say. Sagar Desai and Raghu Dixit(Murugan Superstar). Lyrics by Ankur Tiwari and Shellee. Surely Cult level. "Idli appam sambhar khaao... Quick Gun murugan ke gun gao, yeh hai rebel without a caaauu, Mind it Mind it!"... He he. Of course, the movie may not appeal to many others. So don't come bashing my review if you didn't. Our senses of humor don't match then, that's all. And I don't mind it, I say(Exclamation marke) :-D

Firaaq

2009-03-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

Ignoring political undertones of Firaaq having been released in India at this time, just ahead of the elections, one must bow to Nandita Das for making a directorial debut with this gem of a movie. Firaaq is a honest tale of the lives of Muslims in the aftermath of the Gujarat riots in 2004. It is a tale of brutal reality, conveyed more through emotions than through actions. Infact, there is just one act of violence that is shown in the movie. And that is enough to make the viewer ponder about how somebody could harbour such hatred(that too based on communal grounds) in oneself. There have been many movies that have dealt with the brutality of religious riots in India - Bombay, Black Friday, why even Slumdog Millionaire. But all these movies had to employ many scenes of action and violence to convey the effect. They just made us wonder why such things happen. How Firaaq differs is by delving into the psyche of the victims and capturing the element of fear in a very poignant manner such as not achieved in those movies, even by the legend himself, Mani Ratnam.

There are six stories narrated in the movie, and some of the tracks are interlinked. Every character in the movie is affected by the riots in a certain way, though not in the same way. An upper-class hindu-muslim couple, a Hindu fanatic who was part of the rioting group and his wife who feels guilty for being a helpless bystander, a revered Muslim musician who inspires fellowmen through his songs, another lower-class couple who lose their house in the riots, a group of Muslim friends who seek revenge, and a poor little kid who has witnessed a lot of gore in the riots and survived it. Through the different characters, Nandita has showcased what goes on in a victim's mind - anxiety, fear, helplessness, anger, the urge to rebel, the desire for retribution. The movie also succeeds in making you wonder what the hell goes on in the perpetrator's mind. The success of a good psychological movie is in posing difficult questions, not in answering them. Because there is no definite answer to some questions. That is where Firaaq shines. Even though all the tracks reach a kind of closure, the climax would seem kind of abrupt. One might feel disappointed, but after a little insight you would realise there couldn't have been a better climax.

Acting is terrific, no doubt as most of the actors are/were originally great theatre artists. Mohammed Samad as the kid and Deepti Naval as the housewife of the fanatic shine out particularly. Naseeruddin Shah plays his role to perfection. It was great to see Paresh Rawal in a serious character, for a change. He has funny lines too in the movie. Shahana Goswami is a refreshingly talented actress. A wonderful ensemble cast, overall.

Ravi K Chandran is the cinematographer and he has infused a lovely visual look in the movie. In certain scenes, the streets of Gujarat seem to convey the grim nature of the period even though there is no action on the streets. Credit also has to go to the art director Gautam Sen. Music is by not-at-all-popular people Rajat Dholakia and Piyush Kanojia, but the background score is certainly effective. But one wishes A.R.Rahman was a part of this project.

Overall, a must-watch for all Indians who need to get a grip on reality instead of condemning a whole community as crime-perpetrators and terrorists. I'm glad an Indian actress has come up with an original movie as good as this. The standard of Bollywood seems to be improving, with a lot of offbeat directors creating successful movies. Let's hope the trend continues.

Jai Bala-nath

2009-02-07T21:09:00.000-08:00

"Naan Kadavul" - words that director Bala has himself uttered through the movie. He can very well be considered the God of tamil cinema, one of the Gods atleast, speaking from a polytheistic point of view. The movie is most certainly a masterpiece, a masterpiece restrained by the Censor board. Rarely do you see an audacious movie in Tamil cinema these days, with the hero appearing on screen for less than 30 minutes and creating such an impact. Arya has been patient during the making of the movie for 3 years and rightly so. A very powerful character, needless to say.

