Amélie (2001)

The movie is a simple feel good tale about a goodhearted but very introverted young lady called Amelie who helps all the people around her by giving them the small pleasures in life. But she takes a long time to finally get united with her love, due to her uncertain and shy ways with him. Finally, the movie ends in harmony for all the characters involved which brings a smile on the lips for sure.

The narration style, the beautiful BGM score replete with accordions and harmonicas and the way Paris has been captured in a very realistic manner make Amelie a very endearing movie. There are many characters and due to the non-linear style, sometimes it becomes tough to follow the movie but it falls in place pretty soon.

All the support characters have a cute role in the proceedings but all of them turn out to be depressing and sad until Amelie turns around their life. Lucien stands out though with his 'life is beautiful' attitude. The failed writer is another optimistic character.

Audrey Tautou as Amelie is uber cute and charming with her hairdo and lovely smile. Perfect makeover that suits her role. The young Amelie is also unbelievably beautiful and her reactions are so natural.

FINAL WORD: Simple feelgood movie with many characters and a slow moving screenplay. Endearing nevertheless.

Thaandavam review

2.25 / 5

The movie starts off showing Vikram as Kenny, a blind man who practices echolocation to navigate around his vicinity. At nights, he is on a mission to take revenge on five people, one after the other. Who are these people? Why is Kenny blind in the first place? What's his motive behind these killings? What's his past life? All these questions are answered over the course of this long drawn out movie. The movie has a huge ensemble cast and is shot in London mostly.

Cheers

• Vikram in his blind avatar is likable. The echolocation touches are good. Audience are clicking their tongues in the interval and after the movie. Shows the impact! As the RAW officer Shiva, his age shows though he looks elegant thanks to his well groomed ways.
• The bare body fight in the first half is awesome though short. The other fights are also tough and intense on screen. 
• Santhanam is refreshing. Wish he had a bigger part in the proceedings as the taxi driver ... Nassar as a Srilankan Tamil and his IPAD obsession are also interesting
• Vikram Anushka relationship is different .. It starts from marriage and proceeds to friendship and love ... Oru Paadhi Kadhavu, the song which shows their relationship developing is the only nice song on screen

Jeers

• Long drawn out .. dragging
• Just a revenge story with betrayal thrown in. 
• Some logical loopholes which revealed, might give out the plot. On the whole, it's just so easy for the hero to find out what's going wrong around him. 
• Uyirin Uyire song towards the end is totally needless
• Graphics is tacky at places particularly the interval block when the car falls into the river
• In the climax, Vikram gets a royal bashing with a huge metal rod repeatedly, but nothing happens to the hero. Typical Tamil cinema. 

Comments

• Technically rich thanks to the colorful London visuals
• Amy has a cute role though two songs for her at the start, are unwarranted. Her antics as she prepares for the beauty pageant are pretty laugh-worthy. 
• Lakshmi Rai and the guy who plays Kenny (notoriously similar to Vikram) have a solid role in the proceedings towards the second half. Their roles are short though. 
• Jagapathy Babu has a huge role and he is just about average. 
• The marriage scenes in the first half might appeal to families. 

FINAL WORD

Long drawn out revenge story. Strict one time watch. 

Friends with Benefits (2011)

This is a typical rom-com (chick flick) where a young pair (friends too) starts off by just having sex without any emotional involvement. It's not long before feelings of love and longing crop up. They get separated for a brief while but in the end, the pair believes that they are made for each other, typically.

Mila Kunis is absolutely ravishing and cute. Timberlake is suave and neat. The film has some nice supporting characters like the gay office colleague, the heroine's wavering mom, the hero's family comprising his Alzheimer's affected father, sister and nephew.

The film has its moments thanks to the above mentioned support characters and the chemistry between the lead. The film has a lot of sex scenes but none of them is steamy or sleazy.

They have even put down other rom-coms, only to end up being yet another cheesy rom-com. Watchable anyway.

FINAL WORD: Just another chick-flick and an antidote for boredom. 

Chaarulatha review

1.5 / 5

The Plot
After being in the news for being about conjoined twins, Charulatha released recently. It is about two conjoined twins Charu (calm) and Latha (more outspoken) who are at peace with each other for more than 20 years until they fall in love with the same man (Ravi). After this, possessiveness and jealousy play spoilsport.

Only one of them is able to live on and be close to Ravi while the other becomes a haunted spirit in their family home. There is a suspense twist regarding the sister who is alive which gets revealed in the second half. This twist isn't shocking.

In the end, does the spirit lay to rest and does the other sister live with Ravi are issues that the movie resolves.

