Chanthupottu (2005) : A Controversy

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

Feb 20, 2015

Badlapur Hindi Movie Review

Way to go Varun Dhawan !!! Shedding his chocolate boy tag, the guy has transformed brilliantly as Reghu in Badlapur Film to stake his claim among the top actors of the current crop. What he has did through this stellar performance is that his contribution in this Sriram Raghavan directed flick is the major highlight here. At the same time, one cannot ignore the contribution of Nawazuddin Siddiqui and rest of the supporting casts who all were brilliant in their respective roles to make Badlapur a must watch revenge drama.
Running at a very fast pace and backed by well structured screenplay, Badlapur has a solid and powerful story in its kitty. So right from the word go, there is no time to relax. Engaging from start till finish and Sreeram Raghavan shows his class and makes a strong comeback after his last movie Agent Vinod which was something that he shouldn't have done.
Set in Pune where our protagonist Reghu is living a happy life with his wife and son. His life is devastated through a bank robbery episode involving Liak and his friend that kills Reghu's wife and son. Liak is imprisoned for twenty years but Reghu is not ready to forget this dark chapter of his life and takes revenge in his own way.
Memorable and power packed scenes are there in plenty, thanks to the writing team behind the movie. Sriram has clear control over the proceedings that at no stage things go out of hand. Second half is a bit lengthier and lags a bit but a fitting and powerful climax compensates for all of that.
Varun as said is in top form and the character of Reghu no doubt is the best of his brief but successful career. Equally supporting was Nawazuddin and the script is written in such a way that at times we feel for his character Liak though he is the bad guy in the film. Among the female leads, Huma Qureshi, Radhika Apte, Yami Gautham and Divya Dutta were matching each other. Taking no credits away from the other female actors, it was Huma who was more impressive amon the four. If a mention is not made about Vinay Pathak, the review would be incomplete since his contribution in the post intermission part is not be forgotten. Sachin-Jigar's music is another factor to spice up the film and all songs in different genre are worth hearing again and again.
So what are you waiting for, just run to your nearest cinema halls and grab your tickets to watch this fully engaging and stunning film. I am going with four out of five for Sriram Raghavan's Badlapur. "Don't miss the beginning"; that's the tag line says but it is much more than that. It should be "Don't miss the film in its entirety"
Rating - 4 / 5

HARAM Malayalam Movie Review

HARAM has a very relevant and thought provoking theme in modern day lifestyle where breakup of marriages among young couples are too common and that too at a very early stage of marital life. Divorces and relationship breakdown rates are alarmingly high now and Vinod Sukumaran's debut movie deals with such a plot where two young people meet and fall for each other very quickly. They get married but soon realise that the institution of marriage is not a sweet bed of roses as they expected.

The storyline looked okay but the narrative part let down the film. Its the sluggish pace of the story that brings boredom into the picture. Also an unconvincing and out of place sub plot in the latter half of the movie does no good and finally Haram end up on a disappointing note, only highlight being Fahadh Faasil and Radhika Apte making a brave effort on the acting front in spite of the sleepy nature of the screenplay. Sathish Kurup's camera work was another positive factor for the film.

Balu who is a supportive of the leftist ideology and Isha who had a break up from a Kannadiga boy work in a call centre. They meet and fall in love ending up in marriage but some situations in their life gets them separated. Movie focus on their pre and post marriage life that lands up on the door of divorce.

Director who is an editor and who was worked with some big shots from Bollywood like Mahesh Bhatt and Shyamaprasad from Mollywood should have infused some energy into his screenplay instead of making it slow to test the patience level. Definitely he showed promise and is here to stay, may be a better and polished script could bring out the best in him one day. Some unwanted scenes typical of new gen funda could have been avoided especially the one where the call centre receiving a wrong call and the corresponding discussion over the size of male reproductive organ. It was out of place and totally unwanted with no relevance or connection with the plot.

Coming to the acting side, both Fahadh and Radhika showed lot of intensity in portraying the characters of Balu and Isha respectively. Initially, dubbing of Radhika had syncing problems but later on it was okay. Their on screen chemistry was good but it could not be sustained due to the overall snail pace of the story. Surprisingly, Renji Panicker in a cameo as father of Isha was disappointing. Madhupal and a few other familiar and unfamiliar actors are also part of the cast. Among them the lady who portrayed the character of Amina was impressive.