This is not a movie for the "god-fearing", the ones who take offense in blasphemy. Because this movie is blasphemy at its very best. Movies like Anbe Sivam and Periyaar were subtle when it came to cursing God, but Bala makes no bones about it. He is so supremely confident of the movie and its theme that a line from one of the characters explicitly cursing the creator received an applause from the audience. That was heart-warming, to say the least, for a non-believer. I was for a moment dumbstruck, just as everyone in the hall must have been. If there was one thing the censor board did right, it was not blanking out those words, purely for the impact it creates.

The movie is about two elements - the mind of an Agori, and the pitiful world of disabled beggars, who are thrust into the world. The mind of an Agori is the mysterious part of the movie. The real life of an Agori is gruesome and is not for the faint-hearted. So it is justifiable that the real Agori is not shown(eating corpses), but it's questionable why even the concept is not mentioned. Is cannibalism so taboo a topic in Indian cinema? Arya had the potential to be an even more powerful character, akin to Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the lambs(where he too had a very short screen time). This is one reason why you feel the impact at the end of the movie is not all that hard-hitting as it was expected before the release. All we are shown are Arya's hysterics and his chanting of mantras. One is baffled by how such a character could exist. The answers are not provided, and even if they were provided, they would go over the head for an average viewer like me, who has neither read the Vedas nor ever had dope.

Coming to the other element of the movie, the world of poor disabled people, who are thrust into begging by a cruel underworld lord(the villain character - he's cruelly brilliant). Bala deserves to be thoroughly commended for assembling such a cast for this section. The amount of research that should have gone into the lives of these people is unfathomable. Some of the visuals are disturbing, however just like a typical Bala movie, comedy is one of the key aspects that make this movie an entertainer. Even with such pitiable characters, the only reason you would shed tears in the movie is because you're laughing so hard at the jokes they crack. One particular boy, especially steals the show. Guess he was Bala's favourite. Terrific dialogue and sense of timing throughout the movie. Pooja as the blind girl has played her part well and has even acted, but for some reason she doesn't create a lasting impact - for one, her Tamil is terrible and she just doesn't fit the image.

The music by Maestro Illayaraja jells so well with the movie. The old songs that appear in the movie(Kannai Nambadhey, Kadavul yaen kallaanan?) are also well-picked. Camerawork by Arthur Wilson is stunning. The way he has captured the scenes in Kasi and picturised the stunts adds tremendous value to the visual appeal of the movie. Talking of stunts, Super Subbarayan proves he's the genius. It is said that some of the actors were really hurt badly during the filming. No wonder Arya's attacks looked so natural.

Any movie-buff would certainly be satisfied by the cinematic and thematic elements of the movie. The movie's reach would be across all classes, and except for the comedy track, the movie can be universally understood. Comparisons with Slumdog Millionaire are natural, but unwarranted. Though this movie also talks about the life of beggars, the underlying reason for showing it in this movie is about the pointlessness of the existence of a God. "Naan Kadavul" will stand in Tamil movie history as the most daringly blasphemous movie ever made, and I have no reason to doubt our chief minister would ensure this movie bags all the awards it deserves.

Jai Bala-nath!!!

Slumdog Millionaire

2008-12-30T11:53:00.000-08:00

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.

Vaaranam Aayiram

2008-11-26T05:26:00.000-08:00

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.

Batman : The Dark Knight

2008-07-27T23:10:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-27T22:29:00.000-07:00

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.

Dasavatharam

2008-06-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

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.

Yaaradi nee mohini...

2008-06-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

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.

A lovely coll(a/e)ge

2008-01-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

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.

