1 New Review

Review for Rameswaram is now online @ bbreviews. That is the last review - and this is the last blog post - for 2007 :)

4 New Reviews

Reviews for Billa, Evano Oruvan, Kalloori and Oram Po are now online @ bbreviews.

Evano Oruvan

One man deciding to cleanse society off its evils has been a popular subject in Tamil cinema for a few years now. And its not difficult to see the reasons for its popularity. Corruption, atrocities in the name of bureaucracy and lack of civic sense are things viewers come across on a daily basis and so when the protagonist tackles these and brings about a positive change with his actions, it is easy to identify with him and cheer him on. Films like Indian, Ramanaa, Samurai, 4 Students and Anniyan presented this subject in a commercial format. Evano Oruvan tackles the same subject in a realistic fashion. That dose of realism works for the subject and allows us to identify with its protagonist even more and so it is unfortunate that the movie loses that touch of realism after a while.

Sridhar Vasudevan(Madhavan) is just one among the thousands of middle class men for whom life has settled into a routine. He is married to Vatsala(Sangeetha), has two children and works in a bank. A principled man, he is irked by the corruption that has crept into all walks of life. Things come to a boil when a tea-stall owner charges 2 Rupees more for a cool drink and that makes Sridhar embark on a crusade to correct the issues that he sees.

What separates the protagonist in Evano Oruvan from the heroes in those other commercial films(note that Madhavan here is a protagonist; Kamal, Vijayakanth and Vikram were heroes) is the lack of premeditation. Madhavan is frustrated by society and takes action but he doesn't have a plan in mind. The fact that his problems are realistic isn't surprising. What is new is that his responses to them are also realistic. He wants to change society but doesn't know exactly how. So his actions are born out of frustration and that makes him far easier to identify with.

The initial collage of scenes from Madhavan's life gives us a snapshot of his daily grind; the monotonous rut his life has fallen into. Only a few incidents that irk him(the issue with the water lorry, the school donation, the bending of rules at work) are actually illustrated but that quick rundown of his life helps us understand that he must have had many similar situations in the past, where his rigid stance and firm adherence to his own principles led to problems(Sangeetha mentions this in one of their conversations too). So when he finally snaps for a small issue at the teakkadai, we understand that it is not just because of that particular incident. The issues have been building up and that incident was just the last straw.

Though realistic and down-to-earth, the movie essentially follows the same narrative track as other movies with the 'man vs society' theme - Madhavan goes on a rampage after he reaches breaking point, unknowingly becomes a hero and is chased by the police. Madhavan's transformation into a kind of vigilante is short but understandable. His initial experiences give him the impression that resorting to violence does get him justice and so he gradually starts tackling bigger problems.

Unlike other films where the heroes go after men responsible for propagating the issue, Madhavan here has no set agenda. He doesn't go after anything in particular and corrects issues he sees on his way. For a while, this works. The things he encounters are natural and we are with him during his acts. But after a certain point, the director becomes over-ambitious. It becomes harder to believe the things Madhavan simply stumbles upon and so the events themselves fail to have an impact. The incident at the hospital and his stumbling on a drug operation are unconvincing and cinematic. Thankfully, the movie rediscovers its touch in the climax which is suitably low-key and manages to have an impact.

Madhavan plays a regular, middle-class hero just perfectly. He brings out very well his frustration at the way the system works and is sincere and convincing. His basic demeanor doesn't change once he turns vigilante and that is what keeps the movie grounded in reality even after the situations turn a little cinematic. And that is what makes even his grand monologue not sound over-the-top. Sangeetha is good as the housewife who just wants a better life and is frustrated when her husband's principled stand comes in the way. She is very natural when complaining to him or shouting at her kids. Seeman's strained dialog delivery and limited expressions seem a bit odd initially. But he does suit the role of the police officer who is torn between his duty and recognition of what Madhavan is going through.

Billa

Rajni's 1980 blockbuster Billa seemed like a prime candidate for an update. The combination of its strong story and racy screenplay, coupled with today's production values, seemed ideal for a present-day remake that had both style and substance. But this remake doesn't quite get it right. Its production values are top-notch but they can't inject enough energy to make up for the watered-down story and weak narrative.

Billa(Ajith) is a criminal who does it all - murder, drug trafficking, arms smuggling. He kills his enemies without batting an eyelid and doesn't think twice about giving his friends the same treatment when they cross him. Jaishankar(Prabhu) is the DCP hot on his heels but always a step behind and he gets some help in the form of Interpol officer Gokulnath(Rahman). But Billa doesn't have enemies just on the outside. Sasha(Nayanthara) joins his gang in order to kill him and avenge her brother's death. Jaishankar, with some help, finally manages to apprehend Billa, who dies in the DCP's car. Keeping his death a secret, Jaishankar gets Velu(Ajith), a pickpocket, to take Billa's place. Velu's task is to round up the rest of Billa's gang and unmask Jagdish, the top gun to whom Billa reports.

Having been exposed to more complex stories and screenplays, viewer sensibilities have changed and they are ready to think and absorb more. So when a director selects a well-known movie to remake, we hope that he retains the spirit of the original but still makes changes that surprise and challenge viewers familiar with it. So it is surprising that Vishnu Vardhan elects to dilute Billa's story to make it less meaty. He eliminates key characters, makes key sequences(like the one where Nayantara rescues Billa) rather uncomplicated and introduces plot points that actually reduce the suspense level(like the question of when Billa will be exposed in the My Name is Billa... number) in some key scenes. So the movie feels dumbed down and lacks pace and energy. That is always damaging but here, when one remembers an original that raced along with surprising twists and turns, it is rather fatal.

The movie certainly looks good. The cinematography, the desaturated colors, the costumes, the slo-mo shots and the pulsating background score create a movie that is sleek and stylish. It sometimes feels like Ajith is a model walking the ramp rather than a criminal on his way to a kill but the 'cool factor' is something missing in Tamil films and that is present in abundance here. Its this look that makes the movie work whenever Billa is in focus. Once focus moves from Billa to Velu, which is what happens when Velu goes on the run, opportunities to be stylish are not that many and this contributes to the lack of energy in the second half.

But actors too have an important part to play in a movie's look. Ajith looks dashing and Nayanthara looks great but Prabhu almost single-handedly brings down Billa's coolness. Everything about the actor - his portly look, his wig, his emoting, his dialog delivery - screams old-style and just doesn't gel with the modern look that Vishnu Vardhan is going for. And it doesn't help that he is given some absolute clunkers to mouth. Namitha too doesn't help matters. While the actress doesn't have as important a role as Prabhu, her figure-hugging dresses, mini-skirts and her dance steps make her look vulgar rather than sexy. When she shares the screen with Nayanthara, they look like the female version of Laurel and Hardy!

Vishnu Vardhan brings in a low-key touch that is a pleasant and welcome change from the loudness usually associated with Tamil cinema. Characters speak very little(though the movie could have used a few more one-liners) and sentiments are kept to a minimum. The lack of loudness is actually more evident in the action sequences. The hand-to-hand fight is rugged and feels real. The superb stunt on the aerobridge doesn't go over the top. And when Ajith's car pushes one of his pursuers' cars away during a very well picturized car chase, it just slides to the roadside and stops instead of running over a slope, flying into the air and exploding in a great ball of fire as its parts fall down!

While upgrading technology to keep up with the times is necessary, the screenplay has to be upgraded too to make sure that it works with the changes. The red diary in the original is now a pen drive but the events around it are still old-fashioned.When Ajith refuses to hand it over when asked or another character is thrilled after checking its veracity, its impossible to not wonder why someone couldn't have just copied its contents to another computer before giving it away. This - along with the fact that the climax is ripped-off from the Al Pacino-Colin Farrell starrer The Recruit - makes the entire last section of the movie feel dumb and dull.

Ajith is suitably endearing as Velu. He gets a lot of laughs during the training session with Prabhu and uses his body language and dialog delivery to distinguish convincingly between the two roles. His dance steps, particularly for Seval Kodi..., which is a very fast song, are noticeably slow and his back problems probably have something to do with that. Nayanthara looks gorgeous though that is pretty much all she has to do. The few sequences that actually gave the heroine something to do in the original have been cut out completely or watered down considerably here and so all she has to do is flaunt her now-flat abs and stroll around in bikinis and skirts.Rahman is solid while Santhanam mercifully has only a few scenes.

