Anjadhey - Movie Review!

It's an ace form Mysskin! Exactly two years back, he sprung a surprise-hit with Chithiram Pesuthedi! He's back again with a bang! With the same team re-grouping, success only had a slim chance to elude them… Anjadhey has been declared a critically-acclaimed movie and can be easily cherry-picked as the best movie of the year so far.

Mysskin has intricately woven a plot based on a famous storytelling technique called twist-of-fate. The story is set in the backdrop of a police colony and revolves around two pivotal characters Sathya (Naren) and Kirupa (Ajmal) who share a very good relationship with each other. Kirupa aspires to be a SI (Sub Inspector) and slogs tirelessly in pursuit of his dream. Sathya cools his heels as a hooligan often engaging in petty brawls.

Relentless pestering from his friend Kirupa and mordant words of his father (M S Bhaskar), conspires Sathya to appear for the SI interview and by crook means, he lands up with the job. Kirupa is denied of the SI job and he accounts Sathya as responsible for snatching the job from him and develops hatred towards Sathya. Kirupa seeks redemption in life and becomes a hoodlum. This sudden twist-of-fate which sees an exchange-of-ends in character feeds the rest of the movie and makes it a compelling watch.

Naren and Ajmal have played their role to perfection. Naren's mannerism while he engages for each fight is riveting. Ajmal has handled two extreme natures of good and evil diligently. Two surprise packages in the movie are the villains. Kudos to Mysskin for casting Prasanna, chocolate-boy of Kanda Naal Mudhal as Casanova and Pandirajan ( Kadhanayagan fame) in negative shades, who once ruled the roost with his comic prowess. Prasanna as Daya with his weird-hairdo had essayed a different role and has challenged himself and succeeded. M S Bhaskar, as Naren's father has stunned with his sublime acting. Other casting accolades include Ponnvannan, Livingston, Kuruvi and Vijayalakskmi (Chennai - 600028 fame).

Sundar C Babu has done an impeccable job as a Music Director. He haunts with his BGM, a perfect coup for a thriller. Talents such as Sundar C Babu ought to be given more chances. There is a fine thread between 'Dabban Gotthu' and Folk and Babu has walked meticulously on that fine thread with élan. 'Kannadhasan Karaikudi’, 'Kathazha Kannalae' are fine examples. The dream sequence song 'Manasukkul' was quite captivating as well. Theme music was pulsating.

Mahesh Muthusami has done a fabulous job with the camera. His effort to foster the eerie mood of the film is evidently visible in the big screen. The climax shot at Karumbu Thottam which must have gobbled-up incredible lengths of film role certainly praise-worthy and a feather in the cap for the lens men. Certain angles were really extraordinary and songs were well shot. Sadagopan Ramesh has done a crispy work with his scissors.

Minuses include Ponvannan's dubbing (done by someone else or he had a sore throat?), Confession of Kirupa in the climax which seemed totally illogical and lastly the unbearable length of the movie. I must confess I don't mind watching a movie even 4-hr-long, but industry doesn't work that way. Mysskin has failed to understand in spite of bearing the brunt on the last occasion with the pre-mature fate of Chithiram Pesuthedi. Box office declared CP a failure, not before Oscar Ravichandran intervened. He edited out close to 20 mins and re-released the film which ran to packed houses. I wonder what the fate has in store for Anjadhey?

But take nothing from this talented director, Mysskin. He arrived with Chithiram Pesuthedi and he is here to stay with Anjadhey!

Evano Oruvan'in…Review.

Voila!!! Year 2007 has been glorious for Tamil Cinema. Sivaji, Billa and Pokkiri set the cash ringers ringing, drawing huge profits for producers, distributors and theater owners. Sivaji , was the most talked about film in Bollywood and it became even popular when it made it to the UK top ten. Not only the masala cinema clicked, but offbeat movies such as Paruthiveeran, Thamizh M.A , Onbadhu Roobai Note, Veyyil were also received well at the box-office....A very good sign indeed… And I almost forgot Mozhi.. A feel-good entertainer from Radha Mohan!!!

