@Avatar 2, The way of the Water

Realizing Human Potential

Watching Avatar 2 can be both humbling and inspiring.

It is the perfect platform to understand and experience what the words FOCUS, COMMITMENT, DEDICATION, AND EXCELLENCE mean.

I really hope we all learn from this and become better as a professional and a person.

Never a great patron of 3D, I think the 3D viewing is now seamless and was not tiring through the entire 192 minutes of the movie.

The beginning stuttered. A good 45 minutes could have been chopped.

Ultimately, you might end up wanting a  space in James Cameron's mind to see how those neurons in his brain work!!!

Thank you James Cameron for an experience of a life time

Kalaga Thalaivan, Tamil Movie

An excellent thriller!!

The first half stutters with a love story and two songs good enough for you to take a stroll out or maybe a restroom break.

However, a brilliant adaptation of one of the Bourne franchises at a Railway station, puts the movie firmly on track.

The second half has three chapters, The Hunt and The Siege. followed by a third chapter which I am not naming as that may serve as a spoiler.

This cat-and-mouse narrative with a satisfying climax is enjoyable.

I think what made the movie special was how the back story was narrated. The back story tends to leave one heavy when you take a movie like Sardar, Anniyan or Indian.

With Kalaga Thalaivan, you leave the hall on a high, without a heavy heart!!!

I only wished they had knocked off 30 minutes of the love track!!!

Sardar, Tamil Film

An Ode to Shankar's style of film making

The gold standard for a spy thriller has to be the mini-series, The Spy, streaming on Netflix. Tense and poignant, The Spy, for me drove home the burden of being a spy and I was deeply affected after seeing this mini-series. for quite some time.

Interestingly Sardar amidst many other messages, also drives home the message of the burden of being a spy!! 

Make no mistake this is not a spy thriller.

If the love element would have been a bit stronger, one would have thought Shankar was actually in charge of the script and direction. 

Sardar is probably, Indian, cleverly re-imagined!!

With say, about 20 minutes and a tardy climax knocked off, the movie would have been far more enjoyable.

Having said that, the movie is an object lesson in research and storytelling. the storytelling that can be understood by the common man.

Mithran with his third interesting film is an exciting talent to watch out.

It will be interesting to watch, if the sales of mineral water will come down! after this movie!!

That will be the litmus test for Sardar's success!!!

P.S: By the way, Karthi, keeps on getting better and better!!

Ponniyin Selvan, PS 1

Celebrating the spirit of life

As the title Ponniyin Selvan came on the screen, it was difficult to hold back the tears. The dream of the countless fans of Ponniyin Selvan has become a reality.

When I started reading the novel way back in the summer of 1984, I was transported to the world of Cholas, all the other activities came to a standstill for 15 days. Over the last 70 years, the novel has mesmerized legions of fans through its fascinating narrative.

In the summer of 1985, I saw Pagal Nilavu. The visual appeal of the film was unmistakable. After the lovely Mouna Ragam, Nayagan descended on us and stunned a whole generation of viewers. This also probably redefined the look and feel of Tamil Cinema, forever.

However one always felt Maniratnam was constrained and could have delivered better-finished products. That jinx has finally been broken.

Thanks to destiny, the book found one of the most capable directors, who understands Tamil history, its culture, audience, and nuances of cinema so well.

Thank you, Mani Ratnam, for this wonderfully thought and executed film. You have permanently carved a place in our hearts.

Nope, 2022, English

Horror and Sci-Fi, is it a western as well?

Nope is a big YEP.

I loved Nope.

Nope is hope that there is no limit to how creative filmmakers can be.

The storytelling is top-notch with a complete absence of clutter. The simplicity of the story adds so much to the elegance.

There is so much to smile about in the movie. I am not sure whether horror movies have been set in wide open spaces. The long-drawn brilliant climax is set in broad daylight!!!.

While all along you feel that the movie may be an ode to JAWS, there comes a spectacular climax that makes you think if it is a western.

I just checked the conventions of a western genre

The Western/Eastern genre has five necessary conventions:

1. Harsh, hostile, wide-open landscape.

2. Features hero, victim, and villain.

3. A MacGuffin. ...an object or device in a film or a book that serves merely as a trigger for the plot.

4. The hero's object of desire is to stop the villain and save the victim.

5. The hero operates outside the law (selectively or as a matter of course).

If you are film lover, catch up with this lovely flick on IMAX, you will certainly not be disappointed!!!

PS: As I continue to think, I am pretty sure that this is an adaptation of Jaws as there is a stunning similarity in the climax as Atomic Number 8 is replaced by Atomic Number 2!!! Go figure it out!!!

