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Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Vel - old ale in new case
The usual twins separated at birth story comes back to life again. And since it has been a trend in the last decade or so to make every story in the commercial sense, this takes that route too. Moreover, a theme like this which has been exploited by most film directors in India would never even get a satisfactory comment from the masses if there wasn't any spice.
Vel is director Hari's yet another mass movie after Saami, Arul etc. In this movie, he has chosen to Surya to play the dual role.
Sharanya (remember the movie Nayagan) plays Surya's mom in this movie. She is the unfortunate mom who loses one of her twin sons. Right from the beginning of the movie till the end, all Sharanya does is whining and crying about the lost son. Nowadays, she has got such a hopeless voice. Her role is a total waste of time.
Its funny to see how one of the twins is kidnapped by a thief, just for the sake of jewelery. All the thief could have done is taken off the gold jewels because the child was already sleeping. He didn't have to take it all the way to some place, remove the jewels and leave the child there.
Anyway, we need some basis to begin the story. Two people grow up in different settings - obviously one in the city and other in the village.
Surya as Vel in the village is the angry young man. The introductory scene where he delivers the punch dialogs is extremely funny. Punch dialogs have become so typical with actors. Every hero has to have a punch dialog in the beginning of the movie and that has to reach the masses. But what are punch dialogs - rhyming expressions that make no sense.
Surya in the city as Vasu is the intelligent and smart young man. Unfortunately, he is stuck with Sharanya as the mom and I really can't imagine how he withstood her torturous and dragging dialogs. For god's sake, they are showing a mom, 25 yrs after losing her child and she is still crying. She cries even when she sees a orphan on the road. My god! why didn't they have a better role for her.
Asin is simple and neat. She has put on very little fat but since its showing at the right places, she looks very beautiful. For once the director decided not to use extra make-up on Asin. So, when you see her on screen, you get the feeling that you are probably seeing a just-another-girl character. Very plain but attractive.
So, we know that the story is all about how the twins are going to meet and what's going to happen after that. Thankfully, the director did not have another female lead in the movie. Then we'll need more songs and romanctic pursuits.
Vadivel is best in his comedy. He is part of the village crowd and we know for a fact that Vadivel does better village comedy than city stuff. His accent is best suited for a village setting. The sequence where a number of incidents happen only because of a crow's dropping calls for riotous laughter.
Songs are okay. These are not numbers that get you tapping your foot. They just blend with the storyline. Asin wears a reading glass in one of the songs and she looks really cute. That's something worth mentioning I guess. "Ottraikkannaala" and "Kovakkara Kiliye" - maybe you'll want to hear to these songs again.
Overall rating - not bad. could have been better. sentiment killer.
Vel is director Hari's yet another mass movie after Saami, Arul etc. In this movie, he has chosen to Surya to play the dual role.
Sharanya (remember the movie Nayagan) plays Surya's mom in this movie. She is the unfortunate mom who loses one of her twin sons. Right from the beginning of the movie till the end, all Sharanya does is whining and crying about the lost son. Nowadays, she has got such a hopeless voice. Her role is a total waste of time.
Its funny to see how one of the twins is kidnapped by a thief, just for the sake of jewelery. All the thief could have done is taken off the gold jewels because the child was already sleeping. He didn't have to take it all the way to some place, remove the jewels and leave the child there.
Anyway, we need some basis to begin the story. Two people grow up in different settings - obviously one in the city and other in the village.
Surya as Vel in the village is the angry young man. The introductory scene where he delivers the punch dialogs is extremely funny. Punch dialogs have become so typical with actors. Every hero has to have a punch dialog in the beginning of the movie and that has to reach the masses. But what are punch dialogs - rhyming expressions that make no sense.
Surya in the city as Vasu is the intelligent and smart young man. Unfortunately, he is stuck with Sharanya as the mom and I really can't imagine how he withstood her torturous and dragging dialogs. For god's sake, they are showing a mom, 25 yrs after losing her child and she is still crying. She cries even when she sees a orphan on the road. My god! why didn't they have a better role for her.