Cinematography is a major highlight here with cool and rich colour and frames giving an elegant feel visually. Edits were okay but definitely the movie was stretched and some trimming would have helped. Background score by Govind Menon was good and songs tuned by Thykoodam Bridge was typical of their style they are famous for.

Haram test your patience with a dull storyline and slow pace. If you still need to watch it, it should be for Fahadh and Radhika who did their best, but all for a loosing cause. My rating for Vinod Sukumaran's Haram is two out of five.

Rating - 2 / 5

Fireman Malayalam Movie Review

If we take the last couple of films of Mammootty, there is either class or mass in it. His latest film Fireman doesn't have either of these but is a watchable experience and finally director Deepu Karunakaran has something to cheer about after his unsuccessful previous flicks that did not evoke much interest at the box office. Within the limited framework of our Malayalam film industry, director has succeeded in presenting a first of a kind mission operation of a fire rescue team that is not perfect in every sense but definitely the movie is an above average one that cannot be discarded.

Vijay is an officer of Fire and Safety wing and the film is centered around a rescue operation by his team. Their mission or task is to save city from a gas tanker from exploding that falls from its vehicle as a result of an accident.

Nothing unpredictable in the film from the start till the end and one can easily guess what will happen next. Also the film follow the traditional or conventional way of story telling without any of those "new generation stuffs". And to my knowledge and as claimed by the makers, a movie on a rescue mission from a fire fighting team is the first of its kind in Malayalam. If this piece is wrong, please correct me.

Direction has its flaws and dialogues at places did not go well but overall if you take the movie, it is presented well and did not make a boring experience on screen.

On the acting side, it was quite an easy role for Mammootty and from the look of things he had to put in some efforts physically as a Fireman to carry and operate those fire fighting equipments. Unni Mukundan could have been better while Siddhique, Sadiq, Nyla Usha and Salim Kumar played their part on the supporting side.

Technically the film is just passable. Cinematography and edits were okay. Visual effects were not that impressive and could have been done better. May be a bigger budget may have stopped the makers from spending lavishly on that aspect. No songs are in the film as per the demands of the storyline but background score from Rahul Raj was done quite well and created the right mood and tension.

Overall, Fireman dedicated to all the fire fighting staff of our country is a watchable above average film. Not a perfect fire fighting mission but in the end it does not let you down either and my personal rating for this movie is three out of five.

Rating - 3 / 5

Feb 14, 2015

Yennai Arindhal BoxOffice Collection Reports from Kerala

For the Yennai Arindhal Review HERE

    Shankar's 'I' has created history in Kerala box office by becoming the highest grossing Non Malayalam Movie. Yennai Arindhal is the ready to follow up the trend by making it big here in Kerala. At first, 'I' as well as Yennai Arindhal were scheduled to release together. The delay for release has certainly helped to rise the excitement among the cinema circles. Ajith enjoys quite a sum of fans in Kerala and a huge Initial day collection is gauranteed. Yennai Arindhal is scheduled to release in around 100 screens all over kerala.

     Yennai Arindhal is receiving mixed WOM around the country. The third cop story of Gautham Menon has opened well all over India. The first day collection of the movie from Kerala is 1.20 Crores.
      Despite the average WOM and lack of competition, the overall collection has collapsed despite a huge first day collection. First week box office collection from Kerala seems to be 4.35 Crores. The potential viewers of Yennai Arindhal will get divided as Dhanush's Anegan is set to release.

Saaradhi Malayalam Movie Review

Saaradhi directed by Gopalan Manoj is never an underwhelming experience but it could have been far far better had a bit more care been taken while executing the movie. Narrating a one day incident in the life of an ambulance driver, the movie begins not that well but with a better second half and climax, Saaradhi ultimately become an average watchable flick.

On to the brief synopsis, Christy is an ambulance driver called upon to move dead body from a hospital. But the journey from hospital is not that smooth for the protagonist here as there seems to be some mystery surrounding that body that Christy realised only halfway through the long travel. Rest of the movie showcase the unveiling of the hidden truth and how Christy comes out of the mess he has landed in.

As said earlier, the first half lacked a perfect start required for these type of films and only from the second half, the gripping tale takes the real beginning. The dialogues could have been better especially the first half that had the regular cliches to make things bad. Direction is just ok but considering the first attempt of Gopalan Manoj, the faults are acceptable on the assumption that it would get corrected in his next venture.

