ram-008 Reviews

Azagiya Theeye (2004)

Azhagiye Thaniyey

[10/10 · 16 February 2005]

Azhagiya Theeye This was an awesome movie! I have always respected Prakash Raaj for his skills.. but this movie is really a showcase of his abundant talent. I really liked the simplicity of this movie. It began like it was another Puthu Vasantham, but I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. None of the stars were that well known, except Prakash himself. But they portrayed a wonderful picture that makes us all feel good.

What's new? Almost everything. The faces are new, the story is different, the ending is different too! What seems to be a single sided love story almost throughout the second half, has a soft and natural turn about it in the climax. The performances were really soft and natural for a change. Also, Prakash has just moved on with the story very well instead of repeating the usual drama sequence of the rich girl's father wrecking his vengeance on the poor guy that elopes with his daughter. Instead the focus remains on these two youngsters moving on with their lives.

Noticeable: We get to see some great comic timing from Prasanna and Prakash Raaj. The malayali new face actress has also done an amazing job. Kudos! I hope she becomes really successful. You feel as if you are looking at one of your class girls when you look at her (except in my class... the girls left much to be desired! ;-)) The costumes were also well chosen to maintain the soft tone of the movie. This is one movie where the support cast has really supported the main stream performances. They make you laugh and cry at the same time. The poetic portrayal of the girl in a white salwar amidst the Ooty mist was cool.. although when it came true in the end, it was a classic Kollywood cliché'. But believe me, the re-creation of the mist with the kosu marundhu was a wonderful idea! The comedy track was excellent! The spoof of movies like Kaakha Kaakha, Boys, etc. was great! I probably enjoyed it even more because I just saw Kaakha Kaakha and the memories of Boys is still fresh.

Bose (2004)

apBOSE

[16 February 2005]

Caught this flick on DVD (mainly for Sneha and producer: JH Murali). This was a thorough action movie. The action sequences were breathtaking. A refreshing change for a tamil movie along the lines of Kaakha Kaakha, but no where near.

Kalabhavan Mani has done a great job as usual. Srikanth has come across very well as an action hero. The army training camp scenes were realistic and well shot. Sneha has been wasted in this movie. She has shown her potential, but the story is made for Srikanth and he has benefited from it for sure. Others like Talaivaasal Vijay, Nagesh, etc are all surplus in this movie.

All in all...if you love action sequences, watch Bose. Otherwise.. just listen to the songs on Raaga.

Masti (2004)

Masti Masti Masti

[8/10 · 16 February 2005]

Masti

Although I've already watched this movie and enjoyed it, went to watch it again, this time with the whole family in theater.

Medium: Antony theater, Funasia, Dallas.

What's new?

What can be new when you are watching the movie for the 2nd time? Guess what? There was! I did not notice some of the double meaning jokes very well.. but this time I caught it on big screen.

Noticeable: Repeat Viewability was great! It was a wholesome family entertainer! Haath hi mera saathi was among the notables. Also... YE BHI GHODA CHALANEY JAISA HEE HAI... ek baar chalao.. to jaathe hi reh jaatha hai! The repeat view-ability was also unexpected!

Verdict: Wonderful movie, great songs and good performances. The characters, especially for the wives were well thought of and if you are married, you can easily identify your wife with one of the three types portrayed. Maybe you will walk out with a solution to your problems ;-) I did not find any solutions though....

Khwahish (2003)

khhhWAISHall

[2/10 · 16 February 2005]

Khwaish Picked up this movie at Atlantic Video, frankly attracted by the steamy cover starring Mallika Sherawat and a guy I really did not care about.

What's new? Mallika Sherawat got introduced through this movie. I have seen Murder before, so her physique was kind of a disappointment here, but I'll catch the glimpse nonetheless! Noticeable: Almost every bit of Mallika is up for a view! Her acting comes as a real surprise. Now, here is a quality actress who does not mind exposure at all.. in fact she wants it! The actor was a real dud and a third class aadi aal.. nothing else! Verdict: The movie was nothing if there was no Mallika. She alone is the star in the movie. Mallika's 'acting' gets an A. The story, technicians, music and pretty much everything else was way below average! I guess you cannot blame them. How could they have concentrated on their work?

