Category Archives: Genre

Drama, English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Thriller

Gravity (IMAX 3D)

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Gravity (IMAX 3D) – is a thriller and drama released in 2013.  Dr. Ryan Stone is on her first space shuttle mission with veteran Matt Kowalski to service the Hubble Space Telescope. They get warned by the Mission Control in Houston to abort the mission to escape from the debris of a Russian satellite, however before they escape their space craft is destroyed by debris and Ryan Stone drifts away. The rest of the movie is about did Stone find her crew back and did she reach earth safely?

When I saw the trailer of the movie I wondered how such a plot could have been developed to make an engaging movie. I had to change my opinion after seeing it. Director Alfonso Cuarón has narrated a story of hope and survival when everything seems gloomy. The movie’s plot is not merely a science fiction rather has parallel themes of self-belief, soul searching, meaning of life. Cuarón has done a brilliant work of using the silent and eerie but beautiful space as the background for the conveying the theme. The visual effects are stunning and you have a feel for space exploration and admire the beauty of earth from space. The movie is completely set in space and catches your attention right from the first frame where there is absolute silence. The film covers space exploration in great detail and accuracy barring a few sequences used for creative liberty.  Sandra Bullock has performed very well and this would be one among her best works. Steven Price’s background score takes the audience through an emotional ride in otherwise silent space. Overall, if you are a fan of movies like Cast Away, Life of Pi which is not merely an adventure tale but deals with hope, survival and soul searching then Gravity is a Must Watch. If you don’t connect to the philosophical theme of the plot then you would feel this is nothing more than a IMAX show of space exploration.

Must Watch – for lovers of space movies and survival stories!

Drama, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Romance, Tamil Movies

Raja Rani

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Raja Rani – a Tamil Romance film released in 2013.  John and Regina enter a married life unwillingly for the sake of their family to only make their everyday life a hell. It is later revealed that the reason for their unwillingness and detachment is that they are not able to come out of their past love failure and loss from it. Do they realize that there is life after breakup which could be better is the rest of the plot.

Atlee coming from Shankar’s school has done a very neat job for a debut director. He has tried to recreate the magic Mouna Raagam after 27 years and has been fairly successful in his attempt. Though the story is a old school romantic drama template the screenplay makes it look still fresh. Atlee should be given credit for the using innovative sequences to move the story that has been told many a times. The movie is thoroughly enjoyable.. it will make you laugh and cry as the characters go through the roller coaster of situations in their life. GV Prakash has done a neat job with the background score. Couple of shortfalls –  One, at times they have taken creative liberty to move the story to a desired sequence and other the message of good life existing beyond break ups have been repeated by almost every character which could have been avoided. If you are willing to ignore such minor glitches you will enjoy Raja Rani.

Must Watch – for all those who love Romantic drama!

 

Drama, Genre, Hindi Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Romance

The Lunchbox

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The Lunchbox – is a Hindi drama released in 2013. A mistaken delivery of a lunchbox (dabba) by the dabbawala service in Mumbai helps an unhappy house wife Ila and an about to retire government servant and widower Saajan discover love and a soul mate in each other, when they start exchanging letters through the dabba.

The movie is not a fairy tale although the plot might seem like a stereo typical romance tale. The movie is very close to real life and many a times the audience would feel the “bite” of reality in the lunchbox. Irrfan Khan does a brilliant role as an old man about to retire. His body language, habits and everything he does convinces you of his portrayed age. Nimrat Kaur has performed decently. The characters of Nawazuddin Siddiqui, a shameless young man getting trained as a successor for Irrfan, the aunty living in the top floor of Nimrat advising her like an oracle are brilliantly woven into the screenplay to reflect the various emotions the lead characters go through.  The director Ritesh Batra deserves a lot of credit for making a movie that stands out from the usual larger than life bollywood flicks and that captures the glimpse of life as it is. Cinematography by Michael Simmonds and music by Max Ritcher makes you feel that you are in midst of Mumbai witnessing the event… simply brilliant. Overall the lunchbox is served with mixed flavors of happiness and sadness in everyday life and it does not serve you dessert 🙂 The movie would do well with multiplex audience but may not appeal beyond the multiplexes as there are many dialogues in English. If you liked movies like Lost in Translation then this one is a must watch for you….!