Cheers

• Novelty factor - being about conjoined twins. The VFX for these scenes are also pretty neat. The scenes around the violin lessons are good. 
• Priyamani's performance particularly in the last 20 mins

Jeers

• Snail paced screenplay save the finale
• Boring most of the way
• Bad songs except the title credits song
• Shoddy BGM by Sundar C Babu which lets down the horror and thrill quotient. 
• Irritating comedy track featuring a fat young boy and the obese Arthi. 
• Uninspiring hero. He retains a constipated look most of the times. 
• Tacky graphics especially the scenes involving the priest and his poojas.  
• Not scary enough. The same template repeats often.

FINAL WORD

Save the finale of the movie, it is pretty boring and lethargic. Catch it on TV ...

Heroine review

2 / 5

Madhur Bhandarkar is known for his movies which have more than a mere account of real life incidents. He works based on such dramatic incidents and for this movie he has chosen Bollywood as his ground. Initially planned with Aishwarya Rai, Heroine comes today with Kareena Kapoor as its face.  

This flick is the fictional account of Mahi Arora, an impulsive, bipolar and eccentric actress who just can’t handle the workings of the industry. The influx of newcomers, her personal affairs, the manipulative ways of the industry etc. disturb her to no end and she takes solace in alcohol and tobacco. All her moves to stay in the limelight and to prove that she is still a salable name, are the crux of this Madhur Bhandarkar movie.

The movie has excessive doses of drama and theatrics. All the clichés that we have read about Bollywood like gay designers (this is getting too much), MMS scandals, egotistic superstars, back-bitching heroines, and alcohol and cigarette addiction among stars have been detailed in this movie. We even have a cricketer who dates Mahi for awhile while Mahi also casually comments about starting an IPL team after her film career fades off. We already know the above thanks to the media and there is nothing new that we haven’t read or heard before. Talk of shallow research by the director.

The movie also suffers due to the very limited entertainment that it offers. A similar movie that released in late 2011, ‘The Dirty Picture’ was a runaway hit as it had adequate doses of entertainment mixed with drama. Here just the drama element shines through.

All this said Kareena Kapoor sizzles! She looks fab and hot to say the least and confidently carries herself in short revealing clothes in scene after scene. Her fan base is sure to increase post this movie. But the looks are just one part. Her acting is also spectacular. We have seen her as the bubbly young girl in many films but in the tight close-ups in this movie, she shows some serious caliber in no uncertain terms. Towards the end, she arrests the audience’s attention as she watches all the frenzy unfold post the MMS scandal.

There are many good support characters like Arjun Rampal as superstar Aryan who has an on-off relationship with Mahi. Randeep Hooda as the Indian cricket team’s vice captain, Angad Paul, though a blatant caricature of Virat Kohli, is adequate as well.

Shahana Goswami as the Bengali actress in a low budget movie that Mahi works in, scorches in the few scenes she comes in. That suggestive lesbian scene between her and Kareena is unwarranted though. Ranveer Shorey is a riot too, as the Bengali film director who directs this low budget movie about prostitutes.

Helen as the aging actress with whom Mahi empathizes is earnest and endearing. There are other notable characters too like Mahi’s ruthless PR played by Divya Dutta and her longtime loyal secretary. There are more glamorous women and men playing the other stars while Sanjay Suri as superstar Abbas Khan is a horrible caricature of Shahrukh Khan.

As said before, the movie’s entertainment is limited and the song Halkat Ki Jawani is among the very few such enjoyable sequences. But Kareena’s gracious skin show may also be considered as entertainment for the male masses. In fact, ‘Heroine’ has skin show all over it.

Salim – Sulaiman are in charge of the music and just one recurring theme is repeated in the movie’s BGM score.

The movie has a lot of glitz and glamour and hence each frame is rich and glossy. A rich production, it sure is.

On the whole, Heroine owes whatever little it has to Kareena Kapoor. This is a lifetime performance by the feisty actress and she turns out to be the only consolation in a slow paced movie. If only the drama and stereotypes had been reduced, the movie could have offered a bit more than just a solid Kareena performace

VERDICT: Kareena Kapoor is a sensational ‘heroine’; but the movie as a whole is ridden with clichés and too much drama.

Paagan review

2 / 5 

Just the story of a wayward youngster who mends his ways and settles in his business as well as in life with his desired girl. There are obstacles that he creates for himself thanks to his selfish money-making ways in the beginning. The novelty aspect is the fact that the story is narrated through the hero's cycle which is his dearest possession. 

Cheers

• Srikanth looks really handsome, dashing and brings out a much improved show compared to his previous movies. This can be counted as his best, in fact.
• The movie has healthy comedy thanks to Suri and Pandi. The comedy drags at just a few places in the start. 
• As said before, the cycle narration is really novel. It brings a smile for sure. They could have tied up with a cycle manufacturer and made some money. This humble vehicle has been positioned so desirably. 
• The scene of action is filled with greenery which is pleasing (supposedly Pollachi)

Jeers

• Why did they blast the cycle in the end? Maybe the director didn't have a clue as to how to end the movie. 
• Certain sentimental sojourns after the interval look inserted just for the sake of it. 
• The songs just come as time fillers. Could have been avoided. 

