Shouts against corruption?? How many times have we seen that before? But a Rajini movie on it?? Should be different! Well, that’s what I thought! AVM, Shankar, Rahman, Sujatha and the star himself coming together ought to be better!! Well, that’s what I thought! The costliest movie ever! The money spent doesn’t impress me, but yeah it is headline news! When so much money is spent it can’t all be that bad! Well, that’s what I thought! The one south indian movie the media country over gave so much importance! The reasons probably are what have been mentioned above! Hype, so much so, that it sparked off comparison as to whether Rajini is a brand as big as Amitabh or probably Shahrukh! When the media promotes I should have known that it is more a commercial showstopper than anything else! Well, I should’ve known!
So I thought now there’s a movie I should not miss! Being a tamilian, I cannot miss a Rajini movie can I?? I saw the movie so late that I became an outcast till then! Finally I thought I need to break the shackles! So I did go see the movie! I’m always called a biased fellow. Biased against bad movies! Unfortunately, a lot of Rajini movies do fall in that category... Though, movies like Annamalai, Baadshah will be in my all time favourite list for a long time!
Sivaji – It’s a movie for Rajini fans - ONLY. A rank outsider will never remotely connect with it, leave alone liking the movie. A good movie watcher (I consider myself to be one :P :P) will forgive the numerous pitfalls in the movie for one and only one reason! It’s a Rajini movie. Even before I take my seat I don’t expect anything! The only reason that Sivaji disappointed me was because of the hype it created! Understandable, coz when one spends so much money making a movie he would want to make it all back and more!
If someone can give u a brief of the first half in 10 minutes, believe me you can watch the second and rest assured you’ve seen the best part of the movie. Though the first lays the platform, I guess its about an hour and a half wasted on general cinematics! I still do not understand why this movie needs a romantic quotient, the resultant of which are incorrigibly shot songs! Am a Rahman fanatic and even a recorded sneeze of his is music to me! So one won’t be surprised to know I loved the music! The first half in a nutshell is the introduction of the hero, villain, heroine, and hero’s intention of doing service and why the villain has a problem about it! This strewn with a few songs, fight sequences and a whole lot of nonsense….
The second half is where the crux is! The renaissance of a man beaten down by the evils in the society! Clichéd? Yeah! But it’s always different when Rajini does it! It sure is! Whether that’s interesting or not is a diff question altogether! But anyways I did enjoy bits of the second half! The original “Shtyle” was back in full swing! Rajini’s second incarnation was a little irritating in terms of the attire, but was an eyeful in terms of the style!! The swing, the venom, the fire, the anger all reflects in his walk! Though some of that is a little “punching” the last 30 minutes is a total winner!
My clincher in the movie comes in the first 10 minutes! I’m totally fallen for this gal! Nayanthaara looks like a million bucks! She’s turned into one of these blinders over the last year! And the presence of Shreya through the movie was pleasing! Some of Vivek’s comedy was really good too! Music of course, particularly in the first half fight sequence in the music store where the instrument of fight was played in the background has ARR class written al over it!! But IMO Shankar could have saved a few bucks from the extravagant sets and his histrionic song sequences! But well, we know what to expect from him too!
The white Rajini is a concept beyond me! It’s like looking at a black swan! Or thinking of a Hispanic Tony Blair! As usual, one can’t understand why songs are there in the first place (That is true of most Indian movies, its now a no-brainer as to why they are there) That said, when its ARR making it, I ain't complaining! Though Rajini’s English vocabulary and accent has improved over the years a little less of it wouldn’t have been too bad… His forte is his tamil dialogue delivery and style and I don’t understand why that needs to be spared! There were very few of his well known for “Punch Dialogues” Some dialogues does show Sujatha’s class in it, but I would’ve wanted more of it from a Rajini movie! This movie will do it for him, what Baba failed to... Statistically and financially!! The fight sequences are taken really badly to say the least! Letting Rajini die is a brave move, but we all know there’s more to come! Suman as the bad guy is good! A sea change from his old bell bottom clad cycling days!
