Second Show - First Class!

Theatre: Ajantha, Trivandrum
Show: 11.15 AM, 11-Feb-2012
Status: Upper Class - Full, First Class - Around 40%. Everybody except most probably the 2 of us were under 25!

A dream debut to be frank. Dulquer Salman, Sunny Wayne, Gauthami Nair, and Sreenath Rajendran could have never asked for a better start. A film punching above its weight. That pretty much sums up Second Show. Not a classic by any stretch of imagination.

The making is refreshing, though the treatment is inspired by the new gen films in Tamil. Those who scream for freshness in Malayalam cinema will love this film. Story is pretty much straightforward and told a dozen times, but the writer has managed to create an engaging screenplay with good dialogues. Characterization could have been better. Though Kurudi's character was nicely etched, I am inclined to give Sunny the credit given how the other characters were portrayed. Sreenath Rajendran should be the man to look out for if his irons out the little flaws and adds more stuff to his crafting repertoire. His style does remind me of RGV, more specifically Rakhtacharithra though there is little resemblance between the films.

Dulquer has good screen presence and awesome sound. Not to mention the good looks. Looks like a proper hero material given the right scripts and director. He did not look good in sentimental scenes and thankfully there are just a sequence or two. He looks exactly like a very young Mammoos when he sported a thick mustache. I am waiting for Ustad Hotel where I believe Anwar Rasheed who managed eke out great performances from the Ms will be able to bring out the best in Dulquer.

Gauthami Nair looked good and did a tidy work. Baburaj was good while he lasted. The villain looked menacing and fit the bill. The guy who played the gangster-constable was also very good.

Sunny as Kurudi is probably the brightest thing in the film. He has immense potential and could potentially be a legendary performer down the lane. Mark these words. He manages to make a character lovable which would have been overacted to the maximum by all of our young actors, none excluded. Its really nice to see some body so expressive with the face and body among the young actors.

BGM was good and the songs fit the mood quite well. Good camera work and editing. Sound design was good except for a few sections where dialogues seemed to be drowned by the background sounds.

All in all second show is an exciting movie to watch with good performances from the new faces, in front and behind the camera.

TL;DR: Second Show is an exciting movie packaged in the perfect new gen way.

Rating: Good.

Padmasree Bharat Dr. Saroj Kumar - A pain in the backside

X-posting my FK review.

Theatre: Innovative, Bangalore
Show: 10 PM, 14-Jan-2012
Status: House Full (there were a couple of people walking away without getting the tickets, they have no idea how lucky they are!)

The promos looked tacky. Sreenivasan's recent form is pretty bad. I thought even if the movie is boring there would be something to laugh at. The reviews here lowered my expectations further. Even then, I was not prepared for such a crappy film.

It looks like Sreeni wanted to badmouth the stars, especially Mohanlal. I have no qualms at Sreeni doing this if it results in a decent movie and some amount of introspection for the stars and their fans. The problem here is that the movie is pretty much a collection of badly written skits, overacted to perfection by Sreeni. Even Suraj was better in comparison!

The story is about how Saroj Kumar continues to be an ass and how he gets his ass busted by his actions. Unfortunately, the second part happens to the audience. Terrible script by anybody's standard and not just Sreeni. Its Sreeni not the superstars who need to shut shop and go away. They atleast give us a watchable movie or two every year. Direction is sub-par and not a good start to a career. Only time will tell whether its due to the interference of the "super star." Camera, editing etc didn't really make any impact whatsoever. The only portion I liked in the movie was the song Kesu. The songs were pretty good and certainly undeserving of such a stupid film.

Fahad and Vineeth did well, though Vineeth just don't have the kind of look that goes with a young and upcoming star. A big waste of Mamta. Jagathy and Mukesh also didn't have much to do, but some of their dialogues were pretty good.

Looking for positives in this movie is like searching for something in a pile of crap.

TL;DR: Padmasree Bharath Dr. Saroj Kumar is a terrible movie. Stay away unless you have a penchant for masochism.

Rating: Horrifying! (not the good kind!)

