Billa 2

My review : Billa 2

"All style , no substance " was the most common view for Vishuvardhan's "Billa" when it got released but it got away in the Box-Office by reaping heavy returns. Once reprieved the production house & its leading star Ajithkumar have tried to milk it once more. But with a weaker script & poorer characterization "Billa 2 " vouched as a prequel to the former falls way short. That the makers have failed to make sure that atleast the lead two of the script Billa & his aide Ranjith to look younger is only a starting point of many careless shortcomings this movie is replete with. (May be they should tried showing things like both these undergoing cosmetic surgery to look as sauve & stylish as they did in "Billa" in the end titles...!!)

The movie starts of promisingly & first half an hour is riveting. Once the movie shifts to Goa it looses control & disoriented. That one must not look into logic in these kinds of movies is all said & done but  there 3 or 4 sequences which would make even the youngest of movie watchers to laugh out loud in their seats. Goa CM murder , rescuing heroine from the kidnappers, smuggling arms consignment unscathed albiet after being surrounded by coastal guards are a few. In the climax when one see Ajithkumar & Yog Jaypee running around the arms mafia's factory with their guns , one feel sorry for them for they have been taken for a royal ride by the writers of the movie.

Ajithkumar is an enigma. Time & again he has come out with a very good movie followed by most pathetic ones. It makes one wonder whether he chooses script by picking from a  lot or what. He looks old & apathetic sans any enthusiasm one saw in his previous flick "Mangatha". Among others Yog Jaypee & Vidyut Jamwal have done their parts sincerely. Both the ladies in the movie Parvathy & Bruna Abdullah lack even faintest of acting talent & not that they look good either. 


Yuvan Shankar Raja's background score is average & one do get tired of hearing the same music again and again though it is nice to hear. "Unakulle Mirugam" is a nice song & shot well. "Gangster" is another nice number but relegated to the end credits sadly.


Among the few brighter spots of the movie R.D.Rajasekhar's cinematography is one. Cinematography is awesome & on par with any international standards. Color tone used adds to the feel of a prequel in stark contrast to the bluish tone of "Billa". 


Chakri Toletti does show some promise with his stylish picturization of many sequences especially "Unakullae Mirugam " song as well as the first 30 minutes of the movie. But after that he looses it & movie becomes directionless & amateurish at many places. That the story & screenplay is very weak makes things worse. Dialogues by Era Murugan sparkles but after a point too much of punch dialogues makes one cringe. 


On the whole , "Billa 2 " does try to have all the ingredients needed for a mass masala movie like Punch dialogues, item numbers , numerous over the top action sequences , logic-less sequences, super human hero & ever faltering villains but the mix is not in proper proportions. As a result it leaves a bad taste.


Bottomline : Stale beer in a fancy carton
 

2/5




 

Naan ee

My review : Naan ee

                                                                                

Right at the beginning Rajmouli is clever in inserting a conversation between a father telling a bed time story to his daughter in the background of the titles. It in a way prepares the audience for the rest of the movie . To enjoy this movie one has to go to the level of that daughter to whom her father is supposed to be telling this story. If one watches by that mindset then S.S.Rajmouli's "Naan ee" would be a joyride , else it would be silly & juvenile.

Movie's story is nothing new but rehash all those Vittalacharya movies of the 70's (which too finds passing reference in the movie ) but the intelligence of the writer does make the viewer to sit up & take notice. It would have been a ridiculous idea when one thinks of a house fly taking revenge against a very powerful villain. But the manner in which Rajmouli has think about it & executed the same deserves kudos. 

The professional manner in which the director has gone about the fantasy idea like this is what the movie click with even the hardened of critics. In the era in which movies of even the most powerful of heroes are criticized & rejected for lack of logic & over the top action sequences , everyone end up rooting for the house fly as it takes Sudeep to task albeit with extra dose of humor but nonetheless with logic in place. 

First half is good especially the last 30 minutes once the fly makes its entry. Romantic episode is average not that interesting with banal situations & dialogues. But once the fly makes it entry & upto the interval block makes for one of the most engrossing sequence in recent times. The second half however becomes more kiddish with ridiculousness brought into the forefront in the form of fly getting a goggle , mask & doing weight training...sigh!! However movie gather steam in the last 15 minutes & ends with a bang.