Vishnu Vardhan and Ajith may have intended this movie to be a homage to the original Billa. But it just ends up reminding us how good the original was in the first place.

Coming Soon - Billa

Its been so long since I looked forward to an Ajith film with so much enthusiasm. While the actor's past hits and fan following have made sure that every film of his has atleast some hype and expectations associated with it, its been a while since an Ajith film had me counting down the days to its release. But that's exactly what I'm doing for Billa, which is releasing tomorrow. The film's history, cast, technical team, photos, music and trailer have combined to generate a whole lot of expectations and its definitely the film I've most looked forward to since Sivaji.

Billa was one of Rajni's biggest hits and is considered a turning point in the actor's career. So naturally, the remake of the film made news from day 1. But unlike Naan Avanillai, the other recent remake of an old Tamil film, the names associatedwith this remake(I think Ajith, Vishnu Vardhan and Yuvan Shankar Raja were the first names linked to the remake) were promising and even exciting. So there were no concerns about the original being blemished.

I think Billa had a fantastic story and screenplay. The story of a mole among the villains, who eventually ends up on the run from both the police and the bad guys, was strong and the screenplay zipped along with superb pace and many twists and turns. The picturization may have aged and the cast may have been weak but I think the story and the screenplay stand up well even today. Thats probably why Vishnu Vardhan has said that he is keeping the basic story intact (Farhan Akhtar tinkeredwith the story for his Hindi remake and I'm not a big fan of the changes. The final twist was surprising at that moment but just doesn't stand up to scrutiny and makes many sequences - like the Khaike Paan Baraaraswala... song - meaningless). If in fact he is keeping the story the same and updating only the presentation, we can look forward to the film having both style and substance.

Billa gives Ajith the best chance of having a bonafide hit in a long long time. While Kireedam did restore some of the shine after the disaster that was Aazhwar, and Varalaaru before that brought him both critical and commercial success, the actor hasn't had a true blockbuster for some time now. I'm hoping that Billa is it. When I wrote about Billa before the rest of the cast had been announced, I said Nayanthara would be unsuitable for the heroine's role since it involved stunts. But the photos of her in that black, figure-hugging dress have made me eat my words(happily!). Slim and trim, she looks the part and I'm hoping that she looks convincing doing the stunts also. Namitha plays Billa's girlfriend in the villain's gang and inspite of claims that she lost weight for the part, the actress looks just as fat as ever. Prabhu plays the commissioner while Rahman plays the Interpol officer chasing Billa. I haven't seen any photos or news items indicating who is essaying the role played by 'Thengai' Srinivasan in the original but a commentor in one of the early posts said that it was Arun Pandian. I'm not too thrilled by the choice but its not a disaster either.

After working with directors like P.Vasu and Perarasu, Billa finally sees Ajith teaming up with a promising director.While Vishnu Vardhan had a disappointing start with Kurumbu, he surprised everybody with the slick, stylish and surprising Arindhum Ariyaamalum. His next film Pattiyal was one of my favorite films of 2006. Though it dealt with rowdies and dadas, it was very stylish, with the sequence where Bharath and Arya practise with guns in the water-logged warehouse being particularly exhilarating. Based on the trailer, he seems to have upped the style and sleekness quite a few notches in Billa. Inspite of style being present in movies like Pattiyal, Lee, etc., the movies were never as stylish and glossy as Hindi movies like Dhoom 2 or even Dus. At the very least, I'm fervently hoping that Billa ends up on par with those movies as far as presentation goes.

Yuvan has presented the old and the new with 2 remixes and 3 new songs in the album. The theme music is easily the pick of the album. It is very cool and the techno orchestration definitely raises visions of a stylish film. My Name is Billa... and Vethalaya Pottendi... have been remixed with modern sounds and new lyrics. As is usually the case with older songs, our familiarity with the old music makes it seem like the new music doesn't really gel with the song. It might just need more getting used to. Seval Kodi... is a generic song but some of the bits do sound catchy. Sei Edhavadhu... and Naan Meendum... are the my favorite songs in the album.

Let's hope this Billa turns out to be just as big as a hit as the older one and ends up as a landmark film in Ajith's career too...

Favorite Rajni Song Sequences - 1

Raakkammaa Kaiya Thattu... - Thalapathy



Considering that Manirathnam is my favorite director when it comes to picturizing songs, the fact that this song sequence tops the list shouldn't come as a surprise. From the violin riff - and the camera that follows its pace - that starts it off, it is clear that this song is blockbuster material. The song has been choreographed targeting Rajni's strengths in dancing. His steps to the song's start are fantastic and those, combined with a couple of other shots(like the quick steps leading to a 'freeze' with arms bent and outspread), belie the fact that dance isn't among his strongpoints. The orange tint in the cinematography, the browns of the locale and the dancers' costumes all combine to give the song an earthy feel. The transition to kunitha puruvamum... at the end and the starting lines, now slowed down with the humming in the middle, are surefire signs of Ilaiyaraja's genius and Shobana's dance and Rajni's relaxed finger-clicking convey the changed mood perfectly. Rarely do all elements in a song sequence come together so well...

Favorite Rajni Song Sequences - 2

Adhiradikkaaran... - Sivaji



Shankar has always been known for mounting elaborate, imaginative song sequences but in the last couple of films, I was a little disappointed with the song sequences. The bright costumes, the exotic locales, the catchy songs... they were all there but something that could have made the sequences stand out was missing. But he reminded us just how good he is with this spectacular number that was one of the highlights of the movie. Like in his most successful song sequences, Shankar told a story rather than just picturizing a song. The location was splashy and colorful, the costumes were rich and glamorous and the choreography by Lawrence was dazzling as Rajni rescued Shriya from the masked villains. The last song in the film, the song rouses us as Rajni gives a gun a life of its own, stops a bullet in its tracks and mows the bad guys down with style. Chummaa Adhirudhilla!

Favorite Rajni Song Sequences - 3

Raman Aandalum... - Mullum Malarum



In his early years, no movie captured Rajni's rawness and rough-around-the-edges quality as well as Mullum Malarum and in the film, nowhere is Rajni more unreserved and charismatic than in this song. With his life at a low point and his hatred for Sarathbabu at its highest, the song's lyrics and his dancing reflect his devil-may-care attitude perfectly. He is completely uninhibited in his dancing and his body language and steps are like those of someone who has no care in the world. It is just impossible to not get into the mood and start dancing to this song!

Favorite Rajni Song Sequences - 4

Vettri Nichayam... - Annamalai



This rags-to-riches song gives us what we've been waiting for in the movie - Rajni becoming rich and taking revenge on Sarathbabu - and does so in crowd-pleasing(and ofcourse, fan-pleasing!) fashion. The song has great, inspirational lyrics and SPB sings it with a lot of energy and passion, making the sequence even more effective. While the first para features Rajni's growth, the best part of the song starts when the older, richer Rajni steps out of the car. The transformation from simple, naieve, fun-loving milkman to serious, driven businessman is evident right from that first moment. He oozes style as he strides in those suits and sunglasses, a cigar clamped between his lips. The scene where he stands casually while the press rushes from Sarathbabu to him and the one where he takes the cigar out before adjusting his tie are just pure style.

Favorite Rajni Song Sequences - 5

Raa Raa... - Chandramukhi



This is the only song on this list where Rajni appears for only part of the sequence and doesn't sing any part of the song apart from the interlude. Yet he is so arresting in that time that one just can't think of this as anything other than a Rajni song. From his appearance bounding down the stairs with dogs in tow, Rajni, as Vettaiyan, shows us what star power and screen presence is all about. His leery look, villainous smile and the Lakalakalakalaka... utterance make up a terrific, movie-rescuing turn. Jo did work hard and impress us with her dancing but its Rajni all the way in this song.

Favorite Rajni Song Sequences - 6

Maadathile Kanni Maadathile... - Veera



This is what I'd call a fun duet. A soft, romantic number, it is picturized in a very cute manner with the Jingu Jaangu Jingu... bit and a few touches by SPB giving it a fun feel. Rajni and Meena make a fine pair with great chemistry and their subtle but nicely choreographed steps manage to make us smile without making fun of their traditional attires. Rajni silently mouths his trademark How is it? early in the song and his imitation of a particular step of the other dancers is hilarious. For her part, Meena looks incredibly cute with her fluttering eye-lashes and fidgeting fingers.

