ITHARKKU THAANE AASAI PATTAI BALAKUMARA ("WELCOME SUMAR MOONJI KUMAR")

October 2, 2013.

Cast: Vijay Sethupathy, Aswin Kakumanu, Nandita, Swathi, Soori, Pasupathy.

Director: Gokul.

Film after film the trust that we have on Vijay Sethupathy keeps increasing and that continues with this film as well.

Sumar moonji Kumar (Vijay) a happy go lucky jobless fellow has only one mission in his life; to marry Kumudha (Nandita), almost everyone in his street is irritated by him. Bala (Aswin) is almost the opposite to Kumar, an frustrated guy who is dissatisfied with his career and love life. Renu (Swathi) is Bala’s love interest.

IABK plays out in three tracks till the interval; Sumar moonji Kumar’s life, Bala’s life and the murder of a local goon; after which the everything gets connected. Of these three the track involving Sumar moonji Kumar is undoubtedly the best one mainly because of the excellent performance by Vijay Sethupathy that is well complemented by the very good writing and direction.

It is a clearly a comeback for Gokul after the Rowthiram fiasco and he has made full use of the star value of Vijay Sethupathy with a script that seldom loses momentum. The track involving Aswin and the murder seems a bit stretched with a few unnecessary scenes as well as characters but something that works in favour of the film is that when the screenplay switches to Sumar moonji Kumar the audience completely forgets the other two because of the laugh riot at offer.

The script clearly shows Gokul’s intention to make this a laugh riot as is clear from the really funny dialogues mouthed by the characters even in serious situations. But perhaps the choice of Aswin is a bit debatable as he seems to struggle a bit at being natural in a lotta scenes which dulls certain parts though Swathi tries her best to lighten up the same.

The songs are passable with one or two being nice and the background score does not harm the film’s proceedings as such. There are a lot of scenes in the night especially in the 2^nd half and the cinematographer shows his class with excellent lighting and angles.

Pasupathy who comes as the mediator to bring a solution to Sumar moonji Kumar’s menace really entertains and the scenes involving him and Vijay Sethupathy are cracking with humor. Equally good is the character that takes Vijay Sethupathy and his friend to a godown offering liquor.

Ultimately IABK belongs to Vijay Sethupathy who simply excels as the irritating yet adorable Sumar moonji Kumar. This is definitely his best role after Pizza or may be even a better one considering the ease with which he plays the character that is someone so different from his real self.

I am giving a generous 3.25 for IABK. Except for a few scenes this one sets the screen on fire. Brand Vijay Sethupathy is growing!!

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.

BESHARAM ("BAKWAAS!!")

October 2, 2013.

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh, Pallavi Sharda.

Director: Abinav Singh Kashyap.

It is one thing to try out an average subject with a hero specialised in creating magic out of nothing from his screen presence and antics alone and entirely another thing to try out a below average subject with a hero who has not risen upto that level as yet!

Well, if you are wondering which films I am talking about it the first one is the super duper hit Dabbang and the next is the second film by the same director, Besharam!!

Babli (Ranbir) is an orphan who is a small time car thief. He falls for the middle class girl Tara who sees red everytime she sees Babli. By mistake he steals Tara’s car for a Hawala Don (Javed Jaffrey) and later upon realising it’s Tara’s car he sets out along with Tara to steal it back. He is chased by a police couple played by Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh.

While Dabbang had some kind of story be it very predictable Besharam goes a few steps down with no story whatsoever and a much worse screenplay to make things unbearable. The son playing the hero and the parents playing a police couple who are trying to track him down; how interesting a screenplay can one make out of the situation; well the writer here has the answer- a screenplay that is so boring to the core that one can sit through the entire film without a single laugh!!

When the first 30 minutes of a film is packed with a horribly executed chase sequence 3 bad songs and dialogues which are meant to be funny but far from it in reality, you would need no more description about how the movie is gonna fare.