Must Watch – for serious movie lovers

Comedy, Genre, Hindi Movies, Rating, Reviews, Romance, Wait for DVD/TV

Shuddh Desi Romance

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Shuddh Desi Romance – is a Hindi romantic comedy film released in 2013. The plot deals with the confusions in the minds of the present day youngsters about marriage and commitment.  Raghu a tourist guide meets Gayatri an open minded independent girl on the previous night of his wedding and likes her. He elopes from the wedding stage just before his wedding ceremony. Later he meets Gayatri and both of them start a live in relationship which eventually leads to wedding. But few minutes before their wedding Gayatri runs away. What happened to Raghu after that, Did Gayatri come back? Were they able to change their perception on wedding is the remaining story.

Yash Raj Films comes out with yet another bold concept of live in relationship that is not often talked about widely in Indian families. Director Maneesh Sharma has used Baraat and Wedding planner backdrop which worked for him in Band Baaja Baarat to convey the story. It is not just a romantic comedy film but has a strong take on the confused mind of present day youngsters regarding commitment. Maneesh should be praised for taking up such a concept. However once the lead characters get into live-in relationship the movie slows down and he has used intimate scenes as the mode to move the story which makes it sluggish.  Shushant Singh Rajput and Parineeti Chopra has played their part well. Many of the audience might find Shuddh Desi Romance to be “adult”-e-“rated” because of the concept it deals with.  Overall the movie is different for the new plot and the actual problem that is bothering the current younger generation, however due to the lack of substance in the screenplay you might find it slow. It might make a good watch in TV or DVD.

Wait for TV/DVD – for the plot

Comedy, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies, Wait for DVD/TV

Sonna Puriyathu

Sonna Puriyathu – a Tamil Comedy movie released in 2013. The plot deals with the common problem of bachelors who have apprehensions about getting married.  Shiva a dubbing artist wants doesn’t believe in marriage while his mother forces him to get married. She tries to fix his marriage with Anjali who seems to be very orthodox. When Shiva tries varioud ways to cancel the wedding he finds that Anjali also does not believe in marriage and is trying to cancel the wedding. The rest of the story is about how their relationship develops and did they change their opinion about marriage.

Director Krishnan Jayaraj has used comedy as the flavor to tell the story. Coming from Tamizh Padam fame CS Amudhan’s school and with Shiva in the lead this is a given. The subject is very niche and many of the audience may not have connected well to the actual problem. Also the director has used various techniques to keep the audience laughing which again lightens the actual intensity of the problem and the story wavers around incidents which may not be relevant to the plot. Shiva’s template script and he has done what he usually does. Overall the movie is not bad it would make a good watch on TV and may make you laugh even if you do not connect to the plot.

Wait for TV/DVD 

Action, Comedy, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies, Wait for DVD/TV

Pattathu Yaanai

Pattathu Yaanai – is a tamil action comedy movie released in 2013. Five cooks create enmity with a  local rowdy in Karaikudi and move to Trichy to setup their business and lead a peaceful life. But with the turn of events they get entangled into a gang war in the city. How they get out of it and setup a peaceful life is the rest of the story.

The movie has the usual elements that you would have seen in many of the commercial entertainers that cash in on the star value of the lead actor. Boopathy Pandian who is known for his commercial script writing and direction of movies like Devadhaiyai Kanden, Thiruvilayadal Arambam has once again created a script that  is entertaining in most of the parts. At the end of the movie what stands out is its comedy than its action. Once the movie switches into action mode you find that there is nothing new in it. The plot was different and had all ingredients in it to become a good slap stick comedy but fizzles out with its dose of action. Even the characters seem to be confused if they are part of a comedy film or an action film. Vishal has done a decent job, Aiswarya Arjun needs to work on her acting skills, Santhanam has yet again made a movie more enjoyable. Overall the movie is not bad and would make a good watch and make you laugh at various points in time, thanks to Santhanam. It would be a good watch on TV/DVD.

