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INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS ( ENGLISH , 2009 )

Director : Quentin Tarantino

Cast : Brad Pitt, Eli Roth , Diane Kruger , Christoph Waltz , Melanie Laurent , Daniel Bruhl

A character says " when the military history of tonight is written , it shall be recorded that I was a part of ...... " . This pretty much sums up the crux of Inglourious Basterds . It is history , conceived , conceptualized and executed through the lens and vision of maverick filmmaker Quentin Tarantino.

Inglourious Basterds revolves around a series of events which unfolded ( fictionally ) during World War 2 , in France. France was under the control of the Nazis , and a group of merciless American soldiers called the Inglourious Basterds , led by the ruthless Aldo Raine ( Brad Pitt ) are hell-bent upon killing as many Nazis as possible , when they land in France. Few years ago , Shosanna Dreyfus , a young Jewish girl , is made to witness the gruesome murder of her family , by Colonel Hans Landa ( Christoph Waltz ) , however she manages to escape from the ordeal , and few years down the line , she is in charge of a Cinema Theatre in Paris. Shosanna Dreyfus ( Melaine Laurent ) still holds a grudge against the Nazis and we realize a golden opportunity to take her revenge falls into her lap , literally. It is here that the motives of the Basterds and Shosanna intersect , setting up a " blazing " finale.

Along the way , we see quite a few characters . The German Soldier , Fredrick Zoller ( Daniel Bruhl ) who turns into a movie star thanks to his exploits in real life , the German Actress Bridget Von Hammersmark ( Diane Kruger ) , who at some point helps the Basterds in their cause , and few more interesting characters. Of course , not to forget the imposing figure of Adolf Hitler , who in Tarantino's bizarre style is immaculately characterized , asking his soldiers for Chewing Gum in the middle of a movie screening.

This movie has many classic Tarantino touches . The long , lengthy dialogues are highly interesting , even though for the bulk of the movie , all people do is talk talk and talk. The conversations are animated , and you never feel bored . The discussion about rats in the opening sequences between Hans Landa and a French Peasant who harbors Jews , is a typical Tarantino effect. It is reminiscent of many of his movies , where he tends to bring up seemingly ridiculous subjects into his dialogues , but it adds to the mood as always.

As with most Tarantino movies , there is no central character , in this one too. Even though the ridiculously named title suggests this is going to be a blood bath , with ruthless soldiers baying for blood , the Basterds themselves are by no means the central element of the movie. The movie gives more importance to the other characters , very similar to his other movies where there is no protagonist per se , and everything else just happens to fall into place. this is more about Shosanna , more about her theatre and her revenge plans , more about Hitler's whims , the Nazi ideology , than just about the Basterds bashing up Nazis alone.

Characterization as always the strong point of any Tarantino movie , in the absence of an actual strong plot as a foundation , is top-notch. And added to it , the screenplay , even though it runs at around 2 and half hours , is as good as ever . Not much visual action on screen , but more of dialogues is what makes this movie beautiful. Tarantino's movies have always had cheeky , adorable dialogues , laced with a small element of sarcasm , and this one is no exception. Very few Directors can make a card movie-character game interesting , and Tarantino executes this to perfection . The sequences in the basement tavern , where the Basterds first meet Bridget Von Hammersmark are easily the best written ones I have seen for a long time.

The characters are immensely adorable and likable instantly. Even a seemingly ruthless Hans Landa " The Jew-Hunter " , will be received by audiences with warmth , as Christoph Waltz infuses humor and charm into the character. Watch out for the scenes where he interacts with the Basterds face to face . Eli Roth as Donny Donowitz , is brilliant in his portrayal as the "Bear Jew " who uses his baseball bat to make a bloody mess out of the Nazi's heads. Diane Kruger is elegant and graceful in her role as the German actress who helps the Basterds. Melanie Laurent comes up with a fine performance as the orphaned Shosanna who plots her revenge on the Nazis , in her own backyard , her Cinema.

However Brad Pitt is the best among the lot. We have seen numerous actors portraying American Officers in War movies , all unique in their own right. And Aldo Raine is no different. Aldo "Apache " Raine means business , and you understand this , the moment Pitt's character is introduced on-screen. He is easily delectable , in that dodgy rough American accent of his mouthing dialogues like " Nazi ain't got no humanity " . " " Every man under my command owes me a 100 Nazi scalps ". A feast for the eyes , Pitt brings in so much humor into his portrayal , and the dialogue need not necessarily be funny , for you to smile gleefully at him . I loved him , especially in a sequence where he poses as Bridget von Hammersmark's Italian accomplice , with minimal knowledge of Italian , and Hans Landa , confronts him and converses with him and his 2 fellow Basterds in fluent Italian .

Even the secondary characters bring in so much energy to the movie , and add value to the proceedings. The German Minister , the young soldier in the tavern who has just become a father , the Dark projectionist in the theatre and many more such personalities make this an even more delightful movie experience.

Technically , this is as good as any Tarantino movie.

Quentin Tarantino has given a truly outstanding and enriching movie experience. But , there has been a lot of talk about how this is better than Pulp Fiction . I beg to differ.