Asin is simple and neat. She has put on very little fat but since its showing at the right places, she looks very beautiful. For once the director decided not to use extra make-up on Asin. So, when you see her on screen, you get the feeling that you are probably seeing a just-another-girl character. Very plain but attractive.
So, we know that the story is all about how the twins are going to meet and what's going to happen after that. Thankfully, the director did not have another female lead in the movie. Then we'll need more songs and romanctic pursuits.
Vadivel is best in his comedy. He is part of the village crowd and we know for a fact that Vadivel does better village comedy than city stuff. His accent is best suited for a village setting. The sequence where a number of incidents happen only because of a crow's dropping calls for riotous laughter.
Songs are okay. These are not numbers that get you tapping your foot. They just blend with the storyline. Asin wears a reading glass in one of the songs and she looks really cute. That's something worth mentioning I guess. "Ottraikkannaala" and "Kovakkara Kiliye" - maybe you'll want to hear to these songs again.
Overall rating - not bad. could have been better. sentiment killer.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Azhagiya Tamil Magan (ATM) - Not that beautiful
A walk into that local theater in the evening with an expectation that is sky high. Well, the actor Vijay himself warned his fans much earlier that this film lacks any logic that someone would expect. So, lets get that dirty thing out of our mind. And just try and enjoy the film, perhaps rip it here and there too.
As the movie began, the music for the titles did not make any impact. To some extent I had known the storyline, but it still did not help in just one way.
Imagining Vijay as a college going student is very difficult. After seeing him play much mature roles in Pokkiri, Gilli, Sivakasi etc. its back to college years. But thankfully, the number of scenes with the college as the background were minimal, so one tends to forget that the actor was actually a college student.
Malayalam movie veterans would remember "Iyer the Great" - a classic film by Mammooty. Now tweak it here and there - bring in a lissome beauty, feelings of love and hatred, friends, a dual role to complicate the subject, family and friends for sentimental value - to make it a perfect commercial movie. Thats ATM for you.
Actor Vijay is a athlete in this movie. At 33 plus, its difficult to imagine him as an athlete, but we have to appreciate the effort that has gone in. He has lost weight. His frame is a bit smaller, at least it feels so. And again, athletics is not the main theme of this story. So, not a bad idea. Its definitely better than Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol playing basketball in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. That was such a disgrace to basketball.
Before we move on, I'd like to make one comment about the opening song - Ellaappughazhum. Okay, nowadays all hero introduction songs are highly people oriented - about camaraderie, friendship, fraternity, brotherhood etc. Leaving that aside, the one thing that you will notice in this song is the dance. Vijay has done a few sequences that none of the other Kollywood heroes have done, in the last few years, which is good, because in most other instances, we see Rajinikanth and Vijayakanth walking from this end of the screen to the other and all they do is raise their hands up in the air and bring it down quickly, synchronizing a head shake or two in the middle.
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Shriya is simply perfect. She glows like a fresh lotus in a clean pond. Her smile is serious competition to Rani Mukherjee. And you could pay a trillion dollars to watch Shriya in a half sari. Shriya totally complements Vijay on the screen. Nothing unlike Sivaji, where her role was a time wasting tactic. Although her screen presence does not justify her role as a female lead, she plays her part quite well. In the song sequences, she looks like an Arabian beauty. After Jennifer Lopez's, the next best in the world is Shriya's. You know what I am talking about - do you?
Storyline as stated before is about a person who has ESP. You'd kinda feel stupid when you already know the climax of the movie before the intermission. I definitely got that feeling and I was totally annoyed, bored and sick. But then, why are some directors successful to a large extent. They simply know their audience well. The same principle applies here. Although I guessed what was going to happen in the end, the end was still worth it.
Dual roles - good cop and bad cop. What I didn't like about the bad cop was he turning a new leaf after hearing to a small sentimental speech about sex, love and relationships from Shriya. That portion sucked big time. I think that was the only option available for a screenplay that had already dragged people out of their chairs. Literally - a running out of time situation.