Sudeep as the powerful antagonist has done a decent job. Notwithstanding his over the top yelling in the second half the manner in which he effortlessly bring in evilness into his demeanor is excellent. Naani has nothing much to do. Samantha looks pretty ordinary in most of the scenes though her acting skills have improved.

Santhanam makes a "guest " appearance but that one scene where he misunderstands Samantha is in love with him is damn hilarious. 

"Crazy" Mohan seem to have lost his touch. Except for the sequence in the end in which he comes no where does  one feel the "Crazy " trademark.

Technically the movie is good. VFX is okayish. In some sequence they are very good & in many other bit ordinary. K.K.Senthil Kumar's cinematography is good but not upto his "Magadheera" standards (more to do with budgetary constraints I believe)

M.M.Keeravani's music & background score are pretty much routine.

On the whole , "Naan ee" is yet another example of why S.S.Rajamouli is considered by many as the master entertainer in the south Indian movie circles. Go for it with a childish enthusiasm & mind , you would sure enjoy it.

Bottomline : Buzzing

3.5/5

Saguni

My review : Saguni

It has been a very long time since Tamil cinema audience came across a mainstream movie with such loose screenplay, illogicality at its heights & downright silly characterizations. “Saguni” is easily the worst movie of the year so far by a fair distance. To think of the hype that was created before its release the end result is a definite let-down.  

Shankar Dayal is the writer director of this insipid fare. He has tried to make a movie on  the lines of Sathyaraj’s famous political satirical movies of the 90’s like “Amaithipadai” , “Thaaimaman”, & so on. But the difference between these movies & this one is a tight screenplay, sticking onto logic howsoever possible & Sathyaraj was too good in these types of roles that one might not have chance to notice the flaws. Sadly this movie lacks all these.

Karthi is getting typecast in same kind of roles & nothing new to offer after a great start to his career. Pranitha is the heroine duty of whom is to appear in the song sequences. Santhanam too is getting repetitive & at times irritating. Prakash Raj looks disinterested while Radhika too doesn’t have much of a substantial part to play as it was hyped. Kiran & Roja are casted in roles any extras would have done. Much publicized cameos of Anushka  & Andrea are a big letdown.

Nothing much to talk about as far as songs or back-ground score is concerned ( wonder how long the music directors would use rap track with the movie name or hero’s name in their back ground score, very irritating & sounds downright silly) Music director is G.V.Praksah Kumar

P.G.Muthaiah’s cinematography is good & technically movie is glossy & first-class.

It is not a promising debut for the writer- director Shankar Dayal. He should learn first that movie goers are not morons to accept whatever is ditched out in the name of “ Movie “. Rehashing old movies & old dialogues would do no good to his growth whatsoever.

On the whole, “Saguni” is a senseless fare.

Bottomline: give it a miss

1.5/5

Vicky Donor

My review : Vicky Donor

Rarely do the cine-goers come out of the Cinema hall informed, enlightened , entertained & heart warmed , all with the same movie. “Vicky Donor” is one such rare gem , a romantic comedy set against the backdrop of Sperm Donation which is still a proscribed topic in Indian society. That the makers of the movie have succeeded in presenting such a controversial & misunderstood yet medically & legally accepted technique in such a palatable & pleasant manner is an example of excellent film making. It reiterates the fact that conveying a message need not be preachy always.

Written by Juhi Chaturvedi & directed by Shoojit Sarkar “Vicky Donor” is one of the best movie this year thus far. Both Juhi & Shoojit deserve all the accolades due to them. It is a brilliant piece of writing & very casual & restrained direction that has made the movie so appealing. That the viewer genuinely feels blissful at the end of the movie is a testimony to the duo’s brilliance.

Even the educated of people do have misconceptions regarding this noble & scientific technique. It is brilliantly put across when not only Vicky’s not so educated mother & grandmother misunderstands him but even the highly educated Vicky’s wife also has the same level of understanding as them. In the end when she gets to witness the whole bunch of kids , the tears of joy that flows through one’s eye is inevitable.