I ain't no authority on movies , nor am am I an authority on Quentin either. But I definitely feel this is not better than Pulp Fiction . These are 2 entirely different films , and Pulp Fiction is more of a Tarantino-ish movie than this one. Yes , like I said earlier this does have the signature Tarantino touch , w.r.t dialogues , characterization etc. But observe the differences too. Especially in the screenplay. Inglourious Basterds has a largely linear screenplay , whereas Pulp Fiction easily remains one of the best non-linear movies till date. There is something new to observe and learn from Pulp Fiction everytime I watch it. Inglourious Basterds too deserves multiple viewings to fully appreciate it's beauty . But , Pulp fiction.. I have seen it umpteen times and even if I were to watch it right now again , am sure I would observe something new. And Pulp fiction had more memorable characters than IB ( even though IB's characters are remarkable ). Even visualizing " Ezekiel 25 : 17 " would give me goosebumps now. Two completely different films , each remarkable in it's own right , and should never be compared. But just for the record , with all due respect to the Basterds , I would choose Pulp Fiction anyday.

I will go with 4.5 out of 5 for this brilliant film . Towards the end , ALdo Raine says " I think this just might be my masterpiece . ". I feel this was a statement from Tarantino himself. But I would say this ain't his masterpiece yet . The best is yet to come , and am eagerly waiting for his next movie. As for Inglourious Basterds .. Well , as Aldo Raine himself would put it "Damn good deal"

VERDICT : 4.5 / 5 ( Uber )

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY -- ( ENGLISH , 2007 )

Director : Oren Peli

Cast : Micah Sloat , Katie Featherson

Well , they say you should never harbor any expectations at all , before watching a movie , to truly enjoy it.. but when the whole WWW has been going nuts about a movie , how can you not stop yourself from falling prey to the expectations trap ? And , Paranormal Activity ( PA ) is a stellar example to validate this ..

Katie and Micah are a happy couple , who have just moved into their new home , begin to experience a series of weird incidents , which they believe are supernatural. Micah , decides to record all the happenings using a camera and an audio recorder, so as to use the recordings to do some private research to ascertain the reason behind the occurrences. Katie on the other hand is not entirely convinced about his plans , and seeks expert opinion in this regard. That is what the movie is all about.

Widely praised as a truly scary flick , I admit I expected a lot from this , but sadly , I guess my hopes were too high. Paranormal Activity definitely is not a bad film , nor is it a great movie , nor is it a mediocre attempt. What I loved about the movie , was its characterization , more than the actual chills and thrills , which form the crux of any Horror flick.

For an independent film , without much backing and negative star power , it might be tough for the Director to make the audience relate to the characters. But here lies the beauty of this movie. The characterization is simply brilliant , and the way human relationships tend to falter in the face of diversity has been brought about really well.

Horror films these days tend to be nothing more than a bloodbath , amply complemented by Computer Effects etc , with zero logic . Paranormal Activity is a bold attempt at changing this perception . There is not a single drop of blood visible throughout the movie , except for the climax , and hardly noticeable too. computer graphics , make-up etc don't appear anywhere at all.

Shot on a paltry budget of 5000$ , Paranormal Activity proves wrong the wide misconception that good movies can only be made with a strong financial backing. I do not mean to say this is a great movie , but considering it's budgeting constraints , it is well shot .

The camera tends to be the main player in the movie , as what is supposed to scare us , is caught on the camera which Micah places in his bedroom. The bizarre angles , the little jerks and shakes in the visuals , all contribute to the natural appeal of this movie. Nothing seems to be artificial , ranging from the house , to the dialogues , to the plot itself.

Everything about the movie seems to be so realistic , largely due to the fine performances from the pair. Micah and Katie perfectly complement each other. Katie has a past connection to the happenings , as we learn later on and can genuinely feel the horror of the incidents , while Micah , appears to be an easy going guy , with clever sarcasm in his dialogues. Micah seems more focused on his camera and its use in the research , rather than in solving the actual problem.


The screenplay is quite brisk , and even though there are a few dull moments , the overall eerie mood of the movie is maintained. However there are certain "YAAAwn " moments , especially when after a point you realize that you never are going to get really scared . But I would never classify it to be boring , and it makes for a rather decent watch , pace wise.

The first half an hour or so , goes in establishing the characters and any scares , that's depending on your scare - levels , appear after that only. But the whole Day-Night cycle tends to get a wee bit repetitive , but no complaints as the concept probably demanded such a method of storytelling.

I am not trying to sound all brave and bold here , but few movies have scared me , in the true sense of the word. Like I said , Computer graphics and make-up etc have never really scared me . What scares me , is the fact that unexpected things might happen , anytime. I remember reading somewhere , a M.Night Shyamalan interview , where he says something like " I do not believe blood and gore is scary. What scares me , is , I sit at my office desk and suddenly the picture frame of my family photo on my desk falls down , for no reason .. I pick it up and place it properly back , but it still falls down . I repeat the act and it still falls down , for unknown reasons.. That to me , is fear ".

Forgive my memory , but I think that's what he said..Anyway , I just meant to say , that I too share the same perception about fear and horror. And Paranormal activity is more of a mind-games genre of horror , rather than something which visually scares you.

Yes , there are a few scenes which scare you visually , but these are more of " Silent for sometime and sudden loud noise " kinda scenes , rather than true fear. You know , the kind which makes you jump suddenly , but only to fall a second later , laughing at how stupid you were for being scared by a sudden loud noise , amidst silence. However , I would not be insensitive enough to label PA as this type of movie . Yes , it did not scare me , but it definitely played with me psychologically.

