Urumi-Pathinaindhaam Nootraandu Uraivaal-Movie Review-Tamil-2012

One of the most significant historical Indian events. The discovery of the subcontinent by Vasco Da Gama. Which laid firm shackles of iron, that would only loosen centuries later. A side of the traveller, your history books didnt want to deal with. The sparks for an independance movement, the pioneering patriotism of the few. Seen from atop a beautiful perch, God’s own country.

A bane about historical movies, is that they might either be epic-level long, or decisively short. Urumi falls under the second category. Good thing not much of the history was tampered for story’s sake. Then comes the screenplay. I must say it left me with a mixed feeling, because it was not evenly paced. Some events, like the rise of a hero to a superhero or the birth of the independance movement seemed hurried and less impactful. But what impresses mighty is the direction. Every character is perfectly researched, and doesn’t inch more than what it has be. Beautifully laced humour. And the very advantage of being a cinematography God; Every frame in this film can be singled out, and still you wouldnt mind staring at it for a couple of minutes. Visually, just striking!

The next biggest redeemer for this film comes in the form of refined performances. Right from the suavely heroic Prithviraj, to a very natural Prabhu Deva to a tough Arya to a very poignant Genelia to a sweet Nithya Menon. Especially Genelia, the woman turns out to be a complete revelation as Ayesha, the female warrior, which is a stark retort to every director who slowly shaped her into the stereotype of a bubbly girl. The portrayal of Vasco Da Gama and his son are equally endearing and convincing too.

The songs by Deepak Dev come as occasional dampeners. Though I kind of liked the semi-item number for Vidya Balan. Just about the way it is integrated into the script. The score, mostly seems to be inspired, and hence uninspiring for those who can revert it back to the source <read Hans Zimmer>. Some fabulous stunt choreography, over there, that I’ll even forgive that Guy-Ritchie-Sherlock referenced scene where Prabhu Deva carefully plans and single-handedly brings Vasco’s son down to the ground, and all that Zack Synder’ized slo-mo wars. The cinematography just speaks volumes with the lush greens, and bright yellows. Production Design is just perfect. And surprisingly, the CG at places is seamless.

The Tamil dub is neat, doesnt hamper your movie experience in any way. Free of much distraction. A little more insight could have been done though, into the Tamil of the period. Sometimes, it just felt inauthentic.

Despite seeming longer than its actual run-time, there are flashes of brilliance and the hands of a daft master there. Especially the handling of the present scenes, a metaphysical representation of reincarnation, or be it the narration of Arya’s tale or many more. Santosh Sivan MUST make more movie a year. And just for this simple reason, I think Urumi deserves to be caught on the big screen.

One of the most spellbinding movies in recent times!
Rating : 8/10

P.S : Vidya Balan almost turned out to be the Rajnikanth, Urumi never had; judging by the ovation she got for her intro. Great performance despite that limited time. And she dubbed for herself I guess. YES! Go watch it for Vidya, go!

What went so wrong with ’3′ ?

Go say to someone you liked the movie ’3′. Chances are
(i) People assume you are mentally unstable
(ii) People assume you are a severe fanboy of Dhanush or Shruthi Haasan.

There’s also a third one, you actually meet someone who liked the movie too. But the odds are pretty slim. But when you do, you realize all of us who liked the film, still wonder what went so wrong? What brought so much hate toward the film?

The first half set a beautiful pavement for building what the characters were. What Ram was, what Janani was, what their love was, their friends, their parents, the uncannily smooth sea before impending disaster. The entire romance is beautifully stringed, with a seamless coating of humour, courtesy Sivakarthikeyan; that doesnt hamper proceedings in any way. But it almost seemingly promises you quite a family entertainer, but for those intermittent flash-forwards (w.r.t the scenes) of Janani crying over Ram’s death. To those who expected something else, the single biggest blow to the layman came. A sea-change.

A guest-coming-from-nowhere feel crops up. And this changes the movie radically, probably a la Selvaraghavan takes up a happy Mani Ratnam movie. The first half, I must say was incredibly realistic, and dignified. It is in the second half, as the track changes, most fell for the emotional inertia that it just didnt matter whatever kind of sadness Aishwarya wanted to creep into the story suddenly. People just wanted it to stay the true entertainer, which just didnt happen and hence didnt appease a lot. And, the issue of bipolar disorder. Am not even sure if it was an authentic portrayal of the mental disease, and even in a logical viewpoint, the disorder in Ram wasnt sufficiently grounded through his earlier years, but what makes it one-of-its-kind is the distinct performance by Dhanush. Distinct in the sense, refreshingly different from a similar role in his previous Mayakkam Enna. Which was totally surprising!