The movie is not just education & information. It has comedy , emotions , sparkling & witty dialogues , wonderful acting , soulful music , & above all “Paani Da rang ”. The casual banter between the Bengali & Punjabi families about the stereotypes they have of each other is damn hilarious segment. That the writer is a Punjabi & director Bengali helps. There numerous such hilarious moments in the movie. One more which warrants mention is the sequence in which Vicky goes for his first donation.

It is hard think of anyone else other than Ayushmann Khurrana as Vicky. He is brilliant. The effortless manner in which he espouses varied emotions is awesome. He seems to be a natural actor & it is a worthy start. Yami Gautham is yet another stupendous actress that the movie has introduced to Bollywood. She seems to an actress with substance. Annu Kapoor as Dr Chaddha is brilliant. He has used all his experience to optimum use here. All others in supporting cast have done well.

Written , sung  & composed by Ayushmann “Paani Da rang” is an awesome song which is an instant earworm. “Meri Jayeyaan “ is another good number.

Kamaljeet Negi is the cinematographer & he has done a good job. Technically also the movie is good.

It is appreciable that the makers have done a lot of homework on the subject of sperm donation & infertility treatment. But little more research on their part would have made them realise that infertility caused by Tubal blockage ( as the heroine of this movie suffers from) is also not that a bleak one. In-vitro fertilization is a widely recommended & performed treatment for the same. Hence there is no need for adoption (though the current ending of the movie is lyrical & heart-warming) & despondence on the part of the person with tubal blockage as portrayed in this movie.

On the whole, “Vicky donor ” is a brilliant (wonder how many times this word gets repeated in this review..!) attempt which needs to be celebrated & respected.

Bottomline : Brilliant (one more time..!!!)

4/5

Shanghai

My review : Shanghai

Contemporary Indian society is such that the one who is honest & upright is a person who has not got any chance to get corrupted. If given a chance & power all those who preach & vouch for anti-corruption, social equality & just society would fare no better. If you brave enough to confront this bitter truth then you would surely enjoy “Shanghai” 4^th feature film directed by the most promising talent in Bollywood Dibakar Banerjee. Based on the novel “Z” by Vassillis Vassilikos “Shanghai” is a political thriller.

Movie actually tries to satire the current political climate in the country as a whole & most of the Hindi-speaking states in particular. But it also brilliantly espouses the fact that Politicians are not aliens who jump onto the earth from a far away planet. They are just a sample of the larger population as a whole. It is we who make them & make them what they are. They are just a reflection of the society of which each of us are a part of. And the fact is disillusioning & scary but the movie confronts this harsh truth.  

Except the last reel of the movie, rest of the movie is truthful & pragmatic. Cinematic liberty in the last reel does leave a bad taste but director was sensible enough to abstain from following cinematic clichés like chief minister getting convicted, the collector & the part-time photographer being celebrated like superheroes......!!

As a cinema “Shanghai” is the weakest of  Dibankar’s four movies. The tightness of screenplay, mastery over the emotional quotient & invoking the same in the audience are all not to the extent they were there in his previous movies. But this is the first time he has attempted a story of this scale & hence these dilutions are to be expected. First half actually gets over even before you get a hang of things happening around. Second half however is a bit length & also drags a bit. To sum it up, intensity seems to be lacking.

Abhay Deol has done a very good job as an honest IAS officer who conducts the enquiry into the attempted murder of the world renowned social activist. It is appreciable that he was not to do the routine Tamil stereotyping that Bollywood revels in. Emran Hasmi has also done a neat job. Actually he overshadows everyone in the first half but in the second half he does look lost. Kalki as usual overdoes her bit. He needs to understand the value of subtlety & underplay. Prosenjith Chatterjee is top class as the social activist Dr.Ahmedi while Farooq Sheikh lends adequate support.

“Bharath Mata ki jai ” is a rocking number from Vishal-Sekhar duo. Nikos Andritsakis’ cinematography elevates the production values of this small budget movie.

On the whole, “Shanghai” is an interesting watch provided one is willing to swallow the bitter pill.

Bottomline: India shining..!!! :P

3.5/5

Leelai

My review : Leelai

Debutant writer , director, Andrew Louis’ “Leelai” is a breezy romantic comedy on the lines of yesteryear Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan movies. It strictly follows the template of the Hollywood romcoms but comes across as a whiff of fresh air for Tamil cinema where sickle & sexism rules. Though predictable the screenplay is fresh & realistic with enjoyable casual dialogues adding on to the delight. And most importantly the cast & their neat portrayal make the movie a lot enjoyable.

