City of Joy - Needs to be remade again!

This movie is very peculiar, it starts like a Hyperlink Cinema and ends with many characters united.

Famines in the West Bengal region forces a farmer's family move to Calcutta ( present Kolkatta ) in search of a better living. The family consists of Hazari Paal (Om Puri  ), Kamala Pal (Shabana Azmi ) and their 3 Children ,an elder daughter and 2 sons. Like the usual norm this new "Villager" is being cheated for a house in Calcutta and is being ripped off the entire 200Rupees he had with him and is shewed of to the streets with his entire family ( Yes exactly that's how they show in the film, which is also a reality ). 

A medical doctor Max Lowe (Patrick Swayze ) from Texas loses a small girl during a shift and quits his job and moves to India in search of peace, enlightenment and self realization ( no answers as to why he chose crowded Calcutta ). Just like the other protagonist of the film, he's beaten down in a bar and looted of his money and his ornaments. He's being saved by OmPuri who happens to be sleeping on the streets during this ordeal. He's treated at a local clinic near the slums where an Irish volunteering nurse played by Pauline Collins helps the people living in the there. Pauline and Patrick start of with a rough note and later become friends.

Om Puri gets a job as a rickshaw puller and gets to have an improved living and moves into the slums of Calcutta which the call the "City Of Joy". The Doctor seems to be getting along with the people after he helps deliver a baby for a Leper woman. Shabana Azmi also becomes his assistant and helps the community. The God Father of this community doesn't like the doctor's PR ,the entrant of lepers into the slum and tries to prevent his growth. The Doctor also tries to go back and get away from emotional attachments with the people. He urges them to go against the GodFather and his son and they are brutally punished for this act.

The movie ends with how the people win over the wealthy godfather and what effects of the doctor from a foreign country are imparted on the people. 

The dialogues of the movie are really good to hear, especially for those who listen a lot to them, one such is by OmPuri which goes like "A man's journey to the end of his obligations is a very long road." The screenplay of the movie is not that it can be appreciated, it kind of gets confused in its path since it tries to capture/target more than one issue at a time. At times you might feel that the story might be haphazard but is still a good cry for attention.

All the characters in the movie seem like they've actually been filmed of their real lives,trust me it was that real of how they emote and react in every scene. A special mention to OmPuri whom we all know as one of the best villain of all times has given a very powerful performance in his character as a rickshaw puller.

The movie highlights the

• Treatment of Leprosy and that its not a communicably contagious disease.
• A scene where Shabana Azmi mentions that a person with a pure heart need not worry about getting the disease is very good to hear.
• Poverty stricken Rickshaw pullers who work almost around the clock to support their families
• Unavailability  of medical facilities in the slums of Calcutta (India )
• Joy inside a community irrespective of their living conditions
• Importance of NGO's in the eradication of Poverty.

The movie ends with an end credit dedicating this movie to the life of the Rickshaw pullers and to charities by Mother Teresa.

Had this movie been released now with the advancement of media outreach, more people would watch it and try to help the Rickshaw pullers to get a better Living. 

My Watchometer rating for this movie - 6.5

Mission Impossible 4 ( Ghost Protocol ) - PREDICTABLY RACY !

It all starts with a scene where Tom Cruise ( Agent Hunt ) is being rescued from a prison in Moscow and is then briefed about a mission to intercept a document which was unsuccessfully completed by one of his team member. Paul Patten ( Agent Jane Carter ) tells Cruise that they need to get a document which consists of activation codes to launch a nuclear weapon to destroy the US. In this process Cruise, Paula , Simon Pegg ( Benji ) get inside the Kremlin ( Russia's Presidential Building ), Cruise tries to get tapes and archives from the Kremlin during which someone intercepts their radio and alerts the guards. This person also detonates bomb inside the Kremlin. Almost one part of Kremlin is being destroyed in this powerful explosion and Tom Cruise gets caught by the Russian Intelligence who conclude Cruise as the mastermind behind the explosion.