Songs - AR Rahman proves himself time and time again. This time a lot of techno and folk music. ARR hates to do a remix, but fine. The director probably asked for it. "Ponmagal Vandaal" did the needful. This season is a remix season. Every movie has one remix song and ARR gave his contribution. "Madhuraikku Pogatha" and "Valayapatti Tamizhe" are very Indian, rather I should say South Indian. Local music instruments dominated. "Nee Marilyn Monroe" was totally on the other side of the spectrum. Completely disco types and very fast. Definitely foot tapping. Finally, "Kelamal Kaiyilae" - a good melody. This song reminds you of the 70s and 80s. ARR has ensured that the female voice brings out that emotion but maintained the music with the current trend.
Comedy doesn't make you roll on the floor because I could sense that everyone from Vijay till the light boy has tried something in the movie - I mean, to make people laugh and it worked only for some.
Bottom line: Watch this movie only if you are a Vijay fan. A generalist will not find any sense in this movie. A music lover will like the songs and the choreography.
As the movie began, the music for the titles did not make any impact. To some extent I had known the storyline, but it still did not help in just one way.
Imagining Vijay as a college going student is very difficult. After seeing him play much mature roles in Pokkiri, Gilli, Sivakasi etc. its back to college years. But thankfully, the number of scenes with the college as the background were minimal, so one tends to forget that the actor was actually a college student.
Malayalam movie veterans would remember "Iyer the Great" - a classic film by Mammooty. Now tweak it here and there - bring in a lissome beauty, feelings of love and hatred, friends, a dual role to complicate the subject, family and friends for sentimental value - to make it a perfect commercial movie. Thats ATM for you.
Actor Vijay is a athlete in this movie. At 33 plus, its difficult to imagine him as an athlete, but we have to appreciate the effort that has gone in. He has lost weight. His frame is a bit smaller, at least it feels so. And again, athletics is not the main theme of this story. So, not a bad idea. Its definitely better than Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol playing basketball in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. That was such a disgrace to basketball.
Before we move on, I'd like to make one comment about the opening song - Ellaappughazhum. Okay, nowadays all hero introduction songs are highly people oriented - about camaraderie, friendship, fraternity, brotherhood etc. Leaving that aside, the one thing that you will notice in this song is the dance. Vijay has done a few sequences that none of the other Kollywood heroes have done, in the last few years, which is good, because in most other instances, we see Rajinikanth and Vijayakanth walking from this end of the screen to the other and all they do is raise their hands up in the air and bring it down quickly, synchronizing a head shake or two in the middle.
.jpg)
Shriya is simply perfect. She glows like a fresh lotus in a clean pond. Her smile is serious competition to Rani Mukherjee. And you could pay a trillion dollars to watch Shriya in a half sari. Shriya totally complements Vijay on the screen. Nothing unlike Sivaji, where her role was a time wasting tactic. Although her screen presence does not justify her role as a female lead, she plays her part quite well. In the song sequences, she looks like an Arabian beauty. After Jennifer Lopez's, the next best in the world is Shriya's. You know what I am talking about - do you?
Storyline as stated before is about a person who has ESP. You'd kinda feel stupid when you already know the climax of the movie before the intermission. I definitely got that feeling and I was totally annoyed, bored and sick. But then, why are some directors successful to a large extent. They simply know their audience well. The same principle applies here. Although I guessed what was going to happen in the end, the end was still worth it.
Dual roles - good cop and bad cop. What I didn't like about the bad cop was he turning a new leaf after hearing to a small sentimental speech about sex, love and relationships from Shriya. That portion sucked big time. I think that was the only option available for a screenplay that had already dragged people out of their chairs. Literally - a running out of time situation.
