"What Movies Mean To Me"? >>>> As shared in Tom Cruise's blog >> http://www.tomcruise.com/blog/
It's the Silver screen with Golden dreams, etched either in poetic master-pieces of showmanship or the thunderous arrival of block-bust-ing epics. Having waxed eloquent about Movies - the gift that they are to the mankind, it also represents the best of us. Why? As every film under the sun or shade, is inevitably and ultimately the aggregate output of a team. The best brought out by Unity, in Variety!! " Cinema - thy name is wonderment! ~ v.vijai anto"
Friday, October 22, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
kollywood spoof
There are only 842 Girls left for every 1000 Boyz in the world. Save Girls! We can save Tigers later. Puli kutti venuma? (Pulla)kutty Venuma? Yosinga pa !!!
That was a status message in my friend's fb page, which I and many others shared and it inspired in me a cool Kollywood story:
*********************************************
Vijai Anto V i hear they're even gonna make a movie on dis subject : puliya pillaiya! :P ;)
4 hours ago · LikeUnlike
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Vijai Anto V latest update ::: actor ajith interested in dis touching n social reforming subject!! await further news!
4 hours ago · LikeUnlike
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Vijai Anto V hah! done deal: ajith's next masala entertainer on dis subject wit a twist in d plot : Puliyin pillai !! .. no points for guessin d plot! :P :D
4 hours ago · LikeUnlike
#
Vijai Anto V omg!! dis is blowing up big time! now even actor Vijay wants a piece of d action! will ajith relent?? will we see the 1st vijay-ajith starrer ??
3 hours ago · LikeUnlike
#
Vijai Anto V
AAAAwesome breaking fantabulous news!! ajith relents! on his part, Vijay forgoes 3 idiots shootin, much 2 amir khan's relief! Shankar meanwhile hits d jackpot of shooting da 1st Ajith-Vijay starrer/thriller/drama/social message/masala enter...tainer !!!
official title : PULIYA PILLAIYA KUTTIYASee More
3 hours ago · LikeUnlike
#
Vijai Anto V
psssssssssstt: top secret breaking news 4m shankar's office:: plot sketch revealed !! " 20 yrs into da future no more tigers as mankind opts to save womankind. Ajith is a scientist who's created a robotic-tigers to reserve ecology but tiger...s start to think n attack civilization in huge nos. hence in a desperate attempt to recreate the lost tigers ajith embarks on an epic adventure to meet the Son of the last surviving tiger - Vijay, who's puliyin pillai!! but ajith's gf is attracted during the course to vijay. who'll get d girl ? scientist/tigerboy/another tiger ?"
That was a status message in my friend's fb page, which I and many others shared and it inspired in me a cool Kollywood story:
*********************************************
Vijai Anto V i hear they're even gonna make a movie on dis subject : puliya pillaiya! :P ;)
4 hours ago · LikeUnlike
#
Vijai Anto V latest update ::: actor ajith interested in dis touching n social reforming subject!! await further news!
4 hours ago · LikeUnlike
#
Vijai Anto V hah! done deal: ajith's next masala entertainer on dis subject wit a twist in d plot : Puliyin pillai !! .. no points for guessin d plot! :P :D
4 hours ago · LikeUnlike
#
Vijai Anto V omg!! dis is blowing up big time! now even actor Vijay wants a piece of d action! will ajith relent?? will we see the 1st vijay-ajith starrer ??
3 hours ago · LikeUnlike
#
Vijai Anto V
AAAAwesome breaking fantabulous news!! ajith relents! on his part, Vijay forgoes 3 idiots shootin, much 2 amir khan's relief! Shankar meanwhile hits d jackpot of shooting da 1st Ajith-Vijay starrer/thriller/drama/social message/masala enter...tainer !!!
official title : PULIYA PILLAIYA KUTTIYASee More
3 hours ago · LikeUnlike
#
Vijai Anto V
psssssssssstt: top secret breaking news 4m shankar's office:: plot sketch revealed !! " 20 yrs into da future no more tigers as mankind opts to save womankind. Ajith is a scientist who's created a robotic-tigers to reserve ecology but tiger...s start to think n attack civilization in huge nos. hence in a desperate attempt to recreate the lost tigers ajith embarks on an epic adventure to meet the Son of the last surviving tiger - Vijay, who's puliyin pillai!! but ajith's gf is attracted during the course to vijay. who'll get d girl ? scientist/tigerboy/another tiger ?"
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
28 Days (2000)
 |
| 28 DAYS 4 / 5 |
[your rating for the movie]
A big thanks to Pix for playing this gem. Never thought this could be a great one but it's there! I can't be honestly objective in this movie as it did touch me personally. Having said it, I can't seem to place it : seems like a chick-flick but it ain't; seems like film-noir but it blossoms with spring and sunshine too; seems simplistic and light for the subject discussed yet manages to delve well into the psyche... honestly, it's an intersection of sea-biscuit and one flew over the cuckoo's nest - possessing none of the grandness of either.