Favorite Rajni Song Sequences - 7

Azhagu Azhagu... - Baasha



For an actor's fans, it is always nice to see their idol in different get-ups. With Rajni not altering his looks for the hero's role, it is only in the song sequences that one gets to see him in different guises. Director Suresh Krissna exploits this fully in this number, that sees Rajni in many get-ups under the premise that Nagma imagines him in those roles. The rowdy and traffic constable guises are particularly fun but the loudest cheers - and goosebumps - are ofcourse reserved for his appearance as a conductor, a delicious nod to his earlier profession. The scene where he twirls his glasses before wearing them, steps out of the car and walks with Nagma with his trademark fast gait is another pure 'Rajni moment'. Vairamuthu too goes all out in cheering for the Superstar as he writes Nee nadandhaal nadai azhagu; nee sirithaal sirippazhagu; nee pesum thamizh azhagu; nee oruvan dhaan azhagu...

Favorite Rajni Song Sequences - 8

Kaadhalin Deepamondru... - Thambikku Endha Ooru



If I were to list my favorite Rajni songs(as opposed to song sequences, where other factors like picturization come into play), this number would be closer to the top of the list. A melodious number soulfully sung by SPB, it is a lovely song that is a perfect ode to love. Rajni proves in this song that he doesn't need sunglasses, cigarettes or other props to be stylish. Walking with hands in pockets and just trademark sways of his head and shoulders, he is stylish yet suitably restrained as he sings this. The locations are pleasant and add to the soothingly romantic mood of the song. The only sore points are the usually-beautiful Madhavi's dress selection and vacant expression.

Favorite Rajni Song Sequences - 9

Unai Thaan Nitham... - Maappillai



This song is here more for nostalgia than anything else since I remember this as the first song that had Rajni execute fast dance steps convincingly. Until Maappillai came along, Rajni vs Kamal arguments usually had me reluctantly concede when it came to dancing. But after this song, I had something in my arsenal too. The song itself is rather ordinary but the picturization rocks. Rajni and a gorgeous Amala execute some nice steps(particularly in the police dresses and the white and yellow dresses) and after the start in the police dresses(which made sense considering the dialog leading upto the song), the color coordination between the sets, props(like the bikes) and the lead pair's dresses in each of the segments is very eye-catching.

Favorite Rajni Song Sequences - 10

Superstaru Yaarunnu Kaettaa... - Raja Chinna Roja



Its gaudy, its kitschy and its undeniably loud. But this song's first line also provided Rajni fans with their anthem - a slogan that is simple yet catchy, very true and instantly recognizable to this day. The thrill felt on hearing that line is enough to get this song on this list. Ofcourse the costume changes by Rajni (a couple of them nicely timed to the get-upa maathunga... line) are nice as always and the song is fast, colorful(with the exploding color powder and the raining confetti) and energetic.

Happy Birthday Rajnikanth!

Happy Birthday to Rajnikanth, the one and only Superstar...

As is usually the case, we fans have enough cause for celebration this year also. Sivaji finally released and fully met our expectations. Expectedly, it is a blockbuster and has just recorded 175 days, beating a number of records in the process. Thalaivar won the State award for Best Actor for Chandramukhi. And Sultan, the animation film based on Rajni, is only 6 months away.

This is the 3rd thalaivar birthday that this blog is celebrating. The first year, I celebrated Rajni the superstar by listing my 5 favorite Rajni scenes. Last year, I celebrated the actor in him by listing my 5 favorite Rajni performances. This year, I'm going to celebrate the entertainer in him. So today I'll be counting down my 10 favorite song sequences from Rajni films.

These are my favorite song sequences and not songs. So the dance, the picturization, the sets/locales and most importantly, the way Rajni has been portrayed, all play as important a part as the song itself. To lessen the suspense a little, the following are some of the runners-up: Raja Enbaar... (Bhuvana Oru Kelvikkuri), Thaazhampoove Vaasam Veesu... (Kai Kodukkum Kai), Oora Therinjukitten... (Padikkaadhavan), Raakku Muthu Raakku... (Ejamaan), Oru Koodai Sunlight... (Sivaji)

Let the music begin...

Oram Po

Oram Po is a film in the same mould as Chennai 600028. It is based on a very local sport, it has an interesting group of characters and it tells its story with the same style and quirky sense of humor. Things don't come together as well as they did in Venkat Prabhu's debut film but they do come together with enough energy and fun to create an entertainingly fresh film.

Chandru(Arya) is an auto driver in Chennai. More rewarding than the wages he gets are the spoils from the illegal auto races he participates in during weekends. Bigle(Lal), a mechanic, and Chandru team up for these races and have been unbeatable so far. Itching to beat them is 'Son of Gun', a rival mechanic who has his eyes on Bigle's shop. Chandru falls for Rani(Pooja), a biriyani seller's daughter, not knowing that her parents want her to wed Bigle. Meanwhile, a dada's diamonds get lost in Chandru's auto and the dada's henchmen are looking for him.

Autos aren't very glamorous vehicles. They might be cheap, maneuverable and ubiquitous but they are not exactly stylish or graceful (which is probably why even Baasha, which lent an unprecedented level of respectability to autos and their drivers, did not feature an auto chase!). So the movie has a tough task of making the auto races interesting. But it does a good job with good help from the cinematography, editing and background score. The races aren't particularly thrilling or suspenseful but are picturized in an interesting fashion. But I felt the film reveals its cards too early. The first race is picturized in superb fashion with split screens, POV shots and slo-mos. But the directors have little such technical gimmicks left over for the remaining races - including the all-important final race - and so they seem a little repetitive and bare.

The movie exhibits an uncommon - almost offbeat - sense of humor in its characterization, picturization and script. This sensibility gives it a lot of energy and keeps us smiling throughout. Even simple sequences like a man obediently transporting a jar of marbles from Mumbai to Chennai or a duo looking for a particular auto driver are made interesting by the way they are picturized. And how often do we a see a song(Gun Ganapathy...) about a peculiar character who doesn't show up anywhere else in the movie but in that song?!

The 'Son of Gun' is one of those characters that can make or break a movie. Here he definitely 'makes' the movie. The film is filled with likeable characters(there is no real villain) but the 'Son of Gun' makes sure that none of them stay in memory. His dialogs(sample: paNam varum pogum... aanaa vandhaa dhaan pogum!) - as well as the way he utters them - make every scene he is in, a delight.

One of the tracks in the movie involves illegal auto races and betting. Another involves a dada looking for some diamonds he has lost. So it is surprising that the most serious moments in the film arise out of the romance. The heavier moments are a little jarring considering the light-hearted tone of the rest of the film. And its not like the romance needs the seriousness to get us on its side. The delightful earlier portions do that job very well indeed.

Nowhere is Chennai 600028's influence more evident than in the climax. Oram Po tries to adopt the same unusual approach, giving us what we expect but not exactly how we expect it and introducing a touch of irony into the proceedings. But it doesn't have the same effect that the climax of Chennai 600028 had. What was almost exhilarating there leads to a lingering sense of incompleteness and dissatisfaction here. The director duo's intention to make things different and surprise us right upto the end is laudable but this is one time when a more traditional, predictable and crowd-pleasing ending might have worked better.

The jury is still out on Arya as an actor. He is fine in the light-hearted scenes but finds the emotional scenes a bit tough to handle and fails to be convincing. Pooja doesn't really fit in in area the movie is set in. But she does make us accept her with a low-key performance. Arya and Pooja make a nice pair though. Lal is restrained and sincere as Bigle. But John Vijay is definitely the movie's find. His wide eyes, hand-gestures and leering dialog delivery make 'Son of Gun' a unique, memorable character. Idhu Enna Maayam... is a nice melody and is picturized well without make it an awkward duet. Kozhi Kaalu... is picturized in a manner and location that do justice to its fun tone and lyrics. Yaar Ivanai... is an unnecessary item number, rendered even more unnecessary since neither the dance nor the setting fits in with the rest of the movie.

4 New Reviews

Reviews for Vel, Pollaadhavan, Kannaamoochi Enada and Machakkaaran are now online @ bbreviews.

Last Action Hero(es)

Schwarzenegger and Stallone were the action heroes I grew up with. Those were the times when explosions and guns ruled the roost and bulging biceps and one-liners carried the day. And nobody did it as good as them. Films like Commando and First Blood were films that made them action icons and they built on that image with a bunch of films that saw them single-handedly take on the world. I loved it!

