Definitely Not Your Golden Dream.

Television anchor Gopinath, once remarked that Gautham Vasudev Menon was one director who had the fanfare that paralleled a mass hero. A rather honest remark, considering his wonderful contribution to Tamil Cinema, with films like Kakkha Kakkha, Vettayaadu Vilayaadu, Vaaranam Aayiram, Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya, and even the infamous Nadunisi Naaygal, that put him at a position of high esteem. And thus, in his dream-come-true collaboration with the Isaignani Ilayaraaja, he brings to us Neethane En Ponvasantham, starring Jiiva, Samantha, Santhanam, and several others.

NEP, (as the movie's teasers, and the opening slide emphasize very well) are "moments" from the love story of Varun and Nithya. A cute, sensitive girl falls head-over-heels for a childhood friend, a handsome, mature-acting, Ilayaraaja-loving, English-speaking guy - Your typical Gautham hero. (But yeah, Surya from VA was a bit immature, running off to countries with his guitar, but we still found that good.) They get together, things go awry, they split. And after some years, they meet again, and rekindle their love. And again, things go even more awry, they split. And after some(read: 3) years, they meet again, but a clash of their egos ends in them not getting together - while a mental tug-of-war plays within both their heads. Do they finally join, and live happily ever after, or not, forms the rest of NEP.

Perhaps the only positive aspect of this film is Santhanam, who manages to keep us smiling whenever he's on screen, which is, unfortunately, for a short period of time. The legendary Ilayaraaja, has pulled out an album which, though decent, is not Maestro-class enough, but the exceptionally haphazard placement of songs during the movie's runtime, have made listening a rather irksome process.

NEP, goes on forever. Literally. The screenplay of the film, is snail-pace, only to quicken up during the climax. Everything goes to and fro, to and fro, for such a long time, that it really tests the patience of the audience. The cinematography is haywire, not exactly impressive. The actors, of course, perform their best. While Jiiva is neat with his subtle playing, the movie actually revolves around Samatha, who delivers a worthy performance. 

A weak script, a drag of a screenplay - it is shocking that Gautham Menon delivers this disappointment. Another downer, is the similarity of nature between every Menon romance film, and the ideological repetition has perhaps reached its tolerable limit. No train scene this time, but yeah, hero singing Ilayaraaja (voiced by Menon himself, as usual), night rides to forget his love life, retracing the past of love life by visiting romance hangouts, we've seen that quite a few times from him now.

And thus, this gooey loves story might win the hearts of diehard romantics, but other than that, it miserably fails to live up to its expectations.

Aditya Baskaran

Mahout Mushy Morbid.

Mynaa, one of 2010's best films, pushed Prabhu Solomon into the limelight, and won many accolades for him. And thus, it is natural that his next outing, gets all hyped up. Vikram Prabhu, a third-generation actor, coming from the house of the legendary Sivaji Ganesan, and Prabhu, makes his debut with this movie. Hype builds up. But does this film deliver?

Set deep within densely forested hills, the village of Aadhikaadu, steeped in anarchy, cultural discipline, and archaic notions of honor, is terrorized by a rogue elephant nicknamed 'Komban', and they set out for a 'kumki' to help solve their troubles. Bomman, a mahout, lives a nomadic life along with his uncle Kothalli, his assistant Undiyal, and Manickam, a gentle, untrained elephant that works as decoration for festivities. Unforeseen circumstances puts Team Bomman in place of the kumki of Aadhikaadu, where Bomman falls head-over-heels in love with the village headman's daughter Alli. Does Bomman succeed in winning her heart, and is Aadhikaadu rid of its animal horror? That is what Kumki, also starring newcomer Lakshmi Menon, National Award winner Thambi Ramiah, Aswin Raja (from Boss (a) Baskaran), is all about. If there existed a heaven, I believe Chinappa Devar (The man behind Thevar Films) would be quite happy about the films that have released this year.

Pluses. The locations are simply exotic, and Aadhikaadu has brought to screen in an excellent manner. The movie transfers us to a village of minimal technology, a village set back 200 years in its thought and behaviour. Cinematography, by M.Sukumar, is splendid indeed, and some shots are breath-taking. Vikram Prabhu, and Lakshmi Menon deliver commendable performances, but they still have a long way to go. The film rides on the shoulders of Thambi Ramiah, who delivers a performance of class, and of rib-tickling nature, and he is well supported by Aswin Raja. D.Imman's music is pleasant, and so is his background score, but the album, and the film itself on the whole, remind you too much of Mynaa.

Downers. The screenplay runs amok for a long while till the movie finds some grip to move forth, thus the movie moves as a pointless drag, till the peak in the second half. The movie makes use of a lot of CG - the effort is appreciable, and worth mention. But to audiences who've watched their Hollywood showcases, or atleast Tamil dubs of Avatar, and Life of Pi, it's, well.. not up to the mark.

