Chanthupottu (2005) : A Controversy

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

Jan 24, 2015

BABY hindi movie Review

There is a dialogue in this movie where the main antagonist Maulana Mohammed (based on Pakistani terrorist group LET chief) says "India kuch nahi karega. Woh sirf Bateh karega aur uspay rawthay rahega" (India would not do anything, they just talk and cry). Perhaps for the people who ruled and those who are ruling our country, these words should be an eye opener to show our real power and what we are capable of instead of taking a soft stand taken all these years when it comes to terrorist attacks on us.

Leaving the political angle and diplomatic side away, Baby is an edge of the seat thriller narrated at a very fast pace. He is raising his own standard after each film of him that passes by. I am talking about Neeraj Pandey, the man who directed A Wednesday , Special 26 and now BABY.

Ajay (Akshay Kumar) is an agent of an undercover Intelligence wing to combat and thwart terrorist attacks in India. The group is in its initial stage and is code named BABY headed by Feroz Ali Khan. (Dany Denzongpa). Ajay who is a highly skilled commando travels from India to Turkey to Nepal and finally to the Gulf to nab terrorists and spoil any attempt by them to attack our country. The film basically cover the group's attempt in chasing Bilal (Kay Kay Menon) and Maulana Mohammed to ensure peace in India.

The first half moves at a steady pace setting up for an intriguing post intermission session filled with high octane action and chase sequences making Baby a well executed thriller. Neeraj Pandey continues his success run with another impressive work that gives little time to think but some scenes like how Bilal escapes from police vehicle after his trial in court could have been handled more maturely.

Akshay Kumar is the best choice as Ajay both in terms of acting as well as performing those stunts with ease. Danny Denzongpa as Feroz Ali Khan was okay in his role. Rana Daggubati with his macho looks perfectly suited the character but in terms of performance, he had little scope to do anything in Baby. Taapsee Pannu stole the show in an action sequence while Anupam Kher was apt as one of the agent and used effectively in filling up the humour side. Kay Kay Menon deserved more screen space while Pakistani actor Rasheed Naz was a surprise package as Maulana Mohammed and he was quite good making his presence felt right from the start till the very end.

Nice cinematography, good colour tone, impressive background score and well choreographed action sequences on the technical aspects elevates the film to the next level. Songs have no major presence in the film. So overall BABY from Neeraj Pandey qualify the box office test with distinction. This thriller is very much engaging and I am giving three and a half out of five as my personal rating.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Rasam Malayalam Movie Review

Rasam is a very tasty and spicy soup we Keralites are so fond of. But the same thing cannot be said about RASAM the movie directed by Rajeevnath. Here is a best case of sloppy direction, an unfinished screenplay and a weak storyline that literally makes the film a boring affair. Even the presence of Mohanlal in an extended cameo but in a pivotal role and Indrajith could not save the film from this state.

Valliyottu Thirumeni played by Nedumudi Venu is a famous caterer of traditional Sadya and Balu is his son who is not that keen in taking up and following in his father's footsteps. The family gets an order for a marriage of Menon (Devan), a famous businessman Menon but they had to travel to Qatar to complete the order as the marriage is to take place there. Thirumeni who was reluctant to take this order had to ultimately change his mind as none other than Mohanlal appearing as himself personally comes to invite him due to the actor's proximity with Menon. The incidents that unfold at Doha form rest of the storyline.

The scripting credited with the director himself and also Nedumudi Venu it seems was not a completed one as on many occasions the movie gave a feel of incompleteness.
The makers tried it to make a traditional film with all that tharavaadu, catering, sadya and foody background but the lack of a solid screenplay for the half baked story that never looked to settle down at any stage acts as the major spoilers.

The posters, trailer and all the promotional work showed Mohanlal more than anyone else. Quite naturally thats on expected lines as the producers might be expecting to cash in on his image. The actual fact is its just an extended cameo but the character do have prominence in the overall storyline. Indrajith didn't looked that comfortable and was found confused and uneasy on many occasions. Nedumudi Venu, Devan, Nandu, Jagadeesh and a long list of unfamiliar actors are there as supporting actors.

