Chanthupottu (2005) : A Controversy

                            Chanthupottu is a Malayalam movie directed by Lal Jose and released in 2005 . It tells the story of Radhakrishn...

Mar 30, 2014

Onnum Mindaathay Malayalam Movie Review



"All that begins well ends well". The new movie from Sugeeth has been plotted with this simple principle. Onnum Mindaathay is an outdated and clichéd family drama that has been told many times years back though the story still has relevance in modern family life. The plot lacks any sort of freshness on screen and what viewers get after watching the film is not a pleasant one. The film is an inspired modern version of Aalolam that was released in the early 1980's and quite rightly the makers have added the credits at the beginning.

A passable first half is spoilt by a weak and uninspiring post intermission session that is stretched unnecessarily.

The story goes like, Sachidanandan an agricultural officer (Jayaram), Shyama (Meera Jasmine) and their daughter are the main characters here leading a happy family life. Enter Joy ( Manoj K Jayan) an NRI who is Sachi's childhood friend. Certain incidents from here on affect Sachi's family life and rest of the plot focus on how they overcome the hurdle or hardship they are presently in and how the balance in their life is restored.

The film will have some takers especially the family audiences and being vacation time, the makers would be hoping to cash in on this.

Direction is ok and Sugeeth just like his first film Ordinary has exploited the locales to make the frames look beautiful and for that he has been helped immensely by Faizal Ali, the camera man.

Jayaram is in a comfort zone here and the character of Sachidanandan is not at all challenging for him as majority of the roles he has portrayed in his entire career has shades of those character here. For Meera Jasmine, this is a sort of come back after her disastrous outing in Ladies and Gentlemen and for me she was very much convincing.

Manoj K Jayan as Joy was fine and he entertained with his humorous act. Lalu Alex was the other supporting actor who played his part reasonably well. Dharmajan in the comic side was good in the brief role he had while Chinnu Kuruvilla played a cameo as a colleague of Sachi.

Songs and background score impressed and "Onnum Mindaathay" song was the pick among the lot.

On the whole, this is a below average fare that lacks a fresh wave and if you don't mind that and want to watch just an ordinary family drama, go for Onnum Mindaathay. My rating is 2.25 / 5.


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Noah Movie Review



Controversies notwithstanding, Noah the new movie starring Russel Crowe in the lead is a visually appealing and engaging movie by director Darren Aronofsky. It’s the visual effects, performances and direction that take the film to another level.

The film is adapted from the Old Testament tale from Bible but the stage is set in post-apocalyptic period (1000 years from now).

The Creator (Read God) decides to cleanse the world by wiping out the entire humans from Earth but wants to protect the innocent ones (animals). Noah is the chosen one for this task and the film portray Noah's effort in building an arc with the help of the Watchers (Giant Rock like creatures) protect the animals and his own family.

The conflicts and challenges he faces in this task is beautifully captured on screen, thanks to excellent use of visual effects as well as a properly written script without any loose ends.

The film begins from Noah's childhood and gradually time passes by and each stage of his life has been written well to make the film a memorable one. To back up the film's technical side, there are solid performances from majority of the actors and it helped to make the film a well-made one.

There are certain brilliantly captured scenes like the one where we are shown the creation of the Universe which is something like a full-fledged documentary and a learning experience for all of us. Also impressive was the apocalyptic flood that transform into sea that ultimately destroy the world.

On the acting side, I would say Russell Crowe as Noah impressed more than anyone else well supported by Jennifer Connelly who portrayed the character of Noah's better half. Another notable performance came from Anthony Hopkins who portrayed the role of Noah's father. He was as usual brilliant but I would have loved to see him more on screen. Emma Watson and Ray Winstone also scored well in the acting department.

The technical side is really impressive with good background score and camera work along with superb use of VFX.

On the whole, it was a delightful movie watching experience for me though the film is a bit lengthier running to two hours and twenty minutes. I am sure you would also love it and my rating is three and a half out of five.


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Mar 28, 2014

Cuckoo Tamil Movie Review



The film is a refreshing and heart touching love story that makes the viewers compelled to have their focus right through without a pinch of boredom. With brilliant performances from the lead pair backed up by good acting from the supporting casts and a well written script, Cuckoo directed by Raju Murugan and produced by Fox Star Studios is a must watch film.

Technically too, the film stands out and among them it is Santhosh Narayanan's music that gives the film a different feel of the love story. To support the music, there is the cinematography by P K Varma where the visuals and frames have a cool and vibrant looks.

The plot revolves around two visually challenged individuals Thamizh and Kodi and what that attracts us is the treatment of the romantic angle without taking too much cinematic liberties to narrate the subject involving two blind persons.