Prabhu Solomon, is now making his film style a trademark. Unshaven heroes, shabby clothes, forests, waterfalls, love trances and morbid closes. We saw that once, we seem to be seeing it again. Kumki, on several levels draws similiarity towards Mynaa, and while the morbid close worked well for the latter, Kumki's climax leaves audiences in a state of perplex confusion, while shedding light on a dark sense of justice. Nevertheless, team Kumki needs special appreciation, just for the tremendous amount of work put forth in shooting in such locations and conditions.

Kumki, might not live up to its hype. But, it is a movie, worth a watch.

Aditya Baskaran

The Search Within.

The wait is over, as Aamir Khan returns to screens, a year after his last outing Dhobi Ghat (overlooking his cameo in Delhi Belly), as he joins hands with Ritiesh Sadhwani and Farhan Akhtar, 11 years after their first combo hit, the classic Dil Chahta Hai, to give us Reema Kagti's Talaash, also starring Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and several others.

A film-star ends up as fish chow after his car crashes into the ocean, under mysterious circumstances. Inspector Surjan Shekhawat (Khan), a man scarred by the death of his 8-year old son, under huge emotional, mental and perhaps even physical strain, owing to his sleepless nights, with his marriage on the rocks, takes this case up. While facing blanks on all sides, he is aided by the elusive sex worker Rosie (played by the bombshell, Kareena), with whom he forms a bond. How Surjan manages to crack this case, while battling his inner demons and saving his life from complete collapse forms the rest of the story.

The film has huge, huge names involved - Aamir Khan, Farhan and Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap, what more? Performances are crystal clear, (come on, you just read the names above.) as everyone fits the bill, right from Aamir as the troubled Inspector, the gorgeous Kareena as Rosie, Rani as the broken mother, to Siddiqui as the slimy crook Tehmur, with love in his heart.

The movie, with its ups and downs, does have a racy feel to it, shifting between characters, building momentum, as it takes you thinking down several tracks, but the mega-twist, turns out to be a wee bit disappointing, being illogical of sorts, and also almost-predictable. It is something that you wouldn't probably expect from a team of this stature, but whether or not the movie satisfies you is a personal opinion, in case of Talaash.

The background score, is apt, while the songs, while setting a mood through the movie, are quite forgettable. Ram Sampath struck gold with Delhi Belly (Bhaag DK Bose, people.) , but takes a backseat with Talaash. Cinematography and editing, keep the film taut, and help the movie gets its interesting pace.

Conclusion - Talaash is worth a watch, and perhaps one watch only.

Aditya Baskaran

Soaring High.

2010's Thenmerkku Paruvakaatru was a surprise sleeper hit, that put director Seenu Ramaswamy on cloud nine, fetching National Awards to its lead actress Saranya Ponvannan, lyricist Vairamuthu, and the director himself (for Best Feature Film in Tamil). And now he returns, on a more grand scale with Neerparavai, produced by Red Giant Movies, starring Vishnu, Sunaina, Saranya Ponvannan, Samudhirakani and several others.

An aged woman, lives on the shores of a coastal village all alone, waiting for her husband, who left to the sea 25 years ago. Her son tries to convince her to come to the city with him, but she refuses, citing that her husband will definitely return. He and his wife notice her strange ritual of praying at her backyard in the night, with a funeral song, and they decide to find out what lies under. And to his extreme shock, it is the body of his father. Who is this woman, and why has she kept her husband's death a secret for so long? That is what Neerparavai is about.

Performances, performances, too many good performers nowadays. Vishnu sinks his teeth into his meaty role, but the winner of the day are the women. Sunaina, as the younger heroine, Nandita Das as her elder version, and Saranya Ponvannan as the caring mother of the hero are simply wonderful. Sunaina, finally gets a worthy role, while actresses like Nandita Das, and Sarnaya, well, they've proved their calibre times enough. Poo Ram as the father, is quite moving with his silent performance. Azhagam Perumal as the Bishop of the village church, Vadivukkarasi (back on the big screen after quite sometime, I guess), as the illict arrack seller, Samudhirakani, as the boat-builer, Arul Dass, as 'Siluvai', are all commendable. 'Black' Pandi, and Thambi Ramiah, play character roles, and fuel the comedy quotient of the film.

N.R.Raghunathan, whose work was appreciated in Thenmerkku Paruvakaatru, repeats a similar finish with this one as well. His background score, neat. Since the legendary Vairamuthu, struck gold last time with the same team, listeners are piqued to pay keen notice to the lyrics, and as usual, he doesn't fail you. Balasubramaniem, brings some interesting angles forth, and his work along with Mu.Kasi Vishwanathan's editing gives a very classic feel to the film.

