Life Is REEL

Billa (2007) - Review

2008-01-14T01:04:00.000-08:00

Reviewed by: K. Gautam

It was my first visit to an Ajith movie at the theaters after the disastrous Paramasivan of 2006. Before watching the movie, I read mixed reviews about it. Hardcore Ajith fans obviously gave a thumbs-up, there were others were so-so about it, and there were a few others who called it a bag of hogwash.

Admittedly I felt the movie was a disappointment as it fell short on direction and acting and paled significantly in comparison to the Shah Rukh Khan starrer ‘Don’ of 2007. The one real positive factor was Ajith’s stylishly stunning looks. He could probably have done a bit of workout to hide a subtle paunch he displays in the movie, the exact opposite of how he was in Paramasivan, where he was astoundingly lissome -- this makes him look a bit clumsy in the dance sequences. I also felt director Vishnuvardhan could have done better to alter Ajith’s rather gawky looks.

For readers who are not familiar with the story - a pick pocket Velu (Ajith) is picked by DSP Jai Prakash (Prabhu) to impersonate Billa (Ajith), an underworld don to infiltrate the activities of other gang members and top bosses.

The action sequences were quite well shot, with Ajith reportedly performing his own car stunts -- not surprising for a renowned car racer. Nayanthara for an acclaimed actor could have done a better job -- again looking a bit too gawky, although she looks stunningly sleek in her costumes. Namitha’s role was an absolute waste. Though Namitha is not known for her acting prowess, I would blame the director for not thinking out of the box to give more significance to her role.

Prabhu impresses in his short role and I wish he had lasted till the end of the movie. Rahman is more than impressive in his role as Interpol officer Gokulnath with this elegant costume. I have always felt Rahman has been under-utilized as a character actor by Kollywood; he has got a lot of potential. Santhanam is hilarious in the short role he gets, more than making up for some dullness in the middle.

Though I have been critical of Vishnuvardhan for below par direction of characters, I would still commend him for a courageous attempt to direct a script that has already been tried out thrice, twice in Hindi (‘Don’ 1978 starring Amitabh Bachchan and ‘Don’ 2007 starring Shah Rukh Khan) and once in Tamil (‘Billa’ 1980 starring Rajnikanth). He has tried to give a different perspective from the earlier versions. His Hollywood style of direction of action sequences could be a trend for future films.

Yuvan Shankar Raja disappoints on the music front, and there was not a single song worth mentioning. Even the remix of the likeable ‘My Name is Billa’ is not worth hearing. The re-recording was too jarry and there was just one little piece of music worth humming.

Special mention and credit has to be given to Javed Akthar and Salim Khan, who scripted the original story and screenplay for ‘Don’ in 1978. Their strong ideas have inspired Indian directors even after 29 years.

Rating: 2/5

Taare Zameen Par (2007) - Review

2008-01-09T23:55:00.000-08:00

Reviewed by: K. Gautam

These days, I go into Hindi movies just to have fun – never mind the poor screenplays, below par direction, kiddish dialogs. For a change, I went to see Taare Zameen Par with lots of expectations for the simple fact it was an Aamir Khan directed movie, knowing his penchant for perfection - and I wasn’t disappointed.

A leading Bollywood director has commented that Aamir takes himself too seriously rather than just his work. Perhaps you have to be that serious enough to create movies like TZP.

So, what is it about TZP that is so enchanting! For one, the kid reminded me of myself - the same idiosyncrasies, stargazes. More importantly I always felt I was grossly misunderstood.

This is a movie I would recommend for parents to watch, especially future ones. My neighborhood 4-year-old who doesn’t understand a word of Hindi was mesmerized by the actions of Ishaan Awasthi played by Darsheel Safary. So, taking your kid along wouldn’t be a bad idea.

The story is about eight-year-old Ishaan, who suffers from low grades and is subsequently sent to a boarding school. It takes the efforts of art teacher Anurag Basu (Aamir Khan) to identify his problem and set it right. Darshan Safary provides a very apt performance of a typical 8-year-old. Aamir Khan as a director seems to have gone into the finer details of child acting, which is normally below average in Bollywood.

