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muraleevaidya
Reviews
Sita Ramam (2022)
Well made and engrossing! Music, art and camera are exceptional!
Well made and engrossing! Music, art and camera are exceptional! Great line up of stars and artistes across India. Truly pan-Indian. Didn't feel like I was watching a Telugu movie. This movie (and not masala movies like RRR) should be nation's pride. DS and MT were gorgeous. All characters had weight. Songs were picturized well. Special mention to the music that transported us back to golden 80s. It has been a long time having heard nice melodies like this. Storyline was engrossing and screenplay was handled well, although at places could have moved faster. I was quite surprised by acting of Gautam Menon, he fit the role well.
Thirteen Lives (2022)
Brilliant retelling of a real incident handled fantabulously well!
First of all, a big kudos even for the idea of making a movie on this real life incident. The brilliance is in the making of the high-tension sequences come so real. Such movies give a lot of hope portraying the oneness of human spirit when people from different parts of the world come together to manage a crisis and keeping their differences aside. I wish the movie receives many awards and accolades.
RRR (Rise Roar Revolt) (2022)
Comic book movie with weak characters!
I was expecting a comic book movie before watching the movie. I was wrong. Comic characters have more strength and some application of logic.
Plus: camera work
Minus: Illogical and distasteful plot, Bahubali sets transposed with Victorian sets, Typical Tollywood music that is being claimed pan-Indian
Conclusion: Exhilarating sequences in a weak illogical plot. The A+ reviews are not to be believed. There are much better Indian movies that deserves the attention of Western audiences and not this junky!
Kadal (2013)
Lack-luster!
Very disturbing movie. Concept is nice but the script is so drab. Love and hate both are emotions and yet the movie did everything but emote (just a sequence of events without true magic anywhere at all). Maniratnam is generally good balancing drama with a subtle concept but this one is a debacle. Movie at best is experimental. Classic example where all other departments (photography, music) scored well but plot is reeling.
Sarvam Thaala Mayam (2018)
Good theme but lackluster screenplay!
A number of topics related to elitism in carnatic music have been ambitiously handled in this movie and kudos to the attempt. The screenplay could have been better, crisp and subtle. Some characters had weighty roles like Peter's father (who has done an excellent job btw), Nedumudi's role, etc. Some of the scenes were overly dramatic and far from reality, like the Guru wouldn't touch Peter but will toss the pendant into his hands...oh! come on Rajeev Menon! Is the intent to show that the community that you are accusing is still in 1900s? Do you really think that's the reality?
Good things about the movie - had a great start, beautiful camera and art work, groovy music and background score and great performances overall by Nedumudi, GV, Aparna, Peter's father and his wife, Sumesh and Gurucharan. Vineet could have been given a weightier and a more subtle role for what he's capable. Details of the mridangam making craft and its difficulties were nicely captured in the film.
Several Tamil movies have dealt with carnatic music in various contexts in the past like Thillana Mohanambal, Shankarabharanam, Sindhu Bhairavi and Unnal Mudiyum Thambi, to name a few classics. A closer comparison to this film however, will be Unnal Mudiyum Thambi. While STM was a great attempt with all the fanciness needed for today's Tamil cinema, the handling and portrayal was far from the deftly done classic Unnal Mudiyum Thambi.
Dangal (2016)
Dangal beats expectations!
While the inherent theme gives hope to the junta that tenaciously pursues creating new possibilities for women by breaking stereotypes, what's also impressive is the beautiful portrayal of the dilemma faced by Geeta, one of the lead characters, between "training under ascetic discipline" and "training under more comfortable modern circumstances" when confronted with an option. Beyond all the filmatic Bollywood elements Dangal is a Revelation to be reflected upon!! The competitive aspects of wrestling and its strategies are well depicted in the movie. Cheers to Aamir Khan and the director!! Also kudos to the technicians - esp. art director, editor, music and camera.