Blackjack!!

After a long sabbatical... Hello!

It was dark, with decent music in the background. I was holding hands with my wife, seated next to me. I had my favourite popcorn in hand and a bottle of cooold (hmph!!!!) water. However, the only thought in my mind was how could I have maintained the same environment, company, entertainment and yet have had a better time. Staring at the ceiling sitting on the couch at home would be a start. But no, I was stuck at the movies watching what the Tamil industry collection projected to be a costly yet profitable game.

I kept thinking was it an expectation mismatch? or a patchy effort? or just my movie experience has been upgraded by picking the ones i want to watch at the movies? (and waiting for DVDs of the rest) was venkat prabhu the main source of my expectation? or the trailer and the associated music? or Ajith's 50th? I do not really have an answer. My good friend who is a movie buzz and a rather voracious reader of reviews of all kind told me that the movie moves in the mould of Coen brothers's! That did not help but build more anticipation as i kept thinking what next by dismissing the most obvious.

Ajith's 50th. Quite a commendable journey from how he started to where he has reached. Good style and action (and even dialogue delivery has seen quite a marked improvement). Should have stayed off the barley drink for a while coz the paunch shows. As in most tamil movies, you wonder why there are songs at the most unwanted of times.. The answer is quite elementary.. Yuvan has done a remarkable job and the director must have thought leaving the songs out would be a crime.. and maybe thats what the masses expect!

The first half builds expectation but feels patchy.. thinking of Coens, you would assume the links are in the second half.. Well there aren't any! Its just what it is, take it and go! The twist in the movie comes much later and if you are a good follower you can sense and reason it out! I was disappointed as i kept thinking what it would be (subconsciously hoping it was not one of the more obvious ones!) As a tamil movie fan you expect it to be the hero's movie, right?

Trisha and Andrea are pleasing to the eye in their passable blink and you miss roles. The rest of VP's crew are bound to deliver some action and laughter, which they do! But then, no surprises there! End of day, it is an Ajith movie for Ajith fans! As straight from the hips as possible. If you are not a fan, its just another Tamil movie like every/ most other you get to watch.Walk in with no background and wants, you might come out feeling better than i did. Then again, expecting a mountain out of a mole was my mistake and not the movie's! There apparently is an old Chilean saying - What happens in the mine, stays in the mine. So am not going to tell you more.. Watch at your own peril. Be livid or confused at the end of it. Do not blame me coz i did warn you!