Lal Singh Chaddha

Labour of Love

In the past, my complaint about Aamir Khan has been the rampant plagiarism in his movies, like PK

This time around he has taken the pains to properly adapt Forrest Gump. 

I found the adaptation not only agreeable but there are several portions better than the original.

By including a terrorist in the scheme of things, Gump or Chaddha gets another layer of goodness.

The finishing stretches are exquisite. I simply loved the scene where Lal Singh Chaddha ties his 'Pagadi'/Turban to the strains of Gurbani( I suppose) immaculately. Spiritual and Divine. The ending is as poetic as it can be. 

The political backdrop that runs parallelly is captured perfectly and interestingly the makers are very non-committal about it.

The major disappointment is the miscalculation by Aamir in arriving at the body language of the clean-shaven Chaddha. His mannerisms tend to irritate. The clean-shaven Aamir's performance  is a definite distraction.

Having said that, that should still not be show stopper for you to watch this movie which has been made with a lot of heart.

Your endorsement will encourage film makers to make films with minimal violence and movies which are suitable for all audiences.

Sita Ramam

An Instant Classic

We are so good at making love stories. Everything about Sita Ramam is unoriginal, yet the product is absolutely fresh and enjoyable. I would expect people to watch this over and over again. This should be a blockbuster.

Mercifully the violence is minimal.

It takes about 40 minutes to warm up. But from the moment  Dulquer meets Mrunal, it is magic.

Savour this gorgeously shot movie with some great music (amply borrowed), amped up by some extraordinary performances and definitely some story, IN THEATRES!!

Mrunal Thakur's feminine grace and expressive eyes make this SITA very very special.

Gargi

A Stunner

Gargi can mean several things to several people. Importantly it demonstrates a tremendous understanding of cinema.

A story that could have passed as a play is brilliantly written and executed without clutter and has the audience on the edge and audibly rooting for the protagonist as she along with her lawyer fight to get justice. 

The most interesting part of the whole film making is that the audience is teased and the director seems to be enjoying the process, as if anticipating the audience reaction.

I like my movies with very less background score. Here Govind Vasantha provides a loud background score, which imposes a sense of drama that may have been lost given the canvas of the film. Yes, the score was effective and added the necessary tension, even though I felt it was a tad loud at times.

Sai Pallavi is having the time of her life. I just loved her and the poetic Virata Parvam released a few weeks back. In a role that reminded you of Meera or Andal, she was just fantastic. in barely a few weeks she has another role of a lifetime. She probably reminds you of Savitri, this time, the difference is she is trying to save her father!!! With her steely resolve and focus, she packs a punch in Gargi. While I thought she was understated in Gargi, the performance pips past her performance in Virata Paravam probably by a whisker.

At the end of the film, you sure must be reminded of an Agatha Christie classic!!!

Cleverness written all over!!.

Iravin Nizhal, The world's first single-shot movie

Thought-provoking

The making of Iravin Nizhal is shown before the movie. I do not think there is a more insightful segment that illustrates team building. It was so nice of Parthiban to include even the seemingly inconsequential person. In a way, even the self-promotion worked!!!

The intermission after the making and before the movie began was nice.

There is no taking away the credit from the single-shot achievement but it did not work for me.

The voice-over that served as the continuity as the narrative moved from one set to another, made the movie look like a play. 

That did not bother me much, but the content seemed to be a rehash of the 'Puthiya Pathai". While I am a great fan of Puthiya Pathai, 30 years later, I would have expected Parthiban to come up with something inventive as he is capable of. 

The movie's hero must be A.R. Rahman who has reinvented himself with exceptional music. The music was definitely different and certainly touched your soul.

This is for adults only. All professionals must watch this film

Congratulations!! Parthiban, I am sure you will come up with another new idea. With your extraordinary sense of humour, I would like to be entertained to a full-fledged comedy.

Rocketry, the Nambi Effect

Essential Scientific History

Rocketry along with Rocket Boys, web series streaming on Sony Liv helps us understand the men behind India's progress in Space.

The progress has been made, thanks to the mavericks. These are the people who were instrumental in creating the ecosystem that has helped us become the Space power we are.

I landed up 15 minutes late for the movie, but going by the reviews, I understand that the scientific terminology could have been better explained.

I found this particular YouTube, found in the bottom of this post,  explanation of the Cryogenic engine illuminating.  It gives you an idea of the challenges beyond the solid and the liquid propellant.