Tara is so furious at seeing Babli that he insults him in front of her colleagues in spite of knowing he is an orphan. Her fury reaches the breaking point later on when she realises it’s Babli who stole her car!! But right after a few “touching” dialogues from Babli Tara’s heart suddenly melts like an ice cream and if it’s just sympathy that you are expecting from her she is gonna surprise you. Yes folks it’s the ultimate silliness that ensues- she falls in love with Babli!! Guess the writer forgot the fact that we are not in the 1970s anymore. And in the ensuing song you see a sulking Babli being consoled and wooed by a smitten Tara!!!

It is better not to get into the area of fights and background music which are one of the worst you have seen in the recent hindi films.

I am giving a generous 1 for Besharam. This is so very disappointing from someone who entertained us to the core with Dabbang!!

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.

RAJA RANI REVIEW

September 27, 2013.

Cast: Arya, Nayantara, Jai, Nazriya.

Director: Atlee.

Please visit the following link for the review
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/tamil/movie-reviews/Raja-Rani/movie-review/23286719.cms

PRISONERS ("NOT EVERYONE'S CUP OF TEA")

September 27, 2013.

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Melissa Leo.

Director: Denis Villeneuve.

Prisoners is Dennis Villeneuve’ big ticket entry into mainstream cinema after his much appreciated Incendies.

Keller (Jackman) is a middle class family man with a wife and two kids who is leading a peaceful life. On thanksgiving day while he is enjoying time at his friend’s place his daughter goes missing along with his friend’s. Detective Loki (Gyllenhaal) is called on to investigate. They catch hold of Alex based on the circumstantial evidence but there seems to be more than what meets the eye and Keller is hell bent in getting his daughter back with or without the help of the police.

What sets Prisoners apart from other movies is the way in which it is treated with nothing but realism be it emotions, fights or desperation. The cinematic touch as we have come to experience is not something that you would find much in Prisoners, which would not be “entertainment” for a section of the audience.

The stark resemblance to Clint Eastwood’s “Mystic River”, only in the treatment, is something which cannot be discounted. But while Mystic River contained a hint of thrill and mystery Prisoners is a bit on the lower side when it comes to those.

This may be the best role that Hugh has played and it would not be surprising if he ends up bagging a few awards for this. He has immersed himself into Keller so much so that a person who does not watch too many movies would end up disagreeing that it is the same guy who played the dashing Wolverine. It is a transformation of sorts for Gyllenhaal as well who plays the honest cop who is frustrated about not being able to find the missing girls.

Wonderful use of the camera giving a purposeful grim feel to the movie and soulful music complement the screenplay really well.

While Prisoners may not fit the usual thriller genre it takes a life of it’s own as a film dealing with a man’s search for his missing daughter, a man who is prepared to go to any lengths to find his daughter, something which gets corroborated towards the end of the film.

If you love cinema that is way too real then Prisoners is your weekend pic.

I am giving a 3.5 for Prisoners. Be prepared for a shocking climax!

IMDB Rating

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.

RUSH ("IT'S LAUDA v/s HUNT")

September 20, 2013.

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Bruhl.

Director: Ron Howard.

One of the main reasons why Ron Howard films always carry something interesting with them is because of the different kinds of films he makes. Rush comes with the distinction of being made from a real life incident.

The rash and aggressive James Hunt (Hemsworth) and disciplined and talented Niki Lauda (Bruhl) arrive at the F1 racing stage after their stint at the F3. Ever since the not so good encounter they have had at the F3 where Hunt ended up sending Lauda off track, the two carry an enmity towards each other which goes on to define their careers. While Hunt believes in living life at the edge Lauda is a serious guy as he himself tells in the film.

Rush begins with the flag off of the infamous 1976 race and then goes back in time six years prior to show how the arch rivals became who they are. The screenplay is written with such control over the whole affair that you get to see almost the whole picture; the professional as well as personal lives of both the guys. That all this has been shown in a mere 2 hours is something Peter Morgan can be really proud about.