Aitraaz (2004)

AYE-traaz

[10/10 · 16 February 2005]

Aitraaz Caught this movie on DVD last night. I've got only 2 words... WATCH IT!!! Priyanka Chopra has really established herself in this Abbas Mustan flick. Albeit, this movie is not in the same league as some of the class efforts from this director duo, it keeps the viewers plugged in through the end (partially due to Priyanka of course!) Why does Kariena always become the scapegoat in Bollywood movies where ravishing beauties play cameo roles. Then it was Ajnabee, now it is Aitraaz, there it was Bips, here it is Pri.

The court scenes were drawn out a little bit and were a bit unrealistic and crude, but other than that, it was a really cool flick.... it is Priyanka all the way! She has done the romantic, modelling and vengeful scenes with passionate energy and great elegance, which should get her the filmfare for the best supporting artist (Rani will give her a tough fight thanks to the Yas Raj rigging factor.. no offense to Rani here). She not only clobbered Kariena, but even sidelined Akshay Kumar. She might be a serious contender to Bipasha if she keeps this tempo going.

Paresh Rawal's court performance reminded me of his role in Akele Hum Akele Tum, while Annu Kapoor has done a sufficient job. The comedy track has been understandably toned down and the music was mediocre but was compensated for by the superb locations, picturization, cinematography, and costumes.

The climax was good.. although it was no big riddle, it was pretty realistic. I shall say no more.

Verdict: As a Priyanka and Abbas-Mustan Fan, I loved this movie. It is quite different and stylish. This is worth watching!

Swades (2004)

sWAYdes TO GOwariker!

[8/10 · 16 February 2005]

Swades I saw this movie with really high expectations from Gowariker thanks partly, to the number of Filmfare nominations and I was not let down!! What's New? Science has been blended into a Bollywood movie in the most magnificent way I've ever seen! As an Engineer myself, it was refreshing to see a Bollywood movie explain Science to the masses in a brilliant way! Way to GOwarikar! There was a new face, Gayathri Joshi. Frankly, I was not too pleased with her looks or performance. When I think Gowarikar and I think village belle, the face that flashes in front of my eyes is of course that of Gauri in Lagaan! Albeit, this girl is modern and educated, there are many faces I could fathom, that could have added a greater Jamba boost to this role.

Noticeable: Shahrukh has done a great job, which seems amplified after the cliché'd role and his signature performance in Veer Zaara, which left me wondering whether this guy had a future in my TV screen, but he does! SRK or this film will probably not have the impact that Aamir and Lagaan did, but this movie was a good follow-up by the director. The king Khan has done total justice to his role. AR Rahman has once again delivered when it comes to a Gowarikar movie. Except for the "Baaba Kich Kich taa" repeat in a song and the background music, the other songs were really well executed. "Yeh Taara Woh Taara" was particularly good and reminds us a little bit of "Mitwaa" from Lagaan. The dussera song was also good and reminds you of "Raadha kyon na Jale". Thank god, there was nothing in parallel to "O paalan hare".. looks like the director has taken feedback from Lagaan! I am not getting conclusive about a pattern in here, but Gowarikar in his first two movies has exploited the thrill value very well. The thrill that the audience gets out of the electric meter is great, but no where near when Kachara gets his wickets or Bhuvan hits the winning shot! That's the problem any director has to face by delivering a marvel in his first attempt! But this one has met expectations really well! Verdict: This movie is superb! Definitely worth seeing once! Having lived in a village for 4 days, I can tell that the sequences are so natural! The characters like the "Bijili paati", Kaaveri Amma, the weaver turned farmer, Dadaji, the cook who has done some good comedy, etc. are likely to stay in your mind several days after you have watched the movie. This is the beauty of Gowarikar's movies that attach so much significance to the so-called "lesser important" characters! How can you forget Kachara, Ismail or Guran from Lagaan? The movie is a little drawn out and a little bit on the preaching side, but you've gotta watch it for ARR, SRK and Ashutosh if not anyone else!

Aetbaar (2004)

AetBAAR baar nahi dekho!

[5/10 · 16 February 2005]

Aetbaar Bipasha was one of the obvious reasons why I took this movie. Besides, I remarked to my dad that Amitabh is a lucky chap and there will be something in his movies. If I enjoyed watching Aks, I would definitely enjoy any stupid AB movie which has Bips starring in it! But frankly, this movie gave me much more.

What's new: Not much except one or two situations and twists. I am gonna refrain specifying these as they could be potential spoilers. This is one movie where the feelings are brought out very naturally from a young passionate lover's perspective.