Here the hero is not a saint , he has his flaws , does a lot of dissocial activities but yet he is genuine & unpretentious. Shiv Pandit in this role of Karthik gets his lip sync absolutely perfect for the starters. His expressions , the way he conveys myriad of emotions , his charm , he must be the next one to claim the chair vacated by Arvinth Sami & Madhavan. Not one do you feel that he is not a native for he has absolutely ingrained into the character he plays.

Heroine Karunai Malar starts of as an opinionated , feministic , paranoid college girl who undergoes a personality change of sorts after she falls in love with the stranger. Manasi Parekh who enacts Malar is first class. Like Karthik she also gets her lip sync correct all the time. She lives the role of the urban Tamil Christian software engineer flawlessly. She may not have earth-shattering looks but manages to captivate the audience with her alluring simplicity.

Suhasini Raju gets a good role as a common friend of both the protagonist. She is talented  & has utilised the opportunity very well. Sad such talented people are not getting noticed.

Shanthanam does his sexist routine in the name of comedy. He redeems himself in the parts where he comes as the friend of Malar & colleague of Karthik.

Huge pillar of strength for this movie is it’s songs , music composed by Satish Chakravarthy. “Oru kili oru kili ” is a soothing romantic number while “Jillendru Oru kalavaram” is an enjoyable melody. “Ponmalai pozhuthu” is another pleasant melody. Not only songs , Satish has done a neat job in his background score as well though heavily inspired by the Hollywood romcoms.

Velraj’s cinematography has neatly captured the interiors of the IT company that the lead pair work in. Songs are picturized very tastefully.

On the whole, Andrew Louis has neatly packaged the movie with correct dose of romance &  comedy with a touch of melodrama (thankfully not overdone though had scope for it) , stylishly shot & told.

Bottomline: Love (the) game

3.5/5

Rowdy Rathore

My review : Rowdy Rathore

“Rowdy Rathore” is a clear indication that B-grade is the new Bollywood grade. The trend started off with “Dabaang” , followed suit by many south remakes like “Bodygaurd” , “Singham” & so on. Seeing his contemporaries falling back on to the ever-bankable masala formula , Akshay Kumar tries his hand at the same with this remake of Telugu movie “Vikramarkudu”. It is actually going back to the basics as far as Akshay is concerned for he started off with these kinda movies , changed his track post “” to comedies . Currently following string of flops he has taken recourse in the current trend of remaking south Indian movies, especially considering the success these movies are.

“Vikramarkudu ” was a very crass & crude Telugu masala with extra spice which when was remade in Tamil as “Siruthai” , the crassness & crudity was a bit watered-down , though for Tamil standards it was a bit too much. This Hindi version of the same story is the most refined of the three (despite  Prabhu Deva’s direction..!) with not even 50 % of masala of the original but for Bollywood standards it is one of the most inane movies in recent times.

That the audience would lap it up like they did some of the recent blockbusters in Hindi doesn’t necessarily means that it is a good movie. Movie has male chauvinism, larger than life fight sequences, coarse dance sequences with garish of costumes, uncouth language & ridiculous love plot. Old (older looking) hero & overweight heroine rounds up the misery for the viewer.

Akshay Kumar looks jaded & a far cry from what Ravi Teja & even Karthi managed with this role. His comical scenes irritates while his serious ones make you laugh out loud. Sonakshi Sinha looks heavy & needs a lot to do to reduce her weight as well to develop her acting skills. Nasser is as dependable as ever.

Music is heavily inspired from south songs as does the background score.

Santhosh Thundiyil is the cinematographer , has done his part well.

Prabhu Deva after string of flops in Tamil , has done his second movie in Hindi following his successful remake of “Pokiri” as “Wanted”. He has added his signature elements here & there in the narration, except for that nothing much to write about.

On the whole, “Rowdy Rathore” is an unabashed masala movie without any pretentions. You would either get entertained or would end up with a severe Migraine.

Bottomline: Don’t angry me..!

2.5/5