Neerparavai review

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3.5 / 5

Neerparavai is a movie that shows the lives of fishermen living in coastal Tamil Nadu. The portrayal of their lives is very authentic. All the rules and regulations that they follow, their sense of community, the struggles that an outsider has to undergo to be accepted among the fisher-folk etc. have been shown like never before.  The village shown in the movie is replete with Christians and a few Muslims. Hence, there is a lot of weight given to showing the customs and practices at the Church, the respect given to the Father and Sisters and the way they go about preaching, healing and collecting funds from people.

Vishnu scores as the wayward drunkard who finally mends his ways after falling in love. The transformation is not overnight and the movie shows the stages he undergoes in his rehab process. The love and support that he gets from his parents is highly moving. His love track with Sunaina is also not cinematic and has shades of realism. There are some needless songs in the second half though. Black Pandi and Thambi Ramiah are there to provide plenty of funny as well as poignant moments. Both these actors are going places of late.

The movie travels in flashback mode and begins on a dreary note. But after that, only the end again becomes sentimental and emotional. The ending dialog is a real clincher and earns the audience's applause.

• Amazing camera work by Balasubramaniem. Though the actors must have slogged in sultry and humid conditions, it is a treat to see the coast on screen. 
• The number 'Para Para' is a sheer delight to listen to. It comes twice in the movie in different situations. Hats off to N.R.Raghunanthan for this number. The other songs aren't great and one of the BGM scores has been blatantly ripped off from 'A Beautiful Mind''s title score. 
• Saranya Ponvannan continues to shine in mother roles and her supportive ways towards her son particularly while giving him money to drink, make the audience hoot for her. Sunaina and Nandita Das have been perfectly cast in the same role during different timelines. Both shine in the emotional scenes though Sunaina is too de-glam. Arul Dass as Vishnu's father is terrific and tugs at your heart strings. Samuthirakani and Vadivukarasi show their talent in nice character roles. Nandagi shines in a small role while Azhagam Perumal is likable too, for a change.
• The movie has some pace issues at the start of the second half and some needless songs also play spoilsport. 

FINAL WORD: Poignant and touching movie about the fisher-folk of our state. Applause to the entire team for the authenticity and detailing. WORTH A WATCH.

Talaash review

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3.5 / 5

Aamir Khan is known for delivering something fresh and different in each outing of his. With Talaash, the trailers promised a taut investigative thriller with fair amount of suspense. Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhthar helm this project with the likes of Farhan Akhthar and Anurag Kashyap chipping in the dialogues department. With such a heavy duty cast and crew, does Talaash satisfy all the pre-release curiosity and hype?

Talaash is about Inspector Surjan Singh Skekhawat’s (Aamir Khan) search for the truth in a high profile car crash that claims the life of superstar Armaan Kapoor. Side by side, he also has to battle the personal grief caused by a tragedy that took his little son’s life away in a freak mishap. Shekhawat’s investigation takes him through Mumbai’s dark underbelly populated by pimps and prostitutes. One particular call girl named Rosie (Kareena Kapoor) helps him out with key pointers to solve the overall mystery.

As the film unfolds, we not only see the mystery surrounding the car accident unraveling but also the truth behind one of the key characters in the movie. The twist in the tale is a nice shocker indeed though the discerning mind does figure it out halfway through the second half.  

The film works despite the slackening pace in the early stages of the second half. The reason why the pace dips is nicely compensated towards the end when all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle are put in place. The first half nicely sets the movie for the thrilling ride in the second half with the list of suspects being wide open. In that sense, the slow pace at the start of the second half does cause a brief lull, only to thankfully pick up very well again.

Every character in the movie has weight be it Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the sidekick in the red light area, Raj Kumar Yadav as the assisting cop, Rani Mukerji as the concerned wife of Shekhawat and Fernaz Patel as the nosy and mysterious neighbor. All the call girls in the red light area look very genuine and the entire area has been set up very authentically. Most of the movie happens in the night and Mohanan’s cinematography captures the dark and edgy look of Mumbai brilliantly.

Aamir Khan is there throughout the movie in an emotionally heavy role and the star’s grim and serious avatar gels with the character. Kareena Kapoor is by far the star of the movie as the alluring call girl Rosie who facilitates Shekhawat’s investigation. Catch the movie to experience her role in its totality.

Ram Sampath’s songs go along with the movie’s flow as montages. To say that all the five songs are nice and apt is an understatement. Jee Le Zaraa, Jiya Lage Na and Laakh Duniya Kahe lead the pack. His background score supports the movie’s haunting and mystical premise.