Sunny Wayn as Christy was passable and good but in parts. The actor looked somewhat rusty especially in the dialogue delivery in the romantic sequences while in some serious moments he was felt wanting. Also, the character deserved a much better introduction scene rather than that 'Koothu' song that looked totally out of place. Sreenivasan as the police officer was okay while Vishnu Raghav did a decent job. Baiju, Madhupal, Sunil Sugadha and Thalaivasal Vijay are also part of the supporting casts.

Not a pleasing work behind the camera. Gopi Sundar's background score perfectly lifted the film and is one of the major highlights. Edits were fine.

Overall, though it has its flaws with poorly written dialogues and moments in the first half, a better second half saved Saaradhi from sinking making it a watchable end product. I will go with two and a half out of five for Gopalan Manoj's Saaradhi.

Rating - 2.5 / 5

Feb 13, 2015

Anegan Tamil Movie Review

K.V.Anand has a distinct style of movie making that makes his films something special and successful barring a very few. Same trademark style is there to be seen in his latest film Anegan where Dhanush is playing the lead role. Anegan is a good entertainer with a fully packed Dhanush show with an experimental and highly risky plot being narrated. All credits to the director for pulling up an above average winner making his comeback after a not so impressive Maatran a successful one.

The film tells the love story of three generations that are interconnected starting from the early 1960's in Burma. From there the movie shift to Chennai for the other two stories to unfold and in all three plots there are certain common factors and from here you need to watch the film to know the real side of the storyline. Any further revealing of story would definitely act as a spoiler.

First half has enough entertaining elements with all factors contributing equally in providing wholesome entertainment with the suspense part kept on hold. The second half too goes along well to compliment what was offered in the pre interval portion. The only glitch or negative factor was that unrealistic climax. Not the climax in full but a particular moment in the end could have been presented in a much better way to give the ending a perfect finish.

On the direction side, KVA has enough grip and control over the screenplay that at no point things go out of place. Complimenting his direction was Dhanush right through the entire movie as he portray three different characters all with different shades all with total conviction and once again he is proving to be one of the best when it comes to acting when you compare him with his peers.

Same goes for Amyra Dastur , the female lead who also portray three different characters and all three of them have come out so well. It is also a welcome change to see a heroine making a strong presence unlike the regular Tamil heroines we are seeing these days. Yesteryear actor Karthik was a surprise package. Though he was overacting initially, the portions towards the end was a neatly presented effort from him. Aashish Vidyarthy and Lena are other two actors who were also good in supporting roles.

Cinematography was a bright aspect for Anegan. Music director Harris Jayaraj joining hands with KV Anand for the fourth time has given some fine songs worth hearing few more times from the first hearing.

Overall Anegan doesn't disappoint and is an above average entertainer good for a one time watch. With good making, direction and impressive performances from the lead pair, this movie is a paisa vasool stuff that deserves a rating of three out of five.

Rating - 3 / 5

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Roy Hindi Movie Review

An apt title for the movie would be Kabir rather than Roy, the reason being that the character of Roy doesn't have any major significance whatsoever in this movie except the fact that Roy is a character in the film within the film being directed by Kabir. The pace at which the movie moves along, it is literally a yawning experience rather than a movie watching experience. A confused script only add more pain for our eyes.

Kabir Greval ( Arjun Rampal ) is a hit director of the Guns movie series and moves to Malaysia for filming the third part of the series. There he meets Ayesha ( Jackquline ferandez ) who is another film maker. Roy ( Ranbir Kapoor ) is a character based on which the story of the movie is developed. How the three characters evolve in the movie and how their relationship move forward form the basic synopsis of Roy directed by debutant Vikramjeeth Singh.

Kabir's and Ayesha's romance is the main plot here. A film within a film is happening and naturally the word script is used n number of times. Had the same script for the original film was given a makeover instead of making such a boring affair, the romance between the lead pair would have looked convincing on screen. But what happens here is just the opposite as the film just goes on endlessly testing the patience level and making the viewing experience a bad one.

Acting wise, not a bad attempt from Arjun Rampal as Kabir. Jacqueline Fernandez looked sexy and beautiful without much to perform on screen. For Ranbir, this was a different role altogether from his familiar territory but the sad part is that the character Roy is a half baked one. Anupam Kher appear in a cameo as as always he makes his presence felt.

Direction is not that bad and being a newcomer Vikramjeeth has done a reasonably good job but with a weak storyline and screenplay there is a limit to what a director can do in such a scenario. Cinematography is done well supported by the visual beauty of Malaysia. One of the major highlight of the film is the songs and one would definitely like to hear couple of songs from the movie again and again.

