You know the end of the movie in the beginning. So there is no edge of the seat suspense.
You know all the turns and twists...there were some interesting twists. But nothing out of the ordinary. So no shocks there
You have heard the music, nothing new there.
In some sense you do know the people! I guess that is what makes this work.
The movie was really unhurried in its pace. It kind of took its time to move towards the end. The end was naive but you really could not have had any other end. The strength of the movie was really the performance of all the actors and how they appeared believable! While I lack the depth to comment on the technicalities etc or argue with the story teller on how well he could have made it, I judge my liking of a movie by whether I had a good feeling when I left the theatre. The answer is I did!
Once in a while you do need these kind of movies. Something to take you back to those days, put up your feet and smile!!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
What defines decent?
I was watching this program on Vijay TV. One of the many reality dance shows. The judges got carried away and asked the daughter of one of the participants to dance.
This was an enthusiastic 7 year old who danced her heart out for Mukabala song from Kadalan. The kid danced with a lot of gusto. But then in the middle she went into a lot of gyrating suggestive movements. Agreed it was just a dance. But is it okay for a 7 year old to go into a lot of these poses. I felt that I will be uncomfortable to see my kid do the same. Of course, no one in show really minded all these movements and this was a family show.
But there was this little niggle...Are these the new boundaries for decency? Has the age of innocence dropped from the teens to the single digit ages? Or am I being prude?
This was an enthusiastic 7 year old who danced her heart out for Mukabala song from Kadalan. The kid danced with a lot of gusto. But then in the middle she went into a lot of gyrating suggestive movements. Agreed it was just a dance. But is it okay for a 7 year old to go into a lot of these poses. I felt that I will be uncomfortable to see my kid do the same. Of course, no one in show really minded all these movements and this was a family show.
But there was this little niggle...Are these the new boundaries for decency? Has the age of innocence dropped from the teens to the single digit ages? Or am I being prude?
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Screw the Conductor - Cut the Barber
How to talk about a movie that you did not like,
Write in bad verse and rhyme like with hike!
Kuselan was a remake they said of a mallu classic in recent time,
P Vasu laid his hands on a story and made it like a worthless dime.
Instead of friendship with a barber, they focused on the super star
Even the 'real' scenes looked fake, not worth a retake!
Crass Comedy of Vaigai Puyal, and close up shots of Nayantara's navel
Titillate the audience with a lot of show and not much tell!
Needless computer graphics to boot,
A waterfall in a dry cliff was a hoot
they have dolphins jumping out in this mythical bay
Making night from an obvious day.
I am thankful I spent on only Rs 70,
Instead of the usual 250
The remaining 180 on something better,
May be dosa with a real buddy and a lot of butter!!!
Write in bad verse and rhyme like with hike!
Kuselan was a remake they said of a mallu classic in recent time,
P Vasu laid his hands on a story and made it like a worthless dime.
Instead of friendship with a barber, they focused on the super star
Even the 'real' scenes looked fake, not worth a retake!
Crass Comedy of Vaigai Puyal, and close up shots of Nayantara's navel
Titillate the audience with a lot of show and not much tell!
Needless computer graphics to boot,
A waterfall in a dry cliff was a hoot
they have dolphins jumping out in this mythical bay
Making night from an obvious day.
I am thankful I spent on only Rs 70,
Instead of the usual 250
The remaining 180 on something better,
May be dosa with a real buddy and a lot of butter!!!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Kung Fu - I want that - Panda!
It is not often that you can catch me cursing and hurrying people up on a Sunday Morning. Had breakfast with the parents and the kids at Janata Hotel. 30 minutes to go! I come home and find out that we are not ready yet. Debate on whether I should shower or not. Figured out that a deodorant will cause the illusion. Hence decide to move on. Since no one gets up in Bangalore on a Sunday morning except to go for breakfast at CTR, Janata Hotel, Veena stores or MTR, we made it to the theater in good time. I actually parked on Cunningham road!!! I looked at my watch, 2 more minutes to Kung Fu. This is the movie that my four year old and I had conspired together to go. I let her do all the convincing and she did make papa proud! Can you believe it that she and her sis were up at 7 AM and the first thing she said was Kung Fu Panda!
Anywayz, here we were, to watch a cartoon movie (I guess we should call these animation movies, coz they are soooo not cartoons anymore!). The tale is rather simple, that of a Panda believing inspite of its weight and craving for food, if it believes in itself it can achieve its dreams. Without a doubt the visuals were amazing and believable. I was actually telling my 6 year old that the villian was a tiger (0r a snow leopard as pointed out by a friend of mine) !!! I was quite shocked when I said that but realized that I was sucked in as well. The next 90 minutes was a riot. It was just hilarious!! I honestly did not feel I was in a kid flick. The picture completely engulfed me. Here I was empathazing with the Panda and actually saying you go Po! The best thing that these animation pictures do is that they most probably tape the lines before they animate. Consequently the expressions are spot on. I hope the Desis do something like this.