Comments

• Kovai Sarala is typical as always. Loud and funny at times
• Janani Iyer is strictly OK. Her dressing varies between stylish and downright ordinary. 

FINAL WORD

Typical coming of age story of a young man told through his cycle. Light hearted entertainer.

Maalai Pozhudhin Mayakathilaey review

The movie has an experimental plot wherein most of the action happens inside a coffee shop on a very rainy evening. The people inside the shop are forced to sit inside as the weather outside is just extreme.

A young man named Ajay encounters an angelic young girl named Jiya and they strike up a conversation naturally and talk about a whole lot of things akin to the lead pair of Before Sunrise and Before Sunset.

A young married couple is also there trying to save their sinking marriage while a writer also sits thinking of some inspiration to get started.

We also have the shop manager trying to handle an irritating flirty waiter and another poor waiter who is struggling to make ends meet.

Whether the married couple sort things out and whether some magic happens between Jiya and Ajay. Watch MPM if you feel like.

Cheers

• The angelic Shubha Phutela has an arresting face. She is so serene. Tejasvini is another luscious woman who demands attention. 
• The hero Aari is also very charming and natural.
• The movie's songs by Achu are beautiful to say the least
• The moments between the lead pair are bearable particularly the fairy-tale like climax. 

Jeers

• Snail's pace is an understatement. Monotony also sets in pretty early. 
• Gets preachy a lot of times as the people just keep talking and talking. 
• All the songs have been picturized like music videos inspired from the West.
• The flirty waiter is a major irritant so is the writer and the forlorn Subbu Panchu as the manager. 

FINAL WORD

Save the two beautiful woman and the charming lead man, this movie is a true test of patience. The romance works at places though.

Eppadi Manasukkul Vandhai review

The Plot
Yet another movie where a hero (Cheenu) from the streets falls in love with a beautiful unsuspecting girl (Mithra). The hero is unkempt and looks like trash yet the girl trusts him and even lets him live with him at a point of time. He somehow gets admission into a happening fashion institute which is named LIFT (???).

He has to contend with Mithra's close friend Sam (who also lives in the same apartment with Mithra). Sam also treats him as a good friend until one foolish move by Cheenu makes Sam see red, justifiably too. Poor Sam loses his life too as Cheenu just can't control his manic rage.

Now the killer has to save his ass. He manages somehow and turns into a full fledged rogue as he keeps eluding detectives and a cunning policeman. You don't empathize or root for this hero one bit.

Cheers

• The heroine Tanvi Vyas looks luscious. Super figuru pa !!!. She is the only reason you might even want to tolerate this flick. She sucks at acting though particularly the serious scenes. 
• Spunky show by Irfan. The hero's poor friend also provides a bit of fun during the initial 'dhobi' scenes.
• The film picks up some interest as we realize that this guy Cheenu is a killer but after that nothing garners our attention.  

Jeers

• The hero Vishwa though physically capable and decent at emoting just doesn't impress thanks to his shaggy dirty style and irritating voice. His characterization doesn't score any brownie points unlike some of Tamil cinema's earlier psycho / eccentric lovers. 
• The scenes showing the hero's extra-ordinary intuitive capabilities are again a big "kaadhula pooo"
• Too many songs with most of them being lackluster, particularly the 'kuthu' numbers. Baffling positioning too. 

Comments

• The plot and screenplay have a huge resemblance to Naan, which released a few days after this. Naan scored but this sucks almost. 

FINAL WORD

Partly interesting, has a super doll as the heroine but the shaggy hero and the logical liberties make this movie an ordeal towards the end. 

Mathil Mel Poonai music review

2 / 5

Music Director: Ganesh Raghavendra

The soundtrack of this film already has some hype thanks to the Chennai anthem sung by STR. Ganesh Raghavendra, of Renigunta fame, has scored the music for this Vijay Vasanth, Vibhaa starrer.

Manasa Thirudiya

Tippu

This is a refreshing melody with classical touches and a catchy dholak beat. The santoor has also been used prominently. Tippu has given a nice expressive performance for this one with the humming bits and the portions where he sings the ‘swaras’ standing out. 

Vandharai Vazhavaikum

Simbu

This is the much publicized Chennai anthem sung by STR. The lyrics capture the spirit of the city pretty well like some of the similar attempts like ‘Vanakkam Vazhavaikkum’ from Marina. The violin in the first interlude is a nice touch and the song is catchy on the whole. The rhythm and pace of the song are infectious but, it has traces of a similar number sung by STR for the composer’s Renigunta. The guitar riff that comes throughout the song has a nice ring to it.