Equal credit and mention should be given to Amol Gupte, who has given a great screenplay, which is the heart and soul of the movie. The fantasies of a child are well written. The clever animation of the fantasies shown would keep a child spell-bound.

Darsheel Safary is the hero of the movie and all the others revolve around him. Aamir Khan cleverly brings himself only in the second half of the movie, so as not to overemphasize his role. He reminds me of Clint Eastwood’s direction where he gives equal importance to his fellow protagonists in movies he played major roles in. The roles by the affectionate mother (Tisca Chopra) and the indifferent father (Vipin Sharma) are quite believable. Tanay Chheda as Ishaan’s friend at the boarding school does a good job for a modest role. The teachers at the school are witty and entertaining, especially the one who speaks in perfect British English.

The Shankar Eshan Loy trio has provided thoughtful music. The song “Maa” sung by Shankar Mahadevan is truly heart warming.

Taare Zameen Par might bring a tear out of you, but never makes you cringe with an overdose of sentiments.

My only complaint would be the length of the movie, which is obviously because of the number of songs.

Aamir Khan has probably arrived on the Bollywood as a world-class director. Hopefully he would live up to the expectations.

Rating: 3.75/5

Om Shanti Om (2007) - Review!

2008-01-04T03:11:00.000-08:00

Reviewed by: K. Gautam

A very good advice someone gave me long ago before watching a Bollywood movie was not to expect too much - you just go, watch the movie, enjoy whatever you can, come back and try not to ask too many questions. Unfortunately, I have never heeded that advice. Too may questions linger after watching OSO.

Whatever said, the tried and tested recipe of color, songs, and comedy has delivered yet again at the box office. The Farah-Shah Rukh Khan duo also managed to get the entire Bollywood fraternity (with the exception of Aishwariya Rai) out into the sets. Bollywood really partied!

Now for some of my questions. What was the exact genre of the movie? Was it a parody, a thriller, a comedy? Keeping one guessing about the genre is a unique trait attributed to most Indian movies.

Secondly, with all the spoofs and songs, why even attempt a storyline in the first place? Yes, I know shooting a movie is difficult without a storyline - even for Bollywood. For OSO, the story was a mere formality.

The story is simple. A junior artiste, Om Prakash Makhija (SRK) avenges the death of Shanthipriya (Deepika Padukone), who gets murdered by villain Mukesh Mehra (Arjun Ram Pal), in his next incarnation. Farah Khan has been shouting at the top of her voice that OSO was not inspired by another Indian movie. So, I wouldn’t go into it.

Let us talk about the good points, and there are many. SRK is funny as ever and at his silliest best. His self-deprecating stuff as the reincarnated, rich and famous Om Kapoor is reminiscent of his real-life late arrivals at the sets in his early part of his career. There are real good performances by Kirron Kher (SRK’s mom) and Shreyas Talpade (SRK’s best friend), who shares a good chemistry with SRK. Deepika Padukone for a newcomer has done a commendable job. She has definitely sent the right signals as an actor. She can only get better. However, Arjun Rampal disappoints as the villain, especially in the second half of the movie as the old man.

SRK’s spoof of South Indian Cinema of the late 70s in his all-red attire was hilarious. I wouldn’t dare say whom he was trying to imitate.

Farah Khan is a world-class choreographer, but has a long way to go as a director. Below par direction is one of the low points of the movie. She could have done much better with the performances of the actors in some of the sequences, especially of Arjun Rampal.

Music Directors Vishal and Shekhar have done a decent enough job with the songs. The song ‘Aankhon Mein Teri’ sung by KK is delightful.

Despite all the shortcomings, I have to admit it was quite an enjoyable movie – around 160 minutes of fun and entertainment.

If you are having a dull day and would like to end it, go watch OSO.

Rating: 3/5

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) - Review

2007-10-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by: K. Gautam

There are some movies, which are etched in our memories forever. This movie was certainly one of them for me. Watching it on the big screen made it even merrier. I have never seen such thunderous applause for an English movie from a Chennai audience - and they were not just for Matt Damon; they were for the entire movie, from beginning to end. For its sheer intensity, I would rate ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’ as the best of the series, slightly ahead of ‘The Bourne Identity’ and far ahead of ‘The Bourne Supremacy.’ All the three are based on best sellers by Robert Ludlum.