Asuravithu - A true, but flawed sequel

Theatre: Kairali, Trivandrum
Show: 11:30 AM, 6-Jan-2012
Status: Around 90% Balcony, More than 60% in FC I guess.

Stop Violence is a pioneering film in Malayalam. It showed the brutal world of quotation gangs. The habitat of soul less men. Probably the most important film in Prithviraj's career after Nandanam. Saathan, the quintessential anti-hero, still endures after nearly a decade. No better vehicle for A K Sajan to make a great comeback and for Asif Ali to showcase another dimension as an actor. While Asif Ali did what he could, Sajan simply disappoints after laying the groundwork for a promising film.

Don Bosco is Saathan' son. He was abandoned by his mother (Lena replaces Chandra Laxman) fearing for his safety from CI Stephen's father Abbaji (Vijayaraghavan), a Jew who controls the Kochi underworld. Baburaj (a priest) takes care of Don Bosco and in his youth, Don decides to become a priest. Marty (Samvrutha) is a boat owner-conductor smitten by Don. One day, Don witnesses the murder of a customs officer (Rekha) and is beaten to pulp for refusing to falsify his testimony. The incident and several altercations with Abbaji's family changes his life forever.

Asif Ali was good in the first half. No where near as fit for the character as he was for Salt n Pepper, still pretty decent. He was able to convey the emotions of a conflicted young man. In the second half, all he had to do was walk around in a suit, wear sunglasses, and dally around in jaguars and porsches. Vijayaraghavan was wasted in his role which had a lot of potential. Other villains (and villathis!) where pretty decent and did enough villainy to gather a lot of hate. Siddique was also wasted in a role which could have been utilized in a much better manner. IM Vijayan has a cameo (thankfully!), could be a takeaway from the movie, Quotation. Lena had to cry for the most part and she did an ok job. Samrutha was the usual bubbly girl and was absent in most of the second half.

AK Sajan did a decent job of connecting the films together. We rarely have proper sequels in Malayalam where the second film actually follows up on the first instead of the protagonists appearing in a different setting. He completely failed in conjuring a proper narrative. The first half was pretty ok, apart from a couple of scenes in the first half which exposes the Don for the first time to the viewer and certain inconsistencies. 2-3 good action sequences are there in the first half which are quite nice to watch. Sajan as a director and a writer fails completely in the second half. Don looks like Don from Malaysia rather than Kochi. There are some silly stuff like Don written across the screen and a "D-Company" seal displayed whenever Don makes a kill. The way things happen around Don is laughable at times. Girls keeping the umbrella over Don. People standing while Don watches a movie. People calling Don as "Bhaiyya". Don wearing a suit all the f**cking time in the heat of Kochi. If Sajan had removed at least these silly stuff, the movie would have been very much reasonable. Better yet, he could have weaved a better story. Heck, even I can think of a generic yet better story right now.

Camera work is pretty good. Technically the movie is slick. Action sequences are also good without being too over the top. No sandstorm or flying thugs here. Still pretty exciting. Asif has done a decent job in the action scenes. The pure quotation sketches are also there which I liked. BGM is loud but effective. Editing is also slick, save a couple of glaring holes towards the end.

Asuravithu is a movie which had a lot of potential. Had AK Sajan though through the movie properly, he could have made it a good one at a much lower cost. For Asif Ali, it could be a setback even after making a good effort and partly succeeding.

TL;DR: Asuravithu is flawed movie, made watchable by an intriguing first half and a couple of great action sequences.

Rating: Average to Below Average

Orkut oru Ormakoot - Good start to the year

Cross-posting my FK review. For more comments and discussions, visit FK.


Theatre - Kripa, Trivandrum
Show - 6:15 PM, 5-Jan-2012
Status - 30% Balcony

Title of the movie, though catchy, is a bit misleading. The writer-director could have used a better name instead of going for a name which was trendy over an year (or more!) ago. The plot does center around the arrival of an online friend, but the online activities are pretty minimal. The movie is more about self-discovery and coming of age.