Kung Fu Panda Rockz...Must see!!
Anywayz, here we were, to watch a cartoon movie (I guess we should call these animation movies, coz they are soooo not cartoons anymore!). The tale is rather simple, that of a Panda believing inspite of its weight and craving for food, if it believes in itself it can achieve its dreams. Without a doubt the visuals were amazing and believable. I was actually telling my 6 year old that the villian was a tiger (0r a snow leopard as pointed out by a friend of mine) !!! I was quite shocked when I said that but realized that I was sucked in as well. The next 90 minutes was a riot. It was just hilarious!! I honestly did not feel I was in a kid flick. The picture completely engulfed me. Here I was empathazing with the Panda and actually saying you go Po! The best thing that these animation pictures do is that they most probably tape the lines before they animate. Consequently the expressions are spot on. I hope the Desis do something like this.
Kung Fu Panda Rockz...Must see!!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Equs Maximus - Jaane Tu, a tale of two
Watched Jaane Tu today. Saw it without the pressure of being a reviewer or a critic. The best thing about the movie was that it did not take itself too seriously. Never! You do leave the theater with a spring in your step, even if you can't dance sala!
Almost everyone in the movie has a done a terrific job. The best thing about the movie is that it is a director's movie and not someone's launch vehicle. It just happens to be that. Not only was every role wisely chosen, but the cameos clinched it for me. Be it Naseer and Ratna Shah, Kitu Gidwani and Rajat Kapoor, Jayant Kriplani and Anuradha Patel (she is still SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO gorgeous!), Paresh Rawal or the Khan brothers. Carefully chosen and well executed. Much has been talked about in the papers on Imran and Genelia. They along with their believable friends do a cracker of a job. So I will not talk about them.
The director did a neat job to execute a simple story. I guess the story is as old as it gets but it is the story telling. Any successful movie or play is always about the story telling. Most of us are craving for something smart and something that we can associate with. This movie did that for me. It had to communicate all things about youth and it did it so well. It really did also remind me of those care-free days and that is probably where I was sold. I loved the directors love affair with the horse. It was there in the dreams and in critical episodes, there will always be a horse running around! He has used that element so well. He has a smart script, great music and controlled the pace of the story very well. The icing on the cake was the last shot. An Intelligent Homage!! May you always be treaded well, Mr Tyrewalla. May you have many more movies in your kitty! God Speed!
Almost everyone in the movie has a done a terrific job. The best thing about the movie is that it is a director's movie and not someone's launch vehicle. It just happens to be that. Not only was every role wisely chosen, but the cameos clinched it for me. Be it Naseer and Ratna Shah, Kitu Gidwani and Rajat Kapoor, Jayant Kriplani and Anuradha Patel (she is still SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO gorgeous!), Paresh Rawal or the Khan brothers. Carefully chosen and well executed. Much has been talked about in the papers on Imran and Genelia. They along with their believable friends do a cracker of a job. So I will not talk about them.
The director did a neat job to execute a simple story. I guess the story is as old as it gets but it is the story telling. Any successful movie or play is always about the story telling. Most of us are craving for something smart and something that we can associate with. This movie did that for me. It had to communicate all things about youth and it did it so well. It really did also remind me of those care-free days and that is probably where I was sold. I loved the directors love affair with the horse. It was there in the dreams and in critical episodes, there will always be a horse running around! He has used that element so well. He has a smart script, great music and controlled the pace of the story very well. The icing on the cake was the last shot. An Intelligent Homage!! May you always be treaded well, Mr Tyrewalla. May you have many more movies in your kitty! God Speed!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Fumes!!!
Yes I am back...Still fuming! I was watching this Kaapi with Anu where Crazy Mohan (I really hope he was joking) was saying that Kamal will get Oscar for Bussavatharam! I just lost it. I did what any sane person would do...muted the tv! I was wondering for what Kamal would be getting the Oscar...for the best comedy (may be). May be the Democratic party will invite him to do his imitation of George Bush, just to ensure that the Republicans lose!
And then there was this mail forwarded by a well wisher (after reading the mail, I was really wondering on the well part) on some other fan's ravings on Kamal and Buss! Apparently this movie is based on Chaos Theory and Butterfly Effect. And they had try to make a science theory by attaching a wiki link! The only chaos in that movie was the story line! And the butterfly was really a bad special effect!
To undo the bad effects of this movie I have decided to watch 10 where Kamal has done only one role!!!
And then there was this mail forwarded by a well wisher (after reading the mail, I was really wondering on the well part) on some other fan's ravings on Kamal and Buss! Apparently this movie is based on Chaos Theory and Butterfly Effect. And they had try to make a science theory by attaching a wiki link! The only chaos in that movie was the story line! And the butterfly was really a bad special effect!
To undo the bad effects of this movie I have decided to watch 10 where Kamal has done only one role!!!
Friday, June 13, 2008
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....
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....
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