Fag-end of 2007, witnessed a critically acclaimed movie Evano Oruvan, plainly adapted from a Marathi film Dombivli Fast(2005) directed by Nishikant Kamat. Madhavan was so intrigued watching this movie that he immediately called up Nishikant, asking him to cast him in the movie if the movie is ever remade in Tamil. Nishikant and the technical crew made their debut in Tamil and Evano Oruvan arrived. Evidently mesmerized by the movie, Madhavan decided to don the mantle of dialogue-writer under the wishful/watchful eyes of Seeman and co-produced the movie with Abbas Mastan and K Sera Sera. Double-debut for Madhavan, as Dialogue-writer and a co-Producer.

Made with a shoestring budget, Evano Oruvan is a circumstantial account of a middle class man who inadvertently becomes an overnight notorious criminal. Sridhar Vasudevan(Madhavan ),a bank employee, leads a monotonous Mon-Fri-9-5 life… He is agitated by the fact that everything in the society is powered by money, where moral and ethics are only dictionary-bound. Vasudevan manages to keep his emotion in leash, until corruption knocks the door of his bank in the form of 'Cherian' .After a steamy confrontation with Cherian, Vasudevan runs amuck and eventually takes a Krishna-avatar (with a cricket bat), to fight against the evil of the society. Finally, a fiery police encounter spells doomsday for the Anti-Hero who waged an Anti-Social War!

Movie has lived up to its tagline 'Ungalil Oruvan'… I was easily able to identify myself with Sridhar Vasudevan. There are so many things contributing towards that identity factor. Am a middle-class salaried employee living in a suburb of Chennai ,just like the place Nanaganallur. Electric Trains are my mode of transport and I also hanker for Jannal orae seats. And the most important thing, I've seen for myself, the corrupt face of society. Enraged and pent-up, I flee, I quit, I retire... unlike Sridhar Vasudevan!

Actor Madhavan has done immense justice to his role and the same holds water with Sangeetha( as Vathsala). Seeman as a cop is a complete misfit, a square peg in a round hole. He doesn’t suit the character and his dialogue delivery is sporadically artificial. Madhavan as a dialogue-writer has excelled. Some of the dialogues stunned me and left me reeling. Worth a mention are 'Unmae Sudum,adhuku munnadi Unmayae namma suttudanum', 'jannal seat'a pidikarthukulla uyirae pordhu' ( one has to see the movie to understand the profound sense of this dialogue). Nishikant has diligently worked on the screenplay, to ensure the film doesn’t sound like a documentary. It is slow, but really doesn't consume your time. Really doesn’t. It takes a lot of courage to direct a film without songs and Nishikant has done it with Evano Oruvan. No songs. No frills. Pure cinema!

Without an iota of doubt, Nishikant has presented the problem of 'Corrupt Society' dutifully, but the solution?? Well, the solution is left up to YOU!

Stain your hands( with blood) or

Join your hands( against corruption).

Wish you all a Happy New Year!!!

Hope Year 2008 is even better for Tamil Cinema!

Onbadhu Roobai Note & Evano Oruvan - Movie Review...

Whhhhhhhhoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa… Over the past few weeks I am treated to the hilt, when it comes to movie-watching… I've never felt so glad and content watching Tamil movies. First it was, Ram's novel 'Kattradhu Thamizh' , last week eyes soaked watching Thankar Bachan's biopic 'Onbadhu Roobai Note'….And icing on the cake was Nishikanth's 'Evano Oruvan', which I saw last night, at a rather lesser-conspicuous Anna theatre at Mount Road…