Oru Poo Pookiradhu

Harini,Harish Raghavendra

Starts off with elegant guitar notes and proceeds with nice beats and auto-tune effects. Though nothing special, the song is good to listen to. Harish Raghavendra brings some style to his rendition while Harini sounds sweet even after so many years. The second interlude stands out from the general pleasant mood that the song creates.

Irulai Katti Vai

Abilash, Lawrance

This number has a mystic presentation with the vocals in low pitch giving it a surreal feel. The English verses interspersed at places, the rap portions, the quirky sound effects etc. make it an interesting attempt. Should be an impressive montage on screen!   

  

Rathathin Nuraiya

Satyan, T L Maharajan

Another serious number which is fast paced. This is probably another montage number which might work on screen. The vocals are earnest and vociferous. The song suddenly shifts to being pleasant in the second interlude thanks to the female humming and piano notes before getting dramatic again.  

FINAL WORD: Not a bad attempt at all. Has an interesting mix and match of numbers - two melodies, two serious tracks and the Chennai anthem for the masses.

Unforgiven (1992)

William Munny is a dreaded killer who has gone sober due to the influence of his dead wife and two kids, and is now a pig farmer. He isn't exactly prospering and is forced to choose an assignment where he would get some money. He has to kill a couple of cowboys who had cut up a whore in Big Whiskey, Wyoming. This place is controlled by a dictator like guy called Little Bill who doesn't allow outsiders to come in with firearms. The other whores are ready to pay 1000$ for anyone who can kill those two cowboys.

William is accompanied by his old partner, Ned and a young and vulnerable man named 'The Schofield Kid', who actually brings the job to Will in the first place.

Do the trio manage to kill the couple of cowboys and get their share of the money? Do they return back home safe or is there loss of life? Watch the flick to find out.

The film is shot very well thanks to the scenic locations and the constant rain effects. The movie moves along slowly though the plot is setup very early.

Towards the end, old Clint lords over the movie with his brooding screen presence, punch lines and aggressive swagger. Morgan Freeman as Ned Logan makes a big mark as the loyal partner who will stay by Will at all times. Gene Hackman is terrific as the dreadful Little Bill. You just start hating this man due to his demonic ways. Jaimz Woolvett as the vulnerable disrespectful young brat who later realizes that the 'killing' life is not meant for him, is impressive too.

The movie has a simple revenge plot and it really picks up only in the end. The movie is a bit over-rated I believe. Anyway anything that is directed, acted and produced by the legendary Clint Eastwood automatically becomes special. The movie won 4 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. Anything for Clint!

Sundarapandian review

2.25 / 5

The Plot
Sundarapandian (from Theni) is a jobless do-gooder who plays the match-maker for one of his close friends, as the latter is madly in love with Archana (from the opposing Usilampatti). The film moves entertainingly as the heroine is bowled over by our dashing and forthright hero and not by his shy friend. Parotta Suri also adds to the fun with his comments at the perfect time.

But, Archana is not left alone by another of her mad pursuers named Bhuvanesh. Sundarapandian warns him but to no avail and he later gets into big trouble because of a freak fatal accident involving Bhuvanesh. Now, his love with Archana is also on the rocks due to his jail sentence and also because one of his former college friend is mad about her and is even engaged to her.

How Sundarapandian handles all his friends and how he goes about getting Archana is the rest of the movie.

Cheers

• Good entertainment most of the way thanks to the comedy by Parotta Suri. His comments are sharp and on the mark.
• The ways and means of elderly women in villages have also been showed well. Sarcastic commets by Suri add to the fun. 
• Lakshmi Menon is a find for sure. She is tall, homely and emotes well. 
• Appukutty has a major role in the scheme of things. He brings in the conflict element in the script. Very convincing. 
• Sundarapandian's father is majestic and commanding. He in fact has two wives. The elder women, Archana's Chithi, Archana's mate are the other notable characters 

Jeers

• The violence towards the end becomes sick. How in a fair world did this movie manage to get a clean U certificate? Baffling
• The songs are also not special especially the boring intro song for Sasikumar
• The finale of the movie has a heavy Subramaniapuram and Nadodigal hangover with betrayal, violence and sermons thrown into the mix. Though the buildup to the ending is fine, the violence just puts you off

Comments

• Sasikumar pulls it off as expected. Nothing different. Vijay Sethupathi has just a minuscule role, sadly. The other friend who is madly behind Archana has a crucial role all through. 

FINAL WORD

Will enjoy a solid run inspite of not being different. Typical rural romance drama with lots of emotions running through. The finale could have been better. 

Barfi review

4 / 5

Barfi, caught the eye thanks to its poetic trailer and beautiful songs. Ranbir’s deaf and mute act, Priyanka’s autistic character and Ileana’s Bollywood debut ensured that Barfi carried huge pre-release hype. Director Anurag Basu is also known for his meaningful movies despite his previous failure, Kites.

