Mundasupatti - A Mundasu might help you get through!
Guess the new formula in Tamil Cinema these days? Definitely no cookies if you get it right.
An eccentric idea for a short film + make that short film popular + Now make a feature film = Hit feature film (?)
Ideally, there is nothing wrong in it provided the execution is handled with utmost care unlike Mundasupatti - Feature film version. With this newly embraced success formula where short film's foray into feature film has been an instant hit, there are few things that have been overlooked in the process, topping the list among those is making it a two and half hour worth movie where Mundasupatti miserable failed, according to me.
How cool is the idea of a fictional village where photography is strictly prohibited due to strong superstition that it could lead to death? The idea of exploiting this theme comically does sound fun but how long is the question. The screenplay is being dragged to its best due to which the movie moves in snail’s pace. You got to deal with silly superstition on one hand, genuinely funny fotografizophic people or whatsoever they are called on the other, and since it is a feature film you got a love tale to deal with, and a dumb villain and you got Muniskanth, oh already too much in a platter to digest.
When a photographer, Vishnu, who coincidentally loves a girl, Nandita, from that Village, Mundasupatti, ends up in that village with his assistant, Kaali Venkat, to take a photo of a dead person which due to technical reason doesn’t turn out good, this is where Muniskanth comes to rescue and somehow the problem is solved temporarily but the happiness doesn’t last longer after the villagers learn about duo’s crime and they get stuck in the village as slaves who got to escape the village not just alive but also with the love lady.
Tell this situation to any kid, it will instantly say you the climax with no second thoughts yet you got to watch for more than two hours to reach that point also to know how people could turn out that dumb. If you ask me if I watch all tamil movies with logical reasoning, I would say a NO for sure but it at least got to be engaging right?
To be very frank, you constantly laugh at the dumbness of the people and not because they are funny, isn’t this whole thing pathetic? Of course it needn’t realistic and message oriented, but it got to make little sense. Yet we laugh at it and I wonder if our standard of enjoying a comedy has gone down.
The probable savior of the film would be the music and BG by Sean Roldan who thankfully hasn’t overdone it. Kaali Venkat is surely a talent to be watched out for and of course the actor who portrayed Muniskanth, he is silly yet funny. Vishnu and Nandita have neatly done things given to them but it is such a pain to watch Anandaraj being underutilized.
Finally to all those directors who believe in this short film to feature film trend – It is tricky yet effective to cut short a feature length script but stretching a short script leaves its marks, maybe, a void too.
A tip to the ones yet to watch the movie: My dad says that wearing “Mundasu” around your head works great during headaches. Just a tip, might come in handy! :P
A sweet ride indeed. You ask me How sweet? Then i would insist you to travel in Padmini and visit the Pannayaru & co to feel and describe the Sweetness, which is too right in proportion that you can wholesomely taste just once.
It is definitely a beautiful feel good story of a Pannayaru (Jayaprakash) and his love for Padmini (the car) that travels through cute little twists and turns to make us realise that things will come to you if you r the right person to whom it wants to belong..Don't get too philosophical here, I just meant the car!
In spite of evident challenges of overdoing few things, which invariably comes along while converting a short film into a feature film, this movie steals the smiles and makes us love these characters more than Padmini.
Yeah, though it is Padmini who steals the heart of all characters in the movie, in which she stands gracefully under a tree that shed flowers on her constantly, we can't help but fall in love with these characters more. Padmini might be magical but ultimately to me it is Pannayarum chellamalum who wins the heart with ease. Jayaprakash and Thulasi (Chellamal) share a perfect chemistry I say, which the song 'Onnakaga Porandheanae' sums it up in short. One who questions the love between old couple, should watch this movie, it's too beautiful to be described here. Thulasi, who is the female lead according to me, deserves special mention, she reminds us of the paati kusumbu that everybody can relate to.
Ouucch, I will be ostracised if I forget to mention him here. Of course there is Vijay Sethupathi, whose screen presence itself is enough for us to be impressed but that doesn't stop him from living the character (Murugesan, the driver) in the movie yet again. But We have got too used to His characters and acting that it becomes difficult for us to picturize him differently, so please surprise us VS!
None have been useless in the movie, even the troublemaker, Peeda, is sucha lovable character.
Ultimately, this movie has both fun and emotion in right place and delivered in right quantity by the characters that love Padmini so much that makes us to wish if she could really talk back.