Billa

2007-12-17T03:14:00.000-08:00

Being an Ajith fan, let me try to write an unbiased review of "Billa 2007" which hit theatres two days after the birthday of the real Billa and more than two decades after the release of the original Billa. To begin with, the whole crew of the movie has to be lauded for providing such a visual extravaganza new to Tamil Cinema. Everyone knew even before the movie shooting began that Ajith was the perfect choice for acting as Billa in the remake, but after the movie release, one will also whole-heartedly agree that Vishnuvardhan was the perfect choice for director too. He has pleased Ajith fans by presenting Thala at his stylish best ever. One wonders if the director too became an ardent Ajith fan while shooting the movie. Right from the introduction scene Ajith shines as the new look Billa. However, the number of ramp-walk sequences with Ajith advertising Rayban and Raymond could have been reduced.

The story need not be reviewed for a movie which is a remake of a remake. Vishnuvardhan cannot honestly say that his movie drew no inspiration from SRK's Don. A lot of visuals remind you of Don, but the story remains consistent with the original Billa and has no major twists as in Don 2006. This is a minor disappointment, but after seeing such a stylish movie one must realise it would not have been without reason that the director didn't introduce the Don twist, or something similar. By remaking a Rajni movie, he had to make sure he didn't hurt the sentiments of Rajni fans by deviating from the original plotline. SRK could afford to do it, as Amitabh is not as huge a demi-god as Rajnikanth is considered. Having said all this, Billa 2007 sure surpasses SRK's Don in terms of music, style and technology. Well, not that it's a pen drive here instead of a CD or a diary, but Nirav Shah's cinematography stands out in several shots. The stunt sequences deserve mention too, notably the car drift-chase scene which has been directed brilliantly, what with Ajith himself doing the stunts having been a Formula-3 racer.

In the acting department, Prabhu and Rahman play their roles in a dignified manner, and you don't have to guess who will turn out to be the villain. The heroines - Nayantara and Namita have not been given considerable screen space, naturally, but they are as slick as and infact more glamorous than Priyanka and Isha respectively. Nayantara's intro is as good as Ajith's and Namita's character even has a twist associated.

Yuvan Shankar Raja's music must be hailed as one of the biggest highlights of the movie, be it in the songs or in the background score. The theme music has been composed in so stylish a manner that it adds more value to Ajith's looks and style whenever he walks on the screen. "My Name is Billa" and "Sei" have been picturised wonderfully, each of them following a unique style which was not in any of the older versions.

To sum it up, Billa 2007 will be a trendsetter for Tamil Cinema in terms of filming techniques, quality and style and will no doubt be a very significant milestone in Ajith's career.

Om Yawnti Om

2007-11-24T06:39:00.000-08:00

Picture this. Om Shanti Om at PVR Bangalore 10 pm show, Even before the movie starts, in fact, just when the censor certificate is shown on the screen, a 2-year old girl right at my left starts crying so loudly and keeps crying in spite of being pampered by her parents. I had to resist this terrible urge to comment out loud, "Abhee picture shuru nahi hua hai mere dost." I resisted, but nobody could resist the urge to laugh. Perhaps similar thoughts were on their minds too. The parents of the kid could have no shanti during the movie, and wisely took the kid outside the hall during the first half and they themselves left during the interval, saying "Om Shanti Om". Let's talk of the film now. It is a well-made spoof of Bollywood making the best use of SRK himself, the biggest star in Bollywood now. Farah Khan, the director and the writer, Mayur Puri have shown a good understanding of Bollywood, both of the olden days and of today. The dialogues are witty at several places.

The first half of the movie is loaded with humour, be it the scenes where Om(SRK) and his mom(Kirron Kher) exchange dialogues intentionally cinematic, or the scene where Om in his attempt to woo Shanti, becomes a south indian superstar(no points for guessing who) and performs daredevil stunts interspersed with lines like "Enna Rascala" and "Mind it". That particular sequence is rip-roaringly funny. If the first half is a spoof of the 80s Bollywood, the 2nd half starts off as a spoof of today's Bollywood, making fun of item numbers, of ambitious young directors who want to make the hero entirely disabled, and of Award functions that too with the help of many of the industry's bigwigs including Abhishek Bacchan and Akshay Kumar, making fun of themselves. It is indeed a great achievement for a choreographer-cum-director to bring more than 40 huge stars to feature in a single film, though not under the same roof at the same time. The song "Deewangi" serves this purpose, but doesn't really fit in the movie. The last half-hour of the movie is gripping, Arjun Rampal doing one of his better acts in his career and Deepika looking spooky as hell.

