Thaandavam

My review : Thaandavam

A.L.Vijay's Vikram starrer "Thaandavam" is watching two movies simultaneously with mixed results. One is well written , neatly enacted & riveting while the other is poorly written & executed with below par acting that tests the patience of the viewers. As a result one has to take solace that atleast the movie is not a complete washout like Vikram's previous flick "Raajapattai". 

As said earlier the Indian portion of the movie is well written &  executed , keeps the viewers interested. Though it has flashes of inspiration from Manirathnam's "Mouna Raagam" the romantic portion as well the village portions are good. Not only Vijay has tried to take inspiration of the famous Manirathnam flick but he has also tried to do a Manirathnam with his dialogues as well for that portion. (Numerous one word dialogues like "Paakala"..."Ippo parunga"...etc galore...!!!! ) Nonetheless it is this portion that gives sanity to this overall mediocre & poorly written movie which drags on & on.

The London portions are so boring that even Shanthanam's valiant effort to infuse life fails. All the English actors ( or they amatuer drama artists..!!) do poorly including Amy Jackson. The characters are all half-backed & lifeless. Even Jagapathi Babu's character is poorly etched out that it doesn't evoke enough anger from the viewer to root for the hero in the end. The heights of amateurishness is the end where Hero is absolved of all the crimes & Home minister is asking for him to be reinstated in RAW!  

Vikram has done a neat job as a longing lover , dashing RAW officer & a visually impaired and betrayed person vying for revenge. Anuskha is lovely in her "Mouna Raagam" Revathish role. Chemistry between Vikram & Anushka is good. Amy Jackson fails to impress. She needs a great deal of training as far as acting is concerned. Shanthanam's is more of a semi-serious role with very few scope for laughter. Veterans like Nasser , Saranya , Sayaji Shinde , Kota Srinivasa Rao , M.S. Baskar, Thambi Ramaiah , Delhi Ganesh , all assert their experience. Jagapathi Babu suffers from a poorly written role though he is sincere in his effort.

G.V.Prakashkumar's background score is good in parts while "Oru paadhi kanavu" & "Uyirin uyire" are awesome melodies.

Nirav Shah's cinematography is awesome as ever. It is a very good camera work , too good for such a below-average script. Technically the movie is very good.

Everyone in  RAW speak Tamil , almost all Indians shown in London speak Tamil. Whether it is coincidence or poor thinking it is the same what ever the language of the movie , be it Hindi or Telugu.

On the whole, "Thaandavam" is two movie rolled into one , the Indian story might just save the day for Vijay & Vikram.

Bottomline : A tale of two movies...!!

2.5/5   

Chaarulatha

My review: Chaarulatha

"Chaarulatha" is horror movie directed by Pon Kumaran adapted from a Thai horror movie "Alone". One should appreciate the honesty of the makers in this era of shameless blatant plagiarism without giving any credit to the original makers. Worse is such movies are representing India in International film festivals & one is even sent as the official entry from India for Oscars !

"Charulatha " is a story of conjoint twins who get surgically separated by circumstances followed by deceit , betrayal & revenge. Story is an interesting one but the screenplay is poor with none of the characters etched well enough to create any impact in the viewers. Neither of the twins' characters are developed enough for viewers to either empathize with Charu or hate Latha. In the end Hero goes through the same dilemma & helps in movie ending with a convenient climax.

Though touted to be a horror  movie except for one or two occasions there are not that many scary scenes. Almost every scary scene is easily assumable with some quirky camera movement , dim lighting & anticipatory background score. No surprise frills or thrills on offer. So called comedy track falls flat. There are couple of songs neither that good. In the end all that one gets is a two hour of boring movie which tests one's patience.

Priyamani is good in parts. Her portrayal of Latha is very artificial ,partly the blame has to go to the director for poor characterization. She is however good as Charu. Skanda is passable while Saranya is wasted. Seetha is adequate.

Sundar C. Babu's background score  is not that supportive in enhancing the horror sequences while his songs are below average.  M.V.Paneerselvam is the cinematographer , he has done a decent job.

Bottomline : "Chaarulatha" neither thrills nor scares only bores .

2/5

Avunu

My review : Avunu

Ravi Babu's "Avunu" is decent horror flick. The USP of the movie is that most of the horror sequences happen in bright light & there is no unnecessary gimmickry in the form of unusual camera movements or terrifying background score. Though there are not many hair-raising horror sequences in the movie the director has managed to keep the viewers engaged for almost 2 hours. It is an achievement in itself considering most of the movie happens in a single house.

The problem with these kind of movies are that if you are a non-believer in Ghosts straight away you loose interest. Whatever happens you would witness it with a sense of detachment ,sometimes with amusement. More humourous thing is a "child psychologist" explaining that the open anterior fontanelle is way through which divinity enters one's body as a result of which people with one can see & converse with ghosts...!!! Heights of ridiculousness & blatant attempt at fostering superstitions & saffron ideology.