Seenu Ramaswamy weaves out a poetic story, one of love, rehabilitation, and determination, with political injections here and there, which takes up centrestage at the climax. Nevertheless, it is a film, based on a rather unusual backdrop, and while it sounds like a cliched storyline, the movie has spice enough to have you sit through it. Good job.

Aditya Baskaran

Laughter, slow and draggy.

An intriguing title and an interesting trailer, set expectations amidst the masses, for debutant Balaji Tharaneetharan's Naduvula Konjam Pakkatha Kaanom, starring Vijay Sethupathy, and an array of fresh faces.

NKPK, is the story of Prem, Saras, Bajji and Bagks (crazy names, I know), four usual friends, with a normal life. Things go haywire, as Prem is diagnosed with temporary short-term memory loss, due to a cricket accident, two days before his marriage. How Prem gets married, and whether or not he recovers from his condition forms the rest of the story.

Vijay Sethupathy, riding high from his last succesful outing Pizza, delivers yet another neat performance. But the real stars of the movie, are the three friends, performed by Rajkumar, Vigneshwaran and Baghavathy Perumal, who pull off a very realistic, rib-tickling show. The movie's greatest plus, beside the comedy, is its very realistic nature, right from faces, to portrayals, to locations. Cinematography, editing and music - to the mark.

While the movie does keep us laughing a bit, it works on a relentless monotony that makes it move at a snail's pace. And perhaps, the movie is a bit too realistic, where the realism works to a point of near-boredom.

Nevertheless, the film is something fresh, something different for the Tamil screens, and Balaji Tharaneetharan seems to have delivered a fine first film. Worth a watch.

Aditya Baskaran

Psychedepic.

James Cameron, once, decided to get high on psychedelic drugs. And during this trip, Cameron ended up reading Yann Martel's 'Life of Pi', and also managed to jot down a script of sorts, which he unfortunately lost, during the course of the night.

And if that didn't happen, Academy Award Winner Ang Lee, whose impressed audiences and critics worldwide with his array of exceptional cinema, examples being Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain, has proven his worth yet again, with a mind-boggling, visual spectacle of a movie.

Life of Pi, is the story of Pi Patel, a man, put into mental doubt by the spiritual aspects of life, since childhood, weighing ideologies of his practical father, his religious mother, and those gained from his experience. Soon, Pi, on a journey to Canada, with his family and the animals, of the zoo owned by his family, aboard a Japanese freighter, meets disaster, or rather destiny at it's fateful worst, as a thunderstorm claims the freighter, along with his parents, and his animals, leaving him alone with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan and most importantly, a Royal Bengal Tiger by the name of Richard Parker.

With time, Pi and Richard are soon, the only two survivors of the shipwreck, holding onto a lifeboat, for dear life. The rest of story, is the duo's adventure towards survival, which ends with an ambush twist, leaving a large, gaping hole about the very authenticity of Pi's story. This movie is not a simple, glorious castaway story of survival with a happy ending. It's a mind-rapist, that, at the end of the show, aims to question the very belief system of the audience.

Performances are on a high. Debutante Suraj Sharma, does a neat job, as the protagonist Pi, but the show-stealer is Irrfan Khan, as the older Pi, who captures hearts with his subtle performance. Tabu, as the mother, and Adil Hussian as the father, do complete justice to their roles. But the real USP of the film, are the visual effects. An extravaganza of sorts, this film is perhaps one of the very few movies in recent times where 3D has actually left any impact. While James managed to transport us to a new world with Avatar, Lee manages to transform our very own world into something unbelievable in this movie.

A minor flaw in this movie, is the treatment of the Tamil language. Lee, sees to that his characters speak English, with an apparent Tamil accent, to such a level that it sounds almost irritating at times. Good job there, but it is also pitiful that his artists, speak Tamil, in an accent completely foreign. Missed that out, Mr.Lee. The music, by Mycheal Danna, is something worth mention.

In a rather simple statement, Life Of Pi, is what a Chris Nolan film would've been if it had been produced by an association of Walt Disney Pictures and Thevar Films.

Aditya Baskaran

Fizzled Out.

"I'm waiting".

These words set a million people on fire, as Ilayathalapathi Vijay, after going on a controversial flop-streak, set out on his next major release, after Velayudham and Nanban looked up for him. And so released Thuppaki, starring Vijay, Kajal Aggarwal, Vidyut Jamal, and several others, directed by A.R.Murugadoss.

It is the story of Jagdish, an officer in the Indian Army, and a member of the DIA (which is apparently India's own CIA), who, on his vacation from military service, takes on a terrorist organisation that plans to blow up Mumbai into bits and pieces, with the help of sleeper cells. Sleeper cells are ordinary men who, driven by negative motives, decide to take up terrorism, where their setup as the common man helps them achieve their sinister goals better. While my definition may or may not be satisfactory, Murugadoss has made sure that the idea of sleeper cells enter into the minds of audiences, just like how he turned Bodhidharman into a household name, through his last project 7Aam Arivu.

