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Reviews
Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal (2020)
Potentially good plotline, but squandered direction
I am incredibly disappointed in this flick which was neither funny or entertaining. Starting with opening high speed car ride through Chennai roads, which ended in such an anti climactic scene that paints dulquers character as a total flake and his sidekick a bigger flake who simply doesn't come across as intelligent. And as usual the women characters simply don't have a brain. None of the characters are developed beyond a caricature version of themselves. Their variety of criminal "business" ventures bordered on silly and comical and unrealistic. I kept waiting for it to get better. With the excyof the Gautams police inspector realistic acting and expressions, and even his talent is squandered in scenes that are irrelevant and denigrated to just in time saves for doing detective work exploding computers. The storyline and director goes out of his way to be very hip and clever instead ends up foolish. He could have focused on executing a character and plot but fails on all counts. This movie ends up in the ditch for me. I gave it three stars for the police role. Yuck!
Ittymaani: Made in China (2019)
Silly, self-righteous and unrealistic
What were the director and story writer/screenplay writer and editor thinking? Did the storyboard get developed as the film was shot?. Mohanlal's character was a caricature at best including the so called completely forgettable, moot Made in China ancestral reference that really has no point in this story.. Its a struggle to get past mohanlal's heavily botoxed cosmetically altered face. And as is to be expected all good supporting actors were given terrible lines. We find a nearly 50 year old bachelor self absorbed in making money character who stumbles into a series of events that unfold into a hitch pitch poorly knit film
Only Dharmajan, siddique and Sharada stood out with their impeccable acting and comedic timing. The visuals are treat and the made in China feels like an uncreative but perhaps a lucrative afterthought. If the movie' moral message was about the so called modern day social ill of elder abuse or neglect, it was built on a silly premise, and could have been dialed down after the second iteration of soapbox preaching from Mohanlals character. we were inundated with our eyes rolling back into our heads-enough already! It felt self righteous. Editing was below average. And of course mohanlal's live interest would be an actress old enough to be his grand daughter. What a waste of money and resources. Antony perumbavoor and production house should lay off the booze and employ creative writers and talent into movies instead of a fading star of old. I lose faith in Malayalam cinema when I see this tripe!
Odiyan (2018)
Much potential, poor direction and screenplay, great acting
Does everyone with half a brain and a potential for a good movie just revert to mohanlal in his Adipurushan archetype? The screenplay was lacking in depth and substance, child-like and portrays the Odiya in some mythical way rather than exploring the multidimensional spiritual culture unfortunately. Manju, Prakash Raj and Mohanlal acted well despite the poor story line. That's the reason I give it 3 stars instead of 1 star. Make-up was horrible on all actors especially Prakash Raj who looked like he arbitrarily decided to dip his face in mud everyday to live up to his moniker Karimban Nair. I couldn't even look at Mohanlal's over Botox'd stretched out deadpan emotionless plastic facial expression except stay focused his eyes with which he span's the entire human emotional spectrum and that he emotes so brilliantly.
Each scene belabored to move in any direction while we waited for a fulfilling direction and ended up crashing into a complete letdown. Manju shines in every scene she is in. Her acting was the only thing that kept the movie alive. Prakash Raj who again could have been multidimensional was undermined and slated into a lustful fool mentality driven by a single desire.
The director seemed to have hung his hat on the big name projections of the Adipurushan persona formula of the actor rather than focusing on his own ability to execute telling a story well.
The last fight scene was a joke and completely knit together in some childish way in the editorial room which rendered by the poor direction made it terribly anti-climactic. Techie odiyan fighters of the 21st century trying to outmaneouver an old worn out odiyan of the last 500 years and forgot their own shapeshiftting powers and instead resorted to a costume partt???!!! What was that?!
Terrible scene and anticlimactic.Stunts were boring after a while. ((Enough already with the overhyped Peter Hein!!!) I could hear a collective sigh and groan in the theater when the last fight scene came about and the impending end for the villain seemed so contrived. And the audience got up with a sigh of relief and exited quickly as the credits began to roll with Mohanlal's singing.