Matt Damon’s career graph probably crescendoes in this movie. He has proved yet again he is not a one-dimensional actor as he was made out to be during the early part of his career. He has shown variety with comedy in the Ocean’s series, as a dirty cop in ‘The Departed,’ and a fiery combatant as Jason Bourne.

There are also brilliant supporting roles from Joan Allen (Face-Off) as Pamela Landy and David Strathairn as the CIA Deputy Director Noah Vosen, who equally share the intensity with Damon.

In this movie, Bourne continues his hunt for the truth about his mysterious past, with government agents hiring assassins to get rid of him, to prevent the skeletons from being detected. I wouldn’t want to go further into the story, as it might kill the suspense.

The chase scenes are breathtaking and edge of the seat, and the fight scenes are believable. The very few minus points I would give would be for some unnecessary camera shakes and jerks during certain action sequences. Especially the bike chase scene could have been more convincing, with Damon’s face being hardly shown.

Overall, an assortment of great action sequences and great acting has delivered ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’ at the Box Office big time.

Director Paul Greengrass does an excellent job of keeping the audience captivated. Tony Gilroy and Scott Z. Burns have written the screenplay.

My request to movie watchers would be to watch the first two of the series before watching the third, for better understanding of the movie. Watch out for ‘The Bourne Identity’ and ‘Bourne Supremacy’ on HBO.

The ‘Bourne Ultimatum’ is ‘The Ultimate.’

Rating: 4.5/5

Ocean’s 13 (2007) - Review

2007-09-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by: K. Gautam

I enjoy swift paced movies, but this was too fast for my liking. I had to watch the movie twice to see whether I had missed something - anyway I found I hadn’t missed much. The subsequent Ocean’s movies haven’t lived up to the trend-setting Ocean’s 11. Ocean’s 11 had a great screenplay by George Clayton Johnson and Jack Golden Russell (1960). Hope I get to watch the 1960 version one day.

The charm of George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Andy Garcia, and Julia Roberts along with the other Ocean’s crew made watching O’s 11 a very memorable experience. The hyped up O’s 12 was too boring.

The greatness of O’s 11 was its simplicity. O’s 13 was too complicated and too flashy. A glitz-crazy technologist might love it. Anyway, it was a much better effort than O’s 12.

The impracticality of some of the heist moves also was a concern. Every move looked too simple too soon. Even the most impossible of tasks was accomplished by some gizmo or the other. Only the antics of the cast keep you occupied.

The story begins with Reuben Tishkoff being double-crossed by Willie Bank (Al Pacino), a casino owner. Danny Ocean decides to do something about it and regroups his team to take Bank to task.

I was gung ho about Al Pacino being cast in the movie, the great actor that he is. Disappointed to see he fails to make the coveted impact he so effortlessly makes. I felt his role was overcooked beyond taste.

One of the few real positives in the movie was Andy Garcia, who was at his suave best as the 13th member of the team (the team persuades him to join). George Clooney was steady and Brad Pitt had hardly anything to say. Matt Damon was more than amusing with his funny nose as Lenny Pepperidge. Watch out for David Paymer who plays the restaurant reviewer, who has to bear the brunt of the team’s plot to disgrace Bank’s dreams. The other members of the crew just get a scene or two.

Hope Director Steven Soderbergh (Oscar Winning ‘Erin Brockovich’) comes up with a much better version next time.

Rating: 2/5

Midnight Run (1988) - Review

2007-09-13T00:08:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by: K. Gautam

I had watched this movie in bits and pieces on more than one occasion. I got the opportunity last weekend to watch the entire movie on Star Movies last weekend.

It is probably one of those under-rated De Niro movies not many movie watchers remember. When you think of Robert De Niro, only classics like Godfather 2, Casino, Good Fellas come to mind. Midnight Run is a light, action comedy, which sets you roaring from time to time.

The movie is directed by Martin Brest of the ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ and ‘Scent of a Woman’ fame. Screenplay is by George Gallo.