Songs - AR Rahman proves himself time and time again. This time a lot of techno and folk music. ARR hates to do a remix, but fine. The director probably asked for it. "Ponmagal Vandaal" did the needful. This season is a remix season. Every movie has one remix song and ARR gave his contribution. "Madhuraikku Pogatha" and "Valayapatti Tamizhe" are very Indian, rather I should say South Indian. Local music instruments dominated. "Nee Marilyn Monroe" was totally on the other side of the spectrum. Completely disco types and very fast. Definitely foot tapping. Finally, "Kelamal Kaiyilae" - a good melody. This song reminds you of the 70s and 80s. ARR has ensured that the female voice brings out that emotion but maintained the music with the current trend.
Comedy doesn't make you roll on the floor because I could sense that everyone from Vijay till the light boy has tried something in the movie - I mean, to make people laugh and it worked only for some.
Bottom line: Watch this movie only if you are a Vijay fan. A generalist will not find any sense in this movie. A music lover will like the songs and the choreography.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Fiction: Summer holidays - I
Green, green and green everywhere. That small village in Kerala. Two more months for the monsoon. The cool weather was just setting in. Few more minutes to sunrise and in that dim light, you could see the tiny roads with farmlands on either side. The village was ready to begin a new day. Men, women and children were walking to the bathing ghat near the river. The women and children had a separate bathing ghat. "Don't go too far into the water Murali. The crocodile will catch you!" - said Gita Atthai*. It was her technique to keep the children from going deep into the water. But Murali was determined to take a good swim. It was his summer holidays, away from home and he knew that he will not get the freedom to do anything anywhere other than at their Atthai's home. Murali and Rajesh (his brother) were totally excited. Atthai's home and village was like a camp site for all their escapades.
Ramesh was busy. He had a new toy for himself. It was a large coconut leaf. He was using it like a vehicle. Sitting on the thicker end, he would give a signal to Pappu, who was his friend at the village, to drag him over a short distance. It was total enjoyment for him. The city paved no opportunity for such small pleasures.
Playing time near the river was over. The children started walking back to their house crossing the fields. Shankunni, a farmer in his forties, was busy working at the field. The field was full of tapioca. He saw the children walking across the field. He waved to them, quickly pulled out some fresh tapioca and took it to them. Everybody at the village respected Murali's grandfather. He was called Saami (colloquial for Brahman). Most of the land that the farmers plowed belonged to Saami's family. The children of the house were a delight to the villagers.
The siren from the nearby factory had just sounded. That was a signal to most people. The three sirens for the various shifts in one day signified morning, noon and evening for villagers.
*atthai - dad's sister
Ramesh was busy. He had a new toy for himself. It was a large coconut leaf. He was using it like a vehicle. Sitting on the thicker end, he would give a signal to Pappu, who was his friend at the village, to drag him over a short distance. It was total enjoyment for him. The city paved no opportunity for such small pleasures.
Playing time near the river was over. The children started walking back to their house crossing the fields. Shankunni, a farmer in his forties, was busy working at the field. The field was full of tapioca. He saw the children walking across the field. He waved to them, quickly pulled out some fresh tapioca and took it to them. Everybody at the village respected Murali's grandfather. He was called Saami (colloquial for Brahman). Most of the land that the farmers plowed belonged to Saami's family. The children of the house were a delight to the villagers.
The siren from the nearby factory had just sounded. That was a signal to most people. The three sirens for the various shifts in one day signified morning, noon and evening for villagers.
*atthai - dad's sister
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Om Shanti Om - Bollywood Potpourri
Om Shanti Om - the diwali blockbuster directed by Farah Khan was a post diwali trial for me. I usually don't watch hindi movies. I kind of stick to tamil movies - fact is that there are so many getting released that you literally don't get the time. But, for no reason, this is my second hindi movie in a week and my god, I don' wanna be doing anything like this again.
For some reasons, OSO is a good movie. We'll see all that good parts in bits and pieces as we try and strip this movie. The adaptation of the 70s was excellent. Movie begins with Chintu Uncle and his famous OSO song which sets the right mood and tempo for the movie. Excellent work by the editing team. We definitely know that the video being shown is an old piece, but the seamless plugging in of that with the film is quite commendable. And this is not just here, it continues for a few more songs in the first half.