Shahrukh Khan is his brilliant charming self in the movie, first as Om Prakash Makhija and later as Om Kapoor, shortly OK. Deepika Padukone is stunning and is bound to have several more fans after this movie. The role of a beautiful actress Shantipriya fits her like a shoe. She does look awkward in a few dance sequences which is mainly due to her height. Otherwise she has carried herself with aplomb. Shreyas Talpade has played a decent role in the film as Om's friend, Pappu. Two or three of the songs are noteworthy. "Ajab si" tops it all, absolutely. When KK sings "Dil ko bana de jo patang saansein ye teri woh hawaaein hein", one cannot help wondering how his voice lends depth to the lyrics. I personally couldn't determine the reason my chest expanded when listening to these lyrics - whether it was due to my lungs filling with air or my heart filling with emotions. The final song, "Dastaan" is wonderfully picturised in a theatrical manner, and the tune is good too, leaving an impression after the film's over.

So much for the positives of the film. It is a commercial entertainer, but has several lapses and inanities in the screenplay and the storyline. Stunning as much Deepika is, the chemistry between the lead pair doesn't work out that well on screen, naturally. But one must say Farah Khan has improved in this aspect - considering the awful chemistry between Zayed Khan and Amrita Rao in Main Hoon Na. Overall the movie starts off and ends well, but in between it is a huge yawn. Om Yawnti Om.

Pollaadhavan

2007-11-20T06:58:00.000-08:00

The latest sign of my little village Vellore developing is the renovation of two theatres or rather reconstruction of two theatres which can boast of standards as good as a Sathyam or a PVR. When I thought that the first movie I had to watch at one of the theatres this Diwali was Dhanush's Pollaadhavan, I didn't feel all that good. But after watching the movie, I had to admit it was "quite a good first movie to watch at the best theatre in town".

Pollaadhavan has no extraordinary storyline. Infact it is one of the very ordinary storylines of a regular rebellious youngster happening to face and ultimately win a battle against the atrocities of the city's gangsters. The storyline may be ordinary, but the screenplay is not, considering it is the debut movie of director Vetrimaaran. The central object of the movie's plot is not the hero but his bike, a Bajaj Pulsar. If Bajaj was a major sponsor for the movie, the movie has done great justice and more to the company. Infact after the movie's success, Bajaj dealers in Tamil Nadu could very well see more sales. Bikers will love this movie, but at the same time will heave a sigh of relief after the movie only if they find their bike where they left it in the stands, especially if it's a Pulsar.

The story is narrated by both the hero and the villain, which is a cinematic technique not new to Tamil Cinema(Remember Virumandi), but a technique well utilised in the movie. The plot doesn't revolve totally around Dhanush who initially is shown as a jobless vagrant who pays no heed to the rebukes of his father, but later on becomes more responsible and learns to respect his father, played by Malayalam actor Murali. The villains in this movie are not the normal kind, who are in the movie solely for the purpose of being beaten up by the hero. Their characterization, especially that of Selvam, played by Kishore adds more value to the movie. Not often do we see a Dada who knows and stands by his business ethics, somewhat a tribute to the legend of Vito Corleone. Daniel Balaji, of Kaakha Kaakha and Vettayadu Vilayadu fame has been utilised well, and his voice in the narrative has great depth.