To conclude, the two ladies, Reema and Zoya, have made this movie for a mature audience who can sit through a movie and experience it despite some pace issues. Those seeking just mass entertainment and song and dance routines might complain. All in all, Talaash is worth the wait and hats off to Aamir Khan for continuing to encourage new attempts from youngsters.

FINAL WORD: An unwavering psychological thriller    

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag | Teaser trailer | Farhan Akhtar | Sonam Kapoor

This is just too uplifting ... What a teaser ... Farhan Akhtar's makeover is astonishing and S-E-L's rock music is kick-ass ... 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' looks like a sure-shot classic in the making ...

July 12th 2013, earmarked for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag ... 

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Paradesi music review

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Paradesi, Music by G.V.Prakash and Lyrics by Vairamuthu

1. Avatha Paiyaa ...
This is a nice melody in true Ilayaraja style, particularly the rustic percussions. There is a delightful flute presence in this song with the veena competing for honors in the second interlude. Both the singers make sure that their vocals are authentic and true to the movie’s rural period setting.

2. Thannai Thaanee ...
This is a gospel song treated like a gaana number replete with ‘thara thappatta’ beats and nadaswaram. Gaana Bala nails it yet again with his typically extravagant style of rendering words. When he goes Hallelujah and Amen in the high pitches, it stirs you in a unique way.

3. Or Mirugam ...
This is a typical Bala number drenched in pathos and philosophy. The string instrumental interludes are heavy and serious while the percussions have been kept minimal. The flute as always stands out with its pure sound. More emphasis has been placed on the lyrics and the meaning in them.  Both the singers have succeeded in delivering this pathos song with the right amount of feeling.

4. Sengaade ...
The song begins on a really mellow note with an elaborate strings section and a poignant female humming portion. Madhu Balakrishnan takes over from here with minimal percussions and sad string instrumentals backing his vocals. This is another song driven by the meaningful and powerful lyrics which give an idea of the movie’s theme. This is a characteristic Bala number, which needs a lot of attention just for the sake of the lyrics. 

5. Sennneer Thana ... CHEERS
Gangai Amaran’s vocals have a really haunting quality and he is the perfect choice to deliver this number which is again supported by very minimal percussions. Priya Hemesh is brilliant as her humming portions leave a lasting impression. The song makes a big impact and can be expected to recur in the audience’s imagination. Pay close attention to the lyrics which are again deep. The instrumentals are Raja-esque in the way violins have been used to deepen the listening experience. 

FINAL WORD: This is a typical Bala soundtrack, which has its fair share of pathos and gloomy numbers. The lyrics have deep meaning while musically G.V.Prakash has kept it in sync with the movie's period and setting.

2.5 / 5

The Boondock Saints (1999)

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This movie is about a pair of fraternal twins, the MacManuses, who start playing the 'vigilante' and rid Boston of the evil mafia (Russian and Italian) and other anti-social scums. They are joined in their hunt by a weird and eccentric Italian named Rocco (The Funny Man) and later by their own father who actually comes to bump them off on a job.

The two twins and their father are nicknamed 'The Saints' by the media in the end after they announce their intentions in public by shooting Papa Joe, a mafia kingpin, during his trial. They earn their own fan following and their share of critics too for their vigilante act.

The movie also has a highly entertaining gay FBI agent who has a thing for opera music and also intricately replicating and deciphering crime scenes perfectly. Willem Dafoe rocks this role with his long locks, unique gait and mannerisms. The twins are highly likable thanks to their rituals and prayers. Their method is detailed and their motive is that of a Messiah's.

David Della Rocco as Rocco is natural and uninhibited in his portrayal. Those long locks of his are flamboyant and make him look the part as a mobster. Billy Connolly is really larger than life in his small portrayal as the twins' father. He makes a huge splash.

On the whole, it is a typical movie about gangsters and vigilantes but the presentation is what makes it stand out. 

Life of Pi movie review

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Life of Pi is an inspiring tale of courage and endurance. The movie centers on Piscine Molitor Patel aka Pi Patel and his extra-ordinary adventures to survive on a lifeboat along with a Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker.

Pi finds himself stranded on the lifeboat surrounded by nothing but the blue ocean after the Japanese ship that he and his family were travelling in, gets wrecked by a violent storm. A zebra, a hyena and an orangutan also manage to get onto the boat along with the tiger but they don't survive the tough conditions and become one another's prey.

The movie begins by introducing us to Pi and his early days as he discovers the meaning of God through the various religions. He is constantly searching for answers for his philosophical questions. We are also shown the zoo that he grew up in, the mocking fun that is created around his name 'Piscine' and his first love Anandi.