Noticeable: Bipasha's acting is among the best in the industry when it comes to thrillers. The fact that she's so sexy just makes it better. She has given a very mature performance. So, has John Abraham. I am beginning to like this chap, he suits the stylish villain role better than most in Bollywood. The chemistry between the lead pair is terrific. I do not so much appreciate the loud sound of Amitabh's saliva between sentences. He's better reduce the volume of such sound effects! Verdict: OK movie although its not a Must watch!. Suspense/Climax is not up to the usual Vikram Bhatt standards, but not a bad movie.

Naach (2004)

Aaja Naach Le?

[4/10 · 16 February 2005]

Naach A more detailed review can be obtained anywhere else in the web. This one is a good portrayal, although I do not agree with it entirely. Taran is a commercial guy and hence views from his angle only.

Ram Gopal Varma (RGV, seems like a political party) has created a marvel in Rangeela, so this one seems like a pale reflection of that one in some parts... I'm not even going to compare Urmila and Anthara.. both are good! The former has better acting talent, although the latter is catching up nicely.

Anyways, I like Anthara's character. She is true to her art, not touched by any unnecessary emotion and definitely not too practical. She is a dance scientist, actually she is so sure of her theories that even comparing her to a scientist would offend her. Hey.. Donald Trump.. maybe you gotta ditch Melania, here is Anthara and you've already built a Taj Mahal... ain't this easy? Abhishek on the other hand is a practical fellow, who wants money, power, fame, etc. Hence these two albeit were struggling to get a break into the film industry, cannot get along, given their different styles and approach to life. This is very typical, but what I like about the movie is that it says what an Abhimaan would say in its total runtime, in one scene! What's new? This movie takes a different angle to the film industry and how different people get into it. There is always something different about RGV's movies, this one is different too, it is way too slow for his standards. In parts, it drags one almost to sleep.

Noticeable It is tough to notice anything other than Anthara in the first half of the movie. I think this skin show was necessary for the dance sequences involved :-) Also, looks like Anthara is a pro in Yoga, she is way too flexible, almost like a Prabhu Devi. Aby Baby is improving as an actor with every movie. I am sure his filmstar blood is paying off rich dividends. The title song was really good, the music overall was above average.

Thenkasipattanam (2000)

Maatu Yosi!

[6/10 · 16 February 2005]

Tenkasipatnam Saw this superb movie starring Vivek and Charlie. The other main characters were mere fillers. What a great comedy track! We had people of different age groups here and everyone had their bellies aching due to the high intensity laughing! Wonderful yet decent comedy throughout the movie. There are few sequences that really stood out... The Cow scene with Vivek and Charlie playing the head and tail of the cow respectively, were hilarious! One could not stop laughing watching the cow climb up the ladder, ride the bicycle, fend off a bull's arousing, etc. The simulation of the cow's belly, had our bellies really popping out! Awesome sequence. There were other nice comedy tracks throughout the movie, but this one stood out! What's new? I've never seen a movie where the main characters have been sidelined to this extent! Saratkumar, Napoleon, Devyani, Samyuktha, P.Vasu were all OK in their performances, but I don't think anyone noticed them.

Noticeable Comedy all the way. Vivek plays his role to perfection whether it is emotional scenes or comedy scenes. Charlie provides good backup.. but he has very often been used in a "loosu" role. The action sequence where Sarath carries Napoleon on his shoulders while he fights is funny.. perhaps its a part of comedy track too! Verdict Really worth watching again and again for comedy and to an extent the songs. The action sequences were too many but some were good

Rakht (2004)

eRakht

[16 February 2005]

Saw this movie starring some of my favorite stars: Bips, Sanjay Dutt & Suneil Shetty.

Medium: VHS @ Home

Noticeable: Perfect remake of English movie "Gift".

Wonderful depiction and performance from Bips. The others were fairly standard in their character portrayal. Catchy locales and opening! The suspense was very nicely built up for a Bollywood movie.

There could have been some better songs and some good sequences but I think the producers decided to keep it a faithful remake of the Gift. The name, Dhristi was awesome!

What's new:

Pretty much nothing! Overall: Great Thriller! Good climax.

Mujhse Shaadi Karogi (2004)

MSKaa

[16 February 2005]

Mujhse Shaadi Karoge?

Today we watched this comedy flick by David Dhawan sans Govinda for a change! It had Salman, Akshay and Priyanka Chopra taking the lead roles. Prominent among the Supporting cast were Amrish 'Mogambo' Puri and Kadar Khan.