De Niro is Jack Walsh, a bounty hunter, also an ex-honest, ex-Chicago cop, his honesty and conscience coming to surface very much reluctantly in the story. Walsh is hot on the trail of an embezzling accountant Jonathan Mardukas played by Charles Grodin (played the father in ‘Beethoven’). Though he succeeds in tracking down Mardukas and capturing him, he finds himself being trailed by the FBI and also by the mafia, from whom Mardukas had dared to embezzle from. With the mafia vying for Mardukas’ blood for his impudence and the FBI determined to get to them first, the trail gets really hot. De Niro and Grodin develop a certain chemistry, which keeps you entertained throughout.

The character I really found funny was FBI Agent Alonzo Moseley played by Yaphet Kotto, who takes great delight in depriving detainees of their much-needed cigarettes from their pockets, for his own use. Moseley is also at the receiving end from Jack Walsh, who manages to get through airports and railway stations impersonating the FBI agent using the agent’s ID card, leaving him fuming throughout the movie.

John Ashton as the bungling Marvin Dorfler, another bounty hunter on the trail of Mardukas, is hilarious.

It is advisable to avoid viewing this movie in front of children for its profane language.

Watch out for ‘Midnight Run’ on Star Movies.

Rating: 3.5/5

Going for Broke (2004) - Review

2007-08-29T05:26:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by: K. Gautam

This movie was recently screened on HBO. It is a 2003 television movie based on a true story.

It is a very tragic story of a woman of high repute falling into the trap of compulsive gambling. What starts as something as fun (ironically encouraged by her husband) ends up destroying her family and career. The movie portrays the bitter truth about compulsive gambling by American women that has left lots of families in shambles.

The roles of the wife (Laura Bancroft) and husband (Jim Bancroft) are efficiently enacted by Delta Burke and Gerald McRaney, who are also husband and wife in real life.

The movie has a very smooth flow, with reality hitting you hard and leaving you pale, as Laura Bancroft crosses the proverbial line with her compulsive gambling. I could feel the horror as I watched the crumbling of a well-knit family. I kept asking myself, “How could a mother of two, with a caring husband, a woman entrusted with handling a children’s fund-raising organization, manage to lose everything and destroy herself and her family in a matter of days, with such continued acts of foolishness?” If you watch “Going For Broke” very closely, it can be scarier and chilling than a horror movie.

This movie has a lesson for all of us. I cannot forget one line, which goes something like ‘if you win $1000 on your first wager, and if you want to continue, keep $500 aside and wager the rest. Always make sure you keep aside half of whatever you win.’ Very wise words indeed.

Statutory warnings about the vices of gambling became compulsory at all casinos and gambling centers across America. This has been done to create awareness that gambling can be as addictive and destructive as alcohol, nicotine and substance abuse.

The movie is directed by Graeme Campbell, with effective screenplay by Deborah Serra.

Going For Broke can really leave you broken.

Rating: 4.25/5

Die Hard 4.0 (2007) - A Review

2007-08-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

Since I have always been an ardent Bruce Willis fan plus the fact that I have never watched a Bruce Willis action movie on the big screen, I badly wanted to watch Die Hard 4. Most non-Tamil movies in Coimbatore run for just a week. If you are lucky, it runs for a second week, if it hits off well in the first week. Fortunately, it ran for a second week (wasn’t able to watch it the first week).

Not only was it very good, it was also good to see that Bruce has lost none of this old charm, with his wit and wisecracks.

Though it will be difficult to compare Die Hard 4 with the previous ones, since the latest one (Die Hard with a Vengeance) was released in 1995, for me, it was the second best of the Die Hard Saga. My favorite will always be Die Hard 2, the airport adventure followed by the Die Hard 4, Die Hard 1, and Die Hard with a Vengeance (Die Hard 3). Different Bruce fans will have different ratings, of course.

In Die Hard 4, John McLane has to deal with cyber terrorists unlike the plain normal terrorists he is accustomed to, who at the most just used to brandish knives and guns or drop bombs. McLane realizes that times have changed, and has to look at criminals from a wholly new perspective, where he has to get used to a plethora of computer and Internet jargon (along with the guns and bombs).

The story starts with McLane being assigned to take for questioning a computer hacker, Matt Farrell played by Justin Long (featured in Jeepers Creepers). McLane ends up having to save Farrell’s life from unknown killers, and has to shield him from them throughout the movie. That is problem number one for McLane. Problem number 2 is even more frightening. Most parts of the United States are brought to a standstill, with the power grid, traffic systems, the stock market etc. being manipulated according to the whims of the cyber terrorists, and who better to have for McLane than a computer hacker genius on your side. Justin Long does a reasonably good job as the garrulous hacker. Timothy Olyphant as Bruce Willis’ annoying nemesis does an excellent job.