I wish the scriptwriters had taken a leaf out of the first 4 minutes of The Kingdom( The Arab's discovery of OIL and associated history) and given a simple illustration of our Space adventures and also why each of the steps was challenging for a poor country like ourselves.

I think the makers could have gone ahead and dubbed in the actual languages with the subtitles. Would have given more authenticity to the narrative.

However ineffective the first half of the narrative could have been, the 40 or minutes of human drama that unfolded at the end was picture perfect for a layman.

The message reached the audience loud and clear.

There was spontaneous applause at the end of the show.

Congratulations!! Madhavan and team for a wonderful effort

I really hope all the schools take their students to the movie and brainstorm the achievements!!

P.S: Arunan, Dr. Nambi's son-in-law, a part of Nambi's cryogenic is responsible for our Mission to Mars!!! The film makers do not stress this fact overtly in the movie.

A Hero

The Asghar Farhadi movie is streaming on Prime

This is my third film of Farhadi after A Separation and The Salesman.

Farhadi is a master storyteller.

There is palpable tension throughout, and the underlying lament runs right through.

Farhadi's yearning for a kind and compassionate society is as loud as ever.

For the discerning movie viewer, this is a movie that should not be missed.

Vikram

The sweat, blood, and imagination of a passionate filmmaker

There is some truth in the fact that Kamal Hassan dominates every scene of the film in which he acts. Times seem to have changed. 

As I watched the dense narrative unfold, In Vikram, there was the unmistakable lingering presence of Lokesh Kanagaraj, in each and every scene.

Vikram, is a wonderful tribute by a fan for the fan. I guess you could enjoy the movie more if you have followed Kamal's films, especially in Tamil, over these years

The research and diligence are evident. There is a tremendous clarity of the intended product. I found the thought process behind filmmaking fascinating. And everybody seemed to have a lot of fun making the film.

It is a joy to see Kamal after a long time. It is a walk in the park for him. 

The effortlessness of the performance leaves you asking for more.

By the way, it has been a long time since the first-day show had an electric audience response. Just fantastic.

P.S: For a person as competent as Lokesh Kanagaraj, he certainly has the necessary skill sets to make movies without such graphic violence. IT was scary to see young children watching the movie!!! 

Can you kindly keep this in mind Lokesh?

Top Gun: Maverick

A wonderful theatrical experience to be savored on IMAX.

For some reason, I never felt like seeing Top Gun all these years.

After seeing a rating of 97% in rotten tomatoes, with a half a mind I booked tickets for the second installment on the IMAX 

I made sure that I rented the first part on Amazon and saw that first. I was actually disappointed and thought of canceling the tickets, but decided to take the plunge anyway. 

While I was not exactly excited about part 1, it helped me understand the characters, the equations, and the Top Gun ecosystem.

To really enjoy part 2, I strongly recommend that you watch part 1.

This is easily one of the sequels that is better than the first part and the challenge that the Top Guns have to surmount is almost impossible, making it look like one more installment of Mission Impossible has been sneaked in. 

The exhilarating opening sequence to the 

superlative 30-minute long climax is interspersed with solid drama. 

This is a lovely movie that you may never want to miss!!

Kathuvakkula Rendu Kathal(KRK), Tamil Movie

Dumb and Dumber

Looks like the film industry takes the audience completely for granted!!!

KRK mocks the audience, with great zeal, agonizing them with a stupendously long 160 minutes of trash. There are innumerable instances where you ask yourself, what crime have I done to deserve this punishment of watching KRK?

Samantha's eyes twinkling with mischief may be the only saving grace of the film.

By the way, I did have a Eureka moment, I realized that a rich lock of hair on a woman does add a bit more to the feminity!!! (Based on the Comparative hairstyles of Ms. Nayantara and Ms. Samantha)

Strictly for the OTT viewing, where you can savour about 30 minutes of the film in fast-forward mode!!! Even a minute more may be toxic.!!

KGF Chapter 2

A shitload of insensibility

A friend of mine recommended that I see KGF Chapter 1 when it was released several years ago. I was not able to get beyond the first few minutes when it started streaming. And then when I saw Baradwaj Rangan's review yesterday, stating everything was epic about Chapter 2, I decided to take the plunge.

It is true that the KGF franchise is very stylish and technically accomplished and there is an extraordinary amount of hard work.

However, the magnificent production values and the look and feel alone do not contribute to the actual entertainment. A charismatic hero with just intent is able to blaze past his opponents effortlessly. Every scene is probably less than 15 seconds, a false sense of tension accentuated by perpetually loud music. For a movie that is being touted as an action movie, the illusion of an action movie is provided by the EDITOR!!!