Then came actors like Ford and Willis who were more average Joes who turned into action heroes only because the situation called for it. They didn't have the muscular physiques of Schwarzenegger and Stallone but made up for it with their never-say-die attitudes, laconic wit and sarcastic smirks. Films like Die Hard and Raiders of the Lost Ark heralded a new breed of action heroes who were, in a sense, more believable - they were heroes rather than superheroes.

Actors like Wesley Snipes could be called the action heroes of the next generation but they never became as big as the aforementioned stars. And special effects and computer graphics have taken centerstage today, effectively pushing out the traditional action hero. But as The Bourne Ultimatum and Live Free or Die Hard, the two most enjoyable action flicks this year showed us, watching chases and explosions and fights created the tradional way is just more fun than watching them being created on a computer.

Which is precisely why I'm looking forward to Rambo and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull this year. Schwarzenegger is busy playing politics and Willis has moved onto more serious roles and it is doubtful if Stallone and Ford will be able to play these characters again. So these 2 films might well be marking the end of an era...

Vel

With each new movie, it was becoming increasingly clear that with his first 2 films Thamizh and Saamy, director Hari had flattered to deceive. None of the director's subsequent films showed the spark or freshness evident in those films and he appeared to be stuck in a rut, recycling old plots and themes. His latest film Vel further underscores this. A film that is a throwback to old times in more ways than one, the only consolation is that on account of its lack of vulgarity and gratuitous violence, it is better than Aaru, the previous collaboration of Hari and Surya.

When one of their twin boys is stolen from them, the parents(Charanraj and Saranya) are grief-struck. The stolen child grows up in a village as Vetrivel(Surya), loved by the entire family that adopted him. The son who is still with his parents grows up to be Vasu(Surya), a private detective. Love blossoms between Vasu and Swathi(Asin), the hostess on a TV channel. One a trip to the village, Swathi spots Vetrivel and informs Vasu of his look-alike. Vasu is convinced that Vel is his brother and wants to bring him back home but Vel is unwilling to leave the family that raised him as their own.

Everything about the movie is old-fashioned. From the story about brothers separated at birth to the the long-winded dialogs spoken by Surya(he even rattles off a long dialog with rhyming sentences a la T.Rajendar at one point) to the overload of sentiments(father, mother, brother, sister, uncle, aunt... if there's a relationship not touched by sentiments in this film, I can't remember it), the movie is an unabashed throwback to the 80s.

Vel marks the first time Surya and Asin have been paired together after Ghajini. But viewers looking for a repeat of the lovely romance from that film will be sorely disappointed. The romance here is shockingly chauvinistic(the take-off for the romance is when Surya rates her 'suitability' for marriage after comparing her to her friend and at another point, she says that a wife should give up her dreams and support her husband after marriage!) and under-developed and the couple exhibits little chemistry. There are a couple of situations(which still could've been exploited better) that get some smiles and some amends are made for the blatant chauvinism, but for the most part, the romance is weak and silly.

Whatever the complaints against Hari, one thing he can't be blamed for is crafting a slow film. He has always managed to deliver screenplays that keep moving forward without giving us time to think too deeply about the goings-on. That's what saves Vel too. Though the movie is about twins separated at birth, one of the oldest plot points in Tamil cinema, the story doesn't always proceed in the way we expect it to. Plot points that we expect will be dragged on(like the twins knowing about the existence of the other) are presented earlier than expected and plot developments, atleast upto a certain point, aren't always predictable.

Movies with heroes in dual roles usually have fun by presenting different characteristics in the two roles. It makes the movie interesting for the viewers and the actors welcome it since it gives them a chance to play different characters in the same movie. This was the tack followed in movies like Amaidhi Padai, Vaalee and Azhagiya Thamizh Magan. But there is no difference between the 2 characters played by Surya here. Both of them are good, fearless and honest - in other words, typical Tamil cinema heroes. So the usual plot point of making them switch places does nothing much here. There is not a lot at stake if their real identities are revealed and so the usual fun, excitement and suspense arising out of their mistaken identities is completely absent.

After all the hullabaloo about separated twins and mistaken identities, the movie comes down to the fight between Surya and Kalabhavan Mani. Hari goes into Saamy mode here as Surya relies on brain and not just brawn to bring him down. A couple of his techniques are good and its nice the way the professions of both Surya and Asin are used in his game.

Surya has no trouble playing the hero in this commercial outing. He has developed enough screen presence to carry off the aruvaal-brandishing hero role and delivers his threats with the forcefulness required. Asin looks cute as always but is barely seen in the second half and has only one scene of any importance. 'Kalabhavan' Mani is loud but rather ineffective as the villain. Vadivelu has a comedy track that, following the recend trend in his comedy tracks, mostly involves him getting hurt in imaginative ways.

Coming Soon - Oram Po

Oram Po! is a phrase that asks others to move aside so that you can move forward. But ironically, the movie Oram Po ended up being pushed aside for a long time because of financial issues. But the problems have been resolved and Oram Po finally hits screens tomorrow. Aside from the biggies, this is one of the movies I've been looking forward to for a long time (so inspite of Jeeva's recent track record with respect to his films, I'm disappointed that they're screening Rameswaram rather than Oram Po, here in the Bay Area).

One thing about Oram Po is definitely unique - it is being directed by the husband-wife team of Pushkar and Gayatri. They seem to have worked hard on the film and must be relieved now that its release is imminent.

I think the day I started looking forward to Oram Po was the day I first saw its trailer. Oram Po is one of the few movies where the trailer actually does what it is supposed to do - raise interest in the movie and make us want to watch it. Very funny and nicely edited, it is one the best trailers in recent times. The characters introduced look interesting and capable of carrying a fun movie and the auto race sequence looks very stylish. Tamil cinema trailers are pretty ineptly put together. But I've noticed that films with trailers that stood out from the crowd - Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu, Veyyil, Imsai Arasan 23aam Pulikesi and Sivaji are some I remember - have turned out to be big hits. So the good trailer portends well for Oram Po.

While G.V.Prakash has had hits like Pollaadhavan since Veyyil, I think the Oram Po was actually his second album. And his sophomore outing kept up the promise he showed in his first film. T.Rajendar is an inspired choice for Gun Ganapathy... and his rough voice actually brings a lot of energy to the fun song (after Simbhu and films like Veerasamy, I didn't think I'd like anything associated with TR!). The lyrics are fun too. Kozhi Kaalu... is another fun song that benefits from Jassie Gift's unique voice and singing style. There are just a few lines that get repeated but it has good rhythm and beats. Idhu Enna Maayam... is one of those soft and melodious number that Prakash seems to do very well. I also love the theme song which includes some fast lines.

Oram Po a pretty important movie for both its leads Arya and Pooja. Arya started off strong and quickly attained pin-up status but hasn't had a release, let alone a hit, for almost a year. While Naan Kadavul might help him being taken seriously as an actor, Oram Po is his chance at box-office success (I'm sure he'll be a happy man if it becomes even half as successful as another movie where the hero played an auto-driver :-). Pooja's last hit(which was also Arya's last hit) was Pattiyal and since then she has been seen only in Thagappansamy, a no-show at the BO. I've had a soft corner for her ever since her debut in Jay Jay and am hoping that this movie becomes a hit and helps her get a foot in the big league door.

Hope Oram Po zooms to the top of the box-office...

Pollaadhavan

Pollaadhavan seems like an unlikely combination of Thirudaa Thirudi and Pudhuppettai but manages to make it work. A familiar story of a youth unwittingly pulled into a life of violence, the film takes a serious approach to the theme and ends up as a fast-paced thriller with a surprisingly soft heart.

Prabhu(Dhanush) has still not found a job three years after finishing college. But going to work is pretty low on his list of priorities with the top one being getting a new motorcycle and the second one being catching the eye of Hema(Divya). Fed up with his insults and comments, Prabhu's father(Murali) gives him a lumpsum of money and washes his hands off him. Prabhu's first act is get the bike of his dreams but the bike does help him get a job and his girl. So when it is stolen, he is heartbroken and will stop at nothing to get it back. That makes him cross paths with the local rowdy Selvam(Kishore) and his brother Ravi(Daniel Balaji).

The family of a good-for-nothing son, the stern father, the sympathetic mother and the younger sister isn't really new in Tamil cinema. But the scenario has usually been used for humor(in movies like 7/G Rainbow Colony or Adhu Oru Kanaakkaalam) with the son, with his wisecracks and put-downs, being the one we were supposed to side with. But a touch more starkness and realism is brought in here and creates a very believable family with very believable problems. The dialogs, whether sharp as in the father's lament about his son's continuing irresponsibility or humorous as in the sister's offhand comment when asked to leave the room before a particularly big argument, are very natural. While Dhanush's acts and comments make us smile, we do see and appreciate his father's position too.

