Sunday, December 16, 2007
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Evano Oruvan - Straight from the heart!
Evano Oruvan, written and directed by Nishikant Kamath is a remake of the critically acclaimed Marathi movie 'Dombivilli Fast' made by the same director.
Ever wondered how a typical Shankar theme like 'Anniyan' or 'Indian' would look if made by Mani Rathnam!?
Well, you get a good idea after watching this one! The subject of the common man revolting against the system has been in our films since ages, but the treatment has often been the easy way - Realism traded for pleasing the viewer with item numbers and fancy stunts. No such bribes for the common man in this film, with no songs and fight sequences!
The latest trend in Tamil Cinema includes realistic movies that are made on low budgets. Like Chennai-28, Katradhu Tamil, Kaadhal, Paruthiveeran!
You get an idea of the kind of film this is going to be, right around the title sequence. An endless cycle of routine life plaguing an average middle class citizen, Sridhar Vasudevan (Madhavan). Beyond guessing the subject, we realize that the film is going to be a hard hitting, in-the-face portrayal of it. The presentation and cinematograpy is first-rate, and gets you into the plot effortlessly...
Madhavan, like anyone else who hasn't numbed himself yet to the corruption that has become part of everyday life, reacts strongly to situations like the water lorry guy demanding a bribe, the shopkeeper who fleeces the public, etc. What starts out as an angry outburst soon catapults into a dangerous mission of dealing out justice by wielding the weapon.
The movie distinguishes itself by its treatment of the subject in a way that portrays the realistic reactions of society to a man who takes the law in his own hands. Consider this - Madhavan puts a gun to a doctor's head and demands treatment for an elderly woman. The woman retaliates by saying that she doesn't want to be treated through his 'rowdyism'! That tone is maintained through the movie, as the public treat the whistle-blower as a menace in a society where individuals prefer to endure corruption from the sidelines, as well as benefit from it when the opportunity knocks!
Madhavan has done the angry man roles in recent movies like 'Thamby' and 'Arya'. He comes out as spectacular in this role, thanks to the undiluted (by songs and comedy tracks) plot. The scene where he has an outburst in the middle of the road and calls to God to take him back from this world where he has been deemed unfit to live, is one of many stellar moments showcasing his acting potential!
Sangeetha, as his wife, shines as the anguished housewife. Seeman as the police officer with a conscience, plays the other pivotal role in the film, next to Madhavan.
His reflection on the state of affairs in society gently remind us that not all of the corrupt have sold their consciences entirely. It even brings up an argument in favor of corruption by taking up issues like 'Is a policeman paid enough to live a decent life without making an extra amount through bribes?'.
Seeman's role serves as the director's mouthpiece for voicing his concerns about a society that is getting so steeped in materialism that the standards for a 'decent life' are ever increasing!
Overall, the pace of the film is fast and flowing, saving it from being classified in the arthouse sector. It is a treat to lovers of realistic and hard hitting cinema, along the likes of Anbe Sivam or Mayakkanadi (this had a slower
pace of narration affecting its commercial potential). Madhavan's performance is his finest after 'Kannathil Muthamittal'.
The lack of songs and comedy track will be felt if you were expecting an out and out commercial entertainer.Just let yourself be taken over by the movie and it should be a rewarding and eye opening experience!
4.25 stars in my Scale!
Afterthoughts triggered by the movie... :
What a great way to reflect the state of affairs in today's society!The shopkeeper who increases the price of a cool drink casually, and the public, while complaining about it, still buying the
very same drink day after day!
After all, isn't economics supposed to correct the problem? As in, if there's another shopkeeper who doesn't charge extra, then the public should flock to him, making the first guy lower the price! But what happens when this becomes a practice among the whole lot of shopkeepers, and the common man realizes one day that
the lowest price offered anywhere is way beyond what the product is worth?
If we don't rise up collectively and fix the problem at the roots, then the problem becomes part of society!
If a common man rises against the establishment, it's futile. If a large group does it, it's a revolution.Even large revolutions get quashed by the political hand. To bring about radical changes, political and business groups should see vested interests in the change. But when it is money
that is the vested interest, there is a conflict with the purpose of the change. So there's the viscious cycle!Genuine need to bring about change is thus a core factor in bringing about radical change.
If a person like our hero Madhavan were in a position of power, his actions would have been justified and welcomed by society! But if he rises to a position of power, would he recogonize the 'trivial things' that plague the life of the common man?
Ever wondered how a typical Shankar theme like 'Anniyan' or 'Indian' would look if made by Mani Rathnam!?