So, what Thuppaki is, is yet another ordinary film where the hero battles against a huge organisation of crime single-handedly, and ends up with victory. And so does Jagadish, exactly in his one-month vacation and gets back to work in time. Ilayathalapathy Vijay, is honestly growing younger by the day, and kudos to the costume designers who've supported this handsome man with exceptional styling. Kajal Aggrwal doesn't have much to do in this movie, and into the line of Tamil cinema, where the heroine is nothing but eye candy, falls Thuppaki. Vidyut Jamal, last seen in Billa II, well, nothing extraordinary here for him, either. Sathyan and Jeyaram, have been roped in for the comedy quotient, and they don't do much except evoke a few weak laughs here and there.

The cast involves big names - Santhosh Sivan's mastery in the camera work shines all through the movie, and Sreekar Prasad does his usual, as well. The music and it's visual treatment, is rather forgettable, except for the hit track 'Google Google', and Vijay's usually-energy-pumping intro songs got into a decline since Sura, and they've been going down ever since, including Thuppaki.

Murugadoss believed he'd made a masterpiece with 7aam Arivu, while the audience begged to differ. While the hype for Thuppaki skyrocketed, it sadly does not live up to it. The story is something we've seen a million times (half a million of that contributed to Tamil Cinema only by Vijayakanth, though I believe Vijay delivers a more suave, and rather "low-key" portrayal than him), while it contains some neat twists in its runtime, some high peak points, and neat punch dialogues.This film is dedicated to the members of the INA and family, and takes it's good time emphasizing on their hardships and their courage (which is commendable), while it spends the rest ranting about sleeper cells. Nevertheless, it is your usual illogical mass Tamil movie that is perhaps worth a watch, and a must-watch for Vijay fans.

Aditya Baskaran

Is Bond Back?

James Bond, perhaps the most famous, and longest film series, in the history of world cinema, steps into it's 50th year. And thus, it's very natural that it's commemorative release, Skyfall comes under great hype.

Intro scene: Bond chases a guy, whose got a list of all 00 agents undercover, amidst terrorist agencies worldwide, and at the peak of the chase, his associate, aiming at Bond and his opponent locked in a brawl, is ordered to take a shot, even if not clear at the enemy, by a tense M. The shot is taken, and Agent falls, to an assumed demise.

As this dissolves into the psychedelic opening credits with Adele's mystifying voice ringing all over, hearts race, and the audience are stooped into the movie. Attention is further captured in the next scene, where M comes under the ax, being forced to take up voluntary retirement, and minutes later, the MI6 headquarters goes up in flames - masterfully destroyed by an exceptional hacker. The plot now seems to be all too interesting.

But as every interesting opening, every awesome trailer, has come to show us, Skyfall ends up a disappointment. It is the story of how Silva, an ex-MI6 agent, hell-bent on killing M, (who also decides to put MI6 out of order and into shame in the process), after being 'betrayed' by her during an high-risk operation, an act that leaves him physically and mentally damaged, and how Bond, and M go on to stop him.

It is my personal belief that ever since Daniel Craig came up to the franchise, that Bond films have kinda lost their sheen. No more glamour, not much glitz (except for an Aston Martin here and there, a couple of Sony cellphones, that's all. And the women haven't exactly been impressive, I suppose). Craig's 'appointment', as the 007 was, and is looked upon with an amount of criticism, and sure, Craig isn't all ruggedly handsome as Pierce Brosnan, nor is he all suave as Roger Moore, but ever since he stepped in, every Bond film has been out of the usual. Both Casino Royale, and Quantum of Solace brought to us, not the stylish, charismatic secret agent, but a rather sentimental, traumatized person, a more human Bond. And Skyfall, brings to us, a broken Bond, damaged by age, emotion, and a gunshot to the shoulder. And thus, it requires an actor of mettle, not a rugged gentleman, and Daniel Craig, has successfully fit the bill.

Judi Dench, finally gets a little macho action in this movie, and it, perhaps, holds her longest screen time in the series. The handsome Javier Bardem, totally not handsome in this movie, playing the grotesque Silva, is just wonderful in his performance - as a villain almost powerful enough to beat the system, to take over the world, but refuses to employ his genius elsewhere and only for his revenge towards M. Ralph Fiennes, is back on screens with a nose, after a long time, and it looks like he's taken a position in this franchise.

Skyfall, is painfully long, or atleast makes you feel like it. While there are enough fist-fights, gunpowder and quick comic punches to keep the film going, it lacks the all-important uber-cool Bond touch, a feeling that will disappoint die-hard Bond fans. James' isn't here to save the world, he's almost running a personal errand for M. That's sad.