Man, you can’t just say this fellow is lucky. He turns up a stunner of a performance, I’d say on par with his Aadukalam which brought him the highest national award for histrionics.  Aishwarya might have lost a slight grip over the screenplay a little in the second half, but the dose of realism is ever there. Even in the climactical suicide scene. Such poignancy; Dhanush just chews up that entire scene and sets up an air of unnatural aura assosciated to death. I must say Shruthi Haasan gave her best too. A lot of people blame her for just crying throughout the film, which is just false. Her performance was above just that, did break a lot of hearts. Much underrated.

Daft handling of a romance and the chaotic side of the human being too. It was just that the two halves werent meant to be together, the jinx brought bad luck to comercially what ’3′ was expected to be. But what matters the most to me, and probably to Aishwaryaa too, would be that her film rose much about the universal phenomenon that ‘Why this Kolaveri Di?’ was. Which is much more than what anyone would expect from a debutante director. Kudos!

This article also appeared in the Pulse72+ Blog here http://pulse72plus.com/blog/?p=511

Gangs Of Wasseypur – Music Review (2012)

Over time, I’ve resorted to reviewing lazily, and mostly reviewing when inspired. Now this album really flushed in a lot of inspiration. So a music review, after a real long time.

Jiya Tu starts off eerily, to then blast off with the amazing electric guitar work and Manoj Tiwari’s soulful rendition. Crowdpuller feel written all over, and extremely catchy. Womaniya is sheer wonder, an extremely addictive concoction of rustic vocals against a very unusual choice of instruments and thumping beats, while Womaniya Live is the true folk version of the same that’s equally endearing. Soona Kar Ke Gharwa comes as quite a minimalist tune, with great vocals from Sujeet, while Loonga Loonga and Aey Jawanon seem to be thematic pieces structured in intriguing randomness, ranging from folk to dubstep. Tain Tain To To is pristine fun written all over, the composer must have had a ball doing this, and all the balls to send this for the final album copy too. The horns team up with the vocal ramblings to make this so enjoyable! Bhaiyya is a brilliant superimposition of haunting vocals over Carribean beats, behind a blaring synthscap,. performed by the Musahars of Sundarpur. With a very peculiar arrangement, and vocals that effortlessly transcend over various scales, Amit Trivedi and Sneha turn Keh Ke Lunga into nothing short of a masterpiece. Energetic and dark, quite a mood it draws around itself. Filled with crazy lyrics and crazier sounds, Hunter is instantly likeable, and definitely the material that’s gonna make it viral. Sneha once again amazes with all that she seamlessly assimilates from various corners of the world, the Chutney music of Trinidad&Tobago against the unheard timbres of rural singers for the Hindi lyrics.

The last two pieces of the album, composed by Piyush Mishra; Ik Bagal is amazingly ethereal, with soulful lyrics. While Manmauji is a throwback to a past era of music, in all terms, tune and mixing. And beautiful singing there by Usri Banerjee, besides some pleasant tabla and flute work.

The biggest victory for this album is it has reinvented innovaton. In every way. Right from crazy arrangements, to very quirky instumentation, to totally fresh vocals. Sneha Khanwalkar shows the touch of a master in shaping sound, desirably and exotically. A bow to all the research that went behind grabbing all the authentic sounds we hear in the album, as well as the ones synthesized, especially the very themed sirens that we hear in almost every song. Piyush Mishra is equally impressive in the two songs he has composed. Nothing much to complain about, just mindblowing music! Probably the most complete album since Rockstar.

The Avengers – (Movie Review)

Starring : Robert Downey Jr. Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johanson, Samuel Jackson..
Directed by Joss Whedon
Produced by Kevin Feige
Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures

Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D sense grave danger coming to earth in en masse to Earth in the form of Loki and his army. What exactly he has to do is assemble a team of superheroes, who in unison can undo all the possibilities of grave apocalypse to zero.

To put it simply, We have the very Jack Sparrow’ish Tony Stark/Iron Man, a mundane Captain America, the Black Widow (who just needs a 9mm pistol to save the world), straight-from-the-forest Hawkeye, demigod Thor and the incredible Hulk. And the fundamental theme of Good vs Evil. And with due spoiler alerts. Good wins.