I mean , it manages to hold your suspense , as you wait to see what unfolds , because you can relate to the characters to a fairly large extent , thanks to the realistic making . When the couple go to bed , as we see in the camera's recording , you tend to be as nervous as them , to see what really happens , and what the Activity is all about. Even during the initial scenes , you wait to REALLY know what the psychic has to say , when Katie calls him for help. That , people , personally speaking , contributes to the charm of a horror movie.

On the flip side , very few genuine scares in this movie . I watched this at past-midnight , with the lights out , and in a small room with a fairly loud 5.1 Speaker system . It still did not give me the chills. I admit it held my interest , but it was more psychological than horror.

Many people have hailed this as one of the greatest horror films ever , and saying they had nightmares after watching it etc etc . I saw it past-midnight .. It's 3 AM now , and I will sleep in sometime , however , I can assure you that I certainly won't have any nightmares , nor is Paranormal Activity going to make me lose my sleep , in anyway . In case I do , you shall be the first to know.

Finally , I would term it as a very good attempt , but not quite haunting :(

VERDICT : Good ( 3 / 5 )

PERAANMAI ( TAMIL , 2009 )

Director : S.P. Jhananathan

Cast : Jayam Ravi , Vadivelu , Roland Kickinger , Urvasi

My Deepavali was kick-started with this movie , and let me make this very clear that if this movie is going to be any indication about my Deepavali weekend , I think this is probably one of the worst ever.

Peraanmai revolves around a group of College Girls who attend a NCC Training Camp , in some far-off hill station place . Dhruva ( Ravi ) is an Forest Instructor / Officer , who has come from the Tribal Area and passed through the system to make a name for himself , and this caste issue is subject to frequent humiliation by his superior and the girls.

The girls are under the constant watch of a Nun played by Urvasi . It is very well established early in the movie that certain girls , 5 to be precise , are least interested in working with Dhruva , thanks to the caste issue. And they resort to all sorts of silly pranks to humiliate him.

Ironically , at the end of the Camp these very 5 girls are selected by Dhruva to venture into the Forest for a whole day under his guidance. What happens when a freak accident leads to a series of events , is what Peraanmai deals with.

The opening sequences show a Rocket all set to be launched by a Space Agency , and as a group of scientists point out , this rocket would aid India in its agricultural research . Further as the movie progresses , we realize that a group of foreigners land in the jungle to destroy the Rocket with a missile. And Ravi , as always gets his share of bashing up , this time under the pretext of saving the country.

The story and script definitely oozes with so much potential and it would have been much better if this was given better treatment. The first half is easily one of the most horrendous bit of comedy I have ever come across. The Director clearly establishes the 5 girls' dislike for Dhruva , very early in the movie. But why for God's sake does the audience have to be subjected to torturous sequences which repeatedly show the girls playing out their never ending schemes to defame Dhruva.

Scenes like these clearly choke the viewer and you just begin to think about exiting the Cinema hall. No wonder there was a mini-exodus from the Theater not even halfway into the movie. the first half is so shoddy you wonder if this movie was made by the same Director who made that beautiful movie "Iyarkai". Nothing short of torture , this is the worst part of the movie , and drags on for long , thanks to a few misplaced songs.

Post-interval , things somewhat fall into place , when the 5 girls and Ravi are stranded in the forest , and realize that a group of 16 foreigners are in the jungle , to destroy the rocket . The portion between the pre-interval sequence and a the initial portion of the second half manage to keep you interested , but later on you can't stop feeling choked again , especially when Ravi and the 5 girls decide to confront the mini-army themselves , heavily inspired by some seriously ridiculous dialogues from Dhruva.

Screenplay is extremely poor , and the pace could have been sustained easily if a majority of the silly pranks were edited. The second half is somewhat better as far as the pace is concerned.

There is nothing in the movie , which makes the audience connect to the characters. In my opinion , a movie should have at least one character whom the audience can relate with , and that enriches the whole experience. In this case , you just cannot stop laughing at the sheer obscurity of the characterization , especially those of the girls and the superior Officer.

There is some hint of a brief romance between Dhruva and a girl called Ajitha . This too is shot in the shoddiest manner , and the love scenes evoke unintended laughter from the audience. Especially the sequence where Ajitha steals Dhruva's pistol , is dragged beyond reasonable limits and truly tests your patience.

Acting by Jayam Ravi can be described as mediocre at best . He does perform well in some scenes but in many portions , thanks to some horrendous characterization , irritates you with pathetically written dialogues . The girls all overact happily , adding to the audience's woes. Only the character of Ajitha seems to have even tried to act . Wonder what the Director was thinking about the characterization.

The comedy track by Vadivelu seems grossly out of place , and have not we seen enough of him playing the bumbling Hostel warden ? Urvasi comes up with a decent performance in a brief role. The Superior Officer is another classic case of overacting.

Music by Vidyasagar is least pleasing , and the placement of the songs does not help either. I mean , how can anyone just break into a dance , almost semi-nude , in a waterfall , when hardly half an hour has elapsed since their jeep plummeted into destruction , and you are stranded in the middle of a Forest area ? This as they say , happens only in India :(

The foreigners.. Ah , such a terrible bunch when it comes to acting and dialogues , with a mixture of British and French and American accents , all led by the giant sized Anderson , played by Roland Kickinger , another import from Hollywood.