Yeah wait until it comes on Netflix or someplace else. Not worth the hype and exaggerated money publicity. Colossal waste of time. I cant wait to see Njan Prakashan with a great story teller flawless director Sathyan Anthikad and a relatable story by the unbeatable Srinivasan sir all of whom the director here Shrikumar Menon could have taken many pointers from. Ugh!
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
One of the Best Movies to watch over and over again
This movie was such a lovely surprise. An true indie-art-house movie with great acting from Ben Stiller, Kristen Wig and others. The visuals are stunning and is to be enjoyed on the large screen format. I loved this movie and continue to watch it whenever it replays on TV. The cinematography capturing Iceland (Greenland) or Yemen (Afghanistan) and subtle references is stunning, unique and captivating. Ben Stiller portrays the role of a nerdy dreamer with a rich inner reality so well that it is quite inspiring. The movie has so many inspirational lessons to borrow from. The journey with Walter Mitty as he finds his inner hero and enlivens himself again is beautiful. His imagination is vivid and rich and is captured so well in this wonderfully filmed movie. I don't know why the critics panned this movie. It is definitely must watch. There are a few flubs and commercialized plugs (juxtapositions and paradoxes) superimposed on a pure background. The story is beautiful, simple and really leaves a deep impression much after you've seen it.
please ignore the negative reviews and critics ratings- take a look for yourself. The music is great too.
Chef (2014)
Visually tantalizing and pulls at the bonding heart strings
I loved the premise and was left fulfilled after a feel-good movie. The story focuses on the life of a very passionate chef and his struggles as a man discovering who he is deep down as a father, husband, and above all someone who deeply and profoundly is in love with the art of cooking and creating gastronomic delights. I was surprised that a chef of his caliber and owner of the kitchen and menu domain would be creating a chocolate molten lava cake and very wanna be poser menu items such as an egg caviar etc. to serve LA based foodies. The real gem of the story was Chef as a father and sharing his passion of cooking with his son and discovering his 10-year old's gifts and ethics. A great story for father's day- father and children story. The 10- year old is prodigious as a social networking expert who helps promote Chef's food truck across their nation-wide romp in their bonding tour. John Leguizamo is perfect as the sous-chef side- kick, Sofia Vergara presents herself in a classic, elegant composed yet passion glows from her beautiful eyes. And while I was surprised at how heavy Jon Favreau has become, he doesn't hesitate calling out his own weight-gain in the movie. the music is great and I am forever a fan of Mr. Favreau's writing, direction and acting. He brings his best A-game to this movie as a real dude! loved it. The food preparations and presentations inspires and tantalizes you to really cook and prepare and eat a really good soul felt meal to feed all the senses. With the exception of a few F-bombs and the overt sexually implied food prep scene b/w Scarlett Johansson and Favreau I recommend this as a family movie..
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)
may work if you are stoned and want to watch a stupid flick
I can't even take the time out to comment in detail. Few funny moments but would not pay good money to watch this- I am surprised and shocked that someone actually funded to make this movie. There were far too many stupid moments.... The premise establishes Ron Burgundy as a pioneer of establishing continuous news feeds, following car chases, patriotic pandering and overt racial slurs. The few and far between dynamics that were slightly funny were between the four news team members. Will Ferrell was reaching for a story line and continuity. The movie descended into more unfunny states and plumbed deep into stereotypical stoner style (not even) brain dead comedy. not worth it. Dialogue between Steve Carrell and Kristin Wiig's character on their initial meeting was funny but overall the whole movie was abysmal. Completely disappointed as a Will Ferrell fan.