On to the negative side, it’s the melodramatic climax to name one. Compared to the latter half, the pre interval session is more entertaining and watchable. The melodramatic situations towards the end (final half hour or so) could have been avoided that would have made the film attain a different range of its own. But even then, the movie makes us engaged for the most part though the running time is two hours and forty two minutes.

On the acting side, Dinesh as Thamizh and Malavika Nair as Kodi deserve special praise for portraying their respective characters with brilliance as well as lots of conviction. Add to these two, the supporting acts from rest of the acting team.

Overall, Cuckoo deserves a rating of four out of five and along with this score, I would like to applaud the director Raju Murugan for his honest attempt in portraying the subject with such seriousness and boldness.


AUTHOR DETAILS :
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Mar 21, 2014

Ragini MMS 2 Hindi Movie Review



The much hyped sequel to the 2011 horror flick Ragini MMS is here and the film works out reasonably well, thanks to the sizzling, gorgeous and ever hot porn star turned Bollywood actress Sunny Leone. What you are expecting from her in a typical sex and horror movie in Hindi is present in ample doses to serve your appetite.

Movie scares you to an extent even though the presentation lacked anything novel with same and repeated clichéd moments that you normally see in a horror flick in Bollywood. But it’s the Sunny factor that makes Ragini MMS 2 something special. Without her, it would have been a huge disappointment. The steamy scenes and Sunny Leone's skin show definitely is something that a normal Indian actress wouldn't have dared to do on screen.

Let us discuss about the story now. Before I start, let me rewind briefly what happened in the first part. Uday takes his girlfriend Ragini to an isolated house for a dirty weekend. Strange things happen and subsequently Uday gets killed and Ragini ended up in a mental asylum.

The sequel takes off from here where a Bollywood director wants to make a film on this plot and casts a Bollywood actress to play the leading role. Shooting location is the same old house where all the paranormal activities happened in the prequel. Rest you can guess.

For a Sunny Leone fan, Ragini MMS 2 won't disappoint you. The horror side is the film's flip one where there is nothing new to expect.

Coming to the acting side, Karan Mehra, Divya Dutta and Parvin Dabas were the notable supporting actors but the show belonged to Sunny Leone. She did her part quite well with confidence. (That includes her Skin show and steamy moments too)

Sound design and background score played its part for giving the scary feel and the item numbers and songs with Sunny in picture were a TREAT to watch on the big screen.

On the whole the though the film is clinched and lacks the novelty factor, it works primarily due to the presence of Sunny Leone. I am giving three out of five for this horror and sex combo movie that is sexier and thrilling than its predecessor.


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Mar 20, 2014

Praise the lord Malayalam Movie Review

REVIEW : Follow The Cinema Company

When it comes to "Achaayan" roles of Mammootty, the best ones that comes to ones mind is that of Kottayam Kunchachan and also Kuttappai of Sangham. There are many others too but for me these two stands out among the others.

In Shibu Gangadhran's Praise The Lord, the actor portray the role of an Achaayan again but here the character is a simple one who loves peace.Joyichayaan as he is called is a planter based in Pala and the film, a family drama with light hearted humour and fun has moments to keep you engaged without boredom especially the first half. The second half takes a u turn and the treatment gets a serious one.

I would say the film is a slightly above average one that would definitely go well with the family audiences. On the flip side, the second half lagging is one factor that went against the movie and the treatment lacked that punch to make it a well made film.

The film is adapted from noted writer Zacharia's novel with the same title and has been scripted by TP Devarajan. A satirical take on the problems and issues faced by the new generation, Praise The Lord has been treated not too badly but I doubt if the story by Zacharia which I haven't read can be adapted successfully into a full length movie. As a book, it might be a successful creation but can't say if justice has been done to the novel when adapting to the screen.

Joy is a farmer living a quiet and simple life in Pala along with his wife Ancy and two children. Enter Samkutty and Annie to their peaceful life and rest of the movie focus on the incidents that happen after their entry.

The best moments in the film is the light hearted situations involving Joy and Ancy and all these are in the first half. So in a way, the first half is more enjoyable than the second.

Mammooty as Joyichayaan was good to watch and he just essayed the role quite easily well supported by Reenu Mathews as his better half. Rest of the supporting actors like Mukesh as the lawyer friend, Joy Mathew, Ahmed, Shajon, Indrans and Akamksha Puri have done their respective roles quite convincingly.

Music by Shaan Rahman was good and I was particularly impressed with one song, a melody that was good to hear again. Bijipal's background score and Pradeep Nair's camera works were also on the positive side.