The heroine, Divya Spandana, or rather "Kuthu Ramya", as we better know her does look more sensuous than in her last Tamil flick. The love track is not all that noteworthy save a few scenes like the shopping scene where the heroine chooses a bright orange coloured skirt, which Dhanush cannot understand how it appears attractive to her, and hence she doesn't buy it. This results in a huge mood-out for the heroine, which is settled after a long time only when Dhanush buys the same orange dress for her. The songs in the movie are one too many, but are worth being a part of the movie except the one that was in the "one too many". The pick of the lot is definitely "Engeyum Eppodhum" which looks so much better on the giant screen than on TV. Yogi B and whoever has done the music, either G.V.Prakash or Dhina have done a great job. This is one of the best remixes that have been made in Tamil.

'Pollaadhavan' has justified advertising Bajaj Pulsar by being 'Definitely Ahead' in the Diwali movies' race this year.

The Simpsons' Movie

2007-08-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

Ever since I started watching The Simpsons, I've always believed the writers of the show are the wittiest people on Earth. After watching the movie, I had more reason to believe so. Who else can start parodies right from the appearance of the 20th Century Fox logo. And when Homer says at the start of the movie, after watching an Itchy and Scratchy movie in the theater, pointing to every member in the audience, "I can't believe we're paying to watch something we could see on TV for free! If you ask me, everyone in this theater is a big sucker! Especially, you!", one can't help but laugh out loud, and wonder how true that is, and be amazed at the nerve and sarcasm of the writer who wrote that. This was just a sign of how witty the things were gonna be throughout the movie. It was the best joke... SO FAR, as Homer would say in the movie.

The plot of the movie is a parody of several action films and at many places more than subtly critical of the U.S Government. The writers have understood the fact that fans of The Simpsons don't like it for the plot, but for the intelligent humor and the witticisms. However, since this is a big-screen movie that they are making which has to run over a length of one and a half hours, they needed a plot that can carry the movie to such a length. So it ends up being highly cinematic and partly loses the charm of the episodes. But this doesn't take any credit away from them. There were plenty of laugh-worthy moments in the movie for all sections of the audience. For the younger lot for whom it's just physical humor that's the attraction, there was Spiderpig walking under the ceiling. For the teens, there was Bart skateboarding naked across town in what was a very well animated sequence, taking enough care to hide Bart's willy for most of the sequence, and showing it for one split second, which was enough to evoke a collective roar of laughter from the audience. The scene that topped it all was the one where a robot faced with the task of defusing a bomb, succumbs to pressure and destroys itself. It was intelligent humour at its best. Screw Asimov's three laws. This is possibly what the future would be like.

The portrayal of the characters was good, but not exceptional in the movie, with Homer getting most of the screen time with his goofy nature and irresponsibility being highlighted too often. It must be appreciated that as many side-characters as possible were included in the movie. One of the best lines in the movie was The Comic Book Guy saying "I've spent my entire life doing nothing but collecting comic books... and now there's only time to say... LIFE WELL SPENT!" One significant sidekick who was missing was Sideshow Bob. He could have been given some screen space at all, if not none. Maybe he will be, in the sequel, which is shown to be Maggie's first word at the end of the movie. At the end of it all, it was a movie well worth spending money on, rather than downloading it illegally on the Internet, which Bart himself had to promise not to.

The Prestige!

2007-08-05T00:14:00.000-07:00

"Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called 'The Pledge'. The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course... it probably isn't. The second act is called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call 'The Prestige'."

This quote is all the more relevant to the making of the movie, than to the movie itself. The brilliance of Christopher Nolan lies in the fact that he has presented the movie itself as a great magic trick. The Prestige, the hardest part of the trick, is as hard to interpret as it would have been to conceive and present. The more you watch the last segment of the movie, the more interpretations you get with each time you see it, at least that's what the director intends you to. You should not be satisfied with being fooled. "Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it because you're not really looking. You don't really want to know the secret... You want to be fooled."