Technically the film is weak with many areas not contributing to the expected level starting from direction and scripting. Overall, with a great actor and a good upcoming actor on his side, Rajeevnath could not do anything and end up making an uninspiring and poorly executed work. I am going with a generous two out of five as my rating for Rasam.

Rating - 2 / 5

Mariyam Mukku Malayalam Movie Review

Noted scenarist James Albert turns director with Mariyam Mukku, a movie with an Anglo-Indian background that is set in a fictional coastal village of Mariyam Mukku. As a screenplay writer, James Albert is best remembered for his screenplay of class mates and he followed up that with couple of impressive works like Cycle and Ividam Swargamanu. But his last three scripts were a total washout and at a time when he is totally out of form, the man himself venture into a new area of direction with Fahadh Faasil playing the lead role.

Compared to the director's last few flicks as a script writer, this movie is far better than those but the promise showed in the first half is not sustained in the post intermission session. A glimse of a beautiful and feel good love story gets a backseat in the middle stages and that did not hold any good for the film.

Mariyam Mukku is the love story of Felix (Fahadh), a fisherman and Salomi (Sana Althaf). Felix who lost his parents at a very young age is brought up by Mariyan Aasaan (Manoj K Jayan). Felix meets his childhood friend Salomi but at a particular point he has to choose between his Aasaan and the people of Mariyam Mukku as they stand in his way to own Salomi. The events that unfold thereafter form the basic crux of this movie.

Its a confused script as the scenarist is caught midway through as to whether to proceed as a full length romantic film or add more drama to it. The latter option was chosen and thus that romantic track that was developing well looses its presence.

Direction from James Albert is not that bad and his screenplay had in it to deliver something good but it ended up as an average film that is visually good with all those beaches and sea backdrop beautifully captured by the cinematographer
who deserves credit for that. Renjan Abraham has done a decent work on the editing table while songs by Vidyasagar is not upto the standards set by the music director. Still it was refreshing to hear veteran singer Yesudas singing a song here.

Fahadh did a decent job as Felix. It was a neat effort from the Asin look alike Sana Althaf as Salomi who is also making her tinsel town debut. Manoj K Jayan as Mariyan Aasaan was able to make a good presence along with Joy Mathew, Irshad, Nandu, Sadiq and Neeraj Madhav. Prathap Pothan is also part of the film in a very brief role. Aju Varghese also appear in a pivotal role but somehow he was not able to make a big contribution. A lengthy list of other actors are also part of the supporting casts.

Overall, the film could have been a better one had the love story between Felix and Salomi been better handled and given more prominence than the events that unfolded later. Not a bad film but did not provide the required level of entertainment either. Impressed with his direction somewhat but not with the scripting completely and I am going with two and a half out of five for James Albert's directorial debut Mariyam Mukku.

Rating - 2.5 / 5

Mili Malayalam Movie Review

Rajesh Pillai came into the limelight with Traffic , a film that set a new pattern and benchmark in Malayalam film industry. Though Hridayathil Sookshikaan is the first work from him, people and the industry more often relate the name of Rajesh Pillai to Traffic. But it took him another four years to come up with another film though the making time is just close to one year and he was busy with the Bollywood remake of Traffic.

Now coming to Mili , the film is a female oriented movie where Amala Paul appear as the title protagonist and Nivin Pauly supporting her as the male lead. About the movie, here we have a feel good film that makes us happy, sad and also makes us think. Yes, Mili is performance oriented film nicely scripted by editor Mahesh Narayanan.

The film focus on Mili ( Amala Paul) who is an introvert and everyone finds her character an odd one. Mili, the movie show us how she overcome her fears and rises to stand of her own. Couple of factors and people are responsible making Mili change.

The film begins on a slow note and gradually move forward settling in with an okay first half and picks up the momentum in the second half. The highlight of course is a thought provoking ending. But at the same time, the best and touching moments of the film is the portion where Mili share the screen with her father. The film had its share of little preaching towards the end but that is acceptable considering the overall storyline. Direction from Rajesh Pillai has been positive and for that the screenplay played a large part.