The main protagonists are five friends living in a flat complex. Typical upper class yuppies who really doesn't care about anybody in their life and likes to goof away for most part of their lives. They enjoy their nightlife and desperately trying to get laid. All of them have issues at home, some serious and others not that much. One of them hooks up with a girl online and she decides to show up changing their lives forever. Rest of the movie centers around the mysterious girl and her journey of self-discovery with the help of the youngsters which in turn affects them as well. I liked the way the movie ended. Quite touching to be honest. Though some of the ends could have been tied up in a better fashion.

The five guys have acted pretty decently. Nothing mind blowing but competent enough for their roles. Rima has done a good job. The role is right up her alley and she does well barring a few sequences towards the end. The casting is pretty good and there are a lot of small characters which add life to the movie. Sreejith Ravi, Siddique, Menaka (though too much of a weepie-do), Kaviyoor Ponnama, and a couple of other young actresses have done pretty well.

Direction is pretty good for a first timer. The first half is quite enjoyable while the second half feels a bit stuffy and some disruptions to the overall flow. Screenplay written by the director is to be blamed since there were far too many tangents in the script. Placement of certain songs in the second half didn't help much either. The film dragged for a good 15 minutes more than what was required. Over all, had script been more lucid, the movie would have been excellent. I liked some small touches by the director like different getups of Kaviyoor Ponnamma in one of the boy's dream sequences.

Upper class cliche is liberally available in the film. Flat neighbours not caring about each other. Parents who doesn't care about kids and vice versa. Usage of certain slang and english words in conversations etc. Same kind of stuff in reverse can be seen in the village scenes. If you can sit through these cliches (which may be true to an extent), the dialogues are pretty fine. I liked the palakkadan slang in the village sequences and some of the dialogues between the boys were quite witty.

Camera work is pretty good and the production values are quite good for a movie with debutants and a dominant female lead. There was some animation work during the titles which could have been avoided. But they do seem to sync with the mood of the initial phase. Editing is crisp during the first half and slightly choppy towards the end. Songs were decent, but there were far too many in the second half.

Orkut oru Ormakoot is a good start in 2012 for Malayalam cinema. The commercial success is a question mark. If Johny Sagariga cannot make this movie a hit, I don't think anybody else can.

TL;DR: Orkut oru Ormakoot is an entertaining film with a good plot, decent execution, and fresh situations.

Rating: Good.

Arabiyum Ottakkavum P.Madhavan Nairum - Not the ideal swan song

Cross-posting my FK review. For more comments and discussions, visit FK.

Theatre: Innovative Multiplex
Show: 19-Dec-2011, 10 PM
Status: 25-30%

An insipid effort from Priyan for a movie touted to be his last comedy film in Malayalam. AOPMN shows the skill of Priyan as a Director. Out of nothingness, he created a tolerable movie with a few laughs along the way. Some of them felt natural, while some of them felt forced. Not the kind of stuff that we expect after a long hiatus from a celebrated film maker.

Script is stitched together from a couple (or more!) Hollywood flicks and scenes from old Priyan movies. Priyan could have chosen a much better script for his return. Had the movie been directed by someone else (and the dialogues) and did not have Mohanlal and Mukesh in it, we could have safely added this to the crap list. Dialogues are quite witty at places and evokes a chuckle or two.

Mohanlal did well as Madhavan Nair. Nice expressions and voice modulation. I would say his character was underwritten and not worthy enough for someone of his caliber. His range remained un-utilised for most part. The romance sequences with Laxmi Rai where cringe-worthy. He looked the part of a near forty year old (the movie says PMN came to gulf 13 years back. I want to assume he came when he was 26/27), but the romance scenes where not fit for someone of his age. Really hope we don't get more of these dished out. The same holds true for the other M as well. Mukesh was good and had a more rounded character. The chemistry between Lal and Mukesh was really good and is a major factor in making the movie rise above itself. Bhavana was good and Lakshmi Rai was her usual dummy self. It was sad to see Mamukkoya, Innocent and co wasted away. Suraj was decent and did not do much harm.

Camera work is good at places, especially the desert sequences are a treat to the eye. Editing is a bit shoddy. I liked the remixed Good, Bad, Ugly BGM. Otherwise, the BGM is a little under par with criminal under use in many places.