What is pathetic with this superhero flick is that it doesn’t have a credibly engaging story. Until the climax, the movie just meanders around, something like a warm-up to a great workout. Only thing is the warmup is longer than the workout itself. Such a haphazardly designed screenplay, that picks up momentum only in the final 30 climactical minutes.

But the climax action-set-piece in itself is worth every penny you pay for the ticket. Magnificient in the choreography, this one has been taken good care by Whedon who otherwise tries to level the rest of the movie with it, in the garb of dialogue comedy. Yes. Agreed the dialogues are striking, witty. But is does that make up for a great superhero movie? NO! Not even the Hulk-Loki smash would make up for it.

The 3D I believe is a gimmick. I had to find this screen playing a 2D version of this one after so much difficulty. But do go for the 3D, if you fancy a long sword apparently going close to your glasses for some 3 seconds or so. Sick scripting redeemed by slick action. This Avengers Assemble gives this mixed feeling on my head.

P.S: And I see, this has become one of the most over-rated of films all-time.

We Bought A Zoo – Movie Review

Starring : Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson
Directed by Cameron Crowe
Produced by Cameron, Marc, Julie Yorn
Distributed by 20^th Century Fox

Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon), widowed recently, with his seven-year old daughter Rosie and a 14-year old son Dylan is on the lookout for a new house to move into. And when they find the exact dream house they wouldn’t compromise for anything, the shock of a lifetime comes in the form of a zoo. The owner of the house, must also manage the decaying animal park behind and make it into the quintessential national park hitting every benchmark against all odds.

What is so lovely about this film, is gives this constant feel-good factor. So bubbly and alive characters, a masterstroke putting the Bourne star in this role. Besides them the ever ethereal Scarlett Johannson as one of the caretakers, and brilliant, steady characterization throughout. Handles some hard areas like a mother’s death and daddy issues with sensitivity, and pretty cool too. Honestly speaking, speaking something bad about this film makes me feel bad, but yes. A little bit of drama could’ve been toned down, and the story didn’t have to be cheesy. Okay put that blame on the novel-writer Benjamin.

Nevertheless, this one is a unique entry into Cameron Crowe’s graph. You still don’t buy all my reasons? Watch this scene where the girl kid proclaims ‘We Bought A Zoo!’. You see that innocence in that voice? That is the voice of the film. Innocent, and impeccable

P.S : This was actually based on the book by Benjamin Mee himself, on the novel of the same name. It chronicles the adventures of his kids and his self.

Titanic 3D

Starring : Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet
Directed by James Cameron
Produced by James, Jon Landou
Distributed by Paramount Pictures, 20^th Century Fox

The eternal love saga of our generation. How many times have we seen this movie, knowing the pathetic length hitting over 3 hours? Why of all this one? Because there’s a sense of reality in the Jack-Rose romance. Because there’s so much reality about the sinking ship. There’s so much of striking reality that you wouldn’t have seen before this flick. That is what makes Titanic one of the cult movies of this generation. And there came the same director few years back, giving us what would then set new standards for CG and the 3D format. Avatar. But why don’t you spare your own classic, Cameron?

3D is one hell of a format, in every literal sense. You wear a pair of glasses that you’d never have before to see something 10% more real, sit uncomfortably, keep twitching, check how good it looks without them, and so much more. What is the point in it? Are you here to watch the movie? Or look at what good technology can churn? And the sad part is even the good technology is wasted, the post-conversion is strenuous and results in pretty bad results which come in the garb of a new format, and apparently interest movie-goers so much! Maybe a partial exception in the case of post-processing can be given to Titanic.

The 3D is not so pathetically bad. Great efforts had been taken to restore the print back into one of stereoscopic format. I did fall for a few well-done sequences. But still, doesn’t convince me. And 3.10 hrs is too long for comfortable 3D viewing, I had to pop in an aspirin midway. Bad for your eyes! But nevertheless, if you want to relive the experience of watching a classic, or if you have watched it only on small screens. Just. Don’t. Miss. This.

This Means War-Movie Review

Starring : Chris Pine, Tom Hardy, Reese Witherspoon
Directed by McG
Produced by Simon Kinberg, Will Smith
Distributed by 20^th century Fox

This Means What? This is a spy-cum-romance comedy flick, yes. CIA Agents and besties, Foster (Chris Pine) and and Tuck (Tom Hardy) hit upon the same girl and there starts a warfor the girl, that even involves CIA fellow-agents as a tool to express the ‘I-will-do-anything-to-get-my-darling’ part. But underneath all the romance, lie two men of steel who have to save the world from impending danger and mass destruction. You think the makers took the plot seriously? Hell, yes. Do you think I am sarcastic? No no, definitely not sarcasm. No.