Set majorly in Darjeeling, Barfi centers on the lead character that spreads happiness in whatever he does. Despite being deaf and mute, his charisma and cute antics, just floor the women. Shruti (Ileana), engaged to another rich man, is bowled over by Barfi when she comes to Darjeeling but their love doesn’t bear fruition due to the obvious social and physical challenges that Barfi has. At that point, he also happens to give refuge to the autistic Jhilmil (Priyanka) who doesn’t have understanding parents. Barfi also has to constantly handle a policeman’s (played by Saurabh Shukla) pursuits for reasons ranging from petty theft to alleged kidnapping.

Does Barfi find true love, what happens to the two women in his life and whether he is allowed to live in peace by the police force and other influential people? Rush to a nearby theater to experience all this and more.  

The initial romance track between Ranbir and Ileana is sheer poetry. Though there are traces of ‘The Notebook’, the director just sways you along with his presentation. The clock scene is one such gem.

The movie is also rich in comedy thanks to Ranbir’s amazing versatility at buffoonery. He is able to entertain hands-down with his Jim Carrey type antics. The kidnapping act at Jhilmil’s house, the chase scenes between Barfi and the policeman, the bank robbery, Jhilmil’s escapades with Barfi etc. are all replete with humor.

It takes tremendous guts for a top notch glam queen like Priyanka Chopra to go totally offbeat. A really tough role pulled off convincingly. She has pushed the bar higher for sure. Ileana has a dream debut and she turns out to be quite the charmer in the 1972 and 1978 scenes. Her large ‘bindi’ goes very well with her elegant sarees and she personifies a Bengali woman perfectly.

And the man Ranbir Kapoor is a true once in a lifetime performer. His ease at histrionics, emoting, entertaining, his charm, his looks etc. make him a total package. Barfi owes a lot of its class to this powerhouse performer who is now firmly on top of the actors’ honor list. He is among those rare favorites among both the men and women.

Barfi is also brilliant technically with all the departments working in perfect synergy to ensure the director’s vision being translated flawlessly. The movie’s BGM score is replete with violins, accordions, pianos and it just blows you away. In fact we have three people playing these instruments in the movie itself as the scenes play out. Recently, we had the 2011 French movie ‘The Artist’ which had a mesmerizing soundtrack. Now, Barfi is a worthy contender in the soundtrack department. Goosebumps galore at many places!

Pritam’s songs are again top-notch. They gel with the script, are rich in melody, instrumentation and perfectly complement the movie. This is a landmark in Pritam’s career as well.

Ravi Varman’s frames are picture perfect. The movie has a green, yellow color theme to symbolize vibrancy and happiness. The locations have also been captured in all their pristine beauty. A momentous show from the ace cinematographer!

The art department also makes sure that the setting is authentic. The Darjeeling toy trains, the Calcutta trams etc. have been nicely portrayed. 

And despite the movie having some physically challenged characters, there is hardly any scope for melodrama save some very intense scenes. Laudable!

On the downside, maybe we can point out its length and slow pace towards the climax. These are just minor blips in an otherwise noble attempt.

Once in a blue moon, arrives a magical movie that just blows you away with its sheer beauty and brilliance. This Anurag Basu creation, acted brilliantly by Ranbir Kapoor is one such must watch experience.

FINAL WORD: Barfi is sweet, beautiful and magical; with Ranbir Kapoor being its pinnacle.  

Pizza music review

2 / 5

Music: Santhosh Narayanan

Cast: Vijay Sethupathi, Ramya Nambeesan

Director: Karthik Subburaj

Producer: C.V. Kumar

Interestingly titled, Pizza features the music score of Santhosh Narayanan, who is busy with a string of music releases over the past few months. Expected to be a thriller, Pizza had its music launched recently. Now, an analysis of its music!  

Mogathirai

Singer: Pradeep

Lyric: Kabilan

We have come to expect such songs from the composer thanks to his previous releases, Attakathi and Uyirr Mozhi. Gentle vocals accompanied by pleasant guitar strums and later a subtle drum beat. The piano, cello and accordion also make a brief appearance. The lethargic pace of the song might put you to sleep.

Mogathirai Prelude

Performed by: Phil Hartl, Quartet

Nice attempt at the Western Classical genre with strings, which is mesmerizing. This one is a rare piece considering the general music that pervades the Tamil film industry.

Rathiri (Decent Version)

Singer: Haricharan 

Lyricist: Arun Raja

A club number with prominent violin accompaniments. Sounds like some of the English pop songs that came few decades back. It might impress the youth who go club-hopping. A different number for Haricharan, who is used to peppy melodies and he has tried to imbibe SPB’s style for similar Tamil dance numbers in the 80s.