Enough Said (2013)
Beautifully and brutally poignant and real
For those of you looking for a grown-up/realistic movie with beautiful acting, you will not be disappointed with this gem. I am sad now that I will never got to see other work by the late James Gandolfini. He seemed to have finally reached a new height with his role in this movie. I admired how he depicted his vulnerability and limitations so openly and honestly without trying to be anyone else or emulate anyone else. Truly unique and uncompromising in his own right. I never warmed up to his Tony Soprano character but he was an absolute gem in this one. Julia Dreyfus just moved to the top of my awesome actors list. She shows her frailties and limitations and potential for human expansion in such a beautiful way. I hope she gets an award for this. The story is around her seemingly mundane life wanting more and looking for love but in a real way. She is willing to explore all her shadow parts of herself without sparing others in the process. Loved the simple yet realistic love story that takes a few cynical, and downturns but full of human frailties that are depicted in such a realistic way.
Ender's Game (2013)
Shoulda, coulda, woulda been a great-er movie
I am not sure how I feel about this movie. The story line was great and so chock-full of so much potential for development of the central character. The story line just seemed to move at inconsistent paces for me-turbo speed in some sections and snail slow in what seemed to be irrelevant. I am not sure if it was a direction issue or screen play development issue. I wanted so much to champion Ender as a character and in the end couldn't quite figure out if his character was left decimated by the ultimate consequence of his actions that he was left to ponder and pick up the pieces. Asa Butterfield was such a good actor who could have been directed into a greater role. Harrison Ford's and Viola Davis's role felt one-dimensional and repressed with lines that were too predictable. Some of the scenes felt like it had no context set for viewers who had never read the book. Ben Kingsley's role as the colonel who trail-blazed was reduced to looking like a comical wild-man gone nuts and with maori markings on his face for the hell of it. There is so much I could say- the interactions between the children and the different troops felt too rehearsed and not organic enough. The combat scenes felt more like a video game club taking themselves too seriously. Now I wish I had read the book instead. I just was left wanting more depth, more development of the central characters, more exposition of the background on the alien ant-like creatures who invaded earth (I think?) The backgrounds and backdrops looked cheap in some of the scenes and left needing more. In the end, I walked away wishing for more of this and more of that....sigh!
Twenty:20 (2008)
Disappointing!- prevails with predictable and dated ridiculousness
Colossal waste of talent in a single movie. Does not live up to the hype. While I appreciate that the proceeds for the movie went to support struggling actors, I was completely disappointed the turn that this predictable movie line took. With so many skilled actors in the mix, I would have expected more than the standard Joshi fight Boom sound formula around a flimsy story line that has so many open ends. Mohanlal in his initial appearance as the criminal arrested mistakenly I thought would render the story line into an unpredictable route however when I saw how Mohanlal's character reverted to his stereotypical savari giri giri role, it was a major let down. The dialogue and twists and turns were predictable. The fight scenes endlessly boring and the songs were awful. I am disappointed in Dileep pairing with Joshi as I know that Dileep as an actor has an eye and ear for profound story lines. Total waste of 2 hours and 44 minutes of time.