Verdict: General time pass masala. Usual love triangle with a twist. Some comedy elements make you laugh. Recommended watching once.

What's new: Not much.. except Kadar Khan's mysterious brain clot, which makes him blind, deaf, dumb and even mad on different days. He makes it clear to his visitors about his current "state" by writing it on the wall :-)

Noticeable: Priyanka's unrestricted exposure that reveals her great shape; Salman's eyes showing his signs of aging; Kadar Khan gotten really old; Akshay getting to be a more respectable and a more complete star film by film!

Dhoom (2004)

Dhoom Maja Leyyy

[16 February 2005]

DHOOM

Saw this Yash Raj movie for the second time in as many months, both times in the theater! This time mainly because it was free! The repeat view-ability however, was remarkable!

What's new? It has a great sense of style that you only see in Hollywood movies. It had more style than most stylish Hollywood movies actually and has set the bar really high for anyone trying to emulate style. They could have done without mentioning the word "style". The idea of a heist in the casino may have been repeated in several B/Hollywood movies, however, this one has a refreshing twist to it.

Noticeable: 1. Esha Deol's unlimited exposure! This was new... I've only seen her in the Aayudha Ezhuthu style. Here she reveals her shape and a pinch of tan does her no harm. She has also danced nicely to the tunes. The jet ski scene is heights of exposure for even a Bipasha or Mallika. Rimi Sen adds her skin component to make it a large skin show.. but that's not all in the movie...

2. Uday Chopra's acting talent and comic timing. This guy ought to have been more famous. But maybe because he acts selectively is why he looks cool. A film-fare for best comedian award on the cards?

3. Aby Baby has done a very good job in this movie as a follow up to his role in Yuva.

4. Last but certainly not the least... John Abraham was WONDERFUL!!! Super style, super bod and great acting. He deserves the best villain award for his performance!

Page 3 (2005)

on the same Page 3

[8/10 · 16 February 2005]

This is yet another tell-it-as-it-is Madhur Bhandarkar film. I am not sure why he has this obsession to show Child moles***ion and g*y concepts to the Indian filmy audience, but I find some of those scenes really disgusting! What's new? It is a nice piece put together by Bhandarkar, where he shows the story of an entertainment reporter played by leading lady in the famous film, Mr & Mrs Iyer. What makes this movie different is, that it also covers the stories of people that this reporter interacts with or is friends with, such as her roomies, her colleagues, film stars, models, rich people and others featured in the Entertainment Page#3 in her newspaper.

Noticeable: It is another good performance from Mrs Iyer. She is likely to be noticed for this role. She does selective roles but shines in them. She is noticeably de-glamorized and less beautiful in this film. But then, entertainment reporters are not supposed to outshine the people they cover, right? Verdict: Madhur has come up with another good movie, that brings social issues to the limelight very nicely. However, this movie loses focus and one is not sure what the director is trying to convey.

Is he trying to show us the glitz and glamor of the rich people? or is he trying to show us the life of an entertainment reporter and contrasting that with the life of the REAL crime reporter? Is he trying to tell us how the government and rich folks rule the press? or is he trying to illustrate the issues with child abuse and g*y folk. The other concepts brought forth include the unwritten rule that young women have to sleep with directors or co-stars, if they wish to enter Bollywood.

In addition, he talks about how flight assistants get sick and tired of their jobs after a while and resort to extreme measures by marrying much elder people, etc. He also talks about unhappy women and spoilt kids in rich families.

This was all okay for me.. but might be too complex for an average movie-goer, who just wants to relieve some stress from day to day work

Anand (1971)

an-NO-END

[10/10 · 14 February 2005]

What an outstanding movie!! I have heard all the prior generation people rave about this movie, so, I decided to check this movie out myself. I only have faint memories of having watched parts of this movie from my mom's lap when she and dad were watching this in the theater. The other reason why I decided to check this out was a Super-bowl half-time debate on whether Amitabh was better than Rajesh Khanna. I could not participate in this debate for two reasons: first, I was eagerly awaiting another "wardrobe malfunction" for one of the cheerleaders and secondly, I only had memories of one Rajesh Khanna movie, Haathi Mere Saathi. I remember having enjoyed it very much as a child. But that alone was not enough to quantify anything. The more recent performances of AB were fresh in my mind, but after having seen this movie, I decided that Rajesh had a class of his own. His chirpy performance in this movie is really unparalleled! What an amazing performance! Amitabh, being more junior, has not equaled Rajesh, but has done his share very well. Thus, even after watching this movie, the debate will continue.