Rathiri (Arath Version)

Singer: Haricharan 

Lyricist: Arun Raja

This one also has a retro feel with not much difference in the sound arrangement compared to the previous version, save some accordion additions. The usage of Rajini’s punch dialogues from Annamalai in both the versions makes a mark. The song has been credited to Haricharan but the vocals sound markedly different.  

Rathiri (Rap Version)

Singers: Haricharan, Arun Raja, Santhosh Narayanan, Vineeth

Lyricists: Arun Raja, Vineeth

This is yet another version of the same song with the mandatory hip-hop rap portions thrown into the mix. 

Pizza Theme … CHEERS

Singer: Brinda 

Performed by: Phil Hartl, Quartet

Serene bell chimes and piano notes give this theme a surreal and haunting beginning. The theme picks up pulsating pace with impressive violin notes and gives us an impression that Pizza might be an engaging thriller. Well done theme which is all set for repeat mode in the playlist.

Dhinakkudha    

Singer: Gaana Bala

Lyricist: Muthamil

The much talked about experimental number where Gaana Bala has sung in the Blues genre. This sounds typical of the genre with the prominent brass instrumentation. The small guitar bit that comes midway through is a clincher. Offbeat but slow number worth some applause!

Engo Odugindrai    

Singers: Alphonse Joseph, Darshana

Lyricist: Arun Raja

This one starts off in rock style with interesting sound mixing patterns. It stands out for being a new attempt though it gets a bit chaotic at places due to the mixing and heavy electric guitar effects. Catchy for sure thanks to the hippie vocals; this one might grow on you. The last minute or so definitely gives the kicks.

FINAL WORD: The album stands out for its experimentation with the songs being targeted totally at the youth. The couple of instrumental pieces add more embellishment.

Saattai music review

3 / 5

Directed by: Anbazhagan

Produced by: Prabhu Solomon,John Mex

Starring: Ajmal Khan, P Samuthirakani, Swasika, Yuvan, Magima, Thambi Ramaiah

Music: D. Imman

Lyrics: Yugabharathi

Saattai is yet another Imman musical and the composer is keen to extend his victorious run with this flick too, post Manam Kothi Paravai and Kumki. Now, onto the music review of this Samuthirakani starrer!

Jada Jada Jaada

Singers: Ramesh Vinayagam, Kids Chorus - Sai Venkat, Haripriya

This song has inspirational lyrics and generally has a dramatic mood thanks to the cello, the electric guitar, the Gregorian chants and the heavy percussions towards the end. The kids have done a spunky job. This noble number will depend on the movie to make more impact as it sounds like a montage song.

Sahaayane … CHEERS

Singer: Shreya Ghoshal

This is a lilting melody track sung by an expert in this area – Shreya Ghoshal. The violin and cello have been used well and a ‘tick tock’ like beat goes nicely in the background. The chorus chants in the second interlude are typical of Imman. This one is a winner.

Andhurundai Kannazhagi

Singers : Chitty, Thanjai Radhika, Srik

This one starts off with Arabic style strings and proceeds to be a jolly number in typical Imman style thanks to the nasal male vocals. The percussions are catchy and the sudden classical touches with the mandolin and mridangam in the second interlude standout. The masses might take a liking to it thanks to the ‘Rakkara Rakkara’ chorus.  

Adi Raangi … CHEERS

Singers: Santosh Hariharan, Anitha

A peppy melody number which begins with a catchy male harmony portion! This song has some sort of the Mynaa and Kumki hangover. The guitar notes and the whistle tune that comes at places are refreshing while there are folksy string notes too, spread across the song. Anitha pitches in with a cute humming bit in the second interlude and Santosh has put up a nice expressive show.  Might become popular!

Nanbaa Vaa Nanbaa

Singer: Saisharan

The guitar notes at start are pretty impressive and this one then turns out to be an attempt at being a rock number with classical touches thrown in. An interesting attempt one must say. The violin is used here too like in most Imman numbers while the percussions become contrastingly earthy at times. Saisharan’s ease at singing the classical portions in high pitch is admirable.

Daya’s Insight

Singer: Elisabeth Mani

This one begins on a mellow note and picks up with some beats. A variety of instruments are used like the piano, guitar, violin, cello, saxophone and there is also a haunting female humming portion. It ends on an inspirational note though one feels it is a tad too long.  

Serene Grace

Singer: Priya Hemesh

At the start, somehow you get the feeling of listening to the BGM score of 7G Rainbow Colony. Nevertheless beautifully done thanks to the lovely violin and cello notes. The guitar and piano join in too along with some cute chimes, to create a nice listening experience. Priya Hemesh hums stylishly and haunts. The theme stops briefly few times and starts again tastefully. But again a shade too long!

FINAL WORD: Another nice effort from Imman. His core focus is on melody while he also makes the songs entertaining. His victory run is expected to continue with Saattai too.