Thankar Bachan's 'Onbadhu Roobai Note' chronicles the life & times of Madhavar Padayachi (Sathyaraj). The first half sees Madhavar's rise, as a self-contented, hard working and upright individual hailing from a remote village Pathirakottai, near Panruti. Madhavar, a philanthropist by nature, leaves no stone unturned when it comes to helping the people in his village. This selfless nature of Madhavar sows the seed for a perennial camaraderie with Khaja Bhai and his wife Kameela (played by Nasser and Rohini), then struggling to come-up in their life. As time rolls, movie sails through to the second half and punctuates Madhavar's downfall. Madhavar's brother spills venom, and influences Madhavar's sons and in-laws to rebel against the monarchical rule of Madhavar. Sons and in-laws are reduced to mere puppets at the hands of guile-natured uncle. Madhavar, infuriated by their action, decides to desert the family. He along with his wife Velayi(Archana), leaves the villages and seeks help from Khaja Bhai(Nasser), who by then grows in stature and wealth. Khaja Bhai(Nasser) readily helps Madhavar, and sets-up cattle poultry for their living. Misfortune never comes single, and Madhavar loses his long-time company(Velayi) in a freak accident. Devastated by wife's demise, Madhavar languishes in seclusion and decides to return to his village. The very next day Madhavar resigns his soul at Pathirakottai!

Thankar Bachan makes no bones about his penchant for village-centered subjects. And his later offering ‘Onbadhu Roobai Note’ suggests there is more in the offering. Thankar Bachan has marshaled his resources well, and Sathyaraj after 'Vedham Pudhidhu', 'Kadalora Kavidhaigal', 'Kadamai Kanniam Kattupadu' and 'Periyar' has got a fair chance to show his mettle. An once-in-a-lifetime role, for Sathyaraj and he has grabbed it with both hands. The film travels intensely on the shoulders of Sathyaraj and the shoulders have never drooped. After watching the film, I couldn't resist thinking, how an actor of Sathyaraj's caliber is wasted all these years by the Tamil film industry. Nasser, Archana and Rohini have enacted their role to perfection. The film’s treatment is raw, rurally-raw! Music doesn’t score much. Films set-up amid this kind of milieu has lot of scope for RR, and I must confess, Bharadwaj has not made the best of the opportunity. Thankar as a cinematographer has excelled in capturing the rustic-refreshing mood of the movie. Vairamuthu’s has penned the lyrics and deserves a fair round of applause.

Mr.Thankar Bachan - Take a bow!!!

Evano Oruvan review, coming soon…

Kattradhu Thamizh (2007)

Almost a month back I watched this movie 'Kattradhu Thamizh'… I was completely taken aback when I learnt Ram Subbu was a debutant-director. A fresh plot interlaced with a gripping narrative commending sustained interest, coming straight from a debutante did really surprise me. Nevertheless Ram has scored heavily with his first outing.

Since lot of ink is already spilt on reviewing this movie from all possible quarters, I shall be pithy in this review. A contrived attempt!

Prabhakar, a devout Thamizh fanatic fumes at the step-motherly treatment given for Thamizh (language), and the fact that it happens at Tamilnadu (Home of Thamizh language) only rubs salt into wounds. Piling on to the misery is his haunted childhood and lost-love. Manic-depressed Prabhakar goes on a killing-spree and finds solace in killing people brutally. Hackneyed, it may sound, he finally finds his lover again, after momentary happiness their efforts to reunite bombs, and they relinquish and perish their life at earth to join hands in heaven.

Ram Subbu deserves a pat on his back for spearheading such a beautiful-yet-complex story. But am hard-pressed to say, the screenplay sagged occasionally. And they were some sporadic glitches as well, for example, protagonist roaming scot-free after sabotaging 27 lives, lacked logic and reasoning. But that shouldn’t cast aspersion on this talented director. Tamil Cinema has found a new lease of life, and directors like Ram Subbu , Ameer, Gautham, Vasantha Balan should be given due credit.

Jeeva, made his debut with 'Thithikudhey', and has grown by leaps and bounds since then. He's become really choosy and has the ability to deliver- more-than-expected with aplomb. His penchant towards selecting roles of various hues is sure to take him places. And 'Kattradhu Thamizh' for sure will find a place in his repertoire. Yuvan has simply rocked. He's started earning more respect for his re-recording than songs. 'Paravaye engu irrukirai' sung by the maestro himself is the best of the lot. Kadhir, the cinematographer of ‘Kattradhu Thamizh’ deserves a special mention for his adept cranking of ARRIFLEX.

A must-watch for people who belittle Tamil Cinema!