Director Len Wiseman, who did a commendable job with the ‘Underworld’ series, does an equally good job with Die Hard 4. The action sequences are breathtaking and very well shot. The story and screenplay are by Mark Bomback.

Bruce Willis fans, Don’t Miss This thriller!!!

Rating: 4/5

Reviewed by: K. Gautam

The Inside Man (2006) - A Review

2007-08-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

This movie was recently screened on HBO. It was released in 2006 and was rated as one of the best suspense movies of the year, along with the Academy Award winning ‘The Departed’ by Martin Scorsese.

The story starts with a man ending up in a cell in connection with a bank heist, narrating how he ends up in the cell.

Denzel Washington as the negotiator-in-charge of the hostage situation as a result of the bank holdup, is good as usual with his cool dialogue delivery. Jodie Foster, for a change plays a confident character as a fellow negotiator, unlike some confused roles she has been playing, viz., ‘The Flight Plan.’ Some of the dialogues between the two are enjoyable. Clive Owen as the holdup in-charge does a reasonably good job, of what I thought was a difficult role to tackle, without overcooking the role. William Dafoe plays a confused and often frustrated captain of the negotiating team, who never seems to get things right. Dafoe I thought was a surprising choice for this role. He is often preferred as the plotting villain (remember Speed 2). However, to his credit he does an excellent job.

Overall this is a very intense movie, without being boring for a second, with an excellent screenplay by Russell Gewirtz. I have watched many a bank holdup movie, but Director Spike Lee has given a different flavor to this one. My only complaint would be the slight predictability I could feel in certain sequences.

Another thing to watch out is the song “Chaiyya Chaiyya” composed by AR Rahman and written by Gulzar, which was chosen as the title song for this movie.

Rating: 3.25/5

Reviewed by: K. Gautam

Chennai 600028 (2007) - A Review

2007-08-06T18:24:00.000-07:00

Two Sundays back, my wife and me went for shopping at the Sridevi Complex at Cross Cut Road. After shopping, we decided to go for ‘Sivaji’ playing at Senthil Theater in Ambal Complex, Cross Cut Road for the 2:15 show, hoping against hope that we would get tickets. As expected, all the shows were full, except for the night show. Fortunately, tickets were available for ‘Chennai 600028’, which we were planning to watch at a later date.

Wow! What a movie!!

It was one of the most enjoyable Tamil movies I have ever watched. It was pure fun from start to finish. The film is written and directed by Venkat Prabhu and produced by SP Charan, son of SP Balasubramaniam.

Chennai 600028 revolves around the rivalry between 2 tennis ball cricket teams (often played under floodlights as day night matches), named Sharks and Rockers, and their antics. This movie reminds me of the fun I had playing and watching cricket in Chennai.

The story starts with Raghu of The Rockers team and his family relocating to Vishalakshi Thottam, Chennai 600028, where the members of the Sharks team reside. It is interesting and fun to watch how Raghu copes up with his and his team’s sworn enemies at their own den.

The things to enjoy in this movie are cricket, the typical Chennai language, the fun middle-class Chennai boys have, and the peppy and enjoyable songs by Yuvan Shankar Raja. You don’t have to like cricket to like this movie (my wife loved it); it is not just cricket this movie offers. This movie also portrays love, friendship, betrayal, a tinge of Chennai rowdyism, and of course lots of fun.

There is no main protagonist in this movie (the heroes being the members of the Sharks team). Almost all the characters in this movie are given equal importance, though Premgi Amaran, son of Gangai Amaran (brother of Composer Ilayaraja) steals the limelight with his comedy.

Director Venkat Prabhu does a reasonably good job with the cricket matches. Being an avid cricket watcher, I thought he could have done a better job with the cricket sequences, but full credit to him for having taken a very enjoyable and fun-filled movie that is so different from what some of the other new Tamil releases have to offer, especially considering the fact that most of the actors in the movie were inexperienced or were making their debut.