At this juncture Jeremy Renner ( Brandt, yes the guy who blew all of us with his powerful performance in the movie TOWN ) enters the team as an Analyst and joins Cruise, Paula, Simon in their mission to stop Michael Nyquist ( Kurt Hendrix ) from getting his hands on the access codes and launching a missile. To add some spice and to take the American audience out of their niche the team goes a bit international and travels to Dubai and India.

CORE 

Like all MI series Tom Cruise saves the planet from destruction :-) . Story is very simple but the detailing in the movie is very rich and accurate. The director has taken utmost caution to make his audience understand each and every move of what they do, this I guess is a gesture to attract some younger audience into the screens. Screenplay was very much predictable compared to its previous versions, even some of Indian movie screenplays have some twists and turns these days. But still the director has done an excellent job in having us not feel bored even a bit, yes the movie was 2:15 hours but still wasn't any boring. 

The special effects in the movie were really good and this time Cruise had more gadgets to play with, few of which even made us think if they could even exist, don't miss the one they use inside the Kremlin to fool the guard - it was one of the highlights. Simon and Jeremy pair up to project some very good comical scenes even in the middle of a nerve wrenching action sequence. 

Action sequences were made more logical and believable but then Tom Cruise who looks very old in this movie makes us think if it could actually be performed by a real person. You can't forget the fact, its actually been 15 + years since the first part of this series came out :) , and we cannot expect Tom Cruise to be like Rajinikanth who even at 64 years could still be projected as a 25 year ;) . 

The Background score was beaming and lifted the screenplay and the sound effects were overwhelmingly powering the action sequence, don't miss the explosive effect of the Kremlin. The movie has been made exclusively for IMAX using an IMAX camera to offer extremely high detail to the viewers and has succeeded in it, I am glad they didn't make it in 3D which could have degraded detailing of some action sequences. The cinematography is on par with its screenplay and is very mention-able in a scene involving Cruise hanging outside Dubai's Burj Kalifa. I am surprised to see that Mumbai, India has so many luxury sports cars on the movie :) , at least they didn't show the slums and create an eeewww feeling to the audience. 

Even though the story is a Very Old Soup, its served in a New Bowl made with State of the Art Titanium alloy and could still  be consumed !

மயக்கம் என்ன ? - ஆரவாரமற்ற ஒரு மெல்லிய உலகத்தரம் கொண்ட கதை

6  பாடல்கள் , 3 சண்டைகாட்சிகள் , 2 கதாநாயகிகள் , ஒரு கோரமான வில்லன் வேண்டும் என்று நினைப்பவர்கள் இந்த படத்தை தயவு செய்து தவிர்த்துவிடுங்கள் 

இது ஒரு வைல்ட்லைப் போடோகிராபர் ஆக துடிக்கும் ஒரு இளைஞனை (கார்த்திக்காக தனுஷ் ) சுற்றி நடக்கும் கதை. அவனால் அவனது நண்பர்களுக்கும் அவன் நண்பர்களால் அவனுக்கும் என்ன என்ன மாற்றங்கள் நடக்கிறது என்பது தான் கதை. படத்தில் நண்பர்கள் மிகவும் பரஸ்பரதோடு இருக்கிறார்கள்.

படத்தின் கதையை நான் இதற்க்கு மேல் இங்கு விவாதிக்க வேண்டாம் என்று நினைக்கிறேன் . . ஏனென்றால் இது பார்த்து அனுபவிக்க வேண்டிய படம்.

