February 14. 2014.
Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anoop Menon, Saiju Kurup, Joy Mathew.
Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anoop Menon, Saiju Kurup, Joy Mathew.
Director: Abrid Shine.
Saturday, 15 February 2014
Tuesday, 11 February 2014
LONE SURVIVOR ("GUTSY")
February 7, 2014.
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Ben Foster, Eric Bana.
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Ben Foster, Eric Bana.
Friday, 31 January 2014
12 YEARS A SLAVE (" OH NO DICAPRIO!!!")
January 31, 2014.
Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano.
Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano.
Director: Steve Mcqueen.
“I don’t think I have seen
a story like that of Solomon Northup on film and I wanted to make damn sure if
it was on film it was going to be done well”. This is the statement that Steve
Mcqueen made when asked about 12 Years a Slave.
Nothing defines the film
better than the above statement. The film starts off in New York in 1841 where
Solomon (Chiwetel) is a very well respected musician who has a wife and two
children. He is trapped and sold into slavery by his acquaintances.
From then on the director
takes us on a 12 year journey in the life of Solomon. Solomon is first bought
by Mr.Ford (Cumberbatch) who is a very decent man and at a level empathises
with Solomon, yet helpless. When Solomon gets into a fight with one of Ford’s
employees he is forced to move under the ownership of the cruel and abusive Edwin
Epps (Fassbender).
The film takes on a
realistic approach to the whole incident right from the beginning and violence
and abuse have been portrayed in a very effective way that really disturbs the
audience most of the time. Two such scenes that stand out and really give you
an idea of the plight of the slaves are; when Solomon is left hanging from a
branch for a whole day barely able to ground his feet so that he could stay
alive and Patsy getting stripped and whiplashed brutally just because she
wanted to use a bar of soap to stay clean. These two, especially the latter,
appeal to anyone having a conscience when you watch it on screen, courtesy
Mcqueen.
Though you can find traces
of Inception in the BGM (which was also scored by Zimmer), along with sensible
cinematography employing a variety of shots Mcqueen succeeds in capturing the
essence of it all.
The cast, top league actors
and newbies alike, offers a stellar performance. Though it’s difficult to rate
the performances, it has to be admitted that the stand-outs are Chiwetel,
Fassbender and the actor playing Patsy to an extent. Chiwetel portrays the
pain, helplessness and uncertainty of Solomon in a probable Oscar Winning
performance, with moments of beauty conveyed through facial expressions alone.
Another point worth mentioning is the grit and hope that Solomon embodies
making 12 Years a Slave much more than just a sympathising film on slavery.
One cannot feel nothing but
sad for Leonardo Dicaprio; everytime he comes close to the Best Actor Oscar
someone else swiftly comes along to claim the prize, this time being no
different. With the looks of it the contest for the Best Actor should be
between Chiwetel for 12 years a slave and Mathew Mcaunaghey for Dallas Buyers
Club. Let’s wait and watch!
I
am giving a 4 for 12 Years a Slave. It is a gritty film that you do not wanna miss!
Rating Scale (Out
of 5)
Less than 2
-
Unwatchable.
2 to 2.25
-
Below average.
2.5 to 2.75
-
Average.
3 to
3.25
-
Good.
3.5 to
3.75 -
Really Good.
4 to
4.25
-
Great.
4.5 and
above
- Extraordinary.
RUMMY ("NOT A GOOD GAME")
January 31, 2014.
Cast: Vijay Sethupathy, Inigo Prabhakaran, Gayathrie.
Cast: Vijay Sethupathy, Inigo Prabhakaran, Gayathrie.
Director: Balakrishnan.
Rummy takes us into the violent
volatile villages of the 1980s Tamilnadu, a bit reminiscent of Subramaniapuram.
The story starts with Shakthi (Inigo Prabhakar) joining a college in Sivagangai
where he falls for Meenakshi (Gayathrie) at first sight. His roommate Joseph
(Vijay Sethupathy) comes from a poor background and very soon he also falls for
a girl, who happens to be the daughter of a local gangster.
Being a village where
outsiders who try hitting on the local girls are seen as criminals who deserve
even death as punishment for their “crime”, the romance of the lead pair soon
starts creating tension. The premise as it is can be related to a lot of the
films that have come of late with Madurai and the likes of it as their
background; hero meets the heroine; heroine happens to be the bad guy’s
daughter and after a few tense scenes a tragic climax! We have already had
enough movies of that sort.
Sadly Rummy is no
different, even though it has the presence of the ever dependable Vijay
Sethupathy who plays more of a second hero with lesser screen time compared to
Inigo Prabhakar. One wonders why in the world he chose to be part of such a
film.