All in all, the movie is a disappointing fare and strictly middling. I hope that team that gave so many wonderful films go out on a bang with a good movie backed by a good script than a whimper that is AOPMN.

TL;DR: AOPMN is an average movie that you can watch, just for a few laughs and the magical chemistry between Mohanlal and Mukesh.

Rating: Average

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - Kickass action all the way

Theatre: Prasad IMAX, Hyderabad
Show: 17-Dec-2011, 6 PM
Status: Housefull

I saw the movie in IMAX format (30 minutes shot for IMAX) and it was breathtaking. One of the most surreal moments in a movie theatre I have ever witnessed was the Burj Khalifa sequence in the movie. I felt as if I am hanging from the building and nearly had a vertigo. The movie is filled with such visceral sequences both pleasing to the eye and raises the pulse.

Story starts when IMF breaks Hunt out of a Russian prison. Hunt accepts his first mission post jail-break and all hell breaks lose. The US President invokes the Ghost Protocol, which essentially defangs Hunt and his team. Rest of the movie captures how Hunt and his team saves the world from the apocalypse while kicking ass across countries.

Tom Cruise eases back into the role of Ethan Hunt as if the last MI (I haven't bothered to watch 3, so I am talking about 2 here) was yesterday. The looks, charisma, and physique remain the same. Jeremy Renner also did well as Hunt's sidekick. I was a little disappointed that he didn't get more screen space that he truly deserves. Other actors fit into the jigsaw perfectly. Anil Kapoor had a decent cameo, but I was expecting a bit more of him.

Script is well written and tight enough for a blockbuster action movie. The pacing is excellent and the movie leaves you craving for more action. The last MI film I watched certainly didn't leave me with that feeling. Direction is top notch. The Burj Khalifa sequence is probably one of the best shots I have seen in a very long time. Couple of goofups though. The Mumbai cars had "MH" at the end of their number. In the climax scenes (supposedly in Mumbai), some of the doors have Kannada or Telugu written on them instead of Hindi. Cinematography is brilliant aided by a wonderful VFX team. You could feel and smell the outlandish action sequences. They felt that real. Sound editing was good and BGM followed the usual MI path.

Watching a no-nonsense action flick is getting rarer these days and MI gives us exactly that.

TL;DR: MI: Ghost Protocol is essentially a big screen watch. Watch and blow your minds off.

Rating: Terrific!

Beautiful - The title sums it up!

Cross-posting my FK review. Visit FK for more discussions.

Theatre: Innovative Multiplex
Show: 8 PM, 11-Dec-2011
Status: Nearly a full house.

This year has been a good year for our cinema. A handful of good flicks a class apart from the usual fare dished out by our filmmakers over the last few years. Beautiful ends the year on a really high note just like what Traffic did in the beginning of this year.

Beautiful can be summed up as a writers movie. Anoop Menon has a done a great job in the screenplay and more importantly, the dialogues. Refreshing and natural are the two words that come into my mind. The language spoken by an average, educated Malayali. The kind of conversations that I would have with a friend. The kind of jokes that we would crack in our midst. Special props for the Aishwarya Rai sequence. We used to play the same prank on our friends in a more sadistic manner. He could have done better towards the end as the flow seems to disrupt a bit. But you can take nothing away from the man. Full marks for his penmanship. Love the way he puts in Mohanlal references in his scripts (Cocktail and now this). I hope we get a movie with Lal written by Anoop Menon on a subject several notches lighter than Pakalnakshathrangal.

VKP has often given us exciting frames but not a good movie as a whole. This is definitely his best work. Rain scenes were sheer poetry.

Jayasuriya has done well as Stephen. A great performance from probably the most improved actor of this generation. Anoop Menon was good and Meghna looked delectable. Nandu provided with good laughs and other cast members did justice to their roles.

Beautiful shows that a movie shot and released in a limited a span of time at an extremely low budget can probably be one of the best in terms of aesthetics and entertainment.

Do yourself a favour and go watch the movie at the theatre. Else you miss out one of the best films this year and lose your license to lament about the lack of quality films in Malayalam.