Chennai 600028 rocks!!

Rating: 3.2/5

Reviewed by: Gautam

Down & Out!

2007-07-03T06:36:00.000-07:00

The Malayalam film industry has been badly hit by chikungunya. Apparently, more than 40 Malayalam actors are suffering from mosquito-transmitted diseases like chikungunya and dengue.

Superstar Mohanlal, a three-time National Award winning actor, and actress Meera Jasmine are among those who have come down with the viral infection.

A large number of members of the Malayalam Actors Association were absent from a recent meeting of the association in Kochi as they were unwell.

The viral outbreak has also led to the cancellation of many film shootings.

The Aedes mosquito that breeds in stagnant freshwater can carry chikungunya and dengue viruses.

The chikungunya outbreak in Kerala and the approach of the monsoon has spurred the local government to launch preventive measures.

Source: CNN-IBN

Sivaji - 1st Day 1st Show!

2007-06-28T14:14:00.000-07:00

It's something you need to add in your 101 Things To Do Before I Die list, coz it's not quite often that you can experience such adulation for a man who has become a legend in his own rights... Yes, Rajni - he is a phenom and you need to experience his almost magnetic presence on and off screen... They say you are a true fan of his only if you go watch his First Day First Show! You don't believe me? Then watch the below slide show to realize that he is The Boss!

PS: Thx for my sis-in-law for fwd-ng the mail all the way from US ;-)

Cross posted in PeakDayBlues

Tamil film director dead

2007-06-26T01:11:00.000-07:00

Well-known cinematographer and director Jeeva (43) died in Moscow today following cardiac arrest, family sources said.

Jeeva was shooting for a Tamil film 'Dhaam Dhoom' starring 'Jeyam' Ravi and Kangana Raut in the Russian capital.

He passed away at 3 am, the sources said.

Jeeva started off as a camera assistant and turned cinematographer later. He worked with Tamil film director Shankar in blockbusters like 'Gentleman,' 'Kadhalan' and 'Indian.'

He has also worked in Bollywood films--'Hul Chul,' 'Bhaagban,' and 'Hera Pheri'.

Jeeva turned director with '12B' and 'Ullam Ketkume', which got rave reviews while his recent release 'Unnale Unnale' was a hit.

His body is expected to be brought back to the city tomorrow for the final rites, the sources said.

He is survived by wife, who is a costume designer and three children.

Source: Hindu

Sivaji - A movie watching experience!

2007-06-16T23:37:00.000-07:00

It helps you when the company you work for is a conglomerate and owns cineplexes. What you get?? Tickets for the much awaited Sivaji sitting at your office desk.

Almost half of balcony tickets were reserved for me and my colleagues this past Saturday, for the afternoon show.

This is the first time I'm watching a Rajni movie in Tamilnadu and I was eager to see how a Rajni movie is celebrated and not just viewed.

The whole theater wore a festive look and I've never seen so much crowd for any movie in my life. Probably that's why they say he is the biggest star of 'em all!

Me and my friends got the first row in the balcony and were treated to unobstructive view, though all the paper rockets were landing on our heads. Couldn't hear half the dialogues as people kept screaming each time Rajni came on screen (yeah, even I screamed, no no, yelled till my throat gave way)

The movie was a riot to watch, and for the first time in my life, am not able to write a review for the movie!! Why? There were so many good things in the movie and I'm not sure what to write and where to start. And it only gets complex as half the time we were shouting and screaming whenever Thalaivar came on screen.

So, I've decided to watch this movie again... probably only then I will be able to write a review, but I can already rate it!

5/5

Mohanlal in Sholay!

2007-05-15T15:56:00.000-07:00

Ram Gopal Verma's Sholay is shaping up well with Amitabh Bachan playing Gabbar Singh, Prashant Raj Sachdev playing Jai, Ajay Devgun playing Viru, Sush playing Radha, and Nisha Kothari playing Basanti.

The biggest surprise or shall I say what I'm most excited about is to see my favorite Mallu Superstar Mohanlal play the role of Thakur Baldev Singh!! Here's a few xclusive snaps of Mohanlal performing from the shooting locations...

