Be! And it is!

I have been listening to some of the songs on loop! Like any ARR album, this grows on you, slow yet mighty strong! Yet another album where not one song is bad! Wonder how these are never recognised at a global level, while a certain pseudo bollywood english movie did wonders for him! On a thursday night, when the plan was to have dinner at home with friends over and retire peacefully to a much needed sleep, someone came up with the idea of Rockstar. Like any last minute plan it happened! I for once was not cribbing since the album had me completely hooked!

At times when you listen to a song (happens to me more often for an ARR song) you imagine how it could be pictured! Most of what you may think is not what you will find in the movie. To me, the picturisation does not do enough justice to the song. I had a feeling of watching Rhythm or Munbe Vaa from JOK! However, thankfully "Kun Fayakun" was exactly as i imagined and wanted it to be! There is something about ARR and his sufiana songs in the recent past. This one is right on top of that list. What an outstanding rendition of those holy words.

For someone who followed the life of rock bands in 1980s and 1990s, the movie is nothing new and leaves no impact! But considering it is an Indian look at a rockstar the attempt seemed genuine. Ranbir has grown and matured as an actor and it shows in his performance. The transformation from a shy insecure adult to the brash and famous rockstar was outstanding. And in a long while it felt like the hero was singing, required more so in a singer based movie. And one could feel the pain in Ranbir's songs, stance and brashness. Never understood the media hype around the affair of the lead pair. If it is true, I so understand why! How can you do romantic scenes with someone as pleasant looking as Nargis and not feel a tinge of being attracted. Though a lot may be desired in terms of acting, she looks pleasing.

I judge a good/ bad movie by the impact it leaves on me. Unfortunately, this movie left no impact at. To sum it up in one sentence - the movie appeared to be a case of the director knowing it is a time tested predictable story line and wanting to say it in a different way with good music. Unfortunately, the story rendition is so convoluted and long, the impact of it being different is so completely lost. There is a small flashback for 20 mins (including Kun Fayakun) which had an impact which soon got lost. It maybe a case of expecting a lot!

Bottomline - Go watch the movie to pay tribute to India's true rockstar - ARR! You wont repent it since the movie is all about the music and the re-recording, BG and songs live up to expectation (exceeding in certain cases). For once i liked Ranbir as an actor! Just blank/ tune off during the cliched romance sequences. The comedy would have been another point to note if you do not have an idiot sitting behind you, laughing so loud and long, that the theatre roof felt threatened with regard to its own stability! Imtiaz either enjoyed the romance (i only mean on-screen) between the lead pair or was so impressed with ARR that he decided to make this movie. Cant see any other plausible reason. It's All About ARR and Ranbir and so it should be!

The seventh sense!

The movie starts in the past with the story of Damo. Surya as Damo showed peace, anguish, sadness and anger at the same time. Remarkable first 20 minutes or so. Great visual impact with the colours of the blue waters and the green forest stunning and mesmerising.

Travel sequence of 5 minutes showing a slow transformation of a king to a monk was rendered impeccably. However, the impact was lost in the background music. The impact of why someone won over a small tribe or village could have been better portrayed. Why does someone who makes such a bold movie with a not so run of the mill story having scientific explanations far beyond layman understanding still feels compulsive to add unwarranted song sequences? A bold movie could be bold throughout. I completely fail to understand how a hero dances in middle or the road and suddenly self work minded people start to dance. Un andhi - song was good though did not fit in IMO.

The camera work and cinematography is awesome. Can't see how someone can show nature that is already beautiful, even better. A great tamil launch for Shruti though, well deserved for someone who is so talented and she has done a decent job. Much better than her rather forgettable performance in Luck.

Concept of love is such a misconception in tamil movies. Genetic engineer vs circus performer? No offence to any profession bur seriously in the material world that we live in? Again, underestimating the collective intelligence of an audience? Movies don't have to be about an ideal world, does it? So hard to believe this happening in real life. But the problem with healthcare and nonchalance of some doctors are well portrayed.

The sequence on hypnotism and the ensuing fight scene though matrix like, are really good. My knowledge on hypnotism is good as my Russian, but my wife says to do it to multiple people at one time is very difficult! Certain disjointed points - can't see how the first series of police murders did not cause enough panic for city to be on alert. Songs are an obvious disruption. Can't see how shruti who is a genetic engineering student goes to see a contagious disease ward without any protection. How someone with no background of Chennai can find the leads everywhere (The Chinese killer!). Cannot believe how the solution took a bunch of high fly engineers so long. And for a long time certain mass murders remain unsolved, Chennai police are good! Again, I'm no expert on DNA, but certain aspects of the whole transition are not well explained! Maybe more effort could have been used in explaining the science. An educated movie goer will be left with more bewildering questions than answers! You will know what i mean when you walk out of the movie!

For once I agree with the moral of a movie. Teach practices as science and not religion. That will help people follow them and understand them.

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!