The extraordinary violence is very worrying. If this is the kind of work that is one of the biggest grosser of all time, I am extremely concerned about what entertainment has been reduced to. There is no need for any censor board anymore.

Yet if you are interested to see how to make a movie with zero entertainment, feel free to watch KGF Chapter 2.

We are creating a wonderful world for future generations!!!

Godfather

An epitome of Perfection and Excellence

I remember seeing Godfather in Casino, Chennai as an impressionable 15 year old, read it much before  (Wonder how my father even allowed me to see it!!) , and across these years, Godfather has stayed alive, thanks not only to its sequels but also to the zillion variations of the theme, kept alive, by every film director who think  their filmography is  not complete without making a film on the Godfather or the Don or the underworld.

What stood out for me during this viewing?

The writing.

Absence of clutter.

The brilliant opening sequence where Coppola uses the introductory wedding scene to introduce us to all the characters and give us an idea about the Godfather's ecosystem. 

Exceptional acting performances, Intense emotions that get intensified by the phenomenal restraint of the actors.

The lovely colours and the haunting background score, that seemed to have been used like fillers between one scene and the other.

However the true education to me was the importance of lighting. I do not think i ever understood it really well until this helping of the Godfather.

The lighting accentuates the mood, the performance and every frame of the movie to incredibly dizzying levels.

If you are a person who aspires excellence, catch up with Godfather on the big screens.

Eastwood and the last farmer

Look up to them for Inspiration Unlimited

I had a huge injection of inspiration last week. Rocket Boys is reserved for a separate post.

Chances to savour the work and lives of two nonagenarians, one real and another fictional, probably inspired from real life.

Cry Macho.

Clint Eastwood, 92, there is a slouch on the shoulder, the skin has wrinkled and the voice distinctly weak and infirm, yet he is firmly in control of a coherent movie, that he acts, directs and produces. The movie may be for a discerning viewer, but make no mistake, here is someone who at 92, directs a technical fine movie eliciting top class performances from the entire crew. 

Kadisi Vivasayi, The last farmer

Here the fictional nonagenarian, a farmer, Mayaandi, focused on taking care of his farm with single minded devotion. He could care less for the world that is disintegrating around him. His world is woven around his work. Beyond a gaunt and a wooden face, there is a an empathetic core. 

By the way, Kadisi Vivasayi is one of the best movies to come in recent times. The narrative is so simple and the impact is so staggering that it brought the entire crowd on its toes to a standing ovation( the first one to stand up in excitement was my wife!!!). 

I really hope all the professionals and the students see the movie. We live in a confusing world, it is easy to become skeptic and cynical, but the lives of Mayandi and Eastwood are beacons of hope.

Hridayam, Malayalam movie

Straight from the Heart 

A man in love with Chennai transcends the boundaries of the city, to unleash a story of love and forgiveness wrenching our hearts and filling our souls with unalloyed joy, happiness and hope. 

You have seen it all and yet you invest about three hours immersing yourself In the torrent of emotions that presents itself as the narrative unfolds with unforgettable music. Pure Craft.

The film making and the story telling is lifted several notches up by some effortless acting by Darshana Rajendran, Pranav Mohanlal and Kalyani Priyadarshan in that order. 

If you can catch it theatres, do so, it is worth taking a risk!!

Minnal Murali, Malayalam, Streaming on Netflix

Reimagining the Super Hero

Indian cinema has finally arrived. We have probably made a Super Hero film at a fraction of the cost of what it takes Hollywood to make.

A Super Hero film that is not only enjoyable and exhilarating but also poignant!!! Poignancy is a rarity as far as Super Hero films are concerned.

The darkness of Gotham is replaced by a lovely bright and lazy little hamlet.

Every character in the movie is well developed and will be etched in your memory. They are all so real, sweet and relatable. The casting and acting are perfect..

In Drishyam you were drawn and sucked into George Kutty’s world. in Minnal Murali, you become an inhabitant of Kurukkanmoola.  You become a part of a story that seems to meander along in two different streams before they converge. The conflict is set up exquisitely.

Tovino THomas must be one of the most magnanimous actors. In Kalaa, he was vulnerable, in Kaane Kaane, he was guilty. While he is the hero here, he again plays the second fiddle to Guru Somasundaram, the villain. 

The joker character has been adapted to perfection and Guru Somasundaram makes the most of the opportunity.

The Super hero always resonated with the physical! but what Basil Joseph does is to prove that you could implant a lovely little soul!!

P.S:

I pray fervently that they do not do a big budget 3D sequel!!!