On the acting side, Nivin Pauly did the not so important role in the best possible way. All credits to Amala Paul for pulling up a special show totalling meeting the demands of the title character. Sai Kumar is another actor who made a lasting impression appearing as father of Mili. Ambika, Sija Rose, Sanusha, Praveena and Devi Ajith are also part of the cast who all did the roles they enacted in a convincing manner.

Background score from Gopisundar and the songs were soothing for the ears. My personal picks are the Kanmani song (Gopi Sundar) and Meghamay number composed and sung by Shaan Rahman. Cinematography and cuts were on the brighter side. Mili is a motivational and appealing movie and I go with three and a half out of five for the movie as my personal rating.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Picket 43 Malayalam Movie Review

Critics as well as general audiences have equally contributed in venting their criticism of Major Ravi's films of late. Except Keerthichakra, Mission 90 Days ( a documentary style narrative and not a box office success) and to an extent Kuruskshetra, the rest (Karmayodha and Kandahar) were totally ignored at the box office. The reason is quite simple; the repetitive backdrop of army, wars and commando operations were in overdose from the director. Now Major comes up with his next movie with the same backdrop which he is comfortable and familiar with. At the very first outset, it seems Picket 43 Movie is a repetition but surprisingly the treatment is different to make the movie a decent and watchable flick.

This time more than the war and battles its the emotional factor that takes centre stage in the battle torn Kashmir. The film showcase an unexpected friendship and bond between and Indian and Pakistani soldier who both are manning their respective Pickets. Some Pickets are manned by a group while others have a single soldier who ensure that no infiltration happens from across the border. Picket 43 belongs to the latter category where Haveeldhar Hareendran Nair is the Indian jawan while Musharaf is on the opposite side of Indian picket. Movie also show a touching bond between Hareendran and Bacardi. Now who is Bacardi and what is his role in the movie, you will know that once you watch the film.

Aided by excellent visuals captured by cinematographer
Jomon T John and Rex Vijayan's impressive background score, Picket 43 by Major Ravi springs a surprise when we rate him based on his last two outings. The film runs on its own pace and the build up is slow but in the end, there is no disappointing feel. Beginning and ending with voice over of Mohanlal, Picket 43 is not your battle filled commando film but much more than that dwelling upon friendship of two soldiers from the opposite side.

Hareendran Nair was an ideal casting and the character was safely in the hands of Prithviraj Sukumaran. There was nothing challenging in the role but he did total justice to the character offered to him. Javed Jaffery was a surprise package. The guy won our hearts with a simple style of acting and flawless dialogue delivery that really touched our heart. Renji Panicker as the commanding officer, Sudheer Karamana and a few others are also part of the supporting actors.

As said, cinematography was a major highlight of this film giving a rich and appealing presence for the movie overall. Cuts were ok and background score was too good. Songs weren't that great but it was ok. So overall, Picket 43 works out well and deserved a watch on a guarantee that you won't lose your valuable time and money on it. I am giving three and a half out of five for Major Ravi's Picket 43.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Jan 18, 2015

Alone Hindi Movie Review

It is quite easy to write a viewpoint on the desi horror movies especially the ones coming from the Bhatt camp these days. Almost similar with the cliched elements and flavours added by the makers, they follow a similar pattern and the only change will be the actors and backdrop of these projects. Other than these, there is nothing exciting in these B-grade horror flicks. The producers of these flicks might be earning a return on their investment or else how come we get to see such stuffs getting repeated. May be its time for the Bhatt camp and others in Bollywood to take a cue from director Mysskin in how the horror genre can be reinvented.

ALONE the latest movie from Bhushan Patel doesn't have any Bhatt connection but is a horror flick with Bipasha Basu (who is now called the Queen of Horror) doing a dual role; a pair of conjoined twins.

The story revolves around Sanjana (Bipasha) and her husband Kabir (Karan Singh). They come to Kerala from Mumbai after her mother (Neena Gupta) met with a serious accident. But the return is not on expected lines as Sanjana's conjoined twin Anjana's soul starts haunting her and creates problems for the couple to move forward. The prime focus of the movie is Sanjana's effort to know why the spirit of her sister is following her. The problem for her is only she is able to see the spirit and no one else.