Paa (2009)
The worst pretentious and unauthentic effort
Predictable from start to finish. Mr. B -I respectfully submit, its time for you to retire- your acting was the pits and overshadowed the decent attempts made by Vidya Balan who at least came across as realistic and authentic. Will Indian directors stop being pedantic to the narcissism and nepotism that rules bollywood. Any one of India's other non-commercial actors could have given this a better chance with good direction. . If this movie was any effort to mimic the extremely tasteful and artistic and profoundly rendered work of Taarey Zameen Par (thank you Aamir Khan for bringing back taste to bollywood cinema), then this venture failed miserably. The story line was stretched over unnecessary scenes and got lost in the antics of the poorly depicted supposed 13-year old with pregoria. The monkey theme and suit and subsequent gestures were repeated so many times, I wanted to scream. Amitabh Bachan was neither convincing nor real in the kid's role and I wish insight and discrimination had taken over in a feeble attempt at trying to be a character in this movie. The movie was predictable from the second scene. As soon as I saw Ms. Bachan (Jaya Bhaduri)painfully recounting through the credits (I wanted her to STOP so badly by the second one), I could see who was pulling power and purse strings all the way around. It was clear that amateurs were pulled in to produce and direct and shoot this movie. The camera work was choppy and all over the place. The feeble angle and distance shots trying to render Amitabh as a 13 year old among his student peers or mother was pathetic. Vidya and her mother Bum were solid performances and realistic. The themes of pregnancy outside of marriage, single-mother raising a disabled/prodigious/limited life child was the only thing applaudable. All other efforts failed miserably. The tragic scenes were just overstretched and unnecessary. The movie goes on unceremoniously forever. Abhishek Bachan playing the new-style politician pulls so many one-off bravado cowboy like moves in his artful campaign as a true-to- the wire corrupt but the end justifies the means politician to raise awareness among the masses, it started to border on the ridiculous. He got so much TV Time without advertisements to pander to the masses-really? The only redeeming quality was the prosthetic work and makeup- even though the rest of the body didn't quite match the head work for the supposed kid role played by the 70+ year old Amitabh Bachan. Where was the director's vision in this movie. The simple story line could have succeeded with a goal and much needed brevity. The last line from the inevitable hospital scene was coming and I could scream again for the boring predictability of it all. Overall, D for effort and B+ for makeup and B+ t Vidya Balan and her mother's character. The overall work was pathetic and not recommended. What a waste of money. And Anil Ambani of Reliance industries contributed to this venture. I'm surprised that his business skills couldn't see this sleeper coming a mile-off. Please support the non-commercial ventures- there are multiple talents writers, creative directors and others in India and they don't all pander to the Bachan family to succeed in the movie industry.
Luck (2009)
Embarrassment to Indian screen writers and movie makers
This was a crappy movie from the get go. I was only held in suspense waiting for danny denzongpa to evolve. Shame on all the idiots who spend money to make such crap. The guy who wrote this screenplay must think he is hot- sorry! dude news flash, go back to school, be intelligent and CREATIVE before writing such crap again. And what drugs was the director and producer doing to get so inspired to make this crap. PLEASE Don't" SPEND your Money to see this. The easy on the eyes actors except for sunjay dutt (you are washed up, bloated and done for with no acting skills left and the same old tired slow walk with slumped shoulders hold no appeal any longer) got wasted in this movie as well. UGH!
Tahaan (2008)
Picturesque, childlike innocence in a violent world depicted at its best
I admire Santosh Sivan's work and I'm proud that directors and cinematographers of his calibre are emerging from a bollywood inflicted film world. The cinematography, light, grays, darkness, textures of the landscape is so rich that you taste it and feel like you are in it. It was a visceral and voyeuristic experience watching this movie. Your heart goes out to the silently portrayed heart-broken mother played so beautifully by a very expressive actress Sarika (very underrated actress unfortunately). Disappointed by Rahul Bose's depiction of his character, Anupam Kher's character's dialogue had profound implications and conveyed so much of the film's underbelly. There is hope, hopelessness, faith, desperation, innocence all rolled into one. Without being political or aligned with either side, santosh sivan manages to portray just what is-a sad time of Kashmir's history, loss of an immense spiritual tradition and history, and shows how the downtrodden are the ultimate puppet victims in a game played by governments and terrorists. There were a lot of loose ends for me in this movie however, what happens to the mother's search, what happens after the intended plan is foiled- I was left wanting to know more but felt watching the credits roll by a little unresolved. The movie is slow to unfold initially but builds up to an almost intolerable suspense. The visual richness will keep those with an eye for this satiated. I was grateful to watch the Kashmiri landscape and play of light in every one of Mr. Sivan's shots. The subtleties were not lost upon this fan. More please Mr. Sivan!
