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MOVIE -- NINAITHALE INIKKUM ( TAMIL , 2009 )

Director : G N R Kumaravelan

Cast : Prithviraj , Karthik Kumar , Priyamani , Shakti , Bhagyaraj

Now , how many movies have we seen , based on college nostalgia , meeting up old college friends at a reunion etc ? This is another movie added to that genre , which pretends to send you down memory lane reminding you of your college days when you watch this movie. At least , that is what this movie pretends to do , but in reality , seems half-baked.

The movie is almost entirely based on a flashback , when Shiva ( Prithviraj ) , visits his College for a function 8 years after he left college. Shakti and Prithviraj are best friends . Then there is Meera ( Priyamani ) , who happens to be Shiva's love interest . Vasu ( Karthik ( Evam ) ) is shiva's bete-noir in college , and both always have an excuse to bash each other . Now , through a series of events , Priyamani and Prithviraj get separated romantically , thanks to an evil plot schemed by Vasu. Let me stop with the story here , as there is nothing much more to be written about it.

This movie inspite of it's good intentions , made me yawn . It is largely due to the numerous songs thrown in , when they are completely unwarranted . The story too has the least bit of novelty , and seems to be a half-baked mix of Mystery , Romance , College Drama etc. Sadly , what turns up is hardly delectable fare.

Quite a few scenes , even though well intended , fail to keep the viewer engrossed in the proceedings. The Director chooses to bombard the audience with an overdose of melodrama at regular intervals , mainly through the character of Bhagyaraj , who portrays the role of Shakti's father. Dialogues hardly make any impact at all , and are met with laughter from the audience , thanks to their sheer silliness . Cliche ridden at the outset , the dialogues hardly add any value to the movie.

The so called "comedy" scenes in the movie seem to be Directed by some 3rd Grade School student. God , have not we seen enough Classroom humor ? a Professor lamenting about his bunch of unruly students .. The ridiculous scene in which there is an attempted spoof of "Kaathal Kondein " , is so badly taken , it actually makes you laugh at the stupidity unfolding on-screen , rather than at the actual comic factor. And there is another horrendous attempt at Comedy , when Prithviraj and his friends go to watch a movie , only to be unknowingly caressed by eunuchs , which they don't realize until the lights come on ... countless movies contain this scene , and you simply cannot digest it any longer .

The fight scenes however are well shot , and thanks to the intensity portrayed by Prithviraj and Evam Karthik , they stand out. Songs are absolutely unwarranted and only a couple of songs are worth listening to . Add to it the obnoxious background score , which sounds amateurish to say the least. Oh , speaking of songs , wonder who choreographed the sequences . Shoddy dance steps .. I generally never tend to focus on Dance sequences at all when I watch movies , but there were some preposterous dance steps in this one which made me take notice , and the rest of the audience along with me , who had a good laugh at the choreographer's expense.

Acting is probably the saving grace of this movie. Prithviraj has come up with a very good portrayal of the tempered Shiva , who is aggression personified . Evam Karthik is the best among the lot , even though he does not have as much screen space as I would have liked , but still comes up with an excellent performance in a role which offers limited scope. Priyamani has nothing much to do. Shakti tries his best at acting , but , son , sorry to say this , but you gotta hone your skills even more , especially when you are teamed with people like Prithviraj who is an established Malayali actor , and Evam Karthik , who is easily a fine performer. Bhagayaraj resorts to melodrama , but I guess that is his trademark , and comes up with a dignified performance , even though some of the dialogues which he uses generate unintended laughter from the viewers.

Screenplay is this movies' Achilees Heel. Every scene seems to be extended beyond reasonable limits , and add to it some unwanted sequences , amateurish humor , and you have one of the worst first-halfs I have ever seen . Too slow , you just cannot wait for the Interval , so you can stretch and relax a bit , after being subject to such stupidity on screen. The second half is by no means good , but I guess anything is much better when compared to the ludicrous first-half. The second half shows some element of credibility , and there is a twist towards the end , which might surprise you , and comes as a welcome respite.

Melodrama , unwanted songs, horrid humor , and silly dialogues--- These are the elements which pull down the movie the most. There are some excellent moments though , thank God. But very few in number sadly. The movie definitely has it's heart in the right place , but I only wish it could have been executed much better.

I will go with a rating of 2 out of 5 for this movie , which is a remake of the Malayali film "Classmates" , which many people say is an excellent movie , and apparently has none of the elements which pull down "Ninaithale Inikkum".

VERDICT --- 2 / 5 ( Hardly Average ).

FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL - REVIEW

FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL ( English,2008)

Director : Nicholas Stoller

Cast : Jason Segel , Kristen Bell , Mila Kunis , Russell Brand , Jonah Hill

Am not really a fan of the romantic comedy genre ,but decided to give this a try , as there was a fair amount of talk going on about the movie.

The story is nothing special. Peter Bretter (Segel) a not-so-famous musician is in a relationship with a famous TV actress Sarah Marshall ( Bell) . One day ,Sarah decides to end the bond and walks out on him,saying that she is involved with another man. This devastates Peter , who then decides to take a trip to Hawaii to relax and calm down. Ironically he ends up at the same resort where Sarah and her new boy-friend , a rock star Aldous Snow( Russell Brand) are put up.

Peter badly wants to get over his break-up with Sarah and feels lonely in the resort , and has to put up with the sight of Sarah and Snow having fun together. He then falls for a beautiful receptionist , Rachel ( Kunis ) and they end up having an affair.

The movie is essentially a comedy , centered around Peter who wants to forget his relationship with Sarah. Fortunately, we don't get to see exaggerated drama , as is expected in "breaking-up" movies. However there are some scenes which make you feel bad for the couple who have just split up.