By giving us the stories of Dhanush and Daniel in parallel, the movie manages to bring some difference to a cliched story. So though the film has a familiar story of Dhanush being gradually drawn into a world of violence, the techniques(like the dual narration and the couple of instances where they morph into one another) make it seem like it is the story of two angry, young men destined to collide. The two aren't really similar and the movie doesn't try overreach itself by suggesting they are two sides of the same coin or something like that. So the techniques are just gimmicks. But they work and the movie seems more fast-paced and fresh as a result of them.

In movies like this, villains are usually little more than pawns waiting to be decimated by the hero. But the bad guys too have personalities here and that makes the encounters more interesting. Selvam is a particularly interesting character. He is cruel and brutal but has a family and looks out for his brother. More importantly, he displays a level-headedness that is usually absent in our villains. Daniel plays a more regular villain - hot-headed and egoistic - but things would have been a lot more interesting if Dhanush had to go up against only Selvam.

The movie presents a rather harrowing side of Chennai in a no-frills manner. It uses Dhanush's attempts to recover his bike as a way of showing us some activities and places that are rarely seen. The guided tour that takes Dhanush - and us - through the steps a stolen bike goes through is particularly compelling. It is probably more effective than the scenes of violence(there are quite a few of those) simply because it seems more real and down-to-earth.

After this, it is almost disappointing when the movie descends to a one-on-one between Dhanush and Daniel. From the situation that makes Dhanush take on Daniel to the latter's single-minded pursuit of Dhanush to take revenge, the situations and sequences are very familiar to other movies where the hero goes up against an all -powerful rowdy. Things are also wrapped up a little too cleanly towards the end though the ice factory makes a great setting for the climactic fight.

Dhanush has had good practice playing the bad son and is very natural in the initial portions. He delivers his lines in a very matter-of-fact manner and that makes many of them(like his comment about a dress that Divya has her eyes on) funnier than they seem on paper. Divya, the actress formerly known as Kuthu Ramya, looks simple and pretty. She shows some spunk in the romance but has to take second place to a bike and so is around mainly for the duets. Daniel Balaji channels some of the rage from his Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu character but it seems rather one-dimensional. Selvam though is impressive in his debut as the saner older brother. The Engeyum Eppodhum... remix is fast and energetic while Minnalgal Koothaadum... is very melodious.

Thanksgiving 2007

Thanksgiving usually means four things here in the US – travel, family, food and shopping (not necessarily in that order!). I have most of my family back in India, most places are too cold to travel to by November, I am a vegetarian and I prefer sleeping in to shopping. So Thanksgiving has always been little more than a 4-day weekend for me. But this one was different and we managed to get into the spirit of this holiday by having a vacation that included all those four things.

Travel
Having decided to drive to Phoenix for a family reunion, we decided that 11 hours in the car would be too tough on the kids (and not to mention, our marriage!). So we thought of taking a break in LA, which was conveniently about the midpoint of our trip. But when you have 2 kids, staying in LA without visiting Disneyland is akin to murder. So we eventually left Tuesday, a day earlier than planned and visited Disneyland on Wednesday.

'The Happiest Place on Earth' has never let us down. Kavya was ofcourse the most enthusiastic in the group this time and enjoyed every single ride she went on. Since this was a trip targeted towards the kids, we focused on rides that the kids could go on. So we spent most of the time in Fantasyland before heading over to Tomorrowland for the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, the only new attraction that none of us in the group had seen. The Jungle Cruise and The Haunted Mansion rounded off the day and for the first time, we headed back to the hotel without waiting for Phantasmic or the fireworks.

Family
We continued on to Phoenix Thursday morning for the get-together with my brother and three other cousins. Pretty close back when we were growing up and rarely having a chance to meet after coming to the US, it was a fun reunion for all of us. As in most reunions, a lot of time was spent just chatting and reminiscing about the good ol' days. Kavya and Karthik had fun too since they had their own cousins in the same age-group.

All of us also had a small outing to Lake Saguaro, about an hour away. It was a pretty large lake and we rented motor boats (called pontoons) which we had to drive ourselves. We all (including Kavya) took turns sailing the boat and it was real fun.

Food
When a group of us Tamils get together, food is never really a problem, is it?! There was no turkey on the menu ofcourse but food was never in short supply (and food tastes so much better when you realize you don't have to load the dishwasher afterwards!). Home-made snacks like pakodas and doodh bedas made me give a lot of thanks to the hosts!

Shopping
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is the busiest shopping day of the year and the start of shopping for the holiday season. My shopping during previous Black Fridays has been restricted to sauntering into stores quite late in the day to pick up some trifles. With some enthusiastic shoppers to give me company, I got into the mood for some real shopping this time and was at Target at about 5am. There were 50 people in line before me and by 6am, when it opened, the line had grown to probably 300. The area resembled a crime scene with the line cordoned off with yellow tape and policemen patrolling the area! But I managed to pick up all the items I was looking for – a 10” portable DVD player (for $84), a 500G USB external hard drive (for $87) and seasons 7 and 8 of Seinfeld (for $15 each). It was a fun experience with both the shoppers and the store employees being surprisingly polite and helpful.

Overall, it was another memorable vacation...

Nature's Smile

Got this photo as an email forward. Made me smile too...



Will be back after the Thanksgiving weekend with the rest of the Diwali movie reviews. Have a nice long weekend :)

2 New Reviews

Reviews for Azhagiya Thamizh Magan and Thavam are now online @ bbreviews.

A Few English Flicks...

Planet Terror

Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror - the second of the 2 films that make up GrindHouse - takes its intentions of paying homage to the GrindHouse films a lot more seriously than Death Proof. Tarantino's Death Proof, apart from the 60's/70's look and feel, could be seen as a straight thriller with its scary villain and some nice stunts. But Planet Terror cannot be seen as anything other than an attempt to recreate a B-grade, 70s flick. Its packed with an outrageous story(which essentially boils down to people fighting against an army of zombies created from a chemical leak), over-the-top action(like McGowan shooting down zombies with a machine gun that also acts as a replacement leg!), pitch black humor(the film's biggest laugh comes when a legless McGowan tries to get into a running truck!) and gross-out gore(with everything from chopped-off heads to squashed... you gotta see this one for yourself!). The DVD includes the fake trailer for Machete, that was included with the original double feature. But since the Death Proof DVD has none of the other trailers, I'm not sure where to find them (the trailer for Thanksgiving - a take-off on Halloween - is supposed to be hilarious).

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The Lives of Others

A slow but fascinating film set in East Germany in the 1980s. It revolves around a playwright and his girlfriend, who are spied on by the Government under suspicion that the playwright is working against them. From a drama with political undertones about the role of the Government and the violation of its citizens' privacy, it surprisingly develops into a slow-burn thriller as the Government closes in on the playwright. The screenplay is full of twists and completely unpredictable until the end. The tension in a couple of sequences towards the end is is wonderfully built up. The climax is fantastic and the last line is unforgettable.

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Sky High

This is an older movie that I just caught up with last week. While recent movies about comic-book superheroes have been disappointing, this film about some fake - as in, not from comic-books - superheroes managed deliver a perfect package of action, drama and humor. It is mostly set in a school for kids with superpowers and so there are some very funny parallels with the goings-on in regular high schools. The romance is sweet and there is a moral(even if a bit cliched) in there. And this one has a fantastic last line too.

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Shrek The Third

This one follows the tradition of most third parts(threequels?!) of a series - the freshness is no longer there, the jokes have grown old and the story is stretched real thin. This time Shrek goes on a voyage to find Arthur, the other heir to the throne of Far Far Away while back home, a pregnant Fiona has to protect the kingdom from Prince Charming and his cohorts. Things that were funny the first and second times - the digs at popular Disney characters, the clever parallels to real life - no longer make us laugh as hard. Even Eddie Murphy seems to have lost his charm though Antonio Banderas makes up for that somewhat with an enthusiastic turn as Puss-in-Boots.