The second half I thought , would have some credibility , but towards the end of the movie it is nothing but all boom boom stuff , with guns and bazookas blazing all around. The action scenes are so pitifully shot , you just begin to wonder who actually is firing at whom. And Dhruva , a Forest Guard seems to be an authority on weapons , ranging from Land-mines to The latest machine guns . Beats me. And the girls , whom we are made to think of as bumbling pranksters , are finally shown to be people capable of handling technology such as Radar , Rockets , Passwords etc. Probably Kollywood's answer to Charlies' Angels ? Wonderful , the audience are not fools ,Sir.

The movie has so much potential , with a strong storyline and script and even though I do appreciate the makers for trying out something new , it does fall flat on it's face. A classic case of potential being wasted.

I will go with 2 out of 5 for Peraanmai , and that too merely judging its potential and not just the actual outcome. Frankly speaking , with all that women power trying its best to come to the fore , coupled with shabbily filmed action sequences , and an overdose of patriotism , it was like watching a Kollywood action version of Chak De India . Much better was expected from the Director of "Iyarkai". This one is a big disappointment.

My Deepavali is off to a poor start thanks to Peraanmai.

Verdict : 2 / 5 ( Poor )

MOVIE - UNNAI POL ORUVAN ( Tamil , 2009 )

Director : Chakri Toleti

Cast : Kamal Haasan , Mohan Lal , Lakshmi

Well , what can I say ... What do you expect when you get a movie with the stalwarts of Indian Cinema coming together... A scorcher .. and a scorcher is what you get folks.. Ladies and Gentlemen , Unnai Pol Oruvan ( UPO ) , the remake of " A Wednesday " brings together Kamal Haasan and Mohanlal.

UPO portrays the events which unfold on one fateful day in the city of Chennai. The entire movie revolves around Kamal Haasan , who threatens to blow up bombs which he has placed in different spots. He deals with Chennai's Police Chief , played by Mohanlal , upon whom the duty to save the city is vested upon .

Brilliantly shot , UPO is an absolute treat for cinema lovers.. Although the movie remains faithful to the original movie , certain subtle changes have been made to make it more of a Tamil oriented movie. UPO shows what can possibly happen when a man representing the common public is so disgruntled by certain aspects of the Country , especially when extreme threats are posed to National Security.

I don't feel the need to elaborate any further on a simple story . The story is definitely an innovative one , and although it does belong to the "anti-establishment " genre of movies , if I can call it that , this movie is not a preachy one with a dozen punches about Deshbhakti etc thrown in .

UPO certainly pretty much sums up the sorry state of affairs in today's world , especially the Terrorism aspect . There are certain similarities at least concept wise to movies based on vigilante-justice , however UPO does not preach it in any way. A very simple plot sometimes forces the Director to normally resort to unwanted means to bring in the audiences , and thankfully the Director does not do any of that in UPO.. No songs , no item numbers , no separate comedy track . It is just a clean , honest and well intended jibe at today's world , especially India , which bears the brunt of terrorism from across the border.

The screenplay does appear to sag just a little bit in the first half , but it definitely grips you from the beginning. Not much of unwarranted scenes , and this helps in keeping the viewer hooked to the proceedings on-screen.

UPO is a fine example of how you do not need a comedian to make the viewers laugh. The witty dialogues are enough to bring out a chuckle from the audiences. Watch out for the scene where an actor / wannabe politician , asks Mohanlal for extra security . That was such a direct shot at the Illaya Thalapathy Vijay , and this scene had the theatre in splits. It is moments like these which provide some humor , a break from the more serious sequences which constitute the bulk of the movie. However it is the serious moments which linger even after exiting the Theatre...

UPO is one movie , which requires the audience to pay close attention and relish the finer aspects of film making. The reference to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks are evident in a few parts of the movie. The references to vote bank politics and other such things are all well portrayed.

UPO practically covers every problem which the country faces , right from Terrorism which is the crux of the movie , to Inflation , in that wonderfully shot scene where Kamal picks up a tomato which has fallen in dirt . Even though it touches upon so many problems , it does not come across as a preachy , documentary kind of movie at all. Another standout scene has to be the one where Lakshmi , who plays the role of Tamil Nadu's Chief Secretary , tries to pass on the responsibility of dealing with the situation to Mohanlal.

Acting.. Well do I really have to comment on this aspect ? Mohanlal , as the Police Chief is an absolute delight to watch . Lalettan , India's best actor after Kamal, simply shines in all sequences , and is a picture of dignity and Straightforwardness throughout the movie. He has obviously enjoyed playing the role and the theatre went mad when he said " Not only Kerala , Tamil Nadu is also my Nadu "..

The supporting cast too have come up with good performances to backup Lalettan and Kamal . Lakshmi is absolutely natural as the Chief Secretary and other characters like the Police Inspectors Sethu and Arif , the Cigarette wielding TV Reporter , have all added value to the movie. Not forgetting that imitation of the voice of the Tamil Nadu CM Karunanidhi , whom we only get to hear over the phone :)

Now .. The Ulaga Nayagan himself.. an amazing performance as always from undoubtedly India's BEST ACTOR EVER .. Portraying as simple a character as the Common Man , might be easy when you think about it. Believe me , it is a very tough one. And when you realize how every emotion , ranging from Anger , to disillusionment with the system , to grief , needs to be portrayed all together , I can't think of anyone who fits the bill more than Kamal Haasan. He has underperformed his role to perfection . And those clever dialogues in that brilliant voice of his , man , what an actor :)

Background music is nothing great to be honest . But the songs which were released , were amazing stuff , from Shruti Haasan , who makes a very impressive debut as Music Director in UPO. I would have been delighted if the songs were played in the background , but sadly we don't get to hear them that frequently , except in a few places.