TL;DR: Beautiful is a beautiful film with enough smiles and laughs to entertain you for several days.

Rating: Brilliant

Puss in Boots - Puss passes with a good grade

Cross-posting my FK review. Visit FK for more discussions.

Theatre: Rex, Bangalore
Show: 10:55 AM, 4-Dec-2011
Status: 10-15 people in stall

I found Puss in Boots to be the most endearing character in the Shrek universe apart from the original cast. A big factor would be Antonio Banderas and the fact that the character is cute, tabby cat. Puss in Boots looks into the life and times of the kittie outside the Shrek univerese. The origin of the Puss and his boots and of course his adventures.

The movie is shouldered by Antonio Banderas and to be frank his remarkable and earnest voicing as Puss practically saves the movie from mediocrity. He excels as the suave "swordscat". The animation is top class and follows the artwork from the Shrek universe. There are a couple of beautiful moments in the film like hitching up the beanstalk (from Jack and Jill) and the dance fight between Puss and Kitty Softpaws (voiced by Salma Hayek).

The story is pretty mediocre to be frank and follows the typical Hollywood animation formula. What makes the movie pleasing is the motley crew of characters like Jack and Jill, Golden Goose, and Humpty Dumpty! The script is stitched to fit the regular convention and the BGM is good.

In hindsight, I was expecting Puss in Boots to have a little more meat. Still its a pretty good watch.

TL;DR: Puss in Boots is a good timepass, especially for those who like the twisted fairy tale characters ala Shrek.

Rating: Good

The Adventures of Tintin - Fun ride all along

X-posting my FK review. Visit FK for further discussions.

Theatre: Lakshmi Theatre, Thaverekere
Show: 1:15 PM, 12-Sep-2011
Status: Balcony around 40%, very low in FC

Tintin makes me nostalgic. My childhood vacations where either spent playing cricket or in the bed with a book in hand. I managed to read all the Tintin books that I could lay my hands upon. I wanted all dogs that I see to be snowy. Be Tintin and travel the world on adventures. From the moon to the deep abyss of the sea. Herge had created an engaging world and pitted in a set of delightful characters.

Fast forward to mid-2000s. News breaks out about a new Tintin movie spearheaded by Spielberg and Peter Jackson. Animation and not live action. I had been waiting for this movie ever since then.

First of all, the viewing experience I had was shoddy at best. I saw Mankatha in Lakshmi Theatre and was pretty ok with it. Tintin was a colossal let down. The sound system turned out to be way too crappy. Dialogues were barely audible let alone understandable.

Moving on to the movie. Spielberg sticks to the original material. May be a little too much. Its almost like watching the Tintin cartoons that used to air on TV a few years back with some awesome tech blended in. The movie does stay more like that book and Spielberg is successful in maintaining some aspects which delighted like that comic. The pickpocket scene comes to mind immediately. Similarly, the chase scene in the Emir's palace was breathtaking. Immensely rich visuals packed with a shot of adrenaline and the stamp of Herge humour all over it. Snowy's actions in certain scenes are a delight to watch. Follow the pooch closely and you will be rewarded!

Voice actors have done a good job (I think!). Tintin was perfectly voiced and Andy Serkis as Haddok, took some time to get used to, but he does deliver some striking stuff in the flashback scenes. Thomson and Thompson were a perfect fit and so was Castiafiora. The singing scene was sensational.

The story is derived from three Tintin books and they have been seamlessly merged creating a single, strong narrative. I really wish they create at least 2 more movies based on the books.

3D technology was really good to see in certain places and the animation is top notch. Tintin and Haddock feels strangely real. Snowy is beautifully done. The animators deserve a huge applause just for snowy. Captures the essence completely from the book.

TL;DR: The Adventures of Tintin is a delightful movie blessed with top notch animation and captures the essence of the original material.

Rating: Excellent.

In Time - In sync with these times

X-posting my FK review. Visit FK for further discussions.