Despite that apparently brilliant blend of two stark themes lies the true soul of the film. Humour. The script got this element written all over on it. And unlike the spy or the chick part, this actually works. And bigtime! Totally ROFLable sequences, I don’t remember laughing this much before in an American film screening.

The chemistry between the best mates is crackling, which keeps the fire going and Reese Witherspoon as the chick is definitely good enough. But take all that? This is a comedy film draped under false themes. Want to laugh your assess off? Watch right away! You really need a story? This Means War!

P.S Probably the last time you’ll be seeing Tom Hardy’s full face in a while. Of course, he is playing Bane in The Dark Knight Rises.

Starring : Chris Pine, Tom Hardy, Reese Witherspoon

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (English) – Movie Review

Starring : Daniel Craig, Rooney Maara
Directed by David Fincher
Produced by Scott Rudin ..
Distributed by Columbia Pictures

When it’s David Fincher at the helm, do you even have to ask if this is a must-watch. Abbreviated as TGWTDT, this one is a remake of the Swedish film by the same name which was an adaptation of the hugely popular book series by Steig Larrson. The first of a series of movies, this one is about the search for a missing woman primarily, which sideways introduces us to the lives of Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) and Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Maara) plagued by their demons.

A little intense with strong sexual content, yet not greatly disturbing though. This is the quintessential Fincher film in a while. Out-of-the-world visuals, cutting-edge edit and refined performances. Despite some very engaging sub-plots, the only big blow to the film is its pacing. A lazy 2hrs 45min. The story seems pretty straightforward, but the length seems to outweigh it. Probably, was it a conscious decision to make it seem like the case progress moved as close to real-time speeds? Lets give David the benefit of doubt.

For a film that really gives you an ‘experience’ on big screens, it is really sad to hear this will never release in India. All because we got hypocrites doubling up as Censor Board Officials and deciding what’s mature enough for us and what’s not. Nevertheless, find it, watch it for the engaging plot, kickass twists and the stunning visual experience (Get a 1080p rip, I promise you it’ll blow your mind)

Hugo 3D – Movie Review

Starring : Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Chloe Grace Moretz
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Produced by Graham King, Martin Scorcese, Johnny Depp
Distributed by Paramount Pictures

Hugo Cabret , a 12 year old orphan living in a railway station, is left with a notebook, an automaton from his father, which he belives has a message for him, and the remnants of lost love. One day, when he steals from Papa Georges’ (Ben Kingsley) shop, the parts required to repair the automaton, he is caught and his notebook is confiscated. What happens to his dreams of finding the message? What does he find about the people around him? Hugo delivers all these and much more.

And the legend returns! For a Scorcese film, this is rare and special ; the plot is fairy-tale-like but told with such poignancy. The resplendent array of characters add to the beauty of the railway setting. And superimposed above it, great performances (especially, the kid and Sacha Baron Cohen’s in the makeover) , sharp dialogues and out-of-the-world-cinematography (which incidentally won the Oscar for it). Not the perfect film it is though, Hugo has its share of flaws in the form of slight pacing errors and a coat of cheesiness that might just appeal to kids.

Finally, the 3D. The 3D is so good, it really sucks you into the proceedings of the film. The beautiful, lush snow-scapped Paris. And which is what makes Hugo a complete experience. And maybe I might have even better things to say about it after a 3D viewing, because this was supposedly done as an advertisement for the dying format. Whether or not Hugo was worth those mind-boggling number of nominations, Hugo is definitely great cinema, about cinema.

Shame Movie Review

Starring : Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan
Directed by Steve McQueen
Produced by Ian Canning
Distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures

The sexcapades of a loner in a world of love. His lifestyle, and the way it goes for a toss when his sister decides to stay with him indefinitely. Shame is all about these, focussed under a dark frame, a very dark one.

The plot might sound stitched for the regular grindhouse cinema, but it is emotionally on the other end of the spectrum, highly disturbing and asexual. Shame is less of a plot-driven film; The characters unravel like cameras on long-exposure mode, power to emotions!  One of the high-points of the film is when Sissy sings a sad version of New York New York from the Scorcese film of the same name, you’ll get a complete idea of what the movie is. And if you are game for the genre or not.

Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan are just phenomenal in their roles. Great cinematography and a brilliant score that lingers even on after the film ends. As said, neat writing and taut direction makes Shame hard-hitting. Steve McQueen is definitely a director to watch out for!