Before the Rains (2007)
Cinematographically stunning, acting superb, story line could have been more
Being a native of Kerala and not knowing much of this movie, I went because my favorite Indian actors Nandita Das and Rahul Bose were in it. My hubby and I were in for a stunningly visual treat of our home state in India and were jumping for joy. Every frame was pure, with shadows and light and filters that just transported you and wanting to see more. I would liked the movie more if it had been stretched a little longer and see more deeper delving into the characters and the village life. Instead a limited dimension was presented. I was a little disappointed and left feeling like something wasn't complete in the application of the story. While the film focuses around the central characters,not enough time was spent on how the setup started but the movie picks-up almost mid-stream it felt like and therefore a little incomplete. There were seeming contradictions in the movie. exploration of each of the characters could have been done more deeply. I was sorry to see that Nandita Das was relegated to such a minimal role. Rahul Bose whose phenomenal acting could have been explored profoundly was also limited to more of a silent portrayal while his eyes spoke volumes. I wasn't sure where his loyalties were or whether he was really trying to live in two worlds and ultimately what is it that he stood to gain in the way of empowerment. The storyline is simple and did a good job around Roach's role and his moral conflicts. The actress who portrayed his wife as brief as it was very good and believable. The supporting actors all acted well (kudos to Indrajit and Lal and Mr.Thilakan as well-it was awesome to see these phenomenal actors on the big screen through such an artistic lens. It was a little discomforting to see the far from the truth portrayal of the tribal ritual. My huge kudos to Mr. Sivan- the quality of the cinematography is pristine and flawless and timeless. I hope you'll blaze forward with more courage at exploring in-depth portrayals of Kerala even more.
Tashan (2008)
Horrible typical bollywood glamour fare-AWFUL!!!!!!
Shame on Yash Raj films and Aditya Chopra who seems to have lost their intelligence over the years and providing steady fare of tripe in this piece of cinematic crap thats not even worth You Tube standards. I was gritting my teeth throughout the whole flick start to finish with the schizophrenic direction, plot line that never quite materialized and on the last scene I just felt ashamed that my country and its crorepati film makers can "THROW AWAY" crores on such stupidity. Shame on the actors for taking this work and even commenting on it as some piece of work they can own up to. Saif Ali Khan -completely disappointed in your choice of film. Kareen shows enough skin for the puberty stricken and Akshay comes up as the dim-wit. Anil another retard with a pubescent fascination for English. His cronies were commendable in their acting and with the bizarre cinematography scattered in the last 15 minutes, it was enough to pop a blood vessel. DON'T WASTe any brain cells, energy or your money to go see this- Go SEE / Rent AMU -with Konkana Sensharma instead- a beautiful piece of independent film thats ever come out of India.Intelligent, poignant and a wonderful story-tale that will touch everyone with intelligent actors and gave me hope that all is not lost in Indian cinema making.
Anwar (2007)
Poignant,funny,silly and strikingly beautiful depiction of Indian socio-political reality
I rejoiced for Manish Jha's bravado and intelligent approach to movie making and stepping away from Bollywood style tripe. Vijay Raaz's acting as the eternally sad Master Pasha was incredible-kudos-I admire your work and its authenticity and glad you haven't sold out to Bollywood. The scenes and allegories were beautifully and tastefully shot, the imagery unforgettable. Great camera work and I love the minimalist yet to the point approach- good editing. I was a little lost on Gopinath's role and confused by his end (I've always been a fan of Rajpal Yadav's acting) . Siddharth Koirala was very expressive, beautiful eyes (looks like the great malayalee actor mohanlal)he could be more emotive but performed rather well in his over obsessed with Mehru role. Thank you to all the cast and Manish Jha for producing such a profoundly intense story on the screen. I'm happy to see such intelligent work and gives me hope that not all Indian actors and directors are slaves to the Bollywood industry tripe that flows out in copious amounts. The music was incredible especially the theme song or at least Moula mere-Thank you! and congratulations on this nearly impeccable work.