Except for a couple of occasions, there is nothing in here as such to scare you and the narrative becomes a case for a laugh after some time. The film begins from the same old territory of a house that gave the feel of a haunted one. Based on a Thail film, ALONE could have been a better movie had the execution been done with a different approach and for that the screenplay needed a fine tuning. Bhushan Patel after Ragini MMS 2 and 1920: Evil Returns was on a familiar territory to him but sadly that experience have not been reflected in Alone.

Bipasha Basu makes a decent effort with her scary as well as ghostly expressions with ease and Karan Singh Grover makes a reasonably good debut as Kabir. Only very few actors are part of this movie as supporting casts and none stood out for making a mention here.

Not an impressive work by Bhushan Patel, ALONE is a disappointing film that fails to scare you. If you are looking for scarier stuff better go for the DVD's of some other films from the same genre. I go with one and a half out of five as my personal rating for this flick.

Rating - 1.5 / 5

Jan 16, 2015

The Theory of Everything Movie Review

Brilliant, beautiful and poignant. Thats how I would summarise The Theory of Everything Movie. A biopic on renowned Physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking , TTOE is already nominated for the Oscars for Best Picture as well as Best actor and actress category. Justifying that selection in every respect, the film is backed up by powerful acting along with outstanding cinematography and background score to make for an intense movie that will stay on our minds for quite sometime.

The film focus on the early life of Stephen, a brilliant student at Cambridge university. He is diagnosed with a rare disease called motor neuron and has two years to live. In Cambridge he meets Jane Wilde shortly before Stephen is diagnosed with the disease but ignoring all this Jane decides to fight that together and marries him. Movie primarily focus on how they met, their early marriage life, Stephen's most challenging phase in life once he is mostly paralysed without the ability to speak and finally the meeting with the Queen when he is offered Knighthood which he actually rejected.

Based on a book written by Jane himself the film also show their separation stage when Stephen divorced Jane and starts life with his nurse. The movie has many moments that stays on our mind and i should say that the direction as well as the screenplay had a major role to play in that apart from the performances of the lead actors.

Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking was a treat to watch and rightly so he is right up there as an Oscar nominee for the Best Actor. There were moments he had to literally use just his eyes to express without any voice and facial expressions and the guy was on top of it giving a performance that will touch you. Equally good and complimenting was Felicity Jones as Jane and Stephen's lover and later his better half. Rest of the supporting casts was also able to perform well and among them, the nurse who later becomes part of Stephen's life was able to come up with a nice performance though the character appear only towards the end. The actor who portrayed Stephen's professor also did a fine act.

So overall, The Theory of Everything is one movie you will definitely cherish and this is a must watch movie for its quality in acting, music, cinematography and above all to know in detail the life of Stephen Hawking. More than his academics, physics and scientific theories, its his love life and his fight with the motor neurone disease that gets more prominence here. I go with four out of five as my personal rating for this movie.

Rating - 4 / 5

Jan 14, 2015

I Movie Review

He kept all of us waiting for more than three years and the reality is those three years and the waiting period have yielded results that Shankar should be proud of. 'I' is a magnanimous movie in all respects meeting all our expectations and pre release hype. No disappointments
whatsoever and Vikram, he is the man of the moment putting in efforts which we all can't even imagine. For Indian movie standards on the making side, 'I' is one level up and is definitely a benchmark to follow for other film makers especially the technical side. A commercial entertainer with all the flavours of a mass movie and at the same time giving technical side the perfect boost up, 'I' is a visual beauty.

Since it will be more of a spoiler if i go too much into the plot, i am summarising the same in very few lines. Lingesan (Vikram) is an ardent body builder who aims and works to win over the Mr.India title. He is madly in love with (Amy Jackson) who is a model and the film focus on their relationship and what happens to their life through some unfortunate turn of events.

Its an allround show of Vikram who carries the entire film on his shoulders right from the start till the very end. The film takes some time to give an insight of each and every character. Then it gradually build up with a well executed first half and culminates with a perfect second half to compensate the pre interval session. Its not a new storyline but a normal romantic tale of revenge but executed differently. Has its flaws and loose ends but covered up well.