But nevertheless, we have a new Q. We have a new Ms.Moneypenny. And we have a new M. We have the actors, at their best, we have an interesting plot. And at the end of day, as the last scene comes in, the adrenaline kicks in, and you simply know, Bond is Bond, and the finish, sets the expectations for better action-packed sequels to come. And even after having sat for a 2-hour drag, at the end, your walk out of the theater turns into a suave stride, and as you step into your vehicle, and kick in that ignition, you almost feel like you're driving a Martin.

Aditya Baskaran

Snug Madness

Some of us know Seth MacFarlane. For those who don't, he's the guy who made Family Guy. We remember the controversially nasty sitcom Family Guy (one of my favourites, and one of the funniest sitcoms ever made) - about a dysfunctional family, with a rambling father, a near-sensible mother, two out-of-place kids, a crazy infant with sinister plans to take over the earth and a talking dog.

So, what should we expect from Seth when he decides to make a full-length motion film? A complete comic caper, complete with swearing and high-frequency sexual innuendo. And that is what he delivers. Well, almost.

8-year John makes a wish - that his teddy bear should come to life, and the next morning, it so does, and becomes a sensation. 27 years later, John and Ted are still inseparable, leading an "irresponsible" lifestyle, with too much partying and pot in it. John's girlfriend Lori, stating the fact that John's getting nowhere in life cause of Ted, makes John move Ted out of their place. The issues that follow this split, and what happens to the bromance between Ted and John, is the rest of the story.

Mark Wahlberg, as the 35-year old boy still stuck to his teddybear delivers a performance of class. Hell, he was a Golden Globe nominee for The Fighter, he's acted under Scorcese, he should be able to pull this off. The vivacious Mila Kunis, bingo. But the real star here is Seth MacFarlane, as the voice and action of the pot-smoking, girl-banging, heart-of-gold, wastrel celebrity Ted.

So, again, ted is everything you'd expect from Seth - funny, in manner of vulgarity, obscenity, and controversy. Come on, it's rated R, it's bound to have all that in it. Line after line, he goes around taking digs, celebrity after celebrity. Sure, the movie's sort of usual, too predictable. It's no Inception, but nevertheless, this movie can make you gasp, snigger, and laugh out loud.  Additional spikes, come in the form of cameos, by 'Flash Gordon' Sam Jones, Ryan Reynolds and Norah Jones(minor spoiler, sorry). This is classic Seth MacFarlane, and thus, this is a worthy watch.

Aditya Baskaran

Hot Delivery!

Firstly, I would like to appreciate Karthik Subburaj, as a fellow Thalaivar fan, for his Rajinikanth innuendo.

Pizza, starring Vijay Sethupathy, Remya Nambeesan, 'Aadukalam' Naren, J.Jayakumar, Karuna, Pooja, Simha and several others, is the story of how things go haywire during one specific delivery for a pizza-delivery boy, at a supernatural scale.

While there is a slight foreign-cinema touch to the movie, 'Pizza' is a refreshing attempt, which keeps us glued to our screens through the runtime. While there are certain spaces of drag in the movie, it is well compensated by the successive pace of the movie, and the twist-filled screenplay. It has been long since such a daft horror/thriller made its way to Tamil audiences, and  'Pizza' comes in at a grand time.

Yet again, and I seem to be repeating this statement several times in my reviews, this movie, while housing an exceptionally interesting storyline, rides on the performances of its cast. Vijay Sethupathy, from the acclaimed 'Thenmerkku Paruvakatru' and the recent 'Sundarapandiyan', has developed into an actor of mettle, and his performance is commendable indeed. Remya Nambeesan, 'Aadukalam' Naren, Jayakumar, Karuna, Pooja, Simha, the weird old modern-saint, everyone fit into their role, and casting has been huge support to this movie, as the 'stars' look as natural as possible.

Gopi Amarnath's cinematography, and Leo John Paul's editing, work hand-in-hand to produce a wonderful finish, and a crisp runtime. Interesting camera-handling has helped in producing the scary-eerie effect to an optimal level, and kudos to that.

Now, the music. Santhosh Narayanan is the find of the future. Looking past the fact that Beethoven made an appearance somewhere in the background, his album, and BGM have been impressive, and his rich sense of music is bound to take him places. My personal favorite from the album would be 'Mogathirai' (Magic, by vocalist Pradeep Vijay), and the use of songs in the film are also perfectly in co-ordination with the movie's pace.

Karthik Subburaj has struck gold with his debut, as he brings out an entertaining, appealing thriller that is definitely worth your money. Thirukumaran Entertainments has carved a niche for itself by bringing to screen rather unique movies. While Atta Kathi might have been lukewarm, Pizza's out hot and filling.

Aditya Baskaran

The Queen Is Back.

What happens to a legendary heroine, who once ruled over Indian cinema, when she takes a 14-year break from the silver screen?