SRK is a junior artist who aims to be a superstar. He is truly, madly, and deeply in love with Shantipriya (Deepika Padukone). Wow, this woman is definitely someone to watch out for. This is her first film and her screen presence makes you flabbergasted. The first half is just the 70s. Most things about the first half of the movie reminds you of what your mom and dad would have witnessed in the theater or within their friends circle - bell bottoms, step cut and wave cut hair-style, checked trousers in bright colors, wide belts with large metal buckles, cute gowns and frocks with polka dots, tight fitting salwars with filigree at the sleeves and neck lines, color matching earrings and bindis. In between all this, I noticed the Ovaltine Ad too. Remember this drink?
SRK takes a dig at everything - the whole industry, the way it works, the filmfare awards, the fits that people throw and some at himself too. At one point he says "overacting to mere khandaan me hi hai" (overacting runs in the blood). And then comes other stuff like "Phir bhi dil hai NRI". The name sentiment is perhaps the best. We know for a fact that a number of heroes - both yesterday and today have changed their original names to what we know them today as. Om Prakash Makhija (SRK) is another one who wants to do that but is not successful.
Kiron Kher is the mother and she is definitely overacting. The SRK Syndrome? She is a painful mother who is so annoyingly loving and caring. Maybe SRK needs such people in his team.
Deepika Padukone (DP) is going to be serious competition for Priyanka Chopra. At 5ft 9in, she is stunning and her smile is so fresh like a breeze after a monsoon. It gives you an eternal feeling. OSO is more an SRK movie - its completely about the hero, but still Deepika plays a very important role and the plot of the movie is around her. DP has totally worked on her style. She has perfected the seventies art of walking and smiling. The turning of head and waving of hands is just flawless. In effect, she is trying to bring back to us the Asha Parekh, Tanuja, Sharmila Tagore, Zeenat etc. And she does a good job in that role. There is one scene where they play badminton. The men in white and women in colorful salwars. A typical 70s setup - more love and less lust.
First half of the movie goes on at an interesting pace and suddenly we realize that an intermission is perhaps best and then the whole drama begins. Within 15 to 20 minutes, we are done and its time for a break. I have no plans of writing the story here.
The Alchemist Philosophy holds good - "when you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true."
Songs are amazing, but the story line does not have any depth. Its totally on the surface and everyone is skating on it till the end. Parts of the movie remind you of Kamal Hassan's superhit film Enakkul Oruvan. Then some parts are like the English movie Grease - don't ask me why. Its just a thought that I got. Then the next is The Phantom of the Opera. The bungalow scene, the lights, the staircase and the chandelier aren't anything phenomenal. All of that looks like an adaptation of the Opera movie. At some places, even the musical notes are comparable.
Well OSO serves one purpose. If a tourist asked what he could take from India as a Bollywood Souvenir, then they can probably buy a copy of this movie. Every top star in Bollywood has made a guest appearance in this movie. So he or she can go back to their country and show a glimpse of Bollywood.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Jab We Met - Balle Balle Love
Yeah, so the main theme here is the boy-meets-girl story. But Imtiaz Ali, the director has taken it to an extra level. Its not the typical boy-meets-girl and then emotional love, separation, songs etc.
I havent watched Socha Na Tha, which is also another Imtiaz Ali movie. From what I know, that is also a boy-meets-girl movie. I hate such themes. I always think - why cant bollywood directors and screenplay writers learn from malayalam movies or even tamil movies - offlate a few of them have been really good. Most Hindi movies are just extravagant and bombastic - nothing else.
Okay, when JWM started, I didnt know what was happening or rathe, what was going to happen. Well, we know that Shahid (Aditya) has to meet Kareena (Geet) somewhere and something has to happen. But that took some time. When Geet started her dialogue, which only stopped almost close to the intermission, I was totally annoyed and irritated. Aditya tries everything he can to shut her up and leave him alone - nothing works. She is almost stuck to him like a leech but later we see that she brings about a positive change in him.
At one point, Aditya explains to Geet about his past. That's one emotional drama. You are almost deciding that this movie is also taking the same dramatic turn, but thank god, that doesnt happen. Both characters have a very good sense of humor and that lives throughout the film.