The comedy is mainly dialogue based , but we do get to see a lot of raunchy humor in the movie. It does not portray anything vulgar , but treads the thin line between raunchy and obscene humor. The humor has to be taken light heartedly , as sometimes it looks a wee bit out of place in the movie. However , it is certainly quite funny at large.

The acting is fairly decent by the lead pair. The other actors too chip in with decent performances. It was nice to see Jonah Hill of "Superbad" in the movie. He is involved in some really funny scenes. However the surprise package in the movie has to be the character of Aldous Snow. He is such an eccentric character , with a rather bizarre sense of humor.

The imagery is very beautiful , as the movie is entirely set in Hawaii. The scene in which Rachel and Peter decide to go hiking is shot beautifully. The movie is not meant for people who want to watch crude humor on-screen. The humor is really good and even the seemingly raunchy jokes are well intended. The best scene in the movie has to be the one in which the two couples Rachel-Peter and Sarah-Aldous have dinner together . It had me rolling with laughter.

Screenplay is fairly decent and you don't get bored much as the humor keeps you occupied for the bulk of the movie. There are other small but interesting characters like a Surfer , a bar-tender , and a newly wed couple on their honeymoon , who definitely add value to the movie as a whole.

Overall , this is a pretty good movie , if you are able to stand the humor. You will surely appreciate the well intended humor , if you are a little open-minded. However , it does not really come across a romantic movie , except in a few parts. It is a blend of raunchy humor and breaking-up emotions , and also tries to give us a look at how tough it is to get over a relationship gone sour.

Not one of the best movies I have come across , especially in the Romantic Comedy genre. The story initially reminded me of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", in which Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet try to get over their break up . The similarity of this movie with that masterpiece ends there.

I will go with 3 out of 5 for this comedy , which manages to keep you interested in it , thanks to some funny sequences and almost over-the-top humor.

VERDICT : Pretty Good . ( 3 / 5)

FA YEUNG NIN WA - Review

Fa yeung nin wa ( In the mood for love)

( Cantonese , 2000)

Director: Wong Kar Wai

Cast: Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung Chiu

Every once in a while comes a movie that simply blows you away. And a certain Mr. Wong Kar Wai is a master at making such movies. Although I don't generally prefer love stories , Kar Wai 's movies are an exception to the rule.

"In the mood for love" , is set in Hong Kong in 1962. Mr.Chow ( Tony Leung) a journalist rents a room in an apartment , and moves in with his wife. Mrs.Chan / Su ( Maggie Cheung) a secretary also moves into another room in the same building. Incidentally , both of them move in on the same day , without their spouses , who are always busy at work. Being lonely most of the time , with their respective spouses away , this story portrays the relationship between Chow and Su .

Although the story is very simple , Wong Kar Wai gives us a breath - taking movie . The bond between Chow and Su , the lonely neighbors , is beautifully portrayed. It is the emotional appeal of these two characters which takes this movie into the next level.

The two of them then realize that their respective spouses are having an affair . This is where we get to feel the Wong Kar Wai magic. Although the characters of the spouses are a fairly integral part of the story , there is not a single scene which shows these two characters. All we get is very few scenes shot from behind Mrs.Chow never really showing her face. Mr.Chan is even more elusive , we only get to hear his voice once in a while .

Once the reality of the fact that their spouses are having an affair hits them , Chow and Su are pretty much disturbed , but it never really shows in the beautiful characterization. This is where the movie takes you for an exquisite ride across emotional valleys. Although both of them are quite unique characters , we get to notice certain similarities in their preferences in a few scenes. The sequences involving their frequent visits to the noodle shop and their interest in martial arts based fiction are excellent. The two of them move closer emotionally.

They are one of the most unforgettable characters . Although shocked , they try not to stoop down to the same level as their spouses. This aspect of their relationship is portrayed in the most elegant manner possible and forms the crux of the movie. They try to help each other to come out of their emotional turmoil , and at the same time try not to fall for each other.

To truly experience the magic of this movie , you have to be really patient . The reason being that the story never really unfolds through the Screenplay. It is the dialogues and and the subtle expressions of the characters , which carry the story , throughout the movie , and this is what makes it such a treat to watch.

The acting is something to be truly appreciated. Both the lead actors have underplayed their roles to perfection. There are no lengthy dialogues or loud scenes which are normally associated with such delicate relationships , like this one.

Visually this movie is brilliant , yet, it is very unlike other Wong Kar Wai movies which I have seen. You dont get to see the slanting angles , the purposefully dodgy camera work , the surreal imagery nor the perfectly exaggerated use of bright colours in "Fa yeung nin wa".

However the director uses his trademark slow motion camera work , which might be the only similarity to his other movies which I have seen . And the background score is very refreshing and perfectly matches the characterization . Another trademark Wong Kar Wai touch !!

The other characters in the movie are also rather interesting. You have the neighbors who keep playing Mahjong all the time . And Chow's friend , Ping , who is eternally in monetary need . And Mr. Ho , Su's boss , who himself is involved in an extra-marital affair.

There are some sequences which are truly excellent . Watch out for the restaurant scenes in particular. And the one in which Su is stuck in Chow's place as she cant get back home since the neighbors are playing Mahjong throughout the night.

Watch this movie for its pure magic which you can experience only if you pay careful attention to the dialogues and subtle expressions of the lead actors.

Wong Kar Wai's movies are truly brilliant and this one exceeded all expectations , by a mile.

I will give it 4 out of 5. Please do watch this movie .

Verdict : Uber ( Ultimate) 4/5