Movie strictly follow all the Indian horror movie template. There is a voyeuristic "bad " ghost whose only mission is to make love with the heroine and there is a doting "good" grandpa ghost who gives company to a lonely kid of a busy techie couple. And there is a mandatory pious old lady who tries to exorcist the ghost with "Anjaneya" photo & the holy ash but in the end the ghost overpowers her. A spooky looking kid , lonely house , ghost who can enter each & everyone's body , etc.  

Poorna has done a very good work in this movie. She almost carries the entire movie on her shoulder. She is there right from the first frame to last & her expressions are exact. It is a good opportunity for this talented actress & she has utilized the chance well. Harshvardhan Rane as her husband is passable while Sudha is once again typecast. Chalapathi Rao's oneliners are awesome & takes care of the humor in the first half.

Sekhar Chandra has done music & has refrained from undue gimmickry to bring in cheap horror. Another person who has done the same is Sudhakar Reddy , the cinematographer. With routine camera angles only they have managed to spook the viewers. The CG department have also done a stupendous job. There is no zombie faces or bloody trails or spooky skeletons but yet the CG team has done their best to scare.

Ravi Babu's creativity is evident right from his promo posters &  the initial titles. But when it comes to "Avunu" , the movie is predictable right from the first scene till the last frame. Nonetheless "Avunu" is a nice watch if you are ready for subtle horror.

Bottomline: One woman show..!

3/5

Fire in Babylon

My review: Fire in Babylon

Written & directed by Steven Riley , "Fire in Babylon" is a sports documentary film which got released in UK last year finally released in India this week. Cricket has always been lauded as a game with lot of human elements & emotions. This documentary focuses on the human elements & emotional turmoil and upheavals of one of the most strongest team ever in any sports of any era , the West indies cricket board.

Movie starts with insights into how a group of independent nations are represented collectively as one cricket team , a legacy of colonial rule till the 60's. It is really shocking to know that till Sir Frank Worrell all the West Indian captains were whites. There are many other shocking revelations about how the team was tormented in Australia in both by the players & the spectators with racist abuses.

Actually this documentary is made in the template of any other "under-dog feature film". This movie traces the raise of the under-dog cricket team which was once taunted as the "Calypso cricketers" who entertain but don't win to the world beaters they became. The story starts with the 1975 tour of Australia where they get decimated by the Lille-Thompson pace duo and the racial abuses. Wounded by the utter humiliation when they return home Clive Lloyd , taking a leaf out of Australian team's success ( the protagonist ala feature film ) starts scouting for pacy fast bowlers. Andy Roberts & Michael Holding are joined by Colin Croft. India is the unfortunate team which gets to be in the receiving end of this team with new philosophy & fire power.

After beating India it is the turn of England in England to get the mauling fueled by the now infamous jibe of Tony Grieg "I Intend to make them grovel" . This point in time one starts rooting for the West Indies team to beat the arrogant English side which they did.

In between the movie focuses on the financial crunches that crickets of those days used to face , especially in West indies & the famous World series cricket of Kerry Packer which came to their rescue. There can't be a under-dog movie unless the under-dog finally put its might across their tormentors. 1979 is the year when it is payback time for the West indies against the mighty Australians.

Movie ends with focuses on the 5-0 "black wash" against England & the truth that from 1980 to 1995 they were undefeated.

Apart from Clive Lloyd , movie focuses amply on the pace quartet Andy Roberts , Micheal Holding , Colin Craft & Joel Garner. Viv Richards is Lloyd's trusted lieutenant. Once respect for the man grows manifold when it is revealed that he turned down a million dollar deal with the apartheid government of South Africa for the cause & sentiments he believed in.

"Fire in Babylon" is a well crafted documentary which entertains , especially if you are an avid cricket fan. It focuses not  only on the sports but also on the socio-political as well as the humanistic aspects of the game as well.

Bottomline : Under-dogs' success story.

3.5/5

Heroine

My review: Heroine

Post "Fashion " it has been downhill for once highly acclaimed writer-director Madhur Bhandarkar. His latest offering "Heroine" does no good to redeem that reputation. Wonder what happened to the writer who gave us movies like "Chandni Bar" , "Page 3", "Traffic Signal" & "Fashion". May be the common thread that underlies these movies is missing in his ventures post "Fashion", that is simplicity. He seems to have got drowned into the complexities of Bollywood masala & star system. As a result the kind of impact he was able to make when he made "Fashion" is totally not there in "Heroine".

Movie resembles "Dirty Picture" is most of the parts with minor changes. Here again the director has counted upon the lead actress' glamour rather than on his script or narration. As a result he has given a stale story of an actress' fall from top in the most cliched manner possible. Here he has tried using a fancy mental problem  "Bipolar personality disorder" for the protagonist & hence conveniently all the blames shifted to the condition.

Any one can guess the screenplay from the title card to the end credits. There is absolutely nothing new on offer. Movie gets so tiring 30 minutes into it that in the second half everyone was waiting for the protagonist to end her life so that they would get delivered of their misery. Sadly the ending is different but it is a tedious journey to reach there.

