Ee.Ma.Yau

Magical and Liberating

After seeing Angamally Dairies, a visit to  Lijo Pellisery's 

next movie had to be on the must watch list.

Angamally dairies must have made Scorcese proud. Could there have been a greater tribute to Scorcese? I doubt.

What has Lijo got in store for you with his new offering? 

Ee,Ma.Yau is a stunner, making Angamally look pedestrian in the scheme of things.

There are a thousand tales in India waiting to be told and Lijo beautifully narrates one from our own backyard.

For me the protagonists of the film are the magical sounds that accentuate the tension of the narrative. Sounds that come and caress you sometimes and sounds that leave you mystically to disappear into oblivion.

Somewhere in the beginning of the film are glittering lights on a waterfront, not sure if it is a lagoon or the sea itself and then there is a beautiful sequence that that demonstrates Doppler effect perfectly. The opening sequences are a hoot, that perfectly set up the story.

In the backdrop of a storm are the howling winds and rain with different intensity that accentuates the tension in the narrative. The different hues of the sea, are used at different points of time, taking your breath away every time and add to the mood of the film.

It is a treat to see the camera restlessly moving around, competing with the sounds. This aids the human drama to come to the fore, the technicians  in superb form to concoct a heady mix.

These are films about real people that need to be made. The people are so real that the actors are almost invisible. Thumbs up to all the actors.

The film makers from Kerala are getting better and better and setting the bar high. We the film goer, got lucky.

For a small market, like Kerala, the Malayalam film Industry, does extraordinary experimentation on a wide range of subjects. Its time other 'Woods' learn from the Malayalam Industry. Kerala is way ahead. Competition is good and hopefully we could be leaders in the film making.

Take a bow, Lijo Pelissery and team. 

The best of Lijo Pelissery is yet to come.

Mahanati / Nadigayar Thilagam

Remembering a pristine smile

This review is for one of the greatest fans of Savitri, my aunt Rukmini Sundararajan, the mere mention of Savitri's name makes her eyes moist.

I also got to see the movie with another great fan of Savitiri, my mother, Hemalatha Ramaswamy

As a fan, I have shuddered every time "Praptham" or "Mooga Manusulu" has been aired on the TV. Never had the courage to see it. 

Mahanati had to be made.

If Saviitiri has to be remembered, it has be for her spontaneity and innocence. An innocence that gave her the confidence to cut loose and play her roles with a gay abandon. The spontaneity that helped her breeze through several roles and imbue the swagger in Mayabazaar. And the very same innocence in her personal life allowed her to foolishly believe others and led her to pursue endeavors which should not have pursued.

What an extraordinary effort, so much of heart and honesty.

The effort deserves our endorsement.

Whatever be the genre, Indian's have unmatched skill in narrating a love story and keeping it fresh.

While Keethi Suresh was very good, Dulquer had me gasping for breath and wanting him more on the screen.

I enjoyed the movie, thoroughly.

However I wished, the story bordering on a lament, should have been a celebration of Savitiri's rousing achievements as a artist. While her personal life is a clear checklist of what not to do, her achievements should serve as an inspiration for the current generation.

The life of Lincoln was tragic in many ways, but when Spielberg did make a biopic on Lincoln, he decided to focus on the most important achievements of Lincoln.

The narrative was predictably on the lines of Citizen Kane, in search for Rosebud. The narrative in Citizen Kane infused a sense of dynamism as the investigation intensified and the story unfolded over multiple interviews. The speed and the tension of a narrative 77 years ago(Citizen kane was made in 1941) is still fast and furious.

The Hunt for 'Sankarayya' in contrast was lacklustre. The flashback of Samantha and Vijay Devarakonda is probably the weakest link in the movie. And my god, the tonnes of dialogues that Samatha speaks could have been mercifully avoided in a film about Savitiri, who could just let her eyes do the talking.

I also felt that there was scope for more research and important films with Sivaji ganesan should found a place in the narrative.

I take the pleasure of attaching a Youtube link, of a song from Kai Kodutha Deivam which aptly sums up Savithiri's persona.

And finally thanks to Sridhar Sattiraju for sharing with crackling energy his recommendation of Mahanati.

Sometimes aka 'Sila Samayangalil'

Lap it up on Netflix.

An ensemble technician crew across the country gather together to dexterously narrate a tense tale, that requires considerable craft. The magical strains of Ilayaraja is a bonus that enhances the narrative several notches..

It is such a joy to see the cinema of Hitchcock and the literature of, O Henry converge into a splendid climax.

The movies is as much about creating awareness on HIV as it is about the lonely journeys that we get to execute in a populated world, and a classic story on Empathy with a big bold E.

And the post would be incomplete without recognizing the the prolific Priyadarshan, who after Hrishikesh Mukherjee and K. Balachander, may very well have made the most number of movies in India, across languages and genres.

Tamil Cinema should be indebted to Priyadarshan for making some of his best works in Tamil(Conjeevaram and Sometimes)

Here is hoping, that we get to see good films, ALL THE TIME of the year.

Must watch for all audiences above 13.