Cinematography and other technical aspects are excellent as in most Kamal films , as he has impeccable standards which he sets for his movies. In my opinion , the dialogues are the best thing about the movie. "Brilliant" is an under-statement , as far as the dialogues are concerned.

Finally comparisons with " A Wednesday " .. Well , all I can say is if you have seen the original then this one probably loses out on the novelty factor when you watch it , cos the Director has remained faithful to a massive extent , and thus the "josh" is tough to experience , but the superb and clever dialogues definitely make up for it. But if you have not seen the original , am certain you shall love UPO.

Overall I shall go with 4 out of 5 for this excellent movie .. not only is Kamal's character the " new face of terror" , it also represents the new face of Indian cinema.. Bold , innovative , and delightful.

P.S . Am sure many people will not notice this when you watch the movie. But I beg you to watch out for this.. The stand out moment is a scene where Mohanlal watches his men dress up in protective gear and then says " These are the latest bulletproof vests.. Thanks to Mr.Karkare ". That dialogue is simple , yet magical for those who really experienced the trauma of their fellow citizens , when the dastardly attacks on Mumbai and other places happened. And in certain ways , it makes the movie appear as a tribute to those unsung heroes who laid down their lives fighting for us .. You and me.. The common man.. Unnai Pol Oruvan..

VERDICT : 4 / 5 ( Excellent )

MOVIE - KANTHASWAMY ( TAMIL , 2009 )

Director : Susi Ganeshan

Cast : Vikram , Shriya Saran , Prabhu

Now , the amount of hype that this movie generated , was way beyond reasonable limits. The grandiose Audio launch function , the innovative trailer concept etc , made people think that this movie was gonna be interesting , to say the least. But sadly , as things turn out , it is anything but interesting.

Kanthaswamy tells the story ( ? ) of a CBI Officer , played by Vikram , who tries to do a modern-day Robin hood , the guy who steals from the wealthy , and passes on the money to the poor and the needy. The movie is based around a Temple of the Lord Muruga ( Kanthaswamy ) , on whose premises , there is a tree upon which people tie a piece of paper , with their wishes. Now , these wishes are mostly requests for money to help their families and the like. The people of the village think these wishes are granted by the Lord Himslef , but in reality Kanthaswamy and his bunch of dedicated Officers , try to solve all the people's problems.

The story has the least bit of novelty , as this is a tried and tested concept. The Director tries his best to do something different , with the protagonist in the guise of a Superhero. But this attempt falls flat on its face , BIG TIME.

I admit I did not harbor much expectations from this movie , going by the promos . But , I am sure it was not unfair on my part to expect atleast a decent movie , if not a life changing one , like the promos hyped it up.

Absolutely , nothing positive about the movie. It is nothing but a lengthy ordeal , inflicted upon innocent viewers. And the love angle between Shriya and Vikram , gosh , such a terrible waste of time to be honest.

The movie tries to outdo its capacity , and the Director assumes an overdose of creative liberty , and sadly the viewers are at the receiving end. It is one of those movies , which appear to be path-breaking , but after 3 hours and a few odd minutes , it was my head that was broken into pieces. It almost gave me a headache , especially the songs.

All that talk about this being an unique movie , is nothing but bull crap. Absolutely nothing new in it , in any aspect. The Director seems to be trapped in his own world of juvenile Superhero stuff , crossed with over the top romantic interludes , and as is the case with most Tamil movies , helluva fights , and mindless songs thrown at the audience when least expected.

The Screenplay is nothing much to write home about. It takes it's own sweet time to unravel a seemingly simple concept , which eventually ends up being a pile of senseless scenes all mixed up together to offer a lethal combo , which leaves the viewers pissed , to say the least. God knows why Susi Ganeshan tries to introduce characters which do not add any value to the proceedings whatsoever.

The cinematography and art design might be one of the very few good things about the movie . It is very colorfully filmed , especially the songs. But then , the songs themselves are nothing short of sheer torture. Not only because they are thrown like rocket missiles at the audience , but the highly mediocre nature of the music. Songs like "Meow Meow Poonai " seriously need to be blanked out , and I advise anyone reading this blog , to carry a pair of Cotton buds which you can happily use when the songs play. Devi Sri Prasad , was all ecstatic at the audio launch about the songs , but , boy , such a horrible mess in the name of music. And the background music sounds like it was composed by some lunatic , and does not blend at all with the scenes.

Chiyaan Vikram's acting is nothing great to be honest. No doubt one of India's best actors , this role just did not work out for him. Shriya does what she is best at .. exposing , and nothing else. Her expressions are nauseating especially in some horrendous scenes like the one in which she tears apart ger dress and accuses vikram of raping her. Scenes like these were met with wild laughter from the audience . Prabhu tries his best to portray a Police Officer who tries to solve the case , but appears to be caught in his world of deadpan expressions.