Huge thumbs up to Arun Kumar, the director, for such a cute story and a commendable screenplay. A debut that you can be proud of! :)
"Money Money Money Money Money.....”
I was kinda imagining De caprio saying this thala dialogue in his accent maybe slightly rephrasing it by closely punctuating with the F word, That pretty much sums up the wolf of the wall street!
But after seeing the movie, I kind of wonder, 'Did Jordon really live this kinda life?' - Beeeep! That’s unfortunately the only answer your brain prefers to give. Maybe, that’s what provoked Scorsese to make this movie?!?! The movie successfully portrays the mad race of making money people where nobody including the leader have any idea about where, when and how it ends.
Though the movie is about money making, what you get to see more is drugs, drugs and more drugs, but for 170 odd minutes? Yeah drills your patience at times. But the movie is technically strong that portrays a part of Jordon's life through Caprio’s brilliant acting in an uncompromising style by highlighting important points of Jordan’s life also tracing through the history of American wall street business in 80s and so on. The movie ends with a motivational speech show by Jordon where we see eagerly looking American faces that looks up to Jordan to know the secret behind money making, which is precisely what America is about, right, even now?
Besides, did anybody get reminded of Guru bhai while watching this movie or was it just me? I just couldn't stop comparing Guru Bhai in Guru and Jordan in this movie. They are too similar, all they want is to make money and they are charismatic enough to earn the trust of the people, whatsoever happens, they are there for him. But yeah, they definitely had differences including how they end up in the climax, you know why right, the culture, the lifestyle, the country?
Well, it shouldn't be surprising to see the Scorsese - Caprio combo hitting the ground running, but this time it’s really hard. They are back into the Oscar race with this 'wolf' that will probably knock off its contenders, running straight ahead. Scorsese in this movie is definitely not what we saw in Shutter Island or Departed, he is far more refreshing with a tinge of 90s and 80s Scorsese in accurate proportions. Especially the back ground score and few parts of the narration, you see the trademark Scorsese himself. Btw, it’s true that it’s a three hour movie but lemme assure that for most of the part you either laugh or say 'what the beep' (like you really mean it).
Ultimately, If you are a Martin Scorsese fan? Or De Caprio's? Definitely, go for it – And if you hate both? - All the more reasons to go and fuck off.
And on a personal note, Oh yeah!! I loved Jonah hill in this movie, of course a comedian, but with a difference and of course de caprio. how can one not like when there is De Caprio right in front of you for three solid hours doing things that he does the best. Oh man, what else should this man to do earn his Oscars?
Yet again a supposedly realistic movie in Tamil Industry that shows the apathetic insensitive society we live in and getting away with all positive reviews from every corners, but somehow I, being from a generation that is close to this century teenage love and adolescence, feel that the story and characters have been slightly (Slightly?! Trust me! I am being very diplomatic) misplaced and hitting the wrong chord.
Right from the promotion of the movie through TV sets and social media, the movie did not fail to receive the attention as it shows a young boy who seem like somebody from our neighborhood and who, with his immature arrogant adolescent kid looks falls in crazy ‘Bike love’ with another seemingly innocent female friend in the college, displaying glimpses of their fast growing lusty love in a very short span.Especially, when a song with shallow lyrics like ‘Mella sirithal Kaadhal than,’ runs in the back ground and dialogues like ‘Bike vaangitu propose pannu udane ok soliduva’ by the female lead, you almost know what the film could be about and you expect it to travel into a particular fashion to make it a hard hitting social movie. But, in an attempt to make it a refreshing unpredictable story, Director Suseendharan probably had put in efforts more than needed that nearly spoiled the thrill of watching this movie in a theatre, especially if you turn up with your parents, lucky me, I didn’t!
It seemed like the director worked on the script and rewrote dialogues so many times that every spot where you think the story might take a different turn (in a sense that would not wrongly typecast any particular generation), it just stayed still.
The story, which revolves around families in a metro like Chennai where an upper middle class boy falls in love with middle class girl and the next good thing they do after acknowledging their love, is wandering in the deserted streets and beaches of the city. Probably in the very subsequent scene you will see the girl hinting him to have sex and here comes the most bullshit dialogue from the male lead, ‘Thappu panra vayasule thappu panna thappe illa’ after which we see them making out in a resort in Mahabs! Seriously?!?! how less cliched can you make it?