Inspite of  the insipid writing what keeps one inside the auditorium for two & half hours is the acting of most of the actors concerned. Kareena Kapoor tops the list with a strong performance. She struggles hard to raise above a poorly written character of hers & manages to stay afloat with her hard work and anatomy. Arjun Rampaul is dashing & has done a good job while Randeep Hooda is brilliant as vice-captain of Indian cricket team with a liking for Bollywood heroines. Others in the cast fit the bill though most of their characters are caricatures. Special mention about Ranvir Shorey. He is a delight on screen.

In Salim-Sulaiman's music "Halkat jawani" is already a hit. Rest of the songs are passable as does the background score.

Mahesh Limaye is the cinematographer & movie has a pretty good production values.

On the whole, "Heroine" rather than a story of an actress' fall from grace it is a sad story of how once a thoughtful writer has fallen to the level of titillation & voyeurism with no regards for his writing.

Bottomline: Dirtier picture..!

2/5

Saattai

My review: Saattai

"Saattai " is yet another  movie that deals with the faults & shortcomings in the education system following "Nanban" & "Dhoni". Problem with "Saattai" , directed by M.Anbazhagan is that it is too preachy with no space for subtlety. No doubt that the script is a good one with lots of vital messages to the society in general & educational system in particular but the execution of the same is below par leaving the viewers exasperated after a point. It gets tiring when the protagonist keeps of giving lecture one after another. Anbazhagan needs learn where to draw a line.

Dialogues are brilliant in many sequences , average in many other & in some sequences they are like spoon-feeding the viewers. Anbazhagan has conveyed few interesting concepts based on learning theories & regarding scientific methods of teaching. Problem is he tries to deal  lots of issues within two hours & odd minutes. As a result it gets unpalatable for the viewers.

Samuthirakani & Thambi Ramaiah have give brilliant performances. Samuthirakani is restrained. Thambi Ramaiah as a haughty English teacher who resists change, is first class. Though he gets irritating at many scenes , that is precisely the impact that the character has to elicit. Yuvan as a reckless student has the same expressions throughout the movie. Mahima is good with her expressions & emotive skills. Pandi evokes lots of laughs.

In D.Iman's music "Sahayane" & "Adi rangi " are wonderful numbers. He seems to be in great form these days. His background score is good.

Jeevan is the cinematographer. By and large it is good but wonder why there is too much of brightness in the flashback sequences which is irritating.

On the whole, "Saattai" is a movie with good concept marred by below par execution.

Bottomline: Cinematic & preachy

2.5/5

Barfi !

My review:  Barfi !

Anurag Basu's "Barfi !" is as crunchy & tasty as the name suggests. When one come across movies with people with functional impairment as its protagonists they are usually a tear-jerkers dealing with their grim lives in the name of reality. "Barfi !" too is realistic (the portrayal of Autistic character is close to reality with some cinematic liberties that are excusable) but shows them in a refreshing light. That doesn't mean that it is superficial , it has heart & emotions are genuine.

Anurag Basu shines both as the writer as well as the director. Though the movie moves at its own pace there are very few dull moments. Humour works very well. Though it is mostly slapstick , almost Chaplinesque , most of them are enjoyable. Whether intended or not , movie come across as a homage to all those Charlie Chaplin ( may be also Raj Kapoor )movies of the yore . Especially the manner in which there is underlay of humour even in the emotionally charged sequences , movie reminds one of many such sequences in Chaplin movies.

There are numerous memorable scenes. Few which warrant mention include Rupa Ganguly's discourse about futility of love to Ileana , Ranbir's outburst after seeing Ileana with her fiancee , the manner in which Priyanka tries to show to Ileana that Ranbir is her's towards the end .

"Barfi" is a visual movie. There are not much dialogues in the movie. Two of the lead three don't talk at all . Yet all their emotions are conveyed to the viewers without much problem .It is a huge relief that there is no one trying to translate & spoon-feed to the viewers whenever Ranbir communicates by sign language..! Wonder how much of impact it would have made if the makers have made it as a silent movie. My guess is it would have been a wonderful celebration of cinema as a visual medium.

Ranbir Kapoor is excellent as a sprightly young man. Body language which is very vital for this role is aptly done by him. Be it in the slapstick comical sequences , or as a charmer or as a carer or in the sentimental sequences , his body language & emotive skills are first rate. There is no other actress in Bollywood currently who would have done the role of Jhilmil better than Priyanka Chopra. Except for the last few sequences where she gets a bit dramatic , she portrays autistic girl with aplomb. She gets her body language , hand movements & lip movements almost perfect.

Ileana looks best in this movie. She has done her part well too. Only glitch is  her make-up , not many in their 60's would have pimples ! Saurabh Shukla is brilliant. Without him none of those comical sequences would have created the impact they have. Ashish Vidhyarthi & Rupa Ganguly offer adequate support.

Pritam's music also pays homage to Chaplin movies & is apt. "Aashiyan" , " Phir le aaya dhil " , "Main kya karoon" are all delectable melodies.

Another hero of the movie is Ravi Varma. His cinematography is excellent. The natural bounty of Darjeeling & Pollachi are captured well as does the busy streets of Kolkatta.

On the whole, "Barfi !" is a heartwarming tale , well written , brilliantly enacted & excellently executed.

Bottomline: Celebration of cinema as a visual medium.

3.5/5