Among the many questions you are left pondering at the end of the movie, the one I consider the most important is "Was Borden a better magician than Angier?" My answer would be No. The director has let the viewer know the trick behind The Prestige of Borden, with no ambiguities about it, but what he has shown to be Angier's prestige is only meant to fool the viewer. And the average viewer wants to be fooled. He doesn't want to introspect anything beyond what the director(in this case, the magician) has shown him. If you have seen this movie and truly appreciate it you would prefer not to believe that the Transporter machine works, plainly because of the fact that the beauty of magic lies not in science but in clever deception, apart from the fact that a cloning machine is impossible, that too in the 1890s. Come to think of it - which magic trick used in the movie, or even otherwise employs scientific methods to achieve the means? Every magic trick is the fruit of shrewd deception on part of the trickster. Deception is the essence of magic, and is the essence of this movie, too. I do not wish to delve too much into the argumentative aspects of the movie, I just want to reaffirm my stand that a cloning machine cannot work, considering that the movie attempts to dignify the dirty tricks behind magic, and does it quite successfully. After watching this movie, one sure will develop a heightened opinion of the directorial skills of Christopher Nolan whose previous works include Memento and Batman Begins. This movie certainly is one of my all-time favourites.

Sivaji's da Boss!

2007-07-01T06:01:00.000-07:00

"Style is the man himself." This quote can't apply apter to anybody but Rajnikanth. The top priority this June, of any die-hard Rajni fan in Tamil Nadu or worldwide, would have been to see his Thalaivar in his latest style-personified avatar, Sivaji the Boss, on the first day of its release in theatres. After watching the movie, the priority would have changed to watch it a few more times. Such is the charisma of the man. Shanker has given every Rajni fan a visual treat which none other than himself can give. All the hype surrounding the release of the movie with the greatest combo ever, has not gone unjustified. An obvious disadvantage with so much hype is that a viewer goes to the movie with amazing imaginations and great expectations, and expects these expectations to be justified. In the likely case that the movie falls short of his huge expectations, comes a blessing in disguise. Having watched the movie once, and his expectations now set in place, he is tempted or rather induced to watch the movie again to appreciate the many nuances present in the movie., which range from the technical brilliance achieved, the dialogues(which he most probably could not hear the first time), to every costume that Rajni wears and every gesture that he carries out with his own impeccable style. No wonder that the man himself has called Shanker the master director.

One could have various interpretations of the phrase "A master director." An Ayn Rand fan would call a director who never gives up his principles and constantly comes up with genuine works of art that satisfy his fans, as a master director. But, a Rajni fan would call a director who adjusts his directorial skills to suit Rajni's image and churn out a mega block buster, as a master director. In the former case, Shanker would not classify as a master director. But in the latter case, he comes out all trumps. It's the latter definition of a master director that Shanker has preferred and justifiably so, considering it's a Rajni movie, and the audience that he's catering to. One can only laugh at the guts of people who dump Sivaji as "Just Another Robin Hood story" For a egalitarian society, the world would always be in need of a Robin Hood, and who better to play Robin Hood in India, but Rajnikanth. Also, the theme of the movie is quite significant to the overall development of a nation, and if considered by the government seriously, it could lead to a much more prosperous India.

Coming back to the movie, one of the biggest pluses of the movie is the way the songs have been picturised. A.R.Rahman's music demanded with such authority that the songs be picturised extraordinarily, or else it would have been a visual disaster. Nothing close to that has happened and can happen in a Shanker movie, especially when Rajni is in it. The sets Thotta Tharani has come up with, and the lighting and camera work that has gone into the shooting, and the visually stunning Shreya(if you care to watch her in the songs), and of course Rajni's get-ups make the songs a strong reason to watch the movie at least 5 times in the theatres. One must say the editing work has been pretty remarkable, what with the delay in the release making the fans very impatient. Shanker has made it a point to cover all segments of the audience, be it those who appreciate comedy, or the families who appreciate sentiments and moral values, or those who are spellbound by gravity-defying stunts. Above all, he has quenched with the best potion the thirst of the universal lot who believe, or rather know that Rajni's style and class is inimitable. Sivaji is certainly the Boss in Kollywood for many more months to come.