Well, you get a good idea after watching this one! The subject of the common man revolting against the system has been in our films since ages, but the treatment has often been the easy way - Realism traded for pleasing the viewer with item numbers and fancy stunts. No such bribes for the common man in this film, with no songs and fight sequences!
The latest trend in Tamil Cinema includes realistic movies that are made on low budgets. Like Chennai-28, Katradhu Tamil, Kaadhal, Paruthiveeran!
You get an idea of the kind of film this is going to be, right around the title sequence. An endless cycle of routine life plaguing an average middle class citizen, Sridhar Vasudevan (Madhavan). Beyond guessing the subject, we realize that the film is going to be a hard hitting, in-the-face portrayal of it. The presentation and cinematograpy is first-rate, and gets you into the plot effortlessly...
Madhavan, like anyone else who hasn't numbed himself yet to the corruption that has become part of everyday life, reacts strongly to situations like the water lorry guy demanding a bribe, the shopkeeper who fleeces the public, etc. What starts out as an angry outburst soon catapults into a dangerous mission of dealing out justice by wielding the weapon.
The movie distinguishes itself by its treatment of the subject in a way that portrays the realistic reactions of society to a man who takes the law in his own hands. Consider this - Madhavan puts a gun to a doctor's head and demands treatment for an elderly woman. The woman retaliates by saying that she doesn't want to be treated through his 'rowdyism'! That tone is maintained through the movie, as the public treat the whistle-blower as a menace in a society where individuals prefer to endure corruption from the sidelines, as well as benefit from it when the opportunity knocks!
Madhavan has done the angry man roles in recent movies like 'Thamby' and 'Arya'. He comes out as spectacular in this role, thanks to the undiluted (by songs and comedy tracks) plot. The scene where he has an outburst in the middle of the road and calls to God to take him back from this world where he has been deemed unfit to live, is one of many stellar moments showcasing his acting potential!
Sangeetha, as his wife, shines as the anguished housewife. Seeman as the police officer with a conscience, plays the other pivotal role in the film, next to Madhavan.
His reflection on the state of affairs in society gently remind us that not all of the corrupt have sold their consciences entirely. It even brings up an argument in favor of corruption by taking up issues like 'Is a policeman paid enough to live a decent life without making an extra amount through bribes?'.
Seeman's role serves as the director's mouthpiece for voicing his concerns about a society that is getting so steeped in materialism that the standards for a 'decent life' are ever increasing!
Overall, the pace of the film is fast and flowing, saving it from being classified in the arthouse sector. It is a treat to lovers of realistic and hard hitting cinema, along the likes of Anbe Sivam or Mayakkanadi (this had a slower
pace of narration affecting its commercial potential). Madhavan's performance is his finest after 'Kannathil Muthamittal'.
The lack of songs and comedy track will be felt if you were expecting an out and out commercial entertainer.Just let yourself be taken over by the movie and it should be a rewarding and eye opening experience!
4.25 stars in my Scale!
Afterthoughts triggered by the movie... :
What a great way to reflect the state of affairs in today's society!The shopkeeper who increases the price of a cool drink casually, and the public, while complaining about it, still buying the
very same drink day after day!
After all, isn't economics supposed to correct the problem? As in, if there's another shopkeeper who doesn't charge extra, then the public should flock to him, making the first guy lower the price! But what happens when this becomes a practice among the whole lot of shopkeepers, and the common man realizes one day that
the lowest price offered anywhere is way beyond what the product is worth?
If we don't rise up collectively and fix the problem at the roots, then the problem becomes part of society!
If a common man rises against the establishment, it's futile. If a large group does it, it's a revolution.Even large revolutions get quashed by the political hand. To bring about radical changes, political and business groups should see vested interests in the change. But when it is money
that is the vested interest, there is a conflict with the purpose of the change. So there's the viscious cycle!Genuine need to bring about change is thus a core factor in bringing about radical change.
If a person like our hero Madhavan were in a position of power, his actions would have been justified and welcomed by society! But if he rises to a position of power, would he recogonize the 'trivial things' that plague the life of the common man?
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Kannamoochi Yenada - Half-hearted attempt at Comedy!
KME is director V.Priya's second attempt after the successful 'Kanda Naal Mudhal'. With an heavily urban theme in Kanda Naal Mudhal, success was largely restricted to the cities. But the film was well made and had an engrossing screenplay.
In Kannamoochi Enada, she attempts a comedy with an urban backdrop, setting up a trend for such movies.With the increase in gross collections in general from the top 3 Tamil Nadu cities alone, there is a growing market for movies targeted at just the urban audience! We are seeing younger directors experiment with niche subjects, which is a welcome trend!