For a Few Dollars More (1965)

Manco (Man with no name) and Colonel Douglas Mortimer are two bounty killers who are constantly after the big prize - the 10000$ that is on offer for El Indio, a notorious thug. He has his gang of fellow thugs and they eye a bank in El Paso for a robbery worth almost a million dollars.

The Colonel has a personal score to settle with Indio and makes a partnership deal with Manco in such a way that he would get the reward on Indio's head while Manco can take the reward for the rest of the gang.

Whether the Colonel gets his revenge, what happens to all the reward money and the money stolen from the bank and what is the fate of Indio and his gang? Watch this flick to find out.

The film has a masterful soundtrack by the great Ennio Morricone. The chimes from the musical pocket watch are really haunting and recurring all through the movie. There are other grand BGM bits which lift the entire movie watching experience. The typical cowboy whistles and other unique instruments like morsing are also used.

The movie is a typical cowboy flick and is a part of the Dollars trilogy. Clint Eastwood's killer screen presence and style are eye catching. The man looks insanely stylish and manly. The way he smokes is legendary. Lee Van Cleef as the Colonel has a solid role as well while Gian Maria is venomous as the villain, particularly his wicked laughs.

The locations are typical of a western with gun shots and horses being an inseparable part of the narrative. The movie is gripping and moves at a really fast clip. Never a dull moment and 132 minutes just fly away.

There are lots of scenes where the drama and tension is built up slowly and beautifully. The climax is one such sequence which oozes style and has oodles of heroism and feel-good quotient.

FINAL WORD: Another grand spaghetti western from Sergio Leone and co. 

Raaz 3 review

3 / 5

Raaz 3 is an extension of the successful Raaz franchise from the Bhatt camp, which has become adept at giving horror thrillers and sequels. The promo posters and trailers were erotic and thrilling and does the movie provide more of the same?  

Shanaya is a movie star who is on the decline as she slowly loses her position to a promising new comer, Sanjana. She just can’t accept that her time has passed and looks to somehow bring Sanjana down. She chooses black magic and uses her boyfriend director Aditya as a pawn to achieve her dubious motives. Aditya agrees initially but slowly starts falling in love with Sanjana as time passes and now he just can’t continue falling in line with Shanaya’s wicked intentions. How does Aditya manage to pull Sanjana out of the black magic trap and save her, is the rest of this spook fest.

The film works big time due to the scorching screen presence of Bipasha, the absolutely thrilling black magic moments and the scary sound design. There are lots of flashy horror effects which work due to the eerie presentation. The 3D effects are shocking at few instances. In fact, whenever you expect those black magic moments, you might be forced to bury your face in your hands.

Emraan Hashmi does an earnest job but this is just not a film where he can stand out as the horror quotient and two hot ladies steal the limelight from him. He has his intimate moments with both the ladies and these scenes are in line with his reputation as the ‘serial kisser’.

That hot scene with Bipasha in a black bra is terrific. The passion just burns the screen. The intimate kisses with Esha Gupta just can't match the Emraan - Bipasha lovemaking scene early in the movie. Bipasha has provided a feast of her assets and legs in 'barely there' costumes which she rocks with a bold attitude and awesome style. 

She has pushed the limits when it comes to ‘hot’ on screen and she is perfect for this role of the ruthless star. Esha Gupta wins our sympathies during the scenes when she is terrorized by black magic. The TV episode and the joker episode will scare the living daylights out of you. Later, the long sequence when she imagines to being raided by cockroaches is again disturbing.

The songs, though decent, just turn out to be pleasant distractions from an otherwise horror filled movie. The background music is on the mark while the 3D effects and the way horror has been depicted serve the purpose of scaring the audience.

The movie dips in momentum at very few instances and that is a plus for sure and the dramatic climax though not as chilling as expected, is a fitting conclusion.  

On the whole, if you wish to get spooked and thrilled, then Raaz 3 won’t disappoint you. It’s a royal return for ‘old-school’ horror thrillers.

FINAL WORD: Thrills and spills galore; Raaz 3 is a chilling experience.

Finding Nemo 3D review

A clown fish, Marlin, goes in search of his son, Nemo, to Sydney after the latter is gobbled up by divers in the reef. This clown fish is joined by another fish with a memory problem, Dory, on a great adventure to get back Nemo.

In Sydney at P.Sherman's house, Nemo also makes efforts to get out of the fish tank along with the other fishes in the tank.

Marlin on the other hand has to encounter sharks, jelly fishes, a big whale and other hurdles on his great inspiring quest which becomes the story of the ocean.