Azhagiya Thamizh Magan

Vijay has been frequently criticized for sticking to formulaic, masala films that are barely different from one another. Azhagiya Thamizh Magan is by no means an answer to these critics but it does seem to be an attempt on Vijay's part to deviate from the kind of films(like Pokkiri, Aadhi or Sivakasi, which were dominated by violence and/or vulgarity) he has been doing lately. But an unnecessary need to stick to his image and deliver his brand of acting when uncalled for, erases the opportunities provided to him by the story, to do something different.

Guru(Vijay) is an MBA student and an ace sprinter. He also has a good heart and that's what earns him the love of Abhi(Shreya), the daughter of a rich businessman(Ashish Vidyarthi). One fine day, Guru begins getting visions of the future and when a couple of incidents happen exactly as he had seen foreseen them, he talks to the psychiatrist, who informs him that he has ESP. The next vision he has startles Guru and he moves to Mumbai to stop it from happening.

ATM seems like Vijay's attempt to do something different. Ironically, the movie works best when it resembles a typical Vijay film i.e. before he goes to Mumbai. The usual dances, stunts, romance and comedy all work reasonably well on the whole though they all have their individual highs and lows. The high among the songs is definitely Ellaa Pugazhum..., where Vijay shows off some very impressive dance moves. As for the comedy, though Santhanam and a few others are on hand to provide the comedy, its Geetha, as Vijay's mom, who surprisingly gets the most laughs with some choice, well-delivered lines.

The movie shows signs of being different from the typical Vijay film when he gets his first vision. This being a Vijay movie, we don't expect a serious, scientific look at the phenomenon of ESP or its effect on someone who has the ability and we are not disappointed. Inspite of his valid, lucidly-put concerns about his visions, his ESP is little more than a gimmick to move the story forward. That said, his last vision does come as a surprise and the suspense at how it will be brought about helps move the story along.

The film gives Vijay a character different from his usual goody-goody types. But the implementation of the character is what kills the movie. Vijay's familiar brand of acting - the wide-eyed expressions, the humor-added dialog delivery, the slightly slapstick body language - is employed for this character also and that doesn't work. The director is confused about whether the audience should like or dislike the character and so he makes it a villainous character that talks and acts like the Vijay we are used to. So what could have been a good thriller turns into this odd combination of a comedy and a half-hearted thriller, with Vijay making jokes and mugging to the camera. There are a couple of scenes where he plays it straight and they just serve to show that the movie could've worked much better if he had played the entire character in the same vein.

The movie eventually develops a mistaken identity scenario. The director can be credited for not stretching things too much leading upto the scenario but he lets things slip once the movie gets there. The ruses employed by others to resolve the issue are completely childish and silly. In this modern age of forensics and DNA, the best idea they can come up with to clear their doubts is a running race!

The film has a nice surprise in the turn of events that lead to Vijay's last vision coming true. It sets up our expectations(the sepia-toned images help keep a key component of the vision hidden) and then breaks them in a good way. But this unfortunately leads to a laughably bad sequence. A ridiculous lecture about karpu, illogical character transformations and a particularly silly reappearance of a character close out the movie in a very shoddy manner.

Vijay looks good and goes through his usual routines. Shriya looks gorgeous in most places though there are a couple of hairstyles and dresses that don't sit too well on her. The song sequences are the only opportunities she has to show off her figure and she uses them to the full extent. Namitha does an item number for the Nee Marilyn Monroe... song. Looking fat and fleshy in dresses that are a small step up from a bikini and executing dance moves that look like a boxer's warm-up routines, she single-handedly pulls the quality of the movie down a few notches. Marilyn Monroe must be turning in her grave! Among the other song sequences, the Ponmagal Vandhaal... remix is picturized nicely and the lyrics also make it rather apt for where it occurs. Maduraikku Pogaadhadi... and Valayaapatti... are generic, folk numbers with nothing much to distinguish them from one other. The latter scores when comes to Vijay's dancing though.

A Sixth Sense Question

Warning: If you are one of the very few who haven't seen The Sixth Sense and/or don't know about its ending, please don't read further.

The Sixth Sense had a whopper of a twist at the end. I think the film's screenplay was almost a lesson on how a big twist should be incorporated into a film. The open-endedness of the opening scene where Bruce Willis was shot and the core theme of the film("I see dead people!") should have made the final twist predictable. But the screenplay was gripping enough that one forgot the suspense regarding Willis' death. So the big revelation truly caught us unawares. While a surprise twist usually decreases the interest in repeat viewings of the film, the twist here dragged me to the film again to see how we were duped until the twist(I realized only on the second viewing that Willis never interacted with anyone other than Haley Joel Osment) and how the rest of the movie held up now that we were aware of the twist.

Now to the actual point of this post... Its pretty clear that Willis didn't know until the end of the film that he was actually dead. An interesting question was raised in Roger Ebert's Answer Man column this week about whether Haley knew Willis was dead or not. My immediate answer was that he did not, since if he did, he would've been scared of him. But according to Ebert, Haley knew that Willis was dead and the reason he offers is that Haley says "I see dead people". He may or may not be right about Haley's knowledge about Willis but I think the reasoning is wrong since Haley doesn't say "I see only dead people"! Since he sees his mother and other people who are alive, couldn't he have assumed Willis was alive too?

But now that I've seen the question, I'm real curious about whether Haley knew Willis was dead? Was there anything in the movie that indicated this one way or the other?

Billa 2007 - Teaser Trailer

Teaser trailer for the new Billa from the Ajith Fanclub website. Works well as a teaser. A memorable, catchy line and a nice, energetic background score.

Happy Diwali!

In those school and college years, a festival falling on a weekend was cause for sadness since it deprived us of a cherished holiday. But sitting here in the US, I wish today was a Saturday or a Sunday. Fireworks, oil bath and new clothes are out anyway. But the weekend would atleast let us meet friends and family, and watch the special programs on Sun TV - two of the other staples of the wonderful festival of lights.

Happy Diwali!

Happy Birthday Kamal!

I've always considered myself a Rajni fan and a Kamal admirer. While the side I'm on in any Rajni vs Kamal debate must be quite obvious, there have been many times when I've fervently supported Kamal in arguments where Rajni wasn't in the picture. Kamal films occupy many slots(including the first) on my list of favorite Tamil films. And as a few commenters have pointed out, on an average, Kamal films have earned more stars than Rajni films on bbreviews.

That being said, there's has never been a list featuring Kamal on this blog. It is packed with lists of all kinds but one list that is conspicuously absent is one featuring Kamal. The reason for that is simply the overwhelming number of choices and the difficulty in comparing one vs the other. How can one compare the raw, uninhibited Chappani falling in love with Mayilu and the mature, serious Cheenu falling in love with Lakshmi?How can one choose between the heart-rending, anguished cry of Velu Naicker on seeing his son's dead body and the silent, helpless cries of Krishnaswamy when he tries to get his daughter back from the whorehouse? How can one pick between the finely-nuanced performances differentiating Michael, Madan, Raja and Kameswaran and the physically demanding performance that brought us Appu? How can one compare the transformation to a madisar-clad Avvai Shanmugi and the transformation to a withered, old freedom fighter Senapathy?

Probably the only way to make these lists is to come up with sets of criteria (best performances in the 80s, best performances with make-up, best performances in masala films, etc.) that limit the choices in each category. I'm sure I'll come up with such criteria and create some lists for Kamal. But for now, let me just wish India's best actor a very happy birthday. And thank him for his dedication to his craft and his incessant efforts to raise Tamil cinema to the next level.

Happy Birthday Kamal!

Coming Soon - Diwali Releases

When 2007 started, the year appeared to be a Tamil movie buff’s dream with movies by all the big stars and many other high-profile movies slated for release. But as the year winds down, many of those biggies have been moved to 2008. This Diwali’s fare seems like a mini-version of the same story. Initially packed with many high-profile releases (Dasaavadhaaram, Bheema, Billa were all, at some point, mentioned as Diwali releases), the final line-up has just 5 movies, only 2 of which can be termed high-profile.

Leading the pack is Vijay’s Azhagiya Thamizh Magan. Vijay, coming off a hit, Shriya, fresh off Sivaji’s mega-success and A.R.Rehman, scoring the music for only his 2nd Tamil film this year, are understandably the main reasons for its high profile. But beyond this exciting combination, not much is known about the film. This is probably the Vijay film with the least information known about it in recent times. With his last 2 movies Pokkiri and Aadhi being remakes, we knew exactly what the movies offered. But very little is known about ATM and even the rumors about Vijay playing a dual role for the first time in his career, are not confirmed. With Vijay in the lead, we can be pretty sure it is going to be formulaic, hero-driven, mass masala entertainer but as his last few films have shown, even that kind of a film can be handled in different ways with varying degrees of success. So its upto debutant director Bharathan, who has previously worked as an assistant to Dharani, to make this ATM churn out cash.