Wait for TV/DVD – for its comedy elements

Comedy, Drama, Genre, Hindi Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro – is a Hindi satirical comedy film released in 1983. Two photographers get involved in bringing a construction scam to light in association with a press editor. As they start gathering evidence they realize that the number of people involved in the scam keeps increasing.

The movie is filled with satirical comedy that is relevant even in the present day scenario as well. The screenplay is still enjoyable even though it has been taken in 1983. The cast ensemble is very phenomenal as you would see in the initial credits many of the names have gone a long way to influence Bollywood in their own areas all these years. The highlight of the movie is its climax where in the characters become part of the Mahabharata stage play and it is a ROFL comedy that would be evergreen forever. The movie is known for its ending which you may not see in many of the comedy movies. The movie has become a cult classic and still has many followers. Recently the movie has been digitally remastered and released. You can buy the DVD and watch it and do share your comments with me.

Must Watch – for a brilliant screenplay!

 

Comedy, Genre, Hindi Movies, Rating, Reviews, Romance, Wait for DVD/TV

Nautanki Saala

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Nautanki Saala – is a romantic comedy film released in 2013. The story is based on a French movie Après Vous. Ram is a talented theater artist who has the nature of carrying his theatrical skills into real life to help people. One night he comes across Mandar who is trying to commit suicide. He saves him and takes up the responsibility to rebuild his life. They become friends and the movie is about how their friendship builds, the problem they run into and how they solve it.

I am a fan of Rohan Sippy’s movies like Bluff master, Dum Maaro Dum. Nautanki Saala has many of the ingredients of a Rohan Sippy movie. It has got wonderful sets, great songs and a new canvas for the plot. The concept of the movie is absolutely brilliant where the real life incidents relate to the scenes in the theatrical play of Ramayan. The characters bring real life to reel life and reel life to real life to solve their problems. However the movie misses the usual punch. With cast like Ayushman Khuranna and Kunaal Roy Kapoor coming from Vicky Donor and Delhi Belly respectively you expect a ROFL comedy. However the movie is able to do this only in parts and it slows down during the build up phase. Ayushman’s acting is bit flat as there is no much variation as the characters go through the emotional turmoil. Kunaal Roy Kapoor is a treat to watch he has a done a great job, the scenes involving him are hilarious. The adaptation to Indian scenario could have been done a little bit better with respect to the sets they look a tad bit foreign. Overall this movie definitely has something in it and deserves a one time watch. It is coming up on TV this weekend watch it if you are in a mood for a light romantic comedy.

Wait for DVD/TV – for its Novelty

Action, Can Skip it, Drama, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies

Thalaivaa

Thalaivaa – is a Tamil action drama starring Vijay. The story is about a youngster Vishwa who takes up the role of a local leader and don saving people living in the slum after learning about his father’s past and his assassination.

Director AL Vijay had a powerful story line inspired from movies like God Father, Nayagan and Sarkar (Hindi) which is tailor made for Vijay’s mass value. However the movie’s screenplay is a big let down and goes all over the place. The crux of the story is about Vishwa’s father his values and how his deeds and eventuality leads Vishwa to become an inspirational leader. However more than 90 minutes of the movie does not deal with this which is a huge distraction. Due to this the impact of the characters and the problem they are fighting for doesn’t stay with the audience throughout. You would feel that it is a combination of many of the Vijay’s earlier movies into one. Ardent Vijay fans would enjoy watching this as it has all the necessary ingredients that is present in all Vijay movies and there are few sequences that are done very well, for all others this would be a forgettable movie.

Can skip it – unless you are a Vijay Fan!