Alright, this movie is meant for the city slickers, but the amount of work required to create an genuinely funny movie has been grossly underestimated here. Roughly based on the similar themed hollywood movie 'Meet the Parents', the writers have left out some core comic sequences (to avoid accusations of obvious plaguarism?) that could have turned this movie into a laugh riot!
The film tries hard to hold your attention but only succeeds in parts. Though plenty of comic situations are infused into the plot, the comedy is half-hearted! Prithviraj is a Software Engineer based in Malaysia, managing his uncle's software firm. Meets and instantly falls for 'Kadhal' Sandhya. The movie revolves around his antics to convince her father, Sathyaraj, the Chennai Police commissioner and win her hand!
Sathyaraj's stellar presence carries the movie forward at every stage. Prithviraj's role is the same stereotyped educated young man who falls in love the instant he sees the heroine! He holds the same expressions through his last three movies (mozhi, satham podadhae and this one) and he better reinvent himself soon!
The romance isn't well developed at all, and I feel that the easiest route to establishing the love between the lead pairs was taken. Radhika's presence adds gold value to the plot, as he essays the role of a woman who's lived under her husband's shadows, to perfection.
During her expression of soft understanding with Prithviraj and her outbursts against her husband, she helps keep the viewer's attention a bit, amidst the faltering screenplay. Sandhya has a very easy role her. He sudden change of mind is not well justified, as also Radha Ravi's sudden turn to goodness.
It's almost like it was time to end the movie, so all the characters were made to do a sudden about-turn!
Sripriya comes up with a Cameo in the second half as Sathyaraj's twin sister and does her best in whatever little time she has on screen. But again, she is helpless in a plot that dilutes the motivations of the characters in order to fit as a comedy movie! I guess the golden rule is that even a comedy movie is only as good as it's emotional content!
Still the movie manages to hold, purely based on the strength of its cast, the good production values and pleasing cinematography! You can watch it without getting too bored, if you keep all expectations aside!
But there's a good chance of disappointment if you watch it at the theatres expecting a hilarious entertainer!
2.5 stars on my scale!
In Kannamoochi Enada, she attempts a comedy with an urban backdrop, setting up a trend for such movies.With the increase in gross collections in general from the top 3 Tamil Nadu cities alone, there is a growing market for movies targeted at just the urban audience! We are seeing younger directors experiment with niche subjects, which is a welcome trend!
Alright, this movie is meant for the city slickers, but the amount of work required to create an genuinely funny movie has been grossly underestimated here. Roughly based on the similar themed hollywood movie 'Meet the Parents', the writers have left out some core comic sequences (to avoid accusations of obvious plaguarism?) that could have turned this movie into a laugh riot!
The film tries hard to hold your attention but only succeeds in parts. Though plenty of comic situations are infused into the plot, the comedy is half-hearted! Prithviraj is a Software Engineer based in Malaysia, managing his uncle's software firm. Meets and instantly falls for 'Kadhal' Sandhya. The movie revolves around his antics to convince her father, Sathyaraj, the Chennai Police commissioner and win her hand!
Sathyaraj's stellar presence carries the movie forward at every stage. Prithviraj's role is the same stereotyped educated young man who falls in love the instant he sees the heroine! He holds the same expressions through his last three movies (mozhi, satham podadhae and this one) and he better reinvent himself soon!
The romance isn't well developed at all, and I feel that the easiest route to establishing the love between the lead pairs was taken. Radhika's presence adds gold value to the plot, as he essays the role of a woman who's lived under her husband's shadows, to perfection.
During her expression of soft understanding with Prithviraj and her outbursts against her husband, she helps keep the viewer's attention a bit, amidst the faltering screenplay. Sandhya has a very easy role her. He sudden change of mind is not well justified, as also Radha Ravi's sudden turn to goodness.
It's almost like it was time to end the movie, so all the characters were made to do a sudden about-turn!
Sripriya comes up with a Cameo in the second half as Sathyaraj's twin sister and does her best in whatever little time she has on screen. But again, she is helpless in a plot that dilutes the motivations of the characters in order to fit as a comedy movie! I guess the golden rule is that even a comedy movie is only as good as it's emotional content!
Still the movie manages to hold, purely based on the strength of its cast, the good production values and pleasing cinematography! You can watch it without getting too bored, if you keep all expectations aside!
But there's a good chance of disappointment if you watch it at the theatres expecting a hilarious entertainer!
2.5 stars on my scale!
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