To no one’s surprise, Rahman has delivered a soundtrack that is topping the charts. Like Sivaji’s album, this one too is quite eclectic and has the potential to satisfy both Vijay fans and Rahman fans. Ellaa Pugazhum… caught my fancy right away with its rhythmic beats(sounding a bit like the beats of Raakku Muthu Raakku…). Rahman’s unique voice has this ability to suit any song and then grow on us and that’s the case here too. The Pon Magal Vandhaal… remix is the best of recent remixes. Valaiyaapatti… is a fast, fun folk song while Nee Marilyn Monroe… is a peppy, Rahman-ish number benefiting from Benny’s accented singing.

Second on the list is Surya’s Vel but it is definitely the Surya film I’ve been least excited about in a while. Not that the movie doesn’t offer any reasons to be excited about it on paper. It is Surya’s first film since last year’s flop, Sillunu Oru Kaadhal. It is being directed by Hari who has films like Thamizh and Saamy on his resume. It reunites Surya with Asin for the first time since their perfect pairing in Ghajini. And its music is scored by Yuvan Shankar Raja. But my main reason for the lack of excitement is Hari. Though he started strong with the 2 aforementioned films, his films since then have had familiar stories and an overdose of violence. More importantly for this post, his previous work with Surya gave us the vulgar, violent Aaru, his worst film. Vel’s trailer looks depressingly familiar with Surya going around with an aruvaal and there’s barely any noise about the soundtrack either.

3 other films round out the fare for this Diwali.
- Pollaadhavan stars Dhanush and Ramya. The film’s name, the same as one of Rajnikanth’s old hits, has given it good recognizability but the trailer points to it being raw and gritty. Music by G.V.Prakash has become quite popular too with the Engeyum Eppodhum... remix taking the top spot. The slow and melodious Minnalgal Koothaadum... is my personal favorite though.

- Machakkaaran, with Jeevan in the lead, is supposed to be a masala entertainer. Jeevan has been pretty lucky so far with his films like Thiruttu Payale and Naan Avanillai becoming BO hits. Music is by Yuvan but I haven’t heard many good things about this soundtrack either.

- Kannaamoochi Yenadaa is the only film targeting multiplex audiences. Directed by Priya, who was behind the cute Kanda Naal Mudhal, it has the rather curious teaming of Satyaraj and Prithviraj, along with Sandhya and Radhika. Music for this one is also by Yuvan but surprisingly, considering his fantastic soundtrack for Kanda Naal Mudhal, the soundtrack hasn’t made much news.

Now its time wait and watch. In less than a week, we’ll know which of these films create fireworks and which of them fizzle out.

Bee Movie

This is probably the first time I've watched an animated film for its voice cast. Headlined by Jerry Seinfeld, who also wrote the screenplay and produced the film, Bee Movie is the comedian's first work since he left television after his hugely successful sitcom Seinfeld. The family-friendly, animated flick provides little opportunity for his brand of humor though. As just another animated film, it is visually attractive and has a few laughs but doesn't rise to the level of recent animated films by Pixar.

Animated movies are primarily aimed at kids with a few jokes thrown in to make sure the adults aren't bored. But Bee Movie seems at primarily at adults! Its storyline, jokes, moral all seem targeted more at adults. The central concept of a bee suing the human race for the sake of honey seems a little too high-concept for an animated film and I had a tough time explaining the concept of suing to Kavya! And though I wasn't rolling on the floor with laughter, I definitely laughed more than her!

The yellow and black of the bees lends itself to some bright and colorful animation. And when even ogres and rats can be made to look cute, its no problem making bees look cute. So the movie has enough to keep us engaged visually. But it is too talky. A couple of sequences like the bees' pollination trip and a human's attempt to whack a bee are the only 'action' sequences and the film could have used a few more. There are some visual gags(mostly from the usual technique of mapping the bees' lives to ours) and funny one-liners(Chris Rock's mosquite has the best one near the end of the film) scattered throughout the film but not enough to feel as if the film is consistently clever or funny.

Seinfeld definitely isn't the master of the animated domain...

2 New Reviews

Reviews for Vegam and Sivi are now online @ bbreviews.

Death Proof

While its better to approach most movies without much knowledge about them, some background information is helpful - maybe even necessary - to enjoy Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof. This is one of the 2 movies (the other one is Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror) that make up Grindhouse, a re-creation of the 'Grindhouse experience' – 60s and 70s low-budget movies high on sex, violence and gore, shown as double-features. Not having been part of the Grindhouse era, the nostalgia factor is no there for me in Death Proof. There is the novelty factor but once that wears off, the movie feels rather inconsistent with some great action and uninteresting talk.

Tarantino here is presenting an experience rather than a movie. So the movie comes with the elements of the movies of that era like scratched film, abrupt jumps, apparently some missing reels and stretches with loss of color. Right from the opening credits(including the studio logos and the rating announcement), the movie takes us back to the 60s and 70s and the soundtrack is filled with songs from those times.

The movie is essentially two long conversation pieces, each of which is followed by some hi-voltage action. So we get 4 women talking about whatever’s on their mind (mostly sex and guys) followed by Kurt Russell, a stuntman, harassing them. Then we get 4 new women talking about whatever’s on their mind (mostly sex and guys) followed by Kurt Russell, a stuntman, harassing them. But the second quartet of women is not ready to take things lying down and decide to pay him back.

I could watch Pulp Fiction several times just for its scripts. The conversations between Travolta and Jackson, Travolta and Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel and Travolta and Jackson are all legendary and consisted of one delicious line after another. The conversations between the women here don’t come close to the same level. There’s a lot of profanity but just using four-letter words and talking openly doesn’t make a conversation interesting. The talk among the second set of women has a few nice chunks(like what follows after one of them reveals she carries a gun) but not enough to make their entire conversation engaging or memorable.

The action sequences almost act like payoffs for these long, slow talks. The first one is violent and visceral and shakes us up. It is short but shocking, especially since we have no idea what's coming at that point. The second one has less violence but is superbly choreographed with Zoe, a real-life stuntwoman(she is one in the film too), showing a lot of spunk. The lack of CGI shows and makes the proceedings quite suspenseful but the more crowd-pleasing aspect of the climax feels a bit short.

A question for anybody who has seen the film: The movie appears to be set in the 70s, which matches the time period of the Grindhouse movies. But there are some anachronistic elements like a modern cell phone, text messaging, a reference to Angelina Jolie and Gone in 60 Seconds, etc. Are these bloopers specifically inserted to point out that the movies of this genre didn’t care about things like that? Or am I wrong about the movie being set in the 70s?

Trick or Treat!

Kavya and Karthik both dressed up as pirates for this Halloween. The cutest pirates I've ever seen for sure :-) Its been a busy couple of days with Halloween parades and parties at both Kavya's school and Karthik's daycare. As usual, the fun was capped off tonight with trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. Avast ye mateys!

Billa-2007 Photos

After Dasaavathaaram, the movie whose stills I was most looking forward to was undoubtedly Billa. While Dasaavathaaram atleast had those publicity stills released when the movie was launched, Billa, as far as I can recall, did not even have those (all the news items about the eagerly-anticipated movie have the same photo of Ajith, taken when he attended the launch). The lack of photos as the movie’s release neared (the latest news has the movie’s release date as Nov 30 but I think that is quite suspect since even the audio hasn’t been released yet) was surprising. But we finally got a peek at the film through some official photos released last week.

Ajith, in a slightly different hairstyle, looks good and stylish and the photos do suggest that style will play a big part in the film’s makeup. My biggest complaint about the photos though is that they look too ‘generic’. In other words, there’s nothing in them to identify the film as a remake of Rajni's Billa. Unlike the early stills of Shah Rukh’s Don, there are no photos of Ajith dancing to the updated Naattukkulla Enakkoru… or My Name is Billa… or Vethalaiya Pottendi…; there's no photo of whatever’s gonna take the place of the all-important red diary; and there's no photo of Ajith and Nayanthara together in the film. So the photos don’t invoke nostalgia about the original and seem just like photos from any other Ajith-starrer.