Unlike usual I went to the movie this time not bothering to find out who has scored the music. As the movie was progressing I was getting so very engrossed with the Background score which was as much a character as the protagonists and started wondering who could this be. I was really in for a shock towards the end to find out it was the legendary Hans Zimmer!! You will get to see a very different kind of music from the man, something very different from his usual style.

Both Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl are going to get a real boost for their careers owing to their performances in Rush; but it would be the latter who would stand to gain more as most of the inspiring and touching scenes have gone to him.

Rush is much more than a mere sports movie considering the range of emotions at play wonderfully executed on screen by Ron Howard. Rather than a sneak peek, it is more like getting to know both James Hunt and Niki Lauda in person; the grit, determination, rivalry, hatred and ultimately mutual respect they had; thanks to the wonderful screenplay.

Another great thing about Rush is the spectacular camera work with special stress given to the tone, giving the race sequences an authentic feel. The energy of the F1 racing has been captured in the best way possible giving the viewer almost a real time experience at times as if being actually being present in the car along with the driver.

Rush is a must watch!!!

I am giving a 4 for Rush . Everyone’s driven by something!!

IMDB Rating

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.

MOODAR KOODAM ("NONSENSE ON SCREEN")

September 13, 2013.

Cast: Oviya, Jayaprakash, Naveen.

Director: Naveen.

After the success of films like Pizza, NKPK, Soodhu kavvum etc the Tamil film industry has all of a sudden become willing to let the filmmakers experiment, even though they are debutantes.

Moodar Koodam is one among such offerings which comes from debutante director Naveen (who also plays one of the leads in the film), an ex-associate director of Pandiraj.

Four strangers Naveen, Sentrayan, Vellachami and Kuberan happen to meet each other in lock up. Owing to the not so good background that each of them has they stick together and decide to rob Vellachami’s uncle played by Jayaprakash.  In Soodhu kavvum if it was kidnapping that had gone wrong here as expected the heist goes wrong.

It is good to experiment but when it is an experiment with an experiment the project will have danger signs written all over it unless supported by a solid script which unfortunately is not the case with Moodar Koodam.

The earnestness wrt the script is evident but the end product falls way too short of what was expected by the writer(who happens to be the director as well). When a comedy film evokes not even a single laugh from you till the interval or even after that then you have to call it something else. To say the least it is nothing short of nonsense on screen in the name of dark comedy.

The film seems more like a documentary with the lead actors giving moral insights every now and then more or less mechanically which neither has the intended effect nor any entertainment value. The average background score does not help either.

The even more irritating factor is the flashback that each of the four lead cast has!! To make it worse even Jayaprakash’s dog “Tiger” has a flashback shown with one of the dumbest irritating horrible songs ever shot which serves no purpose at all in the scheme of things.

It is very very hard to tell anything good about the movie but if forced to think too much there are just 3 good things about it. The first one is the earnest performances by the cast in a few scenes; the second is the cinematography and editing which look slick and the final one being the technical finesse with which the cartoon style flashback of Kuberan has been shot.

I am giving a 0.25 for Moodar Koodam. Do not go even anywhere near the posters of the film!!

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.

WE'RE THE MILLERS ("THEY'RE THE ENTERTAINERS")

August 30, 2013.

Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts, Jason Sudeikis.

Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber.

There is a reason you get so many Romcoms and comedies involving families from Hollywood. They all cost less in production and rake in truckloads of money. If you provide a few laughs and feel good moments you can rest assured the film is gonna be a hit.

The latest from Warner Brothers, We’re the millers is one such movie. David (Sudeikis) who is a small time drug dealer is forced to smuggle drugs from Mexico into the United States after he gets robbed. He happens to see a policeman being very nice to a tourist family and right away decides it will be easier for him to smuggle the drugs into the United States if he has a family accompanying him. So he convinces Rose (Aniston) who is a stripper by profession to be his wife, Kenny(Poulter) who is his neighbour to be his son and the runaway Casey(Emma Roberts) to be his daughter.

There are some really funny scenes and some which are not so funny but what makes all the scenes appear a notch above what they actually should be is the exceptional performance by the Miller family especially Will Poulter and Jason Sudeikis. Aniston and Roberts play their part pretty well to make up the Miller family one of the weirdest yet adorable that you would come across.