Some movies begin well and looses the momentum towards the post intermission part while there are others it happens the other way around where the start is bad but the landing would be a safe one. But here in Roy, right from the word go, the movie runs like a steam less train that drags till the very end. I go with one and a half out of five as my personal rating for the movie.

Rating - 1.5 / 5

Feb 8, 2015

Shamitabh Review

Performances do help a movie to go one level up and it also change the outlook of a film to a large extent. R.Balki's Shamitabh is one such film that is nowhere close to the director's previous outings like Paa or a Cheeni Kum. But two special people in the form of Amitabh Bachchan and Dhanush takes Shamitabh to a different level of viewing experience and make it memorable.

Dhaneesh hailing from a small town in Maharashtra aspires to become our typical Bollywood hero one day. He is so passionate about movies but what that stop him from realizing his dream is that he is dumb eventhough he has the talent to act. With the help of technology and an assistant director Akshara, he becomes a superstar but not as Dhaneesh but as Shamitabh. Here is how that happens. Dhaneesh meet a drunkard named Amitabh Sinha who had a solid and powerful voice and through a new technology the actor in Dhaneesh is able to talk now. Rest of the film focus on their relationship and journey using one's voice for the other while the other do the act for that voice.

Director Balki had a pretty novel and interesting concept with him but at the same time it was a herculean task to make this storyline looks believable and convincing on screen. With solid writing especially the dialogues and also the Big B and Dhanush factor on the performance side made that difficult task very much possible. There were flaws and loose ends but those were covered up nicely on screen. An exciting first half but the same level of excitement is not on offer in the post intermission session.

Now to the acting side. Normally we say scripting is the backbone of any film and without doubt it is infact the backbone of any movie. But here in Shamitabh its the performances of Amitabh Bachchan and Dhanush that elevates the movie to a different level. Both were upto the task matching each other in each and every scene. Their onscreen chemistry is another highlight here without which Shamitabh would have looked pretty ordinary. Junior Kamal Hassan (Akshara) makes a decent debut and display the talent she possess in the limited opportunity she got in the movie. A host of established directors like Karan Johar and Mahesh Bhatt, actress Rekha, producer Boney Kapoor and lyricist Javed Akthar makes cameo appearances in the movie.

P.C.Sreeram has done an excellent job behind the camera. Editing was very smooth. Ilayaraja's background score was another bright aspect of the movie though it was not close to his best. Songs were good especially the one titled Piddly and also the title song that had a good rhythm to it.

Overall if you take Shamitabh, the movie has a refreshing concept with lot of loose ends. A better second half would have definitely helped the film scale greater heights. But having said that one cannot ignore the performances of two actors who have put in something special from their side. So the rating is three out of five.

Rating - 3 / 5

AADU Malayalam Movie Review

Production group Friday Film House these days are behind creatures and animals. That's what the title of their last three films give an indication. MONKEY pen was followed by PERUCHAZHI (Rat) and now we have AADU or a GOAT occupying a pivotal place in the title of their latest movie in tinsel town. With a curious and catchy title Aadu Oru Bheegara Jeevi Aanu grabs your attention with the very first look. Whether the film grab your attention and makes a happy viewing is the next big question. The answer is a BIG NO. Tried its best to be a film with lots of fun where comedy plays a very important part but the reality is that the movie falls flat.

Set in Idukki high range where Shaji Pappan is the manager of a local tug-of-war team Winners Pothumukku. When the team wins, they get a she-goat Pinkie as a bonus prize from the tournament and Pinkie the goat is sharing screen space with none other than our hero Jayasurya in the movie. But from here nothing happens and with scenes that have no connection with the overall plot acts as a big spoiler putting everything out of place.

People these days say anyone can make a film when you have a cash rich producer by your side. But in reality it is not that true. The thing is Aadu Oru Beegara Jeevi and movies like these are prime examples justifying the belief of some that movie making has become easy now. No storyline and no script is the case here. Director Mithun Manuel Thomas is a newcomer. Accepting that fact but how he went ahead with this script puts a big question mark. Read that this movie was initially planned as a short film and later they decided to make it into a full fledged film. It seems things went wrong from here as the content that can be told in twenty minutes is stretched and written too badly forcing people to go in a sleeping mode or leave the cinema halls midway through in a disappointing fashion.