The message though is true and a problem to be tackled! Not too sure what the stars did for charity, but what would’ve been more appreciated was if the amount spent on the movie had been seed money for a college or a hospital! We didn’t need a movie to tell us what’s wrong with the country! I would’ve been happier watching one less movie (losing my sanity a little lesser), when someone elsewhere is gaining more sanity and perspective or when some poor guy’s family is saved! Then again, I could’ve chosen not to go to the movie and donated too! Guess I’m flawed too, but not as bad as the movie! Truth remains the “Rich get richer and the poor get poorer” Stating the obvious?? Exactly what the movie does too! “Hey it’s Sivaji Man! COOL!!!!”
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Really made my head Jhoom!
Just when I thought my time was getting too pricey for me to enjoy a sip of… ahem ahem.. and write a blog! Just when I thought I did not have the inspiration to write! Along come two colleagues! Both good friends of mine! (One a gal to add more spice to the story :P :P) They take me to this movie! Well one of them forced me to it, so much so he used the “I come with u – u never come with me when I want” that I stopped using more years ago that I can count with my fingers!
Anyways, we land up in this really good theatre! (From where I come most theatres here seem good!! Albert and Udhayam I still miss u!!) There are some movies which u know wud be good before they start making it! There are some movies that take u by surprise. There are movies that u read good reviews of and then think oh I missed it and u go watch! There are these other movies that before u get into the theatre u now is going to be a harrowing journey! There are these other set which u know wud be bad even before u start making it! I will bet my bottom dollar that this is one that falls in either of the last 2 categories! I whine all the way to the theatre and all thru the movie and the way back and I get told the true fun is in laughing at the movie and not with it!! Believe I did that quite a lot!
The star cast is all impressive to a normal move goer! I come from what I would like to call the beyond the stars elite crowd who watches a movie for what it is and not who’s in it! (Not to mention the oh so many movies of Salma Hayek, Demi Moore and a zillion other pretty women) Ten minutes into the movie most people watching it would realise they are in for a cruel ride! Turns out true when u touch 30 minutes! Nothing significant happened at 30! Nothing significant happened the whole way! Am sure u know what I mean!
The first half is a story where the leads gets lost in their own epic not quite true love stories! Lara, though chic to the eye, has a bad French – hindi accent, if ever there was one! Bobby does full justice being the steely rich guy.. Abhishek is watchable with the slang mundiya English! Priety, well not everyone who speaks with an accent is English… As u can see the plot starts so clichéd and carries on all through! Just before intermission or right after (I wasn’t even noticing at that point) u get to know the stories are conjured up! How many times have we seen it before I wonder??? The leads fall in love during this conversation! All of the conversation happens when they are waiting for a train, and the falling in love part is in under 2 hours! As one amongst those guys wondering if I will be eternally single, it totally beats me people! Seriously!
The second half is how they end up fooling each other as to their love story being true! The clichés continue! Some ideas borrowed too! A Sliver kinda guy who has video cams all over the world and calls his law firm Singh & Smith!, A usual suspect kinda finish where each had picked up stories from materials around them, songs at the drop of a hat, dialogues like “If u tell me an ordinary tom is the Taj”, situational backgrounds from yesteryear bollywood movies, how the movie leads always are the prime focus in dance competitions where 100 other professional dancers participate to name a few!
The second half is way better than the first for a few things! Lara looks much better as a hooker, way better than a Indian with a French accent. She is too classy to be a hooker, but then again the movie never ceased to amaze me! Bobby and Abhi are more bearable! A few funny sequences that I don’t understand why was part of the movie though am happy it was, and for the biggest reason of them all – I knew the movie was soon going to end! Just when I thought that, there came a 20 minute song sequence with the same song over and over!! (Movies with long anthakshari sequences suddenly seemed more acceptable for atleast there are different songs) Finally it did end the way we all know it would!If you have posters of Lara and Priety at home and u also have access to typical Punjabi comedy, or even a Punjabi channel on TV, I suggest u watch all these and stay away from the movie halls to go watch this coz I feel I enjoyed that bit coz my Punjabi sucks!