Overall, Praise the Lord is a family drama that falls under an average category. A better second half execution could have helped the film more and my rating is 2.75 / 5

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Mar 12, 2014

Romans Malayalam Movie Review and Box Office Collection Report

                      'Romans' tells the story of three convicts who escapes as the cops bring them in train. Two of them wander together and finally lands in a small village. The villagers mistake them as priests sent by Father Gabriel (Vijayaraghavan) from Rome. They name themselves as Father Sebu (Biju Menon) and Father Paul (Kunchacko Boban). They perform many 'miracles' all of which comes in their favour. They plans to hide and stay there for a month and then escape to dubai. But everything doesnt go as they planned.
                      The theme of the movie seems to be inspired from Hollywood comedy 'We're No Angels', starring Robert De Niro, Sean Penn and Demi Moore which was directed by Neil Jordan . Though the story is an old stuff, the movie keeps us entertained. There's nothing fresh or great things in the movie. Second half of the movie was more entertaining and the director successfully brings in some twists and suspense elements. If you go with a free and unaltered mind you may like it. There's nothing new to get from the movie. But still its a good one-time watch.
                      Even though Kunchako Boban-Biju Menon chemistry had worked out well in few movie, they don't have the capability to bring out a frequently told story from pits. They did individually well in their respective roles. The chemistry works out in some places but if the script had been better it would have been a very good movie. Biju Menon steals the show with one liners which will make you laugh. Nelson (Asianet Comedy stars fame) was entertaining eventhough he had limited scenes. Niveda Thomas as the heroine, had nothing to do with the movie and was an utter failure.
                      Technically the movie has done good. Boban Samuel done extremely very well with his simple story and with a good suppot from the technicians. Vinod Illampally's camera was pretty good.
                      The main drawback of the film was the script by Y.V. Rajesh. If he had worked more on the same script and added some fresh humourous elements it would have worked out better. Songs by M. Jayachandran seemed to be average and the BGM was good. An item dance and some double meaning jokes could have been avoided.
                      At the end, Romans is an entertaining watch that will not make you regret and it is ok for a one-time watch.

POSITIVES :                                                                 NEGATIVES :
-Kunchakko Boban-Biju Menon Combo                        -Predictable Script
-Direction                                                                       -Songs
-Comic Elements                                                            -Niveda Thomas(Perfomance)

RATING : 2/5
VERDICT : Average

BOX OFFICE :
Kunjacko boban - Biju menon combo was one of the most successful duo in 2012. In January, they have come with another comedy caper 'Romans'. The film was released in 68 theatres all over kerala. The film is getting wonderful response from the audience. With an encouraging WOM, the movie is expected to do well in the box office.
Romans has collected a wonderful amount of 4.40 crores in it's first week run. Romans has become the first hit of 2013. With more theatres added up, Romans is capable of becoming a superhit with family support. Two weeks collection is estimated to be 6.01 Crores. There was a fall in collection due to new releases.
Romans became the first movie of 2013 to cross 5,000 shows. The film is holding up in 50+ theatres and has collected 6.80 crores in it's three week run.
Romans box office collection touches 8 crores from it's 25 day run.
So far holding strong in 47 theatres despite new releases and the box office collection is 9 crores within 40 days.
Still holding up in 20+ theatres and the movie reached 10 Crore bar in 50 days.
All India gross of Romans is figured out to be around 11.50 Crores.