It is very clear that Poulter has grown out of his Narnia days and has become an actor to be reckoned with. He plays the naive (read dumb) Kenny amazingly well that you would be in complete awe seeing him perform. The spider scene is one that needs special mention; but even in other scenes he gives such a stunning performance with those little nuances of his. Sudeikis is equally good with his performance and it would not be too much to tell that We’re the millers mainly belongs to these two.

Story wise there is nothing new as far as the film is concerned and there are few areas where the writing lets you down like the Millers being chased by Pablo Chacon for example. You get to see a lotta such familiar set ups throughout.

But then it cannot be held against the film owing to the performances that we get to watch. The ending of the film is quite predictable yet enjoyable considering the liking you would have taken to the Miller family.

I am giving a 3 for We’re the Millers. Go in not expecting too much and you will enjoy the film.

IMDB Rating

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.

SATYAGRAHA ("OLD WINE IN OLD BOTTLE")

August 30, 2013.

Cast: Amitabh Bachan, Ajay Devgan, Arjun Rampal, Kareena Kapoor.

Director: Prakash Jha.

When you are a filmmaker the best way to vent your anger or express your views is through the films you make. Prakash Jha is one such director who makes movies not for entertainment but for a social cause. That is something which has to be appreciated very much till it reaches a point where you keep getting the same wine time and again in almost the same bottle. This was in the offing for quite some time and with Satyagraha unfortunately we reach that point.

Dwarak Anand (Amitabh) is an ex principal of an educational institution in Ambikapur who could be called the Gandhi (read Anna Hazare) of the present day. After the death of his only son in a road accident, he is joined by his son’s close friend Maanav (Ajay Devgan),whose ideology happens to be capitalism, in his fight for justice against the corrupt minister Balram Singh (Manoj Bajpai). Arjun (Arjun Rampal) who is the local leader and Yasmin (Kareena) who is the reporter for ABP News are also out to support Dwarak and Maanav.

In an attempt to bring several issues to the forefront Jha forgets that it is not a petition against corruption in the form of a video that he is making but a feature film. The film shifts from one issue to another as if it is a series of public woes put together on video.

The lead cast seems to have no other job but to go on with all the protests and campaigning. As silly as it sounds When Dwarak is taken into custody just for 7 days for slapping the Collector Maanav starts an online campaign for his release and Yasmin comes all the way from Delhi just to cover that.  Soon afterwards this small issue turns into a movement demanding several things like action against corruption, ordinance etc.

Though the lead cast gives a good performance each of their characters without exception seems half baked. For a scene to be good the audience has to empathise with what is happening on screen but sadly here the director tries to make that happen only by “heartfelt” dialogues coming out of the blue (in which he fails miserably) as the screenplay does a pitiful job in building up almost all the scenes.

As if all the above was not enough you have endless songs and a romance track going on between Maanav and Yasmin which not only increases the length of the film but also shows the naivety on the part of the director to stick to a certain formula that should compulsorily involve romance.

The scenes leading upto the climax are so silly and boring to the core that you literally want to run out of the theatre. It is very apparent that Prakash Jha is soon going to lose his market unless he stops making films like this. It is sad to see such a film from the person who gave us Gangaajal.

I am giving a 1.75 for Satyagraha. Doze off if you feel like sleeping inside the theatre, you would not have missed anything when you wake up.

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.

PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS ("JUST FOR THE FANS")

August 30, 2013.

Cast: Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Nathan Fillion.

Director: Thor Freudenthal.

There are certain franchises for which there is no replacement. Generally even if the one intending to replace the former is equally good it would be up against formidable resistance from the general audience to accept it, so what if the latter is not even half as good as the former! Such is the case with the Percy Jackson series which was touted as the replacement for the Harry Potter series.