Mozhi - Review

2007-05-12T23:08:00.000-07:00

The movie Mozhi has all the ingredients to set it apart... Jo's last official movie, a wonderful script, one of the best one-liners, and slick editing and direction... and apart from that, a bunch of highly talented actors...

Never in the recent past has such a small budget, story-line based movie been a success in Tamil cinema. Hats off to Radha Mohan and his team for subtly telling a sensous story with a mixture of humor. That silence conveys much more than words is what touches you the most.

The movie starts with a typical tamil movie scene -- a rich village gal, closely followed by a poor village guy. I, for a moment, double checked my ticket to confirm I indeed was watching Mozhi!! Within the span of a few shots, I realize the humor behind it. The director has introduced the two protagonists by exposing us to the re-recording activity, the profession of Karthik (Prithviraj) & Viji (Prakash Raj) who share deep friendship besides their common interest of music.

In their search for a living space, they get themselves an apartment and the fun starts from there. Karthick (Prithviraj) meets Archana (Jo) by chance and it's love at first sight for him. Later he sees her in the same apartment and the movie is all about Karthick trying to win over a self-made, stubborn Archana.

Jyothika as a deaf and mute girl is convincing. Prithviraj and Prakashraj makes for a great combo and their comic timings are perfect.

The success of this low budget movie reinforces the fact that the audience still accepts good storylines. Hats off to the Producer/Actor Prakashraj for coming up with such a blockbuster.

If you haven't watched it already, do take your family along!

Rating: 4.3/5

Shivaji, The Boss!

2007-04-10T04:31:00.000-07:00

Rajnikant's Remuneration for the movie = 40 crores!
Releasing worldwide = 27 countries/2900 theatres.
India = 2200 theatres
China = 211 theatres
Japan = 130 theatres
Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong = 100 theatres
Saudi Countries = 100 theatres
USA = 80 theatres
UK = 70 theatres

And this release is only behind Casino Royale which is released in 36 countries in 3200 theatres.

Other Factors!

1. OUT OF ALL THE SHANKAR MOVIES THIS IS THE COSTLIEST. 68% OF EXPENSES HE SPENT FOR LOCATION AND SURPRISINGLY 12% TO GRAPHICS!!!! 8% TO SALARY (EXCLUDING RAJINI); 8% FOR COSTUMES; 2% FOR A.R.RAHMAN AND OTHER TECHINCIANS, AND THE BALANCE 2% WASTAGES!!!!

2. FIRST TIME IN TAMIL MOVIE AMITABH IS JOINING WITH RAJINI... AS GUEST ROLE. (BECOS OF HIS CONVIENENCE TWO DAYS SHOOTING WAS ARRANGED IN PUNE.!!)

3. SIMILARLY MALAYAM SUPERSTAR MAMOOTY AND TELUGU MEGASTAR CHIRANJEEVI ARE ALSO ACTING IN THIS MOVIE FOR ONLY ONE SCENE..

4. SIVAJI MOVIE HAS SOLD ALREADY TO KERALA FOR 6 CRORES (ALLTIME HIGH) - THE LUCKIEST PERSON WHO GOT DISTRIBUTION IS OUR ACTOR VINEETH!!!!
ALL TIME HIGH IN ANDHRA PRADESH - 17 CRORES!!!!!! (SLEEPLES NITE FOR ALL TOP HERO'S OF ANDHRA)
ALL TIME HIGH IN KARNATAKA 9 CRORES!!!! (THE LUCKIEST PERSON WHO GOT DISTRIBUTION IS OUR KANNADA HERO RAVICHANDRAN)

5. THE MOST EXPECTED AND VERY BIG COMPETITION IS GOING IN TAMIL NADU.... (AS PER THE LATEST INFORMATION THE FINAL FIGHT BETWEEN SUN-TV AND RELIANCE IS FOR AROUND 80 CRORES INCLUDING SATELITTE/DVD/ AUDIO RIGHTS!

6. INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS FOR $100 U.S MILLION DOLLARS (FOR 9 LOCATIONS/COUNTRIES INCLUDING DVD RIGHTS) FIGHT IS GOING BETWEEN "AYANGARAN VIDEOS" OF CANADA AND PYRAMID OF INDIA!!