Singam 2 Tamil Movie Kerala Boxoffice Collection Report

    Singam 2 is releasing in a total of 142 theatres all over kerala. Surprisingly, this is the biggest release of 2013 so far. The reduced production of mass crowd pulling movies from Malayalam film industry is evident here. So far, It was the multi-starrer movie 'Kammath and Kammath' that had the highest number of theaters on release. Kammath and Kammath which featured Megastar Mammootty and Janapriya nayakan Dileep - the biggest crowd pullers of Kerala - was released only in 96 theatres. Singam 2 also holds the record of being the biggest release by any non-malayalam film in kerala so far. Last year Thuppakki was released in 124 theatres in kerala on Diwali. Upon it's release the movie Thuppaki stormed kerala box office and went on to become a super hit in kerala. As per the trade reports the movie has grossed around 10 crores from kerala alone bringing huge profit for distributors in kerala.
       Pre-release buzz created by the movie is low in kerala since Singam 2 is produced aiming mainly the average tamilains. The popularity of Suriya in kerala and the huge theatrical release will surely ensure a decent opening collection for the movie.
       Singam 2 is receiving mixed to positive feedbacks from the theaters and the word of mouth is quite encouraging. Singam 2 takes a huge opening in Kerala and the initial day collection of the movie is whopping 1.36 crores.
       10 days gross of the movie is 4.60 crores in kerala alone. All India gross (Tamil Nadu + Kerala + Karnataka + North India) of the movie is 51.45 crores.
       The movie has collected 5.90 crores in two weeks from the theaters of kerala alone. Also, Dhanush's Maryan will pose a threat which is releasing in 75 theaters in kerala. Singam 2 got reduced to 62 theaters in the second week, the movie had many extra theaters at various centers.
    As three weeks are over after the release, Singam 2 has collected 6.70 crores from kerala. As comparison between Mohanlal and Mammootty are the part and parcel of a malayalee, it is inevitable the comparison of Surya's Singam 2 and Vijay's Thuppakki. Vijay's thuppakki collected 7.35 crores in two weeks run from kerala box office. Also the lifetime gross of the movie Thuppakki was 10.70 crores. It seems to be an impossible task for Singam 2 to cross the 10 crores barrier. The ramadan season is a main factor and also the eid releases will whitewash any of the movies running in the theaters at present.

Mar 11, 2014

Anju Sundarikal Malayalam Movie Box Office Collection Report

     An experimental project like 'Kerala Cafe' which consists of 5 love stories each directed by directors Amal Neerad, Anwar Rasheed, Aashiq Abu, Sameer Thahir, Shyju khaled. Each short film is of length 30 minutes. Dulquer Salmaan and Reenu Mathews are the lead pair in Amal Neerad's short film 'Kullante Bharya', Biju Menon and Kavya Madhavan are the lead pair in Aashiq Abu's 'Gowry', Sameer Thahir's 'Esha' has Nivin Pauly and Isha Sharvani as the lead, Honey Rose is casted opposite Fahadh faasil in Anwar Rasheed's 'Aamy' and cinematographer Shyju Khalid makes his directional debut with 'Sethulakshmi' starring two child artists. Other supporting actors includes Jayasurya, Asmitha Sood, Somasundaram, Tini tom etc. The film is lead by Amal Neerad and is produced by Amal Neerad Productions. The release of the movie is delayed to June 21 due to some technical issues.
        It's quite natural that when 5 directors are set to do a movie together, no compromise will be tolerated in the technical section and Anju Sundarikal must be lauded for it's technical brilliance. Among five stories which revolves around five women, only Aashiq Abu's 'Gowry' disappointed me. Gowry has got a weak plot and our patience will be tested on the way. Anwar Rasheed's 'Aamy', Amal Neerad's 'Kullante Bharya', Shyju Khalid's 'Sethulakshmi', Sameer Thahir's 'Esha' - it is in this order that I rate each short films.       
        Directed by Anwar Rasheed and captured by Amal Neerad, 'Aamy' showcases another superb act by Fahad faasil. Fahad plays the role of a travelling businessman and Asmitha Sood plays the role of his affectionate wife. 'Kullante Bharya' is so far the best output from Amal Neerad. The cinematography is done by his assistant Randive. Dulquer Salmaan is entitled with role of the narrator who is an ex-stunts man. Unni R should be given the credit for his great script. Shyju Khalid's 'Sethulakshmi' will throughout put a smile on your face which depicts the innocent friendship of two kids and will strike you at the end. Anika and Chethan must be appreciated for their outstanding performance. Cinematographer Shyju Khalid makes a brilliant directional debut. Sameer Thahir's 'Esha' is about a burglar (Nivin Pauly) and is an entertaining part of Anju Sundarikal which has got some unexpected twists. Isha Sharwani is Esha and is likable with her lively act. Aashiq Abu's 'Gowry' tells the story of a long waiting wife (Kavya Madhavan) for her wildlife photographer husband (Biju Menon).
BOX OFFICE :
        Anju Sundarikal has acquired an average word of mouth.
        The movie has lost a good figure due to the delayed release on a saturday. First 2 days collection of the movie is 70 lakhs.
         6 days collection of the movie is estimated to be around 2 crores.      
        Anju Sundarikal is off the track even before completing it's two week run. Release of Singam 2 also forces the audience to abandon Anju Sundarikal. Two weeks gross is estimated to be 2.80 crores.
       The movie has lost around 40 theaters to the new release Singham 2. The movie which generally received positive response is almost out of the game. The movie is holding up in around 20 theaters and the three week gross has almost touched 3 crores.
       5 Sundarikal has managed to gross a total of 3.20 Crores and ending up as an average grosser.