After the episode of the Lightning thief Percy(Lerman) is forced to get back in action when the invisible shield protecting Camp Half blood is broken when Luke poisons Talia. He has to get the golden fleece from the Sea of monsters a.k.a the Bermuda triangle to save Talia thereby restoring the protective shield as well. As usual he is accompanied by his buddies Annabeth (Alexandra) and Grover (Brandon).

Just like the first part this one also starts slow goes slow and ends slow. Though there are a few action sequences none of them really takes the film to a level where it could be categorised as an action film. The passable effects do nothing on their part to better it either.

The writing is lazy offering no real thrill to the proceedings and even the scenes intended to be funny or tense fall way short of what they ought to be. There is no real chemistry among the lead actors which again can be attributed to the writing. But then Logan and Alexandra are so nice to watch on screen that you would not mind even though the writing and the direction let them down.

One good thing about the film is that it does not bore you at all. You can sit through the film without much complain.  

I am giving a 2.25 for Percy Jackson: Sea of monsters. This one is meant only for the die hard Percy Jackson fans.

IMDB Rating

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.

THALAIVAA ("ITHU THEVAIYAA")

August 17, 2013.

Cast: Vijay, Amala Paul, Santhanam, Sathyaraj, Mano Bala, Rajeev Pillai.

Director: Vijay.

When the circumstances and loss of the loved ones demand, a normal man becomes a don or a leader for that matter; now that is a premise that we have seen time and again in films.

The same story can be taken in entirely different ways by different directors and when the story is something as old as the wine as far as the film industry is concerned it would do well for the film if helmed by an able hand which unfortunately is not the case with Thalaivaa.

Ramadurai (Sathyaraj) is forced to become the leader of the Tamilians in Bombay and in the ensuing gangwar he loses many of his people including his wife. He sends his son Vishwa (Vijay) along with Nasser and his son Santhanam who are leaving Bombay to have a safe and peaceful life. For the Tamilians Ramdurai grows into their beloved Anna while Vijay and Santhanam grow up in Australia unaware of anything that is happening back home. Vijay falls for Amala Paul who is the daughter of a hotelier and comes back home for his father’s approval. The story which was set in Australia till then shifts to Mumbai.

Barring around 5 minutes and a nice twist just before the interval, Thalaivaa is a disaster of sorts in the first half with a few songs (that are horrible to say the least), dumb comedy, and even dumber romance. A.L Vijay shows how horrible he is when it comes to certain areas of direction to the extent that even if you scoop out almost the entire first half it would have little or no effect on the film as a whole.

When you go back in after the interval hoping against hope for a little worth for your money A.L Vijay yet again proves why a lot of people always carry fear in their hearts about a film directed by him. The disaster of the first part continues in the second as well barring of course a few nice scenes like the one where Vishwa chases down a pickpocket and Vaanganna Vanakkamanna song (which is in fact the only song worth listening to or watching in the film).

A.L Vijay has always been so keen to “borrow” from other films right from Poi Solla Porom (remake of Khosla ka Ghosla), sometimes in parts and sometimes in entirety. He continues his streak of “borrowal without approval” in Thalaivaa as well, the theme and several scenes of which seem to have been lifted from yesteryear Tamil films. The Thalapathi Thalapathi song is yet another disaster to listen to and watch and what makes it even worse is the fact that the set up and choreography is a ditto copy of “Azeem Oh Shaan Shehanshah” from Jodhaa Akbar.

There is another twist towards the climax but, unlike the first one which nobody would have guessed coming, this one falls flat (along with the film) as it is very obvious right from a certain point in the first half.

Thalaivaa comes nowhere near films like Mani Ratnam’s “Thalapathi” , “Nayagan” or Priyadarshan’s Mohanlal starrer “Abhimanyu”, which were hugely successful because of their raw nature and powerful writing and direction. This in contrast looks so wayward a film to have come from a mainstream director. It fails in almost all the departments so bad that even the presence and grace of Vijay is not enough to compensate for the lazy writing and direction.

I am giving a 1.5 for Thalaivaa. It is sad to see Vijay acting in such a film after Nanban and Thuppakki!!

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.