படத்தின் நுணுக்கங்களை பார்க்கலாம் -

ஆடுகளம் படத்திற்காக தனுஷ் தேசிய விருது பெற்றாரானால் இந்த படத்திற்கு அவருக்கு விருது கிடைப்பதில் எள்ளளவும் சந்தேகம் இல்லை. அவருக்கு வசனங்களே கிடையாது என்று சொல்லலாம், அனைத்தும் அவரது சைகையில் வெளிப்படுத்தி இருக்கிறார், வாய்ப்பு கேட்டும் , நியாயம் கேட்டும் தன் ஆஸ்தான வைல்ட்லைப் போடோகிராபரிடம் கெஞ்சும் பொழுது, இதுவரை நாம் பார்த்திராத தனுஷ் நடிப்பில் நம்மை கார்த்திக் என்னும் தன்னுடைய காரேக்டருக்காக வருத்தப்பட வைக்கிறார்.  . என்று ஒரு நடிகர், கதையுடன் ஒன்றி நம்மை அந்த கதாபாத்திரத்தோடு இணைக்கிராரோ, அன்று தான் அவர் வெற்றிப்பெற்றதாக கருத முடியும்,  தனுஷ் தான் ஒரு சிறந்த நடிகராக அடையாளம் காட்டிக்கொண்டது மட்டுமல்லாமல் தன்னை ஒரு நவரச நாயகனாக மாற்றிக்கொள்ளும் பாதையில் செல்கிறார். 

ரிச்சா கங்கோபாதையாய் ( யாமினி ) முதல் சில காட்சிகளில், வழக்கம் போல வரும் நடிகை என்று நினைத்தவர்களை , அடுத்து வரும் காட்சிகளில் மிகவும் மெருகேறி படத்தின் முக்கிய கருவாகிறார் . தனுஷை விட இவருக்கு வசனங்கள் குறைவு ஆனால் நடிப்பில் அவருக்கு மிஞ்சி / இணையாக தன் உணர்ச்சிகளை வெளிபடுத்திருக்கிறார். மனோரம்மா, ரேவதி , பானுப்ரியா , ஜோதிகா( சந்திரமுகி , மொழி மட்டும் ) போன்ற சிறந்த நடிகைகளின் வரிசையில் போட்டியின்றி நுழைந்து விட்டார் ரிச்சா.

கதையை மிகவும் எதார்த்தமாக கையாண்டு இருக்கிறார் செல்வராகவன். ஒரு காட்சி கூட இயல் வாழ்கையில் நடக்காது என்று நாம் கூற முடியாது . பாடல்களுக்கு 5 நிமிடங்களுக்கு முன்னும் , பாடல்களுக்கும் மட்டுமே கதாநாயகிகள் என்ற தொன்று தொட்ட வழக்கை உடைத்துள்ளார் செல்வா. அணைத்து காரேக்டருக்கும் முக்கியத்துவம் கொடுத்து ஒரு நொடி கூட திரையை விட்டு விழி தவறாது நம்மை கட்டி போட்டுள்ளார் செல்வா. 

தனுஷ் நண்பரின் அப்பா காரெக்டர் பல இடங்களில் ஏதேனும் பேசுவார் என்று நம்மை எதிர் பார்க்க வைத்திருக்கிறார். நண்பர்கள் நடுவே  ஒரு பெரிய வாய்ச்சண்டை  நடுக்கும் நேரத்திலும் அப்பா பேசாது அவர்களை சாந்தப்படுத்தும் காட்சி பிரமாதம். 

செல்வா வசனங்களே இல்லாமல் பல காட்சிகளை  உருவாக்கி இருக்கிறார், ரிச்சாவிடம் தனுஷ் மன்னிப்பு கோரும் காட்சியில் வசனங்களே இல்லாமல்,  இருவரும் இதுவரை நாம் பார்த்திராத யதார்த்த நடிப்பால் நம் கண்களில் ஈரத்தை வரவழைகின்றனர். பைத்தியமல்லாது கிறுக்கு பிடித்தவர்கள் பலரை நான் நிஜத்தில் பார்த்திருக்கிறேன், அதை அப்படியே திரையில் காண்பித்து இருக்கிறார் செல்வா. தனுஷும் ஒரு தெளிவற்ற மனிதர் எப்படி இருப்பார் என்பதை தத்ரூபமாக நடித்திருக்கிறார் . 

ராம்ஜி  தன் கேமரா நுணுக்கங்களால் திரையில் இயற்கை காட்சிகளை வெகு அழகாக காட்டி இருக்கிறார் .போடோக்ராபி சம்மந்தப்பட்ட கதை என்பதால் பல காட்சிகளை ஸ்டில் மூலம் காட்டியிருப்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

இதை பார்த்து நம் இளைஞர்கள் பலர் வைல்ட்லைப் போடோகிராபராக உருவாக ஒரு வித்தாக அமையவும்  வாய்ப்பிருக்கிறது. லைட்டிங் மிகவும் குறைவாக தெரிந்தாலும் கதைக்கு அது தேவை என்பதை நாம் புரிந்து கொள்ளவேண்டும். 