Absolutely nothing. And that is what English Vinglish is here to prove. English Vinglish, is the story of Sashi, an Indian housewife, mistreated by her family due to her lack of knowledge in English, whose journey to New York gives her a lesson both in life and in English. The story is an exact honest portrayal of The Indian Wife, and the hardships she faces on a daily basis, within her own small world, and kudos to Gauri Shinde for scripting such an original character. The story, in itself, is a complete fuzzbucket, a warm family entertainer, with completely no dampeners, and with the rise of variety in cinema, it has turned rare today, to find such complete family films.

Sridevi, is simply wonderful. It is on her back that this film rides, and she puts most of today's actors to complete shame with such an amazing comeback performance. Yet again, it is another movie that captivates you, simply because of being a powerhouse of performances. The cast - Mehdi Nabou, as the French admirer of Sashi, Adil Hussain, as the husband, Sulabha Deshpande as the mother-in-law, Sujatha Kumar as the sister, Priya Anand as Sashi's lovely niece, Navika Kotia, as the ignorant daughter, Shivansh Kotia as the sweet son, Rajeev Raveendhran as the funny Tamilian Rama, each and every member of the cast deserve mention as they have performed their roles to the optimum. While Laxman Utekar's cinematography and Amit Trivedi's music aren't exactly extraordinary, Hemanti Sarkar's taut editing keeps the movie to a crisp, enjoyable runtime.

While the Tamil version is nevertheless a dub of the Hindi one, it is Ajith's cameo that brings you the Tamil cinema feel. Ajith, is simply marvelous in his guest performance, in his short screen time, he still manages to make deep impact.

Gauri Shinde, has brought to screen a wonderful film, and she's struck gold with her debut. R.Balki, must be one happy producer, and one happy husband. Sridevi makes you laugh, she makes you cry and she carries you along with her, in this warm story, which is definitely worth a watch.

Aditya Baskaran

Ala Barfi!

We all remember Anurag Basu's last outing. Named "Kites", the movie created colossal hype, only to be torn to bits at the BO. But this time, Basu has struck gold with 'Barfi!', starring Ranbir Kapoor, Ileana D'Cruz, Priyanka Chopra and several others.

Set in a timeline shifting from 1972 to today, Barfi! is the story of deaf-and-mute Murphy aka Barfi, a jolly resident of Darjeeling, who lives a trouble-free life, until Shruthi and Jhilmill come into his life, and create a sea of change. The movie is Barfi's journey through various stages of romance, and how he manages to spread love and joy to everyone around him, till his end.

The movie, has been well scripted, and the screenplay is classic - a perfect family entertainer, which is supported greatly by neat cinematography (Ravi Verman), and exceptional music(Pritam). The only major drawback of the movie, is it's length, which tends to give you the drag feeling now and then, but what makes us look over this minus, and perhaps what makes this whole movie so worth a watch are it's performances. The life of this movie, is it's performances, and each and every member of the cast - right from the lead ensemble, to the character roles, have excelled in their roles.

Ranbir Kapoor, is perhaps the most bankable star amidst the next-gen actors of Bollywood. Movie after movie, he simply keeps getting better. If he stunned us with 'Rockstar', he manages to tug our hearts with 'Barfi!'. Priyanka Chopra, is simply wonderful in her portrayal of the autistic Jhilmill. Tollywood bombshell Ileana D'Cruz, has also pulled off an amazing performance, and special mention to the costume designers(Aki Narula, Shefalina), the art direction team for taking us back to the 70s, and the make-up unit. I swear, I haven't seen such a beautiful heroine on screen, for days, and it's proof enough that going glam isn't the only way to knock men audience off their feet. Veteran Saurabh Shukla as the comical inspector Dutta pulls off a beautiful performance, and so do Aashish Vidyarthi, Haradhan Bandhopadhyay, and the rest of the crew.

Anurag Basu has made a  neat, heart-warming story, which seems to be a sure success, but we know of his tryst with Hollywood which pops up all around the movie. Since the hero of this movie, is literally silent, you tend to see a lot of slapstick Charlie Chaplin here and there, (but I guess that cliche can be overlooked), and a scene has been lifted directly off Nick Cassavetes' 'The Notebook'. But ignoring all that, Basu has delivered a cute, feel-good movie, that will leave you walking out of theaters probably with no regret. Watch it, especially for performances.

Aditya Baskaran

Why Mysskin, Why?

What happens when Bruce Lee replaces Christain Bale in The Dark Knight, which ends up turning into a half-Chinese half-American bake-up, that falls into the hands of a Tamil director with a budget not even 10% of the original TDK movie?