A must-watch for people who believe Tamil Cinema is graduating to the next level!

A must-watch for people who indulge in hero-worshipping!

Azhagiya Thamizh Magan(ATM) - Music Review!!!

Albeit I never follow Vijay's movie/music premiere, I was hooked on to ATM, the moment I came to know that 'Mozart of Madras' has wielded his baton for this movie. After Sivaji's runaway musical hit, ATM's music piqued lot of expectations among hoi polloi. And has Rahman lived up to the expectations? Here's a peek at what ARR had to offer in ATM…

* Ella Pugazhum (Singer : AR Rahman)

A booming intro song! Typical ARR style. Promises to invigorate a drowned spirit. Preludes and interludes sounds just perfect, Rahman notching incredible decibels with his high-pitch( at times vociferous) is a good listening experience… Will throw ‘Vijay’ fans to an irrecoverable state of hysteria. Cinema Halls are in for a big diwali bash with this opening song… And be prepared for 'once-more' requests... They are going to be aplenty of them… However, after constant repetition of this song, I couldn't help noticing the residues of ' Ararai Kodiyil' song from 'Anbe Aruyire'…

* Kelamaal Kaiyile(Singer : Sriram Parthasarathy, Saindhavi)

My pick of the album. Fresh. Pristine. Never-heard-before tune!!! The blend of Sriram-Saindhavi duo is magical. And I guess this 'Kokilam-Kokilam' pallavi, will become ubiquitous… Sure, it will top the charts.

* Maduraikki Pogadhadee( Singer : Benny, Archith, Dharshana)

As soon I was done with the first 2 songs, out of the blue I was confronted with this 'folk'ish number. And I must confess, ARR has not scored heavily with this song. I found reviews, drawing comparisons of this song with his erstwhile classics of 'Kizhakku Chemaiyile'… I could only pooh-pooh these Rahmaniacs... They want to praise him, regardless of whatever he does… Songs he composed for 'Kizhakku Chemaiyile' , 'Tajmahal' or 'Sangamam' were legendary… Beyond Comparison...And people are making a mockery, by doing such out-of-line comparisons…

* Nee Marlyn Manroe(Singer : Benny, Dayal, Ujjayinee)

This song started -off promisingly and sunk without a trace. Rahman's effort to sandwich a techno with Rap, has went in vain. Occasional Tamil lyrics interlaced with lackluster tune, makes it one forgettable song.

* Ponmagal Vandhal(Singer : MD Aslam, Ember Rap)

When Rahman first experimented with a remix ( Thottal Poo Malarum),I got despondent! Just because, this genius had lot of original music to offer, why should he resort to remix… Definitely I am not belittling people who venture out doing remixes and stuff… But what we expect out of ARR is fresh and original music... And this ain't one! The only consolation is the terrific husky-voice of Aslam...

* Valayapatti Thavile(Singer : Madhumita, Naresh Iyer, Ujjayinee)

I was hardly able to distinguish ‘Maduraikki Pogadhadee’ and 'Valayapatti Thavile' for quite some time… After repeated listening, I was comfortable… I still felt something nagging… Then I quickly realized it was very similar to 'Kummi Adi' from 'SOK'…

ATM music might be embraced with thumping hands by Vijay fans... But certainly not an album, Rahmaniacs can boast about… A complete let-down!

Taxi Driver ( 1976)

Hailed as a landmark film of the 1970's, the story of 'Taxi Driver' piggy-backs on Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), an isolate-distorted-illusive- paranoiac-delusional-misanthropist-vietnam-veteran. Travis perceptibly smitten with insomnia, spends sleepless nights as a cabbie. The ugly face of New York City precipitated with scum, filth, and decadence sets off Travis to go on a reckless rampage, as he ends up rescuing Iris Steensma (Jodie Foster), a twelve year old prostitute from the willful custody of 'Sport' Matthew (Harvey Keitel), who runs a brothel. And Media catapults Travis an over-night-Hero!