7. AVM PRODUCTION ANNOUNCED THEY WILL GIVE 25% PROFIT TO THE CHARITY (SIVAJI FOUNDATION) IF THE MOVIE TOUCH SILVER JUBLIEE...

8. FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF RAJINI MOVIE ... HE HIMSELF GIVEN INTERIVIEW AS THIS MOVIE WILL BE GREAT SUCCESS!! (COURTESY TIMES MAGAZINE)

9. AS PER THE COVER STORY OF NO.1 JAPANESE MAGAZINE CALLED "TOSHO" HAS MENTIONED THIS MOVIE HAS CROSSED THE EXPECATION OF THE HOLLYWOOD MOVIE OF "CASINO ROYALE" AND THE SECOND HIGHEST PAID ACTOR IN ASIA IS OUR ONE AND ONLY SUPER STAR RAJINKANTH NEXT TO JACKIE CHAN .

10. ALSO THE "TOSHO" MAGAZINE REVEALED THE TOTAL REVENUE FOR AVM PRODUCTION (IF THE MOVIE SUCCESSFULLY RUNS FOR 50 DAYS IN SOUTHER REGION) WILL BE AROUND 430 CRORES!!!

11. FIRST TIME THIS MOVIE IS GOING TO BE DUBBED IN LOCAL LANGUAGE OF TURKEY, HAUSA, GONGA (TRIBAL LANGUAGE OF SOUTHAFRICA) AND KSHINOLA (TRIBAL LANGUAGE OF ARGENTINA)

MARUDANAAYAGAM!

2007-03-08T01:17:00.000-08:00

Kamal Haasan's magnum opus and his dream project may have got canned because of lack of funds, but it's trailder sure looks superb!! Hope he gets enough resources and completes this movie, which am sure as a Kamal fan, should take him to places (read Oscars)

As usual, Kamal has gone all the way and taken pains at length for this movie as is evidenced by this trailder.... the story, as I understood from the trailer is of a man, who was from a backward community, suffering from the untouchable rule of yesteryears converting himself to Islam and becomes a rebel commandent called Mohammad Yusuf Khan and wages a war against British!

Link via: Srijith

Mani Ratnam's Guru - A Review

2007-03-01T02:49:00.000-08:00

I watched Mani Ratnam's latest Hindy/Tamil flick with great anticipation a few weeks back at Carnatic Theater in Coimbatore. And for a person who closely follows the businessworld, it was a treat.

Guru is all about the great entrepreneur of India, the late Mr. Dhirubhai Ambani. It's a different thing that Mani Ratnam doesn't accept this theory, but the story is so closely tied to Ambani's life that coincidences are many.

Mani Ratnam brings out his finesse in film making by way of crisp story telling, fast paced editing, and a good flow to the storyline.

Gurudutt or Gurubhai hails from a small-town village in Gujarat and migrates to Turkey for job. After getting recognitions and promotions over there, working in an oil rig, he decides to come back to India and indulge in business, the way it has never been done in India before.

The story is so close to Ambani's life, whether it be the rift between the Bombay Dyeing patriarch or his on/off good relations with the Indian Express, which tried to expose his way of doing business.

It's definitely worth a watch for those who love Mani Ratnam/AR Rehman and are passionate about inspired-stories from real life.

Rating: 3.5/5

Long update due!!

2007-02-09T16:26:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I know it's been long since I created this blog and hadn't updated a review for even a single movie... Well, as you guys know, I've been held up with work lately... Will surely update some movie reviews pretty soon... Hang on till then and happy weekend!

300

2006-11-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

Vishu told me about an upcoming movie whose actions and sequences are breathtaking.. The movie is titled 300 and is releasing on 03/09/07... I won't miss it!! Brilliant Execution... Watch the trailer for urself and decide...

It's showtime!

2006-11-05T10:10:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls and children of all ages... Peak Day Blues' fame Radhakrishnan (RC) proudly brings to you Cinema Paradise!

Cinema Paradise - A blog dedicated to reviewing the movies I watch, so that you can better decide, the next time you go watch a movie!

I am armed with a ticket from Cinema Paradiso, the shop where you can get all Hollywood DVDs, local cinema theaters in and around South India, and of course the good old cable TV

Suggestion or brickbats are welcome as I try to become a movie critique in my own way.

Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful "blog"