English Movies, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Thriller, Worth a Watch

Trance

Trance – is a British thriller film released in 2013. Simon, an art auctioneer steals a painting along with his colleagues. While performing the heist he gets hit and loses his memory as of where he has kept the painting. His accomplice Frank employ a hypnotherapist help to get his memory back. Did they succeed in finding the lost painting is the rest of the plot.

The movie is directed by Danny Boyle. It is a psychological thriller that demands some serious viewing as there are dream sequences and real life time line with time line shifts. Without a serious viewing you might miss out on the plot. The screenplay is engaging right from the beginning. The director has been successful in maintaining the curiosity of the audience right from the word go. As the search for the painting continues there is a complex love triangle evolving between Simon, Elizabeth (the hypnotherapist) and Frank and the plot gets complex and unravels facts that lead to the end of the movie. If you are a fan of psychological thriller then you would love this movie, it is different and the plot is complex yet brilliant. The movie is R rated for its adult content.

Watchable – for all psychological thriller fans and those who love movies with a twist…!

Comedy, Genre, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies, Worth a Watch

Thillu Mullu 2

Thillu Mullu 2 – is a remake of the 1981 classic Rajinikant starrer Thillu Mullu. The new one stars Shiva in the lead role, Isha Talwar playing his love interest, Prakash Raj playing the father of Isha Talwar.

It is hard to not keep comparing the remake with its original. If you were to compare it you may not be convinced with the output. If you were to treat this as a movie on its own merits then you would find there are enjoyable parts in the new one as well. The movie turns out to be a slap stick comedy and spoof of original in some parts. This might be because of the casting choice of Shiva playing the lead role and his previous outings. For the script they could have chosen a action hero who hadn’t done much of comedy scripts. Shiva has done a decent job, however he should be careful not getting stereotyped into the role. Prakash Raj and Kovai Sarala has done neat job in their roles. The introduction of Santhanam in the climax was a good improvisation and some good thinking. This is a much better attempt at the remake compared to Bol Bachchan. Overall if you aren’t comparing this with its original and treat the movie on its own merit as a slap stick comedy you would not regret watching it.

Watchable – for fans of slap stick comedy

Genre, Rating, Reviews, Romance, Tamil Movies, Thriller, Worth a Watch

Maryan

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Maryan – is a tamil thriller movie featuring Dhanush and directed by Bharatbala. The movie is a dramatized version of a real incident where in a man from a fisherman colony owing to financial pressure goes to Sudan to work on a 2 year contract in construction industry. At the end of the tenure he is looking forward to meet the love of his life whom he had to leave when he left for Sudan. In a strange turn of events he is abducted by terrorists in Sudan desert. The rest of the movie is about his attempt to get out of the situation and return home.

This is the first commercial outing for Bharatbala who is known for creating some amazing patriotic videos including the famous Vande mataram with AR Rahman. He has done a decent job by not falling too much into the commercial elements just for the sake of it and let the story travel on its own weight. Dhanush and Parvathi menon should be lauded for their performances and they have tried to stay up to the demands of their characters. A R Rahman’s background score and cinematography by Marc Koninckx has been the highlight of the movie and will stay in your mind even after you leave the hall. The hallucination scene involving cheetah in the desert and the underwater sequences are brilliant visualizations! 20 years back Maniratnam did an adaptation of the mythological story “Satyavan – Savitri” in Roja, he painted the story in the canvas of terrorism in Kashmir. Now Bharatbala has done the same in Maryan and the canvas he has chosen is terrorists in Sudan desert . Overall the attempt is a successful one. The way of story telling might appear to be disconnected as the director doesn’t spend time in stating the obvious and moves on. The other area where he could have done better is during the characterization build up of the lead characters and other supporting cast. Leaving too many things to assumptions might have people disengaged… Overall you can’t skip Maryan for it has lots to offer than its few limitations…!

Watchable – for a different story, brilliant cinematography and apt music!