Theatre: Fame Cinemas, Bangalore
Show: 7:45 PM, 5-Nov-2011
Status: House Full

In Time has a very interesting premise. A future where time is literally money and humans are immortals. There is a catch though. Your clock starts ticking at the age of 25. You have 1 more year on the clock that you can spend or live. You need to work hard for the entire life and earn time to stay alive. The land is divided into time zones where the rich and powerful stay in the upper echelons in comfort and the poor struggle to sustain their life in ghetto like time zones.

The protagonist played by Justin Timberlake lives in a ghetto with her mother. He is 27 and his mother is in her 25th anniversary of turning 25. They literally live minute to minute. His life turns upside down one day when a man arrives in the ghetto with over 100 years on his clock. What follows form the core of the movie.

The movie alludes to the current situation in our world economy. The economic powerhouses built on top of debt or paper money which has no intrinsic value. Everything driven by the greed of a few powerful corporations. Humanity treated secondary to profit. I could really connect to the movie in its allegory, %with the occupywallstreet protests and debates on 99% taking place in the USA.

Justin Timberlake is good as the hero. Other actors were pretty decent. Amanda Seinfried is stunning and played a good part as the rich, rebellious girl.

The styling of the movie is good. Realistic future blended with a retro style. Absence of cell phones is the main thing I notice. Could be deliberate. The screenplay tends to get generic and move away from the powerful underlying thought in the thread. Will not bore you for sure. Direction is good. BGM and camera work are pretty standard and engaging enough. Visually, the movie does not offer any excesses and relies on the normal, realistic setting.

At the end of the day, you do get the feeling that the movie could have offered a lot more with the kind of thread it has. But it does entertain you and is a good watch.

TL;DR: In Time is a good scifi thriller with a powerful allegory relevant to our times.

Rating: Good

Velayudham - Just for the mass!

X-posting my FK review. Visit FK for more discussion.

Theatre: Innovative Multiplex, Bangalore
Show: 10 PM, 29-Oct-2011
Status: 80-90%

After getting torn by 7aam Arivu and Ra.One and blowing 500 Rs, I was reluctant to go for Velayudham. Picked up my pieces and went to the movie thanks to peer pressure. The movie does not disappoint. It offers what you expect from a Vijay movie. Gravity defying stunts, quite a few comedy numbers, larger than life hero, and luscious women, all tied into a neat package.

Vijay does what he does best and is entertaining. Thanks to KPN, I have watched most of the bad films from Vijay 5-6 times and this is a welcome relief. Hansika is gorgeous and I got my money's worth from just watching her prance around the screen. Genelia is subdued and a decent role for her. Saranya was good as Vijay's sister. Santhanam was quite funny without going overboard. The baddies fit the bill neatly. Thumbs up for casting Abhimanyu Singh. Downright menacing.

Direction is pretty good. Cinematography and editing adequate to keep with the pace of the movie. Screenplay is tailor made for larger than life heroism and succeeds in that respect. Velayudham costume could have been better without the obvious Assassins Creed inspiration.

At the end of the day, you get what you pay for. 2-3 hours of mindless entertainment. Switch off your brains and enjoy the ride.

TL;DR: Velayudham is a fairly enjoyable Tamil masala flick which does not stray away from a successful formula.

Rating: Decent masala flick.

Ra.One : Dumb Film. Brilliant Technology

X-posting my FK review. Visit FK more discussions.

Show: 9:45 PM, 28-Oct-2011
Theatre: Rex, Bangalore
Status: Barely 30% in FC, 80% in Balcony (FC has a lot more seats)

The only redeeming factor about this movie is the technical brilliance. Visual effects were spot on. Near perfection in most of scenes. VFX team, take a bow!

Story is as dumb as it comes. Dumbness follows one after the other. International technology demo in Hindi where most delegates are foreigners! Video game which has 3(!) levels and require you to do somersaults if you want to win! As an avid follower of games, this is appalling to say the least and as dumb as it can get. Kid in 2011 who is a fan of Michael Jackson! He listens to metal for god sakes! Make him a fan of Lamb of God or Maiden! But no, we need SRK to show off his MJ impersonation! Dead guy getting a christian burial and some Hindu ash dispersing! It goes on and on. The funny part is, these things can be forgiven if the plot made even a little sense.