Film's weaknesses are few and far between, that one thinks there might have been just a little more complexity, emotion, darkness, and just a little more grandness? Maybe it doesn't require it. Maybe it's just a good movie that doesn't pretend to be great and therein innately so. I am surprised to find the director Betty White's recent venture was the Alvin and chipmunks squeakquel! She's been doing the rounds of comedy, chick-flicks and rom-coms in regular fashion! This movie stands out as the odd one in her resume. The style does show in the shots and scenes, yet the comedy and romantic angles mesh well with the narrative.
Sandra Bullock was never my favorite actress except in Speed, and after this, I am taking a 180 degree turn. She carries the plot, almost solely in many places and does it so fittingly. Sandra's Gwen is insensitive yet with her heart on the sleeve, flaky yet intelligent, witty yet incredibly stupid. The 28 days of her growth in Rehab is well done when one considers the incredibly short running time for the movie on such a subject. Even without such considerations Gwen will stay in your thoughts. All supporting casts are well-etched! Unforgettable are Eddie the pitcher (Viggo Mortensen)and the overly sensitive homosexual. In fact, the latter is quite endearing after a time!
Like the movie, this blog-review will be short! Why a movie from 2000 A.D you ask? I say, some are timeless and are as new as tomorrow!
" ... you can control the little things in you."
4/5
Monday, October 4, 2010
CHITTI DA ROBO &-|
I feel compelled to review Shankar's Magnum opus on two different perspectives.
A. That of South Indian/Indian/Asian popular Cinema.
Summed up simply, the following comparative equation says it all, Endhiran : Kolly-wood = Avatar : Holly-wood
Both were revolutionary Cinematic experiments and milestones in their respective Industries. Despite the implausibility and the 'already seen' plots, they carved their own niche creating a world where everyone were enthralled. Hereafter block-buster will have a new definition in Indian cinema.
Shankar and Rajni weave their magic abundantly. Frankly, with due respects to many tamilians, I'm not a big Rajni fan. I did love his occasional work in movies such as Thalapathi, Sivaji and so forth. What I did gather though from his previous works were - comedy and villainy are his forte. Shankar has so smartly spun his tale around his Star's strengths ( as evidenced in Sivaji too ) , that the final product is a showcase of the two's genius.
Tamil cinema is definitely feeling the bugle call of the standards set in this movie as much as Avatar is course-correcting Hollywood mainstream productions. I wouldn't liken Shankar to Jim Cameron though but rather a hybrid of Spielberg-Emmerich. Emotions are often at the forefront in his movies and he doesn't hesitate to play to the galley. Endhiran has its share of brilliance equaled only by its cheesy and pop-corny, chai and chat-masala mixed moments. The serving isn't inedible though and I do recommend a must watch. Though the ending is in the merit of the story, it does feel a bit hurried up (** spoiler alert **) esp. the court scene : which reminded me of a similar scene in Shankar's earlier bonanza "Anniyan" - hope this doesn't become formulaic. Shankar still has abundant creative power which would continue to entertain us decades to come.
Having compared Shankar, I sincerely believe I cannot do the same for Rajni. He stands unique in his performance and versatility (read style). The temperamental scientist is fine but is hugely overshadowed by his Chitti - sure to go down in the annals of sci-fi genre in cinema. He does what Arnold gave to his terminator.
3.5 / 5
B. That of World Cinema/Hollywood.
As said earlier, I couldn't liken Shankar to Jim as Cameron is The Auteur of Sci-fi and his "uncompromisable" plots. Shankar will time and again, compromise on his serving, to appeal and satiate the so called "common man". Spielberg and Emmerich do this, yet they have a rule of thumb : a moment could be either cheesy or implausible but not both. Shankar doesn't cringe to display implausible-cheesy moments and they are a dime a dozen in Robot/Endhiran.
Aishwarya after a long lull, looks genuinely attractive and showcases here acting prowess. There's something about Ash in a Shankar 's film that makes her wonderfully attractive. In fact many actresses have had their best cinematic Marilyn-Monroe-Moments with Shankar - a talent that defies explanation. Her emotions seem misplaced here and there, ( probably editing for time constraint ) yet the overall work is good. Other artistes do their job but the biggest artist in the movie, in terms of quality and quantity is Rajni.
Let's not even bother about the Science in the movie ( maybe the untimely demise of Sujatha has let Shankar run amok with his comical extrapolation of a Robot's concept and abilities ). I did suspect this before from the trailers and hence went into the halls with anti-hype and drummed down expectations. Still there are moments that litter the movie which impedes it's potential. Why would a robot designed for military application know every aspect of Carnatic music is beyond me! Would any creator of a humanoid A.I treat his creation like a cell-phone ,beating the crap out of it and swearing at it when there's no reception or when it hangs!? Maybe the creator is too arrogant for his own good! Influences from The Matrix, I Robot, Bi-centennial Man, Terminator are amply evident.