இப்படத்தில் இன்னும் ஒரு முக்கியமான பங்கு இசையமைப்பாளர் GV  பிரகாஷுடையது . மிகவும் எதார்த்தமான கதை, ஆழமான உணர்ச்சிகள் நிறைந்த காட்சிகள் , இப்படிப்பட்ட படத்திற்கு AR ரஹ்மான் , இளையராஜா இசையமைத்தால், சிம்போனி ஆர்கஸ்ட்ரா இல்லாமல் இருந்திருக்காது . அனால் அவை இல்லாமல் கதையோடு இசையை பிணைந்து நம்மை கட்டிப்போட்டுள்ளார். பல காட்சிகளில் பின்னணி இசை எதுவும் இல்லாமல் வெறும் கதாபாத்திரத்தின் அழுகை, சிரிப்பு , மௌனம் மட்டுமே வைத்து நம்மை கட்டிபோட்டுள்ளார். குணா , ஹே ராமில் இளையராஜா உபயோகபடுத்திய மௌனத்தை GV மிக தத்ரூபமாக படைத்திருக்கிறார். 

மொத்தத்தில் வாழ்கை , காதல், திருமணம் , லட்சியம், நண்பர்கள் மற்றும் அவர்களுக்குள் நடக்கும் சம்பவங்களை கொண்டு பின்னப்பட்ட சித்திரம் தான் மயக்கம்  என்ன...

மயக்கம் என்ன , நம்மை மயக்க வைக்கும் !!!

Poraali - A Warrior?

There's no perfect relation between the title and the story( from what i noticed )

Lets see the story line . 2 youngsters( Sasikumar and his friend Naresh ) come to chennai with Big aspirations to make a difference an lead life in a honest and dignified way. .Mark these words they get repeated throughout the movie. .The 2 folks meet Ganja Karuppu who hosts these 2 youngsters in his apartment. This apartment complex has a story by itself, there are variety of characters in that complex , an always fighting couple, a house owner with his family , a drunken bachelor, a grandma with her 2 granddaughters one of who happens to be swathi a backdrop dancer.

Sasi and Naresh perform good deeds and earn the hearts of the members of the complex as well as at work. They become entrepreneurs and also employ youngsters, at this moment some people from Sasi's hometown chase him and that's when the whole story gets another twist and gains very high momentum. The rest of the story is why they chase Sasi and Naresh and how he overcomes the barbaric villagers. 

Samuthirakani has made sure that there are instances where the main characters stress the importance of coming up in life in a correct manner, definitely he's sending a message to those youngsters who migrate to any big city. Showing the passage of time after few scene by showing the petrol prices is a very good way to remind the public about the price rise and also about moving time. The story's crisp and provides importance to almost all characters and doesn't dip much from its core.


Dialogues between Sasi and Swathi have been well written, a scene where he talks about her insecure feeling is natural. Soori from vennila Kabadi Kuzhu also plays a very short and important role and his style of dialogue delivery is worth watching , don't miss his punch "நாங்கெல்லாம்  அப்போவே  அந்த  மாதிரி  " .

Though Sasi smiled a bit more in this movie there's no difference in his acting from Subramaniapuram and Naadodigal but Swathi has changed a lot and has performed her character well. Naresh has also performed very well, I'd say better than Sasi , be it the scenes where he gets an anxiety attack or the comical explanation he gives about the affection for his girl friend. 

Ganja Karuppu definitely needs a mention since he has gelled well with the story and Samuthrakani has made sure his character doesn't look like those of Vadivelu's which have no correlation to the story. (BTW where is Vadivelu?? Does anyone know)

The camera in the movie is very good ,notably in the second half when it covers the fast and rusty rural turf. .Music is kind of a let down I'd say, a couple of songs were OK but, there were scenes when i was expecting some bgm and there was an unrelated one. Sundar C Babu has to learn that he cannot surf on his Anjathey and Naadodigal fame for long. 