Martin Scorsese has admirably skewed the movie through the eyes of Travis. Be it the loneliness, filthy streets of New York, non-chaste women et al… Scorsese has etched all these attributes and shades at will and with utmost perfection. Most of the scenes were shot with a pinch of dark, suggesting the estranged mind of Travis, and they were absorbing and at times very disturbing. The climax, shot for well over 5 minutes, unleashes a bloodbath, with most of the central characters involved. A massacre!!! Had it not been for the creative camera angles of Michael Chapman, bloody-scene could have doomed... Laconic dialogues penned by Paul Schrader are worth a praise, it had the stimulus to inject pain, and rarely pleasure. I really enjoyed some of the one- liners…

On every street in every city, there's a nobody who dreams of being a somebody.

Shit... I'm waiting for the sun to shine.

Thank God for the rain to wash the trash off the sidewalk.

You're only as healthy as you feel.

Bernard Herrmann (remember the nerve-jangling music of ‘Psycho’), music was really instrumental in making the movie 'Taxi Driver' a classic… The subtle Jazz, occasional sforzando of drums took the movie to dizzy heights of haunt, suspense and hallucination.

(Just a day after composing the music for ' Taxi Driver' Bernard Herrmann passed away...)

Having said all this, I must admit I did not enjoy watching 'Taxi Driver' as much as I did enjoy watching 'The Godfather’, ‘Psycho’ or 'Raging Bull '. With all due respect to Martin Scorsese, I did not feel the pounding heart, lump to my throat, an occupied-cum-disturbed mind, intense emotion et al… Scorsese is masterful in generating such inexplicable feelings out of watching a movie…

Perhaps, the Italian Version of the movie (which I actually saw today) has played the spoilsport…Lost in translation :-(

I'll pick the English version and hopefully I should be made to eat my own words and may be I'll eat a humble pie … :-)

the pursuit of happγness

Inspired by a true story, Gabriele Muccino's 'the pursuit of happγness' is a heart-warming narrative that epitomizes the poignant relationship between a father and a son, captured through various phases of life!

Chris Gardner (Will Smith), a salesman, runs from pillar to post selling bone-density scanners, a medical equipment device, for a living. He finds it hard to make ends meet as he tastes little success with his profession. Married to Linda (Thandie Newton), Chris is blessed with Christopher (Jaden Smith), whom he cherishes, more than anything in his life.

Chris's life is deprived of what every lower-middle-class family is deprived of. Happγness! Desperate to get relieved from the cruelty of a discontented life, Chris decides to get rid of the ill-fated scanner business, and looks out for a new calling.

He gets to know about an internship program at a Stockbroker firm, Dean Witter Reynolds. Chris slips into a tête-à-tête with Jay Twistle, Resource Head at Dean Witter and makes the best of the opportunity by solving the Rubik's Cube immaculately! Jay Twistle, who observes this amazing ability of Chris, pulls him to the internship program, but without any salary. Chris now had the onus of outsmarting other interns, because only one intern was hired for Dean Witter from a pool of 20. Also, he never quitted the scanner business, as it was the only source of income. This meant, he had to slog all day long!

Things go awry, when Chris Gardner takes a double blow, Linda deserts the family to lead a separate life at New York and Chris finds himself ousted out of his apartment by the owner, owing to his constant slippage in paying rents. He had nowhere to go! Fraught with debt, to the Income Tax Department, his bank account would be locked anytime. He was literally bankrupt. Crestfallen Chris hits the nadir of his life! Left with no options, he wanders like a nomad in the streets of San Francisco, along with his son. And out of the blue, Chris takes a bizarre decision to spend the rest of the night at a rest-room (read cave) of a railway station!

Oh, Gosh! What scene that was! I wonder how a director could craft the best scene of the movie in a rest-room!!! Kudos to Muccino! Chris and his son confined to a rest-room! Chris locks the rest-room and parks his right leg against the door, to prevent people from gaining access to the rest room. At one point, an outsider persistently tries to unlock the rest-room, and Chris tries to stop him from the other side of the door, clutching his son who's in the middle of a deep sleep, and tears trickle down the cheeks of Chris. Just imagine!

That scene stands out. I am sure it would have deeply moved Al Pacino!