The most pleasant surprise from the photos is Nayanthara (the most unpleasant surprise is probably Namitha, who seems to have gotten plumpier than before). When I wrote about possible candidates for the different roles when the movie was first announced, I eliminated Nayanthara from the heroine’s role since it was more action-packed than your average heroine’s role and I felt she was too plump for it. But she has really slimmed down admirably (surprising, since our heroines usually go the other way!) and looks fit and ready for an action role. How she'll look executing those karate chops and kicks is something we'll know only after the movie releases but as far as her physical appearance goes, she looks perfect for the role.

Looking at the other photos, Helen’s role seems to have gone to a newcomer Rose. So I guess Namitha is playing the villain’s moll(played by Isha Koppikar in Don) who exposes the fake Billa. One photo has Prabhu and Rahman but it looks like they’re playing cops (maybe the officer who hires the fake Billa and the Interpol officer?). So I’m still not sure who is playing the all-important role played by ‘Thengai’ Srinivasan in the original and by Arjun Rampal in Don.

Boo!

Continuing our Halloween tradition for the fourth year, we had the Halloween party in our house today evening. With 3 years of pumpkin carvings behind us, many of our friends have become expert carvers and this showed in their choice of jack-o-lanterns. Above is the parade of lighted jack-o-lanterns that marked the end of the party.

For the first time, yours truly jumped into the fray this time and carved a pumpkin. Mine is the last one on the right in the above photo and is supposed to be a ghost(a smiling, pleasant one though) with a 3-piece candlestick hovering near its head. There were a couple of near-mishaps with the ghost nearly becoming headless at one point and ending up with only 3 fingers instead of the intended 4. Carving the eyes turned out to a tough task too and so it ended up with only one eye! But I managed to successfully finish the carving with no accidents - either to the pumpkin or to my fingers!

The other fun segment of the party was the kids dressing up in their Halloween costumes. Since we don't get a chance to meet on Halloween itself, this gives us a chance to see all the kids in their costumes. Quite a colorful scene. Can't wait to take Kavya and Karthik trick-or-treating on Wednesday...

2 New Reviews

Reviews for Malaikkoattai and Thoovaanam are now online @ bbreviews.

Mr. Brooks

Mr. Brooks is a very unusual and completely unpredictable thriller. Kevin Costner plays Earl Brooks, loving husband and father, who has just been selected 'Man of the Year' by the Portland Chamber of Commerce. But he has a dark secret nobody knows. He is the serial killer known as the Thumbprint killer and after controlling his instincts for 2 years, has just killed again. But this time a man(Dane Cook) takes photos of him and begins to blackmail him. Meanwhile his daughter has dropped out of school with some big problems. And a policewoman(Demi Moore) is determined to catch the Thumbprint killer.

Serial killers are typically the bad guys who have long been the targets for the heroes in books and movies. When a novel breaks the rules and has a serial killer as the hero, like in the Dexter series of books, he is a 'good' serial killer who eliminates people who are worse than him. So the fact that the protagonist is a serial killer makes Mr. Brooks stand out right at the start. And he is not given a backstory or a reason to make us sympathize with him. Killing is an addiction for him and that's pretty much it. This fact makes it difficult to guess how the movie will proceed or even end.

Inspite of that, we don't dislike him and there are a couple of scenes where we come close to cheering for him. Credit for this goes to the director. He makes Costner a troubled individual who doesn't like what he is and wants to stop. On the other hand, the director gives human form to his alter-ego, making it the part of him that is responsible for his addiction. So it becomes easier to feel sorry for Costner. His genuine love and affection for his wife and daughter also do their part in softening our feelings for him. And then there's the fact that the movie presents us with some pretty unsavory characters like Dane Cook and another serial killer Meeks to divide up our feelings of dislike.

The film has a very unpredictable screenplay. There are quite a few coincidences(like the whole Meeks subplot) and some plot developments(like Costner's trip to California) that are difficult to accept but the film makes up for these by constantly keeping us guessing. The film has some surprises up its sleeve and reveals these at regular intervals to keep us hooked inspite of the slow pace with which the story unravels. It keeps its cards hidden right upto the end and because of this, even a familar cheat works as a sudden, shocking surprise.

2005/2006 State Awards Function

I mentioned in the post on our National and State film awards that one of the primary aims of the awards is to make sure that the awards function is well-attended. That aim was certainly met with the recently-held 2005/2006 awards function. Combining the awards for 2005 and 2006, which saw films of all our big stars being released and becoming hits, made it easy for our Government to hand out atleast one award to all the big names in our industry. So the who's who of Tamil cinema was present at the awards function.

With Rajni and Kamal attending a few functions recently, seeing them together on stage isn't that rare anymore. But the second photo there, with the 4 biggest stars(after Rajni and Kamal ofcourse) of today, is not something we get to see too often. With this being the State awards function that was attended by Karunanidhi, there is no doubt that this will be screened on Kalaignar TV. It will be the second time (the first time was on Vinayaka Chaturthi when Kalaignar TV showed Chandramukhi's 804th day function while Sun TV's feeble response was to show a repeat of the same film'z 200th day function) that I will wish I had Kalaignar TV instead.

Btw, when I was reading the news items on the awards, I thought Vikram and Ajith had been shut out completely. While films they had acted in(Anniyan and Tirupathi) collected awards, I thought the two of them did not get any personal awards. But the photos do show them receiving awards from Karunanidhi. Did I miss something in the news items or were these awards given to all actors?

East Coast Trip

As a traveler, 2 of my longtime dreams have been to see the leaves change color during Fall and visit Washington DC. On this trip, I managed to do both those. And then some.

New Jersey
We flew in to Philadelphia on Saturday and then drove to New Jersey to my brother’s place. Sunday was spent at the nearby Van Saun County Park, which was decked out quite nicely for Halloween and had a small zoo, pony rides, a train ride and a carousel. It was a relaxing start to the vacation and Kavya and Karthik had fun on the rides.

Washington DC
We drove to Washington DC Monday morning. Always wary of parking in big cities, we stayed at a hotel whose main plus point was that it was very close to a Metro station and had an on-demand shuttle to and from the station. After checking in, we took the Metro to the city and visited the White House, the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. On Day 2, we spent most of the day at the Museum of Natural History. The dinosaur, ice age and Egyptian sections of the museum were very informative and interesting while the minerals and gems section, which also houses the Hope Diamond, was eye-catching. We then walked to the East side of the National Mall to see the Capitol building. On Day 3, our first stop was the Arlington Cemetery, where JFK is buried. We then visited the Air and Space Museum. It was a fun place and I think we barely skimmed its surface. The astronomy section and the exhibition on the Wright brothers were fascinating and my favorites. We drove to Fredericksburg in Virginia the same night.

Shenandoah National Park
Thursday was spent in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. With Fall colors coming in a little late this year, the mountains in Western Virginia were supposed have the colors in the second week of October, which was why I picked Shenandoah. Turned out to be the perfect choice as the colors were out in all their glory. Driving along Skyline Drive with the bright yellows, startling reds, glorious pinks and deep browns lining either side was truly a heavenly experience. We took a 1.4 mile hike to a waterfall. It had many steep sections and so the walk back was back-breaking (especially since Karthik got tired and wanted to be carried more than half the way) but the nature lover that I am, those 2 hours were easily the highlight of the whole trip. The hike amidst the bright colors was awesome and though only a little water in the falls, it was surrounded by bright yellow trees and provided a magnificent sight. A real visual feast. The rest of the drive on Skyline Drive after we walked back up was equally spectacular with some gorgeous views of Shenandoah valley and its multi-colored trees.

Hershey
On Friday, we drove to Hershey, Pennsylvania. Our original plan had been to drive to Philadelphia but since we hadn’t really done much for the kids so far, we decided to make a detour to Hershey. And we were so glad we did. It is a very cute little town completely developed by Hershey. The streets have names like Chocolate Avenue and Cocoa Avenue and even the street lights on Chocolate Avenue are shaped like Hershey’s Kisses. We visited ‘Chocolate World’, which has a roller-coaster-like tour showing us how chocolate is made, a 3-D show and a very interesting and informative trolley tour of the city. We drove to Philadelphia the same night.

Philadelphia
With just half a day in Philadelphia, we visited Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed and read out and also saw the original document. We then took the city tour which hit the main spots like Elfreth Alley, the oldest residential street in the US, and Penn’s Landing.

On-time flights, cooperative kids, gorgeous weather, wonderful sights… needless to say, this one was definitely one of my most memorable vacations. A small selection of the photos from the trip can be seen here.