Dashed Avataars

I woke up early in the morning two days ago to ensure that I could book tickets for Dasavatharam. Left early from work, beat the traffic, picked up the family and ran to ensure that I could see Dasavatharm in full. I did see it in full and in this case as far as I am concerned it was a case of a glass half empty.

As we often justify something we make locally...Amazing quality for a tamil movie, great action for an Indian movie, did you see the 20 roles that actor did, Isn't he amazing! But if you really do think about it, these are justifications for our own limitations or incompetence. Any actor is supposed to act and play the roles. Be it one role, 10 roles in one movie or 200 roles in the same movie. Expecting an actor to act is an entitlement. In that case, was the acting adequate in this movie. Yes to nearly all the Indian characters played by Kamal. The grand-ma was really Avvai Shanmukhi after 20 years. The tall guy clearly fit the minority quota. Avtaar singh was there for the sake of satisfying the north indian quota. Two performances that stood out were that of the Son of the soil, and Naidu, the RAW agent. Was as close to Kamal as I always want to see him...someone who trusts his acting skills the most and uses make-up to just make-it up a little. The Americans (2) and Japanese were more of the fancy elements. If we were to consider Kamal to be someone who grew up in Paramakudi till yesterday and spoke like an American today, I accept that this movie is a significant achievement. But that was not the case here.

When Ulaga Nayagan takes over, you expect global standards. Here you see make-up that was similar to what the Jim Carrey had in Mask, after he wore the mask! The president character, the CIA character, the Japanese character stuck out like sore thumbs. Will appeal to the jingoist to proudly beat his chest and say "Namma aalu nalla pannirukkan".

Tell me something! Why do all people who learn fighting in India in the movies have to move their head the same damn way before they make a strike...you know the way they release the stress in their head and put sodukku in their hands. In this case it was funny to see the Japanese Kamal and the American Kamal do it. And I thought the Hiroshima and Pearl Harbor dialogs were extremely primitive in style. We need some classy lines please like the discussions that happened in the train and in the river bed and on the Tsumami shores on God, Science, Environment.

Just because we have Computer Graphics people sitting on bench in India they should not have run riot on the screen. And while these are amazing graphics for a tamil movie, it was such a let down. Why the hell do you need graphics in the Railway train, Why do you need the camera to move in all those wierd angles in the opening sequences...the main problem was that the computer graphics were never subtle. They were announcing their presence all the time!

Sujatha, the writer, used to say that the beginning and the end need to be good for a powerful story. The end of the movie is based on a recent calamity. Interesting thought! The opening was based on an absorbing century episode, which was really needless but what the hell, it was good. But it is the middle that sags. The story really tracks a vial. The US part was poorly acted and directed. I really hate it when Japanese want to talk tamil. Kudos to Gowtham in Vettayaadu where he had everyone talk in English in the US. Where Kamal the story writer does injustice to an interesting beginning and a novel end is when he bends the story (actually stretches it) to introduce other characters and satisfy his ego. Would these characters be there if it was not Dasavatharam but Panchamukam? We lose all the interesting discussions on God and science and they just go by! When the ego interferes the story goes for a six and gets my thumbs down vote.

One word on the music...the songs...Hopeless!

Thus in the same way that Nambi resolutely holds on to the Ashtaacksharam even when he faces death, and as Nakkeerar famously said to the Pachaakshara , I hold on to my opinion, this movie fails. I do write this with sadness since you really know that Kamal could have done such a good job.

Nallathor veenai seithe....