PATTALAM

My Review : Pattalam



"Pattalam " is a trend-setter of sorts in India since it is the first time a successful television serial is adapted on the Big screen which is common in Hollywood ."Kana Kanum Kanangal" is a rage among school going kids in Tamil Nadu & Rohan Krshna it's maker has now tried to reprise it on the celluloid .

The movie is faithful to the serial with two gangs of 4 students at loggerheads in the school , an orphan girl amidst them , their fights , happiness , love , misunderstanding , vengeance , retribution ....et al with some unexpected twist in the climax. But the big question is whether the makers have successfully recreated the magic of KKK . You can find out the answer for this in the course of this review.

I have read in websites that Nadiya has been turning down many offers that came her way ,all the while looking for some worthwhile scripts. On seeing her character in this movie it puzzles me what made her choose this movie. In the first half only thing she does is stand in the corner of the frame & clap her hands & wink in approval while the school kids break into song & dance in the school grounds , rain & Kodaikanal in fanciest of dresses ! In the second half look out for her expression in the sports day scenes .Wow ! She is still living in the 80's. One more thing that confuses us is whether she is a Psychiatrist or a School Correspondent . What ever she may be , her characterisation is bound to irritate & anger both those group of people.

Among the 9 lead actors , some over act , some stay woody & some are really confused what to do . The special round of applause to the one who plays Sophia who is very much taken in by the ambience of the mental asylum in which she lives , she gives those who play mentally ill patients run for their money. Even when her boy friend abuses her with uncharitable of accusations & scathing comments , she just giggles at him with childish fluttering of eyelids !

The producers must have chosen a professional painter to do make up in this movie. He has given a wonderful white wash to the faces of all the actors in the movie in the name of make-up !

Both music by Jassie Gift & BGM by Sabesh-Murali are run of the mill stuff.

Technically movie is ok. Krishnasami has tried to give a trendy look to the movie with his cinematography while G.Sasikumar has tried some innovative cuts in the beginning but later sticking on to the routine.

Mona Planisamy's dialogues sparkle at a couple of instances but overall they are mundane.

Rohan Krshna who has scripted & directed the movie shows his potential in couple of scenes but he has failed to give a cohesive , interesting & an engaging tale . The first half is insipid & tiring with nothing happening except some inane , kiddish gags in the form of comedy . Movie gets a momentum in the second half especially the scenes involving Irfan's flashback & his relationship with Sophia & the anger it spews on the mind of Sakkarai but too many cliches & uninspiring acting brings it down badly.

On the whole the movie is no where close to KKK which had solid story , decent acting & sparkling comedy all which is missing here .

Those who have never heard of KKK give this a miss but those who are die-hard fans of KKK never even go anywhere close to the theatres showcasing this movie because you will end up getting infuriated & tearing your hair in anger.

Bottomline : Wait for 8 Pm Monday to Thursday , Vijay TV.

2/5

CONJEEVARAM

My Review : CONJEEVARAM

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Kanchivaram

Priyadharsan's "Conjeevaram -the treachery of silk " is a perfect illustration of one of the most influential theories of Karl Marx , "Alienation" which is a situation in which the creation of a man's labour appear to him as an alien object ie, he loses control over the object he produces . Bravo Priyadharsan for elucidating the concept in such a simple yet hard-hitting manner .

Prakash Raj once again proves why he is considered very highly by those who know nuances of acting . He has lived the character Venkatam , an alienated weaver who struggles to fulfill his wish of presenting his daughter with a silk sari during her wedding. Whether during his manly swagger when he leads his wife home after their wedding or brimming with pride yet shyness when an English officer praise his work or whenever he steals a strand of silk his expression of guilt with fear or his fiery rendition of communal speeches ; he has had a field day .

The icing in the cake is the climax scenes in which Prakash Raj will move even a stone to tears .The way his face emotes various shades of emotions right from the point where he enters his house & sees his paralysed daughter , requests his sister to take care of her & the rebuttal of his brother-in-law to that , feeding his daughter with her last meal & showing the silk sari he has weaved for her , finally when she is dead the way he adjusts the silk sari over her body & his final expression .......i doubt any other actor can do those moments which such aplomb & clarity .

Ample support by others in the cast adds to the movie's splendour . Shriya Reddy has underplayed neatly as Annam , Venkatam's wife & Shammu , theatre trained in UK , as Venkatam's daughter Thamarai is a valuable addition to Tamil Cinema . Also others in the cast like the one who plays the constable trying to fix the seal on to his cap , Sarathy , a fellow comrade of Venkatam & his friend , the Agent under whom the weavers work ...all have lived the character they portray.

Technically also the movie is first class. Sabu Cyril has worked meticulously to bring the Conjeevaram of 1920's to 1940's on screen .From the cycle lamp to the Bus , the handloom to the village houses , the motor car to the street play - the production designer has payed minute attention to the details.