Mar 10, 2014

Queen Hindi Movie Review

REVIEW : Follow The Cinema Company

Queen is a brilliantly made work by Vikas Bahl that has been visualised and conceived in the most entertaining manner. Excellent screenplay, good direction, energising music along with well written dialogues make Queen an outstanding piece of work from the director which is his first as an independent director.

But what makes the show special and what makes the movie a memorable one is the performance of Kangana Ranaut. She displays something brilliant to take Queen to the next level. So literally the movie belongs to her and the director.

Rani, daughter of a mittaiwala is a simple and naive girl living in Delhi. Certain circumstances force her to travel to Paris all alone and the prime focus of rest of the movie is all about this journey that ultimately becomes a rediscovery of a sort for the girl who transforms herself, learns new things, meets new people that finally changes her attitude towards life all for good.

In narrating this journey, director as well as the scenarist have ensured that the basic fun element is retained to provide good dose of entertainment to the viewers.

Now for Kangana, this should be a career turning movie as she has come out blazing in full form stealing the show all the way. Rani her character cannot be presented in a better way like the way she acted and for that full marks to her as well as the script writer for writing this character so convincingly.

There are not too many star casts in the movie and among the supporting actors, Lisa Haydon as Vijaylaxmi and Rajkumar Rao as Vijay are the notable ones making a statement.

Also impressive were the three foreign nationalities (don't know their names) from Japan, Russia and France who appear in the latter half as Rani's room mates. The guy who played the Italian restaurant owner was also good to watch.

Music was mostly foot tapping dance numbers that were very much good to hear and gelled well with the visuals.

Overall, Queen is an impressive film that have come out so well that after getting out from cinema hall finishing the movie, we literally love the film as well as the character of Rani. I am giving four out of five for QUEEN.

Indeed the title is so befitting for this film!!!!

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Celluloid Malayalam Movie Review and Box Office Collection Report

Kammath and Kammath BOX OFFICE
Om Shanthi Oshanna Review

                               Celluloid, directed by Kamal and Prithviraj and Mamta Mohandas in the main roles, says the story of JC Daniel, known as father of Malayalam cinema. Celluloid is an emotional film. But it does not follow the 'traditional' way of art cinema. The movie contains a lot of entertaining elements which keeps the audience engaged. The movie starts with JC Daniel's(Prithviraj) entry in a Classic canvas of 1920's. Celluloid tries to convey the reason of Daniel's and Rosy's alienation from both movie and life. The movie is also based on the novel Nashta Naayika by Vinu Abraham.

REVIEW : 
              Celluloid, directed by ace director Kamal is a perfect tribute to JC Daniel, who is known as the father of Malayalam cinema.Technically the movie is one of the best. Kamal's direction is very much appreciable. He maintains the ambiance of 30's, 60's and 70's throughout the movie. Music by M. Jayachandran is melodious and very apt for the situations. 'Kaate kaate' being my favorite.
              When it comes to the performances, all the cast has done a great job. Prithviraj Sukumaran as Daniel steals the show with his outshining talent in acting. Mamta Mohandas also performs well and is up to the expectations. Chandini, who plays the role of Rosy(Malayalam film industry's first ever heroine) also does justice to her role despite being here debute performance. Ramesh Pisharadi rocks the theater with his excellent comedy timing.
              The caption of the movie 'This is an old generation movie' is really apt for the movie. It questions the standard of so called 'New generation movies'. The movie depicts about an era in Malayalam cinema. The movie is purely natural in handling the subject. The script writer Kamal have not added any unwanted twists or 'hi-level' dialogues for 'entertainment'. He keeps the honesty throughout.
              The recreation of the life of JC Daniel in the big screen will surely inspire young directors. Hats off to Kamal for taking up this task. Celluloid is a must watch movie for all Malayalam movie lovers.

POSITIVES :                                            NEGATIVES :
-Direction                                                 -Lacks entertainment
-Prithviraj                                                -Slow pace
-Creative plot                                
-Script                                        
-Songs                         

Rating : 4/5
Verdict : Must Watch Movie!!!!

BOX OFFICE :
The film has released in 48 theaters in Kerala.
The movie is receiving highly encouraging positive word of mouth.
Celluloid's 5 day collection is a meagre 85 lakhs. As it won 7 state awards including the best film, the film is expected to get a boost in it's box office collection.
14 days box office collection is expected to be 2.7 crores. The film is picking up it's collection, currently running in about 50 theaters.
As three weeks are over, Celluloid collects a decent 3.8 Crores. 

The movie ran for around 68 days in the theaters. The finalised collection figure of Celluloid is estimated to be around 5.10 Crores.