After all the tribulations that he had to undergo, Chris Garden finally sees the light at the end of the tunnel as he emerges successful in the internship program and eventually gets hired by Dean Witter.

The dialogues & interludes between Chris and his Son were impeccably penned & captured. Worth a special mention is the top-angle shot at the rest-room! Although the movie moves at snail's pace, one can't really reprehend the director, because movies such as this, ought to progress slowly and the script badly demands it. Music was no great shakes, although it had great scope!

As far as the performances go, well it's a one-man-show. Will Smith dons the role of a father to perfection, and it's Will Smith all the way.

A job well-done Mr. Gabriele Muccino!

Wimbledon 'Fedex'ed to Swiss…. Again!!!

Crowds that thronged to the "AELTC"(read All England Lawn Tennis Club) to watch the much anticipated title clash between Federer and Nadal got their money's worth, as the final proved to be an edge-of-the-seat thriller.

A veritable feast of high-voltage tennis action!!!

The Royal Box, had a special guest in the name of Legendary Swede Bjorn Borg (wondering whether he was there to cheer or jeer Federer ), who called the shots at Wimbledon for more than a decade. This is the just the second time he’s returning to this village post-retirement from professional tennis. Both Federer and Nadal should consider themselves lucky, having played the final under the gracious presence of the legend himself.

Finalists exhibited some amazing ground-strokes that would have made the legendary Sampras, Connors and McEnroe proud. They played all the shorts in the book and much more. Worth a special mention is the seamless backhand-crosscourt of the Swiss that left the crowd to raptures.

The first set went down to the wire, a Tiebreaker!!! It could have easily gone either way. As luck would have it, the first set went to Federer (9-7), who was on the prowl for his fifth successive Wimbledon crown. A record that would only emulate Borg's herculean-feat accomplished in the late 70's.A gung-ho Nadal came back harder in the second set, and just when everybody thought the set was heading for a tiebreak, Nadal broke the serve of Federer in the penultimate game and won the set 6-4. Third set was a mere repeat of the first set. Federer won the tiebreaker hands down (7-3). The match rallied for the fourth set. Nadal was storming through, breaking Federer early, twice. Spaniard rose from the ashes just like the mythical-phoenix bird. The customary Rolex scoreboard read 4-0. Couple of line calls that went in the favor of the Spaniard scatterbrained Federer. Federer was busy ranting and raving at umpire's call, while Nadal was smartly drafting the set 6-4. Fourth set went to the gutsy Spaniard.

Ever since the tournament began, a Federer-Nadal marathon five-setter final was always on the cards. And now it came into reality!!!

The Fifth and final set, started off as a nail-biter (when the score read 2-2) but in the end proved to be a damp-squib (for Nadal fans & anti-Federer fans). The decider set looked as if it was preordained by Federer even before the match started. The Swiss serves were a real thunderbolt!!! All of a sudden 'FedEx' started dominating his opponent. Swiss pocketed the set 6-2. The marathon five-setter 7-6 (9-7), 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 2-6, 6-2 lasted for close to 4 hours and Federer had the last laugh( Shattering my hope).Eventually, rose to an eternal-glory that is enjoyed only by Bjorn Borg!!!!

As I recollected the match the same night, I felt Federer was not really tested (throughout his career). I simply couldn't digest the fact that he broke Sampras record of 4 consecutive Wimbledon titles. Call it coincidence or irony, Federer back in 2001 ousted Sampras out of Wimbledon. The latter was then, in the quest of capturing 5 consecutive Wimbledon titles (97, 98, 99, and 00). It must have been a soul-shattering experience for Pete. And today, the same kid, who crashed Sampras party (back in 2001), has achieved what Sampras couldn’t, in the open era!

But in my opinion Sampras was way ahead of Federer, in terms of technique, stroke play and modesty!!!!

Likes of Courier, Agassi, Rafter….would have definitely made the road hard and rugged for the FEDEX!!!

Justifications apart, the day truly belonged the Swiss ace who can bask in glory of 5 Wimbledon Titles on-the-trot, for the rest of his life!!!!

Game, Set, Match… Federer!!!!