The director has tried to
make the film engaging with sort of a multi-layered screenplay which, though
has to be appreciated, fails to hold the interest of the viewers especially
when the film feels way too much longer than it’s runtime of 150 minutes. The
songs are passable but when they keep coming a bit too frequently and at odd
times as the film progresses the patience starts wearing out faster.
Most of the scenes offer
decent acting with tinges of brilliance at times (the scenes involving Vijay
Sethupathy) but sadly those are abrupt and incomplete and are more like pop ups
appearing when we browse the net. The romance track also suffers from the same
problem offering beauty only in parts.
Very soon into the second
half the film spirals out of control and becomes utterly predictable and
dragging and still the songs keep coming!
Coming to the climax, it is
more funny than scary and just when I was thinking if I am being a bit hard on
the film 90% of the audience started laughing; though the performances were
earnest the fumble in the execution takes anything worthwhile away from those
scenes.
I
am giving a 2.5 for Rummy. Though it’s good in parts it’s long and tiring!
Rating Scale (Out
of 5)
Less than 2
-
Unwatchable.
2 to 2.25
-
Below average.
2.5 to 2.75
-
Average.
3 to
3.25
-
Good.
3.5 to
3.75 -
Really Good.
4 to
4.25
-
Great.
4.5 and
above
- Extraordinary.
Tuesday, 28 January 2014
GOLI SODA ("REFRESHING")
January 17, 2014.
Cast: Kishore, Sree Raam, Pandi, Murugesh.
Cast: Kishore, Sree Raam, Pandi, Murugesh.
Director: S.D Vijay Milton.
Vijay Milton’s debut
directorial venture “Goli Soda” deals with the life of four orphan boys for
whom Koyambedu market is everything. They are content with the meagre daily
earnings they get from a variety of things they do at the market. One among
their daily timepass’ is checking out the schoolgirls who cross the market
everyday on their way to school.
When one among the four
boys falls for a girl who happens to be the daughter of “Aachi”, a mother like
figure for the boys they decide to do something worthwhile in life. With the
help of Aachi they open a food stall in the godown of the local gangster.
Things get sour between the gangster and the boys when the boys get into a
fight with the former’s right hand man.
One of the main attractions
of Goli Soda is the boys themselves who are in top form. Armed with a good
script and some nice dialogues they deliver a much better and a very mature
performance in comparison to their debut film. Their chemistry is really good
and they really win your hearts in certain scenes.
The script offers plenty of
twists and turns and is quite unpredictable, and for the same reason thrilling,
at times. It manages to strike a really good balance between masala and
realism; while some fight sequences and scenes may appear to be a bit masala-ish
the rest of the film offers realism in plenty.
It could also be called a
bit lethargic or naive especially in the second half because of the way in
which the writer manages to arrive at a solution for the problem thereby
ensuring justice for the boys; the way Vanmathi tracks down the boys is one
such instance and the unexpectedly sudden change of heart of the gangster in
the climax is another.
Keeping those apart, Goli
Soda offers something really refreshing for the viewers especially when there
is a barrage of masala films with over the top dialogues, fights and songs
tearing apart anything that could be termed sensible or enjoyable.
I
am giving a 3 for Goli Soda. It is a good film, a bit more thought on the part of
the writer/director could have made it great!
Rating Scale (Out
of 5)
Less than 2
- Unwatchable.
2 to 2.25
-
Below average.
2.5 to 2.75
-
Average.
3 to
3.25
-
Good.
3.5 to
3.75 -
Really Good.
4 to
4.25
-
Great.
4.5 and
above
- Extraordinary.
Sunday, 19 January 2014
Friday, 3 January 2014
THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY ("BEAUTIFUL THINGS NEVER ASK FOR ATTENTION")
January 3, 2014.
Cast: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Sean Penn.
Director: Ben Stiller.
Jim Carrey had “The eternal
sunshine of the spotless mind” and “The Truman Show” which cleared the doubts
of anyone who thought Jim Carrey is more of a Jim Caricature. Ben Stiller, who
can be equated a bit with the likes of Jim Carrey, though multi talented as
opposed to Carrey had only given us comedy mainly. Walter Mitty is amazingly
fresh and pure that gives an altogether different image for Stiller.
Walter Mitty (Stiller) is a
middle aged bachelor who has been working in Life Magazine negative assets
section for the past 16 years. He has a secret crush on Cheryl (Kristen Wiig)
and even manages to get the subscription of an online dating program just
because the recently divorced Cheryl happens to be a member. He keeps “zoning
out” every now and then when he travels into his own fantasy land where
anything is possible and he is the superstar adored and respected by everyone.
When one of the negatives sent by the famous photographer Sean ‘O Connell to be
used as the Cover Page of the last edition of Life Magazine goes missing,
Walter is forced to travel the world in search of Sean to retrieve the
negative.