On screen as said, Vikram has done a tremendous job portraying his role with different shades meeting the expectations. As we all know, lot of efforts have gone into his transformation of characters and full applause to him as well as the prosthetic team behind the film. Amy Jackson has not been reduced to the sidelines as she was able to make a mark in a hero dominated movie. Upen Patel looked good with problems with lip synching on the dubbing side. Santhanam was able to tickle our funny bone with his comic acts while Suresh Gopi did his brief but important role doing justice to the character given to him.

Now coming to the technical side which is the main highlight, direction by Shankar, Cinematography by P.C Sreeram and above all music from A.R. Rahman complimented completely giving a different feel for the movie.

Overall i would say the screenplay is just average but the execution by Shankar and the performance of Vikram takes the movie to the next level. Already the hype and expectations are its peak but still it would be good if you can keep your level of expectations a bit lower before coming to the cinema halls. As an entertainer that did not disappoint me, i go with four out of five for Shankar's 'I'

Rating - 4 / 5

Jan 12, 2015

Perariyathavar Malayalam Movie Review

Dr.Biju with a highly thought provoking subject makes a lasting impact and impression through his award winning movie Perariyathavar.
It is always a nice experience when socially relevant and eye opening subjects gets a mention through this medium. The experience is all the more special and refreshing when the treatment is done with less or no amount of preaching and any of those dramas we see quite often in these subjects. Nothing of that sort have happened in Perariyathavar and personally for me, it was one of the best offbeat film that I have seen in the recent past.

The film is seen from two people's eyes; a father and a son. The protagonist (Played by Suraj Venjaramoodu who doesn't have a name in the movie) is a temporary sweeper with the Corporation. He takes his son when he goes for collecting waste from within the city limits and see many problems faced by the downtrodden or people who have no identity of their own.

Direction is too good and here the director deserves special applause for bringing up many subjects of social interest and that too conveyed in a touching way in just under two hours. Its not that the hero tried something in his own way to fight everything he sees with his eyes but the narrative just makes us see or open our eyes to the problems faced by the people who have no identity and no one to defend for them.

Muthanga tribal rights, Vilappilsala Waste disposal, Vallarpadam land acquiring by Government for road development are some of the areas covered without any direct mention but which are shown in the closing title credits as references through a small documentary within the film. It is a fact that there are many people are affected by the above deals which no one care for and this is what Dr.Biju has tried to convey in the best possible way.

The acting scene has Suraj in a National Award winning role and kudos to him for enacting the character with such finesse. Master Govardhan as his son was impressive and was able to make a mark among the actors. Indrans, Nedumudi Venu, Sasi Kalinga, Chembil Asokan, Sona Nair and Seema G Nair are also part of the supporting casts and each one of them have acted as per the demands of the character.

The film's technical scene is okay and it was done meeting the demands of a film that doesn't have any of the so called entertaining elements. So everything in limited doses, that's how I would sum up the work on the technical department.

In summary, here we have a film that deserve a watch for its sincerity and simplicity in presenting a strong subject. I recommend the film to people who would like to watch cinema in its pure and raw form and I give a rate of 4 / 5 for Perariyathavar, a film that is a little gem.

Taken 3 Review

The beginning was highly engaging and the follow up was not that bad but unfortunately the ending is disappointing. I am talking about the Taken trilogy. The franchise is coming to a halt with the third part now in cinemas. With a story that doesn't connect in any sort with the prequels and a poor script, Taken 3 is way too far from convincing and falls on the wayside. If it was kidnapping that formed the centre stage earlier, the third part have no one taken but a murder mystery is resolved by the protagonist.

So Bryan Mills who is living a quiet life after those two rescue sagas of his daughter is reawakened through a murder mystery. His ex-wife is murdered and her body is found from his apartment. As the Police reach out on a conclusion that Bryan is the prime suspect, Bryan himself takes up a parallel investigation to find out who killed his ex-wife. All this he has to do on the run as the police are after him. Rest of the movie focus on how Bryan reach the culprits who did the crime.