Jayasurya is a reliable actor these days and sad to see him in this film with nothing to do. Either he did not read the script or after hearing a one liner of the film he went ahead to do it getting it wrong. Anyways his looks and introduction scene was a cool one. Saiju Kurup, Dharmajan, Vinayakan, Chemban Vinod, Indrans, Vijay Babu , Renji Panicker are all there in the film but what can they do in a poorly written work. Sandra Thomas appear in a character that was totally irritating. Aju Varghese, Srindha Ashab and Swathi Reddy have cameo roles.

Disappointing is too less a word to describe this film that fails on all counts testing the patience at the highest level. Don't deserve a rating too but cannot ignore the efforts of the technicians behind a film and hence I go with a very generous one mark out of five for Aadu Oru Beegara Jeeviyanu.

Rating 1 / 5

Feb 7, 2015

11 Actors and Characters - Actors born to play these characters

The reason of the birth of a movie character can vary from real world incidents to pure imaginative creation. Some of the characters are developed keeping a particular actor in the mind or in the other case the actors are auditioned for movie roles. There are various characters in the movie world that are enacted so perfectly that none other can conceive better than that.
Actors and Actresses those seems to be born to play certain characters are enlisted here.

1. Marlon Brando | Character : Don Vito Corleone
Movie : The Godfather (1972)
 One of the most critically acclaimed characters in the history of cinema. 
The quote "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" is one of the most famous dialogues from the movie. Marlon Brando during the audition stuffed cotton in his cheeks. Later on, a mouthpiece was designed to get a 'bulldog' like look for Don Corleone. Marlon Brando imitated the voice of a real gangster that he has seen on TV.

2. Heath Ledger | Character : The Joker
Movie : The Dark Knight (2008)
When Christopher Nolan handed over the character 'Joker' to Heath Ledger, everyone was left astonished. "Because he is fearless" is the answer the director gave when asked about the unexpected casting. Most of the actors were reluctant to take this task because of the performance by Jack Nicholson as Joker. Heath Ledger spent six weeks isolated from every distractions in hotel to develop various features for the character. It was Heath Ledger who designed the makeup. This performance won him around 32 Best Supporting Awards. The nomination for Best Supporting Actor Award was coincidentally announced on his first death anniversary. 

3. Johnny Depp | Character : Captain Jack Sparrow
Movie : Pirates of the Caribbean : The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Man's Chest (2006), Pirates of the Caribbean : At World's End, Pirates of the Caribbean : On Stranger Tides (2011)
 It is truly difficult to recognize Johnny Depp out of his characters. The way he gets transformed for every character is definitely incredible. Captain Jack Sparrow is the character that made him a superstar and it will be difficult to find someone else who could've acted it more convincingly. Did you know that the character was written keeping Hugh Jackman in mind? It would've been weird.

 4. Jim Carrey | Character : The Mask
Movie : The Mask (1994)
Bringing on a cartoon character on screen with minimal graphics support!! Jim Carrey has done a mighty job by doing so. I've wondered if anyone could ever play The Mask. He has a lot of funny characters in his career but this character is much related Jim Carrey even though with all those wacky makeups.   

5. Russell Crowe | Character : Maximus Decimus Meridius
Movie : The Gladiator (2000)
Russell Crowe carries this epic character and the movie on his very capable shoulders. This movie works mainly due to his character. Another character that's a perfect mix from this great actor will be 'John Nash' from 'A Beautiful Mind'. I wouldn't argue with you if you said that Russell Crowe was born to play John Nash in 'A Beautiful Mind'.

6. Morgan Freeman | Character : The God
Movie : Bruce Almighty (2003)
Morgan Freeman by playing the character truly reflects the infinite wisdom of god through his massive talent. The character would've been weird if it was conceived by someone else. The character is wonderfully relaxed in the hands of Morgan Freeman. Morgan Freeman is often mistaken as Nelson Mandela as his photos were widely used in Social Networks when Nelson Mandela died. The role he portrayed in 'Invictus' as Nelson Mandela is nearly perfect but still God > Nelson Mandela.

7. Arnold Schwarzenegger | Character : Terminator
Movie : The Terminator (1984), Terminator 2 : Judgement Day (1991), Terminator 3 : Rise of the Machines (2003)
A living human to act as a machine other than Arnold Schwarzenegger? No, It is impossible. This man is born as a machine. Even in his 60s, he is planning in a sequel to The Terminator series that is scheduled to release in 2015.