In the second half, roles change. Geet gets dumped by her boyfriend and ends up lonely. Aditya takes her shoes and becomes the enthusiastic, can we say, boyfriend.
Other things that I almost liked - the friendship between Aditya and Geet. They almost understand each other so well and are affectionate. They accept each other's life even when there are failures. There is no sad music in the background when one leaves the other, no coming back and hugging each other. The next thing is the songs. You must hear to the one below. This is perhaps my favorite.
Few things do stand out in this movie - we still have the Punjabi family that is hopping, dancing and partying a lot. Then they worry a lot. We do have loud uncles, but thank god, we dont have a crying mom. But they are not painful to the eye. Also, elders in the movie are not troubling the flow of the movie by being extra emotional. Their roles are justified. But we know that most family settings in Punjab, atleast from the Hindi movies, are highly ornate. And to support that argument, we have colorful lehengas and huge bungalows. The best part is the usage of the washing machine to prepare lassi. Thank god, I dont remember seeing butter chicken.
On the other hand, there is a lot of insight that this movie provides - especially in the character of Kareena Kapoor (in the initial half). She comes across as someone who is not shying away from the difficulties that a person would face. She is cheerful, bold enough to be blunt and open about what she wants. She is a breeze of confidence and that encourages Shahid to change himself and his lifestyle. Problems do not mean that its the end of the world. The key is to remain determined and confidently happy to face these blocks and strive to be successful. If you keep brooding over your past, its not going to make anything about your future better.
I havent watched Socha Na Tha, which is also another Imtiaz Ali movie. From what I know, that is also a boy-meets-girl movie. I hate such themes. I always think - why cant bollywood directors and screenplay writers learn from malayalam movies or even tamil movies - offlate a few of them have been really good. Most Hindi movies are just extravagant and bombastic - nothing else.
Okay, when JWM started, I didnt know what was happening or rathe, what was going to happen. Well, we know that Shahid (Aditya) has to meet Kareena (Geet) somewhere and something has to happen. But that took some time. When Geet started her dialogue, which only stopped almost close to the intermission, I was totally annoyed and irritated. Aditya tries everything he can to shut her up and leave him alone - nothing works. She is almost stuck to him like a leech but later we see that she brings about a positive change in him.
At one point, Aditya explains to Geet about his past. That's one emotional drama. You are almost deciding that this movie is also taking the same dramatic turn, but thank god, that doesnt happen. Both characters have a very good sense of humor and that lives throughout the film.
In the second half, roles change. Geet gets dumped by her boyfriend and ends up lonely. Aditya takes her shoes and becomes the enthusiastic, can we say, boyfriend.
Other things that I almost liked - the friendship between Aditya and Geet. They almost understand each other so well and are affectionate. They accept each other's life even when there are failures. There is no sad music in the background when one leaves the other, no coming back and hugging each other. The next thing is the songs. You must hear to the one below. This is perhaps my favorite.
Few things do stand out in this movie - we still have the Punjabi family that is hopping, dancing and partying a lot. Then they worry a lot. We do have loud uncles, but thank god, we dont have a crying mom. But they are not painful to the eye. Also, elders in the movie are not troubling the flow of the movie by being extra emotional. Their roles are justified. But we know that most family settings in Punjab, atleast from the Hindi movies, are highly ornate. And to support that argument, we have colorful lehengas and huge bungalows. The best part is the usage of the washing machine to prepare lassi. Thank god, I dont remember seeing butter chicken.
On the other hand, there is a lot of insight that this movie provides - especially in the character of Kareena Kapoor (in the initial half). She comes across as someone who is not shying away from the difficulties that a person would face. She is cheerful, bold enough to be blunt and open about what she wants. She is a breeze of confidence and that encourages Shahid to change himself and his lifestyle. Problems do not mean that its the end of the world. The key is to remain determined and confidently happy to face these blocks and strive to be successful. If you keep brooding over your past, its not going to make anything about your future better.
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