The reason why Pi got his name is very nicely told through his uncle's obsession for swimming in all the pools that he comes across. Piscine Molitor is actually a marvelous pool's name in Paris. The film has some tremendous visuals created through stunning VFX work. The blue ocean, the various sea creatures like the flying fishes, the sharks, the whales, the surreal carnivorous island with many weird creatures and a small pool in the middle etc etc. The visual magnificence is as close to Avatar's Pandora as it can get.

The way Pi tames and trains the tiger, his struggles to survive on the boat with minimal means, the way he pens his adventures with a pencil, the storms that he survives, the episode at the island and with the flying fishes etc. take the viewer on a jaw-dropping ride. The action and adventure is gripping thanks to the 'never seen before' dreamy visual effects. The movie in fact warrants a repeat watch just for the VFX work and the visual magnificence.

The tiger has been beautifully created. Some shots are of a real tiger while lot of visuals have been created painstakingly. It would be safe to say that the tiger is almost like the main protagonist along with Pi.

Great performance from Suraj Sharma as Pi. The role must have been physically demanding as we see the young actor go through a real physical metamorphosis as he struggles in the lifeboat in the most primitive and brutal conditions.

Irrfan Khan as the adult Pi, narrates the story in his nice base voice to an author who is seeking a remarkable story for his next novel. The boys who play the younger versions of Pi are adequate while Tabu is a beautiful presence in the movie as Pi's mother.

The bond that develops between Pi and the tiger is slowly and gradually told, very beautifully. The movie moves at a slow pace at other times particularly towards the end when Pi narrates a story that the Japanese insurance guys can believe. Also, when he has his conversations with God and when he seeks the meaning of God, the movie becomes a sermon giving out lot of religious 'gyaan'.

To sum up, the movie has tremendous visuals thanks to stunning VFX work and the human interest element in the movie is also gripping and moving. The similarity to Cast Away and to Forrest Gump (a tiny extent) can be excused. 

Dabangg 2 music review

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1.5 / 5

Dabangg 2 

Director – Arbaaz Khan

Cast – Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Prakash Raj

Music Director – Sajid Wajid

Lyrics - Jalees Sherwani, Irshad Kamil & Sameer

Dabangg 2 is probably the most hyped Bollywood movie in recent years thanks to Salman Khan’s brand value and the cult status that Dabangg achieved in 2010. The music of the sequel was released today. Haave Sajid and Wajid lived up to the huge hoopla?

Dagabaaz Re

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan,Shreya Ghoshal,Shadab Faridi

This song is too similar to the ‘Tere Mast’ number from Dabangg; the singers are all the same. Nevertheless, the song is likable thanks to the catchy rhythm that it has thanks to the use of ‘dhol’ and ‘tabla’. Other traditional instruments like veena and harmonium have also been used to make this a good ‘sufi’ style song.

Pandeyjee Seeti

Shadab Faridi

This one sounds similar to a band number and this can be expected to get the appreciation of the front benchers. The upbeat tempo is the biggest USP of the number which also has a small reference to the mega hit ‘Munni Badnaam’ number from Dabangg. This number will also feature ‘Munni’ Malaika Arora Khan.

There is a remix version of this song which has a slightly increased tempo and heavy electronic percussions. The production of this remix isn’t up to the mark of other remixes.

Fevicol Se … CHEERS

UVIE,Mamta Sharma,Wajid,Keerthi Sagathia,Shadab Faridi

This is the item song which will feature Kareena Kapoor shaking her legs with Chulbul Pandey. This song has also been targeted at the masses. The rhythm of the song is rustic and infectious while the singing style is sensual and nonchalant. The string sounds in this song make the song livelier.

This number also has a remix that is akin to the ‘You spin my head right round’ number. Electronic percussions are the only difference between this one and the original. Nothing special!

Saanson Ne

Sonu Nigam,Tulsi Kumar

This one is an earthy melody rendered by the silken Sonu Nigam and Tulsi Kumar. The song has a melodious string and shehnai section but the ‘dhol’ percussions in the song give it a really dated feel.

Dabangg Reloaded

Shadab Faridi

This is a heroic number which uses the popular ‘Udd Udd Dabangg’ refrain. The tune just seems to be an extension of that song. The impact created by that song is hard to match as this one falls flat almost. The trumpets try to infuse a massy ring to the song.

Remixes for almost every song are becoming sort of an indulgence. Again, just the beats differentiate the remix of this song and the original. The remix fails to deliver anything out of the ordinary.

FINAL WORD: The songs might turn out to be popular among the mainstream mass audience thanks to the brand value that Salman and Dabangg possess. But, the soundtrack doesn’t have anything different or interesting going for it. A flat attempt from Sajid - Wajid.