The girl, who is very dumb enough to realize that having sex can lead to pregnancy, realizes quite too late and the rest that follows is a typical Indian attitude. By this, if the director meant to say that the kids of this generation only can do such senseless job, then am sorry, we have seen many similar cases in tamil cinema, even Vidhi (1984) for instance, where Poornima Bhagyaraj had something better to do than uttering dialogues like ‘Avala Vaithale irukardha kazhivitu vara sollu’ in this movie, who plays the role of male lead’s mother.
But I would surely like to appreciate Thulasi, who plays the role of Manisha’s mother, she has done an excellent job through her natural and sensible acting as a parent. Whereas Jayaprakash, father of Manisha, had very less to do in this movie, except being the receptor of abusive comments from the chauvinistic society, which urges him to get rid of the baby as soon as it’s born. The movie ends with a pathetic song showing an admirable cute little kid in a shabbily maintained orphanage home and glimpses of the kid’s parents getting into their routine of what they do best in their life.
The director might get away with an explanation by calling it reality but generalizing the issue and stereotyping adolescence and sarcastically referring ‘Aadhalal Kaadhai Seiveer’ (So you should love)? just did not convey anything to me instead raised my temper at the attitude of the director.
Just because 21st century media revolves around sensationalism and goes around breaking stories to gain attention and push a common man to a state of fear doesn't mean this problem has popped up all of a sudden.
If his intention was to raise apprehensions and suspicions in the minds of any parent, then my wishes to him, he has achieved it with no trouble. My views are not against supervision (to an extent) of youngsters but this movie did not convey the maturity a parent will posses, instead, every character has been carelessly etched. I wonder what made the director to make this as a movie when he had nothing to say.
When you give an unresolved problem to the people, especially when it involves lives of people, it raises their anxiety. It’s a known story that the mainstream media adheres to this simple formula and goes around bombarding the public with so-called facts and figures. But it’s a sorry state to see one such instance happening in movies too.
Even after being repeatedly warned through disgusting comments and disappointing looks, I landed up watching this movie. Actually, Alone! :D
It was fun though! Oh, I mean the process!
Now about the movie,
I was informed by the internet sources that the movie is a Thriller drama, but it was more a love drama than a thriller I guess, actually an 'immortal' love story that you feel like dying halfway through but you JUST CAN'T and you are more than alive at the end, which makes us 'The Mariyans!'
These days directors do not strain themselves to think of a name for the hero! (Whats the name of the movie? Maryan...! Ok, That's Hero's name too!) See, that easy! We also don't mull over it whether people even have such names? Anyway, it's fairly evident that the director had many other things to actually think about!
Bharat Bala officially enters the Kollywood with a movie that has all elements that are already set and hugely accepted by the audience. Though initially reminding us of Maniratnam's Kadal with breath taking visuals of the sea and a hamlet close to it, he makes no mistake in progressing into the actual story of Mariyan & Panimalar.
Maryan, a sea fish which just escapes Panimalar's love net every time she tries to catch it without realizing that it is a kind of fish that voluntarily jumps into a net. Yet another Dhanush movie with a genre that he aptly fits into or vice versa. He has mastered these rustic, rugged characterizations to such an extent that we feel he can never go wrong.
The first half is soaked in love. With Panimalar and Maryan always in close proximity, there is always an expectation on when 'it' is gonna get ignited. Though the portrayal of panimalar's love reminds us of the famous Muthazhagu (Paruthiveeran), Pani wins the heart, maybe because she is more sensuous and expressive. Commendable work by Parvathi menon and her blossoming acting skills. Maryan's acceptance and their love lusty period moves the first half faster than expected that ends with a perfect mini climax with 'Innum konjam neram irundha than enna' song, which totally touches our hearts!
This takes us into a contrasting second half in all aspects. The script and the landscape definitely needs some moisture in it. The dryness on the screen reflects well in the theatres too where audience prefer to drink water preferably outside!
The unexpected song Nenje Ezhu, though logically at the right place, builds up the spirit of the audience just like it did to Dhanush but did not last longer to sustain it. As the song ends, just like Dhanush, our spirits too falls 'thud' on the sand.