Thiru's Cinematography has captured even the sparsely lit interiors of the village houses with a keen eye .The silhouette shots stand out for special mention .

M.G.Srikumar's music has contributed to the mood of the movie greatly though it seems to have Ilayaraja's hangover throughout with the use of the violins , an Ilayaraja signature.

Madhan- Vijay 's dialouges are simple yet strong . Venkatam & Annam exchanging "Mudhal thadavaya poi solraya , illa idhuku munnadi poi solli irukiya " is as intelligent as the young Rangan explaining to Thamarai about a "kutharai vandi" which has no horse but the power of horse inside it where the writers hint intelligently about the Horse-power of the Motor Car engines . There are also some witty comical lines mainly reserved for the police constable & also those discussing about the arrival of the motor car for the first time in the village. To round it off , the subtle references to the communist ideologies are sprinkled through out .

Priyadarshan after all his movies aimed at common men has written & directed this movie with the connoisseurs in mind this time. Though the movie moves at a snail pace that only makes the viewer to get immersed into the narrative & make them feel for the character . Anyone who who watches the climax is bound to cry his heart out & this is where Priyan has succeeded .

On the whole the movie is a must watch if you are interested in meaningful cinema.

Bottomline: Speechless...

4.5/5

YAVARUM NALAM

My Review :YAVARUM NALAM

Powered by: Chakpak.com	Yavarum Nalam

Of all the shocks that we come across watching this movie , the ultimate shock is that the director of this movie is Vikram K.Kumar , the one who gave us one of the most pathetic movies of all time in "Alai" some 6 years ago! But man , he has come back with vengeance & anger to prove to the world that he is capable of more than that & he has done it with style .

Raise a toast to this young man for all his guts & gumption to weave a story around a Television as the main protagonist & all others relegated to support role including Madhavan ,who also deserves pat on the back for his magnanimity in understanding that. Who would have thought of Television & that too a serial as the generator of shivers .

Any script , however fantastic it may be on paper , to bring that to life one needs a wonderful cast ."Yavarum Nalam" has it .The whole cast have given sterling performances & special mention about all the North Indian actors who have relly worked hard to lip-sync their Tamil dialogues .

R.Madhavan once again shows his class with an understated performance which have scope to go over the top but he remain subtle throughout which is becoming his forte.He keeps the audience in splits with his wry humour . The scene in the doctors house just before the climax is a testimony to his hard work .

Neetu Chandra , new to tamil screen , has a breezy role which is nothing that difficult for this talented actress & she carries off it with elan.

The supporting cast of the movie is first rate .Be it Saranya or Sachin Kedhakar or Ravi or Deepak Dobriyal . Ravi steals the show in the scene in which he asks Madhavan to advise his family ladies to keep track of the police officer role in the serial .Deepak Dobriyal ,as the mentally challenged patient gets the sympathy of the viewers . Sachin Kedhakar comes to his own in the climax scenes. All the serial actors have revelled in showcasing their talent in the wider screen with significant scope to perform & get noticed .

. Tubbi Parik's BGM score along with A.S. Lakshmi Naryanan's Audiography have ensured in keeping the audience at their wit's end. Shankar-Ehsan-Loy's songs (only 3 of which is used in the movie ) are melodious with " Kaatrilae Vaasame " taking the cake , though it sticks like a sore thumb in the narrative.

Technically movie is world class . Srekar Prasad has gone along with narrative without resorting to undue gimmickry but has ensured that movie moves at a steady pace.

The god of Indian Cinematography P.C.Sriram has enjoyed himself thoroughly filming this movie which shows. One word that can describe his work : "MIRATTAL"

Neelu Ayyapan's dialogues are true to life with some sprinkling of day-to-day humour that one come across in every household.

Vikram .K.Kumar has given this movie in the style of Ram Gopal Verma's spooky thrillers minus absurdities . The logic ,which one have to forgo while watching a super-natural thriller , is surprisingly maintained throughout the movie . Also visual cues are scattered right through the movie but only people with keen eyes for minute details can catch hold of them before it gets revealed later.

There are some minor goof-ups like hindi sign boards in beach scenes (which is supposed to be in Chennai as per the script but shot in Mumbai) & also T.V. listings in tamil in " The Hindu " newspaper . Another point of discord is the portrayal of the lady characters in Madhavan's household so dumb & brainless that they can't figure out the similarities between the serial & their lives .

But they are only minor aberrations in other wise an excellent movie which is a must watch for those who lament about the drought of intelligently written movies in Tamil . Also heavily recommended to those who love spine chilling spooky experiences.

Three cheers for all those who are involved with the making of this movie & a special lap of honour to Vikram.K.Kumar .

Bottomline : Goose Bumps !

4.5 / 5