• In 3D, the fishes are even more intricate and the ocean bed is even more imposing and deep. The fishes have been modeled in a funny way to say the least. 
• The film has many cute moments of bonding between the father and son. 
• The little romance between Marlon and Dory is also cute. The antics that Dory does in the name of memory loss are highly imaginative. 
• The small episode with all the turtles helping Marlon along the EAC is very impressive. Also the way, a group of fishes gives direction to Marlon and Dory by forming many patterns, is very imaginative. 
• The scenes showing the small girl with braces, being troubled by the fishes are riotous. 

FINAL WORD:

Magical and cute cinema meant for the kid in everyone. 3D just adds to the fun even more.

The Expendables 2 review

Barney Ross (Stallone) and his bad-ass gang are sent for a mission by Mr. Church  to retrieve an item from a safe in an airplane that was shot down in Albania. Technical expert Maggie is also sent with Barney's team. Just when it looks like an easy mission, things go out of hand as the youngest member in Barney's team, Bill, is killed by the enemy group named Sangs headed by Jean Vilain. Barney's team is also forced to surrender the item which they retrieved from that plane.

The item is a computer containing a blueprint to the location of five tons of refined plutonium abandoned in a mine by the Soviet Union following the Cold War. Jean uses a lot of captured men from a village in Bulgaria as slaves to dig in the mine and he intends to sell this plutonium

Barney and group have to stop the Sangs for revenge as well as for the sake of the plutonium. Barney is also helped in his mission by Booker (Chuck Norris), his old friend and Trench (Arnold), Ross' rival mercenary.

• There is a lot of slam bang action with brawn dominating brain hands down. The stars are all old yet pack a punch thanks to the heavy duty tools that they use.
• The episode towards the end when Bruce Willis and Arnold pull each other's legs are hilarious. The dialogs also sparkle with wit as these macho heroes speak them with a straight face. When Willis and Arnold go around in that small car and shoot the crap out of the enemies it is adrenaline all over. 
• Sly looks really old and jaded but the legend has screen presence for sure. His dedication to have cuts and ripping muscles even at this age is admirable. 
• Jason Statham is energetic and spunky as always. Van Damme isn't as imposing probably due to the fact that he is the villain. Terry Crews has insane biceps while Randy Couture and Dolph Lundgren have their little moments. Jet Li has a blink-you-miss cameo while Chuck Norris rocks thanks to the buildup his character has been provided. Liam Hemsworth impresses in a small role due to his noble intentions as a team player. Nan Yu as Maggie is sexy and provides some much needed female presence but there are no sexy scenes. 

FINAL WORD: 

Bad-ass boys movie all the way. It's slam bang stuff with some wicked lines for added fun. 

Paagan Music Review

2 / 5

Cast: Srikanth, Janani Iyer, Kovai Sarala, Soori, Pandi

Music: James Vasanthan

Director: Mohammed Aslam

Producer: Vendhar Movies, VP Productions

Paagan marks Srikanth's return to being the lead hero after a hiatus. Janani Iyer is his pair while the director is an assistant of Ameer. James Vasanthan has scored music for this film which has an interesting logo design. Now, the music review ...  

Thathi Thathi

Krish

Lyrics: Na. Muthukumar

This is a pleasant number with peppy percussions. The tune, though sort of heard before, is lifted by the cute flute touches; the bagpipes at the start and the strings in the second interlude also standout. Might visit the charts!

Poon Thendralai

Alka Ajith

Lyrics: Vrikshika

This song has a marked resemblance to the ‘Barso Re’ number from Guru thanks to the similar percussions and the fact that it is a female solo number. The flute has a prominent presence throughout in this cheerful song. The strings in the first interlude and the bagpipes like instrument in the second interlude also sound different.

Simba Samba Ramba

Sunandan, Soori, Black Pandi

Lyrics: Niranjan Bharathi

This song is for the masses and it belongs to the oft-repeated kuthu genre. On screen, it might impress the front benchers particularly. Nothing different in this one!

Ippadi Oar

Nivas, Sharanya

Lyrics: Mohan Rajan

There are slight Sufi touches thanks to the instruments used, the way the song starts and the chorus in the second interlude. It turns out to be a nice melody duet that would appeal to lovers of such songs. The harmonium has been used to good effect in the first interlude.

Ennai Mannippaya

Prasad

Lyrics: Na. Muthukumar

The gentle guitar notes at the start set the mood for this mellow song which has a softening effect on the listener. The flute notes, the dramatic string touches and the haunting humming portion gel with the sad mood of the song.

Lover never fails

This theme has a haunting female humming track with supporting string touches and a little flute accompaniment towards the end. A good attempt!

Life is a cycle

Nicely titled, this theme also has a haunting female humming track and the light percussion beat goes well with the theme. This beat gives a grand feel to the overall theme which ends with the violin and other brass instruments reaching a crescendo

FINAL WORD: 

The two themes definitely add value to the overall soundtrack which is easy on the ears, save the ‘kuthu’ number. Decent attempt by James Vasanthan!