Even otherwise, When matters like terrorism and hostage comes into play, how can there be no political scene? I don see anyone concerned about the kidnapping, expect Maryan and Panimalar. Accepted, it is a love story that doesnt mean you can handle serious subjects so loosely. At least in that case, one shouldn have taken an economically backward, dry place like Sudan and at least not included dialogues that creates sympathy on terrorists! :-|
This reminds me of Bharat Bala's mishandling with characters. He had taken the love story so seriously that he assumed that the audience would forget about rest of the characters. Initially there was a need for a pinch of sugar 'sakkarai' between Pani and Maryan, but once the story got sweetened, the sugar was thrown into salt waters. Nobody knows why was there a character called Seeli, I don see Uma Riaz helping the character in any way and yea! you literally feel like asking, 'who are you?' to Thommaya, who has competed with Uma riaz to show the least nativity and accent! Deepest condolences for one of the very indecently handled characters, Saamy! Did the director try to convey that Saamy (God) is also mortal but not Maryan(?) Oh plz! just a thought!
Coming back to the story, the rest is quite predictable. Mariyan fooling 'the terrorists', fighting the climatic odds without food and water and safely returning back to Pani did not sound funny! Seriously, an inspiring one! The reunion becomes so important in this movie that it is the sole saviour for both; the script and the audience.
Mariyan - A potential movie that had scopes in different dimensions but chose and managed to excel in one - louvs! :D
A long drawn out movie that is surely exhaustive yet leaves you stare at the screen, letting your thoughts to process through what really happened in the longest two and half hour romantic movie – Ranjhanaa!
A movie that could probably test the patience of Tamil audience but at the same time win many Desi hearts with none other than Dhanush who can take the credits. For an audience who are very much used to Dhanush and his acting expertise, Ranjhnaa’s first half is a piece of cake with no surprises. It is a typical Tamil movie where we see the best of Dhanush yet again.
But a confusing lengthy second half puts everyone to deep thoughts about why we are suddenly forced to watch a political movie. Well, that’s the moment you realize it is a bollywood movie.
Kundan (Dhanush), a Banaras Hindu, ‘wrist-slitting’ chap, who is madly, deeply, truly, passionately in love with a Muslim girl Zoya (Sonam Kapoor), who takes every joy of being worshipped and comes back to him shameless for help every time after she effortlessly breaks his heart. The character sketch of Zoya needs a mention here as the director very clearly tries to portray a character whose graph rise and fall erratically at different stages in the movie. I also feel Sonam’s shallow acting skills contributed more to the character than the efforts of the director.
The movie has a wide range of emotion traversing through a large canvas, which at times loses its way and it craves for punches from Dhanush to bring back to the tone. The sly twist of Kundan’s aggressiveness exactly timed when the audience had already set their minds with Kundan as a guy who invariably falls on to Zoya’s feet, was a perfect tinge of salt in the lemonade.
The colorfulness in the screen until when Banaras remains as the setting is slowly lost once the story moves out of it. In the travel process through Punjab and finally Delhi, all one could see is black coldness in everybody’s faces! Definitely, No offence meant!
The love interest of Zoya, played by a professionally qualified supporting actor, Abhay Deol (Akram or other name which doesn’t get register), had everything that a girl would probably dream about or actually even more, I have not dreamt of a guy having his own party. But exactly when the audience tries to foresee things about the method of his riddance, he is already dead. Thanks to the director for not thinking too much on it, in fact, I wouldn’t call it a sweet cameo.
Aanand Rai, tries to pull the audience into the political story of the country through a love story, which at many places seemed irrelevant and loosely tied up to drag the story. Or it could also be taken as a perspective where the director had given an open ground to the south Indian actor to play his game.
Towards the climax, I remember asking – ‘What the hell is happening here?’ to my friend beside who was equally confused while decoding Sonam’s serious expressions. But the climax is definitely worth the pay that absorbs us completely with the slow motions and sentimental dialogues.
By the time audience forget the music director, A R Rahman, Bang! Appears his name in the title card after the extensive love story and takes us to the memories of ‘tum-tak, tum-tak, tum-tak, tum-tak.’
There is one special category in movies where you want to like/love the movie, you badly want to see it but when you see it, it is sheer disappointment. Yest, I happened to see, in fact planned it for days, to see this movie called - Yeh Jawaani hai Deewani...
Maybe I got carried away by the 'Aww' and 'ooooh' msgs filling my facebook wall for past one week. The tragic part is that I almost forgot that I watched a movie like this by the end of the day.
Now something from what I remember -
1. A totally independent, carefree, 'fox' traveler, again a photographer, puppy faced, whose official name is never known, but called Bunny and whose parents never bother to bother him.