You would probably expect it to be pretty awesome just cause Lee's in it, but no. The legendary Bruce Lee died almost 30 years back, and nothing can replace what the Master brought to the screen. And of course, Chris Nolan is perhaps the most bankable and cerebral director in showbiz today. Ergo, Mugamoodi, starring Jiiva, Narain, Nasser, Girish Karnad and debutante Pooja Hegde fails to impress us, as a superhero movie, and unfortunately, as a Mysskin film.

Mysskin, one of Tamil cinema's rare film-makers, who bring out films that go beyond the normal scope of mind, had built a huge hype over this movie, considering the fact that his previous films 'Yuddham Sei' and 'Anjathey' were runaway hits. But, alas, he delivers us a product that is shockingly, not 'Mysskin' enough. Having carved a niche for himself with his specific way of story-telling, it is sad to see that the screenplay drags, and runs amok suddenly through the movie, lacking clarity and the usual fast pace his films have.

Mugamoodi, is the story of how Anand aka Bruce Lee, an innocent martial-arts student, intersects into the web of crime created by Anguchamy and his kung-fu trained henchmen, who go around cities, looting and murdering rich, old men, and how his costume-clad joke turns into his city-saving secret identity.

Jiiva, as Anand, and Nasser as Gaurav have done complete justice to their roles, and Pooja, though not having much to do in the film, shows promise. Selvaah, as the kung-fu master Chandru, doesn't leave around much of an impression, and it is criminal to see a veteran like Girish Karnad be wasted over a menial, ridiculous role.

And yes, Narain, deserves a special paragraph. It was Mysskin who put Narain on the map with 'Anjathey', and now the very same intellect brings Narain to dismay. While his effort is highly appreciable, we can only wonder what on earth he was trying to pull off as the sadistic Anguchamy - to be a psychotic killer, with sinister plans, or to be a parody of Heath Ledger's immortal Joker?

Sathya's cinematography shines as usual, and K's (yes, his name is screened as K) music and background scores are commendable. While the 'Bar Anthem', a Mysskin usual, is getting a bit old, 'Vaayamoodi Summa' is a definite fresh ring to the ears. Madan Karky impresses with his lyrics, and so does art director Balasubramaniam. Tony Leung, the stunt coordinator deserves special mention for his work with the kung-fu sequences throughout the movie.

You could watch this once, perhaps, for Jiiva and for Mysskin, and for the mighty effort put by the team into the making of this film. But, don't let the Marvel-inspired title frame fool you. Mugamoodi, sadly does not live up to the hype of a superhero movie. While the director has tried his best to make a superhero fit to Tamil screens, he fails in several sections, which acts as a sharp blow to the idea that Chennai could be portrayed in the likes of Gotham City.


Aditya Baskaran

Movie Review: Atta Kathi

The light-hearted story of a simpleton who's prime objective in life is to fall in love, is what Atta Kathi is all about. Made by a team of freshers, debutante director Pa.Ranjith brings to us the story of Dinakaran aka 'Atta', and how his "love'' affairs affect his life.

Dinakaran(Dinesh), residing in a village close to Chennai, lives a carefree life in his small world - made up of his parents, friends, 'gaana' songs and daily bus trips which involve flirting with every woman who catches his fancy. This attitude of his puts him in several situations, where he finally gives up on love and decides to look past women. Soon, his life takes on a better path, till he meets a woman from his past, who manages to rekindle his feelings yet again. Will Dinakaran taste success in his love life or not, is what the rest of the story is about.

Perhaps the greatest drawback of the movie, is it's pace. While the storyline is a fresh idea, the screenplay is such a drag, that even neat cinematography(PK Verma) and editing(Leo John Paul) do not help. While the movie goes on with pointless chatter in the first half, it takes a slow walk towards the crux of the story in the second half, but picks up speed as it moves towards the climax. Dinesh, as the protagonist, and Nanditha, as the main heroine Poorni, have done a decent job. Locations, and casting are huge pluses, as they bring an exceptional sense of reality to the movie. Certain characters, like the artistes who play Dinakaran's parents, are worth mention, for their natural performances.

The music direction of this film has been wonderful, and newcomer Santhosh Narayanan has brought out some refreshing tracks, 'Aasai Oru Pulveli' being the favourite. The BGMs and the gaana sequences are to be appreciated as well. The stunt sequences have been well developed, thanks to Dilip Subburayan, but certain points seem a bit too overwhelming, a bit too commercial.

And thus, unfortunately, Atta Kathi does not live to the hype it's created. A different story, a good attempt, could have been treated much better.

Movie Review: Maalai Pozhudhin Mayakathile

Maalai Pozhudhin Mayakathile, is a story that showcasts a "life-changing evening" in a coffee shop involving an upcoming director, a family of three, the manager of the coffee shop, and the two waiters working under him, all of their lives heading towards major crises. Whether or not they overcome their problems is what the 112-minute runtime of the movie constitutes of.