It seems at sixty plus, it was too much for Liam Neeson for this role and quite rightly so they have decided to end the franchise. But the unfortunate part is that the ending has been executed poorly and deserved a better deal.

Direction is poor while the action sequences and all the visual effects were not done perfectly making it look irritating for the eyes. The makers realizing that the actor who cannot do all the running and similar stuffs tried to cover up things but in doing that, that natural feel of action and chases got lost. In spite of all this, the dialogues were on the positive side.

On the acting scene, it was not a bad effort from Liam Neeson as Brian Mills but somewhere deep down we feel for the actor who was in top form when it all started and had to end it quite tamely. Forest Whitaker as the investigative officer did his part quite well. Maggie Grace as Mill's daughter Kim did a neat job. Rest of the actors were just fine as the roles demanded and nothing impressive.

The technical side was severely affected by some sloppy edits and visual effects. Action sequences were hampered by poor VFX but cinematography and background score were okay in spite of the above said negative factors.

Overall, the film doesn't run smooth and offer a bumpy ride for the viewers. A better ending was expected and the series demanded such a climax to two reasonably successful films among the trilogy. I go with two out of five for the film as my personal rating and a thumbs down to Taken 3

Rating - 2 / 5

Jan 9, 2015

Ekalavya Review - Malayalam Dubbed version of Telugu Govindudu Andarivadele

By chance, happened to watch Ekalavya, the movie which is the dubbed version of Telugu flick Govindudu Andarivadele. Ram Charan Teja and Kajal Aggarwal are the lead pair that also has Prakash Raj, Rahman, Srikanth, Jayasudha and Kamalini Mukherjee in pivot roles. The movie is a family drama with regular doses of Telugu movies like songs and dance, action and romance in plenty but all for a loosing cause as the film fails to get you involved for the major part except for a few moments in the beginning stages. The drama was too lengthy, predictable and melodramatic. May be since i am new to these dubbed Telugu flicks, i could not come to terms with what is happening on screen and hence the enjoyment level was at zero level. Regular people who are used to watching such stuff may have a different opinion but for me the film was a washout.

The story revolves around Parameswaran (Prakash Raj) and his big family. Dr. Chandrasekhar (Rahman) his son have a serious dispute with Parameswaran and leave for US and settle there and have a family. After few years, Chandra's son Abhiram (Ram Charan Teja) travels to his father's home on the pretext of learning Agriculture but he has some hidden agenda which is to reunite his father with his grandfather. In doing that he becomes part of the family fights happening there and also gets romantically involved with Sandhya who is also a member of the family.

The plot has nothing unique and fresh and we have seen shades of the story in many films and that too years back. What promises in the beginning gradually sinks. Upto the halfway mark, the film is somewhat okay but the latter half gets too melodramatic and also stretched which makes it a pretty boring affair.

On screen, Ram Charan looked good as Abhiram and performed the dance and action sequences with ease while Kajal Aggarwal as Abhiram's love interest was okay. Rahman was able to make his presence felt through the character of Dr. Chandrasekhar though it was a brief one. For Prakash Raj, seemed it was a okay one in a powerful character but in dubbed film, we can't correctly judge the performance and that applies to all the actors.

Cinematography was good but editing deserved some sharp trimming to reduce the length by at least twenty minutes. Songs were good but their placement was wrong and we are forced to sit through six or seven songs that appear very often on screen without much break for each and every occasion. But should say that their choreography and visualisation was not bad.

Overall, i would not recommend this film to anyone unless you are a hardcore fan of dubbed Telugu flicks and also crazy about Ram Charan. So watching is at your own risk and my rating is one and a half out of five.

Rating 1.5 / 5

Tevar Review

Mahesh Babu starrer Telugu flick Okkadu was remade in Tamil as Ghilli with Vijay and Trisha in lead roles. The film was an instant blockbuster of that time (2004) and went on to make a huge collection. The reason of course was a fast paced screenplay, high octane action sequences and a good romantic track between the lead pair that made the audiences latch on to the film at the very outset. Now Okkadu / Ghilli gets a rebirth after almost ten years or so and its the turn of Bollywood as Tevar with Arjun Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha hits the big screen.