Few cons/Bloopers

1. Dialogues like "படிச்சவனுக்கு  ஒரு  வேல , படிக்காதவனுக்கு , செய்யறதெல்லாம்  வேல " though sounds inspiring ,on the other hand can send a different message to the public, like its not really necessary to be educated to become successful. 
2. Illogical fight in the climax ! Samuthrakani disappointed me with this fight, till this time the movie didn't defy any laws of physics ! ! Sasi becomes a superhero who bashes up 25 people all by himself.
3. Swathi, a struggling backdrop dancer has an iPhone ( director probably forgot to notice that )
4. Swathi's sister is a school kid but never goes to school. She's at the house all the time :P
5. Sasi kind of needs to change his style of acting a bit and be more expressive.
   

Overall there are more pro's and positive things one can take away from this movie, A good entertainer with reality, love, humor and rage narrated in an equally balanced proportion. 


WATCH-O-METER RATING :7

This Warrior will definitely win :)

MAYAKKAM ENNA ?? - POWERFULLY SUBTLE WORLD CLASS CINEMA

This is a story which tells the tale of a budding photographer and how his career affects the lives of people around him and how the lifestyle of people around him has an impact on his career.

Coming to the technicalities of the movie - 

If Dhanush received a national award for Aadukalam then Dhanush should/Will get one for ME, hands down. Dhanush hardly has any dialogues in the story, most of his dialogues have been conversed through his expressions which were never seen from Dhanush in his past movies. Scenes where Dhanush requests for a chance with his aspired Photographer couldn't have been any more expressive. His performance is so very powerful that we forget to look at Dhanush and start feeling for Karthick in the movie, It is such a powerful character. Dhanush is getting very closer to becoming more versatile actor from just an actor.

Richa though looks very arrogant and lacks some expression in the initial scenes, proves us all wrong in every other successive scene. She too doesn't have too many dialogs to speak but had to emote all her dialogue which even seasoned actresses find it very difficult and she has proved it in her very first movie. 

The scene where Sundar's father tries to console both Dhanush and Sundar is amazing. He has no dialogues either but his actions were so powerful. Here, Selva has made us expect this character to speak in so many instances but he maintains his silence and finally makes him speak a few words. 

Selva has broken the norm of having the heroines on the scene 5 minutes before a song sequence and then forgetting about them for the next 20 minutes before another song approaches. 
Richa's character is so powerful at times I felt like she was the core of the movie. Dialogues in the movie are so very less and hence had to be so precise in what each characters say. A very good example is the apology of Dhanush to Richa in the second part of the movie and Richa's call with Dhanush in the end of the movie ( Richa's expression in this scene is so very powerful it might definitely moisten your retina ). I've seen people in real life who are not mad but are a bit disturbed or deviated from their original character and Selva has exactly portrayed that through Dhanush making him express a 50% sane and 50% unstable person. 

Ramji's camera captures nature beautifully in a never before seen manner in Indian Commercial Cinema and travels with each character and doesn't seem like a different entity at all. Lighting could have been a bit let down in a very few places but given that the story asks for it, you can't complain. 

Like already said the movie doesn't have more dialogues and to fill that silence the BG score needed some deep feel and that was very well churned out by GV Prakash. Had ARR/Raja sir or Yuvan handled the music they'd have gone for a symphony orchestration for the Background score but still I was able to feel that Symphony effect in the score. It was amazing how the music played such an important part in this movie where at times you feel so involved due to music that you forget that its carrying you into the scenes. Silence in many places has clicked for GV, this is something Raja sir does in his movies where there's silence in some scenes and that means a lot(Guna, HeyRam ).

Overall folks,If someone's looking for a movie with 3 fight sequences, 6 Songs , couple of heroines and a Cut-throat Villain, then this movie should be avoided. 

WATCH-O-METER RATING : 9

Its a movie about life, love, friendship and career from a small niche of friends in a very cliche`d manner.