Surprisingly, the Indian-isation and the addition of local flavour are the movie's strengths and it's original script-work. To his credit, the director has meshed well the metal and the human plot. A.R. does a good job with songs and B.G.M is just fine. Resul's sound work is just fine too. The heroes of the movie are the VFX guys. I'd have loved to see Stan work with Shankar in this movie through his Stan Winston studios (legacy effects now). It wouldn't have been mind-bending for the man who was present for the birth of Terminators and T-rexes but certainly Shankar and Srinivasan - vfx, would have got valuable pointers from the legend. May Sujatha and Stan's souls rest in peace!
What could have potentially been a Super-star Sci-fi cult movie becomes a sci-fi movie for the super-star! It would attain cult status in Indian cinema though and will almost carve a niche in the world of sci-fi.
2.5 / 5
Both were revolutionary Cinematic experiments and milestones in their respective Industries. Despite the implausibility and the 'already seen' plots, they carved their own niche creating a world where everyone were enthralled. Hereafter block-buster will have a new definition in Indian cinema.
Shankar and Rajni weave their magic abundantly. Frankly, with due respects to many tamilians, I'm not a big Rajni fan. I did love his occasional work in movies such as Thalapathi, Sivaji and so forth. What I did gather though from his previous works were - comedy and villainy are his forte. Shankar has so smartly spun his tale around his Star's strengths ( as evidenced in Sivaji too ) , that the final product is a showcase of the two's genius.
Tamil cinema is definitely feeling the bugle call of the standards set in this movie as much as Avatar is course-correcting Hollywood mainstream productions. I wouldn't liken Shankar to Jim Cameron though but rather a hybrid of Spielberg-Emmerich. Emotions are often at the forefront in his movies and he doesn't hesitate to play to the galley. Endhiran has its share of brilliance equaled only by its cheesy and pop-corny, chai and chat-masala mixed moments. The serving isn't inedible though and I do recommend a must watch. Though the ending is in the merit of the story, it does feel a bit hurried up (** spoiler alert **) esp. the court scene : which reminded me of a similar scene in Shankar's earlier bonanza "Anniyan" - hope this doesn't become formulaic. Shankar still has abundant creative power which would continue to entertain us decades to come.
Having compared Shankar, I sincerely believe I cannot do the same for Rajni. He stands unique in his performance and versatility (read style). The temperamental scientist is fine but is hugely overshadowed by his Chitti - sure to go down in the annals of sci-fi genre in cinema. He does what Arnold gave to his terminator.
3.5 / 5
B. That of World Cinema/Hollywood.
As said earlier, I couldn't liken Shankar to Jim as Cameron is The Auteur of Sci-fi and his "uncompromisable" plots. Shankar will time and again, compromise on his serving, to appeal and satiate the so called "common man". Spielberg and Emmerich do this, yet they have a rule of thumb : a moment could be either cheesy or implausible but not both. Shankar doesn't cringe to display implausible-cheesy moments and they are a dime a dozen in Robot/Endhiran.
Aishwarya after a long lull, looks genuinely attractive and showcases here acting prowess. There's something about Ash in a Shankar 's film that makes her wonderfully attractive. In fact many actresses have had their best cinematic Marilyn-Monroe-Moments with Shankar - a talent that defies explanation. Her emotions seem misplaced here and there, ( probably editing for time constraint ) yet the overall work is good. Other artistes do their job but the biggest artist in the movie, in terms of quality and quantity is Rajni.
Let's not even bother about the Science in the movie ( maybe the untimely demise of Sujatha has let Shankar run amok with his comical extrapolation of a Robot's concept and abilities ). I did suspect this before from the trailers and hence went into the halls with anti-hype and drummed down expectations. Still there are moments that litter the movie which impedes it's potential. Why would a robot designed for military application know every aspect of Carnatic music is beyond me! Would any creator of a humanoid A.I treat his creation like a cell-phone ,beating the crap out of it and swearing at it when there's no reception or when it hangs!? Maybe the creator is too arrogant for his own good! Influences from The Matrix, I Robot, Bi-centennial Man, Terminator are amply evident.
Surprisingly, the Indian-isation and the addition of local flavour are the movie's strengths and it's original script-work. To his credit, the director has meshed well the metal and the human plot. A.R. does a good job with songs and B.G.M is just fine. Resul's sound work is just fine too. The heroes of the movie are the VFX guys. I'd have loved to see Stan work with Shankar in this movie through his Stan Winston studios (legacy effects now). It wouldn't have been mind-bending for the man who was present for the birth of Terminators and T-rexes but certainly Shankar and Srinivasan - vfx, would have got valuable pointers from the legend. May Sujatha and Stan's souls rest in peace!
What could have potentially been a Super-star Sci-fi cult movie becomes a sci-fi movie for the super-star! It would attain cult status in Indian cinema though and will almost carve a niche in the world of sci-fi.
2.5 / 5
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