I don't want to waste any more time talking about this movie. I will go with 1.5 out of 5 , for this sorry excuse of a movie . Stay away. Even if you have nothing else to do , please do not watch this.

Verdict : 1.5 / 5 ( Poor )

Movie -- Kaminey ( Hindi , 2009 )

Director : Vishal Bharadwaj

Cast : Shahid Kapur , Priyanka Chopra

Hiya all.. It's been quite a looong time since my last post.. No particular reason , sometimes I did not have the mood to write a review , or else I was busy ... Call it Writer's block if u insist , lol :)

I have seen quite a few movies over the elapsed time , but never really had the mood to write a detailed review.. God knows why... Well... There is one movie , which has rekindled the desire to blog about movies all over again.... Minutes after watching this movie , after leaving the theater , I could not wait to start typing away and praise this movie like I have never praised a movie before... Ladies and Gentlemen , here's Kaminey !!!!!

Easily one of the finest Hindi movies ever made , Kaminey tells the tale of two identical twins , Charlie and Guddu , both played by Shahid Kapur. Guddu is a calm , socially conscious person , which is established very early in the movie in a Street-theatre dance sequence for AIDS awareness. On the other hand , Charlie is a ruthless rowdy element . Both characters have their own unique speech deficiencies .. Guddu stutters and stammers , while Charlie simply cannot pronounce the letter "s" , and uses "f" instead. both twins do not have contact with each other , following an incident which the director reveals towards the fag end of the movie.

Guddu is all set to marry Sweetie ( Priyanka Chopra ) , who happens to be the sister of a Maratha fanatic politician , who cannot digest the thought that his sister is getting married to a non-Maratha , Guddu .

Charlie on the other hand , is a bookie at the horse races and is involved in a race-fixing mafia , and also the usual hitman variety too. Now Charlie , by sheer accident gets his hands on a drug package worth 10 Crores , and being the quintessential "f(s)hortkut" taker , wants to make the best use of it , but gets mixed up in the deal unknowingly , and has to deal with a drug mafia.

What happens when both their lives collide , one fateful night and its aftermath is what Kaminey is all about... Oh , just in case you feel that this sounds like your usual Bollywood " Bhaiya / Brother " bull crap , you are mistaken.... VERY badly mistaken....

This is nowhere close to Bollywood mainstream cinema .. In fact , I do not think it would be far fetched to say that if the songs were removed , and the love sequences between Guddu and Sweetie were to be toned down a little bit , this is as good as any top notch Hollywood or European Crime thriller.

Beautifully executed , this takes Hindi cinema to the next level... one in which "Crime" does not necessarily mean Big-Bad guys with AK-47's , with pretty young girls as arm-candy , the quintessential irritating sidekick and other cliches... This is completely different...

Kaminey is a non-linear movie , and where most non-linear movies fail , is the sheer stupidity in which the story is sequenced on-screen , with scenes placed as if the Director had just selected them randomly. However , in Kaminey's case , this is its biggest achievement. Each sequence never seems out of place , even though sometimes they appear out-of-context to the current scene , but later on you realize the motive behind this sequencing.

The movie might appear to be a wee bit slow moving towards the middle portion of the first half , but I felt that this was a beautiful ploy executed deliberately by Vishal Bharadwaj. He builds up the story a bit slowly , and by the time the interval occurs , you are left in a state of sheer excitement . Sheer genius I must say !! The second half boasts of one of the fastest screenplays I have ever come across in Indian movies. It just blows you away.

Acting is one aspect in which things can go really horribly wrong , especially if such a strong script is not supported adequately by the players... but again Kaminey scores here as well.. Priyanka Chopra is really good in her role as Sweetie , the girl who dares to defy her Goonda/Politician/Marathi fanatic brother , played with aplomb by Amole Gupte . The supporting cast too has come up with a commendable effort . Even characters which might not really be strong as far as their value to the movie is concerned , have been enacted beautifully . The Bengali gangster duo , the Marathi's sidekick , the corrupt Narcotics Branch Cops and other such characters all have been portrayed in the most efficient manner by the supporting cast. Of particular mention , is Charlie's partner-in-crime , Mikhail . I really dunno the name of the actor , but , boy , he was ace ...

Now.. Shahid Kapur.. What a brilliant performance by this young actor.. For all those who thought Shahid was only good at chocolate faced - lover boy stuff , you can eat your own words after watching Kaminey .. A scorcher of a performance , in every sense of the word. As Guddu , the calm , timid guy , Shahid plays the character with remarkable ease . However , it is his portrayal of the ruthless Charlie which stands out..

The best scene in the movie has to be that short sequence in which the Marathi Neta and Mikhail meet , and Mikhail converses in a drunken stupor , and the neta plays along.. Beautiful !!

Pankaj Kapur , one of India's finest yet under-rated actors , had starred in Vishal Bharadwaj's movies , Maqbool , The Blue Umbrella and a short film , Blood Brothers . He must be a proud father now , watching Shahid shine like never before , under the same Director.

Music by Vishal Bharadwaj is extremely good. I never got an opportunity to listen to Kaminey's music before entering the theatre.. But the background score and the music are terrific. " Dhan Te Nan " blew me away , watching it on the best screen in Chennai ( Sathyam RDX ).. This song just vibrates with so much energy , you simply cannot resist humming it to yourself after getting back home.

Technically this movie is top notch and like I said , on par with any Hollywood / European brand of Thrillers.