There were a few good things though! The company… yes ofcourse (Guys I know u would read this, so just trying to be polite!!) , the fact that a promotional credit card bought us tickets at half the price… yes, the fact that two people thought I was as important as the movie is and wanted me to tag along… yes, I was able to enjoy a serving of nachos with jalapenos… yes and that the movie was not as long as any other hindi movie – a big F^&%$#@ yes!!
Anyways, we land up in this really good theatre! (From where I come most theatres here seem good!! Albert and Udhayam I still miss u!!) There are some movies which u know wud be good before they start making it! There are some movies that take u by surprise. There are movies that u read good reviews of and then think oh I missed it and u go watch! There are these other movies that before u get into the theatre u now is going to be a harrowing journey! There are these other set which u know wud be bad even before u start making it! I will bet my bottom dollar that this is one that falls in either of the last 2 categories! I whine all the way to the theatre and all thru the movie and the way back and I get told the true fun is in laughing at the movie and not with it!! Believe I did that quite a lot!
The star cast is all impressive to a normal move goer! I come from what I would like to call the beyond the stars elite crowd who watches a movie for what it is and not who’s in it! (Not to mention the oh so many movies of Salma Hayek, Demi Moore and a zillion other pretty women) Ten minutes into the movie most people watching it would realise they are in for a cruel ride! Turns out true when u touch 30 minutes! Nothing significant happened at 30! Nothing significant happened the whole way! Am sure u know what I mean!
The first half is a story where the leads gets lost in their own epic not quite true love stories! Lara, though chic to the eye, has a bad French – hindi accent, if ever there was one! Bobby does full justice being the steely rich guy.. Abhishek is watchable with the slang mundiya English! Priety, well not everyone who speaks with an accent is English… As u can see the plot starts so clichéd and carries on all through! Just before intermission or right after (I wasn’t even noticing at that point) u get to know the stories are conjured up! How many times have we seen it before I wonder??? The leads fall in love during this conversation! All of the conversation happens when they are waiting for a train, and the falling in love part is in under 2 hours! As one amongst those guys wondering if I will be eternally single, it totally beats me people! Seriously!
The second half is how they end up fooling each other as to their love story being true! The clichés continue! Some ideas borrowed too! A Sliver kinda guy who has video cams all over the world and calls his law firm Singh & Smith!, A usual suspect kinda finish where each had picked up stories from materials around them, songs at the drop of a hat, dialogues like “If u tell me an ordinary tom is the Taj”, situational backgrounds from yesteryear bollywood movies, how the movie leads always are the prime focus in dance competitions where 100 other professional dancers participate to name a few!
The second half is way better than the first for a few things! Lara looks much better as a hooker, way better than a Indian with a French accent. She is too classy to be a hooker, but then again the movie never ceased to amaze me! Bobby and Abhi are more bearable! A few funny sequences that I don’t understand why was part of the movie though am happy it was, and for the biggest reason of them all – I knew the movie was soon going to end! Just when I thought that, there came a 20 minute song sequence with the same song over and over!! (Movies with long anthakshari sequences suddenly seemed more acceptable for atleast there are different songs) Finally it did end the way we all know it would!If you have posters of Lara and Priety at home and u also have access to typical Punjabi comedy, or even a Punjabi channel on TV, I suggest u watch all these and stay away from the movie halls to go watch this coz I feel I enjoyed that bit coz my Punjabi sucks!
There were a few good things though! The company… yes ofcourse (Guys I know u would read this, so just trying to be polite!!) , the fact that a promotional credit card bought us tickets at half the price… yes, the fact that two people thought I was as important as the movie is and wanted me to tag along… yes, I was able to enjoy a serving of nachos with jalapenos… yes and that the movie was not as long as any other hindi movie – a big F^&%$#@ yes!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)