Movie relies on stereotypes for comic relief. South Indians, fat kids, Chinese guys. Not even mildly funny. Insufferable to be frank. SRK would have been better off letting his kids write the screenplay and story. They would have done a better job.

SRK is not too good as the Tamilian dude. G.One doesn't have much to do in terms of acting. Flashes of brilliance in the household scenes as G.One. Arjun Rampal is pretty decent. Looks ominous enough to scare 3 year olds. Kareena looks okay. The kid is pretty good. Chinese guy was nice as well.

Direction is pretty average. Cinematography, editing, sounds, VFX were top notch. The technical part actually makes you sit and watch the movie. I watched 3D and its pretty good when compared to usual 3D stuff.

Northie guys and gals were giggling in a lot of scenes. So, I guess it does appeal to a section of the audience. Will it be enough to save this trainwreck?

TL;DR: Ra.One is a dumb film undeserving of the breathtaking VFX.

Rating: Avoid (Unless the ticket is dirt cheap)

7aam Arivu - Seventh Sense is nonsense!

Theatre: Fame Cinemas
Show: 10.45 A.M, 26-Oct-2011
Status: Housefull

I decided to watch 7aam Arivu because of Surya and the amount of hype that surrounded the movie. I had a major reservation with the movie ever since Murugadoss made statements about Tamilian culture, heritage and all. Reeked of jingoism to exploit the average Tamilian. And why would he need to do that? The answer stared right from the screen. In simple terms, the movie sucks.

The only thing I liked in the movie was Surya. Holds his head high from a heap of ruins. The Bodhidharman act was really good and he was charming self as the modern day Arvind. His performance in stunts showed how much commitment he had made for the movie. Circus tricks, kung fu fights, dances...he could pretty much do nothing wrong. Shruthi Hasan was ok as the love interest. You could barely blame for an overwritten character. Villain is good. He can kick ass but no opportunity to act.

Technically, the movie is frustrating. Brilliant camera shots followed by some shoddy work. Hollywooditis at its peak at certain points. Note to the makers, a shaky camera is considered as a negative in recent Hollywood blockbusters. Its not something that gives your movie credit. Editing is also shoddy at places.

By far, the biggest or rather the only culprit is Murugadoss. You claimed that Hollywood would be queuing to remake this movie (or something like that!). When you make such loaded statements, back your ass. Else you will fall flat like this. Terrible screenplay and a bad story made from a very promising thread. Direction is shoddy. Lets forget about the science part in the movie. Everybody makes concessions so that movie becomes enjoyable to the masses. But even if you consider the watered down logic (or lack of it) in Tamil, the stuff you see in this movie is downright laughable.

Mind Controlling villain. I can digest that. But a mind controlling villain who is able to teach multiple people kungfu within 10 seconds and make the cars and bikes fly? The usual turncoat Indian who is paid 300 crores(!) as lumpsum with nearly zero motives who begins lecturing about the evil plans of the evil Chinese in intricate details like a study class. If you can digest that and a lot more you may be able to tolerate the movie.

Songs are forgettable. Ringa Ringa song though good to hear is not shot very well. Rest of the songs look really good but has a forgettable rhythm. BGM is downright terrible at some places. When did high pitched shreeking became a trademark of the Chinese?

SFX were decent to good. But in many places you could feel the artificiality. Value for the amount of money spent? Decide for yourself.

What really pisses me off is the amount of time this movie took in pre-production. Looks like while Surya was doing his jig, others were out partying hard. Screenplay looks like its been written in a week and the frames look like they been hastily put together. The amount of Tamil jingoism in the movie is irritating to say the least. Multiply the kind of philosophy that Shankar pushes out in his movies by 20.

At the end of the day, you feel bad for Surya. The man gave a lot for the movie. The movie could be a hit in TN thanks to Surya, but Murugadoss should hang his head in shame.

TL;DR: 7aam Arivu is a terrible disappointment laced with a non-existent screenplay and lacklustre direction.

Rating: Avoid.