What's New? What can possibly be new in an old movie? Guess what? there is plenty for the younger generation to take away! There is no education in the movies these days, whatsoever, except perhaps bedroom or bar sequences. The inadequacies in the field of medicine are so nicely brought forward by this movie, which is certainly over 30 years old! Now, I can understand why Munnabhai MBBS was such a hit. It had so beautifully adapted from this movie to match the present generation. Kudos to Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Sanjay Dutt (& Kamal Hassan too) for carrying this forward.

Noticeable: "BaaabuMushaai", the nick name for Amitabh, as heard from Rajesh throughout the movie, will ring in your ears even hours after you have seen the six letters "The End" on the screen. There really is no end to such people! Some sequences were simply amazing. Those that stood apart in my mind were the last scene, with a tape that had a significant pause in between; the moun-vrath guru, who so symbolically said that there is so much more than the decaying body to Anand's soul; then of course the Munirbhai sequences and the eventual backfiring of this strategy and so many more! The songs were so gentle and heart warming! The comic timing of Rajesh Khanna was simply amazing! Verdict Present day filmmakers really need to rework their brains and start thinking much much better! There is much more to Hindi cinema than just skin-show and catchy item number songs. This is a MUST-WATCH movie! I did not think so when others told me, but having experienced it myself, I believe them! I am gonna check out the other MUST-WATCH movies prescribed by the previous generation.

Paycheck (2003)

payCHECK

[6/10 · 14 February 2005]

his is roughly a film along the lines of "Minority Report" by Steven Spielberg. This John Woo movie is also based on seeing the future and planning for it, etc. So, for those who do not want to or like to use their memory in watching movies, this may not be the one for you.

Ben Affleck stars in this movie in the lead role and he is an Engineer who performs his tasks to perfection and is offered a highly confidential project, in which he would have to give up 3 years of his life in exchange for a huge "paycheck". The catch is, his memory after completion of the project will be erased for all the 3 years he has been on this project. Affleck agrees and completes the project but is fooled. The rest of the movie deals with why he gave up the huge sum of money and some clues he gave himself to get something bigger.

What's new? The movie, unlike Minority Report has clues that solve a jigsaw puzzle for someone who does not remember the past, but can somehow predict the future and has things with him from his past, which help him get out of sticky situations in his present. If you are already confused, stop reading and go watch the movie! ;-) Noticeable: Some good clues and concepts.

Verdict: This will be a nice movie for someone who likes to read mystery book. It falls short of the Minority Report. Overall I rate this movie above average for its concept.. but just about average for execution.

About Schmidt (2002)

King Nicholson!

[10/10 · 14 February 2005]

Wonderful Wonderful movie!! Its a classic from Jack Nicholson! What's New? I have never seen a tale of a retired man told so beautifully! It is in my mind, one of the best movies I have seen in recent past. I would have liked to see this movie at a later stage in my life to have appreciated it much more.. but at least, now I know what I have in store ;-) Noticeable: Absolutely perfect performance from Jack once again! He is one of the best stars in Hollywood. This movie would have been perfect.. except for two scenes: the one scene where Jack kisses the woman who understands him very well, in an RV and the other is the Kathy Bates hot-tub scene, which was really needless.

Verdict: It is a must watch movie.. at least once in a lifetime! Visu's movies and other Indian movies which show the retirement sorrow, must really learn from this movie! It also tells us, how we can really make a difference to someone before heading back to where we belong! This movie really sent a chill down my spine and I was really really touched by the ending! Awesome! Awesome!!!

7/G Rainbow Colony (2004)

Full Spectrum!

[10/10 · 3 February 2005]

Verdict: Wonderful Wonderful!! 2 Thumbs Up! Beautiful directorial venture by Selvaraghavan, excellent sequences based on a true story starring a new hero and Sonia Aggarwal.

What's New: Real Life story really moves the audience. We get to feel the pain that must have been experienced by the director in his real life that has been portrayed really well on the reels. Hero is a real loser.. the way his talent is brought out and fear is extinguished is really notable.

Saw it on: Antony, Fun Asia Theaters, Dallas

Noticeable: Daring Bedroom sequence by Sonia, really natural performance in all scenes. Much improved performance by Sonia, excellent music. Stereotyped hero by Selvaraghavan? Also, Sonia is so great because she plays a north Indian girl in Tamilnadu. Really natural performances.