While the line above reads 112 minutes, the movie seemed much, much longer. The movie is a mixture of seemingly intertwining stories, with the coffee shop as it's epicentre, and in order to focus into each and every characters' separate story, the movie has taken a chaotic way of moving forward, which results in a grueling test of the audience's patience. The way the story shifts between each character, and the placements of songs are highly erratic.

The cinematography by Gopi Amarnath deserves mention, and so does Achu, the music director. The music has been classy throughout the movie, especially the background score. The songs have also been brought to the screen in a beautiful manner, and 'Oh Baby Girl' is a definite favorite.

Now, the actors. We see Aari in his second outing, after 'Rettasuzhi', playing Ajay, whose desire to become a director puts him into an array of issues. Panchu Subbu plays the role of the coffee shop's manager, with a heart of gold. Balaji, last seen as a psychotic ex-boyfriend in 'Kadhalil Sodhappuvadhu Eppidi', plays Satish, the workaholic husband, and complementing him is his frustrated wife Ramya, played by Tejaswini, and his son Vishnu, played by Master Vishnu. And all these artists, fit the role to the tee.

Additional characters, working in the comedy zone are Sivaji Santhanam , Satish and Karunakaran, and though their attempts are worth appreciation, they sadly do not make us laugh. Debutant Shubha has a long way to go.

What we have in our hands is a promising cast, which has been led astray in a not-so-promising movie.

Aditya Baskaran

Movie Review: The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises, has been released amidst colossal hype. Not only does the iconic symbol of Batman strike a chord in every man's heart, and bring that six-year old out, it is the treatment that this comic character has gone through the hands of director Christopher Nolan that has people looking up to it. Batman Begins got our attention, The Dark Knight stunned us beyond comprehension and the much awaited conclusion is here.

Well, line one - it is a superhero movie. You walk in, expecting strong one-liners (which we call as "punch" dialogues down south, and now, please do not ignore the fact that superhero flicks sometimes can remind you of Vijayakanth movies) and some dramatic, tense moments, and a feel-good climax. Of course, TDKR is no exception. But this is a Nolan movie we're talking about. It involves the trademark cerebral feel he delivers so well, and yes, my friends, you will walk out of the screens mind-zapped as usual.

It's been eight years since Batman/Bruce Wayne's last sighting and things have been peaceful all this time at Gotham City. Wayne, away from usual life, doesn't realize that the life around him is collapsing - that a man is after his fortune and his company, and that slowly, a storm approaches Gotham, bigger than ever. Bane, an ex-member of the League of Shadows arrives to strike terror into the heart of Gotham, on a mission which he terms as "Gotham's reckoning". How Batman returns to save his city, and the emotional turmoil involved in his greatest and final stand for saving his city forms the crux of the story.

Now that's enough spoilers for you guys. Christian Bale, as Batman/Wayne has donned the mask so brilliantly that now it would seem that no one else could  possibly suit this role better. His performance through the trilogy has been simply, apt, and makes former 'Batmen' like George Clooney, Micheal Keaton and Val Kilmer look like parodies. Anne Hathaway, as the sensual jewel thief Selina Kyle aka Catwoman has pulled off her role perfectly. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake, a cop who parallels on values with Batman, and carries a similar sense of justice, performs well as usual, and packs a surprise in the end. Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate, the board member who wins Bruce's trust (and some more), fits her role to the bill, and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, well, you don't even need my opinion to know how good he was. But the show-stealers were Tom Hardy as Bane, a villain, who not only challenges Batman's mind and body, but his heart and soul as well. What Tom Hardy does, in a mask, that covers most his face and lets him use only his eyes (and his digitized voice) is something to be appreciated. The other would be the legendary Micheal Caine, who is simply touching in his emotional performance as Alfred. Gary Oldman shines as Commissioner Gordon, and while his character is given more depth than before, his screen-time is quite low.

While decent cinematography, and taut editing makes this movie feel much shorter than it's original runtime (At nearly two hours and forty five minutes, it is the longest Nolan movie ever) it is the mind-boggling music by the amazing Hans Zimmer that takes the visual experience to a whole new level.

Christopher Nolan is perhaps the most bankable director in world cinema right now, with all his films winning worldwide acclaim. His way of making movies, whose base ideology is to play with our brains, combined with his idea of bringing in visual grandeur, making his movie a sort of a massive spectacle, is simply out-of-the-world, and this movie falls in no manner. But having said that, this is definitely not his best movie ever. While the movie remains to be a winner, you will find certain moments that seem a bit too cliched, a bit too obvious, but hey, maybe it's just usual in a superhero movie.

So, is it worth a watch? Worth a watch is an understatement. Watch this movie for the performances, the larger-than-life action, for the hype and simply for the fact that this is the final part of the superhero trilogy that's made all other superhero movies look like Disney flicks.


Aditya Baskaran