If you go in expecting this
to be somewhat like “Bed time stories” where it’s all about a fantasy world and
a lot of graphics you are in for one helluva surprise. About a few minutes into
the film it gets quite clear that the tone the director (Stiller) has in mind
for Walter Mitty is something much more, much beyond the usual fantasy stuff
meant for the kids.
This also carries the
distinction of coming from the studio that brought us Life of Pi and it does
not disappoint! In whatever scenes the CG work is required it is delivered top
class offering sort of a surreal experience; something which will delight the
kids and adults alike.
Another fascinating element
in the film is it’s soulful music that is transcendental, it’s truly magical
and touches your heart. While some tracks are inspiring others are moving and
the rest are just fall into their rightful place in the movie.
The execution has a lot of
freshness where the text messages are shown on the side of mountains, the
titles roll onto the buildings and roads and then there are some real fine
moments; the one where Mitty talks about Papa John’s to Cheryl and when Sean
tells Mitty how he likes to stay focused in the moment when he sees something
spectacular.
The humor of course is there just like you have in any
other Ben Stiller movies but this cannot entirely be called a comedy movie it
has got a message for you if you are tuned in right, it has got a soul to it.
But still this movie is
meant for target audience and could only be enjoyed if you are empathetic
towards Walter Mitty. And arguably this is the best directorial yet from
Stiller.
I
am giving a 3.75 for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Beautiful things never
ask for attention!!
Rating Scale (Out
of 5)
Less than 2
-
Unwatchable.
2 to 2.25
-
Below average.
2.5 to 2.75
-
Average.
3 to
3.25
-
Good.
3.5 to
3.75 -
Really Good.
4 to 4.25
-
Great.
4.5 and
above
- Extraordinary.
Thursday, 2 January 2014
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET ("SALESMAN OF THE YEAR")
January 3, 2014.
Cast: Leonardo Di caprio, Jonah Hill, P.J Byrne, Jon Favreau, Mathew Mccaunaghey.
Cast: Leonardo Di caprio, Jonah Hill, P.J Byrne, Jon Favreau, Mathew Mccaunaghey.
Director: Martin Scorcese.
“Sell me this pen”, this is what Jordan Belfort asks each of his initial team members to do if he should select them. This one scene sets the tone of the film so beautifully; courtesy the outstanding writing and direction.
Jordan Belfort (Dicaprio) starts off as a rookie stockbroker taken under the wings of Mark Hanna (Mccaunaghey). With no beating around the bush Hanna gives Belfort a clear picture of the life that he should be willing to lead filled with sleaze, cheating and drugs, if he wants to make it big in Wall street. But soon afterwards Wall Street crashes and Belfort is forced to join a third grade stockbroking firm that deals only in Penny Stocks. That becomes the turning point in Belfort’s life when he is shown an innovative way to cheat customers without them having a clue about it yet making it all look legal and convincing. Donnie (Jonah Hill) joins him shortly when they bump into each other in the food stall where Donnie works and there starts a long time partnership of fraud, drugs, obscenity and money!
Terence Winter has a written a top class screenplay, taken of course from Jordan Belfort’s autobiography, fictionalising things wherever required. But right from the start the screenplay does not have any qualms in the kind of language or actions that it contains. It is highly relieving that the CBFC has not edited any of the scenes, except for the explicit physical content, may be because of the reason that 90% of the film would have been required to be censored that way.
It is an intoxicating mixture of lack of control, drug abuse, verbal abuse and some really good humor. There are particularly two to three scenes that stand out from the rest due to the sheer acting prowess of Dicaprio, and freshness and natural humor of the situations; the first one is when Belfort makes the first call from Stratton Oakmont teaching the others how to manipulate a client; the second is the scene where he repeatedly gets splashed with water on his face by his wife; and the last is when the “Lemmon 714 effect” comes forth rather lately than expected by Belfort and Donnie. The second one may be voted the best among the three because of the way Dicaprio portrays a man quite different from the roles he has done so far.
Jonah Hill has done quite a mature character, though it has a mild resemblance to the kind of characters he generally plays. His combination scenes with Dicaprio are truly magical especially the “Lemmon 714 effect” scene. This is undoubtedly his best role till date and he has used the opportunity given to him so fabulously well. The other characters in the film are equally good and make up Jordan Belfort’s team really well.
Wolf is an adventurous ride filled with a lot of emotions and a film of this stature was pending for quite sometime from the Scorcese stable. But ultimately Wolf belongs to Leonardo Dicaprio. This may very well bring him the elusive Oscar!!!
I am giving a 4 for The Wolf of Wall Street. Sell me this pen!!
Rating Scale (Out
of 5)
Less than 2 - Unwatchable.
2 to 2.25 - Below average.
2.5 to 2.75 - Average.
3 to 3.25 - Good.
3.5 to 3.75 - Really Good.
4 to 4.25 - Great.
4.5 and above - Extraordinary.
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