Without comparison with the original, Tevar doesn't disappoint and is not an embarrassment to the original but the film is not as speedy and engaging only in parts. Ten years is a pretty long gap and one could get a feel of an outdated plot, still the action and drama has that x-factor to keep you on the toes as well as offer few nail-biting moments. The villain here chases his dream girl along with the one man army lead by our hero who happens to be the leading lady's saviour.

Set in the Northern part of the country where Pintoo is a Kabaddi player who is being part of a competition but fate has something else for him as he rescue Radhika from Gajendra Singh, a local goon cum minister who wants to marry the girl at any cost. Pintoo and Radhika are chased by the antagonist and rest of the movie has in store the running and chasing of these characters.

Though for people who have seen either the Telugu or Tamil versions, predictability factor becomes a major drawback taking away the sheen and for Hindi audiences Tevar is a one watchable average entertainer. Close to one hundred and sixty minutes, a good dose of trimming would have definitely helped to make it a smooth and fast moving movie.

Direction is not bad while the dialogues at times had an artificial feel. Rest of the technical side is comparatively done well except the songs which was strictly average. As said earlier, a lengthy film that needed some fine tuning to make it crisp but sadly it didn't happen.

Acting wise, Arjun Kapoor did the character offered to him in the best possible manner. Sonakshi Sinha was okay and she continues the repeat act of her recent masala flicks. The most impressive among the actors were Manoj Bajpayee and Raj Babbar. While the former played the role of the main antagonist, the latter is the police officer who also happens to be Pintoo's father. Deepti Navel is also a part of the supporting casts.

In a nutshell, Tevar is not a great successor to its successful originals but apart from that, it is a one time watchable average flick. I am going with two and a half out of five for this old wine served in an old bottle.

Rating - 2.5 / 5

Jan 5, 2015

Women In Black 2 Review

The scares were very much predictable as we can easily guess when we need to get ready to relax and not be too serious and concentrating on the screen to make the impact of horror in theatre to the bare minimum. Also, it has a setting recycled from many other Hollywood flicks. Even then Tom Harper directed The Women in Black 2 : Angel of Death (British film) a watchable film without too much of blood and violence. This is the second installment of The Women in Black series and since I haven't seen the first part, not going into that or making a reference to that first part.

Beginning from London in the early part of the 1940's on the sidelines of World War 2, caretakers Eve Parkins and Jean take a group of orphaned kids to the abandoned Eel Marsh house located in a remote British countryside for safety. But soon they realise that they are not safe anymore as they have come to a haunted house where the women in black is an inhabitant there. Their presence have awakened her and rest of the story focus on how they get out of the mess after few of the children start to disappear.

There are moments that will scare you but in no way this film is close to movies released recently like a Conjuring or The Insidious series. Still without comparisons, this is an average one time watchable flick without any boredom though the first half takes time to settle down as well and give us a picture of what is in store for us. At ninety three minutes, WIB 2 doesn't stretch things and there is a smooth flow in screenplay. Though visuals looked good, what the film lacks is that it is not scary enough and hence people expecting something of that sort will be a disappointed lot.

On the acting side, there are only very few characters in the film. Phoebe Fox and Helen McCrory play the roles of the two caretakers with ease while Jeremey Irvine play the role of the pilot who helps the ladies and children to get them safely from Eel Marsh house. Among the children, the boy who portrayed the character of Edward had more screen presence considering the importance of that character in the overall scheme of things.

Cinematography was good along with nice art works. Editing was sloppy at times as some of the scenes were cut before they ended giving a bad feel. Background score was done neatly without going too much louder. We have seen such BGM's that just uses that sound factor to scare us without showing much on the screen.

Super natural horror movies are making its way to theatres very frequently these days and to make a mark among them is a hard task considering the standards set by some predecessors of this genre. WIB 2 among them can stake a claim to be a part of good horror flicks. If you love to watch scary movies in a theatre ambience, do watch this one as it is not that bad. For me it was an average fare content wise but above average in terms of visual quality and my rating is two and a half out of five for WIB 2 : Angel of Death.