Indian Rupee - Bang for the Buck

Cross-posting my review in FK.

Show: 10 PM, 7-Oct
Theatre: Innovative Multiplex, Bangalore
Status: Housefull (Houseful note was put up by the time we reached at 9:40. Great to see a full house despite poor reservation earlier in the day)

Hats off to Ranjith. Brilliant movie. For the third time in a row he has managed to pull off a great movie. Its often easy to be a victim of your own success but Ranjith has managed to stay true to his work. Armed with a good script, his direction has made this movie a delight for the viewer. Apart from poor picturisation of an awesome song (what were you smoking?), you could hardly find any glaring (or otherwise) fault. Terrific dialogues. The little verbal spars and one liners are really enjoyable.

Not getting into the story details. Better to see it unfold in the screen. Movie basically discusses the urge of today's generation to make a quick buck with little regard to everything else.

Prithviraj did well. Possibly his best performance since Vasthavam. No signs of stiffness that had crept into his acting in the recent flicks. His performance as JP would be remembered. A very good performance throughout barring the scene where he runs away from home during his sister's pennukaanal. He was able to portray the emotions of JP to perfection. You could easily accept JP as a "9th pass". A little smattering of humour works really well for the character. He should try doing more of these rather than trying a hand at slapstick which does not suit him at this stage.

Thilakan has shown how we miss him as an actor. A dialogue from Prithviraj, "Ningalithu evide aayirunnu ithrem naal!", sums it up. Brilliant performance. The best in the movie by far.

I thought Reema did quite well. She was charming and did well as the supporting yet strong romantic interest. The chemistry between Reema and Prithvi worked really well for me.

Jagathy as usual was terrific. Played the character to perfection. Tini Tom has played a good role. The movie should do him a lot of good. All the others were also aptly selected and did a good job. Special note to the girl who played JPs sister. Fantastic brother-sister chemistry. A welcome relief from the usual cliched kunjupengal.

Technical side was quite adequate. Good frames. Terrific BGM. Shahbaz Aman is seriously good. Ee puzhayum song was brilliant barring the terrible picturisation.

Its great to see that Malayalam cinema has marched ahead this year with some good movies. Indian Rupee certainly ranks high in my list among the best movies this year.

TL;DR: Indian Rupee is a delightful movie that handles a good theme backed by good performances in front and behind the camera.

Rating: Excellent!

Sneha Veedu - A cliched feel good movie

As usual cross-posting my FK review. Delayed by two weeks I guess! :-)

Theatre: Innovative Multiplex, Bangalore
Show: 10 PM, 30-Sep-2011
Status: 90%+ in balcony, first class status unsure. Quite healthy I think.

A beautiful village with all the village clichés set in place. The hero nostalgic about the village. A mother who has raised her son against all the odds. Lovely human beings all around. Typical Sathyan fare yet again. This setting, though unreal, is good to watch. If a typical city brat like me got tickled with the feeling of nostalgia, then it would be a rush for Sathyan's target audience. But the usual problem haunts yet again. Lack of credible writing.

The first half is quite enjoyable. A terrific performance from Mohanlal. A good performance from Sheela where she does not go too loud. Most of the comedies work out quite well. Not the kind of comedy where you laugh out loud and hurt your belly, but the ones which induce a smile and an occassional chuckle.

Cometh second half and cometh the devil. Sathyan has no idea how to go about the business. The story cruises along aimlessly and eventually runs out of gas. A better writer would have been able make the movie interesting with the same story line. The ending and second half should appeal to a family audience, but not for others.

The biggest positive by far in the movie is Mohanlal. His comic timing is impeccable. Self-referential humour was a riot. The exercise sequence with Biju Menon was hilarious.

Songs were a let down. Most of all them sounded alike. Sathyan should have got rid of Ilayaraja and got somebody new. Camera was adequate, but frames could have looked better.

Still, the movie is pretty harmless unlike other comic capers we are subjected to. Clichéd to be sure, but it never makes you want to hit the exit.

TL;DR: Snehaveedu is a typical family movie pulled down by weak writing and propped by a good performance from Mohanlal.

Rating: Decent to Good.