Vishal Bharadwaj has never denied the fact that Quentin Tarantino's movies have an influence on his ideology. This is evident in Kaminey , in the camera angles , the sequencing of scenes , the type of background music etc. Any Tarantino devotee like me will easily spot the similarity . However , with all due respect , Tarantino IS Tarantino... Vishal Bharadwaj is no less , but not quite the same league.

Shahid Kapur's performance is the best thing about the movie . He has proved his worth in Kaminey. However , I feel his next release " Dil Bole Hadippa " might be burdened with too many expectations after people are stunned by Kaminey.. " Dil Bole Hadippa " , I personally feel is not an ideal follow up from Shahid's side , to Kaminey. This is what I judge from the promos , the usual Yash-Raj fare , but am hoping it turns out to be good . At least for Shahid's sake.

Kaminey is a definite must watch for any Indian fan of Tarantino's movies . For those expecting juvenile stuff , the likes of " Singh is King " , "Partner" , "Welcome" etc , please stay away. This is not for you , sorry amigo ...

Overall , Kaminey is an absolute scorcher . A small request .. Please do watch it in the Theatres .. Sensible , top notch movies like these need to be encouraged . If not for anything , please do visit the Theatre and watch it just for the "Dhan Te Nan" song.. The experience.. WOW...

I will go with 4.5 out of 5 for Kaminey , India's best Action/thriller I have seen so far. vishal Bharadwaj , take a bow !!! You rock ... May his tribe increase :)

Verdict : 4.5 / 5 - Simply Uber... oops.. Fimply Uber !!!

YAVARUM NALAM (TAMIL , 2009)

Director : Vikram Kumar

Cast : Madhavan , Neetu Chandra


" Yavarum Nalam " , is another attempt at trying to scare the living daylights out of the audience.

This is the story of Manohar (Madhavan), who with his joint-family moves into an apartment 13B , in a huge building . The large family has enough fun and frolic together. But later on realize that all is not well . Manohar realizes that the images unfolding on a soap opera " Yavarum Nalam ", reflect the immediate future of his family. And when things start getting nasty , he feels the need to put an end to this.

The movie then follows his attempt at finding out the reason and truth behind eerie happenings like his image getting distorted in his mobile phone , the lift not working only when he sets foot in it , the milk getting wasted etc...

The movie does not succumb to the usual horror cliches like blood spill all over the
place , women clad in white with long hair etc. The movie is a sensible attempt at trying to scare the viewer. Using the concept of the idiot-box , which we are all addicted to , the Director tries to spin a web of horror , but manages to just make the mark.

The movie does have its share of scares , but they are very few . You do realize 20 minutes into the movie , that this is not the usual horror flick , and is something much better. But then , this movie is made as if its supposed to scare you , and sadly , it did not scare me.

The characters are normal everyday people , especially Manohar's family , who look like they will suffer a nervous breakdown if they miss their daily quota of soap operas . But then , they hardly help in the movie's progress.

Although the logic of the movie sounds a bit far-fetched , we always have to provide some leeway for the horror/thriller genre of films. But then the novel concept of using the TV as a base to drive the scares , almost ends up falling flat on its face... especially towards the second half , whose logic I guessed long ago. I knew it would be about a past murder , waiting to be avenged... sadly , it came true , and I did not need a TV to tell me that.

Screenplay is probably the biggest drawback of the movie. I was ashamed , to be frank , to almost fall asleep on at least 3 or 4 occasions , in what is supposed to be a Thriller . The movie could have been cut down by at least 20 minutes , and the 2 songs in between hardly serve any purpose. The intelligent plot , is badly let down by some unwanted sequences , which test the patience of the viewer.

Acting by Madhavan is nothing great , but he is his dependable best as always . Playing the role of Manohar the man who loves his family and is willing to go to any length to save his family , this is not exactly the greatest role he has played so far , nor does it offer any scope for extraordinary acting . However he has come up with a fine job , nevertheless. The rest of the cast come up with decent performances.

But I felt , the real hero of the movie has to be the man behind the camera P.C. Sreeram . This legendary cinematographer has taken this movie to completely new heights , technically. The camera plays with the viewer all through the movie , and helps a lot in sustaining the dark mood.

There are many flaws in the movie. How does only Madhavan manage to notice the connection between the serial and his family , when its staring them in the face all the way ?? And have not we had enough of the "death being avenged" stories in our movies ?? And what was the need to include a song in the middle of the movie ?? And the dialogues are very plain and ordinary , and seem to be written by a novice. Better dialogues could have made the performances appear much more alluring.

Overall this movie could have been much much much better . Such a novel attempt , has just managed to make the mark. Thankfully , things fell into place before I felt like running out of the movie hall.

I will go with a generous 3 out of 5 for "Yavarum Nalam ". It could have easily been a 4 out of 5 , only if it did not move at a snail's pace in many places.

VERDICT : 3 / 5 ( Above average and worth a watch )

DISTURBIA - MOVIE REVIEW

Disturbia (English , 2007)

Director : D.J.Caruso

Cast : Shia LeBeouf , Aaron Yoo , Sarah Roemer , David Morse

After a long , self-imposed sabbatical from movies , I decided to break the dry run , with this one...