Rating - 2.5 / 5

Jan 3, 2015

Pissasu Tamil Movie Review

All these years Indian audiences were craving from the makers of the horror genre to try out something different. It seems someone has finally heard our long pending demand in the form of Mysskin who has come out with a varied form of horror. His latest work Pissasu is a horror flick without too many of those blood and gore we have seen quite often from ghost movies. Backed by a beautiful screenplay minus all the cliched horror dramas, Pissasu stands tall among the genre with a different approach to storytelling and at the same time a notable making style with the trademark of Mysskin.

A little bit of spoiler alert is here so people yet to watch the film, I request you to please skip this paragraph of the review. Our hero here is Sidharth who is a violinist and a young man with a kind and good heart. He happens to witness a road accident of a beautiful girl whom he takes to hospital but the girl dies upon reaching the hospital holding Sidharth's hand. But what that follow him to his home is the ghost of the girl Bhavani. Siddharth's attempt to find out the cause of the ghost following him is what rest of the movie is all about.

Mysskin magic we have seen in movies like Onayum aatukuttiyum, Yudham Sei, Nandalala, Chithiram Pesuthadi etc are seen here in Pisasu also. The script is the backbone of any film and situation is here is no different. Screenplay, the making, the direction all holds together the movie which is just one hundred and thirteen minutes in duration. Along with excellent background score and camera angles, Mysskin puts his latest flick also into the big league. The attempt and approach is different and it has yielded results in a positive way.

Naga portrayed the character of Sidharth and eventhough he is a newcomer, he showed no signs of nervousness. Prayaga Martin is Bhavani and though her face will haunt us till the very end of the movie, the character as such have very little screen presence that later appear as the animated ghost character. Not much familiar actors among the supporting casts except Radha Ravi who appear as Bhavani's father and all of them were equally upto the task in terms of emoting.

The technical side also has its lions share in making the film a standard one. And here cinematography and background score are the two impressive areas that scored the most.

So overall its a Mysskin magic once again and his attempt in presenting a ghost story without any cliches and so called gimmicks of our desi horror movies definitely deserves to be appreciated. I go with three and a half out of five for Pissasu and recommend the film to people who likes experimental themes and experimentation
in movie making.

Rating - 3.5 / 5

Jan 2, 2015

Kayal Tamil Movie Review

Prabu Solman comes up with another gripping tale. A feel good love story, KAYAL is technically a sound film backed up by excellent visuals, soothing and melodoius music and above all solid performances from the lead pair who all are making their debut. Set against the backdrop of the 2004 Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, Kayal tells the story of Aaron and Kayal and how they fall for each other.

The film begins with the Tsunami where Aaron is a survivor of that calamity and gradually takes us to the incidents that unfold a few days before the tragic Tsunami waves happen in Kanyakumari. Aaron and Socrates are childhood friends who are tourist visiting various places accidentally becomes part of an eloping act by two couples on the eve of the girl's marriage but the fortune makes Aaron meet his girl there.

Screenplay till the half way mark is too good but post intermission does not have the same momentum that was shown in the beginning. But with a strong and good climax, Prabu Solomon regain form and finish the film on a high. So we can say the director has a hatrick of victories in Mynaa, Kumki and Kayal.

The three main actors are Chandran, Anandhi and Vincent who all are newbies portraying the characters of Aaron, Kayal and Socrates respectively. Performance wise all three have done the job that is expected and it is more than appreciable since they are all into their first performance on the big screen. Rest of the supporting casts were also equally good.

Technical side stands out. With good visuals to back helped by nice cinematography,
the movie has a rich and beautiful feel. Music is another backbone of this movie and all credits to D Imman, the man behind the music scene. All songs are melodius & hummable ones and are well placed in the film and one song is a fast number but not a bad one as well.

So overall, Kayal is a beautiful romantic film that won't disappoint you. Barring a few glitches in the second half, the rest of the narrative doesn't disappoint making Kayal a one time watchable love story. I go with three out of five as my personal rating for the film. Not a bad start for my first film of the new year and hoping for the trend to remain and continue in the long run.

Rating - 3 / 5