2. A stereo typical chashmish, studious, self pitying, introverted yet super glamorous, Naina, whose parents don't mess with her when she leaves a letter and goes for a trekking trip with her to-be friends.
3. A tom-boyish girl with strange fitting clothes, who will love a guy, whom d audience know that it ll be unrequited, a kalki koechlin character enacted by her own self, whose first few scenes itself will reveal that she is a typical supporting actress of the movie, btw her name is Aditi.
4. Lastly Avi, a guy who reminds so much of Farhan Akhtar by person and by nature.
Story revolves around only these four character. The screen space is occupied only by these four characters. Fairly predictable story line, in case u r looking for sum twists, plz don't. If you have DVDs of DDLJ, ZNMD, KKHH and cliched movies of this kind in your home? Then, don't bother to go for this.. you very well know what will happen.
Anyway this is how the story unfolds
Flash back -
Aditi loves Avi.
Naina loves Bunny.
But both Bunny and Avi are not so much interested in it.
BUnny is busy travelling all over the world, wonder how he gets job in Fox traveller and Avi remains a loser.
After 8 years -
Aditi is fed up of Avi's dumbness and gets engaged to a comic character.
Naina still loves Bunny. (Note: 8 yrs and She doesn get married)
Now bunny realizes Naina is the one, so he throws away his career. Oh no, actually he says he will take her with him every where, which means she has to give up her career.
Again Avi still remains a loser and is expected not to complain around.
So now do u really wanna see it? Oh wait may be you should, if you are going to get married or looking for a honeymoon spot. Beautiful shots of Udaypur and Manali will definitely catch your eyes. Otherwise it is an unpredictable movie from the Wake up Sid director, Ayan Mukerji.
Special thanks to the costume designer for that 'Ppphaaaah' costume of Deepika Padukone, I am very sure ppl will remember it. Also appreciations for a good attempt to make Kalki look glamorous. Personally, I feel She looks best in simple costumes.
Anyway..i cant leave without mentioning Madhuri, the dream girl and the awesomatic songs that stands out in otherwise a very mediocre movie.
The Great Gatsby - That 143 minutes of Extravaganza
Heavy storm outside and a calm flashback of America in early 1920s with Tobey Maguire's(Nick) voice in the background, the camera couldn't have been more complementing to the words. Bird eye view of New York, the exploding money in stock market, money sprawling all over, people going crazy, the camera descending in a fast pace from the top of a building as if we are in a roller coaster, and the very next moment it pulls us back on the seat with a slow motion. I am sure this would be a 'book turned alive' experience for the original author, Scott Fitzgerald if he had been alive. That's also sumthing that Baz Luhrmann should be credited for. As a film maker, he doesn't leave u stranded sumwer midway.
Sidelining the lives of other Americans, Nick leads us into the story of a mysterious equivocal man, Jay Gatsby, the millionaire, who has unbelievable money to throw party for the whole New York. Who is he, what does he do and why? These very questions constantly rings a bell in the head and hooks us up for the next one hour or so. He comes into life in a grandest fashion, soaks us into his story with deep love, collapses and disappears right in front of our eyes. One would wonder if one can ever be so much in love with a person(?) All these money for love (?) That is something which makes d movie more fictional or maybe it is.
It's a romantic drama and its crystal clear. One person who can bring more life to a usual romantic subject, is De Caprio (Jay Gatsby) .. Well, I don care If m biased In fact it's fact
Vijay Sethupathi, to me, is one of the smartest actor right now in Tamil industry, who exactly knows what he is doing. He is proving himself again n again by his shrewdness in choosing subjects/characters that either suits him well or he molds himself well. Either way, he wins d heart. The other three have played their part very well. Especially Simha, who is quite familiar in the short film industry, usually known for rugged roles, has done an excellent job and Definitely worth mentioning Ashok Selvan and Ramesh Thilak who have proved their potentials in their first movie. I am quite sure Sanchita Shetty will be remembered for her dialogue 'Mama Trouser Kazhunduchu' from now on..Karuna Karan, well knwn as 'Arumai' Pragasam, stands for his name.
The most important aspect of these kinda movies are the narration, I think the director has excelled in it. The rest is taken care by the whos and hows..! The probable minus would be the slight dip in the pace in the second half and few unnecessary loose end scenes. Maybe the silent police had been too silent to let others talk in the theater.
Oh man, the songs...unusual yet peppy. Santhosh Narayanan has places to go. A very well executed job from the technical team.
Kudos for the whole team *CLAPS*