Kale Brecht (Shia LeBeouf) , another ordinary American teenager,loses his father in a car accident . A year later he ends up being placed under house arrest for 3 months , for hitting out at his Spanish teacher , who mentions his father , during class.

Now , just when Kale is trying to figure out how to spend his time , he notices that new neighbors have moved in . He is almost obsessed with the beautiful chick Ashley (Sarah Roemer) , who has just moved in with her family next door.

One night , Kale realizes that there has been a murder in town , and due to various reasons , he suspects his neighbor , Mr.Turner ( David Morse) of being the murderer. He then spies on Turner , and thinks he has uncovered the murder mystery.

This movie can hardly be termed as a great movie , but it definitely makes for some rather interesting viewing.

The story is rather simple , and is riddled with a few cliches. Predictability is where the movie loses out , especially towards the latter portions. It's really tough to classify this kind of movie. It turns out to be a teen flick in some portions , a romantic movie in some , and thankfully as a thriller for the bulk part.

The acting is nothing great to write home about , since the roles don't provide much scope for any of the cast members. Nevertheless , everyone has come up with a decent performance. The story is interesting enough to keep you interested for the most part. But somewhere down the line , it becomes very predictable , and the Director gives us the liberty to guess what he has in store for us in the next few scenes , and unfortunately , most of my guesses were proved right.

Being a murder mystery freak , I was almost disappointed by the movie , as it had nothing new to offer. . But the pacy portions kept me going.

The movie would have been much better if the Director had made a full-fledged thriller. Instead we are made to put up with romance and comedy being thrown in at regular intervals. However the best scenes in the movie are the comic ones. Like the ones in which Kale and his friend Ronnie ( Aaron Yoo) spy on a strikingly alluring Ashley , as she swims in her house-pool.

The screenplay is very good and the movie is fast towards the latter portions . But it can be rather tiresome to endure the romance and voyeurism which is portrayed in huge dollops , before the actual mystery starts.

Although cliched and predictable, the movie manages to keep us interested , except for a few scenes.

I felt product-placement was done pretty well here . We have XBOX , Apple iTunes and iPod , which form an essential part of any American teenager's life.

Overall , I would not strongly recommend this movie , as it does not manage to provide anything substantial. However , it can be termed as worthwhile , if you decided to watch it one boring night , with nothing else to do... like I did...

VERDICT : 2.5 / 5 ( Almost interesting)

DIRTY HARRY - REVIEW

Dirty Harry (English,1971)

Director : Don Siegel

Cast : Clint Eastwood , Andrew Robinson

This movie is considered to be one of the best action movies ever made. I thought this would be one of those mindless movies , which have a dozen fights thrown in , and endless chase sequences . But,boy, I was in for a big surprise...

Harry Callahan ( Clint Eastwood) is a no-nonsense Police Officer in San Francisco , and his antics earn him the title "Dirty Harry" among his colleagues . There is a maniac called Scorpio (Andrew Robinson) , who snipes and kills innocent victims, and leaves a ransom note at the scene of the crime. Our man , Dirty harry is assigned the task of catching hold of Scorpio.

If there is one thing about the movie which hits you smack on the face , it has to be the air of machismo about it. The ruthless character of Harry is established right in the first few scenes itself, where he meets the Mayor. The sheer ruthlessness of Harry will keep you interested all through the movie.

The story as such has nothing much to boast about and is rather simple. But the movie's greatest strength lies in the Director's ability to take such a simple story , which might be considered not-so-suitable for an action movie , and transform it into a brilliant flick.

As the movie progressed I was overwhelmed by the brute character of Harry . Clint Eastwood is brilliant as "Dirty Harry".There is this scene in which he stands and watches a school-bus , from atop a bridge. It just made me clap my hands in sheer delight.

Nihilistic in every sense of the word, Eastwood's character in "Dirty Harry" , is such a feast to fans of the Action genre , till date.

The screenplay is very fast and the movie as a whole is very slick. There are hardly any scenes which give you any leeway to get bored. The basic plot is not dragged , and keeps you hooked to the movie , without letting you go into a "Er.. What's happening ?" mode.

The character of Scorpio has been played to perfection by Andrew Robinson. The maniac sniper has to be one of the best on-screen villains I have come across in a long time. There is this superb scene in which he kidnaps children in a school-bus , and tries to entertain them by singing
"Row,Row,Row your boat.." . But his happiness is short lived , as he encounters our man Dirty Harry along the way.

The "Do I feel lucky ?" dialogues have become part of cinematic history , and many attempts have been made to spoof them. But , Clint Eastwood IS Clint Eastwood , PUNK !!! This dialogue which comes twice in the movie , will make you fall in love with the movie , mark my words.

Every frame with Clint has machismo written large on it. This is what I call a " Guy movie" . There is something about the movie which makes the on-screen display of ruthlessness , as infectious as the flu. I don't know why , but after watching it , I felt like bashing up the next living creature I come across.

The action sequences are thankfully very sensible , something which I don't come across in many action movies. Violence is portrayed only on few occasions, but when it does show-up , man , it will sweep you away.

This is easily one of the best movies I have come across , across all genres. My verdict for this movie will be 4.5 out of 5. If you are a guy , you got to watch this for the spirit of machismo , which it showcases so brilliantly. Watch this one with a group of male friends , with some beer and snacks thrown in , and am sure you will love it ... PUNK!!

VERDICT : Simply Uber (Ultimate) 4.5 / 5