8. Daniel Radcliffe | Character : Harry Potter      
Move : Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix (2007), Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2009), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I (2010) , Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II (2011)

The whole Harry Potter series had a perfect cast which bring each characters to real life. The involvement of JK Rowling in the casting process could be the reason. Daniel Radcliffe has the exact look, charm and mannerisms of Harry Potter as described in the book as if he was born to play this character. He beautifully captures the deep soul and the untapped potential of Harry Potter.

9. Hrithik Roshan | Character : Akbar
Movie : Jodhaa Akbar (2008)
The character Akbar played by Hrithik Roshan mayn't be even close how the way true Akbar would have looked. But such considerations are immaterial when you are telling a love story. No one could have done it better with such elegance, royalty, serenity as an emperor.

10. Jesse Eisenberg | Character : Mark Zuckerberg
Movie : The Social Network (2010)
Other than Jesse Eisenberg, i can't imagine another actor who can look like Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. Jesse Eisenberg perfectly delivers Mark Zuckerberg as a nerdy, kind of jerk-ish character.
       
11. Ben Kingsley | Character : Mahatma Gandhi
Movie : Gandhi (1982)
Ben Kingsley portrays the spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi with deep simplicity. The portryal of various ages of Gandhi across five decades in the movie is incredible. It was said that when shooting was done in Gandhi's natives, many of the people believed that it was Gandhi's ghost. Ben Kingsley won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Gandhi.
 
 

Feb 5, 2015

Yennai Arindhaal Review

He is known more for slick and stylish films. Gautham Vasudev Menon is back with his next. Yennai Arindhaal has the typical stamp and touch of Gautham which is the third of the cop story movie coming from him after Kaakha Kaakha and Vettayadu Vilayadu which were runaway hits. This is not a different movie with surprising twists in store for the viewers. A fast paced screenplay helped by the screen presence of Ajith makes the film a passable and watchable one.

Sathyadev who is very close to his father ( Nazer in a cameo) aspires to become a doctor but fate has something else in store for him. The film follow the life of Sathyadev from his young age to his present state. Beginning from a flight journey where Satya meets Thenmozhi (Anushka) and follow him from where an undercover cop story is developed with all those cat and mouse game that are common in Gautham Menon films.

The first half is executed very well but the latter half seems to be an extended one. Lengthy at two hours and fifty minutes, a better second half could have made the film in a better shape. Even though action is the predominant factor here, romantic track between Ajith and Trisha is one of the major highlight of this film but there is also another romantic angle between the hero and Anushka's character that lacked charisma and looked unconvincing on screen.

Direction from Gautham Menon is not bad as he follow the pattern he is familiar with. Cinematography definitely comes to the forefront in giving the film a rich and vibrant feel. Background score and music from Harris Jayaraj is a huge factor here contributing immensely. Editing had its problems with many scenes getting chopped off giving an incomplete feel to many scenes.

Coming to the acting, its an Ajith show all the way. Though the director has tried his best in reducing the mass elements for a superstar, Ajith is able to make his presence felt through his classy looks and dialogue delivery. Among the heroines, though Anushka had more screen presence, it was Trisha who came out as the ultimate winner. Hardcore fans of the actress would have definitely wanted to see more of her in the movie. Vivek in a different avatar as cop Richard did his part. His one liners didn't fare badly and delivered the results expected. Arun Vijay as Victor portrayed the antagonist role brilliantly. Baby Anikha, Nasser, Suman are also part of the cast.

Though the film is not upto the expected level, Ajith and Gautham factor and a sweet but a light romantic track works positively for the film to a great extent saving it from sinking. It is definitely a watchable paisa vasool flick and I go with three out of five for Yennai Arindhaal.

Rating - 3 / 5

Feb 2, 2015

The Imitation Game Review

Right at the fag end of the film, a brief but a very useful piece of information is shared with the audience. Those three minutes itself is more than inspiring and motivational. Based on a true story of Alan Turing, a mathematical genius credited with breaking the Unbreakable Nazi code machine titled Enigma during World War 2, The Imitation Game sounds like a movie in the thriller genre but the reality is it is not. To be precise, it is much more and much beyond that. No wonder, the movie has been nominated under eight categories at this year's Oscars.

Turing's efforts with the help of fellow mathematicians in cracking the enigma code not only put an end to the war two tears earlier, it also helps in saving the life of millions. Also what he invented was later a platform for the invention of that machine called computer. Dealing with a serious plot, the movie has a touch of humour created mostly by performance and also aided by dialogues.

The film set in England in the early part of 1940's and also in 1950's, the narrative follow a two way approach of showing the present and going on flashback mode to connect the present and past. It didn't backfire and scripting takes care of that area without loosing any grip over the movie. The focus of the movie is Turing's childhood, the war period and the post war period.

Benedict Cumberbatch is in top form and no words can describe what he has done as Alen Turing. The emotions he need to portray is like a zigzag graph and he has acted each and every scene with such finesse. Supporting him was Keira Knightley as Turing's fellow mathematician and later his fiancee. Rest of the supporting casts also put up a fine show in making this movie an impressive one.

Technically too, The Imitation Game scores. Cinematography was not that bad while edits were smooth. Background score was impressive in creating a mood suiting each and every moment in the film.

Overall, it should be a learning experience of a brilliant work from a genius called Alan Turing. A truly impressive film in its own way, The Imitation Game is another movie in the must watch category. On the ratings, I go with four out of five and give a big thumbs up to director Morten Tyldum for his remarkable piece of work.

Rating - 4 / 5

Feb 1, 2015

American Sniper Review

Clint Eastwood directed Academy award nominated American Sniper is a gripping war tale and a much impressive movie that makes one deeply connected and involved with the subject from the very beginning. A biopic on Chris Kyle who was an American Sniper sent to Iraq post September Eleventh attacks, this movie is an intense and well executed war drama and for that the screenplay and narrative plays a major contribution.

Though a performance oriented movie with Bradley Cooper coming up with one of the best of his career well supported by Sienna Miller, there are other factors too that contributes in making American Sniper a must watch movie, and quite well deserved an Oscar nomination for the best picture of 2014.

The story revolves around Chris Kyle, a sniper who is in the United States army who is sent to Iraq after 09/11 attacks. His love for his country makes him spend close to thousand days spread across four tours in Iraq as a sniper killing one hundred and sixty from the opposite side and protecting US Marines from being hit.

The prime focus of this movie showing the inner conflicts in Chris and the problems he had to face as a Sniper that affected his normal life. Nicknamed as The Legend by his own men, Chris becomes the most wanted man in Iraq with a price tag of $180K on his head. Though the narrative and script holds the film till the very end, it should also be said that somewhere we get a feel of Zero Dark Thirty, another war drama with a similar style of storytelling.

With Clint Eastwood's excellent direction backed by a powerful screenplay with Cooper putting in something special on the acting front, here is one movie that is not to be missed at any cost. I am going with four out of five for American Sniper.

Rating - 4 / 5

Khamoshiyan Review

"Half baked" would be too less a word to describe the movie Khamoshiyan . Coming from the Bhatt camp where Vikram Bhat is the writer and Mukesh Bhatt the producer, the movie directed by Karan Darra, fails miserably in all departments making it a double boring affair on screen.

The movie follow Kabir, a writer who seems all lost with his love life and decide on to move ahead through a small journey and lands up in a deserted hotel run by a lady named Meera who is married to bedridden Jaidev. Things look good for a prosperous romance between Meera and Kabir but it is not that easy as it can be said. The ghostly and haunting aspect makes its presence felt and rest you can easily imagine what is there in store for the audience.

"Cliched" is a word that is used quite often in reviews especially when it comes to the horror genre as the expectations for a desi horror flick from Bhatt family is at a very low level. No sin in that. But at least the content and narrative should have a minimum standard and Khamoshiyan fails in that aspect. Direction is disappointing and with a wayward screenplay along with irritating dialogues, the movie drag things as far as it can reach and ultimately end up on the losing side.

Ali and Sapna Pabbi have a done a pretty good job as Kabir and Meera respectively in spite of the script not coming to their help. Same is the case with Gurmeet Choudhary as Jaideep, a brief but an all important character from the film's perspective.

Cinematography was not that bad and the visuals were really helped by eye catching scenic beauty of the locale where the film was shot. Edits were ok. Visual effects didn't make any impact while songs were better considering how the movie performed.

So Khamoshiyan has ghost, an errotic content and everything that we see from the recent crop of desi horror movies but without a backbone; yes a solid screenplay and storyline. I can at best give a rating of one out of five and not more than that. So now you know what to do; yes skip it.

Rating - 1 / 5